These 2 are gonna be the death of me. I should temper any expectations of shipping success for Phase 5, but I still keep tossing theories down here like pennies in a well.

(...Jonathan Majors pic taken from this post, and Kathryn Newton pic taken from the Facebook page of Marvel.)

It’s Me Or Her? - Part One

Clay Spenser x Reader

A/N: I’ve had this idea buzzing around my head for a little bit but don’t worry there will be a part 2

Join The Group Chat Here - If You Want Tagging Manually Let Me Know 🖤

Clay Spenser Masterlist

This Months Writing

“Yo Y/L/N” Sonny grinned appearing in the doorway of your cage.

“What” you glared looking up from your phone, you knew what he was going to say.

“You haven’t told me if you are going to the bbq tomorrow” he smirked, leaning against the metal. “So you coming or what?”

“I don’t have a choice do I?” You asked.

“Nope I was just being polite asking, if I have to come to your house and kidnap you I will” he grinned.

“Will she be there?” You hissed.

“Well considering she is Clay’s girlfriend and it’s our before deployment bbq yes she will” Sonny nodded, he knew just how much you hated her, and he also knew that ever since she got with Clay you felt like you lost your best friend and also he knew about your feelings for him.

“Great” you said sarcastically, moving your gaze to the door as the rest of the team strolled in.

“Watch out lads, Princess is in a mood today” Sonny laughed quickly changing the subject.

“When isn’t she” Ray winked as he fist bumped you before going to his cage.

“You might be 2IC Perry but I will drop you like a lead balloon” you smiled innocently.

“What’s up?” Clay asked standing where Sonny was just moments ago.

“Nothing, I'm just peachy,” you said, rolling your eyes as you stood up. “Anyway, what do you care?”

“Because you’re my friend” he said with a sad smile on his face.

“Yeah friend” you scoffed barging past him and headed for the door.

“Oi moody where are you going” Jase shouted as you hand touched the handle.

“For a piss and a smoke” you snapped. “Don’t worry I will be back in time for training”

It took Bravo team a while to adjust to having a female on the team but they eventually came around so they all knew how to handle your moods but they were getting a bit concerned with the tension that was bubbling away under the surface between you and Clay. Jase sighed as he pulled Sonny to the side.

“I’m guessing it’s something to do with tomorrow” he whispered.

“Yeah, we are gonna have to keep an eye on her make sure she doesn’t flip out” Sonny whispered.

“Maybe her and Clay need to have it out before we leave, otherwise it’s gonna be a long 3 months” Jase sighed.

“Either way I have a feeling there’s gonna be a fight tomorrow” Sonny whispered. “It’s really starting to get to her now even though she tries not to show it is”

“I actually thought I was going to have to kidnap you” Sonny laughed as he pulled you into a hug.

“Yeah well I considered bailing but things could get interesting” you laughed grabbing a beer out of the cool box, as you brought the bottle to your lips Jase draped his arm over your shoulder.

“I hope you are gonna be on your best behaviour tonight” he smirked.

“I mean when do I ever behave Jase” you smirked looking up at him.

“Just don’t start any fights, okay” he whispered, kissing the top of your head.

“No promises” you shrugged, wiggling out of his grasp to go find Cerberus.

The moment you flopped onto the grass you saw Clay and Jenny walk into the garden, you didn’t realise you growled until Cerberus nuzzled his snout against your cheek.

“I know buddy” you whispered kissing his nose. You really didn’t see what Clay saw in her, she wasn’t the type of person to hang around with rowdy tier one operators, in fact she was the person to date one just so say she dated a Seal. I mean who wears six inch stilettos to a god damn bbq.

All you wanted to do was punch her in the face, but you knew everyone would be keeping tabs on you tonight so you decided to stay out the way, the way you were feeling right now it was the safe option.

Your peace didn’t last long as Sonny came over and literally flung you over his shoulder.

“I swear to god I will stab you asshole” you growled as he carried you through the garden.

“Stop being an unsociable demon then” he laughed dropping your on your ass in the middle of the group.

“You better sleep with one eye open in J-Bad” you growled looking up at him “I’m coming for you Sonny Quinn”

“Give it your best shot Princess” he winked before going back to the grill.

Sighing in defeat you pulled your phone out , connecting it to Blackburn’s outdoor surround system, scrolling through your playlist you were looking for one song, a song that you knew would cause shit but you needed a good fight. Standing to your feet you went to join Jase, Ray and Sonny around the grill whilst pressing play on the song.

Hey, hey, you, you, I don't like your girlfriend (That's right) No way, no way, I think you need a new one. Hey, hey, you, you, I could be your girlfriend. Hey, hey, you, you, I know that you like me. No way, no way, you know it's not a secret. Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend

“Please tell me you didn’t just put this song on” Jase sighed as he realised the song you put on that was now blasting out loud.

“Don’t know what you are on about” you shrugged “I just put my playlist on shuffle”

“Give me strength” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Dude it’s just a song chill out” you laughed.

“Yes but it’s the meaning behind the song and you know it” Ray sighed.

You're so fine, I want you mine, you're so delicious. I think about you all the time, you're so addictive. Don't you know what I can do to make you feel alright? (Alright, alright, alright, alright)

“Look I’m not going to do anything so chill out” you nodded looking around the garden, making eye contact with Clay. You always had flirty banter with him until he got with Jenny, she instantly took a disliking to you, didn’t like how close you were with Clay. Your eyes were still locked as you sang along with the song. “Don't pretend, I think you know I'm damn precious. And hell yeah, I'm the motherfucking princess. I can tell you like me too and you know I'm right”

In a way this was your way of admitting your true feelings to him, it was ironic that you wasn’t afraid of being the first person through the door but when it came to your feelings that scared the fuck out of you.

She's like so whatever. You could do so much better. I think we should get together now. And that's what everyone's talking about. Hey, hey, you, you, I don't like your girlfriend. No way, no way, I think you need a new one. Hey, hey, you, you, I could be your girlfriend. Hey, hey, you, you, I know that you like me. No way, no way, you know it's not a secret. Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend

“Whatever happens you have my six right?” You asked looking up at the boys.

“You know we always do” Ray said, squeezing your shoulder. “Just don’t do anything stupid”

“Come on this is me we are on about Ray” you laughed sipping your beer, watching how Jenny realised you and Clay were still holding eye contact across the garden and you could literally see steam coming out of her ears. “But if she wants to start fucking let her”

“That’s what I’m worried about” he sighed “we don’t need you banged up for this deployment”

“When do I ever lose a fight” you winked before going to mingle with the rest of the team.

The boys couldn’t take their eyes off Clay and Jenny, just waiting for the moment it popped off so they could intervene.

“Deployment is going to be fun” Sonny said with sarcasm laced in his voice.

In a second, you'll be wrapped around my finger. 'Cause I can, 'cause I can do it better. There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in? She's so stupid, what the hell were you thinking? In a second, you'll be wrapped around my finger. 'Cause I can, 'cause I can do it better. There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in? She's so stupid, what the hell were you thinking?

Before you knew it you felt someone pulling your hair making you scream at the sudden contact. That was it, you saw red, you ignored the pain from Jenny’s grip on your hair as you managed to get out of her hold, without even thinking your fist connected with her face, so hard you felt it crack making your smirk.

“Don’t ever try to sneak attack a Seal bitch” you spat as she clutched her nose.

“Y/N what the fuck” Clay snapped rushing to Jenny’s aid, “you fucking broke her nose”

“Oh did I?” You shrugged, rolling your eyes.

“The fuck has gotten into you recently, this isn’t you” Clay shouted as Trent took Jenny to go see to her nose.

“Oh that’s fucking rich coming from you” you growled, squaring you with Clay with your fists balled at your side.

“I don’t know what youre talking about” Clay growled back, your bodies pressed together.

“Well how about ever since you got with her , you never hang with the team anymore, you bail on us all the goddamn time. Or how about when I needed my best friend because I was having a hard time with some news I got but you blew me off because you had plans with her” you screamed as the hot tears ran down your cheeks. “Or when the weight of the last fucking op was near enough crushing me to the point I nearly left the fucking team, you didn’t even notice because you are never around. So much for being my best friend and having my six”

“Come one Y/L/N” Jase said in your ear as he wrapped his arms around your waist pulling you away from Clay.

“I didn’t know” Clay said, softening his tone.

“Like I said it’s because you are never around” you screamed as you thrashed in Jason’s grip. As Jenny appeared next to Clay, wrapping her hand around his arm. “You know I was moments away from spilling my heart out to you last deployment but stopped myself because you’d never feel anything for your best friend despite the years of flirting”

“Baby she’s just jealous” Jenny whined.

“Bitch I can show you jealous if you want” you growled as Jase picked you up taking you further away from the situation.

“Walk it off” he snapped as he put you on the ground.

“Why should I?” You snapped.

“Just fucking walk it off Y/N” Jase snapped before dropping his tone. “Please just go calm down”

“Fine” you huffed grabbing the bottle of whiskey off the side when he let you go.

As you were taking yourself for a walk to try and calm down you heard Jenny ask Clay a question that you weren't sure if you wanted to know the answer to so you started sprinting to get as far away from them as possible.

“You gotta choose Clay, it’s me or her?”

@chibsytelford @mrsmarvelous1995 @supervalcsi @talicat713 @disasterfandoms @bravo-four-seal-team @jasonbabymama @jayhalsteadfan-2417 @lotsoflovefromlea @seik-o @ohitsnicolexo @velvetcardiganbucky @phoenixhalliwell @pancakeisreading @itsonautopilot @pinkrockstar19 @galaxysanduniversesinmymind @softi92 @abby-splace

Hihi! Can I ask for a reaction of them wanting your attention and cuddles but you’re too concentrated doing something else?

Btw your reactions are so cuuuute!!

WayV's reaction to you being too concentrated on something else and they want your attention~

Heh, thank you for your ask!

And thank you for the compliment! Those type of comments always get me all giddy 💕

Kun:

I feel like when this guy wants attention, it's a bit more subtle

So when you're sitting at your desk writing an essay

He picks up on your stressed out vibes

He thinks that maybe if he takes your attention off of your essay for a little bit, you'll be able to come back and have an easier time finishing it

Clear your head a little bit

He also feels kind of neglected and wants some attention

But he'd never admit to that

Because he's 'so mature'

So he comes up behind you and gives you a back hug type thing as he rests his chin upon your head

"y/n, don't you think you should take a break for a little? You've been working on this for the last six hours.. straight"

"No, Kun. I need to get this done. It's due by next week and I'd rather not have to worry about it"

Next week?

Bro, what?

You've got like.. what, 100 hours plus to finish it?

And you're all bent out of shape right now?

"You could take a little break and maybe go for a walk with me or something.. your little mind has been full of essay thoughts for too long"

"No"

Alright, plan B

He goes and grabs your jacket and shoes

He drops the shoes by your chair and holds your jacket out for you to take

"We're going on a walk, y/n. You need a break. No saying no"

You're a bit annoyed at this, but you comply

He’s succeeded at getting your attention without exposing the fact that he is indeed an attention leech

Ten:

I feel like we all know what Ten’s like when it comes to wanting attention

“Baby Yangyang come here” *aggressive bed patting*

So when he sees you sitting in your library, reading some new fantastic book you’ve purchased

His heart immediately turns into goo

You sitting there, looking so focused

Your little expression

It makes him just want to cuddle you to the nth degree

So he does just that

Or, tries to

Sitting on the couch next to you, he wraps his arms around your torso and rests his head on your shoulder

You’re pretty much alright with this until he starts to try and distract you by blowing into the nape of your neck

To get your attention, of course

“Ten, stop. The story’s starting to get to the climax. Don’t distract me, it’s interesting”

“I could get you to your climax too, y/n. It’d be far more interesting”

You slap him away with a glare

“You’re fucking greasy. I just want to read”

You direct your attention back to the novel

He sits there with a slight pout before moving to rest his head on your lap

“Don’t you think your idol boyfriend is more interesting than a stupid book, y/n?”

“Look, you can lay there all you want, just don’t talk to me. I’m trying to focus”

He snakes his arms around your waist and pulls his face into your stomach

You drop one of your hands that was supporting the book to play with a couple strands of his hair

After about 20 minutes you start to hear soft snores from your boyfriend

At least he got his cuddles, and you got to focus on your new novel

Winwin:

I think the majority of us know that this lad isn’t too thrilled about skinship

So when he’s wanting it

You better swan dive right into that shit, y/n

If you’re not, I’ll come to have a serious conversation with you. I’m not too great at language skills and I have a terrible stutter but I’ll come for you istg

When he sees you in the kitchen

Making some cute cookies in the shape of flowers

Guy just wants to snuggle

Looking at you with flour all over your face, maybe a little in your hair

In your cute little apron

It makes him so soft

So he comes behind you and wraps his arms around your waist, toying with the little bow you’ve tied on the front of your apron

“Whatcha doing, y/n?” 

“Makin’ cookies” you mumble, pressing the cookie cutter into the dough

“You wanna come cuddle? I’ll clean you up and get all that flour off your face”

“I can’t right now, maybe after I put the cookies in the oven. I wanna have some of these as soon as possible. It’s a new recipe, Sicheng”

You start laying the cookies out on the pan, the parchment paper crinkling every once in a while from the weight of the dough

He observes every movement your hands make

Patiently waiting for you to finish the task at hand

“So when are you gonna.. you know.. put them in the oven?”

You look over at him as you’re delicately brushing egg whites over the cookies

He’s real desperate for cuddles and here you are, making cookies

y/n, what’s wrong with you? Give the guy some loving

“After the oven beeps. It has to be 175 degrees for these to bake properly. Be patient”

A few moments later, the oven beeps and you FINALLY put the cookies in

Poor guy is nearly jumping from excitement when you finally remove your apron and move to give him a hug

It was now time for Sicheng and he honestly couldn’t wait to receive your attention instead of watching you fuck around with dough and ignore him

Lucas:

Lucas probably could get your attention and cuddles whenever he wants

So when he sees you dusting the house

In your cute little Saturday morning outfit

Shorts that are WAY too short to be allowed in public, and an old tee you’ve had for centuries

He can’t help but want to cuddle his little cutie

But he knows you can be a little bit feisty when you set your mind to something and he tries to distract you from it

Does he care if you get a little upset if he takes your attention for like.. an hour? 

No bro, he doesn’t

When it’s Xuxi time, it’s Xuxi time

Besides, when you’re angry, you’re basically just like a little angry hamster

He walks up behind you and suddenly lifts you 

And at this point you’re like “wtf is happening?”

Until you realize that the gentle giant (if you’re taller than him, then he’s the midget) of the house is carrying you towards the couch

“Yukhei, I was dusting. Put me down. I need to finish this before I can relax”

“You can finish it later,” he plops down on the couch with you on his lap “right now, you can relax with me”

You basically claw to get out of his grasp to finish your task

But his iron strong grip is keeping you sat upon his lap

Eventually you give up

What’s the use of fighting it

He could probably bench press 40 of you

So 1 of you wanting to get back to dusting is probably like holding a squirming kitten in your arms

You toss the dusting rag in your hands onto the coffee table

And then snuggle into his hold

Yukhei has won

But then again, how could he not?

Xiaojun:

You decided recently to take up a new hobby

And that hobby was dancing

So you decided to try and cover one of your boyfriend’s songs

And wow, to DJ

Coming home from practice and laying his eyes on you attempting to dance to Turn Back Time was the cutest shit-

There you were, in your pyjamas

In the middle of the living room with everything pushed out of your way

Trying your best to follow along with his movements on your laptop screen

“y/n, you do realize you could’ve just asked me to teach you?”

You pause and turn to face him

You didn’t hear him come through the door and now 1.) you were deeply embarrassed and 2.) you ruined your surprise for him

“I wanted to surprise you with it, Dejun..” 

God, when I tell you this guy’s heart grew like the Grinch’s after all the Whos showed him the warmth of Christmas (idk if that’s even right I haven’t seen the movie in years-)

He rushed over to you and pulled you into a tight hug

“Let’s go rest. I’m tired after practice and I’d just love some hugs from you”

“DJ, I really want to learn this for you.. You can go rest and I’ll come join you later”

“I can teach you later. Having me teach you would be significantly better than trying to learn from a dance practice video..”

But his attempts to convince you to come cuddle you were futile, as you ‘just wanted to do it by yourself’

Eventually he just resorted to picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder to carry you to your shared bedroom

You tried to protest, but your protests were just as futile as his cuddle requests

He did take the responsibility to teach you the choreography after your little afternoon nap, even if you tried to refuse

Hendery:

Your anniversary was coming up and you thought you’d do some arts and crafts to make a handmade card for Kunhang

You were successful in your endeavour until he found his way into your craft room

Kind of like a sneaky snake

You didn’t realize he was there until he whispered a “whatcha doing?” into your ear

This basically caused you to jump the height of the empire state building

You tried your best to hide the card you were working on, hoping that he didn’t see too much of it

“I was making something for you- for our anniversary”

A grin found itself onto his face

“That’s so cute, y/n” he pulls you into a suffocating but loving hug, “but how about for right now, you come cuddle?”

“I’m busy..” your voice was muffled by his hoodie “I don’t want the decorations to dry wrong, Mr. Wong” (yes y/n, bust out those rhymes)

“Oh come on, I’ll love it no matter what the decorations look like”

The next few minutes were just filled of Hendery’s attempts to get you to be the big spoon because he ‘wanted to know what it felt like’

You finally gave in

Because not gonna lie, cuddles with Hendery are SSS tier

Not before trying to hide the card under a stack of books

You didn’t want him to lay his eyes on it again until your anniversary

Yangyang:

I feel like

With you, Yang² would be clingy 24/7

He just hits me as a lad that would love to show his love for you in any way possible

And because of this, there’s a lot of begging for cuddles

When he comes home to see you curled up in bed with a cold facecloth draped over your forehead

He’s immediately worried

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

You explain to him that you think you might have a little flu, but that’s all

And that maybe you being in a close proximity with him wouldn’t be great for him 

Still, he attempts to climb in bed with you to hold you close

“Yangyang, I don’t want you to get sick. I don’t want to take care of you when you’re bowing to the porcelain gods”

“Oh come on, y/n. I need cuddles because it hurts me to see you like this... and you should cuddle me because cuddles are the best cure-”

You roll your eyes and sit up from the bed slowly before making your way to the living room, to at least prevent the guy from catching whatever you had

And as you’re heading down the hallway you get the “y/n, y/n, wait”

He grabs your hand and pulls you back towards the bedroom

You’re too weak to protest against this 

You used up your energy and brainpower by trying to force Yangyang to leave you alone

It didn’t work, of course

So you gave in

Maybe you did need cuddles from him

You two spent the rest of the day spooning in bed and snoozing

Taking a break when you needed to bow down to the toilet, of course

He was right though, the cuddles did make you feel a bit better

Deku x reader- Minecraft millionaire

Fluff

A/N: I use Xbox so these are Xbox controlls but feel free to change them as you see fit

Izuku sat on his bed flicking his eye's from the facetime with you to the screen in front of him continuously holding the right trigger on his controller and chewing his lip. "Wait what level do you find diamonds?" he asked glancing at his coordinates in the corner and you jumped around the world trying to escape a creeper "Fuck i'm gonna die! i'm gonna die! please NO!" you yelped and decided it was time to dig a hole in the ground and block it off. "Sorry, what did you ask?" you look at the phone propped up against your laptop and chuckle at Izuku's face scrunched up in concentration "uh, what level do you find diamonds" he repeated not taking his eye off the screen filled with grey stone blocks and dot's of black for coal. "12 to 14, usually 13 is like the best place"

You answered uncovering the hole you had dug in just as a creeper passed over you and fell into your 3 by 1 grave. "NOOO!" you screeched as the green mob flashed white and you tried to jump out of the inescapable hole for a final moments peace but to no avail. The unmistakable sound of a muffled explosion and the respawn screen, lighting your face up red and you let out a fake cry. "Did you die?" he asked despite the obvious answer. "Yeahh" you answered with a heavy sigh and respawned at home, grabbing a spare wooden sword and jumping over to the spot of your death. If nothing else you'd get a lot of dirt?

Izuku muttered about hitting his head off every block and you snickered "I mean at least you learned your lesson about digging straight down" he huffed and flailed his arms creating a cold air around him "it wasn't my fault no one told me I shouldn't dig straight down!" he had a point, yes, but still you had presumed that even he would know such a basic rule "I know, I know" you say nearing the site of the explosion and start sprinting ignoring the band of mobs chasing you.

"HOW IS MY STUFF STILL HERE. IT WAS LITERALLY NEXT TO ME?!" you yelped in surprise but ran around the area gathering your stuff and spammed the Y button, automatically gearing up and switched your sword to your hotbar along with your enchanted pickaxe and cooked chicken.

"Maybe the minecraft gods granted you... something?" Izuku laughed and popped out of his mine running to his furnace and dropping in a stack of Iron. "(y/n) I hear you need some cobblestone" Izuku said running to your house across from his and down the basement to your storage area. You groaned begrudgingly trying to fend off an army of spiders who had made it a personal goal of theirs to off you. "Izuku please don't contribute to the cobble chest. I'm begging you. I don't need more cobble" you whined sprinting away with 5x more Xp than you originally had. "Do you have lapiz?" you asked raking through his chests to find the blue material.

Izuku opened the chest almost full with cobble and finished it off with 12 more stacks, leaving one or himself. The green achievement bar popped up at the bottom of the screen "Chestful of cobblestone" and you clicked your tongue pushing your hands together like a prayer in front of your mouth "IZUKU. I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD I'M GOING TO BURN YOUR COBBLE. STOP GIVING ME COBBLE, THAT GOES FOR ALL THE REST OF THE BOYS TOO!" your shouting could be heard throughout the dorm and some of the other minecraft players snickered to themselves.

Anytime, they had a stack or so of cobble, they would put it in one of your chests and it became a running joke for them to go "Hey (y/n) I heard you needed more cobble" and shove it in the chest despite your begging them not to. You had 3 chests of cobble but never got the achievement because you had burned the first 2 chestfulls before they could finish it off.

"Yes I have lapiz just give me a sec" he answered after your threat and jumped over to you. Meeting in front of your pumpkin farm you were jumping on. "If you fall you're gonna trample your crops" he said and you shrugged "that's what I have a diamond hoe for duh" you say in a bragging way as if having a diamond hoe of all things really just showed your wealth. You jumped off the pumpkin successfully not landing on your crops and spun around in front of Izuku as he threw lapiz at you "Is this what it's like to be a stripper" you chuckled and Izuku snorted at your joke. "Okay that's enough" you say, stopping him from throwing anymore and bouncing off to your enchantment table.

"I can't believe you had 4 extra diamonds and you made an enchantment table and a hoe" he sighed grabbing all the iron from his furnace and spinning to the crafting table to make a new pickaxe and a bucket for milk. He was determined to make a cake just as much as getting diamonds but there was a lack of cows due to bakugo's anger issues when he was in the server. "What would you even have done with them!?" "I COULD HAVE BOOTS (y/n)!" he shouted back and you purse your lips. He could have had boots...

"Okay well I'm sorry I'm rich and have full diamonds" you shrug and he looked up from his controller looking straight forward pinching the bridge of his nose "your a bitch" he laughed and started back down his mineshaft complaining about the steps hitting his head again. "You love me really" you chuckle and he rolls his eyes with a smile "yeah I know" you glance at the facetime and smile, 8 hours, 29 minutes 43 seconds you'd been on a call just playing minecraft in the server you ran for "the lads" as it had been dubbed.

"OOH IZUKU I JUST GOT FORTUNE 3 ON MY DIAMOND PICKAXE!" you exclaim, celebrating by jumping up and down. "Sweet! You're gonna have endless coal!" he laughed and you punched the air excitedly "so much Xp!" "we have an Xp farm" he retaliated and you pouted "Let me be exited" you whined and he awed "sorryyy" he said dragging it out for effect and you huffed "better be."

Izuku's inventory quickly filled with cobble, coal, and iron again, the occasional redstone for Xp and fuck gold, gold sucks. He stumbled into a cave, a platform of stone and on each side was a pool of lava. But Izuku's eyes lit up and he gasped "OH MY GOD!" he shouted digging through the wall to get to the prize. "WHAT!" you shouted back, busy breeding the chickens and throwing eggs in the overcrowded pen. "Sorry but some of you guys have gotta go" you muttered brandishing your iron sword, specifically named "the chicken killer" since you didn't want to waste your diamond sword on chickens. "DIAMONDS!" he shouted back building a platform around the edge of the lave he could walk on and building under the diamonds for safety.

"OH OH MY GOD WAIT THERE AND I'LL MINE THEM FOR YOU!" you say abandoning the chickens and jumping over to his house again. "wait why. This is my moment I've literally never found diamonds and you're gonna take them from me" he asked looking at the phone, your face twisted with concentration. "Because I have fortune 3 and I can make 8 diamonds like 24" you said. "can I mine these ones and tell you when I find more instead I want to mine my own first diamonds." you stopped at the entrance jumping up and down in frustration "okay fine"

As Izuku ventured further into the cave earning probably half a new chest worth of cobble he shouted for you. "I found more diamonds." you immediately sprang into life holding the left stick to go down quicker. "Okay yeah this is really inconvenient" you agreed about bumping your head on the way down and landed at his shaft. "Uhh which way am I going" you asked. "Left" he said. You followed the trail of torches and Izuku's name tag that got bigger the closer you were eventually running into the same square as him. "Move back I can't see" you instructed and he scooted backwards.

You swung the enchanted pickaxe collecting the aqua gems and throwing them at izuku. "That's like 20 something," you said, shrugging at the phone and running off back home. "That was 28" he said running after you to finally make his full iron armor and tools "I have 33 in total" he grabbed sticks from his unorganised chests that you despised and for the first time, made diamond armor in minecraft.

"Oh my god he's wearing BLUE! It doesn't match your colour scheme" you cried shielding your eyes and looking away. "Sorry (y/n) let me just dye my diamonds green real quick" he said, throwing an emerald at you and you feigned shock. "A MIRACLE. TRULY"

"Okay I wanna enchant it" he said following you to the enchantment table. "We do have those enchanted books if you want something specific?" you said but he shook his head "nah i'm doing it old fashioned" he said standing at the enchantment table and taking his time going through, enchanting each item with its purple iridescence.

"What did you get?" you asked, jumping around him excitedly and he hovered over each item. "Respiration on the helmet, projectile protection and unbreaking, wait I got unbreaking as well?" he asked looking at you through the facetime "it does that sometimes" you shrugged and he raised his eyebrows and hummed with the newfound knowledge. "Those on chestplate, protection on the jeans-" "leggings" "whatever, and feather falling on the boots" he said putting all his armor back on and going over his tools "efficiency on the pickaxe, efficiency on the axe, unbreaking on the hoe, unbreaking on the shovel, and fire aspect on the sword" he said stabbing a chicken that immediately went up in flames. "Roast chicken for life!" you cheered.

"Okay you have your full diamond now come to the nether" you said standing in the swirling portal and Izuku whined. "Literally what for!" he asked standing next to you despite his disinterest and the loading screen popped up. "For that Xp, gotta get that nether quartz" you said jumping to a clump of nether quartz and letting the green spheres fall on you watching the bar go up. "(y/n) What's the bridge for?" he asked walking over to the bridge ignoring the magma slime jumping toward you.

"What bri- AGH FUCK NO NO YOU CUBE FUCKING BITCH THINK YOU CAN JUMP ON ME LIKE I'M SOME WHORE WHO DO YOU THINK I AM" (A real thing i've said playing minecraft with my friends) he turned around just as the magma divided into 4 then each of those into another 4 until there were none. "Don't go on that bridge you will absolutely die" you warned and he backed up onto the bridge anyway. You were surprised he even made it halfway before a ghast needed to tell him his place and shoot him right into the neon orange below. "YOUR FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT"

Bonus content

Kaminari, bakugo, and kirishima all joined the call loading up minecraft not expecting to get an earful of your abuse to Izuku who was crying into his controller "I FUCKING TOLD YOU NOT TO GO ON THE BRIDGE BECAUSE A GHAST WOULD KNOCK YOU OFF BUT WHAT DID YOU DO. GO ON THE BRIDGE. I LITERALLY JUST GOT YOU THOSE DIAMONDS ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME YOU BROCCOLI. I WASTED MY FORTUNE BUFF ON YOU."

You loved him really. But you would never be taking him to the nether again.

A/n: What is your relationship with Izuku here? That's for you to decide. Also these are all things that have happened to me while in minecraft with my friends.

SHADOW WAR EPILOGUE

There was a loud buzzing and ringing in his ears. Someone was talking but he couldn't hear, he felt like he was underwater. That's when he felt the pain kick in. It felt like someone had dragged him by his shoulders through all of Duckburg and back to the bin before throwing him and leaving him. Gyro groaned before turning his head to the side and feeling a mix of water and spit fall out of his mouth. He was pretty sure he tasted something like iron but he wasn't going to think of that. He coughed up more water still unable to move. Eventually he was able to breathe on his own as he layed there still not opening his eyes. He could tell it wasn't light out so he simply layed there unmoving. Gyro secretly hoped that he'd fall back into unconsciousness soon so he could fast forward the pain. His wish came true as he embraced the sweet numbness.

--5 Minutes Prior with Fenton----

They had done it! They had defeated Magica and he got his suit back. Everyone was swimming in the money ((or at least trying to)) except for Scrooge who was staring out. Fenton walked over, wondering if Scrooge too had seen a weird shadow ball covered in purple magic fall out of the sky during the battle. Fenton had just showed up when it happened, he assumed it was debris, but one could never tell.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He offered to Scrooge

Scrooge stared ahead, his eyes scanning the water. "Where'd he go?" He muttered

"Um, who exactly?" He asked. Was someone lost or hurt? Did someone get carried off by the shadows? Did magica still have power? Was there another threa-

"Gyro."

Fentons heart stopped as a sinking feeling quickly replaced the victorious buzz he had been feeling. "W-what?"

"He was flung into the ocean during battle. I didn't get the chance to see him resurface." Scrooge stated looking at the water.

Fenton felt his heart quicken. "Was he uh, was he surrounded by shadows and purple light?" He asked nervously

"Yes. Magica wanted to sacrafice him but that old coon couldn't tell if I was lying by saying he was a work aquaintence" Scrooge chuckled a little.

"..oh.." Fenton murmured

"I'm sure he's fine. Gyro's a lot tougher than he looks, and for what we give him credit for" he added before turning back to his family.

"Thanks for the help lad." Scrooge said walking away leaving Fenton alone with his worries.

Gyro had been the one in that blast. Fenton just assumed no one could survive it so it must've been debris. His heart rate sped up even more as he nervously walked to the edge of the bin staring at the water. Fenton shook his head, deciding to go down to the beach/shore instead. He'd probably get a better view from there.

---

Fenton walked along the shore looking at the water out ahead of him hoping to see a sign of anything. A rubber life jacket floated past that looked like it could fit one of the kids but nothing else was out there. Fenton kept walking as the light faded. Maybe Gyro had made it to the opposite shore? Maybe Gyro went back into the bin and was down in the lab? Maybe Gyro was safe at home treating his wounds? Fenton hoped it was the last option but his gut said different. He kept walking, staring at the great expanse of water before he heard something. It sounded like a labored groan from another creature. Fenton turned his head curiously before he spotted a familiar shade of yellow amongst the sand. He ran over to it, picking up Gyro's hat that was laying on the ground. He held it close to his chest; It still smelled like Gyro. It also smelt like seawater, fish, and dirt but that didn't matter to Fenton. Fenton inhaled the scent his heart beating more as he felt calm for a moment. Naturally his anxiety returned and heightened but he had a new sense of determination. If Gyro's hat had made it back then so would Gyro, he couldn't be too far. Another groan this time quieter suprised Fenton as he looked around, spotting a hand upturned towards the sky. Fenton ran over still holding the hat, he slowed down as he got to the person.

It was Gyro.

Gyro was there lying in the sand, one arm up by his head the other one limp at his side, his body partially turned on the side. His hair was messy, soaked, and dirty. His feathers were coated in sand and Fenton was sure that Gyro would not want to wear that outfit again. Fenton looked at Gyros face, crouching down and brushing the hair out of his eyes. Gyro was peaceful almost, obviously ignoring the small amount of blood on his beak and the obviously horrid condition he was in. Gyro's face was relaxed, the bags under his eyes lessened and he wasn't scowling or frowning. Fenton felt tears come to his eyes as he smiled seeing Gyro in one piece. That smile quickly faded when he realized Gyro was breathing very shallowly, his chest rising and falling only once every 15 seconds. Fenton knew Gyro needed medical attention ASAP but he wouldn't be able to carry him himself and yelling wouldn't do that much good. Fenton stepped back a solid 3 feet before yelling out,

"Blathering Blatherskite!" As the armour came flying towards him.

'this should do it' he thought looking at the Gizmosuit armour on him before he rolled over and scooped up Gyro, carrying the man bridle style and grabbing Gyro's hat. Gyro's body was limp in his gizmo-arms, his head lolled to the side. Fenton looked at him sadly praying to God he would be ok. Fenton rolled back to the bin to be greeted by everyone, as Fenton held up Gyro, Scrooge's face hardened demanding Fenton take him to the hospital and Launchpad to start the car. Donald and Beakly took the kids inside promising them a sleepover in the bin and vending machine snacks.

--3 Days Later with Gyro--

There it was again.

That blasted buzzing/ringing sound.

Gyro let out a growl or a grumble or some sound to express his annoyance before realizing his throat hurt. Gyro cracked open his eyes just a tiny bit to see where he was. It was a room that was both familiar and oddly different. White walls, a small tv shaped blob, some steady beeping sound, muted colors, Fenton at the foot of his bed, sheets, industrial cleaning smell, closed curtains- wait, Fenton at the foot of his bed?! Gyro looked down more, unable to make out the details but able to see a tan blob with a yellow blob and part of a purple blob.

"Wh-hmmm?" He slurred as the blob moved. Gyro now saw two eye shapes as the blob moved more, it looked like Fenton was looking for something he had.

Gyro slowly blinked, trying to squint and see Fenton or anything more than 2 feet away from him really. The blob moved closer before he put something on Gyro's face, Gyro's vision cleared up as he was able to see around him. Sure enough Gyro was in the hospital, wearing a cheap hospital gown, with Fenton there to see whatever condition he was in. Gyro felt a sharp pain in his chest as he winced, Fentons face growing in concern.

"Sir are you ok?"

"I'm just fine" Gyro replied through clenched teeth

"You can't expect me to believe that statement" Fenton replied

"I can hope" Gyro responded feeling the pain subside to a dull throb.

"Well you should rest. You're not getting released until tommorow anyways. No point in faking your fine"

"But I am fine!" Gyro protested trying to move before feeling his shoulders hurt too and settling to lay back.

Fenton walked over putting his hand on Gyro's.

"I'm glad you're back sir" he said warmly

"T-thanks.." Gyro mumbled looking away

"I'm serious, I'm glad you're alive." Fenton replied

"Well, I'm not exactly. I mean, I'm gonna be in debt for years being in this hospital room! How long was I out anyways?"

"3 days" Fenton replied as Gyro leaned back groaning

"I'm financially fucked." He deadpanned

"I wouldn't say that.." Fenton said

"Well I would. Why do you think me and Manny gave a grade-A medkit in the lab? I'll tell you it's not company policy." Gyro responded, his mood sour.

Fenton looked at the door, "I'm sure you'll be fine. I can try to help if you want?" He suggested

"Oh no. No way. You are not paying a cent. That's final" Gyro said stubbornly

"Neither of you are paying a cent." Another voice said as both of them turned to see who it was. Scrooge walked in the room, shutting the door.

Gyro leaned back miserably, 'could this day get worse?' he thought

"Gyro." Scrooge said as Gyro snapped to attention.

"Y-yes?"

"I'm paying for this hospital stay, so you won't have to worry about that." He said with a small smile.

"T-thank you sir!"

"I'd thank your 'assistant' for getting you from the shore if I were you" Scrooge said nodding towards Fenton. "If not for him we would've lost our greatest inventor"

Gyro looked at Fenton suprised, a blush creeping onto his cheeks

"You have the week off while we redo the lab, if there's any additions within reason, send a report to the office for approval. I have a meeting to attend but,"

He walked over to Gyro, putting a hand on his shoulder

"It's good to have you back, son" he said before leaving as Gyro stared in shock

"Wow.. adoptive son of the richest duck in the world" Fenton joked

"S-shut up" Gyro responded

"Nope. And you can't make me" Fenton teased

"I'll take away your Gizmosuit privileges." Gyro replied

Fenton faked a gasp. "How dare you! After saving your life too!"

"Oh please, we both know you wouldn't let me die." He replied

Fenton sighed knowing he lost. "You're right.."

"Of course I am."

Fenton looked up at Gyro before the nurse walked in.

"Visiting ends in 5 minutes" she said before walking out.

Fenton looked at Gyro as they made eye contact, Fenton smiling a little. "See you tommorow?" He asked

"Sure." Gyro responded

Fenton walked over to Gyro before giving him a mouth boop on the forehead and leaving Gyro a blushing mess.

Gyro layed back in bed staring gay ahead. Gyro thought about that kiss for the rest of the night.

@febuwhump day 10 : I'm sorry, I didn’t know keep moving forward summary

“Oh, look who it is,” said Tony. “The amazing Peter Parker and Iron Lad.”

“I’ve asked you to stop calling me that,” said Harley. He put his laundry basket down on the porch.

“Shouldn’t you two be off doing college boy things? Like blowing up your dorm rooms or terrorizing your professors into retiring early?” Tony’s eyes shifted to Peter. “Or not studying for your Chem midterm on Monday?”

Peter frowned, and dropped his laundry bag from his shoulder. It landed with a thud, next to Harley’s basket. “How did you know about my test?”

“Think it’s hard for this genius and savior of the universe to hack a lousy MIT server?”

A gentle breeze fresh off the lake blew through Peter’s hair, bringing with it all the familiar and welcoming scents of his second home.

He shut the door to Harley’s baby, a vintage red Camaro with black racing stripes, and immediately locked eyes with Tony, who watched them both walk the dirt path up to the lakehouse from his favorite chair on the porch.

“Oh, look who it is,” said Tony. “The amazing Peter Parker and Iron Lad.”

“I’ve asked you to stop calling me that,” said Harley. He put his laundry basket down on the porch.

“Shouldn’t you two be off doing college boy things? Like blowing up your dorm rooms or terrorizing your professors into retiring early?” Tony’s eyes shifted to Peter. “Or not studying for your Chem midterm on Monday?”

Peter frowned, and dropped his laundry bag from his shoulder. It landed with a thud, next to Harley’s basket. “How did you know about my test?”

“Think it’s hard for this genius and savior of the universe to hack a lousy MIT server?”

“Morgan’s right,” said Peter, having flashbacks to that time, a couple of weeks earlier, when she had called him from her closet to complain that her dad spent the entire day at her school. “You have boundary issues.”

“And I’m called Iron Man 2,” said Harley.

“Yeah,” said Peter. “Cause he’s the sequel.”

“Well you know what they say about sequels. They’re never as good as the original.”

“It’s cold here,” said Harley. He turned to Peter. “Why did we come here, again?”

“I dunno, my memory’s sort of foggy…”

“Oh, let me try,” said Tony. “Maybe cause you’re both broke college students who haven’t had a solid meal since the last time you drove four hours to do laundry, and you know on Friday nights I make my famous lasagna.”

“Yeah,” admitted Peter. “Sounds about right.”

Tony pulled him into a belligerent hug, knocking the air of him, and ruffling his hair with his prosthetic arm. Harley was nex

t, though he tried, and failed, to get away. Peter lifted both heaps of laundry off the porch. The three of them went inside, where the aroma of home cooked lasagna filled the air.

Peter breathed it in, and a peaceful feeling spread through his body. He was home. At least for a while.

*

The garage was dimly lit, but that was the way Harley liked it. Reminded him of home, and all those nights he’d snuck out to the garage after his mother went to bed to tinker until sunrise, working quietly by lantern and flashlights only, to stay hidden and unbothered.

It didn’t matter how much noise he made at the Stark lake house. He’d always be drown out by Morgan’s chaos or Tony’s rambling or Peter’s frequently moody loud thoughts. It was comforting, and annoying, at all once.

“Burning the midnight oil?” asked Tony, and Harley poked his head up from insides of his beloved Camaro.

Tony wore a robe patterned with tiny Spider-Mans over his pajamas, and Harley had never really gotten used to that, to seeing Tony Stark, Iron Man, walking around in goofy dad pajamas.

“Something like that.”

“I can help you, you know,” said Tony. He patted the red Camaro, and Harley swatted his hand away.

“No way,” said Harley. He knew what happened when Tony started tinkering, even when he’d claim they were only minor upgrades. “Touch her and die. I like her the way she is.”

“That’s not what you said when you asked for my expert advice about your suit.”

“One of my biggest regrets,” said Harley.

“Brat.”

“Old man.”

“I’m not that old,” pointed out Tony.

“But you’re retired,” said Harley. “And that automatically ages you up about twenty years.”

“I’m not retired. I’m a dad, thus making retirement impossible.”

Tony sat on a stool, and with his latest statement, his mood shifted towards something more heavy, more sad. Just the way conversation tended to go lately, as if someone had died. That was about right. Someone had practically died.

“You’re worried about Peter?” Harley guessed.

“I’m always worried about Peter,” said Tony. “And Morgan. But I actually came in here to talk about you.”  

“Me?”

“Yeah, you,” said Tony. “How’s MIT? How’s your first semester going? I need all the details.”

Harley paused, wondered if it was alright to tell the truth, then realized he couldn’t help it. He broke out into a grin.

“It’s great,” said Harley. “It’s everything I thought it’d be.”

They spend the next couple of hours ignoring the Camaro in favor and talking about hated professors, loved professors, his favorite classes, parties, that girl in his Econ class that always seems to evade him whenever he’d worked up the nerve to ask her out.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time,” said Tony. “You don’t have to feel guilty about it just because -”

“-because Peter’s not?” offered Harley. “I’m worried about him, too.”

“He’ll be fine,” said Tony, but there wasn’t any reassurance in his words and his eyes looked a bit lost, evident even in the dimly lit garage.

“He’s depressed.”

Tony took a breath, as if he’d known along, but wasn’t ready to hear the simple, plain truth stated like that.

“Yeah,” said Tony. “I suppose he is.”

After several seconds of dead air, Tony stood up from his stool, and clasped him on the shoulder. “I appreciate you looking out for him, as long as you’re remembering to look after yourself.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Harley. “It’s really like we look out for each other, tough. Take turns being the responsible one. We’ve got a calendar for it and everything.”

Tony laughed, and got that far off look in his eyes. The one he usually got before launching into a story about his and Rhodey’s college days, but on that night, Harley was spared a story about good ole days. He suspected it was due to Tony worrying more about Peter than he was letting on.

*

Tony wanted to call May.

She was a beacon of parental wisdom, especially when it came to Peter, and Tony could really use the help. He was out of his league, here, but last time he’d call at this time of night, he hadn’t gotten advice about how to sooth Morgan through the sudden loss of her imaginary friend. He’d gotten yelled at, by her, and then by Happy, both of them grumpy about being woken up.

And since Pepper also didn’t like being woken up, Tony would have to go with his instincts this time. His instincts told him what Peter needed was a little bit of tough love.

So, he positioned himself on the stairs, just as Peter tried disappearing into his room for some sleep.

“Tony,” said Peter. “Please don’t be annoying.”

“Too late. I was born that way.”

“Please move. Tired.”

“MIT has really gone downhill since I left, huh,” said Tony. “Students can’t even speak in complete sentences.”

Peter groaned, and Tony slung his arm around him, directing him into the kitchen where’s set up the table with a variety of study aids and all of Peter’s school books.

“What is this?”

“Oh you know,” said Tony. He let go of him, and walked around the table. “You got your energy drinks, you sour gummy candy, your laptop, school books, day old pizza in the fridge, all the necessities for an all-nighter.”

“Why?”

“I’m teaching you how to be a real college student,” said Tony. “And I figured I could help you study for your Chem midterm, since you don’t seem to be interested in it at all.”

“I’m a genius. I don’t need study help.”

“Uh huh,” said Tony. “A genius who’s almost failing Chemistry, and will without a decent score on this test.”

Peter dropped his shoulders, and annoyance flashed across his face. Tony waited for him to yell, or start a fight with him.

He’d been so polite, for the most part, during his teen years Tony figured it was about time for them to be at odds over something, about time for Peter to go off the rails the way only a nineteen-year-old could.

“I was thinking,” said Peter, stating his discontent calmly. No yelling only meant it was gonna be harder for Tony to shoot this down. “I could just forget about school.”

“Forget about school?”

“Yeah,” said Peter. Like it was no big deal. “I could help you and Bruce figure what’s wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. Except for your Chemistry grade.”

“You know what I mean, Tony,” said Peter, a bite to his tone. “Find out what’s wrong with my powers. So I can be Spider-Man again.”

“Kid, we’ve been through this over and over again. Bruce and I, we’re handling this. School is your job right now.”

“Well I’m tired of just sitting around, and waiting -”

“-hence you being enrolled at MIT.”

Tony pushed Peter towards the table, and they both sat down.

“Listen, Pete,” he told him. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what it’s like to have these powers and suddenly have them disappear. It’s been… rough on you. And May and I get that. We let you mope around New York all summer long, but it’s time to pick yourself up and keep moving forward.”

Peter stared at the table, at all the study materials, and it was hard for Tony to interpret what he was thinking.

“Think of it as a shot at having some normalcy,” he said. “Before you get your powers back and with them, all of Spider-Man’s responsibilities.”

“What if,” said Peter. His mask of uninterest started to crack. “And what if they don’t come back?”

“They will.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” said Tony. “I literally saved this whole universe, and our friend Professor Hulk brought half the population back. I think we’ve got it covered.”

“Yeah,” said Peter, though he didn’t sound convinced. He looked away from Tony, and at his school books. “I guess we better get started.”

Tony frowned.

He had been hoping for more conversation, or at least to break through to the kid, in some way, even if it was just a talk and a vent.

Instead he had an almost breakthrough. A tiny crack in the disguise. And that wasn’t good enough, even if Peter was studying and allowing Tony to help him.

When they’re done, Peter disappeared to his room to get some sleep, and Tony sat up, at the table, sipping on a god-awful energy drink and wondering who he’d have to bribe to become a professor at MIT.

True Stories

Written in response to Hauntober prompt #6: Fog 

Summary: Little Lady Blinder universe. Clara and Finn chatting about ghost stories while taking a ride on Uncle Charlie’s narrowboat.

Characters Featured: Finn Shelby, Clara Shelby (Shelby!Sister), Charlie Strong

-----

Clara regretted it a bit, begging for her and Finn to be allowed to come along with Curly on the narrowboat instead of just taking the train to London.

The twins had spent much of their childhood playing on their uncle’s boats as they moored in the yard or moved about the city, but Clara had never ridden them beyond the city limits. She had never been subjected to the long stretches of deserted towpaths between towns or the low, suffocating tunnels, the dense fog that made her wonder how Curly could even steer the boat straight. And worst of all, she was cold, chilled right through her fingers and toes and spine, feeling more frozen than she remembered being in the entirety of her life. 

But Clara would not tell anyone that, not even her dear twin, Finn, because he’d go spouting off about it the very moment they arrived to Ada’s, and then she’d go and tell Tommy, and then Clara would never hear the end of it. 

Tommy already had quite enough things to tell the youngest Shelby ‘I told you so’ for, though he never did, not with those exact words. Tommy needed much less pizzazz than the phrase supplied to get his points across, and he preferred a raised eyebrow or a long stare or a smirk, maybe a single well-chosen word, his little sister’s name said in just the right tone. 

So, Clara sat beside Finn, shivering as he smoked a cigarette, and she didn’t think once on the idea of uttering aloud a single grumble about the cold or the dampness or the fact that she’d decided she didn’t much like traveling the cut at night, not this time of year, at least. And further more, Clara decided on telling Tommy a grand story about their journey on the Grand Union, and in her telling, she’d claim being nothing but comfortable and content and express only the sentiment that she’d thoroughly enjoyed herself.

“Here,” Finn said as he offered his cigarette. “This’ll warm you up.”

Clara frowned and shook her head, her arms wrapped around her legs, her head resting against her knees. Even if the cigarette could give her any significant warmth, Clara wasn’t a smoker. She would rather have a cup of tea, or a sliver of whiskey, not that either would truly warm her. More than anything, she longed for a well-stoked fire and the pile of blankets back home on her bed. 

Finn shrugged, pulling the cigarette back.

“Tom told you to wear more than that silly coat,” he said. “You’d say you’re freezing in the middle of July and you wear that thing this time of year?” 

“I’m fine,” she insisted, pulling the silly coat a bit tighter.

“Trying to be all posh down in London,” Finn continued. “Don’t know why, not as if Ada will let us get up to anything.” 

Clara lifted her head, leaning back into the boxes behind them. “If you’re going to insist on being irritating, you can go and--” Clara started.

“Fuck! Did you see that?” Finn asked, knocking Clara’s shoulder as he nodded ahead. 

“See what?” she asked, squinting as she searched the dark, hazy expanse in front of them. “How the hell can you see a bloody thing with all this fog?”

“There’s another tunnel up ahead,” Charlie interrupted, stepping up behind his niece and nephew, leaning on the box. “It’s a low one though, best to go on inside.” 

“We’ll be alright, eh, Clara?” Finn asked, nudging his sister in the side. “The whole point of this trip was because she wanted to sleep out under the stars.”

Charlie glanced up, but there weren’t any stars to be seen through the fog. He shrugged, learning long ago that there was seldom a time it was worthwhile to go about arguing logic with the Shelby lot of bullheaded children. 

“Suit yourselves,” Charlie offered as he headed to join Curly at the back of the boat, bringing the lantern with him as he left the kids in near darkness. 

Clara shifted further down against the crate as the boat entered the cavernous mouth of the tunnel, the crumbling brick just visible through the fog. She’d never considered herself claustrophobic, but something about being so close to walls on three sides with water on the fourth, and with no end of the tunnel in sight, set her pulse a bit quicker. She shivered as the tunnel’s damp air chilled her further, the shaft seeming to narrow as the boat trudged along. 

“What’d you see before?” she asked, turning to look at her brother.

Finn shrugged. “I don’t know. Thought I saw a light or something,” he said. “You know, they say over a hundred people died here in this tunnel.” 

Clara watched Finn, his face little more than a dark silhouette though he was just beside her. 

“You’re making that up,” she answered.

“I’m not. There was a tunnel collapse and a crash and who knows how many people have accidentally drowned in there.” Finn flicked his cigarette over the side of the boat and sat up straighter, shifting so his back faced the boat’s bow. He watched his sister as she remained propped up against the crate, her shivering arms crossed tight over her chest. “And then there’s the story about Sarah Kitchens...” 

“Stop trying to scare me, Finn,” she answered. “It’s not gonna work.”

“I’m not trying to scare you. It’s a true story. Go ask Uncle Charlie if you don’t believe me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re too scared to walk the boat alone in the dark.”

“I am not. I’m just not going to make the trip because you’re being an idiot.” 

“Well, I’m telling the story whether you wanna hear it or not, so if you’re too sca--” 

“Yeah? You gonna tell it to yourself if I go in?” she asked, scoffing. “Just tell the fucking story, Finn.”

Finn cleared his throat. “Well, the way I heard it, Sarah Kitchens was the love of one of the rich lads in town, a real pretty girl, about seventeen or so, but she’d met a navvy who was here building the tunnel, this guy from a few towns down, and they fell in love,” he said, “And they’d come down here, Sarah and the navvy man, when the tunnel was deserted and they’d well, you kno--” 

Clara cuffed Finn on the arm and he raised an arm to shield himself from another smack.

“What the hell?” 

“Just get on with it,” she answered.

“Well, anyway, they’d come down here with their candles and all, to get some time alone, and one night the rich lad, he gathered his friends and followed her, cause she wasn’t seeming so interested anymore and well, they found her with the navvy, and him and the friends, they grabbed Sarah and they walled her up alive right then for cheating on him--”

“For cheating? You never said she was dating the rich lad,” Clara said.

“Yeah, but he liked her,” Finn answered.

“But she wasn’t cheating on him, then.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Fine, he walled her up ‘cause he was crazy, then. Doesn’t much matter why he did it. Either way, she ended up stuck somewhere in these walls.” He nodded up towards the ceiling of the tunnel. “Some say there are nights, must be when she’s missing her navvy, and you can still see their candles, like she’s waiting for him… and there’s others say they’ve seen her blood on the walls, seeping right through the rock and--”

A stream of cool water flowed down from a crack in the brick above them. 

Clara’s scream pierced the air, reverberating off the tunnel’s walls, overtaking the dull hum of the boat’s motor and the calm lapping of the water against the hull.

Finn's responding laugh echoed too, booming off the walls as he laid back holding his stomach.  

“It’s not fucking funny,” Clara answered, flicking away the water that had landed on her neck and in her hair and shoving her heel into his leg.

“Yes, it fucking is,” Finn answered, grabbing her ankle. He lifted his free arm to block an assumed onslaught of smacks. 

Instead, Clara jabbed him under the ribs. 

Finn dropped her ankle and shifted away, both hands held up in defense. “Christ, don’t you start with that.” 

“You were--” Clara started, her attention drawn to the flickering light at the far end of the tunnel. “What the fuck is that?” 

“What the fuck is what?” Finn asked.

“The light!” Clara pointed to the source of the faint. Finn eyes followed. 

“A fu... it’s a fucking candle,” Finn mumbled out, a pitiful wail escaping his lips as he abandoned his sister, nearly tripping over himself as he moved toward the back of the boat.

Clara was still giggling to herself in the darkness when Charlie came up to check on her, not getting a word out of his nephew as he sped by to get in the cabin.

“What are you kids playing at? Shrieking like banshees in a fucking tunnel?”

Clara snorted. “Finn just scared himself with a ghost story. Thought he saw the candles of Sarah Kitchens and the navvy up ahead,” she answered, nodding towards the tunnel’s far end, and the dim light shining through the blanket of fog. 

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “You mean the boat coming the other way?” 

“I know what it is,” Clara answered. “Finny didn’t though.”

“Well, I heard you screaming, too.” 

“Got dripped on a bit,” she answered.

“An awful lot of noise for a few drops of water.” Charlie turned away from his niece for a moment, took note of their general whereabouts before meeting her eye again.

“The story’s true though,” Charlie said, the smirk on his face hidden as he lifted his lantern to reveal the reddish-brown blemish covering the tunnel wall. 

It was nothing more than a conveniently positioned iron stain, a well-timed trick Charlie Strong had been employing to scare Shelby kids for over two decades now, but Clara didn’t know that as she too sought the shelter of the narrow boat’s cabin. 

The twins didn’t come out again until they were nearly to London, when there were no more eerie tunnels in sight and the night’s fog was long past burned off by the morning sun.

-----

Read more Little Lady Blinder stories here.

The Life and Times of a Tiny Alchemist (1/?)

A series of oneshots set in the universe of Alchemy Lullaby (or, Dadgene and baby Varian). Eugene, Rapunzel, and Varian's life as a family, and the people who helped make it happen.

Current: Set post AL. Quirin adopts a young boy of his own, and bonds with the parents of his son's best friends.

I return! With more baby! There's never enough, all praise be unto him I have no idea how long this series is gonna be, tbh, the 5 is just a placeholder. I may post 20, I may only do 3. Who knows! Not me! I do have a lot of ideas though, lol. Reading AL (link in rb) is highly recommended, but you don't have to if you don't want to. TLDR Eugene adopts Varian, Ulla was a jerk and she's dead now. Hooray! Some of these will be cowritten by the lovely Finnoky who I love very much uwu

Ben is owned by @finnoky and @aj-illustrated :) he's Quirin's adopted son and he is a mini menace. I love him.

Quirin fidgeted awkwardly from where he stood across from to Eugene. It was weird to be back in the palace after… everything. Varian was still afraid of him, and he didn’t blame him at all. Neither did he blame Eugene giving him a distrusting look. But he wasn’t the main focus here. No. The focus was on a small figure currently staring Varian down.

If Varian was small for his age, Ben was even smaller. Though to be fair, Ben was younger; Varian had just turned five, if he remembered correctly, while Ben was still four. His curly black hair and cool brown skin stood out against the others of Dark Kingdom descent, but to Quirin, he was going to fit right in just fine. After all, both he and Varian had a common background.

Following the… incident in Old Corona, Quirin had taken permanent residence. It felt weird to live in what remained of Ulla’s old house, but the farm life suited him better than he’d thought. Almost as if it was what he should’ve done. Well, no use thinking of the past, he told himself. Only looking forward from here on out. Perhaps that’s what drew him to the Corona orphanage.

Varian wasn’t his son, not anymore, he’d accepted that. But now that he had the idea of fatherhood in his mind, he couldn’t let it go. He wanted to raise a child, wanted to be a father. So he’d trekked down and found Ben, with his button nose and roguish charm. The fact that he was Varian’s age was merely a coincidence, but perhaps the first step to repairing relations could be for the two to meet.

“So…” Eugene drawled, smacking his lips together. An awkward silence ensued. Honestly, what are you supposed to do in this situation? It felt a bit like Quirin had just grabbed a kid in an attempt to win Varian’s trust, but that’s not right… right? Quirin’s not that kind of guy, after all.

Then again… Eugene didn’t see him as the type to hurt Varian, but here we are.

“So.” Quirin hummed. Varian clung a bit closer to his dad when he spoke, fear clouding his baby blue eyes. To be fair, Ben was nervous too, his hands shaking where they were bunched into Quirin’s pants.

“Are you going to introduce us?” Eugene raised a brow, and Quirin startled.

“Oh! Yes. This is Ben, he’s four years old, and he’s going to be staying with me for a while.” He smiled down at the little boy. “Ben, this is Eugene and his son, Varian. Varian’s your age!”

Ben pouted, eyes narrowing in on Varian. Who was this kid? What made him so special that New Dad wanted them to meet? “Hi,” He mumbled, and Varian waved back shyly.

“Why don’t you two go play, hm?” Quirin’s eyes are warm, perhaps a bit overeager. “I’m sure you’ll get along.”

“I mean maybe,” Eugene muttered, but nonetheless pushed Varian forward gently. “Why not show Ben around the castle, hm? I need to talk to Quirin.”

Varian whimpered, squeezing his dad’s leg briefly. It was a small sign, a plea for him not to go. But he still let go, toddling over to Ben. The two shared eye contact, before he grabbed Ben’s hand and pulled him into the pristine halls he called home, away from the man who they both might have called dad.

“You wanna meet Ruddiger?” Varian asked, leading Ben down the hall towards his room. The kid was a few inches shorter than him, but his poofy hair was tall enough to compensate.

“What’s Ruddiger?” Ben said.

“My best friend!” Varian chimed, more chipper now that he was talking about something he enjoyed. “Well, outside of Hugo. But he’s different.” The younger opened his mouth to ask, but then shut it. Whatever, he didn’t really care all that much.

The castle was massive, nearly overwhelming in stature. How it dwarfed them, nearly swallowed them! Ben’s eyes kept wandering around, from the shadows cast by windows to the ironed carpet floor. How could anyone live like this? He loved his current home, its small farm feel. But Varian seemed right at home. Of course he would be, with his neat hair, and fancy outfit, stupid nice smile and friendly demeanor-

He’s cut out of his thoughts when a striped blur bounces into Varian’s arms. It wraps around Varian’s neck, purring, and suddenly all Ben’s concerns melt away. A raccoon! He loved raccoons!

“Can I pet him?” He whispers, starstruck. At Varian’s nod, he runs a hand through soft fur and squeals in delight.

He changed his mind, Varian rocks.

“So…” Varian says shyly, feet rocking back and forth. “Why did Quirin bring you here?”

“I dunno!” Ben chimed, giving Ruddiger a tummy rub. “New Dad said he wanted to show me off. Or something like that.” He shrugged. He didn’t actually pay attention to what New Dad said (he’d actually wanted Ben to make a friend). I mean, he was pretty great, in his opinion. So it was a logical assumption!

Varian frowned. “New dad…?”

“Yea! Cuz I had a dad before, but this one is new! And the best!”

“Really? Me too!”

“REALLY!?”

Varian nodded. “My dad is new, too! Quirin was my old dad.” Well, Eugene was his first dad, then Quirin, then Eugene again, but that wasn’t important.

Ben frowned. Quirin was Varian’s old dad? Did that mean he gave Varian up? Would he give Ben up, too? He didn’t want that! He liked New Dad! There had to be another explanation…

“Maybe he just didn’t like you.”

Varian gasped. “He liked me a lot! He took me from daddy because he liked me so much!”

“Oh yeah? Then why’d he give you up?”

“Why’d he adopt you? To replace me?”

Oh he did not just go there! Ben grit his teeth and glared up at the older kid, who was pouting down at him.

Ben stood up.

And lunged.

-

“To clarify, you didn’t adopt Ben to replace Varian?”

Quirin narrowed his eyes in anger. “I’m offended you would think that at all.”

Eugene raised his hands in defense. “I’m just making sure! I’ve seen it happen! Don’t want Ben to get left behind, you know?” It had only happened a few times, but it always stuck with the kids at the orphanage. Someone would come and scoop up a kid, trying to fill a hole in their heart, only to drop them back off when they were too much work or not enough like the kid they lost. It sucked. Why not just get a dog in that situation?

“Of course not. Varian opened my eyes to being a father, sure, but Ben is… special,” he smiled at the thought of him. “Such a silly boy.”

Eugene opened his mouth to respond when a shriek cut him off. It sounded like a young boy! Both fathers completely forgot what they were talking about and raced off in the direction it came from.

“That’s Varian!” Eugene cried, skidding to a stop in front of Varian’s room. He threw open the door, and both men gawked.

Ben had pinned Varian to the ground, hollering and hooting out war cries as he tugged on Varian’s hair. Varian screamed bloody murder and slammed his fists into Ben, grabbing at whatever skin he could find.

“Not again, Ben,” Quirin moaned.

-

You’d think that after that debacle, they wouldn’t put Ben and Varian together again.

You’d be wrong.

Because about a week later, Varian had tugged on his dad’s pants and asked, “Can we go see Benny?”

Eugene had raised an eyebrow. “You mean Ben and Quirin? I thought you hated him?”

“No!” Varian whined. “He’s fun. He makes me cry.” Eugene didn’t understand it at all, but he supposed if Varian wanted a relationship with his birth dad and his son, he couldn’t really deny him. So they’d started weekly playdates, alternating who travelled where.

The knight (or, well, former knight) was still getting used to his new routine. At dawn he’d get up to help the people of Old Corona, then start on his own farmwork. He started small, just tending to the crops Ulla had. Around midmorning Ben would join him, playing with the wooden sword he’d gifted the lad. It was around then, on a crisp spring morning with sweat lacing his brow and the earth warm at his feet, that he heard his son squeal in delight.

“Varian!” Ben cried, running over, lugging his sword behind him. “Look! New Dad got me a sword!” With a heave he brandished it, holding it high above his head. Unfortunately, he was top heavy, and both boy and sword fell to the ground. Varian laughed, standing over his new friend. Ben pouted up at him, tears budding in his eyes. He whined, and Quirin dropped his farm tools at the sound. His feet carried him over to where he feared Ben was about to burst into tears.

The whines abruptly stopped and Ben started to laugh, joining Varian. He reached up and pulled Varian down into the dirt alongside him, prompting more giggles.

Eugene stood nearby and shrugged.

“Is this normal?” Quirin asked, flabbergasted.

“Don’t ask me, man! I’m just as lost as you.”

“I… Maybe they’re just like this?”

“Yea that’s the working theory.” Eugene let out a breathless laugh. The boys had taken to wrestling, rolling around in the earth like a tumbleweed.

“Boys!” Quirin called, and they stopped to look up. He smiled fondly. It warmed his heart to see. Varian wasn’t his, he knew that. But that didn’t mean he didn’t care deeply. And to see both of the children getting along so well? It filled him with more joy than he’d had in years.

He motioned for them to wait a second, running inside before grabbing his prize. Good thing he’d thought to buy a second for himself. Varian’s face lit up when he reemerged with an identical wooden sword.

The knight leaned down, digging the sword point into the ground. “Can I trust you two not to hurt each other?” He asked. Varia nodded violently. “Alright,” He almost said son out of instinct, though he doubted that would go over well. He held the toy out as if he was a knight suiting up his king. In a funny way, he was.

Varian snatched it up, running over to where Ben waited. He let out a shrill scream before jumping at him with the sword, completely ignoring what Quirin had just said.

Ben shrieked, dodging just out of the way in time. He raised the sword high, this time leaning forward in order to fall towards Varian. Their wooden swords collided with a donk .

“Surrender!” Ben yelled, a feral grin on his face.

Varian’s face was just as unhinged with glee. “Never! I will avenge… uh…” He looked over to Eugene, who had walked over to join Quirin in the peanut gallery. “Dad! Can I avenge you?”

“Sure,” Eugene responded.

“I will avenge my daddy!” The little prince cheered. It wasn’t a graceful fight, considering how young they were. It was mostly just two wooden blocks smacking together over and over, with the occasional changing of positions. But the boys seemed to have a blast, and that was enough.

“So,” Eugene hummed. Maybe it was the castle staff rubbing off on him, maybe it was that “parent” drive for gossip. Honestly it could be either one. “How is Ben settling in?”

“See for yourself,” Quirin smiled, gesturing to where Ben was chasing Varian through the orchard. “He’s got a warrior’s spirit, that’s for sure. Lots of energy,” his face fell slightly. “He only uses it when he doesn’t think I’m looking, or when he’s outside. It’s like he’s afraid of messing up and upsetting me.”

“Yea, orphanages are pretty strict, he’s probably just getting a feel for the new rules,” Eugene stuck his hands in his pockets. “Varian was the same.”

“Really?”

“Yea, for a few weeks he was terrified of anyone that wasn’t me or Rapunzel.” His smile turned wistful. “Or you, actually.”

Quirin sighed, a bittersweet sound. “I’m just… glad he’s happy,” he managed. Neither of them had really talked yet, about Ulla, or the moonstone, or really… anything about their situation. Perhaps someday they’d be ready. But for now, this was enough.

-

Quirin wasn’t the only single parent in Corona. Hell, he wasn’t even the only foreigner who knew Ulla and then adopted.

Hugo and Ben probably wouldn’t have gotten along on their own. Hugo was a know-it-all, mischievous, and used his cuteness to his advantage. Ben was stubborn, a stickler for rules, and brutally honest. If they had been left alone, someone probably would’ve gotten hurt. Whether it be one of the boys, or a bystander, that was up for debate.

But they both adored Varian, and Varian adored them. So it was pretty easy for them to form an inseparable trio.

Both Quirin and Donella walked their boys to the castle, watching with amusement as Hugo tried to show Ben what he was reading for the week. It was cute how Hugo adored school, though he wondered how long that would last. Ben was in turn telling Hugo all about the frog he saw in the fields last night.

“It was huuuuge!” He insisted, racing a bit ahead. “Like the size of Ruddiger!”

“Nuh uh!” Hugo pouted. His little ponytail whipped around as he shook his head. “Frogs aren’t that big!”

“Are too!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“How big do you think a raccoon is?” Donella butt in, amused.

Ben shrugged. “Big. Maybe like…” he holds his hands out so wide that he almost strains his shoulders. “This big?”

“But if he was that big, we couldn’t pick him up?” Hugo argued. That causes Ben to falter. For a moment his father feared a real argument, but instead Ben lights up and laughs.

“Hugo, you’re stupid! We can’t pick him up!”

“You mean you can’t, cuz you’re a baby.”

Ben shrieks in offense, but still retains a smile. The conversation quiets significantly after that.

“So,” Donella said, turning to Quirin. “It appears we have a lot in common.”

Quirin groaned. If it were up to him, no one would have ever learned about his past; about Varian’s parentage, the woman who tricked him, and her inevitable downfall. But the royal family wasn’t one for secrets (well, except for Frederick). They didn’t tell the entire story, that would be ridiculous, but rather simply said that Ulla had kidnapped Varian and Quirin assisted them in stopping her. The only ones who knew the full story were those directly involved… and those who knew Ulla firsthand. “Is this about our boys, or our ex?”

She smirked. “It was fairly easy to put two and two together. Ulla is… was… something else.” Donella scratched at her scar, an unfortunate habit she picked up. “When we parted ways, I thought my stay in Corona would just be temporary. I’d lay low in the one place she’d never go, and then head back to the Iron Kingdom. Clearly, that didn’t happen.” Her face fell to a frown, squinting at the too bright sun and unpolluted streets. Some shopkeeper waved at them, and Donella simply rolled her eyes. The blinding palace sparkled in the sun as they approached, and part of her lamented not bringing her work goggles, as they might have provided some protection. Over half a decade later and she still wasn’t used to this place.

“What changed?” the farmer asked.

Her eyes fell to their sons.

“Oh.”

-

“Varian!” Both boys cried in unison. Varian stood in the courtyard, bouncing up and down where he stood. With a fond smile, Eugene let go of his hand, and all three slammed into one another, mouths moving a mile an hour.

“Varian I saw a frog!”

“Well I brought a book! And Mr. Finn says I’m at a 3rd grade level! Whatever that means!”

“And I saw a frog!”

“Well I saw a duck!”

“REALLY?”

“It was a goose,” Eugene corrected. “Hi Don, hi Quirin,” he waved.

Varian giggled, dragging his best friends inside while they continued to talk. His cheeks were a bright red, Hugo was smiling so hard it had to hurt, and Ben eagerly ran circles around the older kids.

-

He and Donella left to run errands in the capital, leaving their boys in good hands. When he came back, groceries and supplies for his new home in hand, he was directed to a small living room.

The room looked like it had been torn apart, with toys and books and games strewn about. Some were still open, others not even out of their packaging. A fire dimly flickered in the fireplace, illuminating a quiet scene in the center of the wreckage. All three boys slept on the floor, oldest to youngest. Hugo and Varian were holding hands, with the older facing the younger as he snoozed. Varian was smiling in his sleep, his ebony hair reflecting the flames. To his left Ben was passed out, one arm on top of Varian’s stomach, and one of Varian’s legs atop Ben’s. A soft burgundy blanket covered them all.

“It’s cute, right?” Eugene whispered as he approached. “I half expected them to set the place on fire.” Quirin snorted.

“You’re just in time, the first meeting about childcare reform starts soon.” The prince consort continued, motioning for him to leave the boys be.

He beamed. He may no longer be Quirin, knight of the Dark Kingdom, protector of the moonstone. Now he was Quirin, farmer, father, advisor to the royal family and newly-formed Child Protective Services.

He liked this Quirin better.

“So,” he said. “Lead the way.”

A Court of Dragons and Fallen Angels (NobuKichou Demon AU)

Tagging @ashavazesa​ not sure if you’re gonna like it, buttt think of it as thanks for your wonderful NobuKichou ficlet

Pairing: Nobunaga x Kichou, Mitsuhide x Reader

Length: 1,188 words

Warning: slight gore and sexual situations

Prompt: Demon AU based on Onimusha: Warlords 

It was another unsuccessful raid on Azuchi Castle. True to Mitsuhide's words, Nobunaga needn't don his armor and greet the invaders himself. The Oni warriors were swiftly massacred the moment they set foot on the other side of the wall.

His demonic vassals had outdone themselves once again. Tonight, another celebratory feast was in order. 

Nobunaga sipped his rice wine leisurely as he enjoyed the night breeze. 

At his side sat Azuchi's chatelaine, anxiously awaiting the return of her beloved.

"No need to fret," Nobunaga assured her. "Don't you remember how effortlessly he crushes Oni like bugs under his soles? He will return soon."

The seamstress shuddered at the image of Mitsuhide blowing the enemies' heads with his trusty rifle. Flesh-colored veins from his hand tangled along the barrel like a web of viscera.

"It's not that. I just find this all to be so...surreal, detached from my own reality," The princess whispered. "Even now, I still can't wrap my head around demon people killing each other with supernatural powers."

Nobunaga laughed.

"Monstrous, am I right?" He scratched at his muscular arm. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Soon, the history of this nation will change under the rule of my infernal army. Your future will change."

The expanse of his skin that transformed into adamantine scales would itch at certain times. But it mattered little to Nobunaga. He needed the protection it provided from flames and bullets. Now almost invincible, Nobunaga and his retainers were free to invade lads under Uesugi and Takeda's banners.

Not even resurrected warlords could stall his thirst for conquest.

"Look," Nobunaga pointed at the grounds below. "They're coming."

But his chatelaine didn't have his enchanted senses and thus could not make out the features of the returning men. Yet she only had to look at her lord's fond gaze.

"I heard Kichou was leading the party," she nodded. "I thought he would be exhausted from all our recent battles. That demon strength really is something."

Nobunaga licked his lips at the thought of Kichou gunning and slicing through hordes of Oni and men alike. He would always bring the barrel to his lips before firing, like a prayer so that he'd never miss his mark.

The shot was dedicated to Nobunaga, along with the unfortunate soul it reaped.

Ironically (then and even now to a certain extent), it wasn't the killing that fulfilled Nobunaga. Kichou did.

It's a shame Nobunaga couldn't declare them as lovers. Two hearts made of ice weren't meant to warm each other.

But Kichou fell in love with his vision. Nobunaga loved his devotion and unyielding trust. Even when he told Kichou that he was willing to call upon the powers of hell if need be.

To which Nobunaga literally did. 

There was a flicker of uncertainty in Kichou's eyes after Nobunaga showed him the books and spoke of his plans in great detail. For the first time in their long life together, Nobunaga feared that the other man would finally leave him for their adversaries in disgust.

But it didn't take long before Kichou appeared at the entrance to the tenshu. In the dim light, the smaller man reached for Nobunaga's hand, declaring his readiness to sacrifice his very own humanity.

Nobunaga smirked wryly. Then again, they had already stopped being human some time ago. Even though the princess believed otherwise.

Soon, she'd learn that their entire entourage (including her serpent) had long traded their human souls for the sake of Nobunaga's vision. 

They sealed their fates as asuras the moment they pledged loyalty to Nobunaga. It was a foregone conclusion that they chose infernal powers over the promise of nirvana.

Evil, the senile monk at Honganji had accused. But Nobunaga could care less about being the villain in everybody else's story. It was all about the ending they'd all eventually meet.

Nobunaga rose. It was time to go welcome his warlords. 

"Come," he offered his hand to the young woman. "Let's meet your “boyfriend.”

_______________________________________________________________

The warlords were still high on the thrill of bloodshed when Nobunaga called them to the meeting room.

Nobunaga was delighted at the fevered look in Hideyoshi's eyes as he babbled at their exploits. Kichou paid no heed to him speaking out of turn. He only answered to Nobunaga, and only when prompted.

Was his poor warlord fatigued? These consecutive series of attacks had taken a heavy toll on his sleeping schedule. Nobunaga chuckled at his gormless expression. Demon warriors were supposed to liven up at the prospect of bloodletting.

The constant need for violence was now running through their veins, no matter how righteous they believed themselves to be in the beginning. Just look at Hideyoshi.

"Excellent," Nobunaga concluded their assembly. "Now, go and let yourself indulge for tonight. But remember that we still have much to do in the morning."

The warlords left their seats after bowing to Nobunaga, leaving Mitsuhide and Kichou with Nobunaga and the chatelaine. She rose and immediately went to the silver-haired man's side.

"My little mouse," Mitsuhide stroke her head. "Have you been waiting long?"

The tired man beside them eyed the couple impassively. His old self would have sneered at the lover's audacious display. But not this Kichou, who patiently listened to the chatelaine chattering about his impish cousin with adoration in her eyes.

The more monstrous we become, Kichou muttered one night, the more we appreciate these little moments that remind us we still haven't changed.

Even for all his cruelty, Kichou was still very much a sentimental man, Nobunaga mused.

After what felt like eons, the couple finally bid good night and left Nobunaga alone with Kichou. About time. He wasted no time making use of his privacy with his green-eyed companion.

Nobunaga drew Kichou to his chest, grimy armor and all.

"Nobunaga-sama, please," He pleaded weakly, hands kneading at the fabric of his kimono. "I'm all covered in blood."

"Hmmm, does it matter?" Nobunaga chuckled. "You won't be needing all that bloodied garment on you once we're upstairs."

But Nobunaga understood the exhaustion in his voice. He will wait until morning, then, when Kichou was refreshed and awake to savor his ministrations.

Nobunaga enjoyed their couplings as a demon should: for pleasure and nothing more. But to Kichou, the steady rush of emotions between every touch of their skin was his last remaining tether to his withering humanity.

Nobunaga, already ruthless before his transformation, could barely comprehend the usefulness of keeping another fragile being close to his heart. The era they were living in nearly led him to believe every living soul was disposable, even his own. It was ironic that he only understood Kichou's sentiments now when they had literally been turned into monsters.

Kichou didn't protest when Nobunaga hauled him to his feet and looped his arm behind the Demon King's neck. A sturdy hand rested at Kichou's slender waist, pulling him closer to Nobunaga's side.

Kichou was allowed to clean up and rest in his master's suite, where he belonged. When he woke up, Nobunaga would ensure his right-hand-man was handsomely rewarded for his efforts.

________________________________________________________________

Notes: the “demons” are actually referred to by the franchise as Genma. The Oni (sometimes usually translated to “demons”) as well are their equally supernaturally enhanced counterparts, but good.

NaLu Week - Hiding In The Barn

@nalu-week Day 7: Smile

Warning: Smut!

Also published on FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13637333/1/Hiding-in-the-barn

Hiding In The Barn.

Natsu snorted. He couldn’t believe that Lucy wasn’t tired of dancing yet.

They’d been at that country festival for the whole evening and a good part of the night. After eating and drinking plenty, everyone started dancing in the middle of the square. Everyone was wearing medieval dresses and Lucy was dressed with a lovely pink one, her hair prettily braided: it was hard not to look at her, dancing and smiling in the middle of square. Natsu looked at her pretty smile and grinned: seeing her so happy made him happy too. In that moment, a pretty drunken lad came by his side, lying against the wall: he was definitely wasted.

“Yo man!” he greeted Natsu, leaning against his shoulder.

“Hey” he replied a bit confused – the Dragon Slayer never liked to drink, so he never really understood people who got plastered that way.

“Ya know… I always thought… my dream was to become… you know… a great rich something… like an actor… or a politician… but now my friend!” he raised his voice suddenly, embracing Natsu with one arm and pointing with the full cup in hand towards the centre of the square “Now… my dream… is to marry… HER!”

“Her who?” asked Natsu, raising a brow confusingly.

“The beautiful blondie dancing over there… man… I do love her!” he exhaled, enthusiastically.

“I don’t really think so” Natsu replied, shooting a bad glare at him.

“But I love her!”

“No, you don’t.”

“Look at her, she’s gorgeoooous!”

“She’s not only that. She’s also funny and very intelligent” Natsu replied, naturally.

“See? I… *hic*… really have to marry her… I’m gonna take her to the barn… later…” he said, before falling asleep against the wall behind them.

“To the barn?” Natsu asked to himself, confusingly.

She had been dancing for hours and was literally exhausted. Lucy ran towards the edge of the square, where Natsu had been waiting all the time – but he was no longer there. Lucy really wanted to dance with him, but he just kept on refusing her invitation, pouting in embarrassment. So, she just kept on dancing with lots of nice citizens, both old and young, children and middle-aged men, and she had an incredible time. That medieval festival of magic was super exciting and she was so happy to be there, she couldn’t stop smiling.

Lucy started to wander along a small road near to where she left Natsu and, after a few steps, she managed to find him walking towards the square.

“Hey Natsu” she trilled excitedly, running towards him. His face was red and he seemed dumbfounded. “Where have you been?!”

“Oh, Lucy…” he replied surprised, as she swooped happily against him. He immediately felt his temperature rise and the heat he had been feeling seemed to worsen.

“What’s wrong? Where’ve you been?” Lucy asked, looking at him curiously.

“Ah… er… I’ve been… to the barn”.

“To the barn?!” Lucy winced, surprised. She heard the village girls talking as they lent her dress and as they helped her with her hair, and she knew very well what happened in the barn. “Who did you go there with?!” Lucy raised her voice, her smile fading and feeling a strange pulse wrapping her chest.

“N-nobody… I went there alo—” but Natsu couldn’t finish his sentence that a strong thunder rumbled in the night sky, followed by a few raindrops. “Oh, no…”

“Oh! What a pity! All the festival stands and the decorations!” Lucy sighed, but soon she realised that that rain was too painful: in fact, it was hail.

“Let’s run for cover, Lucy!” Natsu said, taking her hand and running away along the road. Soon enough, they found cover from the violent hailstorm that had suddenly started to rage.

“Woah, that’s crazy! Where did this storm come from?!” Natsu started laughing, as he closed the heavy, wooden door behind his back, feeling the suddenly freezing air coming from outside.

Lucy stood in the weak, dim light of the place, her back towards Natsu.

“Natsu.”

“Yeah?”

“Why… are we… in the barn?” she asked, looking at him with lucid eyes and trembling shoulders.

“Ah… eh… I didn’t know anywhere else to go!”

“She could’ve gone back to our inn!”

“It’s far from the square and in the rush of the moment… I only thought… about this place” Natsu pouted, his voice trailing off with embarrassment.

“Oh. So…what have you seen in the barn?” Lucy asked, her voice slightly malicious.

The only light illuminating that place, which strongly smelt of straw, was the storm light coming from the dirty windows.

Natsu gulped. “W-well… I-I… I didn’t see anything!”

“Really? People told me stories about this place…” Lucy chirped, ironically.

“A-and what did they tell you?!”

“I don’t know… things… but then again, why were you here? What did you want to see?” she continued with amusement.

“Nothing at all! There was a lad that told that he wanted to bring you here, so I wanted to check what he meant! And you should really thank me for checking up on this place! People do strange things here and…” Natsu’s voice trailed off again. He felt his cheeks on fire as soon as he remembered what he saw there a few moments before. The boy and the girl who were there making out – they were definitely younger than him! – and they seemed to be having a lot of fun, but… the things they were doing… really made him feel strange. Dirty. Even though he felt something catching fire deep within his chest as soon as he saw – and heard – them.

“You know…. I didn’t really understand what was going on there, but… I’m happy that you weren’t there with that drunken lad, Lucy.” Natsu said, almost admitting that truth to himself rather than to her.

“Of course I wouldn’t be here with someone who’s not you” Lucy sighed, lying down on a soft pile of straw. Her blond hair opened wide, mixing up with the golden straw. With a couple of fingers, she started to loosen the strings of the bustier of her medieval dress, letting her breast expand a little.

Natsu gulped. “What are you doing?!”

“Uff… it’s hard to breathe with this thing squeezing my chest…” Lucy complained.

Natsu scratched his neck: why was he feeling so nervous? He had seen Lucy naked more times than he’d seen himself probably, but this time he felt terribly aware of every inch of her skin, every breath that she drew… it was that damn place, it smelt like something strange and intense: it wasn’t the straw, it was something deeply human, a mix of sweat and human breaths.

A thunder roared in the sky once more and the hail turned into violent and deep rain.

“Seems it’s gonna take a while” Lucy murmured as she patted the place by her side on the straw.

With slow steps, Natsu approached Lucy and lied down by her side, taking a big breath.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked, turning on her side to face Natsu.

“I dunno know. I feel strange.” Natsu admitted, turning towards Lucy and closing the distance between their faces.

Lucy joggled back, surprised by the sudden motion of the boy, but Natsu gently grabbed her by her wrist, stopping her.

“H-Hey Natsu… don’t get strange ideas…”

“What strange ideas?”

“I mean… we’re in the barn, so…”

“So?”

Lucy lost it “So I thought you wanted to do… things… that people do… in the barn… with me.” Lucy’s words almost disappeared in an embarrassed mumble.

“Oh.” Natsu replied, widening his eyes. “But we can’t do that stuff. Can we?”

“Of course we can…” Lucy sighed, desperately. He was so dense when it came to love stuff.

Natsu furrowed his brows, a serious look on his face.

“Then… maybe… we should try.”

“WH—” Lucy was totally taken aback, but she couldn’t reply anything because Natsu was already over her, his hands on the sides of her head, a serious but flustered look on his face.

He remained there for a few minutes, looking at her in the eye, uncertain what to do. He could feel a strong stab in the stomach, his heartbeat accelerated, his breath heavy and his throat parched. Lucy’s breast went up and down quickly, following her quick, shuddering breaths.

Mesmerized by the vision of Lucy lying there, beautiful and excited, Natsu let his fingers slide slowly from her damp hair, along her neck, reaching the heat of her breast. There, he let his hand rest on her heart, right between her soft breasts – so hot. His breath quickened even more and he could feel a strange fire he never felt before burning deep inside of him.

“Lu—” he tried to call her name, but he was caught off guard when Lucy’s arms wrapped around his neck, leading him down onto her.

“Natsu…” she breathed softly, rubbing her nose lightly against Natsu’s.

Letting his senses take control, Natsu bent forward, letting his lips brush against Lucy’s. He stayed there a few seconds, but then the image of the young couple making out a few hours before came back to his mind – their kisses were different. He then bit Lucy’s lower lip, making her moan lightly. As her swollen lips opened, Natsu let his tongue slide in slowly, just to find Lucy’s tongue ready to welcome him: the contact had been so thrilling, that his kiss became immediately deeper, more intense, almost violent. Lucy strengthen her grip around Natsu’s shoulder, pushing him against her body, opening her legs to let him rest against her body: he was boiling. It felt like kissing a feverish flame, ready to burn everything around itself.

Natsu traced Lucy’s lips with his tongue, causing her to moan and her nails to dig deep down his back. That mixture of pleasure and pain sent a jolt down the boy’s spine, making him throb between his legs: their bodies attached to each other, Lucy could feel Natsu’s manhood hard and big, pressing strongly against her lower belly – this could end baaaad.

Lucy started to protest, but she was soon hushed by Natsu’s lips, which came back ravenously on hers. She felt his hands sliding up along her bare legs, pulling up her dress.

“Natsu, wait… ah!”

Natsu broke her intense kiss just to slide down her neck, reaching her soft and almost naked breasts to bite them lightly and to suck on them sweetly.

“Oh… my…” Lucy sighed, in ecstasy.

She didn’t want her first time to be in a barn, but damn, she had been waiting for that moment all of her life. And Natsu was so damned good and hot in that moment, she would’ve never thought she would see him in that way. Lucy let her hand slide down against his chest, untying his belt just to let her tiny hand slid inside his pants, under his boxers, to meet something hot and decidedly big. Natsu let out a deep groan, followed by a “Lucy” which was more similar to a growl than to a human sound. She began to pump quickly with her hand, enjoying the intense expressions Natsu’s face was making, hearing his sexy, hoarse moans, feeling his hot breath on her skin.

In that moment, the voices of some people started to speak loudly outside the door of the barn and Natsu and Lucy froze in place – the rain had stopped and people were coming out of the houses to continue with the party. They heard them say they needed straw to feed the animals.

Natsu quickly got up from the straw bed, taking Lucy’s hand and helping her up. They started straightening their clothes and tidying their hair, just before the heavy door opened right in front of them.

“Oh!” the villager exclaimed “Have you tried out our barn, you two?” he smiled mischievously.

“Oh yeah! Thank you for the hospitality” Natsu smiled, as he took Lucy’s hand and both ran outside the barn, smiling and laughing.

“I didn’t know barns could be so interesting!” Natsu smiled, turning towards Lucy.

Lucy replied with one, bright and naughty smile. “But I think the inn’s gonna be better. Just wait and see.”

Fic: Precious (4/?)

Title: Precious (4/?) Pairing: Dave/Alan Rating: NC-17 Additional Tags: Mpreg, ABO verse

Summary: "What's wrong with me? Am I sick?" Dave asked.

"No, Mr Gahan," the doctor replied. "You're pregnant."

Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.

.

(It’s something I’m just writing for fun for @pinksyndication so please don’t take it too seriously and don’t click if male pregnancy isn’t your thing, sorry!)

. Alan was very quiet over the next few days as they left Japan, and Dave overheard Martin and Fletch gossiping that Al's pensive mood was most likely due to his explosive break-up with Jeri. Dave was happy to leave them in their mistaken assumption, because he wasn’t ready for anyone else to know the truth yet. Thankfully the Japanese dates were the last of their tour, and they were able to fly back home to the UK for the summer before continuing the second European leg in July.

Dave hadn’t wanted to go home to Basildon, so he let Jo have the flat in Bas while he searched for a new place in London. Alan had suggested that they look for a flat together since he was now technically homeless too, although Dave suspected it was because Alan wanted to be near him and the baby. Ever since he’d learned the news, Alan had been extra attentive to Dave, and he’d insisted on accompanying Dave to all his doctor’s appointments. They’d found an omega specialist on Liverpool Street, and she had the same kind, maternal air as Dr Watanabe, which comforted Dave greatly. She also didn’t seem to recognise either of them, which was a major bonus point.

They finally settled on a flat in Earl’s Court, which was quiet and peaceful, but near enough central London for Alan’s liking. It had two bedrooms, but from the first night onwards they automatically gravitated towards the same bed. Sometimes Dave would wake up in the middle of the night and find Alan watching him pensively, a hand sprawled protectively over Dave’s exposed belly. It then became second nature for both of them to sleep naked, skin to skin. Dave supposed it was one of the biological aspects of mating and bonding.

They still didn’t know whether Alan was an alpha or a beta, since they were preoccupied with the baby. When Dave had suggested that Alan go for a test, he’d simply shrugged before changing the topic to something else. It didn’t seem to be something he was too concerned about.

Over the next two weeks, Dave spent most of his mornings throwing up, then swearing at Alan for knocking him up. Alan took the abuse with good humour and spent his free time studying furniture catalogs so he could babyproof the flat. He brought Dave out to the movies and to eat at restaurants they both liked. “We should make full use of this time,” Alan said, tucking heartily into a plate of cacio e pepe. “Y’know, before you start showing.”

God, Dave didn’t even want to think about that. The pasta now tasted like paper in his mouth, but he kept eating quietly as Alan talked about a fancy new stroller he’d seen in Mothercare.

***

When Dave was eight weeks along, they agreed it was time to tell the others so they could cancel the second leg of their tour. They met with Fletch and Martin at the Mute office in Hammersmith, the four of them chatting in the reception while waiting for Dan to come in. Both Mart and Fletch seemed to assume the meeting was for the purposes of discussing logistics for the upcoming second leg of their European tour. Fletch talked about how he and Grainne were now scouting for flats in London, while Martin mused about possibly moving to Berlin. Alan was somehow able to act normally and participate in the conversation, while Dave just sat on the sofa and wished very desperately for a cigarette. 

Finally Dan arrived, juggling his mail and a takeaway cup of tea as he unlocked his office. “Sorry about that, lads. Come in.”

Dan’s office was an exercise in organised chaos. He had stacks and stacks of unheard demos waiting on his desk, along with letters, faxes and advanced album master copies waiting for him to sign off on them.  Dave took the chair next to Alan’s as Fletch made himself comfortable on the little sofa Dan kept in his office for naps, Martin perching on the arm beside him.

“So.” Dan cocked his head at Dave and Alan. “What’s the agenda for today, then?”

“Wait.” Fletch pointed at the two of them with a frown. “You lot called this meeting? I thought it was Dan.”

“No, it was Dave and I,” Alan said, looking straight at Dan. “We need to talk about cancelling the second leg of the tour.”

Fletch scoffed. “You’re bloody joking.”

“What’s going on?” Martin asked, brows knitted in concern.

“I’m pregnant,” Dave said softly, staring down at Dan’s table. Ironically, it was Vince’s face staring up at him from an Erasure press release.

Fletch and Martin immediately burst into laughter, both of them clutching onto each other in mirth. However, Dan was frowning deeply, his gaze ping-ponging between Alan and Dave. Maybe it was Alan’s grave expression that convinced him, because he was leaning forward, every muscle in his body seemingly taut with tension. “Is this true?” he asked Alan very seriously.

Alan nodded, reaching over to place a hand on Dave’s thigh. Dan looked down at Alan’s hand, then studied Dave again.

Both Fletch’s and Martin’s laughter was dying down. “Oh come on,” Fletch was saying, still smiling. “This is a prank, right?”

“No it’s not a prank,” Alan said. He nodded at Dave, who turned and reached into his bag to pull out the latest report and sonogram from their doctor. Dan took them all, putting on his glasses and studying the reports earnestly as though they were sales figures.

“Get out.” Fletch got to his feet, stomping over to hover over Dan’s shoulder so he could see them for himself. It was only a few moments before Fletch’s face turned paler and paler, his eyes wide and disbelieving. “No fucking way…”

“Wait, it’s real?” Martin jumped up, squeezing himself into the gap between Fletch and Dan so he could see it for himself. After a short while, Martin laughed nervously. “C’mon, this is a forgery, right? Good one, lads.”

Dave stood up in a cold fury. “You can all fuck off,” he snapped before storming out of Dan’s office, slipping on his shades so Suzie the receptionist wouldn’t see him crying. He found himself in the alley downstairs behind Mute’s office, desperately fumbling with a stray packet of cigarettes he’d found hidden in his jacket. He knew Alan would scold him for smoking, but right now he absolutely didn’t give a fuck.

Anyway, it didn’t matter because his hands were trembling too much to light a cigarette. He felt someone gently taking away the cig and his lighter. “Don’t do that.” At least Alan’s quiet voice helped to soothe his nerves.

Dave gave a violent sniffle, grateful that Alan pretended to look away so that Dave could wipe his eyes. “They still up there, thinking it’s a fuckin’ joke?” He was unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Alan shrugged. “Dan’s talking to the two of them. At least Dan believes us, right? It’s honestly a better outcome than I expected.”

Dave eyed him. “What did you expect?”

“To be laughed out of the office,” Alan said simply. He stepped forward, folding his arms around Dave who gratefully accepted his hug.

It wasn’t long before they heard two sets of footsteps. Fletch still seemed to be getting over his shock, while Martin’s face was ridden with guilt. “All right?” Fletch said awkwardly, scuffing at his feet.

“You two came down to laugh at me some more?” Dave said, although there wasn’t much heat in it. Alan was still holding him, which felt really nice and took most of the anger out of him. Dave felt cold when Alan finally let him go.

Fletch’s jaw dropped, while Martin frowned at him and elbowed him meaningfully. “Er no, not at all.” Fletch rubbed the back of his head, the way he always did whenever he felt bad about something. “I mean, it is a lot to take in--”

“Andy,” Martin interjected, raising an eyebrow at Fletch.

“We shouldn’t have laughed,” Fletch admitted. “It was just a big shock, is all.”

“We didn’t know you were an omega,” Martin told Dave gently.

“Neither did I, mate,” Dave said with a sigh. “Only found out in Japan.”

Martin’s eyes widened. “You mean, when you had that food poisoning thing? That was--” Here, he gestured awkwardly at Dave’s belly. Alan nodded for the both of them.

“So what are we gonna do, lads?” Fletch, who always spoke with an air of strident confidence, sounded as lost as Dave felt.

“I don’t know,” Alan said, before rubbing Dave’s back. “But we’ll figure it out, yeah? You two on board with us?”

Martin nodded immediately. Fletch shot him an unsure glance before he gave them a single sharp nod.

It was definitely the best outcome Dave could have hoped for, at least.

Scarlet Green AU

Part 7 - Secrecy

19:15 P.M.

Louie was heading to their bedroom until he receive more messages from Goldie.

Louie checked his inbox that has 3 messages.

2 Messages from Goldie and from Dewey.

Louie checked Goldie's Msg first.

"SHARPIE! YOU REACH THE TRENDING CHARTS!

And news reporter keep messaging for an interview. Hey I'm your Agent now as well.."

"Imagine that video already peak at thousand views within 3 hours of release. Imagine the places Isabela's voice and your face will go. Imagine the possibilities of the money we can launder from this. I have to manage your interviewers if your okay with an interview with them. "

Louie texted Goldie.

"I'm ok with it.. Tomorrow unless something unexpected happens as always.."

After he sent his message, he checked Dewey's msg.

"LOUIE! YOU GOTTA CHECK THIS VIDEO! *Link of the 'Wonder' Official Music Video* She is gorgeous you have to check it! NOW!! Btw we'll be back in the mansion within an hour.."

Louie then message Goldie that they have to move the interview.

"Aunt Goldie, we have to move or cancel the interview my family apparently was done with their adventure already... So much for a 3 days break bummer.."

Goldie replied.

"It's fine, I'll just have to hold all the money we earned on our first album..."

Louie replied.

"As much as I want to. I need to keep this as a secret. It really doesn't hurt them about this secret, besides no one needs to know my identity.."

Goldie replied.

"I know, becareful though paparazzi can be spying on you once suspicious intensify. Just kidding, Sharpie. I'm gonna adapt Isabela if she wanted to. I need money makers. That includes you ;)"

Louie chuckled as he read the message.

45 minutes have passed and Louie heard the Cloudslayer.

Louie waited for them outside with a smiling cheerfully on his face.

As they departed from the Cloudslayer they're surprised to find Louie waiting for them outside.

He usually was looking at his phone or just inside as sleep...

The others were surprised when Louie greeted them instead of Beakley waiting for them. Apparently Beakley is still watching the video and probably bought the album already. Duckworth really was helpful even for Beakley's case.

Louie smiling: "Hello!"

Scrooge: "I know, you wanna see the treasure. I cannae do it lad. Tomorrow can wait."

Louie: "Come on, Uncle Scrooge. I also have family reasons as well.."

Della run towards Louie and hugged him.

Louie felt sudden warmth that lasted the moment she let go. Della smiled at him and Louie smiled back. He doesn't feel sincere while doing so he still felt alone after that. Only time can heal these wounds.

Della: "Hey, have you seen the Lullaby Girl Video? We sang that-"

Louie: "During Moon invasion? I know, mom."

Della: "I guess you checked already.. We could've watch that together.."

Louie said to himself.

"Of course I do, I was the Lullaby Girl afterall.."

Louie: "I don't mind rewatching it.."

Della: "Great.. And also its weird someone knew my lullaby.. I could file a law case but meh too much work plus I love someone made a cover even though they did change something and added a bridge.."

Dewey: "She truly is awesome isn't she? I think I love her.."

Louie then chuckled at himself.

"Someone bite the dust. Ooof."

Louie: "Uhmm ok.."

Huey: "Her dress is beautiful and hairstyle to the point that I admire her beauty."

Louie said to himself again.

"Looks like another bites the dust. *chuckle*"

Webby: "I might try her style myself. She just to cool for me...

Louie to himself.

"And another one..."

Dewey: "Mom, how do you think the Lullaby Girl get the lyrics of your lullaby?"

Della: "I don't care much. We're wealthy enough to investigate it. Plus I don't wanna go through that trouble.."

Louie: "I think you should all sleep. You must be exhausted."

Della: "Good call Rebel, since my bed has been calling for me.. And I want to lie on it."

Della goes by the mansion and straight to bed.

And Scrooge and the kids headed to the dining room for Beakley to serve their meal.

Beakley was wearing headphones and was listening to one of the songs in the album which is" Run away with me". They were surprised that Beakley was wearing headphones.

Dewey and Webby reacted with a shocking face.

"Woah.."

Dewey: "Misses Beakley are you listening to her as well?"

Beakley heard as she remove the headphones.

Beakley: "I am, her song is stuck in my head. Ironic how it's also in the lyrics.."

Webby: "I didn't know you like music that much granny..."

Beakley: "I have the full album on my phone already.."

Dewey: "Pass me the album Misses Beakley pretty please."

Beakley: "I am one of her supporters along her career so I bought the album online. Duckwork taught me how and how it works. We've been chatting all day long when he introduce me to her music."

Beakley passed the meal trays in the table as they all eat.

Dewey, Huey and Webby asked Louie about what he thinks of" Lullaby Girl".

Louie holding a poker face: "I think she's cool and has amazing album. I'd review it as 5 stars."

Dewey: "It deserves more than 5 stars like come on that was amazing."

Huey: "It really deserves a lot of support when all of the reviews are combine."

Webby: "I love her music style!!"

Louie is laughing inside that the perfect scheme was a success....

After they eat they head to their respective rooms. It was 21:00 PM and Louie received a message from Goldie.

"You got a name for your character Sharpie?"

Louie then remember liking the Scarlet Rose that was attached to his green dress.The Scarlet Rose was the cheapest and most beautiful flower Goldie bought for her first date back in the old day. Then a name rings in his head..

Louie texted to Goldie.

"Yeah. I'll call myself as Scarlet Green.."

Inosuke Hashibira x Reader || Comfort

Inosuke had dragged you all the way to an abandoned Japanese style house within the woods. The beast breath user actually found it when he's trying to find a spot to train on. While in his search, he suddenly stumbled upon the addled old building that it seems like it was haunted by some ghosts. Since we all know that Inosuke's a very inquisitive lad, he didn't have second thoughts to explore inside with you.

Honestly speaking, when Inosuke told you about this old house, you instantaneously opposed going out with him due to the fact that you're scared of ghosts. It's ironic to know that you're scared of them more than the demons lurking around the night and kill innocent lives. However, the pretty boy didn't stop from persuading you to tag along with him until he successfully changed your mind.

Because of his constant pestering and you know how stubborn the boar head was, you already gave up despite that you're nervous and terrified as hell. You don't know what kind of paranormal stuff you're going to encounter inside that rotten building. And this asshole Inosuke really decided to explore the house when the night arrives. He surely wants you to piss in your pants, isn't he?

"(Name)! Hurry up! It's just straight ahead!" Inosuke said excitedly as he was two meters away from you.

Biting your lower lip, you spoke, "Y-Yeah I'm coming." You marched towards Inosuke as you hold your hands, feeling the sweats forming in your palms.

You're scared as fuck and you're in the middle of the woods. You invited Zenitsu and Tanjiro to come with you but Zenitsu immediately refused and stormed inside his room. While Tanjiro, he said he wants to spend his time with Nezuko since it's been a while since they last interacted. So in the end, you're the only one who tags along with Inosuke whose being extremely excited.

Upon reaching the abandoned house, you instantly felt scared and legs trembled vigorously that can vividly see by the boar masked guy.

"Damn, you're trembling a lot," remarked by Inosuke as he places his hands on his waist. "Let's go, (Name)! We might see something cool!"

"No! We might see something scary!" You retorted then in a brisk, your companion grabbed your wrist and dragged you inside the old building while shaking your head fervidly and overweighing yourself to prevent him from dragging you. However, we're talking about Inosuke here, he can carry you even if you're overweight.

'Oh my god! I think I'm gonna die!' You shrieked mentally.

"It's too dark in here," Inosuke says and you looked at him ridiculously.

"Of course it's dark! We didn't even bring a lamp with us!" You yelled and Inosuke ignored you by walking deeper in the dark. You quickly squeaked then followed the pig head, cursing him for not waiting for you. He dragged you to come along then he's just gonna leave you behind?! How rude is that?

"Don't leave me, Inosuke!" You smack his head and he glared at you as if you're going to see his expression.

"What the hell was that for?! You're too slow, wimp!" He scowled which causes an irk mark to form on your head.

"Why'd you even dragged me here if you're just gonna leave me behind?!"

Your outrage was once again ignored by Inosuke by whipping his head to the side, averting your gaze. Infuriation surged through your body as you grit your teeth in annoyance. The beast breath user started to amble further and further that alarmed you and hastily marched towards the boar head.

Silence engulfed the abandoned house, what do you expect? Hear someone chatters and screams? Oh, you don't want to hear any voices right now. You're terrified as hell that you can sense that you will pass out anytime soon. The squeak of your shoes is the only thing you were hearing and your breath became heavy as you explored the area. You followed Inosuke who is in front of you while wandering his eyes around the place.

"Oi, (Name)." You startled once Inosuke spoke.

"Don't scare me like that!" You scolded him while your hand was clutching your chest.

He clicked his tongue, "You're such a scaredy-cat."

"I shouldn't have come with you! I should have stayed with Zenitsu and Tanjiro!" You yelled and it causes the green-eyed lad to stop in his tracks, stunned from your outburst. He felt his heart wrenched as he saw you glaring at him with so much hatred.

You didn't know that the violent guy harboured some romantic feelings for you. When he heard your statement just now, he felt his heart was being stabbed by thousands of needles. Of course, it hurt him specifically that he indeed likes you a lot, that's why he's not answering your question why he dragged you here. He solely wants to spend his time with you together but it seems like it's a very wrong place to hang out with. He's not the type of guy who knows romantic stuffs knowing the fact that he grew up in the mountains. He only knows how to fight and make himself stronger. The reason why he knows he likes you romantically is that Shinobu answered his question why he's feeling weird when he's around you. Like his heart is going to burst inside his chest every time he took a glimpse at your pretty face and he felt his stomach churn in a pleasant way. He also likes it whenever you're beside him and teaching him some things that he doesn't know. He likes the attention you're giving him despite he's obscuring it by being harsh and blunt sometimes. He's not used to saying some comforting and heartwarming words. You do know that he's a ferocious guy.

"Fine! Leave me be!" He scowled and run away leaving you behind.

Realizing what you have done, your body immediately jolted and shudder in fear. Your courage seconds ago disappeared now that Inosuke was out of sight. Now you're the only one by yourself in a very dark place. Your heart beats tremendously and tears started to well up in your eyes.

"Inosuke! Don't l-leave me! P-Please come back! I-I'm scared!" You shouted terrifyingly as you frantically searched for Inosuke.

You're aware that you're wrong for saying those mean things to the pretty boy. It's just that you're scared to even think rationally, but before you can apologize, you need to find the boar head or you're going to pass out.

"Inosuke! Where are you?! D-Don't leave me please!" Now you're literally crying, you can't contain yourself from being afraid of what might appear in front of you. Frightfully, you run through the hallway of the house to search for Inosuke, however to your dismay, you can't see a figure wearing a boar mask.

What if he already left?! And he's livid to what you did to him that's why he's taking his revenge by leaving you behind?!

"UWAAAAA INOSUKE!! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE HELP ME!!" You cried and kneeled because you can't restrain yourself from breaking down. You're really horrified right now, you don't know what to do anymore. You hug your knees and cried to your heart's content.

"I-Inosuke... please help me... I'm scared..." you mumbled as you buried your face on your knees. Suddenly, you heard a loud crash not far from you. You jolt upon hearing that earsplitting sound and tightly hugged your knees and pushed yourself further in the corner. You're trembling and sweating a lot, heart's pounding tremendously and your breath is becoming ragged. Tears relentlessly cascade on your face and chant God's name over and over again.

"God please help me! I'm going to be a good girl from now on and I'm sorry if I'm always smacking Zenitsu's head and for stealing Tanjiro's pudding! I'm sorry if I'm being mean towards Inosuke! Just, please! Let me live some more! I promise I won't be a naughty girl ever again!" You cried in despair, confessing the horrible things you've done to everyone.

Then unexpectedly, someone holds your shoulders that causes you to scream at the top of your lungs.

"Oi! Get your grip together!" The pig head scolded you but it only intensified your scream.

"GYAAAA!! A PIG! PLEASE DON'T EAT ME! I ASSURE YOU THAT I'M NOT THAT DELICIOUS! KYAAAAA!!" You struggled from his hold and Inosuke only tightened his grip on you.

"What the fuck?! It's me, (Name)! It's Inosuke!" He growled which made you stop from crying and struggling to break free upon mentioning his name. You sniffed and wipe your eyes to see Inosuke's beautiful face. You realized that he just took off his mask and blessed your eyes with his gorgeous face. And that's enough reason for you to stop from crying out loud and feel secured.

"I-Inosuke... please don't l-leave me again," you plead and throw your arms around his torso. The said boy's body went rigid because of the physical contact between you and him. He can hear his heart hammering profusely and he's relieved that you don't have a keen sense of hearing like that coward blonde.

Inosuke flinched when he felt a cold liquid on his shoulder. He presumed that it's your tears and he can hear you still sobbing in the crook of his neck. Due to the new sensation and this is the first time someone hugged him; his face eventually fumed and embarrassed at the same time. He doesn't know what to do and just kneeled on the floor while you're hugging him.

'What the fuck should I do?! Should I hug her back?! B-But i-it's embarrassing! This isn't Inosuke-sama's character at all!'

"I-I'm sorry Inosuke... I didn't m-mean to offend you... I-I'm just scared. Please don't leave me a-again." Your hug on him only tightened and he can sense the desperate pleading in your tone.

Inosuke felt a tug on his heart once he saw you in a helpless state. His heart warmed and absentmindedly, he stroke your back and nuzzle his nose on your head, smelling the sweet scent of your shampoo that he surely loves.

"You're such a pain in the ass," he lightly scoffed. You only buried your head on his shoulders and nodded.

"I'm sorry..." was you said and feel the warmth of Inosuke's body. You felt his arms encircled around your waist, pulling you closer to him.

Your heart ricocheted a beat from the gesture and your trembling body has finally subsided. Although you wanted to thank him for coming back, you only shut your mouth and relish the warmth of his body giving you. You certainly felt comfortable in his arms.

Minutes passed and you're still in that position. Inosuke was about to tear you away but halted when he heard a light snore coming from you. He tilts his head to look closely at your face and his presumption was right, you're already asleep.

The beast breath user groaned since he wants to go back and rest for tonight. But he doesn't want to disturb you from your deep slumber and he apprehends that you're having a great nap. Moreover, he admitted to himself that he likes the current position you two were in, feeling your warmth and having you beside him for tonight. Bringing you here isn't so bad after all, although at first, it was a disaster but... his plan worked well.

Staring at you for a good minute, Inosuke's eyes drooped and sweep away the strands that are covering your face. Then absentmindedly, he kissed your forehead causing him to blush at his sudden bold move.

But it's okay, right? You're not even awake and it's just a peck on the forehead! It cannot harm you!

Inosuke gawked at your sleeping face and momentarily his lips tug upwards while stroking your cheeks.

"Hey, (Name)..." he started. "I really like you." He said into oblivion and closed his eyes, drifting him to sleep as well.

It’s All About Fakes (100 sentence prompts fanfic)

Because I suck a writing even short stories or drabbles, I write 100 sentences prompts for the Fake AH Crew instead.

Some of them are inspired by moments in Let’s Play videos, headcanons, social media posts, or just comes straight out of the blue.

Feel free to take inspiration from the prompts or use them.

Prompts are written from a non-shippy perspective, but each prompt can be intercepted in whatever way pleases.

Also my first work, so let’s see how this goes.

Hey, why don’t you read it on AO3 instead?https://archiveofourown.org/works/24787825

1. How the Fake AH Crew got this far is a hell of story, and you can bet it’s one damn worth telling. (Fake it Til’ You Make it)

2. Ray was a sniper; he could spot bullshit a mile away, so how come he ended up in the Fake AH Crew? (On the Spot)

3. Sitting by the wheel of the red minivan Geoff sighed for the 67th time that day, still disbelieving the fact that they were not on their way to carry through a well-planned heist but rather enroute to the beach for some “splashing and slacking”, as Jack had called it. (Sunday Driving - To the Beach)

4. “The Vagabond says: it’s all gonna be murder.” (What the Vagabond Says)

5. Whether it was the Golden Boy or Gavin; Mogar or Michael; they wouldn’t leave each other behind. (Bois Forever)

6. Lindsay---being an absolute goddess as always---supports Jack in her telling for Fiona, and Jack couldn’t have been more grateful. (Women’s League)

7. Matt screws something up; Trevor is there to help him fix it; then Gavin and Alfredo is there to screw it up even more. (Nice Job Breaking It)

8. It’s Bake a Cake Day (according to Gavin) and it’s Gents vs. Lads (insisted by Gavin) and it will also be known as the day when Geoff’s kitchen met its undeniable demise (because of Gavin). (Bake a Cake Day)

9. Long story short: Michael breaks into an animal adoption center for a cat because Lindsay, and Gavin and Ray tags along because why the fuck not. (No Animal Came To Any Harm Except For Gavin)

10. A heavily tattooed man walks into a bar; later, a mad man and a lady in a Hawaii-shirt joins him. (It’s Not a Joke but the Punchline is Fluff)

11. Lindsay and Jeremy have dealt with shit going sideways longer than most people so they know how to make the best of it. (Failure is an Old Friend of Mine)

12. “I hereby announce that the official Prank Wars Week is in session!” (Oh No)

13. The Vagabond might be ready to die, but Ryan knows he’s not. (Ready as I’ll Ever Be)

14. The Lads---and Geoff---gets drunk as hell one night and starts a sock company. (Socks, There’s Socks Everywhere)

15. A boring Fake AH Crew means a dangerous Fake AH Crew and the residents of Los Santos better prepare for chaos. (Boredom Can be a Health Hazard)

16. Ryan gets hiccups and Ray thinks it’s funny until he gets hiccups, too, and soon everyone is stuck with hiccups and everyone blames Ray for some reason. (The Hiccup Disease)

17. When dawn arrives the Fake AH Crew will never be the same again. (Dawn After Battle)

18. Shopping weekends was nothing Lindsay used to do regularly, until Ryan one time decided to come along; then it became a thing. (Stuff We Do Together)

19. Even after leaving the crew, Ray would still have a home to return to. (Home is Wherever You Make it Be)

20. “No---we’re not twins, we’re not brothers, we’re not related in any way, so please for god’s sake, stop asking that.” (Stop the Questions Goddamnit)

21. Jeremy tried to apply more pressure to the wound but as the time on the bomb was running out, so did the blood. (A Mistake You Won’t Live to Learn From)

22. Someone knocks---no, pounds on the door to Ryan’s apartment at 3AM in the morning and Ryan’s still not that happy to being woken up in the middle of the night even if it is Meg waiting behind the door. (Late Night Visitor   or   Expect the Unexpected)

23. “Hey, guys, Fiona here---you’ll never believe this---but I’m stuck in jail and I need one of you to come and bail me out.” (Let’s Bail)

24. Matt is found alone sitting on top of the roof, watching the sunset, but what Geoff finds is someone who needs to talk and so he decides to be that other someone who listens. (Everyone Needs Someone Sometimes)

25. Gavin gets into trouble, which drags Michael and Jeremy into more trouble, and Geoff just wants to have a fucking drink. (Prepare for Trouble)

26. Gavin makes a statement, and Ryan feat. Alfredo makes it a hundred times worse. (Disturbance of Your Own Making)

27. Being welcomed by the sight of a bloodied and battered Gavin through the open door eliminates any tiredness and annoyance Geoff had worked up to having been woken up by a loud pounding on the door at 2AM. (Bloody Brit)

28. That was the way of the Battle Buddies; if one went down, the other had to keep on going, no matter what. (Broken Promise)

29. Nothing lasts forever, and Ray knows that better than anyone. (Never Say Forever)

30. The remaining Gents as well the rest of the Fakes would always be missing a part of themselves from now on. (Parts & Pieces   or   Next Step is to Move On)

31. The alphabet wasn’t enough to cover every brilliant plan the Fake AH Crew had in store, but they never settled for a single letter anyways. (Seven Ridiculous Plans and One That Actually Made Sense)

32. To the Lads, brighter days ahead is just an illusion they can only dream of in the aftermath of a heist gone wrong which claimed the lives of the Gents. (Miserable Lads)

33. It’s a story from being refused of coffee, to wanting to commit suicide briefly, to Trevor having made room for tea-parties with Jeremy, Gavin and Lindsay in his schedule every now and then. (Shut Up and Have Some Tea)

34. Really, it all started when Ray wouldn’t leave Geoff’s house one night. (A Place for Everyone)

35. Usually things doesn’t escalate this far by playing a simple Xbox-game but having ended up in jail, Michael and Matt doesn’t have much of a say about it and Geoff’s pissed. (Hate the Players)

36. Waking up in a dark room tied to a chair with no slightest idea of what the hell’s going on tends to lead to some anxiety-ridden experiences, especially when it is Gavin who finds himself in that situation. (Blackout)

37. No one wants to be the only sober one left to take care of a drunk crew, but with Ray gone Ryan just has to accept that this is his life now. (Trust   or   Sober One)

38. To think it all started that day when Jack saved a drunk man from being robbed in a dark alley. (Mind Your Manners)

39. Neither Lindsay or Michael would force Gavin to put on a brave face after a nightmare; everyone had fears and it was okay to be scared sometimes. (Sharing is Caring)

40. Matt’s life was just another pile of broken pieces until he met Jeremy, and suddenly he had some glue to put the pieces back together. (Glue   or   Glue My Life Back Together)

41. In the temporary apartment Ray was living in at the moment there was a vase by the kitchen window, always holding five red roses. (A Vase Full of Roses)

42. Geoff’s mood could easily be improved a 100 times better with some nice and warm socks. (Can Never Have Enough of Socks)

43. The crew quickly learned that pairing up Ryan and Trevor together would leave a traumatic amount of battered bodies and large pools of blood behind. (Madness In Me)

44. Michael’s life was like a puzzle; bits and pieces all over the place, some fitting, some not, some missing or broken, some didn’t even belong---and Jack standing there in the middle of it all being the only one who seemed to sense some kind of pattern. (Puzzles)

45. The Fake AH Crew weren’t good guys---they never would be---but that didn’t mean they were incapable of doing good, and they were by far the most decent team of criminals that had ever set foot in Los Santos. (Bad Guys Do Good)

46. Tears kept falling, slowly soaking the photo Jack held in her hand of her and the crew---not wanting to forget, yet not wanting to remember. (Remember to Forget)

47. The pink sniper rifle that hung on the wall would always serve as a reminder for the members of the Fake AH Crew that they were not immortal after all. (We Could Be Immortals)

48. Ryan’s an evil mastermind and that frightens Gavin a little, but the Golden Boy reckon it’s time to beat the Vagabond at his own game. (The Reckoning)

49. Kerry Shawcross crosses paths with the infamous Fake AH Crew completely by accident, and all hell breaks loose. (Welcome to Fake Hell)

50. The blood on his hands belonged to someone he knew---someone he cared about---and Ryan had never been more afraid of himself. (There’s Someone There But it’s Not Me)

51. It’s Pride Month and Jeremy really takes it up a notch when coloring his hair this time. (Rainbows)

52. Watching them Lindsay realized that while each of them all had lost so much, they had found even more. (Less is More)

53. Trevor would be better than Geoff ever’d been at scheduling heists and leading the crew, but he still gets to handle all the complaining from the crew so he isn’t as satisfied as he would like to be. (Point of No Return)

54. When the realization strikes him that he’s the only one left remaining, Jeremy falls to his knees in defeat and can’t stop screaming. (What Remains)

55. Fiona can never seem to stop messing with Gavin in any way possible. (A Step Too Far)

56. “Yeah, they’re all idiots---but they’re my idiots, so don’t you fucking dare lay your hand on them.” (A Bunch of Savage Animal Idiots)

57. Times have never been darker for the Gents as each of them struggles to cope with the deaths of the Lads in the aftermath of an coordinated attack. (Falling Inside the Black)

58. The day he met the Wildcard, Michael’s whole world finally started to make some sense. (Wild World)

59. Geoff’s constant drinking worried Gavin sometimes. (Drunk Concern)

60. Matt didn’t believe anyone would care enough for him to consider him family, nor did he believe he would end up in becoming a part of one. (Lost and Found)

61. Alfredo always wondered who Trevor really was underneath his iron suit of armor. (Armor)

62. Even when stuck in a seemingly never-ending coma, Geoff was never alone. (Not Alone)

63. Alfredo joins the Fake AH Crew with more blood on his hands than most people---including himself---would’ve expected. (Red Sea)

64. There’s a perfectly valid reason why Lindsay, despite not being his roommate anymore, is the only one who has a key to Ryan’s apartment. (Key to the Door)

65. Four times Jeremy and Trevor talked their way out of jail and one time they didn’t. (Another Approach to the Problem)

66. Lindsay tried, and that’s why she was still alive, even though everyone else that mattered to her weren’t anymore. (The Fake Among the True)

67. Fiona was her own knight in shining armor and no tower could ever hold her captive for long. (Green Knight)

68. There were days when Jeremy saw a way out, yet the light would always fade at the end of the tunnel, leaving him in the dark. (No Way In, No Way Out)

69. The others would never come back, and Gavin, walking in the wake of that horrifying truth, felt like an empty shell with nothing left to give. (Empty)

70. Trevor would give his life for the crew just like Geoff and Lindsay had. (Third Time Counts)

71. One time for when each of the Fake AH Crew members showed strength and one time when they didn’t. (No Shame)

72. Jack and Geoff shared a special responsibility for every member of the crew, and Michael was no exception. (Nightmare Terrors)

73. ‘Who’s the creepiest motherfucker?’ is a question rather avoided and unanswered. (Creep Contest)

74. All Michael felt now was a burning anger that refused to flicker and fade, and thirst for revenge than could never be quenched. (Road Rage)

75. The last time they all saw each other the city was burning, wounds were bleeding---figuratively and literally---and they never expected to see each other again. (One Last Time)

76. Jack liked to be up in the early, quiet mornings while everyone was still asleep, but she was seriously going to tackle Ryan into bed if she found out he was still awake at 5AM again. (Go the Fuck to Sleep)

77. He’d said he was going to visit, but Ray always pushed the promise further to its limits every time. (Liar Liar)

78. Five times a heist went to hell and one time when it actually didn’t. (Heisting Hell)

79. Not every backstory of the Fake AH Crew’s members is full of shattered dreams and points of no return. (Wanted)

80. Gavin missed home sometimes, but the Golden Boy didn’t. (Two Sides of a Coin)

81. Jeremy’s admiration of monster trucks stretches way back to when he was only a child, walking past a toy store. (Monster Car)

82. “You can leave if you want”, Geoff said, “No one’s going to stop you.” (Freedom)

83. The Vagabond was almost always in control after the Fall of the Fakes, mostly because Ryan let him. (Dead by Daylight)

84. Perhaps the next mishap won’t be so embarrassing for Alfredo, but life didn’t seem to like him much at all. (It’s Life, What Can You Do About It)

85. Four times Geoff said no to either Gavin, Ryan or Lindsay bringing an animal home, and one time he actually said yes. (Animal Addition)

86. So the members of the Fake AH Crew decides to steal their boss’ yacht again and Geoff’s as usual late to the party. (Yacht Party)

87. The crew goes to get some tattoos, and Lindsay is very sure of which one she wants to get. (Tattoos)

88. When Jack falls sick and can’t make her awesome lunch for the whole crew, the crew makes one for her instead (and Jack appreciates it even if it’s a little burned). (Faking the Chef)

89. The day Fiona joined the Fake AH Crew is a day Gavin will very well remember. (Bully)

90. The B-Team is usually there to clean up the messes, except for this time. (Don’t Leave Your Messes Here)

91. The whiskey burned his throat when he guzzled it, and Geoff wished that the liquor could burn away the pain and memories the same. (Burning Bridges)

92. The Fake AH Crew may look like they’re having the time of their lives, but the outside is designed to hide the struggles and issues that lingers underneath. (Inside Out)

93. With the Gents missing, the Lads stuck in a burning building, and the B-team cornered in a firefight, things does not look good. (Already Over)

94. The Fake AH Crew never failed to be impressed by Michael’s colorful vocabulary of swear words. (Words of Color)

95. Jeremy tries to cover up some traces of his past life from the rest of the crew; it does not go the way he wants. (Known to the World)

96. The Ring had been like home, but he wasn’t earning any money being beaten up every round in familiar surroundings, so Michael left---and ended up in Los Santos. (Ring of Fire)

97. The different paths that every member of the crew took for themselves led each of them to end up somewhere they never intended to be, but somewhere they were meant to be. (Pathfinders)

98. It was safe to say that every member of the Fake AH Crew had at least one weird obsession; some had way too many, and some obsessions were just what the fuck. (Obsessions)

99. The Fake AH Crew heists in style, or they do not heist at all. (Do it with Style)

100. The Fake AH Crew is made up of a selected (un)worthy and unique individuals---each one with their own story of whens, ifs, whats, whos, and hows. (Now That We’ve Come So Far)

Revival - Peter Parker

I Love You and I Like You Chapter Fifteen

I’m so sorry this took so long to post! I hope you like it! I’ve spent so long on this story, and hopefully, this is a deserving ending! As always, I may eventually add on to the story, so stay tuned!

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader Word Count: 5,918 Synopsis: ENDGAME CHAPTER! If you’ve seen Endgame, then you know what relationship the reader is trying to mend. If you haven’t seen Endgame, don’t read or you’ll get majorly spoiled. Tags: @spiderking-of-queens, @atomicpeacekryptonite, @the-life-of-a-loser, @drunken-superheros

((You only need to read the chapter before to get the gist of the whole story!))

Previous Chapter

Five Years Later . . .

“Y/N! Y/N! Wake up!” Little hands grabbed hold of your arm draped over the side of your bed, making you giggle a little. You groaned and sat up, reaching for your bedside lamp.

“I’m up, I’m up.” Light flooded the room and revealed Morgan Stark pulling on your arm and a deeply asleep boyfriend next to you. “Peter,” you said, kicking him softly. He woke up as well, yawning loudly. 

“Daddy will be here soon to pick me up and you promised you’d make me breakfast.”

“Actually, Uncle Peter did.” You looked over at him and he laughed, nodding his head.

“I’ll be right there, Morgan. Why don’t you get the cartoons started,” he suggested groggily. She ran out of the room, giving you two a few minutes. 

“Whatcha making for breakfast?” you asked. He hummed slightly, snuggling back against his pillow.

“I should never have promised that. Morgan is even worse than you are in terms of getting her way.” You laughed and played with his hair, smiling at him. 

“I love you. You are a very good uncle to Morgan.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s very sexy.”

“Come here,” he said, his eyes flashing to yours. As you leaned in to kiss him, the world started to distort. Instead of Peter’s lips, you were now kissing disappearing dust, and when you pulled away, Peter’s body vanished from your bed. You let out a scream, and suddenly, you awoke in your dark bedroom. 

“You okay, honey?” You looked to your left and saw your boyfriend, David, sitting up in bed. You nodded as he rubbed your back. “Another nightmare?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you’re safe now. Go back to sleep.” He laid down on his pillow, looking up at you. 

“I think I’m just gonna make breakfast. I’m visiting Tony today, so I should probably get an early start.”

“Okay,” he said, taking your hand and kissing your palm twice. “I love you.”

“You too.” You got dressed for the day, knowing you’d need to swing by the office before driving out to Tony’s home, and knowing that there was no way you’d be falling back asleep.

In the five years since the snap, the world had changed vastly. Instead of working for Stark Industries, you were now working as the head of the Avengers Foundation. Natasha created it in part with Tony’s Stark Foundation, and put you in charge of running it so that she could keep an eye on the Avengers all over the galaxy.

The force of the snap destroyed the physical world, so there was plenty of rebuilding to do. Whether it was construction, bringing resources, or ending disputes, the two of you sent whoever could help with whatever supplies needed to that location. 

Steve kept himself busy, too, so you only saw him when you absolutely needed to. When Tony came back to Earth and had it out with Steve, you had a similar encounter a few days later. The anger that had built up since the failure of the Sokovia Accords finally overflowed and you screamed at Steve for nearly an hour. However, after a few hours more to cool off, you realized that everything that happened wasn’t Steve’s fault.

It took years for you to accept that Peter was really gone. You looked with Natasha for any kind of loophole that could bring everyone back, but on the third anniversary of the snap, you realized it was time to move on. Half of the world was gone and you owed it to them to actually live your life.

You met David six months ago, and four months after that, you moved into an apartment together. You met when he volunteered at one of the cleanups of the heavier hit cities. He made you forget for a few hours at a time that you hadn’t lost your entire life a few years ago. Things were good with David and you were perfectly content with keeping them that way, until you pulled up to Tony’s home in the woods. 

“Afternoon,” Tony called the moment you stepped out of your car.

“Afternoon. Am I late for tea?” you asked, taking in the plastic table on the lawn, decorated with tiny purple teacups, surrounded by some stuffed animals and a Hulk action figure.

“Yes, but we’ll forgive,” Tony said as Morgan came running out of the house.

“Y/N!” she squealed, running forward to hug you.

“Hey cutie, how are you?”

“Good,” she said as she poured water into each of the teacups. “Did you come to join us for tea?”

“Yes,” you said, taking a seat in the tiny, plastic chair.

“Daddy's friends came over, but they didn’t want to stay for tea.”

“Oh no?” you asked, looking up at Tony. He nodded his head, but indicated that now wasn’t the right time to talk about it. 

“Lovely of you to join us today, Miss Y/L/N,” Tony said, taking on a British accent.

“Thank you for extending the invitation,” you said, mimicking his accent. “It’s always a joy to have tea with Lady Morgoona and Sir Iron Lad.” Morgan giggled along with the two of you. Tea lasted for another hour, interrupted every so often by Tony arguing whether you were doing the accent correctly, and Morgan forgetting another toy that needed to be invited.

Eventually, Pepper came out to bring Morgan in for some lunch, giving Tony the chance to tell you about his visitors.

“Your uncle doesn’t seem like much of a tea guy,” Tony said, gathering up the cups on the table.

“He’s the one who stopped by?”

“And Nat and Scott Lang.”

“Wait, what?” you asked, dropping the teddy bear in your hands.

“Be careful of Bearsley,” Tony chastized, picking him up for you. 

“I thought Scott was gone.”

“So did we. Turns out he was stuck inside The Quantum Realm.” He looked over at your face and sighed. “Come inside. You’ll need a drink while I tell you this.”

“Time travel?” you asked in disbelief. You looked down at your glass, wondering if Tony had spiked your drink in order to make you believe his nonsense. “That’s not possible.”

“That’s what I thought, too.”

“Thought,” you repeated, looking at him seriously. “As in you now think it is possible?”

“I figured it out.”

“What?”

“I figured out time travel.” He tapped a few times on his watch, and eventually pulled up the holographic model of his time traveling machine. You stood up, walking around the model, triple checking the calibrations that Friday had checked infinitely more times. 

“You can do it?” you asked, sitting down.

“We can do it.”

“Tony,” you groaned, rolling your eyes.

“You know, I think I am your best friend,” he said, frowning at you slightly. “And that’s kinda sad because I am a lot older than you.”

“Well, screw you, too,” you said, wondering why he was being needlessly rude. 

“You’re my best friend, too. So we’re both kinda losers.” 

“I’ll drink to that,” you said, clinking your glass to his.

“Alright, so since we both love each other, I’m going to be real real with you, okay?” You waved your hand to give him permission. “You haven’t been the same since we lost Peter.”

“Can you name anyone who has been the same since the snap?”

“What I mean is,” he said, glossing over your question, “I owe it to you to bring Peter back, so that-”

“Tony. What the hell are you talking about? You don’t owe me anything.”

“I see you, Y/N. I see you with David. It’s not the same. I’ve never seen you better than you were with Peter. I miss him like crazy, I miss them all like crazy, and I know you do, too.”

“Regardless of whether I was better with Peter, he’s gone. They all are. What about Morgan?”

“What about her?! Don’t I owe it to her to be the kind of man she can look up to? The kind of man who did what was right, even when it was damn hard?” You sighed, starting to feel his pull, knowing that he was right. “I can’t do it without you. You really are my best friend.” 

“Fine,” you complained, “But only because you begged.” He smiled, patting your arm a few times in thanks.

“Compound. Tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

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

A knock came from your door, and before you could race over, David opened the door first. You finished tugging on your sweatshirt and gave his cheek a kiss.

“Bye, babe.”

“What? You’re not going to invite me in?” Tony asked, stepping into your living room.

“Oh, shouldn’t you get going?” David asked. “Y/N said you were both needed for something really important in China.” Tony looked over at you and smirked.

“Did she?”

“Yep, so we should probably get going. We’ve got that flight to catch, remember?” you said, glaring at him to play along. 

“That we do. Nice to see you again, David.”

“You, too,” he said, shaking his hand. “Bye, Y/N.” You leaned in and kissed him once before slamming the door shut behind you. Tony waited until you were in the elevator to look at you.

“What?”

“You didn’t tell him?”

“What was I supposed to say? ‘I’m going on a mission to bring everyone back, including my ex-boyfriend?’ How could I tell him something like that?”

“Hey,” he said, holding up a hand, “I don’t blame you.” He studied you carefully for a moment, up until it was annoying.

“What?” you asked again.

“How are you feeling about all of this?”

“Nervous. But hopeful,” you added with a smile.

“Me too. It’s going to work, I just haven’t quite figured out all the details yet,” he said. You stepped into the sun, enjoying it for a moment until something caught the light and blinded you. 

Parked outside of your apartment was a bright red Audi. You looked at Tony in shock, and he laughed. He popped open the door for you ceremoniously and when he got into his seat, sped out of the city. 

“Can you go a little slower? I feel like I’m going to be sick,” you said as he took another sharp turn. 

“This thing doesn’t really go slow. Besides, the quicker we get there, the quicker we can get everybody back.” You nodded and gripped the side panel, trying not to throw up. Eventually, you pulled up to the Avengers Compound, finding a melancholy Steve standing outside.

“Why the long face? Let me guess, he turned into a baby?” Tony asked knowingly, stepping out of the Audi.

“Among other things, yeah. What are you doing here?” Steve asked as you climbed out of the car as well. You took a moment to settle your stomach before turning back to the men. Tony was handing Steve his shield, a peace offering. 

“You want to do this?” Steve asked as you walked over.

“Just because I have a life, doesn’t mean that I don’t miss my old one,” you said, passing them both to walk inside. Tony looked at Steve with a raised eyebrow, following after you with a smile. 

It took another week to figure out the plan of when to go back in time to get all of the stones and to test out Tony’s GPS. When everything was set in place, he put you in charge of keeping an eye on everyone as they jumped. They had all suited up and were going over their individual missions before Steve looked over at you.

“And Y/N-”

“Will be monitoring your frequencies,” you said, barely looking up from your screen. 

“What?” You looked up and saw all of their confused faces and laughed softly.

“Sorry, that’s a Peter joke,” you said silently, shaking your head. 

“Star Trek, right?” Scott said, smiling along with you.

“Yeah!” He was still grinning, but Tony looked sad. You nodded at him just before they all disappeared.

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

You cleared yourself from the rubble, subconsciously turning on your gloves you had slipped on for Bruce’s snap, surveying the destruction of the compound. After one quick look, you knew it was hopeless. The hit of the blast had turned your former home to rubble, and before you could even mourn it, or think about a plan to rebuild, another blast came flying past your ear.

“Does anyone copy?” you asked, trying to connect with the others through the commlink in your gloves. Static noise came from the other end, so you only made out a few words, but it was enough to scare you.

“It’s Thanos.”

“Where are you guys?” you asked, trying to decipher whose voice was coming through the speaker.

“We’ve got eyes on Thanos,” Steve said, “But he’s brought company.”

“Keep him away from the glove, I’ll work on his friends,” you said, a slight smirk spreading on your face. Five years of hurt and anger had built up to this moment. Natasha had died trying to bring back the ones you loved, and you were determined to make sure her sacrifice mattered.

You ran forward, readying yourself for the first impact of Thanos’s soldiers. A group of them landed, but the second they did, you sent a bus-sized force field out, cutting them all in half. Your team had barely held up against Thanos is 2018, but you now had the benefit of five years of upgrades and a less powerful Thanos. 

You felt a surge of confidence as his third battalion landed and you wiped them out as instantly as the two before. Just as you were growing cockier, ready to take on the fourth installment of his forces, giant purple hands grabbed your waist and threw you across the battlefield. You groaned and struggled to get up, knowing you needed to get back on your feet quickly.

“Need a hand?” You looked up, coughing up a bit of dust, and took the hand of Wanda Maximoff, returned from the dead.

“We did it?”

“You did it,” she said, nodding appreciatively. You quickly embraced her, suddenly realizing how much you missed her. For a moment you let your thoughts stray to Peter, but just as your extra forces arrived, Thanos sent down his own to match.

“You ready?” you asked, snapping your shields into place.

“I will kill him,” she said, clenching her teeth in an anger that you could feel just standing near her.

“Let’s do it.”

Together, joined by your friends, those snapped and those not, you charged Thanos’s army. Clearly tired of getting their asses handed to them, they sent their troops down en masse, making it harder for you to pick them off one by one.

You reached out a hand, sending a shield to deflect Bucky from getting hit. However, you forgot to cover your flank, and were instantly pushed back by the creepy flat-nosed right hand man to Thanos.

“You will no longer have the chance to fight our people,” he said, raising a hand to lift up a giant piece of rubble, ready to crush you.

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Just as you were about to accept your fate, a flash of red swung in front of you, quickly sticking the alien to the rubble, and kicking them both out of sight.

“Y/N! Y/N! Are you alright?” The second time someone helped you onto your feet in that battle, and this time it wasn’t Wanda. Peter stood in front of you, looking just like he did that morning before you lost him, albeit a little dirtier. He had been fighting hard. Fighting hard to get to you. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” you said, quickly wrapping your arms around his neck. He hugged you back tightly, sighing into your shoulder. “Pete,” you said softly.

“Has it really been five years?” he asked, taking in the tears trailing down your dirty cheeks.

“Yes.” Peter’s eyes widened, but it wasn’t from your news. You grabbed his arm, and quickly, you both ducked. A missile had barely missed your head, and T’Challa was running past with the gauntlet.

“Go! I’ll hold them off,” you said, looking at the incoming aliens running after him, “We’ll talk later,” you said, giving his hand a squeeze. He nodded, his mask rematerializing on his face and shot a web up above. Before he took off though, he let the webbing go, and came back to you.

“What are you doing?”

“If it’s really been five years,” he said simply, wrapping an arm around your waist, pulling you in for a quick, romantic kiss. You pulled away first, knowing that if you kissed him for longer, you would lose all concentration on the battle.

“Go, be careful!”

“You too,” he said swinging out of sight.

Peter didn’t follow your wish, however, as the next time you saw him, he was swinging past with the gauntlet in his arms and fifteen or so aliens flying after him. You cursed and pushed your gloves towards the ground, sending you up into the air, where you kicked two aliens down and cut down three more with your rapidly reforming shields.

“What all changed in five ye-”

“Peter!” you screamed, just as he was brought spiraling back to the ground. You landed hard on your feet and watched as Peter initiated “instant kill mode” and stabbed the aliens piling on top of him to death.

“I’m okay,” he panted as you gave him a hand up.

“New suit, huh?” you asked, smiling at him.

“Yep.” You bit your lip as you looked at him, reveling in the fact that it felt like the old times again. And just as a reminder, a blast came from across the way, knocking Peter far away from you.

“Just like old times,” you grumbled, running after him. Carol got there first, however, and took the gauntlet from him.

“I don’t know how you’re going to get past there,” he warned, motioning to Thanos’s army, readying themselves for another fight.

“Don’t worry, she’s got help,” Okoye said, stepping forward. Following her lead, Shuri, Pepper, Wanda, Hope, Mantis, Gamora, Nebula, and Valkyrie stepped up to defend the gauntlet. You saluted Peter once before running to catch up and give Carol the cover she’d need to get the gauntlet to Scott’s truck and into the quantum realm.

You all fought fair, but the same could not be said for Thanos. When attacked by Wanda earlier, he sprayed the battleground with fire, killing his own men and forcing her away, and as he faced Carol, he took out the Power Stone and knocked her back.

He had the gauntlet again, and if two of the strongest Avengers weren’t able to stop him, there wasn’t much the rest of you could do. Panic started to flood through you, but you weren’t going down without a fight. There were still a handful of aliens coming at you, so you decided to focus your energy there. Even as all hope seemed lost, the forcefield you shot out went flying through a cloud of dust. 

“What the-“

“Mr. Stark?” The heart-shattering sound of Peter’s voice breaking made you turn your head. Two red-metal legs stuck out from behind a piece of the old facility.

“No,” you said, running over to find Tony leaning up against the rubble. On his hand were the Infinity Stones, and burns covered his arm and face. “Tony,” you said weakly, dropping down to your knees in front of him. “What did you do?”

“I finished it. It’s over,” he said, his voice soft. Tears started to fall from your eyes as you realized that there was no fixing him.

“Some best friend you are,” you said, your throat tightening.

“I know,” he said, coughing up a laugh, “But you’re going to be alright.” You glanced back at Peter, finding the same pain in his eyes.

“I’ll be alright if you stay.” He forced a weak smile, his breath shaking. “Please don’t go,” you begged.

“Take good care of her,” Tony said, looking to Peter. “I need to speak to my wife,” he said, his voice growing fainter. Pepper put a hand on your back, pulling you away from Tony’s face. She smiled carefully at you, tear tracks running down her cheeks as well. You wrapped your arms around Peter’s neck and cried together as you lost your best friend in the entire world, and Earth her greatest defender.

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Three knocks from the door turned Pepper’s tear-filled eyes from her daughter’s young, confused ones. She called for you to come in, smiling sadly once you had.

“Hey,” she said, standing.

“Hey. They’re almost ready. Happy just said there’s one more thing for you to check over.” Pepper looked down at Morgan, fear of ever leaving her filling her eyes. “I can stay with her for a while. Right, Morgan?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding her head. Pepper smiled her thanks and touched your shoulder as she walked out the door. You walked into Morgan’s room and sat down on the floor next to her, smiling.

“Hi,” you said, forcing a smile.

“Hi.”

“What’s going on in here?”

“Mommy was getting me ready to say goodbye to Daddy.” You nodded your head, taking in her black dress that was similar to yours. “Can we play?” she asked, somewhat reluctantly. Of course, five-year-olds didn’t know the right way to act in times like these, and it was clear that Morgan was still trying to understand what had happened.

“Sure,” you said, feeling a few tears beginning to form again. She smiled and stood up, walking over to her pink castle, and pulling out two figures. She placed yours in your hand, and it took you a moment before you realized she had put an Iron Man action figure in your hand.

“I’m going to be Thor. You can be Iron Man,” she said, lifting her figurine up into the air, making him fly around the room. You swallowed the tears that were starting to come and flew your action figure around the room with her, laughing along. It felt so good to be laughing like you were, that you nearly forgot what event had brought you out to Tony’s home in the first place. However, three more knocks at the door broke that disillusion for you as Happy came in to announce that everyone was ready.

Together, the two of you walked Morgan into the living room where everyone Tony loved had gathered and led her over to her mother. You took your place in the group behind her, not realizing who you were standing next to until a hand touched your shoulder. May smiled back at you as you matched the hand to its owner. Peter was standing next to her, and his eyes flashed to yours for a moment, but the tears in them clouded any real tell of how he was feeling about the two of you.

Since Tony’s snap, you and Peter hadn’t spoken very much. He had learned through someone in the facility that you were in a relationship now, and you hadn’t made plans to correct any of that. Tony’s death had shocked you down to your core. Thinking about all that still needed to be finished, you forced back some more tears and focused on the holographic image of Tony saying his final goodbyes.

“I love you three thousand.”

You followed the group down to the lakeside, where Steve grabbed your arm and asked to speak to you after the service, and watched as Pepper put Tony’s arc reactor into the water, the final reminder that he did have a heart.

The gathering after Tony’s service was intended to celebrate his life, and if he was looking down on you from somewhere, he would be incredibly proud. Everyone who had turned up to his funeral hung around to share stories and sorrows and it turned into a celebration Tony would have been extremely proud of.  

Steve had slipped out earlier in the gathering, and hoping to use him as your excuse to leave, you looked around the party for Pepper. You had to say goodbye and remind her to call you whenever she needed. You pushed open the door to the kitchen and found Peter talking with Morgan and Happy.

“Y/N!” Morgan squealed as you walked in, making you smile.  She grabbed onto your hand and pulled you over to the group, where your eyes immediately found Peter’s.

“Hi,” you said softly.

“Hi.”

“We were just asking Peter to show us some of his webs,” Happy said, breaking your tension.

“Oh yeah?” you asked, looking down at Morgan. She nodded and grabbed onto your arm, pulling you down to her level.

“Is this your Peter?” she whispered, loud enough for both men to hear. You laughed softly, glancing up at Peter with even softer eyes. He raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled.

“Yes.” She looked back at Peter, taking him in under new speculation. “Have you seen your mom lately? I want to tell her goodbye.”

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“I know, but I’ve got to get back to the city and-” Happy cleared his throat, and you looked up to see him mouthing to Peter. You laughed awkwardly and stood up.

“Oh, well, you know, I think Morgan and I can go find her for you,” Happy said, holding out his arms for Morgan to jump into.

“Yep,” she said, nodding. They both smiled at each other as they walked out, thick as thieves.

“I hope you didn’t show off too much, she’ll be begging you for her own web-shooters sooner than you think,” you said, still looking at the swinging door they had walked out of.

“Don’t worry, Y/N, not too much.” Just him saying your name made your heart start to beat faster. You finally looked at him, finding the same kind of trouble in his eyes.

“How are you?” He shrugged.

“How are you?”

“Still struggling to grasp all of this.”

“Yeah, but at least you’ve got David to go to.” You took in a deep breath, daring him to look you in the eye.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I don’t either. All I know is that one minute I had a girlfriend, and then the next moment I wake up to find out she’s dating someone else.”

“It was five years, Pete,” you pleaded, “I never thought I was going to see you again.” He folded his arms across his chest and let out a sigh. 

“I understand, it’s just hard.”

“I know.” He didn’t say anything for a moment, just chewed his lip in thought.

“I still love you. Obviously, I still love you. But I understand that it hasn’t been a few days for you, it’s been a few years.” You nodded, looking at him with wide eyes.

“I just need time, Peter.”

“Okay,” he said softly. You opened your mouth to say something else, but nothing came out. Pepper walked through the door with Morgan in tow, smiling as best she could.

“Hey, you were looking for me?” 

“Yeah,” you said, glancing over at Peter. He waved his hand with a sad smile. “I was just about to head out and wanted to say goodbye. Make sure you call me whenever. I’ll be here in a minute.”

“I will,” she said, touching your arm. Morgan hugged you tightly, and when you looked back to say goodbye to Peter, he was already gone.

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With Tony and Natasha gone, it meant that nearly every big decision that needed to be made at the Avengers Foundation now fell to you. It was a lot to handle, but it meant that you got to focus your mind elsewhere. It had been a week since Tony’s funeral, and you had yet to make a decision on what to do. David was being as understanding as a boyfriend who just found out the love of his girlfriend’s life just appeared out of nowhere, but he was waiting for your answer as well.

Steve tried to give you the best advice he could, but a day after the funeral, he went to return the stones and returned an old man. You felt alone, like you did when Tony first enlisted Peter and you for help at Stark Industries. Thinking about Tony always brought tears to your eyes, and the same went for Peter, too. Thinking about them both had you in a puddle of tears at your desk. 

Knocking came from your door and had you wiping your tears on the back of your hand.

“Come in,” you called. Pepper walked into your office and smiled. “Sorry,” you said, quickly wiping every trace of a tear away.

“Don’t apologize. I can’t believe you still come into the office. I can barely think about the foundation without crying.”

“How are you?”

“We’re doing alright,” she said, taking a seat across from your desk. “You said at the funeral that if I needed anything to reach out.”

“Yes, and I meant it. What’s up?”

“Morgan found one of Tony’s suits in the basement. It must have been a work in progress because it’s almost entirely in pieces.” She trailed off and sighed, looking up at you. “He was making it for Morgan. It’s her size, it just needs to be put together. She’s been having a rough go-”

“Say no more. I’ll do it.”

“You’ll make the suit?” Pepper asked with a weak smile.

“Yes.”

“You’re already so busy here, though.”

“I can manage.”

“Well, maybe if you had a hand with the suit. Tony used to spend a few days on a new suit, but he never got any sleep then. Maybe Peter can help?” You looked into her eyes, expecting her to laugh and prove to you that she was joking.

“You’re not kidding.”

“No. You guys have fixed Tony’s suits in the past.” You wanted to laugh at the irony. The Starks really loved to set you up. 

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, Y/N,” she said, reaching out and giving your hand a squeeze. “Did you make your decision yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Good luck. And thank you again.”

Two days later, you met with Peter in one of the labs at the Avengers Foundation, ready to fix up a tiny Iron Man-esque suit. When he walked in, he flinched slightly as if he was going to hug you, which made you smile. You started to work in silence, only talking when it was absolutely necessary.

Slowly but surely, you started to open up to him. Each time you met, you would talk about your days, and eventually drift into talking about your past. It was impossible not to be in love with him still. You didn’t think you ever stopped loving him, truly. At least, that’s what you told David when you broke up with him one week after starting to work with Peter again. 

It took another two weeks together, as Morgan’s Iron Man suit was finishing up, for Peter to confront you about your relationship.

“Y/N, what are we doing?” He asked as you tested out the calibrations on the trusters, making sure that she could fly, but not high enough that Pepper couldn’t reach her. You didn’t look up at him, although the tenderness in his voice pulled at your heartstrings. 

“We’re fixing this suit.”

“No, what are we doing?” You pursed your lips and looked up at him. “You’re not with David anymore. We spend nearly every day together. You know I still love you and I know you still love-”

“Peter.”

“Come on,” he said, walking towards you. He stood in front of you with bright, pleading eyes. “This is crazy.” You rocked softly in your chair, wanting nothing more than to give in to your heart and fall into his arms. Just as you were about to, your anxiety flared up and you pulled away. “Y/N/N.” You took in a deep breath and looked up at him.

“Truth is, I’m scared, Peter.” He grabbed your wrists and sat down across from you.

“Why?”

“I lost you for five years. I did what I was supposed to and it wasn’t enough. What if in the future, I lose you again, even if I fight?” Peter laughed softly as he rubbed your arms. “Yeah, haha, I’m aware I’m being stupid, but-”

“No, you’re not being stupid. I just love you so much.” You smiled at him as a few tears slipped down your face. He cupped your cheeks and leaned in to kiss you. It was steady and sweet, reminding you of the old times. “I’m never going to leave you again. I promise. I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay,” you said, laughing through your tears. 

“Okay?”

“Okay. Let’s do it. I want to be with you again. I want you.” He laughed and kissed you again, this time more passionately. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

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“Y/N! Y/N! Look! I’m flying! I’m really flying! Just like Daddy!” You laughed, leaning into Peter’s arms as you watched Morgan try out her Iron suit in her backyard for the first time. Pepper laughed as her little girl flew around the yard just like her father had done a million times before her.

“You’re a good aunt,” Peter said, kissing your forehead.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s very sexy.” You wrapped your arm around his waist, kissing him gently. “You know, if it’s even possible, I think you’re more beautiful at twenty-eight then you were at twenty-three.”

“You’re a dork,” you said, rolling your eyes.

“I know.”

“But I still love you, and I like you.”

“I love you and I like you, too.”

James & Ava

James: I'm so sorry James: I was supposed to be working Ava: Everyone's here, it'd be stupid to say I was surprised and yet Ava: it's fine though, right, because everyone is here James: If I did get caught up in regrets, this would be a good time James: because everyone may well be here but since you are, they may as well not be as far as every part of me is concerned Ava: You can't just say things like that Ava: and NOT expect me to blush Ava: at least it's hot out James: you know I don't expect anything James: least of all at this precise moment Ava: Sadly Ava: Aside from work, where have you been? Ava: No, the question is how, how have you been? James: other than the fact I can't help but notice you now or think about you since the 'then' of last seeing you in an entirely preferably context, I'm fine James: you look more tan, which means I don't need to ask how you are Ava: You are hard to miss Ava: but still undeniably gorgeous, which is really rather rude, actually Ava: I've not been kidnapped by anyone else Ava: lots of time to sunbathe and 'work', if that's what you're into James: if I blush it'll be a green screen effect of sorts, except very red, so don't try & make me, please James: you are incomparable as having the title of the only beautiful 🍅 James: which is, of course, what I'm into, along with what you just listed, as well as many things about you I easily could list Ava: As you asked SO nicely Ava: I too will be very, very good Ava: you are always unmatched with compliments and words too but beautiful 🍅 is up there as the top 😂 Ava: How easily are we talking? James: You must because this outfit has an unmistakable 😈 countenance to it & despite the fact that's less in the sense of roguishness I would like & more in the guise of a child's cartoon creation, it nevertheless still casts you as an 😇 James: thank you James: oh, the ease is almost indescribable itself, ironically Ava: I can't decide if it'd be cruel or a kindness to say you are not the only, nor indeed the most, cartoonishly dressed man here Ava: It's a shame not everything is that easy Ava: or you could regale me over a drink James: perhaps it exists to be both, or to allow you the chance of being cruel to be kind James: in the way that the best offer I can make is, that I order you a drink that we then consume at the same time James: safer but no kinder for being that Ava: Dichotomies are just where things get really interesting Ava: I can handle that James: in the world of rewrites there's one where we're here together & another where we're somewhere else entirely, where we would rather while away these warm hours James: those possibilities are interesting to me Ava: Those are more than interesting Ava: especially the way you tell them James: tell me where you wish you were Ava: Okay, though it feels dangerous to let my imagination wander, it won't want to come back Ava: not in such an uninspiring reality, and especially not if I let it go to you Ava: if we could be anywhere Ava: it probably sounds seriously unimaginative, given the open-ended possibility of the scenario, but my favourite place is my rooftop garden, off from my bedroom, it's so peaceful and hidden and mine Ava: I'd like to take you there James: It doesn't sound in the least un-anything & I can definitely work with that James: [casually but not at all casually just writes them an au life, all the while Chlo is probably like get off your phone] Ava: James Ava: that is Ava: very close to perfect James: I'll willingly accept constructive criticism until it's perfect for you Ava: I don't know how capable I am after that Ava: and it's only not perfect because it's not happening James: but we'll meet in the rooftop garden one day James: dream it if you have to Ava: I've done nothing but dream of you since Ava: but will I have to Ava: can't we carve out even five minutes of time for us to just James: I want to say yes Ava: I know James: Ava Ava: and I know that sentence ended with a but, it's okay James: I heard you say earlier that it's fine because everyone is here, maybe it could be Ava: My friends are easily distracted, definitely Ava: your wife, though? James: it's unlikely she'll miss me for five minutes Ava: yeah? James: where? Ava: Okay, I've got it Ava: we drove here, Jacob just got his license and wanted to go somewhere Ava: I'll go to get something I forgot, follow me when it's safe James: okay Ava: Sadly, he doesn't have the Twilight soundtrack Ava: but we can make do James: I don't have the voice to do such classics justice but that's not to say I won't try my best to give you something you'll enjoy listening to Ava: I've missed your voice James: I won't stop talking until you don't James: a lack of words simply isn't an option around you Ava: might prove problematic when I tell you what else I've missed Ava: but we've got five minutes Ava: we'll make the most of it James: yes, we will James: until the next five Ava: How do you do it? James: how do I do what? Ava: have so much self-control James: is that how it appears? Ava: I know, me asking you Ava: I can see the irony but, yes Ava: it is how it appears James: I've never had less control over myself or the things I would like to do James: all traces there were seem to have ebbed away when we kissed in that club Ava: I'll apologize Ava: if that's what you want James: it's not James: because I've never been more grateful to lose something either Ava: Good Ava: because I don't want to be sorry Ava: it was so Ava: and you are James: I don't want to be in control, you can have it James: or not James: whatever you like Ava: I just want you Ava: Exactly as you are, exactly as you want to be wanted James: okay, I was possibly hasty when I said that there would always be words Ava: aren't you aware of how entirely wantable you are? James: no Ava: I've got the keys Ava: come find out James: [obviously does as soon as he can] Ava: [lowkey pulling him into this car] James: [thank god there actually would be so many people there, Chloe's squad included cos we busy for a while here] Ava: [everyone's busy getting wasted you can have this, not for as long as you want but still] James: [yes because contrary to his wife's post he is not & will not be getting wasted] Ava: [you rude hoe] James: [if you only knew what he is doing bitch] Ava: [ha, just you wait sweetie, also glad you don't know rn, 'cos enjoy it lads] James: [always hooking up in cars, love that for you] Ava: [forever a sneaking mood] James: [JJ would approve] Ava: [#bonding] James: [it's gonna break their hearts when they have to go back] Ava: [I know, like how do you even just like well bye] James: [I literally always think that] Ava: [and someone always has to be the first to walk away] James: [in this instance it should be her because we all know she's the stronger one here] Ava: [yeah, you gotta girl] James: [bad bitch global like it's not killing you too] Ava: [this is all so fine, we just need to keep far, far away from wherever Chlo is and definitely give Teddy a wide berth too] James: [literally your mother's daughter rn as the world burns around you, nah it's fine] Ava: [tah for that skill mother] James: [god knows one of your children should inherit it] Ava: Can I have that drink you offered now James: yes Ava: thanks Ava: [just milling at the sidelines of the bar, so casually] James: [cannot and must not look at her which only makes it look more suspect tbh sir] Ava: [awkward, we know it's packed and this will take ages] James: [regrets that you say you don't have or do ever James but here we are, boy] James: [at least you can grab drinks for everyone you're with and pretend that's where you were some of the time] Ava: [we know no one is checking that hard, even Chlo, part-timer that she is, and that makes me sad tbh] James: [hard same] James: how many has Teddy bought for you since you've been here? Ava: just the two Ava: no Ava: three James: you better take mine as well then Ava: why? James: sibling rivalry or the fact you'll be trying to avoid him for a while, depending on from whose perspective Ava: Fair enough James: nothing feels very fair right now Ava: No Ava: also true James: would you like me to leave? Ava: No Ava: Do you want me to? James: of course not Ava: I'm not going to do anything to make this hard for you, James Ava: you know that, right? James: my life is already difficult, Ava, I should be saying that to you, making sure yours doesn't have to be Ava: You won't make my life difficult James: that isn't true Ava: How do you know? James: because Ava: Have your word not come back fully yet? James: because I've done this before Ava: not with me James: I'm involved, that's enough Ava: What do you want to say right now? James: I don't know Ava: Well, you can say it if you need to Ava: or you can not Ava: I'm fine James: how do you do it? Ava: how do I do what? James: be fine with this Ava: I like you Ava: I knew you were married Ava: what's the alternative for me James: I'm not going to point any out to you James: I don't want you to take them Ava: You know I don't want to either Ava: you haven't forgotten everything that just happened James: no, & that's why James: I like you but this is always going to be hard Ava: What's always? Ava: you haven't promised me anything but another five minutes James: Ava Ava: James Ava: You don't have to worry about me James: nevertheless, I do James: I will, because we don't get to decide how we care Ava: I know you're right Ava: and I know I care about you too and I feel the same James: I know I'd give you those five minutes now if I could James: so I want you to know it Ava: You've already answered the question you didn't pose Ava: I don't get to decide how I care any more than you do James: but you get to decide other things Ava: such as James: such as how far you're willing to take something James: or not James: if you think someone is deserving of how you care about them, or not Ava: that'd be a mutual decision, even if we got off at different points Ava: and yeah, though the jury is out on how much that helps you to stop if they aren't James: it has yet to be a mutual decision in any other aspect of my life Ava: Try it with me Ava: it's been mutual so far Ava: we want each other Ava: we have each other Ava: we both like and care about each other Ava: it's equal not the same James: okay, I'll try Ava: do you want to? James: yes Ava: Alright Ava: that's settled James: [finally does look at her like that's not risky as hell behaviour okay then] Ava: [smiling like that didn't kill you but it very clearly did like hi] James: [when you can't help smiling back cos she's such a cute babe and you have feelings] Ava: [just another filmic moment across this bar] James: [so casual so fine] Ava: [when you can't just run off again like you wanna] James: [nobody wants a drink this bad, the torture] Ava: [seriously] James: [we should say Teddy appears cos not gonna inflict Chloe on y'all ever and then he can grab him to talk before he sees her so Ava doesn't have to like the gentleman he is] Ava: [God bless you boy, soz Teddy it's not personal] James: [I would love to know why he thinks the vibe has changed between him and Ava recently/if he has even noticed lol] Ava: [at least he is a teen boy so he probably has no idea in general, like thinks she just doesn't fancy you back which is true but you know] James: [#confirmed when she throws her cousin at you at her party] Ava: [lil awks but we're fine] James: [they gonna fall in love it'll be cute] Ava: [it all works out in the end] James: [you're welcome for us not being as evil as we could be for once] Ava: [just on this one thing] James: [when you have to make awks smalltalk with your brother now who's probably wasted and you're not] Ava: [that'll be fun, just catching his eye well stealth like soz 😬] James: [the things you do for love] Ava: [gonna make one of your mates text Teddy to 'see where he is' so he'll leave James alone lol] James: thank you Ava: Bit rude he's got himself well more than three drinks 😏 James: however, potentially not the time for me to give him any kind of lecture, all things considered Ava: Perhaps not Ava: Sorry, I know it's weird James: it is, but you know I'm not feeling apologetic about it Ava: That would fall under a regret, so of course not James: I'm going to miss you though Ava: When? James: now Ava: Me too Ava: stand near me, in the next race? James: I may be good with words, but you're unbeatable in terms of ideas Ava: 😊 Ava: I try Ava: anyway, missing me is for when we can't be anywhere near each other, most of the time James: of course you do, hence Kings remains in continued mourning that they aren't your first choice James: arguably that could just be the standard atmosphere at The Vault these days, who can say? Ava: 😂 Ava: well I miss it too Ava: though probably not enough to bump it up the list James: I'll make sure to include missing things for the right reasons as one of the key messages in my book, don't worry Ava: Really, using you as a ploy when you won't even be there next year is well sneaky Ava: should've put that on my exit review James: at least they wouldn't ask me to do any further tours in the future if you had Ava: didn't you enjoy it James: the reason I did & the reason you miss The Vault's glorious atmosphere are one & the same Ava: if you put that on yours they'd definitely not ask you back James: I already have my wife's assurances that I won't be Ava: 😕 soz to next year's intake but I'm not that sorry really James: It's unlikely they'd be that unhappy, even if they knew what they were missing Ava: They would be if they really knew James: once the book comes out, I'll send them my condolences Ava: as long as you keep it out of my dedication, I'd be alright with that James: some flowers, wine or fruit, nothing too indelicate Ava: very thoughtful 😏 James: the budget can't stretch to bracelets for everyone, for which I am the least sorry I have ever been Ava: I'd like to be somewhat special Ava: and if anyone else tries it, it's definitely a scam, I'm sure of it James: I'll refuse to watch the Twilight saga with anyone else, darling Ava: Good Ava: Who else will explain all the nuances to you Ava: can't risk it James: I will not, some risks are beyond unnecessary Ava: never the novel, babe James: or the film adaptation, irrespective of any reservations the fans and critics alike may share Ava: 🤞 they don't think I'm nothing like your description of the girl James: if they do it's a slight upon my writing, heartbreaking perhaps but they are entitled to their opinion Ava: can't account for taste but lackthereof is always unfortunate James: it very much is, as this outfit I'm wearing attests James: the opposite is very much true for yours though Ava: I'm never looking to break your heart James: but? Ava: I might have tried a bit harder if I knew I was going to see you James: you look divine, radiant as ever Ava: You're so lovely James: as are you Ava: you Ava: when are you next free Ava: or how busy are you, probably a better question James: I'll get back to you, given that I'm here now when I was not supposed to be, clearly my schedule is more up in the air than I previously realised Ava: you think with it being such a calendar staple, you'd have had more notice on that James: that would involve talking to me, or wanting me have notice Ava: of course 🙄 Ava: if you were my husband Ava: or lived with me Ava: well, you understand Ava: I want to talk to you so bad James: if you were my wife you wouldn't have to drag me anywhere against my will James: because I want to spend time with you Ava: I won't make you commit bigamy to spend time with me, rest assured James: eloping would take longer than 5 minutes Ava: I know Ava: my family has a history James: yes, your brother's particular history still gets spoken about Ava: Unfortunately James: sorry Ava: His sorry to give, not yours Ava: and I'm not out here holding my breath over it James: of course, but I didn't intend to bring him up James: this situation is tense enough Ava: Yours is literally here Ava: like we said, weird, but not sorry James: okay Ava: Thank God, when you move away, one of the perks is you don't have to come to this kind of nonsense James: you're not having fun? James: I'm stunned Ava: animal abuse for gambling is what I live for James: I'm well aware of why I'm here, why are you? Ava: My friends are James: what are they? James: actual fans of animal abuse for gambling? Ava: I think they just like getting drunk Ava: and putting on nice outfits James: you can do that anywhere Ava: you don't get to wear a big hat Ava: I don't know James: perhaps they should all get married to each other, that's a basic requirement Ava: Give them a few years Ava: sure they will James: I'll be sure to check back in Ava: What's wrong? James: nothing James: I just don't like to think about you somewhere you wish you weren't James: with people who aren't the right people Ava: It's alright, we go places I like too Ava: and they aren't all bad James: happy to hear it Ava: even if they're all slightly too drunk right now Ava: so's most the crowd so Ava: fit right in James: I can get you a car, one that you won't have to wait for your friend to drive, whenever you like James: we aren't both stuck Ava: that's kind Ava: but then I would be at home Ava: no one's about so James: how tempting Ava: If only Ava: you are stuck though James: Technically, I can't leave until she tells me I can but what if I didn't? So far as she's concerned, I could still be James: fitting into that crowd of mostly too drunk people Ava: Is she that oblivious? James: she's had that much champagne Ava: Tempting is right James: if she realises, she'll call me & I'll come back Ava: Okay Ava: it isn't that far Ava: and it is hard being around you and not James: so take me to your rooftop garden James: I wanna go Ava: I don't take just anyone there, you know Ava: you're very lucky James: well I'm just happy to be on the list, however long it is James: & intend to show my appreciation accordingly Ava: it'd be ungrateful if you just stayed five minutes Ava: at least ten, okay? James: oh, I don't want that to be your lasting impression of me James: how long into Twilight does your favourite scene occur? Ava: I wouldn't wanna ruin your rep as a perfect gentleman, either Ava: although the best scene is at the end, I'll be pondering one that comes a little sooner Ava: not trying to take liberties here James: you don't want an ending yet, I understand James: me either Ava: exactly Ava: maybe we can get to the scene where Bella gets forced to go shopping with her friends and Edward comes to rescue her Ava: fitting James: another good idea Ava: we'll have to have a picnic instead of going out after though James: that sounds nice Ava: God knows what we have in Ava: could be interesting Ava: I'll feed it to you whilst you recline nonetheless James: thank you James: in that case, I'll barely taste it Ava: you will be very busy writing me poetry, yeah James: writing you as poetry, so nobody can make unfavourable comparisons when you make your acting debut, yes Ava: my drama teacher will be thrilled Ava: not that she'll be there, obviously James: I'd rather she wasn't Ava: 😂 Ava: Promise James: thank you James: she wasn't a member of my fan club Ava: What did you do? Ava: or not do James: I'm not sure I should tell you, it's not as if you need any help coming up with ideas Ava: Well now you have to tell me James: let's just say my time was not well spent, either back stage or on it, in her opinion James: at the time however, I had a great time James: as did my co-stars & most of the crew James: I'm surprised you haven't heard about it Ava: 😏 Ava: It's nothing personal, I'm sure your exploits are legendary Ava: I just don't go in for all that stuff Ava: who's who, who's dad is who, you know James: They were more fabled, as in, in need of a strong moral James: hence the cautionary tale I expected you to be well versed in James: but perhaps she's learned those are rarely effective Ava: After-school specials certainly aren't the height of theatre Ava: even if she's become more willing to branch into 21st century plays and productions Ava: I could ask around, if you like Ava: or you can tell me more in less vague terms when we're alone James: what would you like? James: to know who I was, to know who I am or both? Ava: If we only have time for the one today, I'll go with the latter Ava: but both would be nice Ava: if and when James: okay, I'll see what I can do Ava: I remember you, a bit James: oh Ava: You were friends Ava: for quite a while James: I suppose so James: hypothetically Ava: What do you mean? James: I mean, we weren't, really James: but as far as he was friends with any of us, or any of us were friends with each other, I fall into the category Ava: I suppose so James: should I ask what you remember about me? Ava: Nothing incriminating Ava: you were all the same, in that I was the kid sister who he definitely did not want around so James: I think I remember you ignoring that at least once Ava: Well, can't do what he says, obviously James: you're smarter than that Ava: even as a kid Ava: much to his annoyance 💔 James: he was easy to annoy, that I do recall Ava: Still is James: thank goodness he won't be there either then Ava: on many levels, yes, thank God James: the car has arrived though James: [deets so she doesn't get in the wrong one] Ava: 🙏 all the thanks Ava: coming James: I'm beyond happy to hear it Ava: [show up girl] James: [the 😍 are real af] Ava: [too real] James: [lowkey dragging her into this car but at least she isn't at the school gates in her uniform this time] Ava: [you know what would be evil-er than not letting them get there alone?] James: [tell me gal] Ava: [if one of her friends sees them leaving 'cos nosy hoes but they're too far away/she doesn't know who Ava is somehow so it's just like he was leaving with some bitch thought you should know, 'cos Chlo will be fuming to be so publically shamed] James: [yasss we have to] Ava: [I thought it'd be a good idea 'cos everyone knows her life a mess and her friends' clearly love it so they'd be 👀 him anyway] James: [like I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he fucked some of her friends when they were younger and he was a mess cos I feel like he didn't go to rehab and sort his shit until well after Jay was born] Ava: [we all know this group been messy, even if they're not as bad as her by now, like] James: [oh god she gonna be so raging I love it] James: [enjoy your car makeout while you can you two] James: [maybe she's a newer friend and that's why she doesn't know who Ava is] Ava: [that'd make sense, like either way, we don't need to drop that bombshell right now, but we can do the Chlo telling him to come back convo 'cos she's drunk so it'd be delightful] James: [yeah it'd make sense as well that if she's a newer friend she wouldn't know it's better not to get involved with their cheating and that whole mess, and yeah we simply must do that convo] Ava: [exactly, hence Chlo is probs crying on her rn for the scene of it all] James: [of course, nevermind the fact that you're probably fucking god knows who yourself] Ava: [honestly, what a fun time] James: [okay so he turns the car around and goes back leaving it up to her if she wants to get out and go back to her friends or go home still #awkward] Ava: [imma say she goes home 'cos Chlo probably spilled what's up before he can get back and clearly this friend is too involved and we don't need y'all being outed and them tryna fight you rn] James: [good call, what a downer though, poor Ava at least you can call Grace if you need to talk cos she knows] Ava: [no one needs that level of public shaming lmao] James: [except Chlo but not like this thank you] Ava: [hence even as wasted as she is, they'll be leaving too to have this argument a little more privately, joy of joys] James: [thank god the kids are already with her mum or wherever] Ava: [gonna be sleeping over tonight gals] James: [do you wanna pick this convo up later or like say they don't talk for a bit cos it's awkward lol] Ava: [up to you chicken, 'cos he'd probably have to start in considering how obviously shook/angered etc he would've been in the car so] James: [let;s say he leaves it til way later to the point she probably thinks he isn't gonna but I shall] James: she still doesn't know anything, you don't need to be concerned Ava: She must know something Ava: unless you made her believe her friend was lying, for some reason James: I should have said she doesn't know anything about you, who you are James: that's what I meant Ava: Okay Ava: that's for the best, no doubt Ava: are you okay? James: not really but I don't have anyone else to blame Ava: I'm sorry Ava: I assume there's nothing I can do? James: unfortunately not Ava: Yeah Ava: I shouldn't have said we could James: it isn't your fault James: I should've known better, I typically do, it's just that you aren't typical, at all James: I feel differently & I wanted things to be different so badly that I forgot they can't be Ava: How do you typically do it then? Ava: We could do that James: more carefully James: with less emotion Ava: I can do careful Ava: contrary to what today would suggest Ava: and before, probably James: like I said, it isn't your fault James: you're 17, why should you be careful, why would you want to? Ava: because I knew you were married Ava: and I want to see you James: I'll let you sleep, it's very late James: I just wanted to let you know that your identity is unknown Ava: If you need to say we can't then just say it Ava: because I don't care about either of those things James: whether I need to say it or not, I'm not sure I can & extremely sure I don't want to Ava: You can say anything to me Ava: just don't lie James: if I could see you now, right this second, I would, I haven't learned anything from this James: don't you see how dangerous that is? Ava: I see how dangerous it is Ava: if you want to stay with her Ava: why do you? James: there are two reasons & I have to go collect them both in a few hours Ava: Then I'll let you sleep James: nothing's that simple, Ava James: if only Ava: you don't want me to say anything in response to that Ava: or you wouldn't have brought them up James: you asked me why right after you asked me not to lie to you Ava: Yeah, I'm hardly meant to argue a point against it Ava: if that's how it is then that's how it is James: I don't have a choice, I've never had a choice, that's how it is Ava: Why? James: because I made mistakes that took them all away James: I'm a father now Ava: No, it's not that simple Ava: people separate, with kids as well James: it is that simple, if I want to keep seeing them, I have to be here Ava: You're their dad, that isn't as simple as that Ava: infidelity isn't a valid reason to not allow access James: if I were dealing with a rational person, perhaps Ava: You don't want to go through the courts Ava: so you're just going to stay with her and be unhappy forever James: I've got my reasons Ava: you said James: you don't understand & with respect I don't want you to have to James: my life is messy & complicated, we can't make it simple by wishing that it were Ava: Likewise, you don't have to tell me anything Ava: that's fine James: there's things that she & I have both done that mean I have to stay Ava: Why would she want you to Ava: if you cheat on her and clearly don't love her, and want to leave Ava: that doesn't make any sense James: appearances, finances, an inability to face the ordeal of starting her life over James: I don't know James: maybe she would like me to remain locked in misery with her forever Ava: Jesus James: I've not loved her for a single day, perhaps it's spite for never having done so James: or not about me at all Ava: does she love you? James: no Ava: that's horrible, James James: yes, it is Ava: how sustainable is it Ava: how long can you both live like this James: I try not to think about it, in case the answer for her is indefinitely James: but I'm sorry I dragged you into it, Ava Ava: You haven't Ava: don't apologize James: I didn't mean for this to happen Ava: I know you didn't Ava: but James: but I know, you're not sorry James: not yet anyway Ava: No, I am Ava: but I'm glad too James: I'd rather you were the latter but I can hardly expect it Ava: I am Ava: I can make you happy, even for five minutes Ava: I'll take it James: you do Ava: Good Ava: let me James: I'm trying to Ava: Just don't push me away Ava: if we have to be careful and not see each other for time because of the things in your life you can't control, that's fine Ava: just don't be the one to do it when you don't need to, okay James: it's really difficult not to when so often it feels like doing so would be better for you than anything I can actually offer & every instinct tells me that if I don't hurt you, she will Ava: Don't bother trying to tell me what would be better for me Ava: I want what you can offer, I don't care James: Ava Ava: You can think I'm stupid and 17 if you want but it won't change how I feel James: you're not stupid, that isn't what I think Ava: I care about you, James Ava: more than I care about the possibility of being hurt James: I care about you, more than I was ready for, but I'm trying James: I meant it, I do want to try & I don't want to hurt you Ava: I meant it when I said sorry Ava: I'm not trying to be more stress in your life Ava: just good Ava: but I know it's a lot, not that I planned it any more than you did James: I can handle stress, it's having something good which I'm not used to anymore Ava: Baby Ava: how can I make you feel better, like right in this moment James: if we can't see each other then I'd like to at least be able to hear your voice Ava: Okay, hold on Ava: let me get set up outside James: get a blanket, it was really warm earlier, you'll need it Ava: I've got a big sofa out here, I'll be cosy James: I don't mind if you fall asleep Ava: I don't want to, I want to talk to you 'til YOU fall asleep James: we can fall asleep together, the way we would if any of this was normal Ava: I want that Ava: too good of an idea, meant to be my thing James: it's about time I had one, don't you think? Ava: I'll allow it Ava: as I like it that much James: thank you Ava: Oh, James James: yes? Ava: just wanted to say it Ava: I'm ready now James: okay Ava: how quiet do I need to be? James: you don't Ava: noted Ava: [the call] James: [oh sweet babies, never gonna let Chlo ruin it, not soz] Ava: [deal with it, your reign of terror coming to an end hun] James: [the idea of them falling asleep together on the phone has made me die because it's so soft, goodbye cruel world] Ava: [not to make it weird or anything guys but Buster and Rio used to do that all the time so love that for you too] James: [literally had that thought] Ava: [when you're lowkey forced ldr by circumstances] James: [mhmm how annoying that'd be, like you're living so close to each other but you can't just see each other whenever you want] Ava: [literally the most frustrating] James: [at least if you're miles away or whatever you know you can't] Ava: [tea, 'cos like you could in many ways but you also can't] James: [^^^ that] Ava: [oh the willpower you'll need] James: [hence they don't last long before outting themselves because it's too hard] Ava: [^^yup and fuck you Chlo James: [you've stolen enough of his life] Ava: [time to do that convo moment though]