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#and he just. pulls a kitten out of the bookbag on his shoulder and he's like 'her name is beyonce and you're welcome.'
wiitzend · 3 years
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i feel like klaus would begin to act out as he grew older and he’d end up getting allison involved in whatever insane idea he came up with that day, knowing that she’d never object because, while she does have the most braincells in the family, allison is also a rebellious teenager who is brimming with chaotic energy and wants nothing more than to purposely stress out their dad. 
reginald, after finding out that allison and klaus stole candy from a convenience store before sneaking into an R-rated movie: why would you do this??
allison, without hesitation: i live to make you suffer
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toontails · 3 years
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Toon Quest|| Reader Insert
Chapter 2: Roadkill
The muffling sound of speaking woke Y/n up from her slumber, as any other morning, the birds their sweet melody. The sun was given the chance to shine through the clouds, it rays lighting up each crevice of Y/n's room. She must have forgotten to close the blinds last night, she still felt the fatigue drag her down into slumber. Her eyelids giving off a burning sensation and...something else. She was sore, causing slight discomfort. Her hands were stinging painfully as well as her torso. Sitting up quickly, Y/n lifted her palms. Looking down she saw two blisters like burns on both of her palms. The palm of the skin was torn, her hands felt almost numb and stiff, looking at the red tissue, Y/n realized it was a people burn. From the lasso that she was holding so tight onto. Last night she didn't feel a thing, most likely because she was worried about a hundred other things and the fact her adrenaline was pumping from fear and being overwhelmed. Lifting her shirt slightly, she peered down at her torso, not much noticeable other than a colored bruise that was forming. 
"I need to be more careful.." She whispered to herself. 
"Y/n!!" Her mother calls her from down stairs. Y/n looked over towards her nightstand. Reaching over to her phone. She picked it up and plucked it from it's charger and looked at the time. 
11:13 AM
She quickly slipped from out of the bed. Thankfully her legs aren't sore to the point she felt like she was walking on stilts. Scurrying over to the bookbag where she passed the book safely. Opening the bag, she saw the book indeed was still safely tucked away. Closing the bag up again, Y/n got up and walked from the room. 
-
Hearing soft laughter from downstairs, Y/n stood at the last step, the staircase led to the corridor to the living room. Where she saw her mother, Bendy and Henry Stein. Henry was standing next to M/n. His hands in his slacks pockets. Dark circles under his eyes, no doubt from the busy work. Bendy stood at the end of the coffee table holding a tissue paper, where he stuffed the tissue paper into the fist of his palm on his other hand. Once the tissue was no longer in sight he opened his palm to reveal nothing, the tissue nowhere to be found. M/n laughed slightly, clapping at the many harmless magic freaks Bendy showed her. 
"I didn't know you could do that." M/n told Bendy. Bendy's smile widened. "Oh, I dabble." 
Y/n noticed that Bendy actually wore clothes this time—not that he really needed to anyway. He still had his white bow tie. What was added was black dress pants and white suspenders. Looking more dapper than he originally looked. 
"Oh! Y/n. Glad you're up, did you pack your bags? You're leaving soon." Y/n's optics flickered away from Bendy and over to her mother. Y/n gave a welcoming smile to Henry, who smiled back as well. 
"I'll pack right now. I should be done in a few minutes." Y/n answered. Her mother nods, leaving her daughter to take care of her business. Y/n started to walk up the stairs, but abruptly stopped before glancing back over at Bendy, who caught hindsight of her. She motioned him to follow her and then, she walked back upstairs. 
-
Scuffling through her dresser, Bendy slowly closed the door behind him as he glanced around momentarily. 
"Where's Panchito and Oswald?" Y/n asked. Bendy turned his gaze over to Y/n, giving her a questioning gaze. Yes. He knew who Panchito was, but was oblivious to the fact the toon rabbit they were with last night was named Oswald. 
"Oswald?" He asked slowly. Y/n looked at him and gave hina questioning expression as well. "Yes. Rabbit, remember?" She raised an eyebrow, and Bendy soon made an expression of realization. 
"Oh him. They're both at the studio. I hid them in the lower section of the building." He said. Y/n nods before taking out the set of clothes and carrying them over to the bed. Placing the clothing on the bed as she then glanced at her palms. 
"I got a rope burn when we were crossing leaping over the street." She showed her palms to Bendy who walked over and gazed down at her hands. 
"There's bandages in the car, we'll bandage you up in there." 
Once hearing that there was a first aid kit in the car, Y/n was relieved to hear that she wouldn't have to sit hours in the car with sore and burning hands. But. After a while of picking out clothes. Grabbing her toothbrush. Wallet, phone and phone charger all in one book bag along with the book. The two set off to finally start their adventure. 
"Where's Henry going? Isn't he driving us back to the studio?" Y/n asked Bendy, she grabbed the book bag and placed it on her shoulders. Bendy looked away from the window and shook his head. 
"Of course not. Him and M/n have a business errand to run with the board, what is it? I don't know, I've heard it's a big thing that a new company is innovating but, he's riding with M/n." He said. Y/n nods, it wasn't rare that Henry and her mother had meetings they constantly had to be to. Changing the topic as she held the straps of her book bag. She grinned at Bendy. 
"You were being put through the ringer last night." She laughed. Thinking back in the punch Bendy received from one of the beagle boys. Bendy froze for a second. His always lasting grin faltering a dipping down for a second. 
"Oh please. You all should be thanking me. I worked under pressure and took the first blow." 
"At this point you're just a walking punching bag. Come on—"
"A walking punching bag? Why I—forget it. Let's go." 
-
"Okay, and remember, indoors at 8PM. Not too late, remember to eat dinner, and don't forget! Take pictures!" M/n pressed a kiss to Y/n's forehead before pulling her into a hug, Y/n returned the gesture before pulling away. Bendy stood in the doorway of the front door, arms behind his back. Walking over to him, M/n waved at her daughter. 
"Bendy, please. Keep her safe and out of trouble." M/n said. Bendy smiled and nodded. "Oh please. I won't let her out of my sights, she'll be as safe as a kitten Mrs. L/n." 
Bendy hooked his arm around Y/n's arm and escorted her out the house, her mother waving the two goodbye with a soft expression. Henry was standing next to her as well, lifting a hand to wave the two goodbye as well. 
"Alright toots, let's roll."
-
Arriving at the studio, Annie—yet again was standing at the receptionist desk, Y/n trailed behind Bendy who walked past Annie, she was too busy talking to some other employee from another department to notice the two. Once making it to a hallway, right in front of an elevator, Bendy pressed the arrow that would take them down into the studio. Which made Y/n wonder. 
"There's a lower section of the studio?" She asked. Bendy looked away from the studio and back to Y/n, which. He soon nods. 
"Yes, that's usually where the head composer of the music stores most of the instruments when not in use in the recording booth. And also other stuff is stored down there, I usually go down there to break something just because." Bendy didn't seem to be bothered at the fact he admitted purposely breaking something—well. Not much of a surprise as he was the definition of a mischievous trouble maker. A small airy laugh came from Y/n before she looked over to the elevator doors that opened with a automatic; 'ding'
The two stepped into the elevator, once in the elevator Bendy yet again pressed a button to the lowest floor of the studio. 
"How did you sneak them in here last night?" Y/n asked. 
"The emergency exit."
"...." Y/n looked at Bendy with furrowed eyebrows. Bendy noticed and his pie cut eyes looked over to her. "What?"
"Me and Panchito came in through the emergency exit and we almost got caught." She said, the memory basically playing vividly in front of her. Bendy lets out a snarky laugh. 
"Tough luck, toots. I can fool basically anyone there is—"
-
"Hey! Watch my horns you vile woman!" Bendy shouts. Alice Angel—another one of the company's loving and famous characters, had her hand on Bendy's hand. And her knee on his back, basically pinning him to a wooden table that was in the hallway—more of a desk that was in front of the elevator where Bendy and Y/n once stood in. But upon reaching the last floor, they were met with two figures in front of the elevator. Alice Angel and Boris. Alice being the one who was mostly on the side of suspiciousness and hostility, which ended with her pinning Bendy to the table. And Boris holding onto Y/n by her book bag. Y/n didn't take much of a chance to try and free herself as she didn't want to appear too much of a bad person as the two thought she was. 
The basement area was much different from how the upper part of the building was. The floors weren't linoleum, instead it was a dusty wooden floor, with various rooms—which seemed to not be in use—but. Her focus wasn't much on the aspect of her surroundings, but more trying to get on the good side of Alice and Boris. 
Alice leaned down next to Bendy's head. 
"Where's your other two friends, huh? You think that stunt you pulled last night got past me and Boris? Sure the others, but I'm positive there were more of you than just the gal' over there." Alice motioned towards Y/n, who was slightly lifted from the ground by her bookbag by Boris. Who mostly had his focus on Bendy. 
Bendy soon made a noise and then gave Alice a betrayed expression. 
"Are you really interrogating me?" He asked, moving his lower body to not cause a strain to his chest that was pressed harshly into the desk. 
"Yes, I am. Maybe I wouldn't be if you weren't so sneaky—I mean. How did you even slip past Henry like that?" Alice scoffed, Bendy made a blank expression for a moment, deep in thought, Alice then turned her gaze to Y/n. 
"You. You're Y/n, right?" She asked. Y/n was debating to really answer her question—was she in trouble? No she couldn't be—she was positive that Boris and Alice were Bendy's friends—-they literally work in the same company and industry. 
"Yes..I am." She replied. Alice then looked back at Bendy. Who had yet to reply. 
"What are you two up to? I wouldn't be so on edge if you came straight forward and told me." She said. Bendy snorted and smiled. "Oh please, toots. You think if we were doing something illegal, I would tell you?"
"Well are you?"
Bendy opened his mouth to speak, but—he seemed to stop himself before closing his mouth slowly. Alice then quickly pushed herself away from Bendy. Placing her fingertips to her mouth in bewilderment, a light and dainty gasp emits from her. 
"Bendy! Stop pulling my leg—are you serious?" She said. Bendy gets up from the table, fixing his bow tie before looking at Alice. Boris finally spoke up, placing Y/n on the ground. 
"And what exactly did you do?" Boris asked. 
"Oh please. I didn't do anything illegal—"
"Hola!" Bendy quickly turned around and was met with Panchito and Oswald. Who managed to track down where the sudden commotion was coming from. Alice gasped at the two new toons. Boris' ears perked up slightly at the two. Oswald looked between Alice and Bendy, knowing the two made a mistake with their sudden appearance. Oswald proceeded to try and grab Panchito's arm to drag him away from the eyes of the two new toons. But. Panchito took sight of Y/n and shot towards her, Y/n wasn't able to respond quick enough when she felt his arms encircled her body, her footsteps becoming unbalanced as Panchito yipped in glee. 
"Ah! Mi cariño,¡Te veo tan mal!" He let her go and quickly took both of her hands. Y/n had a smile on her face at the boisterous and affectionate rooster. A nice feeling came from someone that cared about her with so much passion with little time. It seemed he cared a lot for his friends and the people he surrounded himself with. 
"Wh—wait—who? Bendy!" Alice quickly moves her attention back over to Bendy. Who only gave her a patient expression. Alice motioned around them, as if wanting him to explain all of what was happening. 
"Explain!" 
"Okay! Come on! God!"
-
The 6 stared down at the black leather book that was sitting on a dusted wooden table in the lower area of the studio—where they still resided in. Bendy explained in the exact same sense that the three managed to figure out last night. The reason for the book and the two other toons along with Y/n. Boris had a hand in his hip as he stared down at the book. Alice had her eyebrows furrowed. With Bendy finally telling her all of what was happening, she was no longer hostile or angry like she once was several minutes ago. Oswald had yet to speak. Instead opting to keep his mouth zipped as Bendy was the one to reiterate and retell everything. 
"So...if me and Boris tried to open the book—we wouldn't be able to?" She asked. Within listening to Bendy and hearing the fact the book chose people—specific people—specifically, Y/n, Oswald, Panchito and Bendy.
Alice could only grow curious if she would be a chosen toon—not to mention, a bit jealous that Bendy—out of all toons out there—was one of the chosen. 
"Go ahead. Open it." Bendy had his arms behind his back with a growing grin, Alice cautiously watched him before she placed her fingers on top of the book before picking it up. Y/n could watch at first as she tried to slightly open the book—but surprisingly the book was shut tight. As if it were locked to the teeth. This was her first time seeing the book do something by refusing to open to someone other than her and the three other toons. 
Boris' ears perked up yet again, looking over at Alice as she tried tugging at the book harshly. 
"Gosh—this thing is….locked...tight." She strained her last word as she tried to pull and tug at the book. But to avail or amount of power, did it open. 
"Whoa…"  Y/n whispered to herself...that..was something new and..that confirmed to the fact that she was one of the 12 chosen people for the book. 
"Let me try!" Boris snatched the book from Alice, who yelps in surprisement. Boris tried to open the book as well, but as for Alice, he received the same. It wouldn't open, not a budge. But he didn't seem to stop. Instead he pulled harder and harder.  Alice tried to grab at the book, but Boris moved away from her. 
"Hey! Give it back!" She said. But Boris didn't reply and continued trying to get into the book. Alice seemed to have enough of Boris hogging the book. She turned over and took a wooden plank—that seemed to have been pulled from the floor. Turning back over to Boris. She rose the plank above her head and quickly slammed it down on Boris's head with a loud; WHOMP!
Boris was stiff as a board. Dropping the book onto the floor. His two black pie cut eyes turning into two X's as if the plank killed him! Stars and birds tweeting appeared above his head and he dropped to the ground with 'Thud!' 
Still dazed at the fact he was hit in the head.  Y/n covered her mouth with a gasp—yet a sniffle of laughter—seeing how animated they were in front of her and not on screen was way different. 
"Wasn't able to hit one of the boys with an object in so long—I still got it." Alice quipped, a smile appearing on her face before she reached up and fixed her halo. Bendy walked over and picked up the book that was by Boris' foot. He walked over to Oswald and handed it to him, which Oswald took gracefully. 
"It's not a toy." Bendy told the two...even though Boris seemed unresponsive. Alice huffed. 
"But, why is it picking select people, surely the book has to be a warning for something," Alice said. 
"We're learning as we go. We don't know what it is that's making this book go on a scavenger hunt." Oswald replied. Bendy nods in agreement with Oswald's answer. Alice tapped her elbow with her finger for a moment. Panchito and Y/n stood next to each other silently watching them all speak—well. Now besides Boris. 
"You said some person with a trench coat was after the book, right?" She asked. Oswald seemed to grimace at the mention of the anonymous person. "Yes. Him, he wants the book. Reason why he held me hostage, so I can be his personal key for the book." Oswald said. Alice looked as Oswald, and her optics flickered towards the book momentarily. 
"How did he know you were one of few people to access the book?" She asked. Oswald—surprisingly had an answer for that. Lifting a hand he tapped his chin in deep thought. 
"Well, now that you've mentioned it. I remember overhearing about a witch that he went to to track me down. Or—as he said. Feel my energy in the area, which I could assume that's how he found me." Oswald said. 
"A witch? We have those down here…?" Bendy mumbled under his breath in deep thought. Alice ignored the devil and thought for a moment. 
"Magica." Y/n piped up. Oswald, Alice, Bendy and Panchito looked over to her when she spoke up. 
"The duck, she must be the witch that man spoke to. It wouldn't be too far from wrong—but I wouldn't exactly say I'm right either." Oswald shook his head as Y/n spoke. 
"No, no. Now that you've said something about her, I believe she must be the witch he was talking to. Why else would she and the beagle boys be at the bar last night to get me and stop you and the others." Oswald said. Alice hummed slightly to get everyone's attention. 
"Me and Boris can be in sight while you all are out of town." Alice suggested. Boris had groaned after finally lifting himself from the ground. Rubbing his head from the impact of the wooden board. 
"What for?" Bendy asked. 
"Well, if you all will be out of town. Who knows what would be going on down here. Seeing you all don't have a clue what your objective is it would be best to have others who can keep eyes out for what's going on—and in case you all haven't noticed, tons of news went down in the past week." She looked at the four and then crossed her arms. Bendy didn't really seem too pleased with getting help from Alice but he had to admit..she was right. He rarely cared for anything media wise—political wise—or...damn near anything in that field. 
"No th-"
"She's right, Bendy. Honestly I haven't taken a glance at a TV to see what's going on with the tension between toons and humans in some time, it would be best to have someone have tabs of all what's going on that might be a reason for or a build up for causing this book to wake up." Oswald agreed with Alice. Y/n soon raised her hand slightly. 
"I agree too. I didn't know anything about the book of Vida until I was here yesterday watching the news segment with you. We can't just go into everything blindly. We need to have at least some info." She said. Panchito looked between Oswald and Y/n. 
“No miro las noticias.” He adds.
"Fine. You can collect Intel." Bendy gave in. Alice smiled and nudged Boris. Who still was a bit dazed—but was still listening to the conversation. Alice soon placed her hands behind her back. Boris had squinted his eyes and looked at everyone with a dumbfounded expression. 
"What? What are we talking about?" He asks slowly. But Alice ignored him and continued to talk, clapping her hands together she then shouts. 
"Alright! In case you four are unaware—there is a rising tension between toons and humans." Alice announced. Bendy raised an eyebrow (?) And soon made a gesture with his hand for Alice to continue. 
"Okay? What about it?" He asks.
"That can be a clue. Obviously something is stirring up, causing conflict between both groups," She said. Boris—who had been silent and trying to catch  on to all of what they were talking about, finally understood what the topic was about. Lifting a glove hand slightly, he spoke. 
"Oh yes, that. Toons for some reason are experiencing a lot of episodes, causing them to not only do harm to others, but for themselves." He states. Oswald ears slowly rose and he thumped his foot on the wooden floor, as if he had a thought. Y/n noticed, but she didn't say anything.  Though she couldn't see too many connections, she could sense Oswald knew something. 
"Yes, I've heard about that…" Oswald starts. Bendy didn't seem to understand anything as he only looked at the small group. 
"Recently it seems toons—for the most part, popular toons—ya' know. Actors and actresses haven't been too pleasantly taking things too...uh. Well." Oswald said. Alice nods, before she starts to take over yet again. 
"Recently we know about one case with a toon lashing out on one of her agents out of anger for—as the headline claimed; Not caring for her—whatever that means." Alice placed an index finger on her cheek. Her dark eyes sliding down to the floor in thought. 
"And, for the most part, most confessions and news headlines are pretty much similar. Toon gets angry at a lady for not treating her equally, toons not being able to have a say in their own shows, the list goes on—and we even have some toons committing some crimes such as…" Alice turns her gaze over to Panchito, who was still standing next to Y/n. 
"Robbery." She finishes before continuing. Her eyes looking at the group.
"What I'm saying is, there seems to be a rise of toons wanting more equality causing them to act out maybe from anger and or retaliation. And some for the most part, taking the destructive side of things, which are causing humans to be a bit—overwhelmed?—ah, I wouldn't say that, bu—" Alice was cut off by Bendy who waved his hand and clicked his tongue—as if the topic wasn't something that he cared for. 
"A few angry toons? You think that's the problem?" He asks Alice. Alice pursed her lips for a moment, shaking her head at Bendy's careless reaction to something that could turn into something potentially serious in the future. 
"Bendy, this is serious. It may not seem to be the answer to the reason why that book is on the lookout or search—but it's something to keep an eye out for—for all we know. This might escalate into a scenario where this could be the reason why the book is searching for people to stop this." Alice explains, and Y/n agreed with her. Though there was a good chance the tension between toons and humans isn't the answer to the book, that could be something to keep an eye out for in the future as it could turn into something much more serious and maybe even dangerous. 
Out of all things. No one needs humans and toons fighting each other. 
"She's right Bendy, if humans start seeing toons as a threat, we don't know how this could end or what would happen to toons further down the line. It may seem small now, but it can be serious in the future." Y/n interjects, Bendy turned his gaze to Y/n. 
"What do we look like, the Justice League?" He mocks, repeating what Y/n said from last night, and it seems the tables have turned. Y/n rolled her eyes at his childish reaction. Though...she didn't know what to expect coming from Bendy. 
"That's what you told me last night, right? What do you all expect us to do? Restore justice and equality back between humans and toons if all goes bad? And wave a finger at them and say;" he then stepped to the side and looked at the side of him, and shook his index finger, as if scolding a child. 
"Now be nice."
He then regained his posture and placed his hands behind his back. 
"No. That doesn't work like that.  If all, go to—I don't know—the white house and demand them to do their job to stop all what's happening."
Boris was about to lift a finger to wave. But seeing he didn't want to get involved in the mess of a conversation. He slowly put his arm to his side and stayed silent yet again. 
Though, Alice rubbed her temple and shook her head. 
"I...agree with Bendy." Oswald pipes up. Y/n looked over at Oswald and furrowed her eyebrows. Bendy then smiled widely—as if making a point. 
"What? You too? Why?" Y/n questioned. Oswald lifts the corner of his mouth for a second—as if thinking of what to say. 
"It's—a long story. I understand where Bendy is coming from—but Y/n. We can't put our focus on society and their problems— not when we potentially have one that revolves around a man in a trench coat, and I'm positive he has nothing to do with the problem between toons and humans, we have to focus on him and getting the rest of our team together." Oswald said. Y/n let out a slight huff through her nose. 
"Whatever...fine.." She muttered and looked back at Alice. Oswald was about to speak to her again when he noticed her sour response to his explanation. But, Alice spoke up before he could try to speak. 
"Well, me and Boris will keep tabs on them, along with anything else that may come by as questionable." Alice said. 
"Great, are we done? Okay! Let's hit the road!" 
-
Y/n sat in the passenger seat of the car, her hand hanging out the window, the wind brushing against her hand as the car drove down the road. The buildings passed by and the feeling of the warm sun invading the car—in which Bendy decided not to turn on the AC for whatever reason. 
Panchito and Oswald were in the back of the car, Panchito often shuffling around to find something to distract himself. Due to the fact, Y/n didn't want to drive, yet. Bendy took the responsibility of driving. 
"So.." Suddenly Oswald shuffled to the front, his upper part leaning on the arm rest, looking between Bendy and Y/n. 
"How long will it be to get to Orgeon?" He asks. Y/n didn't have the answer to that, so she turned to look over at Bendy. 
"Well, we left late, thanks to Alice. So most likely we won't arrive until late at night at around 11PM or so. The drive is 10 hours, if we don't make any stops." Bendy replied. His eyes focused on the road. Oswald nods and soon Y/n's eyes tracked across the dashboard of the car in search of the GPS or some sort of system to help guide them to Oregon, but—no doubt. She didn't see the device anywhere. 
"No stops? Does that include potty breaks?" Panchito asks, soon squeezed by Oswald, who moves over to give Panchito room to peer up at the front of the car. 
"Yes, we can take bathroom breaks. But nothing else, I'm assuming you have to use the bathroom?"
"No."
"Then why did you a-"
"We need a GPS." Y/n interrupts. Bendy looked away from the road and to Y/n. The corners of his mouth twitching—oh yes! The GPS! how could he forget?
"Okay, we're making a stop."
-
After an hour of driving down a one way road. With lots of fields—letting them know they've made it out of town. They spotted a gas station far to the side. Not much business going on—but good enough to get up on gas just in case, and look for a GPS to use—alongside with buying snacks so not many more stops can be made. 
Closing the door to the car, Y/n waited for the three toons to get out of the car. Looking around, she could smell the familiar smell of gasoline and tar pavement. Looking at the janky store. Y/n grimaced. 
"This place looks horrible.." She said. Bendy walked past her. He nudged her arm as he did so. 
"It's an off road gas station, toots. What do ya' expect?" He said as he walked towards the store. Soon, Y/n followed after. Hearing shuffling behind her, she looked over her shoulder and saw Oswald and Panchito following after her. Pushing open the glass doors to the store. Y/n was met with a simple gas store with 3 aisles—as any other gas store would have—nothing too extravagant. 
"A convenience store?" Panchito muttered under his breath. He stood next to Y/n and Oswald stood by her other side. The three looked at what the store had to offer as Bendy was busy talking to the cashier for a GPS—if the store had any. 
"I'm getting some chips." Y/n walked off to one of the aisles, in search of at least some decent snacks to keep her filled throughout the drive. Once seeing the small selection, she randomly grabbed the variation of chips and some candy bars for everyone. With a hand full of snacks she wandered back out of the aisle. So happening to walk past Oswald and Panchito who were by the slushies stand. Panchito was sitting on top of the slushie machine, the lid was open and he was digging around in the machine, digginging around in it as Oswald was holding down the lever to drink from the slushie machine. It seemed Panchito was pushing the slushie down the tube so more could come out as Oswald held down the lever and drank from the machine as if it were some sort of water fountain. Y/n quickly walked over. And with her foot she nudged Oswald's ankle. 
"Hey! Hey—you two. Stop it—-Panchito, get down from there. Now." Y/n ushered and scolded at the two. Meanwhile Bendy was watching as the person was counting the money Bendy gave, the cashier didn't even bat an eye to where the three were. Bendy soon landed his eyes on a small green box—a GPS—just what they needed! 
Though it was behind the cashier. Meaning he would have to ask to purchase it. 
"The GPS. How much would that be?" Bendy asked. The cashier soon looked over their shoulder to the box that was on the shelf, looking at the price tag that Bendy didn't so happen to see. The cashier turned back around and replied. 
"That'll be one-eighty," They replied. Bendy's tail went stiff as he glanced back at the GPS. "A dollar and 80 cents?" He asked slowly—-not no surprise, the cashier shook their head before replying. 
"One hundred and eighty." They corrected him. Soon—Y/n stood next Bendy. Dropping the bags of chips on the counter, after scolding at Oswald and Panchito, she finally got them to behave—appropriately. Only to be met with Bendy, who was in deep thought. 
"What are you making that face for?" Y/n asked Bendy. His pie cut eyes were slanted—as if he were in deep thought. His semi-permanent smile lowered as if he were frowning—yet he wasn't upset—just thinking. 
"The GPS cost an arm and a leg—that's what." He replied to her. Y/n squints her eyes in confusion, her eyes sliding over to where Bendy had his gaze pinned on. And it was the GPS.  And it was almost 200 dollars...at a gas station?! 
"Here you guys go." The cashier handed the two their bags, which Y/n took.
"Come on. We'll just use my phone for now until we run into another gas station." She told Bendy, which he turned from the box in defeat at the fact he couldn't purchase the god forsaken device. And with that, the small group walked from the store and back over to the car that was parked by one of the pumps. Y/n opened one of the back doors and tossed the bags to the back seat were Oswald and Panchito would be sitting. She noticed a small white cardboard box on the floor with the symbolic red cross. That must have been the first aid box Bendy was talking about. 
Reaching into the car, she grabbed it and opened the box, thankfully it had box filled with band aids and bandages, taking out the gauze and the peroxide to kill whatever germs would have gotten into the rope burn, Y/n placed the box down on the seat and opened the disinfectant bottle. Pouring the liquid on both of her hands. Oswald spotted Y/n with the bottle, she saw his figure stand in front of her, causing her to glance away at her hand. 
"What?" She asks. 
"Need help?" Oswald peered down at her hand and noticed the two burn marks on both of her palms. His ears raised slightly—almost cautiously. 
"What happened?" He asks. He reached down towards the car seat and grabbed the wrapped up gauze in the white box before. He took Y/n's left hand and started wrapping her palm in the bandage. 
"It's a rope burn." She answered. Oswald nods—putting his focus on wrapping the bandage comfortably around her hand, after doing so—and surprisingly ripping the bandage without scissors needed, he moved to the next hand, Y/n looked at her now bandaged left hand, flexing her fingers to make sure it wasn't too tight, but no doubt, Oswald wrapped it up just fine. Y/n looked away from her hand and to Oswald—who was still focused on wrapping her hand up, with a small smile when he was finished Y/n thanked him. 
"Thanks. I probably would have done a shit job wrapping it up." She said. "No problem." He returned the gratitude and placed the gauze back into the white box. 
Placing the pump back in its holster, Bendy finally spoke up;
"Alright, let's go-where's Panchito?" Bendy looked away from Oswald and Y/n and across the small gas station. The rooster was holding onto something—tugging it back, looking closer, they could see that he was trying to keep the book from floating away. Which Panchito saw that the three were looking over, his talon lifting from the ground as he tugged harder back to the ground to keep the book from floating away. 
"A little help?!" He cried out. Soon the three rushed over to Panchito, Y/n hopped up and grabbed a hold of the book to tug it back down. Oswald grabbed Panchito's talon and tugged him back down to the ground. Bendy grabbed Y/n's ankle to tug her back down as well. Being the anchor for the book did help momentarily. But with a split second the book shot from both Panchito's and Y/n's grip, causing them to fall to the ground. The book didn't fly away as suspected. Instead it tossed itself to the concrete and the book flipped open. Pages flipping one after the other. 
Y/n groaned in exhaustion. Hitting the ground abruptly like people did in those films were nothing like real life. It was painful. 
Bendy was about to walk over to pick the book up. But Oswald placed a hand in front of the demon toon, stopping him from walking. "Wait. Let it do what it needs to do." He said. Which Bendy listened to Oswald. Soon the book stopped from it page flipping and quickly a page ripped itself out. The beige tinted paper levitates above the open book. The Golden tint that Y/n and Panchito saw from last night, surrounding it yet again.
Soon, it folded itself up into what resembled to be a paper airplane. 
"...what..?" Y/n muttered. Heaving herself off the ground to look at the paper. But before anyone could interject the paper shot off! Out of the gas station and down the one way road. That same transparent trail leading the way. Y/n soon caught on. 
"It's just trying to lead us." She told the three. Panchito was silent for a second before understanding what she meant. "Oh yes, like it did last night to Bendy." He recalled. Bendy muttered something under his breath, most likely about getting hit by the book abruptly. 
Oswald soon interjected realizing how mostly blind he was for the last few hours. 
"Who exactly is in Oregon that we're going to talk to?" Oswald asks. Y/n walked over to the now still book, and picked it up. 
"Donald Duck. Or so we're assuming. The location is in Duckburg, and Panchito knows someone from down there—which is Donald." Y/n explained. Oswald had taken a short moment to think to himself...now why did that name sound so familiar..? Donald Duck….Donald Duck...Oswald was positive he heard the name somewhere. As his foot gently thumped against the pavement as he tried to recollect that familiar name. Y/n closed the book after making sure nothing was damaged. Soon she started walking back to the car. 
"Come on! We're knocking off too much time, we need to make it there at least before midnight."
-
Ah, as the four make their way to Oregon, let's move over to Duckburg, shall we?
Yes, Duckburg. A city filled with—well. Toons. And ducks of course. A popular town in Oregon, most popular for the renowned gazillionaire, Scrooge McDuck. The man who solves mysteries and rewrites history. Also home to a stubborn and low tempered duck, known as Donald Fauntleroy Duck.
The sound of the water breathing and the creaking of the sailboat. A white duck sat in a wooden chair by the edge of the sailboat, his head leaning in the crease of his arm as he lazily stared into the water that rippled in motion from the sailboat rocking back and forth ever so slightly. 
The nylon rope that attached itself from the dock to the boat, creaked with the motion of the boat. 
Donald rarely ever had silence, just. Pure silence. With most of his time being taken up with caring for his 3 nephews, now that their mother was back...there was really no need for him to keep much of an eye out for the 3. It has been almost 3 weeks since his 3 nephews left town to spend time with their mother that they so rightfully deserved. Yes. It was a break from the 3 rowdy boys, but they left a presence—Donald missed his three nephews. And he wasn't used to the silence that now endeavors the sailboat. 
Scrooge, yes. Was still in town, but was busy doing his own thing...being rich, obviously.
You would think with the current plethora of time, someone who spent years taking care of kids would find something to do with their alone time—such as a favorite activity or even sleep. But Donald couldn't find anything to do. No one to talk to—as if he had many people to converse with anyway. He quit being in the industry starring as a toon a long time ago, and he didn't think about going back, ever. Especially with the new toons he's seen on TV. 
Maybe a trip? No, he'd much rather have went on a trip with the boys instead of being by himself. 
Continuing to pass the time by listening to the serene ambience around him. He suddenly flinched at the feeling of something sticking in his feathers. 
Donald stood up with a grunt and reached back to pluck something from his tail feathers. Once bringing it to his view, he saw it was folded paper—that resembled an airplane. Furrowing his eyebrows, Donald turned around to see who would have thrown the paper at him, but was met with no one but the buildings from the town and—well, nature. 
"What the…" he looked back down at the paper, assuming by accident the wind caught a hold of it, that way it hit him. He crumbled up the paper. And tossed it to the side. Where it landed in a nearby trash can. 
Donald fixed his black sailor uniform before taking a few steps forward to go inside, but the trash can jolted slightly. As if someone kicked it. Donald flinched and whipped in the direction to face the trash can. His feathers ruffled up—now he was cautious. The trash can jolted yet again, causing it to tip over, and out rolled the balled up paper that Donald tossed in a few moments ago. Along with a few other things that were tossed away. 
"..." Donald stared at the paper with wide eyes. Looking to the left and then to the right, he took a few steps forward, stopping in front of the paper, with a webbed foot, he gently kicked the paper—which it rolled slightly. As it rolled the paper uncrumpled itself. Laying flat as if it were never crumbled, not a crease shown. This was..odd. Donald never seen anything like this before. Of course his Uncle Scrooge dragged him to odd and life threatening adventures, but those adventures hadn't happened in a while. 
Reaching down. Donald picked up the paper. The golden aura illuminated slightly under the sun. Words had been scribbled onto the paper in what seemed to be in ink. Donald lifted a finger to see out of curiosity if he could smear the ink.  Which he couldn't. Holding back onto the paper with both his hands he read aloud the words on the paper. 
"Just...keep following..the trail…" Donald ready slowly. Squinting his eyes gently. Looking up to see if he could see a trail. He saw nothing. Looking back at the paper. Donald tilted his head in confusion. 
"What?" He asks himself. As he spoke, the paper lit up slightly. His confused statement was soon written down on the paper. 
'What?'
"Whoa…" he said in awe. Donald tilted the paper, took a look to see if he can try and activate anything that can happen, but—he couldn't. Quickly flipping the paper back to the right position to see ink was once again writing another statement. 
'What? Hello?'
Donald soon was starting to think that maybe he got in contact with someone through the paper…? But how?
He was trying to register all what was happening and how to react. Obviously, what he was holding was no ordinary paper. 
"Hello." Donald replied, and as it did it once before. His statement was written down in the paper—for whoever was receiving it, to reply back. This was...exciting. New. But...odd. Where did this paper come from and why is it here? 
And way over, Y/n was the one who had replied to Donald. 
Six hours had passed in the car. Panchito was sound asleep in the back. As Oswald was looking out the window, watching the fields pass by. Bendy was still driving and as for Y/n...she discovered something new about the book. 
The book laid open in her lap. She stared down at the greeting;
'Hello.'
Whoever it was was receiving what she was saying as it wrote whatever she said down. And the same coming from whoever was on the other end. 
"Hey, for some reason I'm able to speak to someone on here." Y/n turned to look at Bendy, and then turned her gaze to Oswald.  Oswald looked away from the window and to Y/n. Leaning forward he peered down at the book in her lap to see the words screaming on the paper as if some sort of transcript.
"The book can talk too?" Oswald asks. He soon heaved himself up, slightly nudging Y/n to scoot over with his foot. 
"Scootch." He said. Y/n complained slightly. But moved over towards the left so Oswald could sit by the door. Plopping into the seat, Y/n saw the book wrote down what Oswald said. 
'The book can talk too?'
Which, whoever read it. Already replied by the time Oswald sat down. 
'Book? What book? My name is Donald'
Y/n mouth slowly opened as if she silently gasped. Oswald read the reply as well. His ears immediately shot up, almost hitting the ceiling of the car. 
"Look! Bendy, it's Donald!" Y/n shows the book to Bendy. Who finally focused on the new topic. Glancing at the book. His focused expression soon turned to one of surprisement. 
"Wait—how did—"
"Wait! You mean, Donald Duck?!" Oswald shouts. In what seemed to be anger. This caused Panchito to snort and abruptly wake up. His eyes squinting at the sunlight. Bendy glanced at the road and to Oswald. As Y/n gave Oswald a puzzled yet cautious expression. 
"Are you mad?" Bendy asked. Oswald looked between the two, his arms crossed for a moment before he increased them to try and think of an excuse. His ears lowered slightly. "No." Was all he said. Now he knew. Donald Duck. The Donald Duck...how did he not know..?
Y/n slowly looked back at the book to see another reply from Donald. 
'what's going on?'
"What does it say?" Bendy asks, he was too busy staring at the road to read the book. But Y/n took care to read out the question Donald asks. 
"He asked what's going on." She repeats. Soon, Oswald took the book from her hands. 
"We'll explain when we get there, it's me, Oswald and three others, short story, we have a book. And we need to see you. So be there and stay there." He said. And the exact words were written on the paper. A few seconds later, a reply from Donald scrawled on the paper. 
'Oswald? Why if it isn't my pal! Who're the other three? When will you be here?'
Y/n and Oswald read the reply and soon Bendy glanced over at Oswald. "You have some sort of vendetta or something against him, or?" Bendy trailed off to see if he could get an answer from Oswald. The rabbit muttered something before reply. 
"I'd rather keep it to myself. And no, I don't have a problem with him." Oswald replied. But Y/n wasn't too focused on their conversation, but more with trying to get to know the new member of the team, and that being Donald!
"Hi, my name is Y/n. Long story short, there's four of us right now, and we're looking for nine other people, what you're holding onto right now, is a piece of this book, I'm only assuming if we can communicate from a piece of paper, you're one of the people of our team that we're looking for, as Oswald said. We're on our way to Duckburg, stay there, and we'll tell you everything."
Y/n's short explanation copied itself onto the paper as it did before. Oswald leaned closer to look into the book. 
Soon. Donald replied. 
'Alright, I'll be here then.'
Donald even gave the address to them, even though the faint golden hue that was leading them down the roadway was enough. It was good to have his address as well. 
"Well this made this a thousand times easier." Bendy spoke up. Y/n closed the book with a nod. Leaning back into the seat, which wasn't much room as Oswald was squeezed into the seat as well. But he didn't seem to want to move either way. 
"We should be there by nightfall. So we'll have plenty of time to speak to Donald and get him caught up." Oswald glanced back out the window. Y/n looked over at Oswald. Who once again was back into his pool of thoughts. Y/n turned slightly to look into the back of the car. And found Panchito sound asleep yet again. His sombrero was now on the floor as his head leaned on the window, sleeping peacefully, Y/n was sure Panchito was exhausted with the amount of traveling he did to find Y/n and the others. He deserved the rest. Sitting back yet again, Y/n watched the road pass by. Bendy yet again placing his focus on the road. 
-
"Y/n. Wake up—-wake up….Hey!"
"Ow!" Y/n flinched at a painful pinch to her arm. Her eyelids shooting over and her optics turning over to meet Bendy's pie cut eyes.  He was standing on the passenger side, the door was open. And Oswald was seen in the background standing next to Panchito.  Behind them was a sailboat. The sun seemed to have been down for hours as the stars were out, the moon as well. Shining brightly in the sky for all to see. The lights on the sailboat glimmering in the chill night sky. 
"We're here. You were asleep the entire ride here." He adds. Y/n for a moment was disappointed at the fact she was asleep for so long, missing half of—well she didn't miss anything serious. But—either way, she wished she was up for the majority of the ride. 
"What? Why didn't you guys wake me up?" She unbuckled herself. Grabbing the book and her book bag that was on the floor. Placing it back in the bag and zipping it up. Y/n tossed the book around her shoulder and closed the door behind her. Bendy then stood next to her. 
"Trust me. We did. But that doesn't matter, we're in Duckburg now, and I believe this is Donald's address." Bendy motioned towards the sailboat that Oswald and Panchito were standing in front of. Y/n's eyes widen in awe. 
"Whoa…" she didn't know anyone that lived on a boat house..it was..cool to see actually. 
"What time is it?" She asked. Walking over to the other two. Bendy trailing beside her. Oswald glanced at his wrist—where a wrist watch would have been. 
"11:45PM before midnight." He said in a sly tone. Bendy squints his eyes. 
"But you don't have a wrist wa—"
"Donal!!"
"Panchito?!" 
Bendy, Oswald, and Y/n looked over to see Panchito sped across the dock and onto the boat, crashing into a white feathered duck. Donald Duck. 
Panchito laughed in excitement, locking Donald in a tight hug. Donald doing the same with a smile stretched on his beak, he seemed shocked to see Panchito, a look of familiarity and security washed over his face, Panchito hopped from one talon to the other as his tail feathers ruffling, he took a small step back to take in the sight of Donald, Donald did the same.
“I didn’t know you would be here! I haven’t seen you in so long! You’ve gotten taller, time surely does pass huh?” Donald spoke, his tail feather wagging repeatedly from pure joy, Panchito laughed and nodded his head, he extended his hands to motions towards the three; Oswald, Bendy and Y/n, Donald looked over and spotted the three, almost forgetting they were there. They were standing by the bridge of the dock that connected to the sailboat, Y/n had her focus on Donald and Panchito, and their interaction with each other, it was unbelievable on how the two knew each other and had such a tight and close bond, it was nice to see how exciting their first meeting was.
“This. These are my friends!” Panchito said, Donald’s eyes
Immediately went over to Oswald, who was already looking at Donald, the white duck perked up yet again before he walked away from the dock and over to the three, Panchito trailing right behind Donald.
“Oswald! I’m so glad to see you!” Donald extended his arms and almost immediately pulled Oswald into a hug, it seemed Oswald tried to back away from the hug by taking a step back and putting his hands up, but Donald didn’t seem to notice, wrapping his arms around Oswald, the rabbit deflated at the hold before wrapping his arms around the sailor in a warm hug.
“Yeah...good to see you too, buddy.” Oswald mumbled to him. Bendy looked at Y/n, which Y/n did the same. They both shared the same expression; they both know each other too?
“Oswald, you didn’t tell us that you knew, Donald.” Bendy told the rabbit, Donald pulled away from Oswald at Bendy’s statement, but he didn’t look at Oswald for answers or curiosity, he turned his gaze over to Bendy, Bendy! Donald has seen Bendy plenty of times on TV, though, he hadn’t personally met him, his nephews enjoyed watching the demon on screen, watching as Bendy did tons of crazy acts to other toons he forgot the names of, he was of the generations newest cartoons to be introduced, and Donald was curious to see that the same demon was right in front of him!
Bendy smiled and waved at Donald before taking a step forward to shake Donald’s hand, which Donald took hold of Bendy's hand, the two shaking each other’s hand.
“Hiya! My name is Bendy, it’s an honor ta’ meet the Donald Duck! I’ve see tons of ya’ shorts, and y—”
“You kiddin?! It’s an honor to meet you! It’s nice to see rising toons out here, you’ve been such an icon lately!” Donald and Bendy went back and forth in a conversation that Y/n slipped away from when she caught sight of Oswald, Oswald was still standing off
To the side, watching the two speak, they
Sound like businessmen of some sort, as if they could finally, Relate to each other in some way or form, Bendy and Donald momentarily being in their own world, Donald tagging in Panchito who stood by them, listening to their conversation.
Oswald didn’t seem too interested in the conversation, his left hand rubbing his right arm up and down slowly before he looked off somewhere else, Y/n didn’t know too much about Oswald, but she was certain there was something there about him that made him act the way he did, his sudden angry outburst, his strange way of showing a greeting to Donald, now thinking on it, Y/n didn’t know much about Panchito either—other than he lives somewhere in Mexico and not America, and Bendy—she also didn’t have much about him either.
“Y/n!” Y/n looked away from Oswald and over to Panchito, who a few meters away was beckoning her over to Donald and Bendy, the other two looked at her as Panchito had his arm wrapped around Donald’s shoulder, once he saw he got Y/n’s attention, he smiled widely and said; “Come here Querida, come meet my closest friend!”
Y/n placed a smile on her face and walked over to the three, Donald immediately held out his hand for a hand shake, a smile stretching onto his beak. Y/n took his hand and shook it.
“Nice ta’ meet ya’ toots!” He introduces, Y/n felt her smile widen, such positive energy from meeting a new person once again invaded the air, she knew of Donald Duck, of course who wouldn’t? Meeting him was a nice feeling she didn’t even think she would have the chance to get. 
“Hi, my name is Y/n, Y/n L/n, it’s nice to meet you, Panchito seems very fond of you,” Y/n looked over at Panchito who smiled at her, looking back at Donald he laughed lightly.
“Yes, seeing you Donald was the last thing I expected, especially in this circumstance.” Donald seemed to perk up slightly at the end of Panchito’s statement, of course, they were there for a reason! Not just to have a reunion party.
“Oh yes, you guys mentioned a book, right? Come in, we’ll discuss it inside.” Donald waved his hand for the group to follow him inside the sailboat, Panchito trotted beside Donald, wrapping an arm around Donald’s shoulders as the two started their own conversation, Bendy lifted his arm slightly towards Y/n, causing her
To look at his arm with a puzzled expression, until quickly after she caught on and wrapped her arm
around his arm, but Y/n took sight of Oswald when she glanced over her shoulder to him, he trailed behind, and Y/n noticed a look of contemplation on his face, she then decided to unhook her arm from Bendy’s. Bendy slowly stopped walking and looked over at Y/n.
“What’s wrong?” He asks her, Y/n motioned towards Oswald.  “You go in, I’m gonna have a talk with Oswald,” she said, Bendy looked at Oswald
For a moment, who noticed the two stopped walking and he did too. Bendy looked back at the sailboat and then back at Y/n. She motioned for him to go in with her hand. “Get Donald caught up, we’ll be in there soon.” She said, Bendy nods before walking off without a second thought, looking away from Bendy’s retreating form, she heard footsteps near her, looking back over to her opposite side she saw Oswald standing next to her.
“You seem a bit disconnected.” She started, Oswald ears raised as he stared at the open door of the sailboat house, the golden warm glow spilled from the corridor. 
Y/n could only assume it was because of the sudden occurring events from the past few hours and the fact that Oswald kidnapped the odd man that they all know could obviously deem him as their enemy.
Looking away from the boat, Y/n looked at Oswald, though he didn’t turn to look at her, instead he spoke slowly.
“No, no, I’m fine. Just exhausted.” Which was partially true, Oswald wasn’t able to get a good amount of sleep last night back at the studio nor in the car on their way to Oregon, Duckburg, but that was only a portion of his obscure change of emotions. Looked around at the quiet dock that led to a small neighborhood, Y/n turned around and walked back over the car, parked on the side by the sidewalk she spoke to Oswald. “Come on, we’ll talk in the car.” She said as she walked to the car to unlock it, which was surprisingly still unlocked. Oswald looked at her for a moment with wide eyes, he was...surprised, no one really took the chance to speak to him, whether that would be on a serious and
personal level, or just in general. So, he followed her.
Once inside the car, with Y/n sitting in the driver seat, she stared out the window for a moment, looking up at the dark sky, the stars shining in the sky and the full moon shining down on the quiet neighborhood, the chirping of crickets in the thickets and bushes and the the buzzing of cicadas hiding in the trees, leaning back in the chair the cool air was now crisp and comfortable to sit out in without having the car running for heat to not freeze the death. Oswald sat in the passenger seat and closed the door once he was seated. 
Once hearing the door close Y/n looked back over at Oswald. “I didn’t know you knew Donald,” she tried to start the conversation with the rabbit, Oswald rested his elbow on the arm rest of the car as he looked at Y/n. “Yeah, we know each other, we go way back. I guess you can say.” He answered her. Y/n nods before looking back to the drivers side of the window, she didn’t know much about Oswald to sit and interrogate him about how distant he reacted to certain things, she really didn’t know him enough to demand him to spill his problems to her—if he even had any to begin with and it’s just Y/n misinterpreting his emotions—which she hope it wasn’t that latter. She was trying to find the comfortable route to have Oswald speak to her if he was upset about something, to her, it was better to have a group that’s all on the same page and agree with each other. But, Oswald seemed to already start the conversation himself.
“I uh—want to apologize when we were at the studio, and I agreed with Bendy,” he starts. Y/n tried to think back on what he meant, she took a few moments and realized the small meeting they all had back at the studio with Alice and Boris. Looking back at him, she waved her hand lightly, as if dismissing the thought.
“Oh no, you’re fine—you guys are right, we need to focus on what really matters,” though she slightly agreed with her own statement, she was still on the fence with the 2nd problem growing at hand with society, but thinking on it more...there’s not much she can do to change the mind of society. 
“So, tell me about yourself? What do you like to do?” She asks, folding her hands on her stomach so she can put her full attention on Oswald. Oswald’s ears rose, almost touching the roof of the car. “Well, I didn’t expect that question for you—hm...let’s see. I like to travel, I love to meet new people, I used to collect enamel pins, but I gave them away.” He names off several things, and Oswald seemed pretty much like an average toon.
“Why’d you sell the pins?” Y/n asked. Oswald only shrugged slightly, he didn’t have an explanation for that—or just didn’t want to tell her. 
“Just didn’t want to keep up with them anymore.” Was his only answer. Nodding, Y/n was silent for a moment.
“How often do you get out?”
“Not as much as I should—what are you my therapist now?” He joked playfully at Y/n’s question, Y/n smiled before shaking her head.
“So, are you really lucky or do you just assume you are?” That question was actually at the back of her head for hours, Last night when Oswald was angry that his ‘luck’ was gone and then later that night, it came back with the situation with the semi-truck rolling, which—that was pretty damn lucky.
Oswald seemed to smile smugly and slick his ears back as if slicking down a hairstyle. “I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but—I am a fairly lucky rabbit.” He winks, Y/n laughs at his silly expression.
“Okay then, hopefully that luck will help us out along the way,” Oswald snorted and shook his head lightly.
“Eh, I dunno, Donald’s luck is pretty bad.”
“He has bad luck?” 
“Unluckiest Duck, no one gets stuck with all the bad luck than Donald Duck,” Oswald said. That was interesting, bad luck and good luck? That surely must come in handy.
Sitting in silence looking out the windows and taking in the serene silence. Oswald felt..happy and at peace that someone took a time from their day to have a short one on one conversation with him. 
“Hey!” Oswald and Y/n looked over towards the passenger side window to see Panchito in the doorway on the sailboat. He waved his hand for the two to come onto the boat.
“Come on!”
-
Walking into the boat house, the warm air coaxed Y/n’s figure, Bendy was busy speaking with Donald, he took Y/n’s book bag which had the book in it, Donald was—surprised, not only had the book opened for him—as they all suspected in the first place, this was an odd scenario he had ever been in! Watching as Donald then placed his hand on the book, as the four had done before, he quacked in surprisement when the golden  light traced his hand on the page and wrote his name down.
Donald looked down at his palm and then the book, Bendy placed the book on the table that he and Donald were standing near.  “Well! That’s that, welcome to the team,” Bendy grinned at Donald, who looks over at Panchito, Oswald and Y/n—who were all watching him.
“Well—what’s next then?” He asked, Bendy closed the book and placed it back into Y/n’s bag. “Well, we can’t say, we so far have been only looking for the rest of the team.” Oswald answered, Y/n nods.
Donald looked at the group and thought for a mere second.
“Well, how about this? You all stay here tonight, and when morning comes, we have a meeting on what the next move should be, you all drove all the way here, so rest should be the first thing in the list.” Y/n was glad not only did Donald have them somewhere to stay, but to seemingly be someone on the team to make the plans—and Y/n could only imagine how much structure they would need in their growing team.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Y/n answered, Bendy then motions towards Y/n. “Well, the lady said it fellas,” he said. 
“I call the couch.” Oswald made a straight walk to the couch that was a few meters away, Y/n realized the living room and kitchen was attached, not much of a surprise as this was a small section of the sailboat that could be lived in, small, but
Comfortable for one person.
“So, Donald, are you going to be tagging along with us whenever we leave town?” Y/n walked over to the table Donald was still standing at, next to Bendy. Donald smiled and nodded. “Oh man, will I?! I’ve been meaning to get outdoors in some time, Spending time with my best pal—“ he looked over at Panchito, who wandered over to stand beside Bendy and then Donald looked at Y/n.
“And you guys as well! This would be great.”  He replies, that’s good! He wanted to tag along, making things a lot easier. “Ah? Wonderful, this should be fun, I have all these wonderful people around me!”
Panchito extends his arms, motioning towards everyone in the room, a wide smile stretched onto his beak. 
“Do any of you have an idea where the others might be located?” Donald asks, Panchito’s arms lowered to his side, Bendy then shook his head.
“We don’t have a clue, but the book for the most part led us to the right people. So, we’ve pretty much been relying on the book to be our guide.” Bendy replied, Y/n agreed with him, yes. For the most part they have been just blindly following that book to lead them to the right person, which for the most part has been proving itself as good. Donald seemed to make a questionable expression, but shrugged it off. If they managed to find him, who was he to disagree with how they were doing their seeking game to find the rest of the team.
He walked over to a corridor on the side of the room, that seemed to be a small hallway. “I’ll go and get more blankets, I’ll be right back.” Donald then disappeared down the halls, Panchito, Y/n and Bendy watched before the three looked at each other. 
“This was a lot easier than I expected.” Y/n said. 
“Tell me about it, I thought it would take ages to find the guy.” Bendy walked over to the couch that Oswald was busy occupying, placing the book bag on the side of the couch before sitting down. Despite being asleep for half the ride, Y/n did feel fatigue start to seep into her body, despite the fact she was asleep for the majority of the ride, she was still tired from not being able to properly sleep in the car. 
“Can we get breakfast tomorrow? All day we’ve been running off of chips.” Y/n pipes up, her optics slowly observing the decor of the room, a pretty simple living with, with a couch—one love seat, a coffee table and a TV. Oswald was about to answer Y/n until Donald walked back in with a pile of blankets, which were really 2 blankets, he stumbled over to the couch due to the big blankets causing him to loose footing slightly, dumping the blankets between Oswald and Bendy, Donald let out a sigh of relief.
“There, those are the ones I could find, if you need anymore I can go get more.” Donald said. Oswald looked at the blankets and shook his head. “This should be fine, Donald. Thanks.”
Y/n grabbed a blanket and tugged it from the pile, The blanket was big enough to sleep just fine—not that it mattered? Any sort of blanket or pillow Donald would have gave her she would have gracefully taken, she wasn’t complaining—after all they all were at his home.
Walking over to the love seat, she took notice that Panchito was seated on one side of it, Though, there was still space for her to sit down next to him, which she did. Panchito noticed and turned his head to look at her with a smile.
And for the rest of the night, it was filled with silence and...sleep.
-
“Okay. I’m not gonna tell ya’ this another time, mutt.”
The lights flickered on, Boris squinted his pie cut shaped eyes at the sudden light, a small grunt escaping his mouth. He was sitting at a desk that was cluttered with paper—music notes—and other blank pieces of unused paper, the desk lamp turned towards him, the light shining in his eyes as Boris was squinting his eyes to get the light from his face.
“Where’s Bendy…” 
Sammy stood across the desk, his hand on the neck of the lamp that was pointing at Boris, a suspicious expression written in his face, his question—sounded more like a statement than a question. Boris' eyes flicked up and down Sammy, who still had that suspicious glint in his eyes.  Boris soon rolled his eyes.
“Out of town, like Henry told us.”  Was his simple answer, Sammy scoffed before pushing himself away from the desk. 
“Ah, bullshit. Do you really think I’ll fall for that? He’s up to something.”
“He’s always up to something.” Boris blankly added in, Sammy waved his hand, As if dismissing Boris to make him silent.
Soon, a new voice popped in.
“Samuel, can we please leave now? I need to read over the new script that just came in, and you’re wasting my time.” Boris and Sammy looked over, Alice was seated in a chair as well, behind the desk—next to Boris. Boris' ears perked up.
“When did you get here?” He asked. Alice sighed before turning her gaze to Sammy, her leg crossed over the other.
“Now, darling. What is it that you want? As said, Bendy’s on a short vacation, most likely to get away from you and ya’ bickerin, you had him behind the eight ball making him practice his music segments,” Alice was very fluent in her words, covering up the fact that she indeed knew where and what Bendy and the others were at and their objective, but she was a strong toon and wasn’t going to break or falter under Sammy’s gaze.
Sammy lifted the corner of his lips in a quick scoff.
“I wasn’t pushing him, he was the one who can’t keep a straight alto for one verse. But that’s besides the point. Alice? Weren’t you the one that grew suspicious of him from that night? You were basically all around the studio yapping about putting the fella in a stronghold for keeping a secret,”
Alice looked at Sammy for a moment, the cogs in her brain turning.. was she really that mad? Wow, she needs to work on that.
“I’m over it now, not my business.” She  crossed her arms, Sammy sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“Fine, I got work to do anyway.” He turned around and walked over to the side of the room, flicking on the lights in the meeting room, he then opened the door.
“And don’t forget, practice your lines, This is the 3rd time this week you forgot a whole verse, Alice.” He said as he walked out the room, closing the door behind him. Alice watched the door for a moment.
“What’s his deal?” She asks Boris, Boris tapped the table with his index finger. “Most likely mad he can’t finish a drafted music sheet.” 
She stood up from the seat, dusting her black dress. Taking a small sigh she then looked over at Boris.  “Okay. Back to the real news, have you collected anything last night? Any information?” She asks the wolf. Boris thought for a moment. 
“Hmm..I dunno. Nothin’ too eye catchin’, I would remember more if you didn’t hit me in the head.” He eyed Alice for a moment before standing up from the seat, Alice only hummed before going back to task at hand.
“Well, I couldn’t find much of anything last night either, other than Tommy’s small infatuation with pine cones.” She said. Alice walks around the desk, and over to the door, Boris follows behind her as the two exit the room and into the hallway. It was the next day—9AM to be exact and many people were already in the studio, doing their jobs and whatnot.
“So. Why do we need to be the lookout for intel again?” Boris asks. Lifting a hand to scratch behind his ears. Alice walked down the hall with a confident stride in her step. She fixed her silky hair before she pushed up two doors that led to the office area of the building.
“Boris, hun—we’ve been over this.” Alice said. The sound of people chattering, keyboards, paper and other machines filled the air. Walking over to a desk—similar to the receptionist desk at the lobby of the building—Boris stood next to Alice as the two looked at Annie who was looking through a set of papers.
“Sorry we’re late Mrs. Bell. Sammy had us in a hold again.” Alice smiled at the lady. Annie looked away from the papers and to Boris and Alice. Giving the two a welcoming smile she lifted two stacks of paper and placed them on the desk, in front of Alice and Boris. 
“Ah, no worries dear. Here’s the new scripts that just came in last night. I gave Henry’s Bendy’s script whenever the fella gets back in town.” Annie told the two. Alice nods as she lifted a pen from a cup that was on the desk and wrote her name down in the screenplay—to keep track of it.
“So, how has your mornin’ been Ms. Bell?” Boris asked. Though he didn’t take his eyes off the screenplay.
Annie had gone back to organizing the many papers on the desk—she always wanted all her desk organized.
“Pretty well, got here early since my nephew went back to Colorado for school and I didn’t have to make him breakfast—Henry told me earlier he saw a restaurant that didn’t Allow toons. Turns out there’s a law now that has been passed about a week ago where any human that doesn’t feel safe about toons has the will to not allow them in certain establishments. Crazy because I never even been notified from any article or news report about the crazy new law—to be honest that’s just horrible.”
This caused Alice to fumble in whatever else she was writing on the paper, the crooked line on the paper was soon ignored as Alice looked at Annie. Boris did the same as well. Annie sighs and shakes her head.
“I know Deary. Disappointing. I never knew this would be like this. The board last night had a meeting with Henry. Lately there have been some complaints from parents that Bendy’s appearance is too inappropriate for the kids, you know. Since he resembles a demon and all. But—that’s an issue we can’t fix no matter the complaints—but—he said that the board wants the entire cast out for a meet and greet to show a good face for the show—you know. Not to have any heads start turning to us with this whole toon debacle. Last thing we need is people trying to talk bad about you all just because.” Annie said. Boris tilts his head slightly.
“They want us to do a character meet and greet to show that we’re...good? Basically. Tha—“
“Seems like a bunch of bologna!” Shouts a scruff voice. Alice sighs as her shoulders sunk. An expression of annoyance written on her face. Three toons walks over, the show's antagonists— yet 3 silly and lovable characters.
Charley, Barley and Edgar. The one speaking, the head honcho, Charley. The toon pushed Boris and Alice over to squeeze between them. Lifting a forearm to lean on the desk and look at Annie.
“3 screenplays, if ya’ will. Make it snappy.”  He grins. Annie only lets a small laugh out, picking up three screen plays. She hands them over to Charley, he takes them and toss them behind his back, the three script books flew in the air and back down—aiming right above the eyepatch wearing toon, Barley.
Barley looks up and the two scripts fall onto him, causing him to fall to the ground with a; “oof!” He lifts a hand up as if to say something, but the 3rd script falls onto him with a loud; Thud!
“So, where’s Ben-man? Am I late to somethin’ or what? And why the hell is Sammy runnin’ around shoutin? We ain’t even start blocking the script yet.” Charley stands up straight and looked between the three.
“And what’s with the faces?”
“We!—“ Alice clears her throat from the sudden shout—she didn’t have time for Charley and his obnoxious and egotistical attitude! She was
More focused on speaking with Annie about the discussions Henry had with the board.  
“We were discussing something, Charley. Now if you don’t mind. Can we continue it without you being a disruption.” Alice places her hands together as she smiled at Charley, her cheeks prominent as she gave him an innocent expression. Her golden halo flickered for a moment. She was lying. 
Charley stared at her for a moment with furrowed eyebrows.
“What are ya’ bluenosin’ for? What are ya’ ladies gossiping about this time? I wanna know my onions too!” He looks over at Boris. 
“Yer in on this too or something’?! gee biz—what the hell am I? Dirt? Let me in too!” Charley then started to complain about not always being in on the fun. Alice signed and rubbed her temple at the complainants.
“Oh hush, Charley. Bendy is out of town. And we’re discussing how the board meeting went last night for Henry.” Annie stopped Charley from talking. Charley rose an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
“Oh? Ya’ meant how Henry’s been pullin’ his own hair about how the peeps have been getting angry about Bendy being a demon toon—if ya’ ask me. We should just put him back in a Tutu, that’ll make em’ shut up. Or are ya’ talkin’ about how Henry plans on Havin’ us interact with people at this kids birthday party next Friday.”
“A what?” Boris and Alice said in unison. Alice slammed her hands on the table.
“A birthday party?! What idea is that? How would that help the view on toons—that makes no sense!” Alice sighed and rubbed her forehead. Annie sighed softly.
“Well, Alice. It’s for the best right now. Business things—that’s what I also say when things don’t make sense.” Annie told Alice. 
“Squeak Squeak!” Edgar waddled over. Speaking in his own language of squeaks. Charley nods—understand what the spider toon said.
“Yeah, me too.” Charley agreed with..whatever it was
Edgar said.
Alice picked up her script and took Boris by the collar of his shirt and started to walk away.
“Thanks for the info, Annie. C’mon Boris. We got work to do.” Alice dragged Boris—he stumbled behind her, Edgar waved goodbye as Boris waved goodbye back. Barley still on the floor. Mounted by the three scripts and Charley looking at the two with squinted eyes.
“Is it me—or does she seem more quippier than usual?” Charley asks Annie. Annie raised an eyebrow.
“That’s not even a word.”
Edgar watched as Alice and Boris walked away. The spider toon followed after them, stepping over Barley—who was still on the floor and groaned when Edgar climbed over him. Charley noticed that the spider butcher was walking away.
“Ed, where are ya’ goin?” He calls out. But Edgar didn’t reply.
Meanwhile, Alice walked down the hall, muttering something under her breath, her halo flickering ever so slightly, Boris looked up at his angel friend halo and unhooked himself from her grip—which she didn’t seem to notice. Boris caught his balance and started walking next to Alice.
“Take a breather.  Who knows, maybe going to a kids birthday party to spend time with them won’t seem too bad after all.” Boris said in an optimistic tone, but Alice wasn’t having it. Scoffing—the angel shook her head before she turned around and moved to stand in front of Boris. Boris noticed and stopped walking as he gave her a puzzled expression.
“No, don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter how fun the party is! Why do we need to create this—this—this facade, to make sure the audience don’t look at us as if we’re the lunatic toons that are making those crimes, we already had that case with Joey—but that was a few years ago, but still—we’re alive just as much as humans are too—on goodness me, don’t even get me started on the restaurant issue—who do those people think they are—“ Alice went on and on, complaining, but it seemed more like she was venting. Which Boris took notice of. His ears slowly standing on its ends and his tail wagged quickly.
“Wait, Alice. You’re doing what we’ve read from those news articles, complaining.” Boris piped up, cutting Alice off. Alice looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
“Yes Boris, dear, obviously I’m complaining—isn’t that obvious—this is—“
“Toons are retaliating.” He cuts her off yet again. Alice stared at Boris. And soon caught whim of what he meant. Alice stared at Boris for a moment. Of course! Toons are reaching their end—they tired of being tossed around like—Well toons! How didn’t she and everyone else not see it to begin with?! It was bright as day.
“Squeak!” Alice looks over, behind Boris to see Edgar, Boris turns around and moves to stand next to Alice so he could look at the spider toon.
“Squeak squeak!” The spider started to squeak incoherently. Waving his two arms around—whatever it was, he wanted to tell Alice and Boris.
Boris only tilts his head in confusion, he could never understand a word Edgar was saying—but it seemed Charley and Barley could always understand their butcher friend just fine.
“What?” Boris muttered. Alice stared down at Edgar.
“Eddie, honey...I can’t understand you, we—you know this.” Alice said softly. Edgar slowly lowered his arms and looked between Alice and Boris. But he didn’t give it—he seemed very determined to tell the two whatever it was he needed to say.
Edgar hopped up and down. Baring his fangs as he came from his mouth. Soon lifting both his arms up, way above his head. Resembling ears before hopping around. Putting his two arms down he extended his arms as if aiming towards something he emitted a small; “pew! Pew!”
Then, he stood up straight and tall. As if to hold a broad and confident stature. 
“Uh—horseback riding!” Boris shouts. Alice made a noise before nudging her elbow into Boris’s arms. He grunts and looks at her. 
“What? I thought we were playing charades?” He said innocently.
“No, he’s obviously trying to tell us something, But I don’t know what it is..” Alice tapped her chin. Boris inhaled and was about to say something, but Alice cut him off.
“And it’s not horseback riding.” She told him. Boris deflated and his ears flattened against his head.
“I can never have fun..”
Edgar could see the two were still having problems understanding him. Standing there he tried to find a conclusion to make him more understandable. Soon, he scurried away down the hall. Alice opened her mouth to shout after him, but as quick as lighting. Edgar zipped back over and was holding a book—which was just some random novel he took from someone’s desk. Opening it, he dropped it to the floor and zipped away yet again—and back over! This time with a trench coat covering his body—due to him being a small toon. The coat mauled him slightly, but that wasn’t Alice’s concern. Edgar soon opened the trench coat, revealing himself—he wore pencil mustache by his—Well where his nose should have been.
Edgar let out squeaks similar to a cackle before he picked up the book and a triumphant expression rid his face.
“Wait…” Alice whispered. She placed a finger on her temple that...pencil mustache—it resembled someone she was familiar with.
“Boris—did you understand him?” Alice looked over at her Wolf friend. Boris looked away from Edgar who looked up at them with a gleam of hope.
“Uh—“ Boris' tail sagged slightly. Alice crossed her arms.
“Boris!”
“Hey! I’m running off of an oatmeal bar I ate this morning, give me a break!”
Alice waved Boris away before turning her head to look at Edgar. “Eddie, are you telling us you saw Bendy with three others?” Alice asked Edgar. And he nods! She was right! She was on the right page! And not only that—she got answers! A lead! Gosh, she sounded like a detective.
“Were they a rabbit, a rooster and girl?” She asks yet again. And he nods. 
“Where were you when you saw them?” 
Edgar points up to the ceiling. 
“Stargazing? I know right, I heard the stars were out that night, did you see any shooting stars?” Boris asks. Edgar shook his head frantically before pointing up at the ceiling again. Alice raised an eyebrow.
“So, you weren’t outside?” 
He shook his head.
“Then where were you?” She asks. And yet again, he points to the ceiling, this time she looks up and sees a vent. Looking back down at him she then wondered;
“You were in the vents? Why?” She asks. Edgar only shook his head side to side as if saying; ‘so-so’
“Long story?”
“Squeak squeak.”
“How come you didn’t tell Charley and Barley?” She asks.  Edgar shook his head before baring his teeth and lifting his hands up to his head resembled horns.
“You knew Bendy wouldn’t want that?” She asks. And he nods. 
“So you saw whoever was in that trench coat the others were telling me about? Bendy told me and Boris everything. But have you seen that man in the trench coat?” Edgar shivers at Alice question before
Nodding. He pointed at the pencil mustache that was still on his face.
“Well whoever it is has a mustache.” Boris said. Edgar nods—but he didn’t end there. He motioned around their surroundings, as if signaling the area.
“I don’t understand you..” Alice said—shaking her head. What did he mean? What did he mean?
“Do you know for sure all the details on who was in that coat?” Alice asks. Edgar paused momentarily, shaking his hand; so-so—like he did before.
“How did you even see em’ you followed them?”
Edgar bashfully nods his head. 
“You know this would be much easier if we just had Charley translate for us. No offense, Edgar.” Boris quips. Alice shook her head. “What? No, I
Specifically told the others that whatever they shared with me and you before they left town, stays between us. I mean..come on Boris—they have a stolen book, we can’t just go around telling anyone. Most certainly not Charley and Barley, Edgar is now an exception because it’s obvious he has more in depth details about what he saw, plus. I like him.” Alice placed a hand on Edgar’s head. The arachnid smiled and purred softly.
Boris crossed his arms.  “Biased much. But fine, we’ll do it your way..”
“There is no, ‘my way’—it’s the most reasonable way
So no one gets in trouble.” Alice reasoned with Boris. Boris hummed in acknowledgment. 
“Okay, well can he at least write it in a piece of paper? I hate charades—it’s giving me a headache.”
“Fine, let’s go, then later in, we’ll have to contact the others—Detective Alice—wow, never knew I would hear that title—sounds catchy!” She boasted and turned around to walk down the hall with a cheerful stride in her step.  Edgar follows behind, squeaking happily.
“Oh brother..”  Boris muttered and face palmed before dragging himself to follow Alice and Edgar.
-
Y/n was still asleep on the loveseat. The blankets was lifted close to her face—cascading her in warmth. Her head leaned in the armrest of the couch. One leg posted up on the other armrest as her other leg hung off the couch. 
Slam!
The front door opened harshly and stumbled in..Panchito.
This caused Y/n to flinch. Her heart jumping in her throat as she sat up quickly. Bendy was asleep on the floor, and his head was under the coffee table. When he flinched and sat up. His head hit the table. His hand shot up and held his head as he grunted painfully. Oswald slowly opened his eyes. Which were squinted.
“Panchito—what—why aren’t you asleep? Why are you outside? What’s wrong?” Y/n rubbed her eyes, the blanket fell off her as Panchito walked into the living room.
“I have found—this!” He extended his arms and opened his palm. Showcasing...a turtle. A small turtle. 
“I found this little guy by the dock! Isn’t he so cute! I will name him. BB—no! Chirp. Because when I found him. He was making a chirping sound—“
Bendy soon got up and walked over to Panchito.
“Did you really wake us up for a stupid turtle? Go throw it out!” 
“Can you guys keep your voices down please, gosh..” Oswald turned his back towards the three and lifted the blanket to his face. Panchito moved the turtle away from Bendy—so the demon wouldn’t try anything as he suspected.
“But—he is so cute. Look at him.”
“It’s a turtle. Put it back.”
“No!”
“Hey!” Oswald shouts before sitting up and turning to look at Bendy and Panchito. The two looked over at the rabbit.
“Cut it out! It’s too early for all that!”
“Actually.” Donald suddenly appeared in the room. Standing near the front door. The sun is brighter than usual. All the way in the sky. Which was odd for a morning sunrise...
“It's 1 in the afternoon.”
-
Placing the book on the hood of the car. Y/n opened it and started flipping through the papers to find the map. The sun was out and it was pretty hot out. Finding the map yet again been marked with a small ink dot, the last ink dot that marked Oregon was gone.  But—that didn’t matter. Seeing Idaho was marked for their next location was a big relief as Y/n was glad they didn’t have to travel overseas to get anyone. And the fact that Idaho was next door to Oregon—the drive wouldn’t be no longer than maybe 8 hours.
“Okay guys, the next location is Idaho.” Y/n turned around and looked at the four toons that waited for her. Donald raised an eyebrow.
“Idaho? What’s in Idaho?” He asks. Bendy snickered and looked over at Donald.
“I don’t know—pppft—get it? Idaho? I don’t know? Hahaha!” He burst out laughing at his corny joke—that really wasn’t a joke to begin with, but he found humor
In it. Oswald lowered his ears and gave Bendy a fearful expression. Looking between Bendy and Y/n—who didn’t even crack a smile at the joke. Oswald spoke up.
“He—he uh...he doesn’t do this often...right?” He asks her. And Y/n hope he didn’t, sitting in a car for 8 hours listening to puns and jokes? She'd rather walk the way there or catch a bus.
“What? No one likes my joke? C’mon! That was hilarious!” Bendy was still laughing through his words. Panchito was silent for a moment. At first he didn’t get it, until he muttered it under his breath again. Soon a look of realization took over.
“Oooh! I get it! Ahaha!” Panchito laughed along with Bendy. “That’s the stupidest joke I’ve ever heard.” Donald said. A blank expression on his face. Not even moved by the joke. Y/n closed the book and walked over the car door and opened the passenger seat.
“Alright! Come on! Let’s hit the road please, I wanna be there before nightfall.”
-
Y/n watched as the many cornfields passed by—leaving Duckburg about 2 hours ago with no hassle. And it was good that they didn’t need
To take a break. Though, now, with five people in the car, there wasn’t much room as there was to begin with. Oswald did squeeze back up into the front to
Sit in the passenger seat with Y/n again. Panchito and Donald were catching up with each other, talking about their own business. The book was on Y/n’s lap as an hour ago, she was looking through the papers just out of curiosity. Oswald did seem to be on the verge of drifting off to sleep. 
But after 40 or so minutes passed. They were now driving in a small town located at the edge of Oregon called ‘WallowDale’—which Y/n knew nothing about. Looking at the green welcome sign. It seemed like a pretty generic town, more so how Y/n would see it as from those cliche TV shows with the kids that lived in the small towns where everyone knew everyone. The town seemed peaceful and nice—the mountain's way in the distance gave such a serene atmosphere. 
“You think they have a diner down here somewhere? We should get something to eat.” She said to no one in particular. Oswald opened his eyes—he wasn’t sleeping, more enjoying the sound of the car driving down the road to replace the fact he was abruptly woken up in the morning, or, the afternoon to be correct.
Bendy heard Y/n and snapped from his train of thought from whatever he was thinking about.
“Yeah. I guess food sounds good right about now.”
-
Stretching, Y/n lets out a strained groaned, feeling relief of the tension leaving her legs, even though they only made it almost 4 hours in the car, she needed to stretch her legs. The soft wind traveled between her fingers and the sun coaxed her in its warmth. Looking ahead of her, Y/n looked at the small establishment—a family owned diner. 
“Wow, it looks nice in this town!” Oswald whistled as he took in the small Argo-town. It seemed a bit rural—yet a comfortable place to be.
One of the kids that were seated in the pavement watched as the five got out of the car. A look of awe ridden on his face. The chalk the kid was playing with slipped from his hand and onto the pavement. Toons—they were toons! He’s never seen them before! 
Y/n heard the kid gasp and she looked over at the kid to see his eyes glued on her four tooney friends.
“Is this a parking meter?” Bendy didn’t pay attention to the kid—as he didn’t see him, but had his focus on the parking meter. Oswald was standing next to Y/n—but had his attention still in his surroundings and Panchito and Donald were still talking.
The kid waved at Y/n once moving his gaze to her. She smiled at him and waved as well. The kid raised his chalky hands to his mouth and smiled bashfully. What a cutie.
“Okay, come on.”
-
Inside the diner, classic 50s rock music was heard. The smell of food—whatever was cooking wafted in the air and it smelled delicious! The AC was on, and it immediately cooled down Y/n and the others. Y/n could see the theme of the retro diner, some people were dancing by a jukebox, which caught her attention. She stopped walking and watched as at least 7 people were dancing by the jukebox fluently and gracefully! Some people in their booths and seats clapping along to the music and cheering the people. 
“Hm—impressive.” Oswald said. Panchito‘s feathers shook as he hopped from one talon to the other, dancing along with the music rather silly like. This caused Y/n to laugh, a smile widening.
“I like it here. It’s nice. Don’t you guys think?” She asks the four. Donald quickly nods. “I hadn’t heard about this town, but man isn’t this place snazzy.” He said. His eyes trailing over the details in the restaurant. 
“I agree.” Oswald agrees. Looking away from the people dancing and over to Panchito who just needed to move—dance. He took ahold of Y/n’s hands? Which caught her by surprise. But she did happily hop around with the rooster. Bendy looked away from the walls of old black and white pictures that caught his attention. Looking over at Panchito and Y/n dancing, a smile quickly appeared on his face.
Afterwards a stout man pushed the flappy doors open that led to the kitchen. He lets out a boisterous laugh, holding a silver serving player with a plate of food on it. He held a spatula and with that spatula he ringed a service bell.
“Jeremy! Your food is ready!” He shouts. Placing the plate on the counter. He must have been a chef as his white stained apron gave it away.
Y/n lets go of Panchito's hands once hearing the loud voice.
“Ay! Alex! The hot cakes are delicious!” Shouts at a customer. Alex—who Y/n assumed the chef's name was. Laughs and waved his head.
“Thank ya! Thank ya! Now—“ the room went silent as the majority of the diners' customers looked over at the chef, was he about to make an announcement?
“I’m glad you all are here fer’ me and my sweet gal’s anniversary! Ain’t that right, shnookums?” Alex placed a hand on the wall and gave it a love filled expression. Bendy gagged, causing Y/n to nudge him to shush him.
“This building brought me many memories! Fifty years everyone! Alex’s Diner!” The customers clapped and cheered for the owner—now that Y/n realized. Alex smiled and nodded at the annocumemt and the cheers.
“Thank you, thank you—and I—“ he immediately stopped talking when his eyes landed in Y/n and four others. An eyebrow raised at the group...were they..not supposed to be there? The eyes on them caused an anxiety to start bubbling in Y/n. Was this a private event? What happened?! Her fingertips went cold and immediately her throat went dry.
“May I help you all? Are you folks lost?” Alex asks. Y/n opened her mouth to speak. Her hands wringing around the straps of her book bag.
“Hi—I’m—we’re sorry. We wanted to eat something and leave, but if you all are having an event, we can just leave?” She didn’t want to make her statement sound like a question, but he did anyway.
“Did you all read the sign before coming’ in?” Alex asks, though his question sounds like a trick question. A hint of sarcasm in his voice? It was something!
Y/n gave a wavering smile. Grabbing Panchito by his wrist, Oswald by his wrist and grabbing onto Donald and Bendy’s tie, she started to back away, bringing them with her.
“Oh? So this is an event. We’ll be on our way then.” She quickly said—stupid move! Why didn’t she see it from the beginning instead of blindly walking in.
“No-no! Dear, come! Sit, I will serve you!” Alex waved a hand to beckon her over to the stool at the counter. Y/n stopped walking and felt a bit of relief.
“Your friends will have to wait outside though.” Was his catch. Y/n hands slipped from her friends. She glanced behind her, to see no one. Who was he talking to?
“Us?” Panchito asked. Pointing a thumb to his chest. Alex nods.
“Yes sir, In case you four toons hadn’t read—“ Alex reached behind the counter and pulled out a flip sign. A pale blue lining around the board and in black words read; ‘No Toons Allowed’
“What?!” Donald shouts abruptly. But, Alex nods. “Yep, but I can serve the young lady. Come sit, I’ll get you something, on the house, dear.” 
Y/n furrowed her eyebrows...when was that a thing? And why was it allowed? That can’t be! It had to be his own store policy.
“This is your store policy?” Y/n asks. 
“Countrywide law. Just been accepted as a new optional choice for business owners like myself. Love it or hate it, it’s my rule. Now come sit.”
“No! She’s not sitting, Y/n, let’s go.” Donald took a hold of Y/n’s wrist and started to walk towards the door, but Oswald stopped Donald.
“No, she can stay and eat if she wants, she hasn’t eaten all day, we’ll be fine.” Oswald swatted Donald’s hand away from Y/n’s wrist. Which he lets go. Donald crumbled under his breath.
“Ay—girly. You gonna let these toons decide for you?” One customer asks. Y/n looks over to the customer. But ignores him. Bendy slightly nudged Y/n to
The door. “She makes her own decision just fine, thank you.”
“Bendy—no, if Y/n wants to eat here, then she can. Come on, we’ll wait outside.” Oswald said, once again nudging Bendy away, Bendy swatted Oswald’s hands.
“Ay! Keep yer’ hands off me, I already had to listen to Mr. Sal over here.” Bendy threw an insult at Alex. Which took note of. Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at Bendy.
“You got a problem with me, pal?” Alex crosses his eyes before eyeing Bendy. Bendy tsked and strolled over to the counter.
“All the problems, ya’ old geezer!” 
“Well shit..” Y/n muttered under her breath.
“Panchito! Do something.” Oswald whispered under his breath to the rooster. Panchito—didn’t seem to have a plan in mind. He’s never been in a situation like this before.
“Oh please? If I don’t want a couple of pencil strokes waltzing into my fine diner! Then I damn sure don’t one walking in, especially you demon look alike.”
“Hey!” Y/n shouts.
“Don’t talk to him like that!”  She glared at the owner. Alex looked at Y/n and squinted his dark eyes. “You lookin’ for trouble too, kid?” 
“You wanna get to her? You’ll have ta’ get through me. Pork. Chop.” Bendy points his gloved hand at Alex’s nose. The customers murmured in shock.
“Alright! Party’s over.” An accented voice shouts. Panchito, Oswald and Donald moved away from the entrance of the diner. A sheriff walked in. His boots and spurs clicking—for whatever reason he was wearing them..
The shades in his face was dark and he held a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. Donald panicked—Panchito—they almost forgot! He can’t be seen! Looking around quickly. Donald picked up an empty mop bucket and slammed in on Panchito’s head. Panchito wobbled almost dazed like at the sudden impact. The sheriff looked over. At Donald, who nervously smiled at him, leaning his elbow on the bucket that was on Panchito’s head as if he were casually leaning. 
“You toons heard the man. No service. Now scram unless you all want a free ride to the office.” The officer  told the group.
Y/n rubbed her clammy hands together and walked over to Bendy and grabbed him by his tie and dragged him away from the counter. Him and Alex staring each other down. They needed to leave immediately before that officer found out about Panchito and the book—which would be tough to do—but she felt that any officer would have eyes like a hawk that can find out just about anything.
Pushing the doors  open, strolling back outside. Y/n ran her hands through her hair.
“That was..that was something new.” She said. Walking over to the car and opening the passenger door. Bendy fixed his tie.  “When did that become a...thing.” He grunts. Hinting towards the new Policy. Or, law.
“Whatever it is, we need to be more careful and start reading, that’s for sure.” Donald said, taking the bucket off of Panchito’s head. Panchito blinked at the sunlight and lifted a hand to rub his head under his sombrero. 
“You toons got kicked?” Asked a voice. Bendy didn’t even bat an eye as he had his eyes closed, trying to think of a new place to eat at.
“Not now, Oswald…” Bendy muttered. Oswald slowly closes the car door once he opens it.
“I didn’t even say anything..” Oswald said. Y/n looks at Oswald and then Bendy.
“You heard that too?” Y/n asks. And Oswald nods quickly. “Me too.” Donald adds.
“Oh my g—-down here you Idiots!” Donald quacks and his hands quickly flew to his tail feathers. Quickly standing next to Y/n with an angry expression. “Hey! What’s the big I-“ he stopped in his track when he saw a small toon—a bird—a blue bird. Y/n squints her eyes. 
“You kinda look like the birdie in my neighborhood.” Y/n said. The bird nods. “That’s because I am sweet cheeks.” The bird—really packed a voice. His voice was much deeper than you would expect from a dainty little bird. Panchito gasped.
“Whoa? Have you followed us? What a cute litt—“
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Oswald told Panchito, his hands up to shield his face as if the bird would attack him instead of Panchito.
“Hey! What’re guys doin? Come on—we gotta hit the road.” Bendy walked around the car and
Looked at the four. Y/n motioned towards the blue bird. “Talking bird.” She told him. Bendy looked at her and turned  to look at the bird. The five standing next to each other as they all looked down at the bird.
“I’ll make this quick and easy! Alright, my name is BB, short for blue bird—thank the narrator.”
No no, thank you, Blue Bird.
“Who?” Y/n raised an eyebrow as she looked around for whoever the blue bird could have mentioned.
“Oooh! I was going to name my turtle that!” Panchito smiled. Oswald squinted his eyes before looking at Panchito.
“Where did that turtle go anyway?” He asks. Panchito deflates.
“Bendy threw him to the pound. mi corazón está triste…” Panchito sighs.
BB looked at the group and shook his head slowly...they all were so...silly.
“Never mind that.” BB said. But it didn’t stop there, Y/n raised her hand.
“You kinda sound like Samuel L. Jackson.” She said. Donald shook his head and tapped his beak.
“I was thinking more like Morgan Freeman.” Donald adds. Y/n then nods and lets out a laugh. The two snickered together. The bird whistles to catch their attention.
“Attention, please”
“Right, sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Now, I’m your guide to help you. It may seem crazy. But I’ve been guiding you all this entire time—well. You all have been technically guiding yourselves, and I am so proud of this team of what it’s made. Especially the night when you three found each other.” BB looked at Y/n, Panchito, Bendy and Oswald. 
“So...you’re the book?” Panchito asks. BB shook his head.  “No, I’m not. The book is itself of course. I’m a piece of it. The navigator. Donald, that paper you received. I sent it to you. I’m soul bound to the book—-promised from the kings eons ago for when the day comes, this book will fall in the right hands with the right people. That being you five—and more to come. I’m no guardian, no knight, god, or anything—too much. I’m your helper. Your guide. Look at me as your personal GPS.” BB finishes. Y/n nods slowly—it made sense on how the sudden times the book would know where to locate everyone.
“So, you’ve been marking down the locations on the map?” Y/n asks BB. And he nods. “Correct.”
“I suppose you’re also responsible for when the book randomly flies off?” Bendy asks, yet he holds sarcasm in his tone. A lot of it. 
“No, the book has a mind of its own, use ya’ brain. Or do demon toons have any?”
“Hey!”
“So, we’re heading to Idaho now. That’s where it’s marked off for our next location. Do you have any information on who we were supposed to run into?” Donald tilts his head as he asks the question.
BB tapped his talon on the pavement. “I’m only here to help guide. That’s information you all will collect.” 
“Would you happen to have any info on what’s going on?” Y/n asks. And BB shook his head.
“Guys. I’m a navigator. I was only created for this purpose only. Anything outside of helping the people that wields that book to getting where they need
 To be, that’s outside my realm.” He said. And he seemed genuinely sure about it. But Y/n wasn’t complaining. They had a navigator. And that’s all that matters.
Oswald scoffed. “Wait, how do we know you’re telling the truth?” He asks. BB motioned towards Y/n, more her book bag.
“I’m in the book. You can read about me! Now!” BB flapped his wings? Lifting off the air and his talon snapped and that same golden trail, shot down the road.
“Idaho, off you go.” The bird took off to the sky. Oswald blinked slowly and the five of them looked at the sky and saw the bird flapping away. Y/n looked back at the street...yeah. That was more than enough information. 
-
Two figures were tossed into a cage. The metal clanking together as the gate was slammed closed and locked. 
“Just wait till boss see these bad boys..” a voice chuckled. A toon stood in front of the gate. Staring at the two captured toons. Their kidnapper had characteristics of an animal as the 2nd one also as well. 
The toon inside the cage shot up and and started banging on the bars—he took the bars in both hands and shook them.
“Let me outta here! I oughtta give you a piece of my mind!” Shouts the toon as his kidnappers sauntered off somewhere on the side of the room. 
“Hey, Doug. You think boss’ll give us a raise cuz Zip and Zot lost the rabbit?” Asked one of the kidnapper toons to his co-worker—Doug. Doug was busy dialing on a phone, a cigar placed on the side of Doug’s mouth.
“He damn sho’ betta’, i ain’t hunt these good for nothing’s down for no bread—and Jack—shut that toon up—I CAN’T EVEN HEAR MYSELF THINK!” 
“Cuphead! Give it a rest!”
Ah yes, Cuphead and Mugman. The brothers that were always sewn to the hip. Always together, found themselves in a pickle…
Cuphead quickly turned around. His hands shot to his head. “Give it a rest?! We’ve been ‘napped Mugs—for some prissy uppity smoker—and his idiot side kick!” Cuphead shouts in anger. Mugman gave him a blank expression before blinking.
“You’re embarrassing me.”
Cuphead and Mugman stared at each other for a moment. Cuphead blinks. “What?! Mugs—I don’t have time for t—OW!” Doug grabbed a lot of Cuphead’s straw. Cuphead gagged as if he were choking and couldn’t breathe. Doug lifts the phone to his ear.
“Ay boss? How far are ya’ from downtown? We got your toons that witch told me about—a brand new one—-yeah—mmmhmm.” The kidnapper spoke on the phone and soon let go of Cuphead’s straw and walked Off to continue the conversation alone. Snapping his fingers at Jack—the second kidnapper. To watch
Cuphead and Mugman.
Cuphea gasped for air. Placing a hand in his chest. Mugman looked over at Jack. The...kidnapper wasn’t too on the bright side as he was..digging in his nose, not even paying attention to the two.
“Hello, sir?” Mugman calls out. Jack turns around and looks at Mugman—Cuphead gleaming at the toon.
“Hi, can you atleast tell us. Why are we here in this..” Mugman looked around the dim area, the spacious building resembled a warehouse.
“Warehouse? I presume?”
“Yuh.” Jack said. Mugman nods slowly.
“Why are we here?”
“Oh! Cuz boss needs y’all’s! He’s tryna plan sumn’ big! And the witch lady can feel people that a—-“
“Hey, ya big lug, shut up.” Cuphead told Jack...which he did…
Mugman glared at Cuphead.
“Why did you do that? He was gonna tell us something valuable and you went running your big mouth again, you nut!”
“Look at him—what makes you think he knows anything? I bet if you tell him to play under a beehive, he’ll do it! Look at him!” Cuphead and Mugman looked over at Jack, who was looking off into the spacious area. A small smile on his snout.
“Hey,  Jake?” Cuphead calls out. Jack looks at Cuphead and smiles. “It’s Jack.”
“Yeah, John. Anyway, when is your boss getting here?” He asks. But instead of Jack answering. Doug did. He stepped back into the room, arms behind his back with a menacing grin.
“He’ll be here soon. Very soon.”
There was silence...and then Cuphead spoke up.
“Okay good, because I guess I gotta speak to the higher ups to get it through you, and this idiots thick skull to let us go!!”
“Cuphead!”
-
A/n: this uh—took a longer time than I expected. Sorry. AND—sOrry the chapter is so long—I really hate short chapters, plus I have so much that I want to be seen in one chapter, But. I promise I’ll make it short in the future. I felt this character was as good as the first.
I’m sorry y’all don’t hurt me.
But! Hey, we got no characters! 😭
I do wanna say, I love the Butcher Gang. Especially Edgar. Such a delicate character.
But, I want to say thank you to all of you out there that commented and gave me support! Thank you!!! I did not expect this to go in anyone’s liking, and I am really surprised! So thank you!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
See you all in the next character. 😊
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deepdisireslonging · 3 years
Text
Please, Professor
The Reader finally acts on her long crush with her professor. He admits a startling secret during sex and gives her a choice. 
Pairing: Professor!Sam Winchester x Reader (Y/N) 
Warnings/Promises: teacher/student SMUT, incubus magic/ dub-con, oral (male receiving), desk smut, dirty talk (usually a given with me), demon deal, life-force draining 
Word Count: 2043
Note: This is for @neversatisfiedgirlfics​ Tumblr Midnight Society! I’ve written demon characters before, but not like this. Not to mention, who doesn’t love an office smut fic? Gifs, comments, keyboard smashes, and reblogs are always appreciated. Enjoy!
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“In summary, archival work is a possible direction to anyone who works in anthropology. Going out and collecting the data is the more… romantic view of the field. But something has to be done with it once we have it. How that information is used in academic circles, and how it is shared with the world, is up to this generation to figure out.” Professor Winchester looked to the back of the classroom to the clock. “Alright, five minutes to spare. Not much of an escape, but enjoy your weekend everybody.”
As his eyes drifted down from the clock, they landed on you in the back row. He bit back a smile watching the gleam in your eye. The other students rushed to end their school hours before whatever wild weekend they had planned. You moved slow. Deliberate. Leaning over your bookbag to show off your cleavage. Adjusting your skirt. And tying your hair back off your neck before going out into the last of the autumn heat. At the front display table, the professor leaned against it bitting his lip. Finally, it was just you two. 
“Ms Y/N, did you enjoy today’s lecture?”
You took a second to reapply your lipstick before replying. “I always do, Professor. I have told you this is my favorite class, right?” From under your eye lashes, you watched his chest stutter in its rise and fall. 
“You have mentioned that.”
A gentle frown set into your face. “Though, a few things did confuse me. If you’re not busy-”
“Of course. Let’s go to my office.”
He held the office door open, gently hovering his hand over your lower back to lead you in. You stood beside the guest chair, holding your notes close to your chest. His office was almost as gorgeous as him. It was overflowing with books. Had the smell of a library. And he always had a pile of documents to be digitalized. You tilted your head to see one, scrunching your forehead to see the word “demonology” in the curly script. 
“So which part of the lecture confused you, Ms Y/N?” Professor Winchester moved the documents out of the way for his laptop. “You seemed to be paying attention the whole time.” 
You were caught. No use beating around the bush. 
“Well…” you drawled. “I did get distracted once or twice. Your voice is very soothing, Professor. I may have gotten lost in your, uh, rumble.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I rumble?”
“Mhmm.”
His head dipped as he chuckled, hiding the sides of his face with his hair. “I had no idea. It probably doesn’t carry well in that hall. Which parts did you miss?” A second later he was at your shoulder, ready to stare at your notes. With them clutched close to your chest, he had nowhere else to look but down your cleavage. Eventually you moved them so he could read them. But he was hooked. He barely glanced at them. 
“For being distracted,” his gaze flicked to your lips, “I don’t see any holes in your notes. Did you have anything else you wanted me to fill in for you?” 
You don’t know what came over you. Notes scattered as you dropped them. Wetness filled your mouth and between your thighs. 
You sank to your knees in front of him.
Professor Winchester’s eyebrows shot up. He walked to the door. Not to kick you out. No. He locked it, then came back to stand where the bulge in his pants was right in front of your face. He smiled. A whine pulled at the back of your throat as he ran his long fingers through your hair. 
“This is a surprise. Do you really want this, Y/N?” Tilting his head, he grinned to see you melt under such a slight touch. “I need to hear it. Do you really want to suck my cock?”
“Yes, please. Please, Professor,” you breathed through a haze. Your vision was fuzzy around the edges with desire. Slowly, you reached for the zipper on his slacks. He didn’t bat your hands away, so you kept going. You palmed over the hard bulge before pulling his cock out. The sight made your mouth water even more. 
A gentle kitten lick to the tip made his eyes flutter. Boldness creeped in. The groan that fell from his lips as you closed your mouth over the top of his cock sent a zing up your spine. Further and further, you worked your way down his length. Bobbing and licking, and doing anything to draw those sounds out of him. 
“Such a bad student,” he gasped, “teasing me, day in and day out. I swear your clothing got skimpier the more this semester has gone on.” The grip tightened on your ponytail as he hit the back of your throat. “Come on. Be bad. Give me more, Y/N.”
Smiling around him, you gave him more. Hollowing and sucking. Wrapping your hand around what you couldn’t taste. Reaching for his balls and feeling them tighten when your tongue moved just right. Hearing him hiss in pleasure flushed your skin. Made you desperate. He wanted more? You wanted- needed to give him that. More than you needed air. 
Growling, he yanked you up into the chair. It was definitely easier on your knees, and solved the height difference so he didn’t have to hunch to reach your mouth. It also made it easier for the professor to thrust into your mouth. To pin you down by sheer closeness. He moaned when you choked on him. 
“Such a hot mouth. I knew it would be.” He was barely whispering, But you heard every word like it was your own thoughts. “Been watching you since the first day you stepped into the building. I could sense the desire in you. Saw it when you stepped into my class. I’ve really enjoyed drawing you to me. Such a pretty moth.”
Gold light circled his irises as he caught your gaze. You sputtered around his cock and tried to pull back. He gripped the back of your head, but stopped thrusting. 
“Yes. I could feel you wanted me. Gave that desire a jump start. It’s what an Incubus does.” He laughed and flashed his eyes again. You tried to scream, but couldn’t make much sound with him still in your mouth. The vibrations laxed his jaw. He composed himself. “I watched you too. Heard you panting my name in the night. Now you’ve got the real deal. Tell me. Does it match up with your wet dreams?”
His dark chuckle chilled you. All you could do was sit there as he thrust a few times, edging himself. Then he pulled out and you could breathe. You inhaled quickly-
“No one will hear you.” Profesor- the Incubus looked at his watch. “Everyone’s gone home for the weekend by now. You can scream if you like, but I’d prefer it if you were enjoying yourself.”
“Enjoying myself?” You shuddered. “You- you were, what? Grooming me?”
The demon shrugged. “A touch here, a helpful hand there, it didn’t take much, did it? I admit, you lasted longer than I expected. All the better.” His finger trailed down your cheek. “It’s going to make you even more delicious.”
Your eyes widened. 
He smiled, all teeth and hooded eyes. “I won’t eat you. More like- consider me a vampire of sexual energy. Gives me the opportunity to feed multiple times.”
“Multiple-”
You tried to escape the chair. 
“Ah-ah-ah.” 
Easily he pinned your wrists to the arm rests.
“Understand me, Y/N: you can say no. I’m not that kind of a demon to force you into something you don’t want. But you do want it, right? I can smell you from here,” he rumbled. “Dripping. Absolutely soaked at the thought of fucking your professor. Especially now with that extra layer of ‘forbidden power.’” He leaned out of your space, giving you room to breath unhindered by his nearness. “You can walk away. You’ll be a little needy for a day or two, but I’m sure you can handle it. What’s it gonna be, Y/N?” His eyes glimmered with that golden flash. “Walk away, or take my cock into that ruined pussy of yours?”
The fog lifted from around your vision. How much had he done to you? Three-fourths of the semester were gone, and you had sunk to your knees like a desperate- like a desperate slut. Just thinking that word made you shiver. Was that thought even your own?
“I need an answer, Y/N. I can wipe your memories too. Take away everything, though it would be such a waste-”
“No!” You batted his hand away from your forehead. “I-” Heating your skin were the memories of bringing yourself to orgasm with his name on your lips. “I want this.”
“Good.”
He pinned you to the top of his desk, cupping your face to shatter you further with a deep kiss. You gripped his shirt, needing anything to keep you grounded. You could feel. Now that you knew it was there. His touch ignited every nerve ending in your body. Made you crave him. Crave more of his touch. You needed-
The fabric of your skirt was pushed up. Your panties were pulled to one side. You moaned into his mouth as strong fingers started to play with your slick. 
But his hands were holding your face. How was he-? Oh. Oh.
This was officially the best decision of your life.
The touch of an incubus was more powerful than any mortal man. Fire spread across your body one cell at a time. Then chilling ice as he sucked on your neck. Moaning, he thrust his hips, and delved his tongue into your mouth, in time to the movements of his fingers. You were brought quickly to the brink of orgasm. Each thrust, touch, taste of him made your head swim. There was so much of him. 
“You gonna cum for me, Y/N?” He sucked harder on your neck, stealing away your answer. “Not yet.”
He fumbled to line his cock with your entrance. You wondered if he could see through the glow of his own eyes. 
Suddenly he filled you in a breath. You arched off the desk. Your demon groaned as your walls adjusted around him. He was gentle at first. The ravenous. His cock couldn’t get enough, feeling your slick sucking him in as he thrust wildly. He shifted his hips, spearing you in different ways to make you scream and claw at his back. There wasn’t room for you to breathe. To think. Why did you need to think? You were getting fucked within an inch of your life!
Literally. It wasn’t just the sex making it hard to breathe. Each kiss dragged every molecule of oxygen out of your lungs. Every draw of his cock drained the energy out of your limbs. Your movements slowed to surviving sleep paralysis. And you didn’t care. You’d never experienced such pleasure in your life. And with a succubus, such pleasure could end your life. The professor moved faster than you could process. He demanded your pleasure. Fed off it. 
Your vision faded at the edges. 
He was really going to kill you. 
As suddenly as he had you coming apart at the seams, he stopped. 
You whined, pulling at him to continue. 
“Ah-ah-ah.” Slowly, he slid his warm hand up your stomach to squeeze your breath. “We need to discuss a tiny detail.”
“Let me cum and you can have my soul, I don’t care.”
One slow thrust in and out edged you as he laughed. 
He grinned. “You say that, but- ah.” He tweaked your nipple to make you pay attention. “That’s the deal, Y/N. If I cum in you, you belong to me. Until your last breath. Until I drain you completely. Or we stop here. And you’re horny for a few days, but you recover. Or,” he nodded his head. “Or you have the best release of your life. And many more.”
You panted, unable to collect enough air to make a decision. 
“What do you want, Y/N? Make your choice.”
“Please, Professor-”
***
***
Other Dark!Team Free Will Fics:
Simple Demon, Simple Pleasures (Demon!Dean, S)
Not Only in Dreams (Demon!Dean, A, S) 
A Goodbye Ride (King of Hell!Sam, A, S, Tw: Dub-Con)
Forbidden Fun (Casifer, S)
***
Masterlist 
Forever Tags: @blondekel77​ @brianaraydean​ @chwehansol98​ @fireflyfunhousetrash​ @laochbaineann​ @ramblingsofabourbondrinker​ @savmontreal​ @shieldgirl18 @tinyelfperson​ @writtingrose​ @xladyxfatex​ @gold--gucciempress​  
Supernatural Tags: @emoryhemsworth​ @quixoticcat​ @smandrews3​ @supernatural-jackles​ @tamtamlov​ @vvinch3st3r​ @kittenofdoomage​ 
Sam Winchester Tags: @daniel-sharman-tho​ @gabbyrogers094​ @myshitismine4221​ @winchesterprincessbride​
(Let me know if you’d like to join a tag list! Send me an ask or a DM)
138 notes · View notes
logical-little-lies · 4 years
Text
Soft Kisses in The Kitchen-Little Vlogs (chapter 3)
Tag list: @stimmingsides @smollilsanderssides @novacloudcat @analogical-agere @fairyhuman2000 @aphandgflover@softastarlight @littlesapphygem @softflowerinmyheart @virgietheprincess @babeyalstar @b3an-spr0ut @babeyvoid @lgbtqiaemo @because-were-fam-ily @lonelysoul43
chapter summary: After a few weeks on being friends, the four are comfortable with each other. After a stressful week at work, Roman and Virgil decide to spend their weekend off work at Patton's. Some romance plays out as a certain boy realizes all four of them were beginning to fall for one another.
--
Virgil walked out of the Hot Topic, looking around for his boyfriend and Logan. He found them conversing, walking his way from the bookshop. They fell into a routine, Logan picked them up and dropped them off, somedays Roman did. Either way, Virgil just ended up riding along with whatever car was getting him to and from work. Today though, Roman and Virgil had ridden with Logan, so he was also dropping them off.
"Roman!" Virgil threw himself into Roman's arms, hugging him tightly.
"Hey there, my emo disaster," he chuckled, kissing his forehead. Roman caught Logan glancing at Virgil, seemingly admiring him. "Don't you gotta boyfriend, you Flirty Dork?" he teased.
Logan blushed lightly in sync with Virgil, whose heart exploded at the idea of Logan looking at him in a romantic sense. At this point, their hangouts were full of Roman and Logan flirting, Virgil admiring Logan (and for some reason, he couldn't get Patton out of his head), and Patton cuddling everyone. Unknowingly, all the boys were developing feelings for each other.
"I'm poly," he muttered lightly. Virgil could practically feel Roman's want to break out into a victory dance, but Roman restrained himself from acting that dorky in front of his freckle-faced crush.
"Gay and poly..noted," Roman gave a wink to Logan, but it was so quick that the intelligent and professional man had no idea if it actually happened.
"Hey, gay disaster number 1 and 2, I want to get out of here before I literally die of boredom," Virgil snapped his fingers to get Logan and Roman to stop their very gay flirting. Logan looked towards Virgil, giving him an indecipherable look.
"Emo and sassy...noted," he hummed, and Virgil gasped, going quiet.
"So," Roman stepped off the sidewalk and began leading the other two through the parking lot. "Me and Logan were talking-"
The intelligent man in question corrected him, "Logan and I."
"Irrelevant. We were talking, and were thinking. If you're okay with it, why don't we spend this weekend at Patton's?" Roman rested his hand on Logan's car door handle, waiting for the 'beep' to let him know that it was unlocked.
"I don't have an issue with that. I have this weekend off, we got a new worker, some teenager whose barely old enough to apply for a job. So if it works out, I won't have to work on weekends," Virgil climbed into the back seat, Roman doing a dramatic 'whoop! whoop!'.
Logan and Roman got in, both of them buckling their seat belts. "Seat belt, baby," Roman reminded lightly, and Virgil was quick to listen to his instructions.
"So, we'll head over to your place to get whatever you guys need to sleepover, and then drive to my place," Logan decided. Logan and Roman organized this because Logan had this weekend off too, so for once, they were all free. But honestly, sleepovers even with work the next day were becoming semi-normal. It had been about a month since Virgil met Patton in person, and they had all been hanging out nonstop.
'papa..kinda feel small.'
Virgil was to shy to say it out loud, quietly messaging Patton as Logan drove towards their apartment complex.
'Make sure you let Roman know, grab your little stuff!! We've been irls for a month, and I still haven't seen little you in person!'
Virgil giggled lightly, "What'cha laughing at, Vee?" Roman asked. Virgil shook his head lightly,
"Nothing. M' fine," he tried to keep his voice level, making his absolute best effort to sound big. Roman nodded, but seemed suspicious.
'to shy, don't wanna. I'll stay big!'
Virgil listened to Logan and Roman converse about their job, throwing in some flirty comments here and there. He felt his phone buzz lightly in his lap a few minutes later. They were only a few streets away from their apartment now.
'Now, little one, that isn't a good idea! You haven't been small in a few weeks, and when you have it's only for a little bit. I know your worried you're gonna bother Roman, but I'm sure your dada won't mind!'
Virgil typed out a response, promising he'd tell Roman that he was regressing, but he still didn't say anything right away. "Okay, we'll be back," Virgil was snapped out of his thoughts when Roman opened his door. He realized that they were in the apartment parking lot.
He took Roman's hand, getting out and waving at Logan. Their apartment complex was set up simply, so locating and entering the building was easy. "Pack enough clothes for two nights, two days, and don't forget your hygienic stuff," Roman reminds, unlocking the door and letting Virgil in.  Virgil was quick to pack clothes, and the essentials. He purposely picked out his daytime clothes to be more childlike, hoping Roman would notice. His boyfriend, however, only glanced and ignored it.
Virgil sighed as Roman zipped up his bag, seemingly being able to pack his electronics, clothing, and everything else into one bookbag. "What's wrong, baby?" he looked at Virgil, shouldering his bag and coming closer. Virgil only whined in response, so Roman hugged him. "Don't think I didn't notice you were little, Vee. I was hoping you'd be able to say something and speak up for yourself, but you're anxious, I understand."
Virgil nodded, sniffling slightly. "None of that, there's no reason to cry," Roman assured wiping the tears of his face before reaching to Virgil's side of the bed, handing him his stuffed kitten. "Let's get some little stuff together, hmm?"
Virgil cheered up quickly, rummaging around the apartment and figuring out what little gear he'd need. One sippy cup, a stuffie, a pacifier, and a coloring book later, they had prepared for the sleepover. Virgil was speaking openly in his little voice before the exited the apartment, but when they got back in the car with Logan, he tried to talk big, hiding his face in his stuffie.
"Sorry we took so long, we had to grab little gear for the baby emo back there."
Virgil whined at his teasing, biting at his lip. His pacifier was in his bag, which Roman had set in his lap in the front. Logan played soft music through the aux cord into the radio as they drove, and it was only minutes before the little in the back seat fell asleep. "He takes naps very randomly when he regresses, sometimes in weird spots," Roman lightly chided.
Logan nodded, "Patton is so energetic, but it's adorable. He's never bratty, but when he is, it's because he's full of energy and forgets what rules even are," he chuckled to himself. "What are Virgil's rules?"
"Well, Patton and I have some random stuff. Like, bedtime by ten pm but that's always changing because of other things, listen to your carers, stuff like that. We've never, like, written them out though."
Logan made a turn, "You've never had a whole day where Virgil could be little, have you? He's never regressed long enough to break a rule, has he?"
Roman shook his head, "Virgil works all week. That's why I'm hoping this new worker stays and Virgil gets weekends off."
Logan and Roman continued talking, about work, about their littles, about the upcoming weekend. It wasn't long before they were in front of Patton's house, the the pastel-purple-haired boy in question was quick to run outside. Roman and Logan took the bags inside, while Patton woke Virgil.
"Hey, buddy, let's get up and go inside, hmm?" Patton lightly shook him, his eyes flying open. He felt around for his bear, which was nowhere in sight. "Hey, hey, don't panic. Roman took him inside for you," Virgil pouted in response to this. Patton chuckled, helping him out of the car, and taking his hand so that he didn't manage to hurt himself while going up the porch stairs.
Virgil ran to Roman, "Vani! Gimme Vani," he demanded in a toddler-like voice.
"Please, say please," Patton corrected, letting Logan lock the car before he shut the door and locked it behind him.
"Sorry papa! Please?" he tilted his head, and Roman chuckled, handing him the stuffed bear. Virgil found himself biting on the ear on the bear as he climbed onto the couch.
"ah-ah! No biting your stuffies," Logan jumped in, looking at Roman. "What bag has his little stuff?"
Roman zipped open one of Virgil's bags, pulling out the black adult pacifier. Virgil took it in his mouth quickly, pointing to his Nightmare Before Christmas sippy cup, whining lightly. "I know what you want, but I'm gonna need you to verbally ask, Vee." Roman knew he had trouble asking for something when he needed it, it was something he was trying to work with him on.
"Juice, please?"
"Of course, honey!" Patton took the sippy cup, "Grape, right?"
Virgil nodded with a light giggle, Patton disappearing into his kitchen. "So, Patton always films tons on the weekends, he plans all week and then films on the weekend. I don't know if he's still doing that or otherwise."
Logan began talking with Roman, but Virgil wanted Roman's attention. He made grabby-hands, grabbing the attention of his boyfriend and carer. "Cuddles! Cuddles!" he reached for Roman, who obliged and took his spot next to him on the couch.
Logan sat on the other side of Roman. "He's quite cute," Logan mumbled, blushing with wide eyes when he realized he said that out loud.
"It's okay," Roman assured, "Virgil and I are poly..so flirting is free grounds. I don't have an issue with it."
Logan nodded, still blushing lightly. Virgil had confirmed the fact he was poly with Roman, both of the boys admittedly crushed on Logan. And Roman thought Patton was cute in a 'you're-so-precious-I-wanna-protect-you' type of way, while Logan saw Virgil the same way. During all this, old feelings from high school were coming up for Patton, and Virgil was confused as to why he felt his heart speed up around Patton.
"Patton would kill me if he knew I told you, but he thinks you're cute. And he's had a crush on Virgil since forever, he's actually the main reason he realized he was poly. He had feeling for Virgil, but found himself able to like other people."
"They go well together, I will admit. But I don't know if Virgil likes him back or-"
"Look at this little Storm Cloud! He said that you two were talking grown up stuff, and he snuck into our kitchen," Patton came back into the living room, holding hands with the emo boy, who held his disney sippy cup.
"Sorry...Logan and I were talking and got distracted, I didn't even realize he left," Roman sighed, giving Logan a look that said 'this conversation isn't over'.
"I can let Virgil in my little room, he can play with any of my stuff, it'll keep him busy for a while," Patton offered, and Virgil nodded enthusiastically.
"That sounds good, we can make some snacks and then head up there, yeah?" Logan said. Patton nodded, giving him a look before leading Virgil up the stairs.
"So if I've thought about this correctly,then all of us are poly, right?" Logan asked, only a slight hesitancy in his voice as he got up and entered the kitchen. Roman followed him, feeling the weird nervousness in his stomach.
"Uh, yeah. Virgil didn't officially identify until recently when-" his eyes widened and he cut himself off. Logan smirked, opening a cabinet and grabbing a few plates.
"When both of you guys started crushing on me?" Logan gained a sudden burst of confidence, but he didn't face Roman to see his shocked face, he just continued preparing sandwiches and cookies for the two boys upstairs.
"I-uh..who said that?" Roman swallowed, his face quite red.
"The fact that both of you are extremely obvious and gay. Just so you know, you're cute too, Roman."
Roman was blushing, and there were a few moments of silence. "So..theoretically speaking, if all four of us were interested, would you be open to going out?"
"What do you mean?" Roman questioned.
Logan began spreading jelly on a slice of bread, "Like, a date. All four of us, we can go somewhere," he suggested. Roman was squealing inside of his head.
"If the other two are up for it, I'm definitely not against the idea. H-have you spoken to Patton about this?" Roman came close to Logan,leaning against the counter while he cut a sandwich into triangles, setting it on the dinosaur themed plate.
"Yeah, obviously. He likes you, and his old feeling for Virgil are coming back. They're best friends, but he's interested in something more. I think, we all should get to know each other, hmm?"
Roman nodded. "Is Virgil allowed to have chocolate chip cookies?" Logan asked, "I always make sure to give Patton a main thing, and then a cookie if he eats all of it."
Roman just nodded again, watching Logan set two cookies in between the sandwich slices, moving on to grab a bowl to make something for Patton. He settled on ouring a bag of chips for him and Roman, and prepared a similar plate to Virgil for Patton. "When Virgil's big, I'm sure Patton will offer the date-idea. I'm glad you're open to it," Logan smiled, making eye contact with Roman.
It wasn't uncomfortable though, both men smiled at each other. Roman felt something going off in his head, telling him this was wrong. That he was cheating on Vee somehow, but he had made sure to make it clear to Virgil that he was interested in Logan. They agreed that if there were any moves pulled, or they got the chance to do something, then they should go for it. Roman had full permission to do what he thought Logan was gonna do first.
"Patton's okay with this, right?" Roman mumbled, realizing their faces were closer now. When did they lean in?
Logan nodded, "Virgil, too?"
Roman nodded. And then they kissed. It was quick, sweet, and soft. It made both boys smile widely when they pulled away. Logan was the first to break eye contact, making a light coughing sound before handing Roman the bowl of chips. "We can do more of that on that date I mentioned," he said, causing Roman to blush lightly at the thought as he picked up the two plates.
Logan and Roman made a silent agreement to pretend the kiss didn't happen until Virgil was big and they could all talk about it.
But internally, both men were looking forward to the theoretical date. And not just for each other, Roman might've been originally attracted to Logan, but he found himself slowly crushing on Patton. Even when big, he was quite adorable, and Roman wanted to do nothing less than pull the precious boy into a hug and kiss him softly. And Logan? Logan wanted to hold Virgil close and whisper his worries away.
These idiots were all slowly falling for each other. Only time would tell how they would finally get together.
A/N: THE KISS WASN’T PLANNED OOPS, it just popped in my head and all I remember was ten minutes of keyboard clicking and suddenly I had written the gayest scene ever. I’m trying my best to not only focus on the agere aspect, but also the romance, these first chapters will continue to be romance-based until they all get together officially. after that, more agere stuff will ensue. Until then, enjoy they four disasters quickly falling for each other. also this is about 2500 words
Tag list: @stimmingsides @smollilsanderssides @novacloudcat @analogical-agere @fairyhuman2000 @aphandgflover@softastarlight @littlesapphygem @softflowerinmyheart @virgietheprincess @babeyalstar @b3an-spr0ut @babeyvoid @lgbtqiaemo @because-were-fam-ily @lonelysoul43
I’m still figuring out this taglist stuff, so if you want added then lmk (ask, messages). I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!
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ptw30 · 6 years
Note
Did we ever get a Keith meets Hunk & Pidge ficlet for Blade!Shiro? I know there was an interlude of Keith and Lance on the Garrison roof that left me wanting that first meeting. Did they know Lance was an alien? About Voltron? So many questions xD
Little background on this - I didn’t write a meeting between Keith, Hunk, and Pidge because it would have followed a similar storyline from “The Rise of Voltron.” It didn’t forward the plot of Blade!Shiro in the same way Lance and Keith’s scenedid.
In order tomake this side story a bit more engaging, I took a few liberties. In the Blade!Shiro interlude,I wrote that Lance had already met Blue - saw her, sat in her, had sleepoversin her cockpit, more or less - but in order for Hunk and Pidge to do something other thanshake hands and gape at Galra!Keith, I decided to make the literal “I met Blue”into “Hey, I met Blue in a metaphysical way like Shiro met Black on the astralplane.”
I think that also adds a bit of depth to the lions and paladin bond, which I really like. (And then Shiro isn’t the only paladin to get metaphysical hugs from his lion. :DDDDDDDDDDDDDD) So thanks for this prompt! 
A part of the Blade!Shiro series. 
Pidge hadbeen staked out on the top of Galaxy Garrison’s main building, surrounded byher homemade gear, for months, scanning to the far edges of the universe forthe lost Kerberos mission crew. She hadn’t wanted to give up the search, evenfor one night, but Lance lured her to the hanger with the promise of helpingher find the crew. He hadn’t lied. Keith would help her find her family. Lancewas sure of it.
Dirt kickedup behind the hoverbike as they skimmed over the desert floor and soaredthrough the hollowed canyon. The cool air burned Lance’s cheeks red, but hepersisted, thankful that both Pidge and Hunk wore long-sleeved shirts. Perhapshe should have been warned them, but there hadn’t been time.
As heentered some invisible radius, warmth kindled in his chest once more, familiarand kind and fierce, and Lance let out the tiny breath he hadn’t known he’dbeen holding. Behind him, he heard both Pidge and Hunk gasp as the sensationhit them, too, but unlike him, they weren’t prepared for another piece of theirfractured souls to snap into place.
When hepulled up to the shack, Pidge wondered out loud, “What was that?”
“Keith.” Lanceallowed that to serve as the only answer and slid off the bike’s seat.
“Look, nooffense, Lance, you know I trust you,” Hunk began, forefingers pressed togetherin his nervous tell, “but you’ve got to give us more than that. Just who isthis Keith you keep talking about?”
“And how canhe help me find my family?” Pidge added.
Lance letout an exaggerated sigh, eyes never diverting from the glowing shack thatburned like a beacon in the still and shadowed desert. He quickly recountedKeith’s lineage and the Galra Empire, and how the Blade might be able to locateher family. Pidge’s hands balled at her side, trembling with rage.
“Are youfreakin’ kidding me? You dragged me out into the middle of nowhere with thepromise to help find the Kerberos crew and your answer is aliens? You really expect me to believe that?”
Lancesighed, helpless, but Hunk stepped in. “He’s not lying, Pidge.”
“Don’t tellyou believe him, Hunk! Aliens! I know they exist, but you can’t tell me thisKeith – ”
“ – is notthe only alien here,” Lance replied, and he closed his eyes, focusing on hiscore energy. It was harder sometimes wearing his original form now, rather thanhis rounded ears and bland skin, but eventually his markings and pointed ears,along with his ruffle of white hair, emerged.
Pidge’smouth opened, closed, and then opened again. After a few quiet moments, herscowl returned. It wasn’t focused on Lance, however.
“You knewabout this?” she yelled at Hunk.
Hunkshrugged with a slight rosy tint to his cheeks. “Well, yeah. Lance is myroommate. I one time walked in on him wearing purple fur and glowing amber eyes– which by the way, I still don’t understand why you wanted to look like alarge purple cat.”
Lance letout a strained whine as he drudged toward the shack. “Hunk, do not bring upinside.”
The shackinitially appeared empty when they entered, but Lance still felt Keith’s fierypresence. Once Hunk and Pidge stepped into the middle of the shack, the door slammed shut behind them. Keithwaited, tail lashing, amber eyes glowing, awakened sword in his palm.
“Is thisthem?” he asked, resolute.
Lance didn’teven try to suppress his eye-roll. “No. I randomly pick up strangers whohappen to complete your soul. What do you think?”
Keithblinked and straightened his back, hand slowly sheathing his knife behind hisback. “I – I think these are the other – ”
“Yes, it’sthem!”
“Why are we here?” Pidge asked without pretense. “Lance said you could help find myfamily.”
As Keithpassed between her and Hunk, his eyes flashed to Lance’s with a wordlessquestion. Lance shrugged. “Her family was taken off Kerberos not too long ago.”
“How’d –How’d you know my dad and brother were – ”
“You looklike a mini-me version of Matt Holt,” Hunk said, reaching for Keith’s lashingtail. “Seriously, how Iverson couldn’t tell is just – hey!”
Keith pulledhis tail away from where it slapped Hunk’s hand. “Do you mind?”
“You can’tfault me. You have a tail! Hey, can I scratch behind your ears?”
Keithblinked; his ear flicked before he turned to Lance, completely unnerved.
Lanceresponded with a sheepish smile and an off-handed shrug. “They come with thewhole Voltron package.”
Keith rolledhis eyes and retreated to the cork board that spread across most of the farwall. A small kitchenette, some radio equipment, a beat-up old couch, and acoffee table crowded the rest of the shack, not allowing for muchmovement. Lance still couldn’t believe Keith lived out here by himself for thelast few movements, but then again, Lance had been bringing him the essentials– water, food, clean clothes. Even now, Keith wore one of Lance’s old T-shirtsand a hoodie. Keith had to cut a hole in the back of the jeans to let his tailout, and Lance couldn’t get enough of that adorable sight.
Pidge followed Keith’s gaze, eyes running over the various photos, notes, and maps, attachedby strings, that littered the board.  
“Voltron?” sheechoed, in awe, and Lance smiled. The first time he heard the word, his lionhad thrummed his soul’s chord, too. “What – What is that?”
Lance shareda quick, knowing glance with Keith before launching into a full explanation –the universe’s greatest weapon, built by his father. Five lions, sentientbeings, each choosing a paladin. Five becoming one.
In the wakeof his words, silence reigned. The Voltron bond was fresh and still forming inways they had yet to truly understand, so Lance hadn’t expected the hesitant realizationthat came from Hunk.
“We’remissing…someone?”
Lance feltthe soul-sucking void in the middle of his chest, a place that only Shiro couldfill, but Hunk and Pidge had never met Shiro. How could they already feel it?
“My brother,Takashi,” Keith supplied.
“Shiro,” Lance replied. “He goes byShiro, and he’s the Black Paladin, the leader of Voltron.”
Pidgegripped the straps of her bookbag. “Where is he now?”
Keith’samber eyes drifted to a certain faded photo in the corner of the board. A beaming tween sat cross-legged on the floor, hugging a swaddled kitten in hisarms. Lance’s heart ached with his and Keith’s shared pain, and not for thefirst time, he missed his older sister.
Pidge, theepitome of tact. “You look nothing like each other.”
“We have the same dad, different mom.”
“Nokidding,” Hunk laughed, but Keith huffed, shoulders hunching and ears pressedback like a hissing cat.
Lance tookthe hint and stepped in between. “Look, we need your help, guys. Shiro is beingheld captive by some really nasty people, and those same people are coming forthe Blue Lion of Voltron. It’s here, on Earth.”
“My brotherused to sleepwalk to these caves,” Keith said, motioning toward a few photoswith lion carvings. “I think the Blue Lion is around there, but we have no wayto find it.”
“It calls tome.” In a burst of sparkles, Lance held a blue bayard in his hand. “It – Itsspirit talks to me all the time, but it’s especially powerful in water.” Hewouldn’t go so far as to explain how every time he stepped in a pool or theocean, a cool, soothing presence pressed against his forehead and rubbedagainst his side. He definitely wouldn’t tell them how the lion would manifest into a solid, water-based being when no one elsewas around and smile at him. “It wants me to find it.”
“And we haveto before the Galra do,” Keith added, crossing his arms.
A few slowticks past as Hunk and Pidge seemed to process everything. Lance readiedhimself to talk about what the Galra did to Altea andhis family, why he was on Earth and how he knew Keith and Shiro. He bracedhimself for the inevitable heartbreak of having to speak of the unspeakable,knowing neither Pidge nor Hunk would shun him for it, but he didn’t have to.
Hunkmotioned toward Pidge. “Well, I was reading Pidge’s diary – ”
“What!”
“Hey, wouldit hurt you to carry a candy bar? Anyway, I noticed the repeating series ofnumbers the aliens are searching for looks a lot like a Fraunhofer line.”
Of courseKeith wouldn’t understand. “Frown who?”
“It’s anumber describing the emission spectrum of an element. Only this elementdoesn’t exist on Earth. I think it might be this Voltron. I think I can build amachine to look for it, like a Voltron Geiger counter.”
Lance threwhis arms around his best friend. “Hunk, you big gassy genius!”
Sure enough,Hunk and Pidge’s device led to them through the desert terrain and into thecaves, though it wasn’t one Lance remembered from Keith’s photos. He divertedto the far wall and swiped his hand along the carvings, letting out a gasp whenthey glowed the same bright blue as his father’s magic.
“They’venever done that before,” Keith said before the ground gave way underneaththem, literally.
Sliding downa shoot, Lance landed face-first in a large puddle, Keith next to him. Anexcited energy crept up his spine and brushed against his hip and cheek, andwhen he lifted his eyes, he found himself staring into the eyes of the otherhalf of his soul.
“Blue…”
While Keithplaced his hands flush upon the particular barrier, Lance cocked his head tothe side and mused, “Hey, Beautiful. Good to see you.” A simple knock broughtthe barrier and Blue’s head down.
Lancesmirked and raced up her lowered ramp, sighing contently as finally, after allthese annuals, he took a seat in the pilot’s chair. Blue purred happily in theback of his mind, her presence washing over him like a cresting wave, and hereveled in her embrace – until the seat slid forward. Blue’s screens flared to life. The cavern came into focus throughBlue’s eyes, waterfall shimmering in the light Blue emitted, and Lance liftedhis hands to rest upon the controls.
Stay. Blue’s voice echoed in the back ofhis mind. Wait.
For what?
Paladin.
Lance foughtthe sudden pain that tore through his chest. Blue couldn’t have meant anotherpaladin for her. She’d chosen Lance, washed his bayard up on Varadero Beach forhim to take. She helped him to focus his powers, to stop bursting pipeswherever he went. She soothed him through thegrief of losing Shiro and Keith. Though he loved his Earth family with all hisheart and would always cherish them as his, he wasn’t complete without theother paladins.
“So…where dowe take this thing?”
Lancejumped, shocked to find Pidge on his right, ogling Blue’s interior consoles.Hunk stood on his left, while Keith gripped the back of the pilot’s chair.
Though ittook all his strength, Lance lifted his hands off the controls. “We can’t goyet. Blue says we’re missing something.”
“What?”Keith asked.
Lanceglanced over his shoulder. “The last piece of our souls.”
They leftBlue, who caressed Lance’s hip even as he exited her jowls. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge didn’t return to the garrison. Instead, theycamped out in Keith’s shack, sharing the couches, the chairs, blankets, and warmth.Lance changed his appearance, so he could pick up food in town. Hunk and Pidgesent him and Keith knowing looks whenever Keith wrapped his tail about Lance’swrist or thigh or waist, but Lance simply stuck out his tongue when Keithlooked away.
They joinedKeith out on the porch, Pidge huddling close when he muttered, “You guys shouldgo back to your school. I’ll be okay out here.”
Pidgereplied, equally as low, “Hey. I’ll help you find your family. Then you’ll helpme find mine.”
Keithwrapped his tail about her wrist, then, and their collective souls filled withwarmth.
A movementcame and went, and as per the cavern’s prophecy, the Paladins of New took toa high plateau overlooking the desert. There was only one word to describe whatthey felt as they stood, shoulder to shoulder, and watched a fireball cutthrough the night sky.
Whole. 
More from the Blade!Shiro series.
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pyapia · 7 years
Text
I Can Only Imagine Marvelous Things taejin 3,444 words
Taehyung knows Seokjin is worth waiting for.
Written for the BTS Song Fic Challenge Inspired by the song Glasses by IU
"Oh, sweetie! What a good time to run into you, do you have some time to spare?"
Taehyung stops dead in his tracks at the words and turns to see one of his elderly neighbors by the building's entrance. She's wearing a warm smile on her face, which wrinkles her face even further in a way Taehyung always finds endearing, and hanging from her trembling hands are reusable bags overflowing with groceries. He doesn't even need her to go on to know where this is going, asking with a polite smile, "Would you like me to help you carry them up, ajumma?"
"If it's not too much trouble," she says by way of acceptance and, despite the dull ache at the balls of his feet, Taehyung goes back down the steps to take the heavy bags from her frail hands.
The small apartment building they live in is by no means a shabby one, but it is old and relatively inexpensive, which means it doesn't have any other way of reaching the upper floors beyond long, tiring flights of stairs. Naturally, all five ajummas and one very old ajusshi in the block know to count on him when they struggle with anything, and Taehyung's happy to help, even after his day has been long and his legs are heavy from exhaustion. He asks them how they're doing as they work their way up the stairs, asks them if there's anything else he can do for them once they reach their apartment. Sometimes, they even invite him for tea as a way of thanks (and maybe also to stave off loneliness, Taehyung thinks).
"We're so lucky you moved in here," the lady from the third floor says once they're standing in front of her door.
She fumbles with the keys and Taehyung shifts his weight from one foot to the other, his soles protesting. "It's my pleasure."
The door opens and Taehyung makes his way to the kitchen after taking off his shoes, familiar with the apartment's layout. "Should I help you put everything away?" he asks, already emptying out the bags and settling all the vegetables and items on the kitchen counter.
"It's okay, I'll be using them for tonight's dinner. Thank you." Taehyung notes the fresh, expensive ingredients and knows with certainty she'll have guests tonight. Maybe her family, he thinks, hopeful. "Taehyung-ah, would you like to stay for some tea?"
Taehyung shakes his head. "I wouldn't want to get in the way of dinner preparations, it's already late," he says, then after a short pause adds, "Plus, hyung's probably waiting for me."
He doesn't miss the slight frown on her face at his words, disapproving, and Taehyung wonders whether rumors have already started. Seokjin and him moved into the neighborhood only four months ago and as far as everyone in the building knows, and Seokjin works hard to maintain, they are merely two roommates. One a university student, majoring in Korean history, and the other a newly graduated accountant employed in a small firm nearby; both financially fragile enough that it wouldn't seem weird at all if they shared expenses to live in the relative comfort of a small, but overall nice one-bedroom apartment.
"Is something wrong, ajumma?"
Her smile comes back and it seems genuine, hopefully a sign that she's convinced herself that whatever she heard isn't true. "Oh, I'm just greedy and wish you could stay."
Taehyung grins. "Next time," and after a few more pleasantries and small talk leaves the lady behind with her cooking. He's almost forgotten the pain of his feet until he's going down the stairs again, now finally towards the second floor and to his own apartment. He doesn't bother hiding his exhaustion now, plopping down on the entrance floor with a sigh of relief.
"I'm surprised I got home before you. Did the teachers surprise you with a project again?" he hears from behind him, followed by the soft sound of steps coming closer.
"Not really, I actually finished early today," Taehyung says while pulling out his shoes, rolling his ankles and sighing at the feeling, "I just lost my wallet and had to walk all the way home."
"Lost it? How?" Taehyung hears the frown through Seokjin's tone before he turns around and sees it for himself, pulling at pink and plump lips.
"I was pickpocketed," he says easily, his limbs sore and aching as he forces himself back on his feet and slips on the indoor slippers. Taehyung closes the distance between the two of them, wraps his arms around Seokjin's neck and kisses him quick and chaste before adding, as an afterthought, "I think it was an old lady I helped cross the street downtown; she did get a little too close."
Seokjin's frown couldn't get any deeper. "Tae," he says, voice grave, but Taehyung's quick to cut him off with another kiss. Grins at him even though he knows Seokjin hates it.
"Gotta stop trying to help every needy soul I run into and think more about myself, right? Gotcha."
"You sure don't act like you got it," Seokjin grumbles under his breath and Taehyung's smile turns fond at the worry lacing the words.
"I don't see why I shouldn't help if I can. There's no harm in it," he says, letting go to hang his jacket and bookbag before Seokjin could remind him to.
"Except when there is, right?"
It's said in a near whisper, volume low enough that Taehyung is more than likely not meant to hear, but he does and answers without missing a beat, "Well, us mortals can't all be perfect like you, hyung," and even though he means it to be in good nature, intended as a light and harmless jab, Seokjin goes silent. When Taehyung turns back to see, Seokjin's expression is serious and his eyes are downcast, a look he wears sometimes when he thinks Taehyung isn't looking. "Hyung?" he asks and it's all gone before he knows it, Seokjin's usual smug and playful expression back in place.
"Work on it, then," he says, pinching Taehyung's nose before walking past him towards the kitchen. "You're way too good for your own good."
Taehyung stares at his wide back across the kitchen counter and finds himself biting his own lip, teasing at a piece of dry skin and pulling at it with his teeth. Seokjin must think he doesn't catch on to the way he'll go quiet every now and then as he stares at his cellphone. Or the way his smile will falter sometimes as they speak, leaving Taehyung to wonder what it is he said. Or even the way Seokjin will gaze at him every once in a while, when he thinks Taehyung isn't looking, with something akin to guilt in his eyes.
He's not as oblivious as he's sure Seokjin must think him. He's well aware of the little hints here and there suggesting something's wrong, that something's bothering him, but Taehyung can't bring himself to ask just yet. Not while Seokjin makes such an effort to hide it from him, not while he's not ready to come and tell Taehyung by himself.
So he turns a blind eye to those hints, for now at least, and smiles when Seokjin turns to look at him, cautious. It seems to ease him, and Seokjin asks, "What do you feel like eating tonight?"
"Bibimbap!"
"If that's the case, I'll need you to buy the vegetables." Seokjin crouches down and pulls out a sage green bag from one of the kitchen drawers. Stops for a moment, eying him. "Or are you too tried? I can go if you want."
Taehyung whisks it away from his hand, fast. "I'm willing to make sacrifices for food."
"Of course you are," Seokjin says with a roll of his eyes, but there's a smile on his face, genuine and fond. Taehyung can't resist the urge to press their lips together, nibbling at Seokjin's bottom lip before parting. Adding a light pinch to Seokjin's waist just as he scurries away.
It adds normalcy, reassures Taehyung in some way, even though he knows he'll mull, worry, over Seokjin's silences and strange expressions over and over whenever he lets his mind wander.
「愚」
"What were you thinking." Seokjin's voice is stern and his lips are set in a thin line as he rushes to where Taehyung sits in the living room couch, towel covered ice pack in hand. "Climbing up a tree to get a cat?"
The chill both stings and soothes the ache of his shoulder even through the fabric of his shirt and Taehyung closes his eyes at the sensation. "To save her," he corrects, "she's only a kitten and she was stuck, so I went to save her."
There's no need for Taehyung to open his eyes to know the expression on Seokjin's face, to see the exasperation so crystal clear on his handsome face. He hears it well enough as he asks, "And you couldn't call anyone else, like the police or the animal shelter?"
At this, Taehyung sinks in his seat, pouting and staring at his lap, splashes of dirt stuck to his jeans and shirt. Upset with himself; in hindsight, what Seokjin says seems like a better, less dangerous plan, much more reasonable and a voice in the back of his head insists he should've known better. "I didn't think I'd fall."
"I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Tae," Seokjin says with a sigh, "I just wish you'd think things through more before acting on impulse. I'm worried you'll get yourself hurt one day - really hurt, even worse than today, " and he adds a squeeze to Taehyung's thigh, staring at him in earnest. "Does it hurt? It does look swollen."
"Only when I move my arm. It's not that bad," Taehyung insists.
"I hope you don't think I'm going to let you avoid the doctor like usual," Seokjin says with a raise of a brow, patronizing in the manner a parent would be with a child, the look on his face similar in so many ways to Taehyung's mother.
"Yes?"
Seokjin frowns, unamused. "Taehyung."
"I swear," Taehyung says with a slight chuckle, a hint of a smile playing at his lips, "You dote on me more than my mom."
There it is again, that press of Seokjin's lips, his eyes straying away from Taehyung's in what he can only think is avoidance, even if it's only for a second. Seokjin's always been one to keep to himself, that much Taehyung has already learned after almost two years of dating and six months living together. Talking endlessly about everything and giving away nothing at the same time, somehow avoiding to give personal details about himself and his thoughts - it's what intrigued him at first. Had him chasing after Seokjin until he managed to grow on the older, and even once they got together Taehyung realized that Seokjin would never share as much as he did - and he had come to accept it.
But this, this seems to worry Seokjin. A burden - and all Taehyung wants is for him to lean on him, at least once, if he has a problem. "Is something wrong with your mom, hyung? Is she okay?"
"No, she's fine. Why?" he asks and there's something in his tone that tells Taehyung he doesn't want him to insist.
"It's just - I've noticed something's been bothering you, for a while now. You know you can count on me for anything, right?" and the guilt in Seokjin's eyes as he purses his lips has Taehyung's stomach twisting in worry.
"I know, I know," Seokjin says. Runs a hand through his hair. "But it's something I'd rather spare you with."
"I didn't ask to be spared, you know." It sounds brave to his ears, but Taehyung feels anything but.
A sigh follows and Taehyung knows he's won, braces himself. Seokjin shifts in his seat, tucks his hands over his lap and says, slow and careful, "Do you remember how I... Still haven't told my parents - about us?"
"You said you weren't ready," Taehyung repeats from memory, now sitting rigid in his seat, grip tight on the ice pack he holds to his left shoulder.
"Well, I slipped up. My mom was trying to set up a blind date and now she knows I'm dating but," Seokjin pauses, bottom lip snagged between his teeth so hard Taehyung wonders whether he'd hurt himself. "I'm sorry."
A small whisper is all that it was, so quiet Taehyung thinks he's misheard, holds his breath hoping he did, but the look on Seokjin's face confirms it. As does what he says next, voice faltering. Uneven. "I know it's unfair to you. I have to tell them some day, but I'm still not ready."
Taehyung smiles despite the weird twist of his stomach. Upset, he's upset, he recognizes the feeling and it only makes him more frustrated with himself. "It's okay, hyung," he says, setting down the ice pack on the couch in favor of gripping Seokjin's hand. Lacing their fingers together, squeezing. "I did say I'd wait, right? Until you’re ready."
Seokjin doesn't say anything, holding on to his hand instead. Grip steady, thumb brushing to and fro over Taehyung's knuckles and he guesses it's another apology. Silent but there, a reassurance that Seokjin knows he appreciates, seeks. Taehyung moves to lean against him, sink down in his seat until he can rest his head on Seokjin's chest, and winces, groans, at the pain in his shoulder.
"We need to go to the doctor, your shoulder could be sprained." Taehyung agrees with a slight hum, but doesn't move from the couch yet.
Some time later, Seokjin coerces him to the clinic to get himself checked. Taehyung's mind keeps wandering back to their conversation, to Seokjin's confession, and he berates the part of himself that wishes Seokjin would have taken the opportunity. He's not ready yet, he said, and Taehyung believes him. Without a doubt.
And he'll wait, Taehyung thinks to himself over and over as Seokjin lays a comforting hand on his good shoulder while they wait in the clinic. As he speaks to a nurse right before they leave, asking this and that - how long he has to rest, what painkillers he should take, when he should come back for a check up. Taehyung watches it all with wide eyes, cradling his sling with his good arm.
It's worth the wait.
「愚」
"Ah, Seokjinnie! You're finally home."
Taehyung doesn't recognize the voice, but one look at the middle aged lady waiting in the cold outside the door of their apartment is enough for him to know who she is. Hair cut short and curled to frame her face, her eyes large and almond shaped and her lips small yet plump. The clothes she wears are simple and minimalistic in design but Taehyung knows he's seen them on display in expensive brand stores while window shopping. She adjusts the scarf wrapped around her neck, then tucks a strand of soft brown hair behind her ear as she waits for Seokjin to approach her, warmth clear in her smile and in her gaze. She has no jewelry on, no earrings or bracelets or even rings besides a lone diamond ring decorating her left hand.
It's Seokjin's mom.
The realization has him tense, his feet glued to the ground, and when he looks besides him Seokjin is the same. Taehyung blinks; there's a smile plastered on Seokjin's face now and just as fast he's gone from his side, pacing quickly towards his mom.
"Eomma, what a surprise," he says as he hugs her. Taehyung picks up on a slight edge on his voice suggesting it isn't exactly a good one. "You didn't mention you were coming last time we talked."
"That's because you never invite me over," she says with a playful huff. As Taehyung walks closer to them, he can see her trying to look past Seokjin's shoulders. Eyes searching and searching - and only finding Taehyung in the hall besides them. "I wanted to surprise you. Maybe meet your girlfriend since you don't seem like you'll ever invite me for introductions."
"Well, she's not here today." Taehyung ignores the fact he goes along with the misunderstanding, choosing instead to focus on how Seokjin steps aside and gestures towards him. Changes the subject as soon as he can. "This is my roommate, Taehyung."
"Ah, yes, I remember you talking about him." It's hard not to beam at the words, knowing how Seokjin keeps to himself, but Taehyung thinks he masks it well enough, greeting her as polite and friendly as he always is.
They scurry inside the apartment once Seokjin opens the door, peeling off their coats and scarves and shoes. Seokjin's mom slips on the guest slippers they offer her and follows them the short distance to the living room. Her eyes wander, taking in the small place, and she makes a point of showing her distaste with the twist of her mouth. Taehyung slips into the kitchen with the excuse of making some tea but the apartment is still much too small, no real divisions between the two rooms, and he still hears her anyway, "Do you really need to share the expenses with someone to live in such a small place?"
"I graduated last year, eomma, how much do you expect them to pay me?" Seokjin says with a terse laugh.
"You know." She lowers her voice, then, and Taehyung finds himself trying to listen in despite himself. "You can always come to us if you need money. Or you could come work for your--"
"I still haven't changed my mind," Seokjin says with finality and for a moment the room is silent, before his mom changes the subject.
Taehyung still remembers how surprised he was when he found out Seokjin's background, about his being the second son of a chaebol. There had been hints here and there - his impeccable manners, the prim and clean style of his clothes, that polished accent of his when he speaks English and the occasional anecdote he lets slip of his being in a foreign country - but with how simple and humble Seokjin always is it's easy to think he's merely well off.
A part of Taehyung still swells with pride knowing the rebellious streak Seokjin has in him - leaving behind his family and the comfortable, luxurious life ahead of him in favor of carving out his own path. Moving into college dorms like the rest of them, living simply and almost exclusively on the money he earned on the side as a private tutor. There's the passing thought of wishing Seokjin were as upfront and confident in announcing their relationship to his parents as he once was of taking the reigns of his own life. Taehyung shakes his head, buries the idea deep down; Seokjin is worth the wait, he decided long ago, and he'd hate to hold this against him. Would hate to pressure him when he's not yet ready. Taehyung's better than that, at least he wants to be.
"Have you thought of marrying Taeyoung-ssi?" Taehyung overhears as he leans down to place the tea on the small coffee table of the living room. He shoots a look at Seokjin.
Their eyes meet. Seokjin has a smile playing at his lips, crooked. "I have, actually," and it takes every fiber in Taehyung's being not to gape at him. His heart stuck in his throat, his eyes no doubt open wide.
"Oh, such good news!" Seokjin's mom sets her teacup back on the table with a clatter, sitting straight in her seat. Reaching out to grab at Seokjin's hand with both of her own. "I have to meet her first, but I'm sure if she's gotten to you she must be a lovely person."
"They are. They're the sweetest person you can imagine," and Taehyung feels the tears well up in his eyes at the words, threatening to spill at any moment. He leaves them both in the living room without a word, seeking refuge in the kitchen.
"When will I get to meet her?" She presses on.
"One of these days," Seokjin says in a soft voice, so gentle Taehyung imagines him whispering the words in his ear. "I promise it'll be soon."
Back turned to them, the tears fall down Taehyung's cheek as unrestrained as his happiness. He sniffs as quietly as he can, dabbing at his eyes with a napkin.
Soon. He heard it clear.
If Seokjin promises, then he can be a little more patient.
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zephfair · 6 years
Text
Day 19 Childhood fic Bleach
Day 19: Childhood Friends AU
I love the flashback we have of canon!wee Ichigo where he cries a lot but then always has a huge smile for his mom. What a cutie! Also, let’s pretend this is a world where a kid can safely walk a few blocks alone.
Note: I skipped Day 18 because I’m still working on the story, and I might end up holding it until last because I really love the concept I’m attempting.
And there will be no Day 20 for Bleach because that’s Star Wars AU and all I can imagine is Isshin doing his best Darth Vader impression complete with heavy breathing and full mask intoning, “ICHIGO I AM YOUR FATHER” to which Ichigo responds, “No shit,” and kicks him out a nearby window. Isshin should have made his announcement that he’s a Shinigami that way, but the outcome would have still been the same so.
Instead for Day 20, I’m doing a sequel to my Teen Wolf story Creature Comforts.
This story is rated G and is just what it says on the tin. It’s also fluffy fluff.
Ichigo really hated walking past the sixth-graders on the way to recess. Every day, it was always the same thing.
“Hey Berry,” a loud voice called out. “You look sweet!”
Ichigo ignored the boy, trying out twisting his face into a scowl. His mom always told him to just ignore it. But it wasn’t easy when Grimmjow the bully was yelling at him and calling him that name he hated. Stupid Grimmjow with his big stupid sixth-grade friends and the tiny quiet one that always looked weird at Orihime.
Ichigo wanted to hate them all, but his mom always said he shouldn’t hate anyone. So he just really, really, REALLY didn’t like them.
At least things were better than at the beginning of the year. Grimmjow had pushed him off the swings twice, shoved him into mud puddles three times, and tried to get him to fight every time the teacher wasn’t looking.
It was a bruised, damp and muddy Ichigo who had finally broken down crying and told on Grimmjow. He’d expected things to get worse, but instead, Grimmjow just stood with his big friends and glared at him. It gave Ichigo the shivers. And made him want to run and hide behind Tatsuki, but he was mostly over that now.
Orihime was the only one of them that would go up and talk to the sixth-graders willingly. Ichigo thought she was kinda brave but mostly stupid. Even if the weird quiet one did accept the flowers Orihime took him, she should stick with her own class instead.
Ichigo gave a particularly hard shove to the merry-go-round and Uryu yelled at him. That didn’t matter—Uryu was always yelling at him—but Ichigo liked to be able to keep at least one eye on Grimmjow at all times.
That’s what made walking home such a pain too. This year, Ichigo had insisted to his parents that he was old enough to finish the walk home from school with his friends. Tatsuki, Orihime and Chad all lived in the same direction as him, and a lot of times Orihime’s big brother would meet them too. Ichigo was pretty sure he saw his dad walking along behind them one day checking up, well, Tatsuki noticed first the big man in a coat, hat and sunglasses in the summer heat first but after she yelled, “Get away, old man!” he’d disappeared into an alley and never come back.
But then Ichigo realized that Grimmjow walked in the same direction too. He always walked alone, lagging behind their happy little chattering group. While they talked and laughed, he kicked at rocks and rubbish and threw them dirty looks.
It almost made Ichigo feel bad. Almost. It seemed like whenever he looked around, Grimmjow would make a rude face at him, so Ichigo went right back to ignoring him.
But one day in the fall Ichigo was faced with the biggest challenge of his young life so far: he had to walk home alone. Tatsuki’s mom picked her and Orihime up for some slumber party and Chad was staying after school for a music lesson.
Ichigo stood outside the school gate and shook a little. What if something awful happened? What if someone tried to talk to him? What if someone bad tried to grab him? He started walking, one foot in front of the other, starting off slowly but then flat-out running in terror.
He didn’t let up until he started running out of breath and had to stop at an intersection. That’s when he heard the terrifying sound of pounding footsteps behind him. He whipped around just in time to catch sight of Grimmjow pulling up to a stop two houses away. He was out of breath too, but he turned around so Ichigo couldn’t see his face.
And now Ichigo had another fear to worry about. Grimmjow could easily get him now that he was walking all alone. Ichigo whimpered and waited for the light to change so he could cross the street.
Then he started running again, but the stitch in his side came back and he had to stop and gasp. There were only a couple more blocks to go, so he risked a look behind at Grimmjow who now was walking purposefully toward him.
Ichigo took off at the fastest jog his body could handle, little whimpers coming out sometimes as he sneaked more glances back at Grimmjow.
Then Ichigo reached the next street crossing and looked back … and Grimmjow wasn’t there. He’d disappeared.
That was even worse, knowing that he was out there somewhere, but Ichigo couldn’t see him. Ichigo was torn now. Should he run as fast as he could until he got home? Should he go back and see if Grimmjow had gone down the alley to cut him off? He didn’t know. But he was suddenly very scared to keep going and have Grimmjow leap out at him.
Ichigo backed up and then sneaked along the walls the way he’d just come. There was an alley there that was always filled with dumpsters and scary stuff. Maybe Grimmjow was in there doing something or maybe he’d cut ahead of Ichigo already. Either way, Ichigo had to make sure.
He took a breath and peered around the edge of the building. He caught a glimpse of Grimmjow’s jacket behind one of the dumpsters and then he heard it. A loud meow. Grimmjow’s coat disappeared behind the trash, and Ichigo heard the meow again.
His hands balled into fists all on their own. He knew Grimmjow was a mean bully to the other kids, but to hurt an animal, that was unthinkable. There was no way Ichigo was going to let that happen.
He crept down the alley and now he could hear Grimmjow’s voice saying something and then another meow. Ichigo was just moving around the side of the dumpster when Grimmjow suddenly looked around and spotted him.
“What are you doing here?” Grimmjow jumped up.
“What are you doing to the kitty?” Ichigo demanded.
They stared at each other for a long moment before Grimmjow turned with an annoyed “Tch.” He hunched over again then looked back at Ichigo and gestured over. Ichigo was so nervous but he took a couple steps until he could see over Grimmjow’s hunched body.
There was a cardboard box behind some other boxes and garbage bags with a cat laying in it with four little baby kittens. Ichigo gasped. They were the cutest, tiniest things he’d ever seen!
The mother cat looked up and meowed again. Grimmjow mumbled something and glanced at Ichigo. “I found them last week. This was the best box I could find in all this trash.”
“They’re so nice!” Ichigo shuffled closer.
“Don’t touch them! Mama cat won’t like it!” Grimmjow warned and Ichigo put his hands behind his back.
“Wasn’t going to,” he lied.
Grimmjow looked at him like he knew the truth then he rummaged through his bookbag. “I like cats,” he said defensively.
“I do too,” Ichigo said solemnly.
Grimmjow apparently found what he was looking for and pulled out a small, fuzzy blanket with a tiger on it. He looked at Ichigo like he was daring him to comment but Ichigo didn’t say a word. The blanket reminded Ichigo of his favorite blankie was he was little, and he wondered if this one had been Grimmjow’s favorite too. He watched him carefully drape it over mama cat who hissed a little then tucked her head over the kittens before Grimmjow slid the blanket around the box.
“That was nice of you,” Ichigo said.
Grimmjow jumped up suddenly, bumping Ichigo on purpose so Ichigo fell over on his side. “Don’t tell anybody or I’ll give you a bloody nose!”
Ichigo struggled to get to his feet and hold his nose protectively while Grimmjow shook his fist. “I won’t tell! I promise!”
“You better not!” With one last shake, Grimmjow picked up his bookbag and started walking. Then he looked over his shoulder and yelled, “Come on, don’t you wanna go home?”
“Yes!” Ichigo scrambled after him. Grimmjow let Ichigo leave the alley first and then he stayed about ten paces behind Ichigo the whole way home. It was so weird, how it made Ichigo feel better, like no one bad could get him so long as Grimmjow was grumpily walking along behind him.
The next day at recess Grmmjow and his friends laughed when Uryu tripped over his own feet and fell while they were playing tag, but then he pretended like Ichigo wasn’t there. It was nice not to hear the BEEERRYYYY call but he kinda missed it when it didn’t happen.
After school he trailed behind his friends on the walk home, even when Orihime grabbed his hand and tried to make him hurry. He kept sneaking looks back at Grimmjow who was glumly walking along behind.
When Grimmjow ducked into the alley, Ichigo stopped. “I gotta tie my shoes. Go ahead.” Even when the others said they would wait, he told them to keep going, that he’d catch up.
As soon as they turned away, Ichigo sneaked into the alley and ran down to where Grimmjow was kneeling behind the dumpster.
“Hey!” Grimmjow shot up, fists held tight at his side, vibrating with outrage. “What are you doing here?!”
Ichigo slapped a baggie against Grimmjow’s chest. “I brought this,” he said, voice shaking as Grimmjow took the bag. “It’s leftovers from dinner last night. We had fish. I thought mama cat would like them.”
Grimmjow stared at him. “That was...nice of you. Give ‘em here.” He opened the baggie and knelt beside the box, pushing some fish toward the mama cat. She sniffed it delicately then started gobbling it up.
“How’d you ask your mom for the leftovers?” Grimmjow asked as he fed her.
Ichigo squirmed and didn’t want to answer until Grimmjow shoved at him. “I didn’t ask,” he admitted quietly. “I just took them out of the fridge this morning.”
Grimmjow looked at him with something like admiration then. “Huh, I didn’t think Berry had it in him to be so bad.”
“’M not Berry,” Ichigo grumbled and dared to push Grimmjow back. It just made him laugh.
As the cat was finishing the fish, Ichigo asked, “What did you name them?”
“Pft, name them? Why? I can’t keep them,” Grimmjow said.
Ichigo was aghast. “Aren’t you gonna take them home?”
“Ha. No way.”
“Won’t your mom and dad let you?”
There was a long silence while Grimmjow chanced to stretch out his hand over the mother cat’s head. She bumped up into it as if thanking him for the food.
He finally said, “My mom hates cats. Allergic.”  
“Sorry,” Ichigo said quietly, feeling sad when anyone else got sad. “It’s gonna get cold soon.”
“I know,” Grimmjow said, angry now.
“Maybe we could tell someone else about the kitties—”
Grimmjow pushed him again, hard enough that Ichigo lost his balance and fell onto his butt. “My friends wouldn’t understand. And I ain’t telling anyone else. You better not either! Get out of here!”
Grimmjow looming above him in the dimness of the dirty, smelly alley was the scariest thing Ichigo had ever seen. He ran the entire way home and broke down in tears when his mother opened the door.
She held him gently while the whole story came out in sobs and starts. He cried so hard he woke the babies and then bawled harder because he knew it meant more work for his mom.
She finally just held him and rocked him as she tried to soothe him. “Let’s see what we can do. We’ll tell Daddy and we’ll make sure that the kitties are all safe, okay, Ichigo?”
Once he’d calmed down and she’d taken care of the twins, Ichigo was ready to be strong and tell the whole story to his dad when he got home from work. He watched his parents exchange meaningful glances.
“I’m not bringing a feral cat into the house,” Dad said flatly. “Rabies, fleas, ticks, diseases...”
“That’s what veterinarians are for,” Mom pointed out. “Isshin, it’s supposed to rain tonight and for the next three days. We can’t leave them outside with no shelter.”
“She’ll just run away and take the kittens anyway, if she feels threatened.”
“It would just be temporary. You could put the box in the garage so she’s not disturbed. And when the kittens are old enough to be weaned, we can find homes for them all, along with her.”
“I don’t know,” Dad sighed then hunched down so he was face to face with Ichigo. “Pets are a lot of work and responsibility. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
Ichigo nodded so hard, if felt like his head would fly off. “Please. Dad, we can’t let them outside in the rain and cold.”
Isshin ruffled his hair and said, “Definitely your mother’s heart,” before leaving.
Ichigo was too nervous to sit still until he heard the garage door shutting. His dad said a bad word that he wasn’t supposed to know but Ichigo was too excited to say anything. Dad was showing Mom a long line of scratches on his hands, but broke away when Ichigo went to the door.
“No, son. Not tonight. We’re going to have to keep them shut up inside for a couple days or the mother cat will run away. They’re safe now and warm, and I’ll pick up some cat food in the morning.”
Ichigo was mollified for the moment but he bugged his dad about it so much the next morning before school that Isshin let him stick his head in the garage long enough to see the box up on his dad’s workbench, Grimmjow’s blanket still tucked around it.
He was happy all day long and even smiled at Grimmjow when he went past him at recess. Grimmjow made a gesture at him that Ichigo didn’t know what it meant, but he figured it was probably bad.
He pulled up the hood of his raincoat and put on his rain boots so he could tromp in puddles with his friends on the way home. They took turns jumping and splashing in the deepest ones. Ichigo forgot about Grimmjow for a while until Orihime gasped and said, “He’s getting all wet.”
Ichigo turned to look at Grimmjow standing under the few leaves left on a tree, shoulders hunched, thoroughly drenched. He had no rain coat, no hood and no boots.
And it reminded Ichigo about the cat. He went running back to Grimmjow, forgetting all about his friends for the minute.
“What do you want,” Grimmjow snapped.
“You’re wet,” Ichigo pointed out and then felt stupid.
Grimmjow said a bad word. “Go away.”
“I wanna tell you about the,” Ichigo lowered his voice, “cat.”
“What about it?”
“I told my mom and dad last night.” When Grimmjow said another bad word, Ichigo hurried on, “My dad went and got the kitties and they’re in our garage. You should come see them.” And then he realized what he said and covered his mouth in horror. He braced himself for the fallout, not knowing what Grimmjow’s reaction would be. Would he hit him? Would he laugh? Would he make fun of him? Or worse, would he take Ichigo up on it and actually go to Ichigo’s house?!
Instead Grimmjow just stood there dripping and staring at Ichigo. “You shouldn’t’a told your parents,” he said finally.
“But the kitties would’ve drowned in this rain,” Ichigo argued, fear forgotten in the face of anger.
Grimmjow shrugged. “Who cares?”
“I care! And you care!” Ichigo yelled and in the embrace of righteous anger, poked Grimmjow in the chest.
Grimmjow looked down at the offending finger then back up at Ichigo who was quivering slightly. “Leave me alone. I don’t care about the cat. Or about you,” Grimmjow finally said and brushed past him, continuing his walk home all alone.
Ichigo should have enjoyed the end of the recess bullying and name-calling, but somehow knowing what Grimmjow really thought of him hurt more than the yelling. He just tried to ignore Grimmjow but it didn’t work any better than it ever had, and he spotted him still watching Ichigo sometimes when he was playing.
The kittens were the bright spot of his life. He visited them every day when he got home and fed the mother cat under the close supervision of a parent. His dad said that she must have been a house cat at one time because she soon warmed up to the family and let Ichigo pet her when she was out of the box.
Ichigo would stand on tiptoe and peer into the box of kittens while she ate with one careful eye on him. The mama cat was a pretty mix of white, black and yellow, what Ichigo’s mom called calico. The babies were a mix of colors, but Ichigo soon picked a favorite.
And when the kittens began to drink milk out of a saucer and crunch at tiny pieces of kitten food, Ichigo’s dad declared that it was time to find them homes. His cousin who had a farm way out in the country said she would take the mother cat and one kitten. Ichigo was jealous that cousin Ganju would have two to play with. Then Ichigo’s mom knew a lady who was looking for some new friends and would take another two.
Ichigo’s dad said that since he’d been such a big help, he could pick one out to keep.
Ichigo eagerly picked up the white one with the black markings on its face, ears, neck and the very tip of its tiny, stubby tail. It had a fat little warm belly he loved to tickle and little pink toe beans and he just wanted to hug it all the time.
When his parents decided that they would take the kittens to Kukaku and his mom’s friend, Ichigo knew it was his last chance. His mom had actually suggested it several times, but Ichigo didn’t know if he was brave enough to go through with it. The encouraging smile on his mom’s face when he left the house that morning settled it.
When recess came, he marched right up to Grimmjow on the playground despite Grimmjow’s friends starting to make fun of him and his own friends looking on in horror. He mumbled it a bit but finally asked if Grimmjow would come over to his house after school.
Grimmjow’s friends started hooting and laughing that “Berry loves Grimmjow” and other things. Grimmjow stepped up to him and pushed him roughly. “I told you to leave me alone. Go away!”
So Ichigo did. Only when they left for home that afternoon, Grimmjow just happened to be walking behind him a lot closer than usual. And when his friends split off from him, Grimmjow still followed.
Ichigo ran the final block and into the house, tripping over his shoes and meeting his mom in a flying hug. “He’s coming,” he hissed.
She opened the door and smiled at Grimmjow who shuffled inside slowly. “Ichigo, why don’t you take Grimmjow to the garage to meet his friends. I’ll make you a snack. Grimmjow, are you sure that your mom won’t let you have a kitten? We’d love to give you one.”
Grimmjow only shook his head but he was right behind Ichigo who led the way to the garage. The kittens were never in the box now but happily roamed the entire garage when they weren’t huddled in a pile napping.
Mama cat came to Ichigo right away and rubbed against his legs. Grimmjow stared. “She’s friendly.”
“Yeah! And she loves food!” Ichigo hunched down and scratched behind her ears. Her enthusiastic purr rumbled through the garage. Ichigo looked up at Grimmjow. “You can pet her too.”
Grimmjow leaned down slowly and held out his hand. Mama cat sniffed it, investigating for food, but let Grimmjow run his hand over her head and down her back. “She’s pretty.”
“Wait ‘til you see the rest. Here.” Ichigo had reached into a sealed bag on the shelf and pulled out some soft cat treats. “Give this to her.”
Grimmjow offered it to her, and she took it gently and chowed down. Then he said, “They got big!”
Ichigo looked where he was pointing. Two of the black and yellow kittens had heard the commotion or smelled the food and were coming toward them. “They’re growing every day, like a bad weed, my dad says. Oh, there’s the little girl!”
A miniature calico version of the mother was waddling out from behind a box and hurrying toward them too. Ichigo sat down on the ground and motioned for Grimmjow to join him. “Come on, they’re fun.”
Grimmjow sat immediately and watched Ichigo rolling over the kittens as they came to play with him. “There were four of them,” he said suddenly.
“Oh yeah. I don’t know where he is. Sometimes he’s kinda lazy and he likes to hide.” Ichigo stood up and peered around some of the lower shelves. “Hey, grumpy, get out here!”
Finally a tiny but strident meow came from the other corner. Ichigo crowed and ran that way, back to Grimmjow, and bent over. He triumphantly carried the kitten back to Grimmjow. And dropped it on his lap.
Grimmjow looked down at the indignant white and black kitten that was looking up at him with big baby blue eyes. Grimmjow held out his finger and the kitten nipped it with needle-sharp teeth. Then it rubbed its jaw along the finger as if apologizing. Grimmjow felt the incredible softness of its fur and tiny black ears then it rolled onto its back and attacked his fingers again eagerly. He tickled its belly and laughed when it grabbed and held on with all four paws.
“You’re such a goof,” he said affectionately, then looked up as though he’d forgotten Ichigo was there watching. But Ichigo was just sitting beside him and grinning.
“This one is ours,” Ichigo announced. “I’m allowed to keep one, and I picked him. I thought we could share him.”
“What?” Grimmjow looked silly with his mouth hanging open like that.
“Well, you’re not allowed to have one, but you found them so it’s like they’re yours too. We can keep him here, and you can come over any time and play with him too,” Ichigo explained.
Grimmjow looked from him back to the kitten who was eagerly gnawing at his finger again and back to Ichigo. “What’s his name?”
Ichigo shrugged. “I didn’t name him yet. I thought you’d like to.”
Grimmjow picked up the kitten who gave a little squeak at being deprived of tasty human flesh. He held it up so they were eye to eye. The kitten swatted its paw at his nose.
“Pantera. He’s Pantera,” Grimmjow said firmly.
“That’s so cool,” Ichigo breathed.
“He’ll be the king of the cats.”
“Coolest name ever.”
Grimmjow looked at the beaming Ichigo and nudged him. “You’re kinda cool, Berry.”
“Don’t tell anyone. And please don’t call me that,” Ichigo said very solemnly.
“But you’re cute and sweet,” Grimmjow teased until Ichigo blushed hotly.
“I’ll tell my mom you like strawberry milk for next time,” he shot back but Grimmjow didn’t deny it. Instead he stared back at the kitten in his hands.
“You really want me to come over?” he asked.
“Yeah, anytime!” and Ichigo watched in wonder as Grimmjow smiled at him for the first time.
So they spent the happiest year of Ichigo’s elementary school.
His mom insisted Grimmjow stay for dinner that night, and although Ichigo didn’t catch on, she and his dad asked a lot of questions of the boy. Grimmjow had said that he didn’t need to call his mother which set off warning bells for both the parents. They finally got most of the story that Grimmjow lived alone with his mother who worked until eight or nine at night so he was always home alone after school.
Ichigo didn’t even mind when his mom gave Grimmjow twice as much ice cream for dessert and said, “Why don’t you boys sit here and finish your homework. Then you can see the kittens again before we take Grimmjow home.”
“You don’t have to take me home,” Grimmjow said immediately. “I can walk fine from here.”
“We’re not letting you walk home alone in the dark, dear,” Ichigo’s mom said kindly but firmly. “Now, do you want chocolate syrup and a cherry?”
Ichigo was used to sitting at the kitchen table to do his homework and getting help from either parent who wasn’t cleaning up or dealing with the babies. Grimmjow fiddled and dawdled and didn’t look comfortable at all, especially when Ichigo’s dad sat down and pulled over a sheet of math problems.
“Ugh, I hate math,” his dad confided to the boys. “I always make your mom do it because she actually loves it, but I think I could maybe help you with this. Just show me how to fix this problem?”
Ichigo tuned them out while Grimmjow haltingly explained the way the teacher had demonstrated, and Isshin helped him go through the assignment. They both finished at the same time.
“Very good,” Isshin praised. “Now, do you want to watch some TV or play with the kittens?”
The two boys glanced at each other but both piped up, “Play with the kittens!”
Grimmjow showed Ichigo how to make a toy out of an old broom handle and a bit of bright ribbon, and they took turns trailing it across the floor then flipping it in the air to make the kittens stalk and leap and jump. By the time the kittens were ready to curl up together to sleep, the boys were tired too.
Ichigo’s mom opened the door and told them it was time they took Grimmjow home. Ichigo reached out to grab his arm but stopped himself just in time. It was what he would do to Chad or Tatsuki or maybe even Uryu but it didn’t seem right to hold onto Grimmjow because he didn’t want him to leave.
Ichigo’s mom drove them to a small apartment building that Grimmjow pointed out then she locked Ichigo in the car while she took Grimmjow up to his apartment. Ichigo was dozing off when she finally came back.
“Well, that was interesting,” she said in a tone of voice Ichigo rarely heard. His mom was always smiling and teasing and laughing, but now she sounded kinda mad. He really hoped Grimmjow hadn’t used any of his bad words around her. She turned around to look at Ichigo and smiled sadly. “We’re going to have Grimmjow over a lot, if that’s okay with you.” When Ichigo nodded hard, she said, “I don’t think he should be alone all the time, but his mother has different opinions. So, we’ll just invite him over after school and you can find out what foods he likes or if he has any allergies so he can eat dinner with us.”
“And he can play with Pantera all the time,” Ichigo cheered and his mother’s smile brightened.
“That’s right. I’m sure your kitty will love it.”
Pantera did love it. He seemed especially lonely once his mom and sisters were gone, so he enjoyed all the extra attention from Ichigo and Grimmjow. Ichigo didn’t even mind too much sharing time every evening with his mom and dad. Grimmjow ate whatever they had for dinner with gusto, and he shocked Ichigo to the core one night when he stood up and cleared his throat and offered to do the dishes.
Ichigo quickly voluunteered to help too, so his dad pointed them in the right direction while his mom got the babies ready for bed. Even though the kitchen ended up suspiciously wet from some little hands and lots of soap suds, Ichigo’s mother thanked them sincerely. And it became a regular thing when they didn’t have much homework.
Ichigo found out that Grimmjow loved movies with lots of explosions and bad words that Ichigo wasn’t allowed to watch yet. Ichigo introduced him to mecha anime instead, and they watched that eagerly while dangling toys for Pantera to attack.
Ichigo was still struggling through karate lessons on Saturdays, and Tatsuki regularly kicked his butt. Until Grimmjow started teaching him some other fighting and wrestling moves that they practiced in secret in Ichigo’s bedroom because he didn’t think he would be allowed to kick Tatsuki between the legs then wrench her arm up behind her back until she called out.
Grimmjow still got a ride home every night, especially in the winter when the snow piled up outside and they could only spend a little time outside playing before it got dark. Ichigo and he rode in the back seat when whatever parent was free drove Grimmjow home, and Ichigo found himself falling asleep, slumping over onto Grimmjow’s shoulder more often.
When spring arrived, they ran and shouted around the yard, wielding stick-swords until Ichigo sliced Grimmjow a cut right down his chest through his thin T-shirt. Ichigo started crying at the blood while Grimmjow stood there in shock.
The crying drew his mom’s attention, and she hurried Grimmjow into the clinic while he tried to reassure Ichigo. But Ichigo was convinced that he’d killed Grimmjow, and he sobbed uncontrollably until Grimmjow stomped up to his room and punched him in the shoulder.
“I’m fine, you dummy! You didn’t kill me!”
“I’m so sorry!” Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow and hugged him fiercely. Grimmjow was stiff as a board but he slowly relaxed as Ichigo wet the front of his bloody shirt with his tears. Grimmjow patted him on the back.
“Your dad said I’m okay. But he had to give me some stitches. Look, it’s so cool! He said it might even leave a scar!”
Ichigo finally wiped his eyes and nose and had to agree that the stitches were very cool and that having a scar would definitely make Grimmjow look even tougher.
Then Grimmjow came over the day before his sixth-grade graduation and held Pantera as tightly as he could. He didn’t want any food or drink, and Ichigo’s mom worriedly checked his forehead for fever before he gently pulled away.
Grimmjow finally told them that his mom was moving them the very next day to a different prefecture. She’d gotten another job and just told him the night before. This would be the last time he’d see Ichigo and the Kurosaki family.
Ichigo saw his mom choke back some tears as she hugged Grimmjow tightly to her and rubbed his back. She whispered something to him and he nodded vigorously. Whatever it was made her hold him tighter and kiss the top of his head. Ichigo’s dad shook hands with him very solemnly and warned him not to get any more stitches or scars or he would look too tough.
Then Grimmjow hugged Pantera one more time. “I’ll miss you, King,” he told the kitten who just stared back at him and purred.
He turned to Ichigo who was trying and failing to hold back tears. “I’ll miss you too, Berry,” he said and opened his arms. Ichigo rushed to hug him.
“I’ll miss you too. And don’t call me that.”
Ichigo felt Grimmjow laugh against him and he felt him brush a kiss to his cheek. Then Grimmjow stepped back and ruffled his hair. And with a final wave at the Kurosaki family, he walked away.
That was the last time Ichigo saw him until the beginning of his junior year of high school when a new senior set the school abuzz.
Only that’s for day 21.
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masteroftherebels · 7 years
Text
It’s an Economic Downturn, Timmy
Happy Birthday @generatorcat! Yay for 23!!! You are one of my favorite authors in this fandom and I wanted to show some appreciation!!  I hope you have a fabulous day and that this little piece can possibly get you off to a great start! <33
(S/O to @drabblemeister for being my cheerleader when my self-esteem is feeling especially delicate haha ilu)
AO3 Link
Pairing: JayTim (mentioned CassieKon)
Rating: T, for discussion of mature themes
Word Count: 3.7k
~~~
As far as first impressions went, Tim’s was sudden, unwarranted, and above all, intensely embarrassing. In fact, he might even go so far as to say that never in his life had his mind been so utterly at odds with his body. If he could have redone a single moment in his life over again, he never would have woken up today. Instead, he would have slept in, skipped class, and been blissfully ignorant of the way the life of his unlucky doppelganger from an alternate universe changed so dramatically in the space of ten seconds.
Because let’s be real for a moment here; getting a hard on out of nowhere because the new TA did nothing more than walk into Econ 405 and run his fingers through his hair while he introduced himself , literally nothing else, was possibly, probably, most definitely the epitome of humiliation.
“I’m so screwed.”
Drips of deeply mocking laughter fell on his unprotected ears as Tim ground his forehead into the cafeteria lunch table in an effort to scrub the memories from his skull. Beside him, Cassie nearly choked on a forkful of mac-n-cheese as she took pure enjoyment in what was sure to be just the beginning of the inevitable demise of his final undergraduate year.
“More like you wish you were!” Cassie managed to get out in a normal tone before her attempt at calm fully dissolved right back into hysterical guffaws, and Tim had to cling to the tabletop to keep from falling to the linoleum when her mirth came out as a rough punch to his arm.
Across the table, Steph did her absolute worst impression of supportive friend, face going red as she struggled to slow her breathing, lest she join Cassie in her amusement.  Tim snarled at her, just daring her to let even a giggle out, but the threat was empty and the effort as effective as a kitten spitting at a rottweiler; Steph lost it.  “T-Tim, your f-face!” Her cheeks went even more red as she laughed so hard, all sound and air escaped her.
Much to his personal dismay, he’d run into Steph only a few minutes after he’d left The ClassTM and was still recovering, dammit, which is how he’d found himself in his current predicament to begin with.  She’d insisted he join her for lunch �� let’s just talk, Tim, you seem stressed – but it was a trap.  A Cassie-shaped trap.
The second moment in his life that he would much prefer a do-over for was ever thinking it would be a good idea to hand feed Cassie the single, most galling thing that had ever happened to him and expect her to be a sympathetic friend about it.  He knew he should have held out until he had Steph alone.  At least then there might have been ice cream and terrible Whodunnit? episodes to soften the blow of being laughed at.
“This isn’t funny!” He hissed at the girls, shoving back at Cassie, the girl barely budging an inch. She smirked at his wasted effort to move her, and Tim’s glare morphed into an incensed scowl.”Freaking bodybuilder,” Tim muttered irritably, only causing Cassie’s smile to grow.
“Tim.”
He cast a wary glance at Cassie and tried to lean back when she dropped a hand on his shoulder.
“You popped a woody because some dude flipped hair out of his face.” A snort of laughter ripped out of Steph for a moment before she could fully contain it, and Tim slapped Cassie’s hand away.
“I know that !  Stop reminding me!” Tim groaned, smacking his hands over his face and dragging them down until the skin pulled below his eyes.  “This year was supposed to be easy—”
“Just like you, apparently,” Steph supplied helpfully.
“Shut up!” Tim whipped his head towards her, only to recoil when he found her right in his face, sprawled halfway across the table with a wicked grin splitting her lips.
“How did you even get out of class without anyone seeing?  Did you have to take a detour to the little boy’s room?” Tim’s face flushed scarlet at the mere memory of the way he’d performed a speedy shuffle of shame out the door and straight to the nearest bathroom, his bookbag clutched fiercely in front of his traitorous crotch.  He hadn't even bothered to collect the syllabus for the semester, afraid that closer proximity to the new TA might induce a bout of spontaneous combustion.
“Relax, Tim, we’re just messing with you.” Cassie waved away his stammering.  “She’s totally kidding.”
“Of course I am,” Steph settled back into her chair.  “It’s not like you actually had to ‘take care of things’.  Though that would be hilarious.”
“I—” Tim didn’t know where to start preserving his dignity, not entirely sure he even could, particularly when his brief hesitation to defend against the accusation had both girls’ eyes widening in shock as they read it for exactly what it was.
Affirmation.
“You actually—!” Tim blanched, beyond gratified when Steph clapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from completing the sentence.
Cassie hissed at him demandingly, “Oh my god, Mr. Bang-Me-Bangs was that hot?”
“Mr. Bang-Me-Bangs?” Tim laughed in spite of himself.  “How does Kon even put up with you?” Tim deflected desperately, and Cassie dropped back into her seat with a grin so cocky it could put her aforementioned linebacker boyfriend to shame.
“Kon thinks I'm an absolute delight, thank you very much, and if he doesn’t, he knows better than to say so.” Cassie brandished the cheesy tines of her fork close to his nose, making him go momentarily cross-eyed, before she dug the utensil back into her food.  Stephanie rolled her eyes at Cassie’s special brand of humbleness.
Silence crept in for a few seconds before Steph suggested plainly, “You should ask him out.”
“ What!? ” Tim balked, staring at her incredulously as she leaned over with her own fork to steal a few elbows of mac from Cassie.
“What, what ? It’s a good idea.”
“It’s a terrible idea!” Tim fish-mouthed at her, then looked over to Cassie for support, only to receive an indifferent shrug.  How to begin explaining why the mere suggestion sounded less exciting than chipping paint off a wall with his bare, stubby fingernails?  He couldn’t quite find the words to express the absolute disaster such a thing would likely incur.
“Please,” Cassie dismissed his horror, taking a few gulps of Steph’s soda and flicking the condensation that came off on her fingers at him.  “He’s hot, you obviously like him,” her eyes dropped demonstratively to his lap, and Tim abruptly felt scandalized.  “What’s bad about it?”
“Oh, I don’t know, how about the fact that he’s got a super hot girlfriend?” Tim hated himself immediately just for saying it.  An adult crush.  On a straight guy.  How unbelievably appropriate that it happened now, right when Tim was just shy of having his entire life worked out.  He’d taken the quiz.  He had his shit 91% together.
“How do you even know that?” Cassie frowned at him.
“I,” Tim cut himself off, tried again, “I don’t know.  But—”
“Never know ‘til you try!” Steph interrupted cheerily.
“I say this completely unironically,” Tim muttered, “but I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now.” He nearly caved in on himself at the girls’ twin smiles of evil.
“You’re only feeling that way because you know we’re right,” Cassie nodded with an affected air of wisdom.
Steph rolled her eyes excessively and stated, “Tim, you have such a bad habit of assuming every guy you like is straight.”
“Yeah, well, look what happened last time I decided to just go for it.” Tim raised his brows at Cassie significantly, and only ended up earning a burst of laughter from both blondes.
“Oh, come on! Of course Kon turned you down! He was dating me. He knows how blessed he is,” Cassie proclaimed without a shred of modesty. That unsettling predatory gleam came back into her eyes then and Tim stiffened, holding his ground through sheer willpower when she reached out and twisted a lock of his hair around her fingers with a murderously loving intent.
“Besides, Kon told me he thinks you’re hot.  He likes your hair.” Before Tim could even begin touching that bold statement, Cassie’s fingers twined more tightly into the strands and gave them a short tug, tacking on, “Said it looks grippable .”
The complete unlikelihood of that had Tim releasing an unexpected bark of disbelief, and for the first time since this morning, he felt his mood lift a bit. He shook his head free of her grasp, Cassie’s smile softening along with his.  “Either that’s a total lie, or you got him incredibly drunk and asked him leading questions to get to that point.”
“Hey,” Steph chuckled, dragging Cassie’s abandoned lunch toward her side of the table. “They say you reveal your deepest desires when you’re three sheets to the wind.”
Cassie matched her grin and tapped her chin thoughtfully.  “You two would have been hot though, if I hadn’t gotten there first.” She threw her hands up in an ‘oh well’ gesture.  “Too bad I did. I’ll bet you and Professor McFuck-Me-Fringe will look hotter together anyway.”
“Stop with the stupid nicknames. You haven’t even seen him! How do you know he's actually hot and I'm not just insane?” Tim denied it with such a lack of conviction that Cassie’s gaze turned disdainful, and this time, Steph’s eyes couldn’t have rolled harder if they’d fallen out of her head.
“Hun, you got a chub just watching him push hair out of his face. The only logical conclusion is that the guy has the most insanely perfect genes to ever grace humanity if he got you to react that hard...pun absolutely intended.” Both girls dissolved back into laughter at his expense.
“You two are enjoying this way too much right now.” Tim gave the giggling girls a nasty side-eye. “Whatever, it’s still a bad idea.  Even if he is into guys, it’s against the rules for students and teachers to—”
“He’s a TA!  He’s not an actual teacher!” Stephanie argued.
“What difference does that make!” Tim snapped back.
“Now you’re just trying to make up excuses to—”
“Hey, you’re—sorry to interrupt.  You’re Tim Drake, right?”
Cassie’s head flew around so fast over her shoulder at the deep voice, Tim got whiplash just watching, while Steph lost control of her silverware entirely and had to slam her hand down dramatically to prevent it from falling to the ground.  Tim knew exactly how they felt though when both their jaws dropped at the sight of the man standing beside them.
Jason Todd, Tim’s new TA, was no less devastating to Tim’s currently fragile psyche than he’d been in the wee hours of early morning classes. In fact, the effect of what had to be at least two day’s worth of stubble spread across a strong jawline and bold features may have been even more destructive in the natural daylight shining through the cafeteria window, when compared to the harsh fluorescent lighting of the lecture hall.
The deep gray t-shirt with an abstract red slash across the chest was possibly even more form-fitting and tight wrapped around that trim torso than Tim recalled. His eyes zeroed in on sleeve hems hugging unfairly defined biceps and swore he could practically hear the seam stitches moaning with pleasure from the stretch.  An abrupt moment of body envy hit him, entirely separate from his attraction, that dissipated a few moments later.   God, how many hours does a person have to log in a gym to get a body like that?  Not my ideal way to spend time. Tim’s eyes scanned unconsciously along broad shoulders and a strong neck and had to admit, I’d watch, though. I’d definitely watch.
The crooked grin on the man’s face faltered slightly when all of them simply continued to gape in silence at him. “Uh, did I...make a mistake?”
The question snapped Tim out of his momentary stupor, although the rough quality of the man’s voice wasn’t helping the situation. “Yes, sorry, yes. Tim, that’s me. Drake. I’m Tim Drake,” he finished, biting his tongue before he could repeat his own name one more time and solidify his obvious insanity; he could feel the judging look Steph turned on him burn into the side of his head.
The grin came back, a little more smug this time, and Tim could swear – or maybe it was just high, heavenly, thirsty hopes – that the tone of voice was flirty when Jason replied, “You sure about that?”
Unable to suppress his own embarrassment, Tim barely managed to look his new TA in the eye when he nodded and replied, “Yes, I’m sure. You just caught me off guard.”
The smarmy grin turned into a pearly-white smirk, and Tim was positive this time that he wasn’t imagining it when he heard the flirtatious inflection in the return of, “Yeah, I seem to be getting that a lot today.”
The pair stared at each other, Tim incapable of grasping enough words to string together because Jason, once again , chose that moment to drag long, strong-looking fingers through his hair in a graceful swoop. Really? For god’s sake, since when was this a thing for him? Tim barely registered the cough, or the nails digging into his thigh. At some point, Steph had worked her way around the table.
“Umm, Tim?”
When it was clear that Tim had no intention of introducing either of the girls anytime soon, too transfixed by the way the small swath of white bangs curved just so at his TA’s hairline, Steph turned back to the man, who extended his hand out in greeting.
“I’m Stephanie. I’m a friend of Mr. Speechless here.”
“Hey, I’m Jason.” The TA grinned at her introduction, and despite wanting to throttle her with his bare hands, Tim still couldn’t bring words to the surface, entranced by the way the muscles in Jason’s forearm flexed when he gripped Steph’s hand. “I’m the teacher’s assistant for Warwick’s Econ classes this semester.” Jason turned to Cassie, who, like Tim, had yet to appropriately react.  “You must be another friend of Tim’s?”
“Cassie.” Her name came out in a breathy, almost surreal whisper as Cassie slipped her hand into Jason’s larger one, and it garnered a humorous smile from the man.
“Pleasure to meet you, Cassie.” Glancing at Tim, he lowered his voice and asked with that same smirk, “He always this talkative?”
Cassie erupted into the highest-pitched giggles Tim had ever heard come out of her, and it blessedly gave him the ability to look somewhere other than Jason’s face, if only to stare at her like she’d gone completely batshit. Even Jason looked a little stunned. She clapped a hand over her mouth, shooting a mortified look at Tim, who finally managed to find some spine in the wake of Cassie’s utter embarrassment, and he turned to fully face Jason.
“What brings you over to our table, Mr. Todd?”
“Ugh, please, I can’t be more than a few years older than you,” Jason’s lips curled back in a disgusted grimace.  “Let’s just stick with Jason.” He paused, watching Tim assessingly for a second before some sort of decision must have been made and he offered, “Or you could call me Jay.”
Was it just Tim or had there been a strong emphasis on “you” in that offer?
“Jason, then.” He’d work himself up to Jay.  He could barely handle his reactions to the man finger-combing his own hair; Tim would probably implode trying to use an intimate nickname at this point. And it was definitely intimate. Tim could practically taste it on his tongue, the same way he'd say it in the bathroom when— “Did I forget something in class?” He questioned a little harshly, just to choke off his own train of thought.
“Yes, actually.” Jason turned to rummage in his bag, and Tim’s eyes instantly dropped down to the strip of skin showing as the t-shirt shifted and rose with each motion of his digging arm.
Skin...no skin...smooth, tanned skin...no skin...gorgeous, begging to be licked skin…
A sound of success was followed almost immediately by a piece of paper blocking Tim’s fantastic view, and he inadvertently glowered at the sheet without actually processing what it was.
“Whoa, didn’t realize you’d hate office hours that much.”
“Huh?” Tim answered intelligently, transferring his gaze up to find Jason grinning at him with a single raised eyebrow.
“My office hours.” Jason waved the paper, recapturing Tim’s attention so he could see the location and hours each week that Jason had set up for students to come see him for help. “You just tried to eviscerate my selfless offering with your eyes.”
“What! I did not—” Tim snapped his attention back up, ready to defend his insanity, but found himself enthralled by deep teal eyes that sparkled--whose eyes actually sparkle in real life?-- when Jason opened his mouth and laughed at Tim's earnest protest.
“You are too easy,” Jason commented, no doubt in reference to Tim's apparent gullibility. Tim could only agree wholeheartedly that, for Jason, yes. Yes, he would be so easy. In fact, the man would probably never have an easier time even if he walked into a hands-on strip club.
Tim took the paper from Jason's hand, careful not to touch him, as he was fairly certain his entire body would go numb from the contact. His efforts were futile though because the moment Jason let go, he reached up and ruffled a hand through Tim's hair in a friendly gesture.
Time slowed. Tim’s vision blurred as all his senses honed in on the feeling of that large, warm hand roughly carding through his locks. Tim’s entire being turned to jelly from the sensation and the paper floated softly to the floor at his feet. The hand paused. No, keep petting me , Tim’s pathetic brain pleaded.
But then.
Then .
Fingers pulled at his hair a bit, got a grip on the strands, and tipped Tim’s head back a few inches so he was trapped in a stare-off with his unnaturally striking TA, and Jason was just looking. At. Him.
He can’t, Tim’s brain spasmed, unable to quite comprehend that a virtual stranger could so blatantly ignore the concept of a personal bubble, or that Tim would have absolutely zero words of complaint.  And of course, Jason’s head leaned down so he was even closer, so Tim’s brain completely short-circuited.
“Are you feeling okay?” Jason’s brow furrowed with concern as he looked Tim over, who for his part, felt he must be hallucinating the entire situation, it was so surreal.  “You seem a little out of it.” Jason stepped back, releasing his hold, and Tim couldn’t have controlled his lean to follow that hand if his life depended on it.  Jason paused, lips twitching a little at Tim’s obvious motion, but he graciously let it slide.
Tim was certain it would come back to bite him in the ass eventually, so he was only slightly less horrified with himself.
“I’m good. Just, tired.” The excuse felt lame just leaving his mouth, but Tim had nothing. He’d been rendered incapable of his usually quippy mind, and could only do what was necessary to keep his nose above the water.
“I can imagine,” Jason eyed him, obviously not believing it for a second, but Tim was once again forced to be grateful that the man was letting it go. “Well, I’ve delivered what I came for. I’ll let you guys get back to lunch.” With a little wave, Jason turned to leave. “See you Thursday, Tim.”
“What? Oh, yeah, class. Bye.” Tim could only wave absently back because Jason’s smile was devastating when he shot it over his shoulder and walked away.
The moment the TA was out of earshot, all three friends collectively drew a stabilizing breath.
“ Shit , he’s hot.  I completely lost it for a minute there.” Cassie fanned herself dramatically.
“For a minute ?” Steph scoffed, moving back around the table to take her seat.  “I’m telling Kon you nearly dropped your panties in the cafeteria.”
“Don't you dare tell Kon. I will break you.” Cassie growled, fingers curling into harpy claws, though Steph seemed unfazed.
“I’m so telling Kon, you are going to be playing good girlfriend for weeks to make up for this,” Steph cackled.
“I’m so glad it wasn’t just me,” Tim commiserated, pulling a murmur of assent from both girls as they simultaneously craned their necks to watch the last flash of Mr. Jason Todd, Teacher’s Assistant Extraordinaire, exit the cafeteria doors.  The moment his back was no longer visible, Steph shook her head in wonderment and stabbed absently at Cassie’s cooling macaroni, missing it by a mile but obviously not caring in the least.
“That man’s picture is right beside the word ‘rugged’ in the dictionary.” Steph’s eyes flared with heat, and she practically waxed poetic. “He looks like he just got back from logging in the woods, and is casually prepared to fight off a bear and then later take you by the light of the cabin fireplace. The only thing missing is plaid and an axe.”
Tim laughed hoarsely at her over-the-top, but somewhat scarily accurate description.
“That, or he’s straight out of a Chippendale’s show,” Cassie surmised, and all three of them shared a moment of breathless imagination at the very prospect.  Cassie turned wide eyes filled with endless pity on Tim, one hand held lightly to her chest. “Sweetie, you really weren’t kidding. You are so screwed.”
Tim’s head fell to the table once again with a thump, Jason’s office hours scrunching in his hands.  “Oh god. I’m gonna fail Econ.”
~~~
A/N:  Chippendale’s is a male exotic dance club in Las Vegas, for anyone who doesn’t know.
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