#anyway! i know i kind of threw you a curveball so i apologize if this isn't what you had in mind skdksjd | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spicycreativity · 3 years

Note

Fantasy au moceit fluff, for the ask thing. <3<3

Thank you for the request! And sorry it took so long to fill 😅

I went with a Mushishi fusion. The simplest explanation of Mushishi is that mushi are creatures somewhat analogous to fae/faeries and tend to cause chaos when they interact with humans. So it's Japanese fantasy, but it's still fantasy!

I could go on a whole rant about how Mushishi is such a great reflection of Japanese cultural Shintoism and how Janus as a character rejects that and Patton embraces it, which is a fun juxtaposition because Janus is the mushi-shi in this story, but I won't 😇

Anyway! It's a little under 2k, CW for very mild body/eye horror (Patton temporarily gets afflicted with frog traits that affect his skin and eyes)

The steep mountain path was neither well-worn nor clearly-marked, the ground a uniform carpet of deep green pine needles dotted here and there with pinecones. Still, it was a path Janus could tread with his remaining eye closed. A few wooden signs still stood, though they were mostly grown over with moss. Janus let them be. Very few visitors came to this tiny mountain village, at least by this particular path. He was more interested in the chorus of frog croaks that grew ever louder the closer he got to the village. He thought, though it was hard to be certain, wispy and ephemeral as they were, that the mushi were increasing in density, too. This place had always been a hotbed for mushi, even without Janus' presence to draw them near. It was unusual, he reflected, to hear this many frogs this high in the mountains. The croaks were now a maddening constant, enough to make him wish that he only had one working ear, instead of one eye.

He guarded that wish carefully, in case any mushi with the power to make it come true were nearby.

He made it into the village unscathed, pausing when he realized that the croaking had stopped. For the most part. He looked around, rubbing his face against the sharp, familiar bite of the mountain wind, cooled further still by the nearby presence of a lake. Now, only one plaintive croak reached his ears. He tried not to let his heart sink, tried not to jump to conclusions, though he set off for the house where his sweetheart waited for him with an uncharacteristic urgency in his movements.

The life of a mushi-shi did not foster close relationships, and Janus had long since closed off his heart to new connections. Growing close was a one-way journey to becoming hurt, as he could never stay anywhere for long. Yet somehow, on a trip to a lonely mountain village, Patton had slipped through his defenses. They couldn’t be together, not the way they wanted, but they had promised themselves to each other. It was an easy thing for Janus to promise not to love another. The challenge had been in entrusting Patton with his heart. But he had gotten there in the end. In the absence of a proper wedding ceremony, they had simply taken a scrap of the other’s clothing as a token.

Janus didn’t bother to knock on the door when he arrived. Patton’s door was always unlocked, unbarricaded. To Janus’ dismay, the croaking did not stop upon his arrival inside, and several mushi danced in the corners where the walls met the ceiling. “Patton, love?”

“Don’t come closer!” Patton’s voice was high, tight with panic. “Just wait a second,” he added in a pleading tone. “I’m glad you’re back, but--”

“Having trouble with mushi?” Janus guessed. The singular frog croaks had stopped when Patton spoke. “Please, do keep worrying about how I’m going to react.” he tugged on the scrap of cloth tied to the straps of his woven backpack. It was old and tattered now, no longer smelled like Patton or bore the pattern it had before.

“It’s just…” Croak.

Janus considered. Whatever mushi had latched onto Patton, it was probably affecting his appearance, hence the hesitancy. “Come on, love, let me see. I’ll have you cured in no time.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Besides, it’s not like I’m a paragon of good looks, either. Maybe we’ll match for a bit.” This was only partially true in Janus’ mind. His own looks were inoffensive, but strangers tended to shy away from him, frightened by the piercing gold and slitted pupil of his remaining eye.

It was silent for a moment. Then came the shuffle-scrape of bare feet on wooden floors. Patton appeared at the end of the hall with his head angled downward. Even still, Janus could see the patches of mottled brown skin on his hands and cheeks. Frog skin. “We do match a little,” Patton said, forcing humor into his voice. He came closer and lifted his head to reveal that one of his eyes was now golden, with a horizontal pupil.

“Oh,” said Janus, careful not to tease. “That’s not so bad.” He cupped Patton’s face, gently running his thumb over a slightly damp patch of frog skin. “You’re still beautiful, love.”

“But you can cure it?” Patton asked.

“Of course.” Janus smiled a little. He hoped it was reassuring. “You’ve been poisoned by a kaeru mushi.”

“Poisoned?” Patton yelped, and a little nervous croak escaped his throat.

Janus patted his cheek. “If only you knew a deeply intelligent, highly skilled mush-shi who could take care of that for you.”

“If only,” Patton repeated, widening his eyes at Janus. The effect was somewhat dampened by his frog eye, but only somewhat. It was still enough to send a wave of fondness through Janus’ chest.

"Come on," Janus said, taking Patton by the hand. He led Patton to the kitchen and set his backpack on the ground with a light thump. The tight weave was strong, but it was beginning to get creaky with age, and Janus made a mental note to see about getting a replacement. "You can take it as a tea, although the flavor is more savory, like a soup." He opened up his backpack and began to dig through it. The paper-wrapped vials rustled and clicked beneath his fingers, and a few specimens brought back memories of his recent trip. "Here we go." He held up the vial and showed it to Patton. "It does take a while to brew. I hope you don't mind being stuck like that for a bit."

Patton extended a hand to help Janus up and pulled him into an embrace, mindful of the glass in Janus' hand. "I already feel better now that you're here."

"You know me," Janus said, nuzzling Patton's forehead. "I live to serve."

It was meant to be sarcasm, though Patton refused to take it as such. "You're so selfless," he said into Janus' chest.

"Patton, love, you are the first and only person to ever accuse me of that." It was true. Janus' bedside manner was objectively abhorrent, his patience for stupidity and stubbornness nonexistent. Most villages regarded him as a necessary evil, rather than a presence to be celebrated. He pulled away before Patton could get it into his head that Janus needed comforting. "Let's get going on the antidote, shall we?"

Patton nodded. "There's a patch of snow out back," he said. "I've been fishing, trying to make the most of it."

"Fish soup?" Janus asked, putting the pieces together.

Patton nodded. "You'll have some, won't you?" He made a point of looking Janus up and down, and even the golden frog eye did not diminish his look of somewhat paternal concern. "You work too hard."

"Again, Patton," Janus said, turning to examine the cooking pot, "you are the only person who's ever said that about me."

"I think I would know," Patton said definitively, taking Janus by the hand to lead him outside.

They held each other while they waited for the cure to steep properly, Janus wrapping his arms around Patton and holding him close. He rested his chin on Patton's shoulder and watched the mushi dance around them. He found it hard to regard them as anything other than vermin, little nuisances who made his life worse. The world was cruel and arbitrary and mushi were no more than a reflection of that, but he couldn't help but resent the situation at hand. Patton didn't deserve this.

As though reading his thoughts, Patton nuzzled Janus' cheek. "Are they here now?"

"The mushi?"

"Mm-hm."

"Yes." Janus pointed even though he knew Patton couldn't see them.

"Describe them to me?" A principle difference between the two of them: Patton treasured every living thing. He never resented the bears that sometimes stole his fish, he never resented the deer when they ate the flowers he'd worked so hard to cultivate. He cherished them. He cherished mushi, too. Even now, when the poison coursing through his body was turning him into one (though Janus had decided not to tell Patton that, thinking that there was no sense worrying him when the cure was at hand).

"They're moving around a lot," Janus said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Though he harbored no love for mushi, he loved Patton dearly. "There's one that looks like a little octopus." Patton was not very well traveled, though he had gone to the ocean once. "And a few that look like worms. They're all glowing."

"They sound so pretty," Patton said, covering Janus' hands with his own.

"I'll bring you back some candles next time I go out," Janus promised, the idea occurring to him in one lightning strike. "And some lanterns made of colored paper. You can string them up outside."

"Oh!" Patton spun around to pull Janus into a proper hug, and Janus was careful not to stare at the frog skin now slowly-advancing down his neck. "That would be lovely."

"Lanterns are better than mushi, anyway," Janus said, his resolve finally cracking a little, "because they're actually useful."

Patton only smiled and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Janus' face.

It was around evening when Janus deemed the cure properly steeped. Patton made him sit down so they could eat together, smiling all the while, and Janus found any protest he might have melting away in the face of Patton's innocent kindness. It wasn't like the cure could hurt him, after all.

It took effect when they were washing the dishes with water Patton had carried in from a nearby stream. He stopped what he was doing and touched his face, already turning to Janus for confirmation.

Janus nodded, privately satisfied to see both of Patton's eyes back to their rich, deep brown. "Back to normal."

"Thank you, love." Abandoning the dishes, Patton pulled Janus in for a hug. His hands were wet, but Janus couldn't couldn't bring himself to mind the icy droplets that crawled down his neck.

Janus, who was incurably given to teasing, finally let himself off the leash. "Oh, don't thank me; it was for my own benefit. People would laugh if they found out I was in love with a frog-man."

"Oh, you don't mean that," Patton said. He had known Janus far too long, long enough that Janus no longer had to beat back the urge to flee like a startled animal in the face of such intimate knowing.

"You're right," he said, and he meant it.

#i had to do so much research on the Edo Period idk why i did this to myself #moceit #sanders sides #spicywrites #spicyanswer #anyway! i know i kind of threw you a curveball so i apologize if this isn't what you had in mind skdksjd #also the boys are married QPPs in this one #just to change it up a little

23 notes · View notes

clandestinemeetingsinthetrees · 3 years

Text

You Looked Lonely

Summary: Zuko's up late, frustrated that the gang didn't tell him they were planning to fight the Firelord after the comet. Katara finds him in the kitchen and tries to reassure him. "I didn’t want to leave you out here alone, you looked lonely.” Written for @zkdrabbledecember day 6

Can also be read on AO3

Katara had always been a worrier, that’s just what happens when you learn to the true realities of death at such a young age, you become paranoid you’ll lose everyone else you love, but now the worrying had become all consuming. The Firelord was going to wipe out the entire Earth Kingdom in just three days’ time, and they were no where near prepared.

She couldn’t sleep. Why hadn’t they just told Zuko about the plan to fight the Firelord after the comet? At the time it made sense, Aang knew he would get mad and want to act sooner and she knew how poorly Aang reacted under stress. All they wanted to do was give him some more time. How could anyone have predicted this?

She gave up on sleep for the night, they needed to pack anyways. No harm in getting a head start. They’d been at Ember Island for weeks now and with that comes the accumulation of stuff. She much preferred staying in one place than the constant traveling they’ve endured for most of the past year, and this house would be especially hard to leave. It was probably the safest place they’d found yet. They hadn’t even been attacked once. Leaving here meant giving up safety and entering a battle she wasn’t quite sure they could win…

But she couldn’t think about that now, she had to keep it together, for Aang.

She pulled herself out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Stocking up on food and water was important, once they left Ember Island, it was imperative that no one saw them coming and that meant no more trips to the market. When she got there though, she didn’t expect to see Zuko, sulking at the table with a cup of tea.

“What are you doing up?” she asked.

He sharply looked up and almost spilled his tea.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she continued. “I thought no one else would be up, figured I’d get a head start on packing up the kitchen.”

“No, it’s fine, I’ll get out of your way.” He got up to leave but she grabbed his arm.

“Wait, I could lose some help, if you want.” He just looked so lonely. She didn’t want to leave him.

“Okay.” He looked sullen. Something was obvious up with him. For one, he never stayed up this late. He was always in bed right after dinner. Also, he hadn’t been this short with her in a long time. Just when she felt like she was starting to understand him, he hits her with another curveball.

They started packing pots and rice rations in complete silence, it was a bit unnerving.

She couldn’t take it anymore. “Zuko, are you mad at me or something?”

He didn’t speak, he just kept sorting their supplies not even looking at her.

“Oh okay, so you’re really not going to talk to me.”

He dropped the bag of rice he was holding and turned sharply towards her. She could see the fire flare in his eyes. “I’m sorry if I’m a little ticked off that everyone changed the plans, and no one bothered to tell me! Especially when those plans will determine the fate of the world!”

Oh… so he was mad about that.

She knew she should say something. It wasn’t fair of them to exclude Zuko and especially wrong of them to not even tell him after. He had seemed so fine that whole day though. Maybe a bit mad at first, but she thought he had gotten over it quickly.

“I’m sorry, that was harsh.” His words brought her back from her thoughts. “I know it doesn’t matter now, but I just wanted to sit here and be mad for a bit. I didn’t ask you spend time with me.”

“Well, if you wanted to be alone you could’ve just said something,” she shot back, a bit colder than she had intended to. “I can pack by myself.” Just what I get for trying to be kind.

He mumbled something back as he walked away.

“What did you say?”

He turned back, “I just felt bad. I didn’t want to seem mad cause it was kind of my fault for not telling you about the Fatherlord’s plan. And then I wanted to be mad, but you seemed so upset, and then Aang yelled at you and ran off and, well, I didn’t want to leave you out here alone, you looked lonely.”

She smiled, “I could say the same thing about you.”

He sat back down at the table. “I just, I don’t understand why you guys didn’t tell me. I thought I was finally becoming a member of the group. I haven’t really had many friends in the past, so this is new to me. At first, I tried to just tell myself that maybe you guys have been planning this for a while, maybe since the invasion, but Suki knew! Suki’s been here less time than me!”

“I’m sorry Zuko. It wasn’t my idea to not tell you if it makes you feel any better.”

“Thanks, it doesn’t” It was a rude thing to say, but at least it was honest.

“We—well, Aang—was just worried how you’d react and after the play he was naturally, concerned. It was late, you were asleep already and he told me he didn’t feel ready and then Sokka agreed. With firebending being so powerful during the comet, we thought it’d be smarter to attack at a time when Aang would be able to rely on his other elements more. It wasn’t pers—”

“So, do you guys regularly all get together once I’m asleep and insult my teaching methods?”

“Zuko,” she put her hand on his shoulder and he leaned into her. He felt so tense. “You’re an amazing teacher. Aang’s improvement over the last month has been incredible. I think he’s progressed almost as fast as he did with waterbending. It’s not your fault that he’s not prepared, you just haven’t had enough time.”

“Thanks,” he shrugged her off, “that makes me feel like slightly less of a failure.”

“I mean it.”

“My whole life, I’ve never been enough. I’m used to it. I was just hoping I could do right by Aang.”

“You have. We weren’t trying to exclude you. Aang was supposed to tell you. Zuko, you’re a part of this group now, whether you like it or not. I promise from now on I’ll personally make sure you’re up to date on all group decisions.”

He smiled. “Wait, I don’t know if I want that. You’ll start telling me too much, next thing I know I’ll be getting updates on all of Aang’s nightmares and Sokka’s bathroom breaks.”

“Oh stop,” she laughed, shoving him playfully. “I am not that nosy!”

“Oh yes you are!” He shoved her back. Katara, way too stubborn to let him win and much too tired to worry about impropriety, tackled him to the floor. Now it was a battle, and she was desperate to win. He pushed her off of him, but she was surprisingly strong for her size. She pushed him back against the table and he threw his arms up to catch himself, spilling an open bag of rice everywhere.

Here they were. Two sleep deprived teenagers preparing to face the biggest fight of there lives, tangled together on the kitchen floor covered in rice and laughing. It felt both like the most normal thing they’ve ever done and also the craziest.

Katara let herself take in the feeling, his breath on her neck the closeness of their bodies. If she had been a little less tired, she might have questioned why just being this close to him felt so exhilarating. But she wasn’t. So, she untangled herself from him and got to her feet with blissful ignorance.

“Sorry about the rice,” he said, “I’ll clean it up.”

“No, it was my fault. I got a little carried away.” She helped him off the floor.

“I think we both did. You should probably get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. I can clean up the rice.”

As much as she wanted to protest, she could feel sleep calling to her.

“Okay, good night Zuko.”

“Good night Katara. See you in the morning.”

She walked back upstairs, and she almost considered checking in on Aang. The last time they had talked, he had gotten so upset. She wanted to apologize.

But it was late, and she was tired, and he was probably asleep anyways. So, she passed his room.

Later, as she rode into the setting sun to face Azula, unsure if Aang would even return, she’d regret it.

#I love seeing them just be kids for a bit in this #also idk how they ended up play fighting #you can thank my 3AM thoughts for that #zutara #zutara fic #zutara fanfic #zuko #katara #zkdrabbledecember2020 #zkdd2020 day 6

18 notes · View notes

the1idontshowppleatwork · 5 years

Text

I literally pick the best moments to write :D Okay, this is ‘part 2′ of timeline break for Said and Done (Jack’s family is a wee bit more overbearing on the subject of his mental health so he finishes his MSN and misses out on SEP). Also, a test run for Jack’s POV which is not featured in Said and Done itself outside of one or two brief instances. (Would be nice if someone would drop a comment about wanting to read more of Jack’s POV or not). Part 1 with Gabriel’s POV below.

For Jack Morrison, on the other hand, the whole day (nearing his twenty-sixth hour since the last time he managed to sneak an hour-long nap in transit) was going to hell in a handbasket. In his own humble opinion, the command and the military intelligence (an oxymoron, as he heard it referred to colloquially quite often) have collectively shat their own bed but who was he to judge? The whole situation was fubar. Fucktangular. Fucktastic without the 'tastic' part. Evacuating the force this size under active enemy fire was an impossible feat. Well, at least until Strike Force arrived to try and slow the growing tide of Omnics which gave them time and opportunity to get to more of the wounded that otherwise would have been left behind as 'acceptable losses'.

And it seemed that it had worked - for some time - until one of them managed to blow himself up on a mine, or something. Figures.

Jack sent the last stretcher back and hunkered down next to them. The woman was already putting down the biotic field when he shouted over the noise.

"Have you checked for shrapnel and bullets?"

"We don't have time!"

"There's time on evac!"

And that's how Jack ended with his nose broken while almost up to his elbow in someone's intestines because the motherfucker just woke up and swung. Really, he should get a medal for not ripping anything more than it already was, and another one for extracting the metal junk when almost choking on the blood that went down his throat. Maybe, even a third medal was deserved for finishing the sutures.

"Okay, you can run the field now," Jack muttered stuffing a torn off part of his own undershirt into his nasal cavities, "and I'm going to lie down and sleep. Wake me when we get there," he added looking at his watch. "I'll need to run some checks on site."

Luck would have it that was one of the fancy crafts and Jack only got half an hour in, definitely too little, but his life was always this shifty mean little fucker that threw curveballs every chance it got.

The base was a small temporary unit running on a skeleton crew with no real medical facilities, with evac orders standing for the next ten hours. Jack spent the first hour calmly screaming at a changing gallery of different bureaucrats through his comms until he got to Colonel Ramiz. At least the rest of Strike Team had fun listening in judging by the comments and the occasional sniggering.

"Sir, with all due respect," by which Jack meant no respect whatsoever, "I want you to know that I have a so-called supersoldier with shrapnel in his stomach, and I need very precise information on how to treat him if he's to be of any use in a day or two. Yeah, sir, I can see how you're just going to fly someone with enough clearance here within the closest two hours," the sarcasm was palatable. "Yes, sir, I know this obviously is a strictly need-to-know basis, so I'm asking you to patch me to Achan Nguyen on the secure channel. Oh, just tell her it's her brother calling, John Francis Morrison."

There it was, the incredulous 'Francis' in the background, and Jack turned to glare.

"Yes, Colonel, sir, 'that' John Francis Morri... Motherfucker!" The line clicked off but then connected again after few seconds. "Hey, sis. Yeah, I'm good. Clusterfuck. Mhm. No, no, sis, I'm good. I got one Gabriel Reyes, shrapnel in the abdominal cavity, removed, stitched as well as I could, but they got those new gen biotics, and the first scan showed abnormal growths on internal... Yeah. No, I can do it, but he goes through anesthesia like candy, and I'd prefer he doesn't break anything more than my nose. No, that all good... Okay, give me a sec," Jack frantically searched for a pen and paper to take notes. "Wow. This would kill an elephant. Thank, sis. Give love to the rest. Yeah, I'm taking care. Yeah, I'm taking my pills diligently. Could you stop embarrassing me in front of the whole Strike Team? Bye. Yes, bye, I'm disconnecting."

Scavenging the needed drugs took about half an hour, another half hour he spent mixing everything together, just in time for the sleeping princess to start coming to. After it became obvious his patient was really out of it, Jack decided to have some fun because, really, who could blame him after a day like this? The guy broke his nose while he just wanted to help, and anyway, he was up and standing only thanks to the copious amounts of caffeine and sheer spite.

"...and, with all due respect, sir, if you try to move your arse from the bed, I'm authorized to jab you with this very big and very blunt syringe full of very complex chemicals with very long names, of which at least two are classified as regular poison, and I'm told they will put you under for around five hours," Jack let his mouth run on autopilot at the man staring at him with something akin to awestruck expression on his face.

"Marry me...?"

"Did you just proposition me, sir?" Jack blinked. He had his previous patients tell him some strange things under the influence but this was a first.

"Yeah, I did...?" There was a genuine wonder to be heard in the hoarse voice.

"I think trying to bribe a medical officer with sexual favors does classify as a syringe-worthy offense," Jack snickered and stabbed him in the arm with the aforementioned syringe. The cocktail worked wonders.

"So, how's the patient doing?" The woman stood leaning on the doorframe. "Ana Amari."

"Good. And the name's Jack," he muttered while focusing on the image on the scanner.

"Not 'John Francis'?"

"John's my father, and Francis was my grandpa," Jack cut away another fold of new tissue. "Before you ask, you use prototype biotics, they're good, very good, but they're only machines and do what they're programmed to, and do it good, but they get confused when it's more complicated than just rebuilding, like, you know, they go batshit crazy on complicated injuries like here, and coupled with abnormal healing factor, there's going to be additional growths and things stick together, that shouldn't be. Get stuck together, I mean."

"You seem to know a lot about this, Jack," Ana nodded.

"Yeah, you get to use this shit, they teach us about this shit, and sorry, I'm really tired right now, can't really focus on two things at once. Can you hand me the blue laser-pointer looking thingy?" Jack extended his bloodied and towards her. "Yeah, that one. Topical biotics. And my sister was, is, involved in the program, and I really shouldn't be talking about that but screw that, I'll probably get court martial about the whole clusterfuck anyway."

"I'm sure we can put in a good word, or two, on your behalf," Ana smirked.

"Oh, yeah, would be nice, but first let me sleep for a day or two in the brig, can you?" Jack stitched the incision and then applied the nanomachines over it. "He should be waking up in around an hour, and probably be at ninety, ninety-five percent on evac, regardless, you should have him go through a full physical at the closest possible time because there might be still things that slipped past me. Definitely, there are. But," Jack fell into the chair next to the bed with a feeling he would not be getting out of it again, "probably nothing of the kind that's life-threatening or very inconvenient. More than usual. What's his usual anyway?"

"Dorky grumpy," Jack had to admit Ana had very pleasant laughter. "You are going with us, by the way, I'll make him apologize."

"It was nice even if he was tripping balls."

"What, breaking your nose?"

"Oh, that. Sorry," Jack slurred feeling consciousness leaving him. "Need to sleep..."

And then, there was only sweet darkness.

#said and done verse #crack #reaper76 #r76 #this is pretty much combat medic jack thing

8 notes · View notes

prill-ocs · 6 years

Text

i fucking did it here ya go my self indulgent basically 4k word First Time TM Meeku smut fic that had way more exposition than I intended

“What can I do to get it through his head…” Raku paced back and forth through the living room, with Reika and Cashew on the couch. They watched on as Raku seemed to be having some sort of crisis.

“Wellllllll…Why don’t you just - I dunno - be direct about it?” Cashew suggested.

“I sucked him off the other day! How much more direct can I get?!” Raku threw his hands up in the air.

“Oh my god.” Reika covered her ears and looked away. Her and Raku were close, but she did not need to know about his sexual endeavors with the town cryptid he’d been trying to woo for the past year or so.

“Look, you guys don’t seem to get it. I love the guy, but like…Meemo is kinda dense as fuck. I don’t think us doing intimate stuff or me hanging out with him more often is really…making it clear to him that I want us to be more than just fuckbuddies, y'know?” Raku paused. “Not that we’ve actually gone all the way…Do you still call that being fuckbuddies? Or is it blow buddies? Is that a thing?”

“Raku. Please.” Reika looked at him with pleading eyes.

“Right, sorry.” Raku cleared his throat. He stopped his pacing and plopped down on the couch between the other two. He let out a deep sigh as he sunk further into the cushion.

“Honestly, I think you’re just over complicating this! You say he’s dense, right? Then just straight up do a confession. Tell him you love him! He’d get it then, wouldn’t he?” Cashew made a kissy face, batting her eyelashes teasingly at Raku.

“Wha- No way! I think he’d combust from something that direct! He could barely even process when I was going down on hi- “

“I think,” Reika interrupted, “it’s at least worth a try. If you care about him that much, I think you need to let him know straight to his face.”

Raku looked unsure, eyebrows furrowed as he carefully thought about the challenge he was faced with. He knew Reika had a point, but he was also afraid of being rejected. Sure, Meemo probably reciprocated his feelings, but there was also the small possibility he didn’t; and that miniscule chance weighed heavily on Raku’s mind.

“Anyways, if it backfires, we’ll be here to cheer ya up!” Reika threw a stern glance at Cashew, which the latter replied to with a playful nudge to Raku. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. It’s obvious he’s got the hots for you – granted not as much as you have the hots for him – but! I know he at least likes you back; so, stop moping around already and get your man!” She gave Raku a quick slap on the back before getting up off the couch. To be honest, she wasn’t quite sold on that, seeing as how Meemo was so hard to read; but who was she to kick Raku when he was already down?

“Ow…” Raku let out another sigh, before sitting straight up. “Okay, fine, you’ve got me. I’ll do it. I’m expecting a top-notch pity party if this all blows up in my face, you guys got that? “

With that, Raku at least felt a little more confident in confronting Meemo. He’d committed himself to winning Meemo over for the past year, and by God, he was going to finish this off strongly.

*******************************

Unbeknownst to Raku, Meemo was having his own crisis. However, unlike Raku, it wasn’t like Meemo had a support system. Chai wasn’t exactly the optimal person to vent to about -dare he say it- feelings. Romantic feelings at that. No one taught him about this. How was he supposed to know how to deal with the quickening beat of his heart every time Raku got near him? How was he supposed to know if there was some deeper meaning to Raku sucking him off other than he just could?

“This is stupid.” Meemo grumbled as he buried his face into his pillow.

He couldn’t even pinpoint when he began to see Raku in a different light. Was it really so long ago when he considered him a pest? Raku at first was very subtle about his encounters with Meemo, but the occurrences became more frequent over time, much to Meemo’s chagrin. He didn’t think that over time, he’d come to tolerate Raku’s presence, and even -*gasp*- anticipate it. Fast forward to now, and the two of them were in this strange limbo area regarding their relationship.

“Maybe it’s just better if I don’t say anything…” Meemo rolled over onto his side and let out a startled yell after seeing who had entered his room.

“Meemo…?” Chai had walked into Meemo’s room, with the latter too deep into his thoughts to have noticed. “You ‘kay…?” Chai peered up at Meemo with worried eyes.

“…Yes,I’m okay.” Meemo sat up and gave a reassuring pat on Chai’s head.

With Chai here, Meemo then thought about how Raku was good at handling Chai, and how Chai, who was usually so shy around people, seemed to be comfortable around Raku. It was definitely a plus to have them two get along so well. Meemo recalled how just the other day, they had gone to a park. Raku had picked Chai up and carried him up on his shoulders, smiling and laughing the whole way. The entire time, it was hard for Meemo to tear his eyes away from Raku, as he had looked so…radiant? Something like that. Meemo had nearly gotten a heart attack when Raku had noticed the other’s gaze, and he cocked his head to the side before playfully sticking his tongue out at Meemo.

“Ugh…I think I like Raku.” Meemo finally admitted out loud.

“Mm..me too! I like Raku lots too.” Chai beamed up at Meemo with a big grin.

Well then, if they were both in agreement here, maybe Meemo should just go ahead and let Raku know. How hard could it possibly be?

(Hard. It’d be very hard, as he would come to find out soon enough.)

*******************************

A couple of days passed after Raku had his pep talk with Cashew and Reika. Raku had asked if he could stay over at Meemo’s place while the other two did their part with by offering to babysit Chai for the day. Meemo was understandably suspicious at first, questioning what Raku wanted to even do with just the two of them alone.

“I dunno, I just want to have a sleepover. It’ll be fun!” was Raku’s excuse. Meemo was a little tense about it, unsure if this would escalate into another encounter of the sexual kind. Much to his ignorance, however, he accepted the offer, seeing this as an opportunity to tell Raku about his feelings; and while Meemo had his plan, Raku was preparing his own confession.

The pair made their way back to Meemo’s house, with Raku up to his usual antics and making jokes while Meemo stayed quiet, save for the occasional dry chuckle. The day continued on as usual for the most part. Meemo was never one to initiate conversations, so he’d let Raku run his mouth while he’d add his two cents occasionally. However, something did seem…different. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, and it was undeniable that there was some tension going on between them; and this was more noticeable once it reached evening, and things came to a lull.

Even if he appeared as aloof and jokey as usual, Raku felt like he was going to implode. Having things planned out in his head and having to actually execute said plan were two different things. He could just imagine Cashew taunting him right now for procrastinating.

“…I have to shit.” Raku suddenly announced. They were watching a movie, but he really couldn’t concentrate on it as he had his mind preoccupied with other things. He figured he could use this time to clear his mind before maybe finally making a move. Raku quickly got up and made his way to the bathroom.

Once Meemo was sure that Raku was out of the living room, he took a breath of relief. Finally, he could relax, if only for a little while.

“Okay…when he gets back, I’ll do it………Somehow.”

Back in the bathroom, Raku was spending his time hyping himself up as well. Now had to be the time, right? He wasn’t so sure he could go on the rest of the night with this kind of atmosphere. He looked at himself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and made his way back to Meemo.

When Raku got back to the living room, Meemo began to fidget in his seat. As soon as he sits back down, he thought to himself. Three…two…one…

“So-!” Meemo said, as did Raku……at the same time.

“Uh…go ahead.” Meemo kicked himself for backing down.

Raku recoiled at being put on the spot, but it was now or never.

“Well...” He scooted closer to Meemo. “Y’know…that thing we did last time. I, uh…Don’t do that to just anyone, alright?” Wow, this was off to a great start. “I mean…! We’ve been hanging out a lot more lately, and we’ve gotten a lot closer I’d say. A-and! I really like being around you. All these feelings have been building up slowly and all that sorta culminated in me blowin’ ya.”

Raku couldn’t see it but dredging up memories of that was flustering Meemo beyond belief. A part of him just wished the couch would swallow him whole and get him out of this.

“Anyways, I’m getting side tracked here! “Raku put his hand on Meemo’s lap, which the other flinched at. “Meemo. Meems. Meemster. Meemeo—”

“Raku get on with it.”

“What! This is hard okay! “

“Just say that you like me already or else I’m going to have to say I like you first!”

“…”

“…Fuck.”

Raku’s face lit up and he grabbed Meemo by the shoulders and shook him.

“OhmygodMeemoyoulikemetooIwassoscaredIwastoopushylasttimeImeanIwasjustsofuckinghornylasttimeandIletthatgetthebestofmebutIdon’twantittoseemlikeI’mjustusingyoutosatisfymydeepcarnalneedsorwhateverthefucklikeIactuallyreallylikeyoualotand—”

“RAKU FOR FUCK’S SAKE.”

Raku withdrew his hands and let go of Meemo. “S-sorry…I just…I’m so relieved. I thought for sure you didn’t feel the same way…” He looked away and rubbed at his arm.

Meemo felt a twinge of guilt. “Raku…Don’t apologize. I…shouldn’t have raised my voice.” He took a second to compose himself. “It’s just weird for me, is all. It was just me for a long time, and then Chai came around, and then eventually…you. Everything’s so new to me, and feelings are already hard enough for me to deal with, but you just kept coming along throwing me curveballs and it really threw me for a loop. Honestly, can you blame me?”

A hand peeked out from his cloak and Meemo reached over to Raku’s face and cupped it gently.

“I…like you too. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t keep tolerating you like this.”

“Wooow, how romantic.” Raku couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle at how blunt that statement was.

“You- You know what I mean!”

“Yeah, yeah I do.” Raku leaned up and placed a swift kiss at Meemo’s mask.

“?!”

“So now that all that’s taken care of…We gonna do it or what cuz all that tension has got me worked up like no tomorrow.”

Meemo sighed. “Looks like I’m not the only one who needs to rethink what being romantic is all about.”

*******************************

Without a moment to waste, the pair found themselves in Meemo’s room. While Raku was raring to go, Meemo was more hesitant.

“I don’t know if you got this from what I was saying earlier, but I don’t have much experience, so you’re…going to have to guide me a little here. “He mumbled the last part, embarrassed to have to admit that.

“Oh, trust me, I got that, given how quickly you came undone the last time.” Raku said teasingly. “For now, why don’t we start off simple? But to do that, we gotta get this,” he took a step forward and tapped at Meemo’s mask, “outta the way.”

“…I suppose.”

Raku had already seen Meemo without his mask once before, so it wasn’t that big of a deal anymore. Even so, there was still a trace of embarrassment, especially given the situation. At least Raku let Meemo take it off himself – he knew that Meemo was self-conscious without it, so he wouldn’t rush it. Meemo reached up and started by taking off his hood, revealing his messy hair, then undid the string of his mask. As he took the mask away, Raku stared up at Meemo.

“W-what?” Meemo retorted.

“Nothing~ Just admiring the sight.”

Before Meemo could have time to be flustered about that statement, Raku got even closer, placing a kiss on Meemo’s lips. Although taken aback, Meemo slowly but surely reciprocated the gesture, leaning into Raku’s touch. Raku wrapped his arms around the other’s neck, deepening the kiss. While Meemo was preoccupied with that, Raku was gradually leading themselves towards the bed. Once he reached it, he pulled away from the kiss, licking his lips as he looked at Meemo who was visibly more worked up now.

“Not bad. A little sloppy, sure, but we can work on that.” Raku winked at Meemo, as he went ahead and got onto the bed.

“Yeah,yeah.” Meemo replied, not really taking Raku’s jab to heart. Black tendrils went to work at disrobing Meemo of his cloak, as he crawled onto the bed as well, hovering over Raku.

“I’ve been meaning to ask this.” Raku said, as he began to undress as well, tossing his jacket, shirt, and pants off to the floor. “Are you like…technically always naked under your robe?”

Meemo rolled his eyes (how that was possibly seeing as he had no pupils was unclear, but a lot of things Meemo did seemed to defy logic). “No, don’t be ridiculous.” But if he was being completely honest with himself, even he didn’t know how it worked. His body was just this goopy, shadowy, mass. One that could sprout a dick when needed.

“Sure, if you say so.” Raku shrugged, knowing it’d be futile to press on.

“Anyways, what do you want me to do now…?” Meemo tilted his head to the side, genuinely curious.

“Hm…Well, I think now’s a good time than any to return the favor from last time. Buuut before that, help me get these off~” Sure Raku wanted to get to the good part, but he also wanted to tease the hell out of Meemo first.

Giving it some thought first, Meemo reached for the band of Raku’s underwear and tugged on it. He then looked at the fluffy mass that was Raku’s tails. It’d certainly be a hassle if he had to do this slowly, so without much warning, he yanked them off.

“Whoa-!” Raku flopped onto his back from the force Meemo used. “Geez, couldn’t be a little more graceful there?” He pouted.

Meemo held in a chuckle. “Sorry.”

“Nah, sorry won’t cut it, pal. Gotta apologize some other way.” Raku waggled his eyebrows with a smirk at Meemo and slowly spread his legs, displaying himself fully to the other.

Again, Meemo was at a loss, his brain frozen at the mere sight of Raku naked below him. Alright, fine, so maybe Raku had done a little too much teasing and had to take matters into his own hands – literally. Raku reached down to his nether regions, using his fingers to spread his lips.

“Remember what I said about returning the favor…?”

Meemo nodded absently, eyes fixated on Raku’s hand as he began to play with himself. Meemo scoot down the bed a bit, so he could lower himself and be level to Raku’s crotch. His eyes looked up to Raku, who was very much anticipating what would come next. Meemo kissed at Raku’s inner thigh, peppering small pecks until finally giving a tentative lick to Raku’s already slick entrance. As Meemo continued to test the waters, soft gasps were coming from Raku.

“Mmn…y-yeah, juuust like that.” He rested his hands on Meemo’s head, petting his hair reassuringly.

Seeing as how he had his hands full (or, well, mouth full) at the moment, Meemo couldn’t answer. He continued to lap at Raku’s lips, before beginning to prod his tongue in deeper. The more Meemo worked Raku up, the tighter Raku’s grip on Meemo’s hair got.

“Ah-!” Meemo had redirected his focus to Raku’s clit, teasing it with his tongue as he used a finger to slip back into Raku’s heat. “Fffuck…Meemo, please.” For someone who didn’t have much experience, Meemo was doing one hell of a job.

With Meemo sucking here and there and his fingers slowly thrusting in and out, Raku was starting to come undone, his breathing becoming shallower as his legs began to tremble; but Raku didn’t want it to just end here. Not yet.

“M-Meemo…hey.” He tapped the other on his head.

Meemo stopped what he was doing and looked up. “Mm…Yes?”

“I think that’s enough of that. I want…somethin’ else now.” He adjusted his leg, so he could nudge his foot in between Meemo��s legs. “

“R…ight.”

Meemo leaned away so he could sit back. Shadowy wisps appeared at his crotch, slowly taking form as Raku watched on in fascination.

“I’m really gonna have to get used to that.”

When Meemo’s cock stood fully erect, Raku got up to move and straddle Meemo’s lap. Meemo gulped, being hyper aware of the other’s body pressing against him. Before moving on, Raku stole another kiss, this one needier than the last. When he got his fill, he pulled away, a trail of saliva connecting their lips.

“Hm hm…Here I go~” Raku reached down, giving Meemo’s shaft a few strokes before aligning it against his entrance. Meemo bit his lip as Raku lowered himself onto his hard cock.

“Nngh…It’s so…” Tight? Warm? Just overwhelming in general? It was definitely a very different sensation than being in a mouth, that was for sure. Meemo placed his hands on Raku’s hips, steadying the other as he began to move himself up and down, letting out sweet moans with each movement.

“You feel so good.” Meemo muttered, resting his head against Raku’s chest. He began to thrust up in sync with Raku, wanting to go deeper, feel more. He was torn between giving into his lust and going easy on Raku’s body.

“Meemo, I need it…Move faster, go harder, anything, please.” Raku whispered breathlessly into Meemo’s ear.

That was more than enough to flip Meemo’s switch as he swiftly pushed Raku back onto the bed. He had slipped out in the transition, so he took a moment to push himself back into Raku’s tight heat, savoring the warmth that enveloped him once more.

Meemo’s movements were a little more sporadic now that he was more in control in this position; but he gradually picked up a rhythm and quickened his thrusts. For the first time, he leaned down and initiated a kiss, letting his tongue thoroughly explore Raku’s mouth, as his mind was hazed over from pleasure. Raku was more than happy to oblige, moaning wantonly into the kiss as he was fucked harder and faster with each thrust.

“Meemo…Meemo…Haah…I can’t…!” He wrapped his arms around Meemo’s back, clinging on for dear life as he was reaching his climax. Meemo could also feel himself reaching that point, all the while panting and letting out sounds he never thought he’d make. He used a free hand to tend to Raku’s clit once more, his thumb rubbing in tantalizing circles as he continued to thrust into him.

Raku yelled out in ecstasy, not able to contain himself from the over stimulation. “Mmngh…Yes…A-ahh…Fuck…!” It didn’t take long before he was finally driven over the edge. Raku rode out his orgasm, his whole body trembling as he continued to grind against Meemo, trying to milk that feeling all the way through the end.

Meemo, in turn, let out a stifled groan as Raku tightened around him. That added pressure as well as the sweet, sweet sounds Raku was making brought Meemo to his climax. He pulled out just in time, spilling his cum over Raku’s chest and navel. With a shuddered breath, he laid down beside Raku, and the two of them remained wordless, their labored breaths echoing throughout the room.

“That…” Raku said when he finally caught his breath. “…Was fucking great.”

“Y-yeah?” Meemo turned his head to look at the other, still coming out of his post-orgasmic bliss.

“Mhm. You didn’t do such a bad job after all.” Raku swiped his finger over some of the cum on his chest, playing with it between his fingers.

Meemo felt his face heat up again. “Wait, let me go get some towels to-“

“No, no, it’s fine. Let’s just…enjoy this right now, okay? We’ll clean up in a bit.”

Raku scoot closer to Meemo, resting his head on his chest. “How about you? Didja enjoy yourself?”

“I mean, yes, of course. I thought that was pretty obvious, especially from how…unhinged I got towards the end, there.”

“Yep, ya really fucked me good.” Raku snickered. He was sure to replay the image of Meemo over him, succumbing to lust, over in his head for a long time coming.

They went silent again, just enjoying each other’s company. Raku was gently stroking a thumb over Meemo’s hand when Meemo mumbled something.

“Mmh? What was that?”

“…ve……y…”

“…Babe,I can’t understand what you’re sayin’.”

“I said.” Meemo made sure to look Raku in the eyes. “I…love you…”

“………” Raku blinked a few times, his cheeks heating up and sprouting a nice blush.

“Uh, Raku? …Was that too far? Should I not hav—”

“N-no! You just…you just do these things when I least expect it. My heart can’t take it, y’know?” Raku chuckled softly and shook his head. “I love you too, Meems.” He leaned up and pecked Meemo on the cheek. “So! Ready for the next round?”

“……I’m going to get those towels now.”

“Eh?! No, I was kidding, Meemo come back!!!”

*******************************

“Can we assume it went well?” Reika and Cashew stood at the doorway. They each looked at Raku, hair all disheveled and hickeys clearly visible on his neck, then to Meemo, who although was wearing his mask again, seemed to be giving off an air of guilt.

“Yeeep.” Raku gave the two a peace sign. “Mission accomplished. It’s a wrap, fellas. Etcetera, etcetera.”

Chai, who Reika had been carrying, was set down so he could be toddle on over to Meemo. Meemo wasn’t even sure he could look Chai in the eyes at the moment, not after all he did just the night before; but he knew he had to welcome him back. Meemo lifted Chai up, giving him a hug. “Did you have fun?”

“Mhm!”

“Welp, I best be hittin’ the ol’ dusty trail here. “ Raku went to join his sister and Cashew. “I’ll see ya soon, ‘kay? Love ya, darling.” He said with a wink, before turning on his heel and walking off, whistling all the while.

Reika and Cashew both shook their heads. If Raku had already been so transparent about his crush before, they knew he’d be ten times worse now that he and Meemo were officially together.

“…He’s really going to be the death of me.” Meemo mumbled, as he shut the door; but as he did, he found it hard to stop himself from cracking a small smile.

#oc drabble*#ro drabbles #pkmn gijinka*#meemo*#raku*#nsfw///

2 notes · View notes

iwmango · 6 years

Text

2. A story about rising to a challenge.

Lucy’s mother always prided herself on her sharp memory. She could call up, at any given time, the exact date of any major fight that they had. That’s why it took so long for Lucy to process that her mother had symptoms of a neurodegenerative disease when the Middleton Old Age Home called her.

Lucy never had that great a relationship with her mother, confrontation, or consolation. All things that they shit on when they told her that she should come tell her mother the news herself. It was one of their policies, apparently. It was common sensitivity to the patient, they said.

On Saturday, Lucy took half of the day off and drove to the Middleton Old Age Home and signed to meet Kate Jameson. “She’s in the common area,” the receptionist smiled.

Lucy turned, about to thank her, before she stopped, “Where’s the common area, again?”

The smile just about wavered, “The place with the couches, ma’am”

This time Lucy actually did thank her and continued on to the common area, with the most disgusting patterned couches she had ever seen. Her mother was sitting there, tranquil as anything, reading a book.

Lucy didn’t feel the slightest bit regret disrupting it, “Hello, mother, can I sit down?”

Kate was startled at first, but after the first second it was sarcastic shock, “Oh my, are you talking to me? I should feel so honored”

Lucy didn’t wait for a reply, sitting across from her mother, “If we could do without the sarcasm, mom, please? I have to talk to you about--”

“Oh no,” Kate put up her hand, cutting off Lucy, which made her nostalgic (in a bad way), “You called me mom. I haven’t heard that word in a long time, you know, Lucy”

Lucy looked away, refusing to give her mother her guilt as ammo, “Yes, I know. I’m busy, I don’t have time to come. But there’s something that I need to tell you--”

“I wasn’t finished,” Kate’s tone was icy, “I promise not to care about whatever you need to tell me, until we have a proper conversation”

Lucy’s mother was always one to keep her promises. So she sat back, looking back up at Kate with a sigh, “Fine then, what do you want to talk about?”

“A normal conversation, Lucy,” another tone that made Lucy nostalgic, “Tell me how you are, how Greg is, how Mary is, how’s work, et cetera”

“Jesus Christ,” Lucy only dared to say that part under her breath, and out loud, “Greg’s fine, Mary’s okayish, work is great. Are we past the normal conversation yet?”

“What do you mean Mary’s okayish?” Kate asked, just enough suspicion for Lucy’s nostalgia.

“I mean that she’s physically fit,” Lucy had on a very flimsy facade of patience, “Emotionally and mentally, she’s a teenager. We done, now?”

“What do you mean by she’s a teenager?” Kate seemed affronted, “She’s still a person, you know. My granddaughter, who I also never get to see”

“I know she’s a person, for Christ’s sake,” the facade was crumbling on Lucy now, “I just mean that she’s going through her teenaged life and finding herself and whatever”

“So finding herself is a full time occupation with no breaks,” Kate raised her eyebrows, “In which she could visit her grandmother, who is rotting is an old age home with disgusting decor”

“I think you’re being a bit too sarcastic,” the facade had long since faded away. Her blood was boiling at her mother’s words, just like old times, “And melodramatic”

“Melodramatic?” Kate asked, “When was the last time that you visited me? Is that not rotting away?”

“I told you,” Lucy wasn’t succeeding at calming her tone, “I am a busy person”

Kate didn’t reply. Even worse, actually. She just rolled her eyes instead, adding under her breath, “Sure”

It was time for Lucy to snap, “You know what,” she stood so abruptly she gave herself vertigo, “I need some air”

She didn’t know her way around Middleton’s, but that didn’t stop Lucy from making her way into open air. Suitably far enough away from Kate, for the moment. Lucy intended to calm herself down and then go back to the battle.

Then her phone rang. She picked it up, “Speak of the devil”

“What?” Mary was a little bewildered, “Who were speaking about me to?”

“Your grandmother,” Lucy looked down at her feet, toeing the wilted grass, “She was moaning about none of us coming to visit her here. Why’d you call?”

“Oh, right,” Mary sounded far off, “It was something about money. Listen, why don’t we visit grandma?”

Money questions, Lucy could answer. This threw her more of a curveball, “Uh, well, I don’t know. We always end up fighting. Like right now”

“So you’d think I’d fight with her?” now Mary was sounding a bit more like a skeptical teenager, “Or that she’d make me fight with you?” the next bit she said with a bit less skepticism, “And why are you visiting her today?”

“She has a neurodegenerative thing, apparently, so I kind of have to,” Lucy sighed, pinching her nose bridge.

“Is grandma going to come live with us?” there was a glint of hope in Mary’s voice, which Lucy was not expecting.

Her hand dropped off her nose bridge, her tone sharper than intended, “Why would she?”

“Because,” Mary ignored the pin prick, “She has a neurodegenerative disorder. Why else would you be going there, if you’re not bringing her home?”

“They forced me to be the one to tell her,” Lucy even sounded petulant to herself, “It’s their policy, apparently”

“You’re just going to tell her then leave?” Mary’s astonishment only made Lucy guiltier.

“Don’t guilt trip me into this, Mary,” Lucy replied, pushing down the guilt like a trashbin that was too full, “And why would you want me to bring her home, anyway?”

Mary sounded a bit hesitant, “If she has a neurodegenerative disorder, then soon she won’t remember a lot of things, you know?”

“So?” Lucy wasn’t sure if she was pushing down the guilt or goading Mary, or both.

“If she’s going to forget everything, then she should have someone to tell it all too before it goes, right?” Mary sounded as though every word was dragged out of her.

Lucy wasn’t too sure what to say, “Yeah, I guess”

“So you’re bringing grandma home?” the hope ignited again in Mary’s voice.

“You could just visit her, you know,” Lucy was still resisting, “If she’s at home, we can’t give her all the care that she’ll need--”

“There are home nurses,” Mary cut her off, the hope not yet ready to extinguish, “And it will still be cheaper than keeping her in that place”

“Mary--”

“You know it’s the right thing to do, Mom,” she didn’t even let her try to rebutt.

Lucy paused, “We’ll see,” then hung up. She took in the breath that she had come out for, then made her way back inside. Time for the consolation part.

She sat across Kate, and Kate put her book aside, looking up, calmer now, and surprised her, “I’m sorry, Lucy, it’s not my place to judge your parenting”

Lucy paused, partly shock, partly waiting for the other shoe to drop, “Did you just apologize to me?”

Kate avoided her gaze, “I’m getting too old for our fights, no matter how cherished they are. What did you need to tell me?”

“Right,” Lucy cleared her throat and sat down, “Mom. The supervisors here at Middleton called me, they said you have symptoms of a neurodegenerative disorder”

Kate looked blank for a second, “You mean, like dementia? Something like that?”

“Yeah, they said they’d narrow it down with family history,” Lucy shifted in her seat.

“You came down here just to tell me that?” Kate’s expression froze, unchanging, “I might lose my mind, and I’m going to be treated at Middleton”

Lucy wasn’t sure what to say. She just sat there, looking at her mother’s face for what felt like a million years. She was first to break the silence, “That’s not all”

Still expressionless, “What else did you need to tell me?”

Lucy took in a breath. Better not overthink it, “You’re not going to have to do it alone”

Kate’s expression thawed just the tiniest bit, “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, I still need to work out the logistics,” Lucy spoke tentatively, “But a home nurse may be a better idea for your treatment, if you come live with us”

Kate’s face softened even more, “Yeah,” her voice was just controlled, “Good idea”

#fiction #flash fiction #writing #52 prompts #weekly writing #family

0 notes