#and y'know what. sometimes you make a joke about glasses
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Some pre-season 2 headcannons for Dndads
Spoilers for both seasons ahead!
Read at your own risk!
- Ron retwists Terry Jr's hair while in the forgotten realms to the best of his abilities. Afterwards, Samantha would teach him how to do it better and it becomes a bonding experience for the two
- Lark and Sparrow would notice one day randomly they have pointy ears. Henry would have to explain to them that they always had pointy ears, they just thought it was normal because Henry had pointy ears. They're actually, y'know, half elves.
- Nicky would call Glenn "Dad" half the time on accident. Pisses Jodie off but Glenn would just shake his head and be like "just cuz I'm cooler doesn't mean I'm your dad, ayeeeeee". Makes him a little sad in the beginning but it becomes a running joke between them
- Terry Jr and Grant 100% had a short dating stint in the forgotten realms but both of them said "Nahhhh" after
- Darryl realized he's bisexual post forgotten realms. He goes to pride parades with Grant wearing little pins but he keeps it in the down low.
- Lark is on the aspec spectrum, Sparrow is pan like his father. They wear shirts that way "All or Nothing" with both flags as a joke.
- Ron takes up fishing with Terry Jr but half the time they just would go feed the ducks instead of catching any fish. They use popcorn instead of bread
- Henry, Darryl, and Ron have a weekly get together where they hang out and sometimes talk about what happened in the Forgotten Realms. It's a lot of trauma on them all so they confide in each other
- All the dads were at Sparrow's wedding and definitely cried more times than anyone could count. Henry and Darryl danced like idiots while Carol and Mercedes talked over a glass of wine
- All the wives have book club every week, which often turns into just them talking together and enjoying each other's company
- Ron has nightmares a lot of the time about Willy. Henry has nightmares about Barry. Both often spend time post nightmare together, with the other dads as back- up if needed
- Henry has a giant fear of throwing up post doodler, to the point he only throws up if his body forces him to. Otherwise he swallows it down.
- Grant met Marco on Fortnight
- Lark and Sparrow got their tattoos updated when they were 18 to fix them. Because, y'know, child making the tattoo wouldn't last long. Sparrow adds Normal and Hero's names to his other arm after both of them are born.
- Normal and Hero used to play with Lincoln during the summer. Hero and Lincoln play one on one while Normal would cheer them on!
- Taylor would be the one guy in summer wearing a full jacket and long pants and boots because he's constantly freezing
- Hero has round ears, Normal has pointy ears post church of the doodler
- Hermie had a crush on Normal pre-joker story but he had to drop it for the ✨ character✨ of it all
- Normal is trans (duh), and most of his binders were handmade by Lark
- Taylor has a ton of different arm crutches, mainly decorated, but he only has one sword cane.
- Grant is in therapy and on antidepressants but his true antidepressant is his family (he says this and it is not true, he's just cheesey)
Hope you enjoy
#dungons and daddies#dungeons and daddies season 2#dungeons and daddies#dndads#henry oak#darryl wilson#ron stampler#glen close dungeons and daddies#jodie foster dndads#nick foster#lark oak#sparrow oak#lark and sparrow#terry jr#grant wilson#scary marlowe#lincon li wilson#taylor swift dndads#headcannons#chaos#angst soon :)
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Ok so, kinda scared to ask this but here goes-
Can I use a similar joke to your glasses one? It's absolutely genius and it'll last like a single frame, I'll credit u👍
Sure, man, I don't have a copyright on funny haha glasses joke! If you want to credit me for it, go right ahead, but it's really no big deal :)
#noncomics#not chocoblook#ask#if you know people who would bite your head off because you made a similar joke to them at one point. those people are entitled assholes#i'm not even the only person to independently decide that frisk needs glasses#i know at least two other comics that do it too#and y'know what. sometimes you make a joke about glasses#and there's a finite number of jokes you can make about a given subject. there's gonna be some overlap.
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Hayden Christensen𓆩♡𓆪
Blurb: You're in need of comfort
Content: This is how I think he'd act if you're crying. Fluff, female Reader, really brief mention of love making but there's no details. Mention of age gap.
Alright, we all know our baby is the sweetest thing known to mankind-- and on top of that he's a father, I just know his fatherly instincts would be triggered all the time with you. You're his woman but you're also his baby, y'know? Nobody can tell me he's not the type of man who would treat you like a fucking princess! And I knooow he gives the best hugs (anybody who has met him and can confirm?). He would be sitting comfortably on the sofa, reading the newspaper since he doesn't care for social media. He would fix up his reading glasses, laughing about those lame jokes that sometimes are written in a specific section of the paper, I'm sure he finds them funny even when they're not.
You'd get to the farmhouse barely holding back your tears. Maybe you had a crappy day in your part-time job. Or perhaps, since you're so much more younger than Hayden, somebody managed to say something about your relationship that actually hurt you. Whatever it was, you appeared in the living room, your lower lip caught between your teeth as you're holding back a sob. You don't even give Hayden the opportunity of processing the state you're in, getting on the sofa with him.
"Sweetheart?" he frowns with concern as you bury your face against his chest, finally letting your tears fall shamelessly. You're practically sobbing and not making any sense.
He'd be cradling you in no time. No explanations needed. Hayden would get to the bottom of the mystery later, but first he needed you to feel better. Cared for. He'd whisper sweet nothings to your ear, brushing your hair with his big hands and clumsy long fingers. He'd leave little kisses on your reddened cheeks and forehead, trying to make your sorrows go away.
"Wanna talk about it baby? No? It's alright sugar, I'm here for you... Whenever you're ready." He'd reassure you as many times as required, taking a deep breath as he cuddles you on the sofa.
Once he's sure you're feeling better he would try to find out what happened. Hayden would end up giving you some sort of advice, he's older and wiser after all, and he knows better. You'd feel a little silly for breaking down like that, but he wouldn't mind. In fact he would prepare a bath for you! If you're still feeling down he would do something sweet like brushing your hair while you're in there. I don't think he'd handle something like this with love making-- I mean he would probably do it waaaay later in the night, but not when you're vulnerable, he'd hate to feel like he's taking advantage of you. I think he would be big on making you feel like you're safe. Always.
#im so in love with him wtf#can i please be his controversially young girlfriend?!!#seriously why is he so damn precious?!#hayden christensen x reader#hayden christensen headcanon#hayden christensen x you#hayden christensen imagine#hayden christensen fluff#kassia writes ・☾・
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Desaparecer | B. CH
Pairing: IdolBangChan x NonIdolreader (mainly neutral gender, but reader has a female body)
Words: 1.3017 (sorry)
Warnings: smut, unprotected sex (please stay safe people), marking (both), oral (reader receive) Chan slightly soft Dom but he's also a little shit at the beginning, slight overestimulation (reader receive), and they are both a little insecure at the end of it.
This work it was requested!
A/n: first of all, I'm kinda impressed with myself for the good warning tags (yay), second of all I hope the anon that request like It, and who reads it too. I loved to write it, and got even more better than what I planned. And also it's been a while since I wrote a smut, so please be honest with it (but not mean tho), and I haven't proof readedz so who knows. That's for the attention, and food reading!
(the gift isn't mine, credit to the beloved soul who made it! ❣️)
💌: @marcillfll
For many days you wondered if it what are you doing? You have a really good life, a very stable routine, finding happiness in little details... But is your boyfriend actually part of it?
It should be, right? He is your boyfriend afterall! You should be happy with his company, his words, his presence, your special days, your regular days that turned into something special because of him... Except Christopher Bang it isn't a regular guy with a regular position, that can provide you all of that.
He's a international Korean Idol, and more importantly a very needed base to his group "Stray kids". Sonic it's hard to have a very knowing boyfriend, that has a lot of responsibilitys, add the fact that you need to keep your relationship a secret.
So that perfect relationship you dreamed for years, it isn't actually like you dreamed of...
Well you got really lucky with Chris! He's a very sensitive, romantic, attentive, sweet boyfriend; he is also really reliable about anything and everything, and you can't lie, he's a ver ver good looking boy. But sometimes you just can't get away with the feeling that you don't actually have him.
Something that Bang Chan is actually pretty aware of it. That's why he decided to plan a weekend only, giving the both of you hours of moments alone together.
You didn't actually knew what he was planning on, but once, in a very boring and slow Friday, you recieved a text from him, saying that you should pack some stuffs for a weekend a way, you knew you couldn't be disappointed.
...
"Morning my love!" Chris voice being the first one you listen on a Saturday morning, it was a hell of an indication you would have a really good day.
You were finishing getting ready with for meeting him in only a couple of minutes, until you hear his voice coming from your living room. Running after him, you can't help but jumping on his embrace, giggling just like he did when he saw your figure.
"Missed you" you mumble on his neck, ticking slightly, but Christopher couldn't care less. He hugged your body closer to his, both of you selling each other's perfume. "Missed you too my love"
"Where are we going?" You asked finally taking your head out of his neck to look at his gorgeous features, and like that you catched his eyes shining bright, and you felt the warm of his love through it.
Bang Chan smiled, one of his childish smiles, that you slightly mirror it. The boy Negou com a cabeça shaked his hands before saying "Sorry love, confidential information" and laughed at your whining about it.
...
You had no idea where Chan was taking you, but you knew it was very far, since when more trees started to appear, he loses his face mask and cap, keeping only his sun glasses, making him even more beautiful.
"The view it's on the other side, y'know?" The boy jokes, but you hold his hands and simply say: "really? I don't think it could compare to what I'm seeing" and those words made the boy blush and giggle, and God, how you missed this sound!
Trying to take away the attention, he turn on the volume of the radio, and laying his hands on your thighs squeezing it a little bit. And you can't control those goosebumps that spread your skin at it, so you tried to play it cool, and got your phone in hands.
"Chanie, not to be that person, but you know we are getting without phone signal, right?" you didn't really care much about it, but as a leader, composer and producer, Bang Chan basically needed that like air.
"I know" he simply said, quickly looking at you and smiling "it's for to turn the phone off, so no one can bothers us" Christopher than holded you hand on his lips, where he kissed "we're going to... desaparecer"
...
The place your boyfriend booked it was really nice. It was a simple regular house, but it had a nice view of trees, the sky pretty clear, and the moon shining very bright and perfect.
"What we should do first?" You ask feeling his arms sneaking around your waist, and that alone makes your heart beat hard and fast. Chan begins to trails soft kisses on your neck, and you shivers under his touch.
"Huuum how about..." he starts speaking still trailing kisses that makes the air leave your lungs, and close your eyes, feeling very conscious about his body pressed against yours. "...you going to the room, take a nice shower, dress fancy, and come down here so I can give you a amazing date night?"
You smile turning around on his embrace. Holding his face in your hand, you caress his cheek, taking in the whole bang Chan you have in your arms. Your eyes wander his face until reach his voluptuous lips, and slowly you get your face closer to his, seeing the boy you now holding do the same, closing his eyes after staring at your lips. He can already feel the taste of your gloss on him...
"Okay" your voice make him open his eyes, only to find you already leaving him alone. Chan needs some seconds to understand and recover, letting out a snort, but laughing along.
...
You took a very calm and relaxing shower, took your very precious time to get ready, and choosing a very sexy clothe you had. Specially black, Chan's favorite color.
"Can I go now?" You open the room's door and asks loud so your boyfriend can hear you. Finally you recieved a positive response and went after him. "What you have for me?" You ask when you see him on his back.
Christopher turn around and stop. You saw his mouth form a perfect 'o', and him starting to mumbling trying to say something. And Bang Chan, feel the whole world stop once his eyes met your figure, sou gorgeous in front of him... He knew he had to say something, that's why he tried, but his brain couldn't work properly.
"Uh... Love, are you by any chance... Hum hungry?" The boy asks, still looking up and down. You smile, deciding to tease him just a little bit more, then pretending to think a little longer.
"Huuummm... I don't know, why?" Chris then slowly gets closer to you, staring at your eyes, making easy for you to realize how dark they were. And tiu can't help but already feel affected by him.
"Because my love..." He starts to speak, and everytime he gets closer, you take a step back, soon reaching the wall "I was going to give you a really nice and romantic dinner, but seeing you like this..." Chan smirks, and take his hands to your face. He holds by you chin, making you already loose your senses, and look at hia face, heart pounding in your chest "I can only think about taking this clothes out of you, and fuck the shit out of you." The way the man was holding you, and staring at you, and your knees get week, but Chan it's pretty fast, holding you, and smirking even more "you're going to scream my name so people on the other side of the town will hear you... Is that good for you my love?" He asks, and you obviously confirm nodding "words love"
"Yes chanie" it's all you can say, before his lips are on yours.
Christopher glue your body to his, pulling you closer, and only stabilizing you with his knees between your legs. As soon as his tongue get inside of your mouth, you let him dominate the kiss, and yourself. Bang Chan take his hands out of your face, to your hip, firmly pressing you against his thighs.
You are completely taken by him, letting your hand walk through him, but ending on his nape, griping slightly hard at his hair once he makes your hips move on top of him. You gasp at his lips, and Chan smiled. The boy have the audacity to pull apart, and stare at you, smiling like a devil.
"Let me look at you" he cooed, holding your face once again, and moving your hips against his muscle. You feel the electricity run your whole body, once the angle it was making his thigh reach your clit. "Fuck I missed that pretty face of yours"
Chan let a soft kiss on your mouth, before trailing kisses to your neck, and picking you up. He laid you down at the soft mat, hovering on top of you.
You could feel his lips everywhere. And then his tongue, and some bitting, and definitely a lot of marking...
"I'm going to fuck you" bang Chan begins to undress you, throwing them somewhere "no breaks. No pause" his voice was low, and made your whole body shake "I'm going to fuck you"
You had no idea that you were already naked in front of him, all you knew it was that Chan was leaving sweet kisses at your belly, then at your thighs...and he was painfully slow at it.
"Chan" you called for him, unsure of what to say. The boy looked at you smirking like the devil he is, but diving his face inside of you, making you call for him, but in a more urgent way "chan!"
When you heard people saying that rappers where good at giving oral, you didn't minded much about it, but you couldn't denied now that they were correct. Very correct.
"Fuck" he said hoarse voice slightly muffed by your body "you don't have any idea how much I missed your taste, love" it was all you heard before Chan dives in you, for real this time.
Christopher flicked his tongue on your clit, making you shiver and instinctively grab his hair, trying to gain some control over the man (but you knew better than that). You catch his dark eyes staring at you, when you feel him giving your pussy a long stripe, and you swear you can feel your soul leaving your body at the sight.
"Can you keep looking at me, beautiful?" Chan suddenly asks very nicely, and you on your week state, confirm with a nod. Chan maintain eye contact with you, and you almost can't notice his hands grabbing your thighs in a much stronger grip, only so he can comeback to his work on you.
Chan a man on a mission, moaning on you while his tongue work inside of you, taking away all the air in your lungs, making you squirm and weakly moan his names.
It felt so good. It always felt good, but your boyfriend made a promise to himself that today it was all about you. So he was planning on devour your body in many ways.
That's why when your body started to giving signs that you were about to cum, nada you started to say it yourself, all he did was raise his eyebrow indicating that he was okay with it, but never stopping his movements.
"Chan..." You called kinda as a warning, that the knot in your stomach it was about to release, but he holds you even closer and keep on eating you out. "God, Chan!" You called more desperate, your grip getting more strong on his hair, and he moan, diving impossibly more inside of you "Chan!" You definitely screamed, feeling your orgasm taking over all of your body.
With eyes closed all you wanted it was to let the feeling go, but Chan took a little more of his time with you, keeping his tongue working while holding your body trambelling on the floor.
"I love you" Christopher's voice slightly brought you back to reality. Your breathing it was uneven, so he made sure he's touch on you it was lightly and soft.
He kissed your legs, making his way to your torso, and face. And he's eyes met yours, and he chuckled while watching you coming back to reality. He was very soft, caressing your cheek, looking ver foundy at your face. Chan also gave you pecks, and kisses to your lips and face, making you giggle.
"welcome back, my love" Chan jokes, grabbing your hand and kissing your fingers. You weekly answers with a "hi" and the brightest smile for the night. "Are you okay?" He asks, softly touching every peace of your body he could reach "good, because I'm not done with you love"
And his lips were back to your body. Focusing on your breasts, one at time with his lips, leaking, kissing and bitting, you could feel the bruisings forming where he bit. And then he touched them. For only he starts to intercalate tongue and hands. He knew you and your body, and as he was right, you were ready for him once again.
"Can I?" You weekly asks for him, indicating his clothes. Chan brightly smiles and sits up with you, so you can undress him.
His jacket go out really fast, but his shirt goes out slowly, since you wanted to feel him too, unbuttoning you kiss his torso just like he did with yours, but being a little more carefull not to mark him.
"Love do you want to mark me up?" He asked smiling when you look at him with puppy eyes "can I?" After his approval your lips were everywhere on his skin, marking whenever you reached.
"Fuck love" he pantted at your willing "I'm sorry but I need to fuck you. Now" Chan growled laying you once again.
You felt his tip at your entrance, but before he got inside of you, he hover his body on top of yours, and kiss you. You feel all the love he feels for you, and then you feel all the cock he gives to you.
Chan filled you up. To the very brin.
"Chan please move" you request, lips still touching. He smiles and starts to move, slightly pulling back only to fastly thrust again inside of you.
Bang Chan started to pound inside of you like he could die if he didn't. Or like you were a goddess giving him the forbidden fruit.
All you could do it was moan, and grab his body against yours, nails digging into his back. You could do this all day everyday.
"Chan please don't stop" you begged once again, and he loved to listen to your voice so desperate for him. And fuck he wished he could record it.
"I can feel every peace of you, my love" he said in your ears, not needing much to feel your orgasm without any warning.
Your juices, moans, low grunts, your bodies... It was a very intense and delicious symphony for Chris ears. And for that he was losing himself inside of you.
Once he felt he couldn't hold any longer, Chan pulled off and realised his loads on your belly and breasts. Collapsing he fell besides you, but holding eye contact.
...
After that intense sex section you had at the leaving room, Chan helped you to clean it up, and prepare a relaxing bath witch he gladly joins you.
"Can I ask you something?" You now hoarse voice weakly speaks at the econof the bathroom. Your answer it was a hum and your boyfriend smuggling closer to you, head on your neck "why you suddenly decided to take this weekend off?"
"Humm..." the brunet hummed before answering, fingers playing with yours "I know that we don't get to have too much of a time for us, and I saw something that kinda scared me, so I decided that I was going to take care of us better. Starting today."
He's words cough you out of guard, and that made you look at him in the best way you could "can I ask what scared you?"
"Remember that night we went to grab some soju before heading home?" He recalled, and you decided to make fun of him, recalling that day "you ment that one that you decided to eat ice cream while full on masks to hide yourself?"
Chan's laugh filled the bathroom and you followed him, felling his arms embrace you even more "Yes, the bees one..." but tone for serious after that "I saw a happy couple that day. They were on the other side of the street, and they seem so happyz and they kept on hugging each other and..." you found a weird way to sit at the tub, and get in front of him, so you hold his face to stare at you, what apparently brought him back "and I got scared you want something like that... Something that I can't give to you..."
"Chanie" you tried to speak, but he interrupts you "and honestly I thought the best it was to..."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" You almost shout at his face. Chan it was indeed vulnerable, and you respected him for that, knowing how hard it is for him, even to this day to be more open with you, and so you also knew better than to keep repeating cliches, "Chanie, can you promise me one thing?" His eyes were curious over you "whenever you feel insecure over us, for anything, tell me. So we can workout okay?"
"That it's very brilliant my love" Chan smiles, kissing you "are you going to do the same?" The both of you came back to your position
"Sure, like you know" you start feeling him leaving random kisses on you "sometimes I think you're going to leave me for one of your exes, or someone that knows your lifestyle better"
Chan's fingers grasped your chin, making you look at him "well, they try to get into me, but it's you the one I'm planing to marry, my love".
#Yakully's Shop#stray kids#stray kids masterlist#stray kids scenarios#stray kids reactions#stray kids fic#stray kids headcanon#stray kids smut#bangchan request#bang chan fanfic#bang chan x reader#bang chan smut#bangchan smut#bang chan imagines#bang chan#skz bang chan#stray kids bang chan#lee know#minho#changbin#seo changbin#hyunjin#hwang hyunjin#han jisung#Jisung#felix#lee felix#seungmin#kim seungmim#yang jeongin
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Jared: [following on from Jensen's story of injuring his hand in a door] That's why - doors can be dangerous. That's why I always leave mine open slightly, so it's no longer a door, it's ajar.
Jensen: [pointedly turns to question line] Hi! How are ya?
Norton: [rimshot]
Jared: [jumps up in excitement, punches air, kicks, generally flails]
Jensen: Let me ask you a question. Ladies and gentlemen, [points offstage] Monsieur Keegan.
Jared: Monsieur Keegan Allen.
Jensen: Do you put up with those jokes on the set of a show you work on with Jared?
Keegan: Yes. Um, but they're so great. He's also my boss.
Jensen: Right, right, yes. He's so funny, isn't he?
Keegan: He's the most amazing guy ever.
Jared: I'm like, you're getting a raise.
Jensen: [mockingly monotone] He's the most amazing guy I have ever met in my life.
Keegan. I did - I did really laugh at that, that was great.
Jensen: What's up dude, what're you doin?
Keegan: Hey, dude, what's up man? Hey guys, what's up? Keegan Allen here, I'm from California.
Jared: Alright. Hi Keegan. From California.
Keegan: Man, this is really nerve-wracking, being down here.
Jensen: Just take a deep breath, we're all here for ya.
Jared: Yeah.
Keegan: I wanted to ask you guys [clears throat, speaks in a deeper voice] I wanted to ask you guys - hold on -
Jensen: [whispers into mic] Get it together, man.
Keegan: I wanted to ask you guys, in the last year, what have you done in your lives that you feel like has made it 10% better?
Jared: That's a great question, Ian. Ian, right?
Keegan: Keegan from California.
Jensen: Well, Keegan from California, 10%, huh?
Keegan: Well, 'cause you don't want - just, like a subtle upgrade in your life.
Jensen: Right.
Keegan: Because, like, y'know, something that's too drastic is too noticeable? But 10%.
Jared: Yeah, reasonable.
Jensen: I got one, I got one for ya. Make the bed first thing in the morning. I didn't used to do that. I would maybe get around to it. Y'know, like I'd get out of bed and later when I'd come back, and I'd, you know, sometimes I wouldn't go back to the bedroom until the afternoon, and I'm like ugh, bed's still unmade. Now I get up and I make the bed.
Jared: Yeah, that's a great -
Jensen: I have to kick my wife out of the bed first. [mimes kicking] But I make the bed every morning. And I dunno, it just feels good when I walk back in later in the day and I see the bed has been made. I dunno why. Yeah.
Jared: That's great. I think for me, Keegan from California, I think for me, I've tried to get rid of some of my perfectionist inklings, and so one of the things I like to do is not worry about, like, whether or not my bed is made. [audience laughs] So I come back in at night and the pillows are -
Jensen: See, [pointing at Keegan again] he has to laugh at that joke. [Jared cracks up] I don't.
Jared: But no, speaking of beds, I will not get on my phone when I'm in my bed. Even if I want to return a text message. Or I'm like, oh, shoot, I wanna play Wordle, or I wanna do something. I won't do it in the bed, I will force myself to get out of the bed [stands up] and either just stand next to it, or - Not a word of a lie, it works, it works. [Jensen cracks up] It's literally as simple as, because there's so much - because here's what I would do! I would be like -
Jensen: I just imagine like him getting a text in the middle of the night, and he's like [mimes grumpily throwing off covers, picking up imaginary phone, pushing hair back, typing on phone, pulling off imaginary glasses to set back on pretend nightstand with phone][Jared cracks up]
Keegan: I'll have to text him now, after he goes to bed.
Jared: Well, well, that's basically what happens. [Jensen laughs] But truth be told, I had the problem of, if it was middle of the night or whatever? And I'd wake up like, ugh, what time is it and I'd go and I'd look at my walk-clock or whatever on my phone and it's 1:30. I'd think oh, let me see if there's anything on the news. Let me see ESPN. Let me see who won the game. It's like, yeah ehh, I'm kind of awake, let's see what's on YouTube. And fast forward an hour and I haven't slept. So I'm like, if it's not important enough for me to get out of bed, to do it? Then I just leave my phone on my nightstand. So, yeah. And a totally unkempt bed, by the way.
Keegan: Thank you guys, that was great.
Jared: Thank you Keegan Allen, from California!
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y'know what.
fuck it
Happy Birthday, dear Evie Artino
Renegades Trilogy - Word Count: 17092
Summary:
It's been 12 years since Nova's family was murdered. After the previous year of being a renegade and the aftermath of her uncle's actions, Nova gets a moment to breathe. To grieve.
Though, it's a little more than difficult to do that once she's told her baby sister's corpse was never buried. Never found.
And now she has to search for the infamous thief, gone rogue, Magpie. As if she didn't have enough problems to deal with.
Let's just get this over with...
Before you read!
This fic is going off of the assumption Magpie was 11 months old when her family was killed, therefore ten years later would mean she is 10 and 11 months old, 12 years later would be 12 and 11 months old (close to 13 years old) etc etc.
(I say assumption bc I'm not sure how canon Maggie being 11 months old at the beginning is. It makes sense since she was around the age she'd start to move around but still, just want to let y'all know)
I’ve done my best to show this on a timeline image in the end notes but I wanted to be clear with that! The timeline also goes off some assumptions and guesses for how much time passes from book 1 to the end of book 3.
BTW I'm sorry if ages and time stuff get confusing
I confused myself in the middle of trying to figure this out and, even though I think I've gotten everything fixed, there may still be issues
Check ao3 for tags
Nova took a deep breath, focusing on the wind gently tossing her hair. Better to focus on that than the heaviness in her chest. Leroy smiled and patted her shoulder in comfort.
“I’ll stay” Nova whispered, but then chuckled “But I’m crashing with you. The Renegades' campus rooms are terrible!” She straightened and let her tired smile relax.
Leroy shrugged, “As far as I’m concerned, the couch has been yours for a while.”
“Thank you, Leroy” She smiled. Leroy chuckled and pulled her into an odd side hug, her eyes blowing open from the action initially. She made a sly smile on her face to hide her apparent awkwardness, “I never took you for the cuddly type, Cyanide.”
“I’m not. But this is an exception.” He rubbed her arm, “You did good, Nightmare. Don’t beat yourself up about the rest.” Nova resisted the urge to fully melt in his touch, fully embrace it. Like she deserved it.
“If only it were that easy.”
“It never is. But that’s how life goes sometimes."
"Look at you being all noble and wise! Haha! You haven't been taking classes from Simon have you?"
Leroy's smile lessened a little, something crossing his mind, "Nova?"
She broke away from his hug, "Hm?"
"Have you visited them yet?" He adjusted his glasses, “They did give them actual burials, right?” Nova appreciated the dark look that donned his face. She knew that look, and the revenge schemes it carried if he so chose.
It’s been a year since Ace Anarchy was defeated for good. And a year since Nova’s actual family was revealed to everyone. Who her uncle actually was. Her motivation for becoming an anarchist in the first place. One whole year of recovery from the remaining damage, and of tearing down a faulty system and trying to rebuild a new one.
And it’s been twelve years since the murder of her family.
She pursed her lips and admitted what had also been on her mind, “No, no they did. I just haven't gone yet. There are gravestones and everything from what I've heard." She chewed on her lip.
Leroy tilted his cup around to watch the coffee swirl around. "Would you like emotional support?"
"You say that like a joke but please heh…" Nova laughed and turned to Leroy. She gripped the railing. "It's… gonna be weird. What do I even say?"
"They're graves,"
"Their graves."
“Right… my bad”
She fiddled with her fingers and Leroy placed a hand on her shoulder.
The chemist shrugged, "You don't need to know immediately. You don't need to go immediately, believe it or not."
Nova looked at him and opened her mouth to say something before a notification on her phone made her ears perk up the ever so slightest. She pulled it out to see the team group chat yapping about some shop opening. Leroy rubbed her back, "Just tell me when you want to visit."
"Thank you"
Nova spares a passing glance to the calendar and clock as she stands in the waiting room. She shifts from foot to foot. Discontent with standing, she paces. She wrings her hands as she does so.
It’s a miracle she hasn’t fled already. To procrastinate on it all for a little longer. But by this point it would be pretty idiotic to turn back now. Nova fidgets with her hair, waiting for her name to be called by the front desk.
It was taking longer than she would have liked to find out where her family's graves are. Leroy left with someone after they, not so discreetly, began to whisper. The renegade at the front desk kept passing weird looks to her. She couldn’t discern what emotion they had on their face. Maybe they were a prodigy, and gifted at masking. She didn’t get too good of a look at Leroy’s face either before he abandoned her in this desolate room. The cold blue light covering the room.
There’s no way they aren’t keeping something from her. Now she just wishes she had followed them. Anything to beat this trepidation.
Whatever they are hiding, she doubts it could be anything that Leroy would react better to than her. She keeps her ears peered just in case Leroy explodes something in reaction. There really wasn't a lot that Nova would take worse than Leroy, in her most humble opinion.
Footsteps running are her only warning before the front door to the establishment bursts open. Three hands all trying to cram through. Their bodies follow close behind in a clumsy, un-organized effort.
She jolts her head to the noise and stares at the multiple people who crash through. Adrien, then Ruby followed by Oscar, Danna, an-
Wait. Danna-?
"Nova!"
"We heard-"
"We're so sorry!!"
Roxy and Oscar charge past Adrian and run at her full speed. They knock her over before she could blink. She groans and sits up, utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"
Adrian opens his mouth and-
BOOM
Leroy…
Danna comes over to the three of them on the floor, and yanks them up to their feet. She places a hand on Nova's shoulder, "You haven't been told?"
"Told me what?!" Nova would have kept her attention on Danna if Leroy literally hadn't just made something explode, "Leroy, do you want MORE community service?! What's going on?"
Leroy yells something Nova can't make out. But he's pissed. She frowns, her guard rising.
"Nova" Adrian walked up to her, maintaining her eye contact. "I think you should see it for yourself."
Nova's eyes soften and she takes Adrian's hand, "Why can't you tell me?"
"BECAUSE THEY FUCKED UP AGAIN THAT'S WHY!" Leroy's hair was still poofy from his rage just moments prior. He marches straight to Nova, forcing her to part from Adrian when he grabs her by her shoulders. She flinches and he pauses, immediately apologetic for his abrupt action, he sighs. "You said you had a sister, yes?"
Adrian inhales sharply and Nova's frown deepens, "What does Evie have to do with this…?"
Danna speaks up, "Are you aware of one of the latest villains, that has been flaunting their superpowers everywhere? They are going by the name “the Terror" (if they couldn’t get more corny)" Danna sighs. "Just this morning they went around terrorizing all across the city. Everywhere and anywhere they liked."
"I heard about that, but I didn’t think they’d be able to wreck this place too. I thought these cemeteries had measures in place to protect them."
Adrian answers this time, rubbing his arm "Normally yes, but more Renegades have been needed to handle the new prodigy accidents and villain attacks ever since we defeated Ace Anarchy."
Danna speaks up again, "Resources for protection have been focused around civilian homes and shelters."
Nova blinks and her eyes widen slightly, "What happened."
Leroy smooths his hair out as he takes a deep breath, "The Terror robbed several graves. The Artino's were one of them."
Nova's face shifts from one of confusion to one of anger and horror, "Where are they." She practically snarls.
Leroy chuckles without humor, "That isn't the only thing, Nightmare." His hands shake.
"There's more??"
The Sketch team is quiet, allowing Leroy to speak.
Leroy chokes at first but clears his throat to speak clearer without his emotions in the way, "Your parents' caskets and bodies have been recovered and will be reburied and their graves fixed once they catch the culprit."
Nova loses her breath, "You said Evie earlier. What happened to Evie!?" She looks around, "What. Did. He. Do."
"Nothing" Adrian says, "Her body was never there."
“What?” She stared at Adrian like he was making an uncharacteristic sick joke. He wasn’t. Nova's eyes widen but in confusion more than any horror or shock, "What do you mean? If she isn't there then the graverobber must have taken her!"
"The motive doesn't match up. He wasn't interested in any of the bodies. Of all ages." Danna says.
Oscar chips in hesitantly, "Her casket doesn't have any evidence of where a body would have been for 12 years."
Nova pauses and after a long silence takes a deep breath. She shakily sits on one of the lobby chairs and hugs herself. She pinches the bridge of her nose, "Are… are you saying… that Evie's body-" she hesitates, clenching her teeth before swallowing the lump in her throat, "Evie was never recovered from the crime scene. For twelve years, she has been missing."
Adrian's face crumples slightly, hesitating to reach out. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry"
Leroy's murderous face makes too much sense now. Hot burning coals threaten to boil her alive just underneath her skin. Her breath slowly leaves her.
She was so close.
Nova had grieved before. She never thought her family would get the graves they deserved and had become okay with that. Or at least, grew used to the ache. Learned to be okay.
But, hearing they did. They did get graves. To honor their final rest. One they deserved when Captain Chromium failed them. Nova heard she could see them, even if they wouldn't be alive. Even just a gravestone above where their body rests forever. For a moment, a raw piece of her felt as if it could heal after being hollow for so long.
And it's been ripped away again.
Nova wants to be angry. She is angry. Angry at all the renegades who failed her family all over again. Who got to go home to their perfect, happy homes, in their rich lives, with their complete and happy family.
Everything feels fuzzy. In slow motion as she vaguely sees renegades exit the room one by one. Plans over the radio to recover from the graverobber underway. Mentions of names. The Artino’s. David… Tala…. Nova…
Evie…
Adrian slowly sets a hand on her shoulder, and she doesn’t jolt. He makes circles with his thumb as she breathes. Heavy breathes that keep her from gasping. She slowly lifts her head up. Her lip twitches and Adrian doesn’t say anything.
She’s furious.
She’s trembling.
She’s frail.
She’s weak.
She failed.
She failed them.
She failed Evie.
Logically, both her and Adrian know that’s not true. She tried her best. She was only six. A six year old couldn’t be blamed for what happened. He knows his father messed up. Which is more than Nova could ever ask of him.
Nova’s angry. And she’s sad. She’s so tired.
She’s hurt.
Her baby sister was so close.
But it was a lie.
###
Nova dumps the final bag of confetti in the recycling bin, marking the end of cleaning up after the parade a couple of days ago. It was to mark a year's progress after Ace’s second defeat. The permanent defeat. With confetti.
After all that work to clean up the streets from the last villain attack. Confetti. Suffice to say, she wasn’t the one to come up with the littering party idea.
The parade itself was an attempt to stir up some more positive attention to the renegades’ name. Or rather, to honor the work done so far to keep everyone safe. Not that any positive attention to the renegades couldn’t hurt their shambled reputation from the last couple years.
That’s how Nova thought of it. She wouldn’t have agreed to participate otherwise. Not when she could continue working on the case of her sister’s disappearing corpse. It was quickly going cold.
It was like the body walked away. Some kind of twisted magician’s act. And it was up to her to figure out how the magician did it. Where the magician is.
She purposefully avoided looking at Captain Chromium in the meantime. It only added salt to the wound to hear his involvement at the crime scene. Once it was a kind gesture for him to be so involved in her family’s death. Only after Nova learned Ace was responsible for sending the assassin. Now the gesture left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Surely he would have seen. Surely, he would have seen Evie’s body go missing. Footprints of a thief could have been documented. Her sister should have been put to rest. There should have been enough renegades at the scene to catch them!
It didn’t help that Adrian's father was on rocky terrain with Nova even before this revelation. And to think they had been getting along better over the last year. Now all that progress has been wiped clean. Who knows if it’ll be the same.
She felt the bag crunch in her grip. She let herself dig into it just a little more, just to get some of her fury out before dropping it.
Adrian talked to his father about what was remembered at the scene. Nova knew the man had been trying to talk to her to apologize for a while now but she just couldn’t face him. She wouldn’t want to punch her boyfriend’s father’s mug. Not that he’d actually be affected by it. The same applied to his husband as well.
Nova pulls out her phone. She clicks open the group chat she shares with the rest of her team. She scrolls back through the messages, looking for updates for what must have been the thousandth time.
Danna and Adrian have their time split between their own duties, so she couldn’t blame them. When they were available, they mostly worked on finding the negligent heroes (aside from the obvious) at the crime scene who were responsible for Evie’s disappearance. Danna’s been more helpful than Nova ever thought she’d be, seeing as they haven’t always been on the best terms. Understatement of the year.
She appreciated it nonetheless.
Oscar and Ruby have been incredible whenever they were free. They either joined her in what they deemed “detective business” (she really didn’t know how to feel about the name) or used their own efforts to search and track down where the body ended up.
Evie’s birthday is coming up soon.
And it’s been a few weeks since Nova learned about the absolute incompetence of the clean up crew. The current leading theory was a bias, which didn’t seem too far off. Adrian has been working with his father to see if this has happened to anyone else. Despite the rest of Sketch’s team trying to help out, Nova could feel her hope dwindle.
It was ambitious from the very beginning. To find the body of an 11 month old baby, twelve years after her death, but Nova really did let herself hope at first.
She couldn’t help but begin to sag around after any reminder of her sister. She felt conflicted between joining the efforts to find her, and distracting herself from the ache in her chest. It was like she was 6 years old all over again, and processing her sister’s death for the first time.
And it's certainly not a helpful attitude for actually finding her.
She’s begun to pack her schedule with numerous duties as of late. 24 hours every day allowed her to split her time between distractions and facing her current dilemma. No one was complaining from the extra help. The only real downside was the whispers about her. Nothing new. Everyone wins in the end this way.
Maybe she shouldn’t have been so open to any request in hindsight.
Nova stares at Thunderbird, “I’m sorry. Repeat that again?”
Thunderbird sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, the hero seemed much more fidgety than ever now that Nova paid attention, “Nightmare. Magpie’s missing.” Her feathers fluff up as she articulates this fact to Nova. Like she should care.
Nova scoffs, “No, no, the other part. You want me to-”
“You aren’t busy, are you? Then we need all the help we can get.” Thunderbird looks seconds away from shaking Nova senseless. “Look. I… I know about your sister and it’s all the campus can talk about. And-”
“Really?” Nova blinks, “I didn’t think I was that popular.”
“And. I’m sorry to ask you this when you’re grieving.”
Nova shifts uncomfortably where she stands. Thunderbird rarely talked to Nova when she wasn’t furious. To come to her when she’s desperate is… different.
Nova clears her throat, “Are you her mom or something? Why are you so pressed where she is?”
Thunderbird blinks at her, and squints. Oh that really ruffled her feathers. Nova could see veins popping out. “No, I’m not. However, I sponsored her and got her in to be a renegade. (In hindsight, a very poor decision…)” She glares pointedly, “She’s barely a teenager! Isn’t this concerning to you?”
Nova laughs. “I was taking care of myself by eight. I know jack shit about what’s 'normally' concerning.”
Thunderbird blinks and settles down slightly. “Right. Right… you were raised by villains-”
“Anarchists.” Nova corrects.
“Sure. But that was for you. Surely you can understand why we are worried for her. The Bandit is her age by now.”
She's got Nova there. Thinking about it, Max going missing would frazzle Nova too. She folds her arms and gives her attention to Thunderbird. “Don’t the renegades require contact information from a guardian?” Nova asks, “They should know where she is?”
Thunderbird’s lip trembled slightly, “Margaret’s… a special case. Her orphanage approved her residence and I paid for her fees and expenses.” Nova blinks, she remembers now the previous residence where she found out the kid used to live. It was pretty much useless at the time and now a year later, it’s been brought up again.
“How do you know she’s not brooding and being a problem on purpose. Running away from any responsibility she had.”
“Nightmare.”
“What?” She raised her hands in defense before placing them on her hips, “Magpie isn’t exactly thrilled about authority. This could just be avoiding the consequences of her actions somewhere, and being the moody brat she is.”
“Margaret… yes, she is very… temperamental.” Thunderbird sighs, “But even Magpie doesn’t disappear for weeks.”
Nova does a double take, "Weeks?! And you haven’t started looking sooner??"
Thunderbird scowls, "Do you really think you're the first renegade I've told?"
Nova cheeks pinken slightly and she frowns, “Then who else knows?”
Allegedly: Captain Chromium, Simon, and most of team Sketch are all the heroes Nova is told has been notified. Thunderbird doesn't specify who is looking. Orders to send out missing posters were underway until there were complications with schedules.
Now that Nova thought about it, she may have heard Adrian’s parents discussing the 12 year old’s sudden absence a while ago. Thunderbird didn’t mention her friendgroup’s lack of involvement. She did note Adrian’s efforts to search for Magpie too. Nova bit her lip, she knew how much Adrian still cared about Magpie. Despite her sticky fingers.
“Is this the only reason you’re here?”
Thunderbird sighs, "You're needed for your familiarity in the locations listed here." She hands Nova files detailing the locations, "You may be interested to hear The Terror’s movements have been narrowed down to these districts."
Nova takes the files, "What about Magpie?"
"...All I'm asking is to keep an eye out for her. Report if you see her. Talk to her if you can. Try to convince her to come back, please.” Nova resists the urge to roll her eyes at the idea of peacefully talking with Magpie like Thunderbird is suggesting, “She grew up in that neighborhood, y'know."
Nova blinks, “She did?” Thunderbird nods and Nova hums. She already knew the whereabouts the orphanage Magpie went to at one point wasn’t too close to her neighborhood. It was plausible Magpie went to the elementary institution Nova vaguely remembers from the area.
Thunderbird folds her arms and Nova notices her feathers fluff up slightly. Oh now the birdie needs to be all stern and professional huh. Got it. No sentimentality here. “Your task is to search the area for The Terror already so… keep an eye out for Magpie. Report back to me.”
Nova deadpans, “Is that an order, Thunderbird?”
“It …is a request.” She took a deep breath to level out her pride, “Please, Nightmare. I know Margaret wasn’t the nicest-”
“Oh she was a complete turd.”
“Watch your language, Nightmare.”
“We’re both adults here, Thunderbird.”
“...right.” Thunderbird sighs, “But do you have to be so casually insulting. And in the workplace?”
“I’m sure Magpie’s called me worse behind my back.”
“How immature can you get…” Thunderbird deadpans.
“I’ll tell Magpie you said that.”
Thunderbird’s lip twitches and her feathers lift slightly, “oh, so you’ll look for her now?”
“No promises I’ll find her. Or bring her back. I doubt she’d come back easily if she ran away.” Nova scratched the back of her neck, “But Adrian cares about her. You care, I know Danna cares, and from what you tell me, even more than them. So why not.”
Nova won't like coming across the thief again but she supposed there's no other option with the mess the tween's caused.
“...then call me Tamaya.”
Nova makes a double take, “What? Where did that come from?” She stares at Thunderbird for an explanation.
Thund- Tamaya frowns, “We aren’t on the field. And we aren’t strangers. We’re coworkers. And Adrian is the closest thing I have to a nephew so…" She clears her throat. "And… Nightmare, if you help me find out if Margaret is safe you’ll have my deepest thanks.”
“...” Nova really could only stare. Tamaya is almost bowing. BOWING!?!! For her help. Someone she despises. Really? “Magpie matters that much to you?”
Tamaya straightens, “She’s fierce when she wants to be, and when I met her… you should have seen it, Nightmare. Her determination despite how young she was…” She cleared her throat, “If only I had done things differently, maybe she’d still be here. I’d know where she is.”
Nova’s eyes soften slightly and she sighs, rubbing her arm. She really hopes she won't regret this. She stashes the files away in her bag, “I’ll help. Promise.”
Tamaya deflates from relief, Nova could see the tension in her posture after being so vulnerable about this request. More like a plea than anything, really.
“And call me Nova, Aunt Tamaya.”
“I’m going to regret this, aren't I.”
“Likely!”
###
Adrian and Nova met up before she had to depart to search the district. Adrian squeezed Nova's shoulder in comfort when she sucked in a breath at the sight of her old neighborhood. She squeezed his hand back before they went separate ways.
The only pretty thing to look at here would be the setting sun and a darkening sky that is right behind it. The buildings fare much worse off, with buildings crumbling, the sidewalks are uneven from the large tree roots. Many of the homes sit with broken glass and lay abandoned.
Most people in these areas stick to the new apartments nowadays. They're the only buildings that are still structurally sound and have the least risk of break ins. Made to be less vulnerable to villain attacks due to the design of the buildings. Even the renegades have been trying to finish up repairs on one of their more elaborate renegades apartments.
Nova would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of running away to live here when she was younger. Find an abandoned house to camp out at. Especially when Ace got angry. She never did, she didn’t want to abandon her only family. Even when he hurt her. He saved her after all.
Honestly, if she had lived here, it probably wouldn’t have been too different from living underground.
Growing up here couldn't have been nice.
Nova thinks about what Thunderbi- Tamaya said. Before she left she was told in depth about the process of resigning the Renegades, and it wasn't as simple as walking out unless you were arrested or were okay with losing any final paychecks and insurances offered.
Maybe Magpie did. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
Nova pulls the collar of her jacket closer, she really should have picked out a jacket with a hood. She needs to look casual though. There should be a coffee shop down the street that she plans to make a stop at. If anyone has eyes on her then it'll be her “motive” for snooping around the area.
She adjusts her black medical mask. Her movements are careful not to reveal the weaponry she’s hidden underneath her clothing. Her ears twitch from a garbage can jostling. A raccoon.
Nova makes it down the small stretch of suburbs still remaining, finally making it to the urban districts. She could hear the noises of city crowds up ahead. Lovely. Coffee shop right ahead. Either this villain shows themself and becomes a quick turn in, or she gets coffee. Classic on the job look there, huh. Maybe she’ll get hot chocolate, coffee is too bitter to be worth it.
"The terror" was becoming "the pain in the ass" to her honestly. The anarchists had their collections of thieves, sure, but on the other side of the coin turns them out to be more nuisances.
She takes one step onto the sidewalk and a figure runs into her, Nova is shoved straight into the brick wall behind her and they bounce back onto the ground “OOF-” She wheezes and scowls at the figure, “Watch where you’re goi-” The black clothed figure’s hood fell back.
There sat Nova’s other objective.
Magpie rushes to pack up all the things that had fallen out of her bag from the tumble she took when colliding with Nova. She freezes when Nova guffaws her name out loud.
“Nightmare?!” Her eyes bulge and she stares at Nova. Nova takes in the kid’s choppy haircut, now longer than the bob she wore when Nova first met her. A cloud of dirt has stained the mostly black clothing she has on, and Magpie clutches a passenger bag as she collects her last scattered item. A diamond bracelet.
Wait a minute. “What did you-”
Magpie bolts, cutting through the next crowd as Nova runs after her. “Get back here!”
Magpie takes a sharp turn into the nearest alley, Nova apologizes to all the citizens as she parts her way through. She sees the sewer lid slide into place when she gets to the alley. Oh, does that brat think she’s clever?
Nova pries open the lid and jumps inside, cringing from the smell immediately. Her shoes splash in the water the moment she gets down. She equips her flashlight though it’s almost unneeded when she hears more splashing up ahead.
She catches up and grabs the kid’s hoodie, ignoring her cry of shock. “What do you think you’re doing!?”
Magpie snarls and turns around and successfully pushes Nova away. “I could ask you the same fucking question!”
“I asked first.”
Magpie sneers, “Oh look who’s high and mighty by using playground rules.” She turns around to walk away only for Nova to keep up pace with her. And that kid has the nerve to count her little collection of stolen goods in front of her. Nova runs up and tries to grab the bag out of Magpie’s hand, she curses under her breath when the brat dodges.
“Hey!”
“You’re stealing again, aren’t you! I bet that jewelry doesn’t even belong to you.”
“Belongs to me now.” But her eyes widen like dinner plates when Nova makes another grab for the bag, slowed down only by the sludge in the bed of the sewer, “Watch it! Some of this is mine for real!”
“So the thief admits it”
“Oh, will you shut the fuck up!” She complains once Nova stops making grabs at her bag so she could search it. Nova folds her arms and Magpie gives her a pointed glare, her nose scrunching, before returning her attention to her collection.
Nova returns it and pinches the bridge of her nose, “I swear to god, if you’ve been missing because you’re off playing the act of the latest thorn in our side ‘The Terror’ I-”
Magpie turned around with a deadpan, “Who?”
“Oh how convenient. You don’t know about the graverobber who appeared just around the time you disappeared.” Nova points at Magpie, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t cuff you right now on suspicion of theft.”
“Wow, the Anarchist has turned full cop huh. What a shame. Newsflash, I’m not a graverobber. Do you really think these arms could lug around a shovel?” Magpie grips her bag tightly in the defensive.
“Your powers could easily help out with that, I'm not stupid.”
“And last time you knew exactly what my powers could do was…?” Magpie blinks several times on purpose at Nova, putting a hand next to her ear to mock signal the action to help hear better. “What was that? Never? Who knew!”
“Not funny.”
“Besides, modern day graves aren’t even worth robbing for the amount of effort it takes. No gold or silver is ever buried with those crypts anymore. The highest prices you could get would be from the organs.” The girl gags. Magpie fiddles with her passenger bag’s strap, but Nova can see she has been eyeing their whereabouts for an escape for the past few minutes.
Nova puts her hands on her hips, “Should I be concerned how you know this? Actually nevermind, you always say weird shit.” Maybe she was exaggerating here but she didn’t care too much at the moment.
Magpie whips her head back to Nova, scowling. “What are you even doing here. Shouldn’t you be after The Teapot or what's his name?”
“I’m here because you disappeared without a trace.”
Magpie rolls her eyes. “Please. Like anyone cares. I’ve been gone for two weeks and haven’t seen a single one of you hypocrites.”
“"No one cares"??” Nova guffaws.
“That’s what I said. Yes. Congratulations, your ears function perfectly.”
"Several people care! Do you think I'd be here looking for your ass if people didn't!? Adrian, Oscar, Thunderbird, Tsunami, both of Adrian's dads. You can't just disappear like that!"
"I quit." Magpie bites. "And, well, you found me! You can go tell them to mind their business."
Magpie begins to walk away in a huff, and Nova's mouth opens and closes like a goldfish before recovering enough of her brain cells after the audacity of the comment.
"What. Is wrong with you?! They don't just want to know you're okay, they want to SEE you're okay." Nova waves her arms around to emphasize her point. She subconsciously remembers and notes how she had picked the habit up from Leroy.
"Besides" she pinches her nose, "you can't quit the renegades without a conference and before handing over your equipment" Nova makes a pointed glare at the cleanup crew uniform Magpie wore under her hoodie, only barely visible. The clothing was less of an issue than the tech-advanced gloves and shoes Nova knows Magpie smuggled from the other techies in the renegades. She just knew that the uniform allowed the girl to carry more than usual.
Magpie's face pinkens slightly but she lashes back just as quick. "I'll do what I want, Miss Juliet."
"…What did you just call me?!"
“You heard me!”
Nova growls in frustration, “GOD why does anyone want you around when all you do is cause trouble and spout insults like it's a competition!?”
“You tell me! I've made it plenty clear that I don't want to be anyone's friend.”
“Magpie-!”
The girl had the nerve to try and dash away again, using her powers to rip herself out of the muck and stick to the walls. Nova reaches in her jacket and pulls out her netting gun, and in a second the projectile stretches into a web and stops Magpie in her tracks, trapping her foot temporarily. Magpie growls as Nova readjusts herself, prying away from the stickier filth.
“Are you even listening?!?! You’ve been missing for weeks!! You can’t just disappear like that.” She sighs “You worried a lot of people. Good people. Frankly, good people that have much better things to be worrying about than a thief.”
Magpie groans, “You’ll NEVER drop that will you.” She shakes away the net from her foot and Nova collects it with a frown.
“Maybe when you show actual change for once.” Nova scowls and points to Magpie’s satchel. “I bet that bag is full of stolen goods, huh. A thief in the renegades.”
“Did you already forget I QUIT” Magpie grits out as she gets up.
“Again. Not OFFICIALLY! You’re still associated to them-!” Nova fumbles, “Them- us. The heroes.”
Magpie doesn’t seem to notice her fumble and solely focuses on what she said before. “OH like I’M gonna deal so much damage to the renegades reputation” She sneers and kicks aside some trash.
Nova takes a deep breath before practically shouting, “Yes!”
“I don’t go around flaunting my story unlike someone.”
Nova grits, “You are infuriating.”
“Thanks, I try.” Magpie brushes dirt off her clothes like it’ll make a change to how muddied they’ve become. “And besides, the renegades don’t need help soiling their reputation.”
Nova sighs and rubs her forehead, “I’ll never understand what Callum ever saw in you.”
Nova expected a snarky comeback immediately. Some snappy retort spat back at her like Magpie had been doing.
But Magpie stays quiet.
Nova looks over and sees the way Magpie's fists clench. She considers saying something again but Magpie brushes ahead of her.
Nova tilts her head to get a better look at Magpie and sees the kid’s fists clenching. Nova considers saying something before Magpie grunts and continues to search for the sewer exit. Preferably one that Nova isn’t in the way of. Nova still follows close behind.
“Maybe that’s why Callum was better than you hypocrites.”
Nova frowns, she really shouldn't be surprised anymore. “You’re one to talk.”
“Why do you think I left.” The heat was rising in her voice again, and Nova gladly met it.
“What else? Selfishness!” Nova’s hands swung around to exaggerate her point. “You didn't even think about how the people around you would worry for your safety?? All so you can indulge in a life of crime.”
“That’s not why I-”
Nova deadpans, “Sure.” Nova walks ahead of the tween in a spurred heated pace, turning the corner and checking the area. Magpie’s appearance had distracted her from the fact they were in territory many new villains loved to travel through. Must be the "aesthetic".
Despite walking ahead, she didn’t go so far where Magpie would be out of her peripheral vision. Her ears remained keen for if Magpie would try to dash off again.
“If you'd just let me talk-!”
Nova turns around, about to open her mouth when something large shoves her into the wall. She hears a shriek and draws her weapon blindly. It’s ripped from her hand almost immediately and she whips her head up, finally seeing their attacker.
A tall boney figure of a man stands right across from her, holding the small tween in his grasp with a maniac smile on his face. He’s giggling. The dagger Magpie had tried to grab in a last ditch attempt to protect herself had been pried out of her grip. The man brings her dagger to the kid’s neck, only centimeters away from slicing skin. Magpie trembles, trying to squirm out of the sickly skinny man's hold. His grin stretches from Nova's attention.
"If it isn't the famous hypocrite, Nightmare" the villain drawls out. When Nova steps closer, he shifts the dagger dangerously close to Magpie's neck. She stops. "Yeah that's right…" the villain giggles deliriously, twitching. "You can't do anything."
"What do you want?" Nova says cautiously, her eyes stayed glued to the dagger. Under her breath she whispers “250cm. Shabby haircut and facial hair. Notch in right ear, scarring from corner of the ear to top of-”
“Are you tattling on me? …heh …hehe continue! Not that it will work~” The villain strangely allows her to note the details and send in the report for back up “They won’t get here in time.” He sniffs and blinks lazily. Is… Is he drunk? His grip on the dagger laxes ever so slightly but Nova doesn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.
“You haven’t answered my question sir.”
“Drop your bag pretty little lady” The man uses his foot to slide Magpie’s passenger bag over to him, “This one’s getting lonely~” The raven-haired child squirms in his hold but he tightens his grasp on her, creating a striking cut across Magpie’s neck. Magpie cries out in pain.
“That’s what this is? A robbery? Drop the kid you don’t need to-”
“Stop talking, or I’ll slit her THROAT!!” The villain screams seemingly out of nowhere. Nova halts immediately, giving the villain more satisfaction than she’d like to. She grits her teeth, plotting how to handle this. “There we go~ That wasn’t so hard was it? Can’t ignore me now huh heh… heh heh”
Nova prays he’ll start to monologue. Oh please let him start monologuing! She needs the tim-
“You may be wondering why I’m doing this…”
THANK GOD
Magpie looks to be in pain but even she rolls her eyes in annoyance. The man giggles and his body seems to spasm like static. Nova squints. His hair shifts from orange to black to brown in a matter of seconds.
“Do you like my power, little Nightmare?” Nova jolts and sees the scruff and build of Ace Anarchy right in front of her. An unstable form that shifts back into a stretched twig in the next second. “I’ve been meaning to give it a test run.”
“How are you-” Nova barely gets a word in before the villain continues.
“My form appears differently to all who see me. I appear as the people you’ve feared, who you’ve hated and cowered under in the past. I am fear. I am terror.”
“Wait- You??” Recognition hits Nova like a stack of bricks and she groans internally. The graverobber.
A grin stretches across his face. His eyes hollow out and he takes on a sickly gray appearance. It almost looks like Ace Anarchy… but not quite. His eyebags stretch down his face for forever and he almost appears undead. His teeth appear chipped and stained with alcohol. His lip appears blistered, bleeding, as if a smoker’s lip.
Magpie screams when she sees his new appearance. With the villain’s attention away from her, she almost escapes his hold. She kicks wildly at him with the heels of her feet.
The Terror growls and makes a wild jab at Magpie before she escapes his hold, he nabs her cheek but Nova jumps in to restrain him before he can do anymore damage. Magpie falls to the ground as Nova grabs a hold of the villain. Nova rips back his (real) sleeve but the man shoves her off him before she can activate her power.
The villain trips her and Nova curses when he attempts to keep her down by kicking her. She grabs his foot and yanks him down into the sewer’s sludge. She gets one good punch in before he returns the blow.
The man grabs the dagger but before he can strike, the dagger is ripped out of his hands and heads straight into Magpie’s. The Terror snarls at the child but gets caught up in wrestling Nova for her netting gun. Magpie dashes the other direction.
His face shifts to Adrian’s and Nova falters, immediately losing her advantage. Her own netting gun fires from The Terror’s hands, and pins her to the ground, knocking her head to the side.
She jolts up to get out of her own net casing, furiously searching for the other dagger on her person. She does her best with the newfound dizziness. The adrenaline pulses through her veins, allowing her the luxury to ignore the growing headache. She has no doubts it'll be an issue later, unfortunately.
The man fires the net at Magpie next, pinning her down for good measure as he searches her bag and nabs what he finds shiny. Magpie kicks and swears up a storm. The villain shoves her into the muck to shut her up. He takes her bag and runs.
Nova curses herself for her design choices. The net only closes around its capture, leaving no room for correction. She severs the net around her with the dagger the villain hadn't gotten a hold of in his hast, but it takes her longer than she’d like to retrieve it.
She clutches her head once she gets onto her feet, stumbling only slightly. The tunnel's few and far between lights flickered. The villain got away.
Nova almost considers going after him but Magpie's struggling takes precedence. Nova beelines for Magpie, kneeling down and cutting the ropes that trap her face in the sewer's waste and water.
Nova cuts away the last piece that kept the child down, and Magpie jolts up to gasp. She sputters and coughs for a few minutes, gulping precious air. Procedure mandated Nova check with Magpie if she swallowed any water and (at least from Magpie’s testimony) she’s fine. Wouldn’t hurt to check out later.
Nova frowns toward the direction the villain went but shakes her head. Not yet. She helps pull Magpie to her feet and helps her down on the dry (not dry, moist actually, but considerably dry-er) concrete that sits above the sewer water. Nova pulls out a med kit, paying attention to the gashes the villain landed on Magpie. Her own could wait.
When Nova attempts to clean the gash on the kid’s cheek, Magpie jolts backward. Nova sighs.
“If I don’t do this, the wound will only get worse. Trust me, you don’t want to get an infection.” She says sternly. “And the quicker we do this, the sooner we catch that bastard.”
Magpie frowns, her eyebrows furrowing. She isn’t whining anymore at least, and she braces herself when Nova pulls out the antiseptic again.
Magpie winces from the sting of the disinfectant. Nova frowns and sympathizes with the kid. Using this disinfectant wasn’t the most preferable way to deal with these cuts, she’ll admit. But after the wounds’ contact with the sewer water, infection was definitely a greater concern. Nova will probably need to haul Magpie over to headquarters just to make sure the kid didn’t get any diseases from the sewage.
The cut on the kid’s cheek really only needs a simple bandaid but the laceration on her neck requires gause. It’s hardly a pretty sight but at least it isn’t bleeding too badly. Likely surface level.
She, again, cleans the wound and ignores Magpie’s winses. She applies the gauze to her neck and gently wraps the bandage around.
Nova lets out the breath she had been holding in, “There. That wasn’t so hard was it?” Despite what she said, her tone was only half heartedly snarky. The villain had caught her off guard and she wasn’t enthusiastic to fail helping the kid again.
Magpie doesn’t respond. Instead, she chooses to stand up again, stumbling in the process. Nova catches and steadies her. Nova tries to check the kid’s head for a bump but the kid bats her hand away. The child frowns and looks away, feigning strength that contradicts her dependance on Nova to keep her steady.
Nova turns her attention away from the ex-renegade and back to the sewers. Inside her jacket, the thrum of her tracker comforts her of the villain’s whereabouts. She pulls it out and watches the flickering red spot’s movements. The blinking green dot marks where she is.
“He hasn’t gotten far. Keep a hold of my arm and on my sig-”
“It’d be easier if you left me behind” The ex-renegade gruffs.
Nova looks at her, “He took your stuff too.” And Nova didn’t want to risk the kid running away the moment she left her sight. But one appealed more to Magpie’s wishes than the other.
Magpie huffs and her attitude returns, “I don’t carry anything too important. I’m not stupid. He just snatched today’s income.” She mumbles something about finding a new bag.
Her nonchalance couldn’t help but make Nova bristle, “Income? Really. You mean what you’ve stolen today.”
“I’m using my powers for something useful now, aren't I?”
“Something useful would be helping people.” Nova couldn’t help the bite that came out in her voice. “Not causing a bigger issue for the Renega-”
“Why would I help them?” Magpie snarls, “Their reputation can go die for all I care. They didn’t help me and they aren’t entitled to my help”
Nova blinks, “What?”
“I know you heard me, don’t lie.”
Nova deadpans, “Oh? Clarify for me.”
“Why should I.” Magpie shoves herself away from her, getting her balance back mostly. She keeps one hand on the sewer wall.
Nova sighs, giving up on getting an answer for her question. Better to not beat around the bush. “What do you mean by ‘they didn’t help’? They were always reaching out! Callum was-”
Magpie scoffs, “Exactly. Callum. Everyone else was in it for my powers.” She grumbles something inaudible and then, “He was too but at least his power let him see past that.”
Magpie winces in pain and stumbles, Nova rushes to her side to catch her again. Magpie doesn’t bother fighting her again but she does scowl. Nova ignores her and focuses on helping her walk. The kid’s right foot must be sprained or something.
Nova sighs, “Renegades are chosen because of their skillset.”
Magpie huffs “Yeah, well. I signed up for history. Artifacts.”
“And you barely did anything.”
Magpie blew her hair out of her face. “Then good thing I’m out of your hair now. You don’t have to spare a thought to think about how worthless I am to you lot.”
Nova groans internally. She’d give anything to just drop the kid. “No one thinks you’re worthless. You haven’t been applying yourself so-”
“I have.” Magpie defends.
“Really.”
“Really!”
Nova heavily doubts that but chooses just to roll her eyes. “Well if we’re going to talk about this, why did you leave.” The villain wasn’t too far ahead but he had still made a substantial run for it. They were hardly close enough for their voices to be heard by him yet. From what the tracker suggested, he had paused to look at all his newfound treasures. Likely, he hadn’t noticed the tracker yet. Amateur.
“The renegades are hypocrites now.”
Oh this argument? Nova takes a breath, “They always have been.”
Now it was Magpie’s turn to be skeptical.
Nova continues, “But these kinds of organizations will always have flaws. That’s why good people need to be there to improve them.” Nova never thought she’d see a day where she’d so adamantly defend the renegades but here they were.
Magpie pipes up again, “And yet they still flaunt the idea everyone is equal” Her words taunt the idea itself in an almost singsong way. “Nobody sees that’s the furthest thing from the truth”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No one is equal just because everyone and their mother has powers now.” She shifts slightly as they walk to turn the corner. “No power comes with the same strength as another. And now prodigies aren’t people who earned it.”
Nova chokes and whips her head around to the kid, “Earned it??”
Magpie puffs her chest out, defending her claim with no hesitance, “Becoming a prodigy comes from survival!” Her fist tightens, “And now there are new “prodigies" that flaunt their power like it’s the same thing!” She pointedly looks at the tracker with the villain’s location. Nova had to admit, she was right for this case.
Despite that, Nova refutes Magpie’s previous claim, “Not all ‘previous’ prodigies got their power out of necessity.”
Magpie bites back, “The majority did. And yet, everyone’s trying to act like nothing has changed for the worse.”
Nova frowns, “What does this have to do with you quitting?”
Magpie shuts her mouth and remains silent. They walk a good chunk for a good chunk of time before Nova opens her mouth, “Oh now you’re silent on me again. Great.”
Magpie groans something closer to a whine. “Why are you so interested anyway??”
“Maybe I want to know what’s in that skull of yours to think it’d be a good idea to disappear for weeks! You worried-”
“I don’t care.” Magpie mutters.
Nova still heard it. “Say that again.” A challenge really.
“They don’t actually mean it.”
Nova barks a humorless laugh, “Yes, (oh boy) yes, they do!”
Magpie whips her head back to Nova, “I was a nuisance! I burdened everyone. I used up resources.” She listed them like they would obviously affect how others would think of her.
And it did. Not always the way Magpie believed though.
Nova agrees with her, “Yeah, you were. What does that have to do-”
“Everyone should be happy I’m gone. I’m no longer a stain on their reputation.” She shoves her hands into her pockets. “But then again, they ruin their reputation well enough without me.”
Nova doesn’t bother trying to interject and correct her again. Instead, she listens to Magpie spout off. She’s fessing up now.
“I’m on the side that matches my character now, right? At least in their eyes. You should be happy.” Magpie quips, continuing her spiel.
Nova doesn’t say anything for a moment. Taking in the kid’s words. She isn’t really sure if she regrets making Magpie talk again. It was easier when she was silent honestly. Easier on her headache. Regardless, Nova speaks up again, “...That’s it? That’s why you made everyone worry?”
Magpie speaks firmly, “They aren’t actually worried. I can guarantee they just want my superpower and labor. Why would they be worried about me?”
Nova takes in a deep breath, hopefully warding away her oncoming headache. “Honestly, I have no clue.”
“Told you.” Magpie grunts.
“But.” Nova breathes out, “They are worried regardless. Thunderbird herself asked me to go looking for you. And she doesn’t even like me!” Nova hoped her emphasis on Tamaya’s desperation would convince Magpie but it had the opposite effect.
“If anything that proves my point they don't care.” Magpie chuckles. It wasn’t funny. “Leaving my fate up to an ex-anarchist. If they are so concerned, where are they right now?” It almost sounded like a genuine question. One that flabbergasted Nova to no end.
“Busy! And they have been looking for you. They just also have more important things to do than-”
“Look for a shitty kid?” Magpie finishes for her. Nova’s eyebrows furrow at the wording. “I know you don’t like me. Nobody likes me. I made sure of that.” Of all the things for the thief to be honest about, Nova didn’t think admitting her self fulfilling prophecy would be one of them. “Callum was the only one that- …”
“That what?” Nova pries.
“That…” Magpie’s face scrunches up, a pattern when she’s forced to be vulnerable. “I mean that he was annoyingly persistent. He had a good superpower that… could have changed the world.”
“It did.”
Magpie laughs sourly, “It didn’t.” She shakes her head. “He died.”
“He inspired the people around him.” Nova insisted.
“And look what happened to him.”
A silence falls over the two. An uncomfortable one. Nova honestly isn’t sure what to do. Magpie never seemed the sentimental type in any shape whatsoever. She wouldn’t believe the kid even cared about Callum if she hadn’t seen her sobbing over his dead body last year.
Nova breathes in and breaks the silence, “He… was a martyr.”
Magpie’s voice comes out raw. “So? The wonders he saw shriveled up.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. Barely anyone in this city has a shred of pity in their soul.” She spits. “Not without profit. Without glory.”
Nova puffs her chest out, “Bold of you to criticize this of the city.”
“Bold of you to assume I give a shit. I know my hypocrisy. I’m just telling it as it is.”
Something in the way Magpie uttered her last statement makes Nova pause. A sort of Deja vu waving over her. The echo of their footsteps quickly replaced their voices and filled the halls of the concrete and waste maze.
“...sounds pretty lonely.”
“Nice try, Nightmare. I’m not falling for that.”
“I’m not trying to trick you.”
Silence. Nova isn’t surprised by this point. In the corner of her eye she could see Magpie avoiding her gaze, entranced by the mesh of components that make up the concrete below them. Nova briefly glanced at her tracker and chewed on her lip.
Nova sighs, “Just… Give me a reason to tell Tamaya and the others why you left when I get back.”
Magpie turns to her, squinting her eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Dead. Dead serious.”
Nova looks at Magpie a second longer and flicks her attention back to the tracker. Magpie opens her mouth and Nova places a finger against it. Magpie's face twists in offense until she realizes what they've stumbled across.
Nova cautiously leans forward to see two men and the lanky villain from before. The lanky villain has donned a new mask, covering his face and neck entirely, masking his ability but protecting him from Nova’s. Magpie freezes and Nova moves her hand to the kid’s shoulder, squeezing gently.
She taps Magpie’s shoulder once. Twice. Magpie blinks and perks up to look at her with a surprised recognition. Nova continues relaying her instructions.
The girl squints her eyes at Nova. Nova gives her a look and the girl huffs.
"..-. .. -. ." she taps back. The Morse code didn't translate her tone, but Nova could tell from expressions alone the girl’s grumpy agreement [Fine.].
Nova places her hand on the wall and points to one of the individuals The Terror stands next to. The one that looks about ready to fall over from nerves. He's holding a hefty chunk of concrete, the torn reinforcing steel at the center. It’s hard to miss the gaping hole in the wall, light shining through it.
Magpie gives one gentle attempt to pull the bag away from him, it's across the shoulder of the man, but she slumps and gives up soon after. His arms are in the way of cleanly stealing her bag back.
Nova’s head lifts up and she points to the gravel and shards from the mess the group must have made in their haste into the sewers. The girl activates her powers and gathers the shards at her feet. Magpie moves them slowly into the water.
The movement startles the timid man ("Crocodile?!") into dropping the concrete, it breaks half once it meets the ground. The halves splash into the sewer's muck and liquid. One of the dealers smacks him in the head and the Timid dude straightens.
Magpie and Nova breathe a quiet sigh of relief once the merchants return to deciding the price they’ll pay for The Terror’s stolen items. Magpie lifts one slab of concrete slowly, breathing in. The water decreases the difficulty of carrying the concrete slabs, the only challenge will be getting it out.
Nova stays tense. She keeps a finger on the activation tigger of the tracking device. In the past she’s designed and built in the function to employ a heavy magnetic force, stuck to whomever she aimed it at. The corresponding magnetic rope weighs heavy on her gear belt.
“460. Final offer.”
“Deal.”
“Mack, get the fucking rocks, we’re going now.”
“Yes!”
Magpie jolts and lifts the concrete into the air, throwing them at the three. One thwacks the timid man, and he collapses to the floor. The second only grazes the Terror and the other dealer.
Nova activates the tracker, the metal presses tightly against his leg and expands to his knee. Magpie uses her power to shut the messy entry/exit hole. The Terror backs up and the second dealer curses Nova’s hero name. He opens his hand-
Nightmare shoves Magpie out of sight at the corner and dodges the dart flown her way. She runs up and kicks the second dealer into the sewer water before tackling the Terror to the ground. Her netting gun falls from her person in the process.
Magpie pulls her bag to her person, as well as the other (much larger) bag of trinkets and valuables stolen by the graverobber. She pays no attention to Nova punching the Terror and his strikes in return. Roughhousing. None of her business now.
She rummages to check her own stuff is still present, and then peeks through the other bag of belongings. Her eyes catch a card and she fishes it out.
A drivers license, with the name Oliver Berk listed next to a picture of a man.
Magpie doesn’t get to examine it for long. The second dealer hacks up the disgusting “water” and pulls himself out. He grabs Nova’s netting gun. Nova’s too busy keeping the Terror from escaping to notice. The Terror’s clothing covers up her options to force him unconscious in a split second.
Magpie jolts up to her feet and runs out of hiding. “Hey!”
The second dealer looks up just before she shoves herself against the man to grab the gun. He yells in shock and she scrambles to rip the netting gun out of his hand. He grabs her hood and lifts her into the air. “What the hell is this kid doing her-” She aims the netting gun and pins him down.
She goes down with him, only outside of the net. He lets go of her hoodie and she knocks against the concrete. Nova looks up in a panic from the sound, wide eyed and distracted. The Terror kicks her in the stomach and abandons the scene. But not before smashing the tracker device, prying it off of his leg.
###
Nova groans and gets to her feet. The pain eases after a moment. She looks up and breathes a sigh of relief to see Maggie getting to her feet.
Nova slides down into the gutter between them to reach Maggie sooner. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Breathes Maggie.
Nova strides toward the kid and grabs her shoulders. Magpie freezes. Nightmare checks her head for bleeding, only finding a goose egg. “You got knocked twice in the head today.”
“I’m fine, Nightmare.”
Nova sighs and lets Maggie go. Choosing to walk over to the second dealer, she puts her hand through the net and forces him to fall unconscious. Nova’s phone pings with a new message and Maggie uses her power to snatch it and view it as Nova collects the other dealer from where he dropped.
“How come you didn’t run earlier?” Nova asks Maggie as she looks through the two villains' persons for identification, not before tying them up just in case.
“When?”
“When you grabbed the loot.”
“...ahuh.” Nova scratches her cheek. “And you ran out of hiding because…?”
Maggie pauses and shrugs. “They… could have had more on them”
“If- if he got you then I’d be fucked!” The girl defends herself. “Who here is more experienced with fighting and winning?”
“Okay okay, that’s fair.” Nova collects two identification cards. “These will be helpful at least.”
Nova accidentally pulled out a photograph when she had searched the man's pockets. She stares at a photo of kids barking a resemblance to the man. She sighs in sympathy.
“I found another.” Maggie pulls over the large bag and hands Nova the driver’s license. “Oliver Berk. No powers recorded on it as of five years ago.”
“It’s outdated?” Nova examines the identification. “It doesn’t match either merchant.”
“The Terror?”
“It’s more likely to belong to someone who died in the past few years.”
Magpie’s nose scrunches, “Why would you steal a driver’s license? They’re worthless.”
Nova gives her a look, “Actually, they’re worth a lot. Especially if you need a new identity.”
Maggie blinks and her cheeks pinken ever so slightly out of embarrassment for not thinking of that possibility. “Well… won’t a dead person’s ID catch eyes? Someone would notice that right?”
“...Who knows anymore.” She sighs.
Maggie pulls out Nova’s phone she snagged earlier and looks at the message.
“Oh. Her.”
“Who?”
Maggie shows the screen to Nova. Nova sours for a moment to see Maggie stole her phone. She perks up in interest the moment she recognizes Thunderbird’s contact.
"Was she the one who put you up to looking for me?"
"Yeah why?"
Maggie walks over to the side of one of the men to sit down, crossing her legs. "She, especially, doesn't care. Not really"
"Sounded like she cared to me."
"She cares about my power. How it can be used. She was jumping to sponsor me after I tried out. Though, I bet in a heartbeat she'd want it to be someone else's." Maggie fidgets. "...she’s the reason I got out of the orphanage and a place with the Renegades when I did."
Nova hesitates to respond. She wishes she knew what to say, but she can't think of anything. Nothing that would make anything better. She doesn't know Tamaya well enough to argue or agree.
"...sorry about that, kid."
Maggie shrugs and places the phone down. Nova retrieves it quickly but Maggie's already reverted her attention to searching the merchant's pockets as if it were Christmas.
"You should probably tell her how you feel." Nova tries. "Might help clear up some things…"
Maggie pauses. She changes the subject.
“About your question earlier? About what you should tell them? Yeah… tell them don’t bother.” Magpie says as she packs up her once stolen trinkets, “It’s best for everyone if I stick to being a ‘villain’. If you’re shocked-” she searches the knocked out pawnbroker’s pockets for cash or anything of value, waving around the items to examine them “Don’t be! It’s been a long time coming.”
Nova at Magpie. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Is that so hard to believe?”
Nova snorts, “No it isn’t. I’m being validated.”
Magpie deadpans as she shoves a very fancy trinket into her bag, “Congratulations. Would you like a metal?”
Nova blinks, “Did you just-”
“MEDAL! Medal. Gah forget it!” Magpie’s face pinkens and she stands to her feet in seconds. She secures her bag in its place, keeping her eyes away from Nova’s amused expression. “Anyway. You know I only care about me.”
“That’s true”
“Callum was the selfless one.”
“Yep”
“And he was wrong about me.”
Nova clicks her tongue, “I mean, I didn’t know him for very long all things considered, but I have a hard time believing Callum could be wrong about something like that.”
“Well, he was.”
She raises her eyebrow, “What exactly did he say about you anyway?”
Magpie scoffs, “What? The potential he saw? The wonders his power “revealed”?”
“Well, yeah. What else.”
“Stupid stuff…” The tween mutters.
Nova pries more, “And that stupid stuff is…?”
“...” Magpie relents after a moment of silence. But not after taking the time to roll her eyes. “He made me think that I could help people… the way I wanted help once.”
“This is stupid. You don’t care.”
Nova pauses and can’t find anything to say about what Magpie just uttered. Nothing that would help. She waits for the kid to say anything more on the subject.
“No- well…” Nova grimaces and sighs, “Why don’t I tell you something.”
Magpie whips her head back to Nova and squints her eyes. Eventually she bites and asks, “Tell me what?”
Nova took a breath and before saying something she hopes she won’t regret telling the 12 year old, “After we defeated Ace Anarchy, I wanted to quit.”
“Quit?” Magpie looks over to her, dumbfounded expression and everything.
“Yep.”
Magpie’s expression lessons. “...Why?”
“I felt I’d do more harm than good staying on the team.” She chuckles, beginning to fidget with her bracelet out of the need to do something with her awkward hands. “After all, my mistakes led to Ace running free for so long. He’s… the reason my family is dead.”
“What? Your…”
Nova nods, pursing her lips, “He hired the assassin. Shot my Mom, Dad, and sister.” Mentioning her long-dead sister made her heart ache. And at the same time, it was odd. She never imagined telling all of this to Magpie one day, and here they were.
Magpie’s eyebrows shoot up, and after a few seconds she utters “oh…”
“Yeah… turns out he kept me ‘cause I was a prodigy. I never knew.”
Maggie’s eyebrows furrow but she doesn’t say anything. The silence draws on longer than comfortable for the two of them.
“Anyway…” Nova clears her throat. “I’ll always carry the guilt of what I could have done. The deaths I could have prevented are on my shoulders. I could run away, and suffer for what I’ve done and didn’t do.” She then smiles, “Or stick around. Stay with the people that care about me. And try to be better now. Make things better. That’s what the Rejects have been trying for the past year and counting.”
“The rejects?”
“Narcissa’s the leader. I’ll give you a fair introduction to them later if you want.”
…
Nova coughs, “Anyway, I guess what I’ve been trying to say is, it gets better. You never know where people that get you, show up. And that more people care about you than you ever realize.
“Y’know, when things to crap.”
###
Nova sends a quick text before her and Maggie leave. It's to heroes in their area, notifying them of their location, the situation, and the pawnbrokers. She trusts them to handle the two fairly.
It didn’t take very long to find The Terror's next planned location once they rummaged through the two pawnbroker’s pockets and found how they had been communicating with The Terror.
And the fact The Terror was actually Oliver Berk. The grin on Maggie's face for being right didn't leave for a while. Nova could only sigh. Of course the amateur villain would keep his identification with him.
The amateurness didn't stop, and his weak security both hurt Nova and made her want to laugh. How could you screw this up so badly?? From there she and Maggie had tracked him down to his next location and ambushed him, making quick work of tying him up.
Maggie holds her lucky bullet in her hand and close to her when she stands against the sewer wall and slides down into a sit. She fiddles with it a little and looks at Nova who is finishing up her report to headquarters. Nova rubs her head to ease her headache as she writes. She types up she has apprehended the villain, their location, and a promise to return to hq soon after denying a ride back.
“...My family was murdered too”
“Hm?” Nova turns to Maggie.
“When I was a baby. I don’t know too much. I was found by the landlord or something.” She holds up the bullet. “I just know this gave me my powers.”
Nova blinks and lets her mouth form an ‘o’ shape. Out of all the things today, this wasn't one she thought Maggie would talk about.
The kid holds the bullet closer to her chest, "This is my power. I don't care what you think about me. What anyone thinks. This power is mine and only for me. It is me. It's… how I survive" she grits out.
Nova breathes out a sigh and shrugs, "I mean… I get that.”
“You do?”
Nova nods, “The anarchists weren’t exactly buddy-buddy with me. Even after the age of anarchy, it’s common advice, you could say, to keep your guard up. Just in case.
"And with hindsight, I was only kept alive by my uncle because of my powers…"
Nova couldn’t help but fidget slightly from Maggie’s persistent attention. That stare. Now that the kid was actually listening it was almost unnerving. The kid’s piercing blue gaze only assisted the look.
“And some shitty things have happened to me. No surprise there. My new friends help me out with that now.”
Maggie’s concentration on what she says breaks the next second, and she snorts, “What are you even suggesting. Getting cheesy friends may have worked for you, but it won’t fix anything for me. We aren’t the same.” Maggie looks away from her with a scowl. “I have nothing. Nothing of my old life. Blurry memories maybe. But no photos. No gravestones. No names.”
Nova pauses and frowns. Maybe sympathetically. She doesn’t really know. “You don’t need those to move on.”
“Says the renegade with photos, and memories, and names, and graves to say goodbye to.”
“I lost most of the photos a long time ago. And,” She raises her finger to emphasize her point, “my sister’s corpse was never recovered so watch your mouth.”
“At least you know her name”
“Will you please just work with me!? I just” Nova breathes in. “I want to hold out an olive branch. Because… you aren’t nearly as alone as you think.”
Maggie stays quiet. Nova fills the space.
“Look, we definitely got off on the wrong foot” She pauses and bites her lip. “Pun, not intended.” Nova ignores the incredulous look Magpie gives her.
“But. I don’t want to see someone else go through what I did alone.”
“We. Are not. The same.”
“No, we aren’t. But pretty damn close, dontcha think?” Nova chuckles lightly, but is met with Magpie’s continued silence. “Yeah okay, that wasn’t funny.”
Nova heads over to where the villain had been tied up and readjusts the knots, she needs something to do with her hands. “We can leave soon and forget this ALL happened if you want. Just know this, I am lucky to have gotten back so much.”
“I could have told you that.”
Nova ignores her. “But for the longest time… I didn’t know I had that much to be returned. I thought everything about my past died that night, aside from my memory. Even my bracelet wouldn’t be as important to me, without that memory. That memory was my drive and it still is.”
Maggie’s quiet when she responds, her overgrown bangs hover over her eyes and shade them. “I tried moving on.”
“Did you?”
“I moved on… by staying alive.” Maggie lets out a breath. “Who cares if they didn’t come back. Or if I have nothing left. It’s me now. Those pieces are dead and I’m the one who’s living.”
“Good. Stay alive. But that living person can’t have any friends? Any support?”
…
“I can’t say goodbye to my sister.”
Maggie looks up at her, “You were telling the truth?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
Maggie doesn’t answer and lets Nova continue.
“They have a gravestone in place, but she isn’t there.”
“They couldn’t find a simple corpse? That is… hilariously incompetent.” Maggie almost deadpans.
“Yeah well, doesn’t change I can’t say goodbye. Or hello. Tell her about my day. About an awful coworker. A competition for kids that… she’d be the same age as. And,” Nova blinks, “I can’t say happy birthday, either.”
Maggie’s eyebrows furrow.
“She… uh… Evie. Would have turned thirteen this week…”
“...thirteen?” The silence could only be described as all consuming. And Maggie’s tone was undecipherable.
“Yeah.”
Maggie only stares at Nova. Her eyes focusing on her like a hawk. In disbelief? In sadness? Nova never would think of empathy to be an emotion Maggie would display before tonight, but she’s been surprised on the contrary before.
Maggie’s lip twitches. Her lips form into a scowl, bringing the rest of her expression with it. Her hackles raise. “Oh yeah. Very funny.”
Nova blinks in confusion. “What??”
“I’m not gonna fall for that.” She pushes herself off the wall she had been leaning against.
“I’m not lying.”
“You’ve done it before, Insomnia.” Nova squints her eyes and Maggie continues, “Twelve years after a home invasion? Murderer on the loose with a gun?! Yeah, as if. You just want to trick me!”
“Why would I do that??” Nova returns Magpie’s volume, “Why would I lie-”
“I am thirteen years old.”
Nova blinks incredulously, “...W-what?
“And whatever sick trick you’re playing on me isn’t funny. I won’t go back to headquarters. You can’t fool me. Is this what they're training Renegades to do now? Fuck with people’s heads?!”
Nova’s mouth remains wide open out of offense, and she has to remember to close it as her expression heats up. She’s speechless from this accusation before she speaks up, “You’re talking nonsense! Why are you- what does-” she flounders to make sense of the conclusion Magpie has come up with “You- You’re thirteen?”
Magpie scoffs, “Yeah. Thirteen. Just short a month after I was admitted to the orphanage. After- …after my family died.” She quiets but keeps her glare on Nova. “But you already knew that didn’t you.”
Nova’s furrowed expression stays put until she digests what Magpie is saying. Her expression slowly lessons and her eyes widen. She steps back.
The thirteen year old blinks, “What?”
“I’m not making this up, Magpie.”
“What do you mean you aren’t making this up.”
“I… I’m telling the truth. I wouldn’t lie about this.”
“Well I’m not lying either.” Maggie intended to spit the truth out but the moment she said it the more it seemed Nova’s words were also ruminating in her head too. Her eyes widen but it doesn’t match Nova’s expression.
Nova’s face pales and her eyes dart to the hand that Maggie grips her bullet with. A… a bullet?
“It can’t be…”
###
Life, has been a nauseating rollercoaster for Maggie. Especially for today. A day she thought wouldn't be stressful for once. Calmer even.
Sure, she planned to snag more than a few trinkets to pawn but today she didn’t want to have to run away from annoying heroes. The ones that get upset with her theft. Frankly, she didn’t want to think about them either. One stop at the food drive was plenty of that interaction.
Maggie didn't think about the heroes that saw her at the food drive and did nothing. The ones who've been in the area enough to know only people in poverty end up here. She didn't think about never seeing Sketch's team once.
Not… not that she'd want to see them! They'd only nag her.
The point is… she didn’t want to run, or get hurt. The last few weeks she's stayed away from ugly fights and for a reason. Her goal is to survive, not get some wound infected and die from a disease.
And yet, she had to run from the annoying Nightmare and was cut up by the latest piece of gossip, The Terror. Who… she also had not been keen on running into. The sting on her cheek and pain from her neck were sour reminders of that failure.
But even when she had been shoved into the sewage, her foot stomped on, Nightmare still helped her. Hell, Nova looked concerned after the second fight.
And she never expected Nightmare to… be nice to her. Like, ever. In the beginning she was just as annoying as before but… Maggie never would have predicted it.
Maggie also never thought she and Nova could work together.
It unnerved her a little when Nightmare told her things that, Maggie would never tell if in Nova's position. Why would Nova trust her with all this information?
Heck, Maggie thought she had it figured out for a moment. That Nova was actually backstabbing and exploiting her knowledge of Maggie’s past to trick her. It made sense.
Her mind was eager to brush aside the last hour. It was all fake, right?
But this.
This isn’t how a fucked up villain would react to being found out. For lying the entire time.
Maggie grips her lucky bullet in her hand.
Today has been a rollercoaster. And Maggie hates rollercoasters.
The silence between the two stretches on for hours. Or a minute. Who was she to tell?
Nova?
Nova’s her… sister?
The thing about Maggie is, she hates hoping. She despises the very concept. When she was younger, she hoped all too much. Too many nights she spent staying up listening to the grownups and their phone calls. Waiting for someone to call, asking for her. Someone to walk through the doors one day, and call her theirs.
Waiting for her sister to burst through the doors, apologizing for leaving her with one big hug.
The very thought makes her nauseous nowadays. How could she have been so naive. Wasted all that time hoping. Focusing on a what if rather than what she could do. She could do so much.
She left.
And now she’s here. And now her sister is here. Well, maybe her sister.
Nova is murmuring something Maggie can’t quite follow, her hand is over her mouth as several emotions flicker across her face. She looks about ready to barf, and Maggie couldn’t blame her if she did. The kid feels ill enough to join her, honestly.
She wants to shut down the possibility all together. That her sister really is gone and she’s not right in front of her, staring at Maggie like she’s seeing a ghost. The hope and trepidation in Nova’s eyes that Maggie stomped in her own a long time ago.
Nova pinches the bridge of her nose and walks over to The Trashbag and hoists the villain over her shoulder. She mumbles something under her breath, Maggie can't make out.
Something grabs Maggie’s hand and she jolts, ripping her hand away and whips her head toward- Nova. Nova’s hand is shaking and she seems to be trying to keep her calm. Upon further inspection, Maggie realizes she’s trembling too. Why is she doing that?
“Maggie…”
Maggie clenches her fist, and lets Nova hold her hand in a tight grip, before exiting the sewers.
###
Nova jumps out of the cab with Maggie close behind, she rushes out a “thankyousomuchsorry!” to the cab driver still frozen from the two renegades and villain that hitched a ride. She makes a mental note to pay them back later.
She sees headquarters' front entrance light up the darkening sky as she approaches. Her head throbs once she walks in and meets the fluorescent lights. Nova unceremoniously drops the villain on the ground and ignores the shocked staff when she beelines for the medical suite. She never once lets go of Maggie's hand.
Her mind notes the sound of heroes telling Mr Berk his rights before they take him away for interrogation. Nova opens the door to the medical suite and the bustle of the front lobby muffles once the door is shut.
Maggie lags behind as Nova reaches the counter, asking for a kinship test.
Nova's breathing feels wrong. She could see from the rise and fall from her chest that she wasn't hyperventilating. But it felt too slow. Every breath was too big. Suffocating her.
The person from behind the counter hands her the box containing the test. She holds it carefully and can only stare. After a moment the person at the desk looks at her in confusion and gets her attention.
"It's just a mouth swab, Sweetie. Don't worry" the person offers her a smile. Nova's cheeks pinken and she mutters a thank you before practically running back to where she left Maggie.
Nova takes another breath. It, is just a saliva test. When it comes down to it, it won't even be painful.
Her eyes catch the labeling. Sibling kinship test.
Her gut twists from the word.
…could Maggie really be…
"What's taking you so long?"
Nova whips her head up to look at Maggie's furrowed expression.
"Ah, nothing nothing. It's fine." Nova opens the cardboard box, the thick paper glowing the box closed tears apart. She presses the flaps aside and dumps the innards onto the small table offered in the room. Maggie eyes the tests with trepidation.
Nova takes a deep breath in, "Magpie"
The thirteen year old looks back at her.
"I… if. This confirms anything. …We don't need to do anything about it immediately. If, you don't want to." Nova hands the tween one of the still packaged swabs. "I don't want you to think… that you're obligated to anything."
The thirteen year old grabs her own sleeve to tug on slightly as she stares at the test. Not touching it.
"...what if it doesn't…"
"Doesn't… confirm anything?" Nova finishes. "...well. Still, you don't have to do anything." Nova rubs the back of her neck "but, feel free to talk to me."
Maggie looks up at her with a skeptical squint. "Why?"
"On the streets, support systems are vital if you don't want to end up dead within a month" Nova smiles. "It could just be a phone number, okay?"
"No, I mean, why do you still want to talk after all the times I stole your bracelet."
"I have a funny feeling you won't be trying that again. Not unless you want the Renegades on your back" Nova shoots the girl a look that says 'right?'. Maggie can't refute that.
From the many years of technological development and the growth of prodigies, some things have taken less time to analyze than before. What would have taken a few days could now receive results in a couple hours or so.
Maggie hesitates before opening the plastic package and retrieving the mouth swab.
An agonizingly long couple hours. Better than the alternative but still an infuriating amount of time to wait for DNA testing results.
Nova convinced Maggie to have the wounds she received by The Terror checked for infection in the meantime.
Though one of the nurses nearby grabbed her as well to be patched up. Maggie laughed at her, and her initial shock and realization of what she neglected to do. It didn't take long for the nurse to finish patching Nova up. Sent back to the cold waiting room soon after…
It was easier to forget what they were waiting on with the distractions.
Nova looks at her phone again. She doesn't unlock the screen but she does view the time. And the texts she's received from Adrian and Tamaya. Both have been caught up in an incident downtown and would be there as soon as possible. Though, she warned Tamaya to wait until Maggie wanted to talk to her. Nova decided against telling Oscar, Ruby, and Danna what happened.
It could be completely coincidental. More doubt settles in Nova's mind the longer she waits.
When Maggie returns, Nova doesn't look at her. She fiddles with her hands, she almost wishes she had one of her inventions or something to do.
Finally, someone calls for them. Nova whips her head up and stiffens. This… is really happening. Her brain feels like it's still trying to catch up to the events around her. She stands up and looks at Maggie. The girl tenses and freezes up.
Nova goes to check the results without her. She could almost hear the quiet sigh of relief.
Someone, with a stereotypical lab coat, on hands her the envelope containing the printed results.
Nova doesn't catch much of the explanation of how the DNA match results were determined, but she appreciates it nonetheless.
She leans against the wall and slowly wills her fingers to open the letter.
It's been a little more than 12 years since her family was killed.
Her hands tremble as she slowly takes the folded paper from inside.
She remembers every gunshot.
BANG!
She remembers hiding in that cramped closet.
BANG!
Nova takes a deep breath.
Evie's crying was cut short with one final…
…
BANG!
She unfolds the paper.
Ace never let her see Evie's bloodied corpse. The last time she saw Evie was when she left her sleeping body to check on her parents. When everything changed.
They never got to see a funeral. Nova never knew what happened to the bodies. Ace never gave up any details on the subject.
Looking at the paper was disorienting at first until her eyes caught onto the letters and began to read. Alleged Sibling was typed at the top of two columns, above "Nova Artino" and "Margaret White".
She keeps her thumb over the results number but the more she looks, the more numbers that match.
Nova moves her thumb and stared at the paragraph beneath the total index.
Her eyes are dragged to the nines in the percentage listed.
DNA testing done to determine siblingship of the alleged siblings. Based on testing results obtained from analyses of the DNA loci listed, the probability of full-siblingship is 99.8%. The likelihood they share a biological father is….
…not a coincidence then
The air leaves Nova's lungs the next second. She couldn't even read the rest before she began to sway. She braces herself against the wall and does her best to lower herself to the ground safely.
Nova took in another breath but it came out as a strangled sob. Her face is wet. When did she start crying?
Maggie's Evie.
Evie is Maggie. Magpie.
Evie's… alive.
How??
Her mind remembers the bullet in Maggie's hand. It… gave Maggie her powers…
She hears Adrian come through the doors before she sees him in her blurry vision. His Sentinel uniform is mostly covering him still.
Nova holds a hand over her mouth and stumbles to her feet.
"Nova-"
Nova runs past her confused boyfriend, who voices his confusion and concern immediately after.
She runs out into the waiting room and her eyes dart around, looking for-
"Nova?"
Nova whips her head to the source of the sound. Her eyes first catch the shiny gleam of the cold blue light reflecting a choppy hair cut, greasy and dark, donned on the thirteen year old.
Evie looks up.
Her eyes are her mother's. A piercing grayish blue. The same ones that sobbed her heart out due to a fever twelve years ago. The little baby girl who's crying was cut off. Cut off by the same gunshot that has echoed in Nova's head since she was six.
"Nova?"
Nova's world spins slightly but she continues to stare. She feels frozen, her hands possessed when she tightly clutches the warm printed paper.
Evie's eyebrows furrow in apprehension, her hackles raising. She stands up. "What? What is it?!"
Nova can only stare.
A beat passes.
Evie backs up slowly and before Nova can say anything, the girl runs out of the room like a startled deer. Shoving past everyone in her way of the exit door.
Adrian's voiced confusion snaps Nova out of it. He tries to say something to her but she can't articulate what exactly. She runs after the kid.
Nova throws open the door and bursts outside, looking around wildly. Her heart is thumping, ready to burst from her chest. She curses her eyes for blurring her vision with streaming tears. She feels sick.
Steps skidding around the corner alert her attention and she follows in haste.
Her breathing is heavy, and she can see each hot breath she pants dissipate into the cold air.
Curses flood Nova's head when whips around her corner and doesn't see the kid. Where…
Her eyes dart around as she catches her breath. She… she couldn't have imagined Evie… could she… is Maggie still in-
Her eyes finally catch a huddled figure in a more obscure section of the wall. If Nova's thoughts weren't running wild, she probably would have caught the kid immediately.
The wall is uneven, a section jutting out, allowing someone to hide right one of the walls. The girl sits next to the large garbage bin. Honestly, it's a half hearted attempt at hiding. Maybe she didn't even mean to hide.
Just needed to get away.
Nova's shoulders relax and she stays where she stands. Nova keeps her eyes away from the twelve year old girl, willing herself to stop trembling.
Nova takes in a shaky breath and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. She only needs a moment.
The silence is deafening.
Nova wipes her eyes and clenches the printed test results.
"Is…" She starts and stops, clearing her throat. Come on Nova! Be at least somewhat composed about this! "Is that the bullet… the one that…"
That killed you. Killed her. Almost. It almost killed her, now. It almost killed you, didn't it?
"...how would I know." The twelve year old looked like she meant to spit the sentence out, but it came out more exhausted and dim. "I was a baby." The girl holds the bullet tightly in her palm, curling into herself.
Nova's mouth opens and closes for a moment. Magpie's skin prickles when she stares for too long.
Magpie bites, "what?"
"Look. It- … it's hard to go from believing your baby sister was shot and murdered to finding out she's been alive and… well… you"
Maggie weakens slightly and turns her head away…
"Is it disappointing?"
Nova's features furrow after Maggie's question. She responds, with a question. "Is it disappointing that I'm your sister that disappeared?" Nova's voice is sore. This day has been exhausting for the two of them.
"I… I don't know." Maybe it would have been before today. Or if Maggie was still searching for her sister even when she met Nova. "I just thought… I didn't have anyone left…"
Nova sat in silence for a bit, biting her trembling lip, "... Me too."
Nova, uncomfortable with looking down at Maggie, decides to walk over and sit beside the kid. Not terribly close, but close enough that after a long pause, Maggie sort of leans onto her shoulder.
Nova can barely feel it, like Maggie's hovering just the slightest so that she wasn't actually pressing fully against her.
Ready to flee.
Nova doesn't comment. And Maggie speaks up, in a vulnerable tone unlike any Nova had heard from Maggie before. Even compared to tonight's dizzying developments.
Closer to a whisper.
"...you really thought I was dead?"
"Maggi- Ev- '' she breathes out. "...yeah. When I heard the gunshot and her… your crying stopped…" Nova has to stop herself, she purses her lips. She locks her eyes on the lamp hanging in front of the brick wall parallel to them. Studying how it reflects.
"…so. You didn't mean to leave… me? You… you would have stayed?"
Nova looks over, her eyes are wide and she tells herself to not get emotional. Don't. Her head whispers lingering doubts that… this isn't even real. "Yeah… " Nova feels a little breathless.
It certainly doesn't feel real.
Magpie turns away, staring blankly at the same brick wall. The wall behind them feels the same. She blinks, trying to make sense of it all, "so…"
"So?"
"You were here…the whole time…"
"Yeah… Sorry. …that I couldn't have been before"
"Okay…" Maggie hunches closer into herself. "This sucks."
Nova looks over, "why's that?"
Maggie doesn't answer her question. "Do we know for sure that the blood samples matched? Test it again!" Maggie pulls her sleeve down, holding her pale boney arm out to Nova. Nova blanches.
"Wh-what?! Maggie, you know the equipment they have is the best in the city. It's not a mistake." Nova frowned at her. "Plus, they're saliva tests, not blood."
"Well-! Well… …" Maggie purses her lips, holding them shut as her mind thinks and catches up. Nova's mind still hasn't, truth be told. "Then what are we going to do now,"
Nova takes a deep breath, "I don't know." She fiddles with her bracelet, "...Do you want your records updated?"
Maggie blinks, "You have them?"
Nova weakly smiles in a wistful way, "Yeah. The renegades made sure to file them. Let's just say… they felt guilty" she couldn't help but grunt the last part out.
Maggie blinks and looks up, "Really?"
"Yeah. You, uh, wouldn't remember, but Captain Chromium promised our family's safety and… you know how that played out."
Maggie pauses and then huffs, “That’s not surprising” she pauses again to think. “Does that mean… I have a birth certificate?”
Nova sat up a little straighter, “Yeah. Evie Artino…” She wet her lips and wiped her tear stained cheeks, "...twelve years now. They brought her- you home a few days after. I got to meet you at the hospital already. Along with… our uncle."
Maggie frowned. "Ace Anarchy. Lovely family bonus points I guess…"
"He didn't seem so bad at the time."
"That's how they trick you."
"Yeah,"
Maggie just slightly nudges closer to Nova, "what day?"
"The…" Nova opens her mouth only to close it again. "...well. I guess this means happy birthday." Nova's small smile stretches as far as it could on her face. Not much considering the amount of restraint she had to not cry. "Happy Birthday, Evie Artino."
Nova remembers being a kid and ecstatic for her sister's first birthday. She fully planned out the cake and decorations right alongside her mom who had to remind her they couldn't afford to go all out.
She was sad at the time but she was determined to sing super loud for her sister when the day came. And give her even better gifts when Evie gets older.
After the final gunshot, Nova threw all of those hopes away. Burned them to ashes, really.
Maggie frowns for a moment and looks away for a moment to wipe her eyes with her fist. She turns back and without a word, sits her head back to where it had previously been close to Nova.
Nova feels the weight this time.
"I don't know… I don't know what I want…" Maggie thought she knew at one point. She knew exactly what she wanted. To be a little orphan Annie, found by her full family and welcomed with big open arms. It didn't matter who found her. As long as someone found her and loved her.
But now? She's given up on that fantasy for so long that anything remotely similar is… unfamiliar. She can't navigate this. It still… doesn't feel real.
Nova shrugs and says, "That's fair. I don’t really know either” she chuckles softly “Never thought Evie… you could be alive. Much less a prodigy.”
She straightens slightly, not enough to nudge the girl off her arm though. Maggie's (surprisingly) skittish enough that Nova could even say she's like a bird, quick to fly away.
Nova frowns, “I can only imagine what Ace could have done if he knew…” The arm Nova had subconsciously placed around her sister tightens slightly before she reminds herself it’s okay. He’s dead. He can’t use Maggie like how he used her.
Magpie blinks and cringes, “Working for that crusty old terrorist? Pass.”
“You wouldn’t know any different.”
“I grew up in an orphanage.” Maggie grunts, “They aren’t exactly known for their good conditions. I learned that and didn’t know any different.”
Nova sighs, “I know. Were they… bad to you?”
Maggie shoves a hand into her pocket, fiddling with her bullet. “They weren’t good, let's just just say that…”
Nova frowns, her chest tightens and she has the strangest feeling of… protection come over her?
Would it have been different before she knew who Maggie was? Maybe… maybe not.
"What did they do?"
"What do you think? Everyone was either wasted off their arses or busy setting fire to the nearest building out of some petty revenge…" Maggie pauses, "They… uh… somehow never set fire to the orphanage itself. I bet they wanted to."
"I get that. Honey frequently downed bottles of booze when she could."
"I didn't think the anarchists had the money for that sort of thing"
"We didn't. I ran, er, 'errands' a few times"
Maggie blinks, "Wait, you stole??"
"I was an anarchist, kid."
The kid huffs, "Hypocrite."
Nova chokes, "I- that's different."
"Is it?"
"Yes, actually. I'm an- was. Was an Anarchist." Nova coughs. “You were stealing as a Renegade”
“Same difference.”
“I… Whatever.” Nova rolls her eyes. “Drunk bastards raised you?”
"Meh, they don't deserve that much credit."
"Fair." Nova frowns and looks over at Maggie. She notices Maggie tense and returns to the topic, "Anyway, just say the word and I'll pull the strings I need to get your records fixed."
"...thanks" Maggie murmurs, "Maybe later."
Nova rubs Maggie's arm as she relaxes. Nova's head buzzes with questions but she'll save them for later.
Then. Maggie asks. "canIhugyou?" Rushing out the sentence before she could chicken out. Her cheeks pinken ever so slightly.
Nova blanches, "er, Sur-?" Maggie cuts her off and hugs her tightly, squeezing her for a moment. Nova blinks and slowly puts her arms around the 12 year old too. She doesn't even mind the spot on her clothes getting wet from where Maggie has buried her face.
Nova rubs her back and squeezes back too. She presses her lips thinly together and hugs her close. The kid's body weaves with silent sobs. Nova lets the tears fall from her eyes as she rubs her sister's back.
"Hey" She says softly, "You good?"
Maggie nods lethargically, not moving from the hug.
"Do you still want another test done?" Nova's lip twitches up slightly.
"I… don't want to head back inside yet"
"It's getting late"
Maggie makes a noise, it tells Nova she really doesn't care. At all.
"It's warm inside"
"No" Maggie huffs quietly.
"Okay" Nova chuckles and rubs Maggie's arm, "thennnn…. how about we go somewhere else… warmer preferably."
Maggie pulls away a little bit to look at Nova.
"It's your birthday so, how about we head over to a restaurant or something. Your pick." Nova suggests, "We can hang out there till you're ready to talk to everyone else."
"I thought restaurants close earlier than that"
"Kid, I don't sleep. I know a few All Night Open places if your pick closes too soon."
Maggie pulls away completely and fiddles with her bullet in her pocket. "I… don't mind that." She whips her head up. "You have to promise not to make the waiters sing."
Nova blinks and laughs, snapping her fingers, "Darn, there goes my plans!"
Maggie scowls and squints at her.
She sighs dramatically, "I promise I won't."
"Won't what?"
"I won't make them sing" Nova smiles and stands up, opening her phone and sending a quick text. "Everyone inside can wait a little longer now that they know you're breathing. No promises they won't try to sing to you later."
"They're not allowed."
"I'll tell them that." Nova holds out a hand to Maggie, offering to help her up. "Got any restaurant requests yet? Fast food?"
Maggie hesitates and accepts her hand, "...your favorite. Whatever it is…"
"Okay"
###
Nova sets the finished food dishes to the side of their booth's table. She rubs Maggie's arm as the kid breathes in and out slowly. Her eyelids twitch from dreaming. She puts her coat back on Maggie after it slowly slid down.
Their private booth's light flickers from the fancifully decorated lantern. The warm light thankfully gentle to her, albeit dimming, headache. A waiter had offered to find some ice earlier but she declined politely.
Nova's phone lights up again from another text. She sighs and clicks her phone off. They can wait for a little while, she's already explained enough for now. Though she's surprised by their resilience to check up on them. It's been hours since they left.
Her hand plays with Maggie's hair. Moving it out of the kid's face, not bothering too much with some of the tangles. She does her best to keep her thoughts off of how tonight's events will change everything in the future.
Nova is more than content with staying with her sleeping sister, the one that is unconsciously hugging her. On her birthday.
After texting Adrian, he thankfully understood and avoided texting questions, despite the thousands Nova is sure he has.
Someone knocks on a clipboard outside and the booth's curtain opens a little. The waiter waves apologetically and notices Maggie is sleeping before they speak. The waiter smiles and takes the dirty dishes, handing Nova a to-go box like she requested earlier.
Before the server leaves, they put two plates on the table. Both with a slice of chocolate cake. Nova quietly thanks them and hands them the paid check, along with the generous tip.
After the waiter leaves, Nova carefully packs up the remaining food for leftovers without waking Maggie up. Her phone lights up from another text and she sees the time.
Nova pulls out a candle and a matchbox. She sets them both to the side. She grabs her phone and decides to open up her camera app. She takes a picture.
Showing her, the cake slices, and Evie.
She puts out the match and takes a quick picture. Showing Evie, her, and the candle.
…she stares at it. The candle ended up in the frame. A single candle.
She wishes she could've gotten the number of candles accurate to her sister's age, but this was all the restaurant had left. Plus, 13 candles wouldn't fit in a single slice.
Yet, strangely, it almost feels poetic now. One candle for the first birthday they missed. God, now her thoughts were corny. Must have been the Everharts' influence on her.
But she accepts the cringe. And she thinks about herself 13 years ago. Little six year old Nova, excited for her baby sister's first birthday.
Nova loved the idea of celebrating her sister's birthday the exact time she was born. Her parents, not so much, given Evie was born close to midnight. Nova's still not completely sure where she heard the idea from at six years old.
Nova hums a little, and remembers practicing the song they would sing once it was time to. The one she still hasn't sung in a while. She smiles a little.
"Happy birthday… to you"
Nova grabs the candle and places it in the center of Evie's cake slice as she softly sings the lyric. She lights the match.
"Happy birthday to you"
Evie's eyes blink awake lethargically, shifting a little bit to adjust her position. The girl sleepily looks at Nova as the ex-anarchist lights the birthday candle.
Nova didn't need the waiter's assistance after getting permission earlier. Perks of saving the owner she supposes.
"Happy birthday, dear Evie."
She lets out a breath, saying her sister's name with a smile. Nova tucks a few strands of hair behind Evie's ear. Evie tiredly nuzzles into Nova's arm to get closer, but she does keep an eye on the candle as it flickers. She doesn't look at her, but Nova knows Evie is paying attention.
"Happy Birthday to you"
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#Be warned I've been editing the ao3 version of this much more than the og document#I'll try to get all corrections checked but I may not catch everything#atm I can't access ao3 on my computer so I can't ctrl a my way out of this one#IT IS DEFINITELY BEST TO READ THIS ON AO3 IF YOU CAN#renegades trilogy#evie artino#maggie white#nova artino#fanfiction#renegades fanfiction#leroy flinn#tamaya rae#adrian everhart
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The screen is filled with static. The noise of it is harsh, grating, until it cuts out completely and the screen flickers to black. Then, after a moment, the screen buzzes back to life. It's nearly indistinguishable from the previous black screen, but light gives way as someone flicks a flashlight on behind the camera. We see a forest at night. The camera work is shoddy and the screen shifts as the person recording walks. There's the sound of a second pair of footsteps followed by someone speaking.
"So, uh," the voice says. "There's been lotsa weird stuff in Faerûn history. Not too weird, but weird enough to give us the creeps sometimes. But, uh, the last few years have been real weird 'cus folks keep stumbling onto these, uh, these places. I think by now we've all heard about the glassings-"
"Is that what they're called?" says a second voice, sounding closer. Presumably, the person holding the camera had spoken.
"If it's not, it should be," the first voice says. "Glassings. It's cool, right?"
"It's not a cool situation, but it's a cool word for it, I guess-"
"Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant," the first voice says. "Anyway, we all know about the glassings. If you don't somehow, it's the- the big circles of black glass that seem to be literally everywhere now. Well, not everywhere, but y'know what I mean. And then all the other shit- that city that was found completely underwater, the one that was completely destroyed by a giant fight or whatever, we don't really know. Fact is, we don't really know anything about these incidents 'cus no one even remembers that there was any town or city there at all."
"Like the one near Westwood," the second voice says.
"Like the one near Westwood yeah," the first voice says. "The town sign's still up- The Barrow, or something. But there's no mention of The Barrow in history, it's just- it's gone. It's like it never even existed. Like I said, weird."
"Super weird," the second voice agrees.
"We're going to- well, I guess you could call this one a glassing too, if you want-"
"Bad joke."
"Yeah, bad joke," the first voice says grimly. "It's just through here."
The camera shifts around as the two go through a patch of bramble and bushes. The second voice curses as a branch catches on their shirt and the first voice laughs. After a second, they free themselves and continue out of the forest. They come into a meadow and, in the middle of the meadow, lies a city. Or at least, what used to be a city In the moonlight, every possible surface shimmers and reflects. The city has become reflective and as the camera moves forward, we see that the entire city has formed into pieces of mirror.
"This is what used to be the city of Galanodel," the first voice says. "At least, that's what we're calling it. It's on some maps, but it's just- it's hard to make sense of it. Galanodel elfish for, uhm-"
"Moon whisperer," the second voice said.
"Yes, that," the first voice said. The camera approaches the city proper now and the lens fades in and out of focus. The second voice sighs and the camera tilts a little, adjusting back in on the city. There's the sound of shoes against glass as they enter into the city.
We go by shorter buildings, though they gradually increased in size. As said before, the entire city seemed to be made of glass. It's silent except for the footsteps. There is no more talking between the voices. The camera shifts again and we see the shoulder of one of the people. Their head is ducked down. When the camera adjusts back up to the heart of the city again, we see figures in the distance. Only, there is no movement coming from them. As the camera passes them by, we see that it is people- every age, every race, some fleeing towards the outskirts of the city and some barreling further in- all made up of the same reflective glass.
The camera zooms in on different faces. An elvish man, with his wand pointed at a dwarven woman. An orc running away with their children. A drow in full sprint toward the heart of the city. A child with glass tears on their face.
We continue on in silence, block after block. Finally, we reach a fountain. There is a dragonborn in the center of it all, surrounded by a throng of people reaching for them. Or rather, what might have been in their hand. The figures here have been shattered and torn apart. There's a glass arm on the floor and shattered shards everywhere. The dragonborn's right hand, which had been raised when they froze like this, was completely gone, shattered into millions of pieces. Whatever they had had in their hand was gone, leaving no clue as to what might have happened to cause this mass destruction and death.
"It'd be beautiful if it wasn't so… terrible," the second voice whispers.
"The working theory is transmutation," the first voice says, much quieter than before. "Someone, or something transmuted this whole city into mirrors. No one knows who or what could have been powerful enough to do it, though. Maybe a buncha different people in small parts, but that doesn't really make sense. Like, why would they do this if they're just gonna die here, too."
"I kinda hope we never know what did it," the second voice says. "I don't want it to happen again."
The camera pans around the area, taking in the scene. It seemed to be some kind of main street. There was a large fountain nearby and a sign above one of the buildings read "City Hall", even though it was hard to see with just the moonlight. The camera pans past a hotel next and the reflection perfectly shows the two moons overhead. The closest one was shadowing the further one. They looked down on the scene from overhead.
"Yeah," the first voice sighs. "Me too."
#taz#taz balance#the adventure zone balance#the adventure zone#mine#ise cube writing#happy new year sldkfsdf
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I had a moment and wrote down a whole lotta nonsense with Popcorn and I accidentally made myself feel really hard with it so. I might as well haha
Tw for drug use and (NONGRAPHIC) mentions of sex.
Okay so, where to begin hah. A lot of this was spawned from indulgent things and so I'm going to try and reword a lot of what I wrote down to make it more general.
• To me she is the pinnacle of "making everything a joke to push away the fact that she is deeply fucked up". To her it's just easier to never address anything and play it off as just a bit or something unimportant if somehow, someway, someone approaches her about it.
• Her avoidance has lead to an unstable relationship with substance use — it's a cycle of getting high and getting a whitey, and then getting hungover and being back at the base of "feeling the things she literally just got high over to not handle". Keeping herself busy with hosting (as precarious as it is, given that her contestants aren't exactly the most empathetic bunch about her case) is one of the only means for her to dodge herself, in a sense. So it sure isn't a good alternative, but it's better than y'know, whiting out...right?
• Literally everything she has is undiagnosed and she isn't about to get her shit checked out. (ADHD, BPD, MDD and Crohn's.) The majority of the folks around her aren't really versed in Why she decides to act like she does; they just think she's egotistical, big-headed and a dick overall.
• If for whatever reason somehow there was someone who was wholeheartedly genuine with themselves and with everyone around them...she'd actually kind of hate them. Literally they could do nothing wrong but she would be skeeved about the fact that they can just essentially gallivant around with their heart on their sleeve. It's like an anti-her, you get me.
• To add onto the last point, she's made herself so distant that if there was anyone that would try to actually talk to her and y'know, be a basic human being (or, well, object being) she wouldn't know how to reciprocate that in the slightest. Because she does want closeness but that kind of thing is deeply unsettling to her, and she would engage in what she guises as just "casual" sex; to her it's the only feasible way to actually figure out how exactly she feels about someone. It's just an empty feeling spawned from an innate guilt at this being the only way she can achieve basic positive social interactions and anger — less at herself and instead projecting it onto the other person for, in a twisted and cruelly roundabout way: leading her into this situation in the first place.
• She doesn't really cry — it's just...hard for her to be able to. "Feeling miserable" isn't how she'd describe it but there's no real way to really say it otherwise. Pretty much everything gets bottled up, both good and bad, and it can sometimes (unfortunately) seep through into her actual hosting job.
• If somehow she came across Airy, he would genuinely be one of the only people she could tolerate. He's so similar and yet could not be more different. Both apathetic but in his case he just... legitimately doesn't really seem to express that he cares. It's like if Popcorn were a firecracker and Airy was a bundle of wet sticks — they can exist next to each other without friction that would spark either of them.
• On MUCH much lighter notes: somehow she managed to get her 3D glasses to be prescription. She cannot see without those things but also you just Cannot take them off; if you lift them up there's just an endless amount of others underneath the pair(s).
#sorry haha she's just. means a lot to me ...#'its showvember its not that serious' you might be saying. look thru this account i make everything serious <3 /LHLHLHLH#showvember#showvember popcorn#tw drugs#// drugs#ask to tag#also the airy thing was lowkey based off the aircorn stuff i see lol. i dont go there myself but i do enjoy the idea of them being#unconventional friends :) its nice to think about#long post
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Jasper Wilson x Kyle Spencer snippet
*for @can-of-pringles who suggested I write my OCs playing Minecraft lol
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Fandom: AHS Coven, Kyle Spencer x OC
Word count: 921
Warnings: none? just domestic fluff and Jasper failing at video games XD
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"How do you make glass panes?"
"You want to put glass panes on our dirt house." Kyle deadpanned, giving Jasper a sidelong glance.
"Well, it's not always going to be dirt." he huffed, "And we have the glass."
"When did you make glass?"
"Just now, with the sand from that river we found," he muttered, "Figured we'd need it for the windows."
"We don't even have coal to-" Kyle started, the pixelated chest creaking as he opened it with a click. Sure enough, half of their logs - their house-building logs, he might add - were missing. He couldn't help but sigh, though he was biting back a smile. "Your strategies confuse me, Jazz."
"Heh. I'm just operating on a level you can't even imagine," Jasper fired back, shooting him a broad, teasing smile, "Glass panes on the dirt house. Sounds like a Fall Out Boy song."
"I'm gonna go get more wood, and then we can put glass panes on the oak house instead." he said, navigating his blocky avatar out of their little shack and down to the nearest copse of rectangular trees.
"Oak sucks for building. Get spruce."
"Says the man who was going to let the house be made out of dirt."
"We can't all be engineers."
Kyle laughed under his breath, though he turned his mouse and instead navigated his avatar in a new direction. Computerized snow crunched under his digital feet. As he punched away at a few trees (spruce, of course, as per request), he heard the sound of shattering glass from Jasper's computer a few feet away.
"Aw, fuck, it just broke."
"You didn't know glass doesn't drop?" he asked, fighting hard not to laugh.
"I usually play creative!"
"Just... don't place it down until I get back with the wood." Kyle muttered, felling another few trees and wishing he'd had the sense to build himself an axe before he ran off.
"That's what she said."
"That- what? Jasper, that doesn't even-"
Jasper cackled, not for the joke but his reaction to it. Kyle shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek to suppress his smile. Sometimes he wondered how he'd found this one. In all honesty, he'd have expected his college dating life to involve sorority girls and cheerleaders, like the other guys in his frat - really, he wouldn't have expected to be dating much at all, since his ambitions were mainly focused on getting his degree and getting the hell out of Dodge as fast as he could.
Needless to say, his ambitions had changed.
"Ah!" Jasper squawked, jolting him out of his thoughts, "Fuckfuckfuck- Kyle, I fell in a hole there's a zombie chasing me-"
"What? I thought you were back at the house-" Kyle blurted, blinking in surprise as he wheeled his character back around, "Hang on, I'm coming. Don't die."
"Quickly!"
"I'm coming! Just a second! Where's the hole?" he asked, sprinting a circle around the little dirt shack, "And don't say 'that's what she said'."
"Heh. That is what she said." Jasper laughed, though it was accompanied by the frantic clatter of his keyboard as he tried to outrun his adversaries, "In the house. I was trying to dig for cobble. For the floor."
Kyle nodded, steering his avatar into the shack and finally seeing noticing the hole - a one-block tunnel in the corner of the little room.
"You dug straight down?"
"I usually play creative!" Jasper huffed, "Y'know, where you can just press E and get whatever block you want and you don't have to dig holes in the first place? Ah help me I'm at two hearts-"
"Alright! Alright! I'm coming!" he said, equipping his sword and dropping into the tunnel.
He lost half his health upon landing, the tunnel opening into an underground cave after the first three blocks. His screen was just bright enough for him to see Jasper's avatar hopping in wild circles around the cave, chased by about a dozen hostile mobs. He could see two separate craters where creepers had exploded. Kyle couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Jasper looked up from his computer just long enough to shoot him a dark glare.
Needless to say, they both died. A wooden sword wasn't exactly the best defense for an entire horde of enemies, and Jasper's wild ping-ponging around the screen eventually ended with him falling into another, deeper cave and losing his last two hearts.
Kyle stared at his screen, the gray-tinted Game Over screen staring right back at him. When he glanced over, he found Jasper scowling at his own laptop as if it had personally offended him.
"I lost all my stuff." he grumbled, tapping a few more keys as he respawned, "All my glass for the windows."
"Well, get it back." Kyle said, tilting his chin at the screen and fighting hard to keep a straight face.
Jasper leapt back into the hole, picked up his half-stack of glass blocks, and promptly died. Kyle pressed his fist to his mouth in an attempt to cover his laughter. Jasper rolled his eyes, shoving Kyle's shoulder hard enough that the laptop nearly slid off his lap in the process. He caught it just before it could fall.
"You set me up!"
"Maybe a little." Kyle admitted, "It was funny."
"Not that funny." Jasper muttered, wrinkling his nose at his partner.
"I'll get you more glass." Kyle promised, already spawning his character back into the game, "Just don't go diving into any more caves in the meantime, alright?"
"No promises."
#hey look I actually wrote something short for once#short for me meaning under a thousand words. that's the best we're gonna get lol#my writing#my ocs#jasper wilson#heartstrings fic#ahs coven#kyle spencer#predeath kyle spencer#fanfic#fluff#domestic fluff#video games
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Brother Birds
In which Tim is feeling down and its up to Jason to help lift his spirits during patrol.
"Sometimes it just... feels like everyone forgot I exist." Tim admitted, staring out over Gotham's skyline.
His mask felt tight on his face, and if it weren't for how exhausted he felt, he might reach up and remove it. But as it were, his limbs felt heavy, as if the tiredness that never seemed to end had sunk deep into his bones. Instead, he dropped his head down, resting his forehead against his scrunched up knees.
"I can relate." Tim snorted, turning his head to the side to focus on the man next to him. Jason was leaning against the roof access hatch, a brick wall juxtaposed against glass as a thin line of smoke twirled up into the night from the end of his cigarette. "The feeling of being replaced just kinda dulls out after a while, doesn't it? You start wondering if you ever meant that much to begin with. Makes you stop feeling angry, and then you just get tired."
"I feel like that's targeted." Tim commented, watching as Jason cracked a smile. He shook his head, helmet hooked under his arm as he pulled the cigarette from his lips.
"Never. Past that, remember?" Jason stated, stubbing out the cigarette and placing the burnt out butt in one of his empty utility pockets. Tim couldn't help but laugh. "What?"
"You try so hard to look like an asshole, but you still don't litter. Think Bruce can say that?" Tim asked, watching as Jason came to sit down beside him, long legs dangling over the edge of the rooftop towards the ground below. Waves crashed against the docks a ways below them, and Tim let his attention shift to that.
"Nope. Bruce used to leave metal shells from smoke bombs everywhere, and if it wasn't that, it was batarangs. Don't even get me started on all the rubble." Jason joked, and Tim felt some of the heaviness in his bones lessen. He managed to lift his head, eyes forward as he looked out into Gotham's waters. "Tim, nobody forgot you exist."
"Sure feels like it." Tim sighed, but the warmth of a hand clasping his shoulder seemed to halt the growing pit in his stomach. For a moment, Tim felt like someone actually saw him. That he wasn't just another fired Robin, that maybe nobody had meant to leave him out for the waves to swallow up.
"I know. And I also know that no matter what I tell you, the only person that's gonna change your mind is you." Jason explained, squeezing Tim's shoulder as he spoke. "But you know as well as I do that this family is about as good at considering others as Catwoman is at not stealing something. I don't think Dick meant to hurt you when he made Damian his Robin, Timbers."
"I know, I know." Tim said, lifting his hands to rub at his face, fingers wiping the sweat from beneath the domino mask. "But it still hurts."
"It's always going to hurt, Tim. You got thrust out of your identity and now you're left fumbling to find your own, detached from what you're used to. I get it." Jason removed his hand from Tim's shoulder, and Tim realized how important that touch had been in holding him upright as the exhaustion threatened to settle back in. "But I think you're doing a good job. The whole "Red Robin" identity kinda suits you, y'know? Especially the feather cape."
"You're a bitch." Tim said, finding some reserve of energy to reach out and swat at Jason, who easily leaned out of reach, laughing as his lips curled up into a smile, scars scrunching in the process. "But... you know, you're right."
"Wow, what a surprise! I'm actually right about something. It's almost like I know what I'm talking about, isn't it?" Jason teased, expression softening as he reached out and nudged Tim's shoulder. "You'll be alright, kid. But if you tell anyone I was nice to you, I'll kill you."
"I almost believe that." Tim stated, snorting as he watched Jason tug the helmet back over his head. "Back to work?" Tim's eyes followed where Jason looked, watching as a familiar delivery vehicle pulled into the docks, an advertisement for refrigeration plastered across the side.
"Back to work. C'mon, birdbrain. Maybe kicking the shit out of Cobblepot will make you feel better."
#jaysfics#im having feelings about how nobody really talks about tim and how it mustve felt to have robin taken from him during Dick's run as batman#does this fit canon? nah not at all#did i write it anyway because i need more tim and jason being actual brothers? yes#jason todd#tim drake#ficlets#my memory is all kinds of fuzzy on exactly how canonverse was during dicks batman run because lie\ke#like its been ages since ive read it#i hope yall enjoy reading this tho#the bonding over feeling less important ayyy#this is probably littered with spelling mistakes cause i wrote it on my fuckin phone#be nice dont point it out i did my best
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15 questions. Stuff bout me! Thanks for tagging me @greenlikethesea!
1. are you named after anyone?
Okay kind of a funny story. When it comes to my deadname the story goes my parents were so sick of fighting over what to call me that that name was like a hands in the air okay fine concession between the two of them and neither of them actually liked it all that much.
The name (and variations on it) I go by these days I am, without meaning to, named after two people. I share a deadname with one of my closest and oldest friends, and a mutual friend of ours has a condition that makes it difficult for him to distinguish faces - and we both have a similar vocal quality so we were particularly difficult for him to distinguish without someone having identified who was who in conversation. So he started calling her "Senior" and me "Junior" because calling us by the same name was just an additional complication for him keeping us distinctive and Junior stuck hard.
My father's middle name is just the letter J, which someone at work started calling me and now everyone does. And I work a lot. So I am called it a lot. So that happened on accident.
2. when was the last time you cried?
I think it was before I had surgery, which was. Two months ago? Three? I forget how time works. I was scaredexcited. I'm not really a big crier, but I definitely have watershed moments of "cry a lot now" a couple times a year.
3. do you have kids?
I do not and I don't think that I will. I have a lot of respect for people who have and raise children, I just don't think I'm well suited to be a parent for a real smorgasbord of reasons. I like kids just fine though! My friend's kids are super cool and I always enjoy my time with them.
4. do you use sarcasm a lot?
I guess occasionally? I think when I do its this very intentionally hyperbolic version of it so as to not be misconstrued when I'm joking. If I'm ever going to be sassy about something I think I'd say my "style" in that arena is a bit more deadpan, but still very unserious. I tend to be a very earnest person so things like sarcasm are pretty much always employed as a joke.
5. what sports do you play/have you played?
/john mayer voice My Body Is A Garbage Can 🎶 my ramshackle horrible body is not cut out for sports, but in my youth I played hockey and figure skated. (midwest baybeeeee) I skipped out on my physical education requirement in high school by being in marching band for 4 years.
6. what’s the first thing you notice about people?
So I am deaf and I spend a lot of time looking at people's mouths, I read lips to fill in some lost information that my hearing aids don't reliably provide me with so it usually takes me a few encounters with a person before I start to notice other details about them beyond the lower third of their face. Sometimes I'll notice people's eyebrows, or if they have glasses or freckles but the specifics of their features don't always sink in right away.
7. what’s your eye colour?
Green!
8. scary movies or happy endings?
For my own personal enjoyment? Always always always a scary movie. I love a scary movie. Good, bad, doesn't matter, I want to watch it. A friend of mine and I spend entire weekends just watching the Shudder back catalogue and we've found some incredible films. (Please watch Death Spa I'm so not even kidding) I am a whole sucker for a practical effect. I also love a scary movie with a happy ending!
9. any special talents?
I always know where the car is parked.
10. where were you born?
American Midwest. Round the lakes. Y'know. The big ones.
11. what are your hobbies?
I'm one of those suckers who made their hobby their job so I genuinely enjoy garment construction and costume crafts. I also like to write and garden and live music.
12. do you have pets?
No not anymore. I had cats in high school (I am so deeply allergic) and we have had to put two of them down over the last few years and our last remaining guy lives with my mom.
My partner and I raise carnivorous plants though and we've named all of them and talk about them like they're essentially pets.
13. how tall are you?
5'6"
14. favourite subject at school?
I always loved my English classes, far and away the classes I put the most work into and excelled at. I also took a radical dramaturgy class in grad school that changed the way my brain functions. Which is probably an extension of an English class tbh.
While not a favorite: I'm good at math, but I don't actually like math. I often joke that I'm good at math against my will - I had a lot of math tutoring as a kid so now I can like. Do long division in my head and shit.
15. dream job?
Y'know, I'm not sure I have a dream job. I really like what I do, I work in the arts - live theater and I wear a lot of hats at the regional theater I spend most of my time at. I've put a lot of time and effort and lost sleep into trying to make a living doing something that feels worthwhile to me personally as an artist and important to the community I'm in and making that art accessible to that community but I'm also happy to go home at the end of the day, its easy for me not to think about work when I'm not at work.
So I think the dream is more to have a job that I like, that I want to be at most days, that feels worthwhile, but also to have a healthy work/life balance with that job. Y'know?
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- September- 15th,19--. -
It's late. The suns down, the moon's light glints down on the forest, the wind rustling between the leaves in the trees, just nice, peace and quiet, nothing could ruin such a nic-
???:COME ON IDIOTS! IT'S GETTING LATE! WE NEEDS GET THERE QUICK DAMMIT! I DONT HAVE ALL DAY FOR YOU FUCKERS TO WALK!
Oh, of course. A group of four boys come down the path, a red hair is more further infront of the other three, holding a cay in his right hand, shouting at the other three to hurry up. That boy, is Sean. The other three consist of a gay Blondie, smart black kid, and a emo. These guys are isaac, oswald and felix, in the same order as they where introduced. Oswald held a camera in his hands, isaac held his flashlight, leading the way for them, looking unsure if they should be doing this, or even if they should just be outside, what a fucking loser. Felix just had his hands in his pockets, not caring about what Sean shouted at them.
Sean:GODAMMIT!WALK FASTER CUNTS! ARE YOU TRYING TO PISS ME OFF?!
Oswald:dude, like, chill? It's not like we can be late. The place is shut down.
Oswald giggled at his "joke", or whatever he was trying to say. But either way, the other three started to walk closer to Sean,as they then started to walk down the rocky path, talking all the way down to the place. This place was an older diner that had shut down a long while ago. Izzy's diner. It was a basic place, y'know, decent sized, basic but okay tasting food, nice, cold drinks, and some music playing. But, this place was pretty different, they had thought buisness was pretty slow, and decided they needed something to get more customers, something kids would love and tell their friends who would ask their parents to bring them, and that would loop, and there the idea had came through, the had decided to use animatronics. They spent awhile on making them, and a shit load of money to make them look good. There was four animatronics, a ostrich called Ozzie, a anglor fish called Fangs, a tiger called Stripes, and the main guy, Izzy, a lizard animatronic. They had these had shapes with long, opened Jaws, which could slightly move up and down. Izzy had three green points on the back of his head, a darker green than he was. He was also the shortest, Fangs could also swim in water, by the workers pouring a mixture of chemicals in him, was it safe? Probally not. But eh, was still cool. Though Stripes was known to sometimes to get, "violent". And then, some incident happened where the animatronics when apeshit, Stripes injured three kids and a employee, Fangs had gotten his chemical mixture fucked up and his just kinda stopped working, but before he stopped, he bashed his head against the glass, cracking the glass and breaking the light bulb on a rod on top of his head, which was meant to be like the light on anglor fishes head. His parts slowly came off, like his lower Jaws suit part. Ozzie started biting at everyone he came close to him, but Izzy. Izzy did nothing. He just stood there, still preforming. But of course, the place shut Down. Though they left pretty much everything in the diner, god knows why. Going back to the four, they continued down the path. Isaac looked unsure.
Isaac:I don't know man....We shouldn't do this, I mean, what if we get caught?
Sean:Shut the fuck up pussy. No ones gonna be there, and no one will come aswel, god.
Sean rolled his eyes, as he continued down the path, the others followed him.
-timeskip.-
So, skipping an hour or so, the four arrived at the diner. The signs lights flickered slightly, atleast, some did. Some lights where cracked and broken. Sean walked up to the door, before grabbing the key, shoving it into the lock. Turning to look at the other three.
Sean:Well then, are you guys ready to record the most staged shit, but make it seem so real and so cool people will watch it and believe it and we can make a sick fucking profit off of it!?
He looked at them excitedly. Oswald nodded, not really caring about the actual stuff they where meant to do, he just wanted to explore around the place, Felix couldn't give a fuck, but also nodded, yet Isaac hadn't changed from before, if anything, now just scared.
Isaac:W-we shouldn't do this....we should re-think about thi-
Sean:Well no one cares about what you think you fuck head.
Felix:Wow, rude.
Sean rolled his eyes, flipping Felix off, before turning the key. A click came from the door, as Sean took out the key, and pushed the door open. Grabbing his own flashlight from his pocket, shining it inside
Sean:..perfect.
He stepped inside, the others followed, Isaac took a step back. But Felix grabbed his hand, looking at him.
Felix:Donr worry man, we'll be in here for just some minutes, then we can go open,theres nothing to worry about, we're all here for eachother..except Sean, he's an asshole.
The, the four stepped in. Looking around the place, the tables with old cloths with colourful patterns on them. The chairs pushed out, or in, on the floor, broken, or on the tables. The floor was a purple carpet with some patterns on it, now dusty 'n stuff. The old bar in the corner, the bathrooms at a side, the main check-in desk at the sentence where they entered, a prize counter at the end of a hall, the kitchen with it's door sealed shut, and finally, the main stage,along with fangs uncomfortably large fish tank stage thing, still field with musky, dirty, unclear water. The animatronics still on their stages. All four looked at eachother.
Sean:This is-
Oswald:Cool!
Felix:Stupid as fuck.
Isaac:Creepy..
Sean:..what? The fuck you mean it's scary isaac, just like oswald said, it's cool! Actually, no, it's fucking awesome!
-END OF EP1.-
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how about lexi protecting fez when he gets in trouble?
"Have you ever thought about what's next for you?" Lexi pondered out loud, turning her gaze towards Fezco who was counting cash in the register under the harsh fluorescent lights of his store. His fingers handled the bills with ease, counting them with such speed that Lexi could barely keep up. The store had been fairly quiet that evening, and the boy seemed somehow very fidgety - like he had trouble staying still, doing nothing.
Fezco looked up as he slammed the register shut. "Whatchu mean?"
"Like.. In life, you know? Are you gonna stay here?" She continued, shrugging at her own silly thoughts, pulling her right left to her chest as she shifted her position on the counter she was sitting on. Lexi took a sip out of her bottle, the peachy drink prickling on her tongue.
"I guess," Fezco answered, shrugging. He turned his attention towards the empty parking lot where night had already fallen, the asphalt illuminated by golden street lights. "Ion got nothing out there. But here, I got the store. I got Ashtray. He's on me, y'know?"
Lexi's heart softened when she heard him talk about his brother - no matter how mature, no matter how hardened by their way of life Ashtray was, he was a kid. And even Lexi tended to forget that sometimes, but she was glad to know that the young boy had someone in his corner, someone who would do anything for him. Lexi nodded, wrapping her arm around her knee as silence fell between them, only broken by the quiet music coming from somewhere near the ceiling. Fezco was humming along under his breath, his eyes fixed on something on his phone, his features slowly rearranging into a mask of worry. His eyebrows furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Lexi asked after some more minutes of tense silence, looking around the store like she was expecting to see a gunman at the door.
Fezco shook his head, stuffing his phone in his back pocket. He turned towards the girl with worry in his light eyes, holding Lexi's gaze with intensity. "Lexi, I'mma go outside real quick, and I need you to stay inside. For real."
"What? Why?" The girl yelped, hopping off the counter to block the older boy from exiting the store. "What's going on?"
Fez stared at her with flames in his eyes, his hands grabbing her shoulders. "I ain't fucking playing, Lexi. Stay the fuck inside. I mean it. Don't come out."
The urgency in his voice was jarring, enough to make Lexi flinch when he let go of her and walked past her. Fez shot her one more worried look, one that was stern enough to know that he wasn't joking - something was going on, and something told Lexi that the boy was in trouble. She followed him with her eyes until he was out of view, slipping into the night outside. The darkness was pierced by a pair of headlights, and Lexi could hear a car stopping to a halt right outside the building. A car door opened and slammed shut.
Fezco and whoever had arrived started talking in low tones, making it impossible for Lexi to make out their words. All she could hear were their aggravated voices, competing over each other in an exchange that got lost in the roaring of the car's engine.
"Fuck," Lexi whispered to herself, looking around. She knew she'd be fucked if she walked into the middle of whatever was going on behind the store - even she wasn't that naive. Her brown eyes searched for something to do, somewhere to go. She felt her own grip tightening around the glass bottle she was still holding, her knuckles whitening with her grip, eyeing the other exit that lead to the front of the store where the empty parking lot was still undisturbed. And like she didn't know any better, Lexi slipped out into the night, dangling the half-empty soda bottle in her hand as she walked around the small building, grateful for the safety that the dusk provided.
She peeked around the corner where Fezco was still arguing with someone behind the building, his arms spread out in a clearly frustrated gesture. He looked surprisingly vulnerable, almost blinded by the headlights that were still pointed towards him, eyes squinted. The man in front of him was slightly taller, his figure lanky, covered in tattoos all the way to his shaved head. Lexi could spot a tattoo of a black snake wrapped around his neck, the fluorescent lights illuminating the man in a menacing glow.
"Man, I told you not to come around here no more!" Fezco bellowed, taking a threatening step towards the other man. His hands were curled into fists, knuckles white, his fingernails probably digging into the skin of his palms.
"You thought I was gone drop it? I fuckin' know y'all clipped Mouse, and now you thinkin' y'all getting away with it like it don't mean shit?"
"Bro you gotta chill out, forreal. Ain't nobody here know nothing about Mouse. He ain't hit me up in two months, that's all I fuckin' know."
Lexi could feel her own heartbeat in her ears as she listened on, leaning against the dirty wall of the store and trying her best not to peek too far out. She could see Fezco's face twisted with anger, his entire frame tense as he stared down the man in front of him. Lexi had no idea who he was, who Mouse was or what the fuck was going on, but she knew that it wasn't good, and she knew for a fact that she could make out the handle of a handgun poking out of the bald man's back pocket.
"Shit. Shit," Lexi repeated under her breath, her voice dying on her own lips before it could get out. She glanced down at her own hand gripping the sturdy glass bottle, her hand shaking ever so slightly in the dark. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
It was like some higher power took over Lexi's body, the way she lost control of herself. She could see the stranger reaching back for his gun, his fingers wrapping around the handle. She could see Fezco's eyes following, a twinkle of fear passing by his features. And then, like she was hovering over her own body, Lexi could see herself stepping out from her hiding place, her steps quickening as she ran towards the two men, her fingers clutching the glass bottle like it was her lifeline. And like she wasn't in control of her own hands, Lexi saw her arm swinging back. The noise of shattering glass echoed in the night, and the stranger fell, his blood dripping onto the pavement.
"Holy shit," Lexi panted, her ears ringing. She stared at the man on the ground, blood pouring out of the wound that she had caused. His eyes were closed. "Holy shit. I can't believe I just did that."
Fezco was frozen, staring at her. His eyes switched from her to the man and then back to her, his expression a mix of horror and shock. He grabbed the back of his own neck with his hand. "Yoo... What the fuck..."
A shocked, slightly hysterical laugh rolled off Lexi's tongue, and she took a staggering step back. "I can't believe... I just did that..."
"Fuck," Fez said, rubbing his face with his shaking hand. He took a step closer, kneeling down to feel the guy's pulse. His posture was stiff with stress, fear or anger - Lexi didn't know what it was. "He ain't dead, but you knocked him the fuck out."
"He had a fucking gun!" Lexi exclaimed hysterically, her hands clasped on her mouth. "See? His back pocket –”
"I know," Fezco assured as he got back on his feet, eyeing their surroundings anxiously. "We gotta get you the fuck outta here, Lexi. Right fucking now, forreal. I’m serious."
"What?! Are we gonna just leave him here?"
"Lexi, I swear, these dudes ain't fuckin' around. You can't fucking be here when wakes up." Fez bellowed, grabbing the girl's hand firmly. Lexi felt numb, but let him lead her in through the back door of the store. Fez shut it behind them, turning off the lights in the store, then rushed the girl out the front door that he pulled shut behind them. Lexi wasn't even sure if he locked it - it all melted into a big blur in her eyes. All she knew for sure was Fezco's hand in her own, holding onto her like a lifeline as they ran to his car, pulling each other forward.
The car ride was nerve wrecking. Lexi could see her own hands shaking in the dark, and under the passing streetlights she could see drops of blood splattered on her skin, staining light with red. She felt sick. Fezco's hands were squeezing the steering wheel with his knuckles white, his face expressionless.
"Where are we going?" Lexi broke the silence, her voice shaking as she stared out on to the streets that she didn't recognize.
Fezco shot her a stern look, turning to a new street. "My place. I'mma need some time to figure this shit out."
Silence fell in the car, filling it like physical substance that made it harder to breathe. Lexi could feel her own guilt scorching her, burning her chest like a fire that was taking over her entire being as she sat there, silent. Holding back sobs that were making her body vibrate with suffocated panic. Fez wasn't looking at her, his eyes glued on the road with a vacant expression in them. Fuck, she had fucked up. So bad. Lexi knew it, and she was sure that Fezco was thinking it, holding in his rage that she knew would burst any second now.
Fez emptied his lungs with a long, tiring exhale. He shot an ambiguous look at the girl next to him, his lips pursing like he was holding back something. Words, maybe screams of frustration. And then... "Do you have no fuckin' clue how dangerous that shit was? I'm fuckin' serious, Lexi! Fuckin' thought you was gone fuckin' die out there, for real. I told you to stay the fuck inside!”
Lexi flinched with each word, cursing at herself in her mind. She shook her head, feeling a burn behind her eyes. "I know, I just... Fuck. I'm sorry."
"Fuck you apologizin' for? Prolly saved my life out there, but goddamn! On some dumb shit, for real." Fez huffed, shaking his head like a disappointed father while looking at the girl with a strange look. His hand were still gripping the steering wheel, the veins in his hands visible even in the dark.
After some more pressuring silence, the pair pulled up to a house Lexi had never seen before. All of the curtains were drawn, but she could see light peeking out from behind one of the curtains, illuminating the small yard with its hue. Fezco hurried Lexi out of the car, across the dark driveway and in through the door, which he made sure was locked before he closed it behind them. The hallway was dark and silent, like the entire house was abandoned.
"Holy shit. I can't believe I just actually did that," Lexi repeated once more, her expression blank in the darkness. She could make out the figure of Fezco, hovering over her, staying quiet. He was staring at her, his light eyes visible even in the darkness, his breathing heavy. Blood was rushing in his ears - he could feel adrenaline burning his tongue, his veins, igniting him. Them both.
And like they were synchronized, Lexi and Fezco crashed into each other right there, in the hallway. The girl's back slammed against the wall in a way that probably should've knocked the wind out of her, but she didn't notice when his lips crashed with Fezco's own. His rough hands grabbed her face, his body pressing against hers as he kissed her with such vigor it left them both breathless. Fezco could still taste the peachy soda on Lexi's tongue, the sweetness spreading on his lips as he breathed her in. Fezco's hands made their way down onto her throat, slowly moving downwards until his fingers reached the hem of his shirt. His eyes opened, seeking out for silent approval from the girl as his hands fiddled with the soft material of her shirt. Lexi nodded quietly, letting the boy pull her shirt over her head, exposing more of her skin in the dark. Her skin ran goosebumped under his touch, which made Fezco smile against her lips. His kiss was burning Lexi in a good way, bringing her back to life with the adrenaline pumping through both of their veins.
"You saved my fuckin' life, Lexi," Fezco murmured against Lexi's mouth, shaking his head again in disbelief. His chest was burning as she stared at he girl, unable to fathom the type of shit she had done tonight. For him. "Fuckin' fearless, on God."
And then the floor gave out from under Lexi. She yelped out against Fezco's mouth when he felt his arms wrapping around her, picking her up with such ease it felt ridiculous. She wrapped her legs around his waist, desperately to hold on to him as he started moving, walking towards a door at the end of the hall, his other arm holding on to her back. Burning kisses down her throat, on her chest. Fezco stumbled through the door to his bedroom, kicking it shut after himself before dropping Lexi on her own feet, laughing quietly when he saw her stumble as her feet hit the ground again.
In the dark, Lexi could see Fezco pulling his own shirt over his head before getting rid of the distance between them again, his bare chest pressing against hers. His hands cupped her face, pulling her to him. "You sure you wanna do this?"
Lexi nodded, pushing him on to the bed behind him. He plopped down, looking at the girl as she stood in front of him, her cool fingers touching Fez's bare chest, sending shivers down his spine. She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck before sitting astride on his lap, her breath cool on his skin as their bodies pressed together. Fez wrapped his arm around her back, looking up at the girl. His touch burned, but it was a good burn. "I ain't gone do nothin' unless you’re sure, Lexi."
"I'm sure," Lexi whispered, her words dying on his lips.
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Girls like you
THE POOL
JJ Maybank wasn't really sure why the Y/L/N family had hired him to clean out their pool when summer started. They seemed to like him around the hotel when they went for meals but he wasn't exactly qualified, he wasn't complaining though, they tip well and it couldn't be that hard.
His only problem was Y/N.
They never got on well. She was friends with Kie in her kook year, who even went as far as to dub her 'the only kook who doesn't make me want to gauge my eyes out', so she knew the pogues from around although they'd grown apart the girls shared no bad blood and always stopped to catch up when they saw each other around.
He was in the middle of raking the leaves from the large pool when he saw her. She was crossing the garden from the large mansion, clad in a bikini with sunglasses perched on the end of her nose. JJ hates how good she looks, her curves perfectly on display and a confident aura around her.
She's got headphones in, he notices as she saunters closer.
"Hi princess," He smirks, watching as she rolls her eyes
"I'm not your princess. How long are you gonna be?" She questions, settling onto one of the sun loungers next to the pool
"An hour or so," JJ states
"Well, could you do it quietly I'm hungover and I wanna just relax," She states, slipping the second headphone back into her ear before he can reply.
He cleans, unaware of her watching him from behind the glasses as she sips on her bottle of cold water. She would never tell anyone but watching him work, his muscles tensing and untensing under his vest shirt, a light sweat from the hot summer day on his skin, she couldn't help herself from thinking he looked good.
He would definitely admit to John B that he thought she looked fit. Her breasts spilling out of her bikini top a little and the barely there thong bottom's high cut making her legs look excruciatingly long. He'd probably make some crude jokes about hate sex being way more fun. He wouldn't admit though, to finding something very comforting about her presence, and finding the way she hummed along to whatever she was listening too adorable.
It's a further 40 minutes, JJ is trying to work out how to get the pool vaccuum to turn on, when her phone rings loudly.
"Hey Sare," Her voice speaks. JJ figures quickly it's Sarah Cameron, the pair are practically inseparable and the whole island knows it.
He half listens to her side of the conversation, more out of boredom than interest.
"No, babes, I love you and all but I really don't wanna. The last million times I've seen Rafe he's been so weird and creepy and I don't wanna be alone with him,"
JJ doesn't know why the comment angers him so much. Why does he even care if Rafe is clearly trying to pull her? It's none of his business. Yet, he can feel his blood boiling at the thought.
"No Sar, if I go and you have to stay with me then you can't go and be with Topper,"
She's silent for a few minutes before sighing "Fine. Fine, I'll come. See you in a minute. Bring me some shorts, I'm in the garden and can't be arsed to go upstairs and find some. You owe me forever,"
JJ wants to scream. Wants to tell her she shouldn't go if she feels uncomfortable around Kelce. He wishes Kie were here, maybe she could talk her into staying where she felt safe. Maybe she would be able to explain why JJ even gives a shit.
"Maybank," She states, he looks up, trying to act like he hasn't been listening. "I'm going out. You'll be the only one here," She informs
"Okay," He nods.
"My keys are on the kitchen counter, lock up when you're done and I'll just grab them from you at the hotel,"
"All right," He agrees
"When will you be there?" She questions, looking at him like he's an idiot. He groans internally, obviously she needed to know that.
"Tomorrow, 2 until closing,"
'"I'll swing by around 4," She informs. He nods, trying not to stare at her as she lets her hair down from the ponytail it had been in, shaking it out. A car honks outside and she turns, walking up the garden towards the side gates, turning a few metres away,
"Oh, there's an envelope on the kitchen counter with your tip in," She adds
"Thanks. Goodbye princess," He smiles,
"Still not your princess," she shouts back, turning and disappearing round the corner.
THE CAR
JJ felt a lot more in his element when her dad had called him asking if he could fix her car. He hadn't specified it was his eldest daughters, and JJ knew the family owned 7 cards despite only 3 of them even being able to drive.
JJ recognised it though, a white convertible porsche, he'd seen her driving it around before. Wether she was blasting music with the roof down singing with Sarah, picking up a take out from the wreck, driving around in the middle of the night, she'd even given Kie a lift to the Chateau before. He realised that he always seemed to notice her presence.
He was working in the family's garage, the bonnet popped open and grease all over him. It was an easy fix, if a little fiddly.
He jumped out of his skin when the door burst open. He is immediately taken aback by how good she looks. Clad in a tight black skirt that is ridiculously short, heels and a tight black V neck top with a lace trim around the neck. Her hair falls in bouncy curls around her shoulders and her makeup looks perfect. He would have sworn on everything he'd never seen anyone look so beautiful.
"You're a boy," The girl states.
"Good job noticing that one princess," JJ smirks, she rolls her eyes.
"I have a date and Sarah is being so unhelpful, can you help me pick a top?" She questions, he gulps, nodding.
"Okay, so this is option 1,"
"It looks good,"
"Right. But is it sexy? Do you look at me and think I wanna slam her against a wall and rail her?"
His eyes widen a little, that's one way of putting it he decides.
"Look, I'm your families help, I shouldn't be answering that,"
"Like I care Maybank," She groans, exasperated.
"Okay fine, I look at you in that and I think I wanna rip your clothes off,"
"Okay good. Option 2," She starts. JJ is shocked when she pulls her top off in front of him, without even turning around. He turns around, although not without taking a mental picture of her boobs being pushed up in a red lace bra. "Who knew you were a prude?"
"Just respecting you princess," He comments
"You've seen me in a bikini, what's the difference?" She questions, he stays silent having no quick comment to respond with. "I'm dressed," She states
He turns back around, she looks good, a forest green top made of satin.
"The first one is sexy, that one is cute,"
"Thanks JJ, oh, and hey, thanks for fixing my car,"
"Uh. Yeah, anytime,"
THE SUMMER HOUSE
JJ was happy to paint the summer house. He claimed to his friends it was just because they way over paid and tipped big. In reality it was because for three days straight he would get to catch glimpses of her. And he did.
He saw her when she swam in her pool.
He saw her when she played in the garden with her little sister.
He saw her when she cloud gazed with Sarah Cameron.
The best times he got to see her though, were when she would bring him stuff. Every so often she'd knock on the open door to the summer house, sometimes with water, sometimes with snacks, a few times even with a beer. A couple of times she stopped and made small talk, one time she even smeared paint on his cheek and giggled as he chased her through the garden.
He enters the kitchen, used to how the family worked now. An envelope of money waiting on the kitchen counter, they always seemed to be coming and going so it was easier.
He was shocked to see her in the kitchen, she's scrolling on her phone sipping on what looks to be an iced coffee
"Oh, hey JJ," She smiles
"Hey, I'm done," he informs, she nods, watching as he picks up the envelope "So, I'll be seeing you around,"
"Did you want a lift?" She questions, he looks at her slightly confused "I just noticed your bike wasn't here and it's kinda late to be walking back. It's a long walk,"
"You really don't have to princess,"
"Honestly, it's fine," she assures, jumping up and grabbing her keys before heading towards the garage.
She wasn't sure when she stopped hating JJ Maybank, wasn't sure when she started noticing little things like the blue in his eyes and which snapback he was wearing and how tired he looked. She wasn't sure when the sight of his bike in the driveway started giving her butterflies.
"So where is your bike?" She questions, the roof of the car is down and the wind blowing through her hair as she pulls out of the private estate her home is on.
"Didn't have enough fuel to get to yours and back," He shrugs
"Why didn't you just-" She cuts herself off "Shit, I'm so sorry. That was insanely rude, I wasn't even thinking and-" He chuckles, watching as she splutters and blushes
"It's okay. Life is different on the cut I can understand how a kook princess wouldn't get it," He shrugs, she nods, still not sure what to say.
"Y'know my life isn't perfect," She comments, he scoffs, unable to help himself. "I'm not kidding. It's privileged as fuck, I know that, but it's not perfect,"
"Go on then princess, what's so shit?" He doesn't mean for it to sound so harsh, he's genuinely curious
"My parents, they have basically planned my entire life, down to where I'll go to college, what sorority I'll be in, where I'll work my summer internship, who I'll marry, where I'll get married, which big kook house I'll live in, at what age I'll have to give up my career, which has been decided for me by them, to start trying for babies. It's 24 by the way so in 8 years. My whole life is decided and I don't want it. I wanna go on a trip around the world and surf and travel and explore. I wanna fall in love and get my heartbroken again and again until I find the right guy. I wanna live in a New York apartment and I wanna see the world. I don't wanna marry Rafe Cameron just cause our mothers are friends. I mean he's literally scary and harasses me and acts like even though I'm 16 I shouldn't have a choice cause one day he'll father my kids. And no one gets it, none of my friends, not even my best friend. The only person who ever understood why it was so shit was Kie and then she left, she left and lives her life and it's fun and exciting and anything could happen. I don't hate her for it but it fucking sucks that she left me miserable. I'll be miserable living my planned out life and then I'll die. Yeah, I have money and that's fucking great, but my life is far from perfect,"
JJ sits in a stunned silence. He's not really sure what to say. Their problems were very different but hers were just as shitty. He feels like he's seeing her in a whole new light.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I don't tell people that and we barely no each other," She mutters, not wanting to look at him
"Where would you go first?" His question surprised her
"On my fictitious surf trip?" She questions, he nods "Europe, Spain I think,"
They sit in silence the rest of the way, it's not awkward though, both of them feel comforted by each other presence. He gives her instructions to the chateau.
"We are probably gonna drink some beers and smoke. You wanna stay? You could crash here and drive home in the morning," JJ offers
"I can't. My family are having dinner at the hotel. Thanks though," She smiles gently
"Yeah. Uh, I hope it's not too shit. Thanks for the ride princess,"
He climbs out of the car, his friends who sit on the porch immediately calling out to him, they're all laughing and teasing him about his lift home and when he looks back he almost thinks he sees a look of longing in her eyes before she's reversing out of the chateau.
THE BOAT
"Can you fix it?" She questions. JJ Maybank has never seen her look nervous before.
It was only 6:30 AM when she'd started banging on the door to the Chateau, tears in her eyes and panic on her face hoping JJ would be here. John B had pulled the door open, half asleep and groaning a little at the bright sunlight. He'd let her into the small home and disappeared to wake JJ up. John B opted not to put too much thought into the way the minute her name was said JJ leaped out of bed and shoved into the living area, the way his hands cupped her cheeks to see if she was okay, the way he was calling her princess as he tried to calm down her hiccuping tears.
"I can fix it," He confirms. They're standing on the deck of her families boat "It's an easy fix princess, okay? don't even worry," He speaks in a comforting tone
"Thank you JJ,"
"No worries. It'll take me a while, you got anywhere to be?"
"No. Well yes, a breakfast thing with the Cameron's but it's at my house and I can't exactly show up without the boat so,"
"So you're hiding out here all day?" JJ questions
"Well, I don't wanna intrude. I can go and hang out at the beach,"
"Don't talk nonsense, you can hang here. C'mon, I need to be down the bottom with the engine, you can sit and entertain me,"
She watches intently as he works, now that he's not working at her house he hasn't bothered with a shirt, instead just wearing shorts and his infamous red baseball cap. He glances at her occasionally, her makeup streaky from crying and wearing a short white dress.
"So, wanna tell me what happened?" He questions
"Not really," She admits, he nods and she sighs before beginning to explain"Rafe wanted to go boating late and then it all went wrong and then we got the boat to the nearest dock, hence why we are in the middle of nowhere, and he said he was going to call someone to get a lift and it was rainy so I was waiting in here. It had been a while so I went outside to check on him and he was gone. I didn't know what to do. Dad would kill me for breaking the boat, do I just kinda figured I'd walk to yours and hopefully you would no how to fix it. Then I realised I have no clue where you live so I walked to John B's and hoped for the best,"
"He just left you in the middle of nowhere alone?" JJ doesn't know why he's so mad, they were hardly even friends
"Yeah. He texted me to let me know it was cause he's already in shit with his dad and didn't wanna go down for breaking my family's boat," She shrugs, JJ wants to go and find Rafe Cameron and beat his skull in.
"Look, a girl like you deserves someone who would treat them a million times better than that,"
"I always thought you hated me," She admits
"So did I, until this summer I kinda did," He shrugs
"What changed?" She asks, the question is so vulnerable he can't help himself from looking at her
"You aren't what I thought you'd be," He admits, she nods slowly
"How should a girl like me be treated?" She questions
"Like they're the only thing on earth," He's not really sure why he's so openly telling her how he feels but it feels too late now
"Is that how you'd treat me Maybank?"
"Girls like you don't date boys like me," He shrugs, turning quickly back to what he's doing, not wanting her to recognise the disappointment on his face.
THE PARTY
It was no secret her family hosted a big formal party on the 10th of July every year, her parents wedding anniversary. JJ had waited the party the last 2 years and this summer was no different, he'd even managed to get John B and Pope a job too.
His heart had stopped when he saw her, her dress was the exact shade of blue as the sky and flowed beautifully down to her feet, her hair curled with the front pinned back, her makeup beautiful. She looked like an angel approaching him and god why did she have to look so perfect.
"Hey JJ," She smiles, grabbing a glass of champagne from the tray he's holding "Could you do me a favour?"
"Of course," He agrees, expecting some job that needed doing for the party
"If you see Rafe and I'm on my own..." She trails off "I'm trying to avoid him, after the other day,"
It's three hours into the party when JJ grabs her hand, pulling her along behind him and away from Rafe who is clearly trying to catch her alone. He pulls her into a small cupboard slamming the door closed behind him and locking it.
"What was that about?"
"Rafe," He shrugs, he didn't outwardly say he'd been watching her all night to make sure he could look out for her. He also didn't say he would have been watching her all night even if she hadn't asked him too.
"JJ, you know how your coming over next week to fix that one door that you can't open from inside the cupboard?" She question
"Yeah," He states, peering out of the key hole to see if Rafe is still looking for her
"Well, this is the cupboard,"
"Shit!" He shouts, pulling away from the door to face her. "Shit, it's your parents wedding anniversary and I got you locked in the cupboard,"
"It's alright," She shrugs "They hate each other most the time anyway,"
"Call someone to let you out,"
"Where on this dress did you think there was pockets, you call someone,"
"My phone is in the twinkie,"
"The what?"
"John B's car," JJ sighs. "Fuck princess, I'm so sorry," He groans
"It's fine. Sarah will come looking for me eventually," She shrugs. He nods, watching as she sits down on the ground, patting the space next to her.
He obliges, sitting next to her, knees touching in the tight space.
"You look nice tonight, I like the shirt and tie," She compliments, he can feel himself blush and is glad the cupboard is dark enough she probably can't see it.
"Y'know what you said on the boat the other day?" She questions, he immediately knows what she's referring too "About how girls like me don't date boys like you,"
"Yeah," He confirms
"Why is that?" She questions quietly
"I couldn't make you happy princess. Your parents would hate me. I couldn't take you on the fancy dates you're used to. You wouldn't be happy,"
"My parents love you, they think you're resourceful and hard working. I hate the stuffy dates figure 8 boys take me on," She informs, he laughs a little at that. "Besides, you already make me happy. I'm just saying Maybank, if you don't wanna date me just say it, don't try and put it on me,"
JJ isn't really sure how to react. How to explain he desperately wanted to date her, wanted her to be his girl and wanted to shower her in love and adoration. He isn't sure how to tell her that by inadvertently telling him she wanted to date him she had made him the happiest man on earth. He's not really great with words and it all feels too hard to say.
So, instead, he turns slightly, taking her face in his hands and pulling her to him, his lips crashing against hers and somehow she knows everything he wanted to say.
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white wolf: “the show must go on”
first part — second part
third part — fourth part (soon)
© gif credits to the author, i found it on google. if you're the author lemme know your @.
bucky barnes x reader. ⎢ masterlist.
Sam helps Bucky to ask you out for a date and it’s a disaster, but he gets it.
word count: 1'9k.
warnings/tags: none. bucky being so innocent gives me life. + he being so damn cute as always.
author notes: none of my stories contain reader’s body descriptions to be inclusive.
Join the tag list here.
“Have plans with your girl tonight?”
Bucky clicked his tongue, putting down the weight to the holder, not turning to Sam still doing squats and an awkward noise out of breath. His partner couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and giggle while shaking his head, fast enough to steal the soldier's clean towel before he reached it.
“She's not my girl”.
“Not yet, you mean, uh?” He joked then, using the clothing like a whip to hit the metal arm. “But, you have plans or not?”
“Yeah, we have plans”. Bucky admitted eventually, glancing at Sam also stealing his bottle of water. “She invited me to watch a movie”.
It was the innocent and unworried tone of voice from him that made Sam choke, cough, and laugh at once.
“What?”
“Oh, man… Can't believe you're sinful enough to do what we do but too innocent to not see what that means”.
“It means we're gonna watch a movie”.
Bucky was confused at the laughter, trying to understand what he was referring to as he rested his back against the wall and crossed both arms over his chest. Expecting anything else from his wise friend.
“This is the twenty-first century, you ancient. We don't watch movies”.
“What d— What do you mean? You have Netflix, HBO, Prime Video… What's the point?”
Sam was deadpanned, staring in silence at the soldier, not believing what his ears were hearing. “We, guys, don't watch movies with girls, even less when they are the ones inviting us”.
Bucky squinted at him, tilting his head like a lost poppy would do, not being able to read between lines. His partner gasped exasperated, running a hand up and down his face.
“You know, man? Sometimes I feel alone, not having anyone to laugh with about that forties' manners of yours. Should I call Sarah, maybe?”
“Cut the show”. He hissed standing up and passing him away.
“Oh, no, no, no… the show has just started, man, and I have my popcorn ready”.
Bucky had been beating around the bush the whole day, trying to let it out of his mind. Of course, it was something that would happen sooner or later, and —more than of course— he wanted it to happen. The mere fact of thinking about you and him, flesh against flesh, hearing you moaning his name and making you feel good caused him goosebumps and an awkward sensation beneath his black jeans. Suddenly, swallowing saliva turned impossible, biting his lower lip while ringing the intercom of your apartment. Your response didn't last more than a couple of seconds, opening the door downstairs and waiting for him at the entrance of your apartment.
The butterflies fluttered within your bellies when Bucky stepped out of the lift, showing you that charming smile that could make you kill anyone who dared to erase it from his face.
“Trying to get me drunk?” You joked as he raised the bottle of red wine in his left hand.
“Maybe?”
“Missed you today”. You whispered at the soft kiss on your lips and his arm getting wrapped around your lower waist.
“So did I”. He sighed, sounding a little tired, caressing your nose with his.
Yesterday he talked to you about a routine medical check-up the government used to do every six months until he earned his pardon. Four hours of intense exercise to make sure the supersoldier serum was still doing its effect, as he started to feel somewhat tired since he stayed in Wakanda. For Bucky, it was really easy to open up himself with you and talk about his past and some of the things he did. And he didn't complain when you helped him to take off his leather jacket, watching him rubbing his left shoulder.
“I, uh… also was this morning with Sam. Training”. He told you, following you to your kitchen to find a couple of glasses. Turning at him, you couldn't help but raise an incredulous eyebrow. “Don't look at me like that… I know to perfection what you're thinking”.
“You're a telepath now?”
“God, no. I have enough with the voices inside my head, to hear someone's else”. He chuckled resting against the fridge. “But you're very expressive and I was trained to read body language”.
“So, what am' thinking?” You asked driven by curiosity, entertained on opening the bottle of wine.
“Look at this guy… He looks hotter than a barbecue”.
You broke into a loud laugh, shaking your head as you grabbed the drink and the glasses. “Not even close, Sergeant”.
“Liar”. He blurted into your face, passing him away to the living room where the Thai takeaway was waiting for the two of you.
“I'm not lying! You're a lousy body reader”.
“So… you can do it better, uh?”
“Didn't say so, but… yeah”. You replied, placing the wine and the glasses on the coffee table next to the big green sofa.
“Okay, go ahead. What am 'thinking, genius?”
Standing in front of him, some inches away, you squinted at his eyes in advance of touring his posture from top to bottom with your orbs.
“Look at that girl… she's hotter than a volcano”.
“Not even closer, soldier”. Bucky repeated your words, kissing his teeth and causing you to laugh again.
“Liar”.
The night went on, enjoying your dinner and watching the first part of Scary Movie. Since Bucky told you that he loved the horror genre, you thought that it'd be a good start. As you finished the Thai dishes, you two cuddled on your sofa, and it felt nice to be embraced by his muscly arms and had your head rested on his shoulder. He had never been that happier before, imagining for a moment —staring at you by the corner of his eyes— that he wasn't a retired lethal assassin controlled by a bunch of psychos, just a guy watching a movie with his girl.
For some reason that increased his pulse, having to clear his throat as the thought dried it. You couldn't let it go, wrinkling your nose with curiosity, raising your face slightly at Bucky trying to focus on the movie, and pretending everything was going okay.
“What?” He murmured about to laugh nervously, putting his head back a couple of inches to look better at you.
“Seems like you're gonna have a heart attack, what's the matter?”
The soldier breathed heavily through his nostril, expelling all the air in a sight through his parted lips. A lower giggle escaped them as your eyes widened a little more interested in his response to your question.
“Sam… Sam said something this morning”.
There it was. Your grimace turned skeptical, sitting up to borrow the control remote and pause the movie. Turning to face him and placing an arm on the headrest, you puckered your lips in a funny gesture watching him click his tongue.
“Things are different nowadays and… y'know, we used to watch movies”.
“And that's what we're doing”.
“Yeah, but… it's like… now there are some kinds of non-speak social rules”.
You knew exactly what he was referring to and seeing him somewhat troubled and tense just made your heart melt. It wasn't that he was scared, but it almost felt like.
“Is it your first time since the forties?” You dared to ask, clearly with no intentions of making fun of him.
“I've never really… y'know, I was in my twenties when I left Brooklyn. I me— mean, 'm not stupid, okay? I've done things but not… sex like… to the whole point”. Bucky didn't have his eyes on you when he made that confession, rubbing the bridge of his nose by inertia as his nervousness increased. “And now everything… is pretty different”.
“It doesn't have to”. You just replied, stretching a hand to his right one to intertwine your fingers. “Listen, Buck… We don't have to, okay? We don't have to do anything if you're not ready. We can watch the movie and then… you can go, or you can stay to sleep with me”.
“I'd like that”.
“Leave?”
“Yeah, totally, if you excuse me, ma'am… I gotta leave” He clearly joked, about to stand up until you pushed him down to the sofa bursting in laughter. “Nah, I, uh… I mean, I'd like to sleep with you tonight”.
“I'd like too, and to wake up tomorrow morning with you”.
“Yeah, would be very awkward if you go to sleep with me and wake up with another guy in your bed”.
Bucky smirked at you, biting his upper lip before leaning to press both on yours. He couldn't believe you were being so comprehensive with him, not making any other uncomfortable questions, nor kicking his ass out of your house. At that moment, he realized he was madly in love with you, bringing you closer to himself so he could embrace you tenderly between his arms. And you let him, not wanting anything else than to be with him.
At the moment the movie finished, you both stretched your hands to the ceiling with a yawn opening your mouths. You palmed his thigh to beckoning at him, urging the soldier to follow you as you rubbed your eyes using your knuckles, a little sleepy. Turning off the lights on your way to your room, you changed your clothes for a baggy Iron Maiden's t-shirt, as he stripped himself leaving his clothes on the chair in front of your bed, only wearing a pair of black boxers at the end.
You were about to ask him which side he preferred when the words died on your tongue, glancing at him with his flesh hand over his dark grey shoulder. It was the first time you saw the vibranium arm in all its glory and Bucky gave you the impression of being embarrassed. He'd never stop surprising you with plenty of emotions for things that for you didn't have any importance actually —like the fact of not having two real arms.
“Come here”. You murmured, kneeling on the mattress and palming the other lateral, observing every one of his actions till lying next to him, in the middle of the gloom of your room.
Covering both of you with the sheets and turning on your sides to face each other, Bucky took the initiative of wrapping you close to his chest, as he placed his head on your pillow. He couldn't help but take a soft breath from your heavenly smell impregnated in, provoking a smile to grow on your lips. Surrounding his neck with your arms, you sunk your fingers in his short hair, gently caressing his scalp while you started to spread tender short kisses all around his face.
“This feels good”. He purred with such a pleased tone of voice, closing his eyes as he adventured his warm hand under your shirt to draw invisible patterns on your back.
“So good”. You affirmed, peppering his cheek with a bunch of noisy smooches.
Bucky squeezed you between his grip, hiding his face into the gap of your shoulder and neck, causing you goosebumps because of his exhalation against your skin. He was comfortable being that close, with no distance separating your chests and your legs intertwined in a bundle. You saw how relaxed he was when he pulled his head back to the pillow, noses touching and his eyelids closed.
“Good night, Buck”. You whispered, still feeling his caresses on your back, leaning to kiss him one last time.
“Good night, doll”.
a / n: i hope you have enjoyed the fluffiness of these three chapters because the fourth is gonna be... chaotic.
feedback is appreciated, please, leave a comment to let me know if you liked it.
and support writers with a REBLOG!!! 🤍
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could u ever do a smutty one where h and y/n had a fling in the best or are just each others occasional hook ups but when h has a date y/n gets like really upset and he finds out so he makes it up to her and confesses his feelings saying stuff like „y're my best girl, y'know that petal?“🥺👉🏻👈🏻 love ur writing beyond words, have an amazing day :))))
Date Night
warnings: unprotected sex
word count: 1.6k
to whoever sent in this ask im so so so sorry it literally took me like two months to answer it i feel so bad but i like how it turned out so i hope this makes up for it!
You shouldn’t be crying. You really shouldn’t. Yet tears are spilling down your face as you break down in choppy sobs, your chest heaving and your cheeks hot.
You have no right to be jealous, and you know that. You and Harry are only friends with benefits, and nothing else. He is allowed to be on a date right now, and it’s not his fault that you’ve managed to fall in love with him throughout the course of your relationship. You met through a mutual friend, began hanging out and then later started hooking up. And while he sees you as his best friend who he just happens to fuck sometimes, you see him as so much more. And you wish that maybe it could be different between you. That maybe he does reciprocate your feelings and if you just told him how you feel he’d tell you he feels the same way.
But as far as you know, there is no chance of that happening. Especially considering the fact that he’s currently at a restaurant with some hot blonde girl he met last week.
Your thoughts are put to a halt when your phone rings, and you pick it up to see none other than Harry himself calling. And as much as you want to decline the call, Harry would never decline yours no matter what, so with a hefty sigh you bring the phone to your ear.
“Hi”
“Hey petal, the date was a bust, all she wanted t’talk about was m’money.” Harry laughs weakly over the phone, and you smile at the news that it didn’t work out. You shouldn’t be happy about it, and it does make you feel guilty because Harry deserves happiness. You just wish he could find that happiness with you.
Lost in your own train of thought, you forget that you’re supposed to be suppressing your tears. Another salty droplet rolls down your cheek and your sniffle.
Suddenly, Harry begins talking again, and that’s when you realize your mistake. “Petal? Y’okay? Sounds like y’crying.” His voice immediately switches from joking to sympathetic and worried, and you can imagine how he looks right now, creased forehead and wide eyes.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” You wipe the tear off your cheek with the sleeve of your hoodie, clearing your throat to try and hide the sound of your throat that's sore from crying.
“No y’not y/n, I know what y’crying sounds like. M’already going in the direction of y’house so m’coming over and staying till’ y’tell me what's wrong.”
The tone of his voice tells you there’s no changing his mind, so you sigh and murmur an “okay” before hanging up the phone.
It took about five minutes for Harry to knock on the door. During that time, you went into your bathroom and attempted to hide the red, puffy skin that had overtaken your cheeks. It didn’t really work, and you were still trying to hide it when you heard him knock. So with a disappointed sigh, you slump over to the door and open it.
Harry steps in quickly, placing his coat on a hanger and then turning back to you.
“What’s wrong pet, hmm?” He places his ringed hand on your cheek, thumb running over the skin that's been reddened from your tears.
And despite the years you’ve spent hiding your feelings, despite the hours you’ve had to listen to Harry retell stories about his hookups, despite the yearning you’ve felt for your best friend since you met him, this was your breaking point. Tear after tear after tear. They flow uncontrollably down your face and all you can manage to do is look up at Harry. He pulls you into him, placing one hand behind your head and one around your waist.
And you just cry into Harry’s shoulder.
You don’t know how long you’ve been standing there, but Harry eventually brings you couch, and as soon as he sits you both down you curl up into his warm chest.
“Y’gonna tell me what’s wrong? Y’don’t ‘ave to, just hate seeing yeh cry.”
Finally, you pick up your head from where it’s tucked into his torso.
It might be the daze you’re in from the emotions swirling through your head. It might be the glass of wine you downed earlier to help drown out the feeling of jealousy. It might be all the pent up frustration from years of pining for someone you could never have. Or it might have been none of those things. Whatever it was, there was something inside of you that snapped. Like a damn collapsing and letting the water topple over and flood everything. The barrier you spent so long building broke in two, allowing all of those emotions to spill out.
“I love you Harry.” His eyes snapped open, and his mouth moved to speak, but you cut him off. “And not just as a friend. I’ve always loved you, and I know that if you don’t feel the same way, things will be awkward, but I don’t care anymore. Seeing you excited to go out with another girl hurt, because all I’ve wanted for so long was for that girl to be me.”
He stares at you. There was a second where you debated getting up and running out of the house, afraid of what his response would be. But just before you could put that plan into action, his lips collided with yours.
Your mouth meld perfectly, soft lips biting and nipping at each other. His tongue slips past your parted lips and twirls around your own. You’re breathless by the time he disconnects, the feeling that you had been longing for sent your mind spinning.
“Y’don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear that,” he pants, green irises staring deeply into yours. Without another word, you lean in and kiss him again, this time with more vigor than before. Much to your dismay, he separates the two of you again, however he keeps his arms tangled around your body and holds you close.
“Y're my best girl, y'know that petal? None of those silly girls could ever replace you.”
As your lips touch for the third time, it’s clear that both of you have been waiting for this moment for a long time. You savor the feeling, taking short moments to pause and soak in the feeling of his lips on yours.
Slowly, his hand creeps down the small of your back, but you can tell he’s hesitant to move it down further. But you want this, so you remove the hand that’s stroking his hair and place it on his, moving his hand down to your ass manually. He pulls his lips away, looking into your eyes for a sign of confirmation. You realize what he’s looking for, so you nod vigorously in response.
Quickly, he lifts himself off the couch, placing you on your back and positioning himself on top of you.
“H- please, I want you to make love to me,” you whine. His expression fills with hunger and he reaches to unbutton his jeans, shimmying them off quickly and tossing them to the ground. You can see the bulge pressed up against his boxers, and you reach out to palm him through the thin material.
“Fuck petal, y’gonna be the death o’me, y’know that?”
Harry dives into kiss you, using one of his hands to pull down your soft pajama shorts along with your panties. “Harry-”
“I gotchu petal, I gotchu, don’t worry.”
You assist him in pulling off his boxers, his large erection springing out. He’s huge, but you can’t say you didn’t expect it. The precome on his tip is calling for you to lick it, but you just want him to be inside of you, so you make a mental note to do that sometime soon. He grips the base of his cock, lining it up with your entrance. “M’gonna go slow alright?”
You hum your approval, and he responds by pushing the head inside your tight, soaking hole. Even with just an inch inside, you know it’s going to be a stretch, so you take a deep breath and hold onto his shoulders.
Inch by inch, he pushes himself inside of you. Harry stills for a minute, sensing the discomfort in your demeanor. Luckily, it doesn’t take long for the pain to subside and the pleasure to kick in, and soon enough you are moaning out for him to move.
He takes your instructions swiftly, pulling almost all the way out of you until quickly thrusting himself fully back in. “Fuck!”
Your cries are muffled when he leans down to kiss you, his hips continuing to rock as he pushes his length into you.
The air is hot, filled with moans and the smell of sex. You haven’t ever felt this good in your life, especially when he thrusts in extra deep and hits that special spot inside of you. “Harry- god,”
“Sweet girl, am I makin’ yeh feel good?”
“Mhm..”
“Tell me petal, who makes y’feel like this?”
“Harry! Only Harry,”
“Good girl.”
He slams into you, speeding up his thrusts and colliding his hips with yours. Both of you are groaning messes, caught up in the moment and unable to form any coherent sentences. You feel his cock twitch inside of you, and you know you’re close too by the way your stomach and pussy are clenching. He can feel it too, hitting deeper inside of you to bring you to your climax.
“God Y/N, I love you so fuckin much.”
That was all it took for your orgasm to come crashing down, coursing through your body with strength and fervor. The feeling of you squeezing as you came sent Harry over the edge, his milky cum shooting into your pussy and covering the soft walls.
You don’t know if this means you’re dating or not, or where his head is at. All you know is that you love him, and he loves you. And that’s enough for you.
#harry styles smut#harry styles#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles blurb#harry styles fic#one direction#harry styles fic rec#harry styles writing#harry styles imagine#harry styles blog#harry styles story#harry styles one shot
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