Extra Service

Chapter Two: The Brother

Masterpost | Chapter 1 | Chapter 3 | Ao3

Hello everyone! I'm finally returning to this story and hopefully the third chapter won't take me as long as this one has 😅 Please be mindful of the content warnings, if you would rather skip this chapter, there is a summary of it at then end of the Ao3 link.

Story Summary: Remus hadn't expected to work as a housekeeper at a hotel managed by his best friend but he wasn't complaining. Especially if it gives him the opportunity to keep a (very attractive) guest from overworking himself.

Content Warnings: Past Roman/Virgil, Discussion of Past Self Neglect, bordering on self harm, but not from the person themselves

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Soon Logan had showered and the salad had arrived. Remus used the time in between to roughly vacuum the room and use some air refreshener so he could finally close the windows. He also pushed the books and papers around to make space on the tabledesk for the salad. Thankfully nothing fell to the floor (though some of the stacks were very wobbly and Remus couldn’t help but imagine what it would look like if one crashed into the salad and food and plate shards would fly everywhere. His brain tried to get him to topple it, but he managed to resist. Barely.)

Logan emerged from the bathroom in shirt and sweatpants (since Remus had refused to let him take another suit), a towel around his shoulder and still trying to dry his hair. Remus grinned at him and stood behind the chair as if he were a gentleman offering a seat to his lady. He could be courteous if he wanted to be!

“Is this really necessary?” Logan asked, eyeing him skeptically.

“No,” Remus grinned but didn’t move. The other sighed and sat down without another word. Remus pushed his chair closer to the tabledesk with a giggle before sitting down himself and resting his elbows on the polished wood, watching Logan intently. The other raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you intent to watch me eat?”

“Yeah!”

“Why?”

“To make sure you finish! Also thought this is a good opportunity to tell you why I’m doing this! You said you wanted to know and it’s gonna take a while, so…”

Logan sighed again but picked up the fork Remus had placed in its proper place next to the plate, motioning for him to continue.

“Very well. Do explain yourself.”

“Chance to ramble? I will take it!” Remus grinned at Logan, who looked a bit more reprehensive but didn’t protest. Instead, he started eating his salad, though his eyes remained on Remus for the most part. Before starting his explanation, Remus took a moment to appreciate how Logan’s lips closed around his fork. He really hoped he’d get an opportunity to taste those lips for himself. Only with consent, of course.

‘Focus on the issue now, fantasize about the hot nerd later!’ he reminded himself.

“You see, I have a brother, a twin, actually,” Remus began, leaning back in his seat. “He’s a bit of a dumbass but has a good heart, y’know? We’re both the creative types, though I mostly work with sculptures, art, and pottery – I teach a late-night class actually! Doesn’t pay well, but it’s fun for the most part – while he’s more of a writer. He’s also a perfectionist, which I am most definitely not, I let my hands wander and see where they get me!” Remus winked at Logan but either the other didn’t understand his innuendo or had a great poker face. ‘Uhhh, you should invite him to play strip poker with you! That’d be fun!’ He tabledesked that idea for later, he should probably ask him on a more normal date first and see where that’ll lead him.

“Aaaaaaanyway,” Remus continued, “my brother decided he wanted to write a play and then perform it in our local theater where he works. His boss basically green-lit the whole thing after Ro-bro gave him the pitch but had some guidelines. Nothing major, but enough that my brother felt the pressure.”

Remus could see Logan watching him intently – those deep green eyes were so hot – while he slowly chewed his food. He seemed the observant type, but even if he wasn’t, it was hard to miss the shift in tone. Remus couldn’t tell this story without being somber, it was a time he didn’t like revisiting.

“Roman threw himself into his work. It was fun at first, see him talk about it so passionately, what his plans for the characters were, the twists and turns and how he could see it performed on stage already. His boyfriend at the time was also super supportive, the both of us rubber ducking him constantly.” A wry smile played on Remus’ lips. He took a deep breath before continuing.

“But writing’s fucking hard if you didn’t know. The words can be perfectly aligned in your head but once you put them to paper they look mangled, like rotting corpses you clumsily stitched together and suddenly the eyes aren’t on the same height and one arm’s longer than the other and you forgot a nipple and maybe even a spleen, so how are you supposed to create a functioning monster?!”

“I understand your point, Remus,” Logan cut in before he could get even more lost in the rather gruesome picture he was figuratively painting. “I assume your brother struggled with the writing process once he got started.”

“Yeah, he did. Like a lot. And when he can’t get what’s in his head on the page the way he wants it to be, he gets frustrated and that leads to him struggling with the words even more and it’s a vicious circle. He started spending more and more time at his desk. When he wasn’t working, he was writing. Or attempting to write. He started losing sleep. I often had to drag him to meals. He cancelled plans or didn’t show up at all because he forgot all about them. It was really worrying.

“And it really put his boyfriend on edge. Like the dude’s been a friend of mine before he got together with my brother and anxiety is like half of his personality. So having plans cancelled on him constantly and his boyfriend not taking care of himself properly led to some problems.”

Remus’ had to make a conscious effort to relax his hands after they curled into fists. To be honest, he still hadn’t entirely forgiven Roman for how he treated Virgil during the last legs of their relationship. It hadn’t been fair to the Emo and while his brother had admitted to his faults, Remus just couldn’t get Virgil’s red-rimmed eyes out of his mind. ‘You should revisit that idea about dunking his head in the toilet bowl’ his head suggested and Remus waved the idea off. Roman would wiggle too much.

“It came to a head eventually and the guy broke up with him. Which sucked because I liked him, but because of his anxiety he needed a clean break, so he asked me not to contact him either for a while. Which turned out to be never, but that was more my fault than his I guess.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. (Remus wondered how often he worked on those; they were immaculately symmetrical.)

“What do you mean by more your fault?” he asked.

“Well, like I said, I was friends with the guy so I knew that he would have trouble reaching out to me first. I should’ve contacted him after the situation settled somewhat, but I didn’t.”

“Why?”

Remus chuckled but it was a dry and sad sound.

“I… always had the feeling that he was kinda afraid of me. I know I come on strong, and I have intrusive thoughts and keeping them in my head is hard, so I usually blurt them out or use them for my art and he… well, it often triggered his anxiety. I didn’t really want to contact him and have him feel like he needed to talk to me again.”

Virgil had been a good sport about it most of the time but even before he started dating Roman, he had visited Remus in his art studio less and less. He took great care to censor his words in front of him, too, but it sucked that he couldn’t discuss things with Virgil freely anymore. It was like he had to be constantly on guard around the man and it only got worse during Roman’s breakdown.

Remus missed Virgil, but he figured he was better off without him in his life. At least Janus still contacted him once in a while, so he knew he was doing well enough. It was a small comfort.

Logan had put his fork aside and was watching Remus with his piercing green eyes. He felt like a bug underneath a microscope and that shouldn’t have had him as hot and bothered as it did. Well, not literally bothered – don’t get him wrong, the dude was hot and being examined by him so intently was a nice bonus, but Remus needed more than that to actually get physically excited.

It would lead to new fantasies however; he was sure of that.

“I get the impression that that conclusion is based on a cognitive distortion,” Logan commented eventually. Remus just blinked at him. “In other words, I think you are jumping to a conclusion. If that man was your friend for as long as you are implying, then I am sure he would appreciate you contacting him again.”

“You stopped eating,” Remus said instead of answering and after a few moments of simply staring at each other (‘Staring contest! Staring contest! How long would it take for their eyes to dry out?), Logan relented with a sigh and picked his fork back up.

“Very well, I will not meddle in your personal affairs. Unlike other people, I respect such boundaries.”

Remus cackled at the obvious jab at his intrusion and as he calmed down, he could see a small smile on Logan’s lips, though he tried to hide it behind the next bite of his meal.

“Well, back to the story: my brother got dumped. Which I had hoped would be a wake-up call for him to quit the bullshit and realize how bad he’s gotten. But instead he doubled down. Every waking minute he had that wasn’t spend at work, he was writing the script – or more accurately, he tried writing it. More and more often I would hear him shouting at his laptop about how nothing was going like he wanted it to, how it needed to be perfect, how he would show everyone that he could do it.

“I tried to get him to eat and sleep, but it would only end up in yelling matches. We both don’t have great tempers and more than once I stormed off and didn’t return until like a day later. I don’t think he left his desk in those days…”

Remus sighed, remembering the sorry state of his brother, hunched over his laptop with bags under his eyes that reminded him so much of Virgil that Remus was almost glad that Roman was hardly going to the bathroom so he wouldn’t catch his own reflection in the mirror.

It had been an absolute trainwreck.

“Eventually, my brother collapsed during one of our fights. Passed out on the spot. I barely managed to catch him before he would’ve hit his head on the ground. He woke up only moments after and tried to convince me that it was just a dizzy-spell and that it wasn’t anything to worry about, but I had enough. I carried him off to the hospital right then and there.”

Roman had fought him the entire way, cursing at him and demanding to be brought back home. He almost fainted again in the car since he worked himself up so much. Remus had thought about pulling into the oncoming traffic and putting them both out of their misery – the stress had made his intrusive thoughts so much worse.

“I got him to cooperate by saying that if nothing was wrong, the doctor would just let him go home and I’d leave him alone afterwards if that was the case. He still complained though. Then he was diagnosed with severe malnutrition and anemia. He had to stay there for a few days.”

“And did he do so without complaint?”

Remus had almost forgotten Logan was there. Almost. He looked back at the other – after he had apparently just stared at the wall for the last few minutes – to see that he had finished his plate.

Good.

“Yeah. I’m not entirely sure what happened since I wasn’t allowed to be there when they took his vitals and shit but apparently one of the nurses laid into him about proper self-care and that he could’ve killed himself. I think only then he truly registered how bad it’s gotten.”

“I see…” Logan looked thoughtfully at his empty plate and Remus just watched him until he spoke up again. “And what happened after? Did your brother finish the play?”

“He did. Took a long break from it though. Went to therapy. He’s doing well now, has a sleep and eating schedule and goes to the gym on the regular. It’s kind of annoying how toned he’s getting. Jan sure appreciates it though.” Remus wiggled his eyebrows, but once again Logan doesn’t react to his implications.

“What about the performance?”

“What performance?”

“Of the play. You said that your brother was ensured that he could perform the play at his place of employment.”

“Oh! He didn’t go through with it.”

Logan blinked at him, surprised.

“What do you mean ‘he didn’t go through with it’? Doesn’t that make the entire ordeal worthless?”

“It wasn’t worthless,” Remus said softly, feeling like this might be the point where he can get through to Logan. “Roman learned a lot from it. So did I, to be honest. The entire thing helped my brother to grow as a person. Yeah, he finished the play, but he had to rewrite around half of it since what he wrote during his mania was either awful, extremely personal, and or sometimes even harmful. And even after all that editing, he still found it too close to his heart to publish. He says that maybe sometime down the line, when he’s healed more, then he'd put it on, but not right now.”

“I… think I understand. Still, I cannot shake the belief that it means his struggles were for naught.”

“I know where you’re coming from, but productivity isn’t all we live for. Learning from our struggles and teaching that to those who come after us is what I think we’re supposed to do.”

“That is quite the profound way to see the world.”

Remus shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

“Maybe. It’s at least what led to me coming in through that door and forcing you to take care of yourself. Which reminds me, you should be going to bed.” He got up and pulled at Logan’s arm.

“Sleep?! It’s the middle of the day!” the other protested, but Remus remained insistent and led him over to the freshly made, plush bed.

“Yeah, but that hardly matters when you’ve been up for who knows how many hours. Your eyebags make you look like a raccoon. Oh, maybe I should’ve gotten you your dinner out of the garbage bins outside!”

Finally, he managed to push Logan onto the bed who looked at him with trepidation.

“I cannot go to sleep, I need to finish my work,” he insisted.

“Pish-posh, I bet you can barely remember what you’ve been writing for the past few hours anyway. Get some rest and then look over what you wrote again, I’m sure you’ll want to make some changes. Sleep-deprived brains rarely put out the work in a quality you want.” Remus pushed at his shoulders until Logan was lying down and then covered him with a blanket.

“Fine,” the other sighed. “But I need to set an alarm. I have a deadline.”

“How about I’m gonna come by when my shift ends in—” Remus glanced at his wristwatch—  “about four hours? I’ll help you sort through those books, too, since I kinda just put them together willy-nilly.”

“I guess that’s acceptable.”

It seemed that lying down had a quick effect on Logan as he let out a long yawn and snuggled deeper into the comforting warmth. Remus smiled, proud to see him follow his advice and relax.

“Then see you in a few, Lolo! Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

“If they do, I’ll sue you.”

Remus grinned as he listened to Logan’s half-asleep mumble before he gathered up his used dishes and silently tiptoed out of the room.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3

I'm at that part of chapter three my friends, so let me be a reminder that Colm O'Driscoll's plan to lure in Dutch after taking Arthur failed because nobody came looking for him.

He would have died being held captive any longer, he barely escaped.

The gang did not come for Arthur.

Another Tiny look into It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To), from the first chapter! I've been jumping around in where im writing, but the first official chapter is just about finished.

Shoutout to @dcxdpdabbles too, their oneshot called Magic Older Brother since they gave me the idea to place this during Tim's birthday and inspired the first part!

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The rain was pelting on him as he walked, the fog starting to get tick and heavy. Danny was just with his parents, walking from the parking lot to the ghost convention they dragged him along to. Jazz was at home, her friends letting her sleep over for the trip, but Danny was 5 and his parents didn’t trust anyone to watch him. So, they packed up his bags and dragged him along.

Now, though, his parents had run off and left him alone on the sidewalk. Danny thought he knew where he was going, his parents ran off in a straight direction, but he hadn’t reached the convention center yet. He has seen no ghosts, and now the sun was starting to set as well.

As it got darker, the shadows seemed to twist and turn. He was too scared to go down the dark paths, unsure of what could be in that darkness, so he followed the light.

As he kept walking, Danny eventually wandered into a neighborhood filled with mansions. They seemed to tower over him as he kept walking. Most of the lights were turned off, but there was this one he saw in the distance. Deciding to trying his luck, Danny walked up to the house to knock on the door. He knew he shouldn’t talk to strangers, but at this point he was soaking and cold, and it was so dark outside now.

Knocking on the door, Danny stood back and turned to peer through the windows to see anyone coming. As he stood on his toes to try and see inside more, the door swung open to reveal a kid bigger than him! He smiled up at him, glad to see another kid instead of an adult.

“Hi, I’m Tim!” the big kid began, “Are you here for the party! Did you see the signs outside! It’s my birthday party!” He said as he bounced up and down on his toes.

“Really?” Danny asked, Tim’s excitement infecting him. “That’s so cool! I’m Danny! I’d love to come in but I got soaked by the rain, and I don’t want to get you and your floors all wet.”

Tim held out his hand, “That’s ok! You’re the first to show up, so I’m sure we can get you some clothes before anyone else comes! I’ll have to get you some of mine though, my parents are away and I don’t know what happened to my old clothes.”

Danny grabbed his hand, getting pulled in by Tim. “Thank you!” Danny smiled. As Tim pulled him along and through the halls, Danny couldn’t help but be sad for him. This big kid was so happy, but he didn’t seem to have a Jazz to spend his birthday with like Danny did! That was unacceptable, Danny decided once Tim sat him down by his bed and began pulling out clothes for him, shooting him a bright smile as he gave Danny the clothes. As Tim pointed him to the bathroom and he began changing, putting on the big shirt and shorts he was lent, Danny knew what he had to do. Yes, he would be his Jazz! And he would be the best Jazz ever and help Tim have the best birthday ever!

Quiet down small man

Some color pallet play with a cute moment inspired by my fic “Little Brother”

young albert james moriarty: i love my new brothers so much. if they asked me to kill my entire family except for them I would

*a few months later*

young albert james moriarty: *in front of the burning moriarty estate* hey guys you'll never guess what happned

Bill: You’re really going to believe Richie over your own brother?

Georgie: Well one of you called me super smart and the other one is yelling at me right now

[[BIG SHOT]]

IS WATCHING

Y O U.

in my cringe era .anyway that part where he just stands there while ur passed out on the floor is the funniest thing

My Brother's Best Friend - Part Two - Too Much

Words: 4085

Warnings: Swearing, Angst, Mention's Of Blood, Tiny Bit Of Smut, Multiple Heart To Heart, Protective Scott, Possessive Stiles, I think that's it! :)

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Reader/Sadie McCall, Lydia Martin, Liam Dunbar, Allison Argent, Melissa McCall.

Pairing: Stiles Stilinski and Reader

Summary: Tensions are running high when you discover more than you had ever imagined has happened over the past few months. What you do discover after all this time might only be the tip of the iceberg.

A/N: Hey guys, so this is part two! Thank you to everyone who has read/liked/commented on the first chapter I appreciate it more than you know! This chapter is a little more angsty than the last so I hope you enjoy it, had to bring in momma McCall for this one! Enjoy, and let me know what you think! :D

Chapter 2 - Too Much

The drive back home is silent, the air thick with tension. Almost like nobody dares to speak a word. Stiles flexes his fingers and they move further up your thigh. You have to fight your body's reaction to squirm against the onslaught, you want him closer and you want him to stop all at the same time. You bite your lip when his long fingers brush against the edge of your panties. Fighting every instinct currently battling it out in your psyche, you close your legs, trying to focus on the road ahead, rather than the insatiable man beside you.

Your eyes snap toward Stiles when you hear a deep and pleased rumble coming from him, as he buries his nose in your neck his lips slowly make their way up. Not stopping until his teeth are nibbling at your ear. You can taste the slight hint of blood on your tongue as you continue to bite back the whimper of want building in the back of your throat. Suddenly though, you lose control when his fingers brush against the dampened lace of your panties.

“Is that all for me? So fucking wet,” Stiles rasps his voice almost a growl, as his teeth drag across your ear lobe and another whimper leaves your now parted lips. 

“Stiles. Stop, for fuck’s sake,” Scott growls, and you swear that you hear the creek of the steering wheel beneath his grip.

Stiles either doesn’t care what your brother has to say or he just simply doesn’t listen. The next thing you know his lips have dropped to your neck once again, and he’s sucking what you have to assume is going to be a mark into your neck. He releases the skin with a gentle nip of his teeth and he groans when his fingers push your panties to the side, no doubt happy to finally get to your bare skin. You suddenly forget where you are and who you’re with. You can’t explain it, but the next thing you know you’ve parted your thighs, and you’re rolling your hips to get closer to him.

“You want me to make it all better, beautiful?” he growls, dragging two long fingers through your slick.

“Please, Stiles. I need it,” you whimper as those fingers slowly but firmly circle your clit.

“So fuckin’ wet. All fucking mine.” He moans as your fingers wrap around his wrist and you push his hand closer to you. Letting out a shuddered moan when his fingers move to your opening.

“Right. That’s it, I’ve had enough.” Scott snaps, and Stiles pulls you against him right as Scott slams on the breaks.

Stiles grins at you as he slips his fingers between his lips, your gaze is glued to him as he sucks those fingers between his plump lips and moans in pleasure.

Suddenly the back door opens, and it’s almost ripped off of the hinges, you’re dragged from the car by Lydia, apparently you had made it home.

“Hey Lyd’s,” you grin at her dreamily, letting her tug you further away. Leaving just enough room for Scott to barge in.

“Hey Mini, hell of a night, huh?” She smiles, wrapping an arm around you, probably worried you still can’t stand up properly. In truth she’s not totally wrong. 

You wince as Scott drags Stiles from the car and roughly slams him against the side of it. 

Suddenly it's like you’re doused in reality, as your lust fades a little further into the background. Leaving it so that you’re able to focus once more on your surroundings. What you see leaves your mouth open in shock. Lydia takes your hand and gently squeezes it, while you both watch the scene unfold, but the shock of what you are watching leaves you unable to squeeze back.

Because it looks as if Stiles is fighting against Scott, and Scott doesn’t exactly appear to be finding it very easy to keep Stiles in place. You can’t see Stiles’ face, but you can see Scott’s red Alpha eyes reflected in the window of the car. The sudden roar that cuts through the air even has you scared. You haven’t heard your brother this angry in a long time, and even Lydia flinches beside me as instinctively pulls me closer, while the other wolves bow their heads in submission to their Alpha. 

Your hold on Lydia’s hand would be painful for most people, luckily you know she can take it. Scott’s forehead presses against Stiles' as they seem to have a quiet conversation, so that nobody can hear. There’s a collective sigh of relief when Scott steps back and releases Stiles, leaving him to sag back against the car. 

However, then the confusion is back for you. The humiliation of what you’d let Stiles do to you in front of everyone in that car, including your big brother, his best friend. You can feel the deep blush as it covers your body. You need to get out of here, you take Lydia by surprise when you yank your hand free from hers, slowly stepping back away from the scene and everyone involved. Almost as one everyone turns to look at you, and your heart hammers painfully in your chest. A tear rolls down your cheek, you just don’t understand, what the hell is going on? 

In the right place at the right time, maybe you’d have gone there with Stiles, but not that fast, and certainly not the two places where things had happened tonight. It was almost as though you had no control of your actions, no control of your own body or mind.

“Sadie? Hey, it’s okay. This isn't your fault, none of it is. Just come inside, I think we should all talk.” Scott sounds so sincere, not one look of judgement on his face, he’s stepping closer slowly, like you’re a wounded animal that he’s scared will run if given the opportunity.

The tears are falling now, thick and fast, but you don’t dare to look anywhere that isn’t your brother. Too scared of what you might see on his friends' faces. There’s one direction in particular that you can’t even consider glancing in, because you’re terrified of the look of regret that will be on his face. 

You continue to step back though, you need to be anywhere but here and quickly. Your heart is aching painfully, you don’t know what to do, your head hurts so much right now.

“Please, dont,” Scott practically begs, his big brown eyes meeting yours, but when he takes another step towards you, you do the only thing you can. You run.

You don’t even know where you’re going, unable to think straight or see very well in the dark you simply take off. Scott knows you well enough to know that if he follows you, you wouldn’t want to talk about anything right now. So all you hear as you run is your own heartbeat thundering in your ears and the wind whipping around you as you sprint faster than you have in years. You don’t stop until your legs and lungs are burning, only stopping to rest against the railing by the lake. Letting your head rest on your arms, sucking in air the best you can.

When you finally have your breathing under control, you stumble back into the bench behind you and sink into it with a thud. Tilting your head back, you look up at the stars, wishing that anything about tonight had made any sense. 

Your lifelong crush had made out with you, in fact you’d even taken things to the next level. You can’t help but think that you should be happy. But so many things about tonight don’t make any sense, and you hate it. You need this night to make sense. You can’t forget the look of desperation on Stiles’ face when it had just been the two of you, even if he liked you a lot, that look, you just don’t understand it completely. You’d known him your entire life and he had never once looked at you that way. It was almost like he was terrified you’d turn him away, even more than you’d been that he would do the same to you. Then there’s that word he’d growled before he’d pounced on you. Mate. What the hell did that mean? Not to mention that purple glow his eyes had. Once you have chalked it up to a trick of the light or something, but you had seen it alot more than once. 

Before you can drive yourself insane you hear the crunch of leaves behind you, and you jump up and spin around. But your anger very quickly deflates when you see the one person who always knows how to make everything better. “Mom? What are you doing out here?” you ask in an almost broken whisper. Trying to keep your voice even, though you know it’s pointless, she knows you too well. Not to mention that the person who had sent her here would’ve told her everything anyway.

“Baby, come on. You know better than to try that around me,” she smiles gently, pulling you into her arms as soon as she’s close enough. 

You sag against her as she wraps you in her arms, burying your face into her shoulder and the tears come once again. She doesn’t even try to stop the tears, only holds you tighter, until they stop on their own. 

When you’ve finally stopped shaking she leads you over to the bench, and you take a seat before she turns you around to face her.

“You want to talk about it, sweetheart?” 

“I dunno if I can. I mean this isn’t exactly normal stuff. Even if it was and I wanted to talk, this is why I should have a friend to talk to, but since Callie. I just can’t,” you sniff, trying to block out memories of your best friend. 

Callie had been killed last year, thankfully nothing to do with werewolves or the supernatural. Not that it would have made much difference, she was still gone. You missed her like crazy, she knew everything about you and your crazy mixed up family, it never scared her away, she was always there, no matter what was happening. Until that one night. It felt as though your heart had been ripped out when you’d received the news. It still does when you think about it for too long.

“Hmm, I guess you’re right. Though part of this is perfectly normal, honey. I know you’ve always had a soft spot for Stiles. I can just listen if you want? You can leave out anything you don’t want to tell me,” she smiles, nudging you gently with her shoulder when you look at her, your face unable to hide the shock that she knew.

“How did you..?”

“How did I know about Stiles?” she chuckles quietly, cupping your cheeks so that you meet her eyes.

“Because, not to be a cliche, but I am your mother.” she winks at that, making you smile, then she shrugs and wraps her arm around your shoulders, “and honestly, I think the only people who didn’t know were Scott and Stiles. Those boys, I swear they haven’t changed since they were kids.” 

That fond smile on her face is one you can’t help but share, with a defeated sigh you meet your mothers eyes.

“I know you won’t tell me any details, but something’s going on right? I’m guessing you know Stiles has changed somehow? You just won’t tell me how, right? He has to tell me himself, or Scott?”

“We never could keep anything from you baby girl. Yes, a lot has changed, with Stiles, and otherwise. Honestly I wouldn’t even know where to begin explaining this. I mean… It’s big, I won’t lie. But I know you can handle this Sadie.” 

You swallow the lump which has lodged in your throat as you stare down at your hands, “I’ll try. That’s all I can say, until I actually know what’s going on. Unfortunately I guess we can’t put this off forever.” 

You stand and take your mom’s offered hand and the two of you make the short walk back to the house, albeit slowly, she knows you well enough to know that you need time to process everything still. 

“If you need space then you tell me. I’ll make sure you damn well get it, Alpha or not, he’s my son and your brother. You know he will do whatever is best for you. If you want, we’ll make them wait until morning? It’s your call, sweetheart.”

“Pretty sure there’s only one thing I can do.”

You straighten your spine and take a deep breath, looking over at the woman on your right. She’s by far the strongest person you’d ever met, and likely ever would meet. You’re pretty sure that you already know what she would do in your position. Clenching your free hand into a fist, you turn to look at her. Melissa McCall could’ve become a victim so many times in her life but she’d never become one, and you intended to follow in her footsteps, no matter how difficult the situation, you wouldn’t let anyone break you.

As if she can read your mind she gives your hand a squeeze and smiles, “that’s my girl.” 

When the two of you return home the house is deathly quiet, no sign whatsoever of anyone outside the house. Immediately your mind goes to the worst case scenario and judging by the slow steps your mom is taking, she’s thinking along the same lines. 

The front door creaking open is the only sound in the house, and it sounds so much louder when it’s surrounded by the silence. “Maybe they just left?” you whisper hopefully, not even believing the words as you say them.

Almost as if by muscle memory, in the pitch black you wrap your fingers around the end of Stiles’ baseball bat, you’re a little surprised that it’s still here, when he doesn’t appear to be. But you’re not about to complain about having a weapon when you need one. As you move through the kitchen there’s the slight drip of the tap, a sound which seems to almost bounce off of the walls in the silence. You can even hear the sound of the wind whistling against the windows but nothing else.

The hand that’s wrapped around yours tightens further, as you’re pulled closer to your mom’s body. You take another step forward when a thought occurs to you, swallowing your fear you whisper once more.

“What about the basement? We sound proofed it, could they be down there and we’re worried over nothing?” 

The moonlight almost seems to light the path as soon as your mom gives you a nod of agreement. The basement had been installed shortly after you’d all gotten Stiles back from the Nogitsune. It had come in handy more than a few times in the past. You feel your nerves escalating, the closer that you get to the basement, the worse your nerves become. You regretfully put the bat down by the door as you carefully turn the doorknob, wincing at the squeak you’re certain will follow. Fully aware that the basement had been sound proofed, and if they are down here, then you wouldn’t know until you open the final door at the bottom of the steps. 

With all of that in mind you take the stairs slowly, carefully manoeuvring around the third step down, since that one has always squeaked rather obnoxiously.

Your entire body feels as if it’s shaking from adrenaline and nerves as you reach the bottom of the stairs, wiping your hands on your clothes, you then reach for the door handle. When suddenly the door opens. You stumble back in alarm, grabbing for the baseball bat, which you quickly hold above your head, quickly stepping in front of your mother. 

However, you quickly lower the weapon, a sigh of relief leaving your lips when your eyes land on your rather dishevelled looking brother.

“Scott, what the hell is going on?” you ask urgently, hearing a deep growl coming from the room behind him, and the clang of chains is unmistakable. 

Your brother gives you a pitying look as he chews nervously on his bottom lip, to your surprise he steps out of the room, gently taking you by the shoulders, he pushes you back into the hallway.

“We should really talk, Sadie. Just come upstairs. Mom could you maybe…” he nods his head towards the door behind him. With a smile she gives your hand a final squeeze, before she releases you. Quickly doing whatever it was he had asked of her, she seemed to know exactly what it was though.

“Come on, we should sit. I’ll even get your favourite ice cream out,” he grins at you, but you know your brother well enough to see that he’s nervous.

“Well, shit. This really must be serious, Scott McCall sharing with the pain in the ass little sister.” Your joke seems to fall on deaf ears as Scott simply sighs, he looks tired, like dead on his feet tired. You gently grab his arm as you both sit on the sofa with the tub of ice cream between you, “Hey, you’re okay, right? You look like you haven’t slept in weeks.” 

“I’m okay, mostly at least. I just really wish we didn’t need to have this conversation, especially not now, not like this, Sades. I don’t even know where to start.” Scott tells you quietly, dragging a hand over his face, the stubble along his jaw is almost becoming a beard at this point. Something so unlike your brother that you’re surprised you’re only just realising.

Seeing your overconfident brother so unsure is so unusual to you, he hasn’t been like this since before he’d become a werewolf. You could count on your hands the few times you’d seen him return to this unsure worried version of himself. Which only made you all the more nervous, but you didn’t want to push him to hurry up and explain. You’d let him take his time, because as much as you needed to know, he was your best friend and your protector. Seeing him like this hurt more than you could've ever imagined.

Moving the tub aside you lean your head on Scott’s shoulder, “Maybe you should get some rest, you look like shit big brother,” you laugh when he shoves you off of him with a grin. 

You turn to face each other, pulling your legs under you, the way you used to when you were kids. When you were wanting to have one of your conversations, where Scott plays big brother and gives you his sage advice. Not that it was always good or right. Half the time it was stuff that you knew already, or stuff that you would never do. But you loved him for trying all the same. 

Your father had left not long after you were born, and as young as Scott had been he’d stepped up for you. He was the one man you knew you could count on, no matter what, and that wasn’t going to change you were sure of it.

“You don’t need to look out for me, Mini, that’s my job, remember. I look out for you,” Scott smiles, gently nudging your shoulder.

“No, you're my brother, that was dad’s job. But I prefer you anyhow,” I smile at him, and lean into the sofa.

“So which is it? Bed or are we gonna do this now?” 

Scott sighs and straightens in his seat, and just like the Alpha is back.

“Oh I wish I could, little sister, you have no idea how good a bed sounds right now. But we’re doing this now.” 

“Okay, I’m listening. Tell me everything that I don’t know about, might as well get it out of the way.”

“You remember a few months back when I went to visit Stiles?” he asks you carefully, and you’re already shocked. 

“This has been going on for months!? You’ve been lying and hiding this from me for months! I understand most of the time Scott, but dammit something that’s as important as this clearly is, you should’ve told me!” you almost shout, unable to hide or hold back your anger. Especially when it quite clearly seemed to concern you.

“Go on,” you sighed apologetically, realising there was no point in being angry about this, of course he hadn’t told you, yet another time he was trying to protect you no doubt.

“Sadie, if we had any idea any of this would end up involving you I would’ve told you the second everything happened.” 

“It’s fine, Scott, I understand. But it isn’t just that this involves me but it’s clearly important.” Shaking your head you clear your throat, before looking back at him, doing your best to reign in your anger. “Anyway, yes I remember, you said something about Stiles needing help, but you never did tell me what he needed help with.” Your need to know more only grows the more he talks about Stiles, something is definitely off, and you’re worried some of your earlier thoughts may have been correct.

Nothing could have prepared you for your brother’s next words however. 

Taking a deep breath Scott tells you the truth of that weekend away he’d had.

“Stiles had been struggling for months. He uh… he was starting to forget things, silly things at first, then he really started noticing it and he called me. He was too scared to go to the hospital, he didn’t want them to tell him what he already knew.” Scott lets out a shuddering sigh, wiping his hands on his jeans. 

Your mind is begging him not to say what you already know is coming, “go on,” you whisper nervously, grabbing his hand when he reaches for you.

A tear drops from Scott’s eyes when he meets yours and you swallow thickly, “I...I convinced him to go to the hospital. Yanno, maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought. Part of me wishes he’d ignored me, but he needed to know. We needed to start planning. Unfortunately, the doctors only told us what he already knew. Fuck this is hard.” Scott moans quietly, wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve. “Stiles had developed frontotemporal dementia. Just like his mother. It fucking broke him Sades, he tore out of that room so damn fast. I followed him, but he told me he needed time to process, just some time alone.” Scott’s voice is shaking so hard, and you feel like your heart just broke in half, but you know only by the look on your brother’s face that isn’t where the story ends.

Clearing your throat you squeeze his hand, “there’s more, isn’t there?” you ask tentatively, feeling the tears fall freely from your eyes. 

“Fuck, do I wish there wasn’t,” he mutters, his laugh devoid of humour. A roar sounds from the basement, and then you hear a door slam. You look at your brother with wide eyes and he sighs sadly once more. “I shouldn’t have let him go alone. He was worried he was being followed during training by something, he didn’t know what yet and he didn’t tell me, not until that day in the hospital waiting room. I should have followed him, but he needed space.” Scott looks up and meets your eyes once more, “I was walking around the parking lot of the hospital when I heard him scream. Then I remembered his stories, and I didn’t even think, I just ran as fast as I could. But by the time I got to him, he was bleeding out on the floor, Sadie. He looked so bad, he was white as a damn ghost, could barely keep his eyes open, I lost it. My instincts… just kicked in.” Scott whispers the last bit as another tear rolls down his cheek.

Jumping to your feet you feel your breathing start to change, as you try to consider what else he could be about to say, but only one thing comes to mind.

“Don’t say it, Scotty, please.” 

He gets to his feet and pulls you into his arms before you collapse, “I did it. I bit him.”

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𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗻𝘂𝘁,

(Billy Hargrove x fem¡OCMayfield)

Samantha Danielle Mayfield finally decides to move to Hawkins with her sister and mother, as well as her mother's new husband and his arrogant son, William "Billy" Hargrove. What they are unaware of is that, gradually, these step-siblings will discover that the line between contempt and passion is more fragile than they supposed, and what begins as shared hostility turns into an intense and undeniable attraction that both find themselves unable to reject.

warnings: read at your own risk, as it includes a continuous sexual environment, profanity, mention of death and suicide, stepsibling relationship, sex, and all its derivatives.

autor’s note: this work is entirely my own creation. that is to say, i have not based it on anyone else, so any resemblance to any other work is purely coincidental, as i have been using this format for all my stories since 2019. i hope you enjoy the story. if you find any translation errors, something you don't understand, or similar, please let me know :p

Chapter one Chapter two Chapter three

━━ ✧♡✧ ━━ ✧♡✧ ━━ ✧♡✧ ━━

Chapter four: Private Dancer - Tina Turner

The rain hit the windshield with a constant rhythm, as if marking the beat of Billy's anger. The windshield wipers moved from side to side, trying to clear the view, but the storm was persistent.

Inside the car, the radio played a hard song, almost drowned out by the sound of the rain. Billy adjusted the volume, letting the strong melody fill the space. The dashboard lights shone dimly, creating an intimate atmosphere in which he was alone with his thoughts.

The air smelled of wet earth, a scent that mixed with the perfume he had chosen for the occasion. Every red light was a pause in his internal monologue, a moment to catch his breath and rehearse in his mind what he would say when he saw the girl he had charmed that night. As he drove, the deserted streets and blurry buildings became the backdrop of his adventure. The city seemed different in the rain, more mysterious, as if it held secrets that were only revealed to those who dared to explore it under the veil of water.

Billy finally arrived, parked the car, and remained silent for a moment, watching the drops slide down the window. He forgot about his date and began to brood over the bad day he had had and how his relationship with his stepsister was getting worse, feeling a slight feeling of sadness that dissipated instantly when a teenager opened the door as his neon lights pointed. She wore only red lace panties that delicately hugged her curves, along with a short lace nightgown that completely exposed her breasts. The reason for their meeting that night was evident. Billy immediately forgot about what had happened during the day, allowing a mischievous smile to form on his face.

Hurriedly, he turned the key and stepped out of the car to avoid getting wet in the rain, although it was futile, since it was impossible, but it was worth it "Who would have thought that all that heat would be in that body today?" he purred with a deep voice, wrapping his arm around the girl's waist and pushing her hips towards his so she could feel his erection, which was already present before seeing his companion that night but she had further fueled his desire

"You did well to let me know your parents wouldn't be home. You needed a babysitter, right?"

The girl simply laughed at his comment, grabbing Billy's denim jacket and pulling him into the house, closing the door behind them.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the noisy night was accompanied by the soft sound of a brush against skin. Sam stood in front of the mirror, her movements reflected in the polished surface as she meticulously applied her makeup. The dim light in the room barely revealed her figure, but her eyes reflected a fierce determination. It was the calm before the storm, the preparation for an escape that promised to be as exciting as it was dangerous.

Max watched from the slightly open door, her silhouette barely visible in the threshold "Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice a whisper that mingled with the darkness.

Sam did not respond immediately, her unwavering concentration as she carefully traced the last eyeliner stroke "Of course, it's easy. You just have to tell them I'm sleeping and not to come into my room", she finally said, her voice full of a confidence that needed no more words.

With one last look in the mirror, Sam stood up, her straight posture defying any doubts that may have existed.

Less than half an hour later, the sound of a familiar engine began to be heard in the distance, a sign that her plan could begin. With high heels in one hand and an umbrella in the other, she carefully opened the window, trying not to make noise. Just as they opened the front door, Sam closed it.

The cold night breeze caressed her face, and a shiver ran down her spine. Despite her careful planning, she couldn't help but sigh in frustration as she felt the mud splash against her bare feet.

Around the corner, Vicki's car came into view, an oasis of fun in the midst of the rainy night. The lights inside illuminated their conspiratorial smiles. "Sammy, get in quickly!" Vicki exclaimed, while Nicole nodded enthusiastically. Sam slid into the backseat, closing the door just as a laugh escaped her lips.

"You have no idea what we have in store for tonight" Nicole began, with her typical annoying girl accent, chewing gum while the car pulled away, leaving behind Samantha's silhouette "Last year's Halloween party was epic, and Tina promised to surpass herself this year".

The excitement for the start of vacations was palpable in the air, almost as dense as the rain that had pounded the streets minutes earlier. But now, the storm had calmed, leaving a trail of shiny drops on the asphalt that reflected the lights of the town.

The three friends, enveloped in a bubble of laughter and plans, talked non-stop. Between confessions and promises of an unforgettable night, the conversation turned to how they would let themselves be carried away by the euphoria of the moment, how they would dance without inhibitions and perhaps flirt with boys under the starry sky that was beginning to appear.

The night promised to be one of those stories that would be told over and over again, each time with more details and more color, as if time embellished the memories. And as Vicki's car slid down the road, the three friends plunged into the anticipation of what was to come, a summer that could be the best of their lives.

They drove through a neighborhood adjacent to Tina's, where a residence stood out, the only one lit on the entire street. The young women chose to pass by without paying attention, absorbed in their conversation about what cassette to play next. In that same residence, Billy was immersed in a difficult task.

Everything went smoothly from the start, but preconceived notions about his stepsister resurfaced in his mind, stopping him at key moments and deeply unsettling the young man. The blonde clenched his eyelids tightly to avoid thinking about it, while executing intense movements that resonated throughout the house.

The girl called the boy, imploring him to look at her and utter words of misconduct at the same time.

(These kids these days and their strange tastes... (≖᷆︵︣≖))

Billy thought it was a good idea, but as he opened his eyes, he thought he saw his stepsister's face in the girl, moving away precipitously, rubbing his eyes fiercely to confirm her identity.

"I have to go..." he announced suddenly, adjusting his pants while his excitement persisted. It could be said that even more... The girl was stunned, not knowing what to do or say.

Hargrove, still panting and sweat-drenched, tried to adjust his bulge, but his tight jeans didn't cooperate in those moments.

Before the girl could react completely, the boy slipped out, closing the door of the residence in her face, hurrying to his car, where anger took hold of him, hitting the steering wheel repeatedly and repeatedly honking the horn, scaring the stray cats that wandered the wet street. Seconds later, a smile returned to his face as he looked at himself in the mirror, running his fingers through his hair and checking the time again, remembering that a girl, whose name he barely remembered, was hosting a party his friends were attending. He quickly forgot about the girl and set off towards the address written on a piece of paper, located among used condom wrappers and cassettes.

He left confident, confident that he would find numerous attractive girls who had come to town for the summer, and that he could seduce with his charming rebel surfer's charm, and enjoy the company of his equally uninhibited friends.

The tires slid on the deserted streets. The engine of his car murmured softly in the quiet night. The streetlights blinked as he passed, reflecting on the hood like shooting stars. As he approached Tina's house, the music grew louder, a persistent bass that throbbed in his chest. Upon arrival , he parked with a loud screech and stepped out of the car. The house was lit up like a lighthouse, laughter and chatter floated in the air. In the front yard, his friends were huddled together, dancing shadows against the warm light emanating from the house.

"Billy, Billy!" they shouted in unison, their voices rising above the music. The bottles in their hands glistened in the moonlight as they raised their arms in a jubilant greeting. "Billy, Billy, Billy!" they sang, again and again, their words becoming a welcome anthem, a cheerful and unrestrained melody that celebrated his arrival.

The blonde responded with a smile, the warmth of the welcome mixing with the coolness of the night. These were his people, his moment, and the night had only just begun.

With a triumphant smile, Billy made his way through his friends and took the bottle of Jack Daniel's from Tommy's hands. He lifted it in a bold gesture and, without hesitation, tilted his head back, letting the amber liquid flow freely. The whiskey slipped down his throat, a warm current that promised euphoria and uninhibition. When he finished, he let out a triumphant shout, a roar that resounded with the energy of the night. A few rogue drops of Jack Daniel's escaped from the corners of his mouth, tracing a damp path down his neck and disappearing under the fabric of his t-shirt. His friends burst into laughter, the sound of their joy mixing with the music inside and the shouts of jubilation.

One of them, still laughing, handed him a cold beer. "To finish off, champ!" they encouraged him, as Billy accepted the bottle with a knowing smile. He opened it with a snap and brought the edge to his lips, ready to continue the celebration. The party was in full swing and, in just a few seconds, Billy was the undisputed protagonist of the night.

The atmosphere was electric, charged with laughter and the murmur of animated conversations. The notes of a soft and seductive song floated in the air, mingling with the bittersweet aroma of beer. They had spent an hour talking about their conquests and academic failures, each anecdote more hilarious than the last. The night was young and the possibilities, endless.

With high spirits fueled by alcohol and camaraderie, they decided to venture into the heart of the party. The house, lit up with dim lights and decorated with colorful garlands, vibrated to the rhythm of the music. As they entered, their bodies began to move almost instinctively, letting themselves be carried away by the melody that promised more than just a dance. That's when he saw her. A silhouette that immediately captured his attention, a girl who danced with the same passion and grace as the slow and sensual song that played. Her hair moved in waves to the rhythm of the music, and although he could only see her back, there was something about her posture that irresistibly drew him in. Surrounded by friends, she was the center of a whirlwind of laughter and fluid movements. With determined but gentle steps, he began to approach. Every step was a beat of the song, every movement a line of the story that was about to be written. The distance shortened and the anticipation grew; he was about to enter the orbit of the unknown, ready to join the dance and discover where the night would take them.

With determined steps, he approached the brunette, letting the music envelop them in its seductive melody. His compliments flowed naturally, expressing his admiration for her skillful movements. With a bold gesture, he slipped his arm smoothly around the girl's waist, feeling the curve of her back under his touch as he pulled her closer to him. The closeness was intoxicating; Billy's hips fit perfectly against the girl's back, forming an intimate connection that moved to the hypnotic rhythm of the song. Every movement was a sensual dance, an improvised choreography that enveloped them in an aura of irresistible attraction. Initially, the girl seemed to tense up, ready to push him away abruptly, but as she felt Billy's firm grip and noticed his athletic physique pressing against her, her reaction changed. Although she still couldn't see him, the sensation of his muscled arm clinging to her, his toned torso against her stomach, and his deep voice resonating in her ear, sparked a spark of intrigue and excitement in her. Moreover, the effect of alcohol clouded her inhibitions, causing worries and doubts to fade into the mist of the party. In that state of disregard and euphoria, she decided to go with the flow, allowing the chemistry of the moment to envelop them in a dance of desire and mutual attraction.

Through the haze of the drink, one of her friends watched every move, although their minds were not entirely clear. The other, with a playful smile, leaned against the other and murmured something unintelligible, but clearly amused. The friend turned and laughed, completely oblivious to her friend's confusion. The stranger with whom she was dancing led her with confidence. The friends, in their alcoholic state, began to speculate with knowing looks and comments between laughs. "Who is that hunk?" one asked, while another replied with an exaggerated shrug. Finally, when the song ended, the expressions of the friends went from amusement to astonishment. "It's Billy!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices rising above the music.

With every move, Billy drew closer to the unknown girl. His hands, skillful and determined, gently roamed the contours of her body as his lips delicately explored the exposed skin of her neck. The touch of his lips sent shivers down the girl's spine, who let herself be carried away by the exhilarating sensation of the moment.

Without warning, Hargrove took the initiative and spun the girl around, pulling her towards him with a fiery impulse. Their kiss was like a spark that ignited desire in both of them, a fire that threatened to consume them completely. Billy's hand slid firmly to rest on the curve of the girl's hip, while his other hand gently clung to her nape, intensifying the contact between their bodies. The sound of the girl's laughter whispered in Billy's ear, causing a mischievous smile to form on his lips. They separated briefly, but their gazes remained connected, charged with complicity and desire. However, when they finally recognized each other, a mix of surprise and complication took hold of their faces, breaking the spell of the magical moment they had shared.

"Sam!?"

Teach Me How to Name the Bigger Light

summary: Following their successful retrieval of the prison, Callum and Rayla embark on a quest to the Starscraper while Ezran deals with mounting political tensions in the Pentarchy following Zubeia’s sudden disappearance. Claudia seeks a new but no less dangerous direction, and Aaravos waits for his pawns to come all into place. Ch1 is linked above. Ch2 is linked below. chapter summary: Claudia dreams (and schemes). Janai and Amaya reach out to an under utilized resource. The kids try to get Katolis (and themselves) in order. word count: 9.7k

Chapter Two: Spectres

They hitched a ride from a water dragon once they got to shore. There were plenty milling around, as the Sea of the Castout was one of the few places that had a body of water this large this far inland, and Ezran had appointed all the dragons to search as far and wide as they could. The three of them rested on the shore, this one pebbled rather than sandy, while Zym flew out and brought one back with Ezran’s help.

It was far from the biggest dragon Ezran had ever seen, but it was sleek and would be fast, its dorsal fins flapping in the wind. He climbed aboard closer to the head, knowing he’d need to give some directions and guidance—most dragons were flighty and were unused to flying in a manner that suited humans (or elves) as passengers—as everyone else clambered on along its coral-like back spikes. Callum helped get Bait situated, Zym’s wings fanning out on either side of his light blue body on the ground. He’d fly part of the way and then they’d rest when need be.

He wondered if they’d all been as relieved to see the Storm Spire for the first time as he was now, the great mountain cutting through the cloud line. It was maybe two hours from dusk, the sun beginning its descent on the Spire’s other side, basking the upper cloud layer in a warm glow as they landed right at the Pinnacle. 

He patted the dragon, Alba, on the nose once they’d all dismounted. ��Do you mind sticking close by?” Ezran requested, voice a little hoarse. Flying high meant your throat dried out twice as fast and they hadn’t had much to drink either, just whatever was leftover in Rayla’s canteen (Callum had made sure she took a few sips for herself). 

Soren had mentioned that Zubeia had been tired after rescuing his brother and Rayla from Lux Aurea, and Ez didn’t know if she’d be up for much even after half a week’s rest. It would’ve taken something serious for her to not show up for them, and especially for Zym. She loved her son and was protective over him more than anything.

The view from the Pinnacle was no less beautiful, though, as Ezran watched Alba circle around and then descend to a lower cloud level, even if they didn’t have time to appreciate it before they headed down the familiar steps to the queen’s personal antechamber. With Ibis gone, if Zubeia needed something she couldn’t get herself, perhaps they could get it for her, just in case she—

She was gone.

Read the rest on AO3

Can We Keep Him pt 2

Chapter one

Jason woke with a jolt, hearing knocking on his door. “Master Jason, it is nearly time for you to leave for school,”Alfred called,”I suggest you hurry if you want to have breakfast.” The teen groaned, about to get up when the memories from last night hit him. Jason’s eyes widened and he sat up with a jolt, not seeing the tiny raccoon kid in his bed. He tried hard not to panic, but hoped the kid didn’t go far. He noticed the fluffy blanket he’d wrapped the kid in was gone, and after doing a quick sweep of his room and looking under his bed he found a crack in the closet door that wasn’t there before. Jason usually kept the door closed, so he hoped the kid might’ve just gone exploring while he was asleep. He eased the sliding door open a bit more, sighing in relief when he saw the kid curled in a ball, tail clutched in his arms like a teddy bear. He’d made a sort of burrow in Jason’s laundry, which wasn’t the weirdest he supposed. Jason figured the kid liked smaller spaces to sleep in, which was understandable given how huge Jason’s room was. 

When Jason had first moved in, he’d slept in the closet too, unused to the big fluffy queen size bed and worried about the other people living in the manor. Eventually, he’d gotten used to the big bed, but he understood a bit about the kid’s preferences now. Easing the door back to the small crack it was open to before, Jason heaved a breath. Now, he had to tell Alfred. There was no way he’d try keeping the kid in his room while he was at school, and no doubt Alfred would be able to help him figure out how to explain everything to Bruce. Sure, he knew he wouldn’t get in trouble for finding the kid and bringing him home, but might be given the disappointed look for waiting until morning to tell Alfred about it. Jason cursed, wishing he had a baby monitor or something before he left for the kitchen. His steps were quiet until he was sure he wouldn’t wake the baby, then he jogged down the hall and slid down the staircase railing, using his fuzzy socks to slide into the kitchen where Alfred was doing dishes. “Master Jason-” Alfred started, no doubt surprised that Jason wasn’t dressed for school yet, but Jason didn’t have time for that. “I snuck out yesterday and found a kid so I brought him home and gave him a bath and I didn’t want to wake you but now he’s asleep in the closet and I have to go to school, can you help me please?” Jason blurted. To Alfred’s credit, he barely blinked before gesturing for Jason to sit down. “Now, care to explain?” He asked, a tad softer but more serious than before. “I was exploring outside because I couldn’t sleep,”Jason began, sitting down with a huff. He was still worried about leaving the kid alone, but knew he owed Alfred an explanation before he met the kid. “I found some trash and went to throw it in the dumpster, but when I opened the lid something hissed at me. I thought it was a cat or maybe a raccoon got stuck in there or something so I turned on my flashlight to get a better look.” Jason paused, looking at Alfred’s calmly raised eyebrow. “I know that’s probably not smart but it wasn’t a raccoon or a cat, kind of. It was a little kid, maybe five or six?” Jason squinted, he wasn’t sure but the kid was so, so small. “He was eating trash, so I bribed him with food to get him out of the dumpster. I don’t think he knows words? He mostly just growled or hissed at me honestly.” Alfred seemed a bit less composed at that information, but Jason soldiered on,”So I got him into the house, gave him a bath and pajamas and wrapped him up in a blanket. When I woke up he was gone though, but I found him curled up in the closet with some blankets.” He finished. “Well, I must say,”Alfred hedged,”There is never a boring day in this house.” “So you’ll help?”Jason brightened, jumping out of his chair. Alfred made a noise much like a sigh before standing himself. “I’d like to meet the little one first, if that’s alright,”Alfred asked, and Jason nodded, leading the man to his room. Before long, the two of them were creeping into Jason’s room quietly. Jason eased the closet open wide enough for Alfred to catch a glimpse of the tiny raccoon child curled up, face pressed into his tail. To Alfred’s credit, he barely batted an eye, but Jason could see a fond smile on his face at the cute scene. “I do say, it might be easier on him if you stay home from school today, Master Jason,”Alfred whispered when Jason had closed the closet back up. The teen sighed in relief. As much as he enjoyed school, he didn’t want to leave the little guy alone. “Thanks Alfie,”Jason slumped. He followed Alfred back out into the hallway, but kept his door open in case the kid woke up. “What do we do now?” “For now, wait until he wakes up on his own,”Alfred started. “You said he was not responding to words?” “Yeah, I asked him questions but it didn’t seem like he knew what I was saying,”Jason frowned. “But he didn’t bite or scratch me, and he ate a lot of the snacks I had.” “I’ll keep something warm for when he wakes,”Alfred hummed. “But we do need to explain this to Master Bruce.” Jason grimaced. “It is a good thing that he left early for a board meeting and won’t be home until later,”Alfred added. “Perfect amount of time to get the child acclimated to myself and the manor.” “Thanks Alfie,”Jason grinned. Then he thought about what might happen when Bruce got home.”You think B will be able to find his family or something?” Alfred frowned, glancing back to the closet. “I doubt any family he has would care for him the way you have, considering where you found him,”Alfred said, then added,”I don’t doubt that Master Bruce would be hard pressed to care for him as well, should no other suitable options arise.” “Yes,”Jason fist-pumped. ”I’ve always wanted a little brother.”

Alfred merely smiled.

An hour and a half had passed before Alfred agreed to let Jason wake up the small child for some food. Jason hadn’t left the room the entire time, worried the little guy would run off and hide again. The whole time he’d been waiting he spent looking up raccoon facts on his phone. He was happy to note that most raccoons don’t get sick when they eat garbage foods and are able to get rid of most of the toxins in the garbage food during the digestion process. With any luck, the kid will be disease free, even from living in the wild most of his life. Carefully, he opened the closet door and sat down in the opening, not too close to the kid. “Hey little guy, it’s time to wake up,”Jason cooed softly. He had a cookie in his hand as a backup plan, and had convinced Alfred to stay in the kitchen until he brought him downstairs. “You’re gonna miss breakfast if you sleep all day,” He added, spotting the twitch of one of his fuzzy ears. “Good morning sleepyhead,”Jason called, brightening when he saw a sleepy blue eye peek out from behind a blanket. He held up the cookie to where the kid could see it, and held in a laugh when the sleepy boy reached for it, yawning into a stretch at the same time. Jason stayed where he was, letting the kid wake up a bit as he stretch a little more and crawled out of the blanket cave and onto Jason’s lap to get the cookie. He gave it to him, standing and lifting the small furry kid into his arms. The kid seemed too tired to protest, and just rested his head on Jason’s shoulder while nibbling at his snickerdoodle. The urge to take a picture of his cute little face was overwhelming, but Jason shook it off and made his way downstairs. “You’ll get to meet Alfred,”Jason continued, despite the fact that the kid didn’t know what he was saying,”He’s really nice, and knows how to cook all kinds of food,” Jason rambled. The kid, now done with his cookie, latched onto Jason’s shirt and glanced around the manor. His eyes seemed to catch on to photographs and plants around the halls.”You’ll love him, I promise,”He murmured, approaching the kitchen with a bit of dread. Jason kept his eyes on the toddler, but knew the moment Alfred came into view by the way the kid’s claws gripped his shirt, digging in far enough to prick his skin. He hid a wince and tried to reassure the kid, but he hissed towards the butler, curling closer to Jason. Alfred hummed, then to Jason’s confusion, he sat down on the floor criss cross and motioned for Jason to do the same. He shrugged mentally, and lowered to the ground. Letting go of the kid, Jason looked back to Alfred in confusion. “Let him get used to me first, Master Jason,”Alfred suggested, keeping calm when the kid sniffed and tried to climb out of Jason’s lap. Jason watched with trepidation as the kid explored, surprising the teen when he walked straight up to Alfred. The man stayed still, even when the kid leaned forward and sniffed his suit. He seemed very interested in one of the buttons, but before he could accidentally detach it, Alfred revealed a small bowl of apple slices he’d hidden behind his back. Jason grinned, standing up to come closer as he watched the kid sit in Alfred’s lap to eat a slice. “He likes you,” Jason cooed. Alfred gave a wry smile, scooping up the kid with one arm and holding the apple slices in the other. “I presume the young master likes anyone who gives him food,”Alfred said, albeit a bit sadly. He was no stranger to malnourished kids, that was for certain. He gave a good look at the kid, noting how he seemed to be of a healthy weight for a child, how to fix the knots in the child’s hair, and to get him some new clothes his size. The man wondered if he could send Jason and Bruce with a list. No doubt he could trust Jason with the list, but despite Bruce’s proficiency in most things, shopping was not one of them. Despite what his adopted son would protest, Alfred was counting on Jason to change Bruce’s mind about keeping the child. He’d suspected Jason was a bit lonely in the big house, and having another little one would make the manor seem livelier to the old man. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have the capabilities to care for him, especially considering his appearance. Alfred carried the toddler to the old wooden highchair he’d found in the attic earlier and sat him down. Jason took the seat next to him, keeping him in his seat with the apple slices Alfred passed to him while the man buckled him in. The kid just chirped at nothing in particular and crunched another slice. “I think he likes crunchy things better,”Jason hummed, accepting the plate of pancakes with a side of eggs and hashbrowns. It immediately caught the attention of the kid, and he sniffed the air towards Jason. To Jason’s surprise, Alfred sat a plate down in front of the kid too, albeit filled with less than Jasons and cut up into smaller bits. “So what do we do now? Is there a bat thing we could check to find his identity or something?” Jason commented. “Master Bruce will no doubt check when he arrives,”Alfred starts, “Why don’t you and I set up some things for the little one, hm? I’m sure we can scrounge up some of Master Bruce’s old clothes that should fit the young man.” “Really? You still have Bruce’s baby clothes?” Jason barked a laugh, catching the kids attention. The little guy was busy stuffing pancakes in his chubby cheeks. “Indeed. Now finish your breakfast, and we can go look through storage,”Alfred hummed. Jason didn’t need to be told twice, and scarfed down his food. He spent most of the meal looking over the kid. He was surprisingly tidy, despite eating with his hands. The kid seemed to like the crunch of the bacon best, but it was hard to tell since he ate everything. Jason kind of wondered if he ever stopped eating. Jason helped Alfred clean up the dishes, leaving the kid in the high chair a few feet away. “Shit-”Jason exclaimed when he turned around. Somehow the kid had gotten out of the high chair buckle and was standing up, looking ready to jump. His exclamation made Alfred turn, but he was rushing to the kid, who stopped trying to jump when he saw Jason approach. Big blue eyes chirped at him and Jason scooped him up in his arms. “Please don’t do that again,”He said, looking to see the unbuckled seat belt in the high chair. “You scared me nearly to death.” The kid chirped again, wiggling in Jason’s arms to try to get down. Nervously, Jason let him down, following close behind as he immediately took off to explore. “Uh Alfred?” Jason called, a bit panicky. “He’s doing no harm,”The man commented, “I recall raccoons and little boys being curious creatures. Perhaps you can find some toys or puzzles for him.” “Oh, I think there’s a few puzzles in the living room,”Jason muttered, following the kid to the hallway. He seemed to be heading to the front door, but Jason wasn’t sure. The little guy ducked under a side table, then scrambled to a cabinet. He had trouble pulling it open, but eventually got it open a crack. It was just extra blankets, and he stuck his hands in the drawer to feel the softness. Jason followed along when the kid changed course, taking a moment to look at a portrait in the foyer of a younger Bruce and his parents. Amused, he watched the kid reach up and try to open the hall closet. He stood up on his tippy toes to fiddle with the door handle. It took him a minute, but the kid managed to turn it to the left enough for it to click. Jason nearly laughed when an umbrella fell on the kid when the door opened. His tail shot out and he squeaked, running back to Jason while clutching his head. “Aw, did it get you?” Jason cooed, picking up the kid and cradling him to his chest. He pet the kid’s hair, avoiding the ears. “Wanna go see what Alfred’s up to?” Jason didn’t expect an answer anyway, and they made their way back to the kitchen. On the way, the little raccoon climbed up to Jason’s shoulder to pull his hair. It didn’t hurt so he let the kid do what he wanted. “Hey Alfie, ready to raid the storage?” Jason asked, head tilted towards the kid, who was still holding onto his hair. “Indeed,”Alfred said with a smile, and Jason had the sudden thought that he hadn’t ever seen the man smile so much in one day. “If you would follow me.” Jason had fun looking through the dust covered boxes. He and the tiny toddler parked themselves at a few opened boxes labeled clothes and started sorting through them. While Alfred dug up some sippy cups and a car seat, Jason busied himself with finding clothes that might actually fit the kid. He held up a shirt he thought would fit, only for the kid to push it back down into the box and climbed inside. Jason sighed, leaning on the box. “We really gotta get a name for you,”he said sadly. The kid sneezed, probably because of the dust they’d been disturbing. “How about a nickname?” Jason asked, bringing a cute little bear sweater out of the box the kid wasn’t sitting in. It seemed a bit too big, but he could grow into it, Jason thought. He added it to the pile anyways.  “Baby raccoons are called kits, right?” Jason rambled, looking through clothes while the kid curled up in the musty box to take a nap. No doubt raccoon fur was going to stick to everything in there, he thought. But back to nicknames, he could think of a few. “Could call you Rascal, or Squirt, maybe Baby Bird since Dick calls me Little Wing sometimes. No, that’s too long.” Jason sighed. “I’ll figure it out eventually,”He said, reaching over to pet the kid’s hair. As much as the kid seemed to enjoy touch, Jason grimaced at the feel of all the knots he couldn’t get out of the kid’s hair. “Hey Alf,”Jason called softly. He waited until the man looked over to gesture to the kid.”Do you know anything about getting tangles out?” Alfred hummed, coming over to the two after setting a box down. He appraised Jason’s small pile of clothes with a nod before softening at the curled up kid in the box. “Yes, I’d be happy to help the young master,”Alfred said fondly. “Would you mind taking the two boxes downstairs for me? I believe I can locate some shoes for the lad in the meantime.” “Sure thing,”Jason said, and hopped to his feet. The boxes weren’t heavy, but big enough to need two trips. Glancing inside, he could see some sippy cups, baby spoons and plastic plates and bowls. He wondered if Bruce’s parents kept these for if Bruce ever had a baby. Jason grinned, hoping that little tidbit would sway Bruce into keeping the kid. He brought the box down in no time, and inspected the second box. Inside were a few parenting books, a stuffed animal elephant and frog, and some baby toys. Jason wasn’t sure how old they were supposed to be for, but he didn’t know the kid’s age either. He found one toy that the kid might have fun chewing on though. After dropping the boxes off near the living room, Jason came back to find the box empty and the kid snuggled in Alfred’s arm. With his other hand, he was organizing more clothes into another box to bring down. A small pair of blue velcro shoes were off to the side that were soon added to the box. “He asleep?” Jason asked, peering up at the kid. He had his tail wrapped to his front, holding on with his hands and pressing his face into it and Alfred’s chest. Alfred nodded, rocking back and forth a bit. “Perhaps we can convince the young one of a haircut when he wakes,”Alfred suggested. He then gestured to the box at his feet. “Would you be so kind as to take this box?” Jason nodded, picking it up with no trouble and following Alfred back down to the first floor. He then helped Alfred load the old clothes into the laundry, all while the kid slept cuddled in Alfred’s arms. They migrated to the kitchen then, where Alfred started on lunch. He passed the sleeping kid to Jason, who sat on one of the window couches with the kid curled in his lap and pulled out his phone. “Raccoons are like cats, but they’re more like dogs,”Jason read out. He’d started looking up raccoon facts to see if they might relate to the kid. He hoped it would be useful. “Actually, they’re more related to bears. They don’t hibernate exactly, but they have a few weeks where they sleep during winter.” “Raccoons have night vision, and the thing that cats have in their eyes that make them shine in the dark,”Jason explained. Absently, he pet the kid’s hair as he read aloud to Alfred. He was like a heater, warming Jason’s lap like a heated blanket. He wondered if this was what having a pet felt like. “They also don’t have great eyesight, and lack depth perception,”Jason frowned. He thought about how they could test that. Would the kid need glasses? Slowly, as Jason read out loud and the smells of lunch started to waft in the air, the kid stirred. Jason resisted the urge to coo at the way he yawned and stretched. The little guy stayed curled up a bit longer before catching a whiff of something from the kitchen. After that, he abandoned Jason pretty quickly. Jason huffed in amusement but followed the kid to find him practically glued to the man’s leg. He sat at one of the bar stools while the raccoon begged Alfred for food with the most adorable puppy eyes. Even Alfred wasn’t  immune, and before long he’d handed Jason a handful of grapes and buckled the kid into the highchair next to him. Grinning, Jason busied himself with feeding the kid grapes while Alfred finished up. “I think he likes fruit a lot too,”Jason said absently, passing the kid another. He seemed content to stay in the high chair as long as he was being fed. It was good to know, considering they now knew he could get out of it without issues. “Or maybe he just really likes food,”Jason amended. “I imagine that once he has a stable source of food, he may not feel the need to eat as much or as often,”Alfred pointed out, and yeah, that made sense. Jason himself had taken a while to adapt to it after living on the streets. It made sense that the kid was still in survival mode. He wondered if the kid would want a food stash like the one Jason had in his room. “I think he might have food aggression too,”Jason said, passing a grape to the little black grabby hands. He was speaking from experience, and still felt a bit of panic everytime someone even tried to take a bite of his food. “So be careful not to take food away I guess.” “I suppose we can try a sort of barter system with him,”Alfred hummed. He brought over a plate of sandwich- chicken salad, Jason thought, and cut vegetables on the side- to the kid along with a sippy cup filled with water. The little guy brightened, forgetting about the few grapes Jason had left in favor of picking up a slice of sandwich. He sniffed it first, peeling back the bread and eating the inside, getting mayonnaise on his face and hands. “Thanks Alf,”Jason said when he set an identical plate down in front of the teen. Only there were some chips on the side as well as vegetables. Jason amused himself with looking up more raccoon facts while they ate, and watching the kid scarf down his food. In no time, he was turning his puppy eyes to Jason, who lasted a solid five seconds before he handed him the last of the grapes. And some carrot sticks. Alfred slid over some more vegetable sticks to the kid, who delighted in the crunch of the celery, carrots and cucumber. He didn’t seem to like the broccoli as much but still ate it. The kid growled a bit at Alfred when he wiped the kid’s face and hands with a wet washcloth, but didn’t bite or scratch him like Jason worried. After that, Jason was tasked with bringing the laundry out of the dryer and into the living room with the toddler while Alfred cleaned up. “I should have expected this,”Jason sighed, looking down at the kid basking in the warm clothes fresh out of the dryer. He shrugged, then picked up the basket filled with clothes and kid to bring to the couch. “Alright,”Jason grinned, “What do you wanna wear?” He didn’t get an answer, but managed to pull out a few things before the kid swiped at him for stealing his warmth. Holding up the little bear sweater he’d found earlier, Jason figured the kid might want to wear something warm. It wasn’t to cold outside yet, but winter was only a few months away. Jasonshivered, thinking of the kid alone outside during winter. Shaking his head, he brushed past the thought in favor of wrestling the kid out of the big t-shirt and into the sweater. He didn’t seem to mind, but didn’t like wearing the shorts as much. Jason couldn't really tell if it was a tail thing or a no pants thing in general, but the kid didn’t try to take them off. The socks, however, were taken off immediately, and Jason didn’t have the guts to fight him over it.

chapter 3 

Put this on twitter and I want to put it here as well but with some more thoughts

While I disagree with some of the point James Ransone made in those infamous dms, I find it entirely plausible that:

A) There is a deeply ingrained connection between mainstream filmmaking and support for Israel and genocide (major studio support of China is another example of this)

B) the gay subplot in chapter two was mainly for monetary gain

A is self explanatory enough at this point but I want to explain B. I have read It by Stephen King. Eddie is FARRRR more queer coded than Richie, mainly through parallels to Adrian Mellon and his complex relationships towards female love interests throughout the book. Richie is more debatable. Yet, Richie was the only character made queer in the movies. If the filmmakers wanted to be loyal to the books, they would have made Eddie the more obviously queer one like in the 1990 adaptation. This is not what happened.

Finn Wolfhard did not know Richie was gay until production on the second movie took place. I can't find the quote for this but I remember it's in some behind the scenes interview for chapter two. There is also the scene in chapter one where all the boys (including Richie) are oggling over Beverly. Why did the producers on It opt to make Richie gay, seemingly last minute? They clearly cut it from chapter one despite using parts of Fukunaga's script. It makes me wonder if they didn't think it would sell and decided to make a queer character only after seeing how fans interacted with the first movie.

I hope this makes sense! I'm thinking on making a video essay on the mischaracterization of Beverly Marsh and how the film sexualizes children far more than the book but I'm not sure yet.

Denji's reached his breaking point.

I am so excited to introduce my entry for @kinnporschebigbang, done in collaboration with the wonderful and delightful @shubaka!

Summary:

"Are you a ghost?" Chay blurts out. "Are you..." He can't bring himself to say dead.

"I'm not a ghost," Kim snips, halfway between disgusted and disgruntled. "I'm just... a little incorporeal at the moment." He crosses his arms and won't meet Chay's eyes as he says it.

Fic on AO3

Podfic on AO3