#I will never NOT think about that outfit I drew mine in for pride month okay. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

antiadvil · 4 years

Text

i AIM 2 b w/ u

summary: Dan’s life is a little bit of a mess. He met his only friend through a chat website, and Dan doesn’t even know what he looks like. The only person he’s ever come out to is said friend. He’s wasting his gap year away.

But hey, at least there’s that cute boy he met at London Pride.

rating: PG13

wc: 4k

notes: for the @phandomreversebang! lovely art created by @anironsidh and betaing provided by @quackitity (also stay tuned for @judearaya‘s version which i betaed and is very good)

read on ao3 or under the cut

Dan glanced at the time. He had a few minutes to kill before he had to catch his train to London Pride, he decided, so he logged into his laptop and opened AIM.

His heart skipped a beat. His best (and only, if he was being honest) friend was online. He sent him a message.

danisnotonfire: hey

amazingphil: hi!!!

He and Amazingphil had met in a chat room about five months ago. They bonded a bit over their sexualities, and then Dan sent him a PM about Muse, and then here they were, still messaging almost every day since.

amazingphil: what r u doing?

danisnotonfire: im never doing anything

amazingphil: lol

amazingphil: yes u r >.<

amazingphil: guess what im doing

danisnotonfire: what

amazingphil: guess >:(

danisnotonfire: no >:)

amazingphil: pls

danisnotonfire: hmm

danisnotonfire: maybe

amazingphil: hurry up

danisnotonfire: wait im thinking of a good one

danisnotonfire: ok

danisnotonfire: ur running away from the police bc u stole the crown jewels

amazingphil: no u spork

amazingphil: im picking out an outfit

danisnotonfire: an outfit? :0

danisnotonfire: u wear clothes?

amazingphil: i hate u

amazingphil: i have Plans today

Dan glanced at the clock. He had to leave soon for his own plans, but he still felt a tiny bit jealous.

danisnotonfire: you have Plans?

amazingphil: yes

amazingphil: what r u doing?

Dan checked the time again. He frowned. He had to leave now if he wanted to make his train.

danisnotonfire: getting ready to take a train

danisnotonfire: g2g actually sry

danisnotonfire: c u?

He didn’t wait to see amazingphil’s response before he closed his laptop and bolted for the door.

The train ride to London was nerve wracking but uneventful. Dan had never travelled so far on his own before, and his mother’s warnings rang in his head. As tempted as he was to pull out his phone and pretend to be busy, he kept himself alert, his phone safely stowed in his pocket and his backpack clutched in his lap.

His mother didn’t know where he was going. No one knew where he was going. It was a little bit scary, but also exhilarating. He could do anything; he could be anyone, as long as he was on the 8pm train home.

When his train pulled into the station, it was easy to follow the crowd of people in rainbow apparel to the parade site. Dan’s train had arrived a tiny bit late, and it looked like the parade had already started.

The street was crowded, but Dan wriggled and elbowed his way to the front of the crowd, where he had a decent view of his first ever Pride parade. He found himself sandwiched between two girls holding hands and a dark haired boy who looked about Dan’s age.

“Hey,” Dan found himself shouting to the boy next to him.

The boy glanced over, flicking dark hair out of his eyes. “Hey,” he shouted back. “What brings you here?”

“I’m gay,” Dan shouted. He laughed. It was so exhilarating to say out loud that he said it again. “I’m gay!”

The boy laughed. “Me too,” he said. “What a coincidence.”

“What’s your name?” Dan asked.

“Phil,” the boy replied. “You?”

“Dan,” he said back.

“Well, Dan, is this your first pride?”

Dan nodded. “What about you?”

Phil shook his head. “This is my third.”

“Wow,” Dan said.

Phil laughed. “It’s not that many. I’m sure there are some people here who have been to every single one.” He nodded toward a group of older men riding on a passing float.

Dan tried to wrap his mind around the fact that there had been fewer than forty London Prides. That everything around him was new and fragile and still in its infancy. “That’s crazy,” he said. “That that’s even possible, I mean.”

Phil nodded emphatically. “I know, right? If I had been born just fifty years earlier…” He shuddered.

“It’s not like it’s that great to be gay right now either,” Dan admitted.

“No,” Phil admitted. He looked down.

They were silent for a few moments.

“Sorry,” Dan said, clearing his throat. “I kinda killed the mood there, didn’t I?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Phil said. He shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with the plastic rainbow flag in his hands. “Does your family know you’re here?” he added softly.

Dan shook his head, eyes welling with tears.

“I’m so sorry,” Phil said in a rush, “That was such a personal question, I don’t know why I-”

“It’s okay,” Dan said softly.

Phil hovered awkwardly just at the edge of Dan’s personal space. “Um, do you want a hug or-”

“Yes,” Dan said, immediately crushing himself into Phil’s arms and squeezing his eyes shut.

He resolutely ignored the tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

“Shh,” Phil said, holding him tighter. “It’s going to be okay.”

Dan didn’t know why he believed everything this beautiful stranger said, but he did.

It was going to be okay. Dan let that message sink into his body, settle in his stomach, until his limbs felt less shaky and his footing more solid. He pulled away from Phil, wiping his eyes.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I don’t know what that was.”

“It’s okay,” Phil said. “It’s your first Pride; it’s overwhelming. Are you from nearby?”

“I’m from near Reading,” Dan said.

Phil whistled. “That’s pretty far.”

Dan shrugged. “No one will recognize me here.”

Phil nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Dan shrugged again. “It’s okay.”

“Well, I hope you have a good time. It’s a lot of fun.”

Dan looked around at everyone wearing various different pride flags, all of the floats covered in rainbow. “I think I will.”

Dan and Phil stayed together for the rest of the parade, bumping shoulders and pointing out people with particularly funny signs. When the last float passed, though, Dan realized he didn’t want to break apart.

He turned to Phil to say so, but before he could open his mouth, Phil interrupted him, looking nervous. “Actually, um, if you don’t have anywhere to be yet, I thought we could hang out for a bit? Get coffee or something?”

Dan had left a few hours after Pride for exploring London, maybe even looking at some colleges so what he told his mum wasn’t a complete lie, but he’d rather spend them with Phil. “I’d love coffee,” he said.

Phil brightened. “There’s a Starbucks really close by. If you like Starbucks?”

“I love Starbucks,” Dan said. He loved anywhere Phil wanted to drink coffee together.

“Perfect,” Phil said, already walking, presumably towards the Starbucks. “My treat.”

“Oh, you don’t have to-” Dan scrambled to keep up.

“Please,” Phil said, smiling. “It’s the least I can do.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “In exchange for what?”

“You travelled all the way to London to see me,” Phil smiled.

Dan rolled his eyes even harder. “It wasn’t to see you, dummy-”

Phil gasped in mock betrayal. “It wasn’t?”

“No,” Dan said, “It was to learn and grow as a person, to find myself, to-”

“Shut up,” Phil said, giggling. “Just let me buy you coffee.”

“Fine,” Dan said, pouting.

“Perfect,” Phil said, leading Dan into a Starbucks, “Now come on.”

Dan’s coffee was delicious, but he let it cool in his hands as their conversation went on. He and Phil had a lot in common, and their conversation flowed easily. They both followed a lot of the same online creators, they had similar taste in music, and they had similar senses of humor. They even had nearly matching hairstyles, Phil pointed out with a laugh.

“It’s a cool hairstyle,” Dan said defensively. Phil didn’t need to know that the only way Dan could make it look even slightly good was by straightening it every morning.

“Of course it is,” Phil said. “It’s mine.”

Dan rolled his eyes and lightly shoved Phil.

When Dan finally finished his coffee, he looked at it regretfully. “I guess I should get going.”

Phil hesitated. “I don’t know if you want to go back to my apartment or anything?”

Dan nodded, then looked at his watch. It was getting dark out. “Fuck. I can’t. My train.”

Phil’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Oh. Well, can I walk you to your train at least?”

Dan smiled. “Yeah. That’d be nice.”

It was lucky that Phil had offered to walk him, honestly, because Dan was completely turned around. London was one of the most confusing cities he’d ever been in, but Phil seemed to know his way around it like the back of his hand.

“Here you go,” he said, pointing out the train station Dan had arrived at earlier in the day. He shoved his hands in his pockets, staring at Dan with an intensity that made him blush. “I don’t want to go,” he admitted.

Phil drew closer, and Dan glanced around nervously. There were a few people around. No one seemed to be paying much attention, but that could change.

Fuck it, Dan decided. It was Pride. If there was ever a day for kissing cute boys in public, it was today. As Phil leaned in closer, Dan closed the gap and pressed their lips together.

It was sweet, shorter than Dan would have liked, but as Phil pulled away Dan noticed a man standing at the other end of the street, glaring. Dan could see Phil looking too.

“How about I just stick with you until your train comes?” Phil said lightly, but Dan could see his eyes still on the man on the other end of the street, who made eye contact for another second before finally turning away.

Dan felt the tension in his shoulders unwind just the slightest bit. “That’d be great,” he said.

Phil hovered protectively by Dan’s side for the next few minutes until his train came. Dan wouldn’t be much good in a fight, and he didn’t get the sense that Phil would be either, but his presence was reassuring. When it was time to say goodbye, Phil opted for a hug.

Dan sank into his arms gratefully. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Of course,” Phil whispered back.

“Stay safe,” Dan whispered.

“I will,” Phil promised, pulling back. “See you?”

“Yeah,” Dan said. “I hope so.”

Barely a minute after Dan boarded his train, his phone buzzed.

phil: did u make it?

Dan smiled.

dan: yes

dan: ty 4 coffee btw, it was good

phil: :)

phil: b safe

dan: u 2

He waited a bit with his phone out, wondering if Phil would say anything more, but he didn’t, so Dan closed his phone and put it away. He let his head fall back against his seat and turned to look out the window, watching London pass by until it was left firmly behind him.

***

The first thing Dan did when he got back home was check AIM. Almost as soon as he logged in, he got a message.

amazingphil: ur back!

amazingphil: where were u :0

Dan hesitated. He didn’t know why he felt like lying.

danisnotonfire: i have a life that isnt online u kno

amazingphil: D:

amazingphil: betrayal

Dan didn’t talk much about his offline life with Amazingphil. He knew the basics: Dan was gay, no one knew, everyone still managed to give him shit for it somehow. But he didn’t know where Dan lived, his little brother’s name, or that he had traveled to London today for Pride.

And if he said something about Pride, then he’d be asked how it went. And then he’d have to talk about Phil. And he didn’t want to talk about Phil for some reason.

danisnotonfire: u have a life offline too

danisnotonfire: remember u said u had plans 2day?

amazingphil: :0

amazingphil: i guess i did

danisnotonfire: howd they go?

amazingphil: good :3

danisnotonfire: is that all ur gonna say

amazingphil: yes :P

amazingphil: i need 2 have mystery or ull lose interest

danisnotonfire: :0

danisnotonfire: i would never

amazingphil: good

danisnotonfire: now tell me

amazingphil: no

danisnotonfire: ಠ_ಠ

amazingphil: :D

amazingphil: it wasnt really interesting anyway lolol

amazingphil: i dont wanna bore u

danisnotonfire: impossible

danisnotonfire: u could never bore me D:

amazingphil: i could

amazingphil: law

amazingphil: textbooks

amazingphil: school

amazingphil: math

amazingphil: r u asleep yet

danisnotonfire: (-_-)zzz

amazingphil: c? told u

danisnotonfire: ok ok

danisnotonfire: u win

Dan still wanted to know what Amazingphil had been up to, but Amazingphil didn’t seem like he wanted to tell, so Dan decided to let it drop. He started to type up a question about whether or not Amazingphil had seen a video uploaded by a YouTuber they both followed, but he was interrupted.

amazingphil: im kinda tired actually

amazingphil: i think im going to bed

Dan’s smile dropped. He had been looking forward to talking to Amazingphil.

danisnotonfire: :(

danisnotonfire: good night!

amazingphil: good night!

He went offline. Dan stayed online for a bit longer, but no one else was really there, and none of the chat rooms he normally joined were interesting that night. Eventually, he gave up. He went to bed early too.

***

He woke up the next morning to a string of texts from Phil. He smiled, grabbing his phone and rolling over to read through them.

phil: hey i have some free time this wknd

phil: i could visit maybe?

phil: if ur free 2

Dan smiled harder.

dan: im free :]

dan: idk why u want 2 visit tho theres nothing here

phil: theres u

Dan had to put his phone down for a second to make sure his face did not actually combust from how hot it was getting.

dan: thatd be nice :3 i miss u

phil: lol, we saw each other yesterday

phil: (i miss u 2 :3)

dan: call me? :3

Dan’s phone started ringing immediately. He picked up. “Why would you want to visit Wokingham?” he asked. “London is way cooler.”

“But you’re not in London,” Phil said.

“I can be,” Dan said, his mind already racing to find excuses for visiting again so soon. “I could say-”

“Dan,” Phil cut him off with a laugh. “I want to visit you. Calm down.”

Dan hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Dan,” Phil said. “Why? Are you?”

Dan hesitated. “It’s not that I don’t want to see you again; I really do. But I mean, there are so many people here who know me and I’m not really out. To anyone. Except you.” And someone online, he added silently in his head.

“That’s okay,” Phil said. “We don’t have to- do anything gay if you don’t want to.” He paused. “At least not in public,” he added hopefully.

Dan chewed on his lip. “Even if my parents were out of the house, my little brother is really nosy. Sorry, I don’t think we’d be able to go there.”

“That’s okay,” Phil said, even though Dan thought he still sounded a little bit disappointed. “I’d still like to visit you. I don’t want to make you come to London every time we want to see each other.”

Butterflies erupted in Dan’s stomach. Every time? This wasn’t a one off thing?

“That’s sweet,” he said. “But really, London seems better in pretty much-”

“Awesome,” Phil said. “What time can you pick me up from the train station this Saturday?”

***

Dan opened AIM again, halfheartedly hoping that Amazingphil had come online in the five minutes he’d had AIM closed. He hadn’t, so Dan sighed, closing it again. He checked his twitter for another five minutes, then opened AIM again.

Amazingphil’s away message wasn’t even descriptive: “How much pain has cracked your soul? How much love would make you whole?” Just a Muse lyric. If it meant something, Dan wasn’t going to bother trying to decipher it.

Dan closed AIM again. He opened twitter. He closed twitter, and opened AIM. He repeated the cycle until it was time to pick Phil up at the train station.

Luckily, his mum didn’t ask why he needed the car, just absentmindedly handed him the keys and told him to drive safely. He parked near the train station, hoping he wouldn’t forget where he left the car.

“So this is Wokingham!” Phil said when he got off his train.

Dan nodded. “This is Wokingham.” Phil was disturbingly excited to be in Dan’s town. Dan wasn’t sure why, it was nothing compared to London.

Phil jumped up and down, smiling. Dan couldn’t help but smile back.

“So,” Phil said. “Show me the sights! Hear me the sounds! What is there to do around here?”

Dan shrugged. “Uh, I don’t really go out a lot. But there’s this coffee place I go to a lot if you don’t mind more coffee?”

Phil narrowed his eyes. “Is it Starbucks?”

Dan laughed. “Starbucks? You wish. Phil, I am going to take you to the indiest, least mainstream coffeeshop you have ever been to.”

Phil blinked. “Low bar, if I’m being honest.”

“After this, you’ll never be able to go to a Starbucks again without being disappointed.”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Tall order.” He giggled. “Get it? Tall order? Because Starbucks drinks are-”

Dan rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help giggling either. “Shut up.”

Phil’s tongue poked out when he laughed, Dan noticed. “Never. I will not be silenced.”

Dan shook his head. “Disappointing.”

Phil pouted.

Dan relented. “It was a little bit funny.”

Phil immediately perked up. “You think I’m funny?”

Dan rolled his eyes so hard they hurt.

Phil giggled.

“Shut up,” Dan said. “Let’s go.”

When they got to the coffee shop, Phil spent an obnoxious amount of time reading the menu.

“It’s just coffee,” Dan said. “It’s not that complicated.”

“It is absolutely that complicated,” Phil insisted. He ended up taking about ten minutes to decide what to order, and when he did it was the same caramel macchiato he had ordered at the Starbucks they went to in London.

Dan reached past Phil to put a wad of pound notes on the counter. “My treat,” he said. “Since you got the train tickets and all.”

Phil glared at Dan and stuffed a wad of pound notes in the tip jar.

Oh well. At least Dan could say he tried. And the barista, who was honestly a little bit cute, seemed very happy about it, so Dan was going to call this a win.

Their coffee was ready in just a few minutes, and Dan watched Phil’s face carefully as he took his first sip of his caramel macchiato. “How is it?” he asked.

Phil closed his eyes. “It’s amazing.”

“Better than Starbucks?”

Phil’s eyes flew open. “Now, now. I didn’t say that,” he said.

Dan snorted at the look of near-panic on Phil’s face. “Don’t worry, Phil. I won’t tell Starbucks you’ve been cheating on her.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Dan. You’re such a good friend.”

Dan looked down. Friend. He didn’t want to act ungrateful, but he had been hoping that Phil didn’t want to only be his friend.

Phil groaned. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Dan looked up, confused.

“Sorry,” Phil said. “I kind of just got out of a relationship, and I know we live in different cities, so I don’t know if it’s honestly the best idea, but I really like you. And I want to make it work. If you do too.”

Dan smiled. “I think I’d like that.”

Their coffee date- date? Was this a date? It really seemed like a date- well, whatever it was, it went well. Phil admitted that this coffee was, in fact, superior to Starbucks. He told Dan a bit about his job- he worked as a video editor- and asked Dan about his. Dan was a little embarrassed to admit he worked at Asda, but Phil didn’t seem fazed. Before long, Dan was telling stories about all the outraged customers he’d dealt with, and Phil was laughing along.

Dan let himself relax a little bit. It didn’t seem like Phil was going to judge him.

They spent the rest of the day wandering around Wokingham. There really wasn’t much to see, but Dan pointed out all of the places he and his friends used to spend time, before, well, they stopped being Dan’s friends, and all of the little coffee shops and secondhand clothing stores he still went to.

When Phil got on his train home, he didn’t kiss him. Dan knew too many people in Wokingham for that. But Phil did hug him, tightly, and Dan whispered a promise to visit soon in his ear.

***

When Dan got back to his room, the first thing he did was check AIM.

Amazingphil still had the same away message as that morning. Dan sighed. Why was he so hard to reach today?

Oh well. There were other things to do on the internet anyway. Twitter was boring today, but there was always YouTube, and random AIM chatrooms where he didn’t know anyone. Dan lost track of time, chatting with someone he was pretty convinced was a fifty year old man pretending to be a teenager, until he got a notification that Amazingphil was online.

He immediately closed his other chat window; the fifty year old man would have to wait.

danisnotonfire: ur back!!! :D

amazingphil: lol

amazingphil: im back :D

danisnotonfire: was ur relaxing day unplugged relaxing

amazingphil: lol

amazingphil: yes

amazingphil: i had a good day :)

danisnotonfire: that’s good

amazingphil: i was thinking though

amazingphil: u know what’s weird

amazingphil: i don’t know what u look like >.<

amazingphil: we should skype or something

danisnotonfire: we should

danisnotonfire: when?

danisnotonfire: like rn?

amazingphil: sure

amazingphil: if u want

amazingphil: im not doing anything

Dan glanced around. He should clean his room.

danisnotonfire: give me 5

He glanced around again. There was no way his entire room was getting cleaned in five minutes.

Oh well. He had committed. He slammed his laptop shut and surveyed the room, trying to figure out what he could clean in five minutes. Or, well, what he could shove under his bed or in his closet in the next five minutes.

He managed to hide all his dirty laundry, then kicked a bunch of the clutter in his room to one side and pointed his laptop camera firmly away from it.

He opened AIM again, composing a message.

danisnotonfire: ok im ready

danisnotonfire: my skype is danisnotonfire too

He barely had time to open skype before he got an incoming call from Amazingphil. He picked up, then gaped at the screen in shock.

“Wait,” he said. “Phil?”

Phil blinked. “Dan?”

“What are you doing here?” Dan asked stupidly.

“Skyping you,” Phil said, just as stupidly.

“You’re- you’re Amazingphil?”

“Yeah.”

“And also Phil.”

“I think?” Phil extended his arms, staring at them, as if to check that they were real.

Dan groaned, putting his head in his hands. “How did we not figure this out?”

“To be completely honest,” Phil admitted, “I couldn’t really figure out what your screenname was supposed to say. I didn’t really know your name was Dan.”

Dan laughed. “What did you think it said?”

Phil blushed. “I don’t know!”

“No, really,” Dan said, an embarrassing amount of affection leaking into his voice. “What did you think it said?”

“Like, Dani snot on fire or something,” Phil said. “Look, it’s hard to read, it’s all lowercase-”

Dan groaned. “You thought my name was Dani and my username was about my snot being on fire?”

“Look,” Phil said, still blushing, “I don’t know. What’s your excuse for not knowing who I was?”

Dan felt his face heat up. He shrugged. “Phil is a common name?”

Phil laughed. “Not that common. Dan, you spork-”

“Shut up!” Dan said. “I’m not the one who doesn’t know how to read-”

“Maybe if your username wasn’t so hard to read-”

“Oh, blame it on me-”

“Look, I’m just saying-”

Dan scoffed. “You’re just saying.”

“I am,” Phil insisted. “Look, we both made bad decisions-”

“Bad decisions?” Dan said. “You think us meeting was a-”

“Okay, okay. Stupid decisions,” Phil corrected himself. “My point is, we’re here now. Isn’t that what matters?”

Dan had to agree that it was.

#my writing #phanfic #phan #phanfiction

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plumedesimili · 6 years

Text

Shall we dance?

“So, how do I look?”

If anything, the look on Terra’s face should have been enough of an answer. The young man completely froze, agape, staring at her with big round eyes, his cheeks slowly turning a nice shade of pink. But Aqua was so worried that she didn’t read the signs well, and took that silence for something different.

“I knew it. That’s too much, isn’t it?”

“N-No, it’s just… You are… You look…” Terra was stuttering. And he never stuttered. He cleared his throat, trying to regain some of his dignity. “You look okay. No worries.”

This was clearly not the correct answer, he understood as she frowned. But what word could he use? She was wearing a blue dress that complemented her shapes, and her delicate makeup somehow made her face shine brighter. What word could he use? He no longer feared to lose her in a crowd, because no matter how much people there would be, she would still stand out, a light on her own, and his eyes would find her right away.

“Okay? Thank you Terra. It took me quite a while to achieve this result, so I’m glad I look okay. Coming from you, I’m going to assume it is a compliment.” The tone of her voice made it clear that she really wasn’t taking this as a compliment at all. But he had no way to express how he felt right now.

“Wow, Aqua, you are beautiful!” Oh, right, he could have used these words, he supposed. It was too late now that Ven said them, though. The boy whistled and stared at Aqua with an appreciative smile. “You’re going to steal the show, you know! All men will want a dance with you!”

Terra clenched his fists. He’d like to see that happening. Ven slid a nasty look at him and grinned. “Don’t worry, Terra, you look okay, I’m sure that some old lady will take pity of you and ask for a dance.” He then started pouting. “But why can’t I come with you guys? It’s so unfair, I wanna come and have fun too!”

Aqua giggled and ruffled his hair. “I’m sorry, Ven, but you can’t come just yet. We are not going to that ball to have fun, you know. The Three Good Fairies have asked us to protect Aurora if Maleficent or any other danger showed up. Our outfits are only so we can blend in.” She put a kiss on his cheek. “I promise I’ll save you the last dance. Deal?”

Ven being Ven, he couldn’t pout more than thirty seconds anyway and grinned at them instead. “Deal! Enjoy your evening, then! Aurora will be safe with the two of you, I know it!”

“The Lanes Between have been opened.” Master Eraqus said from the door. “It’s time to go.” He looked at them with pride. “You both look beautiful. This is your first official job, but I do not worry. Have a good time.”

As they both summoned their armours (who, for magical reason, wouldn’t damage their clothes or anything), Terra heard Ventus snicker. “He said she looked okay, I can’t even believe that…”

“Oh, shut up, Ven.” Terra answered before waving at his Master and his friend, finally taking off with Aqua.

“Here you are!” The Good Fairies welcomed them with a bright smile. “We have already set up a magical barrier around the Castle, and we are pretty sure everything will be alright, but your presence is a relief. This is Aurora’s 17th birthday, we can’t let anything happen!”

“Sorry we’re a little late”, Terra apologized, “it took us a bit longer than expected to travel.”

“Terra got lost.” Giggled Aqua.

“I did not! I was just… disorientated for a minute.”

“Don’t you worry, Terra, we both know your sense of orientation is okay anyway.” She repressed a smile but her eyes betrayed her hilarity. The young man sighed.

“So what would you like us to do? Patrol around the castle? Guard the door?”

“Oh, none of that, dear!” Fauna covered her mouth with her hand, as if shocked by his words. “Please just enjoy the party as any guest would. If anything comes up, we know you will react quickly anyway.”

“Fauna is right. Enjoy the music and the buffet, and hope nothing happens!” Nodded Merryweather.

“And you both look so pretty in these clothes, it would be a shame if you didn’t dance. Come on, hop hop, go to the ballroom and enjoy your time!”

The two apprentices looked at each other and laughed. That evening would be enjoyable. Terra offered his arm to Aqua, who took it with a bright smile, and they entered the castle.

There were many people in there already. It was easy to spot the Princess, already dancing with her Prince in the middle of the room. Aqua smiled. Aurora was a very nice person, and Philip was made for her. They both looked so happy together.

“No Maleficent in sight.”, said Terra, scanning the room for a scary lady with horns or a devilish raven. “Look at that buffet, though. Ven would be crazy.”

Aqua giggled. “He really would. We could try to bring him some cake back, what do you think?”

“I think you are trying to steal a Princess, and that’s really bad, Aqua. But that’s also for Ventus’s happiness so I could hardly say no.” They laughed again, thinking of how Ven would react at so much food.

“Hey, Aqua?”

“What is it?”

“Would you like to dance? With me, I mean.”

Aqua smiled, her cheeks slightly blushing. “Thanks for the precision, or I would have run to dance with the first stranger I’d meet.”

“That’s not what I…”

“I’d love to.” He smiled back at her, taking her hand and leading her to the center of the room, joining the other dancers.

Finally, these months of learning waltz paid off, as he didn’t step on her feet once, and neither did she (his left foot still remembered the pain of her heel crushing his toes). After a moment of focusing to find their marks, they had found their pace.

“Aqua, by the way, I’m sorry if I hurt you earlier… I didn’t mean to… You know.”

Aqua chuckled. “It’s okay. Sorry I teased you about that. I know you were trying to be nice.”

Terra sighed, squeezing her hand. “It’s not just that… I wasn’t trying to be nice. You just looked so pretty, I couldn’t find the right words, and I feared that if I stayed silent any longer you would think I really didn’t like it… I do. I really do. You look amazing.”

While her cheeks took a bright shade of pink, her blue eyes started sparkling, another blow to his heart. She really was the prettiest woman he’d ever meet. Then, suddenly, something else appeared into her eyes. Was it… Worry? Sadness? She escaped his gaze, but he had seen it already.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing, it’s stupid.”

“Just tell me. I will listen.”

She took a deep breathe in, her hand slightly shaking in his.

“I’ve just realised that once we both are Masters, we eventually will have to find apprentices. We won’t both stay in the Land of Departure. We will live apart. Worlds apart. I can’t imagine a life without you by my side. This would be… So lonely.”

He squeezed her hand, pulling her closer with the hand on her hip.

“Then don’t imagine it. You keep saying it yourself. There is always a way. And there is a way for us not to live apart.”

She looked at him, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she was processing his words. He smiled softly, gently tucking a wild lock of hair behind her ear.

“I’m asking you to be mine, Aqua. Be mine, and nothing should pull us apart.”

She laughed, putting her forehead against his chest. “You’re stupid.” If his heart started racing at her sudden proximity, he frowned at her words, until she looked at him again with very soft eyes.

“Be yours? I can’t think of a single day of my life when I wasn’t yours, Terra. I’ve always been yours.”

They stopped dancing, and he let go of her hip to place his hand on her cheek, slowly leaning closer until their lips met. He felt her warm fingers on the back of his neck, and when she smiled at him, the whole world seemed to disappear, and it was only the two of them, dancing till the end of the night.

There was no Maleficent to ruin their evening, and when the ball finally ended, it was incredibly late.

“We would like to give you a present before you go.” The Good Fairies caught them just as they were about to summon their armours. “As a thank you gift for your presence.”

“Oh, but we didn’t do anything, really!” Aqua answered, embarrassed, but Flora clicked her tongue.

“You can’t refuse a present, now, can you? We are really grateful that you came all the way to protect Aurora, and you deserve a retribution. No arguing. Ready, ladies?”

The tree of them wiggled their wands for a few seconds, and a flow of light arced from them to the two apprentices.

“It fits perfectly!” cheered Merryweather. “It really does!” agreed Fauna.

Terra and Aqua looked at each other, looking for what could have changed. Until they looked at their hands.

The fairies had given them matching rings. Terra’s was a simple one, with three jewels, a blue one, a red one and a green one embedded in it ; Aqua’s was a little bit more sophisticated, with the same three stones.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. They look beautiful.” And Aqua meant every word of it.

“Oh, don’t mention it. Be careful on your way back!” The three fairies left, and the two young adults exchanged a cheerful look.

“I guess we should go home now.”

“Yeah. You promised Ven a dance. He’ll be crossed if he doesn’t have it.”

They chuckled. “I guess you’re right. I had a wonderful evening, Terra. Thank you.”

He kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you. I love you, Aqua.”

“I love you too.”

They summoned their armours and flew back home. They held each other’s hand the whole flight.

[END]

First post to start the blog \o/ This is Simili-Anonyme’s side blog where some fics will be posted from time to time. I might add some other fics that are already on FFNet or AO3 as well as some new stuff from time to time. Yes I like to say time to time. Since my posting schedule is pretty full on AO3/FFNet I might post some stuff here as well!

Anyway, this fic was inspired by one of @chachacharlieco ‘s streams where she drew Terra and Aqua with royal outfits, aaand suddenly I felt like writing something about these two at a ball. This fic up there is set up in an AU where Xehanort never stepped in, I guess? None of them are Masters yet either.

Man, I’m more nervous than I should be to post it here, why do I feel so vulnerable and embarassed? hides under her blanket

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anoutlandishfanfic · 6 years

Text

Part Ten: A Challenge.

Here’s the next installation of the Sound of Music AU!!

You can find previous chapters here on tumblr or on AO3.

Just After Midnight, June 17th, 2016; Mrs Baird’s Bed and Breakfast, Inverness, Scotland. Jamie.

I felt the mattress shift beneath me as Claire left the bed. I expected to hear her footsteps change as they hit the tile of the adjoining bathroom, but instead they continued to shuffle about the carpet and over to my side of the bed. Raising my head, I watched her stoop to pick up one of her shoes and scowled at it intensely before she continued to search the floor for its mate. She retraced her steps and began to pace at the foot of the bed, her scowl turning into an expression I couldn’t quite name.

“Claire?”

She didn’t respond, but turned to the small bureau and opened the top drawer. Finding it empty, she moved onto the second and then third, tugging the fourth out with such a determination that I had to ask, “What are you looking for?”

“Where are my clothes?” Her voice was strained, her discomfort palpable.

I got out of bed and went to stand by her, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach.

“They’re in your bag,” I nodded towards the open suitcase near her feet. We hadn’t bothered to put away our clothing as we’d only be here overnight. My concern began to grow as I noticed she was trembling. “Come back to bed, mo chridhe.”

She shook her head, panic spreading across her face as she repeated, “Where are my clothes?”

I placed a reassuring hand on her elbow as I opened my mouth to answer her, but she recoiled from my touch and sprinted across the room.

“You son of a bitch!” She shrieked, “Where did you put my clothes?”

I stared after her slack jawed as I tried to think of what on earth I’d done to warrant such a reaction. She turned the shoe around in her hand until the sharp, raised heel was pointed threateningly in my direction and shook it wildly at me. The notion that she may be asleep on her feet was beginning to dawn on me as I sank down onto the edge of the bed. Raking a hand through my hair, I tried to stay calm.

“Claire, they’re right there.”

A scream of frustration burst from her lips as the shoe left her hand, flipping end over end as it flew through the air. It landed on the bed a good three feet to my left, but I flinched, just the same.

“You think this is funny?!” she bellowed.

No, I decidedly didn’t.

Now that I was positive she was talking — and more — in her sleep, I was left with the daunting task of waking my wife before she roused the entire bed and breakfast.

“Please, lass,” I began, rising again and inching towards her, now that she was unarmed, “come back to bed.”

All of the color drained from her face as she spun on her heel and fled into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. I followed, desperately hoping the antique knob didn’t have a lock. I tried it after a few moments of silence and found that it hadn’t. Ever so slowly, I inched the door open.

“If you so much as take another step, you sadistic bastard,” Claire’s words were low, uttered in something of a growl, “I swear I will kill you.”

I closed the door again and sagged into it, the weight of just the sort of dream she was having falling heavily onto my chest. I had them often enough to know the prison she was trapped in, the replayed scenario of our darkest moment, heightened into greater horror by our subconscious. A nurse has woken me from the first of many such dreams in the infirmary and the memory of her actions propelled me forward, palms growing clammy as I sent a plea for guidance heavenwards.

Opening the door once more, I was met without resistance. Silence echoed about the room and reverberated down my spine. I flipped on the light, trying anything that would pull her from her nightmare. The bathroom was larger than most and boasted a full tub with a built in shower, it’s curtain mussed from its original perfection. Claire was trying her best to not make a sound, and she was doing an admirable job of it, but I knew where she was.

“Claire,” I lifted my tone, trying to differentiate my words from those uttered in her nightmare. “You’re safe, mo nighean donn. He isna here.”

Ever so slowly, I drew back the curtain and found my wife crouched in the far end of the tub. Her knees were pulled tight to her chest, her hair sticking to the moisture on her ashen cheeks, her gaze fixated on the wall. I stepped into the tub and knelt before her, but made no move to touch her, recalling how she’d reacted when I tried that earlier.

“Mo chridhe, ‘tis me,” I murmured. Claire tilted her head at the sound of my voice and I dared to hope it would pull her from her reverie, “I’m here, you’re safe.”

She blinked and what color she had left drained away as she asked, “What have you done to my husband?”

I gathered her into my arms and reached over to turn on the water. I needed her to wake, fully and immediately. She tried to jerk away as the cold water hit her skin, but I held fast, keeping her directly under the spray. I felt her begin to wilt, the fight in her gone. She leaned into me, pressing her cheek to my chest as she sobbed, her body convulsing with uncontrollable sobs.

“You’re safe,” I assured her, again and again. “I’ve got you, you’re safe.”

“Tuh-urn off the wah-water,” she hiccuped.

Quickly obliging, I shut off the spray and reached around the curtain for a towel, grabbing the first thing that touched my fingertips. It was a washcloth, barely four inches square. I pressed it into her hand and stuck my head out of the shower. There, on the other side of the room, lay a stack of perfectly folded bath towels.

I drew back the curtain and guided Claire over the side of the tub, onto the terry cloth mat. Keeping one hand on my wife, I leaned over and snagged the top one, wrapping it around her shoulders before I lifted her into my arms. She clung to me, wet and trembling, her teeth chattering.

“My clothes…” she murmured.

Nodding, I carried her out of the bathroom and set her gently on the edge of the bed, sprinting over to her bag. Unzipping it, I found the outfit she’d packed for tomorrow and a lacy thing I was sure she’d intended to wear to bed. I didn’t think either would give her the secure feeling she was seeking, so I quickly turned to my own overnight bag and dug out the extra set of boxers I always packed and my spare undershirt. They’d be too big, I knew, but hopefully they’d do the trick.

Claire wordlessly let me dress her and towel dry her hair before she lay back down, burrowing under the blankets like a hibernating hedgehog. I attempted to dry off with the already damp towel, then crawled in beside her. She didn’t acknowledge my presence, her breathing shallow and labored.

“Sorcha?” She didn’t open her eyes, but reached out one hand. I immediately took it between both of mine, needing this physical link to her. The lines on her brow faded away as I massaged smooth circles into her palm and I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” came her definitive reply, her voice even and strong, vehement almost.

I lay in hesitant silence for a few moments before I tried again, “May I hold you?”

Her other hand shot out from beneath the covers and latched onto my upper arm, tugging me closer with a strength that surprised me. It shouldn’t have, for it took great courage indeed to face our inner demons, to stand toe to toe with them on the battlefield of our dreams.

I slid closer, pulling her to me and pressing her head against my chest. My heart beat wildly as my mind pictured the trauma she’d experienced at the hand of the man who’d done the same to me. I felt her arms encircle me, clinging to me as she trembled like an autumn leaf in a gale force wind.

“I’ve got you,” I crooned, brushing the still damp hair from her face. “You’re safe, I promise. You’ve the protection my name, mo nighean donn, of my clan… and that of my body, should it ever come to that.”

…

Claire.

The arching gate of the entrance to Lallybroch rose up from the road ahead of us, a familiar sight that set the butterflies a flutter in my stomach once again. I’d only just gotten them settled after our rather notable departure from Mrs Baird’s bed and breakfast and the sensation of light headed euphoria mixed with a warm heat of desire was quickly becoming familiar, however distracting.

Mrs Baird, the matronly old woman who ran the establishment, had given Jamie and I quite the look as we’d come down for breakfast, giving me a clear idea as to what she thought of what she’d heard the night before. She clearly approved, her countenance almost prideful as she made sure we had extra servings of her traditional Scottish breakfast fare. Jamie nearly choked on his spoonful of parritch when she’d patted him on the shoulder and murmured “well done, lad” under her breath as she walked past.

My cheeks warmed as Jamie squeezed my hand and leaned over, kissing my temple as he whispered, “Welcome home.”

Home.

Lallybroch had been home for many months before our marriage, but now it was truly mine.

My home.

I’d never really had one, that I could remember, and the title made me ridiculously prideful as I sat beaming in the backseat of the town car. I rolled down the window, letting the breeze tease the curls around my face. The air was sweet and fresh, a lovely change from the smells of the city.

The car slowed as Alec waited for the gate to open and I turned to Jamie just in time to see the change come over his face. In an instant, he was the man I’d met upon my arrival at Lallybroch once more, the light gone from his eyes.

“Jamie?” I gripped his hand tightly.

He gestured to something out the window with a nod of his head. I caught the swirl of a flag out the corner of my eye, it’s bright red and blue out of place against the stonework of Lallybroch’s grand front entrance. A uniformed soldier stepped out of the door and stood at attention as the car came to a stop.

Jamie didn’t wait for the door to be opened for him, choosing instead to exit the car at the first moment it was safe to do so. He pulled me up beside him and placed a stiff arm about my waist. Looking the lieutenant up and down, he turned his attention to the butler with an icy stare.

“Am I to presume that I have a guest, Germaine?” His voice was foreign, a mere echo of the sound I knew so well.

“Yes, m’Lord. Captain Randall arrived late last night.”

Jamie’s arm dropped from around me and he surged forward, his face turning a mottled sort of red, “You allowed Captain Jonathan Wolverton Randall entrance to my home, given him lodging, and you did not notify me?”

“Yes, m’Lord,” the butler rose to his full height, which was still a good five inches shorter than his master’s, and answered with a confident sort of air that made me want to throttle him right then and there. “As you were due to return this afternoon, and the captain provided me with adequate documents pertaining to his orders from Colonel Sandringham, I did not see it was necessary.”

The muscles of Jamie’s jaw tightened and a deep flush began to creep up from beneath his collar.

“We will discuss — in great detail — what I see as necessary regarding your place here at Lallybroch in private,” Jamie seethed, turning on his heel to bound up the front steps before adding under his breath, “after I see to the snake in my study.”

I matched him stride for stride and I prayed the children were tucked away somewhere in one of the gardens they so loved, out of the reach of the beast responsible for the scars on Jamie’s back and assaulting me in a field hospital. The study door swung open just before we reached it and gave entrance to none other than Black Jack Randall, Captain of His Majesty’s Eighth Dragoon’s.

A sneering smile tugged at one corner of his mouth after the shock of seeing me at Jamie’s side subsided, “Your staff informed me of your recent nuptials, Jamie, but they failed to mention that you’d bedded none other than Chuckie herself.”

“You will not address my wife in such a manner,” Jamie growled.

“Didn’t she tell you?” Randall feigned affront, “We’re well acquainted with each other.”

Bile rose at the back of my throat as I felt the memory of his hands on my body, smelled the dust of the supply closet, its walls starting to close in around me. I hid one trembling hand in the folds of my skirt as I reached for my husband with the other, “Jamie and I haven’t any secrets. State your business and leave.”

“Come now,” he purred, “You haven’t introduced me to the children yet.”

Randall turned and sauntered back into the study, knowing full well that we could do nothing but follow, speaking over his shoulder as he moved to stand before the intricately carved mantelpiece and the large family portrait above it.

“Your eldest son — William is it? — has the makings of a fine officer like his father. His younger brother, however, has inherited your penchant for stubborn willfulness, I’ve observed. And your daughters’ beauty comes to no surprise, Jamie, but their resemblance to you is quite striking.”

All of this was delivered in such a nonchalant manner that it would have sounded like normal conversation to anyone else, but I heard it as the threat that it was. Randall has used Jamie’s family as pressuring points before and now taunted him with the proximity of his children.

“You will leave my home at once.”

Jamie’s voice was something more than a growl, yet not loud enough to be considered a roar. The deep resonance of it rose gooseflesh on my arm and a chill down my spine. His grip on my hand tightened as the tension in the room mounted.

Randall turned and took something from his pocket, handing it to Jamie as he rose a brow, “Your orders from the Colonel, Captain.”

He had no intention of going anywhere, he was in control of the situation and he knew it. Randall leaned against the nearby desk and folded his arms, a knowing smirk pulling at his lips, the glint of prideful power in his eyes.

“I believe you’ll find everything to be quite self explanatory,” he commented as Jamie shoved the missive into my hand and rounded on him.

I glanced down quickly and read:

Captain James Fraser is hereby ordered to report to His Majesty’s Royal Army Headquarters in Edinburgh to give a full listing of any and all known Jacobites in the clans of Fraser and MacKenzie by the eighteenth of June, the year of our Lord two thousand and sixteen.

#outlander #outlander fanfic #sound of music au #part nine #a challenge

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sittingoverheredreaming · 6 years

Text

@awashsquid said: PLEASE WRITE THIS OMG @paksenarrion-reader said: bonus points: horses get skittish around people who are nervous

TUMBLR WOULDN’T POST A REGULAR REPLY POST RIGHT, BUT HERE’S ABOUT 2400 WORDS ON THIS ENJOY

Haruka was not entirely sure how she’d gotten here. Michiru saying she had a surprise had honestly sounded like a sex thing, and the outfit she’d told Haruka to change into had only supported that in Haruka’s mind. Small pants, a jacket with a lot of buttons, high boots? Seemed like one of Michiru’s weird fantasies to her, and then Michiru had been in a matching outfit, but with a whip… what was she supposed to think?

Maybe the fact that they then left the apartment should have tipped her off. Michiru was a private person. Even a hotel seemed too gauche for her tastes, but Haruka hadn’t wanted to say anything. They’d only been together a little while, and by Haruka’s guess they only had a little while longer until Michiru realized she deserved something better, so she didn’t feel it was her place to ask questions.

Now, staring into one dark eye of a large beast, she realized she should have asked a lot of questions.

“Isn’t she lovely?” Michiru asked, brushing the mane of another horse. “Noir has long been a favorite of mine, I requested she be brought out for you.”

Haruka made a motion of patting the horse’s side without actually touching it. “Oh, uh. Thanks. She’s… great.”

Michiru smiled. “I’ve been thinking about all the things we have in common, and I realized I was overlooking such a wonderful thing we share. I grew up taking riding lessons, you grew up in the country, we did the same thing as children even though our backgrounds were so different.”

“Yeah,” Haruka croaked. “Amazing.” It had been Michiru’s mission to find their common ground lately. She wasn’t ready to accept that they came from different worlds and would end up in different worlds. And here, she thought she’d found something they really shared, beyond their attraction to each other.

But Haruka had never been on a horse. She’d never even been near a horse, except that one time a school friend’s uncle had taken them to a race and asked if they’d pitch in on his bet. When Michiru heard the drawl of Haruka’s accent, she pictured open pastures and grazing cattle, but the trailer Haruka had grown up in barely had yard enough for a sandbox.

Haruka tried to pet the horse for real. It shied away from her hand.

She had to tell her.

“Uh, Michiru…”

“Michiru!”

Another woman strode up, a brilliant white horse in tow. “I haven’t seen you out here in months, how are you?”

Michiru’s face morphed into the placid, polite expression Haruka had come to recognize as her socialite mask. “Oh, Rina, how nice to see you. It really has been too long.”

“And who is this… charming gentleman you have brought with you?”

Haruka stiffened.

“She is my companion for the day, Haruka. She’s quite good at riding, I’m not sure you’ll be able to keep up with us.”

Haruka swallowed hard.

Rina smiled. “I’ll just have to try my best.” She looked at Haruka’s horse with what Haruka was sure was faux concern. “Noir seems skittish today, did something happen?”

Michiru’s eyes narrowed. “She does dislike negativity.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” She pulled gloves over her manicured hands. “What trail are we riding today?”

“We haven’t decided, perhaps you should go on ahead and pick one yourself.”

“Oh, nonsense. How could I miss this opportunity to catch up with you?” Rina flashed a glance at Haruka. “And your companion seems so interesting.”

Haruka was doomed, plain and simple. Noir’s ears flicked back and forth as she pawed at the ground. Haruka was going to have to ride her. Her heart pounded in her ears. As if the horse could hear it too, she whinnied and side stepped as far as the bridle would let her go.

“Let us not delay any longer,” Rina said with a smile that seemed malicious to Haruka. “It’s too nice a day to waste it in the yard.”

Haruka watched as she mounted on her horse with ease. Left side, foot up, and then… she was just magically atop the saddle, looking smug.

Haruka took a deep breath. “Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.” She slowly drew close to Noir. “You don’t like me, and I don’t like you, but we gotta do this, okay?” She put a hand on the horse’s neck, and she finally didn’t pull away. “Okay. We can do this.” A horse couldn’t be that different from a car, really. Both were big and scary, but when you knew what you were doing they were the safest thing in the world, practically. Haruka just had to ignore that she didn’t know wht she was doing.

She positioned herself on the left side, as she’d seen Rina do. Foot up, that seemed good, sturdy, yes. And then she just had to lift herself, it wasn’t scary, she wasn’t terrified, she was doing just fine…

And then Noir bucked. Haruka hit the ground and skidded on her back. Michiru would be so mad about the grass stains, shit.

“Haruka!”

“I’m fine.” She sat up as Michiru rushed over. “I didn’t hit my head or nothin’.”

Michiru brushed her off and looked into her eyes. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this today, Noir seems out of sorts, and--”

“Naw, I want to.” Haruka stood. “Little rough start never meant nothin’.” She smiled, and the knot between Michiru’s brows dissipated.

“If you’re sure, lo… Haruka.”

Haruka turned back to Noir. The good thing was, she supposed, that she was stupid and stubborn more than she was ever afraid. She remembered hearing once that horses could smell fear. “Well,” she whispered to Noir was she readied to try again. “Let’s see if you can smell determination too.”

And maybe they could, or maybe it was just a miracle, for Haruka settled into the saddle with only a few sickening moments of fear that she might tip over. Rina watched her with a cocked eyebrow. She knew, Haruka was sure. How Michiru hadn’t caught on was the only real mystery.

Rina led the way towards the wooded trails. Haruka was grateful that Noir knew to follow without guidance.

Michiru angled her horse to be stride for stride with Haruka’s. “I’m so sorry she’s here,” she whispered. “I wanted it to be just us.”

“It’s fine,” Haruka lied. “We can be alone later.” That was a true comforting thought, confessing everything to Michiru when they got back to her home, where Michiru would maybe offer her tea Haruka didn’t really like but appreciated the gesture, and wrap her in a blanket and stroke her hair while promising they’d never have to do it again.

“She just…”

“What are you two whispering about back there?” Rina pulled back on her reins, slowing until her horse was between Haruka and Michiru. “I’d love to hear whatever you’re gossiping about.”

“Oh, have you heard that my mother might not be able to attend this year’s charity gala? Quite tragic, I’m afraid…”

Michiru led her into mindless prattle, and Haruka took the opportunity to focus on her bearings. Riding was wholly uncomfortable, bumpy, and she felt as though she might wobble too far to one side at any moment. But the horse was calm, for now, so Haruka figured she should be grateful.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Haruka?”

“Oh, yeah, um, what?”

Rina looked at her expectantly. “We should really pick up the pace. I’d love to see your true skill with riding.”

“Yeah,” Haruka said, her stupid pride jumping off her tongue before her brain could catch it. “Definitely.”

“We ought to have a race to the edge of the wood.” To her other side, Michiru frowned.

“Surely after the incident earlier…”

Rina waved her off. “Oh, Michiru, it’s all in good fun. And Haruka wants to, don’t you Haruka?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Well there you have it. You aren’t going to deny us our fun, are you?”

“I just wouldn’t want to bruise your ego too much, Rina, you’ve never been able to outride me.”

Rina’s expression crossed into contempt for a moment. “Overconfidence is a dangerous trait.”

“I don’t believe I’ve been overconfident.”

“We’ll see about that.” She took off, and Michiru quickly overtook her.

Haruka’s heart sank as Noir merely stopped.

“Run,” she tried.

She pressed her legs into the horse’s sides in what she assumed was the right way. Noir began to walk, but only at the same pace they’d been going before.

“No, listen, this is gonna let them know I’m a fraud. You gotta run for me.”

Noir did not seem interested. Haruka gave the reins a shake. “Please, come on.”

Nothing.

She had an idea. A bad idea, she knew, but an idea, and the only one she could think of. She couldn’t embarrass Michiru in front of that insidious woman anymore than she already had. So she took one shaking hand off the reins, leaned back a little, and slapped Noir near the tail.

Noir launched forward, nearly throwing Haruka off. Her heart leapt to her throat, every frightened beat seeming to drive Noir to go faster. Rina and Michiru came back into sight, she was going to pass them. She could say her delay was to make it more fair, that was good.

But, she realized as Noir careened closer and closer, she didn’t know how to maneuver around them. “Watch out!” she half-screamed, making Noir press on even faster.

She barely caught Michiru’s gasp as she pulled her horse to the side of the trail to let Haruka pass, but she could have sworn she heard Rina chuckle.

The woods passed in a blur, Haruka barely being able to duck under low branches fast enough. The end appeared before her, and she realized the most important thing she didn’t know.

“Stop!” She yelled as they broke into the sunny open trail. “Stop!”

That, apparently, was not the way to stop a horse. She squeezed with her legs, and then pulled on the reins.

Noir reared up, and for a second the forward momentum Haruka still had made her feel like she’d stay on, she leaned into the horse’s neck with all her strength, but her balance was too wobbly and she slipped to one side, feet coming out of the saddle and the ground suddenly rising up to meet her shoulder, hard.

Noir trotted to the side to graze the grass, seemingly proud of her work.

Haruka lay splayed on the trail, half worried the next horse to come by would trample her and half too consumed by pain to care.

She didn’t budge as hoofbeats thundered towards her.

“Haruka!” Michiru practically leapt from her horse and ran to kneel at her side. “HAruka, are you alright?”

“Not really.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into Noir today, something must have happened while I haven’t been coming, I--”

“Is she alright?” Rina had the decency to look sheepish.

“Ride back and get help, she might be hurt.”

Rina’s face went white. Haruka wondered what she had expected to happen. “I… yes, right away.”

“Did you hit your head?”

“No, I landed on my shoulder.” She was lucky, she knew, but it hurt like hell. “Michiru, I have to tell you. There’s nothing wrong with the horse. I’m the problem. I’ve never done this before.”

Michiru put her face in her hands. “Oh Haruka, I’m so sorry. I wondered, when we first arrived, but then you didn’t say anything, and…”

“No, it’s my fault, I was pretty stupid about it.” She pushed herself up to sit with her good arm, and felt around her shoulder. Nothing felt broken, she might get off with just a hell of a bruise. “I don’t want to disappoint you. I don’t want to be too…you know... poor to have a good time with.”

“That’s not…” Michiru looked at her, her eyes shockingly wet. “So many of the things I like are boring to you. Art is too static, and you always fall asleep during foreign films, and…”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I understand, I can’t pay attention at all when you turn on a race.” Michiru pressed her lips together. “But I like being with you, and I want to show you there are things we can do together, because I love you. And I’ve done this all wrong, and--”

“Wait, back up a little.” Haruka swallowed. Her throat was suddenly very dry, and her heart pounded harder than it had at any moment on the horse. “What did you just say?” Had the pain made her hallucinate? Surely, it couldn’t be that Michiru had really just said…

Michiru’s eyes went wide and she cast them to the ground. “I… it’s okay if you don’t feel it too, especially after what a fool I’ve been today, I understand. But I love you, Haruka, and if there’s any way I can find to keep you, I’ll do it.”

“Michi, I’m not nearly good enough for you. I don’t have the things you need. I can’t even ride a horse.”

“The fact that you tried is proof enough that you’re too good for me.” She gave a small half smile, more vulnerable than Haruka had ever seen her. “Maybe we don’t have anything in common, and maybe it won’t work, but I’m in love with you, Haruka.”

Haruka swallowed again. “Well, you know, I guess that’s one thing in common we have.”

Michiru looked at her in askance.

“I’m in love with you, too.”

She sighed. “You don’t have to say it just because I did, I’ve had quite enough of social niceties for the day.”

“Michi, I got thrown off a horse trying to prove myself to you, I wouldn’t do that for just any girl. I love you.” She leaned forward and kissed her, soft and slow. “I love you, Michiru.”

Michiru’s eyes traced up from Haruka’s lips to her eyes. “I love you, Haruka.” She shook her head. “We’ve both been such idiots today, haven’t we?”

Haruka laughed. “Hey, there’s another thing we’ve got.”

“I suppose that’s true.” She smiled. “Now, let’s get your shoulder checked out, and then never come back here again.” She stood and offered her hand to Haruka.

“Sounds like a good plan to me.”

They walked off together, hand in hand.

#replies #sam writes #Harumichi #haruka #michiru

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g1ngersp1ce · 6 years

Text

Dance With Me, My Darling

Veronica x Reader

Reader is Archie’s twin sister, and gets insecure about whether she’s good enough for her love. A/N- Sorry if this isn’t great, it’s my first published fic! Let me know if you would like any more of this pairing or my writing in general <3

“Y/N/N! Ronnie and Betty are here!” My brother, Archie, called through my door. I could feel his nervousness through his uneven knocking, and I wasn’t feeling more confident. I stood at my mirror in my little bedroom, desperately smoothing the non-existent wrinkles in the skirt of my black, velvet, halter-neck dress. The cut was beautiful; the hem reached just longer than my mid-thigh, the skirt was made of floaty tulle that curved gently out from my waist, and the neck stretched to almost my collarbone. It was sleeveless, soft, and just my style, and paired with white flowers tucked into the wrap-around half-up braid in my ginger hair and the matching black velvet heels that Veronica had pointed out for me last week in town, I could actually admit that I looked beautiful, despite all my issues with my body in the past.

“Y/N/N, come on!” Archie’s voice sounded more on edge by the minute.

“Okay, just give me a sec!” My voice sounded just as tense as my twin brother’s did. As I checked my dress for any crinkles for the thousandth time, I heard my bedroom door slowly creak open. Archie could tell that I sounded nervous- we’d always been close, and we’d grown to feel each other’s pain like it was our own.

“Wow,” Archie’s voice was gentler as he closed my door, “You look… wow.”

“Shut up.” I smile, turning away from the mirror to see my brother dressed to the nines in a flawless black tuxedo with a matching bow tie, undone and splayed over his collar, “You look okay too, I guess. What happened with your tie?”

Archie made a face. “Ha, ha. Dad’s busy in the garage, so he wouldn’t tie it for me. Help me?”

I walked over to Archie and began to weave his tie into the correct shape. “So, you’re going with Betty, huh?”

“Yeah. Jug didn’t want to go, so I said I’d keep her company. You know Jughead; dances aren’t really his thing.”

It was true- it was no secret between the five of us that our best friend, Jughead Jones, would much rather sit in Pop’s with a milkshake and his laptop and brood than be seen at a school dance. He loves Betty so much, but Betty understands not to push him out of his comfort zone, as we all do.

“What a hero.” I smiled, tugging the fabric of Archie’s tie through a loop, but I could tell that he could see right through my weak façade. Archie frowned.

“What’s wrong, Y/N/N? Tell me. Is it Veronica? What-”

“Nothing’s wrong with Veronica,” I said, frowning a little myself as I try to remember the next step of tying the bow tie, “She’s perfect.”

“Then what’s got you so nervous? You’re my best friend and twin sister, Mia, I know when something’s wrong.”

Finishing the tie, I smoothed the bow and turned away, sitting on my bed with a sigh. “It’s just… I’ve never been to a dance with a girl before. What if everyone judges us? I know I shouldn’t worry about this, and I know I’ll be safe with Ronnie, but… you know what I mean, right?”

Archie smiled and came to sit beside me. “I do. If people judge you, Y/N/N, then that’s their problem, not yours. You’ve been with Veronica for six months, and people have been fine with it so far, right? People can see how much you love Veronica, and how much she loves you, just by looking at the two of you together. You know I love you both, and so does Betty and Jug and Kevin, so if anyone tries to get in the way of you two, they’ll have us to answer to.”

I looked up from my floorboards to Archie’s earnest eyes. I thanked God for my brother in that moment. “So you’ll be all big-brotherly and fight off anyone who hurts me?” I said, smiling.

“You bet I will. That’s if Veronica doesn’t get there first.” Archie grinned. I laughed a little at the thought, already feeling more relaxed- if it came down to it, Ronnie would probably be the first person to skewer the person who hurt me with her icy dagger.

“Thanks, Arch.”

“No problem. Now, let’s not keep our dates waiting. You ready?”

“Yeah, I think so.” I took a deep breath, and Archie extended his hand to help me stand up. Just before we left my room, Archie squeezed my hand and smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes.

“You really do look beautiful, Y/N/N.”

“Thank you, Archie.” I said, smiling and nudging his broad shoulder. Feeling completely relaxed, I nodded at my brother, who took my arm through his and led me out of my room, letting me stop to grab my black bag with my phone and keys in it on the way out. Downstairs, we could hear the mumble of chatter between Betty and Veronica. I smiled at the thought of my girlfriend, clad in a stunning dress, probably, waiting for me, and I felt a lot surer of myself. Archie slowly led us down the creaky wooden staircase, and once we reached the bottom, I looked into the kitchen and locked eyes with Veronica, and I suddenly felt at home. Her chocolate-brown eyes were wide as she took in my outfit, and I could feel a blush in my cheeks already. She looked gorgeous, as always, in a black sleeveless dress with a lace back, which had a long cut-out that stretched from her neck to the small of her back. Betty looked adorable in a pale blue dress that complimented her pale skin perfectly.

Betty whistled as Archie let go of my arm and followed me down the hallway towards the kitchen. I let my hips sway a little, mainly for Veronica’s benefit, and I watched as she flickered her eyebrows, knowing the game I was playing.

“Betty, you look amazing!” I greeted my best friend, leaning in to squeeze her tightly. She squeezed me back and grinned as we pulled away.

“So do you, that dress is incredible!” Betty opined, softly touching the tulle of my skirt.

“Thanks, Bets.” I smiled, before turning to Veronica. We were pretty much the same height on a regular, converse-wearing day; I stood at 5’ 3” (almost 4), with her an inch shorter, but with the help of both of us wearing heels (mine were three inches, hers must have been around the same) she stood at exactly my height, which I loved.

“Hey, Ronnie.”

“Hey.” She smirked, standing up straight and taking my hand. She pulled me close and pressed a sweet kiss on my cheek, which made a thousand butterflies all flap their wings at once in my stomach. “Shall we get going, my loves? The music will not wait!”

“Okay, Ronnie,” Archie laughed, tucking his keys inside his tux pocket, “Who’s driving?”

***

A little while later, Ronnie and I were sitting in a couple of chairs at the side of the room, faces flushed after dancing and jumping around with Arch and Betty for a fair amount of time. My feet were aching, and my head was pounding, but I was with Ronnie, so everything was okay. I’d stopped caring what our classmates were thinking of us a long time ago.

Veronica was sitting with her head on my shoulder, my arm around her waist, just catching her breath back. My legs were crossed, and every so often, I would kiss the top of her head or stroke her hair away from her eyes, while my hand traced patterns into her side. She smelled of chocolate and expensive Miss Dior perfume, and to me, the smell was more intoxicating than any alcohol, and it comforted me. We were content this way, but then, the DJ spoke up to announce a new song, a slower, more romantic melody that Veronica and I knew very well- ‘All Through the Night’ by Sleeping at Last. It was our song. Veronica had had it playing in her room the night of our first kiss- we had just got back from the closing night of the Twilight Drive-In, and Veronica had invited me in for coffee, and… well, you can guess the rest.

I smiled into Veronica’s hair as I heard the familiar melody, and Ronnie lifted her head from my shoulder as she heard it too. Her eyes were alight, and I knew she was about to ask me something that I wouldn’t be able to say to no to.

“Dance with me?”

“I’m tired, Ronnie…” I pretended to be aloof, as if I had a choice, but my heart was burning with the urge to have her hold me in her arms. Veronica stood up and took my hands, dragging me with her, and gave me her most adorable puppy-dog eyes. Her dark eyelashes fluttered a little, a pout on her lips, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist her eyes for much longer.

Veronica pulled me close, taking my other hand and linking our fingers. Her voice was soft and alluring as she whispered to me, “Dance with me, my darling.”

Despite the music, I could hear her loud and clear, as though she had spoken the words right in my ear. My heart ached for her, but I was too drawn into her trap to speak, so I just nodded and smiled. Veronica squeezed my hands, a blinding smile illuminating her face in the dimness of the gym, and turned to lead me into the crowd of swaying couples. Being Veronica, she guided us into the centre of the room, before she spun back around and faced me, her smile as bright as ever. I lifted her hands and placed them around my neck, and her touch sent a tidal wave of sparks through my skin. She exhaled, and I knew that she felt more at ease too. She wrapped her arms further around my neck until she could touch her elbows, which drew us closer together. As I slipped my arms around her waist, I could feel her body relaxing into my touch, and I smiled at how easy, how natural this all felt. I held her against me, squeezing her so I could touch my elbows too. Veronica started to sway us gently to the beat of the song, her eyes still locked with mine. She leaned closer still to me and rested her chin on my bare shoulder.

“This is our song…” Veronica murmured into my ear, “Do you remember that night?“

“Of course, I’ll never forget it,” I answered in a heartbeat, “It was the best night of my life.”

“Mine too,” Ronnie lightly her brushed her lips over my shoulder, before pulling away a little and looking back in my eyes, “You looked… so beautiful.”

“I’m pretty sure I was in your pyjamas, wearing my glasses, and had coffee stains on my shirt.” I laughed, remember the image of us sitting on Veronica’s bed as though it was happening right in front of me. When we had finished our coffee, Veronica offered to let me stay the night, and she had lent me a pair of blue plaid shorts and an oversized grey sweater that had the words, my heart lies in New York city printed on it in curling cursive.

Veronica seemed to remember too; she smiled and let her eyes smile too. “I know. I said you looked beautiful.”

I blushed, and Veronica let one of her hands slide down to cup my cheek, her thumb grazing over my cheekbone. “You still can’t take a compliment, can you?”

“Not while I’m in love with the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life. She overpowers every compliment I could ever receive.”

Veronica raised an eyebrow, testing my reaction. “In love with, you say? Do I know her?”

“Maybe,” I smirked, as I twirled us around to the music, making her squeal at the sudden change in speed and cling to my neck, locking her other hand back with the first, “She moved here from New York. She has the most incredible dress sense, and she’s trying her damn best to be kind and caring and the most amazing friend in the world. She’s funny and talented and can do pretty much everything. Oh, and she’s beautiful. Like, insanely, unbelievably, irresistibly beautiful. She’s pretty much stolen my heart, and it doesn’t look like she’s giving it back any time soon.”

Veronica’s eyes were wide and watering, and her face was flushed once more. She laughed breathily, and reached up to touch her forehead to mine. “I love you, so much, Y/N Andrews.”

“Not as much as I love you, Veronica Lodge.” Just as the words left my mouth, I heard the part of the song that I remembered her kissing me for the first time at, like a wave of déjà vu, and I looked down into her bright, fluttering eyes. She blinked to keep the tears away, but they fell regardless, and I caught them with my thumbs as I reached up and held her face in my hands.

“I think I remember that night a little better… I think it went a little something like this…” I whispered, leaning in and pressing my lips to hers, bringing her face up to mine, and the whole world just fell away. She responded immediately, kissing me back with as much as love and feeling as she could pour into it, and I smiled and giggled into the kiss. Veronica’s arms held us close together, and the force of our kiss caused Veronica to bend backwards and pop her foot, just like the kisses in the movies. I broke the kiss and laughed at how tightly she’s clinging to me, and I let her arch her back and roll her body back up to a standing position. By the time she faced me again, she was laughing too, and I took her hand, spinning her out and back into me. We spent the rest of the song laughing and smiling and crying happy tears in the whirlwind of our song, and in that moment, I realised that I’d never loved Veronica Lodge more.

#veronica lodge #veronicaxreader #riverdaleimagine #bireader #totallynotbasedonmyfantasies

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karama9 · 7 years

Text

A Core Belief Crushed

Reblogging for the morning people, and added convenience: you can now read it right here under the break.

A Core Belief Crushed

A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir fanfic.

Two birds with one stone with this story: it is essentially a possible start of a redemption for Chloe, and more importantly to me, it allowed me to to put a head canon that is very dear to me out there: Nat being transgender.

Summary: Everyone adores Chloe Bourgeois… or so she sincerely believes. When she finally discovers otherwise, Cat Noir and Ladybug attempt to nudge her towards being a better person. No shipping, but no anti shipping either… just no romance depicted.

Read under the break or if you prefer, on fanfiction.net or a03. Username karama9 and story title A Core Belief Crushed.

Notes:

I wanted to get this our for pride month, because although there is a fair amount of fan work, for Ladybug and other shows, featuring same sex pairing, you don't often see much more representation in fan work than in canon for transgender people.

So this story features my head canon that one of the secondary characters in Ladybug is in fact transgender. I'll explain what gives me the impression in the end notes.

The story also features another head canon of mine, although this one will only be hinted at. See if you can spot it! Probably not. I might tell you about it in the end notes too.

Just the same, this is a story about Chloe. I don't like her much, but I do like redemption stories, so I'm opened to the idea of her becoming a better person. This is one potential first step towards that.

A Core Belief Crushed

Chloe Bourgeois checked the time on her phone for what must have been the hundredth time in twenty minutes and scowled. They had been trapped in this classroom so long, prevented from leaving by Kaepora Gaebora, the giant human-owl hybrid their principal had turned into, that she would end up missing her mani-pedi appointment.

Even with Adrikins by her side and Marinette Dupain-Cheng on the other side of the room, pacing and pulling at her ears like some kind of maniac but blissfully quiet, the whole situation was unacceptable. Being trapped by an akuma was bad enough; the fact that her father would refuse to punish the akumatized person because he was protected by the Akuma Victim Forgiveness Act was bad enough; but the worst part, the insulting part, was that the Parisian duo of super heroes were not coming. She, the Mayor's own daughter and Ladybug's most prestigious fan, was being held as bait and the heroine was nowhere to be found.

She groaned in frustration. "Where are those useless Ladybug and Cat Noir?" She demanded out loud, glaring at nobody in particular.

Adrien inexplicably winced before putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Ladybug is on the way," he said with his trademarked gentle smile.

It nearly mollified her.

"He's right, Chloe," Sabrina stammered encouragingly. "She'd never abandon us. Especially you!"

"She better not!" Chloe snapped. She turned her glare towards the window, through which Ladybug was still failing to come crashing through, and spotted a downright miraculous distraction: Nathanael was sitting by the window and doodling.

She smirked and sauntered over. This was perfect: she'd grab whatever version of Marinette the poor lovestruck idiot was drawing this time, make a joke, and not only would it be fun but everyone would thank her for lightening up the mood.

Their resident artist was so absorbed that he never noticed her until her hand slapped down on his page. Chloe grinned as his eyes widened in horror, and she yanked the sheet away from him. It was another comic, so more likely than not, Nat had drawn himself as some super hero again, rescuing damsel in distress Dupain-Cheng. She skimmed the page to confirm, ready to deliver her witty remark about how rescuing that girl was a waste of super powers even when those powers didn't actually exist.

The clever joke died in her throat as her eyes widened. Both Nathanael and Marinette were drawn as heroes this time, and they were fighting a blond supervillain that was unmistakably her self. She dropped the sheet as though it burnt her hands and looked at Nathan in shock.

"You drew ME as the villain?" she asked angrily.

Nathan's face was nearly as red as his hair. He shook his head without meeting her eyes.

Chloe barked a laugh and willed her frown away. Anger was an acceptable reaction when faced with an insult, but amusement was better: it established that the insult and whoever was guilty of it were beneath her. "That's just stupid; I'm the opposite of a villain! And besides, everyone adores me."

Adrien, who had materialized next to her, put his hand on her shoulder again, but this time, there was an ever so slight pull to the gesture. "Forget it Chloe," he said. "Come on…"

She shook him off. "Almost done, Adrikins," she said in as pleasant a voice as she could manage. She shouldn't be angry. She should be amused. This was FUNNY because it was SO ridiculous.

Adrien sighed and slumped. She ignored him and focused on Nathanael, who seemed to have recovered a little and had stowed the offending comic away. He was avoiding her eyes.

"I'm NOT a villain," she repeated, her voice far less composed than she would have liked it. Amused. Be amused at the inconsequential people and their nonsensical little jokes. Nat's opinion didn't even matter. "Why would you draw that? Ivan threw me from the top of the Eiffel tower," she added, gesticulating at all their classmates. Forget amusement: anger was still acceptable. "Max and Alix zapped a bunch of people for energy, including ME, Alya wanted to reveal her precious Ladybug's identity live, Juleka forced me, and everyone else, to wear that horrible outfit and makeup, Rose made me stink in front of Prince Ali, and I'm the villain?" She was aware that her voice had risen as she talked and that she was now nearly yelling, but she was past the point of caring. "You just don't like me because I'm the Mayor's daughter and you're jealous! That's it, isn't it?"

"Let it go, Chloe," Marinette called out from the other side of the room. "We don't need this right now!"

"You kiddin'?" Alya asked with a laugh. "Let her humiliate herself if she wants to, it could be fun to watch. We're with you Nat!" she added louder, cupping her hand around her mouth in a makeshift amplifier and raising her fist in the air.

Chloe dismissed the two of them from her mind and focused her attention on Nathan again. "You of all people," she said venomously. "And here I am ALWAYS being nice and acting like you're a boy!"

There were a few audible gasps. Thanks in no small part to Alya, everyone was watching them by now, even Kaepora Gaebora, so everyone had heard. It's not that it was news to anyone – Nathanael had been Amélie until halfway through the fifth grade and so, pretty much the whole school knew he had been assigned female at birth. The gasps, Chloe knew, were because it wasn't too often that anyone bothered to remind him that he owed them at least a bit of gratitude.

Nathanael, for his part, was staring at his desk. He opened his mouth, but another voice cut in from behind Chloe.

"Logically, Chloe, pointing out that you act as though a particular statement is true actually means that you believe that same statement to be false."

Chloe turned to stare Max down. She had no idea whatever he had just said actually meant, but she was pretty sure she wouldn't like it if she did.

"Forget it Max," came Nathanael's voice. "It's okay."

Chloe dismissed Max and his undecipherable babbling from her mind and turned back to Nat. After all, she knew for sure that he had definitely insulted her, and badly. Chances were her words had knocked some sense back into him and he was ready to apologize.

Nathan was looking straight back at her, and, astonishingly, FROWNING. It wasn't particularly fierce, but it was most certainly not apologetic.

"You don't get to be angry right now, Nathanael Kurtzberg," she said with a snarl. "YOU just called ME a bad person through your art! You owe me an…"

"I drew you as the villain because you're always mean to everyone," he cut her off. He took a deep breath. "You're the reason I got akumatized. Apparently, I FORCED Marinette to go on a date with me, because of YOU. It's got nothing to do with my gender."

"You got Rose akumatized too," Juleka muttered from a few steps away.

"And Juleka," Rose added. "You and Sabrina."

"And me," Alya pointed out.

"Mylene, too," Ivan rumbled.

"And Kim," Max joined in.

Mylene nodded timidly. Kim fidgeted.

"Even him," Nino said, pointing his thumb at Kaepora Gaebora, who had actually given up watching the door to make sure nobody escaped in favour of watching the scene. "And seriously Chloe, you think Nat owes you? Like… you figure people owe you whenever you're not the absolute worst or something? And that it also makes you a nice person?"

"Yeah," Alix piped in. "There's kind of a lot of room between total monster and decent human being, ya know?"

Chloe was shaking her head in disbelief. She was about to come up with a comeback to simultaneously prove them all wrong and humiliate them – really, she was - when Ladybug and Cat Noir FINALLY kicked the door in, irritatingly not even giving her the satisfaction of coming in through the window like she had envisioned.

Ladybug and Cat Noir did come through Chloe's bedroom window later that evening. Chloe glared at them, obviously still angry over the day's events. Marinette felt the tension lift from her shoulders, replaced with the familiar annoyance Chloe never failed to elicit: the blond brat was still looking like herself and was not on an actual rampage.

"Hawkmoth one, Francoise-Dupont two," Cat Noir joked.

The light tone failed to hide that he was just as relieved as Ladybug. They had just checked on Nat, and although saying he was fine might have been pushing it a little bit considering he had been drawing a comic where bee themed villains with blond ponytails were getting fumigated, the artistic vengeance had obviously served its purpose: he had been in fairly good spirits and in no danger of getting akumatized.

Chloe being fine as well was icing on the cake. To Marinette, it felt like a victory of her class over Hawkmoth… just like Cat had said. It almost made up for the fact she was having to be in Chloe's presence again.

"Yep!" she said cheerfully in answer to Cat Noir. She winked at him. "Fuming a bit, but no akuma."

He snorted, but any reply he might have come up with was interrupted by Chloe.

"What do YOU want?" she asked. "Look, I don't know WHY Mr. Damocles got all mad like that. Everyone automatically blames me whenever someone gets akumatized anywhere near me! Seriously, like it's my fault Kim had a crush on me? What was I supposed to do, go with it even if I didn't want to?"

Ladybug blinked, thrown off track. As surprising as it was, Chloe kind of had a point on that one. But then, Kim might not have reacted as badly had he not been publicly humiliated and that was one, possibly maybe unavoidable akumatized victim out of Chloe's record setting tally.

Cat Noir cleared his throat. "We heard about what happened today," he said. "We thought we should check on you."

Chloe tackled Ladybug in a hug, her frown evaporating. "I'm so glad SOMEONE understands!" she sobbed. "They treated me like… like…"

"They were being honest, Chloe," Ladybug cut her off, disengaging herself from the hug. She sighed, her forehead in her hand. "Look, here's what I heard. You were about to make fun of one your classmates, the one that turned into Evillustrator. Nathan, right?"

"I was just going to tease him to break the tension," Chloe corrected. "He's always drawing Marinette Dupain-Cheng, he's madly in love with her, and I was going to rib him a bit. Nothing mean. Sheesh."

"Right. Okay, let's go with that, it's not the issue anyway," Ladybug said.

"You got upset because he drew you as a villain. Right?" Cat Noir asked.

"Wouldn't you?" Chloe asked, rolling her eyes at Ladybug's partner. She turned to the heroine again. "Can you believe him? I'm NICE to him. See? He was actually a girl first, but I say him! I'm SUPER accepting. And he draws me as a villain for him and Marinette Dupain-Cheng to beat up!"

Ladybug groaned and palmed her forehead again.

Cat Noir sidestepped her and put his hand on Chloe's shoulder. She brushed him off with a pointed frown.

"Sorry," the super hero stammered, stepping back with an apologetic grin, his hand on the back of his neck. "No touch. Got it. Anyway... err…"

"Okay, first," Ladybug cut in, one finger up. "If you make a big deal out of how accepting you are, it's kind of obvious that you're actually not, because you're making it sound like it's an effort you're making, like you should get a medal or something. It's like bragging that you're modest."

"Why should I have to be modest?" Chloe asked with a sneer.

"Think of it this way," Cat Noir piped in. "How would you feel if someone pointed out to you that they always act like you're important?"

Chloe immediately flustered. "What kind of comparison is that?" She pointed at herself. "I'm the Mayor's daughter! I AM important! Nat is…"

"Nat's a boy just like you're important," Ladybug cut her off. The words left a bitter taste in her mouth but she soldiered on. Everyone was important, that's all she was saying. She wasn't calling Chloe a VIP, even if that was precisely what the blond believed. "If you say you ACT like he's a boy," she continued, "it sounds the exact same way as someone saying they ACT like you're important."

Chloe paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "FINE," she said. "Okay, that was poorly worded."

Ladybug kept her face as neutral as she could: that was as close to an admission of being wrong they were going to get out of the Mayor's junior politician of a daughter. She didn't reply, expecting Chloe to start talking again, and was not disappointed.

"That's no reason for all of them to gang up against me!" Chloe said, lifting her nose. "They basically called me a monster!" She let out an exaggerated sob and threw herself in Ladybug's arms again, sniffling.

Ladybug felt her eye twitch but, as agreed with Cat Noir on the way here, did her best to remain friendly and merely slipped away from Chloe rather than push her away.

"Chloe, we're here because they told us you were upset," Cat Noir said. His arm lifted slightly as he walked towards the blond girl, but he put it back down again.

Chloe scoffed, crossing her arms. "So you were only worried I'd get akumatized and cause trouble."

"We'd have left by now if that was the case," Ladybug pointed out.

It was true: checking that Chloe had not fallen for Hawkmoth's promises again had been one of the reasons for coming here, and arguably the most pressing one, but Cat Noir had insisted on a secondary objective. By staying here, Marinette was fighting against her own desires to leave Chloe's company, but if Cat Noir was right, it could be more than worth it.

Cat Noir was nodding at her statement. "We also wanted to talk to you, because you wouldn't be upset at everyone saying those things if you didn't care at all."

Ladybug was not as convinced of that as Cat Noir was but she couldn't exactly correct him without revealing she knew Chloe well, and even she had to admit there was a small chance he was right.

Chloe was glaring daggers at the floor. "I'm fine. So some people in my class don't like me. Who cares? I don't."

Ladybug swallowed back a loud grunt and almost managed not to roll her eyes. Chloe had just switched from dramatically heart broken and begging for sympathy to uncaring and blasée, and was obviously under the impression her audience would just buy it.

Cat Noir leaned on the wall, arms crossed and head tilted as though he were puzzled. "Weren't you saying they ALL ganged up on you?"

Chloe turned her glare on him. "So? I. Don't. CARE!"

"You know I don't like lies, Chloe," Ladybug said. She was just about out of patience. If Chloe was going to be like this, there was no point in their staying here.

"I'M NOT…"

"Okay, fine, you don't care and you're not lying," Cat Noir interrupted, standing up straight from his leaning position and crossing his arms. He was obviously just about done with the Mayor's daughter as well. "Just be quiet and listen, ok? There's something I want to say to you, and then we'll be out of your hair. Okay?"

Chloe huffed. "If it means an end to this conversation, fine."

"You spent most of your life so far completely confident that everyone loved you. You're pretty, you can be funny, you can be generous and YOU certainly feel like you're loveable."

He raised his hand in a surprisingly authoritative stop gesture: Chloe had opened her mouth. She shut it back and contented herself with narrowing her eyes at him.

"And today," Cat Noir continued, "you found out that most of your classmates don't actually like you much. They think you're mean. They blame you for their getting akumatized. And you're trying not to care, you're trying to just dismiss it as their being stupid for not loving someone as perfect as you, but you can't because you know that a lot of what they're saying is true. You DID cause several of them to be akumatized. You can say it wasn't your fault, you can say they overreacted, but you're not stupid: you know you had a part. And that means they have actual reasons to dislike you. It means they're NOT just being stupid and they're NOT going to wake up tomorrow feeling silly for it all and adoring you again."

Chloe was clearly not appreciating the amateur psychoanalysis. She had turned her back to the both of them, arms crossed again and staring out of the window as though the same view she'd had for years was suddenly completely engrossing.

Cat Noir continued undeterred. Ladybug had to admire his dedication: he was really doing his absolute best to help a girl who was after all a stranger to him become a better person.

"You keep hurting people, Chloe. If that's not what you're trying to do, you need to start being more careful. And if it IS what you want, get used to people not liking you." He sighed and uncrossed his arms, holding out his hands palms forward in a surrendering gesture. "Okay, I'm done," he said, shaking his head slightly. "We can go, my Lady."

Marinette nodded, looking at Chloe. The blond had not moved, still standing straight as a board, arms crossed and looking out the window. Ladybug threw her yoyo out of the same opened window Cat Noir and herself had gotten in through and when it caught on something outside, she swung away.

Cat Noir followed his lady into the night. She kept going for a short while, using her yoyo to swing from building to building. When she stopped, stowing her yoyo away after landing on a convenient flat roof, he landed next to her.

"Do you think I got through?" he asked. It was technically a bit of a risk to show he cared for the bratty blond, but he couldn't bring himself to worry too much about that risk. Despite Ladybug's and Plagg's warnings, he just didn't see the point in keeping their identities secret from each other. He only did it out of respect for his partner's wishes.

She smirked briefly, and he could tell she was thinking of teasing him, but her face grew serious again. "I don't know," she admitted. "Time will tell. You did your best."

He nodded and sighed. "Thanks for going along with this. I know it's a long shot."

"A long shot? Hoping Chloe Bourgeois, after being told nobody likes her, would be more receptive to criticism of her general behaviour and would turn a corner and start becoming a good person?"

"…yeah."

"I think "long shot" might be a little bit of an understatement there, kitty."

Chat Noir shrugged. He knew that even better than Ladybug herself. "I think it was worth a try."

Ladybug shrugged back. "Oh, definitely. Just think," she added with a wink, "if it works, we're probably going to see a 50% drop in akuma attacks."

He chuckled in spite of himself. Chloe had been his first friend and he wanted to think she was redeemable. She hadn't always been this bad, had she? But then, how would he have known either way? He had only ever seen how she was around him until he had started going to her school. He had already known she was no saint, but he'd still been unpleasantly surprised that day. And things had not exactly improved since.

Ladybug excused herself and he bid her goodbye with as much of his usual good humour as he could fake.

He sighed and started back home himself, resisting the urge to go check on Chloe again, either as Cat Noir or Adrien. It was no good torturing himself: his lady had been right. Time would tell, and he had done his best.

The rest was up to Chloe.

End

Author's Notes

Thanks for reading! Please comment/review/let me know what you think.

So, the headcanons…

First: Nat is transgender. I want it to be true for representation, but I honestly think it is possible because of a few in-show details. His body shape, particularly visible when he's the Evillustrator, is kind of hourglass like in that his chest his wider than his waist. The only other male student with that kind of shape is Kim and in his case, it's because he's very athletic and muscled. I think we can safely assume that's not the case with Nat. To me, he looks like he's got a female body shape and compresses. He is also one of only two boys wearing an open layer. I think that Adrien has one because his design needs to look more stylish than average, and that Nat has one because it is a fairly well known trick to camouflage your chest for trans boys and men. Finally, he reacts very strongly to the idea of people looking in his bag, much like Marinette. I theorize body dysphoria causes him to be uncomfortable with the thought of anyone seeing feminine hygiene products. That one is admittedly a stretch – he could just not like the idea of all of his drawings being looked at, but hey, it just solidifies it for me.

So, you heard it here first, people, and I hope some of you will like the idea enough to spread it because representation matters: NAT IS TRANSGENDER.

Second, the subtle one. I said I might tell you but I think I won't… or at least not outright. Just a hint then… it's about Alya and how she behaves. And it's a major plot point in my next story.

#miraculous ladybug #fanfic #transgender #transgender Nat #Chloe Bourgeois

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gethealthy18-blog · 5 years

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101 Fun Questions To Ask Your Boyfriend

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/101-fun-questions-to-ask-your-boyfriend/

101 Fun Questions To Ask Your Boyfriend

Harini Natarajan Hyderabd040-395603080 July 5, 2019

The secret to a strong relationship is getting to truly know your partner. It doesn’t really matter whether your relationship is brand new or you have been together for a while. To build a deeper and more meaningful relationship with your love, ask him some fun questions to dig out the information buried deep within him. Confused about how to start off the whole thing?

First, light some candles and get some wine. As for the questions, you need not worry. We have done all the hard work for you, princess. Here is a list of 101 questions that cover almost all topics. Choose the ones that are applicable to your partner and get ready to get closer to him, both figuratively and physically! Don’t forget to have fun doing this!

101 Questions To Ask Your Boyfriend For Fun

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How often have you got up to go into a room, then stood at the doorway because you forgot why you wanted to go into the room?

How often does your brain put itself on autopilot? Are you aware of it when it happens?

What names would you never give your own child? Name at least three.

What is the most relaxing thing you can get done or do for less than 500 rupees?

What is the most puke-worthy drink you have consumed? Where did it happen?

How do you waste your time? What are your guilty pleasures?

What silly things are you capable of doing that you take a lot of pride in?

If animals were as intelligent as humans, which animal would you hire as your secretary? What would you name it?

Do you think fish have necks? Explain. Can you draw a picture of a fish with a neck for me?

Who has been your strangest celebrity crush that others don’t like but you have a soft corner for? Why do you like him/her?

If you were a fruit, which one would you be and why?

What has been the strangest conversation you have ever overheard? Do you remember the details?

What kind of chocolate would you use to build your dream mansion?

What would you do if a guy was interested in you and asked for your number?

If you were ice cream, which flavor would you be? Which flavor would you absolutely loathe to be?

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What is the story behind your latest Insta/ Facebook photo? Who took the picture?

Describe the worst first date you have ever been on. Why was it so awful?

If you could be any superhero, who would you choose? Why?

What crazy things would you do (and try to get away with) if you were stinking rich?

What was the last thing you Googled? Is your browser history SFW (safe for work)?

Did you ever receive a weird wrong number text or call? What did they say?

If you could name yourself, what would be the coolest name you would choose?

If you were a girl, would you date Batman or Superman? Why?

Has someone ever confessed their secrets to you while being drunk? What did they say?

If someone you hate had something on their face, would you tell them?

What is that one thing that you have never told anyone because you were embarrassed?

Do you believe in ghosts? If yes, have you ever seen one?

Is there anyone you are afraid of? Why?

Who is your favorite sibling?

What would you rather have – respect or unlimited money?

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Who among your friends are your favorites? Who do you like to spend time with the most?

What was your favorite toy as a child? What is your favorite toy now? 😉

Did you ever have a crush on anyone I know?

If you were forced to leave your house at a moment’s notice, what is the one thing you would grab to take with you?

Name the TV shows you could binge watch all day. Which one is your favorite?

What quirks does your body have? Are you embarrassed of them?

Which parent is your favorite? Why?

Do you think I look sexy in glasses? Do you think I should try a different style?

What have you always been a snob about? Do your friends give you grief about it?

Do you procrastinate? Explain.

Do you judge people too quickly? How often are you right about your judgment?

You just found two thousand rupees on the ground. What would you do?

If drugs were legal, would you try them?

What are some traits you like about yourself?

If you could change three things about your life, what would they be?

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What are the three things that you wouldn’t change about your life, no matter what?

What is your favorite drink and why?

If you were forced to eat the same food for a month, what would you choose?

Where would you choose to live if work and money were not a factor?

Do you listen to your mind or heart when making important decisions?

What is the worst yet most expensive purchase you have ever made?

Who was your role model as a kid? Why did you like him/her?

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Who gave it to you?

What is your biggest pet peeve?

If your life was a movie, what would you name it?

What is that one thing on your bucket list you freak out about and keep pushing back?

If money was not a factor, would you leave your job and travel the world? Where would you go?

If you had to describe yourself in three words, which ones would you choose?

Do you hate any of your personality traits? Why?

What are you truly obsessed about? Are you ashamed of it?

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How often do you argue in the comments section with people on the internet?

What is the funniest screw-up you have ever seen on Facebook or Instagram?

Do you believe in soulmates? Explain.

What is that one difference between the both of us that you absolutely adore?

What is that one similarity between both of us that you absolutely love?

Are you scared to love someone wholeheartedly? If yes, why?

Where is your favorite place to hang out with me? Why?

Is there any song that makes you think about me?

Was it love at first sight for us? Can you describe the exact “a-ha!” moment you realized you have fallen for me?

If you had to give me a new nickname/pet name, what would you like to call me?

Which trait of my personality drew you towards me?

Were you nervous when we had our first kiss? Were you expecting it to happen?

If (God forbid) our relationship came to an end, what is the one thing you would miss about me the most?

What is the one thing you would like to change about our relationship?

Who do you think is the vulnerable one in our relationship?

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Do you like watching romantic movies? What is the most romantic movie you have ever watched?

What is your favorite way of receiving affection?

Do you prefer big weddings or small ones?

What is your favorite way of showing affection?

What is the sexiest fantasy you have ever had about the both of us?

Do you ever want to settle down and have children? If yes, how many?

In what ways do you think we both have changed since we first got into this relationship?

What about both of us is exactly the same since we first got into this relationship?

What does love mean in your dictionary? Explain.

What do you visualize when you are kissing me?

Would you be embarrassed to hold my hand in public?

Do you like romantic sh*t like kissing on the neck, cuddling, and PDA?

Did you ever think about kissing me before we had our actual first kiss?

Which part of my body do you like the most? Explain why.

Guess which part of your body I like the most.

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Do you ever want to go skinny dipping with me? Would you be scared of getting caught?

Would you ever take a shower or bath with me? Would you be shy?

Do you think I am too clingy?

Do you ever just think about me when I am not with you?

What are the little things that remind you of me?

Do you think there is such a thing as being too much in love? Have you ever felt that about anyone?

What was your first impression of me when you saw me for the first time? Were you attracted to me?

If I was sad, how would you cheer me up?

Do you want a future with me? Why?

What is the one quirky thing about me that you adore?

Did you ever think that I looked completely crazy in an outfit of mine? If yes, which one?

Asking your boyfriend these questions will not only start a fun conversation but also help you get to know him better. For a relationship to stay passionate and last long, you need to know your partner inside out. There will be no bonding if you are not on the same wavelength.

But, men are known to be a bit aloof and closed off when it comes to communicating their feelings. Most of them use one-word answers, making it very difficult to keep the dialogue going. It can really feel like getting your teeth pulled! This method of asking questions will help you both talk about a particular subject in depth.

You need more than just small talk if you want your bae to come out of his shell, especially if he is the shy type. You also need to be ready to ask lots of follow-up questions as well. Every guy is unique, so some of the questions may not work for your guy. Find the ones that work for you both and get the conversation going! Have fun!

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Source: https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/fun-questions-to-ask-your-boyfriend/

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