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wardenparker · 7 months

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Vampire Waltz - ch 4

Max Phillips x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

A mysterious inheritance, sprawling mansion, eccentric roommates, friendly bat, and coven of New England witches are the newest chapter of your life after being unceremoniously dumped and kicked out by your boyfriend. For Max, the biggest change in his life is you, and what exactly he's going to do about the fact that he is stuck living with you as long as his sire continues to punish him for that incident at his last office...

Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 10.4k Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: deceased parents, cursing, food, blood and blood drinking, depictions and references to abusive relationships.* Mentions of car accident (resulting in death), trauma reactions, talk of family dynamics, plenty of secrets still being kept. Summary: Time spent with Allison and the coven is becoming more frequent, but a surprising time alone with Max is what will be on your mind for a while... Notes: Apologies for any errors that I missed in this chapter, my dears. I'm still on the mend so I admit my editing isn't quite up to par. I hope you enjoy anyway! 🧛‍♂️ This week we've got a photo of the upstairs sitting room in Dolly's lovely mansion.

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3

The next few days, Max stays away. Confused as to why he had decided to spend Mabon as a bat on your shoulder during a witch's celebration instead of doing vampire things. He had missed a few parties in some neighboring cities but once he had gotten there, he hadn't wanted to leave your side. Something that was not Max. That, and now he's getting weird looks from Mrs. Taylor. As if she is waiting for him to tell her something and he doesn't know what the fuck that is. So instead of interacting, he stays away, concentrating on work.

It’s made the atmosphere in the house a little more tense than it needs to be, something which you’re so unfortunately used to that at first you find the tension more comfortable than everyone’s kindness. It’s not new to you, to have a man in close proximity who barely speaks to you, so you begin to adjust to the idea that Max just doesn’t like you very much.

******

"What is with you?" Eddie doesn't bother knocking, making Max scowl as he looks up from his magazine.

"Can't a man get a little privacy?" He grumbles, slapping the pages together and huffing at the other vampire. "What the fuck did I do now? I've been busy and on my best behavior."

“You’ve been sulking most of the time and extra snarky the others,” Eddie observes, coming fully into the upstairs sitting room where Max had been reclined on a sofa with his copy of GQ.

"I've been perfectly fine." Max sniffs, rolling his eyes and opening the magazine again. He has no interest in being questioned. "If someone takes offense to being busy, that's not my fault."

“You’re avoiding her.” It’s pretty obvious to the rest of the household, to the point where even Mr. Finchley had noticed and commented on the situation.

"Who?" Max asks, as if he isn't aware of who Eddie is referring to. As if he hadn't consciously rearranged his schedule so he wouldn't run into you.

“Dolly.” He’s not afraid of you overhearing this little exchange because you’re currently out with Allison getting a driving tour of your new island home, so he doesn’t bother closing the door behind him when he plops down in his favorite armchair.

"Come in. Make yourself comfortable." Max grunts sarcastically, shooting Eddie an unhappy look. He would rather the other vampire be anywhere else other than bothering him. "Since when is not dancing for the little human being rude?" He demands when Eddie doesn't move, just lifts a brow at him and waits.

“You haven’t even been eating dinner with us.” Not that it hasn’t made time for plenty of light conversation, but it still makes Eddie frown. “At least eat with us tonight? I think she feels like she did something wrong. Like you hate her.”

He doesn't want to. Doesn't want the feeling that rides under his skin when you are near. Like an itch he couldn't possibly scratch, even if he tore his skin off. Still....the idea that you would think you had done something wrong sits like a stone in his stomach. "I don't know her." He reminds Eddie. "How could I hate her?"

“I didn’t say I thought that,” the other vampire reminds him. “But she’s obviously been through some things and reassurance doesn’t hurt.”

Max huffs, wanting to say something snarky about needing reassurances, but then he remembers how happy you were that night around the fire. You had stroked his little bat wings and petted him while laughing and talking. He hates the idea of you slipping back into the shell of the quiet mouse you had been when you arrived. "Fine." He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "I'll make an appearance. Happy now?"

“Yes, thank you.” Eddie isn’t above using a little guilt here and there to make progress with Max, mostly because he knows that his fellow vampire has a surprisingly big heart carefully packed away under those bespoke suit layers. “I’ll let Mrs. Taylor know. She’s got a big bowl of that Italian chocolate pudding she makes with blood chilling in the fridge downstairs.”

"Oh thank god." Max wrinkles his nose. "I've been getting bored with take out." He smirks at his own little joke and looks back down at his magazine. "Now if you don't mind...."

“Looking for fashion tips for the coven’s masquerade?” Eddie lifts himself from the chair but doesn’t make a move to leave, teasing Max instead. “You know those are costume parties, right?”

Max's eyes cut over to Eddie, narrow and suspicious. "No." He snaps. "When do I have to be looking for fashion tips?" He asks, letting go of one side of the magazine to gesture to his resplendent outfit. "Maybe I'm trying to figure out how to tell you that you dress like a sad virgin." He shoots back with a pout. He's wondering why the hell Eddie would mention a coven function to him. Not like he had plans to attend.

“90s grunge is cool again,” Eddie informs him with a smirk, not bothered for even one second that Max is being pouty again.

"Go away." He rolls his eyes and flaps his magazine again, trying to ignore Eddie. Finding one of the outfits in the magazine perfect for the party but purposefully turning the page.

“Aww.” Even tutting, Eddie is laughing when he turns away. “Somebody’s got a vein in his fang. Don’t worry, Maxy. You’ll be cool one day, too.”

"Fuck you too!" Max shouts after the annoying vampire. It was a shame that he kept telling Max that he couldn't kill Eddie. Apparently having a soft spot for the annoying little shit.

Eddie chuckles all the way downstairs, going to tell Mrs. Taylor that Max will be returning to the dinner table tonight, but surprised to find the housekeeper standing in the China pantry with you — and for Allison to be there too. “I didn’t even hear you come home,” he hums, looking around at the three women. “Enjoyed your drive?”

"Oh!" Allison jumps, startled by the appearance of the cute, young looking, vampire. She's aware of his nature, Cookie having told her a few years ago. "I—" She flusters slightly and looks towards you. "I think he was talking to you and not me."

“Both of you,” Eddie clarifies, thoroughly enjoying the way Allison blushes in surprise. He’s always found the little witch to be beautiful, and is glad you made friends so quickly.

“It was really nice.” You’re standing in the room with Allison and Mrs. Taylor, arm looped through Allison’s as you chatted over having the next coven meeting here at the mansion. “Alli took me to a clam shack in Middletown for lunch and we drove all around the island.”

"Flo's." Allison tells Eddie, shrugging like it was the only place to take you. "Thought she should be familiar with the area. Learn where to go from a local."

“Perfect choice.” Not that he ever really wanted to eat there — not with how typical human food tastes to vampires — but because he sees that both humans have come home happy. So clearly, the choice was perfect. “Don’t let me interrupt. I was just coming to tell Mrs. Taylor that Max decided to be social for dinner tonight.”

"Decided?" Allison tilts her head in confusion and looks at him questioningly. "Has he been unsociable?"

“He’s been busy.” There’s no reason to talk about it, so you hadn’t mentioned it while you were out, but now you shrug. “I mean it’s not like we’re close, or anything. He’s not beholden to a big family dinner. That would be silly.” Silly for plenty of reasons – not the least of which is the fact that you’re not family at all.

Allison frowns and is about to say that there's no way that he would do that, but she catches the way your shoulders round slightly and stops herself. "Well, that just means he will have plenty to talk about tonight."

“Sure will,” Eddie predicts with a smile, having noticed the same thing as Allison. “I’m glad you ladies had fun.” Despite having been a vampire for decades he’s still fairly awkward around beautiful women and Allison is no exception to that rule. “I’ll leave you to it,” he decides, excusing himself to head back upstairs to his mountain of homework.

"Well, he ran off quickly." Allison doesn't know quite what to make of Eddie, he is normally running off before they talk for too long and it leaves her feeling a little off kilter.

“Doesn’t want to intrude on coven business, I expect.” Mrs. Taylor smiles, knowing full well that Eddie has had a little crush on Allison Wetmore for years. “Eddie used to dabble, you know? When he was younger.” When he was still human, is the underlying clarification, and Mrs. Taylor gives Allison a meaningful look. “Sometimes I think he misses it.”

"Really?" Her eyes widened in surprise and then drift back towards the door he had left through. "Well, he could always still dabble, if he wanted to. There's no rules against it."

“I can mention it to him,” you offer, seeing the way Allison softens at that idea and honestly envying it more than a little. You would give anything to feel softness and romantic longing for a good man again. Instead of the all-encompassing self-doubt and fear that you’ve been left with. The only thing you feel softness for right now is a bat. “The next coven meeting is going to be here anyway. There’s no reason he can’t join us.”

"You don't have to do that." A discreet look at Mrs. Taylor ends up with the older vampire simply shrugging her shoulders, having no input on the idea.

“There’s no reason he can’t join us,” you repeat with a smile, having no idea of the extremely real reason that so many other witches the world over would have a very big problem with the idea.

Mrs. Taylor smiles and nods. "Now, have you decided which china you would like to use?" She asks, bringing the conversation back to the task at hand. "It would really depend on the theme that you are wishing to have."

“We’re going to be planning the Samhain Masquerade, so…” A small huff of a laugh comes out of you. “Did Cookie have anything with bats or Jack o’lanterns or broomsticks on it?” You know the question is ridiculous but you’re in a fairly good mood for the third day in a row and that’s fairly miraculous.

Although she purses her lips in thought, Mrs. Taylor finds it amusing that you would be so like the woman you had never met. "There are two sets." She admits, walking over to one of the walls of cabinets without glass to display the wares. "Ms. Cookie had an odd sense of humor that would be perfect for a Samhain Masquerade."

“Are you serious?” It had only been a joke, and yet Mrs. Taylor is pulling out two different sets of dinner plates — one rimmed in spider webs and skulls and ghosts and haunted houses; and the other with a clean black rim and old fashioned scenes of witches and hauntings and magic in the center. “Oh my gods!”

The housekeeper’s laugh is loud. "That was the exact reaction of Ms. Brown when she opened the crate with the dishes." She admits as you carefully take one of them to examine. "Her soulmate was always on the lookout for things that she would love."

“They’re fantastic.” The sting in your heart at another even small similarity between and a woman you never met makes you ache for some reason. “He sounds like he loved her very much.” The story that Allison told you is still in your head, but vampires? That’s still just too outrageous.

"Their love was never a question." Mrs. Taylor murmurs softly. "If there is one set that you like more than the other, we will use that set."

“What do you think?” Giving Allison the choice since she knows the coven better makes perfect sense to you. “We could probably even mix and match if we wanted to?”

"Personally..." She tilts her head and smiles as she looks down at the plates. "I think that the ones with the pumpkins are perfect."

“Then that’s what we’ll use.” They’re all perfect, so you’re happy no matter what — and what the coven will like is far more important to you anyway.

"We can save the other china for the next one?" Allison asks. "If you decide to have another next year."

“I’m sure we will.” Somehow, with as much as you doubt yourself on other things, you don’t doubt this. Like reviving the legacy of the masquerade ball is simply meant to be.

"Then we will make sure that everyone in Newport wants an invite to your masquerades." Allison declares with a grin.

“I think we could probably fit them all in this house.” You joke, wondering if anyone besides the coven would even come and if you would even care if they didn’t. Having this many potential friends is something you haven’t experienced in years.

“You should go to see some of the other mansions down this street,” Mrs. Taylor insists, sorting through the cabinet of Samhain China. “They’re very beautiful, and quite enormous.”

"We could make it a field trip, if you wanted?" Allison jumps on the idea with a grin. "Get a few from the coven and make a day of it?"

"Are there really that many to see?" So many of the gates up and down the street were marked private that eventually you had stopped thinking that any of them might be open to the public at all.

"They will be just as soon as you tell the people answering the speaker that you have some of Mrs. Taylor’s famous cookies." Allison snickers. "Even if the homeowners aren't there, the staff will do anything to get a box."

"Oh, now, hush." Mrs. Taylor would blush if she could, but as it is she waves her hand at Allison as though she might be just too pleased for words. "I'll see that Renee gets a stack of tickets ordered for the Preservation Society and you girls can go whenever you'd like. Just come on back here for lunch in between, alright?" There is a not-so-small chance that the vampiric housekeeper has dearly missed these larger parties and is taking any excuse she can find to encourage you to make friends. Not so small at all.

"You know your cookies are coveted." Allison hums with a smile before she turns to you. "What do you say, Dolly? Does that sound like something you'd like to do later on this week?"

"Absolutely." An invitation – any time spent with new friends – warms you right from the tips of your toes all the way through the top of your head. "I've never seen houses like these before, it sounds like fun."

"Ohhhhh." Turning her eyes towards the older, vampiric housekeeper, she bites her lip. "Is there any way that we could possibly borrow some period clothing?" The witch asks with a grin, knowing that it would appeal to her immensely. "We could do the tours dressed up."

"Of course, dear." Mrs. Taylor nearly vibrates with excitement over the question, answering immediately and putting the box of dishes aside in her eagerness at the suggestion. "I will sort through some of the older things on the third floor and bring them down for you all to look through tomorrow?"

“What do you think?” Allison turns to you and wants to know if you would like that. “Is that something you would like?”

It isn't something you would normally do, but something in your gut tells you yes. To go for it. That it will be fun. "What the heck?" You shrug eventually, throwing up your hands. "It could be fun."

“Yes!” Allison pumps her first in the air. “You won’t regret it.” She promises before she checks her watch. “Shoot. I have to get to work. Call you later?”

"Sure." Accepting the quick, tight hug for as long as it lasts, Allison is quickly flying out the door again and off to the races, leaving you with Mrs. Taylor and her knowing smile in less than a flash.

“That one is always busy, says it keeps her in high spirits.” Mrs. Taylor tells you as she pulls out the rest of the china. “Would you like a tea service or would you rather wait for dinner?”

"I'll wait, if you don't mind. Lunch was big." Having nothing but leisure time has been odd even if it has only been a few days, and for a moment you have nothing but envy for your friend and her busy schedule. There are things you would love to do, but just can't bring yourself to think about for the time being. "I think I'll read until dinner, if that's alright."

“Of course.” Mrs. Taylor doesn’t remind you that you are the one who sets the rules, just nods and smiles. “Ring the bell if you need anything.”

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor. I will." There is nothing that you could need badly enough that it would make you call for the staff, but you appreciate the gesture of being reminded. You would never want to inconvenience them like that, so you'll enjoy your afternoon with your book until dinner and then quietly enjoy your absolute top guilty pleasure reality show on television tonight. That would be a perfect cap to a lovely day.

******

The fact that Max checks his appearance in the mirror has nothing to do with seeing you at dinner. Nothing at all. He’s a vain man and enjoys the fact that the modern day mirrors allow for his reflection, since they are not backed with silver. Making sure that his hair was perfectly in place, he amuses himself by letting his fangs grow, making sure there was nothing in his teeth. Wondering what you would do if he let them show at dinner.

At five minutes to seven you’re down in the dining room, not wanting anyone to ever have to wait for you or to cause any problems. A lot has gone on these last few days, but a routine is starting to emerge that you feel like you can attach to. The soothing breath of fall is helping but it’s not exclusively that. The freedom you’ve been allowed is almost terrifying, so it’s not that either. It’s the small routines that are making you feel more at ease, and the reliability of those things showing you that you can rely that Mrs. Taylor and Renee – and even Mr. Taylor and Mr. Finchley – will take care of things by sticking to their routines. Even Eddie has the routine of school and always sitting down to dinner with you. It’s only Max who is a wildcard, so you are trying very hard not to let his variability affect how you approach your day. Tonight begins your one true indulgence, and you will be damned if you let Max’s variable mood ruin it for you. You’ve been looking forward to this. It’s all you have left of some things that are long since past.

At seven Max strolls into the dining room. “Well, this looks like a marvelous evening.” He says with a small chuckle. “Miss me? I’ve been very busy.”

“It’s been a few days,” you nod once and pick up your lemonade, noting a taste of something herbal in it that you can’t quite identify. “I hope you’ve gotten things done?”

“Always.” He smirks, sending you a wink even if he doesn’t want to wink at you. “Plenty of deals done. Gotta burn that oil to get in good with the bosses.”

"I hope it works for you." Not having to suck up to horrible bosses is something you've considered an enormous fringe benefit of not having to look for a job in your new town, but Max seems to enjoy – somehow – the hustle and bustle of the office.

“So far my numbers don’t lie.” He boasts as he drags out his chair and flops down, somehow making it look elegant. His eyes roam over your face and it’s obvious that you’ve relaxed, your eyes brighter than before and you look happy.

“Have you…seen Eddie?” There are only two places set tonight and no sign of the other young man in sight. While it’s unusual it’s not exactly concerning.

Max knows that is happening and he frowns. Little shit obviously decided that you could stand to have a one-on-one dinner. “I think he decided to go out.” He tells you. “Take out.”

“Oh. Sure. Of course.” The whirring cogs in your brain immediately reinterpret that as ‘he is avoiding you because you’ve done something wrong or upset him’ and even though you have absolutely no evidence for that you can’t shake it out of your mind as Mrs. Taylor comes in with the first course.

Max huffs when there’s just water again, no goblets of ‘wine’. He needs one of those drink cups with a straw to bring to the table. “Think the kid’s trying to get laid or something.” He shrugs and glances down at his plate. “No, it was a study group. I was the one trying to get laid in college.” He tells you with a chuckle.

You have no trouble believing that whatsoever, but pointing it out seems like bad form, though. “Eddie seems very serious about school,” you observe instead. Thinking about Max like that is surprisingly easy and you immediately shock yourself trying to imagine if he has chest hair or not. That is not a helpful thought.

“He should be.” Max frowns seriously, picking up his spoon and sliding it through the blood soup Mrs. Taylor had made him. You have tomato soup in your own bowl. “Honestly, I’d be mad if he wasn’t serious.”

“You would?” From the man who just said he spent college trying to get laid, you can admit to yourself that that is surprising to hear from him.

"Of course I would." He spoons up a sip of the blood soup and slurps it happily. "Don't want the same thing to happen to him that happened to me."

“I thought you had your MBA?” The thick, creamy tomato soup that Mrs. Taylor made for tonight is wonderful, and you can already tell you’re going to be craving it with grilled cheese on chilly days.

He sighs, his face twisting in anger. "No thanks to fucking Vanderbilt." He hisses, still angry after all this time that they had not even attempted to listen to him. He had not cheated. He was a lot of things, but a fucking cheater in school hadn't been one of them.

“You went to Vanderbilt?” The way you almost drop your spoon in shock is about as telling at the way your mouth hangs open, but you manage not to let the utensil clatter or make a mess.

"I did." He snorts. "Until they fucking kicked me out for something I didn't do."

“I—I’m so sorry.” It’s clear he’s still angry about it, whatever it was that happened, and you back down from asking questions instantly. An angry man is never ever a good thing, especially when they’re strong. And Max definitely looks strong.

The way you clam up instantly makes him regret showing his true emotions. His shoulders relax and he adopts a slightly smarmy smirk. "Not that I didn't do anything wrong..." He admits. "But banging my roommate's ex-girlfriend was my only crime. Evan just…he was a fucking twerp."

“They…kicked you out for that?” You knew there was an Honor System when you were at school but that seems like taking it to a rather incredulous degree, to you.

"Nope." He takes another sip of his soup. "I was accused of 'academic dishonesty'." He even uses the air quotes. "Little shit had access to my computer so he made it look like I was stealing my essays from him. And he uploaded some test key from one of my classes onto it."

“Gods, he actually framed you?” That’s a whole lot of dedication to disliking someone and you fidget slightly in your seat, wondering when this all happened. You have no idea how old Max is or how old he was in college. “I’m…I’m really sorry. That’s awful.”

"Yeah....of course no college in the states would take me." He tells you. "Had to get my MBA in Romania."

“I…” A spoonful of liquid sits in your spoon, untouched, as you debate finishing your sentence. “I…went to Vanderbilt, too.”

"No shit?" Max huffs, looking impressed. "What year?"

"I was Class of 2011." There is a brightness there, in remembering college, that you don't have with a lot of other things, and the smile on your face is genuine. "It's hard to believe it was so long ago."

"Oh shit." Max's brows shoot up and he shakes his head. "I can't - you were there at the same time. I was - well, would have been, Class of '09."

"Shit..." Even if the curse slips out on its own, it's honest. And you sit back in your chair in surprise. "The school isn't that big. How did we never meet?"

"Somehow I don't peg you as a business major." He teases slightly with a grin. "Although....were you in any of the sororities? I was always at those parties."

"I wasn't exactly a sorority girl." That is a fairly large understatement, but you get the feeling that he wasn't being serious anyway. "I was a classics and anthropology double major, But I...spent most of my extra time dancing." It's been a long time since you have been in a studio, or last took a lesson, but that's where you spent every ounce of free time when you were younger. Dance was like breathing. It was just part of who you were, but it was never going to be your profession.

"Dancing?" He tilts his head, spoon halfway to his lips and he tries to figure out what you mean. "I mean, where do you dance, except at a party?" He asks, wondering if you were one of those ballet types.

The sting in your heart is still there, despite it having been a lot of years since the last time you were in a studio. "I used to do ballroom competitively," you tell him, finally taking that spoonful of your own soup all the way to your mouth.

Eating your soup stops you from seeing the way that Max nearly chokes on his next spoonful of the warm blood soup. Catching himself before you look up and schooling his features back to polite interest. "Hmmm."

"Yeah, it's not the most popular, necessarily. Or something that a lot of people dabble in." It wasn't as though you had taken jazz or tap, or any of the types of dance classes that the theater students favored. You hadn't even tried out ballet. For you, it had always been ballroom or bust. "But...I enjoyed it. A lot."

"Good for you." Max tells you. "Everyone needs a hobby and it will be handy when you are throwing those parties that Mrs. Taylor is nearly creaming herself over."

"Max." The way you say his name is full of -- to the surprise of both of you -- chastising disapproval. And while that in and of itself isn't necessarily the surprise, the surprise is that it almost feels playful.

He chuckles, smirking at the shocked expression on your face, as if you can't believe that just came out of your mouth. His own return of your name is playful, bantering.

“She seems glad to have things not changing too much, that’s all.” To have reminders of Ms. Brown has seemed to make the housekeeper very glad, and who are you to put an end to that?

Max frowns for a second. "Are there things you want to change?" He asks, wondering why you sound proud that you haven't made any waves.

“Not…not particularly?” In truth you haven’t thought about changing anything at all, so you can’t really say. “Change isn’t always good.”

"Change can be great though." Max argues, even though his tone is still playful. Still making sure that he doesn't somehow hurt your decidedly tender feelings.

"It can be." Sometimes. Rarely. Although this change -- the decision to accept the inheritance and move north -- has been a good one. "But to be honest? Everything is so different here that I don't mind just learning the ropes."

He hums again and quickly finishes his soup before Mrs. Taylor comes in to bring the next course. "I'm sure you will fit right in. The old battle ax is rigid in her schedule." He looks up at the older housekeeper and winks at her playfully.

She says nothing, but raises one eyebrow at Max as she picks up the soup bowls from both of your places and sets down plates instead. You don’t look upset at all so she’s taking it as a good sign for your conversation.

He smirks when you don't comment, instead staring at your plate like it fascinates you. "She's not going to bite." He promises. "You at least. Me? She's wanted to bite me for years, but I'm just not the type of man to be the 'other man'." He leans closer. "And between you and me? I think Mr. Taylor might be able to take me."

Years ago you would have teased him about being the kind of guy who claimed to be invulnerable, but not anymore. There may still be playfulness in you but the sass is pretty much gone. "Housekeeper isn't a vampire but her husband might be. Got it." You joke, instead of getting too heavy with anything. The story that the coven told you at Mabon is obviously still on your mind.

Max freezes for a moment before he shoots you a grin. "That's the spirit."

“I didn’t realize vampire stories were so popular up here.” At this point it’s just conversational and you pick up your fork for your second course. “Is it a regional thing? Allison was telling me about…Mercy Brown? I think that was her name.” The local vampire story from 1892 had been another tale related to you at the Mabon bonfire.

Max chuckles. "Vampires are extremely popular around here. As they should be." He adds, picking up his butter knife and pointing it at you as he educates you. "They are the superior creature in every way that counts."

“Oh?” That seems…characteristically cocky coming from Max, so you don’t know why you’re surprised. It’s his opinion or nothing. “If you say so.”

"Think about it." He hums. "Immortality."

“I’d go for magic being real before I go for immortality,” you tell him honestly. There hasn’t been anything about your life worth living forever for in a long time.

"Ouch." He rubs his heart like you hurt him. "I guess that's why you're a witch." He pouts at you before he picks up his fork. He's also noticed that you don't eat unless someone else does and you need to eat. Your stomach is growling quietly.

“I was raised a witch.” There isn’t any reason to share so much with him but you can’t seem to stop yourself. It’s like a compulsion. “My parents were witches, too.”

"So it's like...a family thing." He nods as he takes a bite of the steak tare-tare that he had been craving, groaning quietly at the taste.

“Very much so.” Though your family history is a little complicated, you can see unequivocally that the title of Witch is hereditary.

"That's cool." Max shrugs slightly, looking down as he scoops some more of the next course on his fork. "I don't think I could claim something like that. Parents disowned me when I was kicked out of Vandy."

“I’m sorry to hear that.” With your own loss being what it is, you can certainly appreciate the feeling of being on your own. “My parents died the summer before my freshman year.”

"I'm sorry." Max doesn't mean many things when he apologizes, but he does mean this. "Really."

“Thank you.” There isn’t anything to do about it now, and there wasn’t anything you could do about it then. But you do appreciate the sympathy. “I know it isn’t the same thing, but I understand being on your own.”

He doesn’t answer, he doesn’t have an answer for that. He just nods and reaches for the water to wash down the food.

Stony silence fills the dining room and you understand immediately that you've overstepped. Your situations aren't the same and you shouldn't have compared them, and now he's upset with you. Having a man upset with you, though, is unfortunately something that you're intimately familiar with, and even though you shrink in your chair you know what to do. Just sit with your mouth shut and eat your dinner, making sure not to make eating sounds that will bother or anger Max for the rest of the meal.

Unfortunately, it seems like you are the worst at someone staying silent and you clam up like you've just been scolded. Max wants to bridge the gap, to get back to the somewhat easy banter you had been having. "Dead parents, as good as dead parents." Max shrugs his shoulders. "What are you gonna do, am I right?" He cracks a smile. "At least yours have a good reason for abandoning you. Still sucks though, and I'm sorry. How did they go? Shootout with police? Exploding cauldron?" He's being purposely ridiculous to see you smile. Hopefully.

“Car accident.” You can’t really tell if he’s trying to lighten the mood or making light of your parents’ deaths, so for your own sanity you have to choose to believe it’s the former. “An eighteen-wheeler hydroplaned in a thunderstorm and rolled over onto my parents’ sedan and another car on the highway.” It’s been long enough that you can talk about it without instantly crying, but only just. “Truck driver was the only survivor.”

"Fuck." Max winces and he blows out a breath in a very human-like exhale. "I'm so sorry. That's a lot to deal with when you're that age, any age really." He adds. "What were they like?"

“I don’t think kinder people have ever existed.” You tell him honestly, fork in hand but not actively eating while you think of your parents. “They were soulmates. Met during a summer study abroad program in London. My dad had just started college the year before and my mom was taking a gap year because she didn’t know what she wanted to study. After they met, she applied to the same college he was studying at and…they were pretty much inseparable after that.”

Even though his heart no longer beats, something twists in his chest at the mention of soulmates. He had never gotten to find out who his was. Despite his playboy attitude, when he had been in college, he would have dropped everything to be with that girl. No more serial dating or being a flirt. He had wanted the soulmate bond that his parents had shared. “That’s sweet.” He tells you. “At least….” He clears his throat. “At least they went together so they didn’t have to lose each other to death.”

“That’s…kind of what I’ve settled on…” Agreement with Max is an odd feeling, but you too had settled on neither of them having to be alone at the end as a good thing. Any solace you could give yourself at the time was extremely necessary. “Do you—? I mean…your parents…?” You’re not quite sure how to ask, or even what you’re asking, but it feels rude not to ask at all.

“What?” He asks, not sure exactly what you mean. “Wish I could see them?”

“I was going to ask if you had checked up on them,” you admit, looking down at your plate. Max must not like duck, you reflect, since his dinner is something different tonight. “Sometimes I wish I knew the rest of my family just so I could check on them. See if they’re happy. But that’s silly.”

“I saw them about three years ago.” Max admits quietly. “From a distance. They made it very clear they had no interest in a cheater and refused to believe me. So….” He shrugs. “They made their choice. Being told your parents wished you were never born is a relationship killer.” He hadn't been able to resist going back and seeing the people who had given him life, but he had just watched from the car for a few hours before leaving.

“I’m so sorry.” Somehow it never occurs to you to ask if he is actually guilty. Someone so proud of his achievements doesn’t seem like the type to cut corners to you, and the fact that he still seems so hurt by it is the other large piece of the puzzle. If he were truly that person, it would not have left such a mark on his heart. And just like that— the wall you had up around yourself to keep out Max Phillips begins to crack.

******

Dinner had finished with much lighter subjects being broached. Finding himself watching as you relax more as the night goes on. The seemingly heavy burden of fear and manners slowly slipping off your shoulders and instead of being weighed down, your spine straightens. Body starts to uncurl from the center and open up. He had excused himself, like a gentleman. Wishing you a nice night and disappearing quickly. Unsure of why he's so fucking protective of you and not liking it at all. He had thought about turning into a bat again. To seek you out, but instead, he finds himself roaming around the halls of the mansion like a ghost.

It’s silly. You know it is. But to still have silly things to hold on to at this point in your life is vital. So you make your way upstairs after dinner and putter in your room for a little while, deciding to change into pajamas before going out to see if anyone is in the sitting room. Eddie is still out and there’s no sign of Max so you slip inside and turn on the tv, allowing yourself to relax and even enjoy tonight. Dancing with the Stars is silly in a lot of ways. But sometimes, for the people competing and for you watching, it can mean a whole hell of a lot. It’s a window back to happier days, and that is something you are grateful for.

The noise is what attracts him. Hearing the applause draws him from the remote areas of the house. As if pulled by an invisible string. His feet quiet as he draws closer to the light flashing from the sitting room.

“Live, from Hollywood! It’s Dancing with the Stars!” proclaims the host loudly, and you sink back into the presumably antique sofa with a happy sigh. The little things — like reality tv — aren’t always so little. Next week, you think, you’ll have to make popcorn.

Reality TV? His head tilts and his eyes widen in surprise as he comes into the sitting room. Unable to believe that you would watch something as trivial as this. He had pegged you for a Lifetime movies girl, or maybe the Who Done It channels that constantly played murder cases.

“Max!” The last thing you had expected was company, and your cheeks burn hot in embarrassment when you realize he’s smirking, like he’s on the verge of laughter. “Did—uh—did you want to watch tv?”

"Sure." He immediately starts to shrug out of his jacket and unbutton his vest as he walks around the couch. "What are we watching?" He asks, like he just didn't hear the announcer. It had cut to commercial and he wants to see what you say.

“I—uh—” Your complete intention had been to surrender the television to him if he wanted it. The idea that he might want to join you had never even crossed your mind, so when Max plops down on the sofa beside you, you feel like a deer caught in car headlights. “It’s…Dancing with the Stars…” you let the truth out without even thinking. It’s not even worth lying about, since you’re the worst liar in the world. And what would the point be, anyway?

"Hmmmmm." He is impressed that you just admitted what you are watching and he glances over at you with a grin. "Does it make you nostalgic?" He asks.

You nod, a melancholy smile grabbing your lips as you twist your fingers on the edge of your sweater. “Yeah. It does.”

"Who's your favorite this season?" He asks as he settles deeper into the couch. "Any favorites yet?"

“Only one couple has danced so far, so I’m not sure.” The fact that he’s asking, that he’s not just teasing you about it and walking away, makes you want to just about throw your arms around him in a grateful hug. But since that would be extremely weird and you can’t even fathom the urge, you just smile a little wider instead. “Alyson Hannigan is on this year, though. Even if she’s not very good, it’ll be fun. I—I was kind of a Buffy kid growing up.”

Max snorts, chuckling quietly. "Yeah but it was so predictable." He tells you. "Every week Buffy would be up against some bad ass who she easily defeated."

"That's because Buffy was a badass," you counter without hesitation.

He huffs, pursing his lips in a pout and smirks when you just raise an eyebrow. "You mean there wasn't one vampire you didn't secretly want to live?"

"Spike did live." Did you love the enemies-to-lovers arc that Buffy and Spike went through? Abso-fucking-lutely. Some of the shine had come off of the adversarial relationship since, but you still see the appeal in feeling like you know the real someone they keep hidden from the world.

Max rolls his eyes. "Spike wasn't that great." He huffs. "He wasn't."

"Oh no?" That makes you smirk a little, and you shift on the couch to face him better. "You preferred Angel, did you?" Angel would be the more sentimental choice, and that actually is a bit of a surprise. You would have thought Max would be more into the snarky badass vampire character.

"Angel had a personality." Max insists. "There was the conflict of good and evil inside him. That's better than just....eye candy with spiky white hair."

"Spike got his soul back, too, ya know." Having a debate about a supernatural television show from your childhood isn't exactly where you saw this night going, but Dancing with the Stars is still on commercial and seeing Max get worked up about something that doesn't lead to anger is actually kind of fun. "And he could sing."

He rolls his eyes at your rational and tuts. "Whatever, you just thought he was hot." He's oddly pouty about that fact, since he's the opposite of what Spike looks like. The show starts back and he points at it. "Watch the damn dancers." He grumbles.

"I liked that he improved himself for the person he loved," you clarify quietly, but turn to face the tv again like you've been told.

Max sighs, feeling bad for getting snippy about a fictional character and watches for another moment before standing up and walking out of the room.

The second it happens you can feel yourself curling in again, embarrassed and vulnerable and mortified that he's upset with you. Maybe, you tell yourself, trying not to get so upset that you cry over the fact that Max got up and walked out of the room -- maybe he's just not into dancing. That wouldn't be the end of the world...

"You're a fucking idiot, Phillips." Max berates himself as he zips down to the kitchen, using the speed he couldn't show if you were nearby. "You know she's fucking sensitive and more than likely abused. And yet you fucking get moody with her."

Mrs. Taylor had been clearing up the last of things from the day's work and starting on a little preparation for tomorrow as well when she heard Max in the kitchen. Some of the clothing that she had pulled down from the third floor needed mending and she has a needle and button in hand while Max talks to himself and she hears cabinets open and close.

"Fuck." He shakes his head and throws the popcorn in the microwave. "Okay, snacks, what kind of snacks does a human like while watching dancing?" He asks himself as he starts to pull out crackers and search for something sweet. You seemed to like that. He figured he would apologize with a little snack tray while watching your show.

Smiling to herself, Mrs. Taylor slips across the hall from the sewing room and leans in the kitchen doorway. "She likes hot chocolate," she murmurs, arms crossed and an expression of pure amusement on her face.

Max looks up guiltily and swallows. "Oh, uh, okay." He shrugs when he looks back into the cabinet and grabs the box of deluxe hot chocolate mix. "She wanted snacks." He lies. "Something about being peckish. You know humans."

"Sure, sure." The housekeeper doesn't buy that for a second, knowing that you would never ask for anything. Even after only a few days, she knows that. "Humans."

"Right?" He huffs and rolls his eyes, grabbing the milk and pouring it into the cup to froth in the espresso machine. It would be the best way to scald the milk and make the richest hot chocolate. It's the way he had made it when he was a barista in college.

"There's whipped cream in the fridge." Mrs. Taylor hums, pushing off from the doorframe with a knowing grin. "Enjoy your night, Max."

He grunts, watching the milk scald very carefully before he scoops the cocoa powder into the milk and stirs vigorously to mix it together. Cursing to himself when he realizes he didn't get a mug out, he sets it down to grab one of the big cocoa mugs and delicately pours it in, using the foam to finish the top before he moves to the fridge to grab the whipped cream and a bar of chocolate to shave over the top.

He barely manages to get it all done before the microwave beeps, but he does get it. The popcorn is buttery and salty just the way humans like it and the cocoa is exactly the way he would make it in his barista days.

Carrying the tray up the stairs takes a little bit longer than it would have without it, so he doesn't spill anything. The covered cup for himself is filled with a blood mixture, so he can 'participate' in the snacking. "So what did I miss?" He asks when he walks back into the sitting room.

The look of astonishment on your face when he strolls back I should be plenty enough to tell him that you didn’t think he was coming back, but you manage to sputter out that Alyson Hannigan is about to dance and nearly melt in sheer shock when you realize that he not only came back — he came back with snacks.

"Good, I didn't miss it." He sets the tray down on the coffee table and picks up the hot chocolate and saucer to hand to you. "It's hot, so don't burn yourself." He cautions as he looks at the tv with interest.

Careful not to fumble the cup as he sits down beside you again, you must look like a dope with the little smile of surprise in your lips but you can’t help it. “You didn’t have to do this…”

"Mrs Taylor." He lies with a small shrug. "She insisted. You know, housekeepers." He rolls his eyes for dramatic affect. "If they aren't making things perfect, they aren't happy." It wasn't Mrs. Taylor at all, but he won't admit that it was him even if it's completely obvious it was a lie.

“If you say so.” You nod, though you know just from looking at the cup that Mrs. Taylor didn’t make it.

"Popcorn?" He offers, holding up the bowl. "I - Mrs. Taylor - figured you were a popcorn kind of girl."

“You were right.” Even if he hadn’t given himself away, the tray would have. Mess. Taylor never would have forgotten a napkin. But you dip your hand in the bowl after setting it on the couch between you, and you just smile. A wide, genuine, personal smile.

Max huffs, settling in the cushions with his own cup and focusing on the tv. You didn't reject his tray, or think that it was a shitty idea, so that's good. "Oh, she looks hot." He hums as the couple starts to dance.

“She’s very pretty.” The costume is bright and colorful, fringe and sparkles everywhere, reminding you of so many teenage competitions. When you were growing up your mother swore that everything you owned had sparkle.

"Oooooh." Max winces and takes a sip of his drink. "That's gonna cost them." He predicts as he watches the first misstep of the routine.

“Familiar with ballroom salsa?” You ask, surprised to hear him have any comments at all beyond the costuming. Max is meticulously well dressed, so you had figured that would be the most amusing part for him.

"I just- uh, heard the crowd react." Max tells you, cutting his eyes over to see if you believe him or if you are suspicious.

“It’s okay to say yes…if you do.” It makes you wonder if he really would find it so terrible to have something in common with you.

He blows out a sigh and contemplates lying but apparently he is obscenely bad at lying to you. "I might know a thing or two."

“Did you…ever dance?” It’s equally possible that he dated a girl who danced, or even that he has a friend who he picked it up from. There could be any of a million reasons, and you’re not quite sure why you’re hoping for one over the other.

He closes his eyes and blows out another breath. "I've....danced." He admits slowly. "Comp...etitvely.

“Well I’ll be damned…” That was not what you expected to hear, and the smile on your face creeps a little bit wider than it had been beforehand. “So you know exactly what you’re watching.”

“Her timing is off a quarter of a beat and his arms are not rigid enough.” Max breaks it down as he watches. “The first quarter turn was sloppy and he’s letting her lead.”

“Salsa’s tough for a beginner. She’s got to build her confidence in herself and in him.” Going for a few pieces of popcorn, you can feel yourself relax around him to a whole other degree. “Don’t you remember getting your first competition partner? It was terrifying.”

“Yeah.” He can’t tell you that everyone had spent countless hours practicing before that began. A side effect of not needing sleep.

“When did you start?” Finding this common thread is a revelation for you, and as the judges critique the performance on screen you almost don’t even care that it’s on now.

“In Romania.” He admits. “You had to take an elective and since I was there late…” he shrugs. “Ballroom dancing it was.”

“You must be good, if you started relatively recently but got all the way to competitions.” For you, ballroom had started early. It had been your entire childhood, in a lot of ways. Coven meetings, trips to the library, and baby ballroom.

“A lot of practice, but I have natural grace.” He boasts with a small wink.

It’s bragging, of course it is, but this time it doesn’t run you the wrong way like it has at others. It’s just…like he doesn’t want to admit how much it means to him. “Sounds like you would put that ballroom downstairs to good use.”

“Depends on who I’m dancing with.” He teases. “I don’t think Mrs. Taylor would dance with me.”

“You don’t have a partner?” As soon as it’s out of your mouth you hear it — the sound of you accidentally asking him if he’s seeing anyone when what you meant to ask was if he had a competition partner. And yet? You are curious. In a backward kind of way…

It seems like the question is more loaded than just a dancing partner and he shrugs. “Not for a long time.”

“I hope that changes for you.” It’s meant to be cordial. Slightly more than polite. That’s all. You swear that that is all you meant. The twist and pull vibrating through you and making your stomach turn to knots is far beyond what you swear to yourself that you meant to ask. “I-if you want it to, that is.”

Max nods. “Been a long time since I’ve danced.” He admits. “College.” While he had enjoyed it a lot more than he would ever admit, he had people to prove wrong. The grand ideas of showing his parents how wrong they were and getting revenge on Evan had taken priority and ended up making him lose everything. Even his connection with his soulmate.

“It’s never too late for a second chance.” Your father’s favorite advice, this time, as you sip the cocoa that he made for you and hum in utter bliss. It’s better than Mrs. Taylor’s, but you’ll never tell. “And thank you for this. It’s…really wonderful.”

“Can’t watch a guilty pleasure without snacks.” Max scoffs. “It’s a crime.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to be arrested for a lack of popcorn,” you hum, picking up a few more kernels.

He snorts, grinning at you before he takes another sip of his own drink. “Nope. I don’t think orange is your color.”

"I'll trust your judgment on that." You tell him with a smile. "I think you have better fashion sense than me."

"You should start wearing eccentric outfits. Play up the ‘strange owner of the mansion’ bit." He chuckles.

“It takes a lot of courage to be eccentric.” Something that you had once — wearing princess dresses in school pictures and dressing up in wild ballroom costumes — but it’s been a very long time. Too long. All that confidence got lost along the way.

"Fuck it, you're rich." Max shrugs. "Who gives a shit what people think about you?" He asks seriously. "They don't feed you, fuck you or pay your bills."

“So whose opinion do I care about, then?” You ask, half-serious and half-intrigued by the idea, even though you know you don’t have the guts to follow through with it. “Mrs. Taylor is the one who feeds me now, so just her?”

"Those you care about." Max explains like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Some rando on the street doesn't mean shit. Who gives a damn if that person thinks that you're strange or you shouldn't wear three-piece suits?" He tells you as an example. "You like the way they are cut, how you look, better yet - how you feel wearing them." He might be projecting slightly, but he reels it back in to focus on you. "Those that care about you and you about them, they just want you to be happy. And if dying your hair fuschia and wearing a dress from 1892 while rocking combat boots? They'll love it."

“That’s…very good advice, Max.” And surprisingly sweet. Sweet enough that that invisible wall cracks again, but you don’t voice the thought that it’s been a long time — too long — since you had anyone who truly cared about you like that. And that you’re too terrified to your very core to hope that any of the people you’ve met so far in Newport might grow into that sort of person.

"That's me." Max winks playfully. "Full of good advice and sound investment choices." He teases, just to see if you roll your eyes or get embarrassed.

“I’ll remember that.” Instead of doing either thing he expects, you fluster slightly and turn back to the tv, wondering why you’re having butterflies over something so…Max.

The rest of the show is surprisingly entertaining, both of you offering your opinions on the routines and even rating them. By the time it's over, you're obviously sleepy from the extra snacks and the hot chocolate. Max hums as he looks over and turns off the tv. "You should go get ready for bed, Dolly." He urges you. "I can clean this up."

“I liked Queenie, too,” you hum, smothering a yawn as you reach to put your cup and saucer back on the tray but Max is faster than you. He obviously means it, which means far more to you than you can say. “Good night Max. And thanks for…you know. Everything.”

"No problem, Queenie." He hums, grinning that you like his nickname for you. "Goodnight." You stand and walk out of the room, his dark eyes on you the entire time as he tries to discern why he has the greatest urge to follow you and tuck you in.

Teeth brushed, face washed, and the day stripped away, you climb into bed in your tank top and cotton pajama pants without bothering to look in the mirror. Once you might have stopped, inspected the marks that adorned your skin from the person that the universe decree was the other half of your soul— but they disappeared years ago. Now, alone, you tuck your blankets around you and breathe in the fresh fall air from your open window, hoping that the racing thoughts won’t keep you up and you can end a pleasant day on a pleasant note.

******

He moves like a wisp of smoke. Silent, nearly invisible when he wants to be, which is often. It was how he was so good, instinct and talent can only take you so far. His skills honed through centuries of use. The fact that he was so good was why he was gifted, or cursed, with immorality. He uses it now. Slipping through the halls unseen. Even passing by his protegé without being noticed on his way towards his goal. A single room. A single person. Asleep and vulnerable in her dreams. His teeth flash in a smile, sharp and deadly as he anticipates seeing you again.

Dreams don’t always come anymore, and they certainly don’t come easily when they do. More often stuck in your nightmares, you’re grateful for dreamless sleep. Tonight though, as your head hits your pillow, your unconscious mind has a different destination. The little farmhouse in Indiana where your bedroom was painted sunshine yellow and all your favorite dolls are lined up on the shelf beside your Nancy Drew and Magic Treehouse Club books was always the setting for encountering your invisible friend. Though he visited you everywhere, he would always make sure to tuck you in at night and wish you sweet dreams. Words of kindness and encouragement from a man with curly hair the color of your father’s coffee and a voice tinted and coloured by travel to places unimaginable and beautiful. It’s the first time you’ve seen him in your dreams in longer than you can remember…but his eyes still crinkle in the same kind way…

Standing at the foot of your bed, he observes you. You're different. Obviously. He's not seen you since you were a child. Unable to because of the power magic of your mother. The spell binding until death. While the loss is bittersweet, he greedily takes note of the curve of your cheek and length of your lashes. Frowning slightly when he sees the way that you seem worn, the weight of your life's challenges weighing you down. He steps closer, leaning down and brushing his hand over your hair gently. Touching you with an almost tender yearning and the slight undercurrent of sadness.

The flashes in your dream are slight at first — showing you a great whirling of people and bright colors in amber light with vibrant music in the air. Catches of the image seem familiar but you can’t place them, until you hurry out a side door of the room to step out onto a small porch to a sprawling garden, and you recognize the grounds of the house where you now live. A hand on your shoulder. A soft voice in your ear, thickly accented but familiar.

"What do you think, muñequita?" He asks, gently. "Is it pretty enough for my little doll?"

“It’s beautiful, Yayo.” It’s been so long since he appeared in a dream of yours, yet the moment he does you recognize him instantly. Your sleeping mind has always welcomed him. “Unbelievably beautiful.”

"My greatest dream has come true, my sweet girl." He hums, his fingers curling around your shoulder in a comforting embrace. "Having you here."

Without hesitation, your head finds his shoulder and you welcome the comfort of his frame, feeling his presence even in the dream. Even when you know he isn’t real. In the dream he is as real as you are. “I’ll stay here forever then.”

"I hope you do, muñequita." He sighs, smiling at the thought and turns to press his lips to your temple. "It is my greatest wish. That's why I brought him here for you."

“Who, Yayo?” The embrace feels like being wrapped up in the best hug in the world. (edited)

"It will be obvious soon, my sweet." He promises, kissing you again and inhaling your scent. "Te amo, muñequita." He murmurs. "Te amo."

“Te amo, Yayo.” There is no doubt or hesitation in it. The friend that stepped into your dreams as a child has always defended you, and reminded you through far away memories that the world is vast and mysterious. That so much is possible. It is only the last few years that have made you lose sight of that.

Standing straight, he smiles as he tucks your covers up over your shoulder. Happy that he has seen you again and reached out to you through your dreams. You are no longer the young child that would believe he is your imaginary friend. Stepping back, he watches you sleep peacefully, his muñequita.

______

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @katheriner1999 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie

VW: @haileymorelikestupid, @miraclesabound @nastiasnow @vabeachazn @oberynslady @grogusmum

My Masterlist!

#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Max Phillips #Max Phillips x you #Max Phillips x reader #Max Phillips x female reader #Max Phillips x f!reader #Eddie BtVS #Bloodsucking Bastards #soulmate au #deceased parents #vampires #spooky season

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hopefulromantic1 · 11 months

Text

Possibly, Maybe part 3 - Trent Alexander Arnold

gif @trentione

Summary:

You've know him your whole life but you'd never been more than acquaintances throughout childhood despite how badly your mothers want you to be more. However, now that you've moved back home as an adult things between you and your childhood family friend start to change.

Warnings: This story will contain fluff, smut, maybe angst

Word Count: 6.2K

Masterlist part 2

After you got back to your villa from the yacht trip you immediately went for a nap, being completely exhausted from the sun, salt and socialising. You felt like you could sleep through the whole night but around 10 Chanel came into your room shaking you awake and talking about plans to go to the club. You were barely awake when you agreed and you mainly only agreed to get some quiet to fall back asleep. Of course, the sleep didn’t last long because Chanel came back to check on you thirty minutes later and made sure you were awake and out of bed. The homebody in you almost said you weren’t going to come but you reminded yourself you came here to live your best life and you couldn’t waste a chance to do so.

You shook off the tiredness, turned your get ready music on loud and got into the mood for a good time while getting ready for the night. You got ready in a little black dress, deciding to bare torture by slipping on a pair of black heels in exchange for making your legs look extra toned and your ass extra round. You were already on your way there when Chanel started talking about plans of her new boo inviting them up to their sections.

“Section? Wouldn’t it be more fun if we just dance and have fun together?” you put your idea out the group, not necessarily being in the mood to hang around a bunch of men again.

“We can still do that,” Chanel shrugged but knowing your lover girl best friend, she’d be hung up on that boy the minute she steps in the club, worse if she’s got some alcohol in her. At least you had Lauren who’s boyfriend had left the city so she’d be around to hang out with you.

When you got into the club, you wanted to walk around and scope out the scene, see who was there and more importantly if anyone cute was there but instead you got dragged upstairs to meet with Chanel’s boy Riess. When you got up there you quickly were reminded Riess was part of Trent’s boy’s club because you saw him the second your feet hit the level ground. But of course, he wasn’t alone.

You involuntarily gritted your teeth at the unwanted site of Trent and the tramp of the night glued to his side. You shook your head, questioning yourself for why you were being so rude to a woman you didn’t know and over Trent no less. You and him were only somewhat friends, there was no need for you to feel this pang of what you hoped wasn’t jealousy in your stomach over seeing him flirt. Fortunately, he didn’t see you so you made sure to get out of his view so you wouldn’t need to address him right away. Although you told yourself to brush off your unidentified feelings, the bothered feeling still loomed over you. In an attempt to lighten your spirits you pulled Lauren with you to get drinks now that Chanel was googly eyed over Riess, to distract yourself.

Lauren obliged you and stuck by your side to get drinks, scope the scene and people watch. Unfortunately in your people watching, your eyes fell on Trent and the giggling woman much too often so you turned to Lauren and suggested you go back down to the main party to dance. She was neither here nor there so she agreed and you two told Chanel where you were doing and went down to the main club.

Now that Trent was out of sight, you were able to put him out of mind and enjoy yourself dancing with Lauren and singing along to the music. As the music got more lewd and rhythmic and you began to sway and roll your hips. Obviously, that began to attract the attention of men. One man in particular came up behind you, grazing his hand against your hip as he stepped in front of you, keeping his warm hand on your hip.

“You’re beautiful,” he leaned into your ear to tell you. You looked at him and almost gave a snarky remark about how could he even tell in the dark lighting of the club but you let it slide because under the very same muted lighting he was quite handsome.

“It’s actually y/n,” you introduced yourself with a smile and stepped toward him. You glanced over to Lauren who gave you a thumbs up approval, clearly agreeing the man was quite handsome and very much your type. In short time Lauren read the scene and covertly told you she was going upstairs and she’d look out for you,

The man, Kyle, continued to speak to you, telling you sweet nothings about having been watching you and wanting to come speak to you in your ear. You didn’t listen much, you more focused on the movement of your body against his to the club music.

When Lauren got back to the section with Trent she took a seat to ease her feet but was almost immediately met with company sitting beside her.

“Hey,” Trent said to her, clearly with something on his mind.

“Hey,” Lauren responded, looking at him waiting for him to say whatever was clearly on his mind.

“Where’s y/n?” He decided to just cut to the chase of what he wanted to know. He’d been looking around the section for you for a while until he finally sucked it up and asked Chanel for you, through whom he learned you slipped away with Lauren. So now that he saw Lauren without you he was confused and concerned.

“She’s down there, she met someone,” Lauren casually informed Trent, pointing in the direction of the dance floor. Trent’s eyebrows raised in displeased surprise at the words you’d met someone but he quickly rid himself of that expression and looked away from Lauren to think about what to say next.

“Uh okay, was just wondering,” he awkwardly issued a strained response and got out of the seat without a farewell greeting. Lauren looked at him walk away, noticing him fidgeting with his fingers and narrowed her eyes at him thinking his behaviour was strange but she shrugged it off and left it alone.

Trent’s initial plan was to ignore what Lauren said and let it go, he even thought about going back to the girl he was speaking too earlier but he already determined she did nothing to spark his attention so he cancelled that option quickly. Instead he found himself, standing alone on the balcony scanning the crowd hopeful to lay eyes on you.

Fortunately or rather unfortunately, after some time of peering down in the sea of dancing, drunk and tightly packed people his eyes found you. Once he found you he couldn’t let go. It was like everyone else in the club disappeared because all he could see was the way you moved so fluidly in that little black dress. Trent leaned on the railing, enraptured in looking at you but the presence of the man you presumed was who you just met slipped into the frame. You wrapped your arms around the man's neck and he leaned into you, pulling your body against him and seemingly speaking in your ear. The scene made Trent feel physically ill. The sick feeling rapidly morphed into angry feelings he didn’t know how to simmer. He didn’t even know why he felt so heated and bothered let alone how to stop it. All he knew was he didn’t like to see that man touch you.

He tried to step away, in an attempt to cool down. He went to the bar, doing more shots than he could handle - trying anything to distract himself from what he’d seen but the flashing idea of going down there and telling the man off wouldn’t leave him. He hoped if you were out of sight you’d be out of mind but that didn’t work. At this point he was almost as equally frustrated with himself for even being jealous over you as he was frustrated with the man who had you. Stepping away didn’t help and before he could give finding a distraction another try he gave in and stepped back to the bannister to watch you once more.

He hoped what he would see if you and the man parted ways but what he saw was the man’s hands on your ass, squeezing it his palms before giving your ass a slap. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. When Trent watched this stranger handle you like that he snapped and beelined for the stairs to get down to the main dance floor without saying a word to anyone.

Logic wasn’t moving him now, that was long left behind. He didn’t have any conscious thoughts on what he was about to do, he was going off straight emotion and those emotions were telling him he needed to get you away from this man. His legs took him to you, he weaved through the crowd, uncaring of who he was shoving past to get to you. When he finally got to your spot, your back was to him and your body was pressed against the man, his hands on your hips and you were looking up at him with what he presumed were wide shining eyes. The scene made him sick. He felt his ears get hot with irritation as the man's hands slid from your hips to your ass - the scene ever more enraging from this close as it was from his bird’s eye view minutes ago.

Trent snapped his teeth together and he was breathing through his nose now. The man slapped his hand against your ass once more and Trent let go of rationality. He immediately stepped up to you and came to the side of you and the man.

“Why are you touching her like that?” Trent questioned the man, pushing Kyle’s shoulder and gaining his attention.

“Bro what the fuck,” Kyle cursed and stepped back from you, turning to face Trent.

You stood stiff, stunned that Trent was right next to you and approached Kyle with so much aggression. “Who do you think you are?” Kyle bravely questioned him.

“Who do you think you are touching her like that?” Trent stepped closer to the man, fearlessly squaring up with him and saying words you were unable to compute. You were utterly stunned and confused that Trent was even here, let alone seeing him so riled up. In your delayed comprehension of the situation you almost missed when Kyle pushed Trent and Trent subsequently pushed him back and got in his face. It was then you slipped between them and put both of your hands on Trent’s chest. You didn’t know why he was behaving like this but you were not about to let him get into a fight in the club. Your instinctively reaction was to protect him from what would be a moment horrific for his image if people saw and captured the issue.

“Is she your girl because she seems to like me better,” Kyle taunted Trent, which made him even more angry. He lurched forward toward Kyle’s direction, almost pushing you forward but you grabbed his face this time to distract and calm him.

“Trent, no,” you told him, holding his cheeks and looking into his face. He watched you for a second and sighed, relaxing his shoulders as he did.

“Fuck this,” Kyle cursed behind you and walked away, leaving you with an angered Trent. You sighed yourself, glancing over to where Kyle was walking away and then back to Trent.

“I think I should take you home,” you offered, thinking it was best you removed Trent from this atmosphere before there were several Sun and Daily mail articles about him. He barely agreed, only shrugged because he didn’t want to agree and admit guilt to his overly aggressive approach to you moments ago. You sighed, taking his hand in yours and pulling him toward the exit while texting Chanel and Lauren your plans. You couldn’t explain why he did what he did but your priority at this moment was to get him out of there for his own good.

Once outside you could smell the liquor on him so you just presumed it was that and he must not have been thinking about what he was doing. Maybe he thought Kyle’s touch was unwelcomed. In another time you’d probably be angry at Trent for what he did but right now watching him stumble a bit as you walked out and grumble incoherent words to himself, the only feeling in your body was that of needing to protect him from the vultures of media who’d take anything to destroy him. You could get over Kyle but you wouldn’t forgive yourself if you let Trent fall into the hands of savages by letting him brawl in an Ibizan night club with a man whose last name you didn’t even know.

“What was that about?” you asked him, trying to be calm in your questioning now that you two were waiting outside for your ride and away from potential disaster. Trent looked at you, seemingly thinking about how to address what he did but in the end he said nothing, he shrugged and looked away, glueing his eyes to the pavement. You rolled your eyes and folded your arms against your chest shaking your head at his silence. Your taxi came pretty quickly so fortunately you were able to escape the scene and return to your villa in a short time.

Once you got to your place, you thought about re-addressing what happened but you chose not to and instead guided the obviously hammered Trent to your room. He very slowly got unready, taking forever and day in the shower and slowly dragging himself into your room to find it empty. He frowned, and ventured out of your room to find you in the kitchen.

“Hey,” he quietly said on entering the area.

“Hey,” you said looking up to him, standing there with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He nervously pulled at his hair avoiding eye contact with you as he clearly was more sober now and remembering what he did more clearly. You saw the regret on his face but neither of you brought up the reason for his regret.

“Here,” you offered him a bottle of water. He quietly thanked you and took it. You leaned your elbows on the kitchen counter, watching his throat move as he swallowed the water in gulps. You couldn’t help but drift your eyes down his exposed body and admire how good he looked with the sparse droplets of water still on his bare, tanned skin. You gulped yourself and stood up straight to get out of the trance you were in. “I’ve got some basketball shorts I can lend you,” you offered him, figuring the reason he was walking around the place in only a towel was because he had no clothes. He nodded, putting the bottle down on the counter and thanked you again.

The two of you silently went back to your room and you got the pair of shorts for him.

“Here you go,” you gave it to him, “If you want I can room with Lauren,” you offered but he instantly shook his head no.

“It’s alright, I can do the couch,” he offered but you refused, thinking it was unfair since you brought him here. “I guess we can just share then…again,” he shrugged and you rocked on your heels agreeing to the plan. Your bed wasn’t as big as his was but you figured you’d already shared once it wouldn’t be a big deal to share again. After your agreement, you two just stood there watching each other, him biting his lip and you chewing the inside of your cheek unsure what to do next. “I do need to put this on though,” he lifted the shorts in his hand.

“Oh, yeah,” you said, realising you couldn’t just watch him get naked, although part of you kind of wanted to, “I’ll go shower,” you shoved that unhinged thought and ran off into the bathroom to wash away your sins.

When you came back out, you awkwardly stepped out with your towel tightly wrapped around your body because you forgot to take your clothes with you in the rush. Trent was already in your bed and you could feel his eyes on you as you darted into the room, swiftly gathering the first sleepwear you could find and running back into the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom you realised you stupidly picked up a very skimpy thin camisole and booty shorts pyjamas set you that really should be reserved for the presence of men you wanted to fuck and not for the man who incidently was in your bed. You just hoped he’d already be asleep when you walked out but of course he wasn’t, he was wide awake and his eyes instantly landed on you when you pierced the silence of the dark room by opening the bathroom door. You avoided eye contact with him and quickly walked over to your side of the bed and got in and under the covers. You were quick but Trent only needed a second to appreciate how sexy you looked to have that image burned into his mind.

Neither of you said anything at first, you both laid there staring at the ceiling, your bodies less than half a foot apart, so close you could smell the scent of your soap on his skin. As you laid there you started to think about the night and the scene of Trent shoving Kyle and seeming prepared to actually fight him. Now that you were away from the moment, and the shock factor settled you began to contemplate what even causes that to happen and you needed answers.

“Trent,” you broke the silence first, turning your body to him.

“Yeah,” he replied but remained laid on his back.

“Why did you almost fight that guy in the club?” you asked him, getting straight to the point. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before turning to you, both of you on the edge of your pillows and close enough to hear whispers clear as shouts.

“I don’t know,” he gave a disappointing answer. You showed your dissatisfaction with that answer in your expression. “I don’t know, I just saw him touching you and something I don’t understand just came over me,” he explained but confused you further. You frowned your brows, studying his face trying to see if there was some truth he was keeping back but he seemed equally as confused as the words he spoke portrayed.

“You shouldn’t have done that, you don’t know who’s watching,” you told him, unconsciously reaching out and placing your hand on his arm.

“Yeah I know…thanks for stopping me,” he thanked you to which you nodded, stroking his arm gently now, keeping your eyes trained on the task. “Y/n…,” he softly whispered your name after a pause of silence between you two. You hummed in response, keeping your eyes on your hand that brushed his skin before looking back up at him. When you looked up at him, you got trapped in the hold of his soft, warm brown eyes and like a magnet you two slowly inched closer with such slow movement you didn’t notice the closing distance until you were only centimetres apart. “Y/n,” he said your name again, even softer this time, barely a whisper that you only heard because of your impossibly close distance. You hummed again, nodding this time, making your noses brush. You could have been on a sinking boat right now and you wouldn’t have noticed because you were completely trapped in the sight, scent and essence of him. You didn’t know who closed the distance first but somehow you’d gotten close enough that your lips brushed. Your eyes fluttered closed at the feeling and your mind shifted out of your body. You weren’t having any thoughts other than the feeling of his lips on yours. The lack of thought pushed you to kiss him, truly kiss him. Your lips slotted between his pillow soft ones and he equally and softly kissed you back. It was gentle, soft and innocent and it only lasted a few seconds before you pulled away. You pulled your head back, far enough to look at his face and see its slackened, bewildered expression.

“Umm, goodnight,” you choked out and turned your back to him and moved further away. He looked at you for a moment, unsure what to say, how to act or if to believe you actually just kissed him. He sighed and turned his back to you as well, closing his eyes and trying to force himself to sleep next to you as you clearly didn’t want to address what just happened - if it even happened. Trent wasn’t sure if it was real or a dream but if it was a dream he hoped he wouldn't wake up just yet and he’d have another moment to feel the curve of your lips on his.

The following day you woke up first, threw on a hoodie over your pyjamas to cover yourself and went to the kitchen. You moved slowly, deciding to make your own simple breakfast of jam and toast while you thought about what happened the night before.

You weren’t sure if you kissed him or he kissed you but the facts were you two kissed and you didn’t know how to feel about it. You enjoyed it, that was for sure, as simple and adolescent as the kiss was, you felt the charge through your body when your lips touched. That feeling however was what you weren’t sure how to feel about. Did you like him or were you just infatuated in the heat of the moment and the proximity of having him wrapped up in your bed.

Of course, you were not daft, you knew he was handsome. You were noticing that quite often lately and he was a nice guy - he’d always been but you’d barely processed being friendly with him let alone feeling more than that. If your mother was here she’d give you a whole monologue about how Trent is the man you need and how he would suit you so well but your mother never accounted for how awkward it would be if you tried and actually weren’t suited. It wasn’t like you could part your life from him as you had with many exes and partners in the past. Your lives were bonded regardless of your feelings toward one another.

You were lost in your thoughts, slowly chewing on the toast when Trent came out and into the kitchen just in the very same basketball shorts you lent him.

“Hey,” he gingerly greeted you.

“Hey,” you returned, standing up from leaning on the counter and watching him walk over and sit on the chair. “Water?” you offered to which he nodded. You got a bottle for him and handed it to him. The exchange went wordless between you two. You both were now faced off and struggling to find words to say.

“Y/n,” he said as you began to speak, “Trent,” you simultaneously spoke. You both sighed and he bite his lip, looking down at the bottle wrapper he was peeling off nervously.

“About last night,” you brought it up first. Trent looked up at you, waiting for you to continue on the topic that was also playing on his mind. You looked at him, looking at you with wide doe-like brown eyes and you felt an unexpected pang in your chest. “I think we should just pretend that didn’t happen, it was late, we were drunk, I was tired, yeah just it didn’t happen,” you rushed out your decision making up excuses that were hardly true. Trent’s face fell in disappointment at your words but he quickly snapped into a stoic, flat, expressionless demeanour and nodded.

“Yeah for sure,” he swiftly agreed, “I’ll call Zac to pick me up,” he added to which you nodded. You both sat there awkwardly, with palpable tension between you two, both unsure what to do next until Trent spoke, “I’m gonna get dressed,” he announced and slid out of the chair, taking the water with him. He was already walking back to your room before you could even say okay. Once he was out of sight you sighed heavily, wondering if you made the right decision with that call.

It didn’t take long for Zac to come and pick up Trent but by time he was leaving the villa, Lauren who was the only other person home, was awake and watching you say goodbye to Trent with a sceptical eye.

“He spent the night?” Lauren asked the obvious, you only nodded not adding any of the details she wanted as you dropped your tired body on the couch.

“You two seem to be making a habit of ‘just sleeping’ together,” Lauren pressed you, desperate to find out more.

“He was pretty drunk and I just didn’t want him to be on the wrong side of a gossip article,” you shrugged, sinking into the couch and leaving out the important details of your night with Trent. Lauren stayed quiet for a minute, studying your expression and words.

“You care about him a lot huh,” she surmised to which you whipped your head over to her with pinched brows.

“Barely, I just know him,” you pushed that presumption off. Lauren looked at you unconvinced.

“Nah, it’s definitely more than that,” Lauren pushed away your defence. You looked at her with the intention to defend yourself but instead you just sighed and shook your head at your own inability to truly deny her claim. You had no idea what it was, you didn’t know if you cared, if you liked him, if you disliked him. You just were floating in the unknown with him at the moment. Lost in confusion.

After a slow start to the day you made your way to the beach club with your friends. After what happened with Trent you were not really in the party and dance mood because your mind was rattled with thought about him. So much so that when you saw him and his friends waltz into the same venue you angrily scoffed - vexed with the universe for not letting you have a break from this man.

You knew when your mum said Trent would also be in Ibiza that meant you would definitely see him but you didn’t think you’d see him this much nor did you think he’d end up on your mind so much. You ignored his presence and tried to have fun instead to distract yourself from looking at him and thinking about him.

Trent didn’t see you at the event, but you were on his mind. He’d been thinking about your innocent kiss all day but moreover how you dismissed it so easily. He woke up that morning thinking maybe you’d been having a shift in feelings toward him as he was starting to feel for you but your reaction to your shared kiss shut down that idea in his mind. Clearly, you did not see him as anything more than what you always had and he had to accept that.

He didn’t tell anyone what happened, in fear it would get back to you but his sullen attitude was evident to his boys. They took it upon themselves to brighten Trent’s mood in the only way they knew how on a lad’s holiday - with a woman. When they got to the beach club they purposefully sought out a match for him and when they saw an undisputedly sexy woman eyeing Trent up they set it up immediately and boosted Trent that he had to get in the game this trip and the girl was what he needed. Trent wasn’t one for hookups but after the unexpected level of disappointment he felt after your remarks this morning, he was in the mood to escape his own thoughts and the woman seemed like a good distraction.

The day was becoming more positive and in the busy atmosphere you were able to ignore him until your eyes drifted on to him by chance and regretfully found him with a woman. Your jaw locked and your eyes narrowed at the scene. It wasn’t the first time you’d seen him with a girl but this time was different. At his villa a couple nights ago or in the club last night, he didn’t seem interested - that was evident in his body language but now things were different. He sat back, his arm draped behind the couch with his body close to the woman who was leaning into him, chatting as he smiled his gleaming dimpled smile. You couldn’t help yourself but keep watching, despite how tortuous it was. The scene only got more disgusting as you watched Trent put his hand on her thigh and stroked her skin. You actually felt ill at the scene and you couldn’t blame it on liquor because you hadn’t been drinking. The nauseous feeling morphed to red rage as you watched her put her hand on his chin, stroking his beard. He leaned into her ear, telling her something you sure would make you throw up before pulling away slightly and making your stomach churn with what he did next. He leaned into her and kissed her, he kissed her right there in broad daylight and she eagerly kissed him back.

Your jaw fell open and your body stopped - you couldn’t breath, you couldn’t think, you would swear your heart stopped for that moment. You were jolted back into function by the vibration and ring of your phone in your hand. You ripped your eyes off of Trent and looked down at your phone, answering the unsaved liverpool number.

“Hello,” you shakily answered as the wind had been knocked out of you with what you just saw.

“Y/n, hi it’s Dianne have you seen Trent by chance?” she asked, surprising you she called you.

“Uh, yeah,” you shakily answered, stuttering as you were still too stunned to produce coherent language.

“Lovely, can you tell him I’ve been trying to call him,” Dianne continued to cheerily speak to you. Your attitude fell into vexed annoyance at the subject of the conversation.

“He’s a bit busy with his tongue down some girl’s throat,” you snapped, forgetting who you were speaking to and letting your inner thoughts slip.

“Excuse me?” Dianne asked immediately, bringing you to the realisation of what you had just said.

“Uh, nothing I’ll tell him you called,” you quickly issued hoping somehow she didn’t actually hear what you said the first time. Luckily she released you from the call and spared you having to repeat your freudian slip.

You purposefully turned your focus off of Trent at that point because it was apparent to you you’d taken your internal conflict about him too far and it was consuming you. You shook off your feelings and got off the couch to join your friends who were swaying their hips to the club music.

The evening had come in and you three decided to leave the venue so you could go for a nice dinner after. You were making your way out and unfortunately you had to pass by where Trent was. You spotted him from a distance, seeing him with his phone attached to his ear and the woman still close to him. However, when you had to pass by him you you made sure not to look at him, ignoring his existence completely. You successfully stuck to your mission but he saw you, surprised to see you walking out when he hadn’t seen you for the entire day.

You made it without having to acknowledge him and now you and your friends were waiting for your taxi to come pick you up.

“Y/n!” you heard an angry familiar scouse accent call from behind you. Your eyes widened and you slowly turned around to be met with Trent storming over to you.

“What is -,” Chanel started to say, seeing Trent charging toward you.

“We need to talk,” Trent roughly said to you, not bothering to greet you or your friends.

“Trent I’m about to leave,” you said, confused by his attitude but hoping to halt him.

“I don’t care, come here,” he demanded, taking your hand and dragging you away from your friends.

“What the fuck,” you started to curse, baffled and upset by how he was behaving and manhandling you.

“Why did you tell my mother that I was kissing some girl!” he fumed, revealing why he was so upset. Your face fell and the anger left your body because of what he called you out on.

“Oh,” you said, knowing you were very much in the wrong.

“Why did you do that! Now she thinks I’m here sleeping around,” Trent continued to fume about what you caused. “You have the woman calling me in the middle of the club asking if I know this girl and understand the consequence of my goddamn actions,” Trent ranted as you awkwardly crossed one leg over the other, glueing your eyes to the floor and avoiding looking at him. You knew you shouldn’t have said what you said - either of your mothers would not have taken that lightly.

“Well maybe you shouldn’t be sleeping around,” you shrugged, saying your snarky comment below your breath and sheepishly looking back up at him. He looked at you totally peeved before rolling his eyes.

“Are you serious right now? Did you do this to get at me or something?” he asked, wondering if you’ve turned from caring to cruel overnight.

“No, it just slipped,” you confessed, instantly regretting confessing to anything at all.

“It slipped?” He scoffed, “Right okay well it’s just going to slip from me when I call your mother and tell her you were letting a stranger finger you in the damn club,” Trent got heated, shocking you with his threat.

“That didn’t even happen!” you shrieked, jolting to stand on both feet, stunned as he swiped open his phone in his hand.

“Well if I didn’t come over it might have, I’m sure your mum will be interested in knowing what her perfect daughter has been up to in Ibiza,” he threatened, typing your mothers name into his phone. Your eyes widened at his actions and you made an attempt to snatch his phone from his hand. He was quicker than you and lifted it before you could get it.

“Trent what the fuck, this isn’t fair,” you whining and huffed with frustration over him having control.

“Fair!? Y/n, you’re the one who sold me out,” he argued with you, to which you scoffed keeping on your attitude despite knowing that was true. “Why did you even do that?” he asked, still shocked by the scolding he got from his mother moments ago.

“I don’t know, I just saw you with that girl when your mum called, it pissed me off and it just slipped,” you confessed in a rush, your mind more on the anxiety of his threat rather than what you were saying.

“It pissed you off?” he picked through your confession and found the part of self incrimination. “Why would me kissing some girl piss you off?” he pressed you, dropped his hand that was holding his phone in the air, bringing it back into your reach. You looked at him and his questioning expression, debating what you should say. You couldn’t just tell him the truth but what lie could you muster that would make any sense for what you said.

“It just did,” you shrugged, saying nothing with your words.

“That isn’t enough, tell me or I’m going to make us even right now,” he threatened again, restoring back to fighting words and making you groan.

“Fine, whatever it pissed me off because why the fuck would you kiss me last night and then kiss her today,” you revealed the truth of why you were mad to yourself and him. His brows knitted, surprised by your reasoning and then his body relaxed with a sigh.

“I thought you didn’t care about the kiss,” he said, with more reservation and hesitancy, shifting the mode of your previously snappy brawl.

“I…don’t know how I feel about it,” you told him the truth, you didn’t know and you couldn’t explain. He watched you sassily put your hands on your hips but dart your eyes everywhere but him in an uneasy fashion. He sighed, equally confused about where you two stood after your spontaneous kiss last night.

He thought you didn’t care and he dealt with that rejection but now he wasn’t sure how you felt and his feelings were muddled once more. You both were having feelings in uncharted territory and didn’t know how to process it or act about it.

“I’m not going to tell your parents,” Trent spoke first, putting his phone in his pocket. You looked at him and relaxed your body, dropping your hands.

“I’m sorry about what I said,” you apologised for putting him under fire with his mother. He nodded, accepting your apology.

“What is going on here?” he asked you, after a paused moment, gesturing between you both.

“I don’t know,” you looked at him, without answers.

“Me neither,” he said, making it known you were on equal unsteady footing.

“Y/n, the car is here,” Chanel shouted for you and you told her you’d be right there.

“I umm...see you around,” you awkwardly told him and to which he simply nodded.

“Message me when you get home,” he said as you walked off, you looked back and nodded, choosing to simply agree and make your way away from the air of awkwardness that was becoming more frequent between you and Trent.

thanks for reading! Part 4

let me know your thoughts 🥰

#trent alexander arnold #trent alexander arnold x reader

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katsu28 · 8 months

Text

save the day

pairing: firefighter!JJ Maybank x fem!reader

summary: an AU in which JJ is a firefighter and goes on a rather interesting call (2k)

a/n: my submission for day one of @surftrips obx writing week! unfortunately this is the only day i’ll be able to participate in due to things happening in my personal life right now but definitely check out everyone else participating in the challenge!! <3

Being a firefighter in a big city looked different from day to day. Sometimes it looked like fighting a multi-story blaze engulfing a skyscraper downtown. Sometimes it meant running drills on the apparatus floor all day because the station never got any calls. Sometimes it looked like pulling people out of burning buildings or prying them out of wrecked cars, with the occasional water rescue.

And sometimes it looked like this—heading out on a call to rescue a cat stuck in a tree.

JJ liked the unpredictability of it all, the thrill that came with never knowing just quite what he’d be up against when the alarm bells went off. He liked being able to help people when they needed it most.

At Station P4, they rotated shifts in the ambulance. Today was JJ’s turn to ride the ambo, and he loved it just as much. He flicked on the siren as he pulled out of the driveway, rolling down the driver’s side window to let the breeze whip through his already wild blond curls.

“Dude, can you at least try to obey some traffic laws?” The man sitting in the passenger seat huffed, gripping the handle beside him a little tighter.

Pope Heyward was one of JJ’s best friends at the station. They’d come up through the fire academy together and got assigned to different stations at first, but were eventually both assigned to the same one. JJ liked to call it fate that they ended up together in the end, because Pope was one of the reasons why he hadn’t gotten dropped in the early stages of training.

“That’s the beauty of the siren, my friend!” JJ exclaimed, banking a hard left with a gleeful smile. “Turn and burn, baby!”

The location of the call was fairly close to home, so it didn’t take long to arrive at the scene. JJ pulled the ambo to a stop right before the fire engine did the same, grabbing the jump bag from the back before jogging to catch up with the rest of his fellow firefighters.

There were seven of them total, each one of them making up the rest of JJ’s closest friends. John B. was the station’s captain, but he never acted like he was above the rest of his crew. Kie was his trusty right hand, and Sarah was on track to making lieutenant in a few months. Last but certainly not least, there was Cleo, the station’s newest addition, a probationary firefighter with spunk for days and a fiery attitude (no pun intended).

Together they formed what JJ liked to call “the dream team”, working together like a well oiled machine in whatever situation they were thrown into.

JJ fell into step with Kie, elbowing her playfully. “Ten bucks we’ll get the cat down in under twenty.”

“Make it under fifteen and you’re on.”

“Thank god you guys are here!” You exclaimed from where you were standing under a giant oak tree, looking fraught with worry. JJ’s smile faltered for a split second and he nearly tripped over his own boots, too distracted by you. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but if he did, he imagined it would feel something like this. “I tried to get her down, but she kept going higher and I didn’t want her to fall out of the tree and I didn’t think I should go up there so I called you guys! Is that—is that allowed? Does this count as an emergency, can you guys get her down?”

JJ shook himself out of his daze, opening his mouth to respond, but John B. was faster, offering a more collected reply than JJ probably could in his state.

“Of course we can get her down, ma’am, you did the right thing by calling. Let us take a look, assess the situation, then we’ll see if we can’t get her down from there safely.” He’d turned his captain’s voice on, the one that made him sound all official and professional and made JJ kind of want to bust out laughing. Now that wouldn’t have been professional at all.

“Okay, okay, thank you so much,” You breathed, shoulders sagging with relief. The team spread out under the looming tree, peering up into the canopy to locate the cat. One of the highest branches hissed and shook violently, then there she was, a very angry ball of fur with big yellow eyes glaring down at them.

“Does she normally do this? Climb up trees and not come down?” John B asked, cocking his head.

“No, she doesn’t, and that’s why I’m worried! She usually never tries to leave the house, but I just opened the door for a second to grab a package and she bolted outside!”

JJ could tell you were on the verge of panic, and he also noticed the long gash on your arm.

“Quite a nasty scratch you got there, ma’am. Why don’t we let my friends rescue your feline friend while I check out that wound, yeah?” He insisted, nodding towards the ambulance. You looked apprehensive at first, but he turned on the charm, flashing you a pearly white smile that had you nodding slowly and following him. “Did she scratch you?”

“Yeah, a little bit when I was first trying to get her down. It’s nothing though, it doesn’t even hurt that much.”

“Well, I gotta check it out regardless, so if you wouldn’t mind having a seat for me right there.” JJ rummaged through the jump bag for a pair of exam gloves, snapping them on quickly before gesturing for you to give him your arm. You still looked a little uneasy, so he decided to try and lighten the conversation a bit while he examined the scratch running the length of your whole forearm. “I’m JJ. What’s your name?” You told him your name and he repeated it, letting it roll off his tongue easily. He thought it was a really pretty name. Seemed fitting for a pretty girl like you. “And your cat? She got a pretty name too?”

You pressed your lips into a thin line, looking a little embarrassed now. “Her name’s Porkchop.” JJ cleared his throat, trying his best not to laugh. “It’s stupid, I know—”

“No, no, it’s not stupid! Porkchop is a very distinguished name. My great uncle’s nickname was Porkchop, and he was pretty cool.” The cut on your arm was long, but shallow and pretty clean, no excessive bleeding or anything else that would suggest a need to take you to the hospital for further medical examination. He grabbed a few supplies that he needed to wrap the wound, spreading them out between the two of you.

“Is that a joke?”

“Uh…yeah, it was a joke,” JJ admitted sheepishly, cheeks flushing pink. “It wasn’t a very good one now that I think about it.”

“Is this your way of trying to keep me calm?”

“It’s…an attempt. Is it working?”

Your mouth quirked up into a small smile. “Yeah, it is.”

“Good. I’m glad. Because I gotta clean your cut, and it’s gonna hurt like a motherfucker.” He said solemnly. You shifted in your seat, eyeing the cleaning solution in his hand nervously. “You can hold my hand, if you want.” He added, propping your arm up on his knee to free up his other hand.

He wasn’t expecting you to take him up on his offer, but you reached for him immediately, curling your fingers around his own. Thank god you weren’t able to feel how his pulse skyrocketed at your touch.

You squeezed his hand hard, letting out a pained hiss at the stinging sensation that came with JJ’s care. He bandaged your forearm as quick as he could, though he contemplated taking his time so you wouldn’t let go of him for a little while longer.

“M’kay, all done. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. Didn’t hurt.”

“Didn’t seem like that with the way you were gripping my hand,” He teased, bumping his knee against yours. You were still smiling at him and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say it was making him a little flustered. Maybe even nervous. And he never got nervous. “If you could just fill this out while I go grab something from the engine, I’ll be right back. It’s just a release form saying that you consent to us not taking you down to the hospital. Standard procedure, just crossing our I’s, dotting our T’s.”

JJ hopped down from the ledge, passing a clipboard to you and hurrying towards where Pope was spotting Kie on the ladder before you could realize he’d totally butchered that expression. “Pope! Yo, Pope, I gotta talk to you.”

“What’s up?”

“What’s the policy on asking out people we save?”

“You wanna ask out the cat?” Pope snickered.

JJ rolled his eyes. “No, I don’t. You know what I mean. And her name’s Porkchop, by the way.”

“Cute. But no, there’s not really any policy against it, I guess. Not one that I know of, anyways.”

“Yeah?” He cocked his head thoughtfully, gears inside already turning. Pope nodded. “Good to know.”

“Hey, wait, that doesn’t mean you should—” JJ was out of earshot before Pope could finish his sentence, beelining right back for the ambo to you. Just as he came around the corner, you looked up, capping your pen, holding the clipboard back out to him.

“All done? You’re fast, I like it.”

“My number is on the medical form. In case you need to follow up on anything in the near future.” You offered, running your fingers along your bandage absentmindedly.

“Ah, so we usually don’t do the follow-ups, that would be—oh. Oh! You meant—got it, you want me to….yeah. I mean, I want to, ‘cause you seem cool.” It was like word vomit escaping JJ’s mouth, because he couldn’t seem to stop talking, but you just smiled warmly at him, giving his hand a soft squeeze. He kind of liked that you’d made the first move instead of him.

Throughout this, the rest of his team had managed to get Porkchop down from the tree, as evident by the way she was purring in Kie’s arms contently like she hadn’t just scratched the shit out of you earlier.

You leapt away from JJ quickly, though he wasn’t sure if it was more about not being caught cozying up to him or that your cat was now safe and sound. He hoped it was the latter.

“Thank you so much!” You gushed, gathering your beloved cat into your arms as Kie passed her off to you. “Thank you, thank you, thank you—you guys are the best.”

“Just doin’ our job, ma’am.” John B nodded, tipping his helmet towards you.

“Some more than others.” muttered Pope. It went unnoticed by you, but JJ heard the comment, giving his friend a swift stomp on the foot in return. “I mean, we’re happy we could help.”

“If JJ’s all done patching you up, we can go ahead and wrap up, leave you to the rest of your day.”

“Uh, yeah. Yep, all set and ready to go, JB.”

“Right then. You have a good day, ma’am. You too, Porkchop. Try not to climb any more trees, ‘kay?”

The rest of JJ’s team filed back towards the engine and Pope made his way up to the front of the ambo, leaving you and JJ alone yet again.

“Talk to you soon?” You asked hopefully, shifting Porkchop higher in your arms.

“You know it,” JJ replied, shooting you his signature wink. He went to hop into the driver’s seat swiftly, taking another few seconds to soak in the sight of you smiling bashfully at him before he had to drive away.

“You asked her out, didn’t you?”

“What? Of course not. Why would you even think such a thing?” Even as he spoke, there was a giddy sort of smile on his face, one that Pope clocked in on immediately.

“You’re lying! You’re such a liar, you totally asked her out! JJ, you really—” Whatever Pope was about to say was cut off as JJ cranked up the radio as loud as it could go, drowning out the other man’s complaints.

So yeah, being a firefighter in a big city looked different from day to day. Some days held bigger calls than others, but sometimes it was the smaller calls that were the most memorable. Days like today.

follow @katsu-library to be notified when i post a new fic :)

#obxweek23 #jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank x you #jj maybank x fem!reader #firefighter!jj maybank #jj maybank au #jj maybank one shot #jj maybank fluff #jj maybank x y/n #outer banks

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scarletskiesinthepaths · 2 months

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can you talk about kuchel and levi pls i loved your last post abt levi

Hi, thank you so much for your question! I'm really excited because this is the first time I've received an ask like this :) Thank you as well for your kind words on my post!

Off the top of my head, I'll lay out some of my thoughts in general about Levi and Kuchel and some of the speculations I have regarding the circumstances they were in together:

Kuchel seemed to be a victim of sex trafficking. She fled to the Underground City to escape persecution, but prior to that, we can assume that she lived a relatively sheltered and privileged life, as the Ackermans served and protected the King. Because of this, it is unlikely she would have had the skills or knowledge to defend herself once reaching the Underground, so I'm assuming she was preyed upon—especially since it doesn't seem like she ever awakened her own Ackerman powers. We also know that human trafficking is common underground, given Mikasa's backstory and some of the "Bad Boy" panels that have been released.

Given that Kuchel became pregnant with Levi by one of her patrons while working as a prostitute, Levi is essentially the product of rape; Kuchel's occupation was more akin to forced labor and sexual slavery than it was willful employment. I'm certain the circumstances of his birth were never lost on Levi, as I'm sure he witnessed his mother being forced to have sex on a highly frequent basis due to their living arrangements.

To elaborate, I'm fairly certain Kuchel and Levi lived in the brothel she worked at. When Kenny went to search for Kuchel's address, the man he spoke with referred to her as "Olympia" (her prostitute name). That man was also aware of her health status in reference to her ability to see clients, so I'm assuming he was the brothel owner. Building upon Levi witnessing the sexual violence toward his mother by her clients, the reason I think this is the case is because I doubt Kuchel would have felt secure in having Levi leave the room. Given the danger of their situation and how hostile of an environment the Underground is, Kuchel would have wanted to ensure Levi's safety from kidnappers by keeping him in her presence. From what we see of the room Levi was in when Kenny found him, there was only one relatively small bed and a paltry amount of furniture. Not many places for Levi to hide, unfortunately.

The likelihood that Kuchel had postpartum depression (PPD) is quite high, as certain psychosocial circumstances increase the risk factors for developing PPD: stressful life events during the pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy, food insecurity, violence against women, low socioeconomic status, low social support, single marital status, sexual abuse history, and more. All of these aforementioned factors apply to Kuchel. It is exceedingly unlikely Kuchel would have had access to treatment for any PPD she may have had as well. Furthermore, it is well-known that PPD can adversely impact the maternal-infant relationship, particularly untreated PPD. This would have affected not only Kuchel's ability to attend to her own needs, but also Levi's needs.

Levi was dying from starvation when Kenny found him. I imagine Levi was stuck with his mother's decaying corpse for around a week, and one does not reach that level of starvation from going without food for a week. Simply from those panels alone, it is evident Levi had probably gone without sufficient access to food for months at a time. This demonstrates that Kuchel was having significant difficulties providing for Levi's basic needs. Based on this fact alone, Kuchel would not have had the capabilities and resources to provide Levi with higher-level needs, like the feelings of love and belonging that children need to thrive. I think Kuchel clearly loved and wanted Levi deeply, just based on the panel of her crying tears of happiness while holding Levi as an infant; however, the reality of her situation would have precluded her from properly relaying this love to Levi.

Let's take a look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

Basically, human needs are arranged in this hierarchy, with lower-level needs required for survival having to be satisfied before moving on to higher-level needs. Higher-level needs cannot be met if lower-level needs are not. The more one progresses through this hierarchy, the harder it is to continue to move through the hierarchy due to the practical and interpersonal barriers that inevitably occur. Physiological needs are the most important because no other needs can be satisfied unless those are met. Practically none of Levi's physiological needs were being met during his childhood:

We've established he had no food.

Given the poverty they were in and the nature of the Underground, a lack of clean drinking water makes sense.

The barest minimum of shelter was provided, given the small room they lived in. The shelter itself was inadequate and unsafe.

Levi was dressed in rags when Kenny found him, so we can extrapolate that he did not have much clothing.

Due to the lack of sunlight and the known effects on circadian rhythm, as well as Levi's known issues with insomnia during adulthood, consistent sleep was also an issue.

Clean air quality also seems like it'd be an issue Underground, given the lack of electricity. Torches and oil lamps probably contributed significantly to air pollution, along with the proper lack of air ventilation.

On a different note, we know from Kenny's conversation with the man who I assume was the brothel owner that Kuchel got sick from one of her clients. Of course, it's possible that Kuchel may have gotten some other sort of illness from her client, but given the occupational hazards of her labor, I'm assuming this was a sexually transmitted disease (STD). We already know Levi is extremely wary and concerned about disease when he's older to the point of being seen as a "clean freak"; it seems pretty easy to trace this concern to his experiences living underground. Given how Kuchel became sick, it's not a leap to think Levi might associate sex with disease, especially if he ever learned about the concept of STDs. Levi probably internalized some very negative messages and associations regarding sex from his childhood with his mother.

Anyway, those are some of the basic thoughts I have in my head regarding Kuchel and Levi's circumstances. I do have some more, so I would definitely love to write more posts at some point on this topic. Thanks again for reaching out!

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #Levi Ackerman #Kuchel Ackerman #aot #snk #attack on titan meta #shingeki no kyojin meta #c: levi ackerman #c: kuchel ackerman #r: kuchel & levi #aot.meta #meta.levi #meta.kuchel #ask #asks #my thoughts

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cubanpetekotrb · 7 months

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So my other obsession of the month is wheel of time and I saw episode 7 and boy o BOY do I have major thoughts and I need to get them out.

Siuan?? What the hell? Following LONG ass post is in defence of Siuan because the general consensus there is right now about Siuan just doesn't rhyme for me.

ONE thing all of Siuan actions did, it brought out SO MUCH .

Liandrin drew out 1 dark friend (Moiraines nephew) and he consequently got locked away (or killed).

One Forsaken showed herself to an entire city, no more hiding or denying (at least not from the Aes Sedai because there were like 14(!) there)

Siuan clearly has doubts about Verin and Verin acted exactly as expected (now I think Verin has a lot more going on but hey 🤷🏼‍♀️)

When Siuan shields Rand, she pushes Moiraine to say all of her intentions with Rand and their decades build plans in front off Rand as if he is not there. Which Moiraine does to protect Rand from Siuan.

Siuan asks Rand if he has channelled carefully and deliberately (not verbatim but this is the general idea), which he hasn't. She scolds him for it and says that he hasn't learned much in 6 months, which is absolutely true.

Which leads to:

Moiraine is shielded (something I do not think Lan figured out on his own) and subsequently released of said shield by Rand when she tells Rand that she trusts him. When last season Moiraine very clearly showed that she doesn't. Rand needed to hear that from Moiraine. It pushed Rand to actually use the one power very DELIBERATELY and CAREFULLY otherwise, Moiraine dead. Now who again scolded Rand about that I wonder hmmm 🤔

Which brings me to the following and perhaps most important point:

Rand now 100% trusts Moiraine, he believes Moiraine does want to protect and guide him to save the world, which previously he didnt. He was confused about what was going on and felt like a toy being played from all sides. Siuan put Moiraine in an impossible situation and Moiraine chose Rand, the dragon reborn because she knows that is the right thing to do. Rand needed to be shown Moiriane will give everything to save the world including turning away from Siuan and being made to do something she does not want (closing the gate).

It is VITAL that he does because Moiraine will be the only one capable of providing Rand the protection and guidance that he needs to save the world. He only does at the end of this episode, which is nearly at the end of this season. They already lost too much time. Drastic extreme measures are unfortunately required because Siuan was right, Moiraines way wasn't working.

At the end of this episode due to Siuans actions, he doesn't trust any Aes Sedai, which is good because you know Black Ajah and doesnt trust the Forsaken, but he very clearly does trust Moiraine, and that WILL set him on the right path.

If I can trust book readers, Siuan is a very powerful channeler. However, like Egwene, it's her intelligence that is actually her greatest power. She is a crazy smart woman and nowhere near as impulsive, brash and stubborn as Moiraine, aka Pufferfish.

Something that stuck by me is that Siuan said "you have given everything, Im going to row beside you now". Siuan knows Moiraine will absolutely not let her. Moiraine is like Nyneave in that way. She would rather die than let anyone she loves do that.

Siuan has given up a lot this episode and put power back with Moiraine, leaving herself incredibly vulnerable, having lost her one true ally, Moiraine. Going back to a tower filled with enemies, she's f*cked, and she knows it, but she needs Moiraine focused on her mission, not on Siuans' potential downfall. Because that will definitely be a distraction for Moiraine.

There is no way in hell a Master chess player like Siuan would move her pawns so early and openly like she seems to be doing in this episode. That is not Siuan. Everyone in WOT world, though, needs to believe that she is (including Moiraine).

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mimi-cee-genshin · 8 months

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Denial is Futile: Wanderer x f!reader - Chapter 5

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Summary:

What would you do if you were stuck with Wanderer indefinitely?

The cute and sweet guy from the bazaar was brought to your place while unconscious. But when he woke up, you were appalled by the amount of snark he had. Was he even the same person? And now you were stuck with him because he could literally die if he stopped holding your hand. You weren't sure if you could tolerate him any longer. Little did you know he was exactly the type of person you needed in your life.

Other info: Fluff, humor, sfw, enemies to lovers, some hurt/comfort and angst later, character growth, occurs after the version 3.3 Archon quest and Tighnari's story quest, female reader

Word count: 2.8k

*****

"She seems okay," Baizhu informed Nahida. "Her heart rate is on the low side, but it's still within the normal range."

Wanderer watched your eyes; they were avoiding Baizhu's as well. Now that made the three of them if he included himself and Nahida. Your behavior ever since you regained consciousness was strange to say the least.

When you first woke up, you didn't get up. You laid there lifeless with no will left in your body. Your eyes were open, but your hand laid limp in his. He didn't think much of it at first. It wasn't strange for a weak human like you who had recently gained consciousness, so he chided at you about something like the weather as if you were fine.

And then you smiled.

You claimed you were surprised he was still there, all while staring at the wall behind him. It was as if making eye contact with him would cause you harm. He was faced with a blank mask displaying nothing but the outline of a smile.

"You're lucky Baizhu was here in Sumeru City," said Changsheng. "It seems we have to reschedule our meeting with Tighnari."

"Sorry," you replied. Your smile didn't reach your eyes and you didn't look at her either. Your attempt at feigning happiness was rather pathetic. Still, Baizhu continued with your assessment.

"I am limited in the range of tests I can perform," he said. "They may cause unintended side effects considering your current situation with Wanderer. From what I can tell, further testing would be unnecessary."

"Thank you, Baizhu," you told him, avoiding his gaze as well. "I guess this is all we can do for now."

Just how long were you going to act like this? As Baizhu listed some precautionary measures for you to follow, you stared down and fiddled with the blanket.

Wanderer grabbed your chin and turned your face towards him.

Whack.

"What do you think you're doing?" you said after slapping his hand away.

You glared at him. Perfect.

"Weren't you taught to look at the person you're talking to?" he asked you.

"What?"

"It's rude."

"You're one to talk," you said.

"Hmph."

"You literally yanked my face just to make me look at you."

"Do you even notice how you were acting just now? I guess you're even more dim-witted than I thought."

"Ugh! You–"

"All right. That's quite enough, you two," Baizhu said. "Wanderer, you shouldn't be agitating a patient. Especially not one you're dependent on."

"Hmph." At least you were human again. Maybe now you'd return to the task at hand: finding a way to sever himself from you.

"Before you forget," Changsheng told Baizhu, "there was one more observation you've forgotten to mention, wasn't there?"

"Ah yes." Baizhu turned to you. "The energy around your heart is a little peculiar. Unfortunately, I cannot ascertain if you were born with this condition or if it's due to your current situation with Wanderer. It's also possible that it's caused by some other unknown factor."

Your heart? Wanderer certainly didn't expect this. You were an ordinary human being in his eyes, but perhaps this was why you had the ability to keep him conscious.

"Have you ever experienced symptoms such as these before?" asked Baizhu. "Fainting spells, palpitations... or perhaps extreme fatigue?"

"I don't think I have." You scratched your head. "I'm fairly healthy and something like this hasn't –Wait a moment…"

You rose to your feet and reached for the projector, pulling Wanderer along in the process.

"What do you think you're doing?" Wanderer raised his brow. The projector lit up the wall once again.

"Shhh! I need to find it."

"You're shushing me?"

"Could you just be quiet?" you said, already in the middle of scanning through his memories. "I'm going to lose this thought because of you."

You fast forwarded his time at Tatarasuna with a glimpse of the furnace from the projector. Then you continued all the way to the time he met The Doctor before rewinding again.

"So what exactly are you looking for?" he asked.

"Something in Inazuma. Something… looked familiar," you said. "It was pink. Maybe leaves?"

"There are sakura trees everywhere in Inazuma," he noted, rolling his eyes. "Are you seriously trying to find something with that tiny piece of information?"

"Well… I think I remember red buildings too."

The projector revealed the time when he arrived at the shores of Inazuma City after withstanding the storm. He sighed. His past search for help to save the people of Tatarasuna was a waste of time.

In the images, Kabukimono traveled to the Tenshukaku and arrived at the gate, pleading to speak with the Almighty Shogun. You rewinded and played this scene several times.

"I've… I've been here before," you said, squinting your eyes at the projected image. "Where is this?"

"Weren't you just talking about red buildings?" asked Wanderer.

"Could you just answer the question?" you said, glaring at him.

He sighed. "This is on Narukami Island. More specifically, this is the Tenshukaku in Inazuma City."

"What?" you said. "But I've never been to the city before."

"Aren't you an Inazuman?"

"Yes... I can't believe you assumed every Inazuman has been to the city."

Wanderer let out a sigh. "Always picking a fight I see. It was a simple question. Why are you so offended?"

"I see that those two have quite the temperament," said Baizhu.

"Indeed," replied Nahida.

The scene continued as Kabukimono waited for days in the rain. Footsteps rushed towards him and a pink umbrella reached over. At this point, he had given up hope.

"Wait!" you exclaimed, pointing to Yae Miko on the screen. "I know her!"

"What?"

"A tree…" you muttered to yourself. "In front of a large tree, she was talking to my b-brother..."

You lowered your eyes and bit your lip. Your shoulders went stiff as well. Yet, you held yourself together with whatever was going through your mind and continued your explanation.

"I… uh, I don't remember much else," you said, pausing to clear your throat. "I think I struggled to stay conscious when I was there for some reason. And there was a weird bitter taste in my mouth afterwards."

"I see," replied Baizhu. "So being unconscious reminded you of this memory?"

"But I haven't passed out like this in a long time," you added. "It actually happened regularly when I was a child. And it... just stopped one day I guess."

Baizhu placed a hand on his chin. "Hmm… It seems to me that the bitter taste may have been from an herbal remedy known to treat certain diseases," he said. "My patients often complain about it due to its distinct and unpleasant taste. It's a sort of antibiotic with a wide range of applications. It's even taken for post-operative situations."

"I see…" Nahida pondered to herself. "This is a bit unrelated, but didn't Tighnari mention that one of Wanderer's organs is failing? Or at least, that was his theory. Maybe he needs a replacement part."

"Hmph," said Wanderer. "If I need a replacement part, it means I should go see the woman who created me." He let out a sigh. "Unfortunately, going back to Inazuma isn't exactly on the top of my list of things to do. It's not like she would remember me anyway. I'd rather keep it that way."

"But visiting the Electro Archon seems like the next logical step," said Nahida. "Or maybe the two of you could go to the Grand Narukami Shrine to see if Yae Miko can help find a solution."

"So we show up at the shrine on one fine sunny day and then what?" said Wanderer. "She's not the type to bend over backwards when a random person shows up with a request."

"You never know unless you try," replied Nahida.

"Neither of them remember me nor would they care to help someone in need. We'll find a different way."

"Well… since you're not the only one who'll be affected by this decision, why don't we ask Y/n?" suggested Nahida.

Now that Wanderer's attention turned to you, he noticed you'd gone silent again. Your eyes were lowered and your grip around his hand was firmer than usual.

"I want nothing to do with the Electro Archon," you said.

*****

The sun found a crack in the roof to shine through, just so it could find your eyes in the morning. Turning over on the bed, you saw Wanderer sitting with crossed legs on the floor, awake as ever. It would've startled you if you weren't used to it by now.

"Don't you ever get bored like that?" you asked.

"Hmph. Humans just have such short attention spans."

"Good morning to you too," you said dryly.

Neither of you said a word about Inazuma ever since that meeting. Why would you when that Archon had caused so much misery? You never understood why your brother was grateful to her.

You and Wanderer had an unspoken agreement: you'd focus on your lead with Tighnari instead. You didn't care much about Wanderer's reasons for avoiding the Archon, but if he was on the same page as you, that was all that mattered.

"Your hair is a mess," Wanderer commented.

"You think I didn't know that," you replied, rolling your eyes. "You tell me every morning."

You didn't bother fixing it and, instead, walked to your desk to scan your calendar. Collei was coming back to Sumeru, likely even here already. Unfortunately, this meant you'd be sleeping on the floor again, but it was by choice. You couldn't bear the thought of using the bed at her expense even if she wouldn't care.

You picked up the extra sleeping bag Tighnari left for you and held it out to Wanderer.

He raised his brow before rolling his eyes and helping you lay down the bag.

That was when something caught your eye. A soft, round object, which looked like a face and hair had been sewn onto it, laid on the floor under Wanderer's blanket. You picked it up and saw it was a small doll that was slightly larger than your hand.

Wanderer snatched it from you.

"Is it yours?" you asked.

"Whose would it be then?" he said.

"Was it a gift?"

"No."

"Then did you make it?"

He didn't give you an answer, only a huff as he placed it in his pocket. So Nilou wasn't just being nice when she complimented him on his needlework. You didn't expect he had a talent for that.

After fixing your hair, you unzipped your bag and placed a few notebooks and pens inside. Tighnari said he wanted us to meet him in Pardis Dhyai today. He got a hold of someone who might be able to help us.

Then we wouldn't have to go to Inazuma.

You were glad that Wanderer wasn't thrilled about the idea either, although after learning about his past made you realize you misunderstood him. You thought it was a reasonable conclusion that his vision caused the change in his personality. How were you supposed to know he had lost and gotten back his memories?

So which one was his real personality?

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked as the two of you walked towards Pardis Dhyai.

"You really don't do small talk," you commented. He was silent this entire time.

"Well, there's really no point to it, is there?" he said.

"It's a way for people to get to know each other," you said.

"What? Are you interested in me now?"

You placed your hand on your forehead. You couldn't believe you had a crush on him at one point. "Where the heck did you get that idea–"

A scream came from the forest.

"C- Collei?"

A drop of sweat formed on your brow. It couldn't be her, could it? With her skills and experience, nothing fazed her in the forest. Not usually at least.

"It did sound familiar," mentioned Wanderer.

"You know her?" you asked.

His lips turned into a scowl. "Does that even matter right now when we know that–"

"Don't touch me!"

Collei!

Your legs picked up speed and raced toward the forest. Wanderer tugged you hard by your arm and swung you onto his back.

"Grab on," he said, activating his vision and floating in the air.

He flew through the forest at full speed as you clung onto his neck. The wind pushed your hair back as he maneuvered around several trees and branches.

A forest ranger was trapped under a fallen trunk while an Electro Fatui skirmisher held onto Collei's arm. She couldn't escape his grasp.

Wanderer released his skill and fell like a meteor to kick down the skirmisher's head at an angle. This launched the three of you several feet away from the fallen tree trunk as a puff of dust surrounded you.

"Collei!" you yelled out, climbing off of Wanderer's back. "Are you okay?" You couldn't see her with all the debris in the air.

"Y/n?" asked Collei with a quiver in her voice. "H-how are you–"

"Have a load of this!"

A bullet came towards Wanderer and you pulled him aside and stretched out your hand in front. It just missed your hand, but its fire burned your arm. You pulled it back in pain and clicked your tongue for relying on that 'curse' once again.

"Why would you do that?" Wanderer yelled at you. "Are you eager for a death wish?"

The debris settled and the Pyro Fatui skirmisher took aim once more, but Collei's blazing green arrow shot him first.

"Ugh. Humans are such feeble creatures," Wanderer continued to scold you. "You're no better than insects."

"Hey!" the forest ranger called out to him. "Bring her here." A bubble of water formed above his hand as he laid on the ground.

Wanderer carried you over before launching the tree off of him. He stretched out his arm, ready for another attack.

The forest ranger cooled your arm with the water and soothed the burn that stretched from your wrist to your elbow. So this was what a burn felt like. Yet you could tell it was only skin deep.

"Let's end this quickly!" said the Electrohammer skirmisher.

He wasn't knocked out yet?

Collei dodged his attack, launched herself off a low hanging branch and shot his weak point.

The Pyro Fatui aimed at her again.

"Forget my arm," you said, climbing onto Wanderer's back. "We have to help her!"

He flew towards the gunner and struck him with his wind blades. He continued to fight them with Collei providing cover from a distance.

It was strange. Others were doing the fighting for you as you clung onto Wanderer's back. Yet though you were defenseless, you weren't not dismayed.

The Fatui were now subdued and tied up. Collei took a look at your arm and verified it was a first degree burn but you would still need more aid.

"I'm sorry I let this happen to you," she told you. "I wasn't able to hold my bow steady at first because I… I was a bit shaken up."

This was the girl who was fearless against creatures multiple times her size. You couldn't blame her for getting scared this one time.

"I… wanted to be able to protect everyone," said Collei. "I'll work harder next time."

"There's no need to push yourself," said Wanderer. "It isn't exactly lucky for you to have a run-in with the Fatui." He took a sigh that held a measure of heaviness with it.

The more you observed Wanderer, the more caring he seemed. You were previously blinded by your anger and projected your past onto him. He was still rather rude and abrasive, especially when provoked. But glimpses of the guy you saw when you first met were still there.

"I'll take him with me back to Gandharva Ville," Collei said as she placed the forest ranger's arm over her shoulder. "It'll be easier to treat him there."

"Alright," you said. "We'll stay here until you get someone to help deal with them. Although, I think now we're late for our meeting with Tighnari in Pardis Dhyai.

"I see," she said. "In that case, we'll go there instead to update him on the situation."

After Collei left with the limping forest ranger, Wanderer squeezed hard on your uninjured hand.

"Ow! What the heck are you doing?"

"Sit," he commanded with his eyes glaring at you.

You heeded his word and promptly sat down on the ground. He took the bandages from the first aid pack that Collei left and loosely wrapped them around your burn.

Your heart skipped a beat.

Your eyes widened, your breath hitched and you placed a hand on your chest. The feeling in your gut told you that something was terribly wrong.

Yet, you pretended like it never happened.

*****

Thanks for reading! Here's Chapter 6 >

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awkwardgtace · 10 months

Text

Meeting Through Dreams

Day 8 leggo

Today we have borrower Mira starting dreams that should bring her to her perfect partner, but she doesn't exactly want that to happen...

Meeting Through Dreams

Mira groaned, her birthday had been a total disaster. The human she lived with was home and checking everything so she couldn’t get the fruit she wanted. Kaya wasn’t able to visit because of the recent storms. Then the human woman was talking about getting pets on the phone. Giant rat things from what the other person said. She didn’t want to meet ferrets. The only option was to move.

She collapsed onto her fabric pile. The worst part of all of this were the dreams that would start tonight. She wasn’t interested in some fated perfect partner even if it was usually right. There were too many stories of people who were fated to be with someone on the other side of the city. A place that she could barely reach unless Kaya chose to help. They would, but she didn’t want that. There was so much pressure for the relationships to work.

Mira looked around her small home. There was so much she had planned. The fabrics that she collected for the walls. Piles of things she could put together into something interesting. All of it would be left behind when she moved. It was more painful this time; this was the first place she thought might become a home. Leaving home was meant to make it easier, to ease the concern everyone had about forest predators. Now she was tempted to have Kaya help her go back. A place where she wasn’t constantly worried she would have to leave in the dead of night.

Mira closed her eyes, imagining the home she almost made. Some tables of things she’d been planning to steal. Fabrics hanging on the walls instead of the dreary insulation and brick. Anything she wanted to keep. The image stayed until she fell into a deep sleep.

Mira’s eyes opened to the exact place she imagined. She ran a hand over the fabrics, a perfect replication of the ones in her mind. It was just a dream. Not just any dream, the dream, and she already hated it. None of this would be there when she woke up. The worst part of it all, someone else would be privy to the wishes she hid in her heart. She slipped out of the room to a world too real for her.

All around were towering chairs and tables humans used. It was likely the other person lived among humans too. That would make things easier, at least they’d understand the life she leads. Mira wandered around in the large empty space. If no one showed up she’d take it as a blessing.

“Hey!” a masculine voice shouted. She bit back a sigh. She looked around trying to find a way to avoid the person. She’d rather not meet them directly. Unfortunately it was too late.

A man with black hair and piercing blue eyes ran up from behind one of the chair legs. He was taller than her, an average build. He had pale skin, although there was a tint that made her doubt his living in a human house. Mira turned away from him, she had more important things to do. Like figuring out where this man was supposed to live so she could make sure she never went near him.

As she walked away his steps easily reached her. Something about them was off. Almost too heavy. It had to just be this stupid dream. Dreams had never stuck with her in her waking life. Plenty of things were going to be different that she’d never once considered. She pointedly ignored the steps closing in behind her and continued on her path. She’d learn what she needed and move on. Just like always.

“Hey,” he said as he grabbed her shoulder. “Do you know what’s going on? All of this looks weird.”

“What do you mean?” she asked. Mira bit her tongue as soon as the words left her. She didn’t want to interact with him. If he knew her voice he could know her, although her hair color made that easy enough to accomplish. “This should be normal to you.”

“I mean, I guess I recognize some stuff, but it looks nothing like where I live.” The carefree smile on his face annoyed her. She sighed, there was no point in ignoring it then. This world must have been built on mostly her knowledge. She’d heard of that before, but it was rare. It usually meant one person’s dream world was stronger than the other’s. A sign that often made people separate.

“This is the dream world.” That was all he should need to know. Mira started to walk away again. This man would just get in her way.

“What do you mean the dream world?” He ran up next to her, he was taller. A lot taller, maybe a full inch. That only made her more annoyed.

“Don’t you know anything?” She glared up at him, but he just looked confused. It actually hurt her to see it. She knew sometimes no one knew about the dreams, but it would mean he’d been on his own for a long time. It would mean his parents were gone. “It’s the world where you’re supposed to meet your perfect partner. I guess humans killed your parents before they told you about it?”

“Humans killed them…” The man tilted his head and his brow furrowed.

That told her enough. As sad as it was, there was no reason to hang around. No one in her area had been seen or hurt by humans in a long time. He’d have to be somewhere far from her. Far enough she could end this once he’d recovered from the memories she’d forced to the front.

Mira left him to think. She just had to be sure. Eventually she’d find one of the trees he probably lived in and know where he was from. Then they could be done with this and both go back to their normal lives. His weirdly heavy steps followed her. She tried to stop herself from grinding her teeth.

“What?!” she shouted. He’d already followed her for a while without saying anything. She spun around, honestly shocked to see his eyes bright. She just brought up what killed his parents, how was he happy?

“Uh… well I still don’t get it, but humans didn’t kill my parents,” he laughed. How could he laugh? He didn’t know anything about this and he was just laughing. “I’m Corus, nice to meet you.”

Mira turned away. She wasn’t interested in this anymore. She had to find a sign of who and where this man was so she could make sure they never met. The strange footsteps caught up to her and he kept pace. The idea to start sprinting grew tempting.

“Ok, not getting your name that’s fine,” he said. She glared at him, but kept walking. “Well why did you think humans would kill my parents? I mean you said it like you aren’t human yourself.”

“Oh nature preserve me, you’re one of those aren’t you?” she sighed. This made everything worse. He’d probably avoid accepting they didn’t work until she admitted humans weren’t bad.

“One of who?”

“One of the borrowers who think humans aren’t that bad.” She stormed forward letting him jog to keep up. She was sick of this. “Let me guess next you’re going to tell me how just because they’re bigger than us doesn’t mean we aren’t the same?”

“I, uh-”

“Oh and that I should just give them a chance, humans won’t hurt us. Of course they won’t, they won’t keep us as toys or pets either. Or sell us to whoever pays the most.”

“You… you really think all humans would do that?”

“Please, I know the borrowers like you love to pretend humans would treat us as equals.” She walked up to a table leg that had some handholds in it. One deep breath and she started climbing. “I’ve been caught more than once. The human I live with now is planning to either get pest control or weird furry snake things to try and catch the ‘mouse’ in her walls.”

“Did you try to let her know that you’re a person? That you aren’t a mouse?”

Mira stayed quiet and focused on climbing for a few minutes. Sure it definitely wouldn’t end badly for her to go reveal herself and all of their kind to a human that she’s watched happily kill bugs and small animals. It would just be a death sentence. Of course the universe would think someone like this belongs with her.

“You haven’t, have you? Why don’t you at least try?” he called. That pissed her off. She turned back, the ground wasn’t too far. Jumping, she rolled to protect herself then stood and glared at Corus. Stomping up to him she pressed a finger into his chest, he was sturdier than she expected.

“Right I should go walk up and say ‘Hi I live in your walls and take things from you to survive please don’t kill me or tell anyone about me!’ That would totally work,” she seethed. Corus looked away from her. “Oh or better yet, I’ll just walk right under her foot so she can kill me first!”

Corus didn’t say anything and Mira took the chance to walk away. His steps never sounded behind her. It wasn’t long before she was opening her eyes and staring at her empty walls. Hopefully tonight her dream would be empty, or at least someone easier to deal with.

That day she snuck out while the human she lived with ranted on the phone. She was always talking about the man who lived next door. The house Mira would visit next. The things her current human said made her nervous about that house. A history of anger issues, broken walls, things like that. She’d probably have to move again before long.

She managed to gather some crumbs of food the woman missed. This human had grown too cautious. She would need to focus on gathering tools and making her current food last. Maybe a month before she’d move, a month of ever changing dreams she hoped. In an attempt to avoid Corus she stayed later than usual breaking into boxes that the human had secured. Mira had enough experience to break through mouse protections when given enough time. Today she had time.

Hours later she meandered into her home. Just as empty and lonely. She dropped her full bag on the floor and fell into her fabrics. If he was an outdoor borrower he should be awake during the day, she should have a peaceful rest now. Closing her eyes she wondered if the next person would at least show her something interesting.

“Hey!” Mira jumped as she heard Corus’s voice next to her. Snapping her eyes open she found the man standing over her, a worried look on his face. “I was worried you wouldn’t show up. I mean, I don’t really know how these dreams work, but I figured you were supposed to come back.”

“Ugh,” she groaned as she sat up. “Why are you still asleep? Aren’t you an outdoor borrower, you should be out getting supplies this early in the day.”

“Oh, uh… I go out at night?” The question at the end made her curious. How would she know what he does? It didn’t matter somehow she’d get him to go away. She’d make the universe leave her on her own, just like she wanted.

“Whatever.”

Mira started on her trek through the dreamscape. There was no telling what strange thing she’d find now. Maybe a sign of where this human loving borrower was from. His steps followed her, still weirdly heavy. It had to be from how sturdy he felt when she poked him. Everyone she grew up with had a light build, almost like a bird.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday,” he said. Mira rolled her eyes. “Like I said, I’m Corus. I’m pretty new to this whole dream thing we have here, but I would like to get to know you.”

“Why?” she growled. This was the part that she was dreading. The thing everyone talked about. The two would be able to have kids, it was what the others had been excited about her dreams to reveal. The ways her strange looks could contribute to the next generation. It was her job to keep their kind alive. It was her duty. She hated it.

“Well, you seem interesting and kind of beautiful if I’m being honest. The way you climbed that table leg was pretty amazing and-” She turned around and stopped just before hitting his face.

“One more false flattery to get me to like you and I will hit you.” The smile he gave her actually made her heart pound.

“I wasn’t lying, but I will stop. I just… think you’d be fun to talk to.”

“Well we talked there you go. Leave me alone.”

Mira spun on her heel. This match of hers was insane so all she could do was hope this place was secretly interesting. She walked up to a table and started to climb. It was nice, free climbing like this. There were never safe times like this in the real world. She’d need her hook for the speed. She was pulled from her thoughts by a loud crash below her.

Mira looked down to find Corus lying on his back. His eyes were blown wide. As much as she knew nothing here could kill her, a fall like that would still hurt. She climbed down and crouched over him, staring into his eyes.

“You make that look easy,” he said. Another eye roll, of course it was easy.

“Because it is easy. Not my fault you’re out of practice.”

“Can you teach me?”

Mira studied him for a moment, “Climb halfway on your own and I’ll teach you how to climb like me.”

“Deal!”

Corus jumped to his feet startling her. She barely caught herself from falling backwards. He gave her a smirk, but immediately started trying to climb. He could barely make it off the ground before he was struggling. She felt bad for him. Climbing was important for most borrowers. Even ones that had heavier bones. He fell a lot that night, but he did make it halfway.

“I did it!” he cheered. Mira watched as he looked down, seeing the exact moment his grip loosened. He plummeted like a stone to the ground she stood on. It shook the world like a human falling more than a borrower. Another strange effect of dreams. Making their world notice them.

“Fine, tomorrow I’ll help you learn how to climb. Even someone built like you should know the basics,” she sighed. He groaned for a bit before giving her a glare. It wasn’t real, she could already see the smile.

“What do you mean built like me? I mean I do work out, but...” He even wiggled his eyebrows. She had to bite back a laugh at his actions.

Mira crouched and poked his chest. “You’re firmer. It’s the best way to say it. Like you have heavier bones. It would make climbing more of a struggle.”

Corus reached out and grabbed her arm. A part of her panicked, she didn’t want that. He let go quickly, putting the same hand across his eyes. “I guess you’re right. You feel like a bird.”

Mira stood and walked away before he could do more. Before he could make her pulse race again. Maybe Corus wasn’t all that bad. He’d move on though and so would she. She would never trust humans and he’d likely bring it up again soon. They wouldn’t work.

“Mira,” Kaya’s voice echoed in her mind. Corus faded almost instantly as she blinked away the dream meeting reality again. She was a little sad to see it end. “Sorry I couldn’t come by on your birthday!”

“Kaya?” Mira asked. She rubbed her eyes, finding them walking into her empty home. They had something behind their back. “You know it’s fine. All that was special about the day was that the dreams might start….” She narrowed her eyes. “What are you hiding?”

They looked surprised for a second before pulling a strange object from behind them. It was small enough they could hold it in two hands and made of metal. On it was an image of a butterfly with wings the color of Mira’s hair. She had no words to explain how looking at it felt. Butterflies were always special to her, their freedom was something to envy.

“I found it on my way back and I thought of you. It would be perfect to put on a wall here,” they whispered. Mira nodded, but a slam from the human of the house reminded her what was happening soon.

“Hang on to it for me?” Mira smiled, Kaya’s face dropped. They knew what it meant when she said that.

“You’re moving again? It’s only been a few months here.”

“This human was more observant, I’ll try the house next door this time. It’s a human man living alone. All the others said those are the best to borrow from.”

“You could come back…”

Mira shook her head, that wasn’t an option. “Kaya we both know that won’t work. My hair puts too much risk on everyone if I’m outside. I made the choice to leave and I’m standing by it. Let’s just talk about something else, ok?”

Kaya frowned, but Mira could see them bouncing on their feet. Something happened that they wanted to talk about. Something exciting, but somehow not enough to make their way here in the middle of the night. She waited, crossing her arms and egging them on. Finally they relented, setting the metal butterfly down.

“Fine!” they sighed. She smirked.

Kaya sat on the fabric bed Mira hadn’t left yet. They leaned their head on her shoulder for a few minutes. The two of them took in the period of silence. It wasn’t often that the human wasn’t making some crazy noise. Kaya wrapped their arms around one of Mira’s. Times like this were the ones that made Mira actually consider returning.

“My dreams started,” they finally whispered. Mira smiled, Kaya wanted their dreams. To find a partner that would love who they were. A long time ago the two talked about if they dreamt of each other. The plan had always been to take Kaya’s squirrel and run. Escape the expectations it would place on them. Together they could have children and neither wanted the life that would lock them in.

“Sounds like good news then?” she asked. Kaya’s weight against her grew followed by the slightest of nods. “What are they like?”

“He’s weird. His name is Zeke and he had no idea about the dreams. He didn’t recognize anything around us either, it was mostly from me I think. His hair was a reddish color. I think he’s a mole borrower.”

“What’s that?”

“According to some of the scout records there were other types of borrowers before. Ones that only lived on the ground and if they wanted to go higher they used stairs like humans. The ones around us left generations ago. Everyone thinks they died out.”

“I guess that’s what he is too…” Mira spoke without thinking. Kaya jumped up, absolutely vibrating while staring into her eyes.

“Wait! Does that mean your dreams started too?”

Mira fell back on the fabric, Kaya falling back with her. The two sat in the silence until she finally spoke up. Letting them know about Corus and what the dreams had been. Kaya shared their own experiences. A world made of only wood and trees that towered more than the ones they grew up under. Apparently the large blocks of wood were from Zeke’s memories. That made Mira wonder what was from Corus in their dream.

The two shared stories the entire day. The human woman started to slam things and make noise prompting Kaya to leave. Mira was left alone in the hole she almost considered a home. It had been promising at first. A distracted human woman with plenty of things easy to break into. If only the woman hadn’t been so terrified, spiteful might be the better term, towards small creatures. Then this could have worked. Mira fell asleep to loud bangs and muffled shouts of ‘that damn mouse was back’.

The shaking world pulled Mira awake. The place she started was exactly where she’d left earlier. A quick swivel of her head revealed Corus slowly standing while rubbing his back. It dawned on her that the world shakes because he saw it that way. His falls were tremendous and world shattering for someone who never tried to climb before. She started to wish she had her hook, the aid would be an easier way to teach him.

Corus looked around, stopping with his eyes on her. He started to run towards her the second she moved. The only person that was ever excited to see her was Kaya, Corus was a nice change. He had his arms out, pausing just before reaching her. It made her smile how the sturdy borrower shifted to awkwardly hold his arms at his sides instead.

“Mira,” he smiled. Once he knew how to climb this set up would be gone. He’d go back to pushing humans and she’d eventually threaten him if he didn’t accept they wouldn’t work. When he moved to point at her she grew defensive. “What’s that? A fishing hook?”

Mira jumped and looked at her hip. There was her hook, pristine like when she found it on her first trip outside with her father. She pulled it from its place beside her, inspecting it and finding none of the nicks it had received over the years. “It’s my hook…”

“You have a hook? What for?” Normally the question would annoy her, but she was lost in the quality. There was no sign of the human who almost caught her with a mouse trap or the one who tried to step on her. The strange bend from the time a human managed to slam a door as she was trying to climb the door frame. None of the horrors she faced existed here…

“It’s for climbing.” Her voice echoed in the silence. It was wrong, but somehow felt right. She was safe here. There was no need to be afraid right now. “It would be easier to learn on this…”

“Is something wrong?” His voice was soft and kind. A hand on her shoulder that didn’t make her angry. A kind feeling spread from him. The hook in her hands flashed for a second, showing the truth of reality. Tears almost fell from her eyes.

“It’s perfect, like when I found it. Nothing that the humans have done shows on it here. Like they never existed… like we’re safe.”

Corus pulled her against him. The strange solid build of his was comforting. She was starting not to hate these dreams. To hate the man tied to her. Maybe she could accept this. He leaned his head against her shoulder, “You’ll always be safe with me. I won’t let anything hurt you, even other humans.”

She pushed him away. That phrasing reminded her why this would never work. He thought they were humans, that those giants would see borrowers the same way. She walked over to the table he’d been climbing, spun her hook, and threw it to the top. A few tugs and she knew it was sturdy. A much better way to teach him.

“Let’s just get to climbing,” she said.

Corus didn’t say anything else. He walked right up to her rope, holding it between two hands. Instead of climbing he stared at it with awe. She didn’t say anything for a few minutes, opting to clear her throat to remind him. He looked at her with a faint blush before holding it in a way that she thought was for climbing.

“That’s completely wrong,” she said. Mira took the rope from him, holding it how she was taught. Hands about one grip apart and the excess between her legs. “Use your core to climb, don’t rely on your arms.”

Mira climbed a few steps up before jumping down. Corus had shining eyes as he stared at her. Ignoring the way her heart skipped she forced the rope in his hands. It took a few tries to get him to understand the way to hold it. His climbing form would slip after a bit. It was actually a fun experience.

When Mira woke up to her empty room she was lonely. The hook left in the corner was painful to look at. She wanted to miss all the things that had happened. Forget them and only remember the night with Corus. That wasn’t something she could do. She spent the day in the walls, closing up paths and gathering water. She would need to be ready to leave as soon as possible.

The next few nights were the same. Teaching Corus the best forms and watching him struggle. He was improving and the bright smile sent her way was making her melt. A few times her cheeks even grew warm. She liked these dreams. It made the reality of her situation bearable. She wouldn’t mind these being all she ever had with him too, in fact she’d prefer it.

One night it changed. He was able to climb all the way on the rope. She followed up quickly, getting pulled into another hug. Her whole body felt warm under his touch. A warmth she quickly realized she liked. When he let go she had no idea what to say. He sat on the edge of the table and she joined him.

“Mira,” he said. She hummed in response. “Is this really what you see all the time? It’s amazing.”

“I’ve seen something better,” she smiled.

No one ever believed her about this. He looked at her with bright eyes. After what happened with the hook she decided to see if she could do it again. A wish for this view to be what she remembered from the top of a tree. In seconds her memory painted the world. A beautiful thing she never thought she’d see again.

“Where is this?”

The awe in his voice matched the awe she felt. That day she felt huge. The human houses were small to her, she couldn’t even see her home. It had taken over a day, but she made it to the top of a tree. Something she was always told she made up, something she would never regret.

“The top of a tree, I managed to climb it once,” she smiled.

“How?” Corus was staring at her with amazement. Not only did he believe her, he was seeing what she saw. Something no borrower could ever create or understand. Something that made humans and animals feel like they weren’t a threat.

“My colony had these sharp bits of metal. I stole some and some fabric we’d collected. I wrapped it around my hands and feet with the metal sticking out.”

As she spoke the image around them changed. A much younger version of herself sitting in the tall grass. A cloak hiding the lavender color of her hair. The cloak was too big for her back then. The younger her proudly made her climbing gear. Standing with pride as she started her climb. The ones on her feet attached near her toes. The younger Mira sticking the metal into bark and starting her climb.

“It took a long time, maybe more than a day. I rested on branches as I reached them.” The image changed to her climbing and hiding among branches. “I was going to prove I could do it. That I could avoid any predators that might see me too. I’ve never forgotten the feeling when I made it. For just a little while I thought… I thought the world was made for us too.”

“It is made for you. For both of us. You don’t have to climb a tree to see that. Not every human would hurt you or trap you if they saw you.”

Mira climbed to her feet. The moment had passed and she was done with this. Quickly grabbing her hook she started to wrap it up to place it back on her hip. Corus would never stop having faith in humans, she needed this to stop. All her life she never wanted this and now… now she had someone she almost wanted to meet who thought humans were worth it.

“Mira why won’t you even consider-”

“Consider what!” She turned as she shouted, her hook changing to the damaged version she knew. “That I wasn’t almost crushed in a door that bent my hook!? That I wasn’t almost crushed by a mouse trap, with this being all that saved me. That a human didn’t try to step on me once.”

“None of them knew what you were! They all thought you were some random animal if you only told them-”

“If I told them and they still didn't kill me then what? They try to protect me.” She spat the words, storming forward in her anger. Corus backed away as she neared him. Her body was on fire, her heart racing. The fear that he never learned was strong in her heart. “Then they trap me ‘for my own good’. Keep me caged or in a box where I can do nothing for myself anymore. I have to rely on them taking care of me and choosing to let me have things. Rely on a human’s whims to keep me alive!”

Another step towards him caused a change. He fell when he stepped back. She ran forward in fear as he plummeted towards the ground. On her knees she saw him slam into the ground. A crater formed around him with cracks in the ground leading out for dozens of feet. The world shook the worst she’d ever felt. Mira was thrown from the perch she had. All she could do was close her eyes and brace for impact.

The ground didn’t meet her. Instead she landed in something that felt like a hand. She opened her eyes to see Corus staring at her, his arms beneath her. The feeling of a hand faded as soon as she saw him. He pulled her close to his chest. She could hear his racing heart as loudly as her own. His face was coming closer. Just before he reached her she was back in reality.

That day she was nervous. All her trips had her taking extra precautions. Ones that she wouldn’t normally use. The feeling of a hand beneath her body. She knew it well. There were more times she’d been grabbed than she’d like to admit. Although this time it actually felt… safe. She stayed out well into the next day grabbing even crumbs that she thought could be useful.

There were a number of times she paused and watched the human woman. Steps that were heavy and shook the world if they came close. A sneer if she noticed any trace of Mira’s existence. This human would certainly kill her, but she’d met one that wanted to trap her too. Honestly she had no idea which fate was worse.

Eventually she returned home. She collapsed into her fabrics to stare at the ‘ceiling’. The emptiness of the walls that she lived in. Corus wouldn’t be there this time, she knew it. It had been long enough for him to sleep and wake up. She had gone almost a week without sleep before. Two days was nothing. Slowly she closed her eyes hoping to wake up from a dreamless sleep. The world would realize she belonged alone.

Mira’s next feeling was someone petting her head. It wasn’t Kaya. The hand felt wrong. She opened her eyes, squeaking when she met Corus’s blue eyes. He was smiling softly at her. She tried to squirm away, but he grabbed her arm. His grip was strong enough she felt nervous trying to escape it. Like he’d break her… like a human had grabbed her.

“Mira, please… I’m sorry,” he whispered. She released the tension in her body slightly. “I get it, I went too far. I won’t try to change your mind about humans. I just… don’t want to stop seeing you.”

“What if I never want to meet you?” she asked. Her voice came out quietly, but still managed to echo in their shared dream. Corus let her arm go and returned to petting her head. Every inch of her wanted to run, but the smallest part wanted his answer. Hoped it would be one that let this continue.

“Then we never meet.”

Mira turned away from him, “I don’t believe you.”

“Mira. You’re beautiful, smart, independent, funny, honestly I’d list things forever, but I’m pretty sure you’d hit me.” That made her smile, he wasn’t exactly wrong. She’d already threatened it once. “If we never meet I don’t care. I just want this to keep going. I want to keep knowing you. To learn about all the things you’ve seen in your life.”

“I… think I’d be ok with that.”

Corus pulled her into a tight hug. The firm body around her was reassuring. She didn’t believe that he would be happy with this forever. Someday he’d push for more. If he took the leap she’d let it happen, but only if they agreed not to stay near humans. She wouldn’t risk his hope getting him killed or trapped. A part of her didn’t want to see it shattered.

The entire night they sat together like that. Just Corus holding her tightly. She enjoyed hearing his heart, something about it was different. Louder. So much of what made him strange made her happy too. By the time she woke up she was starting to miss the feeling of his arms. That night she’d let him know she was moving the next one, it wouldn’t be good for him to worry.

“Mira!” Kaya’s voice made her jump. She quickly stood and grabbed one of her bags, just in case. They ran in with a smile and she relaxed immediately. “Zeke and I are meeting!”

“What?” she gasped. A smile spread on her face as she pulled Kaya into a hug. They wanted this and she wanted it for them. “That’s amazing! When?”

“Tomorrow night. I showed him the park where I met my squirrel and he recognized it. He lives nearby. We picked the tree where my squirrel lived to meet. It’s going to be late so no humans will be around just in case.”

Mira smiled and did everything she could to hide her worry. Kaya wouldn’t be able to help her move. That should be fine, they never helped before. Something this time made her think they should. She couldn’t explain it. Maybe she was just more interested in making sure she’d survive.

“Go, that’s a two day trip even with your squirrel. You can’t be late. Bring him to meet me ok?” she grinned. Kaya nodded and ran from her home. She waited a few minutes before heading out to get the last of the supplies she would need.

That day was harder. The human was wandering around doing more than normal. It made her nervous. It seemed like it would be useful to hold off her move until Kaya came back. Just a few days wouldn’t make a change. The furry snakes weren’t arriving yet. A ringing phone gave her the chance to steal some of the paper towels the woman had left out for once.

“Oh that’s great to hear! My new babies will be here the day after tomorrow!” the human woman shouted. Mira paled. She didn’t have a choice left.

The rest of the day Mira ran between her paths. She was closing them and making sure to fill them so those snake things couldn’t use them. She wouldn’t risk those things escaping if this woman loved them. The sun was rising by the time she collapsed in her fabrics. She’d wake up just before sunset and gather the last of her things. For now she could try to enjoy her dreams.

As soon as her eyes closed she was opening them again. Corus was there smiling at her. She slowly sat up before offering her own smile. Things started a bit normally. Today he tried free climbing again, he fell a lot. On one of his later falls she decided to lie down next to him and stare at the sky. It was empty like the one she always saw.

“I wish I could see the stars more,” she whispered. In seconds the sky changed, stars like she’d never seen them covered it. She sat up on her elbows to look at Corus. “Did you do that?”

“I was practicing while I waited for you this time,” he grinned. Her heart skipped. “I want to show you things I see like you show me.”

Mira fell back and stared at the strange sky. “I’m moving tonight. I won’t be asleep for at least two days. Maybe more.”

“Where are you moving? Can you show me?” A part of her didn’t want to. If she did he could find her, but at the same time these stars proved he couldn’t be close by.

“I’ll try.” She tried to picture the two human houses. The one she was leaving and the one she was aiming for. Corus sat up when the houses finished forming. “I’m going from the white one to the blue one.”

“I live near you.” His voice was quiet. She sat up to look at him, fear in her heart.

“Are you going to look for me?” He shook his head. “Thank you. I’d probably run if you did.”

“You’d get away no problem. I still can’t climb like you. Maybe I’d set a trap for you.” He laughed and she laughed along.

“It would have to be a good trap.”

“Only the best would have a chance to catch you. I can already tell.” He stared warmly at her. She felt her body heat up. “Maybe I’ll give it a shot.”

“If it’s good enough I might stick around to talk to you.” A smirk played on her lips. Corus looked excited, he might actually try. The thought didn’t terrify her like she thought it would. “I’m nervous about this move.”

“Why?” Corus scooted closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Mira leaned against him, he was the only one she told about her nerves. The only one safe to tell.

“The woman I live with talks about the man who lives in the house I’m going to.” The dreams responded to her. The human woman she knew and a shadowy figure of the man she’d begun to imagine. She saw his legs once and that was all that was defined in the dream. “She says he replaced an older couple. That the couple would talk about him. He breaks things and gets angry. If he finds me…”

“Maybe he’s not the type of human to hurt someone for no reason.” Corus’s arm around her tightened. A part of her wanted to be angry, but this wasn’t like before. He sounded different, like he needed her to believe him. “Maybe this human lives there because he got his anger under control and the couple were proud of him.”

“It almost sounds like you know him. Do you already live in his walls?” She laughed because that had to be wrong. If he was there she wouldn’t know what to do.

“No, I don’t live in his walls.”

Something was wrong. She couldn’t explain it. The way he spoke about this human and how he answered. It all made something in her scared, scared that he had something important she should know. Something he hadn’t told her, that he purposely hid from her. She’d worry about that later, for now she knew it was time to wake up. To pack and start on her move.

“I have to go,” she muttered. He put a hand on her cheek and turned her to face him. He leaned his forehead against her.

“I’ll be sleeping in case you need me. Tell me if you’re in trouble. I’ll find you, I promise. I already promised you’d be safe if I was around you,” he said. The conviction in his voice added to her fear.

“I promise.”

Corus leaned closer once the whisper left her. He pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was sweet and warm. Something that made her feel like she was at the top of the tree again. Her entire body burned and she didn’t want it to end. Mira closed her eyes, but that ended the dream. She was left cold and alone. That didn’t matter, she was used to being alone. Now she had to move.

Mira packed the blanket her parents gave her first. The food she gathered went in the bag with that. Her hook was set on her hip and the water she collected on the other side. She took one last look around, noticing Kaya had left the metal butterfly. Mira knew it was stupid to take it. She had to travel light and Kaya would stop here first. She couldn’t just ignore it though. She grabbed one of the fabrics she planned to abandon. Wrapped the butterfly with it then tied it around her waist.

With one last look at her barren home she ducked out. She kicked out the supports from her home leading to the rest of the house. If and when Kaya came back there would be no risk from the furry snakes. She went to the entrance she had to the outside world. There she waited until the sun set. Once it was low she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and dipped outside.

Once outside Mira watched for the moon to rise over the trees. She planned her route while waiting. There were two dangerous positions she had to worry about. The empty patch of grass from the woman’s home to a bush. Then the bush to the man’s house. The bush would be the easy part. Mira took a deep breath, each section would have dangers of course. The emptiness was the worst. Predators and humans would see her.

The moon peeked over the trees and she ran. At this time humans were scarce. The woman didn’t go out and the predators didn’t like the houses. She just had to make it to the bush. It felt like hours she spent running to reach her goal, the real time was hard to determine. All she knew was when the moon had passed the highest point in the sky she was at the bush. Mira smiled, the easy part was reached.

Ducking under low leaves she entered the darkness of the bush. She rushed forward, itching to return to her dreams. She wanted an answer to what Corus hid. The safety each night was promising. Most importantly the warmth of knowing there was someone beside her. Someone she showed her worst to and still wanted more of her. She wanted to show her home, her friends, her life and learn about him.

Those thoughts died as she knocked a branch. She backed away, but something caught her. She tried to pull away and failed. Her whole body was stuck. She managed to slip off her pack, but that didn’t free her arm. She looked around and saw the danger she was in. A spider’s web. Fear surged through her, she tried to grab her hook, but the fabric holding the butterfly had locked it against her back… against the web. Each twitch she made told the spider she was there. She wouldn’t survive tonight. She did the only thing she could think of, try to sleep and see Corus one last time.

“Mira? Are you ok? Why are you here!?” his worried voice made tears fall from her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her. The frantic and loud beat of his heart was reassuring. She knew death would be next to her when she woke up.

“Corus… I think this is the last time you’ll see me,” she cried. His strangely sturdy arms tightened. It made her cry more. “I-I got caught in a web. I can’t reach my hook because of something I wrapped around my waist. I can’t get away. It’ll find me by morning.”

Corus pulled back and held her face between his hands. A focused look, determined and promising, met her. “Show me where you are. I’ll find you. A spider isn’t going to kill you.”

She shook her head, “Corus it’ll kill you too. I can’t do that to you. I… Can’t we stay like this until I’m gone.”

“Mira. I’m begging you to trust me. I will save you, show me where you are.”

Mira closed her eyes, angry he wouldn’t give her this. At the same time he’d see she was dead by the time he arrived. She focused on the bush between the houses. She opened her eyes as the dream changed. Corus pulled her against him again, petting her head like before. It made her cry, honestly and truly cry. She was terrified that she’d die and so would Corus by trying to save her.

“I see the houses, but where are you Mira?” he asked. Stern, serious, and nothing like she knew. It almost echoed like a human’s. She didn’t want him to die, but the hope he’d succeed won. Corus had pressed her face to his chest, she couldn’t see the change. His heartbeat told her he knew. “The bush? I see it. I can see you.”

Corus pulled her from his hold and cupped her face in his hands. The blue eyes she had started to love looked terrified. It wasn’t a fear she knew. He brought her close and kissed her. It was deep, hungry, and final. He was afraid of this ending, but it didn’t seem like he expected death to be why.

“I’ll save you, just wait for me.”

That was all she heard before she was thrust back into her cruel reality. The spider had finally noticed her. She saw the massive fanged creature’s eyes assessing her. Corus would be too late. No borrower could reach her in time. To make matters worse the steps of a human started to shake the web. Mira gave up her fake acceptance and started to struggle. She’d rather die to a spider than in the hand of a human.

That determination didn’t matter. The spider grew cautious because of the steps. She wasn’t a meal worth it. The human steps didn’t stop until a shadow covered what little light entered through the bush leaves. Now Corus would find the remains of a web and destroyed bush because of a human. He might even try to find her in one of the houses. He would die or be trapped all because of her.

The bush above her was pulled apart. She struggled desperately to pull herself free. She grabbed her stuck arm, but the web beneath it caught her hand. She wasn’t making this any better. The spider retreated as the bush continued to be destroyed.

Finally a shadowed figure sat above her. It felt like the dream she created of the man from the house. How did he even know she was here? Had Corus sold her out? Was that the secret she could see in his eyes? Did he live as this man’s pet?!

Hands descended into the bush. She tried again to get herself free, but the human hands surrounded her. Fingers curled around her until she was trapped in towering trunks of flesh. Despite her struggles the human pulled her free in an instant. Mira wasn’t the type to give up, biting at the skin around her. Anything to get free.

The hand was lifted up and up and up until it pressed her against a chest. It felt familiar somehow. Kind of like Corus, the loud heartbeat beneath the skin reminded her of him too. She’d never forgive him for selling her out. What if Kaya met the same fate? Zeke might be just as bad. Mira forced her tears back. Betrayal stung, but she would never let a human see her cry.

“I made it,” the human whispered. The voice was loud, masculine, and familiar. So familiar she couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her. The efforts she put out to escape dwindled. She wasn’t sold out… she gave the human exactly where she was. “Please tell me I didn’t hurt you and that’s why you stopped fighting me.”

Mira wouldn’t give the human an answer. No humans deserved anything from her, least of all the one who tricked her. The hand around her shifted so she was trapped against a palm and his chest. All she could do was wait. The human would drop her in a cage under the guise of kindness. Claiming to love her or something and keep her safe.

The slamming door made her jump. He hadn’t spoken since he changed his hold. She hated the racing heartbeat. The warmth around her. How it made her remember that single time she felt a palm around her in the dream… and how she liked it. If she hadn’t brought the butterfly she would have walked into a trap. It would have been better that way, she’d have escape routes prepared then.

“I might as well show you the trap I left before you run,” his voice shook through her bones. In a way it felt nice, relaxing, but she couldn’t allow that. She couldn’t let those nights in the dream paint her reality. This was a human and she… she was trapped.

The fingers around her returned to press her against the palm. She bit at them halfheartedly. Her teeth weren’t sharp enough to damage human skin. If she’d left the butterfly her hook would be free, she could fight. The hand flew through the air and she was let out. It took a few precious seconds to regain her balance. The seconds the human needed to trap her with his arms and crouch down to face her.

Mira was body to face with the massive being now. Blue eyes, black hair, pale skin, and all the things that she knew meant the borrower from her dreams. The things that meant Corus. It was horrible. She’d sold herself to a human. In fear and panic she gave in, told him her exact location, and now she was trapped. She reached to the fabric she tied, letting the butterfly fall and pulling free her hook. She brandished it the way she was taught, prepared for his hand to come back.

“I guess my secret’s out now,” he laughed. It was an awkward and loud sound. It made her glare at him, she wanted to stomp up and yell at him. This was something he should have said in the beginning. That should have never happened anyway. This was how borrowers met their perfect partner. It couldn’t be a human. The universe made a mistake for her, she was just begging it hadn’t done the same to Kaya. “So like the first night. Right I get it. I still mean it, we don’t have to ever see each other again Mira.”

“Oh so you’ll do me the kindness and kill me right now?” she sneered. Corus actually recoiled at the venom in her voice. She wasn’t expecting it either. He sighed, his breath washing over her. It made her shiver, he was built differently because he was human.

“Of course not.” The massive eyes closed, she could see subtle changes. He was annoyed. Angry even. She’d see the anger she was worried about. “I know what you think about humans. What you think about me. I don’t care, I wouldn’t have gone near you if you weren’t in danger Mira. I do want to know you, show you things I think you haven’t seen before. I’ll walk away as soon as I show you that trap we joked about.”

“Do you even need it? You win I can’t get away from a human. Go ahead lock me in a cage for my protection, whatever it is you plan to do to me. I’ll-”

“Mira!”

Corus’s voice was loud. It almost hurt her ears. She stumbled back, dropping her hook. She wasn’t expecting that. He was a human. She had to be careful or she’d die. If he trapped her or something she could get away. Corus stared at her, deflating quickly. He let out another sigh that managed to knock her off her feet. She was terrified.

“I’m sorry. I just… Mira look, please,” Corus pointed to the right. She was terrified to refuse, turning to see a pile of food. “I spent one of the days you weren’t around exploring. I got as much as I could together.”

Corus moved the food away and she saw something completely unexpected. A small room that even had a ceiling. Inside were the fabrics she had imagined hanging. A leaf that he must have pulled from a tree outside. A small bed and a table. A pile of thumbtacks and other bobbles she’d collected before. All things in her room from the dream. All things she was planning to abandon.

Almost on autopilot she walked even closer. There she could see the ceiling. The stars she didn’t recognize were on it. They were glowing just a little. It was breathtaking.

“What…?” she whispered. Corus moved to stand. She was forced to stare up at the tall human, the form that terrified her. The fear had started to fade away as his warm eyes followed her. The same eyes that watched her climb. The eyes that were terrified to lose her, but wanted to save her. The eyes… the eyes that she was horrified to never see again.

“I had been putting it together for a while. Honestly I thought you weren’t real, but if I was wrong and we ever met I wanted you to have a room here. When you told me you were moving here I did something else too.”

She watched the human walk over to one of the cabinets. With a strength that no borrower could ever have he moved it back, only a little. Now she could see a crudely formed entrance to the wall, one that would quickly be filled to avoid suspicion. It made her smile.

“I made an entrance, or I tried. I don’t think it looks as good as the ones in that dream world,” he smiled at her. He was treating her like a person. Just the day before she’d woken up so cold and alone. A human was here offering her something she never imagined. A promise of safety and love. A promise that she was starting to hope Kaya shared. “I’ll leave now. Do what you have to. I guess, I’ll see you in our dreams. If you’ll keep going, I don’t know what makes them work. I hope you’ll still be there.”

Mira watched him turn. Felt the heavy step of the human. The familiar step. It was the first time he walked away from her. She hated it.

“Wait!” she called. All the instincts she had told her to stop. All the things she experienced were screaming in her mind. Yet she walked forward and met those hopeful eyes. She wanted to feel the palm holding her when she wasn’t afraid. Play with his hair, hear his heartbeat. Feel a kiss from those giant lips against her small body. The universe might not have been wrong. “Where does my room go?”

Corus smiled, “I thought maybe my room. There’s other places if you’d rather not be that close.”

“Let’s start there… if that’s ok?” The beaming smile melted away the ice of fear that coated her. Corus wanted to learn about her world, he wasn’t a dangerous human. He was right, they weren’t all bad.

He walked closer to her and carefully lifted her room from the counter. It made her heart pound in a way she didn’t fully understand. There was a moment of hesitation before he set a hand down next to her. He had an idea of how small it felt, he knew what she’d thought. He already wanted to be better. She climbed on, feeling safe in the palm.

As he walked she spoke up, “You don’t happen to know a human named Zeke with reddish hair do you?”

“My best friend’s name is that. I’m pretty sure his hair would be considered red too,” he smiled. The walk to his room was short, he was rushing. He set the room down next to his massive bed. His hand was moved next to his heart as he sat down. “Why do you ask?”

“I think you should contact him… Something tells me you two have something in common you didn’t know.”

Corus raised her to his eyes and gave her a suspicious look. She made a face, she wouldn’t say more now. Suddenly his eyes changed, a hungry look that made her shiver. He moved his hand across from his lips and brought her within a twitch. She touched his lips hoping that told him enough.

It was more than enough for him. He rushed forward pressing her fragile body against his warm, sturdy palm. His lips were plush and soft. The kiss was delicate and hungry. She kissed back and it only made him press harder against her. She couldn’t breathe and she didn’t care. A human held her, loved her, and was kissing her. The fear and bitterness she held was torn away by his actions. Tomorrow she might change, but tonight he saved her and she probably loved him.

Corus pulled away, warm loving eyes staring at her. She felt her body heat up under his gaze. Instead of setting her down he moved to lie on his bed. She was placed on his pillow with one of his massive palms pressing on her like a blanket. She stared at him, unsure what to do.

“Just for tonight,” he whispered. Each word made her shiver as it ran through her bones. “Can I be selfish and hold you here? Tomorrow and every day after will be your choice.”

Mira made a move she never thought she would. Gently she kissed a spot she knew she’d bitten before, then nipped it again. She laughed when he jumped, she wasn’t sure if he jumped because he saw or felt her.

“I’ll let you tonight, but I might want it tomorrow too,” she smiled. Corus leaned forward and rested his forehead against her. “I’m glad you didn’t give up on me.”

“I won’t ever give up on you. Even if tomorrow you decide to leave and hate me. I’ll keep waiting in those dreams for you to give me a chance there at least.”

“Even if I leave… I wouldn’t want our dreams to end.”

#gt #giant/tiny #giant tiny #g/t #g/t writing #gt writing #gianttiny #gt community #g/t community #gt july 2023 #gt july #gt july dream #oc:mira #oc:corus #oc:kaya #this was a fun insane idea i had #i might even do more with it

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starfxkr · 3 months

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i had this idea of kook! reader whose so new to the outer banks shes doesnt even know shes a kook and she meets jj, and he just tries to just protect her from the kooks and like take her in. could also maybe incorporate jealous rafe whose tryna do the complete opposite as jayj at the same time.

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meeting jj had been a blessing— you were brand new to outer banks, hailing from the midwest and touted along by your parents because they “needed a change of scenery”. you can’t you blamed them, already preferring the warm, balmy air and sunny skies compared to the ever present grayness of your city. when you say you ran into jj on the beach, you quite literally ran into him. or he ran into you. whatever he was doing he was clearly in a rush but he cam to a halt once he saw who he ran into.

“jesus christ sweetheart im so sorry, swear my feet move faster than my head sometimes.” he dropped to his knees to help you scoop up the spilled contents of your bag, “ya know now i think about it, i never seen you before and trust me i know everybody. you new here?” he stands to his full height and helps you up, you’d be lying if you said he wasnt cute. his shaggy blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples smile hit you right in the gut.

“um yea!” that was way too enthusiastic, you clear your throat, “yea me and my parents just moved here a few days ago.”

“oh shit well welcome to the obx sweetheart, paridise on earth ’s what we like to call it. i’m jj, i’ll be your official tour guide, how’s that sound?”

god you hope you don’t seem too excited when you say yes.

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you and jj spend the whole day together, he introduces you to his friends, the “pogues” is what he called them and it left you confused.

“why would you call yourself pogues? it doesnt sound very nice.” your face is screwed up as he drives you back to your home, it’s dawning on him that that he may have just saved a sweet kitten like you from the lion’s den.

“it just is what it is, people like us dont exactly have a pool house.” he pointedly nods at the massive building behind your main house, “besides, im just happen to give you a real warm welcome, not everyone’s as nice as we are.” he can tell youre still confused. “kooks sweetheart, the upper crust in figure 8– thas technically what you are, with the pool house and all.”

“oh…but that doesnt mean we cant hang out does it?”

“oh fuck no are you kiddin me? just means we have to hang out more so you dont get corrupter by anyone other than me.” he teases. “just let me know what youre doin tomorrow aight? ill come pick you up”

this time you cant contain yourself and you give him a kiss on the cheek, yelling “bye jj!” as you run up your driveway, too giddy to look back.

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unfortunately the next day, you dont get to see jj. instead your stuck on the golf course with your dad as he schmoozes with a man named ward cameron.

you dont pay much attention to what theyre talking about, instead choosing to listen to music and daydream about what you’d rather be doing.

“ah there’s my son! a whole half hour late just as i expected, glad to see you could join us rafe.” ward’s mention of his son just made you huff and roll your eyes, you could only handle so many bratty kooks— you were starting to see what jj was talking about.

“it’s nice to meet you son, this is my daughter.” you lift your head prepared to plaster another fake smile on your face when your freeze.

you weren’t expecting rafe to be so hot. and i guess he wasn’t expecting you to be either.

dumbly, you reach out to shake his hand, “nice to meet you rafe.”

before he can respond, ward speaks out, “hey rafe, why dont you take her to that party you were talkin about later?”

#✨.txt #jj x reader x rafe prompt

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graciereyy · 5 months

Text

The Siren And The Samurai Chapter: 1

Happens after events of last episode! POSSIBLE SPOILERS.

*warning! This will have alot of possibly triggering stuff just like the actual show so be advised.*

Mizu awoke from the yell of the boaters.

“WE’RE CLOSE! GO GET THEM!”

She moaned in complaint from the loss of comfort in her sleep. “Sir, we are close to London and getting closer by the second. Im sorry to wake you, but you need to be up here.”She deeply exhaled.

“Oh alright.” She gathered her things and went outside, the cool breeze made her calm. They were right, London was close-by. A rush of excitement filled her, she could just imagine killing those men already . “are you guys going to stay here? Because i need that irish fuck here, so i can go to him when i need him.” One of the boaters grinned.

“Yeah, we’re going to stay a while. We have quite some business to do here, you dont need to worry about a thing.” She hummed in confirmation then fixed her bangs. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Business.” She looked behind her and sighed in relief. “Oh look we’re here.” She was happy to get off this damn boat after so long, it felt like she was stuck in a hole forever, but not anymore, more subtle excitement rushed into her body, She was so ready to leave and get off the water and go back on her way. “Hm, its still dark out..” she mumbled to herself. She turned back to the men “so can i just explore? I need some direction.”

“Hell yeah, have at it boy.” One of them said as the other ran to tie the boat to the port. “Just make sure your able to get back.”

“I will.” She mumbled. She took a deep breath then turned around to leave the boat for a while. When her foot touched the port she felt a release in herself. She slowly made her way into the smaller downtown part of the city, it wasn’t like japan at all and she wasn’t used everything being so different, especially when it came to clothes. The women wore these restrictive looking things on their torsos, elegant looking but also looked kind of uncomfortable; With long layered skirts.

While the men wore vests and ugly looking pants. She felt kind of judged just wearing her kimono, the townspeople probably never seen clothes like hers just like she hasn’t seen clothes like theirs but she didn’t really care about that, as long as she wasn’t being looked to as inferior unlike a certain almost bald samurai she was fine.

While she did think about him she didn’t really know how to feel about him. She doesn’t have the time to find out right now, not like he ever actually liked her anyway. She sighed as she made her way to what the townspeople call “The Plaza” its a circular part of town with a stage in the middle, the golden lanterns lit it up beautifully. it looked like the main place a festival would be, which piqued her interest only by a little. Well not until the guy on stage announced one of the singers.

“ Unfortunately theres someone going to be performing in the morning that isn’t very expected or wanted, tomorrow morning THE SIREN is going to perform..” most of the crowd booed while some didn’t even know how to react themselves. Mizu was one of them, she was so confused by it. Why were they called the siren and why weren’t they liked? She just decided to go back to the port.

When she was pretty close to port she saw a strange looking girl with long brown hair, even longer than her own with it getting lighter at the very ends, but also short; reminding her of a tiny mouse. But something else caught her eye about the girl, her clothes looked promiscuous compared to both hers and the the townspeople, her skirt was layered but shorter, a few inches above her knees. her corset had a floral pattern with transparent puffy sleeves. She noticed her staring and their eyes locked, her brown eyes just engraved into Mizus head.

She just ran away and back into the boat. She cleared her throat and deepened her voice “im going to check on, Abijah.” One of the boaters nodded in response. She made her way to the cell while tapping on the wood of the boat, trying to annoy him. Out came a sinister chuckle as she was noticed.

“Ah, little miss Mizu. Ive been waiting for you…” he cooed.

“Ah huh. Okay.”

He grabbed the metal of the cell and twirled his hair sarcastically, as he said “ I’ve been so very lonely down here by myself Mizu.. cant you let me out now?.” He cooed in the tone of an innocent girl.

“Yeah no, you can stay down here for now. You’re going to be here as long as i need you then im going to kill you.”

he growled quietly. “Just gonna use me like im a common whore? Okay fine have your own way then.”

#Mizu #blue eye samurai #bes #mizu x reader #mizuxoc #taigen #abijah fowler #akemi #oc x canon #canon x oc

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dilemmaontwolegs · 1 year

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Running from the Flames {19}

Pairing: Pierre Gasly x OFC Warnings: 18+ only, fluff, slight angst - this is a work of fiction and the events are not based on reality. Chapter: One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten || Eleven* || Twelve || Thirteen || Fourteen || Fifteen || Sixteen || Seventeen || Eighteen || Nineteen || Twenty || under construction

Mum called Tuesday with an update. Pierre and I were curled up on the couch watching a rerun of The Grand Tour while Addie was lying across us having an afternoon nap, his hand softly stroking her hair while she slept. We all needed a rest after the busy morning spent showing Pierre our favourite parts of London and I regretted not taking my car when we went along High Street and bought more than we could really carry, but parking in the city was a bitch.

Pierre paused the show when he saw me accept the video call and I introduced the two of them before greeting dad who was sitting to the side of the screen drinking a beer with his lunch. Pierre did a double take seeing dad in track pants and a singlet after only seeing him in pressed suits for work.

“I’m guessing this isn’t a social call,” I commented as mum moved to her home office and put her reading glasses on.

“Unfortunately not. We need to talk about what our options are to deal with this.” She dropped the dossier of documents I had scanned through to her onto her desk with a loud thud. “The fastest option would be to offer a settlement out of court and pay Gordon for the damages, namely a broken nose and bruised ego.”

“Why should I give him a single penny? He came and harassed me!”

She sighed and rubbed at her temples just like I did when Addie was stressing me out. “We could countersue and file our own charges for breaching the restraining order. That would likely bankrupt him again because he can’t afford to drag out a case against us.”

“If he goes bankrupt again he will just have another axe to grind with me. I want him out of my life, not a reason to come at me again.”

“You’ve gotta work with me here, querida. Nothing is going to be a perfect solution,” she said as she sat back in her chair chewing the end of her pen.

“Could we go to court and see what a judge thinks of the case?”

“It would likely be a jury, not a judge, but I wouldn’t advise it. Have you read this?” she asked as she waved the papers around.

I looked down sheepishly and admitted, “Not all of it.”

Mum knew that actually meant I hadn’t read any of it. “The stipulations of this would mean your passports are surrendered until the verdict is ruled, which would take considerably longer than the other options.”

I looked at Pierre as I digested the news. “So I would be stuck here?”

“You would be grounded, yes.”

I swallowed deeply at the thought and shook my head. I wasn’t willing to waste the time I had left with Pierre before I started work. I could already feel the date looming over me like a guillotine. “Offer a settlement. I don’t care what it takes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Maybe we should talk about this,” Pierre stopped me from answering with a hand on my thigh.

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m coming with you to Canada next week, end of story.” I placed my hand on his and squeezed it before I looked back at mum with a nod. “Do it.”

“Okay, honey, I’ll give you an update when I have one. Drive safe tomorrow and give Adelaide a kiss from me.”

“Gracias, mamá. Hasta mañana.” I ended the video call and leaned back into Pierre’s shoulder with a sigh and expected to see him looking at me but he was staring intently at the tv though it was still on pause. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

He dragged his eyes away from the frozen Jeremy Clarkson and chewed on his bottom lip. “Are you sure you want to go with a settlement? Shouldn’t you think about it a little longer?”

“I’m not going to just stay stuck here while you’re halfway across the world.” Doubt started to creep in and I carefully shifted Addie so I could turn to face him. “I know a lot has happened in a short time and you said it was fine but if this is too much, just let me know. I’ll understand if…”

Pierre reached for my face and cupped my jaw as his lips pressed together. “I’m not going to leave you, Bri, so please stop suggesting it. I’m already having a hard time thinking about what happens after Belgium.”

I carefully shifted back into his arms but the stirring was still enough to wake Addie and she sat up, rubbing her bleary eyes as she murmured, “We go park now?”

“Mummy has to go see someone soon and Pierre is going to stay and play with you.”

“I’m happy to take her, if that’s alright with you?” he asked in French so she didn’t understand and get too excited in case I said no.

“If you’re up for it, there’s spare keys on the hook in the kitchen.” I checked my watch and saw I needed to leave soon to make it to Dr Pascoe’s office in time. I pulled Addie into my arms and hugged her tight as I told her the rules again. “Be the good girl I know you are and no running away. Listen to Pierre and do as he tells you, he wants to keep you safe. I love you.”

“Love you,” she said, planting a big wet kiss on my cheek before laughing and running to the shoe rack. “Let’s gooooo!”

“She was asleep 10 seconds ago,” Pierre said as he looked to his empty lap in dismay.

“She goes zero to 60 in 3.5.”

Pierre got up and offered a hand, pulling me to my feet and into his arms. Every time we kissed I was amazed to find I was still on solid ground because I always got a little light headed and I expected to open my eyes and find myself in the clouds.

“Je t’aime.”

Kissing him left me dizzy but hearing those words made me swoon and I pressed my body closer, my hands sneaking beneath his hoodie so I could feel his muscles move beneath his smooth skin. I lost track of time as I stared into those mesmerising eyes of his and echoed, “I love you.”

–

I dropped Pierre and Addie off at the playground on my way to Dr Pascoe’s and my eyes kept lingering on them in the rearview as I left. There was always a big grin on Addie’s face when she was with Pierre and he was no different as they walked off holding hands.

The image was still on my mind while I sat opposite Sarah and updated her on my latest epiphany.

“Do you think I’m moving too fast?” I asked, even though I knew the next words that were going to come out of her mouth.

“Do you?”

“If I were an uninvolved third party, just spectating, I would say yes. But, I’m not and I don’t think so? I don’t even know if that makes sense. I think his profession doesn’t help because it's so dangerous, I mean last weekend he had a hell of a crash and I keep thinking if I hadn’t told him how I felt and he had been seriously injured, or worse, then I would have felt absolutely sick to my stomach.”

“Good, you are proactively thinking these things while making your choices, that is good.” She scribbled some notes down before flicking back a few pages and tapping what was written there. “And has anything happened since the incident with Trent Gordon?”

I groaned and shifted in the leather chair, my arms folding over my chest and she wrote down something new in her notepad.

“I take that as a yes. Would you like to talk about it?”

It didn’t take much to start me off on that saga and bring her up to speed with the settlement and how Pierre reacted.

“Part of me thinks he doesn’t want me to go with him. Maybe this is too much baggage, it’s unfair of me to expect so much from him,” I said with a resigned sigh as I vocalised the worry that had been whispered in my head.

“Have you asked him?”

“Of course. He says he wants Addie and I with him wherever he goes.”

“Then you should trust his decision.”

“What if he’s just too nice to say anything? He seemed opposed to me making the settlement.”

“That is something you will have to discuss with him but perhaps he is worried you will resent him later on because he knows don’t want to give Mr Gordon the money. Is that something you think you may come to regret?”

“I don’t want to give Trent a single cent but this is just a simple transaction and that is how I am going to treat it. I know how fortunate I am that I am in a position to be able to value time over money because of my family. I want to spend my time with Pierre. So, if it takes giving that assho- sorry, that man some money to make that time possible then I will spend it without regret.”

“I think you should explain to him exactly what you said to me, it might just be what he needs to hear.” She looked up at the clock and closed her book as the hour ended. “We’ll have to work out the time differences but I think a quick catch up while you are away could be a good idea. And if you have any more nightmares or panic attacks, call the emergency number because I want to find out a little more about what’s triggering these again.”

I called Pierre as soon as I was out of the building and he said they were still at the playground. Addie had made a friend, unsurprisingly, and she didn’t want to leave. Pierre didn’t seem too concerned about spending so long in the park since he wasn’t as easily recognised by parents that were busy chasing their own kids around.

“Boo,” I whispered as I rose on my tiptoes and kissed his ear after sneaking up on him. He didn’t even flinch, merely chuckled as he pulled me around him and into his arms so my back was flush to his chest. “How did you know I was there? I dodged every twig and leaf.”

He pointed to the ground in front of us as he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Sorry, beautiful ninja, your shadow gave you away.”

“I’ll sneak something by you one day.” I waved at Addie when she spotted me and she waved back before climbing up the playground with the other little girl her age. “Is that her friend? What happened to her hair?”

Pierre chuckled nervously. “Her hair tie came out and it was getting in her face. I kind of tried to tie it back.”

I struggled to hold back the laughter and failed when Addie jumped down the ledge, the loose band falling away and releasing all her dark curls in a cascade. “Not a bad first attempt,” I said through the giggles, “but we’ll work on that.”

“It lasted a whole 5 minutes, just saying. I think that deserves a reward.”

I turned in his arms and peeked up at him from under my lashes as I licked my lips. “Yeah? What did you have in mind?”

“A few things,” he smirked before whispering in my ear, “all dirty things.”

Click here to for chapter twenty.

Tagging: @my-only-way-tocooperatewithlife

#pierre gasly x poc!oc #pierre gasly fanfic #pierre gasly x oc #formula one fanfiction #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #running from the flames

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happyk44 · 9 months

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It should've been weirder.

That was the ongoing thought that ran through his head the last few days. It should've been weirder.

New Rome and Camp Jupiter tried to be as self-sustaining as they could, but it wasn't like they could completely cut themselves off from the rest of civilization. They had needs to provide for. Ceres' children operated a small farm just outside the city and they would sell vegetables year round. It wasn't much but it helped bolster their economy. Other than that, they were very lucky to receive subsidies from the gods to help.

The benefits of having all their children stuck in one place, Jason guessed.

At first, he didn't know why Pluto stopped sending them money though. Sure, they still had assistance from the others but Pluto was the god of wealth. His assistance was far greater than what the others could, and did, provide.

But for whatever reason they had been unceremoniously dumped out of the god's good graces and were floundering. Maintenance supplies were running thin. The farm wasn't producing as well as it normally was in the blanket heat wave that was going on.

Training had decreased with the need to maintain limited supplies. The god also provided precious metals to craft and repair armour and weapons.

Vulcan had been suggested to appeal to until one of the older members of the Senate noted that Vulcan also tended to gain most of his crafting supplies from his uncle.

So they were screwed. It was one thing to ask for help from a god. It was another thing to ask for help from Pluto. Sure, he was wealth and everything under the earth but he was also the dead and darkness. Inviting one had the risk of bringing upon the other.

But, when push came to shove, they were not wimpy Greeks. They wouldn't fear him and avoid him. They would invoke him if they had to.

They would request help.

And they did.

At a cost.

The god had appeared when summoned, papers clutched in his hands, eyes dark and angry. He was tall and lithe. Black robes dripped off him like shadows. His wrists shone with golden bracelets. An obsidian chain hung loose around his neck, glinting a soft silver flower pendant against the hollow of his throat.

Power hung in the air. It was overwhelming, catching around Jason's head like a fog. Everyone else in the area was affected too, knees shaking.

Death and money and power - unending, weren't they?

For a moment, Jason wondered if his father was really the most powerful god. Or if he had sentenced his oldest brother to the deepest depths to maintain that lie?

Pluto glowered at them all but heard them out. And merely shrugged when they asked for him to resume his help.

"Why should I?" he had mused. He eyed them all slow. "I assisted in the past because I had stake in this place. My children, my wife's children - do you see them around you now?"

Pluto never had many kids to begin with. His last child died about a decade before in the middle of a rescue mission. And while Proserpina tended to have one or two demigods per lifetime, her current daughter was her only living mortal child.

And she had finished out her service with the legion weeks ago but chose to attend a university outside the city. Somewhere closer to her mortal father.

It was unclear if she ever intended to return for anything more than a passing visit.

"If Claire so chooses to return, perhaps I will continue my help but until that time, I have no interest or need to do so." He clicked his tongue. "Is that understood?"

It was.

Unfortunately.

"And if Claire doesn't return?" Reyna cleared her throat. "No offense to any other deity, all your help is appreciated, but you, Lord Pluto, have been much better at providing funding. We cannot make up the sudden slack on our own and we have tried these last few weeks."

“We're not greedy” was the hidden meaning behind her words.

"If your economy is dependent on one source, especially a source that can come and go as it pleases, it's not much of an effective economy, now is it? Perhaps you should have set aside savings for this exact problem." His eyes caught Reyna's.

It took her a moment before she relented and averted her gaze. "You provided my children and step-children with a safe haven and I thank you for that. But you don't do so now so I have no need to thank you anymore. Perhaps you will have to beg for heartier help from your own parents' and ancestors', rather than pull me from my work and demand mine without any offer of reciprocity."

“We did plan on offering you our services, Lord Pluto,” Octavian lied, because, no, they hadn’t. “But if there anything else we may offer you, we would be grateful to.”

Pluto regarded him like a bug. “Legacy of that blasted sun.” He rolled his eyes. “Just as annoying as he is, I see.” Octavian’s face flushed a dark red. His pale skin looked as though it had been heavily bruised.

“Your ancestor has one thing going for him that I appreciate though.” His eyes cut into Octavian’s, a sardonic curl to his lips. “He’s honest."

He didn’t want to but Jason was on track for praetorship and what good of a leader would he be if he left a member of his legion floundering?

“Forgive him, my lord,” he cut in, stepping forward. The god’s attention mercifully snapped to him. “As prophet, I assume he saw us offering you something in the near future and simply misjudged the timing.”

The cynical glint to the god’s face didn’t vanish but amusement plied on top of it. A chill slid down Jason’s spine.

“My little brother’s latest brat,” he hummed. Jason startled at the degradation but found, oddly, he didn’t mind it. Pluto raked his gaze over Jason’s form. A sensation of being pervaded, picked apart, hit him.

The god was looking too deep.

Jason wanted to hide himself, his soul, but stood firm and unrelenting.

“I suppose she’ll be fine with it,” Pluto said, voice quiet as though talking to himself. “And he’s been annoying lately.” He cut his focus back to Reyna.

“Well, praetor. I’ll take him.” He gestured loosely at Jason.

Reyna blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“The boy,” Pluto said. ”Don’t make me repeat myself again.” A silver shadow snapped up from beneath his robes and curled around Jason’s jaw, pinching his cheeks. “Yes, I have a fondness for collecting my brother’s children, I suppose you could say.

"One way or another, most of them end up with me. It’s been a while since one came down while living.” The shadow slunk around Jason’s throat. A light grip held against his skin. Coldness bit into his chest, spreading. “And I can see you’ll adjust well, as my wife and her siblings have.”

Panic was breaking out over Reyna’s face. Even Octavian looked baffled - although that was probably more because he didn’t understand why Jason was picked over him.

“Uh, my lord, Jason is-” Reyna gestured weakly into the air. “He’s the ongoing leader of the Fifth Cohort. And his assistance in many of our quests has been in-”

“I don’t care,” Pluto said. “My wife prefers when I keep company during the summer. Mercury has been rather avoidant of late so you’ll have to do.”

Company? “I’m fourteen,” Jason said. The words pretty much leapt out of his mouth without his noticing.

Pluto snorted. The coldness spread even more. “And?”

Reyna’s voice was hard. “He is not an adult - even by the standards of our predecessors!”

"He's a powerful soldier. Age is irrelevant." Pluto barely even looked at her. “Do you want my help or not?”

Her eyes went sharp, her stance tightening. Jason could hear the denial before she even said it. He didn’t give her a chance. “Okay.”

Her head whipped to him, viciously. Octavian glared at him. “Jason-”

“It’s fine,” he said. “It’s just company, right? But-” He rolled his shoulder. “-if I’m needed here, I have to come back. Even if only temporarily.”

“I’ll have each situation that requires you thoroughly vetted then,” Pluto said. “But fine, little demigod. I’ll have Charon pick you up in a week. Be ready. I don’t take to waiting well.”

The shadows vanished but the coldness that had been dipped thick into his chest didn’t. And with that, the god left.

And Jason started packing the moment they returned to the barracks.

It should’ve been weirder. It should’ve felt odd, standing at Terminus’s gate with a packed bag, waiting for the boatman of the Underworld to descend him into the depths of the Underworld and into Pluto’s arms. As it was, it didn’t. Not really.

His life consisted of being raised by wolves and being thrown into godly quests for the sake of both his home and his family. This was nothing by those standards. He did hope “company” was just going to be that, company, and wasn’t a secret euphemism.

If it was, he wasn’t saying jack shit though. Reyna and the whole of his cohort would no doubt go wage war on the god if it was. There were some things that were supposed to be left far, //far// in the past. And some of that shouldn't have existed in the first place.

But the god was known for being unlike the rest of his family, was known for being soberminded. Jason doubted he was being dragged down for his ass. Pluto had said Mercury was being avoidant. Perhaps Jason was going to have to pick up the slack.

"Relax, young Grace," Terminus snapped. His marble shuddered. "I can feel your bad vibes from here."

"I am relaxed," he grumbled.

Reyna scowled at him. She wasn't happy about this. But he didn't let her argue him. Best to stay appealing to the god. When they all died one day, it was he they would be sent to.

None of them needed a mark against them during judgement.

"Don't, Reyna," he grumbled. "Showing favouritism isn't becoming of a praetor."

"It's not favouritism," she said. He rolled his eyes. "I worry. What could a god whose wife is absent want with a fourteen year old boy?"

"My father kidnapped a prince while his wife was still present." Jason scratched at a mosquito bite just above his wrist. "So I think why I'm wanted is irrelevant to whether Proserpina is around or not." Her scowl deepened. "He's not going to do anything to me."

"You don't know that," she muttered.

Terminus heaved out a gravely sigh. "As much as you may find his ongoing puberty changes appealing, Reyna, I assure you that a god such as Pluto does not."

Jason didn't know whether to be offended or not. Reyna looked as though she was calculating the best way to shatter Terminus's face.

"They're not that bad."

"Your voice has cracked at least twelve times since you got here." Terminus sniffed. "It's very annoying. Do it another three to even it out."

Now it was Jason's turn to scowl. "I'm not going to crack my voice just to satisfy your OCD."

"Well, you did it anyway." Jason wondered what the god would do if he smacked him over the head with his bag.

Unfortunately, he didn't get much time to deliberate. A few feet away, the earth rumbled and a figure ascended from the grass and dirt, displacing it all.

Terminus squawked in a rage. "Hey, hey, hey! I just had that spot measured!"

Charon, the boatman of the Underworld, was dressed in a shimmering golden suit. In his left hand was a long obsidian boat paddle. He laid it to rest across his shoulders, head cocked as he took the three of them in. A classy black fedora sat atop his head. Somehow, the brim shielded most of his face from view, but Jason could see the flat line of his lips thin even further.

"Terminus," he said, his voice a near deep growl. "I see your haptics are still ongoing."

"I see your haptics are still ongoing as well."

Charon's shadowed lips curled. "Must look our best to those awaiting passage, mustn't we? But I wouldn't expect a simple headstone to know that."

"Headstone?" Terminus snapped. “Simple?”

Charon ignored him. "Jason Grace, I presume."

Despite Reyna's nervous gaze, Jason stepped forward. The strap of his bag was cutting into his skin as he clenched his hand tight. "Yes."

"Well?" Charon stretched out a gloved hand. "Shall we?"

Jason sent Reyna a fleeting smile and accepted the god's hand. A coldness wrapped all around him like a death shroud and everything vanished into an inky blackness.

They didn't hit the waiting area as Jason was expecting. Instead the darkness shifted to reveal a garden of jewels and gems. Rubies hung from tall poplar trees like apples. Petals of amethyst and topaz glittered from the dark earth below.

Populated between all the shimmering were asphodels and poppies and coveted patches of sweet-smelling lavender. The garden seemed to go on forever, but as he turned around, he came face-to-face with a wide open door.

Charon's empty eyes bore back at him.

His white teeth, pure as fresh bone, smiled back in the most spine-chilling way. He gestured in through the doorway. Instincts roaring at him to avoid, Jason stepped through anyway. The hallway was lit with black flames.

Shades meandered meaninglessly past him and through the walls. A skeletal guard stood across from the doorway.

"This way!" Charon shouted.

Unsettled, Jason followed. They walked past sullen doorways before reaching the end of the hall.

Charon opened the door with a click. Inside the room was brightly lit.

It was a bathroom. Of sorts. It reminded him somewhat of the communal baths at camp and the Wolf House but smaller. Tighter. It smelled sweet, warm fragrances alight in the air.

In the center was a large circular tub. Maybe three people could fit comfortably inside. Devoid of water, the bone white porcelain tiles glittered back at him.

Charon stepped inside, pressing an intercom button against the wall. He gestured for Jason to come in with a nod of his head then yanked him in forcefully when Jason took too long.

"Daisy, he's here." He released the button before another word could be spoken then walked out the doorway. The door slammed shut behind him.

Jitters drew up Jason's throat. He drew himself across the room before settling down on the floor. The door didn't detract from his focus. The air shifted against his skin. Someone was skipping their way to the room.

He tensed as the door swung back open. A nymph stood in front of him now. A crown of asphodels littered her hair. Wreathed around her neck was a choker of diamonds and poppies.

She was dressed in a thick black sweater, long sweatpants and a bone-white apron. Her feet were dirtied and bare.

She snapped her fingers. A series of shades flooded the room. One yanked Jason's bag from his fingertips. Another began pulling him up to his feet. As the tap turned on, the rest began pouring liquids into the bath and pulling out a bunch of supplies out of the nearby cabinets.

"Let's get you scrubbed up," Daisy clipped while the shades tugged at his clothes.

Being naked in front of other people was not a big issue for him. But the act of having himself stripped down for another, without any sense of warning, was not ideal.

"Hey- WAIT-" He slapped at a shade grabbing at his jeans. His hand just sank through their filmy form. "I can do it myself!"

The shade chattered angrily but pulled back. Quickly, Jason shed the rest of his clothes himself. The shade took them and handed them off to Daisy who scowled. “Do you ever clean these?” She sniffed it and shook her head. “Nope!”

“Wha-” A shade shoved him into the tub.

As he resurfaced, coughing and spluttering, he caught sight of Daisy pulling back a piece of floor. He pushed up to see what was below. Shifting red hot flames howled beneath the floor. Then she dumped his clothes into it and closed it back up.

“Hey!”

“The Phlegethon is the only place for those,” she said. “You’ll be fine with what I give you.”

Panic smacked him. “The Phlegethon?”

“How else do you think we heat the place?” She snapped her fingers again. “Somebody grab me a razor. His hair makes me want to vomit.”

Protectively, he sank back to the middle of the tub, hands covering his head. “I just got it cut!”

“Do I look like I give a shit?” A splattering of vined daisies shot out from her fingertips and yanked him back over to her. “Whoever did this was terrible at it. Absolutely disgustingly uneven. I might as well surface and slap them until they perish like they deserve.”

“That’s not-”

“Shut up.”

His shoulders tightened at the order. He resisted the urge to snarl and snap her, going quiet as she threaded her thin fingers through his hair. The razor tickled the back of his neck. Another shade approached him from the front with a pair of scissors. He closed his eyes.

Listening hollowly to the sounds around them, he held himself tight and still.

He was never all that good at getting his hair cut. It required too much trust in someone with something very sharp and deadly and Lupa’s training had instilled in him a general distaste of that.

Which is why he’d started cutting his hair himself. Reyna or Dakota would neaten the sides for him. Quick and precise. Usually while he was biting something to avoid from biting them. It only took a few seconds but it was hell.

A few of the kids Lupa trained had that sort of distrust of people outside their “pack”. Especially if she trained them young, like she had trained Jason. Although she rarely trained kids that young to begin with. Usually only because their families had died or had abandoned them.

#jason x pluto #january 17th 2021 #from the twitter archives #happy talks pjo #jason grace #hades (pjo)#my writing #my fanfic

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