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astxrwar · 4 months

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blunt force trauma [3/x]

SYNOPSIS: traumatized!Bucky x Brainwashed!supersoldier!reader.

Rating: M

Word Count: 5k

Content Warnings: Brief mention of a suicide joke made in passing. Bucky has issues, so MH/trauma topics will feature heavily in this work; I will CW for them every time. Canon-typical violence.

Check out the tag "fic; blunt force trauma" for Content (there's a playlist!!) + Ao3 chapter notes for extras if you're interested. <3

Read on AO3

[1] [2] [ 3 ]

That Wednesday, Yori has a cold.

Bucky spends a few minutes just going back and forth with him through the cracked-open door of the guy’s apartment, asking if he needs tissues or aspirin or fucking— soup, or something, because he’s old, right, properly old, and he’s kind of worried about him. Yori insists it’s just a regular cold and that he’s fine and that Bucky is under no circumstances to buy him anything because he’s fine, and that he’s not going to be going out with him tonight or so much as opening the door all the way.

“Might get you sick,” is what he says. “Bad manners.”

That’s not physically possible, Bucky wants to tell him, but doesn’t, can’t, for a lot of reasons, most of them— pretty fucking awful.

He tries not to think about it.

“Okay,” Bucky says eventually. “Okay, fine, but we’re still on for next week, right?”

Yori is silent for a beat. “Yes,” he says, from behind the door, and then, gruff and vaguely scolding, “You need to make friends that are-- younger. I am getting too old for this.”

Bucky scoffs. Yori tells him this a lot. “I’m working on it,” he says, which is what he says back every time.

It’s bullshit.

He thinks about that piece of paper, folded up and pressed between the pages of Steve’s notebook, heavy in the chest pocket of his jacket like it’s burning a hole right through it.

Mostly. It’s mostly bullshit.

Yori goes and— sleeps, or something, or whatever people do when they get sick, and he goes back to his apartment.

Bucky realizes a lot of things really quickly, after shutting the door and locking it and flipping the lights; things like the fact that he’s not usually here, at this time, that he generally wouldn’t be back for another hour, sometimes more. That she’s probably been watching him, and that she’s probably learned his schedule by now, because it’s exactly what he would have done. That if she were to pick a time to go through his apartment and try to find answers without having to talk to anybody–which is also exactly what he would have done– she’d either be doing it now, or when he’s at therapy.

He realizes after shutting the door– kind of embarrassingly late, all things considered– that he’s not alone.

And then he remembers that being taken by surprise used to be a pretty significant trigger for him, in the early days.

This time, when she tries to hit him, he doesn’t move out of the way— she’s not putting a fucking hole through his door, that’d be such a pain in the ass, there’d be no way to get out of explaining it to the landlord— and what he does instead of moving is step in past her arm and close the distance and shoulder-check her dead in the sternum. The force of it sends her sliding back across the living room, her foot twisting against the hardwood floor to find purchase and friction enough to counteract it, slow to a stop, and then she lifts her chin and she locks eyes with him and whatever he was going to say—hey, relax, it’s just me, it’s okay— it dies somewhere in the back of his throat.

She’s not there. There wouldn’t be any point.

Instead, he sets his jaw and jerks his head to one side and then the other, cracking his neck and loosening his shoulders and waiting.

Part of him— it’s not that he enjoys this, he doesn’t think, just that it feels satisfying, like drawing poison out of a wound. That very first time, he kind of expected looking at her when she’s like this to make him uncomfortable, the way that it reminds him of all of that shit he tries not to think about for a lot of different reasons, but it’s kind of the opposite.

It’s familiar. It’s comforting. Bucky understands this, which is saying something, because it feels like there’s not a whole lot in his life these days that he really understands that much at all. The way she’s looking at him right now— he knows exactly what this is. It doesn’t take him over like it used to, not anymore, but it’s not like it’s completely gone from him, this instinct.

He still feels it too, sometimes. Or— maybe he just wants to. A little of both, probably.

“Yeah, nice to see you, too,” he mutters, mostly to himself, his vision sharpening to a knifepoint and his heart rate solid, steady, ticking like a metronome. The seconds that always kind of feel like they slip from him before he can register them at all— they’re drawn out, now, bleeding into each other, stretching endlessly, and he’s there , inside his own body as the moments pass, present, not floating somewhere outside of it or trapped in his head. He breathes. He listens to the sound of his own blood rushing in his skull. He listens for hers. He can’t hear it, but he thinks if she gets close again, he might be able to.

“What are you waiting for,” he says, not really a question. Kind of a challenge.

She lunges for him.

He meets her halfway.

On purpose. By choice.

One thing he’d noticed the last time is that she’s real fucking fast– faster than him, and probably younger, by what he would guess must be a not-significant amount. The serum is about achieving peak human performance, or something like that; it doesn't reverse the effects of time or the reality of age, and it doesn't change how that peak just starts to gradually decline in terms of speed and reaction time at some point in your early-mid-twenties and then never really stops. Bucky doesn’t know how old he is, not concretely, but it’s old enough that the difference between them in terms of that is apparent. But reflexes are one thing, and experience is another, and he has a fucking lot of experience— more than she does, and that, too, is a stark and obvious fact. He’s better than her, and just a little bit stronger, and what she has on him in speed he more than compensates for just in skill and brute force.

They’re not evenly matched, is what he’s saying, and he’d gotten the feel for that last time, too; had known, kind of, that this wouldn’t be a fair fight.

The edge she has, though, the one he doesn’t, is that she’s trying to hit him— trying to harm him, trying to physically incapacitate him— and he’s not. He’s countering closed-fist blows open-handed, going for her shoulders and the insides of her arms to redirect and keep the damage to the apartment at a minimum, and that puts him at a massive fucking disadvantage. It means her target is the whole of his body, six-foot and something like a buck-eighty, and not only is she fucking smaller than him already, but the places he can hit and not hurt her are these little slivers of windows only a few inches wide, if that, and–

She clocks him in the jaw.

It’s not that bad, it’d been her non-dominant hand and he’d moved back, he’d just been a little too slow– but it’s still hard enough to make his teeth fucking rattle in his mouth and his chest reflexively tighten up and the air force out of his lungs in this short, sharp hiss.

“Okay, ow,” he says, putting space between them and feeling the first prickle of irritation start to worry at his patience and trying real fucking hard not to let it as he moves back and away and grimaces, opens his jaw and shifts it to either side and hears it pop, sore and starting to smart and definitely going to be bruised tomorrow.

When he looks at her again she looks a little bit more human. There’s this furrow, just the shadow of it, tightening up between her eyebrows, but the line of her shoulders is tensed and her hands are still up and something in her eyes is trembling, like it’s tearing at itself, guilt, maybe, but also this kind of powerlessness, too.

Wanting to stop. Not being able to.

Bucky thinks about the dream.

“It’s alright,” he says, “I know. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”

He exhales, shaky, his heart beating harder and faster from the exertion, sweat starting to prickle at the nape of his neck, the air burning a little, like it’s sinking into somewhere in his lungs that he doesn’t usually breathe deep enough for it to reach.

“I don’t mind,” he says, and he’s not even really surprised by how much he actually means it. “Come on. Just- get it out of your system. It’s okay.”

Her expression doesn’t relax, but it— slackens, and something flashes in her eyes that looks a lot like relief, but it’s gone before he has time to be sure or think much about it.

When she comes to him a second time, the edge is missing and she’s not trying to hurt him— not trying to hurt him as much, he corrects, grunting when her elbow slams into the soft part of his stomach— and it doesn’t take long for him to get her off-balance and on the defensive. She mistimes a punch, finally, gives him the opportunity to reach for her and doesn’t react quick enough to the hand on her arm, and he gets the other flat on her shoulder blade and slams her against the wall.

She doesn’t do anything for a long moment; her chest is heaving, violently and with enough force that he can feel the muscles around her ribs straining up against the pressure of his forearm where it’s braced against the small of her back, and he has one hand— his hand— on her right wrist, and in the absence of any immediate threat Bucky realizes a bunch of things in quick succession.

He realizes she’s wearing a short-sleeve t-shirt, which is new, and not technically surprising; it’s May and it’s started to get warmer again. He realizes he’s touching her, though, really touching her, without any kind of barrier at all, and that’s new, too, and it’s weird , because her skin is soft and warm and it feels almost fucking– delicate, makes him aware of the callouses on his palm and his fingers and the roughness of them, and contradicts so violently with everything else about her that it’s like his brain just can’t integrate the information at all. He realizes she’s come back— all of her is so human now, even her eyes, the corner of one that he can see with how her face is pressed to the wall, darting back to look at him and then looking away just as fast, fraught and expressive, all of that emptiness just– gone.

And then he makes a mistake. He keeps fucking doing that. It’s getting annoying.

Bucky calls her by her name, and she freaks the fuck out again.

He hadn’t grabbed her other hand, because she’d been calm or at the very least not-murderous for all of ten seconds, so she slides it up under herself and pushes and gets the leverage to slip out from where he’s holding her and she elbows him in the fucking diaphragm, hard enough to knock the air out of him and wrench her arm out from his grip.

And then she fucking runs away, again, and he’s left there trying to catch his breath, with a handful of fresh bruises and absolutely no fucking answers at all.

No holes in the apartment this time, though.

That night, he can't fall asleep.

The nightmares haven’t come back yet— yet, they’d been gone before, the times that Steve had needed him, and then for a while in the aftermath of the final battle, they always come back, though, it’s only ever a matter of time— but he still has trouble with it, just in general. Sleep. It flips, back and forth like a switch, between extremes; sometimes he has the control to just will himself into unconsciousness, and sometimes it’s like his brain fights back, his thoughts accelerate, defiant, no matter how hard he tries to focus on counting his breathing or relaxing each muscle or picturing the inside of his mind like this sprawling, snow-covered field, white and uniform and empty.

He’s long since stopped trying all that, just has his eyes open, lying there staring up into the dark. His mind drifts, directionless, and he thinks about a bunch of things, random details connected by some nonsensical thread of logic that's somewhere beyond his conscious awareness. In Romania, he used to wander when he couldn't sleep, and then also when the thought of sleeping terrified him; he'd walk, sometimes for hours, until his body burned and the soles of his shoes wore out and sometimes until the sun came up again. There'd been one night-- multiple nights, multiple days, six or seven, at least-- that he'd gotten so exhausted he'd collapsed outside, leaned against the crumbled plaster facade of a building. One thing about the serum; he does still need sleep. It'd been raining, and he was soaked and shaking and delirious from lack of sleep. The old woman who'd found him when she'd gone out for a cigarette brought him an umbrella and made him a tea and sat there on the stoop nearby for a while, told him stories about her son. He'd moved to Sibiu, had a wife, three kids, called twice a week, but didn't visit enough. They'd just gotten a cat, he'd let the youngest name it; Șosetă. Sock.

"Prost," she'd said; stupid. Made this soft tch sound, ashed her cigarette against the railing. It'd been such a meaningless thing to complain about. It was the most human he'd felt in months.

Bucky thinks about the girl. Her expression, when he'd let her go that first time, again when he'd pinned her to the wall in his living room. It's still weird to think about, wondering if that's what he'd looked like, a long time ago-- wide-eyed and terrified and hopelessly lost.

He fumbles for his jacket at the foot of the bed, takes Steve’s notebook out and unfolds the slip of paper tucked inside and stares at it. There’s splotches where the lines had gone fuzzy, the paper had gotten wet and the ink had spread out; it’d been kind of damp, the morning he found it, dew condensed on the mesh screen and against the glass, so it could be from that. Or it could be that she’d been crying.

He hasn’t seen her cry, or even really look like she's come close to it. He wonders if she’s there yet. In the beginning, it was like his body wouldn’t let him, no matter how tight his chest would get or how much his eyes would burn— it just wouldn’t come. It’d frightened him too much, the thought of succumbing to something as intangible as an emotion. A loss of control that he just couldn’t submit to. Not when control was all he really had left.

In Wakanda, it felt like— relief. He’d been afraid. But they’d helped him.

He thinks about the way that she’d looked at him. Come on, just— get it out of your system. It’s okay. Maybe he should have said something else— that’s probably not what he’s supposed to have said. He was probably supposed to have said stop, or don’t, or something like that, but he’d tried those a bunch already, and he’d kind of known the whole time that it doesn’t really work like that.

Bucky folds the slip of paper, tucks it back in the notebook, and the notebook under his pillow.

If she could just stop any of this, he thinks, she would have done it by now.

“Is there another day we can do, next week?”

Doc had been tapping the end of her pen against the edge of the notebook, the edges of the pages starting to curl, and there’s a millisecond of hesitation that disrupts the rhythm. Close to imperceptible, but not quite.

“Why,” she says, blunt.

Somebody keeps breaking into my apartment when I’m gone. So I’m going to– not be gone.

“That– veteran,” Bucky says. The lie is growing, which can be tricky; he’ll have to keep track of more moving parts, work harder not to contradict himself, but the game of it, he thinks, kind of makes this whole thing suck less. Now that is definitely something he should tell his therapist. “They’re in town, but usually just on Friday, and I wanted to– I was going to ask if they wanted to grab a bite to eat. Or– something.”

Doc raises her eyebrow at him. “In town?”

“She doesn’t live around here,” he says, shrugging. “Just a– friend of somebody in the building, I’m pretty sure. I only see her ‘cause we both– y’know.” He mimes a cigarette. It’d taken him a long fucking time to figure out how he was going to spin this; it’d hit him this morning, during his run, the pieces arranging themselves all real fucking neatly. It’s great when that happens.

Doc’s eyebrow raises further, and she does that lean-in, just a little bit; she thinks it’s a slip, which is what he’d meant for it to seem like. Best to get this over with now, have control of the information, before he actually does let it slip by accident. “She?”

“Yes,” he says, letting the beginnings of an edge sharpen in his voice, like he’s annoyed.

He’d double-checked, actually figured out how to use Google, just to make sure it wouldn’t be impossible for a woman to have served in armed ground combat. 2013, it turns out. That’s kind of insane, because he’s worked with women– girls, honestly– from the Red Room since he first became active all the way back in the fucking 50s. It took over sixty years; not that there’s been any wars worth fighting in then, but still. That’s a long fucking time.

Doc stares at him for a while, not saying anything. Just– looking.

“Are you asking her on a date, James?”

It’s just ridiculous enough that he can’t help the laugh that escapes him, curt and sharp and entirely genuine– because it is laughable, Jesus Christ, it’s not a date, if things work out how he thinks they will it’s going to be a lot more like a fucking ambush than anything else. Bucky laughs, which is fine, good, even, because it makes this more believable, supports the act– but it also blindsides him so thoroughly that what he says next isn’t preplanned.

“No,” he says, pointed and a little bit mean, like it’s a stupid question– and it is, it’s an extremely stupid question– and then because his mouth moves faster than his brain does, he continues, “No, she’s– she’s having a hard time, you know, adjusting, and I– I’ve been there. I want to-- I thought I could-- help.”

Doc stares at him.

He clenches his teeth. The bruise is gone, and he’s mostly healed up, but his jaw still twinges a little. Another thing the serum doesn’t do; keep his body from getting worse at handling this shit, the older he gets.

A date, he thinks, not sure if he’s amused or irritated by the thought. Jesus Christ, she’d punched him in the face, and she’s likely to try again if this goes according to plan. That’s about as far from a date as you can get.

“I don’t think you’re prepared for a relationship,” Doc says, and then before he can open his mouth to inform her thanks, that’s great, I’m really not fucking interested, she tells him, “I don’t think that’s what this is, but I wanted to make my opinion clear. As your therapist.”

“Gee, thanks, Doc,” he says, his teeth bared too tight in some deeply irritated caricature of a smile, “Really appreciate the input. Can we do a day besides Friday, or not?”

She studies him for a moment longer, and writes something in the notebook. Sometimes he tries to sit forwards or crane his head to read it, and other times he doesn’t; this time he makes sure not to, because he’s on his best behavior. He wants answers, and he wants that a lot more than he wants to know what she’s putting in that stupid fucking notebook.

“Yes,” she says, when she finishes, snapping the book shut. “How does Thursday sound?”

“Thursday sounds great,” he replies, with as much blatant sarcasm as he can physically inject into the words.

He doesn’t even have to wait that long.

It’s Tuesday-- six days since the last time. He’s aware of it now, not on purpose, it’s just one of those details his brain keeps track of without ever really consciously deciding to do so, like loud noises and things moving in his peripheral vision.

He has groceries, a plastic bag half-full bumping against the side of his leg, the handles held loose with two fingers; there’s nothing immediately perishable, fresh vegetables, mostly, and she’s between him and the fridge. He sets it down by his feet, against the wall where hopefully it won’t be collateral damage if this devolves. Again. Bucky’s never really been a betting kind of guy— never seen the point— but from the way she’s standing, he’d put money on this going south pretty quickly.

“Y’know, you should probably stop breaking into my apartment,” he says, without looking at her directly, in a tone that’s probably way too mild for the circumstances.

There’s a long beat of silence interrupted only by the sound of the door as he presses it closed behind him.

“I thought it was a trap, the first time,” she says back, and he almost startles. She’d been sitting in the one armchair he has in his living room, but she’d gotten up as soon as he’d crossed the threshold. He can feel her, now, standing closer to the kitchen, even with his back turned as he pulls his keys from the door. “I thought— it doesn’t look like you live here.”

“Okay, well,” he says, kind of surprised by the tone of his voice, the degree of familiarity in it. “I did the last time I checked."

It’s strange, because he feels like he knows her, even though he also knows, separately, rationally, that he doesn’t; maybe it’s because he thinks about her a lot, or maybe it’s because they’re the same in a lot of ways, but whatever the reason he knows it’s not really true. The reality is that it’s been months, right, and this— right now, that was the most she’s ever spoken to him.

It was pretty warm today; he’d started to sweat as soon as he’d shrugged on his leather jacket when he’d left earlier, and he busies himself with taking it off now that he doesn’t have to be concerned with hiding anything.

She seems to relax when his focus isn’t on her, and—

Yeah, he gets that.

“Sorry,” she says abruptly, strangled, “Sorry, about before, I— I hurt you, I didn’t mean to.“

Bucky scoffs, hanging his jacket on a coat hook by the door; he fumbles with the chest pocket, slips that red notebook out and into the front one of his jeans. “You got me once,” he says dismissively. “Don’t worry about it."

He thinks maybe he sees her jaw set, something in her eyes flash; a human something. A stubborn human something. “Twice,” she replies, curt and a little bit testy, like there’s a part of her deeper than the need to apologize that’s maybe a little bit irritated at how easily he shrugged it off.

Bucky laughs at that, just this short, sharp bark of a sound. And maybe he shouldn’t do that, either; maybe he shouldn’t feel so comfortable at the idea that she kinda seems to have a sort of competitive streak with regards to actual physical violence, and maybe the fact that he is comfortable with it should be— a concern.

It isn’t.

No, that little show of defiance, or whatever it was; it was actually kind of endearing.

“Yeah, all right,” he admits, “Twice. You want to maybe just— talk, this time?”

She swallows and shifts her weight from foot to foot, clenches her hands into fists at her sides and then releases them, slowly, a little at a time in these jagged, abrupt bursts of movement, like she’s making herself do it.

“Yeah,” she says, after a while, her voice strangely small. Her hands are forced out flat, now, open as far as they can go, her arms locked, and he watches her fingers twitch, all random and erratic like it’s unintentional, the only part of her body still moving. He wonders if she even knows she’s doing it. “Yeah, I— I want to, I keep trying, but I— “

“But then you keep trying to beat the shit out of me,” he says dryly, mouth pressed into a small, frank line; not really a smile, but not negative. Still entirely too familiar, because he doesn’t know, really, if that kind of gentle jabbing is going to set her off, but he’s decided he doesn’t really care one way or another.

When Bucky looks at her again she’s clenching her jaw so hard he can see a muscle twitching below her ear even from across the room. “I’m sorry,” she says again, through gritted teeth, the words bitten out and sharp-sounding, like she’s forcing them. “I can’t— I’m not doing it on purpose.”

Bucky swallows reflexively, and that not-smile twists into a grimace. “Yeah,” he replies. “Yeah, I know.”

The silence stretches; he studies her for a while, until he’s pretty sure she’s not going to speak again without a push, before he says, “Think you can tell me something about who you are?”

She flinches, and it’s visceral and immediate and probably out of her control; she screws her eyes shut so hard that her face contorts from the effort, lurches back a step, and when she breathes, it’s so unsteady that he can see that, too, the shuddering rise-and-fall of her chest.

Bucky takes a step forwards while her eyes are closed, and the stupid traitorous floorboards creak in a spot that he’s never fucking heard them creak in before.

She goes rigid and her eyes snap open wide, the whites stretch out so far it makes her irises look like they’ve physically shrunk, and he knows, he knows he’s fucked it, he knows she’s going to fucking run away again, but--

The thing is– he just doesn’t have a lot of fucking patience.

When Bucky was him, he’d had an overabundance of patience. He had an alarmingly inhuman excess of it– something that allowed him to do things like watch the same mark for hours on end from the grimy window of a building or the crumbling edge of a rooftop or a branch-covered hole in the ground, not moving or eating or sleeping or even thinking at all. There’d been times when he’d waited for over a day straight for a target to come within firing range, and then for hours after until the search parties had dispersed empty-handed and it was safe for him to move again.

If somebody had him try any of that shit now, he thinks he’d probably blow his own brains out. He has trouble just dealing with the train being a few minutes late.

I‘s been almost three months, and what he has to show for it is a first name, a patched-up hole in the wall, a lot of really annoying bruises, and fucking nothing else.

When she makes like she’s going to run again, Bucky moves to stop her.

That goes exactly as well as he thought it would.

#bucky barnes x reader #fic; blunt force trauma

17 notes · View notes

twwpress · 2 years

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Creator Spotlight #13: rearviewmirror

Welcome back to the TWW Author Spotlight! For every spotlight, we’ll ask each featured author the same ten questions (as well as questions you submitted on Twitter!). This week we’re excited to be talking with Twitter user @S4MWILS0N (rearviewmirror on AO3)!

1) What are your top 5 desert island fics by other authors?

1. christmas (baby, please come home) by crossingdelancey

As far as I’m concerned, this is THE CJ/Toby fic. It’s full of tropes I adore (divorce with getting back together, co-parenting, fake relationship, found family, misunderstanding that gets resolved in a heartfelt way, and outsiders meddling), but it’s really about the characters and the relationships between them. NOBODY writes CJ/Toby like Kate does, be it the dialogue or the internal monologues or even the pure physicality of how the characters interact. She has an incredible gift for tiny details that feel like a sucker punch, and this story’s brimming with them. I could read this one over and over again (and I do) because it’s just so beautifully written. A must-read for every CJ/Toby & CJ Cregg enjoyer.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35750233/chapters/89146165

2. Safe Harbor by murph283031

This is the fic that got me into Leo/Abbey. It’s about grief and healing and family and a million other things, but mostly, it’s just a beautifully written portrait of compelling characters. I must’ve read this one- and the other works in the series- at least 5 times and I’ll probably read it five times more. The premise is a sharp divergence from canon, but all the character voices and relationships are spot on. Just a really well-done story.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31562528?view_full_work=true

3. turning in place by jazzjo

Absolutely heartbreaking meditation on guilt and forgiveness, love and religion. Really, really great Toby character piece as well as a beautiful handling of the post-leak arc leading into post-canon, with touches of CJ/Toby/Andy as well. Nobody writes angst (especially religious angst) like Eli, and this fic is exemplary of their incredible deftness and sensitivity when dealing with such heavy subjects. Not really a happy fic, but a hopeful one, and I know I could read it again and again and still discover new details to fall in love with.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41457948?view_full_work=true

4. Direction Home by dafna

My first Jed/Leo/Abbey fic :) This one feels almost like a TWW episode in how it alternates between past and present- it’s post-Rosslyn, and Jed, Leo, and Abbey are trying to figure themselves out- but features flashbacks to important moments in their pre-canon lives. It’s an incredible piece of work in how it spans their lifetimes while remaining true to the characters the entire time, and every plot tension resolves so beautifully.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5956

5. And If You Try Sometime You Just Might Find by thedeadparrot

Jed/Leo/Abbey through the years. Wonderful build-up with a wonderful payoff. I love angst with a happy/hopeful ending, and this really hit the spot. It’s also a great Leo character piece, and creates backstory for the whole trio that fits seamlessly in with canon. Great starter fic for anybody interested in Jed/Leo/Abbey but doesn’t know where to begin.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/96040

2) Do you have a favorite character to write? Favorite ship(s) to write? Are there characters or ships you'd like to write more of?

Fave character to write: Jed Bartlet.

Favorite ship to write: Jed/Leo, with the other permutations of Jed/Leo/Abbey as the runners-up.

Characters or ships I’d like to write more of: Charlie and Charlie/Zoey, who should’ve been endgame! Charlie’s one of my favorite characters, and he’s sadly often ignored by the fandom. Writing about him (and Charlie/Zoey) is really, really fun, so I’d like to do some more of that.

3) Tell us about your writing process (setup/location? Night or day? Snacks/beverages? Computer/phone/notebook? Music or silence? Anything else you want to share is welcome!)

The environment doesn't really matter, but I do the bulk of my writing on my laptop in bed. I like to have my JLA playlist (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ibswxpE5msVA23Ui8wvQ0) going in the background as I write- not for inspiration, just because it’s nonstop bangers.

4) What writing advice do you have for others who may be reading this?

No matter what you’ve heard about fanfic, it’s literally not that serious. It’s like making your action figures kiss and/or kill each other in word form. It’s about as low-stakes as it can get. So, go crazy with it. Write something that’s indulgent or silly or been done a million times. The whole point is to have fun :)

5) From where do you usually draw your inspiration? (Other forms of media, music, tropes, etc?)

I draw a lot of inspiration from music, primarily Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, My Chemical Romance, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, my favorite intersections of “bands I like” and “bands that write good lyrics.” Most of my fic titles are song lyrics. Perhaps that’s because I’m not creative with titles, but there’s nothing quite like an insane song lyric to inspire and/or guide a story.

6) What is the fic you've written that you're most proud of and why?

the feast and the famine (https://archiveofourown.org/works/42133008). Heavy, heavy themes and a lot of internal monologuing made it tough to write on emotional and technical levels, but I’m very pleased with how it turned out. It’s a Jed Bartlet character piece, and it hit all the notes I wanted it to. It’s engineered for the extremely niche overlap of religious, LGBT TWW fans, so it’s not trying to be anything revolutionary, but I’m always proud of myself when I think about it.

7) What's the fic trope/concept/AU you'd read 1000 of? What's the fic trope/concept/AU you'd write 1000 of?

I write what I like to read, so this question condenses nicely. Tropes: first kisses, coming out, old married couple/throuple, love confessions, teasing banter, domestic romance, angst with a happy ending, parenting/co-parenting, and found family. AUs: pre-canon plausible backstory stuff, post-canon stuff where everything is nice and happy, and non-politics AUs.

8) Is there anything you'd like to try writing-wise that you haven't yet?

One of these days I’d like to branch out in terms of style- I think a proper TWW social media AU would be a lot of fun, and I’ve been toying with the idea of a story where the characters know they’re in a story. Epistolary fics are cool, too- I’d just have to figure out how to do it well.

9) What's your go-to Starbucks/coffee shop/other drink order?

I don’t drink Starbucks. If I had to pick, hot chocolate.

10) Do you have any current projects you'd like to promote or anything upcoming you'd like to tell us about?

I’ve got so many projects on the back burner it’s frankly a little embarrassing. To name a few: updating two of my longer fics (pry it open and echoes, silence, patience, and grace), writing a short series based on Foo Fighters songs, and finishing the BBOC September prompt, which I still haven’t filled. And Lord knows new ideas come in all the time. So we’ll see :)

Submitted questions:

From @sameschtick: Rapid Fire (edited slightly for continuity):

Short vs long fics (to write and to read)? Long fics. The only way to improve a good thing is to have more of it. Also, I’m a chronic rambler who’s lousy at editing, so my stories usually end up on the longer side.

AU or canon? AUs are easier to write, but a well-done fic set during canon, in my opinion, is much more interesting to read. “Canon with a twist” is always fun, too.

Favorite season? season 3

Least favorite season? season 5

Favorite episode? Bartlet for America

Most underrated character? Charles Young, the glue of the Bartlet administration from his first episode onwards. Everybody loves him (and for good reason) but he never gets any attention in terms of fanworks and seems to be left out when people talk about the show. Also Joey Lucas, for similar reasons.

Most underrated ship? Josh/Joey. I get that Josh/Donna is canon, by far the most popular ship in the fanbase, egged on by the actors, etc., but I think Josh and Joey have incredible chemistry and are reliably a joy to watch on screen. They’d be a D.C. power couple, they’d exchange dirty jokes in ASL, and she makes fun of him all the time. What’s more to ask for? Plus, they have the same initials- if JD had that, it would be declared soulmateism. Double plus, they look really good together.

Underrated platonic dynamic? Charlie and Leo. Two quietly brilliant guys with bone-dry senses of humor with the same unquestionable loyalty to the same guy. The scene in “Stirred” where they’re arguing over Charlie’s taxes is golden, as is the scene where Leo asks Charlie if he’s bringing (Secret Service) protection on his date with Zoey- there’s a split second where they both look like they want to throw up. Ultimate comedic duo.

Thing you wish wasn’t canon? The leak arc first and foremost. I will see the S7 writers in hell. Leo should never have been VP. Ellie should not have married that random guy. The Jed/Leo divorce in seasons 5 and 6 was stupid and lazy writing. I get skeeved out whenever I rewatch the episodes with Laurie- the subtle Sorkin misogyny wasn’t subtle with that plotline. And perhaps a hot take, but I think it would’ve been much more interesting if Santos didn’t win.

One thing you wish was canon? Leo driving a pink Cadillac.

Where did the pink Cadillac idea come from? Some context: pink Cadillac is a motif that appears in a few of my stories. It’s basically that Leo owns and is in love with his 1959 pink Cadillac, while every other character thinks it's tacky and tasteless. The idea originally came from Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac,” a song with unbelievable sex appeal considering it’s about a car (depending on your interpretation), and a fantastic groove. The song is about sin and sex and beautiful women and one really awesome car, all set to a bluesy riff with classic, plaintive Springsteen vocals. To make a long story short: the song is great, so I got obsessed with pink Cadillacs. And because they really are gorgeous vehicles, I decided that Leo should drive one.

From @JessBakesCakes: Do you have a headcanon for any of your fics that didn't make it to the page? If so, what is it?

Not really, because I write to indulge my own wishes and don’t like editing, so if I have a thought about a story, it’s in there. Also, I don’t think much about what happens after a fic; each one is a contained ecosystem. After pretty much any of them, you can safely imagine plenty of kissing, though. I try to write fics with happy endings.

From @thefinestmuffin: Do you have a favorite canon TWW quote or moment? And is there a favorite headcanon/backstory/belief you have about a fave character or pairing: like, something that's just true to you about them, in and out of canon?

Impossible to choose, but for a moment, it’s the final napkin scene in “Bartlet for America,” which of course comes with a sucker-punch quote of its own- Jed saying “that was awfully kind of you.” The whole episode- and frankly, past few episodes- built to that scene, and what gorgeous payoff it was.

I’ve got mountains of headcanons and backstories and beliefs about Jed, Leo, and Abbey (I could talk about these three for hours, and that’s an open invitation), so I’ll give one for each of them:

Leo walks the way he does because he’s got a residual limp from his injuries in Vietnam, and it particularly acts up when he’s stressed.

Abbey is from a wealthy New York family that always thought Jed was a country bumpkin not good enough for their daughter (they were right).

Jed’s “four languages” are English, Latin, Greek, and German. When he and Abbey went to Italy as a young couple, his Latin was not helpful.

From @claudiasjeans:

what got you into tww? My parents recommended it, because I was already a huge fan of Veep. Very tonally different, but equally good writing.

what ship do you want to write that you never have? I’d love to try my hand at CJ/Toby/Andy or CJ/Andy because I absolutely love reading about them, and the authors who write them are some of the most talented in the fandom. I feel as though I don’t know their dynamics well enough to write them well, but perhaps that’s a future project.

what character would you write a full length character study of? Coin flip between Leo McGarry and Jed Bartlet, two characters who are certifiably insane the second you look below the surface. I want to crawl inside their minds with a toothpick and poke around a little. And then craft a thesis accordingly.

what other fandoms have you written fic for, if any? I’ve written for Veep and Marvel.

who’s the character you feel you’re most similar to? Probably Sam, except that I’m much less intelligent. We both have that friendly, off-putting, staunchly loyal nerd thing going. His hair is nicer, though :)

From @donnamossburner: What is an episode of TWW that you would rewrite if you had a chance? And what would you write to happen!

I would LOVE to rewrite season 5’s An Khe. It’s a flashback episode where the flashbacks are Leo’s time in Vietnam and the present involves the repercussions of that. It should be a quintessential Leo episode, and yet it’s mid at best, and I blame lousy writing. The bar is so low, it’s not ego to say that I could do it better. As Leo’s #1 fan, this could’ve been his “The Long Goodbye,” his second “Bartlet for America,” his (insert character-centric episode). Imagine what we could’ve had…

From @zieglercregg:

which tww quote really stuck with you? impossible to choose, but I adore the “Game On” quote where Leo says “there’s nothing you can do that’s not gonna make me proud of you” to Jed.

if we had another flashback episode, which time in which character’s life would you want to see and why? I’d like to see high school-aged Jed and Leo, college-aged Jed and Abbey, wartime Leo (as I’ve said, An Khe did NOT do a good job), Abbey in medical school, and all three of them as new parents. I’d also like to see Jed as a Congressman calling up his lawyer buddy Leo and just hanging out.

do you feel that the endings for the characters were all suitable? It’s easier to list the characters who got terrible endings than the ones that got good ones. CJ’s and Sam’s endings are wildly out of character to me, and Toby specifically got screwed with his pants on- and for no good reason, but that’s a different rant. Suffice it to say late seasons TWW writers I’ll see you in hell!

what’s a small plot point you love or hate that nobody talks about?

I love that Jed and Leo had a dinner date in the Stackhouse Filibuster. It’s like yeah, in the middle of a historical event in the Senate, these two are having dinner by candlelight- allegedly for Abbey, but I don’t think the White House stewards are that dumb. Leo makes a crack about homophobes. Nobody removes the candles. And Jed complains that Leo’s not paying enough attention to him, adopting the tones of a put-upon wife as best he can. I could watch that scene forever.

which relationship do you think deserved more screentime (can be platonic)? God, there are so many. I would’ve really loved to see more of Josh and Joey- I think their chemistry is great romantic or platonic and I adore their scenes together. CJ and Charlie have both funny scenes and really touching ones. Abbey and Charlie are a fun pair, too; he’s her youngest daughter’s boyfriend, she’s his boss’ wife, both of them are very smart and very funny, so there could be a lot of potential there.

if you could have one celebrity make an appearance on the west wing, who, and what role would they play? I would want the Veep cast to show up, as their characters on Veep. I think one conversation with Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) would make Jed suicidal, whereas CJ could out-press secretary Mike (Matt Walsh) with her eyes closed. A proper crossover could be a lot of fun.

do you think there are enough queer pairings being written for this fandom? This is a tricky topic, because all shipping is a matter of taste, and a lack of queer ships is to be expected when the pairing that’s got a near-monopoly on the fandom is a heterosexual one. Gay representation on TWW was absolutely dismal, but I often wonder why there aren’t more gay ships being written, especially WLW ones, when there’s plenty of subtext and possibility to be found. Sure, Sam/Josh gets a bit of attention, but other gay ships are pretty solidly rarepairs. I don’t think it’s homophobia, per se, but it is something I think about, and I would watch a video essay about it. But, as I always try to tell myself, we’re talking about fanfiction about a show that went off the air over a decade ago. It really isn’t that serious.

Thanks again so much to Atlas, and thanks to everyone who contributed questions. If you’d like to be featured in a future Creator Spotlight, DM us here or on tumblr, or send an email to [email protected].

xx, What’s next?

#the west wing #tww #west wing #tww fandom #jed bartlet #leo mcgarry #abbey bartlet #jed x leo #jed x leo x abbey #jed x abbey #leo x abbey #cj x toby #creator spotlight

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soothinglee · 3 years

Text

Home.

𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝗺𝗽 𝘅 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽! 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰!

Warnings: None

!Im not sure if 100% of this is correct, If you want to shift do not go by the directions that I write in the chapter, seek professional websites or amino to get information on how to shift!

~1~

Also, shameless self plug on the twitch notifies! My twitch is the bottom user >_< but! You do not have to follow me! You can simply read!

Enjoy!

Once you got home all you wanted to do was sleep. Sleep your life away but thats not going to slove any problems. You throw the beige colored backpack across the room and slam into your chair. The parents weren't home today seeing as they were on a business trip for the next week so your were alone.

Great.

Shrugging off your coat you twist the cap to your water bottle off and take a big gulp as you sign onto your desktop computer and log onto twitch.

A bar pops up.

FOLLOWED CHANNELS:

➢TubboLive

➢RanbooLive

➢Tommyinnit

➢Jagger_Swag

➢Earthtopoc

You grin and immediately join Tubbos stream. As the screen loads a ad for Coke pops up giving you time to be distracted and to pull out your journal. Reaching across the table you fish for a pen and pop the cap. Tubbos voice fills the air.

"Hi chat! How are you guys doing today!" He grins, waving both hands like a maniac but the sound of happiness in his voice is prominent. Your quick to drop everything to put 'Amazing!'.

He giggles and opens up the DreamSmp where he stands in Snowchester by the mansion. You continue doing what you were doing.

A couple of weeks ago you saw some people talking about 'shifting' on Tik Tok. It seemed instersting to say the least. You saw that it was like dreaming only it felt real. So, you decide to give it a try. Thats why at this moment you had a notebook and a pen writing your 'script'.

"At this point," you mumble "I'll take anything to get away from here."

The first thing you do is write your name and features. All things you remember the video said to do.

Name: Y/N Y/L

Age: (Y/A)

Birthday: (Y/BD)

Height:...-

oh-.. when was the last time you got measured?

'It doesn't feel like I've grown anymore since the last check-up' you think 'I'll just put I'm (Y/H)'

Tubbos laugher is soft in the background as you focus on filling out everything else. Not bothering to make it look fancy, you finish up the affirmations section and finish up. All you had to do was prepare to shift to the DreamSmp.

It was like a comfort place. Every-time you felt stressed you'd watch your streamers play as a way to feel relaxed.

"Haven't felt that in-ages" You retort ripping out the few pages and placing it under your pillow. You'd be trying the pillow method. As easy as it seems. Placing it under your pillow, visualize your DR, say affrimations and bam-your shifting to your DR. The problem is- you have to believe. Which isn't easy because you have a hard time believing.

"Guess I just gotta try harder" You stand up to stretch, limbs on fire after sitting for 4..- 4 hours?! You huff out a grunt while restlessly walking to your bathroom door. The knob cold in your hand. It wouldn't hurt to shower before going. Don't wanna meet them while smelling like trash and sweat.

20 minutes later you walk out smelling like a flower garden. Breath smelling like mint after debating with yourself if brushing your teeth would increase the chances of shifting. You didn't know but did it anyway.

Tubbos stream now off but the screen emitted Green, Black and Red colors. He must have raided Ranboo and your computer automatically decided to join the raid.

You laugh lightly "Nice." and opt for a large gray shirt with the words 'Orlando Florida' In fancy font and basketball shorts thats also a little too big.

You don't brother watching Ranboos streaming, closing out of it and turn the computer off.

'I feel like I just committed a crime' you sigh and close the bedroom door not bothering to make sure if the front door is locked.

It is. Plus if it wasn't its not like anybody would come in and rob you. You practically live in the safest neighborhood of (Y/S).

Sliding into bed, you reach over and feel for the lamps on/off button. After a minute of poking and prodding you find it and push down with a click. The only light source in the room now was the window which was half closed emitting car headlights and the Green,Yellow,Red light coming from the Traffic lights.

You lay on your back and breathe. The video said something about counting? 0-100 you recall. Reaching a hand behind you, you make sure that the script is under your pillow. Reaching back around you lay both arms and legs away from your body and count.

1..

2..

3..

4..

then you start the affirmations after you count to 50.

'Your halfway there Y/N...' A voice floats around in your head but you pay no mind. Why does it sound so Familiar? You continue counting.

51..

52..

53..

'You got this!' Another voice cheers and a wave of goosebumps fill your arms as you shiver. Although..no windows nor a breeze goes through your room.

"I will shift!" You cry and your body begins feel light weight. All of a sudden-

'Welcome Y/N,' A figure calls from the dark

'Welcome home'

TAGLIST!:

@kusuinko

@teenage0jealousy

#dreamsmp x reader #wilbur x reader #Shifting #Dream x reader #Georgenotfound x reader #Teen!reader #Streaming #Arsonisago #Quackity #Wilbur soot #tommyinnit #Tubbo #Ranboo #DR

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therealvalkyrie · 3 years

Note

please share the sakuatsu recs!!!

OHOHOOOO IT WOULD BE MY ABSOLUTE PLEASURE, MY FRIEND!!

please make sure to read the tags on each fic before reading, to make sure you're a-okay with what you're getting yourself into. consume media responsibly!!

without further ado, and in no particular order~

again, like this by noodletastic - 55k, completed series, mainly fluff

"when nationals don't go their way in their third year, atsumu and sakusa distract themselves with each other. and it keeps happening."

I'm actually currently rereading this one, because I adore the way they fall in love so easily but with that all-consuming tension and inexplicable need for each other. so exquisitely well written, it'll absolutely knock your socks off, and I lovelove the way atsumu and osamu's relationship is written. speaking of which! there's a Osamu/Suna companion piece that runs parallel, timeline-wise, and it's just such a cool thing to see how it builds upon and complements the world the author's built while telling a different, but intertwined, story.

The Story of Us by thesweetestnerd - 98k, completed series, heavy on the angst

"Atsumu has spent the last year falling in love with Sakusa Kiyoomi, but it's a secret they've never told anybody else. When a car accident snatches Omi's memories from the past two years away, Atsumu is left as the only one in the world who ever knew their relationship existed."

This is one of those stories that stays with you for days and weeks after you put it down, it's just that heartbreaking and healing at the same time. The way it discusses love and truth and identity is so raw and real, and ugh I cried real tears!!! I also love how the twins' relationship is written here, and extra points for the TS title;) I won't say more because I don't want to spoil anything, but if you do read it please lmk so we can scream about it together~

a fist amidst the hands by noodletastic - 13k words, oneshot

"Lottery nights ensure bad matches. It’s a free-for-all. It's Atsumu's favorite kind of night."

Boxer!AU sakuatsu, need I say more?? Unbelievably hot and in-character, and mad props to the author for writing the fighting so descriptively and compellingly. also all your favs are there, at least in the background. Some very gratifying descriptions of Ushiwaka and Oikawa and Bokkun, it'll make ya sweat:P Also has some fantastic companion art!!

A Liar's Truth by internetpistol - 49k, completed series, angst and fluff

"In which Sakusa Kiyoomi is raised to believe that gay people go to hell but then takes one look at Miya Atsumu and thinks, then why the hell did God make them so fucking hot?"

This fic is one of the most honest descriptions of living in a homophobic space and having to hide yourself. A really, really raw depiction of blame and taking accountability, both between Sakusa and Atsumu, and Sakusa and his parents. Seriously, I cried, it's a very cathartic read, and though there is a lot of angst, you know the happy outcome right from the beginning.

Stuck in the Sunshine by thesweetestnerd - 85k, completed series, idiot(s) to lovers

"Atsumu has a list of ‘firsts’. Kiyoomi offers to help him with it."

This time, Sakusa's the idiot who convinces himself that it would be beneficial to both Atsumu and the Jackals for him to take Atsumu's virginity. Shenanigans (and feelings) ensue. This is the most recent sakuatsu piece I read, and actually just got a new bonus chapter that I am very excited to sit down with tonight!! I really, really love Sakusa's characterization in this one, and we get to see a lot of his relationship with his cousin Komori, who made me giggle like a madwoman the whole time teehehee~

a list of things sakusa kiyoomi hates by BrenH - 7k words, oneshot, enemies to friends to lovers

"The one where Osamu suggests Atsumu keep a notebook to track all the things Sakusa hates that he does, and he takes it further than he means to."

All of these stories share the theme of Atsumu being a genius at reading when Sakusa's uncomfortable, and caring enough to adjust to him, but this's the one that does it the most explicitly. It's very cute, and details how I think Sakuatsu would figure each other out in a weird little way that's all theirs. I just love to watch the fall in love, ya know?? Makes my little heart go pitter patter~

and, last but certainly not least, terminal curiosity by favspacetwink and moonlumie, which is the fic that started it all (at least for me;)). you can read all about it on cee's post, which basically says everything that I would.

#valkyrie's sakuatsu fic recs #fic recs #sakuatsu #ask valkyrie #anon asks #i could talk about sakuatsu ALL DAY #thanks for letting me indulge anon<33

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miraclekittyandbug · 3 years

Text

Ten Questions With A Twist Chapter 2

Hey guys! Here’s chapter two! I’ve decided I will be posting a chapter every other day. There are seven chapters on this story and they have all already been written, so you won’t have to wait for me to write them before they can be posted. Enjoy!

~Chapter 1 ~ This Chapter ~ Chapter 3 ~ Chapter 4 ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter 6 ~ Chapter 7 ~

Adrien was distracted. Having had a fitful night of sleep, he was mostly focused on staying awake during classes, not necessarily taking notes. Once lunch rolled around, Nino pulled Adrien to the side.

“Hey, dude, did something happen with you and Marinette?”

Adrien responded that he wasn’t sure what he meant.

“Well, you’re really distracted, and so is she, I just figured you guys got into a fight or something.”

“No, I barely talk to Marinette outside of class,” he clarified.

“So…” Nino narrowed his eyes at his friend, “So you guys aren’t secretly dating?”

Adrien’s jaw hit the floor. “What!?”

“What do you mean ‘what?’, it is so obvious you’re in love with her!”

Adrien stuttered and flung his hands, grasping at invisible somethings as he tried to figure out where the hell this came from. “It can’t be obvious, because it’s not true! What even makes you say that?”

“Well mostly the way you look at her.”

“I look at her the same way I look at anybody else!”

“Nah, dude. If you looked at my girlfriend the way you look at Marinette, we would have to have a serious conversation.”

Adrien was at a loss for words. “This is ridiculous.”

“I’m just saying!” Nino raised his hands, signifying innocence, “You guys would make a cute couple! You like her, she likes you, it isn’t a far stretch to think that something was going on. And I think you’d make each other really happy.” Adrien could only stare. “Just think about it, dude.”

Adrien thought about it for around thirty seconds. Then he saw Marinette and Alya wave himself and his friend over to eat and, though he tried to push the thought from his mind, he suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about it.

He had visions of himself and Marinette. They would sit on the same side of the table, rather than opposite sides as they sat now. He would use that excuse to lean into her, just to be more aware of her presence. He pictured going to the movies with her again and using that trick they use in movies, pretending to yawn so he could put his arm around her and hold her close. His heart did a spin at the thought, but he found himself being drawn back to reality.

“Yeah, Adrien and I will totally sit with you guys.” Nino said, and Adrien nodded, mostly to shake those thoughts out of his head. For the first time, he had to remind himself that he was in love with Ladybug. Not Marinette.

Soon enough, the group of four friends were sat around a table, chatting absentmindedly about something random. (The exact topic of discussion was unknown to Adrien. Tired as he was, he was more concerned with pushing food around his plate and not thinking about Marinette).

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Alya asked her friend. Reminding Adrien that he still had to interact with the bluenette. They were friends, after all. “You seem really out of it today.”

Adrien looked up to see that Nino had been right. Marinette was also looking really tired and distracted. She was blushing and had organized the food on her plate according to color, but was glancing up at Adrien every so often. “Yeah, I just…” She looked up and made eye contact with Adrien before outright asking, “What’s your favorite color?”

Adrien just stared at her, wide eyed and slack jawed. A million thoughts went through his head at once. He finally settled on Wow, that’s a coincidence. But that isn’t so weird, right? It is a pretty common question, even though it was kinda out of the blue. “My favorite color is green, but I’m also rather fond of orange.”

Marinette smiled and the world seemed to shine brighter for it.

The warning bell rang, signalling that they had about five minutes before lunch was to end. Both students started shovelling food into their mouths, suddenly aware of their own hunger.

A few more classes went by when they heard a scream coming from not so far away. Phones started going off left and right, alerting the entire class that an akuma had been sighted a few streets down. Ms. Bustier reacted as she normally does, calmly asking everybody to move away from the windows, calling for each student as she did so. When Marinette failed to respond to her name, the class found that she was missing.

“Didn’t she just go to the bathroom?” Rose said, stress underlying her voice.

“I’ll go find her!” Adrien quickly called, leaving the classroom before anybody had a chance to point out the fact that it wouldn’t be proper for him to search for her in the women's restroom.

Once out of the classroom, Adrien rushed towards the nearest broom closet, looking up and down the hallway to make sure there was nobody to see him. He called for his transformation and immediately vaulted out of the nearest window, ready to assist his Lady in taking down yet another bad guy.

Soon enough, the akuma was tracked down and purified. Having finished up this particular villain fairly quickly, Ladybug and Chat Noir stood back for a moment admiring their work. Ladybug decided to let Chat in on a secret.

“His favorite color is green,” She said, blushing profusely.

Chat was amazed! “That’s my favorite color too!”

Ladybug threw her yoyo and made one more comment before zipping away, “Sure, but are you rather fond of orange?” And off she went,

Too late to see Chat’s very very VERY shocked face.

And that gut feeling from the night before was back, now, and stronger than ever. But this time it was telling him to think. He went back to class and proceeded to think hard. And here’s the thing. Adrien liked to consider himself smart. And no person with two brain cells could deny that that was more than coincidental wording. That was word for word what he had told Marinette earlier that day. A moment of clarity shone through the clouds of his mind and left him with one piece of information: Ladybug goes to the same school as Adrien. It all makes sense! She must go to his school because she overheard Marinette ask him that question earlier that same day! They’re even usually at the scene of an akuma at the same time so even that makes sense! It wasn’t until fifteen minutes before class ended that the next series of realizations hit him: causing his flat hands to slam against the desk, getting everybody’s attention.

Ladybug is in love with Adrien Agreste

Adrien Agreste is secretly Chat Noir

Ladybug is in love with Chat Noir

Lucky for him, Adrien is both of those people

The entire class stared at him. His green eyes wider than they thought possible. His arms straight with his hands flat on the desk in front of him, sweat starting to gather on his collar. He only snapped out of it when Ms. Bustier waved her hand in front of his face and asked him if he was alright.

“I-uh- I just remembered I have a photoshoot after school. Nothing else. I’m good. Sorry.” He picked up his pencil and put the lead to his notebook, trying to prove that he was ready to learn now,

Ms. Bustier saw right through his act, but decided it was close enough to the end of the class anyway. “Alright, well that’s as good of a stopping place as we’ll get to today, so I’ll just remind everybody to finish their homework and that there will be a quiz on Friday.”

Adrien let out a sigh of relief. After a realization like that, he was most certainly not ready to learn. He rushed out of the room and to his locker, desperately trying to get away from prying eyes. He needed to have a conversation with his Kwamii regarding what the FUCK to do about this! His lady was in love with him! This was amazing news! But also… kind of terrible.

Ladybug was set on them not knowing each other's identity, but what did he do now? He hadn’t meant to come so close, but he had! Now he was so close to finding out who she was and he couldn’t turn back. He knew what Ladybug would say. She’d tell him to not dig further, to let it go, and to move on without looking back. Adrien didn’t think that was possible though. It was like when he and his lady both de-transformed on either side of a door. He was on one side, lonely Adrien, and on the other was the love of his life in her everyday clothes. He wanted more than anything to open that door. To view his Lady in all her citizen’s glory. But she trusted him.

So now what? They were in the same situation, but with the door slightly open. They were both about to cross that line. He looked down and could see her feet. She was wearing flats, not tennis shoes. Her pants weren’t blue like his, but he couldn’t quite make out the right color. Directly across from him, her hair was visible. Just as blue-black as it had always been. Her hair was tied back in hair ties rather than ribbons like her superhero alter ego. Her eyes were deep blue and staring right back at him and the rest of her face…

That’s as far as he got. As he stepped into the back of the car with Gorilla at the wheel, he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. That feeling was back again and it told him that he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t drop it when he was so close, just inches away from knowing who she truly was.

And so, he had decided. And as easy as that, a plan started to form. A way that would bring him and his lady closer than they had ever been.

~~~~~~~~~~~

And there’s chapter two! I’m working on another fic after this one that’s a little similar, but that one is going to take a while, so feel free to leave requests in my inbox! I really look forward to writing for you!

Chapter 1 ~ This Chapter ~ Chapter 3 ~ Chapter 4 ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter 6 ~ Chapter 7 ~

#10qwat #miraculous ladybug fic #miraculous fic #mlb identity reveal #adrientte

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keijikunn · 3 years

Text

Rivalry ── Chapter III

── A @babythotshq collab “To All the Boys I’ve Loved”

Old feelings

Pairing: Tsukishima Kei x gender neutral!reader Tags: college!au, angst, it’s kinda fluffy??? i don’t know, it’s not that angst either Summary: Tsukishima Kei had never imagined that you, his forever rival in high school, would write him a letter confessing your feelings. Does Tsukishima feels the same way? Word count: 3.7k

Author’s note: I’m dividing the last chapter in two, so I won’t be too long (trust me, it’s over than 6k and I wanna spare you all lol). Hope you all enjoy the chap III and I swear by the end of the month I’ll post the final part! Biggest thank you to @kaitycole and @newfriendjen that helped me out a lot, I love you two so much 🥺

WARNINGS: swearing, tsukki being salty but what’s new?, makeout (???), hints of anxiety

RIVALRY MASTERLIST

BECOME A BOOKWORM!

Ever since that… eventful day, you managed to avoid Tsukishima like the plague. It helped the fact you had classes in different buildings, not to mention the fact the college campus was huge. You were about to forget about the letter issue, as the courses have started a few days earlier and you dedicated most of your time to get things settled into a nice routine. Things were too good to be real, though.

You couldn’t believe in what you saw the first time you stepped inside the extracurricular class, after the first week since classes started. Not only your love letters were sent to all your previous crushes (who seemed to attend the same college as you), but the person you dreaded to see again would spend the next semester with you during your afternoon activities.

Tsukishima Kei smirked at your distressed expression, waving at you as if you were long time friends. He wants to irk you, Y/n, don’t give him this pleasure. You are better than him anyway, you repeated it as many times as possible before the bell rang - indicating the class was about to start. Fortunately you managed to sit on the opposite side of the room as Tsukishima, though you could feel his eyes burning holes on the side of your head.

“Why is he so annoying?” You muttered to yourself, sighing in annoyance. The professor entered the classroom, quickly introducing himself and the upcoming project you would work on. You were excited for it when you researched about the university, it was as if a dream was coming true, and you made up your mind to not let Tsukishima Kei ruin this experience.

“As always, we randomize the duos, so be prepared to work with someone who does things differently than you.” The old man at the front announced, and your guts were telling you that this wouldn’t be good. “Raise your hand if I call your name so your partner can find you.

The longer he took to call out your name, the more convinced you were that fate wouldn’t play nice with you. When the other two people left were paired up together, leaving you and Tsukishima without a partner, you had to hold the urge to scoff. As much as you tried your hardest to not bump into your old crush, the whole universe made sure to go against your will.

I should have gone to another extracurricular activity, damn it.

“So… guess we’re a duo, now,” Tsukishima snickered at your disgusted face, laughing at your dismay. “It’s not that bad be paired up with me, Y/n, c’mon”

“You’re right, it’s not bad.” You started, sending him a sharp glare. “It’s the worst thing ever”

With that, you turned around to pay attention to the further details the professor addressed the class. You knew Kei would try to make your experience in this project a literal hell, but you weren't going to let his antics distract you from getting anything less than the best result. You internally hoped that the tall boy also aimed for that, despite his annoying demeanor around you.

If not, you’d have a long semester ahead of you.

“For God’s sake, Tsukishima, this is not how we’re supposed to do it!” You whisper-yelled at the blonde boy, angrily gripping on your hair, holding yourself back from screaming at his face. It has been two weeks since you two started working on that stupid project, and it’s been two weeks of complete hell and anger. Being at the college’s library didn’t help as well, since you couldn’t externalize your frustration. “Can’t you read what I wrote down? Professor said we should follow this!”

“Yes, I’ve read it and decided that it sucks.” Tsukishima shot back, pushing away your notebook, writing a few words on your draft. “C’mon, Y/n, you should know by now that we don’t follow any professor’s instruction. We’re not at high school anymore, be more independent, won’t you?”

You hated to admit, but he was (at some instance) right. What hurt your pride more was that his suggestion was actually good- not that you would admit that, you’d rather die than say it out loud. This idea could easily work out with what you have thought previously, not to mention it would make more sense.

The lack of response made Tsukishima’s shit-eating grin grow on his features, irking you the exact same way he knew he was able to. He proceeded to add a few details on the paper and neatly placed it inside his folder, collecting his materials from the table. You two have been workin for almost two hours non-stop on the project after the whole morning classes, you had to admit your energy wore off at that point.

“Give me the paper, I want to add a few extra things.” You demanded, holding out your hand for him. Tsukishima arched his eyebrows as if he was surprised by such a request, then he scoffed at you - like always. “I’m not joking, I do want to modify it a bit.”

“The point of this being a group project is that we work on this together.” He stressed the last word, zipping his bag and shoving it over his shoulder. “And you wouldn’t do anything, judging by how tired you are.”

“I’m not!”

“Then care to explain how you didn't think about what I suggested earlier?” Suddenly your mind went blank at his response, what in the world does that mean? “You can think about this tomorrow, try not to melt your tiny brain.”

The tall boy left you without sparing a second glance, fumbling with his intertwined earphones as he walked. To say you were confused by his comment would be an understatement. Was he worried you would overwork yourself? No way, Tsukishima Kei would never care enough about you of all people.

Yet he’s still your partner.

“Fuck off, Tsukki.” You muttered tiredly, focusing on putting your belongings inside your backpack to (finally) head to your dorms.

The first time you’ve ever heard Tsukishima’s name was after the first exam of your freshman year in high school. Everyone was crying about their low grades, groaning at the prospect of having to study a lot more to the upcoming test. If you were not mistaken, a boy in your class named Yamaguchi commented how “Tsukki was smart” and he wasn’t surprised he aced it.

“Hey, L/n!” The girl who sits next to you approached you, paper in her hands. “How did you do?”

“I got 96%.” You answered quietly, trying not to drag attention to yourself due to your great performance. People in middle school didn’t like when you mentioned your grades, claiming you did that just to brag.

“Ehh? You’re so smart!” She said smiling. “Please, help me study! From what I heard just you and a boy from class 3 had such a high score. And Yamaguchi-kun said Tsukishima-kun doesn’t help anybody.”

“Of course, we can study at the library if you want to.” The offer seemed to appeal to her, given the fact she nodded quickly and proceeded to write down her cellphone number to you. “By the way, who is this Tsukishima guy?”

“He’s a tall, blonde boy. He uses glasses and if I’m not wrong he’s part of the volleyball club.” She answered, waving at you as she went back to her circle of friends, leaving you to think about who this boy is. “He’s not nice though. Always treats everyone as if he’s superior.”

You were able to put a face to the name you had in your mind after a couple of weeks, when another private school had a volleyball match against the male team of Hakone Academy. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the middle blocker with a poker face was Tsukishima, and you were surprised that he was actually good looking. Something that lacked in him, though, was passion in the sport - or rather in anything, according to your classmates.

Ever since that game, it seemed like you started to see Tsukishima every day in the corridors. You’d see him walking down the halls, his headphones always placed on the top of his ears, muffling the loud noise caused by the other students. He was cold to everybody, even rude if you were to be honest, but he was something else. His interests were inviting, itching your curiosity to get to know him better.

You realized you had a crush on Tsukishima Kei when you noticed how you paid attention to whenever you saw him around school, hearing his steady tone (usually talking to Yamaguchi) and his snarky smirk. All information you knew about him was, being honest, too little to grow intense feelings, but what got you hooked up was exactly this: you wanted to get to know him.

Things, however, didn’t work out the way you planned. The very first interaction you had with him was a disaster. You sounded way cockier than you wanted, you’ve never planned on teasing him and you have never imagined that it would backfire on you and lead him to dislike you.

After that incident, you discovered the aversion quite a lot of students had against him. Most of them claimed the same thing: Tsukishima Kei was mean, smug, had a superiority complex and always treated everyone poorly. A part of you didn’t want to believe in that, but how could you not when he mocked you in front of everyone?

Things didn’t get easier as the project progressed, not because it was too technical or that it required too many details. Yours and Tsukishima’s endless arguments and bickering always ended in screaming matches, hurtful comments and you two not on speaking terms. The premise of group projects was to create something together, but at this point you were doing your own thing while thinking about what the other was working on.

“Are you a dumbass or do you just pretend to be one?” Tsukishima angrily asked, dropping your notebook on the table. “This is horrible, Y/n.”

“You think it’s horrible because you’re doing things as you wish, not considering what I have to suggest!” You responded, your voice tone a few octaves higher due to your stress. Currently you two were at his dorms - the library was not an option anymore, the librarian kicked you out after you were shouting at each other - both awfully close as his dining table was tiny. “This is a fucking group project, you said it before! So you have to listen to what I have to say.”

“I’m not listening when you suggest stupid things like this!” He retorted, ripping the page out and crumpling it to toss on the floor. You widen your eyes, shocked at his recent action.

“Wow, Tsukishima, you are really being this petty.” A humorless laugh escaped your lips, you shook your head in denial, getting up to collect your paper off the ground. The tension in the air grew thicker and the man’s intense gaze burned holes on your back. “People were right, after all. You are unbearable.”

Tsukishima’s smug facade cracked a bit, you noticed, after hearing what you just said. His smirk left his face for a brief moment and his eyes mirrored mixed feelings, could they be sorrow, insecurity? You didn’t have enough time to decipher them as he quickly recomposed himself, offering you a snark grin.

“That’s why you liked me, huh? Did you want to correct the horrible, mean, malicious person that I am?” Tsukishima teased, hitting your emotions with ease. Your mind was empty, only his words echoing inside it, bumping into your skull with force.

You couldn’t understand him, honestly.

One time he is all worried about you overworking, passively aggressively implying you’re capable of suggesting better ideas; and now he’s being childish and not sparing a single offense towards you. You knew Tsukishima Kei was a hard person to handle if you’re not as quick witted as him, but this? This level of pettiness and stubbornness? For a young adult like him, that claims he’s better than everyone else?

“I’m done.” You stated, too burnt out to respond to his teasing comment. Your temples hurt due to the confusion the blond man was giving you, the constant push and pull between you two worn you out.

“What do you mean ‘you’re done’? We’re not done yet.” He stated as if it was a matter of fact - which was, he wasn’t wrong.

“Do I look like I care? I’m doing this shit by myself, you can do whatever you want, I’m done with you.” Silence engulfed the room, and you mentally thanked this peaceful moment. It, however, didn’t last long, because Tsukishima always finds ways to make things worse.

“Are you giving up that easy, Y/n? Couldn’t handle a bit of teasing?” That was it. The mocking tone he used against you was enough to snap the last string of sanity inside you, freeing a rage you never knew you had against him. The angriness burned your chest as you slammed your hands on the table, making Tsukishima flinch at the sudden outburst.

“Yes, I can not deal with your teasing ass.” You admitted shamesly, your mind ran a thousand miles a minute, not registering the words that left your mouth. “What I can’t deal with is a petty boy that can’t take this goddamn project seriously!”

“It wasn’t me who suggested stupid ideas.” Kei spat back, leaning in your direction, inviting you to answer him - almost like a dare.

“You always say my ideas are vain, stupid or whatever, but you never offered anything great or fucking brilliant,” it was indeed true. Tsukishima proudly belittled everything you said for the past few weeks, but never came up with something new. Instead, he modified everything you’ve given to him. “So please, before you put yourself above the others, do something that makes you actually the best-”

Any and every train of thought you had was interrupted by the aggressive contact of Tsukishima Kei’s lips against yours. Everything seemed to melt with the heat coming from the kiss, your hands sneaking behind his neck and gripping rather harshly at his blond hair. In between the feverish moment, Tsukki managed to sit you on the table and place himself between your legs. Gasps and soft murmurs interrupted the kiss every once in a while, your mouth occasionally made its way down his jaw and neck, nibbling and sucking his skin.Only until one of you reconnected them, tongues sliding against each other.

You honestly don’t know how long you two spent making out, but it was enough time to leave a few hickeys on each other's necks and clothes lightly pulled up. Tsukishima’s ears were as red as his swollen lips, the blond hair was a mess thanks to your roaming hands and the white t-shirt wrinkled.

“Still think I don’t suggest brilliant ideas?” Tsukishima teased, but the embarrassment he was feeling was written all over his face. To say you were speechless was an understatement, you’ve just had a full make out section with your biggest high school rival, the one you knew hated you the most. “Cat got your tongue? Or should I say- did I get your tongue, Y/n?”

“What the fuck did you just do, Tsukishima?” You demanded flustered, the feeling of his body close to yourself fading away. "Why have you done this?!"

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy, Y/N, I can feel the spot you left a hickey on." His comment made you groan in annoyance, because you knew you wouldn't be able to retort it.

Not paying attention to your surroundings, you pushed Tsukishima away from you, quickly grabbing your bag to leave his dorms. You didn't mind if you forgot something at his place - you would see him the next day, anyway. All you wanted was to get away from him, to finally think straight.

The cool air of the end of the day would help you come back to a reasonable state of mind.

You kept acting around Tsukishima after the first encounter. Whenever you had the chance to irk him you did it, initiating an unnecessary banter. You felt stupid to say the least, how low could you go?

Yet, you continued. Just to have his attention. Pathetic. However, you had a limit. And Tsukishima managed to trespass it with such facility you were surprised.

It happened during your second year, exactly one year after you got so interested in that mean boy. Things weren't easy for you, many reasons were behind your unstable state. School was overwhelming like never before, you could barely juggle between regular activities and your club's.

The stress weighted on you to the point you let your grades slip at one exam. You knew you had your worst performance so far, and the subject didn't help you as well.

"I'm going to hand back the exams." Your homeroom teacher announced, earning heavy groans from the whole class. A sigh escaped your lips, knowing how screwed you were if Tsukishima knew how poorly you did. "L/n Y/n"

As you got up from your desk, you felt a familiar pair of eyes burn holes on your back. The moment you read the barely 50% score written on the top of the paper, you blanked out. You missed how your teacher kindly smiled at you, reminding how this one performance didn't define you. The words didn't make sense to you, because for you it didn't matter. You failed.

Tears pricked the corner of yours eyes, shallow breaths escaped your parted lips as you sat down once again, barely sparing a glance at the paper on your desk. You truly didn’t know if someone tried to approach you, mind far away from reality, engulfing itself in a spiral of self doubt, worries and self depreciation.

“Well… looks like the top 2 student failed miserably on the test.” The steady, yet teasing tone of Tsukishima’s voice broke you out of your own head. “You’re fake, couldn’t even get more than half of it correct. You’re a lie, Y/n.”

“Not now, please.” It took most part of your will to mutter these three words without letting your voice crack. Tsukishima arched his eyebrows, amused by the scene unfolding in front of him: you lowering your head against your forearms on the table, shielding your tears from anyone. “Tease me all you want, but please do it another time.”

However, he kept going. Tsukishima pointed out every single question you got wrong, rubbing in your face how he aced another stupid paper while you were a failure. The classroom was noisy, the end of the period let the students talk freely, but you only heard Kei’s voice, adding to your pre-existent stress and pressure.

As far as you could remember, you’ve never underestimated him in any interaction you two had. Sure, you threw a teasing comment every once in a while, but always bragging about yourself, how you’ve outsmarted him. But you were sure you never humiliated him - and you’d never do such a low blow like this.

“Enough, Tsukishima!” You raised your voice, everyone now was paying attention to you two. The embarrassment heated your entire face and your tears finally ran down your cheeks, the blond boy seemed startled with your sudden outburst, though his smirk quickly returned to your face. “I got that you’re better, now can you please shut the fuck up?!”

Thankfully the bell rang, indicating classes were over for the day. You quickly shoved your test on your bag, throwing it over your shoulder as you turned to head to the door. With the sleeve of your coat, you wiped the reminiscent tears from your eyes and left the room. Not only you exited that suffocating place, but also you left behind the stupid crush you had on Tsukishima Kei.

Since that day, you couldn’t stand being near him, all teasing interactions reduced to none and you’ve never checked the scoreboard as soon as the grades were out. You focused on your own stuff, trying your best to clear your thoughts from Tsukishima - which didn’t work as well as you planned.

Every once in a while, in the middle of a studying session, you found yourself pushing your limits like you used to do to get a higher performance than him. As much as you hated to admit, Tsukishima was a great incentive to do better, to set higher goals academically speaking. And though he caused you a lot of pain, a part of you (the stupid one, in your words) still thought he was attractive, you still had a tiny interest in the true guy behind that acting.

That’s why you decided to write him that letter. Perhaps admitting your “crush” on him would make you realize you’ve created almost an entire new person using his name and face. In a way it actually helped, you truly thought you have moved on from him and college would give you a new beginning away from Tsukishima.

Fate, on the other hand, had other plans for you and here you are: walking slowly towards your dorms, emotionally drained and confused. The prospect of Tsukishima Kei having the slightest interest in you was shocking, especially after all those three years of. endless insults.

Are those feelings coming back?

“Oh, no.” You muttered to yourself, immediately stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, frightened about your last thought. “Oh my, there’s no way I’m crushing Tsukishima once again!”

If you concentrated enough, you could still feel his chapped lips against your skin, his large hands roaming through your body. He was right about you enjoying it- in reality, you did more than you’d like to admit. Tsukishima Kei was annoyingly filling your mind with both his smart and arrogant ass and that unexpected (but surprising) heated moment.

You needed to get to your dorms and take a long shower to put your thoughts in order, because there’s no way you’re having feelings for Tsukishima Kei once again.

COLLAB MASTERLIST!

SEARCH A BOOK!

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#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fanfiction #tsukishima x reader #tsukishima imagine #TATB: Tsukishima route #haikyuu imagine #baby thots collab

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daretosnoop · 3 years

Text

Chapter 8: The Cemetery Scavenger Hunt

Sorry for this being so late. extra long in exhange!

Chapter 8:

Nancy walked to the model table and peered around.

“Who do you think your uncle’s last denizen was? And where were they buried?”

“Don’t know about you, but I think we should check that big book of records over there,” Henry said pointing to a podium with a large book resting on it.

They went over to the book and opened it. The book was old with records dating back to the eighteen-hundreds. There were hundreds of buried people with their name and burial location recorded. Alongside each name was also the name of the Bolet in charge of the burial.

“If this is historical, go to the end and we’ll find the people your uncle buried,” Nancy said.

Henry flipped to the end and in the last entry, they saw the name of Tammy Tassleman and the location of Terra Siesta. Bruno’s signature was there and Henry brushed his thumb across the name. Nancy went back to the model and looked up the location.

“It’s the top right spot, towards the end of the burial grounds”.

She dashed out of the room with Henry right on her heels. When they got to the double doors, Henry hesitated.

“It’s raining,” he said.

“So?”

“So? We’ll get wet”.

Nancy shrugged. “If it bothers you get an umbrella. My trench coat is good enough”.

“And if the paper gets wet?”

Henry had a point and Nancy waited till he came back wearing a coat and holding an umbrella.

“Sorry, there’s only one”.

“Either way, I wouldn’t be able to hold it with my paper and notebook”.

They headed out towards Terra Siesta and went to Tammy Tassleman’s grave. On the grave, the engraving read, “Plagued deep with problems to a T”.

“Great, that tells us nothing,” Henry muttered.

Nancy thought over it. This was a way to inform Henry about his family and since they were starting with the most recent member, the engraving must be referring to Bruno. But, Bruno must have known that Henry would know nothing about him or his problems. So what were they looking for?

“What does he mean by T?” Nancy muttered.

“Generally, when people get stressed, this area,” Henry said drawing a line down from his forehead to his nose. “And this area,” he drew a line across his eyebrows, “get oily from the stress”.

“I don’t think your uncle was into beauty routines”.

“No,” Henry said slowly, then leaned towards the grave and pointed to the name. “But the mark creates a T. So it’s a matter of which T. Tammy or Tassleman?”

“How do we determine that?”

“Guess, I guess”.

Saying so, Henry moved his finger across the first T. A loud clicking noise came and the name Tammy dropped down to reveal an eyeball and a letter labeled ‘Henry’.

“Did I just desecrate a grave?” Henry whispered, eyes wide.

“Um, it might be fake?”

Henry yanked the eyeball and letter and quickly attached the name back.

“Sorry Tassleman,” he muttered and both he and Nancy hurried away.

They went back to the double door and stood on the threshold, each leaning on opposite sides. Nancy watched the rain while Henry read the letter aloud.

Henry,

This is your uncle Bruno. You must not remember me. You must hate me. I haven’t been a good uncle. You must have lots of questions too. Well, let’s start with the easiest one. You can recognize me from the portrait in the living room. I’m the one dressed in military uniform holding a hat. It’s a younger picture of me, but I still look the same, just with wrinkles and white hair. You must be wondering why I treated you the way I did. The truth is complicated, and hard. I didn’t know if you inherited the Bolet trait. Didn’t even know what to tell you if you did. And your parents. I’m so sorry Henry. Please forgive me. No, don’t forgive me. I deserve your anger. I’ve spent most of my life running away from you.

The truth is, only a Bolet who can hear the spirits can teach another. Everyone else had to find ways to support the family while the spiritual Bolets focused on their skills. I went into the military at a young age because, well, because I was jealous and angry at your father. I was ashamed of being older yet not having the trait. It was a long time ago, but I’m still paying for that shame. From the military I went to dental school and made a life for myself. Since I didn’t know what side you would fall into, I just provided you with the path I went into. I’m sorry if it wasn’t what you wanted. How could it be?

Henry wanted to crumple the note. It was just sobs and guilt! If his uncle was truly sorry, then he should have done something about it. He should have talked to Henry, told them the truth, anything. Not send him on some mindless treasure hunt! He wouldn’t even be doing this if it wasn’t for Nancy. He looked up and saw Nancy staring calmly at him.

“What’s the next clue?” he asked.

Nancy looked down at her paper. “It just says, your mother always complained of your father’s blank”.

They went back to the funeral book and looked under the names Claude Bolet had signed on. Scrolling through each name, Nancy stopped when she reached the name Constance Norring.

“Sounds like constant snoring, which fits I guess,” she said.

Henry peered over to the name and saw the burial ground.

“Crowing Crypts, I know where it is, let’s go”.

They rushed back out to the cemetery and took a sharp right once they entered. They found Constance Norring’s name and read the epitaph, “Love birds from beginning to end”. The grave had birds around the name. Nancy touched each bird until she felt one with a button. She pushed it and the name plate shifted to the right and another eye and letter were found. Nancy grabbed both and handed the letter to Henry. This time Henry didn’t even wait. He tore open the letter and began to read aloud.

Claude Bolet and Marianne Prett. These were your parents. Claude was my younger brother and I adored him. He was so shy and quiet. He loved to help others. Mother was worried that he was too sensitive, but I didn’t care. Claude was bullied a lot and grew more reserved. He was easily pushed into doing things he didn’t like. By then, I was in military school and my initial perspective had changed. Like mother, I also grew worried about Claude. Luckily, he met your mother. She was an arborist, loved to spend her time outdoors in the woods away from people. She was the complete opposite of Claude, but they made room for each other’s idiosyncrasies. As per tradition, Claude focused on the burial grounds and spirits while Marianne supported them. Marianne didn’t fully understand the existence of spirits, but she knew that it was important to Claude which was enough for her to support him. They were very happy, even more when you were born. Claude would spend all day with you, carrying you around the cemetery while he worked. People were worried about bringing a baby to funeral homes, but Claude and Marianne didn’t care. You were a Bolet and you were being cared for. Their accident. I’m so sorry Henry. I blame myself. If I hadn’t—Claude was so kind about it. I’m so sorry.

Henry’s voice warbled by the end of the sentence. He was going to cry. He was going to cry in front of Nancy Drew, again. He never cried this much in front of anybody, not even Summer. There were no rooms for tears in boarding school, military school, and people didn’t care in university. And he never felt comfortable crying in front of Summer, though she never said he couldn’t. He noticed something white through his watery eyes and saw that Nancy was handing him a tissue. He took it and she turned and walked away. When he felt a little better, Henry started to walk only to realize that Nancy hadn’t gone far herself. She just moved out of his vicinity. He quickly covered her with the umbrella. She looked up and smile at him, then pulled out a chocolate bar.

“Helps every time,” she said as she snapped the bar in half and gave it to Henry. They stood there under the umbrella, watching the rain and eating half-melted warm chocolate.

“Look at us. We desecrated two graves and are now eating chocolate, in a cemetery, in the dark. We are inviting a haunting,” Henry grumbled.

“Are they coming?”

Henry nodded. He didn’t know when the whispers—though it would be more appropriate to call them spirits now—started to come again, but they were roaming around him once again.

“They’re not saying anything of importance though, just the same words over and over again”.

“What are they?”

“Skull, man, find, hidden, her,” Henry paused, concentrating on what he heard. “They’re also saying some new stuff. Help and food”.

“Skull could mean Dr. Buford. Man could be any man. Find could be the Whisperer. Hidden could be the Whisperer too. And her could mean Renee,” Nancy suggested then shrugged. It was a shot in the dark but if those spirits were aware of what was going on, then it could be that they were trying to tell Henry as best they could.

“And what would help and food mean?”

“Help could be them trying to ask for help or tell us their trying to help. Food,” Nancy laughed. “Maybe they’re just hungry or can detect your hunger!”.

“We didn’t have dinner did we?”

“We just had chocolate”.

“That’s not dinner!”

Nancy shrugged again. Henry looked hard at her then asked, “Nancy, how often do you skip meals?”

“Look, when you’re on a deadline, you don’t always have time to eat”.

Henry pulled Nancy‘s arm and started to walk back to the manor. “Nothing doing, we’re eating”.

“But the graves! At least let’s check the next clue,” Nancy cried as she stumbled after him.

“Nothing doing private. I know you. You’ll just take the clue and carry on, forgetting to eat.” He looked back at her. “We can’t have our prime detective fainting because she forgot to eat”.

They went back to the kitchen and discussed their clues over Renee’s rice and beans.

“The next clue is,” Nancy started after dinner, “Your grandmother, Esme, took pride in your grandfather who was never too early or too late”. They were standing in front of the big records book again. Henry flipped through the pages, finding his grandmother’s name ‘Esme Bolet’.

“Never too early, never too late,” he muttered. He stopped and pointed to a name in the book.

“Justin Thyme! Sorrow Park,” Henry exclaimed and hurried out the door. Nancy kept up with him and they dashed past the gardens, past a gnarly crooked tree, past the Bolet mausoleum, and finally reached a plain gate labeled sorrow park. They entered the burial ground and searched for Justin Thyme. Nancy found it, called over to Henry, and began to read the epitaph.

“One too firm, the other too loose. Together they were just”.

There were thyme leaves all around the nameplate and Henry felt around till he found the button. A whirring sound came and, once again the name plate came away revealing another letter and eyeball.

Henry,

Esme Bolet and Dariel Abero were your grandparents. Your grandfather, Dariel, was very old fashioned, came from an old family too. He was a business tycoon, always investing into metal and electricity. Very calculated. Very stern. For him, life was a series of calculations. So when he married your grandmother, everyone thought it was for the name. The Abero’s had more money, but no history or legacy like the Bolet family. Your grandmother was the complete opposite of your grandfather. She invested into people, stories, and assistance. She had to as the carrier of the Bolet legacy. She hesitated in accepting your grandfather’s proposal because any person who marries into the Bolet family needs to believe and support what we do—especially those who carry the Bolet duties. Esme wasn’t sure that Dariel supported her. But your grandfather fell hard and fast for your grandmother, and even though his family opposed the marriage, they had no say saying as he was the one who brought wealth to the family. When your grandmother finally told your grandfather of who she was and what she does, he just blinked, nodded, and asked to be included for the next time she went out to work. Though he could never help her, he always tried to with his inventions. They are everywhere in the manor. They cared for us, but did not always have a lot of time for us. You can see a picture of your grandmother in the living room. She’s dressed in red and is holding a puppy. That puppy became my best friend.

Henry looked up and saw Nancy scrolling through her phone. She held up a picture to his face.

“I think this is a dog Bruno was talking about. Bess found it when she snooped through Zeke’s”.

The dog looked to be a Labrador retriever. It was sitting beside a young boy who smiled in front.

“It must have been taken before my dad was born,” Henry said, then sighed. He stood there in silence watching the rain with a hand placed behind his neck.

“What’s the next one?” he asked after a while.

“There’s only one more. It’s just a name, Alisson Bolet”.

“So that would put us with nine eyeballs. Not much. We still need sixteen more”.

Henry straightened his back then nodded at Nancy to lead the way back to the record book. Once inside, Henry started to flip the pages to Allison Bolet.

“She was all dressed up with no place to go”.

“Manny Kinn,” Henry said, immediately finding the answer and the burial ground. “Writhing Roots, let’s go”.

They retraced their steps and went left from the crooked tree. There they saw the entrance to Writhing Roots and a set of fancy mini mausoleums. Manny Kinn’s grave was right at the entrance.

“Man has many roles, but few purposes,” Nancy read aloud. “Kind of a dismal way to end this game”.

There were no designs around the nameplate, so Henry felt around. Eventually, he pushed the nameplate and heard a whirring sound as the nameplate fell down. He reached in and grabbed the eyeball and letter.

“I’m guessing the automation was done by your grandfather?”

“Probably,” Henry said as he opened the letter.

This is the last letter Henry,

I’ve told you what I know about the Bolets, namely me, your parents, and grandparents. There were others, but I’m afraid we Bolets don’t seem to keep records of our own existence as much as the city does. I’ve only gleaned a little about our history with spirits. Our legacy is shrouded in mystery by now, but the only detail that remains strong with each generation is that every whisperer needs a listener, and well, I guess the Bolet’s have always been very good at listening.

We don’t know how we got this ability, no doubt others have similar abilities. Some say it can be learned, others argue that to learn the skill is to have an impure form from which consequences are inevitable. I’ve seen people from both groups, as well as those who lost themselves in the spirits. That is the one thing I can teach you Henry—be careful. Too much time around the spirits can make you lose yourself. That’s what happened to your great grandmother, Allison. The spirits do their best to help you but they do not realize the toll it takes on our bodies and mind. I never saw my grandmother, and mother never talked much about it beyond cautioning us to always keep one step in the present.

This is all to say Henry, that nothing of what you’ve learned should impact your future. Don’t trap yourself down to expectations no one has of you. Don’t live thinking someone is going to applaud you. Don’t live in the past, and don’t live for the future. I’ve made both these mistakes and look at how pitifully I’m trying to resolve the issues its caused. If you hate me, don’t think I did this in an attempt to make you like me. I’ve made far too many mistakes, crossed far too many lines, for such a childish thought to occur.

You can sell this house, the cemetery, your inheritance. You can do whatever you want Henry, because it’s your life and after all the mistakes I made from living mine trying to appease others, I’m ending this letter by giving you the ability to choose whatever you want.

You can never disappoint ghosts,

Bruno Bolet

Henry sighed. The scavenger hunt felt useless. All that work, just to be told to make his own decisions. He looked at Nancy and saw that she too looked miffed at what the letter had said. They stood in the cemetery as rain pelted down on the umbrella and the humidity caused their shirts to cling to their back. Suddenly, Henry felt tired. He wanted to just go to bed. Maybe his uncle was right. Forget the whole Bolet mess, deal with the assets, then high-tail it out of there. And go where exactly? Aside from the graduation ceremony, Henry had technically finished school. He had nothing keeping him at the college town. He looked around the cemetery. There was nothing awaiting him here either. There were the voices, but they said nothing new, and for once, Henry did not want them to be around him.

“Should we go and feed Iggy,” Nancy asked cutting through his thoughts.

Right. He forgot about Iggy. Despite his drowsed state, Henry nodded and they began to move towards the garden. Once there, Henry made a detour towards the left-hand side. A small dirt path existed and led towards a lone loquat tree.

“Iggy likes loquats. Almost forgot they were here,” he said to Nancy as they both crouched down.

Nancy plucked one loquat, put it in her pocket, and got up. Henry looked up at her confused.

“You’re taking just one?”

“It would be rude to take more”.

Henry looked her incredulously. “As opposed to inviting yourself over, snooping through my desk, asking personal questions, eavesdropping, and suspecting people of murder?”

“Hey, you offered to let me stay,” Nancy exclaimed.

“So you’re not denying that you were being rude”.

“Okay okay, I get carried away, sometimes”.

Henry just rolled his eyes and plucked a few more loquats. He got up and handed them over to Nancy.

“There, now you’re not being rude, and I just saved us a trip from going up and down the secret study”.

They went back up to the secret study and placed a loquat by the open duct.

“Here Iggy, Iggy, Iggy,” Nancy sang. “We’ve got a nice treat for you”.

“Iguana’s understand English?” he teased then yawned. “What a discovery I’ve made today”.

Nancy elbowed him, but before she could say anything, they heard a soft slap-slap-slap and a head appeared. Iggy.

Nancy shot Henry an I-told-you-do face before fishing through her bag. She pulled out the envelope and was about to hand it over to Iggy, when Henry stopped her.

“Wait, Iggy steals paper. If we give this to him, he’ll just take it thinking it’s for him”.

Henry then nodded to a small brown wardrobe.

“Last time we were here, I noticed that wardrobe. Inside there are outfits. I think my uncle meant this when he said he’d been training Iggy to retrieve letters”.

Nancy looked up at him confused.

“Think about it,” Henry said. “Who retrieves mail?”

“The mailman”. Nancy then looked towards the wardrobe as realization dawned on her.

“Oh, don’t tell me we have to dress Iggy up as a mailman?” she asked, but Henry had already opened the wardrobe. Sure enough, there were different outfits hanging on little hangers. It looked like a doll’s house.

Henry took out the mailman ensemble and turned towards Nancy.

“Ready to dress an Iguana?”

Nancy just held out her hand and Henry gave her half the clothes. They were expecting Iggy to squirm, move about, even bite them. But the iguana just kept still as they put on the costume. It wasn’t much. Just a blue mailman hat, tie, and a little black bag to hold the mail. Nancy couldn’t help it, she snapped a picture of Iggy.

“This is ridiculous,” Henry said as they watched Iggy. But the iguana seemed to know what to do because he went back into the vents and came back with a letter. Nancy took it as Henry fed Iggy another loquat and scratched his head. Iggy closed his eyes in contentment as Nancy read aloud.

MILO Research and Technology.

Dear Mr. Bolet:

I have completed my review of the data gleaned from the tests I ran last Tuesday on the crystalline replica of the human skull which you and Ms. Amande brought in. What follows is the simple answer regarding its authenticity which the two of you requested.

My analysis showed that the skull, while made of remarkably pure crystal, was cared using modern instruments. In layman’s terms, the skull is a fake.

Again, thank you for allowing Milo Research and Technology to serve you.

Sincerely,

Chas Milo

Henry looked at Nancy. “So the skull’s a fake?”

Nancy didn’t reply. She just stared hard at the letter and Henry guessed she was deep in thought. So much for the book and scavenger hunt. His uncle must have really lost it to think Henry would have been able to piece together this kooky mess. It was ludicrous, stupid, a waste of time, and to be honest, Bruno’s words did nothing by confirm a deep seeded feeling in Henry. He tried to talk to Nancy again.

“I’m guessing my uncle wrote all this before he got the letter from Chas Milo. Must have died from reading the letter, seeing how he bet everything on this skull,” Henry said and crossed his hands.

Slowly, Nancy looked up at him. He expected anger, embarrassment, even shame, but all he saw was confusion and a hint of fear.

“Henry,” Nancy began slowly. “Don’t you think it’s odd that your uncle would include his housekeeper in such an affair?”

Henry shrugged. “Maybe she was just there as support?”

Nancy shook her head. “Chase Milo said that Bruno and Renee brought the skull in, that means Renee knows about the skull. If she was there as support, she would have known, at the very least, that the skull was for you. And if she knew that, then why didn’t she give it to you directly?”

“Chas Milo said the skull was a fake, maybe uncle Bruno tossed it out and told Renee to forget about it?”

Nancy shook her head again. “No, Dr. Buford mentioned that Bruno was reading a letter when he got the heart attack”. She shook the letter she was holding. “A letter Iggy stole. The date is also close to when your uncle died, which means, that Bruno didn’t know beforehand, which means that Renee wouldn’t have known at all seeing as Iggy stole the letter before anyone else could read it”.

Henry paused, Nancy had a point. Scratch that, she was right. He was astounded by her observation and ability to trace and connect the small details.

“Looks like we’ll have to talk to Renee tomorrow”

Nancy nodded then rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“Exhausted?”

Nancy nodded.

“Go get some sleep”.

Nancy nodded again but didn’t move and Henry saw that she had fallen asleep while still standing. He quickly opened the exit and ushered Nancy out the door into his room. He then opened the door to the main hall and led Nancy to her room. Luckily, she woke up enough to nod in thanks and go into her room. Once Nancy was inside, Henry felt his body ready to collapse onto the floor. He managed to drag his feet back into his room and flop onto the bed. He quickly checked his phone and through blurry eyes, saw red notifications. He put his phone done, turned his back to it, and succumbed to sleep.

#Legend of the Crystal Skull #cry #nancy drew #henry bolet

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vorish-musing · 4 years

Text

Risky Business (IT Chapter Two)

Summary: Eddie is a monster hunter, he’s called back to his hometown, there's another man eating monster, he just never realized how fucked this job could be.

Warnings: this story contains soft, safe, G/t vore. if you do not like this, I suggest not reading. this is also not a story for the faint of heart, there is (not super graphic) moments of fatal/hard vore, digestion mention (does not occur), fearplay, and the usual cussing warning.

Hi guys! its been so long! I’ll be honest, i was not planning on posting this, since this was a WIP discarded back in march, but while watching the movie again, I realized I needed to finish this, I really hope y’all like it!

NSFW DO NOT INTERACT

Risk analysis? Was that Job invented before fun?

Well, it Depends on what you call ‘fun’

For Eddie Kaspbrak, risk analysis is fun.

He couldn’t remember much of his past, all that he knew was that monsters existed, the ones that hid under your bed, the ones that prey in the night, he didn’t know how he discovered this for the longest time, he just... knew.

He knew he had to have encountered a monster at one point, but he just couldn't remember when.

His first instinct was to kill these monsters, though after further consideration of how the ethics of that worked, plus the morality of him being the judge, jury and executioner was pretty skewed. He decided to analyze these creatures, at least the ones he found. Witches, Vampires, werewolves, ghosts.

So yeah, he was a Risk Analysis, he analyzed creatures that we’re a risk to human kind.

And yes, it was Fun.

Being a part of a small group of people who knew these monster movie critters existed was something he wished he could brag about.

Though everything changed when he got that call from Mike Hanlon, Begging him to come back to Derry to fight that clown. That damned clown.

His memories flooded back, the childhood trauma of that summer, 1989, when everyone they knew started turning up missing, really they were dead, nothing more than food to the demon living in the sewers

It was then, fighting that demon, when he realized that analyzing these monsters wasn’t enough anymore.

They were not a risk, they were a threat.

Once he got back to his home in new york, he began his own business, he tried finding his way into different circles, ones he never thought existed, multiple people with stories of slaying beasts of all shapes and sizes, and he was now one of them.

He got a second phone, one he could use for his side job, he went under an alias, Richie Marsh. Not creative, a little embarrassing, but it worked.

He would get calls almost daily, he made pretty good money, but he had one rule, only kill if it had harmed first. He always turned the monsters who had done no wrong away, allowed him to get some sleep at night, knowing that he was saving others lives while doing this.

Hell, the first time he met a vampire, the dude just chilled alone in a cabin in the woods. Not bothering anybody.

He began making a name for himself in the business and it had only been a year, it was impressive to all about his knowledge, how much he knew about these creatures, how fearless he could be.

Up to this day, he scribbled down notes about the varying creatures he saw and met. Sitting in his living room, the constant scritch of his pencil was interrupted by a ringing from his pocket.

He took his ‘work’ phone out of his jeans, putting the device to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Is this Richie Marsh?” A familiar voice was heard on the other end, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Eddie ran a hand through his hair, thankful his phone had a voice modifier, just in case he actually knew the person on the other line.. Even though chances of that were slim to none. “Depends who’s asking”

with one hand, he took a sip of water in a glass, while with the other he opened a new page in his notebook, ready to write down this stranger's name.

“My name is Mike Hanlon, I was given this number by a friend, he told me you could help me”

Slim to none huh?

Eddie coughed up the drink back into his cup,“M-Mike Hanlon?”

“Uh...yes, I...I need your help”

Eddie scribbled down the name very quickly, though nothing in the world could make him forget it. “with what? What's going on?” he felt his heart racing, he didn’t want any of his friends to know what kind of danger he was putting himself into, he didn’t want them to know, or even try it themselves.

“Well… I live in Derry, Maine. There was a curse in this town...right? A monster, it killed a lot of people, but me and my friends… we stopped it.” Mike's voice sounded nervous.

“I...see…” Eddie’s voice wavered, hoping that this wouldn’t be another call back to defeat a killer clown “if you stopped it, why are you calling?”

“Because people are going missing again, but I know it's not what we fought, it's something else, nothing is being left behind, they’re just...vanishing.”

Eddie scribbled a few words down, his throat getting dry as he began to sweat nervously “okay...what's the age range of the missing persons?”

Please don't be kids….please don’t be kids.

“All adults, the other creature went for children, and those killings lasted for a year at least. This happens every few weeks, from my calculations, it's once every 3 weeks, and if I'm right, they're supposed to be here by Friday, they start hunting at night.”

Eddie couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief as he wrote what mike was saying down, opening his laptop and began booking a flight for Friday afternoon “okay, got it. have you seen this creature.”

There was an awkward pause, before Mike answered, almost embarrassed, “No.”

“Then how do you know all of this?” He wanted to believe Mike was reading too much into things, that Derry wasn’t being terrorized with another monster.

“Because one of the missing people has come back, and she came to me-- I’m somewhat of a Private eye in this town” Eddie smiled--good for him, making a name for himself in Derry.

“I talked with this one lady, she told me that she didn’t remember much, but whatever was out there, her two friends were killed, she didn’t tell me how they died, or even how she escaped...she just woke up..”

Eddie scribbled some more “do you know how many there are?”

“No. but I believe there's more than one, if you come in the next few days we can meet up and-”

Eddie shot up out of his seat “NO!” he heard mike go silent, before adding “uh...no...i’d rather uh...keep my face a secret”

Mike let out a laugh “of course, of course. We will have to talk more though, I have many notes and things that I’ve observed-”

‘Text me them, I have to go”

“But-”

Eddie hung up before he could hear the rest of that sentence, falling back into his seat. He put both hands on his face and sighed loudly.

He had to go back to Derry, and he had to avoid seeing Mike there too. He let out a groan, sitting up and finishing the booking process, it was only two days away, but that gave him enough time to pack everything he needed.

Those two days went by very fast. Mike tried to pay, but Eddie insisted it be free, not wanting to take money from his friend. Next thing he knew, he was on a plane to Derry, a rental car waiting for him and another traumatic nostalgia trip was in his future.

Once the plane landed, he quickly made his way through the airport, wearing a baseball cap in a poor attempt to hide his face. He got into his rental car, driving as fast as he (legally) could on the roads to his hotel room, texting Mike that he had landed, and was going to scope out the locations where Mike had claimed the creatures were.

As he drove through the streets, he began noticing the missing persons signs, it reminded him of when he was young, and there were people he knew going missing. He shook his head. Whatever those creatures were, He was sure he would stop it.

He parked his car in front of the hotel, getting a room key and making his way up with his bags. He used to be very particular where he stayed, but as the months went on with this job, he would just take what he could get.

As he settled in, he got another call from Mike.

“If you need any help, I’m no stranger to killing monsters, just give me a call” Mike sounded worried, but it also sounded like he wanted Eddie to say yes to him coming along, but the man couldn’t bring himself to ask.

“I’m fine Mr. Hanlon. Thank you.”

“Okay, most of the missing persons were last seen around the woods, be careful, the trees go on and on, outside of the town and basically into the next, which is an hour away when Driving” Mike explained a few more things about the town, which of course, Eddie already knew about.

After speaking for a few more minutes about the plan, Eddie hung up the phone, it felt so awkward to be speaking to him under his alias, it was the most disconnected he had ever felt while on the job.

Once he gets all of his hunting gear in order, he puts it under the bed, just in case housekeeping decides to come in, and promptly leaves the room.

If he had to be here for the next day or so, he could at least go out and get some food.

As he walked down the streets of Derry, he made sure wherever he would go, nobody was following, and that nobody who knew him could recognize him.

He soon settled on a cafe near the hotel, walking into the establishment and ordering coffee with a BUNCH of espresso shots inside, after all, he needed all the energy he could get. He was usually much more healthy, but on jobs, he needed as much caffeine as humanly possible.

Sitting at an empty booth in the cafe, he took his journal out, scribbling a few notes down, his plan, he never really needed a plan, but it was nice to have one. He was sure this was a simple case that would be solved in less than an hour, so he didn’t pay much mind to it.

The barista comes to his table, setting his cup of pure caffeine down. Before she could leave, Eddie pulled out a $20 bill out of his wallet, giving it to her

“Save up every cent, get out of this town, it’ll be good for you” she gave him a confused look, like she was expecting him to pull it away as a joke, but with a look in his eyes, she took the money.

The barista smiled, her eyes bright and much more charismatic than his, “thank you sir.” she pocketed the money in her apron “ and that's the plan, as soon as I have enough money, I’m leaving this hell hole--just me and my shitty van. all the way to broadway”

He nodded as she walked away. He took a sip of his bitter drink, going over his notes a few more times--now should I ambush or wait--

“Eddie?”

His heart stopped dead as he snapped his head up, hearing his name, slamming the book closed.

His eyes met Richie's, who seemed equally as shocked to see him there. They stared at each other for a few moments.

W...why is he here?! He...he can’t be here now...what the fuck?

There was something off in Richie's overall appearance, he looked very sick, malnourished, hunched over and wearing clothes that looked like they hadn’t been washed in weeks, his eyes looked like he was coming straight from the morgue.

Though his face was one of shock and confusion as to why Eddie was in Derry that night, Eddie was almost disappointed Richie was not happy to see him there.

“Holy shit trashmouth” Eddie sat up straight “What the hell are you doing here?” He motioned for Richie to sit down, which the man obliged to very quickly.

“Just passing through, I have to get down to uh… Ludlow, Maine.” to this, Eddie was confused, it sounded like Richie was making things up on the spot “I uh...got a show down there, w-what are you doing in Derry?”

He knew when Richie was lying, he always knew, he never told Richie this, but since they grew up together, he watched the mannerisms he had when lying, and could always tell ever since.

But that's because he didn’t want to look stupid, believing what Richie said. Definitely not because he liked to watch the man, and DEFINITELY not because he admired him for lying with so much ease.

Definitely not.

Eddie nodded, taking a sip of coffee “Just uh…” he quickly thought of a lie, “Visiting Mike, I wanted to surprise him, plus, wanted to get away from New York for a while”

“Interesting.” Richie’s eyes fell to the journal Eddie was desperately trying to keep hidden “Aw, does Eddie have a diary?”

Eddie let his face falter a bit, showing off his worry, pulling his journal “its it’s for work, asshat” he narrowed his eyes.

Richie, one who usually would keep poking at Eddie, slumped back a bit “Well, I gotta get going, Nice seeing you around.” he stood up, ready to walk away.

“Wait, come on.” Eddie looked up at the man, extremely confused “are you okay, man? If I'm honest, you look like shit.”

“Yeah i'm...fine.I just gotta get some...thing to eat” Richie eyed him up and down slowly, before exiting the building without another word.

Eddie just stared at the door as Richie walked away, well, not really walking, he was pretty much stumbling away.

Though as he left, the two men from before waved at Richie, like they knew him...probably just fans, Eddie couldn’t afford to read too much into things.

He shook his head, taking another sip of his coffee and reopening his book once again, Richie was probably drunk, and there was no surprise there. Eddie noticed how much Richie would drink last time they met, and this behavior didn’t surprise him.

But it was strange.

He quickly finished up his cup of coffee, placing his cup at the edge of the table, another waitress quickly coming to pick it up as he left the coffee shop, holding onto his journal tightly as he walked through Derry.

He checked his phone, a few missed messages from Mike, sharing a few more of his findings, but Eddie couldn’t bother to read them, his mind was only on Richie.

Why was he lying? What was he doing here? Questions whizzed around his head. Did Richie know something? Did Mike call him too?

Eddie sighed, he better get back to his hotel room, no use thinking about it now. He had a task at hand, and he had to get ready in the next few hours.

And that he did.

He was prepared for everything, he had a few guesses to what the monster was, a werewolf, a demon? but nothing really fit perfectly. demons kill people, but it's not like they would let people escape. Werewolves fit better, you could escape one, but they were not very...cleanly with their kills.

Whatever it was, it was going to be killed, no matter how many there were.

An alarm went off in his phone, letting the man know it was time to leave, get to the woods and start investigating.

He grabbed his bag, filled to the brim with gear, and headed out the door, texting Mike that he was headed out, and that the man needed to refrain from further messages, until Eddie had texted first of course.

He placed his phone back into his pocket, swiftly leaving the building. It was only a twenty minute walk to the forest, but if it felt like forever, his body felt shaky, like he should just turn around.

He never felt like this before, he chalked it up to nerves, with being back in Derry. Something in him still believed it could be IT, but he knew that wasn’t the case. If it was, ‘Richie Marsh’ wouldn’t be out, it would be the losers.

Before he even knew it, he was in the woods, walking down a manmade concrete pathway, exactly where Mike told him to go, trees making it seem like he was walking through a hedge maze.

As he walked down the path, it seemed to get more and more confusing, like he couldn’t even remember where he was going, but thinking it was nerves, he kept going.

His heart stopped as he heard a woman's scream break the cold silence of the night, the sound of heels clicking on the concrete coming closer and closer.

As quick as he could, he bolted towards the sound of the woman, following her voice. He carefully took out a gun from his bag as he ran down the pathway, his finger on the trigger.

Soon enough, a woman came into his field of vision, she was wearing a black apron, a dirty white shirt caked in blood, and a tattered pair of shorts.

it was the Barista from the coffee shop, She waved her arms wildly as she ran towards him, stumbling around like an animal.

“Please! Please help me! He’s gonna kill me!”

Eddie placed the gun back into his bag, putting it on his back and grabbing onto her as she ran into him.

Her makeup was running down her face, blood all over her skin, her hair was a mess, what once was a perfect simple bun, was now tangled with branches and all kinds of dirt in it.

“Ma’am calm down its okay we just-”

“No you don't understand! We can’t stay here we have to run!” She whisper-yelled at him, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the trees, straying from the pathway. “If they find us they’ll kill us!” she pulled him into a ditch, her breath shaky and tears flooding down her face.

“Okay… Okay take a deep breath, what the hell happened?” Eddie reached into his bag, grabbing his first-aid kit, ready to seal up any wound on her.

She took deep breaths, holding onto her arms as she shivered “these two guys, he… came into the cafe I work in, He was so nice” she let out a laugh, sniffling a sob. “I was so stupid, he asked me and my coworker out, and we said yes, it was supposed to be a walk in the woods, a nice walk… “

“Where’s your coworker now?” Eddie pulled out a cloth to wipe her off with, before he could give it to her, she began sobbing.

“The man…the thing! It ate her!” she said through her sobs. “While we were walking, they… they began saying weird things, like ‘dinner is ready' we didnt know what they meant! They meant us! This man came out of the woods, i called out to him, he just looked away, I think he was one of them.”

As she spoke, he watered down the cloth, giving it to her. “he...ate her?”

She sighed, wiping her face with the cloth, “this is going to sound crazy…” she hesitated, sniffling again as she looked at him.

“I deal with crazy almost 3 times a week, this is why I’m here, you’re gonna be okay, this is my job.”

She nodded nervously “there was another man there, he was in the trees, before we could even say anything, all three of them...grew..into giants...and… my coworkers date...he picked her up and…”

She suddenly fell into a crying fit once more, falling into eddies lap, he rubbed her back, trying to console her.

“He… he bit her in half!” she screamed through sobs. “I got away, the one in the trees just watched me, who knows how close he is.”

He felt sick as she cried, and Eddie looked away from her… this wasn’t what he expected, no wonder nothing was making sense, there was nobody, because they would eat it.

He was about to say something, as they heard the sound of leaves crunching and branches breaking. “It's not my fault you lost the bitch”

The girl froze, her cries stopping out of fear, she covered her mouth. She shared a terrified look with Eddie, who shared the same look.

“Well it's not mine either, I was in the middle of eating!” the man sounded so nonchalant when talking about murder, but then again, most monsters weren’t remorseful.

“Will both of you shut the fuck up and just get on with it?” the voice sounded eerily familiar, but he couldn’t concentrate on it now.

The three men kept bickering, and the barista nodded to eddie, pointing to the other side of the ditch, mouthing the word “run”

He shook his head wildly, mouthing the word “no” over and over, if she did this, she would be dead.

Either she thought it would work, or she didn’t care if she died, but she ran up the side of the ditch, then began dashing through the woods once again, ignoring Eddie's silent pleas not to.

Instantly two out of the three men yelled, and began running as well, though their footsteps began getting louder and louder, Eddie shrunk back, trying to hide as best as he could.

He watched in horror as one of the giants walked over the ditch, which took them only one step, right above him, then another, then another, it was too dark to get a good look at any of them from his disadvantaged point.

But luckily, with all the noise they were making, he was able to run to the other side of the ditch, running up and hiding behind a large tree, digging through his bag, the best luck he would’ve had with killing these things, was his machete, thanking god that he actually brought it.

Eddie held it tightly to his chest, slowly turning to see what was happening.

“Let me go!” the Barista screamed as she was picked up by the giant, flailing around in his grip.

“Oh I’ll let you go alright,”

She gave him a strange look, before returning to her screams as he lifted her up over his head, his mouth agape.

“I’ll let you go now”

Eddie turned back behind the tree, hearing her screams as she was dropped into the giant's mouth, he wasn’t looking, but his mind pictured it. He felt sick to his stomach, anger bubbling up inside of him

He heard the screams of the woman suddenly stop, and a silence filled the air. Eddie knew what this meant, he felt like he was ready to vomit, his stomach twisting in knots

“Y’know you don't have to drag it out.”

“What? You’re just mad because you got jack shit, maybe you shouldn’t be so picky”

Eddie listened to the three bickers, waiting for the right time to move from tree to tree, making sure they couldn’t see him as he got closer.

In his head he knew this was a bad idea, that he was going to get caught, but this was the first time he had ever actually met a victim, he talked with her, even if it was brief, it pushed him more than anything else did, this wasn’t about money, for the sake of the town, no…

It was for Her.

He took a deep breath as he prepared to move to another tree, planning to climb it and attack in a much better position.

“Ah! I thought I heard something!” Eddie froze, hearing a booming voice behind him.

He. was. Fucked.

He instantly spun around, waving the machete up, he heard the giant let out a yell as the blade bit into its hand, which was about to grab eddie.

shitshitshit

Eddie backed up a bit, before taking off in a run, but it didn’t help, another came barreling in.. barrelling in Eddie's eyes, it was pretty much just a few steps for the giant, the last one just hung out in the back, basically ignoring the interaction.

Eddie prepared to swing again, but the giant in front of him didn’t move, just smirked, catching Eddie off guard, allowing the one behind him to snatch him up.

“Shit!” Eddie yelled as the sneak attack made him drop the machete on the ground.

“You little fucker…” the giant lifted him off the ground at a speed that made Eddie sick, never in his life had he wanted to be on the ground more than he was now, the cold wind made him cringe as he was face to face with the Giant.

Surprisingly, the man looked fairly normal, he wore a plain blue shirt with some black jeans, nothing like any fairy tale would describe it.

His eyes were damn near murderous, he held up his other hand ‘look what you fucking did.” Eddie struggled in the giant's grip, which only made the man laugh, “what? Little hunter doesn’t know what to say?”

Eddie sputtered a bit, how did they know he was a hunter?

“Looks like you got dinner after all, huh Rich?”

“Don’t fucking call me that.”

Rich...Rich...that voice...is that...NO….NONONO

Eddie's head whipped around as the third giant came closer to the other two...those glasses, those clothes...those eyes.

When those eyes met him, they shared the same look, the exact same look that they shared at the coffee shop. Eddie wanted to yell, but it seemed all the sound had left his body.

That's why Richie was in Derry...

“What's the matter?” the giant holding him pulled him closer, “don’t like knowing that you’re dinner?” he chuckled devilishly, Eddie didn’t respond, too horrified at richie to even register what the giant was saying “hey fucko! You listening?”

The giant shook Eddie a bit, still nothing, he gave a look to the other stranger, who just nodded, the same devilish smile pasted onto his face.

Without another word, he let Eddie go, plummeting towards the earth.

Eddie let out a loud yelp, it was almost in slow motion for him, falling through the air, hitting the cold, hard ground, he was sure a rib or two were fractured just by the pain he felt in his chest, but the pounding in his head was much...much worse. He couldn’t move, he could only listen to what they had to say.

“Why the fuck did you do that?” Richie pushed the giant who was holding Eddie, not even caring to remember his name “you could’ve just given him to me.”

Richie's heart sank as he saw the hunter in the giant hand, Eddie, he knew Eddie was lying about why he was in Derry, Eddie was just simply, a bad liar. But he had never expected something like this, he never wanted any of the losers to find out about this. It was bad enough he was hunting in Derry, only a mere half hour from Mike.

“Why not? The little fucker wouldn’t listen, so I gave it what it deserved.”

He felt anger overflow him as the giant talked about Eddie in this way, but he stayed silent, bending down, and picking up Eddie by the collar of his jacket, his body dangling at it rose up.

Eddie could barely move, everything hurt, he knew he was being lifted up once again, but he couldn’t do anything about it, what was he to do, his ribs were broken, he was winded and he was basically a doll to these guys.

He could hear Richie talking to the two, but he couldn’t really understand it, until one sentence was asked.

“So, You gonna chew ‘im?”

This sent Eddie back into his fit of panic, adrenaline coursing through his veins, he began cursing, kicking, wildly flailing. The two giants just laughed.

“Come on richie, you can chew this once, trust me, so much better experience.” Eddie couldn’t tell which of the two giants spoke, but he begged to whatever was out there, that Richie wouldn’t go through with it.

“I’m not a fan of blood, you should know that by now.” Richie rolled his eyes, his gaze back to Eddie, his heart breaking as he watched the man flail around, knowing he was in pain by the look on his face.

“The bitch thought he was going to kill us, he cut my fucking finger! Let him have it!” the giant pushed richie slightly, Richie giving him a glare.

“He's going to die anyways, why can’t I let myself enjoy him squirm?” Richie spoke, monotone. “I like how it feels when they go down.”

It was enough to make Eddie sick.

“It's your last hunt with us, go out with a bang! You got a fucking hunter after all…treat it like it treats our kind!”

“Fuck off, let me do it.'' His tone seemed almost protective, but with Eddie hearing a low gurgle of the man's stomach, Eddie knew it was like an animal protective of its prey.

The two just sighed, watching Richie...just...waiting.

Eddie paused as the giants fell into silence, staring up at Richie with tears in his eyes, his vision was blurry, and his head kept feeling worse and worse. “Please...don’t do this…” he found his voice, only to say that.

What else was he supposed to say? It was rich! The man he grew up with, the man he fought a killer clown demon with….the man...who was about to eat him.

Richie just sighed, lifting Eddie up carefully, much more carefully than the others would even dare, tilting his head up and placing Eddie right on his tongue. Letting go of the man and shutting his mouth.

Eddie's heart dropped at the quick action, Richie not even hesitating before putting Eddie into his mouth.

The heat inside richies mouth was enough to make Eddie let out a yell, going from chilly weather and a biting wind to a human sauna was not the best transition. The sensation of the wet, squishy muscle underneath him giving him a dose of reality-- He pushed against the roof of the mouth, hoping to re-open the mouth, but from the angle he was at, the throat was just becoming him.

He attempted to climb up the tongue, but no matter how close he would get to almost getting out, the saliva around him beckoned him down the tight, hot throat.

“Let me out!” Eddie yelled, but he knew it was no use, that Richie wouldn’t let him go, not after this. “Let me out you...fucking bastard!”

This was it? This is how he would go, he fought almost every dangerous creature in the book and won but he HAD to be eaten by someone he called a friend?

He felt himself getting weaker and weaker, his breath becoming more and more shortened with each breath. He found himself almost allowing his body to be pulled and squished around by the tongue, which happily licked at him.

He yelled as richie rolled him around, coating him in thick saliva in the process, but he really couldn’t do anything about it, the fear and fatigue getting to his head.

As the throat beckoned him down, he clawed at the tongue to keep himself out of the hot, wet esophagus “don’t do this!”

His words were met with no answer, but with a swallow.

Eddie yelled as his lower half was pulled into richies throat, he couldn’t move, which made him flail around even more, this was met with another swallow, thick muscles pulling the rest of him into the hungry throat and down the man's gullet, it was almost second nature to the man.

It must’ve been only a few seconds, but it felt like hours as he slid down the esophagus, unable to move and his Eddies head spinning with anxiety.

The one word spilling into Eddie's mind was only ....”Why?”

He pushed against the esophagus in an attempt to stop himself from sliding down any further, but all the saliva clinging to him and his clothes wouldn’t let him.

Suddenly, Eddie felt his legs slip into the stomach below him, gurgles and growls heard below him. As the rest of him slipped inside the belly, the whole experience became very...very real.

His head was dizzy from the lack of oxygen in the throat, and he couldn’t stop shaking at the thought of this being the final place he would be alive, nobody would know Richie had done it.

And that's the last thing Eddie Kaspbrack remembered, before passing out completely.

----------------------

Richie paused as he felt eddie go limp on his tongue for a few moments, he was scared this was too much for the little guy and his heart gave out, but the small man began to thrash around once more, which in a dark way, got him relieved, so he could continue.

This was a disaster, he hated how he had to eat people already, but the fact that it was Eddie made everything so much worse.

Richie should’ve known something was up when he saw Eddie in that cafe, he just couldn’t focus with the hunger eating him up inside.

Now it wasn’t only hunger eating him up...it was guilt.

He rolled Eddie around on his tongue a few more times, capturing the taste of the man.

he hated to admit it, but people tasted so good. It was almost like a drug for him, nothing really could sustain him for long, except for this. The longest he could go without eating a person was three weeks, he would move town to town with his tour, every few weeks swallowing a person to keep his energy up.

He carefully swallowed a few times, his Adam's apple bobbing as he brought his head back down, he could feel Eddie sliding slowly down his gullet, esophagus stretching as he did so it felt so...normal for him, like it was second nature.

One thing he was grateful for, was that he was the only guy that night who didn’t have a meal already lined up.

The past few weeks, meeting up with these guys got worse and worse, they were cruel, but for some reason they liked him, and would not leave him alone no matter how much he demanded them to, but tonight they agreed that tonight could be their last night

They always wanted it to be Derry, maybe because they lived there, maybe because the people tasted better. Richie didn't know, all he did was agree, since he didn't want one of their victims to become someone that he cared about. .

He felt guilty knowing the fates of the other two girls, but he knew he couldn’t stop it, they chose to kill those girls, they could’ve safely eaten them, but they chose to kill, which they thought he chose as well. He couldn’t change this, and it made him sick just to think about it.

As the two other giants shrank back down to their normal height, RIchie didn’t even bother to remember the jackasses names, they looked up at him.

“Sad to see ya go! Maybe we’ll meet up again!” one of them spoke, the other just nodded, before they both walked away.

sickos...

Richie stayed silent and still until they got out of sight, before letting out a deep breath, holding onto his stomach as he felt eddies body slip inside of it, it felt so...good to have someone in there again

But all according to plan, he felt Eddie pass out, feeling his shallow breaths as he lay unconscious in his belly.

He was going to be okay...

----

It's too hot, It feels like I’m melting...I can’t move...I have to get out of here...I have to…

Eddie's eyes snapped open at the sound of a car horn, and a familiar yell, his head throbbing and he almost jumped out of his seat, he would’ve if he didn’t have his seatbelt on…

Seatbelt?!

Eddie's head snapped in every direction as he looked around, he was in a car, a blanket covering him...not where he thought he was...did...did he actually...no...he wasn’t...he couldn’t be… he wasn’t inside of a...

Richie let out a yell as Eddie popped up, making him swerve the car violently into the left lane, then back into the right lane, causing a chorus of more car horns to indicate that what he just did was an asshole move.

“Jesus fucking christ Eddie!” Richie yelled, “you scared the shit out of me!” he kept his eyes on the road, but the shock poured off of him like sweat.

Eddie just stared at richie as he drove, he could feel his body shaking at the sight of the man… he stammered for a moment, but he was only able to get out one word.

“Y-you…” his voice cracked a bit.

He didn’t want to believe it was true, but his clothes and hair being damp pointed out that might be the case, he felt his eyes sting with the threat of tears, never before had he felt this much Terror.

“I what eddie? I saved your life, what the fuck were you doing there?! If I wasn’t there you’d be fucking dead!” Richie turned to Eddie, giving him an angry look.

Richie was angry… at him?!

As Eddie got a good glypse at Richie, he noticed the man's face was red, his eyes a bit puffy, and he was shaking profusely, not to mention the cracks in his voice and the tears rolling down his face.

Richie was crying...Richie never cries…

“You actually...you fucking ate me?!’” Eddie finally worked up the courage to yell “What the fuck man?! I thought we were friends?!” his hand fell to his side, instinctively grabbing his knife holster, though only grabbing nothing, his knife lost in the fight earlier.

Richie didn’t respond, he just kept staring at the road. This just made Eddie angrier.

“You fucking piece of shit!” Eddie pulled the blanket off of him, shivering as his damp clothes absorbed the cold air around him. “You didn’t even tell any of us, you are a fucking m-monster!”

Again, silence, but he could see richie white knuckling the steering wheel.

Eddie could feel hot tears coming down from his eyes, “what's your plan now?” he couldn’t see himself leaving this vehicle alive, unless he hopped out the car door right now, even then he had a higher chance of ending up dead. “you should’ve made it quick like those other two fuckers did” he mumbled quietly.

Suddenly, Richie swerved across a few lanes, making Eddie slam into the car door instantly, which caused another abundance of yelling and anger from the man.

Richie didn’t say a word as he moved off of the highway, onto a local road, close to the treeline of the woods, slamming on the breaks at the closest place he could pull over at.

Eddie couldn’t help but be afraid of Richies silence, his slight shakiness as he held the wheel and the fact that Richie refused to make eye contact as he cried.

“I could’ve killed you.” Richies voice cracked a slight bit.

Eddies heart sunk hearing those words, he could feel every bit of fear he had felt before hit him once again “R-Richie...I-I-”

“I could have done everything I said I would out there, and you could imagine what they would do if I wasn’t there…”

“Richie...p-please-”

“But I wouldn’t...I...I can’t Ed’s!” Richie lost all of his composure, and began yelling “I couldn’t let anything happen to you! What the hell were you thinking going after us? You could’ve died, Killing IT was one thing, but you’re alone!”

Eddie stared at him with a shocked expression, he felt his face flush, even if he was angry and scared, he was almost embarrassed, he felt like a child being berated by a parent, he frowned.

“You. ate. Me.” Eddie spoke, emphasizing each word. “You ate me and you’re giving me shit?”

“But you’re still alive, hm?” Richie gestured up and down to Eddie, “nothing Hurt huh? You’re welcome.”

Those words actually got through to Eddie, “how am I...not dead…”

Richie sighed, hearing Eddie's tone, not angry, just...scared. “I’m not like them, Eddie. It's safe, because I’m safe…” Richie pinched the bridge of his nose “fuck that didn’t make sense, I..Its just something I can do.”

Eddie got a good look at Richie at this point, the man was no longer disheveled, he looked like he was good as new, no bags under his eyes, he didn’t look like he was going to pass out anymore...he looked healthy.

Eddie, felt tired, nauseous, and felt like he was about to pass out, they practically switched places. t

“What did you do to me…?” Eddie asked, which richie let out a small chuckle.

“Unlike Them” he spoke of the two like it was bad luck to even think of them “I can’t digest living things, i uh… do have to eat living creatures though” he looked at Eddie, answering before the man could ask the question “I take energy, that's why you passed out, you came on the right day honestly, i usually wait a while before eating.”

“That's why there were survivors, that's how Mike knew--”

“Mike knows?” it sounded like a stupid question, but it had never crossed his mind. “How much does Mike know?” his voice was desperate, almost terrified.

“Not much… one girl that you...let go...talked to him about what she remembered…”

Richie shook his head “Fuck!” he yelled, slamming his hands on the wheels. “I left her on the pathway, watched her wake up, she shouldn’t have known about what happened.”

Eddie jumped at the slam “She didn’t remember anything, she thought escaped on her own, Mike has no idea what's going on, he...doesn’t even know he sent me here.”

“How the fuck doesnt he know?”

This is where Eddie began to feel nervous again-- what to say?

“A simple alias and a voice modifier did the trick.” Eddie rolled his eyes “and this isn’t my first time doing this.”

The shifter's heart sank.

Richie began piecing it all together, “You’re actually a hunter…?” he asked, “Tell me your joking Ed’s, you’re fucking with me…”

The thought of Eddie being an actual hunter was almost as absurd as knowing richie was a giant. Eddie was pretty fearless, but he didn’t act like the other hunters he’d met, if Eddie was actually a hunter, Richie was most likely a dead man.

“I uh… did tell you that I’m a Risk analyzer, I just didn’t tell you what kind of risks I worked with…” Eddie looked away, almost embarrassed. “I didn’t think I’d even run into you...or any of the losers on the job… Especially if the job is on one of you.”

Richie just stayed silent, Eddie. Eddie fucking Kaspbrack, kills monsters, just like him...all the time? He just silently turned on the car, driving back onto the main road. He felt this...intimidation now, and Richie did not like it at all.

“Richie?” Eddie asked, staring at the man, who just kept his eyes on the road. “Richie what's going on…?”

“I’m going to drop you off at your hotel, and guessing that there’s only one hotel that's not a total shithole, I’m guessing that's where you’re staying.” he spoke fast, like he didn’t want to talk to Eddie, which made the other man frown.

“You’re right...but...you seem...off.”

“Finding out my best friend is a killer isn’t something I really enjoy knowing.”

Holy shit…”Richie, are you...scared of me?” Eddie asked, utterly confused. He got no answer except for Richies face turning a slight red colour.

Eddie turned a bit red, but quickly changed the subject when Richie pulled into the driveway of the hotel, parking. “Are you going to answer me, dickwad” he only added the last part to get a reaction out of the man.

Richie snapped his head over to Eddie, “we’ll finish this talk in the hotel room, I’m not staying in this car the entire night.”

“In the hotel room? What makes you think I’m letting you up there?”

“Because you can’t fucking walk.” Richie snapped once more, pointing to Eddie's legs, “Just try.”

Eddie just nodded, giving Richie a snarky look, then getting out of the vehicle.

“See!” Eddie spoke as Richie started, just waiting. “What was that about---!”

Eddie couldn’t finish the sentence of glory as his legs wobbled. Making him fall to the concrete of the parking lot with a painful groan.

Richie got out of the car, a smug look on his face “what was what about?” He stood, hands in his hoodie pockets, holding back a bit of laughter.

Eddie just looked up, about to yell once more, but his own fear silenced him as he had to look up at Richie again, towering over him as he was on the pavement.

Richie frowned, seeing the fear in the hunters eyes, sighing

“Fuck--Here” Richie bent down, grabbing onto eddie, pulling the mans arm over his shoulder as to stablize him and help him move.

At first Eddie pushed back, not wanting Richie to even touch him at the moment, but something made him turn red as he got so close to him.

‘Do. not. Even. think. About. It.’

The walk up to the hotel room was silent, only minor grunts or breaths from either of the men.

Richie was practically going nuts with Eddie so close again--He would never admit it, but having eddie so close to his nose, he couldn’t help but smell him once again, and he smelled so...delicious, and the fact that he was able to taste him once meant that he knew that eddie was delicious.

‘Stop it….fucking stop.’

As they reached Eddie's door, the man tried to get the keys out of his pocket, only for Richie to just grab it out of his pocket himself, unlocking the door.

“T...thanks”

“Get in.”

Eddie sighed as they both walked in, the door shutting behind them. Eddie turned red as his luggage bag was sprawled on the bed, knives visible.

Richie groaned, seeing the blades, setting Eddie onto the bed, “Have enough fucking Knives man?”

“What? Scared?”

Richie said nothing, but looked away.

“The man who Eats people alive, is afraid of me?” Eddie couldn’t help but laugh, dry and sarcastic, “and I’m not a killer…”

Richie gave him a disbelieving look, eddies laugh faded

“Well I am a killer, but it's not like that...I researched creatures like you for a while, I made like four journals just observing you guys…”

“Wow, a nerd in literally everything. Even murder” richie rolled his eyes, but it was very noticeable when his shoulders relaxed slightly, though still seemed on guard as Eddie spoke, his eyes narrow and hesitant.

“After IT,” Eddie turned away. “I realized that some of these creatures, they just want to Hurt people… and...I just can’t let that happen. So I became a hunter… it was tough at first, but i’ve gotten better.” Eddie rubbed the back of his neck nervously “B-but I don’t kill people who are just trying to live their lives, only the ones who are killing people...which doesn’t make me that popular.”

Richie gave Eddie a look, not disproving, but just...intrigued, “Damn, a hunter with a moral backbone? Where have you been all my life”

Eddie paused, “I’ve been in your fucking life” He almost felt offended “suddenly I haven’t been with you because of my fucking career choice? Newsflash fuckface, I’m still fucking eddie kaspbrack”

Richie’s eyes widened “I didn't mean it--”

“You fucking EAT people. And I still see you as my...friend” Eddies voice lowered, looking away, “trust me, if I didn’t you’d be dead.”

Richie fell silent, somehow the word ‘friend’ still hurt him. Eddie could see the hurt on his face, looking away as well.

“All the other hunters i’ve known never gave me a chance to explain” Richie finally spoke after a few minutes, “They just see me as a monster.”

“i-I’m sorry.” Eddie responded “I didn’t mean--”

“Oh shut up.” Richie flashed a smile “You get a pass, I fucking ate you. I didn’t get a chance with any others.”

Eddie couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at the comment, something so absurd about the situation allowed him to. He was a hunter, who had been eaten, and is now talking to the person who had eaten him.

“So...the other losers?” Eddie fake coughed, trying to change the subject “Do any of them know”

“FUCK no.” Richie shook his head loudly, “If they knew that I’ve wanted--” Richie paused mid sentence, sputtering, clearly not wanting that to come out.

Eddie's eyes widened, “No no no, you don't get to say that shit and NOT finish the sentence, dickweed.”

“I-I..er--” Richie couldn’t form a coherent sentence, too busy turning redder than a tomato.

“Richie...Have you thought about...Eating us...like all of us? The losers?”

At first, Richie resisted, sputtering out a shaky ‘no!’, but Eddie just stared at the man, his expression not changing, it was a trick he would use when they were kids, Richie would always break.

“Fuck you Kaspbrak!” Richie finally broke, throwing his hands in the air “what do you want me to say? There's not one goddamn day that goes by since the reunion where i don’t think about it! There! Judge me all you fucking want! It's not gonna change the fact that I wanted to Eat you!”

Richie turned red again as eddie just stared “forget it”

“Did you ever try?”

It was richie's turn to look offended “you think im fucking stupid? If I tried anything on that trip, you’d think i was IT, I wasn’t about to be killed by my friends!”

Eddie put his hands up defensively “Okay okay! Don’t get your panties in a twist! It was a fucking question!”

Richie slumped back, defeated “I’ve thought about it sure---I never planned to though!” Richie almost sounded like he was trying to promise Eddie this, rather than convince him “I never planned on telling you guys, not that you’d believe me if I did.”

“Well you didn’t exactly tell me...so you kept your plan?”

Richie gave him a ‘are you kidding me’ expression

“I will eat you again”

“Don’t make me pull out the Knives, Tozier.”

Before Richie could even say another word, a loud ringing came from the luggage bag. It was his backup phone, Eddie reached for it, Richie first shook his head not to answer, but Eddie did anyway.

“Mr Marsh? Oh thank god you answered, it's been so long I thought the worst? What happened?” Richie tensed up, hearing Mike's voice on the other end of the phone, Eddie looked at the frightened predator and shook his head, mouthing the words ‘voice modifier’ which made Richie calm down slightly, still uncomfortable to hear Mike's voice.

Though on the other hand, Richie couldn’t help but laugh at the ‘Mr. Marsh’ mouthing to Eddie ‘are you fucking serious?’

Eddie shook his head, trying to wave the man off “Sorry Mr Hanlon, I understand your concern, everything is--”

“Ed’s?”

Eddie's sentence came to a full stop as Mike said his name, and so did his heart “w-what?”

“i-I” Mike stammered on the phone for a second “Eddie is that you?”

Richie, in an act of pure instinct, snatched the phone away from Eddie, who yelled out a quick “wait!” Before Richie hung up, turning the phone off.

There were a few moments of silence, you could practically hear the two’s hearts pumping loudly and full of anxiety.

“Shit.” they both said in unison.

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its good to be back...again!

#soft vore #safe vore #extreme cuddling #tw hard vore #tw fatal vore #non fatal vore #fearplay vore #quentin's writing

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official-weasley · 3 years

Text

The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley: Pt. 1, Ch. 5

PART 1: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Chapter 5 - Saving a Weasley

Nova

I felt so bad for Penny having to stay behind and clean the slugs that were without a doubt brought to the classroom by Tonks when she went to the bathroom and were the jelly things hitting the floor.

I wanted to find Tulip and Tonks as soon as possible as I couldn't help but be a bit angry with them, my head still hurting.

I was almost at the Great Hall when I heard someone calling me.

“Nova, over here!” I turned around and saw Tonks and Tulip waving at me.

“Where's Penny?” Asked Tulip, oblivious.

“She got detention because of your slugs!” I said, trying to control my voice. Tonks had to bit her lip no to burst out laughing as I continued.

“I stood up and stepped on one of them and fell flat on my back. Snape, of course, noticed at once and since the slugs made their way under our table and Penny and I were the only ones left in the classroom, he blamed her, took 20 points from Hufflepuff, and made her clean the mess all by herself! I tried defending her but Snape threatened me with detention as well so Penny nudged me to leave.” Seeing that I was angry, massaging the bump on my head, Tulip and Tonks' faces changed.

“Blimey Nova, I'm sorry.” Tonks said sincerely. “Are you going to be okay or should we go to the Hospital Wing just in case?” She added.

“I'll be fine. And it should be Penny you should apologize to because I don't want to know how mad she is at you! Not only is Potions her favorite subject and she asked you not to pull any pranks on the first day, but you also got her in detention on the first day of school!”

“Tonks, I think Nova is right. Why don't we go back to the Dungeons and tell Snape the truth.” I could see Tulip felt really bad, just for thinking slugs in the Potions classroom were funny.

“Alright, alright. You girls will make me a better person if this continues!” She groaned but Tulip and I knew she liked that we made her responsible for her actions.

“Are you coming with, Nova?” Tulip asked me as I was about to head in the other direction.

“Are you kidding? I don't want to be anywhere near Snape until our next lesson on Thursday!” I exclaimed. “I think I am going to the Courtyard to draw. Meet you at dinner?”

“See you later!” They both said and ran towards the Dungeons.

It was weird going somewhere alone. I know I have only been at Hogwarts for 3 days but I always had at least one of the girls with me. I was debating between the Owlery or the Courtyard to relax and draw. I decided to go to the Owlery to check if Pip was sleeping.

It didn't surprise me that the second I stepped in, he was already on my shoulder, hooting happily and nibbling my ear, probably to thank me for the visit.

“What do you say we go to the Courtyard and I draw you, you beautiful bird?” Pip hooted ever so loudly, moved from my shoulder to my arm and we made our way down the stairs.

I was happy it wasn't as full with students as I thought it would be since there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

I sat down on one of the stone benches, putting Pip and my bag down and taking out my drawing book.

“Oh, how I've missed you!” I whispered to the notebook and hugged it slightly. I haven't drawn for about 4 days and I was angry at myself for it.

I sat on the grass next to the bench rather than on it because it was easier for me to use the bench for a table and Pip positioned himself so well as if he was posing.

“Good boy, Pip! Now stay still so that I can at least make a good sketch.” Pip hooted at me and returned to his posing. I chuckled as I took out my brand new pencils, bought by my dad as a 'you're going to Hogwarts and I am proud of you' gift.

It felt like ages to complete the sketch as Pip constantly wanted to peek and see if his portrait was done yet. “I told you to stand still. The more you act like a statue the quicker I can draw you.” I explained to which he replied with a single 'hoot'.

As I started to draw details on the feathers, I heard a rather mean laugh a little away to my left. At first, I didn't put any attention to it.

“Oh, look at that. What a loser!” I couldn't help to overhear a girl say. I tried to mind my own business and went back to drawing.

“What are you doing? Are you reading?” The girl continued, in a baby type of tone.

“And look how old his book is, it's going to fall apart any second now, ha!” A boy spoke this time.

“What's the matter, Weasley? Can't afford a new book and you have to reread an old one?” As the third voice spoke I turned around to see what was going on. I saw 3 Slytherin students that looked at least 2 years older than me standing in front of a boy with a frightened look on his face, clutching the book that I assumed they were mocking him for.

The one on the left was probably shorter than me. She had long black hair, made into a braid on each side. She had an upward crooked nose so that I could see her non-existent brain. The one on the other side was the only boy in the group. He looked fairly normal except for the fact that he was so large that if someone pushed him right at that moment, he would've rolled straight out of the Courtyard. The one in the middle, for which I assumed was the one who started to mock the boy was tall, slim, with thin rat-colored hair that was so greasy that if the wind blew, it wouldn't even move. She had pimples all over her face; one so big that it could easily be mistaken for a boil.

Then I looked harder at the boy. He was the freckled Gryffindor that's in my year! He looked so uncomfortable, looking around to see how he could escape the trio that now surrounded him. He kept pressing his book to his stomach and I could see he would do anything so that they wouldn't take it.

“What, not going to say anything?” The fat boy asked.

“Your parents aren't able to buy you a new one? Are they too poor, Weasley?” Mocked the greasy-haired girl.

“Leave him alone!” Before I realized that the voice came from my mouth I was already on my way towards them. Raising my hand at Pip to make him stay on the bench.

“A First Year defending a First Year. See this Shmeasley, this is your protection!” The greaseball said as all three of them burst out laughing, holding their stomachs.

“That's right, I am a First Year!” I almost shouted at them now, coming even closer. I put my hand in my pocket, trying to grab my wand as I saw their faces get even angrier for disturbing their bullying but I reached for an empty pocket as I put the wand in my bag that stayed with Pip. But that didn't stop me from talking more. “Maybe you should pick on someone your own size, or better yet, your own age!” They laughed at me even more now.

“What are you five? You're sure acting like it.” I continued. Apparently, this was the last straw, as their faces frowned so much from anger that I thought one of the pimples from the girl in the middle was going to burst straight in my face.

“Zip it Ravenclaw! What are you going to do to us? We are smarter than you AND you are outnumbered!” Yelled the boy now as they simultaneously pulled out their wands.

“Flipendo!” Yelled one of the girls. I couldn't see as I closed my eyes but nothing happened. I opened them slowly and all I could see was an emerald cloak in front of me. It was Professor McGonagall and she had to block the spell from hitting me. I stepped on her left side, still hiding a little behind her cloak.

The freckled boy was now staring at her with an opened mouth.

“Miss Bellgrim, Miss Tailbottom, and Mister Morgan, what do you think you are doing!?” She yelled at them, her eyes filled with such fury that I thought I could see little lightning bolts shoot from them. Both the Gryffindor boy and I chuckled when Professor McGonagall said 'Tailbottom'. “Attacking a First Year without their wand! Explain yourself!” She shouted further.

“I...we...well.” The pimpled girl wasn't so loud now.

“I thought you had no explanation for such act of foolishness. 30 points will be taken from Slytherin and I will make sure your Head of House picks good and long detentions for you!” Said Professor McGonagall.

“30 points?” Exasperated the boy, the Professor called Mister Morgan.

“Each!” Professor said, moving her hand to indicate that they should get out of her sight. The trio nodded and hurried from the Courtyard. She then turned to me.

“Are you okay, Miss Blackwood? Why were they trying to duel you?” She asked, concerned.

“They were being rude to him,” I said and nudged my head to the freckled boy, “and I wanted to help. They were really mean to him, Professor.” Her expression softened.

“You stood up to three Four Years to help a fellow First Year?” She asked gently. “The Sorting Hat was right thinking to put you in Gryffindor, you are as brave as you are foolish, Miss Blackwood.” She added.

“If I haven't blocked that spell in time you would've been in the Hospital Wing right about now.” She continued, worry in her voice.

“50 points to Ravenclaw for such braveness and the will to help a fellow student. She then turned to the redhead boy. “Are you alright, Mr. Weasley?” The boy just nodded. She examined us both from head to toe. “Please be careful, Miss Blackwood, Mr. Weasely. And if this happens again, come straight to me. That means you too.” She looked at me again and walked away.

The boy with red hair finally closed his mouth as he realized it was all over. He looked at me, still sitting on the ground, holding his book. “Thank you so much for that. I thought they were going to take my book this time.” He said sadly.

“This time? This wasn't the first time?” I asked puzzled.

“No,” the boy said, lowering his head, “it happened on the train too. I was alone in a compartment, you know reading about Dragons,” he said casually as all anybody ever really does is read about Dragons, “and they came in and started picking on me. Thank Merlin that my brother Bill came to see me and he shooed them away. He then stayed with me just to be sure that they wouldn't come back.” He said and smiled a bit, reminiscing on the memory.

Pip decided that I have left him alone for far too long and he flew on my shoulder and hooted loudly in my ear.

“Is he yours?” The boy asked excitedly.

“Yes, would you like him on your arm?” I asked and sat next to him. I then nudged Pip from my shoulder and tapped on the boy's arm to indicate that he should sit there.

“Wow, she is beautiful. We have a family owl, Errol, but she is more clumsy than my younger brother Ron.” He said as he stared at Pip with amazement.

“It's a he actually and his name is Pip.” I smiled.

“Such a cool name!” He finally looked at me. “I'm Charlie by the way. And in case you haven't heard those Slytherins shout my last name before, it's Weasley. Charlie Weasley.” He extended his hand to me with a look of embarrassment on his face due to what happened earlier.

“I'm Nova Blackwood.” I shook his hand. Pip suddenly flew from Charlie's arm, back to the bench where all my stuff was still laying around. He flew back with everything in my bag and dropped it right in front of us. My drawing notebook flew out of the bag as it hit the floor and opened several pages in, revealing a drawing inspired by my Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Thembook.

“Woah, that's the Common Welsh Green!” Charlie said in awe. “Did you draw this?”

“Yes.” I said proudly.

“Wow, you are really talented. Would you mind?” He asked, shaking my book, indicating if he could go through my drawings. I nodded.

I loved how careful he was while turning the pages. Sometimes he murmured something to himself. He gasped and let out a little squeak every time there was a drawing of a Dragon.

When he was done, he gently closed the notebook, turned to me and gave it back. “Thank you for this. You standing up to those bullies and letting me see all these beautiful creatures you've drawn is the best thing that happened to me so far at school.”

“But the year has just begun.” I said, smiling.

“Unless I see a real Dragon at Hogwarts, nothing can top this.” He smiled back. “Want to see my book?” He offered. “It's about Dragons but it's very old.” Of course, it's about Dragons, I thought.

“I don't mind. The older the book the better the smell and more valuable it is.” I said genuinely.

“I forgot you're a Ravenclaw.” He chuckled and opened the book.

He showed me so many different Dragon species that I haven't even heard of. The illustrations in the book were so beautiful that I couldn't stop admiring them. I don't know what holes those Slytherins had in their brains but to me, this was the best book I have ever come upon.

He then told me that his dream is to work with Dragons and that, even though very ambitious, would like to get a job in the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. He told me that he has 6 siblings, about which I gasped and said that he is the second child in the family.

“My favorite Dragon is the Hebridean Black. What's yours?” He said, excited. “Oh, don't answer that, I can't expect everyone has a favorite Dragon like me.” He lowered his head.

“Chinese Fireball.” I said before he could say another word. “Has been since I first saw it in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. My dad bought me the book. He was hoping it would shut me up about wanting to own a Chimera and a Fire Salamander.” I chuckled.

“You wanted to have a Chimera?” He laughed but I could see he was imagining having one too.

Before we could go back to his book, a voice called for Charlie.

“Charlie?! Charl... there you are! I was worried sick. Why aren't you at dinner? You know that I promised mum I would look after you!” The boy with longish red hair said after finding us, still in the same spot as before. From what Charlie told me, I assumed that was his older brother Bill, who was currently in his Third Year.

“I'm sorry, Bill!” Apologized Charlie. “I was showing Nova my book after she saved me from those Slytherins again.” Charlie said thankfully.

“Those Slyth...again? Charlie, we have to tell Professor McGonagall now!” Bill was furious.

“Oh, I don't think that will be necessary.” Grinned Charlie as he told his brother how I intervened, how McGonagall saved me from the Knockback Jinx, and how they lost the Slytherins House 90 points and I gained Ravenclaw 50.

“What is your name?” He looked at me astonished that I stood up to 3 Slytherins much older than me just to help his brother.

“My name is Nova Blackwood.” I said as I shook his hand.

“Thank you Nova for saving my brother. I don't even want to imagine what they could do to him if you weren't around.” He said with a worried face.

“Bill!” Said Charlie, obviously embarrassed as the pink hue between his freckles started to show. “You are starting to sound like mum.” He mocked him to take attention off himself.

“You know what mum would have done to me if something ought to happen to you. I would receive a Howler and then the whole school would know I'm a bad brother.” Bill defended himself.

“Get off it Bill, you're the best brother!” Charlie said and smiled at him. Bill smiled back and ruffled Charlie's hair.

“Now, as much as I like that you are making friends Charlie, I would like for you two to go to the Great Hall and get some dinner before it's too late.” Bill said, helping us get up.

I turned to Pip and told him to go get some rest in the Owlery. Bill accompanied me and Charlie to the Great Hall. There he thanked me again for helping his little brother. “See you around, Nova. Was nice to meet you!” He ruffled Charlie's hair again and went towards the Gryffindor Tower.

Charlie and I entered the Great Hall together, which by now was half empty since dinner time was almost over. Charlie was called over to the Gryffindor Table by that boy who could barely see through his thick black hair. He turned to me.

“Nova, thank you again. I had so much fun with you!” He said and to my surprise gave me a hug. “We'll see each other around, we have a lot of classes together, we can hang out then.” He said, rather excited and hurried to the Gryffindor Table.

I looked around and saw a blond, pink, and redhead at the Ravenclaw Table. I hurried to the girls and sat down.

“Blimey Nova, where have you been?” Tonks said.

“We got worried that you had to go to the Hospital Wing because of your fall.” Added Penny.

“I almost ended up at the Hospital Wing, but not because of the fall.” I said and they gasped.

I then told them all about how those Slytherins attacked Charlie and how I forgot my wand in my bag, to which Tulip commented that it can happen to anyone. I told them how McGonagal protected me from the Knockback Jinx to which they stared at me with opened mouths. I then told them all about Charlie and how he is as excited about Care of Magical Creatures as I am. Tonks murmured something about how we are all too excited for school and we laughed at her comment.

When I finished my story Penny told me that Tonks and Tulip apologized to her and that they wanted to take full responsibility for what happened in Potions class but Snape wouldn't let them. To my surprise, Tulip said that Penny thanked them both as her detention with Snape enabled her to show him her knowledge of potions and that he gave Hufflepuff 5 points for knowing all the potions she had to sort.

Of course, she is confident that she will never receive such detention again as Snape soon realized that it wasn't a punishment for her at all.

While lying in bed that night, I couldn't believe the day I had. The year has hardly started and I was having so much fun. I would even dare to say that I have made a new friend and I couldn't believe how much we had in common. Nobody I knew loved animals as much as I did, not even my aunt who was breeding Abraxans. Nobody, until I've met Charlie.

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formerprincess · 3 years

Text

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 60

Chapters: 60/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Liam meets with Luka again and learns a bit more about the other werewolf pack. The friendship is blossoming.

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"Thank you for dropping me off." Liam climbed out of the passenger seat of Savannah's car and closed the passenger door behind him. "Don't forget to text me!" The blonde yelled through the open window before she reversed her car. Liam waved at her and watched her drive away before he finally made his way to the front door of his house. Luka, Savannah, Maddie, and he had sat together in the bar and talked for a while until they all had to disperse in different directions. Maddie and Luka had matters to attend to in regards to business and coven, Savannah had plans with her friends later on but offered to drop Liam off. He had gladly accepted her offer since it saved him from riding the bus during summer. Would Theo or someone else had come to get Liam? Absolutely but his Betas were not his chauffeurs.

Liam unlocked the door now and stepped into the house. He heard the tv running, the bass of Mike's music coming from downstairs. As always, it filled Liam with the undeniable feeling of home and happiness. Here he belonged. He hung his keys up and walked further into the house. Theo and Mason lounged on the opposite ends of the couch; Theo with a book in his hand and Mason with his notebook. Corey sat in front of the couch table and solved a puzzle. Tim sat in one of the chairs and watched tv. "Hey, you're back." Mason checked his watch. "Way later than I expected you to be. So it was good?" The others stopped what they were doing and turned to Liam. Tim even muted the series he had been watching. "Mixed, I would say." Liam kissed Theo and then sat next to his mate. Theo licked his lips. "Have you've been drinking lemon shots?" "I'm concerned how you got that from just one kiss", Liam remarked. Then he decided to answer Mason's question. "First of, those Alphas really think they're something else. Something I'm not. I don't have enough millions in my bank account to ever have them accept me." "That bad? I'm sorry." Corey grimaced. His parents were like that as well and he despised them for it. "Most of them, yeah. But I met three people who are very cool. First of, Mase, were cheetahs and vampire are a thing." Mason squeaked and pushed his notebook out of the way. "Tell me everything!" "The hotel had such old Hollywood glam style. Not my chic but whatever. First I met Savannah. She's the cheetah. Alpha of a very small pack here in Seattle. Outgoing, very direct, and honest. She talked to me before I even entered the meeting room. Was her first time too. We kind of stuck together. Then we met Meadow, the vampire. She has been to meetings before but she does not like the Alphas. She has a human best friend and told me he also has some notes about the supernatural community. I invited the two of them here cause I thought you and him could maybe check your notes, combine them so to speak. He surely will have things you don't have and vice versa, Mason and Corey." "Great idea." Corey helped Mason with the Bestiary and he would also profit from meeting Asher. If Asher wanted to follow the invitation. Maddie had said it would not be a problem but Liam would wait for clarification from Asher himself. "You said you met three people. Who's the third?" Theo asked. "Luka. He's the only other cool werewolf I met. Also older than us but his pack is from around. They're more modern and open-minded. Like ours is." "Sounds good. All in all, it seemed as if the meeting wasn't for nothing." Mason smiled. "And vampires. Wait! How was she there? Can she walk in the sun? Did the other Alphas wrangle her into the hotel? Is she traveling in a coffin? Did she try to drink your blood? What was she like??" "Jesus, Mason." Corey shook his head. But Liam gladly answered every question his Emissary had. "I'll stay in contact with them", he finally ended and his mate, as well as Consultant and Emissary, voiced their agreement. "Liam?" Tim said shyly. "Didn't you put up a rule of not having strangers come to the house? When you said you invited the vampire and her friend here, are you not breaking your own rule?"

Shit. Oh shit.

Liam had completely forgotten about that rule. Yes, he had told his Betas not to bring strangers into their new home. And here he was breaking his very own rule. Great, Dunbar! "No...I mean...yeah, I did....But...." Tim got up to leave the room. "I mean, you're the Alpha and therefore it's your decision. You can do whatever you want. I just remembered the rule." He gave an insecure shrug and then left the room in the direction of his room. Liam huffed. "You forgot you had put the rule in place, right?" Theo guessed. "Yep." Liam closed his eyes for a moment and scolded himself mentally. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! "I mean, you are the Alpha. We can still follow the rules but what you do is up to you", Corey suggested softly. Liam's eyes snapped open. "No!" He said sharply. "We're not running a pack like that! If rules are in place, we all have to follow them. Including me. Especially me." "Then you have to decide what to do with that situation. You could always meet with Meadow and her friend somewhere else", Mason suggested. "No. The rule made sense back then but not it's not feasible anymore. And I will tell Tim that."

The young Alpha got up from the couch and marched downstairs to his Beta's room. He knocked, waited a few moments, then opened the door. Liam peeked into the room. "Hey. Have a minute?" Tim had sat on his desk and now spun around in his chair, a mixture of shock and surprise written on his face. But then he caught himself and nodded. Liam walked in and closed the door behind him. "You can sit on the bed if you want." Tim pointed at said furniture piece and Liam sat down on the edge. He rubbed his palms over his thighs. "You're right. I set this rule and I completely and utterly forgot about it. Had you not said anything, it would have left my mind forever. I am sorry about that." "It's okay. As I said, you're the Alpha. You make the rules, you sure can break the rules." Tim tried his best to give off the impression it was really okay. But Liam was stubborn. "It's not okay", he stated calmly. "When I set the rule, it seemed reasonable to me and came from a place of being worried about everyone and our home. I wanted to be absolutely sure nothing could get to us. That was weeks ago. I should have kept it in mind and change it again after Ever cast the spell and we were more secure. I didn't. I fucked up and I am sorry about that." Tim opened his mouth to protest but Liam was faster: "I am grateful for you guys calling me out. Tim, you're my friend, my family, my Beta. You and the others absolutely should call me out when I do something wrong. I'm not perfect and I will make these mistakes. But only with this echo from you, I can improve and become a better leader. I'm not mad at you and you don't have to be afraid to speak up. This rule was okay back then but now is not anymore. Therefore I cut it. Gone! Just like that! thank you for bringing this up. I mean it. But what will never happen is that I set rules for you and then don't follow them myself. This is not the type of leader I wanna be. Okay?" Tim gnawed on his lip. "I would not care so much but this is the first house I am not judged and ridiculed in. I can be myself and I want to protect it as much as I can", he confessed. "So do I, Timmy", Liam promised him. "I would never let anyone in here I might consider not fully trustworthy." Tim considered. "So you trust Meadow and her friend?" "I do, yeah." Liam nodded. "Do you consider them good allies for the pack?" The twenty-year-old had to laugh. "My brain's not wired like that." Liam played with his hands. "Theo is good at that, Mason too. But I don't think strategically. On the lacrosse field, yeah, that's my jam, but not when it comes to people. I meet a person and I either like or dislike them. Maybe I trust too easy and maybe I will make a fool out of myself but then I have to take responsibility for it. I can't, I don't want to meet someone and be like Your name is what? Oh, you will be a splendid ally to my pack. This is not me and I will probably never get there. Hence why I keep Theo around", he joked at the end. Tim chuckled but then sighed. "I know what you mean. I'm not like that either. It would feel...I don't know...like..." They both thought about it. "Like using someone", they both finally said at the same time and this time they both laugh. "Mike is good at it too. To easily find out how people can be useful to him upon meeting them." "Maybe it's a survival tactic", Liam put out a theory. "How can you help me in my current situation to get a better stand and survive. Would explain why Theo is so good at it. He and Mike both needed to survive in a world that didn't want them." Tim raised his shoulders. "My survival tactic is not being seen or heard. Not draw any attention." "Well, I hope you don't feel like that anymore in the house or around the pack in general." Liam sounded like a father, he realized that himself. But wasn't an Alpha supposed to be a father sometimes? Tim shook his head. "Not always. But it's hard to unlearn what I learned for nineteen years. You know, you guys are great! You make me feel welcome! Don't think anybody else, please!"

He moved his hands around and knocked over a small can filled with brushes of all kinds. They clattered to the floor. Liam knelt and helped him pick them up again. "Didn't know you were painting, Timmy. Those are many brushes." His Beta turned a concerning shade of red and stuttered. "I...No...Not...Irgs. I don't paint! Pictures! I don't paint pictures!" "Then what do you paint?" Liam had never seen Tim being creative with brushes in any shape or form. From how his friend acted, one would think he was doing forbidden things with those brushes. "You don't have to tell me, of course. I'm just curious." You could basically see Tim's thought process on his face. Denial, fear, nervousness, fear again, shame. Finally, he pointed to the other side of the room. There was a large board with something tiny on it. Curiosity got the better of Liam and he stepped closer. Tiny little figurines were placed all over the board, along with trees, and various other little things. There was even a tiny truck looking amazingly similar to Theo's truck. And there was a car looking like Liam's. Wait a second. "Are those figurines of the pack?" Tim rushed next to Liam. "I can stop with that if you think it's weird. It's just, I like making those little scenes and take inspiration from real life." He gently pushed a tiny figurine in a blue jersey. A tiny Liam in lacrosse gear, Liam realized. "You've got to be kidding me! This is awesome! Can I touch it?" Liam was in awe. Tim blushed furiously but then gently placed lacrosse Liam on Liam's palm. The young Alpha turned the figurine to inspect it from all sides. For such a small thing, the details were incredibly detailed. "I make the figurines from a special clay and then I paint them. I hope you don't think it's weird. I am sorry if you do. I'm not a creep, I promise!" Tim almost stumbled over his words in his haste to get them out. "You make them? This is incredible, Tim! Why did you never show us this? That's not creepy or weird, this is fucking amazing! You're crazy talented." Liam could not stop praising the guy. And Tim beamed under the praise. Once he realized Liam did not find anything weird about that and actually loved it, he preened. "Does anybody in the pack know you're doing this?" "Mike knows." Tim smiled shyly. "But I made him swear he wouldn't tell a soul. Made him swear on something important to him." "Uh uh. What did he swear on?" Now Tim blushed again. "Our friendship." "Aw." Those two were cute and deserved each other. Mike because he needed a calm anchor in his life, Tim because he needed someone to speak up when he couldn't himself. "But seriously, Timmy, those are cool. I'm not going to say anything but if you ever want to share with the rest, I can already assure you, they will be as amazed as I was. It's a really cool hobby. I imagine it takes a lot of time?" "Oh, it does. But I like to modulate all the figurines and then paint them. It's calm work and I can think while doing it." Tim began chatting about his hobby. Now that Liam knew it seemed like a dam had burst and he could share it with the Alpha. Liam willingly listened.

****** "I'm glad you could clear the air with Tim." Theo pulled the covers back and crawled in bed. Liam was already under the covers and had scrolled through his phone but now put the device away to concentrate on the talk with his mate. "I'm glad too. It is important to me to get those kinds of replies so I can reflect on myself. I'm not doing everything right. But I'm working on it." "You're doing a lot of things already right. The things you're not doing right, well they partly make you Liam. Not perfect but human and very loveable." "How were you ever the chimera of death?" Liam teased and Theo smacked him with his pillow. Liam laughed. "I am trying here to compliment you and you do not appreciate it? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Theo wailed. Liam laughed louder. "Naw, you will survive that one, big boy. You know I love you." To prove it, he pressed his mate down on the mattress and kissed him passionately. Theo laughed into the kiss but returned it soon enough. "I know you love me", he mumbled after they parted. "And I love you, Lee." Liam was proud to hear that and he smirked. His phone chimed and he let go of Theo to grab it. "It's from Luka. He's asking if I want to meet up sometime next week. Cool." Liam already typed an answer. "You really like the three, right?" Theo mused. Liam looked up from his phone screen. Theo was watching him with questioning eyes but there was no sign of jealousy as he had shown with Scott in the beginning. He sighed. "I do. It's strange. They're all older than me and yet they never acted like they had to explain the world to me. Never a patronizing word, never telling me I'm still so young. I was just Liam and from the get-go, I was part of this little gang. I didn't have to prove myself to them. Because it felt like I had already proved myself prior to meeting them and they didn't even care. It was nice. I wasn't...." "You weren't the fourteen-year-old?" Theo asked amusedly and yet with compassion. "Yeah", Liam confirmed. "I wasn't even Liam the twenty-year-old. I was just...Liam." He fell silent for a few beats. "Doesn't mean I will leave you guys behind. You're my family." "Nobody's thinking that!" Theo furrowed his brows. "If we did, we would be bad friends and family members. We all are individuals outside of this pack and we all will make friendships without the pack being involved. If not, we would be one lousy pack. What we are is, happy you found people appreciating you and liking you for who you are." He reached out and pushed Liam's chin up so the couple looked at each other. "Liam, you have so many things going on for you. Your age shouldn't be one of the first things to notice." It was still strange to hear those things with such sincerity and Liam swallowed dryly. "What's the first thing?" He asked softly. Theo smiled lovingly. "Your good heart. And your eyes. Not because of their color - even though it's a beautiful color - but because they shine with such honesty and happiness." They stared at each other, Liam lost for words. He found his voice only after moments passed. "Were you always that poetic?" "You bring out the best in me", the ex-chimera replied and then kissed Liam deeply.

****** "Not to be pessimistic or something but would it not have been better to plant the flowers after the heatwave?" Liam stood in the open front door and watched Brett watering their plants. Nope", the tall werewolf replied and carried on with his task. "Because?" "Because I wanted to do it now", Brett simply answered. He gave Liam a cheeky grin. "That's reason enough." "Why would I ever doubt that?" Liam remarked teasingly. "Careful before I water you. You could use some growing", Brett teased back. The next moment, he was distracted by the red convertible oldtimer rolling into their driveway. The car was highly polished, not one speck of dirt to be seen, and it was sparkling in the sun. "Holy crap, that is awesome." Brett didn't even realize he was watering the ground instead of the plants, too busy staring at the car. It stopped in front of the entrance and Luka in the driver seat smirked. "Hi." "Hi." Liam laughed. "Nice car." "It's the pack car when one of us wants to go for a nice ride. Holden, a pack member, resto moded it but he lends it to everyone. Thought it's a nice day, why not take it?" He took off his sunglasses and seemed quite proud of his Beta's skills. Liam had no interest in cars but it was a pretty one and why not? He had no objections to driving around in this. Mike and Theo came out of the house. "Dude, that car is sick!" Mike jumped down the stairs and rounded it. Luka preened. "I'll forward it to Holden." Theo was also circling the car, as amazed by it as Mike and Brett were. Liam could only shake his head. Who knew those guys were such car freaks? "Luka, that one over there is Brett and that guy there is Mike. And that is Theo." "Nice to meet you." Theo was the only one to actually shake Luka's hand, the other two simply waved and then continued to fawn over the car. "Nice to meet you too", Luka replied. "You're Liam's boyfriend, right?" "I am", Theo proudly confirmed. "Bring him back in one piece." "I swear on my life", Luka promised in a playful serious tone. Liam grunted. "I can hear you guys! Theo, maybe I won't bring Luka back in one piece. How about that?" "As long as you bring the car back in one piece!" Mike cut in and made them all laugh. "Okay, now that some of my Betas embarrassed me in front of you, I'll get my sunglasses and we can go", Liam called out to the older Alpha and ran into the house and upstairs.

It took him a little while to find his sunglasses (he really needed to try and be tidier) but when he found them under some papers, Liam let out a triumphant cry and ran back downstairs. His Betas were involved in a conversation with Luka (surprisingly not about cars) which Liam now interrupted. "I'm ready." "Great. Hop in." Liam opened the passenger door and marveled at how smooth this was going. He somehow expected the door to get stuck because of age. But this car looked and felt like a brand new one. "See you guys later. Don't burn the house down", he joked. "Yes, dad!" All three Betas chimed in unison. Theo smirked and came to the passenger side to give Liam a quick kiss. "Have fun", he mumbled and Liam nodded. "Bye, guys. See you next time!" Luka called out before he started the car and soon they rolled down the driveway.

"You're one of the few people in this car to use the seatbelt immediately", he informed Liam when he turned into the street. The young Alpha looked down. "I do this in every car. My mother drilled this into me from a young age. I could not drive in a car without buckling up." "My mom was like that too. She always said just because were werewolves didn't mean we had to challenge fate. And she got mad if she saw one of us without a seatbelt on. Not just her own kids but basically everyone. There is a story where she refused to drive another Alpha's wife to the airport because the lady refused to put hers on. It's said they sat in the car for forty minutes until my dad went looking for them." Liam started laughing. "That's dedication. It's that the temper you were talking about?" Now Luka laughed. "My mom was stubborn. I'm too. And my sister is as well. Fun times during puberty, I can tell you. Good thing my dad was good at finding middle ground." "Your parents seemed like an amazing couple. Their personalities really matched with each other, from what I already heard." He wanted to know more about his new friend. And Liam wanted to share things about himself as well. He believed Savannah was right, this could become great friendships. "They were the perfect match even though their personalities were as different as they can be. But they balanced each other out. They were incredible Alphas for our pack." "You say Alphas. Were both real Alphas? Or just an Alpha couple?" Luka stopped at a crosswalk and let some pedestrians pass. "Technically, if you base it on red eyes and stamina, my father was the Alpha. My mother was a Beta but no one would have dared to treat her like one. Or like she was just dad's wife and mate. The way she cared for her pack, the way she made decisions, the way she spoke, she was an Alpha. There is so much more to an Alpha than red eyes. It's all about behavior and the relationship to the pack members." "I don't base it on the red eyes. Theo, he's also a Beta, but we call him Second Alpha. He takes over if I can't. We're the Alpha couple. Why should the color of somebody's eyes define their role?" Luka agreed with Liam's point of view. "There are some packs without an Alpha with red eyes. One Beta is in charge and guides them." "I didn't know that, that's awesome. But wouldn't that be an Alpha by conquest in the long run?" "Depends on how serious the pack takes it. Not all packs are focused on Alpha and Betas, some are more lenient. There are so many kinds of packs. Not just different species but different versions. There are also many Alpha Omegas around." "Alphas without a pack? So wolves with the Alpha spark." "Yeah." "Huh." Liam had never considered that. To him, Omegas had always been those wolves. With normal wolf powers. What were normal wolf powers? Betas? Liam guessed so. He never bothered to really make a distinction or think about what exactly Omegas were. "I kind of don't know a lot about the supernatural. I know how to fight and about several evil beings but all those connections between weres, species, what other magical beings are there, rituals, I know nothing about." Luka didn't take it badly. "At what age were you bitten?" "Fourteen." "You're twenty now. Which means I'm twelve years older than you. Trust and believe me when I tell you I didn't know that much more when I was your age. Plus I have the unfair advantage of being born in a werewolf family." He smiled impishly. Liam grinned. Yet he still insisted on his opinion. "I still think the first few years as a werewolf did not prepare me for that."

Thus he found himself telling Luka everything, from how Scott bit him to the hyenas. It was somewhat therapeutic to talk about all this with another wolf without knowing him beforehand. He didn't need to find periphrases for things, could tell it how it happened and didn't need to sugarcoat the events. He also could be as open as possible without having to worry about insulting some old friends. It had been the same with Byron.

He talked until they parked in the parking lot of the restaurant they had picked to grab something to eat. Liam didn't know the place but according to Luka it had delicious food and you could sit outside under trees so it would not be too hot. "See? That's the reason why teenagers shouldn't become Alphas", Luka said matter of factly and killed the engine. "I don't mean this condescendingly but it is what it is. Maybe if Scott had been a born werewolf it would have been different but I understand why this was all complicated. And why you didn't learn about the supernatural community. You had enough other problems to take care of." "I just wished I could have learned more. Maybe being an Alpha would be easier then", Liam mumbled. "Nah." Luka denied. "Becoming an Alpha does not mean you suddenly get access to this knowledge. It's not like a hatch opens and it's flowing into your brain. You have to make mistakes to find your footing as an Alpha." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "I was prepared to become an Alpha after my father's death for years. It could have become anybody in the pack but since I'm the oldest it was kind of expected for me to take over afterward. But it's not possible to really prepare someone for the weight we shoulder as Alphas. For the magnitude of responsibility settling in. It's something we just feel. And every Alpha has to find their own way to cope with that." Liam frowned. "How do I know I'm doing the right thing then?" Luka gave him a brotherly nudge. "I'd say you're on a good way already. When the first Alpha came to town, your Betas followed you into a potentially deadly fight. They were willing to die by your side. That's a type of loyalty you cannot buy or blackmail. It's loyalty coming from the soul and the heart. And it's only happening because an Alpha made the right decision for those Betas. You're young, Liam, one of the youngest Alphas I've ever met but you marched into the Alpha meeting without a care in the world. Do you think any of those Alphas would have done that at the age of twenty? From my point of view, you're doing absolutely great. Don't focus so much on being perfect and rather follow your heart and gut and you're set. You will be fine." It felt good to hear that. Byron told him that often enough but now a second experienced werewolf told Liam the same thing. He felt flattered. Those men saw him as equal, not just as a teenager. Saw eye-to-eye with him and respected him the same way he respected them. Enough to give Liam a soaring feeling in his chest. "Thanks." He clapped Luka's shoulder. "No come on, I'm hungry."

They exited the car and walked to the restaurant entrance. The hostess greeted them with a friendly smile and an even friendlier one when she got the first good glance at Luka. Liam was friends with Brett so this was not new to him. He was flabbergasted still. "How do you do that?" He had to inquire once they sat outside on their table and the hostess left to get menus for them. "Do what?" Luka acted innocently but his grin and the sparkle in his eyes betrayed him. The hostess came back and made a show to slowly put the menus on the table. She didn't pay Liam any mind and that was fine, he was mated, instead just gave Luka a coy smile. "Don't hesitate to ask me in case you need anything." "Will do. Thank you", he repaid her with a charming smile of his own and she left in a slow, seductive motion. On top of the menus, she left a little note with digits behind. "You barely talked to her and still got her number. Brett managed to pull this off as well. How? Not that I will ever need to try since I have Theo but how the fuck do you pull that off?" Liam could not find any satisfying explanation. Luka had gazed back at the hostess but now his head snapped back. "Luck, I guess. And charm, maybe." "Maybe, uh uh." Liam snickered. Luka had a certain boyish charm about him and that made him attractive. Not taking life too seriously, giving everything an easier vibe. Liam also understood the hostess because the deep green t-shirt Luka was wearing brought out his eyes nicely and accentuated his fit body perfectly. "I like sex. What can I say? Everywhere. No matter what country I am." Luka was not embarrassed to share this. "Have you always been like this?" "Frankly? Yeah. I always liked to flirt and when I was old enough to actually become sexually active, I saw no harm in there. I don't play. That's how my parents raised me. My mother always said: Go and have fun with whoever you want to have fun. But don't break hearts if you don't have to. Be upfront. If it's just sex, say it. Saves you and other people heartbreak. I always followed that. Yes, I had relationships but most of the time I have been single and had one-night-stands. Or several night stands. Whatever. The minute I'm interested in someone or in a relationship, I'm faithful. I can't stand cheaters." "That's the right answer. Sex is nice, with the right person even better, but I don't like players. Nice to hear someone having values."

Liam took a look inside the menu. Right on cue, a waiter appeared. "Hello gentlemen, I'm your server for today. Would you care for a drink?" The Alphas looked at each other. "Just water is fine for me", Liam decided. It was hot, despite the trees providing shade, and he would become thirsty, he knew himself. "Water is good", Luka decided himself and the waiter went to fetch their drinks. "You said no matter what country you are in. Are you traveling a lot?" Liam had picked up on that. "For work yeah." "What are you doing for a living?" "I deal in car parts for either oldtimer or pimped-out cars. Like the convertible. Holden is the mechanic, we work together. He screws the cars together, I contract the clients and the manufacturers. We have business all over the world since some of the parts are very rare. So I traveled a lot. For periods of time, I wasn't home for months. I never had my own apartment because it made no sense to pay for something I used. Tried it once and after weeks my landlord called and said he just wanted to check if I was still alive since I never came around. So I moved out again and if I stayed home, I stayed with the Alphas." "And that was okay? For you to be gone so long?" "My parents ket an open door policy. If something important came up, they called us home but aside from that, we were free to leave as long as we wanted. We knew we could always return to the pack house. No matter how late, even in the middle of the night, we were always welcome. We all made use of that rule over the years."

The waiter brought their drinks and took their order. When he left the two alone again, Liam raised his glass. "Good idea to meet up again", he praised. "Well, Savannah said it right, it's the beginning of wonderful friendships. So of course." Luka smiled and they clinked their glasses together. Liam took a sip. Perfect, cool water, he never drank anything better. He put his glass down again and savored the sip. "Uhm, I never got the chance to ask. How many Betas do you have? We're only talking about me." "I don't mind. You're good at telling a story and explaining things. Somebody ever told you that?" Luka had put his glass down as well. Liam made an incredulous face. "No. What would they? I'm kind of dumb." It had slipped out faster than Liam could have stopped it. Luka's frown was almost instantly. "What asshole told you that?" "No one. Life experience, if you will. I'm not the brightest." "You don't have to be a genius but you really don't appear dumb, Liam. Don't believe it when people tell you that. They're just haters." It had the same vibe as a worried older brother giving a stern talking to his younger sibling and Liam chuckled. He was a big brother but not a little brother and yeah he called Scott his brother sometimes but that was different. Maybe because Scott was only two years older than Liam himself. They came from the same walk of life, small town, maybe that was also a factor? Liam could not really put his finger on it but it hit differently with Luka. "Okay", he said to end this topic. "I will remember this talk." "Good", Luka looked stern but then he smiled. "To get back to the question, seven Betas. A few less than you have." He leaned back in his chair. "There is my younger sister Delaney. Younger by three years. An absolute firecracker. If she gets angry, if you piss her off, she will cuss at you and rant for hours if you let her. Especially in the background of a phone conversation. Very entertaining, if I'm being honest." Luka laughed. But the love for his sister was evident in his words. "Then there is Simon. He is...was dad's best friend. They've been to school and college together and he acted like some sort of advisor for the pack. Helped with international deals and connections. He's my godfather and like a second dad. I'm happy I still have him after I lost dad. It doesn't bear contemplating if he would have been also gone..." Luka trailed off. Liam managed a compassionate smile. "I am sorry for your loss. Losing somebody we love is never easy." He touched his collar bone where the Lion King tattoo was hidden under his shirt. Luka appreciated the sentiment. He continued his list on a lighter note. "With Simon came Holden, his son. Holden's just a few months younger than I am, we grew up together." "Holden's mom is not part of the pack?" "No. She never wanted to get married or have kids. Yet she married Simon and got pregnant with Holden. Weeks after his birth she handed Simon the infant and announced: I don't want to be a wife or a mother. Here's the child, I'll leave your life for good. He does not have to search for me, I want nothing to do with any of you. My lawyer will send you the documents where I signed my rights away and the divorce papers. Got her suitcase and left. From that moment on, mom and dad gave a hand to Simon. Holt and I basically grew up like brothers. He annoys Delaney the same way I do." Liam giggled. "Are younger siblings not something fun? I have a younger brother. He's ten but living at the lake." "Aw, they're so cute at that age. And then they start stating their own opinions and become brats." It was obvious Luka didn't mean a thing he said about his sister. They both began to laugh. "Holden's a great guy but he can be a hothead. Impulsive and very brash. Those are not his finest moments and we have to hold him back. But he's fiercely protective of the pack. Would do anything for us. Another one of my Betas is Sandro. Alessandro. My second in command. We met during freshmen orientation in college and clicked almost instantly. Have been inseparable ever since. When I brought him home the first time, mom looked at dad and said: Look, it's Luka in another body. Our parents often joked how they could each take the wrong son home and nobody would notice cause we're so similar. It's eerie. "

Their food came out and they interrupted their talk to thank the waiter and dig in before Luka resumed talking. "Sandro was human when we met but after a while, he noticed my family was hiding something. He confronted me and after consulting with my Alphas I came clean to him. Thank god cause when he was twenty-five, he go involved with a lone Alpha and said Alpha got a bit too excited in bed. Right before a full moon. Sandro showed up at our doorstep, bloodied and already on the verge of transforming. Dad took one look at him and dragged him to the basement where we keep a cage for those things. I stayed with him the whole night and after that, it was more or less clear he would become part of the pack. Sandro helped me a lot after my parents' death. He took charge when I couldn't do it and held the pack together. That's why he became my second in command, just like Theo is for you." Luka drank from his water. "We have two other women in the pack. Bryn and Lynn. Laugh if you want, their rhyming names are a running joke in our pack. Bryn I know for almost her whole life. How fit are you in werewolf genetics?" Liam snorted. "That a thing? I'd give it a solid zero." "To keep it simple: The werewolf gene is dominant most of the time. Werewolf parents will have werewolf children. Even if only one parent is a wolf, the child likely will be one as well. The chances are even higher by born wolves rather than bitten ones. But if you have several generations of werewolves mixing with humans there is a slight possibility to have a human child even as werewolf parents. In Bryn's family case it was the opposite. There had been some wolves here and there, some of them had been in contact with my father's pack, but for generations, there were only humans. Until Bryn was born. Boom. Human parents with a werewolf baby." "You're kidding me!" Liam was amazed at how crazy nature could get. "Absolutely not. But her family knew about werewolves and so they knew the name of my father's pack. They grabbed their daughter and moved closer to us, showed up at our door, and kindly asked my parents to help them. To make having yet another child running around somewhat plausible, we started calling Bryn Delany's and my second cousin. We kept this til this day and mostly refer to her as our cousin. Lynn, on the other hand, was bitten after a night of clubbing and then left to die. Mom found her somewhere in the ditch and brought her home. We were not sure she would survive but that girl is tough as nails. Don't underestimate her." "She reminds me of Sadie. One should never underestimate Sadie as well. She will kick your ass and probably gnaw on your bones without ruining her makeup." "Somehow that description also fits Maddie and Savannah", Luka realized. Liam had to agree with that. "Anyway, you said you had seven Betas. One's missing." "The latest addition to the pack before my parents died. Will. He's Sandro's cousin, full-blood-related this time. They have been close while growing up and he visited one time. This family is good at picking up things and he got curious. We never got to explain to him everything cause a hostile pack attacked and he was wounded badly. Dad turned him in an attempt to save his life. It worked and Will moved to live with us. Funny enough, he and Holden clicked almost as instantly as Sandro and I did. They just balance each other a bit better. Hopefully. One's a hothead, the other is too cocky for his own good sometimes. I think the day these two linked, Simon's world kinda ended. He had several gray hairs more after that day. Lynn once kept a tally which one had to get bailed out of jail more often..." Luka tilted his head. "Huh, wondered what happened to that. I think I was the third place..." Liam smirked and Luka gave him an innocent smile. "I mean, we are all law-abiding citizens and never do anything wrong. We stick together and love each other, as a family should." "So do we. My pack and I. They're my family and I don't want to miss anyone of them." "Tell you what, Liam, why don't you and you pack visit us? We could have a BBQ party. Next Friday, is that good?" "That's a great idea. I'll check with the pack and text you."

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When I started this story, I imagined how many chapters this might will have and thought sixty was a good number. Now we are at chapter 60 and this story is far from over. I can't believe that. It's absolutely amazing and I want to thank every single one of my readers for the support. You all are amazing! Thank you!!!

In regards to this chapter, I like the friendship between Luka and Liam. They both are on the same wavelength and get each other. And it was fun working out Luka's Betas. In the next chapter, both packs will fully meet each other. I am excited.

#Thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #Morning Dew Pack series #My writing #alpha!liam

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skiller0dani · 4 years

Text

Cherry Pie (3) | Billy Mitman

M A S T E R L I S T

smut | slow burn requests info wanna be on a Timmy taglist? click here

lemme also clear some stuff up YES this is a teacher/student relationship story NO there are no adult/under-aged person relationships YES I made Billy 18 in this story, because lets say he’s in his final semester of senior year. NO smut will not be in every chapter of this short story. It’s a SLOW BURN. meaning I will be adding sexual tension to every chapter to build up the anticipation for when it finally happens.

Previously... | Her heart shrivels in her chest as she imagines him waiting here before finally loosing hope and leaving with a broken heart. A quiet sob escapes her lips as she slides down the wall, her hands coming up to cover her face. |

***

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday morning couldn’t come fast enough. Alice nearly sprinted into the school when she pulled up, and although she wasn’t quite sure where to look for Billy first she knew she needed to find him. In all honesty, she wasn’t even sure he’d turn up to school today. It wasn’t uncommon for Billy to skip classes, or the entire day altogether. Her hair was a mess, she didn’t bother styling it this morning and simply brushed it into a low ponytail. She shoved into her office, disappointment flooding through her when she sees no sign of Billy. Checking her watch, Alice still has about 10 minutes before her first private lesson. She pushes out of her office, beginning to scan the halls. She already made sure the buses were here, so if Billy was at school today he would be here. Alice’s eyes find his locker...vacant. She turns to head towards the back of the school, her eyes landing on his usual hangout spot but finding it empty as well.

Returning to her office, Alice lets out a frustrated cry as she kicks her trashcan over. Placing her hands on her desk she blinks back tears before bending down to stand the trashcan upright. Her heart breaks in her chest when she envisions Billy losing faith in her, standing outside the school all by himself. If only she realized how she felt sooner, instead of trying to fight it. He is 18 so technically it’s not illegal, it’s only illegal because he hasn’t graduated yet but Billy isn’t a minor anymore. He’s of-age. Normally Billy is here by now, and Alice is hoping against hope that he’s simply avoiding her until class. At least then she can hold him after and talk to him then. She collapses in her desk chair, keeping the pain in her heart at bay as the first student of the morning pushed into the office.

Billy thankfully knew of more than one secret hangout spot in this school. He was currently sat in the gym, underneath the bleachers. Unfortunately he wasn’t the only one who knew of this place, because Margot crawled under the bleachers and sat across from him. A cigarette hung from his mouth and her nose scrunched up when he blew the smoke in her face. “What?” Billy’s voice is tense, and his heart is broken as he rests his head back. He’d honestly prefer to be alone, but it’s easier to hear Margot out then to tell her to go away. She folded her arms, looking him over and the dark circles under his eyes. “I overheard you talking to Miss Perribow yesterday, after class.” She says and Billy tenses, his eyes flickering back to Margot. His eyebrows raise as he rolls his eyes, he’s really not in the mood for this. “Yeah so what?” He snaps, taking another long drag of his cigarette. Billy knows he’ll most likely be suspended if he’s caught smoking inside, maybe he’s hoping he gets caught. Then he won’t have to face Alice everyday until Miss Stevens comes back.

“What did you want to meet her for? It kind of sounded like an ultimatum.” Margot muses, her arms crossed as she hunched down to avoid hitting her head. Billy chuckles bitterly, a look of pain flashing across his face. “Doesn’t matter, she didn’t show.” He snaps, turning his head to face away from Margot. Chewing on her lip Margot knew she shouldn’t push him, especially not Billy but she was going to anyway. “You also called her ‘Alice’. Is that her first name?” She asks, remembering when he did that to Miss Stevens during their weekend trip. “Is there a point to this conversation Margot?” Billy snaps, standing with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He pushes out from under the bleachers but much to his dismay, Margot follows behind him. “Yeah, what’s going on? I mean that’s seems kinda bad with no context Billy...” She warns, flinching when he whirls around- his eyes narrowed at her. He takes a drag of his cigarette once more before dropping it to the gym floor and putting it out with his shoe. “Honestly, I don’t care Margot.” He snaps with a condescending smile on his face before he turns away from her. This time Margot doesn’t follow him.

His chest ached, as though his heart was physically broken. Billy dropped his head and yanked his hood up, he knew he should be concerned about Margot but he isn’t. He honestly doesn’t believe she’s going to do anything about it, plus even if she did she has no proof anyway. Billy really didn’t want to go to English today, but he knew his attendance in that class was bad and Miss Stevens warned him not to miss anymore classes. “Billy!” He hears a voice call from down the hall and he doesn’t need to turn to know who it is. Billy doesn’t bother stopping or even slowing down as he continues to his first hour class, “Miss Perribow.” His voice is detached, and his fingers itch for another cigarette. Alice placed a hand on his arm before dragging him into the single stall staff bathroom. She locked the door behind her before turning to face him, “I was there.” She whispered and Billy’s eyes met hers.

“I waited for you Alice, you didn’t show.” Billy snapped, maintaining a few feet between them. She wrung her hands together as her heart broke over the angry and broken look in his eyes. “I know I was too late, when I got there you were gone but I went to find you.” Alice pleaded, her hands itching to reach out for him. Billy shook his head with a sad smile, “you’re lying. Some sort of reverse therapy right?” He accuses, becoming defensive. Alice frantically shook her head, trying to take a step towards him. “No Billy, I was there! You’re right, you’re 18 and I want this.” She breathed, and while this was everything Billy wanted to hear from her- he still didn’t believe her. Tears probe at the backs of his eyes, “stop lying to me and leave me alone.” Billy snapped before he shoved past her and out the door. Alice covered her mouth as the tears started to fall, her back hitting the bathroom wall as the strength left her and she slid to the floor.

Billy wiped falling tears as he rushed to his first hour, ignoring the breaking of his heart or how it didn’t hurt nearly this much when Miss Stevens turned him down. Nothing in his life has ever hurt this bad, and he’s already dreading the last class of the day more than anything. Margot watched from afar as Billy emerged from the staff bathroom with tears down his cheeks and then a few minutes later when Miss Perribow exited the bathroom with tears wetting her cheeks as well. What the hell is going on? She followed after Miss Perribow, watching her turn into her office before shutting the door behind her. Margot crept up to the door and her heart broke a little when she heart Miss Perribow crying softly from inside the room. She thought about knocking, but eventually decided against it. All Margot knows is she needs to understand what’s going on and that the only way that’ll happen is if she bothers Billy about it.

Alice stood in Miss Stevens classroom, tapping her foot nervously as kids trailed in one after the other. Margot watched carefully as Miss Perribow’s eyes stay fixed on the door, smiling briefly as students came in. When Alice’s back straightened, and her eyes were focused on something Margot turned her eyes to the door and watched Billy come in. Alice’s eyes trail after Billy as he moves to sit in his seat, but his eyes stay downcast at the desk. Margot glanced around the room, everyone else was chattering amongst themselves. So only she felt the tension in the room then. Alice reluctantly tore her eyes away from Billy when the bell rang and the lesson began. “Before we move on to the next Tale, does anyone have any closing thoughts on the Knights Tale?” Alice asks and Margot hears a throat clear behind her.

“Yeah, I just think that both of the men were stupid for throwing everything away for one woman. Half the time it doesn’t work out anyway.” Billy snaps, his eyes locked on Alice. Alice’s eyes stay focused on Billy, gently nibbling on her bottom lip. She sits back on her desk as Margot turns around to look at Billy, “well maybe some things aren’t meant to work out.” She says, giving Billy a hard look. Billy rolls his eyes as he laughs bitterly, he leans forward towards Margot with a bitter smile on his face. “Nothing ever works out.” Billy snaps, his temper rising and that’s when Alice stands again. She puts on her best smile for Margot and Billy, “yes thank you, Billy and Margot. Anybody else?” Alice asks and releases a breath of relief when nobody else says anything. Margot blinks a few times before quickly raising her hand, “I just think that both of the men were right for their own reasons for pursuing Emily, it’s just that fate had different plans.” She says with a smile.

“Fate is bullshit, sometimes people just let you down Margot.” Billy snaps from behind her and Alice’s eyes widen. Alice’s eyes flicker between Billy and Margot and she feels stupid for the pang of jealously that shoots through her chest. “Alright guys I think we need to move on to the next tale, thank you for your closing thoughts.” Alice says, giving them both a hard look that pleads for them to drop whatever secret conversation they’re having. Billy slumps back in his seat and Margot forces a big fake smile on her face as she flips to a new page in her notebook. As the lesson continues, Billy spends most of it doodling in his notebook and avoiding eye contact with Alice. When the bell finally rings Alice clears her throat, “Billy could you please stay behind?” She asks and he rolls his eyes but stays seated as everyone else clears out of the classroom. Once it was just the two of them Alice takes a few hesitant steps towards him before sitting in the desk in front of his.

“I wasn’t lying Billy.” Alice says softly, but Billy keeps drawing in his notebook, promptly ignoring Alice. She chews on her lip again, glancing down at Billy’s notebooks and letting her eyes wander along his little drawings and doodles. “You’re good at drawing.” She says aloud, but again Billy says nothing. Growing desperate Alice cups Billy’s cheeks and yanks his lips to hers, causing him to freeze in surprise. She hears his pen drop to the desk before his hands are cupping her cheeks and pulling her more firmly to him. Their lips move together before Alice pulls away, “I wasn’t lying.” She says again and a smile slides onto Billy’s face before he’s pressing their lips together once more.

Margot’s hand slaps over her mouth as she watches Billy kiss Miss Perribow again, what the hell?

***taglist*** @irishbish @newletas @y2k-wildfire @londonmademedoit @80sangelics @elisaaru

#timothee chalamet smut #timothee chalamet #timothée chalamet imagine #timmy chalamet #timmy chalamet imagine #timmy chalamet smut #lil timmy tim #billy mitman #billy mitman smut #miss stevens #miss stevens movie imagine #miss stevens movie

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bitterlikesweets · 3 years

Text

Love Bites Ch 16

This is the sixteenth chapter of a modern/vampire AU ereri fanfic. You can also read it on Ao3. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Special | 15 | 16

"Look, I'm sorry. It was my idea—"

"Yeah, no shit, now shut up and drink."

It took them at least five minutes to calm down, and another five for Mikasa and Eren to stop giggling every time they looked at Levi's scowling face, notebook still in hand (it didn't help that he kept muttering "shitty sparkly vampire movie" under his breath). But after Levi sent the two of them death glares, and Armin curled up in a literal ball on the floor beside Levi, Eren figured it was time to get back on track.

Levi drops his arm on the table. They've all gotten situated in new seats, with Levi at the head of the table and Eren and Armin on either side of him. Mikasa sits on the other side of Eren, but as Eren noisily scoots his chair closer to Levi's, she follows and ends up across from Armin.

"First things first," Levi says, looking at Mikasa and Armin, "Eren drinks from the wrist. He always bites in the right spot, so there's no need to worry about that."

Armin raises his hand, and Eren drops his head to rest his cheek against Levi's forearm, closing his eyes. So much informational stuff. He feels like zoning out.

"This isn't a school," Levi says, "but sure, Armin, go ahead."

"Oh, um." Armin laughs awkwardly and lowers his arm. "Right, sorry, uh… Is there a reason why he doesn't bite you on the neck?"

"Several actually—"

Eren really does zone out this time, moving his cheek from Levi's arm to the table so that he can easily lace their fingers together. Levi won't care if he doesn't really pay attention, right? He's told Eren all this before, anyway. There are a bunch of reasons not to drink from the neck. Concerns about turning, too close to the heart, super intimate—

Well, the "intimate" part of it probably isn't as much of a problem anymore.

"Eren."

Eren's eyes flutter open, and he finds himself looking up at Levi as the man leans over him.

"You're getting the full amount today, for the first time since you were sick. You might get more drunk than usual."

"Drunk?" Mikasa asks.

"Blood drunk. You'll understand soon."

"I'll be fine," Eren says, raising his head off the table.

He should be fine, anyway. That was the whole point of them spreading his drinking schedule out and starting with only a bit of blood at a time. All he needed was for his stomach to get used to it. Eren feels plenty used to it now. Who knows if he’ll even feel blood drunk this time around? Maybe he’s already built up a good tolerance. That's how alcohol ended up working out for him.

Eren just hopes his body doesn’t vomit all the blood out to prove him wrong.

He curls his fingers around Levi’s arm, bringing it up to meet his lips. His eyes slip shut as the warm liquid hits his tongue, and Levi’s free hand lands upon his head, pale fingers sliding into his hair.

“Is that, um—” Armin clears his throat. “Is that necessary? Does it help him, I mean.”

Eren’s only half listening. He’s distracted by the way Levi’s blood sates his parched throat, by the way the heat spreads through his veins. It’s as sweet as ever, like warm honey, but a little bit easier to get down. Warm honey with a metallic tang, a savory undertone.

It’s so nice that Eren forgets that this is the first time his friends have ever seen him drink blood—excluding that time with the wine glass on the day he met Levi. So nice that Eren forgets he should be worried about them being disgusted by actually seeing his fangs at work, by the proof that their friend isn’t a human anymore.

Even if he did remember, Levi is with him. Levi said he doesn’t see Eren as a monster. If Levi doesn’t, then his lifelong friends shouldn’t see him that way either.

Right?

“Not necessary, exactly,” Levi says. “I pull his hair to get him to stop drinking because he doesn’t remember on his own just yet. I could tell him to stop, but this is faster.”

“Oh, okay…”

“You won’t have to worry about it, if he ever drinks from you. I’ll teach him the right way by then.”

Eren lets out a little grumble at that, and Levi combs his fingers through Eren’s hair.

“Something wrong?”

Eren shakes his head, but his eyebrows are furrowed.

Something about the thought of drinking blood that’s not Levi’s rubs Eren the wrong way. Obviously, Eren knows that’s part of the reason he brought his friends here in the first place, but…

It just doesn’t feel right. He doesn’t want anybody else’s blood. He wants Levi’s. He’s with Levi now anyway. Does he even have to consider drinking Mikasa or Armin’s blood?

The tug at Eren’s scalp brings his attention back to the present, and he pulls away from Levi’s wrist with a slight sigh, swiping his tongue across the bite marks.

“You okay?” Levi asks as Eren slowly raises his head.

Eren hums a little, taking stock of his body. He’s not nauseous—thank God—and he feels warm all over, but other than that…

“Just warm,” Eren says, giving Levi a little thumbs up.

When the entire room lets out a sigh of relief, Eren rolls his eyes, dropping his head onto Levi’s shoulder.

“You guys need to relax,” Eren says, wiggling a disapproving finger in the direction of his friends. “I’m… totally fine… Big chillin’...”

Okay. Maybe not just warm. Eren can practically feel his thoughts slowing down. But that’s whatever. That’s fine. Totally nothing to worry about.

“‘Big chillin.’” Levi echoes with a scoff. “That’s a new one for you.”

“What d’you mean?” Eren asks with a frown. “I say that, like… all the time. I’m constantly in a state of chill. Big chillin’ all the time.”

“Sure.”

Mikasa whistles, dropping her chin onto the back of her hands as she looks at Eren with a small smile.

“There’s a lot about this that’s new,” she says.

“Whaat?” Eren asks. “Fuck off. I’m always like this. All the time.”

“Really?” she asks. “Have I been missing something or are you just constantly drunk whenever I’m not around?”

“‘M not drunk,” Eren grumbles. “I’m a heavyweight. Heavy. Weight. ‘S impossible for me to get drunk.”

Usually. It’s usually impossible for him to get drunk. Blood’s so weird that way. Can he get used to blood or is it always going to hit him this hard? Oh, but does he even want to get used to blood? He doesn’t want to get too used to it. He likes that it tastes super delicious every time. He feels like it’s only getting tastier the more he drinks it. Is he going to get drunker every time he drinks it? Eren’s not sure if he wants that. One of these days, he’s going to drink blood and just instantly pass out…

“Woah there, big guy.”

Eren feels arms around his waist, tugging him up and back until he’s leaning against Levi’s chest. Was he sliding out of his chair? Levi’s so nice, always noticing stuff like that… Eren’s so lucky.

He turns his head to nuzzle his face into Levi’s neck. He’s good though, careful to keep his mouth closed and his fangs away from any exposed skin. He’s so full right now anyway. He just likes to have his face there, to feel and hear Levi’s pulse thrumming beneath his skin.

It kind of makes his own neck itchy, though. Right where his bite scars are. Eren wonders why that is. Even when he scratches it, it keeps itching.

“Yeah, no,” Mikasa says. “This is definitely new.”

“I’m guessing he doesn’t get drunk often,” Levi says.

“Ne-ver. Never,” Eren cuts in. “Always the… DD when we go to bars. Mr. Designated Driver, they call me.”

“Nobody calls you that, Eren,” Mikasa says.

“And I’m usually the DD,” Armin says, “because I don’t drink, and you make me nervous whether you’re acting drunk or not.”

“Don’t tell Levi that, assholes… Stop trying to make me look not cool in front of him.”

“It’s not us that are making you look not cool, Eren.”

Levi just chuckles, and Eren smiles, pressing his face against Levi’s shoulder. It’s nice, hearing Levi’s laugh from this close. Levi’s arms curl a little tighter around him.

“You’re plenty cool, Eren.”

“Ah ha!” Eren exclaims loudly, lifting his head away from Levi’s neck just long enough to glare at Mikasa. “See? This’s why Levi’s my favorite. He’s not mean to me… unless I want it.”

“What?”

Levi lets out a sound like he’s choking, and Eren’s not sure why. He was just telling the truth. They both play at bullying each other. Levi calls him little shit… Eren calls him a dumbass... It’s all in good fun. Just teasing.

“Don’t read into that,” Levi says.

“Yeah, I definitely don’t want to,” Mikasa replies.

“See, this is new too,” Armin says. “It’s not just Eren being drunk. It’s that.”

“That?” Levi repeats.

“Him being so… affectionate.”

Eren’s not sure if Armin actually sounds bitter or if Eren's just not over the fact that Levi made him laugh earlier. Not that Levi’s not allowed to make other guys laugh. It’s just… Eren’s not used to it. Not used to seeing Levi around other people. When he does see Levi with other people, Levi’s usually bullying the fuck out of them. Unless it's Petra. But Eren likes Petra. Not that Eren doesn’t like Armin. He loves Armin—

“Eren hasn’t dated anyone since high school,” Armin continues. “And that relationship—”

“Armin, maybe you shouldn’t.”

“No,” Levi says. “You brought it up. Let me hear it.”

Eren loves Armin, so he’s not sure why it rubbed Eren the wrong way. Maybe it’s not about Levi being nice at all and more about how Armin reacted. Because Armin’s so bad with people. He avoids them, lets Mikasa and Eren take the lead first. He doesn’t go out of his way to talk to strangers, and there’s usually no way Armin is comfortable enough to laugh—

“It’s just that Eren’s last relationship ended pretty badly. Because Eren barely let the guy touch him, and when they kissed—”

Wait.

“Are you guys… talking about Jean?”

Mikasa sighs.

“See, I told you that you shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“I was just explaining why I thought how Eren acts with Levi is weird—”

“Noo,” Eren says, shifting in Levi’s arms and rubbing his eyes with his hands. “That’s because Jean… wasn’t right.”

“Wasn’t right how?” Levi asks.

Eren scowls. His bite scars are itchy again, even though his face isn’t near Levi’s neck anymore. Maybe it’s thinking about Jean that’s doing it.

“Thought I was into him,” Eren mumbles, “but whenever he touched me, I just… didn’t feel good. Tried telling him, but he didn’t get it. Thought I was just fucking with him. So I punched him in the face when we kissed. Haven’t wanted anybody but my friends to touch me since.”

Levi’s hands on Eren’s waist grow tense.

“And where’s this Jean guy now?”

“Hmm?” Eren shakes his head. “Dunno. We’re cool though. He thinks I’m nuts ‘cause I was the one who asked him out in the first place… Dating our friend Marco now, I think.”

“We tried to warn him,” Mikasa says.

“Eren’s just been like that for as long as we’ve known him,” Armin adds. “He doesn’t like to be touched when he knows it’s romantic. Even when it’s somebody he likes that way.”

“Mm,” Eren mumbles with a serious nod. “But Levi’s good. Like it when it’s Levi.”

And suddenly Levi’s hands are relaxed again.

“...You sure?” Levi asks quietly.

“Yeah,” Eren says, nodding again. “With Levi… Big chillin.’”

Mikasa snorts.

“That’s good,” Armin says. “I’m… glad.”

“Mmhmm…” Eren tilts his head, sliding slightly across Levi’s chest. “Probably ‘cause we’re soulmates.”

“...Huh?”

One of Levi’s arms moves away, and Eren frowns over at him to see Levi’s face buried in one of his hands.

“Whaaat?” Eren asks, trying to pull Levi’s hand away from his face. “We are! We’re soulmates. Vampire soulmates!”

“Vampire… soulmates,” Mikasa echoes.

“It’s a long story,” Levi says. “It’s not even—”

“We are,” Eren says firmly. “Say we’re not and ‘m gonna beat you up.”

Levi’s fingers spread slightly, and Eren can see a skeptical gray eye through the gap.

“Really. You’re going to beat me up.”

“Yeah,” Eren says, but then he frowns.

He doesn’t want to beat Levi up. He knows that Levi thinks it’s just a stupid myth. And it’s not like Eren has any proof. Maybe if he had some proof, he could feel a little more justified about beating Levi up. Let’s see, where could he get proof…

“If I call Erwin,” Eren says slowly, “and he says ‘yeah, vampire soulmates are totally real,’ then ‘m gonna beat you up.”

Levi just sighs and shakes his head.

“Sure. Go right ahead.”

“Vampire soulmates,” Mikasa says again.

“W-who’s Erwin?” Armin exclaims loudly, and Eren watches as Levi’s shoulders sag with relief.

“Good question. I actually need to get you his contact info.”

Levi’s arms retreat, and Eren frowns, the hazy heat in his head clearing his head slightly as he tries to wrap his head around what Levi just said. Why would Mikasa and Armin need Erwin’s contact info? Erwin knows a lot of vampire stuff, sure, but shouldn’t they just go to Levi if they have questions?

Levi completely pulls away, stepping out of his chair, and Eren slumps in his own seat, his head in his hands. He doesn’t get it.

“Erwin’s a vampire I know,” Levi says, coming back to the table with a pen and paper in hand. “If anything ever happens with Eren that you don’t know what to do about, Erwin will know. If not, there’s Hanji—another vampire. I’ll give you their number too—”

“Stop,” Eren says, lifting his head up.

Mikasa and Armin are looking at Eren with concerned frowns, but Eren’s focus is on Levi.

“Why?” Eren asks.

“Why what?”

“Why shouldn’t they just call you?”

Levi shakes his head.

“This is if I’m not around.”

“Why wouldn’t you be?”

“If something happens to me—”

“No!” Eren shakes his head furiously. “No, nothing’s gonna happen to you.”

Levi’s expression goes soft, and he slides the page he was writing on to Armin before coming back to Eren’s side.

“Mikasa,” Armin says, snatching up the paper and rushing to her side of the table. “Let’s go.”

“Go?” she repeats with a frown. “Eren drove us here—”

“We’ll figure it out,” Armin hisses, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her out of her seat. “Now let’s go.”

“Okay, okay!”

And then it’s just Eren and Levi alone in the break room.

“Eren—”

“Why would you say that?” Eren asks. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“It was just a precaution—”

“That’s not the problem!” Eren exclaims, his hands clenching into fists. “That’s not—why is it just you? Why's it just you that something bad happens to? I’m here. I’m with you.”

“Eren, I’m the one of us with the dangerous job—”

“Then take me with you!” Eren exclaims, grabbing hold of Levi’s arms. “I’m here. I’m learning to fight. I can help you. I can keep you safe.”

Levi frowns.

“I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“And you think I want you getting hurt?”

Levi’s eyes grow wide for a moment as Eren's grip tightens on his arm. A moment later and Levi lets out a quiet sigh, kneeling down in front of where Eren is sitting.

“I… see what you’re saying.”

“Say you’re going to take me with you.”

“Eren—”

“I’m serious!” Eren says, his eyes burning and his sight getting blurry. “I can’t—you have to say you’ll take me with you.”

Levi’s gray-eyed gaze lowers, and for a second Eren thinks that’s he really not going to say it. Is that Levi’s plan? To just go off on his own somewhere and die? Even leaving Eren out of it, it’s a stupid plan. What about Isabel, Furlan, and Petra? What about his family and the people who love him—

“...Okay.”

“What?”

“Okay,” Levi says, louder now, laying his hands over Eren’s knees. “I’ll take you with me.”

Eren’s grip on Levi’s arms loosens slightly, though he still can’t hold back his frown.

“I’m with you,” Eren says, scooting forward and leaning down, closer to Levi.

“I know.”

“I can help you.”

“I know.”

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to go alone?”

Levi sighs.

“...No.”

“No?”

“They told me ‘be safe,’” Levi says. “If I even told them I was going. Most of the time I didn’t.”

“...You’re a dick, Levi.”

For some reason, that makes Levi laugh, and Levi moves closer, resting his head on Eren’s thighs.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not allowed to do that to me.”

“Okay.”

“I’m serious. I’ll beat you up.”

“Okay.”

Eren sighs, moving his hands from Levi’s arms to Levi’s shoulders. The heat of his anger is quickly cooling back to regular, blood drunk warmth, though he’s not quite as hazy as he was before.

“‘M sorry,” Eren says. “For yelling at you.”

Levi shakes his head.

“No, I earned it. I just… If something were to happen to me—just me—I worried that you… that you wouldn’t be okay. I wanted to prepare.”

“Not gonna happen,” Eren says, squeezing Levi’s shoulders. “I’m a whole ass vampire, you know? I can protect you. As soon as you teach me to fight, ‘m gonna be way stronger than you anyway.”

“You’re right,” Levi says.

“Gonna get waaay stronger than you and then we’ll be big chillin.’”

Levi opens his eyes just to roll them at Eren.

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“What d’you mean? I always say that.”

Levi heaves a huge sigh before getting to his feet, patting Eren’s legs one last time.

“Sure, big guy.”

Eren’s nose scrunches in annoyance.

“Don’t like it when you say it like that. ‘M a big guy, but that’s good.”

“Right, right.”

Eren’s eyes narrow as he watches Levi walk towards the door.

“Why’re you leaving?”

“Somebody needs to tell your friends that they don’t need to walk home, and you’re not able to do it.”

“Ohh… Okay.”

Levi pauses with his hand on the doorknob, looking at Eren over his shoulder.

“You be good and don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” Levi says, pushing the door open.

“Yeah,” Eren says, nodding, “I’m Levi’s good boy. Won’t do anything stupid.”

Levi trips on his way out the door, the tips of his ears burning red.

“N-not what I said,” Levi says firmly.

“Hmm?”

It takes Petra squealing and wolf whistling for Eren to realize, ohhh, he’s definitely going to regret everything he just said once he’s sober again.

#ereri #riren #ereri riren #ereri fanfic #riren fanfic #fanfiction #posting a day early as an apology for missing last week :)

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bonthebutchbait · 4 years

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Hello simps, my tumblr was not working for a PHAT while so now i am BACK!! I have part 2 of that Funtime Freddy X Reader. Ill include a link to the wattpad version below and a AO3 link coming soon.

So without further ado, here is chapter two, 'My Favorite~'

Y/n woke up the next morning to the blaring of her alarm clock. It was a rainy Saturday morning, her favorite kind of weather. She decided to take a walk, but then stopped at the sound of music. She followed it to her roommate's room.

"Tanisha? What's up, girlie?" Y/n said, peeking her head in. "I heard 'Call Out My Name' by The Weeknd and I assumed that wasn't a good sign. What’s up?"

Tanisha didn't respond. Y/n walked in and sat on her bed next to her. She looked at her outfit. She wore her fluffy black robe with a matching bonnet on her head. Her glasses were on her forehead and she had a frown on her face.

"'Nish, 'Nish?" Y/n said, poking her face. Tanisha started to smile. "Nisha, come on goofy, tell me what’s going on?"

Tanisha started to laugh and swatted her hand away. "Dang it, Y/n! Ugh, I got fired from my job. So now I don't know what to do, money-wise."

Y/n looked at her, sympathetically. "Oh no! Dude, I’m so sorry. What happened?"

Tanisha shook her head. "I don't even know. It came out of nowhere. They said I was underqualified even with my years of dedication into my field. They gave my job to the owner's son, WHO DOESN'T EVEN LIKE WHAT HIS FATHER DOES! Ugh."

Y/n sat in silence for a bit. Then her face lit up.

"You could work with me!" Y/n exclaimed. Tanisha looked at her like she was crazy.

"There is no way in God's green earth I'm cleaning up after some dirty kids. I don't even know where they have been. Girl bye." She said.

"You wouldn't be doing that. You could be my assistant! You would just be in the office taking calls, meeting with adults, making decisions, just stuff that I would be doing too! Kinda like my right-hand man."

"I don't know…You know what, why not? It beats sucking up to rude old people just to keep your job. Barely."

"That's the spirit, now go start on breakfast. I’ll be in the shower, then we'll switch. Oh and wear something business casual, ok? Ok, great, thanks!" Y/n said, running out the room and into the shower. Tanisha didn't even get a word in, so she trudged her way into the kitchen.

"Man, nothing gets the day started better than bacon and hashbrowns. Oh, would you look at the time! We gotta go!" Y/n said, getting up and putting her drink in a to-go cup. Tanisha nodded and finished her bite and got up from the table. She grabbed a big purse and threw on some sunglasses. Y/n looked at her outfit. Tanisha had on a black long-sleeved button-up shirt paired tucked into a pair of black bootcut slacks and simple black heels. Her hair was pulled into a low bun and her baby hairs were laid down. All paired with gold hoops, a black and gold belt, and clear lipgloss.

"You look hot. Are you ready?" Y/n said, turning for the door.

"Well hold up now. Lemme see you, bestie!" Tanisha said. Y/n laughed and turned around. She had on a black, mid-thigh length cable knit dress paired with a silver statement necklace and black ankle heeled boots. She wore her hair in [whatever style you would wear it in] with her favorite hair clip. It was a pink pig with a blue butterfly on its nose.

"Oooh! You cute, now let’s go!" Tanisha said. They both walked out of their house and into Y/n's car.

Y/n pulled into the Circus Baby's Pizza World parking lot. Both girls hopped out and started into the building.

"Now, for your first duty, you will be following me around and making a checklist. These are things I need to upgrade and change around here. So you can start with Repaint the outside sign. Just look at it." Y/n said, unlocking to door. "Also, Install Ring door system. Just so I can monitor the pizzeria inside and out when I'm away."

Tanisha pulled out her phone and jotted both things down. Both girls headed to the office. They set their bags on the desk and Tanisha kicked her heels off. Y/n walked out and started down towards the kitchen with Tanisha following close behind.

"Hmm." Y/n said, looking around. "It looks clean in here, so that’s good."

She opened the refrigerator and looked around. She observed the balls of pizza dough wrapped up and containers of various pizza toppings.

"Put down Add salad bar and Add 'make your own pizza station'. I think that would be nice. Also, put down, Have day shift clean ovens and microwaves every 2 days, after each big party. That may change later. Now, I have to test each animatronic for their showtime audios and what not. While I'm doing that, you can look in each room and write down anything you think needs to be tweaked, upgraded, or added in. Okay?" Y/n said as she walked out and towards Funtime Auditorium. Tanisha nodded and walked into the Circus Gallery. Y/n flicked on the light and walked to the control panel next to Funtime Freddy's stage. She took out a pen and a mini notebook and pressed the blue button. Y/n watched the stage lights flash on and off and music began to flare from the two big speakers towards the stage. A voice spoke from behind a curtain. The voice sounded very much excited.

"Okay! L-ladies and g-g-gentlemen, boys and girls-s, its time for the Funtime-time Freddy show-ow!" The voice glitched, ending a psychotic giggle. Y/n rested her chin in her hand while a pen laid in her other. She began writing on the pad. FunFred's voice is glitchy, have someone repair it. She set it down and looked to the stage. The curtain moved aside to reveal the Freddy animatronic, moving about.

"Hey, Freddy!" The little bunny hand puppet exclaimed and crossed his arms, "You forgot to introduce me to everyone. Hmph!"

"Oh Bon Bon, I would never forget about you! You're my best friend! Everyone, this is my best friend in the entire world, Bonnie the Bunny. But everyone calls him 'Bon Bon'. Say hello Bon Bon!"

"Hello everybody!" The bunny cheered, but he looked around.

Y/n picked up on this and wrote it down in her notebook. Bonnie’s hand puppet acts as an extra set of eyes. Maybe to scan the room to see how many people are present? She set her pen down and looked back up. The bunny was still looking around the room.

"Freddy, where is everybody? I don't see anybody" Bon Bon said, holding his paw to his nose. Freddy looked around the room too.

"Oh Bon Bon, you silly goose, there someone is! I see you over there in the dark! Come on out!"

Y/n looked around. ‘Of course, he’s talking to me, I’m the only other one in the room’, she thought. She got up from her seat in the back and sat closer to the stage.

“Wh-what’s your name-your name?” Freddy asked. Y/n furrower here eyes in confusion.

“Its...Y/n?” She said, tapping her leg with the pen.

“Y-Y/n! That’s such a fun name! Don’t you think so, Bo-Bon Bon?”

“Yep!”

Y/n squinted and smiled and continued watching the show.

======

“Hey, I’m done. What now?” Tanisha said opening the door. She heard Y/n’s laughing sound all through the auditorium and through the halls. She stepped in and walked towards her.

“Are you ok? I haven’t heard you laugh like this in a while. What’s so funny?” Tanisha asked, looking at her. Y/n didn’t answer, instead, she pointed to the stage, wiping a tear.

“Girl this stage show is so funny! I might have to spend more time here!” Y/n said, taking a breath. “When we get back, you gotta tell me what you saw and what changes need to be made. Tanisha nodded in response. Freddy heard the complements Y/n gave and wiggled his ears.

“Girl isn’t he so cute! I think I found my favorite performer.” Y/n said, resting her chin in her hand. Tanisha watched the show with her friend up until it was time to go.

“Don’t you have to shut him off?” She asked. Y/n nodded and got up.

“Yeah, but I don’t know how...Maybe it’s this red button.” Y/n said. Freddy was still talking to Bon Bon, but he tracked her with his eyes. The walked to the button and pressed it. A loud crackling noise sounded through the room. Both girls looked to the stage to see Freddy and Bonnie on their stage, not moving, frozen. Y/n’s mouth was agape for a moment.

“Did I just...zap him?” She asked. Tanisha was stunned too.

“Uhhh. I think so. Let’s go through, the vibe in here just shifted.” Tanish said walking backward and going back to the office. Y/n’s face fell but shifted to confusion at what her roommate said. She shrugged it off and walked closer. She grabbed Freddy’s hand.

“I’m so so so sorry. I didn’t know that would happen…” She whispered.

She let go and walked out of his room and towards the office.

#fnaf sl #fnaf #funtime freddy #funtime freddy fnaf #fnaf sister location #five nights at freddy's #funtime freddy x reader

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knittingdreams · 3 years

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Fireheart - Chapter 12

Sweet and to the point today: For the masterlist, click HERE :D

Warnings: More violence, because Celaena.

CHAPTER 12

Reliving Memories

Celeana’s turn came back around in no time, and she was beaming for it. It was the last encounter of the night, and after such a short and boring first fight, she was eager to throw some punches and have some real competition.

Her opponent was the bulky bald man from the first match of the evening, and the same guard came over to get her.

“What did you mean before?” She asked him as they walked towards the platform. She had managed to cool her anger, and she was now mostly curious about what the guy had said.

He glanced at her through the corner of his eye, and then looked up to the audience, not answering her question. Celaena followed his gaze and was surprised to find a figure sitting in a dark corner, barely visible against the lights that were shining in front of her. From the curves of the body, she could tell it was a woman, but she couldn’t see her face. There were two more security guards propped close to her, and Celaena couldn’t help but wonder if that was her aunt. It had to be, right?

As she stepped onto the platform, she looked to the corner again, trying to see any further details, but the lights were right on her eyes, and she couldn’t make up more than a silhouette. There was no doubt the woman had positioned herself right under the headlights on purpose, trying to be inconspicuous.

“You know the rules,” the judge repeated. “Now, fight, make it fun,” he finished.

Only a second later, her opponent was already on her, throwing a punch aimed straight at her face. She ducked under his arm and took a step to the side. He turned to face her again with another punch aimed at her jaw. He was too slow. She ducked, took a step to the side, and punched him on the pit of the stomach. He took a step back and charged again. He was slow, but he was solid, and she knew her punches wouldn’t do much damage.

As he tried to take another jab with his right, she crouched and rolled to the left. She was on her feet in the blink of an eye, jumping on the guy's exposed back and trapping him in a headlock. His biceps were so big, that he struggled to try and get a grip on her. His arms flew around trying to catch onto something fruitlessly while Celaena kept squeezing.

The guy reached back and managed to grab her ankle, squeezing tight with one hand as he tried to reach her with the other too. She felt her ankle heat up, and pain wrapped around her leg. Her right arm was throbbing at the effort of being wrapped around the guy's thick neck, but she didn’t let go, she squeezed tighter, ignoring the pain in her ankle. She knew how much damage that guy could do if he got another hand on her.

After a minute that felt like an eternity, her bicep almost cramping at the effort, her opponent finally stopped fighting her and dropped to his knees. She stood behind him, pushing the weight onto one leg, and released the lock slowly when his head lolled to one side. He slumped with a loud thump that resonated in the silent room. Once again, the crowd was mostly silent as the judge proclaimed her the winner.

She jumped down and walked towards the back, making sure not to show how much pain she was in. The guard was stepping on her heels, silent for the first few steps.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed behind her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, mate,” she hissed back over her shoulder. The guy flinched, and shook his head, as if annoyed.

“I’m not your fucking mate,” he said under his breath.

His green eyes were still digging a hole into her soul as she stepped into the back room. She watched him quickly walk away and trailed his steps as he made his way to the lady in the shadows. He nodded a few times, then shook his head and walked away from the woman. Celaena wasn’t sure why she kept looking at him, but there was something intriguing about the guy and the way he seemed to be trying to warn her about something. There was something in his eyes that didn’t match the place, like he didn’t belong. And maybe that’s what got her attention, because Celaena knew a whole lot about not belonging.

She sat down and rolled her ankle slowly. It wasn't broken, she could work with that. She picked her bag up and headed towards the back door, where Sam was already waiting for her.

***

Sunday came and went in the blink of an eye as Celaena used half the day to exercise, and the other half to sleep, rest, and ice her swollen ankle. Arobynn had had Sam doing a few jobs in the past few days but had told Celaena he wanted all her energy focused on the tournament, which was why she wouldn’t have any extra assignments until that was over. No assignments meant no pocket money from the percentage she always got for the jobs, but it also meant more time to investigate her parent’s deaths.

She was finally set on a plan to infiltrate Dorian’s penthouse on the 25th floor on Monday night.

When morning broke, she was already eager to come back from school and get it done. Her ankle wasn't as sore, and she could walk normally if she made an effort. She didn't think anybody would notice her slight limp and was confident the painkillers would make the pain completely disappear soon enough.

The morning seemed to go by too slowly as Celaena just wanted to head back to the hotel.

“Hey there,” Nehemia greeted her as she joined her in their usual spot in the cafeteria at lunchtime. Celaena had socialized with the cheerleaders during practices but was still unsure about joining them during lunch. Even if it wasn’t the best for her plans, she had to admit she enjoyed spending that time with Nehemia rather than with the bees; and she would have felt guilty leaving her alone.

“How’s it going?” She asked as she watched Nehemia plummet onto the seat.

“I have an assignment due Wednesday that’s driving me crazy,” the dark-haired girl played with one of the rings on her dreads as she spoke.

“What is it about? Maybe I could give you a hand,” Celaena replied before thinking about it.

“Could you?” Nahemia turned to face her and grabbed her from the shoulders, shaking her lightly. “Please, please, could you?”

“Chill down, I can.” Nehemia let go of her and analyzed her features.

“Did something happen this weekend? You’re being nice, offering help and there’s some kind of… glow in your eyes.” Celaena blinked, scared that her contacts might have shifted. “Did you meet someone this weekend? Did you go on a date?” Nehemia asked excitedly, making Celaena’s worries wash away.

“No, I didn’t.” She took a bite of her pizza as she laughed to herself. Meet someone? She had met a couple of guys and had beaten them both unconscious if that counted. She almost choked on the pizza at the thought of using that as her answer.

“Why are you lying to me? You did meet someone, didn’t you? What is he like? Does he come to Adarlan Elite?”

“Enough, I didn’t meet anybody, come on, I got the next period free and so do you, so let’s head to the library and start with that project of yours.” Celaena stood up, taking the last bite of her pizza and walking away as she ate her pudding on the go.

Nehemia rushed behind her, a slice of pizza in each hand.

“The library? That’s for the lame kids,” Nehemia pouted, and Celaena stopped on her tracks, turning around to fully face her friend.

“Excuse me? I thought you were better than that.” She said, suddenly feeling hurt. “Libraries are full of books and ideas, which are perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons, you know.”

“I’m sorry,” Nehemia was quick to reply and lift her hands in apology, “I didn’t mean to upset you. And you’re right, it was a stupid comment to make. It’s just that… don’t worry. It’s nothing, and I apologize again.” She said as they started walking towards the library again.

“It’s okay, I accept your apology." Nehemia was looking down, her usual cheerfulness gone. “We all make mistakes,” Celaena added as she rested a hand on the other girl’s shoulder.

Looking up at her, Nehemia smiled again. “Thanks.”

The library was almost empty, as usual. Celaena thought it was such a shame that kids in the school weren’t enjoying this marvelous and astonishing library. There were so many books piled up on shelves that were as high as the ceiling. She would’ve needed at least ten lifetimes to go through the entire collection.

The two girls walked to the back of the room, where a few low round tables lay surrounded by couches. They dropped onto the cushions and got their notebooks and pens out.

“Okay, what’s the subject?” Celaena asked.

“Biology, I really do suck at it.”

Celaena stretched forward and grabbed the essay that Nehemia had started writing. She had a fair idea of what they needed to write about, but there were a few details she was going to need help with.

“Okay, there’s one book I want to go look for. Wait here, I’ll be back in a minute.”

Celaena disappeared between the shelves, running her fingers through the oldest book’s spines and reading titles as she went. She knew she wasn’t even close to the section she needed to head to for the biology book, but she’d been meaning to go to the library for weeks. She had been in during the night a few times, but it was the first time she was watching the place in the light of the day. The yellow sunbeams were dancing in the air and giving the whole place a golden glow, making it seem almost magical.

She picked a hardcover book and pulled it out. There was a white circle on the black front cover, with a geometrical representation of mountains, and three little stars on top. She ran a finger through the spine and read the name again. A court of mist and fury. Looking at the back cover, she read the words out loud.

“Good. I was not good. I was nothing, and my soul, my eternal soul, was damned…” She could relate to that.

She was about to keep reading when someone showed up in the hall. The short girl walked her way and looked at the book she was holding.

“Have you already read it? I absolutely love that saga!”

“Oh, is it a saga?” Celeana hadn't realized that before.

“It is, that’s the second book, the first one should be here…” the girl stood on her tiptoes, looking at the shelf and then grunting. “I hate people that don’t leave the books where they belong. Don’t worry, it will probably be back there tomorrow if you come looking for it, books don’t stay lost for long here.” The girl smiled shyly, and Celaena thought there was something familiar about her light brown eyes and the way she carried herself.

“That’s okay, I was meant to be looking for a biology book anyways, I got sidetracked.”

“I know that feeling all too well, we are so incredibly lucky that Adarlan Elite has a fiction section in the library. It only took me a few years of pleading to the student’s council,” she finished with a bigger and more confident smile.

“That’s great,” she replied as she put the book back on the shelf, ready to keep going.

“By the way, I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” the short girl extended a hand towards her. “I’m Elide Lochan.”

Concentrating not to flinch at the memories, Celaena stretched her hand and shook the girl’s one quickly. “Nice to meet you, I’m Celaena.”

“I’m so happy to see there’s another bookworm in school, maybe we should hang out sometime, you could maybe join the book club if you want, we're starting a read-along of 'a court of thorns and roses' next month, which is the first book of the saga,” Elide added, her cheeks blushing slightly when she finished talking.

“Yeah, I’ll look into it, thanks.” She turned around and backed through the hall, turning into the first corner and moving away as fast as she could.

Before she could process her actions, she was out of the library and locked inside a cubicle in the closest bathroom. Lowering the seat, she sat down and rested her head on her palms. How come she had missed her name on the database? She had been so stupid. She had only looked at the database for seniors, and Elide had to be a junior. Celaena had always thought Elide was still living in Terrasen and had never given any second thought to her or her mother.

She let herself get lost in the memories, remembering the way Marion Lorchan used to look after her when her parents were away on business trips. How she and Elide have played together as little kids, braided each other’s hairs, and slept among a thousand pillows during sleepovers. Evalin Ashryver and Marion Lochan had been close friends since they were little girls, and both of them had always dreamed their daughters would grow to be as close as they were.

Thinking about it, Celaena wasn’t surprised that Marion would’ve decided to move away when Evalin passed away, she had had to be one of the most affected people by the tragedy.

Taking a deep breath, she came out of the cubicle and headed back to the library, where she found the book as fast as possible and reunited with Nehemia by the couches. She’d look through the whole database that night after getting into the penthouse. She wouldn’t be caught off guard again.

“What took you so long?” Nehemia asked, barely lifting her head from the essay she was trying to write.

“Sorry, got sidetracked,” she said as she plummeted on her seat. “Let’s finish that essay and get out of here.”

#fireheart #chapter twelve #throne of glass fandom #tog fanfic

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gifted-burnout-archive · 4 years

Text

Jim’s Best Friend

Part Eight - 24 Hours Dedicated to Saint Valentine

Word Count: 2060

Author’s Note: As of last update, I have started a tag list! So, if you would like to be notified whenever this story updates, please let me know!

WARNING:

For previous chapters click here.

February, 2006.

It seemed like the entire office enjoyed Valentine's Day, except you. It had never been something you really looked forward to, Hell the year before you spent it travelling through Spain alone. In hind sight, it was a great idea.

But, the office loved it, especially Pam, and you all sent little notes and stuff to one another, Pam decorated especially, and with Michael out of the office for a corporate meeting in New York, it was at least nice to see everyone in the office happy.

You sat in the kitchen, running through your personal budgets for the month when Dwight appeared, taking a seat beside you. You did your best to ignore him, closing your eyes and counting in your head, trying to add up totals from the months before to guesstimate how to split your money.

"You have yet to receive a gift." He said, and the numbers in your head scrambled themselves up. You let out a sigh, and opened your eyes, looking over at the odd man beside you.

"I don't do Valentine's Day." You said with a strained smile, and looked up as Pam walked towards the kitchen, but seeing Dwight sat at your side she mouthed a 'Sorry' and turned quickly, heading over to Jim's desk to fill him in.

"Yes you do. The past three years you have received and given gifts." Dwight corrected, and you looked back at him.

"Wha- why do you know that? I wasn't even here last Valentine's Day."

"You still got a card." Dwight informed, and you raised an eyebrow. You hadn't been told about that at all.

"And where did it go?" You asked, and Dwight coughed.

"Well, you didn't claim the mail within the 28 days, so I gave it to Pam to shred." Dwight said, and you groaned, collecting your things.

"Dwight, if I wasn't present to see the card on my desk, how would I know I have one? And why are you bringing it up a year later?" You asked as your stood up.

"Well, I needed your help on gift picking, however with this new information, I'll talk to Pam." Dwight decided, and you nodded.

"Yeah, please! And don't shred my mail, maybe?" You suggested, marching out of the kitchen, rubbing the side of your temple. As you sat yourself back down, Jim smirked.

"Dwight really stresses you out." Jim commented, tossing you over a card. You rolled your eyes, opening it up.

Poker Game tonight at my place? Got some friends coming over, and I plan to take every penny I can. Jim xx

"How romantic, Halpert." You rolled your eyes, but you read it over again, hitting the card against your hand a few times as you thought. "Maybe. Trying to weigh out the options of getting laid or getting paid."

"Gatorade, always." Jim responded, just as seriously, and you cracked your first smile of the day. "Ah! There she is." He winked, and leaned over to dial a customer back. You knew what he was doing. The past few weeks had been nothing but Pam planning her wedding, and he needed a distraction. He had even phoned up Brenda, the girl from corporate that you had hooked up with, and gone on a date with her. You both agreed afterwards she was a bit too much to handle.

"Fine. I can help you set up." You agreed, and Jim held a thumbs up to you, and you quickly walked over to Pam.

Her usual cheery disposition was replaced with a face not unlike yours, and you pouted.

"You can't join the dark side, Pam. The trio needs a Valentine's Day fanatic or we'll be thrown off balance." You popped on of the sweets in your mouth, and she sighed.

"I've just had to sit here all day, watching Phyllis collect a garden and accompanying petting zoo without so much as a rose from Roy." She sighed, and you reached over, squeezing her hand.

"Maybe you'll get a secret admirer?" You wiggled your eyebrows, and she laughed a little. "Right, I've made you smile, my job is done. Three hours left Pam, then we can flee this place." You promised her, heading back to your seat and opening up your email, sending a quick message to Jim:

You need to be Pam's secret admirer... Do you know how to make paper flowers? Xx

You sent it over and picked up your phone as it rang. "Dunder Mifflin, this is Y/N speaking. How can I assist you today?" You nodded and started helping your customer when an email pinged through.

Not a clue... Help me????

You looked up and saw Jim giving you puppy dog eyes. You sighed and nodded in defeat, taking out a piece of paper and beginning to fold it the way Pam had taught you years ago. Jim wrote out a little card to accompany the 'rose' you had managed to make, and you even borrowed Phyllis' new rose perfume to spritz on the paper.

When Pam disappeared for a bathroom break right before the end of the day, you snatched the note from Jim and rushed over, placing the two items onto Pam's keyboard, quickly returning to your seat and starting back on an order confirmation.

The smile on her face when she got back was more than enough to keep you happy for the rest of the day, in spite of Dwight's banging on about being the new boss and the three rejected calls that happened in a row. Pam played with her paper flower until Roy walked in, saying something about 'the best sex of your life', and Pam left with a tired expression and look to you that just said everything.

You finished off an email, and glanced over at Jim. "Ready to go?" You asked, and he nodded, putting down the phone, the pair of you packing up very quickly.

"Where are you two rushing away?" Dwight asked, and if anyone else had said it, it would have come off as funny. But Dwight's face was expressionless, and his tone accusatory. "You realise that if you are in an Office relationship you have to disclose it to HR."

The remaining colleagues glanced over, and you and Jim shared a look before bursting out in laughter.

"Good one, Dwight. Man, didn't think you could be funny." You said through chuckles, pulling on your coat.

"I'm serious."

"Y/N and I have been carpooling for months Dwight. Why is it all of a sudden suspicious?" Jim raised an eyebrow.

"It's Valentine's Day, you are both single."

"Jim is having a poker night, I'm going along to help set up early. Goodnight Dwight." You said, spinning on your heel. The pair of you left the office and made it down to Jim's red Sedan, and you jumped in the front seat.

After a trip to the store to gather a few essentials, you finally turned to Jim in the car, taking a moment before speaking.

"Jim."

"Yes Y/N?" He asked, slowing down as you reached a red light.

"I should have asked earlier, but who is coming along tonight?" You questioned, shuffling through your handbag and lifting out a small black notebook. Jim looked over, and looked again.

"No... Is that..." Jim started, the light switching to green and he started driving again.

"Jim, please?" You begged, and he laughed.

"Why does it matter?" He teased, and you slumped back in your seat.

"Because I've slept with at least six of your friends..." You admitted, and Jim looked over. "Eyes on the road!" You squeaked, and Jim quickly turned his attention back to his driving, turning right and pulling in on a side road.

"Six?!" He said finally, more than surprised. "Last time it was two!" He laughed through his confusion. "I have like ten friends, Y/N. How have you slept with more than half of my social circle?"

—

"This..." you held a book up to the camera, a small black moleskin notebook. "This is The Notebook..." you sighed, and took a deep breath. "So, I want to say first that I don't discuss my romantic escapades with the office, for obvious reasons... And second, that I do not do office romances. Never have, never will. They always end up with awkwardness and rumours and sides and I don't like it... But while I don't sleep with people I work with..." You say the book on your lap and looked up, fidgeting a little. "Look, when I was about a year into my time here, my mom passed away from cancer... And then my cat had to be put down two months later and friends moved away. Overall, it was a terrible time. And, within my grief, I ended up at a bar one night, bumped into Phyllis who was with some family, her nephew Jordan and her sister. We all got talking, and Phyllis left with Jordan's mom and well, long story short, I slept with Phyllis' nephew. And then, a few weeks later, Oscar's cousin who dropped by... And then Toby's brother..." you shivered, and ran a hand through your hair. "And then Jim and Pam joined the office and suddenly there were so many more people who were my age and..."

"I started The Notebook after I slept with two of Pam's friends and three of Jim's, I had started to lose track of everyone. So, in here is every romantic or sexual interaction I have had with anyone who knows people in the office. Hookups, makeouts, drunken kisses, proposed first dates, all of it. And in situations like these, I can remind myself about the people I am re-meeting, and be prepared to answer weird questions." You flicked through it as you spoke. "It keeps everything in order. No chances of repeat hookups, and 99% of the time, the next time I see them we are just friendly. Like... If Pam and Jim are the friend, I'm the benefit." You laughed, slipping the book away. You glanced up at the camera.

"Also, just want to point out Todd Packer is not on the list... Fucking hate that guy."

—

"Come on Jim, please?" You gave him the big puppy dog eyes, and he laughed a little more.

"Only if you tell me whether or not you've slept with them as we go." Jim offered, and you nodded in defeat. "Fine. Tom."

"Yes."

"Okay, Hugh."

"Yep."

"Arnold?"

"I made out with him, but nothing more."

"Right. Ewan?"

"Uh..." You scoured through the notebook. "He asked me out once, but no sex." You clarified, and Jim was watching you with a smirk on his face. "Anybody else?"

"Monica and Stacey too, and Patrick might turn up. And Mark too." Jim finished, and you nodded.

"Mark, yes. Stacey, no, she's straight. Monica, almost, and Patrick, twice." You confirmed, and Jim's eyes widened.

"You slept with my roommate? And Monica?" You Just kept blowing his mind. You giggled.

"Well, you know that barbecue you had like two years ago? I almost slept with Monica but Mark walked in, and then one thing led to another and I ended up sleeping with him... And Patrick..." You smiled when mentioning the last name, and Jim noticed.

"He's been asking about you... How did you end up sleeping with him twice?" Jim asked, smiling as you blushed a little.

"Nothing major... We slept together once before you came to the office, by chance... Then met at your birthday party and... yeah..."

"So, you've slept with almost all of my friends."

"Hey, I've slept with Pam's cousin, you don't get pity here. Family trumps friends." You defended, and Jim let out a chuckle, starting the car back up and finishing the drive to his house. After a few minutes of silence, Jim spoke up.

"It might be too soon, and I don't want to be forward, but Patrick broke up with a long term girlfriend recently, maybe you should try talking with him? He seems to be interested in you." Jim suggested, his eyes flicking over to gauge your reaction. The blush on your cheeks gave him his response, and he pulled into the driveway of his house with a smile on his face. "I know you hate Valentine's Day, but who knows? Maybe this one'll be good."

Tags: @imsuperawkward

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