#turns out i really like dogs! just well mannered ones im familiar with

[briefalpacashark]

~Ghost of the Past~

=Part Two=

Warning: Violence, death, graphic scenes.

Cleared area your ass. You saw three of your former team. Jamie was standing out in the open. He was dazed stumbling around while holding his gut. He didn't see the enemy, but you did. You crash tackled the poor lad behind a piece of felled debris as bullets rained down upon you. You felt a hot pain travers up your arm. You checked to see only a bullet graze. Jamie on the other hand. 

“Fuck,” You whispered seeing his spitting shoulder hit. And the hole in his lower stomach. Readjusting you gun you peeked over your cover taking out a few of the advancing enemies. At your returned fire they all moved for cover. It gave you a really short amount of time to bind Jamie shoulder with a pressure bandage. You checked in the bullet had gone straight though his stomach only to see it hadn't. You returned fire again before stuffing gaze into the hole. All the while Jamies head rolled around with disoriented pained grunts.

“This is Doc. Requesting medevac,” you spoke into the coms. What greeted you was static. 

"It's gonna be ok Jamie, I got you mate," you said.

“This is doc, is anyone there?” you spoke again. Your eyes widened when the click of metal got you attention. A grenade had landed beside you. Faster than your brain could comprehend you grabbed it chucking it back over, throwing your body on Jamie. The blast rocked you slightly, throwing all manner of barbies and dust over you.

“THIS IS DOC! IS ANYONE THERE OVER!?” You yelled into the comm. Across the way you saw your other old team members pinned behind a building.

“I NEED assistance. Im pinned down,” you spoke again. 

“Well, this sounds familiar,” Adam's cold voice invaded your ears. Turning the swirling storm of panic into a sharped edged blade. He had cut your comms of from everyone else's. Set up a line just for the two of you.

“The fuck is happening Adam. You said this area was cleared,” you hissed.

“Oh did I. Must have been my mistake,” he muttered.

“I need assistance. Jamies down,” you hated him, you wanted to kill him. but you hoped that he still had some good in him. if not for you then for Jamie.

“Pity, sorry can't help you. It looks mighty dangerous over there,” your eyes wafted over the battlefield. You found Adam standing a way away. With a shit eating grin on his face. Half of your team was with him. They were moving away from the action, towards the exit. the panic stabbed right through your heart at the all to familiar sight.

“What the fuck are you doing Adam?” you asked. They were leaving you.

“We got orders to retreat. But it seems like they have a comm blocker. Can't get into touch with team bravo,” your blood ran cold, panic sweeping the breath from you lungs. Bravo team. The boys. 

“Looks like our intel was wrong to. Seems to be a lot more bogies than originally thought,” he stated a cackling chuckle leaving his lips.

“Good luck Maddog,” he smiled giving you a mock salute before turning and leaving. If it was any other situation you would have taken a moment to let the situation sink in. But this was battle, one moment could mean the difference between life and death. 

“GET OVER HERE!” You yelled across the way your old team members grateful for the sanctuary of orders in their blind panic. Rising up you provided covered as they rushed towards you.

“Mad dog,” Anna greeted your briefly. She swallowed unsure of what you were about to do. She was surprised when you placed you hand on her shoulder.

"You hit?" you still wore the same concerned frown you always had. She didn't understand why you still cared for her. Not after what she did. She numbly shock her head the other doing so as well.

“Take him and get your asses out of here,” you ordered nodding down to Jamie.

“Yes ma'am,” she nodded. You pulled a pin of a grenade and threw it. 

Your heart hammered in your chest as you sprinted down the hallways. Everybody you passed you searched for familiar features. Soap's mohawk. Ghosts mask. Prices hat. Gaz cap. It was a brutal game of tag between dread and relief. Then you saw them. Standing around a group of captured soldiers like it was a Tuesday lunch.

“Comms are on the fritz,” Gaz announced.

“Anyone got Doc's location?” Price asked.

“I'm here!” You announced. They all turned to you taking in your appearance. you were covered in dust. Sweat lines dragging through it like art.

“You look like shite,” Price grinned at you. Relife, utter relief filled you. They were ok. They were alive.

“Your hit,” Soap took notice of the blood first as they moved towards you.

“Just a scratch. We've got orders to retreat,” you stated. The boys frowned.

“But we completed the mission?” Gaz stated. They had. Lucky bastards cleared out the whole base themselves. 

“Those are the orders. Comms are being blocked,” you stated. 

“Alright, let's get going lads,” Price announced. You quickly made your way from the base and back to the transport. As you drove back you couldn't help but stare at the boys. Your heart was still pounding. The boys were joking about something or other. You looked down to Ghost hand that rested against his thigh. You were suddenly overcome by the need to see if it was real. If they were real. To make sure it wasn't some fantasies you had conjured up in your head. Ever so slightly your fingertips took ahold of the lose fabric. A deep breath left your lips as you held it tightly. He was there. They all were. Throwing you head back you rested it against the side of the truck tears glistening between your lashes. Ghost looked down at your hand, at your spaced breathing pattern. At the slight pinch of your brows as you finger clung so desperately onto his sleeve. Feeling pressure on you left side you opened your eyes to see Ghost had pressed himself against you. Your relished in the warmth and reassurance it gave you. It was subtle, unnoticed by the other boys. But it grounded you. Pulling your head out of the 'what ifs' to the now. 

When you got back to base your eyes locked in on Adam. He was laughing with his team. When they noticed you guys, they seemed shocked. Understandable, not many could do what your boys could.

“So, they weren't joking when they said you guys meant business. Gotta say I'm impressed,” Adam stated with a wide blown smile. Your team stopped in front of them.

You didn't.

It took three large strides to close the distance between you. And only a second for you to pull your knife from its holster and shove it against Adams neck, your other hand gripping his collar to hold him stead. 

“THE FUCK YOU PLAYING AT HUH!?” You screamed.

“Whoah hey hehehe,” he held his hands up in surrender.

“DOC STAND DOWN!” Price's order went over your head.

“I swear to god, anyone touches me, and I'll cut his throat,” you threat was real. You wanted them to give you an excuse to do it.

“Its alright Maddog. The fights over. Your safe,” Adam went to put a hand on your shoulder. His movements only stopped when you pushed the knife flush against his neck slicing the skin ever so slightly.

“How fucked up in the head are you? What makes you think you can get away with this huh?” you asked. The sly smile pulled over his lips.

“I dont know what you mean,” he said innocently. Fury, utter fury raged within you. You could feel you hand wanting to move. Wanting to slice his neck open and watching him bleed out infront of you.

“Y/N,” Price called softly. You were breathing erratically as you hand shock. Most thought you would actually do it. You flinched lightly as a hand encompassed your own. You looked to the side to see Ghost. His gaze soft. 

“Its alright. We got you,” he whispered softly. His hand trailed up your arm. to your hand which he gave a soft squeeze before pulling it back. He gently took the knife from your grasp. And you let him. 

“Good choice,” Adam swallowed. Your fist snapped out cracking into his face sending him on his ass. Ghost wrapped his arms around you pulling you back where Soap took the other side of you. 

“Enough!” Price yelled stepping between you two. 

“I don't give a fuck what you do to me. But the next time you throw my boys under the bus like that again it will be a bullet I put though your face. Not my fucking fist,” you seethed glaring dagger at him. He chuckled whipping the blood from his broken nose.

“And that's why she's called mad dog,” he uttered getting to his feet with the help of his men. Some which held guilty looks.

“Keep that one on a short leash captain. She can tend to wander,” you tried to get a second hit in, but the boys held you back.

“Walk it off sargent!” Price deamned pointing you in the opposite direction. 

“Yeah, walk it off,” Adam tainted. Price turned to glare at him.

“You stay the fuck away from her you understand boy," Price got into his face talking to his as if he would scold a child. And Adam hated that. Ripping yourself form the boys grasp you turned on you heel and stomped away. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You were all informed that another mission would take place the day after. After the whole ordeal the boys had looked for you. They were worried about you. You had completely disappeared. Nobody knew where you were. You hadn't signed out of the base. So, Gaze tracked your phone.

So there you stood hidden in the bushes as you stared at a certain grave not to far from you. You heard the boys walk up to your side. You were wearing a hood an a medical mask to cover your features.

“Visiting an old friend?” Price asked. They had all lost someone special to them. Whether it be a fellow soldier or family. You had hardly talked about your past, so they didn't know who you lost. 

“You guys shouldn't be here,” you whispered softly. Then from the hill emerged two people. And older man in his late fifties. Under his arm sat a bottle of whiskey. He had lanky legs and a beer belly. With a kind old smile on his face.

“Come on. You know how she gets when were late,” he called behind him. 

“Coming dad,” a teenage ran up to him. He had tosseled brown hair and stood just about as tall as his dad.

“Who are they?” Gaz asked.

“My family,” you whispered.

“You sure lass. Height dosent really add up,” Soap joked softly.

“What can I say. I lost the gene lottery,” you shrugged.

“You gonna go say hi?” Price asked.

“No,” you whispered solemnly. Getting the message that you wanted to be quiet they all slipped into silence.

“Still ordering me around huh?” A woman with olive skin and black hair walked up to them. A steak of silver shone in her perfect updo.

“We were married for eighteen years. I think I deserve some penance for my sentence,” the two smiled at each other. The divorce had been amicable, and they had become good friends after it. 

“Goodmorning sweetheart,” you father called softly a solemn smile gracing his features as they approached the grave.

“Sup cunt,” Your brother stated earning a slap from your mother.

“Dont be mean. Go on tell her what you did,” she encouraged him.

“So rember when you said I had a knack for engine and stuff. And I laughed and said I was just gonna become a millionaire,” he trailed o scratching the back of his neck. “Well, I got a scholarship to this really good school. Everything paid for. Dad was really happy about that,” the joke had your family smiling.

“It turns out you were right. I'm doing well. Really well. Skipped a grade. And I'm really enjoying it,” he stated.

“Got his cherry popped to,” you father said earning a blush from you brother.

"Her names Ella. Sweet little thing. Shes got him by the balls," your mother stated.

"Mum," he groaned with a heavy blush.

“I meet a man. His name is Greg. I think I'll being him next time,” your mother said.

“He's a cunt,” you father stated. 

“He's better in bed than your father,” she stated. You smiled as they slipped into their usual banter. The insults having the weight of jack shit. 

“Found this hidden in your little secret compartment,” you dad tapped his nose with a knowing look. The boys watched on as they talked to the grave like it was an actual person.

“Have a drink with your old man yeah?” he suggested. The drink was passed around as they all poured some in their cups. An extra cup was set atop the grave. 

“To our little girl. Shortest little shit I've ever meet,” they cheer.

"Happy birthday darling," you mother said. It was silent after that. Your family moved to hold each other as they mourned. Tears falling to the freshly cut grass.

“She would have been so proud of you,” you mother whispered running her hand through your brothers hair. 

“She would have been proud of us all. Thats just how she is,” he whispered back. You watched as they drank and talked about there lives. What they had been up to. The sun had begun to set when they decided to leave. Your bother lingered slightly tears rushing down his face.

“I miss you bitch,” he mumbled knocking his knuckles on the edge of the grave. The boys knew that move. You would do that to them wherever they went in for a fist bump. He turned and walked away. With a heavy heart you watched them leave. “Why didn't you say hello?” Soap asked. You didn't answer, instead you walked up to the grave and took the drink in hand. You swirled it around watching the car pull away. The boys slowly walked up to you examining the grave.

Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N. 

Beloved daughter, friend and soldier.

“The fuck is this?” Soap asked in shock. They were all shocked, but they quickly put two and two together.

“It was part of the deal,” you rolled the words on your touge.

“What deal?” Price asked. You wanted to tell them. No, you needed to tell them. You couldn't go on another mission with the bloody hells. You had gotten lucky. Extremely lucky. Sure, telling them the truth might put you in a dangerous situation, but you would do it to protect them. And you trusted them.

“Way back there was a mission. Things went south. Adam got his hands on some valuable information. I stayed behind to make sure everyone was safe. And when I went to regroup with them,” you trailed off your throat becoming tight.

“They didn't wait for me. They left. Leaving me in a deep hole of shit. I was captured. Tortured for the information Adam had stolen. When they realized I wouldn't break they proposed a deal. The information for me. Adam didn't agree,” you recalled the events.

“The information wasn't intergyral, but it did make him rich. I don't know what he did with it. Probably sold it to a third party. When I realized, nobody was coming to save me, I got myself out. Came back here only to find out that they had all given reports that they had seen me gunned down. That they confirmed I was dead. Head office chucked it up to some bull shit Mirical. Having escaped I had a lot of heat on me. I had fucked around with some pretty important people. Friendly and otherwise. Turns out a lot of important people had their hands all over that mission. They went after my family. I made a deal with the military. In exchange for my families safely I would become there lacky,” you said nodding to the grave. “If I stayed quiet about it all,” you added.

“By all official records I am dead. Only a few choices military know otherwise. They thought I was a nifty little card to hold. Someone they could send where every they want to do whatever they wanted. No red strings attached. Someone that technically didn't exist. A ghost,” you chuckled bitterly.

"I was actually doing their dirty work when we first meet. I was surprised when they gave the green light to join the 141," you took a sip of the drink.

“In the end I was supposed to die on that mission. They used my family as leverage to insure I had,” you whispered looking deep into the dark liquid.

“Why are you telling us now? Wy not before?” Price asked solemnly.

“He threated you guys, told me to behave,” you admitted.

“So why tell us?” Ghost asked.

“Because I'm scared,” you admitted honestly. Your breath shock as you turned to them your eyes welling with tears.

“On that mission. He cut the comms. He lied bout the numbers. He sent you guys into a trap and he fucking smirked at me while he did it,” your hands trembled as they gripped the drink.

“I was so scared I had lost you guys,” you said. 

“I was scared to lose another family,” you cried. It meant a lot to the boys to hear that. That word. Family. That exactly what they were to you. And that's exactly what you were to them.

"But were here love. Were all alright,” Gaz tried to lighten you up.

“By sheer dumb luck!” you snapped.

“I know I might lose you one day. I've known that for a long time. Were soldiers. That comes with the uniform, but I'll be dammed if I let that fucker be the one that does it,” you huffed. Silence washed over you as you looked each of them in the eye stopping at Ghost. “You guys mean too much to me,’" you added. "So please. Don't send us on another mission with him,” you begged turning to Price. 

“He can't know I told you about it ither,” you added. Price walked up to you his expression deathly serious. 

“Then why would he risk you coming back here?” he asked. You shrugged frustrated with it all.

“I-I don't know. I don't know if he's goanna hurt my family. If he's gonna hurt, you. If he wants to finish the job he started?” you gestured to him. There it was again. That anxiety. Seeing the start of your panic Price stepped forward again. 

“Come er,” you were slightly surprised when he pulled you into his chest. He held you firmly as he tucked you head under his chin. 

“It's gonna be alright love. You've done well,” he whispered. It felt like the hugs your father used to give. You reached up gripping the back of his shirt and hugging him tightly the tears free falling.

“We got you,” he whispered.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On the drive back you were sandwiched in the back with Ghost and Soap. You had been silent since the graveyard. Which wasn't like you.

“Can we get hungry jacks?” You asked. It was a relief to the boys to hear that. At least you were still hungry.

“Yeah, we can do that,” Price nodded. It was quite funny watching price try and order for the whole car. Especially because the drive thru guy couldn't understand there accents half the time. And Soap yelling from the back just made it worse. After getting the food you picked away at it happily as you drove back to base. Ghost paused as he felt a wight drop against his shoulder. He looked down at you to see you fast asleep. You mouth open mid chew. A burger in one hand and a drink in the other. Soap smiled when he noticed taking a quick picture before taking the food from your hands. When the car stopped, they all piled out, except Ghost and you.

“Coming?” Soap asked bending down through the door.

“I'll stay a little bit,” Ghost whispered. Soap smiled knowingly giving a nod and silently closing the door. 

It was two hours before you stirred awake. 

“We here?” you asked finishing chewing the remnants of the burger.

“Yeah,” Ghost murmured getting out of the car. You followed after him frowning when you saw a wet patch on his shoulder. Whipping the dribbled form the corner of your lips you shrugged.

"You got a wet patch there," you stated.

"No I don't," he stated.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The next day you and the boys sat down decided on what to do. When you explained in more detail about what went down in the mission the boys were furious. 

And lets just say that the 141 gets even. 

The mission involved clearing out a safe house of sorts. A back up base. During the next mission you walked into a room, gun raised with Gaz on point. You were right behind him. Everything was going perfectly. Till it wasn't. 

The movement was so quick you only saw what had happened when you turned. Gaz stood, with Adam behind him. A gun pressed against his temple. Terror took ahold of you as you mad eye contact with Gazs own fear filled pupils. You paused in the doorway. Adam didn't know the other two were there. 

“Let him go Adam, lower the gun” you demanded. Price and Ghost pressed themselves against the wall. 

“Come on Maddog. You know I can't do that,” he stated. You glanced out the doorway as Price held up five fingers. He was asking how many were in the room. You glanced around. It was only Adam. 

“Looking for your friends?” he asked. Price had told him the team would split in two. It was part of your plan. Price slowly put his fingers down.

“Of course,” You answered when Price got to one. Price turned to Ghost giving him hand signs before nodding him off. He looked back at you tapping his watch. 

Buy some time. They were your orders. The comms was open so you could hear Ghost rapid footsteps.

“Unlike you I know they have my back,” you said.

“Cute. Drop the gun,” he ordered.

“Or I can shoot you,” You suggested.

“I know you're a good shoot but that's cutting it a bit close huh?” he asked sliding further behind Gaz. He was right. You ran the risk of hitting Gaz. 

“Get him Doc,” Gaz encouraged you. Your face scrunched up as Adam shock him slightly pressing the barrel painfully further into his skull. Chucking you gun to the side you glared.

“Good girl. Now on your knees,” he demanded. You obeyed.

“Put those on,” he kicked forward a pair of zip ties. 

“What are you doing Adam? Whats your plan this time huh?” you asked.

“Well, this plan is a little more brutal than my last. After all I tried so hard to make it look like an accident. I knew you bleeding heart wouldn't leave that kid. I even told then to target you as well. But no, you just won't die huh? You should have just died Y/N,” he hissed. You stared at him. 

Adam was more than just your former commander. He was your best friends since diapers. You had grown up together. Your bond used to be the strongest in the world. You had entered the military together, built up your carrers and skills side by side.

“What happened to you Adam?” You asked. The man before you was a shadow of the one you once loved so dearly.

“I got smart, that's what happened,” he spat.

“This isn't like you. The Adam I knew would have never sold me out for a lousy paycheck,” you were buying time. But you were also trying to reason with your friend. 

“Would you just quit it. I've always been on the bottom run. Always poor. Do you know how differently they looked at me with my raggy shoes?” he asked.

“So you sold me out to get rich then?” you asked.

"Wow. Smart you are. And no, I didn't sell you out. You were just a chess piece. A tool to get what I wanted” he said.

“You know that's not true,” you murmered. You could see it, the conflict inside him, however small it was it was still there. 

“Please, just put down the gun,” you begged. For a second he saw you, only a younger you. And instead of begging to put his gun down you were begging him to stop shooting you with a water gun. You wore such a bright smile. Perhaps he had loved you once. Along time ago. But that side of him had died a long time ago.

"I really should have killed you that day," he admitted.

"Then why didn't you?" you asked.

"Because I was weak. I let you live because I didn't have the guts to kill you myself," he hissed.

"Thats not a problem now," Your eye's widened as the gun turned to you. The window shattered as Ghost emerged from it having sung down from the higher level. The distraction allowing Gaz to shove Adam back. All the while you pulled your handgun from its hoister and pulled the trigger.

Two shots' still rung out. 

Pain split through your left chest as the bullet cleaved through you. 

“GAH!” you hit the ground. Adam body following shortly after a bullet hole sizzling between his eyes, his brains splattered over the wall.

“DOC!” Your vision blurred with tears as you hand was forced away from your wound. 

“Fuck,” Ghost grunted as he ripped you vest from you. With your luck the bullet had just missed the vest. Since you were still gasping for breath, you gathered it hadn't hit your lungs or vital organs, but it stung like a bitch. You were jostled up into a seated position. Where your sanity somewhat returned to you.

“Theres and exit wound,” Ghost stated. 

“FUCKING HELL!” you yelled as they started to shove gauz into the hole. 

“Gaz?” you blindly searched for him.

“Right here Doc,” he said giving your leg a squeeze. You gaze focused to see them crowded around you. Price standing guard while Soap tended to the wound and Ghost held you up. 

“That really hurts,” you chuckled a laugh before grunting again.

“You are one lucky little fucker,” Price huffed.

“Who me?” you asked.

“Can you walk?” he asked as Soap finished tying off the bandage. His eyes glanced down at the bandages that quickly became soaked in blood. He didn't like how fast it had happened.

“Walk? I fell like a running a marathon,” you joked. 

“Ghost,” he nodded to Ghost who nodded back.

“Let's move,” he said. With Ghost taking most of your weight you started making you way from the base. With a fleeting look to the dead corps, you felt your eyes close.

You had passed out somewhere between leaving the room and getting back to the transport.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

While you were unconscious Price made some bullshit excuse for Adams death. The excuse worked well. Nobody questioned anything. After all missions go south all the time.  He was simply listed as a casualty. That was all the respect he deserved.

When it was time to go home you at in the plane your shoulder in a sling. You were on strict orders not to use it for a bit. Your mind reeled with Adam dead gaze. At the moment you took aim and pulled the trigger. Did you want to kill him. Never. Would you have done it save on of your boys. Defiantly, without a moment's hesitation.

“Y/N,” you stood as you saw Jamie run towards you stopping at the plane ramp. Well waddle as best he could in his state.

“What's up kid?” you asked.

“Thankyou, for everything,” he yelled as the plane started up. He was a good kid.

You gave him one of your signature smiles. The one you always gave him before everything went to shit.

“Look after yourself alright,” you yelled.

“You have friends here Y/N. Whenever you need. We owe you that much!” he called. You nodded.

“Goodby Jamie,” you called as the ramp lifted. Silently you walked over to your seat struggling with your buckle.

“Need help?” Ghost asked. You nodded. Reaching over he quickly buckled you in pulling the strap tight.

“You know I've been wondering. Why Maddog?” Soap asked. A melancholy smile graced your lips. 

“I bit the finger off the doctor that was giving me a shot. Adam was there for it. The doc called me a mad dog. Name kinda stuck,” you shrugged.

“So you did bight his finger off?” Ghost asked.

“I did. Rember that next time you fuckers try and give e a shoot,” you said clacking your teeth together in a biting motion. 

“God help your future partner,” Soap shock his head. You all chuckle. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When you were back at base you sat out on the little patio a beer in hand. You were simply thinking. about it all. You wondered if you had done something different if it would have changed everything.

Ghost silently walked out stopping by your side to offer a cigarette. You shock your head.

"He was more than a team leader to you, wasn't he?" Ghost asked.

"How did you know?" you asked.

"The look of regret you had when you saw his corps," he stated simply.

"We grew up together. Thought I was gonna marry him for a bit," you whispered.

"You did what needed to be done," was he trying to reassure you?

"Doesn't make it any less painful," you whispered.

"I faced something similar. Had to end two of my teammates. Their brains had been corrupted. They had changed," he began telling his story.

"Did you ever forgive yourself?" you asked.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly.

"Well, I have no regrets," you stated.

"Really?" he asked.

"I'll never forgive myself for killing him. But I'll never regret it," You stated standing up and finishing your drink.

"Whys that?" he asked.

"Because no one messes with my boys and gets away with it," you stated with a cheeky smile patting his should.

"Thats for trying to reassure me. Ya big softy," you smiled brightly.

"I'm not soft," he grunted.

"Yaha of course you're not," You cooed in a baby voice.

"I will end you," he threated making you laugh.

That night you and Ghost would drink till the early hours of the morning, simply talking.

"We should get to bed Ghost," you stated standing upon your wobbly legs.

"It's Simon," you head snapped around to him.

"What?" you asked.

"My name. Its Simon. You can call me that if you like. But not in front of anyone that's not the team," he said.

"Well Simon. Its officially nice to meet you. My names Y/N," you said holding you hand out for him to shake. He shook took you hand covering it completely from view.

"Big ass hand mother fucker," you grumbled drunkenly before trotting off. Simon following after you making sure you didn't run into anything.

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--COD Master List Here--

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#141 x reader #141 x you #cod ghost #cod 141 #ghost x reader #simon ghost riley #simon ghost x reader #tf 141 #task force 141 #simon riley x reader #mw fics #cod mw2 #cod mw3 #ghost mw2 #cod

[warmau]

☆ko-fi au: rich kid!au inseong other rich kid aus: hongseok | hyungwon | haechan

you should have known something was wrong when your date didn't send you the address for the restaurant you two were going to meet at for the first time

instead opting for an expensive and suspicious-looking black car that makes itself a nuisance in front of your apartment building

you stare at it from the door and beside you is your neighbor, a busybody office worker named dawon, who holds his mail in one hand and twists his mouth up into a frown

"i wouldn't get in that car if i were you."

"it looks like it's a bmw"

"this date of yours is starting to look like a psychopath."

you roll your eyes, but the sentiment isn't lost on you

who has the money to rent this kind of car? all for a dinner date?

you look at your phone where there's a text from your date, kim inseong, who you met through one of those online dating apps you had sworn you'd never use

but with the years passing by and your friends all gushing about the fountain of love and relationship

you had caved

actually, you had caved after a particularly teary-eyed solo re-watch of breakfast at tiffany's

not that you really cared about the plot or anything - just that the fantasy of being loved and taken care of for the rest of your life - well

whatever, the point was you had made a profile and you had matched with inseong

you were initially worried about him being a catfish - the one unnormal thing on his profile was the fact that he was gorgeous

but a video chat had melted those doubts away

still, this car and this secret reservation was starting to raise red flags

"im taking down the license plate number"

dawon says and you re-read the text from inseong again

'are you sure you can't just tell me the address of this place? i can take the train'

'don't worry, the car will get you there faster and the hostess knows the driver so you won't have any issues with the reservation'

you slip your phone into your pocket, suddenly aware that all you're bringing is it and your keys

dawon is furiously taking photos of the car now and you tell him it'll be ok

he asks before you go out to the car, "what's this guys name?"

"kim - kim inseong."

dawon's eyes go wide and he gapes, you tell him to stop fooling around as you wave goodbye

just as the door shuts, you don't hear dawon go

"that kim inseong?"

the driver is quiet but polite and you try to overcompensate with your manners and not pester him about where you're going

the inside of the car smells of new leather and there isn't a speck of dirt or evidence of anyone else being in here but you

the city's winding streets and lights both distract and worry you and you nervously tap on the dating app to see inseong's profile again

a mirror selfie is the first picture, he's smiling and looks like he might be in a fancy hotel bathroom somewhere

the next picture is him and a couple of what you assume are work buddies

the next is him at a bookshop, wearing pretty framed glasses that compliment the shape of his face

his interests are artsy and he says he works in photography

he's a cancer and he likes ballads and doing puzzles

his profile is pretty generic, you don't want to be vain but you'd matched with him because he was totally hot, but also after talking you'd come to realize there was more

he was definitely witty, charming, and didn't ever send you the kind of messages you had heard horror stories about

(three am hookups or requests for pictures of your feet)

you close the app, just as the driver parks the car and you expect to get out at some small, but cute italian place

or at most somewhere more new and stylish that might have been mentioned in a magazine

you do not think you're going to stop in front of one of seoul's most high-end restaurants

the kind of place that looks like it should be a palace - high rise ceilings and huge fountains and a line of hopeful socialities waiting around the corner praying someone miss their reservation

the driver comes around to your side, opening the door and suddenly you look down and think

im not dressed for this place, hell im not a person made for this place

you step out and he motions for you to pass the line, up the stairs and into the huge doors

as soon as the hostess sees him she shoves forward a lanky looking valet boy and sends you a big, red-lipsticked smile

"ah, you're mr. kim's date. come with me - he's in our private dining room."

you feel like a newborn animal walking on shakey legs as you follow her, you walk past the first level of dinners who are seated at elegant looking tables in low light

there's a hum of talking and the sound of someone pouring wine

you look for inseong, but don't see him anywhere

the hostess leads you to an elevator at the back - and when it arrives she motions for you to go inside and tells the person inside that you'll be going to floor nine

turns out the entirety of floor nine is one big dining room, adorned in gold and red and at the table right before one of the huge windows is inseong

you can't think of a word to say - not even when his eyes light up to match the chandeliers and he stands up from his seat to greet you

"inseong"

you squeak and he says your name prettily like it's the name of a flower

"inseong - " you repeat and look at him with eyes like saucers "is this some kind of practical joke?"

the look of happiness on his face dims

"w-what?"

"where are we, this place of town is for millionaires - stars, i can't afford to eat here! i probably can't even afford to breathe the air here! if this is your idea of a fun prank date then im going to-"

you throw your hands up, fussing so much so that the waiter who had wanted to come over stops in their tracks

inseong looks at you and for a moment there's hurt in his expression but then something else dawns on him

"you didn't know?"

you shake your head - "how would i have known that this is some elaborate joke! i knew those dating apps would end up embarrassing me-"

"no, i mean you don't know who i am?"

your hands swing down to your sides and you look at him almost stupidly

"well, you're kim inseong."

"yes."

he motions to the photographs that line the red-painted wall, all framed and featuring famous models and public figures

they look vaguely familiar, as if you seen them multiple times on the covers of magazines or newspapers

"im kim inseong, the photographer of seoul"

a blankness coats the room and then, like a rubber band, it snaps into place

the magazine covers, the job title 'photographer' on his profile, and now the inseong standing in front of you in head to toe gucci

you step back like you've just been approached by a dangerous-looking beast

hands flying up to your mouth

"oh my god - you're famous and-"

he grins, "and rich."

somehow you sit down, probably because the news hits you like a truck and you can't stand any longer

it's enough time for inseong to wave the waiter over safely and order wine for the two of you as well as an appetizer in french that glosses over your head

he looks at you and folds his hands under his chin

"i thought you knew."

"why is a millionaire like you on a dating app for plebeians"

he shakes his head, "you're not a plebeian"

"im pretty sure my yearly salary is the same amount as one of your cameras."

he looks down at his wine and swallows, suddenly the air of glowing confidence and ease shrinks

"you're right. it's silly of me to say i wasn't trying to act a little bit below my status by joining the app."

you straighten in your seat

"i - i didn't mean it like that, i mean rich people still want love im sure - i mean you're a normal person."

"normal?" he flicks his gaze to you "no one has ever called me that."

great, here i am putting my foot in my mouth in front of one of seoul's most eligible bachelors

"i mean - i just. ok i mean you're not 'normal' in your field of work but you want to feel a connection right. that's why you joined the app - just like me. you just want someone in your life."

you don't notice the little smile that tugs at the corner of inseong's long lips

your appetizer arrives and you are offput by the amount of truffle on it

inseong tells you to look at the menu and order anything you like and as much of it as you want to

one look at the price and you tell him you'll pass, you'll get mcdonalds on your way home

"please don't worry, it'll go on my bill"

he insists and you cross your arms

"this is our first date, we go dutch. i can't have you treating me if im not even your partner yet"

inseong bites his tongue not to laugh at the simple way you look at everything

"fine, well then." he closes the menu and snaps his fingers, within a moment a man arrives at his side - you assume it's his assistant "let's got to mcdonalds together."

you think he's being funny, but he's not

you find yourself in the second expensive car of the day. this time it's a slicked silver lamborghini that inseong drives with an almost alarming carelessness.

he seems to have forgotten how to order at a drive-through and so you have to lean over his lap to speak for the both of you

as you put in the order, inseong flushes and tries not to look at the areas of your shirt that have slide up as you hang out of the window

when you sit back you grin at him

"i hope you like chicken nuggets"

inseong does, so much so that he eats his and puppy dog begs you for one of yours

you both sit in his car and you try not to spill anything, but inseong says not to worry about being careful. he has another car (or five) that he can use if you stain the seat with your sprite

but aside from that you ask inseong more about his life

you had briefly chatted before you met, but now there was a treasure trove of new information about him to unlock

the weird thing is that you just genuinely want to know

inseong picks up on it, you have no ulterior motive. you haven't had one since you found out who he really was.

you nibble on a fry as you ask, "so are you traveling these days for work?"

"usually. when we video chatted i was in denmark."

you stick your tongue out

"denmark! what a show off, my last vacation was a two hour train ride outside of seoul."

"well - where do you want to go?"

you gather your garbage and his neatly, inseong finds the normal gesture pangs something in his heart

"hmmm i think i would want to go someone really warm. like brazil or chile."

"are you free this weekend?"

you blink and turn to look at him

"are you asking me on a second date?"

he puts a hand on the wheel and nods

"yes."

"well - i am free actually.......but if we go on a date let's not do anymore uptight restaurants."

he promises he won't and instead he says he'll pick somewhere comfortable and fun

you try not to get bashful when he says your photos do you no justice - you should let him take your portrait next time too

and although he drives you home in his car, you are aware of the black car you arrived in following close behind

when he stops in front of your apartment you turn and mumble that you had a good time, after the heart attack-inducing revelation of his identity

inseong laughs and you straighten your shoulders slightly

he notices the way you position yourself slightly and he turns to you too. suddenly the look in his bright eyes dulls just a bit as he lingers from looking into your eyes to your lips

you decide to be brave - closing your eyes as an invitation

inseong's smile is soft against your lips when he leans in

nothing more than that happens and you blurt out that you'll look forward to the next date, inseong watches you scurry inside your apartment before letting out the breath of nervousness he's been holding

never thinking you would give him butterflies he hasn't felt since he was in high school

when you get home - dawon is knocking on your apartment in five minutes

and you two spend an hour going through inseong's photos again as dawon points out that "how could you not know he's rich, he's wearing a 100k watch in this bathroom selfie!"

you tell him you're just dumb, or maybe just charmed by who inseong is rather than his money

dawon doesn't believe it but he asks when your second date is and you say this weekend

"where is he taking you?"

you giggle, "he said somewhere comfortable and nice! maybe we'll go to a market or something."

the weekend comes and. inseong has bought you two private jet tickets to brazil.

such is the world of dating a rich kid.

#rich kid au #sf9 scenarios #sf9 au #inseong scenarios #inseong au #sf9 imagines #inseong imagines #kim inseong #sf9 #inseong x reader #sfw #ko fi commissions

[pokeexehasstoppedworking]

Love Doesn’t Do Encores Ch2 Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Pokemon

(Semi-songfic chapter. The song used is I'll Be The One by NerdOut on youtube. I don't own a single thing and all rights and credits go to the original artists. Im only using it for the song-fic chapter. Link to song here.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5PjLhNsnaM

"BBBBBBBBAAAAAAAA!!!!"

A sheep's cry pierced through the air as the darkness swallowing you shifted. You groaned and the first sensation your body felt was the softness of cushions under your sore, stiff body. Your....bed? Thank goodness! You were sure that the nightmare you had the other night was one of the worse ones you could've ever had. The soft groans of your own voice reached your ears and like any other typical morning, you begrudingly got up. You still had college-..THAT'S RIGHT! You still had to get to dorm registration on time! Oh you hoped you didn't oversleep again! You went to move your arm- You sucked in a hissed breath of pain through your teeth as pain throbbed from the sore limb making you flinch and your eyes blink open. The first thing you noticed past your blurry vision was that it was still fairly dark. Not completely dark but as if the sun was just starting to rise or a faint light in the room was turned on. Confused, you blinked even more as your vision cleared up even more and noticed the white ceiling in the dim lighting. You blinked at the ceiling before slowly turning your head to the left to see what was around you. From where you were laying, you could see a pink wall, and on the wall was a window framed by pink curtains. The view outside was a forest and beyond that was the twilight sky with the sun just starting to peek out letting light go out to the world. Next to it was a couple paintings, a woonden cabinet under the window with a few things on it, a TV, a white radiator, coffee table, and a plant in a pot. This-....

This wasn't your house at all. No room in your home looked like this. Then...where were you?

You sat up- A hiss escaped your lips as a spike of pain and soreness ran down your back and you winced. ...You..Tried to sit up but only managed to prop yourself onto your elbows as you took a better look around the room you were in. Taking notice that the couch you laid on was a green color. As you did you noticed a white door right across the room from you, and the sight of another uncarpeted room from you to the left. Along with another bookshelf and radiator alongside the wall behind the couch. YEP. Definately not your living room. How did you get here? Your f/c eyes looked down at your body and you noticed you still had on your fuzzy but now dirty pjs and what looked like was a home made quilt was thrown over your body to keep you warm and a few patches of your exposed skin was covered in bruises and small scratches from last night- Wait! So it wasn't a dream!? That giant crow thing did chase you!? Then how did you get in a nest!? Where were you!? Who brought you inside!? Were you still just dreaming?! That's it! This is nothing but a wild dream and you're going to wake up any moment. The sound of a door from the next room over opening and closing made you jump and turn your head towards the noises. There was some shuffling from over there before footsteps made their way towards you. Your eyes widened and breath hitched in your throat as you could only lay there and watch as a shadow danced across the wall in the dim light and soon after a person appeared head looking in your direction.

"Oh goodness. You're finally awake," came what sounded like a middle aged ladies voice and as the person stepped into the morning light coming in from the room you finally caught a glimpse of the person. What you were met with was a woman who looked around the same age as your mother. Oval shaped glasses sat in front of her brown eyes as her grey hair was pulled over in a ponytail sitting upon her left shoulder, tied back with a green ribbon. As she stepped closer to you you took notice of the flower printed gumboots making the heavy footsteps and the plain grey t shirt and long overalls adorned her body. "I was worried you might've been really hurt from how we found you." You didn't say anything as she kneeled down next to you and gave you a concerned look over, reaching a hand out but not touching you. "How are you feeling? You're not hurt are you?"

"Uh..." You shook your head finally coming back into the moment and reached a hand up to rub your head. "N-No. I-I'm alright." Your eyes again looked around the room. "Where am I?"

She sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Oh. Where are my manners? You're in my house. Munchlax found you passed out by the garden fence and I was worried you were hurt. I almost thought about calling the doctor, but luckily you woke up shortly after we brought you inside." She smiled wider in a motherly way. "Wait. How rude of me. I didn't even ask your name."

"Uh..My name is Y/n, Miss," you answered back before deciding to fully sit up. Which you immediately regretted as you hissed leaning your body up. The lady watching with a concerned look as you sorely sat up all the way and looked back to her. "How did I get here?"

"I brought you inside, which wasn't easy," she sighed reaching a hand up to straighten her glasses, "But if you mean how you got by my garden, I can't really say. I only found you after my munchlax pointed you out."

"I-.." Your mind rewound to last night remembering the giant crow thing that you had ran away from in the middle of the night through the darn woods. "I was chased! B-By this giant black bird thing with wings!"

The lady's brow rose. "A..bird? Well I'm not sure what a 'bird' is, but there is a wild flock of corvinight in the woods out back. They're very territorial of that area. It's the reason I don't let my children wonder too far in there." A small thing popped up next to her and gave off a small puppy growl sound. "Oh look who finally came in."

You jumped and blinked at the-....the-...whatever this small cat-..dog-...bear thing was that was looking up at you both before you pointed at it. "W-W-What the heck is that?!"

"Oh this is my pokemon." She smiled happily at the small thing before petting it between the ears. It gave off a pleased growl as she did. "He likes to follow me around my garden and sneak veggies when I'm not looking, but it looks like today he found something else. Isn't that right, Munchy?" It growled again happily at the affection she gave it.

"Wait. D-D-Did you say-...pokemon!?"

Pokemon!? As in-...The game pokemon!? No. That can't be right, this couldn't be happening! There was absolutely no way you were in a fictional world of a video game and anime series right now! Your eyes briefly went back to the munchlax who tilted it's head back at you curiously and blinked like how a dog would. ....If you weren't seeing it with your own two eyes, and your pain proving you were in fact awake, you would've sworn you were still dreaming!

The lady nodded. "Yes. Have you never seen a munchlax before?"

"Uh! N-No no! I have! Must've just...slipped my mind!," you quickly fumbled with your words and the lady hummed.

"Well, it seems since you were chased by a corvinight I guess you would seem a little frazzled. Do you want me to call you a doctor or anyone?"

"N-No! R-Really I'm ok." Even if she called a doctor you really didn't have any money on you to pay for it anyways. "C-Could you tell me where I am-" You paused...Wait. What were places in the pokemon series called again. "Uh...Region! Y-Yeah! Could you tell me what region I'm in?"

Her brow rose up more as she looked at you. "We're in the Galar Region. You don't know where you are?" You shook your head no. "Are you sure you're ok? You didn't hit your head did you?"

Galar Region. Why did that sound so familiar to you? "Uh-...W-Well you see the thing is-...I-...Um..I-I'm-" Your mind raced with some kind of excuse to give the woman. You couldn't just say you were inside of a video game! She'd think you were crazy or really did hit your head. Although you might've taking that tumble from the tree last night. "I'm uh-...Just visiting here! Yeah! I-..M-Must've forgotten because of last night."

The lady stared at you for a moment longer before slowly nodding seeming to understand. "I see. I guess anyone would forget certain things if they were chased by a flock of corvinight." She finally stood up from her kneeled position next to you with a smile. "Well I'm glad you're alright. Although it looks like you had quite the fright by how messy you are. Would you like some breakfast? I imagine you must be hungry."

"I-I mean- N-N-No thanks! I couldn't possibly ask you to do that for me when you've already done so much for me," you insisted not wanting to overstep your welcome.

"I insist. It's the least I can do for you. By the looks of it you lost your things to the wild flock." She gestured to your body and you looked down at yourself. Oh...She was right. You really didn't have anything other than the clothes on your back didn't you? Great- A sound of thunder from your stomach made you sheepishly look down at your own stomach's betrayl of showing your hunger but she just chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes then." She smiled. You went to interject again before hissing as your sore muscles pinched in pain, making her tilt her head at you again. "Oh dear. It seems you were a little more roughed up than we thought. Why don't you go clean yourself up?" She gestured to the white door you had noticed earlier. "There's a shower and bathroom through there. You can clean up and I can let you borrow an old pair of clothes from the back closet."

"Oh NO!" You held up your hands to stop her. "Breakfast is more than enough. I insist!"

"And then you'd go around all covered in dirt with filthy clothes looking like you're homeless?" She asked raising a brow and you took a moment to pause and look down at your dirt and grass stained covered pjs..Oh yeah. You really didn't have any of your other things from your home did you? "Mm hm. That's what I thought. Besides. Like I said it's not a problem."

Well considering you didn't really have any other options at the moment- You sighed and nodded your head in agreement with her to which the lady smiled and again directed you towards the washroom of the home. Well, it's not like you had anything better to do..Except hiss and groaned in pain as every muscle in your body ached trying to move with you literally forcing yourself to toss the quilt off and force your sore legs off the couch and onto the cool floor. Hissing and reaching up to carefully massage your dull aching muscles in your arms and neck and shoulders. Getting up was another thing in of itself. You felt like you did a ten mile hike with how sore your body was, but never the less you willed your self to shuffle towards the washroom. On the way there the lady had come back as you opened the white door and held out an old shirt and more overalls and explained that they were an old pair and she really didn't mind giving them to you when you tried to resist her kindness once again, but you ended up relenting and you ended up taking them into the bathroom with you. You were happy you did in the end because you ended up discovering more than you'd think.

The warm water of the shower helped to release more tension from your aching muscles and while scrubbing off any dirt it was like something clicked in your mind that halted your movements for a while. Pokemon-....You were INSIDE the world of POKEMON! Or having a very very very realistic dream or hallucination. But HOW!?...Well you guessed that question wasn't on the table for now. The more important one was how to get back!? You paused there for a little while pondering over all the questions and info you had just gotten in your head. Ok. Relax. You took a deep breath and exhaled trying to relax yourself and mind. Ok. Don't freak out. The first thing you rationalized was to figure out where you were, then you could go from there. The woman said this was the 'Galar Region' right? Alright. But since this is Pokemon, does that mean you were in the show or one of the games? And why did Galar sound so familar. A memory suddenly flashed by in your mind and you gasped as the memory of being back home. Of the box that knocked over and seeing the games and old consoles tumble out. Of the pokemon game case: Pokemon Sword and Shield- HOW COULD YOU HAVE MISSED THAT!? It was the very last video game you had completed and it took place in the GALAR REGION!! You wanted to smack yourself as everything came flooding back and you groaned. Great! Well at least you knew where you were now, nevermind the fact that going into a video game should've been inpossible unless dreaming. Now that you knew where you were...to an extent, you could try to process what to do next after this-....Wait a moment....Now that you thought about it. This home and that woman seemed familiar too. Had you seen them before? You shook your head, deciding it was enough thinking to yourself and got out. Thankful for the clean change of clothes you slipped on once dried although your (f/c) hair was still sticking onto you slightly wet. But the surprises didn't end there however. As soon as you excited the washroom you were met with another person just sitting on the couch, she looked up as soon as you opened the door and the both of you stared at each other.

You blinked in surprise and looked at her. Not expecting a person sitting there. The girl was younger than you by a few years, looked about 13-14 years old if you had to take a guess. Her dark brown hair was in a short hair cut above her shoulders with matching dark brown eyes, her body adorned a pink dress, grey jacket, green socks with brown boots, and a green beany on her head with a white pom pom sticking up from it. In her hands was a phone and the noises of a crowd cheering wildly came from it in the time you two stared at each other. Presumably what she was watching, and in front of her on the coffee table was now a tea cup on a saucer pan. Presumably what she had been drinking.

Eventually she asked, "Who are you?"

You jumped and blinked at the question. "Uh...I-I'm Y/n. Uh...I just....W-What's your name?," you asked back.

"Gloria. This is my house-"

"Oh there you are." You both jumped and turned around seeing the woman with the glasses once again making an appearance, Munchlax waddling at her side eyeing the plate she was holding in her hands and she sent another smile at you. "I see you finished just in time, and you met my daughter." She then looked to the young girl who looked back at her apparent mother. "Now don't be rude to our guest. She's already frazzled enough being chased by corvinight."

"Corvinight?," Gloria asked eyes widening a bit as her mother nodded. "Oh wow. That's a bad experience."

"And now you know why I never let you kids in those woods." She turned back to you and held out the plate. "Here. It's nothing fancy but it's good enough."

You agreed and nodded reaching for it. "Thank you." The plate as you could tell had a few eggs and some meat on it, but you didn't mind as your stomach rumbled and you happily ate it with the fork you were provided. As you ate, you noticed the sunlight through the window had gotten much brighter. It still looked early tho. Maybe seven, seven thirty in the morning. "This is good. Thank you." You complimented to the woman who smiled back at you.

"I'm glad you like it. I'm sorry I couldn't offer you more."

"N-No. You've already been too kind. I couldn't ask for anymore anyways."

"Well, if you wait around a moment longer I can at least get your other clothes all cleaned up before you go. It'd be cruel to let you go out in that condition, and you can keep the ones you're wearing now. I insist!" She cut you off as you went you counter. "I wouldn't let my own children go out with such things and it'd be cruel of me to do the same to you. You did seem like you lost everything during your scuffle last night."

That made you pause...That's right. You didn't literally have anything other than the very clothes on your back! No money. No phone. No car. Nothing!! And you doubted you could've called anyone with your phone anyways if you still had it. They were all a world- or game- away from you. ...So it's better to take what she offered right?

"O-Ok. If you insist."

She smiled. "That's the spirit. How are you feeling anyhow?"

"Better thanks. The shower helped," you answered before taking another bite of eggs.

"Im glad. Why don't you two sit down and talk while I finish up cleaning those clothes of yours?" She gestured to Gloria who shrugged now with a small smile before looking back to the screen of her phone, before turning and walking out of the room towards where ever you guessed she was cleaning your clothes.

You watched her go before you looked back towards the couch and the girl who was excited watching the screen the cheering noises were coming from. ....Gloria?..GLORIA!! You recognized her now! In the game you could chose between two trainers and considering if you didn't rename them or change their looks to yours, they were either Gloria or Victor. And that woman was their mother in game!! Now you recognized her! Which means in front of you was one of the playable trainers you played as during the game! So you guessed you really were in the game. You stared at her a bit more before clearing your throat grabbing her attention.

"Uh...S-So-..." What do you say to a video game character you play as?..You pointed towards the couch. "W-Would you mind if I sit down?"

She shrugged. "Sure. I don't mind!," she replied before looking back to the screen. You watched a moment longer before deciding to slowly walk over and sat down next to her- "YES!!" She suddenly yelled out doing a fist pump catching you off guard almost dropping your fork. "LEON WON!! Not that I'm surprised of course." She said to no one. "He's the champion for a reason."

You blinked and paused for a moment....Champion..Leon?? OH YEAH! Wow. It had been a while since you played this game. Couldn't remember everything in one day you guessed. Leon was the reigning champion of Galar's gym leaders and pokemon League. You wracked your brain for as much info you could remember at that moment about this Leon, but you weren't doing a good job on it except that you vaugely remember he had a horrible sense of direction and he was supposedly really nice. Your eyes tilted to her phone. Maybe if you looked?

"What are you watching?,'' you asked nodding to the screen and she turned smiling at you widely.

"It's not what but who!" She excitedly pointed her screen to you and you blinked. The sounds of people cheering greeted you as did the sight of some purple haired man waving to the crowds around him....and you blinked at the sight. Flashbacks from last night spearing into your mind like lightning. "HEY! I know that guy!"

"Who doesn't? Leon's been champion for years running! He's like one of the kindest most strongest trainers out there!," she spoke to you happily. "This was from earilier this morning during his latest match. I was asleep but thank goodness for news websites!" She brought the screen back to her again as the video stopped. "Raihan was challenging him for champion title again. But it's always so cool to see them both."

Raihan? Well now that you knew the game you were in you could definately remember some parts including some of the characters. Raihan including. "Isn't that the guy who flirts with everyone and takes too many selfies?"

"...PFFFFT- AHAHA!!" Gloria turned her head with a snort and a few bits of laughter. You weren't expecting that...but smiled at the light hearted laughter from the teen before she looked back at you with a bright smile. "I g-guess you could say that. Hehe. Although I haven't heard anyone refer to him like that before." She shook her head no. "Nah. Raihan's the strongest out of the Galarian Gym Leaders. Other than Leon of course. If Leon wasn't so powerful Raihan would've become champion instead, but since he is Raihan is the top among the gym leaders and likes to challenge Leon a lot for the title...Despite losing all the time. He likes to document everything and posts it all to his own website for everyone to see! ...He's actually a pretty fun guy by what Hop and Leon have told me."

You nearly choked on another bite of your food as you turned to look at her again. "....Wait. You MET Leon?"

"Well, yeah. I knew him ever since we were all little. He's from here you know."

"No I didn't know. Uh...Mind telling me where we are?"

She blinked. "You really don't know?"

"Corvinight chasing can make someone lose a sense of direction,'' you answered as an excuse.

" You're in Postwick. A farming town since days of old where people and their pokemon live in close harmony...or that's what they put on the post cards for the few tourists." She shrugged. "Not really an amazing place, but it's got pretty wildlife and lots of wooloos. So I guess I can't complain. Not when I'm about to start and finally challenge this year's arena battles for the title!"

You blinked. "The title?"

"For the Champion? How do you not know that?" She rolled her eyes. "Not everyone can challenge Leon for the official title other than a few with special titles themselves like Raihan, since he's considered the top strongest gym leader. But there's also the arena battles for the new trainers that begins once a year. It's so special you have to buy a pass just to join or else you can't and only after you get the gym badges before the actual event you can battle in. It's the Chairman's way of making sure only the best trainers can try to earn the title and battle Leon themselves."

"Wow," you muttered. You vaugely remembered all of that from the game but actually hearing Gloria explaining it seemed like it was much more harder outside your gaming experience.

"Oh yeah! And ever since Leon took the champion title from the previous one, he's been unbeatedable for YEARS! Last year he actually broke Galar's record for the longest standing champion yet!" She pointed towards the ceiling and smiled with a determined look in her brown eyes! "And when I get out there Ill show Leon and them all my years of training paid off! Victor's going to be so jealous!"

"Victor?" Wasn't that the name of the male trainer you could've played as in the game. "Uh...Where is he anyways?"

Gloria shrugged. "My brother was more interested in traveling and seeing things than battling. He left home on his own journey earlier this year but we keep in touch when we call or he sends us pictures."

Brother? So in the world you were sucked in Gloria and Victor are siblings rather than an only child the player could pick? Interesting. ..Was that the only change in the game? You tucked that info aside for later in case you needed it and nodded. The next few minutes were you and Gloria watching some more videos on the phone, the plate emptied soon after and placed on the coffee table next to the cup. Eventually Gloria pulled up a song and you instantly tilted your head towards it. The younger girl seemed to noticed the smile on your face now.

"Oh you like music?," she asked.

"Duh! It's like one of my most favorite things!,'' you comfirmed with a smile.

She smiled back. "Well then I don't suppose you know who Piers is do ya?"

Piers?...Piers. The name rung a bell, but you couldn't quite place a name to a face here. ..Wait a second- "Uh....He's one of the gym leaders right??"

"Yeah. Sadly not a lot of people know that or battle him really...In fact I don't think his gym badge is required at all to get into the champion cup?..But nevermind that. He's known throughout galar for something far more than just a Gym Leader! Most don't even know about the Gym Leader bit because of his other job!" She turned and began typing something into her phone.

Oh. So Piers was another gym leader huh? You really had forgotten a lot. Haven't you? "Other job?" You rose a questioning eye brow and Gloria finally pulled up a video and held up the phone to you.

A beat you had never heard began to play and she smiled widely. "Yeah! He's a rock star! The most popular in Galar! Watch and listen!"

On the screen was a stage. And on the stage was a band, but they were more hidden in the dark, the spot light mostly on a single person standing on stage and holding a mic to his mouth. His punk rock attire seemed to fit him well as he tapped his punk rock boots along with the music as it played. Long black and white bangs and hair flowed from his head as piercing blue eyes looked out at the crowd. Or whoever was filming.

"You know there's more to the chapter,'' the man sung out and you blinked at the sudden tender, gentle tone of the man it came from. There was a....an almost tired motion behind the tone, but you could've just been thinking wrong. "On the edge of the darkest day. To be the ultimate master. I'll take my story to any place. Jumped in a race, I was born to run! Fresh out the gate, I was born to run! I'm not look-ing back-wards! They'll yell my name through the stadiums when I'm gone!"

"Isn't he great?," Gloria asked and you blinked to her a bit in surprise, having been absorbed in the music for a bit. "I actually think this is one of his older songs, but he's always trying to put more out to attract attention."

You blinked but turned back to the man with piercing blue eyes as he continued.

"-I'll never be gone." There was a brief three second pause as he took a breath and closed hit eyes. "I'm. On. My. Way. A destiny as old as the sun! They'll. Stake. Their. Cla-a-aim. But I know that I'll be the one!" The beat suddenly picked up with a more rock theme mixed in and bright blue eyes popped back open as his soft expression from before turned into what you could only describe as Gloria's determined face from before as he sang after the brief pause for music. "But I know that I'll be the one!" Another brief pause of music as he began moving along to the beat. "But I know that I'll be the one!" Followed by another pause of music.

"Wow..He's really good." You spoke out loud not meaning too but Gloria nodded.

"I know! He's been singing for as long as Leon's been champion!"

Oh really? Man you really wished you had more time back home to listen to music instead of your mother constantly badgering you to study or work. ..But then real life wasn't like this. And any moment you were still expecting to wake up from your sleep with your mother demanding you get ready and head for the first day on Campus because you were late again.

"A legendary adventure. Out in the wild to prove myself. This power too high to measure. I'll go to battle, don't need no help!" He suddenly leaned the mic forward a bit repeating the chorus from earlier. "Jumped in a race I was born to run! Fresh out the gate! I'm not look-ing backpwards! They'll yell my name through the stadiums when I'm gone!" One hand darted out pointing up. "Straight to the top. Yeah. I'm. On. My. Way. A destiny as old as the sun. They'll. Stake. Their. Cla-a-aim." A smile graced his otherwise tired or determined face and you couldn't help but feel the happiness from it. "BUT I KNOW I'LL BE THE ONE!!" More rock now dropped in the back most likely from the band behind him, and he began moving more to the music. "But I know that I'll be the one!!.....But I know that I'll be the one! I'm! On! My! Way! A destiny old as the sun! They'll! Stake! Their! Cla-a-aim! But I know that I'll be the one!"

The music ended and you couldn't help but smile at the ending performace, the singer, Piers you guessed by what Gloria said lifting a hand to the watching crowd as they cheered. Piers huh? Hopefully you're old memories would come back soon enough to remember him and everyone else soon. Might be helpful.

"Thank you! Please give a round of applause for my marvelous band and consider visiting my own music capital Spi-" He spoke into the mic but you didn't get to hear him finish wait he was saying before Gloria pulled the phone away and turned off the video. A little disappointment filling your features at the end of the song.

"Wow...He's uh..a good singer,'' you tried complimenting to remain polite.

"HE IS! When I battle him on my way to victory Im totally asking him to sign something for me!" She smiled like a giddy teen girl her age would and you smiled. She seemed to have a lot more personality to her than her in game part you played as.

"Well it certainly sounds like you two are getting along." Both of you looked up and over to see that Gloria's mother had returned and in her hands was you could only describe as a very old worn looking back pack and a smile on her face as she walked in. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Hey, Mum! Nah. I was just showing Y/n some music videos." She nodded to the bag. "Whatcha got there?"

"Y/n's clothes I promised, and Victor's old school bag." She smiled as she held it out to you. "Here. I figured it would be awkward for you just to carry a pair of pajamas under your arms while traveling."

You stared at the bag before you..but it was placed into your lap before you could protest. "A backpack too?! Ma'am. It's nice b-b-but I can't accept this."

"Think nothing of it. That old thing was taking up space anyways. Victor never wanted it back after he got a new one before he left and it's been collecting dust ever since in the closet. You'd be doing me more of a favor if you took it." She reassured. "I'd be much happier knowing it's being used than becoming Munchlax's next chew toy. Besides, if you're going to start traveling, you'll need something to carry all your essentials in." Said pokemon yawned from behind her as the munchlax walked over to a carpet near the white door to the washroom and flopped over in a position for a nap.

Well....when she put it like that, it'd be much more useful to have. An old back pack was enough for now. "I...Thank you so much! ..for all of this! Im really grateful, Ma'am."

"Like I said think nothing of it. If I had lost everything being chased down by a flock of giant corvinight, I would've wanted someone helping me in the same way. And I can tell you're a good person." She smiled before turning her attention to the dishes left on the coffee table and picking them up. "You better be ready Gloria. Today's your big start you know."

"I know! I was just relaxing a bit." Gloria smiled and her mother rose a brow.

"We'll make sure you're ready," she said before turning and walking off letting Gloria groan. Kinda reminded you of your ma a bit.

"Oh. Are you going somewhere today?," you asked looking back to Gloria who nodded.

"Yeah! The Champions Cup! It's finally back and I'm feeling pretty lucky this time around! But I'm kinda waiting for someone still."

That's right! In the game is started out with the weird dream you had last night, which you now realized must've been the match between Leon and Raihan who must've been that other guy with the orange head band from said dream, before Gloria or Vincent went on their journey in game with...with...Another kid you were sure but you couldn't remember who. You went to ask her for a moment but the sound of a doorbell made the two of you blink and look over as the door just opened and you blinked as another teen walked in.

"Hello, Hello!," a younger male voice chimed out as the door closed behind him as he looked around. Before catching sight of Gloria sitting in the next room over on the couch next to you smiling as she smiled back.

"HOP!," she chimed happily. And your eyes widened.

HOP! That was his name! The boy who might've been the partner of the main player with how close friends they were, and the Champion's younger brother if memory served you right. The boy smiled and walked towards you both but your eyes blinked and went down to the fluffy companion by the boy's side. It-...It looked like a cheep with grey braids. It baaed in greeting following it's you guessed master into the living room.

"Oh, that your new flash phone, Gloria?," Hop asked noticing the phone in her hands to which Gloria nodded with a hum. "Were you watching Lee's exhibition match on it?"

"Sure was!" She burst with happiness! "It was so cool how he defeated Raihan!"

"But you can't cheer him on with your hands full!," Hop insisted followed my an agreeing bleat from his ...sheep pokemon, "You know the only way to properly cheer on Lee would be with his famous Charizard pose!" He then struck a pose that looked slightly familiar to you with his hand up and head tilted down. Gloria giggling and smiling and you not helping the smile on your face that came. Hop broke away from the pose and smiled again at Gloria...before blinking over at the lady beside her who oh so happened to be you. "Oh. Is that your friend?"

Upon being gestured at you paused and looked over him. He wore a blue fur-rimmed jacket, with a black shirt and pants, the latter with two purple stripes on the sides, along with black, white, and purple colored shoes, and a green bag thrown over his shoulder. His eyes were a gold yellow with a darker complexion, and dark purple hair. Like a younger Leon almost now that you remembered. Gloria however jabbed a thumb behind her at you.

"Who this? This is Y/n. She was chased by a flock of corvinight last night and Mum found her passed out by the garden."

You felt kinda embarrased about letting the lie go further and found it a lil more embarrassing that they thought you were chased by a flock of giant bird brained pokemon and fainted by a fence-....But you guessed it was better than them thinking you were crazy if you had said they were characters in a video game and you were somehow teleported here from the real world. But the way Hop looked at you gave you a more guilty feeling.

"Wild Corvinight?," he asked wide eyed, "How did you meet a whole flock of corvinight?"

"Uh-...." You tried to think of a good excuse of why they would chase you other than 'I magically woke up in a tree and saw a giant crow'. You settled on. "Camping in the woods??"

"...You mean you actually went camping in the Slumbering Weald?," he asked and you could only nod. "How are you alive?! There's lots of different dangerous wild pokemon there! How could you not know?"

You shrugged. "W-Well...Im kinda new around here."

Before he could say anything else an older woman's voice caught his attention from behind him. "Hop!," Gloria's Mother greeted him with a bright smile, "Didn't expect to see you here today, Dear. Isn't today the big day?"

Hop smiled and put his hands behind his head. "Yeah! That's why I came running over to get Gloria! Never mind watching the match now. I've got it recording at home anyway. I record all my brother's matches." He turned from he smiling lady and turned to Gloria still sitting on the couch. "Come with me, Gloria! He should be here any minute!"

Gloria gasped. "REALLY!?"

Hop nodded back. "And Lee always brings presents when he visits, so I wouldn't forget that bag if I were you. Now I've got to run! See you at mine later!" He turned and waved a hand at you. "It was nice to meet you Ms. Y/n!"

You could only wave as he and his pokemon quickly turned and exited the house with another squeaky noise from the door and Gloria quickly fumbled with her phone, shoving it into her grey jacket's pocket as she got up. And you blinked.

"Hey, where are you going?," you asked.

"To see Leon with Hop!," she excitedly answered looking at you, "Hop's been friends with Victor and me like FOREVER! Not to brag but I've known and liked Leon even before he was cool and we're like siblings! But I haven't seen him in forever and now he's seeing us before we start our own journeys! Im so excited to see him again!" She quickly turned and started towards the door-

Only to be stopped by her mother's voice. "Rushing off in that state, Gloria?," he mother asked raising a brow, "Didn't Hop say you should bring your bag?"

Gloria blinked. "OH! Right! I forgot!"

Her mother chuckled. "I last saw it in your room. And don't forget to grab a hat for the weather."

"I already have my hat!," she retorted back but ran past her mother and through the kitchen into through a door with a slam to where you supposed where you room was. Her mother shaking her head as she did.

You slowly stood up from your place on the cough, back pack in your hands as you slowly stepped away and through the living room entrance by the front door just as her mother turned back to you.

"Um..Y-yeah. I think I should get going too." You started but really...you were just not wanting to take anymore space than you already had. "T-Thank you for the clothes...and the food. I really appreciated it."

She smiled and waved a hand. "Not to worry a bit. It was the least I could do. Thank you for being so polite." She paused and blinked at you though. "But have you figured out where you're going next?"

You paused at her words. You hadn't even thought of that!! What WERE you going to do now? It's not like you could waltz right on home when you didn't even know how to get back!! You didn't even know where to go from here?! So to answer her you shrugged.

"Travel around more...I suppose."

"Travel around Galar barefoot?," she asked gesturing to your feet and you followed her pointing at your feet. ...Oh right. No nothing also applies to no shoes either. And before you could reply, the lady shook her head before walking towards you. "Here. You can have my old gum boots until you can get something better." You blinked and followed her with your head as she made her way past you and over to the coats handing on the wall by the front door. Reaching down and picking up a pair of green gumboots that looked the same as the flower print ones she wore, minus the pretty patterns. With a smile she turned back to you and held them out to you. "Here. Ever since I got the new ones I haven't used these at all. They have a small hole in the bottom of the left one's sole that leaks water in but it should work for you considering you don't step in water or any puddles."

You gawked at her for a moment but she placed them into your arms without a second thought as you gaped at her like a goldfish. "W-WHAT?! W-Wait! I just can't take your boots."

"Correction. Your gumboots with a hole in them that I definately can't use if I want to garden or use in the rain. Im serious when I say I can't use them and don't need them anymore. If you don't accept them, they'll just end up in the rubbage or recycling bin anyways. You're doing me a favor by taking them off my hands for me." She smiled. "And it'd be terrible if you had to walk around barefoot and stepped on a sharp rock or something and hurt yourself. It's better to have this in case."

Well....when she put it like that, it was probably best you took them. "I-....T-Thanks. I appreciate it." You smiled and bent down to put them on. The rubber boots squeaking as you did before you leaned back up and threw the backpack you were given. But there was still the question...What now? You could travel around you guessed since that's what you suggested..but you wanted to go home. How could you get home? You didn't even know where home WAS from here!...This reminded you of an old anime you watched a long time ago when a girl was sucked into a video game and she had to live through the whole thing trying to stay outta trouble-....Wait. Your f/c eyes widened. THAT'S IT!! In the game of Pokemon Sword and Shield the player who played either Gloria or Victor traveled around Galar for the Champion's cup to battle Leon and eventually defeat him and taking over the title of Champion themselves! And since it was Gloria going on this journey you assume this world has her to be the future champion. If she goes on her journey and defeats it as the game did, that would mean the game would be over! And if the game was won and over-...That means maybe..Just maybe whatever hallucination or dream or...or whatever fantasy realm thing happening to you would be over with too and you could go home!! Maybe..It was a long shot, but right now it was the only thing you could think of! So there was one thing you could think of now! To make sure Gloria succeeds on her journey and get home! Sounded like the cliche beginning of some fantasy show but what ELSE were you supposed to do now?? The sound of Gloria slamming open the door caught both of your attention as you both turned to her beaming and slipping her bag onto her back.

"I FOUND IT!!," she called and stopped in front of her mother who crossed her arms.

"Uh huh. And did you pack everything you need for a journey that could take days or even weeks to complete?"

"YEP!"

"Uh huh. Extra clothes?"

"Yes."

"Hygiene products?"

"Yes."

"Extra poke balls?"

"Yes!"

"What about food? That mini first aid kit? You PHONE?"

"MUM!!" Gloria puffed her cheeks out in a pout. "YES!! Can I PLEASE go now!? Leon's here!!"

...Her mom gave a smile. "Alright. But not before you give me a good bye hug, young lady." Gloria happily abliged and you smiled at the sight before she pulled away and patted her daughter's head. "You be safe out there ok? Don't forget to call me every so often. And say hi to dear Leon for me, alright?"

Gloria nodded and turned to you once she noticed you there with the back pack slung over your shoulders. "Are you leaving too Y/n?"

"Um..Yes. I remembered what I was traveling for. I was actually on my way to watch the Champion's Cup!," you replied and she smiled.

"Really? Wow! That's amazing but it's still pretty far off considering they have to give everyone time to complete the journey to get the gym badges. What are you gonna do in the meantime?"

You shrugged. That was a fair question. "I guess I'm going to travel around for a bit until then." After all there wasn't really anything for you to do in the meantime til then. And you shouldn't interfere in the events of the game just in case. You couldn't risk altering the events or Gloria's chances of becoming Champion herself.

"Hey! Why don't you come with me!?," she suggested and you blinked, "You seem like a cool person! And anyone who can make me laugh at Raihan is totally cool in my books!"

"ME! T-Travel with you?"

"Why not? I was planning on traveling with Victor or Hop, but considering Victor's already traveling and Hop might go a different path on his way to get the gym badges it could be fun to travel with someone! It'll be fun! Please Mum?!" She turned to her mother who hummed and glanced at you after seeing Gloria's smile. "If I travel with someone then you don't have to worry about me being alone! And Y/n is good. I can tell! And I've never ever been wrong before following my gut!"

She hummed again. "Well...It's true you were never wrong before..and Y/n's been nothing but a polite person." You were nervous as she rose a brow in thought. "And if you weren't alone I would feel better.....Oh. Alright. But at the first sign of trouble you call me immediately and get help."

"YES!! I promise, Mum! THANK YOU!! Not only am I starting my first journey but I got my own traveling buddy before I even start too!" She fist pumped. "Sucessful Jounrney to be champion is a go!!"

Wow. You didn't remember Gloria being so pumped up and energetic in game, but again, you shouldn't interfere so should you even go???....Well, it would be better to watch just to be sure thing's would progress like in game, and this way you wouldn't just aimlessly be walking around until you did go home.

"I....I guess I'm going with you then," you nervously smiled.

"YES!! Trust me you won't regret it! NOW!!" She pointed towards the door. "Onwards to Hop's house and to Leon! You'll love him! He's like the nicest, most chillest guy ever!...Even if he does have a bad sense of direction."

She smiled and went to the door and opened it, you following behind but stopping and glancing at Gloria's mother for a moment. "Hey..Um..I j-just wanted to say thanks f-f-for everything, Ma'am. I really, really appreciate it!"

Her mother smiled. "Not to worry. I know it must be difficult to lose everything to a pokemon. I feel the same way everytime Munchy chews up and destroys something of mine. You just take care and good luck to you on your journey."

You smiled before inhaling and exhaling and turning to the door. You had one goal ahead of you know. Travel with Gloria and help her succeed in becoming Champion no matter what. And get home...Easier said than done.

#piers x reader #reader x piers #pokemon swsh #pokemon piers #reader #pokemon piers x reader

[calpops]

into the wind | c.h.

Based on the prompts “can’t you stay a little longer” and “I’ve waited for this moment for a long time”. Calum takes you on a drive away from the record shop and bakery. Star gazing and soft music highlight a night in which you both wish time wouldn’t have to move so fast.

1.6k words

series masterlist

Copyright © 2020 calpops. All rights reserved. This original work is not allowed to be reposted by anyone else on any platform in any format (translations included).

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Calum’s car is becoming more and more familiar. The faux leather seats are cool against your skin and the air freshener clipped to the vent pours out artificial sweetness; something akin to vanilla. You relax into the seat and buckle in, you have no clue where you’re headed but trust Calum as he settles behind the wheel. He’s brought you home multiple times now, the drives are always quick but time stands still to finish songs parked along the curb. This time you’re headed somewhere new; destination unknown and heart hammering with excitement at the prospect of being with Calum outside of the usual fray—somewhere other than the confines of his record shop or the bakery.

He puts the key in the ignition and the engine stalls for a moment, you catch the quick blush that reddens his cheeks and look the other way, pretending to be preoccupied with something on the sidewalk. In just a moment the engine hums normally and he’s peeling out of the parking spot, headed for somewhere new with the windows rolled down and the wind a welcome guest.

The music comes on as soon as the car starts and a cassette whirs in the player; an old song you don’t know sounds between you. Calum is lost in the drive and the music and your eyes never leave him. His gaze is on the road and he has a grip on the steering wheel with one hand while the other lays palm up on the middle console. A fleeting thought of it being strategically placed for you crosses your mind and you warm at it but you shake yourself and write it off. Your nose scrunches up as your cheeks heat up and you bite your lip as he takes a quick glance at you. Your eyes avert away from his and land on the road.

“The music okay?” He asks and you nearly jump at the sound of his voice.

“It’s good,” you answer with a smile and let the music take over once more as you both lapse into silence.

You can’t help but sneak more glances at him as you drive through familiar streets. Buildings have always dominated the area, some smaller than others , some older and with more character. The town isn’t small but it is a far cry from a city. Buildings pass in a haze and as you catch another glimpse of Calum from the corner of your eye you find you can’t look away or bite back the smile on your face. He darts a quick look at you.

“What?” He asks; voice low and shy and sparking with nervous energy that crackles like lightning you once ran from—and found refuge from in his record shop.

“Nothing—it’s just—well, you were mouthing the lyrics,” you explain and feel your heart race when he blushes again.

“Oh,” he squeaks out and bites his lip. “Sorry.”

“No, no!” You’re quick to defend and deny whatever bashful or regret filled feelings he might be harboring from your observation. In a brash and bold movement you reach for his still open hand; thankful he hadn’t pulled away. “It was cute.”

He grins again and you wonder if it’s for the touch or the compliment. His fingers press into your hold as he gives you a light squeeze and makes a familiar turn. Trees begin to dot the area, fresh air makes way through the windows and the night brings you a bit further away from the usual rush.

“It’s a habit,” Calum explains. “We always have music playing at the shop. If Ashton’s not in my ear I guess I’m singing along.”

You think back to times you were able to sneak glances through the bay window in the bakery and to the register at the record shop. You recall times when Calum was alone but it seemed like he was speaking to someone—you often thought he might be on a call or taking mental inventory and talking to himself like you were apt to do in the kitchen. Now it makes sense. He was singing along to music that poured through the store. You’d only been in a few times and had a small gauge on what songs he might have been lost in. It makes you warm and wonderous. Lost in an attempt to try to put pieces of him together.

“Do you actually sing?” You wonder aloud, his phrasing of the admission leaving you wanting to know more.

He shrugs and humility dances across his face in red cheeks and a twitching nose. You find it endearing and intriguing. His confidence to sing in the record shop or the car contrasts so brightly against the humbleness of his response. You decide not to push the question any further and instead enjoy the feeling of his hand holding yours.

He makes one last turn and the town park shines in the distance from the headlights. In a moment the car is parked and Calum’s turning to face you with his free hand undoing his seatbelt. Your eyes squint as you try to figure out what’s happening. He doesn’t let go of your hand but his eyebrows raise at your inquisition and you feel your heart flutter. You glance at the park past the rope fence tied off; declaring it’s closed.

“Don’t tell me we’re breaking into the park after hours?” You ask and Calum grins but shakes his head no. You tilt your head and await an explanation.

“It’s the only place in town that doesn’t have a brick wall for a view,” he explains and reaches for his door handle which prompts you to do the same though it means losing contact with his hand.

The loss is cold and so is the night but it’s an enjoyable bite of chills that dance in the breeze as you get out and round the car to meet him at the hood. He taps the car invitingly and eases himself up to sit with plenty of room for you by his side. He offers you his hand again and helps you up; minimal distance separates you now, only the wind able to come between you. His gaze is lost to the lush green of the park and eventually tilts up to the sky that shows more of the stars than anywhere else in town. The night is clear and half a moon stares down at both of you, a sliver of moonlight sharpens his jawline and glints off his dark eyes. Music still plays from the car and for a moment everything is curtained in moonlit bliss and a soundtrack reminiscent of easy love stories.

You don’t know how much time has passed or how many songs have played when Calum inches a bit closer. You’ve been caught in conversation that feels entirely too easy and natural. Shy demeanors and walls come crumbling down when privacy and the calm of the night blankets you both. It’s different than in the record shop, it’s less awkward and rushed than in the bakery. You talk about anything but the record shop and bakery; trying to get to know different sides of each other. Everything is easy and subtle. The weight of his arm finding its way around your shoulders doesn’t feel heavy in the slightest, it’s weightless like the air and fully embracing like a summer breeze. You’re smiling as you lean into him and then you’re fully grinning and laughing as he guides you both back to lay atop the hood and find the stars with careful gazes.

You know it’s getting late but time nearly feels irrelevant when you shift and timidly rest your head against his chest. He welcomes it with an inviting arm holding you a bit tighter and a content sigh falling from his lips that cuts off a story about his dog mid sentence. You hear the way his heart skips a beat and picks back up a bit faster. You warm and he picks up talking again; filling the night with the rest of a story about how he adopted Duke. When the story ends and you lapse into a comfortable lull it’s your turn to sigh.

“It’s getting late,” you realize once more and wish time wouldn’t have to move so fast; wish it could pause like you both did to hear the end of songs at the end of your driveway.

“We should get going,” he replies but his tone harbors on a question that instills an opposing thought in your mind.

“Could we stay? Just a while longer?” You ask timidly, slowly sitting up and leaning on an elbow to meet his stare. “It’s really nice to be away from the rush of things.”

Calum nods and maneuvers to mimic your position. You’re now eye to eye and the rest of the world bleeds away in faded moonlight and distant thumps of music. It’s all replaced by the slight pout of his lips and the gleam catching dark brown as he inches closer. Everything but his hand reaching up to lightly trace your jaw fades away. He leans in and you do too; it’s a whirlwind of a paused moment when lips meet and breath is stolen. Time seemingly doesn’t move as fast when he gently caresses your face as he pulls away in a slow manner.

“Feels like I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time,” he admits and you silently agree; all those days turned to weeks catching glances through the windows and late night drives home adding up to a time that seems much too long to have gone without a kiss.

You lean forward and into the wind again, chasing another kiss and blissful moment created by a whirlwind of stalled time.

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[yelenasdog]

unknown desires (spencer reid x russell holmes) (i’m so sorry BFRHEKRB)

really all i have to say about this is what the fuck and why the fuck. I DESERVE NO RIGHTS. enjoy i guess??? if u found this while searching for some reid x reader there’s plenty of that on my account!! 

i’m deleting this bye ok-

btw it’s set at the end of s9 ep18 and then ends probably around s13?? idk. also listen to billie eilish’s “i love you” to be extra sad bc this is lowkey kinda angsty and lowkey a mess but im throwing it at u ok bye!

🂦∙🂦∙🂦

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary”- Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven

Spencer shouldn't have been so drawn the first time he saw Russell in person. He shouldn't have been drawn at all.

He was a victim, someone who the young doctor had stared at a photo of for days while planning his rescue.

Although he didn't feel the initial electricity, he was far too buried in the case to think about Russell's kind puppy dog eyes or plump, rosy lips. Yes, far too busy to even fathom thinking of the way his raven locks that Edgar Allan Poe himself would be jealous of complimented his ivory skin, even for an inkling of a moment. He couldn’t bear to do such a thing.

But then, there was after the case, that day at the hospital. There was loss, it was hard to see. But yet again, he saw it every day.

His brain was fuzzy, and he seemed to be more heavily affected by this case than any previous endeavors. He wasn’t sure as to why.

It had him lost in his own thoughts, swimming in a pool of unknown desires.

So lost in fact, so drowned in his daydream, that he was barely aware of the person that had been wheeled over in his general vicinity.

It was him. His pink pout (that was more of a smile) was busted, no doubt, and his porcelain skin had cuts littered among it, but god, it was him.

He should have been disgusted, scared even. The man had rabies! And this was doctor Reid we’re talking about, the biggest possible germaphobe. But he couldn’t bring himself, he was too infatuated. Not that he would admit to it, though.

And he apparently had heard about Spence and his displeasure with even slightly unsanitary situations, as he chose to greet (and simultaneously say goodbye) to the doctor with a simple wave and bashful smile.

Spencer returned it in the same manner. The interaction was quick, too quick. It also warmed his heart to a full extent.

Russell was whisked away by a nurse, looking back reluctantly at the three agents that had saved his life, specifically a certain brown haired doctor, wanting to encapsulate his stunning image in his mind.

Spencer stuck to a cycle. Save, move on, repeat. It was easiest to do so rather than deal with any tag along, unwanted, painful emotions. 

Because that’s all love was. 

Crude and abrupt pain. But despite this, he found himself asking Garcia for Russell's current home address. His own actions confused him, but nonetheless, he held his head high as he exited the batcave towards the light, clutching a paper with the info in his hands. 

He knew he didn’t need it. But he refused to face the (impossible) possibility to forget this information, to forget Russell.

The paper was wrinkled and dampened from his gorilla grip by the time he had arrived. He flattened it out with shaky hands, grabbing a fresh piece of parchment.

“Hello, I'm Doctor Spencer Reid.”

No, no, too formal. He erased it.

“Greetings, I’m Spencer Reid.”

What was he, an alien? Even though many members of the team thought so, he decided against giving Russell Holmes that opportunity. And then it was gone in the wind with a few swipes from his pencil eraser.

“Hi! I’m Dr. Spencer Reid, I was one of the agents that assisted on your case. I hope this message finds you well. I’m just checking in to see how you’re healing.”

Spencer scoffed at himself out loud. “just checking in”, his ass. He continued writing and with very low expectations, he sent off the letter.

------

“I'll be just a minute, Mom!” Russell hollered through his home as he went to go check the mail. He walked down to the mailbox, limping ever so slightly, still in recovery. He flipped through the various envelopes, doing a double take when he saw a certain name.

Doctor Spencer Reid

Apartment 23A

Wilcox Road, Quantico, Virginia, 22134

He tore into the message immediately, a growing smile resting on his face as he read.

“Hi! I’m Doctor Spencer Reid, I was one of the agents who assisted on your case. I hope this message finds you well. I’m just checking in to see how you’re healing. How's your mother been since her surgery? I hope she is doing well, too. If you need anything don’t hesitate to write back or call the number at the bottom of the page. Yet again, I'm glad we could get you home, perhaps to your boyfriend/ girlfriend, or wife/husband.

Best regards, Spencer.”

He was off the walls with excitement. There was a newfound pep in his step as he made his way up the driveway, no doubt planning on writing back.

“Dr. Reid, I appreciate you checking in on me. I do not regret informing you that there is no boyfriend or girlfriend here, just my mother and I while we both recover...”

-----

Glee and bliss. Those were the two things that could no doubt be used to describe the relationship between Spencer Reid and Russell Holmes.

Although it was nothing too formal, exchanges of news about mothers or about how work was going was going on either side soon became much more deep, bringing the two closer than imaginable, even from 689 miles apart.

Never meeting again in person, the situation reminded him all too much of Maeve, but nonetheless, to him, Russell was worth it. So they talked, and talked, for years and years on end. 

They both felt a warm fuzzy feeling in their chest, quite able to place the cause on one another. 

Then one day, they stopped. 

Spencer had gotten home from a long case, and was very much so looking forward to an uplifting note from his distanced lover. But to his surprise, there was nothing. 

Although he found it odd, he blew it off, considering the possibility of getting lost in the post, running some stat to calm himself. Pulling out his cell, he dialed the number that he had saved of Russell's if for some reason the letters were to become inadequate. Voice mail. And voicemail again, and again, and again. Spencer tried for days and weeks, but to no avail, he was met with radio silence.

Until one day, if it was fateful or not is up to you.

 It was sunny in August, and Spencer Reid was not a fan. 

After sweating around all day (he wasn’t sure what it meant either), he made his way to his apartment. He stripped down to his slacks and undershirt, waltzing around his apartment with a water bottle in hand.

knock knock

He squinted his honey eyes, confusion flooding his body. He cautiously approached the door, keeping his revolver in his peripheral vision, compliments of his paranoia.

Another two knocks sounded, but before a third could ring out, he swung the door open.

He gasped, his jaw water bottle falling out of his hand and rolling into the hallway.

“Russ?”

“Hi, Spence.”

He wanted to hug him, he wanted to kiss him, God, he wanted to-

“I felt like I needed to tell you in person.”

His heart dropped to his feet as Russell's own shaky hand presented itself, in it, a white envelope, similar to the one that started their not-so extravagant rondevu.

“W-what is this, Russ?” he opened with nimble fingers, sliding it from its encasement.

Join soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Russell and Jane Holmes-

He didn’t read the rest, he didn’t need to, and couldn't. Tears made their way to both men’s eyes, threatening with such a fierce hostility to spill.

“I’m so sorry, Spence.”

This warranted no response from the doctor. He looked blankly behind Russ, his mind running a million miles a minute. With his head hung in a terrible shame, Russell turned to leave.

He was shocked when he was stopped by Spencer grabbing him by his blue and red plaid shirt, pulling him back.

“Wait.”

He turned, his hazel eyes just barely meeting Spencer's own of the same color.

“Do you love her?”

He pondered for a moment, before nodding slightly.

“Yes, I,” he paused. “Yes.”

Spencer bit his bottom lip briefly, before making a choice he knew he would regret.

He gripped him by the collar of his shirt, smashing their lips together for the first time and the last.

It should have been sweet, it should have been everything he hoped for and more. It should have been a reunion as glorious as they both could have imagined.

But instead, it was a mixture of salty tears, as their lips moulded together like they were made for each other. He pulled away, trying to maintain a strong facade.

“Good.”

And with that, he took one more look, before committing him to a memory, and nothing else.

He shut his door, sliding down against it and silently sobbing, pulling at his curls as tears racked his body. He heard smaller footsteps pad up the staircase, stopping next to where he left a dumbstruck and emotion ridden Russell.

“Hey, sweetheart, is your friend going to be able to make it?” She rubbed his shoulder lovingly, so incredibly oblivious and unaware of the previous happenings.

He put a remorseful hand on hers, watching how her engagement ring shimmered, even in the dim lighting.

He put on a false smile for his future wife he thinks he loves. “I think he’s a bit busy, he said he needs to review the date.” He spoke loudly, hoping Spencer could hear him through the thick door.

She frowned, nodding in what was her understanding of it all.

“Well, I hope he can make it, he must be important if you came all the way here to deliver this for him!”

He smiled genuinely, thinking of all the letters sent and hours spent.  

“Yeah, more than he knows.”

It wasn't until after he heard their steps retrieve, and their car start up and go, that he picked up the card to finish reading it.

He ran his finger over the gold raised trim, the feeling giving him goosebumps. He read the front and flipped it over, seeing an all too familiar hand writing underneath the date that the supposed union was to be held.

I'm sorry, I love you.

🂦∙🂦∙🂦

literally what the fuck was that ffwbfbfbkfw what do i even tag this?? im so sorry. also this is my first character x character be nice

#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #cm #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction #boy x boy fic

[benhardyisdaddy]

lovesick

MASTERLIST 

(hope u all like this angsty fic for #4!!! also: i DO NOT CONDONE CHEATING. EVER. I ONLY WRITE IT BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS SUBMITTED AND ITS FOR PURE ENTERTAINMENT. DONT FUCKING CHEAT!!!!    ok ty ily also this dumb ass site wont let me add the gif i wanna use of ben and im PISSED) 

Word Count: 2,111

WARNING: slight smut and cheating 

Ben had woken up that morning with no idea what was about to happen. He woke up to his alarm like normal. He showered like normal. He got dressed like normal. He went to the set of his movie like normal. He met everyone like... not normal. There was someone else there today that he almost recognized, but couldn’t understand where he had seen you before. You look familiar, but the type of familiar where he may have passed you on the road once or seen you at the local pub. He just couldn’t quite put his finger on it... That is until you were introduced. 

“Boys,” starts Roger as they all gather around in their costumes for the movie. 

You were beautiful. Beyond beautiful. The type of beautiful that had Ben staring at you a little too long. You were also young, around his age perhaps. You had the sweetest smile as you look to Ben and stare for a moment before looking away almost hurriedly. Like you had been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing. His heart fluttered as he looks back to Roger and pays attention. 

“I would like you all to meet y/n... My beautiful wife.” he says with a proud smile as you blush and softly wave to everyone. 

“Nice to meet you all.” you say, your voice like music to Ben’s ears. 

Everyone walked up to you and shook your hand until it was Ben’s turn. He walks up slowly, his eyes never leaving you. 

“Nice to meet you, y/n.” 

You shyly smile back and reach your hand out for him to take. 

“Nice to meet you as well, Ben. I’ve heard a lot about the man who portrays my husband. I must say, they got the looks right.” you say in a teasingly manner, but you weren’t teasing at all. 

Ben was beyond gorgeous as he smiles and drops your hand. Everyone was laughing over your comment as Roger brings his hand and places it on your lower back. 

“Shall we get you something to drink, love?” he asks as you turn to look at him lovingly. 

You smile and lean in to gently press your lips to his. It was insane how much you adored him. 

“Yes, please.” you softly say back as you slip your hand into his. 

“You’re more than welcome to join us.” says Rog to Ben as you both walk away, but not before you look to him and grin.

“More than welcome.” you repeat, causing Ben to instantly nod and follow behind you.

You all walk onto set and to a small room with a couch and a mini fridge in the corner. The walls were painted a bright green and the only people there were you, Roger and Ben. 

“What would you like, babe?” asks Rog as he looks to the fridge. 

“Oh, I can get it for her!” says Ben a little too quickly - something you noticed. 

“Thank you.” you purr as you slump down onto the couch, Roger following. “Water will be just fine.” 

Ben hurriedly grabs a cold bottle and brings it over to you. You reach out to grab it, your hand gently sliding over his long fingers. Ben freezes at the contact as you smirk and and pull away. 

“Thank you.” you say once more. 

Ben just nods and clears his throat as he steps back and looks around awkwardly. 

“So, Ben,” you start, making him look to you in an instant. “How’s it like working with my perfectionist of a husband? Is he working you to the bone?” you teasingly ask, causing Roger to laugh loudly and to playfully squeeze at your upper thigh. 

Ben notices and swallows hard as he attempts to laugh at your joke. 

“Oh, uh, no. Roger’s wonderful, but you should know that.” he says with a smile. 

You smile back and look to Roger as you lean forward and nuzzle your nose against his. 

“I sure do, don’t I?” you ask as he leans in and kisses you, his hand rubbing up and down your thigh. 

That was the first time Ben had met you and it surely won’t be the last. 

***

1 Month Later 

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” you sadly ask as Roger stands up and sweetly smiles. 

You, Roger, Ben and Joe were all a nightclub as you celebrate the final wrapping of Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie was finally over and you all couldn’t be more proud or happy about that. 

“I have to go and work on a few more things back at the studio, love. You’re more than welcome to stay with the rest of them!” he says above the music. 

“Actually, I have a flight to catch early in the morning. I should really get going as well.” says Joe as he stands up. 

You pout and look to Ben with big puppy dog eyes. 

“Oh, uh, I’ll stay with her.” he says to Rog. 

You smile and look back to Roger with big eyes. He nods as you stand up and walk over to him. You press yourself against him as he kisses you harshly. His hand runs down your back and stops on your butt, as he squeezes. Ben looks away fast and sighs. The two of you break away as you peck him on the lips once more and he’s gone. You turn around and look to Ben as he’s still looking away. You walk over and flop next to him on the large couch and smile. 

“Another round?” you ask loudly, slightly drunk. 

Ben’s eyes go wide as he smiles, slightly drunk as well. Another round and then another and then another. The two of you were on the dance floor and laughing loudly as you clung to one another and danced like crazy. Your head flies back as you laugh at something Ben did, your arms holding him close to you. When you look back to him, his face is now serious. He’s staring at your lips and then back at your eyes. 

“Do you wanna kiss me?” you ask, knowing the answer. 

Ben gulps and awkwardly laughs as he shakes his head no. 

“I’m sorry. I, uh...” he trails off as you just look up to him and smile. 

It’s like something came over him. A sudden burst of confidence hits and he was leaning forward and kissing you harshly. Your tongues clashed together as you elicit a slight moan into his mouth - which drove him crazy.

“Should we-” he goes to ask, not even thinking about Roger. 

But before he can answer, you already had grabbed his hand and were dragging him through the club and out the front door. Luckily, when Roger had left, that meant the paparazzi did too. You were in the clear. Once outside, you spin around and kiss him once more. His hands are on your hips as you bite his lower lip and smile. You back away and hail a cab as you both slide in. You’re all over each other in the backseat until a hotel pops up. You swiftly get out with Ben following behind you. You both are fast to rent a room and to get to it. Once inside, Ben slams you against the wall and attaches his lips to your neck. 

“This is so wrong.” he whispers against you. 

Your head was leaning against the wall with your eyes closed. You laugh as you tug at his hair and moan. 

“Just shut up and fuck me already.” you practically growl. 

Ben listens to you as he backs away and pulls your dress up. He swiftly tears your panties off, accidentally ripping one side in the process and destroying them. You jokingly frown and pout. 

“Aw, those were Roger’s favorites.” you tease as you smirk, causing Ben’s face to go serious.

He then undoes his pants and allows them to pool at his feet. You’re biting your lip as you lean against the wall and stare down at his throbbing length that’s hiding just behind the thin fabric of his underwear. He’s watching you the whole time as he pulls his underwear down, allowing himself to spring free. Your face goes serious as you bite your lip even harder. Ben smirks as he walks back to you and bends down slightly, picking you up. You squeal playfully as he slams you against the wall again, your legs wrapped around his torso. He lifts your dress up even more and without a moment to spare, he lines himself up and slams into you. You gasp at the fullness and moan loudly, not caring who hears. 

The whole night you were moaning out Ben's name, but you were really thinking of Roger. 

***

4 Months Later 

“Hey, babe?” you ask as you walk into a dressing room with Roger and Ben inside. 

They were all dressed up for an interview for the movie that was about to be released in months time.

“Will you hand me a water from the fridge?” 

Both Roger and Ben both nod and get up at the same time, pausing when they notice. Ben’s face turns red as your eyes open wide for a moment. Roger gives him a confused and serious look before bursting out laughing. 

“Nice one, Ben.” he laughs out as he goes to the fridge. 

Ben tries to laugh with him, but fails. He looks to you all serious as you ignore his weird look and focus on your husband as he walks up with the water and kisses you. You melt against him and smile as you run your finger against his bottom lip. 

“I love you.” you purr to him as he kisses you once more. 

“And I love you.” he whispers back before kissing you and walking out of the room. 

You keep smiling until he’s gone and look back to Ben. 

“Really?” you ask annoyed as Ben has the most guiltiest look on his face. “You do realize I call my husband babe, right? Not you. Do you know what could have happened if he thought something was up, Ben?” 

Ben walks to you and nods his head. 

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I have this instinct that whatever you ask for, I’ll get it for you. Anything.” 

You watch him with narrowed eyes, knowing he’s trying to say something else. 

“What are you talking about?” you spat. “It was just water.” 

You go to turn around, but Ben reaches out and grabs your hand. You look back to him with a raised brow and sigh. Ben stares at you for a moment longer before smiling sweetly. 

“It’s been five months since we first... Got together.” he says, thinking of the right phrase. “Five months of sneaking around. We don’t have to keep doing that.” he says almost excited. 

You shake your head and remove your hand from his, causing him to frown. 

“What are you talking about?” you ask rudely. 

“I love what we have. I love being with you. I... I guess what I’m trying to say is... Y/n... I love you.”

Your eyes go wide and your mouth slightly falls open. You blink several times and half laugh as you shake your head and take a step back. 

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. “You what?” 

Ben notices the unsatisfied look on your face and his smile instantly drops. 

“What we have is something special. I knew that from the moment I laid my eyes on you. Didn’t you feel the same way?” he asks sadly. 

You breathe out a laugh and shake your head. 

“What I felt was a really hot guy paying attention to me when my husband was busy. That doesn’t make him not my husband. I love Roger, Ben. Not you. A booty call isn’t love. You’re just confused.” 

“A booty call?” he asks, irritated. “That’s all you thought that was?!” 

“Of course I did! I’m married, Ben! I’m in love with Roger! I didn’t actually take anything we did serious, sweetie. Sex is just sex.” 

“You were just bored.” he whispers sadly. 

You just shrug and pull out your cell phone from your back pocket when an alert goes off. 

“Precisely. Look, Rog just texted me and I gotta go... I really am sorry, Ben.” you say with a serious tone. 

Ben raises his brows and looks away as he nods his head. 

“Yeah... Me too.” 

You watch him with a frown for a second longer before you turn around and walk out of the room, leaving a heartbroken and lovesick Ben all alone.

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#benhardy #ben hardy #benhardyxreader #benhardyisdaddy #benhardyxy/n #roger taylor #rogertaylor #rogertaylorxy/n #fic #angst #cheating #smut #queen #borhap #joe mazzello #4 #story idea #list

[anxiously-unsatisfied-world]

The Heart’s Home - Chapter 7

A/N: So I got to have a lot of fun planning out cute outfits and stuff for Pat, but @fairytailtwists helped as well by compiling some examples. So thank you! <3

Warnings: None - let me know if you need something tagged!

Word Count: 1401 (are these good length chapters? should i make them longer (though that would make them take longer ^^;)) 

Main Four Sides / Other Characters 

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 |  Chapter 8

“Anything catch your eye?” Roman asks as they step foot into the store, a few items catching his own attention but he wants to let Patton have the first pick here. After all, he’s the one who is going to be wearing them.

Patton scans the area in front of them, his eyes wide at how many options there are. “Um…” Patton shrugs, finding it hard to choose just one section he wants to look at when there are so many interesting colors and patterns and styles in all directions.

“Do you want one of us to choose something first?” Logan asks, his voice soft and sympathetic, and sets a hand on Patton’s shoulder.

Patton smiles at him gratefully and nods, both of them looking to Roman, who straightens up and reaches for Patton’s hand. Patton grabs his hand and follows behind Roman as he leads them over to a rack of graphic tees.

Patton giggles at the cute animal designs on some of them and he lets go of Roman’s hand to look closer at the shirts. All of these are so cute! It’d be difficult to choose just a few…

“See anything you like, dear Prince?” Roman asks, kneeling down to both be at Patton’s height and to look at something a bit lower down.

“They’re all so cute!” Patton says with a grin, “How am I going to choose?” He continues to scan the different designs, trying to figure out which ones he likes most (though he likes all of them!).

Roman nods seriously, “Yes, this is a difficult decision. However, I want you to pick whichever ones of these make you smile the most or the happiest. Can you do that?” Roman asks like he’s imparting an important task to Patton.

Patton takes to this easily, nodding with a determined look. “Of course, I can, Ro!” Patton looks closely at the shirts and points at one. “How about that one?”

“Splendid choice! Now, you need to try this on so we know your size for certain, alright?” Roman takes one of the shirts in what he thinks is Patton’s size and hands it over.

Patton nods and clutches the shirt to his chest. “Okie dokie, Ro-ro!” Patton says with a grin.

Roman smiles softly at him and ruffles his hair lightly, laughing when it causes the boy to squeal softly. “Good.”

“I can take him to the dressing rooms if you’d like to keep looking.” Logan offers and Roman nods, already determined to find some of the cutest, yet stylish outfits for their sun.

Logan reaches out a hand, which Patton takes eagerly, leading him over to the dressing room and letting him inside. Once they’ve made sure that the shirt fits him, they head back to the graphic tees and pick out a few more. One spells out the word love in black lettering but the ‘o’ is a paw print. Another has an upside down cat on it while another has a few puppies playing on it.

“Alright, I’ll hold onto these. Now, why don’t we find Roman again? Heaven only knows that he’s probably planning too many outfits.” Logan says with a fond, yet exasperated expression that causes Patton to giggle softly.

“Ro-ro? Where are you?” Patton calls out, looking around but the standing racks of clothes tower over him and block his sight.

“By the jackets!” Roman returns and Logan looks over, spotting his husband trying to choose between two jackets. Logan leads Patton over to Roman, standing off to the side and watching as Patton helps Roman choose the jacket he likes most.

Both jackets end up making the final cut as Patton liked them both for different reasons. One was really soft and pastel colored while the other was denim and better-suited to keep him warm.

Next, they head to the hoodies since they’re right next to the regular jackets and Patton giggles at the first one he looks at it. It has the image of a cartoon seal on it with the words ‘Majestic Dog Mermaid’ surrounding the picture. Something about that description fits it perfectly and Patton turns to look at Roman.

“Would you like that one?” Roman asks and Patton nods, his eyes brightening as Roman looks through the stack for one in his size.

“Yay! Thank you!” Patton cheers and Roman smiles, setting the hoodie on the pile of clothes he has draped over one arm.

“I’d say you can choose another hoodie so you can choose between them?” Roman suggests, glancing at Logan, who nods in approval.

Patton nods and bounces excitedly on his feet as he turns to look at the rest of the hoodies. There are a few plain ones that he gives more than a cursory glance to but when he finds a pale gray hoodie that has cat ears on the hood as well as holes in the sleeves to make sweater paws out of, he knows he’s found the one.

Roman smiles, not even having to ask if Patton wants that one, as Patton is practically glowing when he looks at it, so he pulls one out of the pile and adds it to the rest. Patton grins and thanks Roman once again, looking much like the cat who got the cream.

The rest of their time in this particular store is spent just stocking up on some plain t-shirts in a variety of colors and sleeve lengths.

Once they make it out into the main area of the mall, Roman turns to them both with a gleam in his eye, already knowing what store he wants to head to next. He doesn’t even have to speak for Logan, far too familiar with that particular store, to know which store that is.

“Yes, we can go to the Disney store,” Logan says and chuckles softly when both Roman and Patton cheer in a very similar manner.

Logan gestures for them to go ahead, chuckling softly when Roman takes Patton’s hand and they speed walk to the store while Logan follows behind at a more sedate pace, keeping them in sight the whole time.

The second Patton steps foot into the store, his eyes widen and he can’t help but grin at the sight of shirts and plushies and toys all centered around his favorite movies. He lets go of Roman’s hand and races over to a wall that is covered in character plushies and starts looking through them, geeking out over the plushies.

Roman quickly follows after, knowing how amazing this part of the store can be. Especially since there is a plush toy for pretty much any character you could think of! “So, any character striking your fancy?” Roman asks after Patton’s gotten a look at most of them.

“Yeah! I can’t believe they have a Wall-E plush! They’re my favorite character ever!” Patton says, turning and grinning at Roman, bouncing lightly on his heels.

“Go ahead and grab one,” Roman says and Patton gasps, quickly hugging Roman and dashing over to where he had seen the plush. Roman just smiles, thinking back to his first time in the store. He was just as excited as Patton currently is and he left the store with a stuffed Mickey Mouse along with a promise to come back for more plushies.

Patton comes back with his plushie in tow and the most pleased expression on his face as he cradles it to his chest. Roman just smiles and lets him pick out two more similarly sized plushies (as the store is currently having a special) before they head over to look at the shirts.

Patton ends up with nearly one shirt for every movie he likes (or what feels that way to him), but he’s not complaining. It’ll be awesome to get to show off how much he likes Disney by having all these different shirts.

After they get everything they want from the store, Logan, who had been watching them run around and have fun looking at everything, suggests that they should stop by the food court before going to any other shops as it’s been several hours since breakfast and it’s about time to eat.

Patton nods enthusiastically at that and so does Roman, both of them realizing that all of their running around has left them famished. So they all link hands and head off towards the food court.

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[spindlesandrosethorns]

Rolling Hills and Big Reveals  @@  War and Peace

In which Aurora goes home for answers to questions her dreams have brought to light, and Reza and Sabiha tag along for the ride. [Takes place in mid-March (i know)]

TW: death mention, blood mention, panic attacks

@rezares​

AURORA

Aurora was in a weird mood the whole train ride to her hometown. She knew she was acting weird; hyperfocused on her knitting or the passing hills and only barely responding to Reza’s rare question, but she couldn’t help herself. Every time her mind wandered, her mind went back to the last time she had gone home, or to Carabosse’s threatening words in the dream. No, better to keep her mind on more pleasant things so she could stick to her resolve than letting her fear and anxiety get the best of her.

She refused to run from this. She couldn’t depend on the reassurances of her family anymore, she had to guarantee her own safety now and had to find her own path.

The only thing that could pull her attention completely away was Sabiha, and when the little girl was awake and full of questions, Aurora was answering them with a fond smile. But Sabiha’s attention wandered, and Aurora was left on her own.

The whole mental exercise at least gave her an edge to her expression that meant that no one wanted to hold her up, and the small trio had an easy time getting off the train and into the station. Aurora hitched her day bag across her chest, bending down to make sure Sabiha’s arms were properly in her backpack straps before taking her hand. “I scheduled a cab to pick us up,” she told Reza, “so if you want to get some food to eat on the way, this is the time.”

Aurora wasn’t sure if they’d be staying for dinner, after all.

REZA

When Aurora had angrily slammed shut a spellbook, pushed her chair from the table, and hopped to her feet a few days ago, Reza hadn’t been sure what to expect. He didn’t think he’d done anything to piss her off lately… but had run over the previous few days in his head anyway.

She’d opened her mouth and Reza prepared for a tongue-lashing, but when the gist of what she shouted basically ended up being ‘Fuck this shit, you’re coming to Scotland with me to be my cheerleader while I confront my parents’ he was equal parts surprised and relieved. Relieved she didn’t want to yell at him, because being yelled to by her was scary enough. Surprised, because he sort of had assumed they’d made up.

After all, other than Christmas, she hadn’t really mentioned the fight with her parents and aunts.

Then again he hadn’t asked. For one, it wasn’t his business; and even if it was, asking would have been rubbing salt in the wound. He did give her opportunities to talk about it. Asked her how she was doing, asked her if she wanted to do Not Easter But Easter dinner at his house this year.

(Sabiha was fascinated with the concept of Easter egg hunts. He told Rory he figured he wasn’t ‘too bad a Muslim’ if he hid plastic eggs full of candies for Sabiha to find.)

He didn’t ask her directly, but she had chances to bring it up.

Her outburst made it clear that they hadn’t patched things up, which, he felt bad about. Of course he’d come with her, he said. Let me come, too! Sabiha had shouted from the loft upstairs.

And that’s how the three of them ended up on a train to Scotland to confront Aurora’s anti-sorcerer family.

… Great.

“I packed food for Sabiha, and I’m not hungry. We can grab something for you if you want.”                  

AURORA

If Aurora ate, she was going to puke from nerves, honestly. So instead, she gave Reza a smile and shook her head. “I’m good, but thank you.” The train station was as familiar to Aurora as the halls of her home, and as they walked, Aurora pointed out different venues or landmarks she knew and thought Sabiha or Reza might find interesting.

“How do you know so much about this place, Amma Rora?” Sabiha asked in French, their joined hands swinging slightly between them.

“Back when I still went to boarding school, this was the station I left from to get to school and back,” she explained with a small smile. “My house is pretty far in the country, so this was as close as I could get. Thankfully, it’s only a twenty minute drive from here to my parents.”

They stepped out of the doors into the brisk Scottish air, Aurora immediately taking a deep breath and feeling more settled than before. Even knowing her parents were at the end of this trip, even not knowing what kind of response she would get or what answers she would find, there was something about coming home that just made her feel a little bit better. It didn’t hurt that Sabiha was looking around, fascinated by their new surroundings, and that Aurora could feel Reza behind her.

The driver of a black sedan stood up straighter as the trio headed down the stairs, knocking back the brim of his hat so he could smile up at them with a gap-toothed grin. “Miss Briar, welcome back ta Perceforest,” he greeted, and Aurora smiled brightly at the familiar driver.

���Ay, thanks Bill,” she said, finally letting go of Sabiha to give the driver a hug. “Thanks for comin’ on such short notice.”

“For you, lass? Anything,” he reassured her with a laugh. Once the two broke away from each other, he gave Reza a nod and Sabiha a small bow. “And who is this wee bonnie lassie you’re travelin’ with today?”

Aurora moved to stand behind Sabiha, resting her hands on the young girl’s shoulders comfortingly. “This is my friend from Swynlake, Reza Kasraoui-Müller, and his daughter Sabiha,” she introduced; careful to get the pronunciation of their names right even though her accent had naturally thickened in response to Bill’s. “Sabiha, this is my old friend Bill,” she explained to the young girl in French. “I’ve known him since I was smaller than you.”

REZA

Sabiha was getting much better at English! She was! But Mr. Bill talked very, very funny, so she was glad her Amma ‘Rora helped her out a little by speaking French to her. Well, then! If he was a friend of ‘Rora’s, she liked him!

“Hi,” Sabiha said quietly, waving to him, before tugging on Aurora’s sleeve and whispering in French. “Tell him I’m from Tunisia and am very shy in English, but I promise I don’t not like him.”

Reza’s resting bitch face broke into a smile at Sabiha taking care to make sure Rory’s friend knew she wasn’t rude just because she might not talk to him. He wondered if anybody at school ever implied that. He hoped not. He’d ask her later, have a little chat before bed sometime.

“Aslema, pleasure to meet you.” He said, shaking Bill’s hand. “Ya Sabiha, do you want me to put your stuffy in your backpack now?”

“I’ll hold ‘im.” Sabiha replied in mumbled English, clutching her bear close to her chest.

AURORA

Aurora’s smile went all soft and fond as she leaned down to hear Sabiha’s whisper, giving her a nod and quick kiss on the head. “Of course, little bear,” she promised. Bill took it all in stride, more than used to Aurora and her mother breaking into random Portuguese at random points in the conversation, and shook Reza’s hand back firmly.

“Pleasure to have you both with us,” he said with a grin before offering to take their bags and put them in the trunk. Aurora helped Sabiha climb into the taxi, making sure she was safely buckled in the middle before sliding inside after her. Once everyone was inside the taxi and they were pulling away from the curb, Aurora made sure to pass Sabiha’s message along and Bill laughed and gave Sabiha a grin through the rearview mirror. “Don’t you worry, lassie,” he reassured, “Ol’ Bill here is used to doing all the talking!”

“Ain’t that the truest thing I ever heard,” Aurora teased.

During the ride, Aurora and Bill slipped into an easy back and forth, talking rapidly as they caught the other up on what had happened in their lives. Bill told them about his dog going into remission and his third granddaughter being born, Aurora told him about her yarn shop and Reza’s successful campaign for Town Board. Occasionally, Aurora would look over at Sabiha or Reza, silently checking up on them to make sure they weren’t feeling too awkward or ignored.

REZA

Reza didn’t mind sitting there silently as Rory caught up with her friend. He was perfectly happy braiding and unbraiding Sabiha’s hair to keep his hands busy, and whispering to her in Arabic, reminding her of her manners.

Sabiha nodded along - she was an obedient child for the most part - but at a certain point on the drive, she clearly was tired of sitting still. She looked between Rory and Reza, and in French so as not to upset Mr. Bill, asked the obligatory question.

“Are we there yet?”

“Sabiha,” Reza cautioned behind a huff of laughter.

AURORA

Aurora giggled at Sabiha’s question, grabbing her hand and giving it a small squeeze. “Not too much further, Sabiha,” she promised. They were only about five minutes out, actually, and wow didn’t that just bring back all of the fear and anxiety she’d been fighting against since before they had gotten on the train. She didn’t drop Sabiha’s hand, instead just holding on gently as she looked out the window and tried not to hyperventilate. Bill, even mundane as he was, easily sensed the shift in her demeanor and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, only asking Reza an occasional question.

Soon, they turned onto a familiar, twisting road, and Aurora’s hand gripped Sabiha’s a little tighter as they drove deeper into the woods. Through the window, Aurora thought she could spot several floating lights, but they quickly vanished, and she wondered if they had been fairies. Off to tell either the Queen or her aunties that little Rose had come back.

She reminded herself that she was too old to lean out the window and yell at them to not tell anyone she was coming at all.

They broke through the trees and a large, stone manor stood before them. It had been in her father’s family since one of her ancestors had been titled by some long-dead monarch and given the property and surrounding fields for his own. Though the fields and farms had long turned into the bustling town of Perceforest and her family only owned some of the older, historic buildings, their house was still as grand and well-kept as the day it had been built; just updated to keep with the times. The creamy stone shone in the sunlight, all of the windows sparkling as they swung open in the spring breeze, and Aurora wanted to tell Bill to just turn right back around and drive them back to the train station.

“Here we are,” Bill said cheerfully as he pulled around the circular drive and stopped in front of the main doors. “All to shore that’s going to shore!”

Aurora hesitated, hand on the door handle as she tried to convince herself she wasn’t scared. She was brave, and confident, and came for answers. And she was going to open that door, march up those steps, and demand she got them!

… After she stopped shaking like a leaf.

REZA

As Reza stood in Rory’s driveway, all he could think was ‘Holy privilege, Batman!’ Really, he’d never even seen a house this big in person, let along been in one before. He felt almost like it was a fuck you to British colonialism by being a North African Muslim standing on the property.

Rory was shaking, and even Reza wasn’t too emotionally inept to know she was terrified.

“Hey,” Reza said, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezing. “You’ll be okay.” He took his hand away in favor of holding Sabiha’s hand, and smiled at her. “I’ll be on my best behavior, don’t worry.”

And standing behind her for moral support. But mostly on his best behavior, which he’d said to make her laugh.

AURORA

She had eventually gotten out of the car, an excited Sabiha nearly falling out of her lap, and was staring up at her family home when Reza’s hand came up to her shoulder. She turned to look at him with wide eyes, and sure enough, his comment about being on his best behavior made her smile and chuckle. It was just a little huff of a laugh, but it helped unwind some of the tension lodged in her throat, and Aurora could feel some of the stress bleed from her shoulders. The reminder that she wasn’t alone helped more than anything, and Aurora gave him a soft, grateful smile.

(She wondered for a moment what he would do if she rose up onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek to thank him, then immediately took that silly urge and buried it deep in her mind where it could never see the light of day again.)

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said instead, playfully shaking her finger at him as she stepped around him to say goodbye to Bill and pay him their fare (plus a generous tip). The cab pulled away and this time when Aurora looked up at her house, it was with the same determined expression she had worn on the train. She took a deep breath before approaching the front doors, easily going up the steps and raising the large knocker that was hung just above her head and letting it drop three times.

“Coming!” came a thickly-accented voice through the open windows, and Aurora’s determined expression faltered and turned into something smaller and vulnerable.

The door opened only a few moments later, a plump woman with dark skin and a colorful hair wrap greeting them with a smile. The smile fell the moment she laid eyes on Aurora, the woman gasping and bringing a hand to her mouth. “Rose?” she breathed, and Aurora smiled at her shyly.

“Hi Mum.”

Leah let go of the door to step out and draw Aurora in, immediately pulling her daughter into an all-encompassing hug. “Oh, Rose,” she said, voice thick with emotion as she clung to her daughter and Aurora clung back just as tight. “I’m so glad you’re alright. We were all so worried!”

“I’m sorry, Mum,” Aurora said softly, her face tucked against her mother’s shoulder as she melted into her embrace.

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Leah said, pulling back to cup Aurora’s face in her hands and gently wipe the tears that had started rolling down her daughter’s face. “You did nothing wrong. Except not call your mother when you got home safe.”

Aurora’s laugh came out as a wet hiccup, and the two women hugged each other even tighter than before; muttering to each other in Portuguese as Leah gently rubbed Aurora’s back.

REZA

Ah, you know what? This made Rory’s thing for hugs make sense. Her mother being all one hug, two hugs, eighty-nine hugs, it seemed fitting. What surprised him about her though was how African she was.

No, not black - he knew Aurora was biracial - but like, genuinely African. She spoke English with a thick sub-Saharan African accent, and he’d venture to say hers was thicker than his North African accent. Like she purposely learned to speak English clearly but just as intentionally kept her natural cadence and pronunciation.

Despite her living in Scotland for at least almost thirty years, Rory’s mother looked and sounded so African. It was cool, and against Reza’s better judgement, he really wanted to ask The Question.

An African who spoke Portuguese? She was statistically from one of six countries, but Reza could only remember three. Angola, Cape Verde, and Mozambique. There were more, he knew...fuck, but he couldn’t remember.

Was it...Guinea? Equatorial Guinea? Guinea-Bissau?

AURORA

Aurora was completely oblivious to Reza and Sabiha as she just soaked in all of the love pouring off of her mother in waves. Ever since becoming a sorceress and being able to feel and see reagents, her mother had reminded her of the beaches of Mozambique, and basking in her love felt like standing with her feet buried in the sand and her face turned towards the sun as the water lapped at her legs.

God, she had needed this.

Finally, the two had had enough, and pulled away from each other with matching wet giggles. Aurora smiled warmly as Leah kissed her cheek, her mother pulling back to wipe her own tears as she finally took notice of the other two people on her stoop. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even notice you had brought friends with you,” she said, smiling at Reza and Sabiha. She looked over the two quickly before looking back at Aurora.

“Is he your boyfriend?” she asked in Portuguese, smiling when Aurora’s cheeks immediately turned dark red.

“Mum!” she yelped, all too aware that Reza could see how flustered and embarrassed she was, and that he wouldn’t even need to be a sorcerer to do it. “No! Oh my god, no he’s not.”

“That’s a shame, he’s handsome.”

“Oh my god stop, please.”

Leah laughed, patting Aurora’s cheek as her daughter attempted to shove her face into her hands before turning to face Reza and Sabiha again. “I’m Leah, it’s nice to meet you both,” she said kindly, holding out her hand to Reza.

REZA

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Leah.” He said, giving her hand a firm handshake. “I’m Reza, and this is my daughter Sabiha.”

“You’re from where we’re from!” Sabiha said in cheery Arabic, forgetting to use her English in her excitement, and pointing to her headwrap. “Kind of.”

“Ya Sabiha, don’t point at the nice lady. That’s very rude.”

Tunisian women didn’t really dress like Leah, but, Sabiha had met plenty of sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia for business or pleasure, so knew how people around the continent of Africa dressed. For a small child recently taken so far from home, it was exciting seeing somebody that looked like people she often ran into back home.

“She’s not trying to be rude, Leah. Sabiha’s actually very excited, because she knows you’re from Africa like she is. If I can ask; are you Angolan, Cape Verdean, or Mozambican? The Portuguese narrows it down.” Reza asked, before gesturing to himself and Sabiha. “We’re Tunisian.”

AURORA

Aurora wasn't worried about her mother being offended by Sabiha pointing; not only was she obviously Not White, but her mother had been in Scotland too long to be bothered by something as small as that. Instead she was worried that her mother would recognize Reza's name from Christmas and the whole conversation would crash out now.

If Leah did recognize the name as that of Rose's Controversial Sorcery Master, she didn't show it. She smiled at the two. “Oh, it's no problem at all,” she told Reza, “and well spotted. I'm from Mozambique.” She took Sabiha's hand in her own, giving it a soft pat. “It's nice to meet you, Sabiha,” she said in rusty Arabic.

“Please, come inside,” she said to all three, taking Aurora's hand in her own and pulling her daughter in close to her side. “Your father will want to know you're here, as well as Jo and the others,” Leah said, and Aurora's stomach dropped for half a moment.

“That's good, because that's why I'm here,” she said softly. “I have… there's something we need to talk about, Mum. Some questions I have for you all.”

Leah glanced back at Reza and Sabiha out of the corner of her eye. “Should we wait for after dinner to have that conversation?” she asked in Portuguese. Aurora shook her head.

“It's why they came with me,” she explained. “Reza's a sorcerer, mum. My teacher. And we have some questions about Carabosse.”

Leah came to a halt, looking at Aurora with that familiar, haunted expression she wore any time the curse came up. She looked at Reza again with new eyes, but didn't say anything. Instead she gave him a small, sad smile and turned back to her daughter. “Of course, Rose,” she murmured. “Whatever you need to know.”

As they walked along, Leah stopped by a gentleman dusting a painting and quietly instructed him to go find her husband. “We can go to the sun room,” she offered. “Your father can meet us there and then we can call for your godmothers.”

REZA

Sabiha gasped and bounced on the balls of her feet, chattering away in fast-paced Tunisian dialect. “You speak Arabic? Oh, good! Nobody in Swynlake does, at least none of my baba’s friends. Amma ‘Rora knows French, and I know French too, because we speak two language in Tunisia. Arabic is my favorite language though because it’s the prettiest and the most fun to write.”

“Sabiha, breathe,” Reza reminded her, patting her head. He didn’t apologize for her because he didn’t want Sabiha to ever feel bad about feeling excited, only smiled apologetically at Leah.

He didn’t say anything else, though he sensed the tension as Rory spoke to her mother in Portuguese.

AURORA

Leah gave Sabiha a gentle smile, and the similarities between mother and daughter became incredibly clear. “My Arabic is rather rusty, I’m afraid,” she admitted as she led them into an open room made mostly of glass. There were several comfortable couches arranged around a long coffee table, facing towards the glass wall and the view of the gardens beyond. You could see the forest at the edge of the grounds, and to the right, a path that led out to the cliffs and the sea.

“Sabiha’s French is wonderful,” Aurora told her mother in French so the little girl could be included, “and her English is improving every day. Soon she’s going to teach me Tunisian, and I will try very hard not to butcher it with my accent,” she joked. They were all about to sit when they heard running footsteps approaching the room, and Aurora looked to the doors in confusion. Only to yelp when they were flung back open and a tall, thin man with greying hair and a brilliant smile burst through, making a beeline for Aurora.

“Rose!” Stefan said gladly, and Aurora laughed as she ran to meet him halfway and was immediately swung into the air. “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming back to visit!”

“Surprise?” she said, still giggling in her father’s embrace. He pressed a loud kiss to her forehead, cuddling her close as Aurora beamed.

“I missed you so much,” he said. “I’m so sorry, lass.” Stefan pulled back just enough to meet his daughter’s eye. “Forgive your stupid old man?”

“We’ll see,” Aurora said with a soft smile in return, leaning up to kiss her father’s cheek and laughing when he dramatically swooned on the spot.

Leah was watching the two with a fond smile, one hand pressed to her heart as Stefan made a show of turning Aurora under his arm so he could get a good look at her. “Dear, control yourself,” she said with a chuckle. “She didn’t come alone.”

Stefan finally noticed the other two people in the room and gave them a bright smile as well. “Hello! Friends of Rose’s, I assume?”

“This is Reza and Sabiha,” Aurora introduced, gesturing at the two. “Sabiha just moved to Swynlake from Tunisia and Reza is my sorcery teacher.” She watched her father’s reaction, meeting his eyes when his head snapped back towards her and giving him a pleading look. Stefan hesitated for a moment before giving her a soft smile in return, letting go of her to instead approach Reza and hold out his hand.

“Well it’s lovely to meet ya’ both,” he said, shaking Reza’s hand and bowing dramatically to Sabiha.

REZA

Again, the words ‘holy privilege, Batman!’ echoed in Reza’s skull, bouncing around like a DVD screensaver.

His cynicism wore off at the absolutely dweeb Stefan Briar was with his daughter, only to be replaced with confusion. If they loved Aurora so much, why were they so mean to her at Christmas? Why had it been months since they spoke in any meaningful capacity?

So much seemed off about this entire thing.

And even through Stefan’s awful thick Scottish accent, Reza could sense the uncertainty about Reza’s presence even before he physically felt it when they shook hands. “Likewise.” Was all he said, his grip on Sabiha’s hand getting just a tiny bit tighter.

Sabiha, at least, was very entertained by Stefan’s dramatic bow, giggling at the funny older man. “I’m Sabiha.” She said, curtseying just as play dramatic.

AURORA

Stefan beamed at Sabiha’s little curtsy. “Why, if I had known we had a wee princess in our midst, I would have worn my nice shirt,” he said, making a show of straightening out his polo shirt. “Rose, you’ve passed on your crown already?”

“Daaa,” Aurora groaned with a laugh, coming over and gently pushing his chest until the chuckling man was upright. “Behave.”

“I am behaving! It’s not my fault kids love me!”

“It’s because you are a child,” Leah cut in with a grin, causing Aurora to snort with laughter and Stefan to gasp at the betrayal. “Come now, sit,” she said to the group. “I’ll get us all some snacks in a moment, but first, how was your trip here?”

“Fairly smooth,” Aurora said, sitting next to Sabiha as her parents sat together on the couch closest to her. They immediately held hands, gravitating to each other in the seamless way that Aurora had always loved. There was no question her parents were still as helplessly in love with each other as they had been the day they had met, and Aurora wondered not for the first time if she would be so lucky one day. “Bill met us at the station.”

“Aye, good man, Bill,” Stefan said with a grin.

Leah was the one who asked “How have you been? Since… since Christmas?” The mood in the room took a notably somber turn, Stefan’s bright smile dimming just a bit and Aurora’s fingers tangling in her lap. “We hadn’t heard from you,” Leah continued. “We were worried.”

“I’m sorry,” Aurora said softly. “I… I should have let you know I was safe. I was just…” She took a deep breath. “I had to take some time to think about what had been said,” she told them. The two adults at least had the sense to look guilty. Aurora opened her mouth before shaking her head, all too aware of Sabiha and Reza next to her. “But that’s in the past,” she said. “I’m not here to talk about that. I- something happened, last month.”

Stefan and Leah both looked at her in concern. “What happened?” Stefan asked, reaching out to lay a hand on Aurora’s knee. Aurora immediately gripped it back. “Rose?”

“Sabiha, sweetie, can you go get one of your stuffies for me out of your bag?” Aurora said instead, looking at Sabiha with a small smile. “I’m going to need some help.” And I don’t want you hearing what I’m about to say next.

Sabiha already had nightmares, she didn’t need a peek into Aurora’s.

REZA

At Aurora’s request, Sabiha crinkled her nose all confused and looked up at her father. She might get lost in this big house! And, she wanted to listen to what the grown-ups were saying.

Reza ran his fingers through Sabiha’s hair and whispered gently in their native language, “Go on, listen to Amma ‘Rora.” and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. The little girl opened her mouth to protest, but upon receiving The Look she obeyed and slid off the couch.

He watched Sabiha wander off, and once she disappeared from sight, turned to Aurora and nodded that it was safe to continue.

AURORA

The Briar’s watched the interaction carefully and their eyes were back on Aurora as soon as Sabiha was gone. It wasn’t far to the front door and all the hallways led back to the sunroom anyways, so Aurora wasn’t worried. It would be just enough time to tell her parents about her dream.

If her father hadn’t narrowed his eyes and looked between Reza and Aurora speculatively. “Is there something you two want to tell us?” he asked, trailing off while Aurora went simultaneously red and deathly pale at once. Leah immediately turned a dangerous frown on her husband.

“Stefan.”

“What!? You weren’t thinking it too?” he defended, and Aurora squeaked.

“Da, no,” she said, pointedly not looking at Reza and pointedly not thinking about the knots forming in her stomach and throat. “I’m not here because of… anything like that.” She looked down at the floor. “I’m here because I saw Carabosse,” she said quietly, not needing to see her parents’ faces to know how quickly their confusion had turned to horror. “In a dream. She spoke to me, telling me…”

Her hands were shaking in her lap, eyes squeezed shut as she relived that awful moment. The freezing water up to her ankles, rushing in faster than she thought possible. Carabosse stalking towards her, her perfectly coiled black hair coming undone and messy. The headache blooming behind Aurora’s temples as each word from her mistress threatened to bring her to her knees.

“You’re running out of places to hide, little Rose,” she said, lilac eyes wild with fury. “I will find you, and when I do, I’ll take back what is mine.” Aurora stumbled back, clutching her head as she keened in pain. “You’re mine, Aurora Briar,” Carabosse hissed. “Every breath you take is mine, every heartbeat is forfeit to me. I won’t be denied any longer, and your pitiful Mundus family with their little fairies can’t keep me from collecting their debt.”

Carabosse lunged at Aurora, her form rippling into something straight out of a nightmare as her long, thin fingers reached for her eyes. Aurora screamed, grabbing her wrists and holding her back even as her back slammed into the metal walls of the ship. “I will take what I am owed! What is MINE!” Carabosse screamed, eyes black and veins protruding under her paper-thin skin. Aurora looked at her mistress in horror, wrestling her back as the woman continued to reach for Aurora’s eyes. There was something burning inside of her, wild and untamed and furious as it writhed in her chest. Her hands burned where they met Carabosse’s skin

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Aurora screamed, kicking out at Carabosse and sending the sorceress back. She turned and ran, splashing through the water as fast as she could as she heard Carabosse’s scream following her. She ran to the end of the hall, turning and slamming the door shut behind her as she grabbed a chair that was nearby. She nearly got it under the handles to block it up when something heavy crashed into it and opened the door enough for a single, gnarled hand to shoot through and grab Aurora by her throat. She gasped as the hand didn’t squeeze, but instead there was the familiar feeling of magic draining from her body. A single black eye peered at her through the crack in the door, and the wild thing in her chest thrashed back and howled. No, she wouldn’t die like this.

Aurora reached back through the door and grabbed Carabosse’s neck in return, and tried something she had never done before. Tried to take the energy Carabosse had drained from her back.

Her skin was hot, and Aurora could feel the heat travelling through her veins and up her arm, foreign and familiar and too much and not enough all at once. Carabosse’s wide grin had turned into a snarl, and Aurora whimpered as she felt her knees begin to weaken. No, no no no no no no no-

Aurora glared back at Carabosse and held on tighter, the heat growing until she was filled to the brim with fire. It threatened to tear her to pieces, to scald her from the inside, but when Carabosse fell to her knees first, Aurora just changed her grip and held on to the wrist at her throat. Lilac eyes looked back at her with hatred and fear, and Aurora had never felt stronger.

“Leave. Me. Alone,” she rasped, tearing Carabosse’s hand away from her as the pull on her energy was replaced with something Aurora could not describe.

“I will find you,” Carabosse hissed, beating weakly against the door. “Your life belongs to me.”

“You don’t get to have any say over my life ever again,” Aurora snarled, throwing Carabosse’s hand away from her and slamming the doors shut. She propped up the chair under the handles and ran away even as the slamming began. It didn’t take long for it to get weaker and weaker, until it finally stopped.

In the next window Aurora passed, she saw her eyes were now a bright, vibrant lilac.

Aurora hadn’t realized she had been retelling the nightmare out loud until she looked up and saw how pale both of her parents had gone, Leah’s hand over her mouth in shock. She quickly looked away again. “Swynlake dreams that take you to another place and time are normal, but that wasn’t,” she explained. “It was like Carabosse knew it was really me, like she could remember the real world inside of the dream. Like she was there.”

Aurora reached up to take hold of the amethyst necklace around her throat. “I’ve never been so scared in my life,” she admitted. “I don’t even know what she meant.” She looked up at her parents. “Why did she say I was a debt that she was owed?”

Leah looked haunted, and Stefan suddenly looked twice his age.

REZA

Reza had heard most of the story, but Aurora had glazed over some details or completely omitted others. Ever the expert as suppressing his emotions and reactions, Reza shoved up any questions he had for Rory in a tiny box and crushed it.

He had to talk quickly, before Sabiha came back.

“I don’t think the two of you understand, or can comprehend, how powerful that magic has to be to follow Rory into an alternate universe and communicate with her there. That is powerful, seriously dark magic. Magic that powerful is inherently dangerous to whoever is toying with it.” Reza said, only now realizing that so far, his point wasn’t even being made, he hadn’t even been saying what he wanted to say.

“Shit. Okay, so.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “My life story isn’t relevant here, so I’m not going to get into it. Nothing about me is relevant except my magic. I am a cursebreaker. That’s my whole-” and he made a series of gestures with his hand “-thing. My specialty is getting in the face of dark magic, coaxing its secrets out of it, and figuring out how to solve the problem.”

He cleared his throat and looked from Stefan, to Leah, to Rory, and smiled apologetically at Rory.

“The first day I began teaching Rory, with I first held her hand to get a feel for her magic and what I was working with, I was equal parts perpexled and terrified. It was like...like when you soak lemon slices in water. The water tastes like lemon but isn’t lemonade. It was magic that felt like Rory because it’d been in her so long, but wasn’t Rory. It was like it had become part of her, but it didn’t come from her. And it didn’t, did it, Stefan?”

Reza addressed her father directly, figuring he would be easier crack. Leah clearly was the stronger personality of the two. And maybe his status as a father himself might soften Stefan to him.

“I understand wanting to protect your daughter. Believe me I do. I was clinically dead for two minutes and twenty seconds to save my daughter’s life. So I get it, I get it. But keeping something that is literally all about something so vital to her entire being is not the way to do it. I know you’ve not been forthcoming about the truth, and so does she. I-” Reza paused. He turned to face his apprentice with a sheepish smile “Sorry, Rory that’s the only time I will speak for you, forgive me.”

And he immediately turned back to Stefan, stone-faced, and ready to get down to business. “Your daughter’s story about her curse, the one she relayed to me, it doesn’t make sense.”

“What-” he cut himself off, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “What actually happened? What is the real truth? Tell her - tell us - so she can know and I can help her. Why does Carabosse think she’s owed Rory? Who is she in the first place? If she’s so powerful she’s able to harness the magic she does, why can’t she simply show up here and hurt her like she obviously wants to?”

“Lying up to this point has been foolish, irresponsible, and dangerous. Continuing to withhold the truth would be, frankly, willfully putting your daughter in danger.”

AURORA

Aurora watched her parents silently as Reza spoke, only looking away from them a few times to meet Reza’s eye or to lay her hand on his forearm and give it a warning squeeze. Yes, she wanted the truth, yes, she wanted the lies to end, but they were her parents.

Even if their reactions hadn’t been incredibly reassuring.

They had both looked equal parts angered and ashamed, although Leah had been the one to look up, almost hopefully, when Reza had told them he was a cursebreaker. That hope hadn’t lasted long.

Stefan was turning red, which Aurora knew from watching long conference calls and meetings between her father and his business partners, meant that he was about to blow up. “Da, please,” she said softly, reaching out for his hand. “I need to know. I’m twenty-seven, I think I can handle it now.”

Stefan looked at her, sad and confused and defeated, but it was Leah who spoke up. “Your father had nothing to do with it,” she said quietly, back straight as she met Aurora’s eyes. “If you want the truth, it will be from me.”

“Leah,” Stefan said quietly, before she held up her hand.

“Go find her godmothers,” she told her husband softly. “They need to be here for this.”

Stefan hesitated, looking back and forth between Leah and Aurora, before nodding. “I’ll be right back,” he murmured, kissing Leah’s temple before standing; giving Reza one last warning look before his eyes drifted to Aurora.

She didn’t notice. She was staring at her mother.

“What do you mean?” Aurora asked quietly as her father left the room. Leah took a deep breath, eyes closed.

“Aurora, I… The best thing I have ever done is raise you,” she said, looking at her daughter with warm golden eyes. “Being your mother is my greatest joy, and I have loved you with my whole heart since the moment I knew you were growing inside of me. But I did wrong by you, even before you were born,” she admitted.

Aurora’s hand stayed on Reza’s arm, trembling, as she looked at her mother with wide eyes.

“Your father and I were married for ten years before we had you,” Leah began. “And we had always wanted a big family. It was why we moved out here to Stefan’s ancestral home; plenty of room for plenty of kids. But no matter what we tried, we couldn’t conceive. We must have seen dozens of doctors, and they all told us the same thing. We would never have children.” Leah sighed. “It broke our hearts. I must have cried for weeks. Stefan started looking into adoption, but I couldn’t let it go. I wanted to know my own child, to see the beautiful baby Stefan and I would make. I thought I would die without knowing them.”

Leah pressed her clasped hands to her lips, eyes closed as she tried to steady herself. “That’s when I met her. A sorceress, looking out on the water from the cliffs, on the edges of our property. She asked me what ailed me, and I told her. I told her that I was barren, that it had always been my dream to have a large family, and she told me she could make it happen. She told me there would be a price, but I was so desperate that I was willing to give anything-” her words caught in her throat.

“She asked me for a sample of my blood, told me to go home, see my husband, and two months later the doctors confirmed I was pregnant. Stefan thought it was a miracle. I knew better.”

Leah smiled wetly. “The day you were born was the best day of my life. Oh, you were so beautiful. Our little Aurora, the light of our lives. For years life seemed to be perfect, watching you grow up. We were never able to conceive again, but we had you, and that was more than enough. When you were twelve, I found the sorceress again. I told her I had come to thank her, and repay my debt, but she told me it wasn’t time. She told me ‘Return to this place when your blossoming Rose turns sixteen, and invite me to your home to join the celebration. I shall stay for three nights, and when I leave in the morning, the debt will be repaid.’ And so I did.”

She shook her head. “I never thought- The debt was mine to repay, not yours. Never yours.”

Aurora didn’t know what she was feeling. The grip on Reza’s arm was the only thing keeping her on the ground. Carabosse had helped her mother get pregnant? Even before she was born, there had been an axe over her head.

“What…” Aurora started, her voice weak. “What happened next?”

Before Leah could answer, the door swung back open, and three older women rushed into the room. “Rory!” they all cried out, and Aurora spun to look at them with wide eyes. They all stopped dead when they saw the tears in her eyes, how wrung out Leah looked, and the stranger sitting next to Aurora.

“Should… we come back?” Jo asked, looking between the three as Verna and Lila tried to process the situation.

REZA

Reza pat Rory’s hand as a gesture of comfort as she rested it on his arm. He swallowed, as the story Leah told...well, it did tug on his heart. He hadn’t ever desired to be a father. It wasn’t until he agreed to get Rafika pregnant that he’d ever imagined passing on his genes. And it wasn’t until she was a few months pregnant that he realized he felt wrong about creating and child and not raising it.

He never purposely sought out being a father, but once he knew a child with his DNA was going to exist, he ached to be part of that child’s life. Reza wanted his baby so badly it hurt him to know that the arrangement was supposed to be zero involvement.

Rafika eventually saw things his way, and he never once regretted changing his mind about their original arrangement.

It would have killed him to not be able to hold Sabiha - and for the years they were separated, it tore him apart inside. So to an extent, he could empathize with Leah. About not knowing you’d get to have a baby. And then having a beautiful, perfect little girl that you loved more than anything. And her being all you could ask for and all you need.

He got it. He did.

As quickly as it came though, the empathy was gone. It was interrupted by three old white women bursting into the room. And three old white women never meant Happy Fun Times for Reza.

AURORA

The shock that had stopped her three aunties didn’t last long, and Lila was the first one to come around the couch and take Aurora’s hand. “Hiya, Rory,” she said with a small smile, perching herself on the edge of the couch with an ease that did not suit her size. Jo had gone to sit by Leah, wrapping an arm around the other woman and murmuring to her softly.

Verna was still standing in the doorway, arms folded as she stared at Reza with narrowed eyes.

“I believe this is a private conversation,” she said cooly. “Could you please give us a moment?”

“He stays,” Aurora said just as cooly, meeting her Auntie’s eyes. The floating feeling had vanished in a heartbeat, and Aurora was only too aware of herself. “I asked him to be here.” Verna looked at Aurora like she had just started speaking German.

“Aurora, this really isn’t the place-”

“He knows more about dark magic than any of us,” Aurora shot back. “I trust him. He stays.”

“That must make you the sorcery master,” Lila said casually, leaning around Aurora to wave at Reza like the temperature in the sunroom hadn’t dropped several degrees. “Nice to meet you. Stefan and your daughter are making sandwiches for everyone.”

“Verna, please, not here,” Jo said gently, holding Leah’s hand. “Stefan said-”

“I know what Stefan said and this is what I’m saying,” Verna snapped at her sister. “I don’t want a sorcerer in this house!”

“Too bad,” Aurora sniped, standing from her seat and whirling on Verna with a glare, stalking towards the woman. “It’s my curse, my life on the line, and if I say he can stay in this house, then his name can go up on the damn door.”

“That’s my girl,” Lila said proudly, shrugging in reply when Verna glared at her. The tallest fairy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Aurora, this is-”

“What, childish of me?” Aurora asked. Reza was the only one who could see the agitation and hurt curling and twisting around her like snakes. “Am I being too naive? Too trusting? Too unwilling to accept the truth?” Each word dripped from her tongue like acid, and every other woman in the room flinched from her words. “Reza’s the only one in this room who has been telling me the truth about what’s happening to me since day one. So either sit down and tell me what’s going on, or leave. Reza stays.”

Verna had about half a foot on the much smaller Aurora, but in that moment Verna cowered back from her. Her expression morphed between confusion, anger, and betrayal, and Aurora watched the emotions cycle around and around. “Work your shit out on your own time,” she told her auntie. “We’re all adults here.”

Aurora spun back around, only catching Leah and Jo’s wide eyes and Lila’s wide grin before sitting gracefully back down next to Reza. “I’m sorry for the interruption,” she told her mother before pointedly taking Reza’s hand. She’d apologize to him later for dragging him into her family’s drama. Maybe give him a week off from Aurora’s Bullshit.

“Please, continue.”

REZA

Reza sat there unfazed by anything the bitchy fairy - Verna - shouted about him. If ‘ew, gross, sorcerer’ was the worst she had to say about him? Ha! He could handle it. He’d been called all sorts of things from a monster, to a cockroach, to a pox on Tunisian society. He’d been arrested, interrogated, tortured, beaten, shot at, almost killed in a bombing, and had an assassination attempt on him for existing while being a sorcerer.

He thinks he can handle a fairy with a sharp tongue.

“No need to defend me, Rory, but thank you. I assure you I’m far beyond the point where words about how disgusting sorcerers are can hurt me.” Subtly, he pulled up the sleeve on the arm Aurora wasn’t touching, to flash her some of the battle scars of living in North Africa as a magick.

AURORA

Aurora gave Reza a small, tired smile as she reached out and laid a hand over his scars gently, but Lila - grinning widely behind her - mouthed “That wasn’t about you, dear”. Verna had taken a seat in the last chair in the room, trying not to look like she was sulking and pointedly avoiding looking at the two sorcerers sitting together.

“As I was saying,” Leah said, looking between the two parties warily. “The day of your sixteenth birthday, I went to go get Carabosse and bring her back to the house. We put her up in our nicest guest room, treated her like family… I’m sure you remember that.”

Aurora nodded. She had been curious about the stranger her mother had brought home with the old-fashioned style and the odd smile, but at that time the Briar’s often entertained business guests and other families from around the area. Aurora had been more excited about her birthday than anything, she hadn’t had the desire to pry about Madame Carabosse.

Maybe she should have.

“None of us know exactly what happened that first night,” Jo cut in, still gently patting Leah’s hand. “Just that when we woke up the next day, you seemed to be coming down with some sort of illness. You were lethargic and unfocused, and we were all rather worried.”

“That was the first night I had the dream in the museum,” Aurora said quietly, holding Reza’s hand just a little tighter; her other hand bunched into the fabric of her cardigan. Lila gently pet some of Aurora’s curls back.

“You know what happened next,” Verna said. Her tone had gone much softer. “The three of us decided to get you a charm to help you get some proper sleep, and went up to your room to give it to you a little after everyone had retired for the night. We found the door locked, so we flew to the window and scared her away.”

REZA

“Right, the hallway dream. With the portraits. The really fucked one— uh, sorry, shouldn’t swear.” He covered his mouth with his hand.

He shook his head as Verna paused. No, no, this wasn’t becoming any clearer. Not one bit. This still wasn’t answering a lot of technical questions he needed to help her.

But this wasn’t about him. It was for Rory. And it was his job to figure out the hard part anyway.

“That still doesn’t explain...so much.” Reza said quietly, biting his lip and just. Thinking. Thinking hard.

AURORA

Reza was right, it wasn't explaining much. After the bombshells her mother had dropped, Verna's explanation had just left her more confused.

“But what was she doing?” she asked. “What did she want from me? What does she still want from me? And why did she wait until then?”

“We don’t really know-” Verna started, before Lila threw a pillow at her.

“Oh be quiet, you're not helping,” she said flatly as Verna squawked. Lila turned back to Aurora. “When we came to the window, Carabosse was sitting on your bed, singing to you. I'm not an expert on dark magic so I'm not sure exactly what she was doing, but it tied the both of you together.”

Aurora reached up for her necklace, holding onto it shakily as she remembered her dream. Carabosse standing over her as she lay trapped in a body that wouldn't move, humming as she drew the magic out of Aurora's body and into her own. Playing with the amulet around her neck, runes shining all wet and red. Aurora hadn't thought it had made any sense, but the knowledge that Carabosse had given her mother a spell to help her conceive… that they were tied together before she was even born… that Carabosse had asked for her blood...

Vibrant, terrifying lilac eyes staring at her from a pale face framed in black hair. Aurora's mother had golden brown eyes, and her father's were blue.

Aurora reached up, fingers brushing along her cheek under her own eyes. All of the women in those paintings in the museum in her nightmares, their eyes were purple too. And then, when they died, they were gone.

Aurora, running through the ship after Carabosse died, with vibrant, terrible lilac eyes.

A small sob rose up her throat and Aurora covered her mouth, trembling. “She… She came back for her magic,” she whispered. Aurora looked up at Reza with wide, horrified eyes. “That's why my magic doesn't feel like my own, it's hers. And it's in- it's inside of me.”

Aurora finally let go of his hand, covering her face as the horror washed over her in waves.

REZA

Reza’s blood ran cold as Aurora came to the frightening conclusion on her own. He didn’t have time to process his ah-ha moment of I knew something was off about this magic! as even he wasn’t so callous. Being right, and letting it known he’d been right, didn’t beat out looking after Rory.

It was his job as her friend and Master sorcerer to consider her well-being. And prodding her like a frog dissection wasn’t it, chief.

“Rory, breathe,” Reza said gently, patting her back between her shoulder blades. He looked to the white lady who seemed least likely to kill him (Lila). “Could you grab her a glass of water, please?”

He could feel and see the panic, horror, and disgust (the kind that only could be directed at oneself) rising in her. The first two, he got. The disgust, he didn’t like one bit. And he wasn’t sure he had the right words. Or actions. He knew he didn’t, in fact. He only knew he could try his best.

“Hey. Habibti, listen.” Reza said, moving off the couch to crouch in front of her on the ground, wincing as it sent pain to his bad leg, mostly from the knee up. He rested a hand on if of her knees, and chased her eyes even as they moved to avoid his gaze.

“Try to breathe. She would be thrilled to freak you out, win by collecting yourself. I know this is scary, and I’m not telling you not to be scared.” He said, clipped Tunisian accent filling the room even as he spoke low and measured. It was silent otherwise. “I have worked against some serious dark magic, Rory. Okay? I’ve got you. That’s how people like us survive in my country, we’ve got each other.”

“So be scared, and shocked, but don’t let her win for even a little while. Breathe. We’ll figure this out.”

Still on the ground, he looked over his shoulder at Leah, Jo, and Verna. “Is there anything else you can tell me — us — er, Rory. It’s important you share everything with m— her. So I can help her.”

If Aurora was right about her being inside of her… holy hell, this was some of the darkest magic he’d ever heard of, let alone tried to interact with. He needed to know every precious iota of information.

AURORA

The rest of her family had jumped to their feet when Aurora had started to shake, but they all kept their distance; not wanting to crowd her. Instead they watched Reza kneel in front of her, speaking to her in a low, calm voice.

Aurora didn't see them move, didn't notice them at all. All she could think about was the magic in her body, pressing against her skin with an uncontrollable desire to escape. All this time, it had just been looking for a way out. Her aunties were right. Aurora wasn't a sorceress.

She was a bomb.

Her eyes were dry even as she began to shake and hyperventilate, staring into space and resisting the urge to pull her own eyes right out of her head. They were her's, so much of her was just what Carabosse had left behind! If she pulled the curse out of her, what would even be left?

Reza finally caught her eyes and held them; wide and frantic as she pressed her hands against her mouth so hard she could feel her teeth through her lips. His voice slowly worked past the blood pounding in her ears, and Aurora reached out for him; her hands fisting into the fabric of his shirt near his shoulders.

“Try to breathe,” he said, and she gasped in response. “I've got you,” he reassured, and Aurora pressed her face against his shoulder as she trembled. His shirt stayed dry; he was right, Carabosse did not get her tears.

She stayed that way, silent and shaking behind her hair, as her family watched in various states of discomfort and sorrow. “We haven't seen her since we scared her off,” Jo said, looking like being away from Aurora was physically painful. “Lila enchanted the grounds so she couldn't cross onto them, and Verna and I made Aurora's amethyst charm to keep Carabosse from being able to find Aurora again. Since then, nothing.”

“If we knew more, do you think Aurora would still be suffering like this?” Verna asked. “We've got no leads that we haven't already chased down.”

REZA

Reza… Did Not Do This Shit.

He wasn’t equipped to handle Aurora’s breakdowns, or anybody’s, really. But he knew how to talk someone out of self-destructing after trauma, and the tactic he was employing here was similar. ‘Don’t let them see you upset even with your friend’s blood on your cheek’ became ‘don’t let the bitch who cursed you win’ in a heartbeat.

“Yes, actually, she probably still would.” Reza said calmly to Verna. “You can’t just get somebody uncursed because you know the whole damn Wikipedia page by heart. Which is why it’s so important you’ve told me everything you all know.”

“Cursebreakers aren’t a half pence a dozen like some other areas of sorcery.”

AURORA

The conversation went in circles for several minutes after that, just rehashing the same information over and over, and Aurora honestly wasn't paying attention to most of it. She was busy trying not to fling herself against Reza’s chest where she could curl up and just hide from the rest of the world. It was obvious that her family didn't know much more about Carabosse or how she worked than Aurora did, and the realization that they were flying nearly blind dragged down at her morale.

She wanted to fucking sleep for a week.

Soon enough, Sabiha and Stephan came back with sandwiches and lemonade; the young girl taking one look at Aurora before curling up against her side as they ate. Her parents invited them all to stay for the night, and Jo and Lila talked enough that there weren't too many awkward lulls in the conversation. Even Verna started to loosen up a bit when she learned that Sabiha was half-fairy.

Once her food was eaten and she was sure Reza and Sabiha wouldn't be too uncomfortable, Aurora went to take a long nap, crying into her pillow for an embarrassingly long time. She did not sleep peacefully, and only looked more tired when she came back downstairs. She found Reza on the back porch, watching Sabiha and Lila splashing together in the stream behind the house as only two Water Talent fairies could. Aurora silently joined him, leaning against the railing as she fiddled with a long curl of hair.

“Thank you,” she said finally, her voice small. “For coming out here with me.”

REZA

Reza anxiously waited for Rory to wake up from her nap. He liked Jo and Lila enough to let Lila take Sabiha to play in the stream with her water talent magic, and Rory’s parents were nice, but he didn’t like being here.

Their home only reminded him of privilege, of the wealthy white European tourists whose asses he had to kiss while a server and bartender at resorts to afford to put Sabiha through good schools and English language tutoring. He knew it was irrational, to be so uncomfortable here. They’d been nothing but kind to him and his daughter. Still, he didn’t like being here without Rory as a buffer.

He didn’t talk much to anybody - except Jo and Lila - while Rory was sleeping. And when he recognized her soft footsteps approaching him, he almost sighed in relief.

“Hey. I was happy to do it.” Reza assured her, placing a hand on hers and giving a reassuring squeeze before taking his hand away to gesture to the stream. “Sabiha’s made a friend.”

AURORA

Aurora’s heart tripped a couple beats when he squeezed her hand, and she shot him a brief, grateful look as she squeezed it back before letting go. She followed his gesture and smiled softly as Sabiha laughed with water dancing around her. “I'm glad,” she said, watching the two playing together and remembering summers of doing the same thing; young and eager and completely mundane as she chased fish along the stream and splashed anyone who got close to her.

Part of her wanted to run out and join them. Part of her didn't want to ruin the moment.

Aurora hung on to herself as she leaned against the railing, trying not to shiver in the warm spring air. “Do…” she started, pressing her lips together when the words got caught in her throat. “I don't know what happens next,” she whispered. Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she tried not to think about how pathetic she must look.

REZA

As infallible as he liked Rory to think he was, Reza was no miracle worker and certainly no god. Much to his own chagrin he had to admit that he, too, was at a loss. He didn’t want to give Aurora false hope, but didn’t want her to think he would give up on her just because it was hard. And if she thought so? She didn’t know him, not really.

“Neither do I, to tell you the truth.” He said calmly, turning to his apprentice with an expression that was kinder than neutral while not quite a smile. “But I’ve worked with less before.”

“And, Aurora?”

A beat.

“The self-loathing is coming off you in droves, ya habibti. I’m glad Sabiha isn’t old enough to properly see and identify reagents yet.”

AURORA

It wasn’t that Aurora thought Reza was infallible, per say, it was just that he knew this part of their world so much more than her. He was a sorcerer born and raised. Aurora wasn’t even sure what she was anymore.

The fact that he wasn’t lying or sugarcoating anything for her was greatly appreciated, and she gave him a small, wry smile. His second comment, however, had her blinking at him in confusion before her cheeks colored in embarrassment. It was one thing to feel that horrible hatred and disappointment in her chest, it was another to know someone else was witness. Aurora was good at hiding that part of her; the ugly voice in her mind that screamed and howled day and night and made sure she stayed in her place.

Aurora looked away from Reza quickly, hiding under her hair and trying to make that voice as small as possible so maybe he couldn’t see it. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” she said, unable to keep the edge of sarcasm from her voice. The smaller she tried to make it, the louder her thoughts got, and Aurora pressed her lips together firmly.

“Don’t worry, this is one problem you don’t have to help with,” she said tiredly. Reza had already shouldered enough of her baggage for one day. Her eyes slipped to Sabiha, laughing as she kicked water up at Lila and Jo, and her heart twisted even further in her chest.

No, she couldn’t ask Reza to help with this. This predated him by years; this was Aurora’s burden alone.

REZA

“There’s no need for it. You are so many wonderful things.” Reza said quietly, before turning away and walking a few feet across the porch to get a closer look at Sabiha playing.

Reza’s heart was so full of love for his little girl. Their four years of separation only made him appreciate having her more.

“It would be rude to decline your mother’s offer to stay for dinner.” Reza said slowly, changing the subject. “But I think Sabiha and I will just stay in a hotel in town tonight.”

He hoped she’d let him without protest. Admitting he was uncomfortable and why wouldn’t...go over great. Probably.

And he could see the bedtime conversation with Sabiha from a mile away. Being with fairies— a water fairy — again? She’d surely ask about Rafika. Ask her why she didn’t come here with her, and not for the first time. He didn’t want prying ears for that conversation between them.

She was eight. Soon to be nine. It would take several more rehashings of that conversation to actually understand.

“Verna hasn’t said anything nasty since she found out she’s half-fairy. She doesn’t trust me I don’t think; rightfully so, I’m a stranger to her. But I’m glad she’s partial to my baby. Some fairies from Rafika’s hollow were prejudiced against half fairies.”

AURORA

“You are so many wonderful things.”

It was a very good thing Reza had turned away from her, because her reaction to that quiet, simple statement was, frankly, embarrassing. She stared after him, mouth hanging slightly open as his words echoed again and again in her head. Her heart lept in her chest, a warmth spreading to her toes and fingers that smothered the fear and uncertainty that had been rising in her since her realization earlier. At her temples, flowers burst into bloom; a crown of affection and warmth and a feeling she wouldn’t name woven through her curls for only her and Reza to see.

That simple statement made her glow, as did the soft, shy smile that curled her lips in reply.

It felt like the world should have stopped, should have let her process the feelings a few words from her Master had stirred in her, but life continued at the same pace as before and Aurora was left to blink at him as he continued to speak. “Oh,” she said, voice soft. “Yeah, of course. If you think it would be best.” Normally Aurora might have protested a little more, would have insisted he was welcome to stay, that it would be an honor to have him and Sabiha as their guests, but she didn’t need to be able to see reagents to know her family’s home made him uncomfortable.

Did that make her sad? Yes. She wanted him and his daughter to find as much comfort in her home as she found in his, but she could acknowledge that it was… a lot.

Aurora drew closer as the conversation shifted to her aunt, arms still wrapped around herself as she came to stand by Reza’s side. Not too close, not in his space, but enough so they didn’t have to raise their voices and risk being overheard. “My aunt is being difficult in the extreme, but she wouldn’t say no to a fairy without a Hollow,” she admitted, still annoyed with Verna. “And it’s not like the others care. Hell, they let me hang around and I don’t have any fairy blood at all.”

She glanced up at Reza before looking back at Sabiha. “... It’s not the same as a Hollow in Tunisia, but if she ever needs it, they’ll open their arms to her,” she offered quietly. “My aunts will vouch for her and so will I. Just… if she needs it.” Aurora couldn’t drag Sabiha’s mother back to her sense by the ear, but she could try and make sure that no part of Sabiha’s heritage was denied to her. Even if all she had to offer was a watered-down version. “No pressure. None of us will be upset if you don’t take that up. I know it’s not the same.”

REZA

Aurora’s kind offer warmed Reza’s heart - while at the same time, it stung. It reminded him of how Rafika had left Sabiha, how Reza couldn’t give her a connection to that part of herself. It was by sheer luck his first apprentice since Tunisia was a woman partially raised by fairies.

Without Aurora, what would he do about that? No, really. He hadn’t exactly befriended any of the fairies around Swynlake. Aurora’s aunties were the first fairies Sabiha’s met since leaving home. It must have been so nice to meet them. He felt bad for being so adamant he and Sabiha stay in a hotel, but...it was for the best.

Reza and Sabiha needed to talk, anyway. He wanted to check in with her about how she was feeling about her mother, after meeting new fairies.

His anger at Rafika came back to him like an overdue boomerang, and he hated it. He was here for Rory, not to feel red hot rage at his baby mama. The sorcerer took a deep, measured breath, and turned to Rory with a thin smile.

(If he showed how happy he was on his face, he’d...honestly, probably cry. But she could tell. She was a sorceress, after all.)

“That’s the kindest thing anybody has ever offered me, Aurora.” Reza said. “Really. A chance to provide my daughter with a link to her heritage that I can’t myself? I’d owe you - and your aunties - forever.”

“I can teach her how to be Tunisian, Muslim, a good person, and a sorcerer. But I can’t teach her how to use her water talent fairy magic.”

AURORA

There was a flash of anger in Reza that scared Aurora, made her think she had overstepped her boundaries. But it was overshadowed by his happiness and Aurora could feel her own building up in her chest in reply. She smiled up at him, cheeks flushed.

“You wouldn’t owe us anything, it’s the least we can do,” she promised him. Aurora looked out to where Sabiha stood in the stream, giggling in delight. “She deserves everything,” Aurora said softly, clasping her hands together so she didn’t give in to the urge to reach out to him. She wanted to hold his hand, to rest her head against his shoulder as they watched his daughter play and laugh. It was nice to know that even as Aurora’s world got turned inside out, there was still plenty of joy to be found in the world.

“She’s a lucky girl, Hollow or not,” Aurora told him. “You’re a wonderful father. She’s going to be just fine.”

REZA

Reza’s eyes were glued to Sabiha. Y’allah, he loved her so much, she was the best thing that could ever have happened to him. Aurora was right. Sabiha deserved the world, but Reza couldn’t do that for her. He had his limits - financially, and, in his knowledge of what it was to be a fairy.

“Wonderful? I wouldn’t go that far. Sabiha at least shouldn’t grow up traumatized because of my parenting, so I’m okay with ‘decent.’ She deserves much more than what I’ve been able to do for her.” He smiled sadly as he watched Sabiha give a big yawn in the stream.

“Aw,” Reza pressed a hand to his chest and laughed. “She’s getting sleepy.”

They should go soon, leave Rory and her parents to talk. (Get him out of his far too large house, that just reminded him of some of the people he had to work for in Tunisia to help support his sisters after his mother left, or support Sabiha.)

“I just want her to stay small and cute forever.”

AURORA

Aurora saw Sabiha yawn too and giggled, covering her grin. Carabosse and her curse felt so far away in that moment, and Aurora understood all too well how Reza felt. She wanted to stay in that quiet, peaceful moment forever.

But time wouldn’t stop for them; Sabiha would grow up, Carabosse would come back for her debt. But there would be another spot of light, another moment like this. Aurora just had to make it from one to the next.

“Take a picture then,” Aurora teased, bumping her hip against Reza’s before leaning down to take off her shoes. She easily made her way down onto the lawn, approaching the fairies with a bright smile as she stepped into the stream with them. They welcomed her gladly, Sabiha throwing herself against Aurora’s legs as the older woman laughed. It wasn’t long before they were splashing each other, Aurora not caring if she got wet or not as she helped to tire the little girl out. 

Letting herself exist in younger Aurora’s skin for a few stolen moments before the world came back for her and she had to face it all with her blinders gone.

#c: reza kasraoui muller #t: rolling hills and big reveals #;;war and peace #//everyone pretend this isn't several months late #tw: death mention #tw: blood mention #tw: panic attack #//the death and blood mentions are in passing but Aurora does recount an awful nightmare and has a panic attack

[outside-of-my-box]

Life is full of surprises, everyone knows that. But there are a few universal truths even the most skeptical refuse to dispute. The sun rises in the east. Death. Gravity. Taxes….and a man pursued by Endeavor is a man already in chains.  

The current no. 1 hero had an irrefutable record of success. ‘Endeavor will catch his criminal’ and ‘water is wet’ score the same on the cosmic truth scale and it is this fact that keeps the general public tolerant of the other inarguable truths that surround him.

Endeavor is an ass. Endeavor is a bully. Endeavor has nothing even close to a bedside manner. Endeavor always plays to win.

And if there is one true golden rule. A law of nature that trumps all other physical and theoretical laws…it would be this

Never. Ever stand between Endeavor and his prize.

Man, woman, child, building, river, ocean wide…there are no immovable objects to the unyealding force that is the Flame Hero Enji Todoroki.

“Shit. Sorry man.”

The problem with universally recognized laws of nature…

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”

…Is that scientifically speaking nothing is ever true…

“Eh. Thats the problem with ice you know…its kinda slippery”

…Things are simply not yet proven false.

“who the hell do you think you are?!”

“Oh, the name’s Mika Hammonds and on behalf of the Yagi Hero Agency I extend my deepest- “

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

The building was small and quaint…less like an office and more like the home of a family man with a respectable job and a reasonable paycheck. If it were not for the small sign out front no one would suspect it for what it was.

Funny enough the same could be said of the man currently standing just outside its simply iron gates. Both building and boy where attractive in a way that actively prevented them from standing out. Sweet, inviting face and open posture. Small, but graceful in stature. Large green eyes that seemed to positively sparkle with life and a healthy dusting of freckles like cinnamon on a morning latte. His strangest feature was his hair. It was an unusual shade, almost black from most viewpoints. However, when the light caught a stray strand or the sun danced full force above one could finally see the truth. Like a diamond illuminated by a perfectly placed glow his soft curls and gentle waives lit up a deep earthly green, like a forest at sunrise. An emerald in the rough.

Not that this sort of thought had ever even begun to cross the mind below the messy tussle of hair. No. The word that came to mind…that had always come to mind…when someone was asked to describe Midoriya Izuku in a single phrase…was plain. He took no issue with this. It was just true. Like the sun. Like gravity. Like taxes.

But to Midoriya Izuku the building he now stood before was anything but. To him it was a palace. A beacon of light. Sacred, hollowed ground he still wasn’t convinced he deserved to enter. But enter he did. With one scarred and shaking hand he gripped the cold metal of the gate and took the first steps into his destiny. Any sensation he had felt in his 3 years at U.A. paled in comparison to now. A week ago he has stood on a stage in front of gods and men alike to receive what had once been the fever dream of a small quirkless child.  

He had cried then. Unashamed and unbridled tears of joy and relief and wonder. Tears that did not stop as he held hands with his classmates and announced themselves to the world for the very first time as heros. Tears he had shared with many as he wrapped his arms around familiar forms and traded promises to keep in touch. To not forget. Tears of pain and sorrow as he watched his brothers and sisters each, one by one, turn and walk out of the gates for what was both a first and a final time until only one remained…until they had been alone.

He shook his head, attempting to chase the bittersweet from his mind. His eyes were dry now but the feeling in his chest was the same as he reached out and pressed the doorbell with fire in his soul and determination in his face.

Nothing happened. He pressed it again and stood back. Waiting. Nothing. He began to fidget as his resolve began to slip. Doubt crept in slowly. Was he early? Was he late?! Was this the wrong address? Had they reconsidered? By the time the door opened Midoriya was half way into a panic attack with the image of the office staff hunkered down under desks and behind plants as they quietly prayed the nuisance of a rejected sidekick would just leave already.

But open the door did to reveal a woman about the same height as he was. Her attention was on something behind her as she shot a half annoyed half teasing remark over her shoulder. In her hand she held two large trash bags full of what could only be assumed was trash.

“Alright! Im doing it, no need to nag. God this is why I hate when you come to visit – oh!”

It was evident that whatever she had expected to find on the large covered porch beyond the door she had just opened it was not an attractive young man in a cotton t-shirt and slacks awkwardly picking at the strap of a gym bag slung over his shoulder and a large rolling suitcase at his feet.

“Can I help you?” she had a kind, musical voice and an accent that was undoubtably American. She punctuated her question with a quisical cock of her head, like a dog trying to pick up the sound of a fox in the brush. It was a tick he would come to know very well in the coming months as proof of her formidability but for now the almost childlike quality of it stilled his fraying nerves. The sharpness of her eyes however, a blue so cold and light he almost shivered involuntarily, did nothing to still his pounding heart.

“I’m..um..My name is Midoriya Izuku- Deku. Im the hero Deku. Im supposed to start..um…today” He almost winced. Talking to girls, particularly attractive older woman, had never been something he was particularly adept at. And the color of her eyes where just a little to intimate not to conjure up ill timed memories…Though she did have one more than he was used to.

Suddenly, like clouds parting over a frozen lake, her eyes warmed into the calm sea surrounding some tropical paradise. She smiled wide and giggled. It wasn’t a laugh, lacking the adult-like restraint the word demanded…it was a genuine sound of joy and amusement usually reserved for small children and silly girls. It made Izuku smile despite the emotional whiplash the last few moments had been.

“Oh shit, really?!” his smile faltered a bit so she clarified “I didn’t realize that was today. Welcome Welcome!”

She took a step forward and embraced him. So taken aback by the action was Midoriya that he simply stood there and allowed it to happen. Had she been a classmate or a woman his mother’s age he would have expected it but this woman was maybe 4 or 5 years older than he was. Possibly less. Hes head swam. He could count on one hand the number of times he had been this close to a woman he wasn’t related to…

“Who-Mika!” All Might saves the day once more as his small, thin frame appears behind the creature currently assaulting his physical and mental space. She let him go and half turned with a clear ‘what?!’ written across her face. “At least put down the trash!”

Two pairs of eyes blinked at him, confused. Then in unison both looked down at the bags still clutched in her hands.

“Oh. Oh my…” her face flushed red as she very carefully placed the bags down beside the door as if they where filled with something very precious or very volatile. She turned back to Midoriya with a look of horror so over the top he had to restrain a smile. “I am so sorry! So sorry. I cant even- I promise its just papers and stuff. Not that that really makes it better. But I mean…”

She shook her head and picked up the bags again and without saying anything else carefully stepped around him and began down the walk towards the street.

“Where are you going?! The trash it around the side.” All Might called as he came to stand beside his protégé. “Mika!”

“Im going to take it down to the dumpster. Maybe throw myself in front of a bus.” She paused and turn around as she got to the gate. “Oh, It was very nice to meet you Midoriya Izuku!”

As green eyes, full of confusion and bewilderment, followed her hasty exit the boy allowed his former teacher and mentor to usher him inside with a laugh. And so their first meeting had concluded. A strange, awkward and all around unimpressive encounter between two unknown and seemingly mundane individuals. Despite all of this however, this odd collision between strangers would mark the beginning of something far more prodigious…more breathtaking…more dangerous than anyone involved could have possibly imagined.

#my hero academia #midoriya izuku #bnha #this story has no name #or planning #i dont know what im doing #all might #im not a writer #just a very good liar #fic #Mika is mine #endeavor #todoroki enji

[howsit-going-toend]

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) Pt. 5

A Kwon Jiyong x Reader AU series featuring Kim Jiwon and Choi Seunghyun

Genre: Crime/Mafia/ANGST

Warnings: Swearing/Violence

Word count: 4,000+ (There’s A LOT going on here....)

Summary: You joined the police force years ago to help clean up the streets of Seoul and rid the city of organized crime. You’ve seen some shit. You’re surely prepared for anything…but how are you supposed to feel when the big bad crime boss you’ve been after turns out to be a familiar (to say the least) face?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

The police force prepares you to handle and respond to just about anything; to be a master of balancing action/reaction in any scenario under limitless amounts of pressure. When you wear that badge, you should be ready to tackle whatever is thrown at you no matter what. In the four years you’d held your position, you’ve proven your capabilities through and through.

But the look on Jiwon’s face rendered you almost catatonic.

It was the look a child gives to a parent upon catching them stuffing their face with cookies that the child had left out for Santa Claus. It placed a massive weight on your chest that you would have done anything and gone anywhere to remove. You just sat there staring back at him, knowing it was impossible to take back the last three minutes. Your silence was enough of an answer for him.

His face left yours for no more than a second to recall the mixed company. There was an undeniable shift in the room’s tension as he offered Chief Kim a polite nod. “I apologize. Don’t let me interrupt.” His expression had softened. But it was a smile of his that you knew all too well. You knew exactly what he was thinking when he heard that name, and it ridded your heart with a massive amount of guilt to see him smile through it.

“Jiwon…” You began.

“Here.” He offered the paper bag out to you. “I got you breakfast from the food court. Let me know if you don’t like it and I’ll get you something else.” You couldn’t bring yourself to play along and respond.

The forced smile remained on his face as he bowed to Chief Kim before exiting the room once again. You continued to stare at the door, speechless, until your superior cleared his throat, returning to his own unanswered question.

You squeezed your eyes shut before looking back to him. “I’m sorry about that.” You muttered. “I know that it wasn’t on record anywhere in the basement. That’s because I saw him face to face…he was there when I was hurt…he gave the man the orders.” Your gaze fell to your right leg as you said those words.

Chief Kim shifted in his seat. “This is the first I’m hearing about this.”

“I know.” You paused, still unable to maintain eye contact as your heart and brain continued to wage their war against one another. “But it’s true.”

“You…know him?” He stated it as a fact more so than an actual question.

He sighed at your lack of response. “Y/N. I know I don’t need to remind you of the protocol that comes into play here. Personal connections to a case like this…it shouldn’t be allowed.” Your eyes shot up to meet his before he continued. “I don’t want to remove you from your position in this. Your qualifications and passion exceed damn near everyone, and you are a fantastic detective.” His stern look bore into you. “But I will not hesitate to shut this whole thing down.”

You shook your head. “No. No, Chief, I assure you I can do this. I’m just still shook up from what happened… I will get over it. I promise you.”

The look on his face oozed skepticism. You took a deep breath. “Yes I knew him… Once. That was a long time ago…Clearly, he is a different person.”

He took a minute to silently mull over your words before nodding his head. “All right…I do want to see where you take this case. I know what you are capable of, Y/N.” He paused for emphasis. “But the second I see this becoming an issue, I am putting an end to it. That goes for Seunghyun too. Do you understand?”

You returned a firm nod with zero hesitation.

Speaking to your superior helped reignite your desire to succeed. You silently reminded yourself to shake every ounce of emotion off and maintain your professional demeanor. At least on the surface. Despite how desperately you may wish otherwise, you know that you can’t change the past. You had a job to do and there was no time to waste on your feelings.

After all, you now had someone else’s to worry about.

The amount of anxiety that stayed bundled in your chest when Jiwon reentered the room was ungodly. The room was absolutely silent aside from your IV pump’s beeping and the sound his shoes made as they scuffed against the linoleum flooring. Once he took his place in the metal folding chair beside your bed, he grabbed your left hand and held it without a word. He didn’t even look at you. You watched him intently, feeling sweat slowly begin to bead at your hairline. The weight on your chest felt heavier and heavier as the minutes passed by.

He might as well have been screaming at you. Anything but this…aren’t YOU the one that got shot? What the hell do you have to feel guilty about right now? You had all intentions of telling him. You were going to…eventually.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

He uttered the words monotonously as he stared down at your fingers. It wasn’t what you’d wanted to hear but it was something. You sighed and nudged the untouched paper bag full of food.

“Yeah. I’ll eat some in a minute.” You offered a small smile despite the fact that he still hadn’t looked at you. He nodded his head slightly before silence fell on the room once again, putting a fast end to his attempt at a normal conversation.

The truth was, Jiwon never actually met Jiyong. Ever. There was a lot about you and Jiyong that he never even knew. Whether it was due to pent up insecurities, or jealousy…he knew enough to start countless fights. Even though you never really believed you did anything wrong or gave him any real reason to be mad at you, you apologized again and again, until it was all brought to an end years ago. It was Jiwon’s decision that Jiyong’s name was never to be spoken between the two of you ever again. Today, of course, had broken all of that.

Beep…Beep…Beep…

He brought his left hand up to his lips, which he kissed before gently lowering it to your right knee. His thumb slowly moved back and forth. You felt yourself relax slightly at the affectionate gesture, holding onto the hope that that subject had actually been left in the past, for good. His eyes lingered on your right leg protectively.

“So…that’s what he’s been doing all these years.”

Your warm expression fell. You should have known better.

Your responding silence made him look up at you and hold your hand a little tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to get us into this again… We finished that conversation a long time ago.” He forced a small grin that you did your best to match. Three years ago actually, but who’s counting?

“I just can’t believe this.” He let out a sigh and shook his head, bringing his eyes back to your leg. “That son of a bitch…”

Discomfort began to fill your chest again as you readjusted your hand in his. You didn’t know how he expected you to reply to any of this. Your mind had been filled with so much confusion; you were proud of yourself for even remembering how to blink. He muttered something to himself, but the room’s dead silence made it impossible for you to not hear him.

“He’ll get his soon...”

Your eyes widened reflexively. Without taking another second to think up an actual response, your face contorted into a wince. “Aish.”

Jiwon removed his left hand from its position with raised eyebrows. “Are you o-?”

You cut him off. “Will you get the nurse? I…I think this pain medication has worn off.”

One week later

“And so, ya know, that’s why I wanted to meet with you in person today. I wanted to be sure you heard it from me first.” Dongjoo folded his hands together. The young man said the words with enthusiasm but his eyes never stopped shifting anxiously between the two men seated across from him.

Jiyong said nothing. He merely tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, as if trying to convince himself that this really was the same man he’s known for years. The same man who, in the beginning, had appeared on his hands and knees quivering before Jiyong and begged like a dog for “just one more day.” Who had gladly “organized” thousands and thousands of dollars into his little tobacco shop at the drop of a hat, because he feared the name, G Dragon. Who’d answered any and every cop or government worker that grew the least bit suspicious, reading all his lines without missing a cue. There’s no way this was the same man who had just so confidently informed Jiyong that he’s decided to move his business to America, and would no longer require his men to “look after” him and his store.

After entertaining the thought for a minute, Jiyong raised his eyebrows in amusement and returned his gaze to the grill. Dongjoo’s smile faltered slightly. His eyes darted back to Jiyong’s partner, silently begging him to say something. Taehee offered no assistance, only staring back at the man with the same mute expression he’d been sporting all night. A small smile found its way to Jiyong’s face as he grabbed a set of tongs to rotate the beef. The loud sizzle it made helped to disguise the audible gulp from his, now former, business associate.

Jiyong continued to stare at the meat with watchful eyes as he brought his elbow to rest on the table, allowing the hand holding the tongs to support his chin. Dongjoo watched him closely, feeling the nervous sweat begin to bead at his forehead. A chill ran down his spine as Jiyong blinked before locking eyes with him once again; that same smile painted across his face.

“Well, that’s too bad.” Jiyong finally said, casually. “I’ve got to say, I’m a little disappointed.” He pointed the tongs at Dongjoo in a playful manner. “America doesn’t deserve your good business.”

Dongjoo burst out in an exaggerated laugh, making it clear he’d been holding his breath. “Oh come on now.”

“No, no, honestly.” Jiyong raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. “You come on; no one runs a tobacco shop over there like you do. No question.”

Dongjoo shrugged his shoulders and laughed again, visibly relaxing. “You’re making me blush. Enough, enough.”

“I think that’s ready.” Taehee interrupted and nodded to the beef.

“Oh here let me cut it.” Dongjoo began to reach for the scissors beside the grill, before Jiyong beat him to it.

“Oh no, please, allow me.” He grabbed the tool with his free hand. “This calls for a celebration. The least I can do is serve you some quality barbecue.” He grabbed the beef with the tongs and carefully eyeballed where to slice it.

“America…now that’s exciting.” He said with his eyes on the grill, lining up the scissors into position. “How’s the Mrs. feel about that?” Slice.

Dongjoo flinched at the sound, while furrowing his eyebrows at the unexpected personal question. “Oh uh.” Slice. “She’s ready for the change I think.” Slice. He laughed lightly.

“You think?” Slice. “Oh, you better know. Don’t want any issues being caused in the marriage because of this. Moving to another country is no small step.” Slice. “What about your daughter?”

Dongjoo laughed nervously once again. Slice. “She’s, uh, she’s excited.” Slice. “She’s only five so, you know, she doesn’t really have much of an opinion.” Slice. He reached up to scratch the back of his head uncomfortably. They’d never discussed his family before.

Jiyong smiled wider. “Ah, kids.” Slice. “They just go with whatever you say.” He looked up at Dongjoo and served him a few strips of beef. “They trust you.”

Dongjoo did an awful job at disguising his discomfort. He hesitated in bowing his head to accept the serving, and quickly averted his eyes to his plate. But Jiyong wasn’t done.

“When do you leave?”

Dongjoo looked up with his chopsticks still in his mouth, having just taken his first bite. “Huh?”

Jiyong was placing a few strips of beef on Taehee’s plate; he looked up to make brief eye contact with his partner before turning back to the nervous gentleman across from him. “I said when do you leave? For America?”

“Oh, ha…ha, in about a month.”

Jiyong raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, well why don’t we just ride this thing out for another month then?” He asked before taking a bite of his own serving. His eyes didn’t leave Dongjoo, who began to shift in his seat as he stared back down at his plate.

“I don’t, uh…you know, with moving and everything that goes into it, I won’t be really doing much business and just-.”

Jiyong cut off his word vomit with a laugh, waving his hand with a full mouth. “I’m fucking with you. Do what you gotta do.”

“Oh.” Dongjoo chuckled out of relief once again. “Thank you. I-… I appreciate that.”

The rest of the dinner didn’t get any more comfortable than that. Jiyong continued to eyeball Dongjoo, who continuously blotted the sweat on his forehead, which he insisted was due to his angle from the grill. Taehee continued to stare blankly between the two of them, only mildly confused, until they all got up to leave. Jiyong held the door open, and as Taehee passed, he grabbed him by the shoulder and muttered something under his breath. Taehee looked at his boss for just a moment, before nodding and walking outside.

Dongjoo walked a little too eagerly in the direction of his car, parked on the opposite side of the building. As he began to walk through the narrow alleyway to get there, he turned to bid a quick goodbye to the two men. “Thank you for everything, gentlemen. I wish you nothing but the best.” He made a hasty bow, which Jiyong and Taehee returned, before turning on his heels.

Just as he’d taken a single step towards the safety of his vehicle, he heard Jiyong’s voice once again. But this time it was closer. He turned around to see the crime boss walking towards him at a leisurely pace. “Now, now. What kind of a goodbye is that? We’ve been through a lot together, you and me. You’ve got to give me more respect than that, right?” As he arrived before him, Jiyong reached his right hand out with an honorable grin.

Dongjoo’s face flashed with worry before quickly covering it back up. “Oh, I’m sorry, GD. I just don’t want the wife to worry, you know? Of course, of course. I surely didn’t mean any disrespect.” He reached a clammy hand out to make contact with Jiyong’s. “No hard feelings?” He asked with a hopeful smile.

Just as Jiyong let out a small chuckle, Dongjoo’s eyes flashed to Taehee. He was standing behind Jiyong, far back by the alleyway entrance, with his back turned to both of them. It took him less than a second for Dongjoo to understand what was about to happen.

As he locked eyes with Jiyong, who was holding his now quivering hand with a firm grip, he had no time to think before his skull swung forward to collide with his own.

Dongjoo released the hand he’d use to shake Jiyong’s as he flung his head back in pain. “Fuck!” His vision was blurred while he tried to look forward, seeing four Jiyong’s coming towards him, each with darkened expressions and their right fists reeled back.

His nose shattered the minute Jiyong made contact, sending Dongjoo’s body immediately to the alley ground. His hands flew to his face as if trying to manually preserve whatever features that remained intact. He coughed and spat out dark blood that had rushed in from his nostrils. Jiyong stalked towards him slowly, like a lion playing with its dinner. Dongjoo’s vision was even hazier now, but his fight-or-flight instincts had kicked in full force, giving him the strength to turn over onto his stomach.

Just as he attempted to bring his arms and legs in to hoist himself up, Jiyong lowered his boot to the man’s ear, putting in just enough pressure to push his head against the pavement. Dongjoo let out a piercing groan. Placing more of his weight into that leg, Jiyong leaned down to get a little closer to his face. As Dongjoo’s exasperated breathing and whimpering for mercy got louder, Jiyong shushed him.

“You know… I expected more from you.” His tone was menacing. “I considered you a friend, really.” Dongjoo cried out, too terrified to even attempt to move. “America? Yeah, buddy?” Jiyong chuckled. “You and I both know that’s fucking bullshit. I just gave you chance after chance and you just continued to lie right to my fucking face.” Jiyong leaned forward and spat on the ground right by the man’s broken nose. “You want to know something? You really think the Yang brothers are going to protect you better than we can? That’s a riot. What did they tell you about me, huh? Who do you think we’ve been protecting you from? Huh?” Dongjoo only sobbed more, his body shaking as the “please, please, please”’s and “I’m so sorry”’s continued to flow from his mouth just as quickly as the blood ran from his nose. Jiyong sighed in frustration. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you. No, that wouldn’t be right to do to a family man. Just know that I will never forget about this.” He lifted his boot and allowed the man to hoist himself up to his knees. Dongjoo coughed violently, simultaneously gasping for the air he’d been hoarding in his lungs.

Jiyong dug into his pocket and threw a handkerchief on the ground in front of him, along with some cash. Dongjoo flinched, recoiling his arms across his face before looking down to see the stitched piece of cloth and the paper bills. Trembling, he looked up to lock eyes with Jiyong, whose dark expression hadn’t changed for a second.

“Wipe yourself off and get that nose looked at. Don’t you go home to your wife and kid and let them see this pathetic sight.” Dongjoo only cried in response, to which Jiyong let out a sigh. “What? What are you still doing here? Go.”

He didn’t have to tell him twice. Dongjoo picked up the money, the handkerchief, and himself up off the ground and stumbled his bodyweight in the direction of the far parking lot. Jiyong waited for the sound of his whimpers to fade and be replaced by the sound of an engine before turning back towards Taehee. He approached the man and placed his hand on his shoulder once again. “All right. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“Jesus, he did all that just now?”

Taehee nodded at his partner before taking another swig of the beer in his hand.

“Damn, he’s really not playing around these days...” Wonhae replied, ensuring to keep his voice down, knowing that Jiyong wasn’t far down from them at the bar.

Five men: Gyechul, Taehee, Wonhae, Gwangbok, and Jiyong, all sat side by side. The place was a favorite spot of theirs, which they frequently visited after a long day. It was old, secluded in the outer edges of Seoul, and run by people they knew like family. No other bar could be safer for clientele such as themselves.

“Weeell, we all know fucking why.”

Taehee and Wonhae looked over at their partner on their end of the bar, Gyechul, who’d already had his fair share of alcohol for the night. He was staring up at the little box television set with his mouth agape, intently watching the news. “Look! Look look look, there she is now. Pfffft.” He mumbled and pointed up towards the screen. The local news was broadcasting a story about a cop who’d been shot in a “gang related incident” and had “barely made it out alive.”

Gyechul let out a chuckle, muffled through his teeth. “Hey, look everyone we’re in a gang.”

Taehee spoke up in a firm tone. “Gyechul. Enough…Be smart.”

The man turned from the TV to laugh in Taehee’s direction mockingly. “Be smart…pfffft. If I was smart that night I woulda jus killed that cop…but noooo I was following orders.” He waved his hands in the air as he lazily dragged out each word.

“You’re not fucking killing anyone.”

Taehee closed his eyes in a wince, knowing this was bound to happen. He turned to the right to see their boss staring across the bar right through the three of them to Gyechul. Everyone went quiet.

Gyechul chuckled again. “Pffff, whatever you say boss. You see this?!” He pointed to the TV which now showed an old mugshot of his, displaying him as a wanted criminal. “Now we have this to deal with…the fucking news is after me.” He slurred.

“There would have been even worse news if I let you have ‘cop killer’ thrown on your record. I did you a fucking favor.” Jiyong said coldly, silently refusing to look at the TV.

Gyechul stared his boss down. “Ya know what? Fuck you GD. Fuck you and your favors.” He mumbled with his finger pointed in Jiyong’s direction. He pushed himself up into a standing position, slightly swaying back and forth. Jiyong closed his eyes and took a deep, annoyed, breath.

“Gyechul, stop. All right? Let’s get you some water.” Taehee attempted to intervene again.

“Hey, hey, I’m fine all right? It’s him who’s got the fucking problem.” He pointed at Jiyong again before letting out a drunken laugh. He then dramatically gasped and stared out into space. “P-p-put the gun down! This-this is my final warning! … Bang! AH!!” He flailed his arms in the air, falling against the bar while gripping his leg, and bursting out laughing. Jiyong wasn’t the slightest bit amused. The second he stood up, so did the other three men.

“GD, it’s ok. He’s just drunk. He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s saying. We’ll take him somewhere to chill out.” Taehee and Gwangbok attempted to alleviate the situation while Wonhae grabbed his out of line partner by the shoulders.

“What? Do you think I look fucking worried?” Jiyong spat.

“Touchyyyyy.” Gyechul mused, poking his head around Wonhae’s to continue talking at Jiyong. “Ya know, I’ve never seen you like this over someone. Especially a fucking cop. What’s up with that?! Huh?” He yelled belligerently. Jiyong said nothing. He just stared at the bar while the other men continued to try to calm things down. But Gyechul wouldn’t listen. “You know…it’s almost like she’s that girl.”

Jiyong looked right at him.

“Gyechul, shut the fuck up!” Taehee yelled while Wonhae attempted to smack the man to shut up. But he persisted.

“Noooo, come on, you guys know the girl I mean. The one we all fucking know about but no one ever says anything about because GD will freak the fuck out on them.” He narrowed his eyes at Jiyong, who looked ready for slaughter. “It’s her isn’t it?” He chuckled. “She’s the only one that’ll make you so fucking soft like that.” He pointed to the TV. “Oh but…..” He grinned. “She doesn’t make all of you fucking soft.” He sneered before groping himself mockingly.

Jiyong was on his side of the bar in seconds, with his hands gripping his collar. Jiyong has always been a very stoic person, but right in that moment there was a raging fire in his eyes. The other three men nearly tackled them both to stop whatever was about to happen.

Taehee grabbed Jiyong and pulled him back while the other two men pulled Hyechul away. Jiyong’s chest heaved as he took a deep breath to steady himself. He took a second to close his eyes while he waited for Hyechul’s drunken slurs to pipe down. When they finally did, and it looked like their night at the bar had finally ended, Jiyong got up to leave.

“Hyechul.” He announced.

“Yeaah?” The man turned his head, barely able to maintain eye contact.

“You watch yourself.”

After arriving back at his private home, having had enough bullshit for one night, Jiyong poured him and Taehee both a glass of whiskey. Amongst his four major partners, Taehee was by far his closest and most trusted. He knew better than to push any further, in regards to Jiyong’s feelings, than just one simple question.

“You ok?”

“Yeah.” Jiyong muttered, taking a pull from his glass.

Taehee nodded his head and paused for a minute to sip from his own. “Well… How about some music?”

Jiyong grinned and pointed at him before springing up and pacing towards his record collection. “Yes. What’re you feeling?”

“Anything.”

Jiyong was suddenly as giddy as a child. He stuck his hands in his pants pockets, sticking his tongue out slightly and narrowing his eyes as he looked closely at every title. As he began to feel overwhelmed by the amount of choices, Hyechul’s words from earlier made his mind wander back.

He gently began to flip through one of the older stacks of records he’d gotten from his parents’ house. He smiled sadly as he browsed through classic American tunes from Dion, to Chuck Berry, Frankie Valli, and even the Righteous Brothers. Every album had unique memories attached, but they all had one thing in common.

As he flipped past a Frank Sinatra vinyl, a small 45 popped out and nearly hit the floor. Upon saving it and flipping the cover over, a small gasp escaped his lips. It was a 7” Elvis Presley record with “Love Me Tender” and “Any Way You Want Me.” He wasted no time in putting it on and letting one of his most cherished memories return to him.

“Man, I love Elvis.” Taehee chimed in as the song began.

“Me too.” Jiyong smiled as he swayed in place, staring at the cover. A warmth filled his chest as he read the small words that had been handwritten on the front in white marker.

Love me tender, love me true. All my dreams, fulfilled

For my darling, I love you. And I always will

As he traced his fingers around the small heart that had been drawn by the last word, he was hit with an insane idea. In one second, he’d wiped the smile from his face and restored his stoic demeanor to look at Taehee.

“We’re not going over business right now, but I need you to do something for me.”

Taehee sat up straight and alert.

“Get me the address for Jungbu Police Station.”

#g dragon scenarios #kwon jiyong scenarios #bigbang scenarios #g dragon au #kwon jiyong au #bigbang au #g dragon fanfiction #kwon jiyong fanfiction #kwon jiyong angst #g dragon angst #kpop scenarios

[ashketchup119]

A Chance Encounter

Almost posted something really personal O.O hazards of doing business with google docs.

ANYWAY

This is a snippet from the same story as the last one, and if you read some bits and go w h a t  i s  h a p p e n i n g uhhh... feel free to slide into my dms or askbox. Again, been writing this since sixth grade, so I’ve put a lot of thought and effort into this story and love sharing it.

It’s very fantasy/sci-fi, and I enjoy writing it.

Enjoy!

Mirzin tsked as they watched the gathering around them with judgmental eyes. It had been decades, centuries even, since they’d participated in a proper social event, and they were beginning to remember why it had been so long. There had been a time, once, when they and their best friends had flitted from one party to the next, but with one best friend dead and another missing, they found it difficult to enjoy these types of events alone.

Beyond that, moving to a new city was rough enough. Moving to a whole other reality was even worse. Most of the time, Mirzin found themself lying in bed, still trying to adjust to the newness of it all. They hadn’t really used technology before, and simply playing with their new cell phone took up any time spent outside the bed. It was tiring, in their (esteemable) opinion.

But they’d been asked to attend by Zaida, a local friend, and in their (usually correct) opinion, it was best not to cause trouble with one of the few people who put up with them.

So, here they were, dressed in clothes that had gone out of fashion in an alternate universe years ago, standing stiffly in a corner not occupied by carefully arranged plantlife. The walls were a mint green and covered with bits of paper- a small, torn picture of Zaida at a beach; a poster from a magazine featuring some new movie Zai clearly liked enough to feature in her home; drawings of her dogs, who were currently weaving in and out of the house, following the paths of those who would pet them. The floor was carpet, and Mirzin usually took their shoes off at the door, choosing to delight in the sensation of carpet under their feet. Their own apartment was tile, and they hadn’t found the time to purchase a rug. Too busy laying in bed and trying to figure out how to lower the brightness on their phone without having to go into the phone settings every time. There was a sofa in the living room area, bright pink with large lilac flowers embroidered in the center of the cushions, and next to it was a recliner, dark green and plain. Mirzin considered sitting down, but after noticing a new stain on the arm of the recliner and a couple on the sofa, they decided their corner was the safest bet. At some point, Zaida had come by with a soda, and they now stood holding the beverage with both hands to their chest. They weren’t drinking from the soda can, talking to anyone, or enjoying themself. Why were they here again?

Oh right. Zaida.

“Mirzyyyy!” A familiar voiced slurred near their ear, and Mirzin started, accidentally dropping the soda. “Mirzyyyy! I got some-someone that you just,” she trailed off as she threw a pale arm around their shoulders for balance. “You gotta meet ‘im. You gottaaaa!”

Mirzin winced and replied, “Zai, I’m not really feeling up to it. In fact, I think I’m going to go home. You know, I have a very busy day tomorrow, and-“

Zai burped loudly, and Mirzin tried their hardest to subtly remove her arm from it’s position on their shoulders. They moved forward slightly, only to frown at the floor as their foot bumped into the discarded soda can. Zai’s hold on them got stronger, and they found themself being pulled through the throng of people inside the house towards the back door. They tried to resist, making slight protests about pending tasks and errands, but they were curious.

Curiosity is what they and their best friends had bonded over, and given that one of them had ‘curious’-ed himself into a coffin and the other a dark cave complex they had yet to walk out of…

Well, the old saying did say “curiosity killed the cat.”

Mirzin firmly pushed away from Zaida’s hold. “I’m leaving. I’m going home, and I’m going to shower, and I’m going to watch my favorite show off some website that really tests my ad blocker until I fall asleep. Maybe I’ll get some food on my way home, I don’t know. Goodnight.” They murmured in a tone that sounded final, to their ears.

Zaida did not agree, clearly, because she grabbed their arm and continued to drag them along behind her. The two of them passed through the sliding glass doors to an even louder scene outside, with people milling about, talking to friends and occasionally taking small sips of their drinks. As Zai and Mirzin passed, the partygoers waved and tried to chat, but Zai brushed them off with ‘I’ll be right back’s and ‘I’m a little busy, sorry!’s. Mirzin, for their part, just looked vaguely annoyed in a manner which discouraged any sort of interaction, and those who did try to talk to them were hit with a death glare that seemed as though it might truly be fatal, under the right circumstances.

Finally, the sea of people parted to reveal a tall, dark man, hovering near the wall separating Zaida’s backyard from the neighbors’. He was leaning against the back wall, shoulders relaxed, in a manner that suggested ease. A smile played on his lips, and he glanced around with amused eyes. His clothes looked average enough, but still managed to retain an appearance that hinted at money. When he caught sight of Zaida and Mirzin, his left eyebrow raised in a questioning manner, though his eyes still sparkled the same way.

Mirzin’s first thought was ‘Oh no! He looks nice!’. Actually, no. Their first thought was less of a ‘thought’ and more of an ‘internal scream that vaguely communicated that they did not want to meet this man, especially if he turned out to be nice, because then they would have no excuse to leave the conversation without seeming rude’.

“Raffie!!” Zaida yelled, letting go of Mirzin’s arm to hug the man (who was even taller than Mirzin had thought he was! Why was he so tall?!) She then released him, turned around, and grabbed Mirzin’s arm once again. “Raf, Mirzin.” She raised Mirzin’s arm to punctuate her statement. “Mirzy is… new. They’ve lived a lot of life not here.” She paused to burp. “Raf is not new! He’s lived a lot of life here. I think you should be friends! Or maybe,” she wiggled her eyebrows, “More than friends.”

Mirzin pulled their arm out of her grip and flushed slightly. They weren’t looking for any sort of romantic relationship, certainly not only a couple of months after moving to a new reality. However, new friends were new friends, and while Zaida and the three other people they’d managed to befriend were helpful and nice, it was still kind of telling that they spent all of their time alone.

“Hi, Mirzin.” The man- Raf- greeted, smiling. “Pleasure to meet you.” He stuck his hand out, waiting for Mirzin to take it.

Mirzin’s brain went slightly haywire for a few seconds, though this time the internal screaming had more of a ‘I don’t like talking to new people and this man seems friendly enough but what if I make the wrong impression’ sound. They weren’t really used to being introduced to people- usually, others introduced themselves, and Mirzin responded in kind. For some reason, though, this felt different from those interactions. Maybe it was Zaida standing with a drunken smile between the two of them or the fact that she’d implied that she hoped for some romantic spark to come to life, but they felt nervous, and noticed with a slight grimace that their palm was sweaty. Their grimace turned into a scowl when they noticed that Zaida had disappeared, presumably to keep her word and talk to the people they’d passed by earlier.

Regardless, they knew they had to give some sort of response. They grabbed Raf’s hand and shook it mechanically for a few seconds before realizing they hadn’t responded verbally.

“Thanks.” Mirzin said, then instantly felt so embarrassed they had half a mind to turn tail and run.

Raf just laughed and used his grip on Mirzin’s hand to pull them closer. “Mirzin! Are you as interested as I am in leaving this place and heading home? I know we’re supposed to be talking and getting friendly or…” He drifted off, and Mirzin managed to discreetly pull their hand from his. “Whatever, but I am really, really tired, and would much rather just give you my phone number and, as my mom would say, ‘blow this pop stand.’” Raf smiled at this, and Mirzin got the distinct feeling that this was some sort of joke. Either way, it wasn’t a phrase they were familiar with from their home reality, nor did they recognize it as a common phrase from this reality. They wondered, vaguely, if Raf’s mother, whoever she was, was also a Traveler.

Mirzin nodded quickly, and Raf maneuvered the two of them out of the party, giving general goodbyes to those who came up to them while Mirzin followed close behind, though this time their face held a vaguely lost expression.

In the car, Raf again began to speak. “I’m glad you didn’t think I was some sort of weirdo for meeting you and immediately asking to escort you home. Address?”

“Uh, 1-8-24 Maliznek.” Mirzin replied automatically, in the way they’d practiced in the mirror a month ago.

Raf nodded and put the directions into the navigation module. “As I was saying, you just didn’t look comfortable. I’m not really a party sorta guy, but Zaida insisted I come and meet you. I’ve lived here in Munae-21 since I was a kid.”

Mirzin started. “You know about…?”

“The different realities that people can travel between if they’re powerful enough? Yeah.”

“I didn’t think- are you a Traveler?”

Raf shrugged. “I guess? I don’t travel much between realities, but my mom was born and raised on Earth-2059, and I lived there for a couple years when I was little.”

“Ah.” Mirzin smiled sarcastically. “It’s always Earth-2059.”

“Are you a Traveler?” Raf asked.

Mirzin hmm-ed under their breath as they attempted to figure out how to explain. Eventually, they settled on, “Well, when Zaida said I was new here, I’m… very new. To this reality. I grew up in… another reality, and things changed recently.” It was vague, but they figured it got the point across well.

Raf smiled widely. “Thank the goddess. FINALLY someone I can just… talk with! You don’t know- it’s so difficult-“ He paused, gesturing uselessly. “I’M HAPPY I MET YOU!” He burst out, finally.

The smile on Mirzin’s face turned genuine, and they found themself relieved to find someone who understood, at least a little bit. 

“Ah, is this your place?” Raf gestured to the building they’d arrived at, and Mirzin looked to find their apartment complex.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Mirzin murmured as they left the car, and was surprised to find that they meant it.

They turned and almost walked into the building before they heard a voice yell, “Wait!”, behind them.

Raf grabbed their shoulder as they turned around and offered his phone. “You never gave me your phone number.”

A beat passed, then the two of them started laughing as Mirzin took the phone. They didn’t stop until someone half-pushed Mirzin away from the door in an attempt to get inside the apartment complex.

“Here.” Mirzin plugged their phone number into the phone, cheeks slightly flushed from laughing.

“Thanks!” Raf responded, eagerly taking it back. “I’ll text you… tomorrow?”

“Uh sure, but I still don’t really know how to use…” They gestured to the phone. “Everything.”

Raf smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll wait for your response, take your time.”

With this, he left, giving a final wave before finally settling inside his car.

Later, when they were once again ensconced in their bed sheets, Mirzin finally allowed themself to smile, a light feeling bubbling up in their chest the thought of making friends with the tall, friendly man.

#ok i rlly like how this one turned out #mirzin n raf r my faves of their little group #traumatized immortal and traumatized child king #perfect pair #original story #ash does shit

[dragonasheswrites-blog]

The Heaven We Didn’t Choose, Chapter 14: In Which Much is Explained

...And Undyne plays therapist.

First: Chapter 1: In Which a Child Makes a Friend

Previous: Chapter 13: In Which Nothing Good Lasts Forever

Next: Chapter 15: In Which Sans is Hired

Click here for the story overview.

Weeks passed in a similar manner.  Though Sans didn’t breathe a word about Attie, or Frisk, or his missing phone data, he thought about them almost constantly.  It seemed like Attie and Frisk took up almost as much of his life in their absence as they had when they were actually part of it.

He made sure not to walk past Frisk’s house on his way to and from the park where he sold hot dogs.  It was pretty far out of his way, actually, especially on sore feet.  He couldn’t even remember why he’d started using that route in the first place.  It was much easier to take the straight path through the heavily monster-populated part of town, even if he could feel eyes on him.

The feeling was particularly strong one evening as he was walking home from his sentry shift.  He was almost sure someone was following him, but that could’ve been a trick of his half-mad mind.  Pulling double shifts on top of selling hot dogs was utterly exhausting, even though - or, perhaps, because - it had been such a boring job lately.  Sure, sentries were technically supposed to keep humans out of Mount Ebott and dangerous monsters in, but few people were stupid or reckless enough to try crossing either way.  Every once in a while some dumb human teenagers would dare each other to go up the mountain, but they were easily turned back.  Sans hadn’t had that pleasure in...well, since long before he met Attie.

He glanced over his shoulder.  His shadow didn’t duck behind the building fast enough, and he caught a glimpse.  A single figure, humanoid, face covered by the hood of a jacket.  Dark clothing.  Short, around his height.  Slender.  The faint outline of a rounded chest.

...What was a lone woman doing out at night in this part of town?  And tailing him, no less?

She was following him relatively closely, which was...not as annoying as Sans thought it would be.  At least if someone got stupid and jumped her he’d be close enough to hear the ruckus and intervene if things got out of hand.  He resolutely ignored the idea that he wouldn’t have cared before Attie came into his life.

The woman stalked him past Grillby’s, and he resisted the urge to stop in for a drink.  Grillbz would report to Boss if there was enough money in it for him, and Boss was still unusually cranky.  The last thing Sans wanted was a repeat of his punishment from the day Attie disappeared; that had been nearly a month ago, and he still felt a little sore when he stood for long periods of time.

Sighing to himself, Sans cut back towards his apartment building.  Hopefully she’d just confront him and get it over with.

He held the door to the building open with one foot and shifted, watching the woman tense from the corner of his eye socket.  “You comin’ in or what?”

She sidled along the building, a little unsteadily, and put a hand on the door.  As she passed him, the yellow glow of the bare bulb in the hallway highlighted the curves of a familiar jaw and cheekbone.

“F-Frisk?”

Frisk held a finger to her lips and stepped into the hallway, letting him close the door behind her.  She made a motion with her hand that took Sans a moment to decipher.

“O-oh, yeah.  Uh.  Sure.  C’mon in.”

He lead the way up to the apartment he and Boss shared, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

“SANS!  You sack of SHIT, you’re LATE!”

Sans dodged Boss’s attack on instinct, then felt his very soul stutter.  Frisk had been behind him.  He turned to look, but thankfully she stood…

...well, mostly unharmed.  She had a scratch on her left arm from wrist to elbow, skin and a thin line of blood showing through the tear in her jacket.  Considering the trajectory of Boss’s attack and the fact that she’d been caught by surprise in the narrow hallway, it was impressive.

“Kiddo, let’s-”

“Oh, Ambassador Dreamurr!  I apologize.  My underling-”  Boss kicked Sans out of the doorway- “Neglected to tell me that we would be having such a prestigious visitor in our humble home.  Are you harmed?”

Sans heard Frisk confirm that she was mostly alright.  The attack had been aimed him, after all; it hadn’t been very damaging.  She accepted Boss’s invitation to enter the apartment, but not his offer of dinner.

“SANS, GET OUT.  The Ambassador has something to discuss with me.”

He nodded and limped towards the door.  Grillby’s it was, then.

“Actually,” Frisk said, not moving from her spot in the doorway, “I need to speak with Sans for a moment.”  She glanced between him and Boss, amusement evident in the slight quirk of her eyebrow; Sans could only imagine what their expressions looked like.   “Alone, please, Papyrus.”

“Yes, your highness.”  Boss saluted and strode back towards his bedroom, shooting a very nasty glare at Sans as he went.

Screw this up, and you’re dust, the glare said.

Sans gulped audibly.   Message received.

Then they were alone.

“Do you, uh, want to sit...down?”

“Alright,” Frisk responded.  She headed not towards the couch that he’d been vaguely indicating but towards the dining room table.  He shrugged lightly and followed her.

They sat across from each other for a long moment, neither speaking.  He wasn’t sure how to break the silence without violating Boss’s rules, so he waited for Frisk to start first.

“I owe you,” she said, finally. Her voice was low, like she didn't want Boss to overhear.

“Uh…”

“What do you want?”  The question held a lot less animosity than Sans had been expecting, especially considering how completely she’d cut him out of her life.

“I…”   I want to see Attie again, he yearned to say.   Just for a moment.  Just to make sure she’s okay, and doing her Science and Math, and eating properly; nothin’ weird.  Just to say goodbye.

“Do you think Frisk wants a filthy pest like you in her daughter’s life?”

“I don’t...want anything,” he said, fiddling with his fingers.

“What?  Nothing?”

“Nope.  Never...uh, never did.”

And it was true.  From the day he’d found Attie in the bushes outside her house he hadn’t even considered collecting payment for his actions.  It showed a stunning lack of self-preservation on his part - Frisk was a powerful woman, and her favor could get him nearly anything he could ever want - but he was just...tired.

“Then, why-”

“I just didn’t want a kid to watch her mom die, okay?” He took a deep, needless breath, fighting to keep his voice down.  “I don’t...I don’t know where this idea came from that I want you dead’n a ditch somewhere, but that’s...not true, okay?  We...you ‘n me, we haven’t always gotten along, sure, but I don’t get along with most folks.  Hell, I don’t get along with Grillbz half the time.  Doesn’t mean I’m waitin’ in a back alley for him, tryin’ to extort money off ‘im whenever he’s having a bad day.”

“Okay, but you’ve done so much for us.  For me.”  Frisk’s hands pressed to the dingy tabletop without regard for the stains that littered its surface as she leaned towards him.  “Even if you didn’t help us so you could have something to hold over my head, isn’t there something you want?  I...I can talk to Papyrus about getting your shifts reduced, at least?  It isn’t fair that you should have to make up time when you were helping me.  It’s not like you were slacking off.”

“It’s fine.  Someone’s gotta watch the old place.”  And most of the other sentries had families, which was more of a consideration now than Sans wanted to admit.

“Okay, well...are you sure?  Is there anything you want?  Anything at all?”

A picture, he wanted to say.  You and Attie, smiling.  Just one - just something to remember the both of you by.  Something to remind me that you aren’t just the pretty painted statue I always see on TV.

“The ambassador’s daughter is too important a secret to be entrusted to the likes of you.”

He shook the thought away.  “Just...be happy, okay?  And make sure the kid does her Science.”  He couldn’t meet her eyes.

Weak, whispered his mind.   This is why you should stay away from them.  You’ll only drag them down to your level.

Frisk nodded, slowly, looking almost as lost as he felt.  “I...okay, I will.”

He gestured towards her ripped sleeve.  “And get your mom to patch that up, okay?”

“Alright,” she said.  She fidgeted with the ragged edge, apparently not bothered by the wound.  “Are...are you okay as well?”

“Fine.”

“Are you sure?  It looked like Papyrus kicked you-”

“I’m fine.  Really.”

Silence dragged on until it felt uncomfortable, then a few seconds past that.  Frisk watched him carefully the entire time, as if trying to peek into his soul by way of his eye sockets, but he forced all emotion down, down and away from her prying eyes.  There was no need for her to worry about scum like him.  “Well, then.  I suppose...I’d better leave you be, then.  And truly, Sans, thank you."

He nodded.  He didn’t think he could form words around all the things he couldn’t say.

“I’ll...see myself out.  If he asks, please let Papyrus know that I’m not happy with him; he’ll understand what it means.”  She stood, pushed in her chair, and was gone before Sans could think of a reason for her to stay.

He retreated to his room before Boss realized Frisk had left.  Passing on a message like that would probably cause a screaming fit, and he didn’t think he could handle another screaming fit.  His bones felt strangely fragile, like he was about to fall apart at any moment.  And what was there to keep him together?  Sans had just given up his best chance of getting everything he wanted, and he couldn’t tell if it was the right thing to do or the worst mistake of his life.

For most of the night he just sat on the edge of his mattress, face in his hands, and tried to ignore the tears that streamed down his cheekbones.

The next morning, he felt awful.  He hadn’t slept much at all but managed to drag himself out of bed on sheer force of habit.  The apartment seemed too quiet, just like it had every day for the past month.  How long would it take for him to get used to normalcy again?

Boss was out, as usual.  It abruptly occurred to Sans that he didn’t know what day it was.  He’d been counting days, sure (it had been 26 days since he'd last seen Attie), and it should be possible to figure out the day of the week from that, but he didn’t think his foggy mind would stand up to that much math.

He shuffled around in various pairs of dirty pants until he found his phone, only to find that it was dead.

Great.

It took only a moment to plug it in on his way to the kitchen, but even that felt like too much work.  It was surprisingly early; if he actually needed to go to his hot dog stand, he wouldn’t even have to run.  He stared for a long moment at the coffee machine, debating whether it was worth the effort.  On the one hand, it was even more work and he felt exhausted.  On the other hand...caffeine.

Deciding that caffeine was necessary to keep him going through the day, Sans dumped water and coffee grounds into the machine and started it up.

The door to his apartment slammed open just as the final drips of coffee were disappearing into the carafe.  For one terrible moment, he thought it was Boss; he nearly tripped over his own feet in an effort to get his back to the wall.

“...The hell, asshole?”

“Oh.  Hey, Undyne.”

“It’s CAP...y’know what?  Never mind.  Where’s your brother?”

“Uh...not here?”

“Don’t eff with me.  I can smell coffee.”

Sans wondered just how long Undyne had gone without sleep.  She looked nearly dead on her feet.  On the other hand, it was hilarious that she was still censoring her language around the apartment.  “Y’do remember that I can make coffee too, right?”

“Huh?  Oh, yeah, right.  Just didn’t think you’d bother.”

He sighed.  “Sit down, I’ll get you a mug.”

She grabbed at the piping hot carafe, ignoring the potential for burns.  “MUGS ARE FOR-”

“Yeah, yeah, but I want some too.  Go sit down or somethin’.”

Undyne actually sat down (in a chair, no less), which said a lot about her mental state.  She growled something under her breath when Sans moved the carafe, but settled down a little when he poked a mug of coffee into her field of vision.  The carafe itself followed, minus the contents of his own mug.

“See,” he said, sitting across from her at the table, “We can pretend to be all civilized.”

A skeptical eyebrow begged to differ.

“So, uh, whaddaya need Boss for?”

“He’s supposed to be on patrol around town this morning and he’s not answering his phone.  He always answers his phone.  So, that’s worrying.  Especially since there’s been an increase in weird stuff in the past few weeks, ever since...well.  You remember when Frisk was attacked by that bitch in the hospital?”

Sans did remember, but he was pretty sure the real “bitch” was the one who brought down the would-be assassin, not the assassin herself.  He knew better than to say that out loud, though.

“So, now that Frisk is able to perform the official interrogation we’re getting ready for the trial.  There’s a weirdly vocal group of humans who think we targeted this lady for some bullshit reason.  Don’t know who spread the rumors, but some of them are saying that we, I dunno, accused her at random because of her skin color??  Hah.  I don’t discriminate when taking down people who threaten my besties.”  She took an aggressive gulp of coffee, then refilled her mug.

“That’s weird.  Do they have any proof?  I mean, we caught this lady in the act.  We have video evidence of what happened.  ‘Ts not like we lined up a bunch’ve humans and framed the one that’d cause us the most trouble.”

“Eh, most of the human media won’t touch our footage; they say it’s fake.  Lotsa folks are saying we made up the whole thing, especially since the hospital’s official stance is that it was some kinda huge accident.  HAH!  I’m glad we got Frisk out of that place; one of the doctors was apparently bein’ a real creep.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.  Someone was tryin’ to get the hospital to keep her locked up for ‘mental distress’ or some kind of bullshit like that.  Kept tryin’ to turn away visitors, too.  That’s why there was the big rush to get her out of there.  Didn’t think you’d dump the kid on her right away, though.”

Sans’s head was spinning.  A doctor?  Was that Dr. Ray?  And: “...I didn’t dump the kid, Undyne.  Boss sent me out and passed off the kid before I got...uh, back.”

She stared at him.  “What are you talking about?”

“We’re talking about...about Frisk’s kid, right?”

“Yeah.  Attie.  You know her name, I know you do.”

He fidgeted.  He didn’t want to be having this conversation, especially not in his own dining room.  If Boss found out…

“Hey.”  Undyne leaned over.  “What the hell is going on in this dingy little apartment, anyways?  I get one story from Papyrus - and he’s my vice-captain; I know exactly how trustworthy he is - and I get another story from you.  What’s your game?”

“...Nothing?  Look.  I...I like the kid, okay?  Yeah, she was a little annoying at first, and I’m not convinced she won’t grow up to be a tyrant to rival Asgore, but...she kinda grew on me.  I tried to do my best with her, but Boss...he got worried.  He didn’t want Attie around someone like - well, like me - any longer than necessary.  I’m an asshole, remember?”

“Hmm.”  She finished up the last of the coffee, tilting the mug back to catch every last drop.  “Y’know, Papyrus can be a manipulative bastard sometimes, but usually I can call his bullshit.  This is just weird.  There’s no motivation for any of it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I texted him as soon as I heard that Frisk was released.  We needed security to escort her home and all that, especially since she wasn’t in particularly good shape.  He was in charge of that part.  He showed up with Attie and without you, which was weird.  Said you were tired of watchin’ the kid; to me, at least.  Told Frisk she missed her mom too much.”  She paused, rubbing her eyes.  “Actually...I guess I knew something was up.  Attie’s story didn’t match his, after all, but she’s scared enough of Papyrus that we figured she didn’t have the full story.   Dammit.”

“I mean...it’s not a big deal?”

A forceful punch made a dent in the tabletop.  “It IS a big deal, you ASSHOLE!  My vice-captain lied to me!  I mean, that’s normal - he’s overdue for his annual assassination attempt, after all - but I’m supposed to RECOGNIZE it!  I’m LOSING my EDGE!”

Sans shuffled around the table and took the chair next to Undyne.  He had the weird urge to pat her on the back, like he'd do for Attie when she was upset, but thankfully quashed it.  She’d probably bite his arm off if he tried.  “Hey, it was a weird situation for all of us.  Boss, uh, explained things to me after; I think he was just lookin’ out for the kid.  I’m really not the best caretaker, remember?”

“What did he tell you?”

“Uh, what?”

“What did he ‘explain’ to you about this?”

He thought back to his battle with Boss in the park.  “He, uh, said that Attie was too important to be trusted with me.  He pointed out that...well, I’m not the most reliable guy, y’know?  And Frisk and I haven’t really gotten along.”

Undyne examined him through her single narrowed eye.  “And yet, she snuck out of the house, past our defenses, and wound up here last night.  Now, why would that be?”

She knew about that?  Was it a setup?  “Uh...she was sayin’ thanks?  She thought she owed me somethin’.”

“IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION, YOU BAG OF BONES!  She came here because she DOESN’T hate your guts!  She CARES ‘bout you!  You impressed her!  She realized that you aren’t just the lazy shitstain you pretend you are!”

“But I am…”

“SHUT UP.  I’m Captain of the Royal Guard; I’ve seen your employee file.  Your real file.  The one without bizarre grease stains blotting out half the information.”

Sans hadn’t realized he’d missed a copy of those documents.   Good to know.

“I know what you’re capable of.  I know what you’ve done.  Oh, and while we’re on the topic: expect Asgore to give you a call sometime this afternoon about your... other job.”

“Okay…?”

“My point is, you pass yourself off as a lazy asshole.  Heck, most of the time you are a lazy asshole.  But somehow, Frisk saw something different.  Something she, well, doesn’t hate.  She really was grateful that you, y’know, saved her freakin’ life and took care of her kid out of the blue for a couple weeks, and she was a little hurt when you didn’t contact her at all after giving Attie back.  By the way, why didn’t you contact her after...well, after Attie went home?  They haven’t heard from you at all, which backed up what Papyrus said, but when they tried texting you their numbers were blocked. That's just not right.”

“So, uh, Boss kinda...messed with my phone.”

“WHAT?”

“He took off Frisk’s and Attie’s numbers, all the texts, the pictures…”

“WHAT?  Even the ones where we were doing training poses??”

He grabbed the carafe, started another pot of coffee, and scooted down the hallway to grab his phone.  It gave him whiny messages about having a low charge, but it turned on.

“Here,” he said, sliding it in front of Undyne.  “I don’t know how he blocked numbers, though.”  He didn’t want to watch her look through it - the missing pictures and texts still stung - so he retreated back into the kitchen to watch the coffee finish up instead.

He didn’t have many pictures left, so he was still fiddling with the coffee machine when she shrieked in outrage.  “THIS IS AWFUL!  Those were GREAT poses!”

“Yeah.  I sent ‘em to Frisk, y’know; she still has 'em, I bet.  She’d probably send them to you if you wanted.”

“HELL YEAH!  Hey, do you want them too?  You took ‘em, after all.  Even if he’s blocked Frisk’s number somehow, he wouldn’t dare block mine in case I need to text you for work.”

“Better not.  Boss still goes through my phone sometimes; if he finds a pic of Attie he’ll be pissed.”  He brought the full carafe to the table and set it in front of Undyne.  She needed it more than he did, and if it kept her talking…

“Hah.  Never understood why you put up with that bastard.  I mean, I put up with him because he’s got a good head for strategy and he’s a natural leader and I outrank him, but he just yells at you. And beats up on you, if Frisk's right about that.  That’s grounds for you to leave the family.  Why stay?”

“He’s...Boss?  I mean, we’ve always been that way.  Him ‘n me against the world.”

She downed an entire mug of coffee in one go.  “You know the world’s not like that anymore, right?  There’s only so much I can do as his boss, but there are other people willing to - urgh! - help.  Hell, go make puppy eyes at one of those human abuse rehab programs; they literally throw parties every time a monster shows up at their door.  They’d get you set up somewhere else.”

“C’mon,” he sighed, “Does that really sound like me?  Whatever you think you know about me from those files, I gave up a long time ago.”

A strange look grew across Undyne’s face.  It was the same look she wore when she had defeated a particularly challenging enemy, but without the wide-toothed grin.  “Attie misses you,” she said, voice carefully neutral.

Sans had no response to that.

“She told me so yesterday morning.  She’s sad that you won’t call her.  Thinks you don’t like her anymore.”

“Undyne, stop.”

“Hmm?  Why should I? I thought it didn't matter. I thought it wasn't a big deal.”

“Look.  It really is better if she just...forgets about me or somethin’.  ‘Sides, Boss said I’m not allowed to even say her name.  How’m I gonna-”

A fishy fist left another dent in the table.  “THAT’S THE POINT!  If Papyrus isn’t around, he’s not your ‘Boss’ anymore, right??  Yeah, I know it’s not normal for us to break up families, even now that we’re on the surface.  And I know that he's the head of your family.  But...sometimes you just gotta pick your battles, okay?  Besides, I KNOW you pay the bills around here.  You can move out any time you like.  File for emancipation so he can’t drag you back and all that.  And then maybe my besties will stop talking my gills off about how much they miss your bony ass.”

The thought of anyone missing his ‘ass’ was laughable, but he felt his skull turning colors anyways.  “I...uh, well, maybe.  I mean, it’s not so bad ‘round here, y’know?  And like you said, we’re family and I pay the bills.  Who’d take care of the ol’ place if I leave?”

“STARS, HAVE SOME SELF-RESPECT, WOULD YOU??  THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU!”  She chugged the remainder of the coffee.  “NOW I’VE GOT A CAFFEINE HIGH AND IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!  I’VE GOTTA RUN THIS OFF BEFORE MY MEETING!  LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE YOUR BASTARD OF A BROTHER!”

She slammed the door behind her, the sound echoing around in Sans’s skull.  She had a point, he knew.  There would be plenty of advantages to living alone.  No more punishments, more free time, the ability to cook his own meals…

...missed shifts because he didn’t get out of bed on time, time lost staring into nothing, crippling loneliness…

No, he wasn’t ready to go it alone, no matter how bad things got.  Boss was just...Boss.  Just the same as any other monster.  They were family, and that meant something to monsters.  Abandoning your family meant you were the lowest class of monster, worse than froggits.  Worse than dirt.  If Undyne and Frisk were worried, well, maybe they had forgotten just how bad things had been in the Underground.

He owed Boss, and that debt would never be repaid.

With a heavy soul, he tied his sneakers on and made his way over to his hot dog stand.

Boss, as it turned out, had been summoned by Asgore sometime early in the morning.  Undyne came down from her caffeine high long enough to text Sans about that, and to send him forceful messages in all caps warning him not to repeat anything she said while sleep-deprived.  He smirked.  Over the time he’d been taking care of Attie, Undyne’s attitude towards him had changed.  It was strange, having the excitable and ruthless Captain of the Royal Guard as some kind of...of friend, but it wasn’t bad.  He respected her, actually.

And in light of that respect, he reconsidered her words.  She had said that Attie missed him.  Just the thought of that tugged at his soul.  It shouldn’t have, of course; he’d only known her for such a short time.  And she was a little human kid.  Why should he care about a little human kid?

He deliberately did not think about the kid’s mother.

Luckily, he had bigger problems to take his mind off things.  Just as Undyne had predicted, Asgore called him just after Greater Dog and Lesser Dog stopped by the hot dog stand for lunch.  Sans cleared his nonexistent throat, willing himself to keep calm; the King of Monsters was terrifying, even over the phone.  “Uh, hello, your majesty.”

“Hello, Sans.  I am calling to discuss your return to a job you have not held in quite some time.”

Fear locked his bones.  “Uh, w-which job?”

“Hmm.  You have held several positions, have you not?  I feel that a phone conversation is not the best place to discuss this.  Come to my castle in the Underground immediately.”

“Y-yes, your maj-”

The king had already hung up.  Sans texted Undyne with shaking fingers, letting her know that he’d be late to his sentry shift due to a meeting with the king, then sent the same to Boss.  Better safe than sorry.

He grabbed a spare ‘dog and closed down the stand.  A sudden thought prompted him to glance down; he was still in his pyjamas.

Teleporting from an alley to his room saved him a lot of time and potential embarrassment.  He listened closely, but everything seemed quiet; with any luck, Boss was occupied elsewhere.  A sharp ding from his phone made him jump, but it was just Undyne telling him to take the first of his shifts off.

He changed into his button-down shirt and slacks, still clean from the last time he wore them, then stepped into a shortcut.  He couldn’t teleport all the way to the top of Mount Ebott - even if the distance wasn’t too much, there were magical protections in place - so he went in stages.  His first teleport brought him to his favorite lookout spot, just a short jog from the sentry station he handled most often.

The air was crisp and cool and the forest smelled like winter.  From his lookout spot he could see the town laid out below, rows and rows of houses and hospitals and schools and businesses tied together by thin veins of black.  There was a bit of activity in the streets, probably humans and monsters getting ready for Christmas (and maybe Takersfaire, if the monsters were feeling bold), but it was barely noticeable from such a distance.

A slight breeze wiggled its way between his bones as he walked towards his station.  There were two barriers on Mount Ebott: one just below the sentry stations, and one closer to the entrances where the original once stood.  The first - designed to alert sentries when someone approached the mountain - didn’t do anything in particular to block normal entry but he couldn’t teleport through it.  It was annoying to have to stop, walk through the barrier manually, then teleport again, but it was an old routine and he managed.

The second barrier, the one that protected the Underground from most intrusions, was one of his least favorite spots in the whole world.  It was almost entirely Frisk’s work.  Her magic always felt hostile against his bones; no matter how many times he climbed the mountain, he was always a little afraid that her barrier would refuse him entry...or dust him outright.

It was a surprise, then, when he didn’t feel the familiar crackle of angry magic as he approached.  Worry niggled at the back of his mind; had Frisk not refreshed it recently?  It had been a month since she was released from the hospital; surely she’d climbed the mountain at some point...right?  King Asgore still lived Underground most of the time, after all, and she loved him like a father despite everything.

The low hum of powerful human magic filtered slowly into his senses, more noticeable the closer he got.  Within arm’s reach of the barrier, it was so strong that it rattled his bones a little.  It felt nothing at all like he expected.  He carefully held out one hand towards the barrier, and found…

Gentle.  Welcoming.  “Hi, Sans!”

“What the hell?”  This...wasn’t normal.  Actually, what had Undyne said?

“She CARES ‘bout you!  You impressed her!  She realized that you aren’t just the lazy shitstain you pretend you are!”

...Yeah, Frisk had refreshed the barrier, alright.  He felt his entire skull turning colors.  Beads of sweat began to form under his collar and his breathing picked up.

Magic, even Frisk’s weird human magic, dealt a lot with intent.  When he and Frisk had been passive-aggressive enemies - and they had been as long as he could remember, exchanging japes and the occasional harsh word off and on - her intentions toward him had been wary and antagonistic.  Now…

Well.

Sans crossed the barrier and stepped into a shortcut before he could think too hard.

A pool of brilliant light met him on the other side.  Once upon a time this had probably been a majestic hallway, a tribute to the golden sun the monsters hadn’t seen for generations, but with so many more urgent problems and a general lack of reliable builders it had fallen into disrepair.  By the time he had seen it for the first time it had been half-buried and caved in, more of an obstacle to reaching the palace than an entryway.  It had only gotten worse over the years.

Now, it looked like someone was in the process of repairing the old place.  Most of the rubble had been cleared out and the weak parts of the ceiling and walls had been reinforced with scaffolding.  The shattered stained glass windows had been removed; lead scraps were piled in a corner, waiting to be repurposed.  The artificial light sources were harsh without the scraps of color the broken windows had provided.

The world...really was changing.

“Sans?” a deep voice boomed through the hallway, shattering his reverie.  “Come through to the throne room.  You and I have business to discuss.”

#Dragonashes writes #Undertale #Underfell #The Heaven We Didn't Choose #Sans #Frisk #Undyne #Asgore #You can't get rid of Frisk that easily #This isn't ominous at all #How many jobs can one skeleton even have?

[adampage]

Eddie | AJ Styles

 Pairing: AJ Styles x OFC (Maria), AJ x Eddie (the cat)

“This might be weird, and I totally get if it’s not poss 😆, but maybe one where [AJ] realises cats are awesome and he shldn’t hate them?? Is that too weird?” - @we-work-hard

Word Count: 1,950

Tagging: @we-work-hard / @llowkeys / @unabashedwwesmut / @kingslayers-angel / @p1-fanfiction / @ajstylesworld / @the-geekgoddes / @xxmaddhatter39xx / @justrae9903 / @reigns420 / @xstylesxclashx / @gurimujox / @p0tat0catofwesteros / @toosweetme / @your-darkdiva / @thephenomenonalkingofthebrogues / @welshwitch5

Author’s Note: I’m taking requests! This was nearly too easy to write. I basically took the relationship between my dad and my cat Tito (may he rest in peace) and got this from it. So, I’m dedicating this to Tito. I love you and I miss you, my dear sweet gentleman. 💙

She remembered the moment he showed up on her doorstep. Literally. Not AJ, obviously - guys don’t just show up on people’s doorsteps, hold on, never mind - but Eddie, her cat. He was black and white down the middle and on three of his legs, as if he wore a tuxedo everywhere he went, with pink paw beads and an even pinker nose and gorgeous yellow-green eyes. When she picked him up, he was all muscle, toned and strong, but seemingly chubby, too. Basically, the most adorable cat you’d ever see in your life. He showed up one day, rolling around in front of Maria’s house, begging to be touched. Okay, so, maybe AJ and Eddie had more in common than they liked to think. 

Eddie, ever the gentleman and ever patient, remained outside until Maria allowed him in, after weeks of her leaving food outside and water for him to slurp, when she noticed that someone had injured him near his tail, and she wasn’t just going to let the poor kitty deal with his injury on his own if being outside meant he was prone to infection.

She managed to coax him into a pet carrier and took him to the vet, where the vet told her they’d have to give Eddie stitches, recommending also for him to stay indoors and to take antibiotics every day. Needless to say, he was hers, and Maria didn’t mind it one bit. Fast forward months later, she’s in a relationship with AJ Styles. She also met him while he was dressed in a tux, at a mutual friend’s wedding. They caught each other’s eye; he made the first move. They got to talking, and she instantly fell in love with that southern drawl of his. But she didn’t want to let him think she was too interested, so she left the wedding as soon as her friend and her new husband left the party early for their honeymoon in the Bahamas. He showed up at her doorstep the next day, begging her to let him in, and she happily obliged from that day on. The only problem was, Eddie and AJ didn’t get along. Well, AJ didn’t get along with Eddie. Eddie was too sweet to let a strong man like AJ get the better of him.

Maria chop chop chopped at the onions, chewing a piece of gum, the knife hitting the green cutting board with a thud, thud, thud. “Maria.” Came the southern drawl, all too different from the way her parents would call to her. Her name on his lips was kinder, with less of an edge. Though, he somehow sounded distressed all the same. “Yes, AJ.” “This gosh darn cat won’t leave me alone.” Sure enough, she peered down near AJ’s legs to find Eddie, purring away. AJ sighed, exasperated. “Did I mention how much I hate cats?” “Dios mío, AJ, if you pet him, he’ll leave you alone!” “But I don’t want to pet him.” He huffed, crossing his arms like a little boy throwing a temper tantrum. “Then by all means, AJ, he’s going to keep bothering you.” Realizing his one and only defense against the furry beast wasn’t going to help, AJ raised his hands in surrender, rolling his eyes. “Okay, but he better leave me alone after this.” And Eddie did. For a little while, anyway.

You see, AJ had big, strong, wide hands. They were a whole heck of a lot bigger than Maria’s, and Eddie liked it rough. He loved the feeling of AJ’s hands raking across his fur, then padding it down and petting him in just the right manner. It was downright pleasurable, is what it was. He just couldn’t get enough. And when Eddie realized that AJ took fifteen minutes longer in the bathroom than Maria did, it sealed the deal. The distinctive sound of AJ grunting onto the toilet to settle down for the next quarter of an hour drove Eddie from any hiding place in any part of the house. As soon as AJ sat down, Eddie’s perky little monkey tail came running past the bathroom door. “Damn you, you cunning little devil,” AJ said, after the umpteenth time he had to keel over and pet the little fucker so he’d leave him in peace. “I hate you.” Eddie’s response was a sweet little squeak of a meow, hardly even audible, as if to say, “Who? Me?” And Maria would waltz into the bathroom on accident, to the dismay of both cat and man. “Maria, it’s bad enough he’s in here when I’m trying to do something private. I can’t have both of you in here. Come on, now,” AJ whined, shooing her away, to her delighted, “OKAY, okay, jeez.” She left, but not before turning around to catch the glimpse of a smile on AJ’s face as he reached for his boy.

AJ finally began to understand Eddie one fine day in June. It was blistering hot, the air conditioning was out, and he and Maria were both cramped in her tiny kitchen the color of sunshine, cooking some sort of Colombian dish. His blue sleeveless tank was soaked all down his back, and he had his hair pulled up in a bun. It was days like these that he wished he had the heart to shave off all his scruff, but he knew Maria loved it. “Chop this for me.” “Ooookay.” AJ stepped back from the counter to grab a knife from the cutlery drawer, when he felt something under his foot- “YEOWWWWWWWWWW!” A blur of black and white dashed from the kitchen, disappearing under the living room sofa. “AJ, what did you do?!” Maria screamed. “I ain’t done shit,” he yelled, “it’s this damn cat’s tail done went under my feet!” “Well, did you apologize?” Maria retorted accusingly. “Maria, it’s a cat, it don’t need no goddamned apology.” She sighed, unwilling to push the argument any further.

Later that day, AJ went to the bathroom. As he settled in, he heard the ever familiar pitter patter of bounding paws running down the stairs above him, the monkey tail stopping in its tracks as it walked through the door. Eddie took one look at AJ and ran right back out of the bathroom. AJ couldn’t believe his eyes. The godforsaken cat was holding a grudge. A fucking grudge. A cat. Holding a grudge. A cat that holds grudges. Whaa? He found Maria settled into bed, reading glasses on the tip of her crooked nose as she flipped the pages of her favorite book, The Tale of Despereaux. He slipped under the thin covers from his side of her bed, watching her for a few moments. He wanted to mention Eddie, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was a damn cat, for goodness’ sake. Why should he care what a cat thinks about him, anyway? So he just lay there, arm behind his head, staring out into her bedroom. “What is it?” She finally asked. “What makes you think there’s something wrong?” AJ responded defensively, curious and not really sure if he even wanted to mention what was wrong just yet. “You’ve been laying next to me for three minutes and you haven’t bothered to cuddle me. That is very un-AJ.” He frowned. Was he really that obvious? “And Eddie hasn’t bothered to come cuddle me in bed, either, very un-Eddie, which means whatever’s going on is between the two of you.” AJ let out a breath. Okay, so everything about this was pretty damn obvious. “He came when I went to the bathroom and then he left when he saw me.” The he was clear. “That’s because he resents you, AJ. You hurt his feelings and his tail.” “It was an accident!” He defended. “So tell him it was an accident and go apologize.” “First off, I don’t see why I should go apologize to a damn cat.” Maria sighed, exhausted that she had to mediate between these two idiots. She took off her glasses and placed them on the bedside table, along with her book which she meticulously dog eared to remember her place. Pinche hombre no entiende que los gatos son igual que los humanos. “If you stepped on my foot, would you say sorry?” Her tone carried an edge to it that AJ himself would never be able to master. “Yes.” He whispered, arms crossed, clearly in disdain for where this conversation was going. “What else would you do?” He smiled sweetly. “Anything for you, darlin’.” “Nice try. What else would you do?” He huffed, but answered anyway. “Probably give you a massage to butter you up.” “All right, there’s your answer. Go do those exact things to Eddie.” “What? Are ya kiddin’ me? Maria, come on.” She gave him the death glare she inherited from her mother. “Did I fucking stutter?” “N-no,” he grumbled, stumbling out of bed. “Fine. Okay.” AJ found himself in the living room, turning on a lamp. He scanned the room for any sign of a black and white, and found Eddie’s shadow behind the curtains over the clear patio doors. Eddie’s ears perked up at the sound of AJ’s footfalls. They were heavier than Maria’s, but they seemed to be moving quicker. Eddie barely got up and bounded away before AJ’s hands reached out to where he was sleeping. “So this is how it’s going to be?” AJ muttered. AJ walked back through the bedroom door, shoulder slumped. “Maria, this cat won’t let me not five feet near ‘im.” “I’ll help you.” It was getting hot under those sheets, anyway. “His problem is with you, not me, so he’ll let me grab him.” It took them another ten minutes to finally find him. He had run upstairs, hidden behind the guest bed. Maria had brought a bag of kitty treats to lure him out with, and then she grabbed him, holding him gently in her arms. AJ was hiding just outside, waiting for her to bring him. “Look at my big, strong, manly gentle man,” she cooed at Eddie, petting him softly on his tummy. Eddie’s nose dug under her arm as she complimented and pampered him, clearly being lulled into a sense of security. AJ fought back the urge to get jealous of the way Maria was talking to him, knowing that if he made so much as a noise the cat would realize what was going on. When Eddie began to purr, Maria quickly walked through the door and handed him to AJ, who began to massage and pet Eddie with his strong, wide hands. Eddie struggled beneath his grasp, but AJ wouldn’t let go. “I’m sorry, Eddie, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry for hurting your tail, I’m sorry,” AJ chanted, continuing to massage him for what felt like hours and hours but was only mere minutes. “It’ll never happen again, I promise, I’ll watch where I’m going, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” When AJ noticed Eddie no longer struggled in his grasp, but was purring incessantly, he heaved with a sigh of relief, and let the furry being go. Eddie ran away, tail curved and delighted. Maria laughed. “So how are we sure that it worked?” AJ grinned. “Guess I need to visit the bathroom.” They descended the stairs, Maria stopping at their bed and tucking herself in, AJ lumbering towards the bathroom. As Maria drifted off to sleep, she heard the heavy little pawfalls of Eddie racing down the stairs, dropping himself at the foot of his master’s throne, and the subsequent, “there ya are, little guy” that escaped AJ’s lips.

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