Can u guys believe that I wrote like 10k of ven in the last two days alone

drabbles: them reacting to a surprise kiss

↬  includes: kaminari denki, bakugo katsuki, shouto todoroki

tysm for the request anon! Hope you enjoy!  ♡

—denki kaminari would be smug albeit lowkey flustered

  “Shoot back me up,” Denki mumbled, eyes glued to the screen while his fingers fervently tapping on his keyboard. At the current moment, he’s enjoying the semestral break and of course what better way to seize the time by spending most of it playing games? Sign Denki up because he would sacrifice his sleeping schedule just to play with his squad.

  “Shit,” he cursed into the mic. “Behind the building!”

  You, however, is not impressed with the current situation.

  Sitting on his bed, you glared daggers at Denki’s back. Mentally cursing him for not giving you the attention you need. You dropped by his room to hang out with him; perhaps a movie or some kinky time, who knows? Heck, Denki himself was the one who invited you to chill with him. And what does he do? Yep, ignore your cute ass and sit in front of his computer like the jerk he is.

  “Denki. . .” you lowly muttered, approaching him in a slow pace. “Gimme attention.”

  You gently combed your fingers in his hair, making sure to massage his scalp in the process. Denki leaned in your touch, “Mhhmm! Just finishing this last game, babe.”

  A line appeared between your brows, mouth curving down in a small frown. “You said that an hour ag—”

  “kAcCHAN—Stop shooting me you ass!”

  It took all of your sanity to not yank his hair right then and there. You wanted to throw a tantrum at him; to give him a cold shoulder for ignoring you. But then you thought of something better.

  Still absorbed in his game, you leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Denki’s lips. He was startled at first, momentarily tearing his gaze off the screen to look at you with wide eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but the look on your face was enough to answer his question.

  You want his attention.

  “Aww does my wittle baby mish me?”

  “That’s fucking gross” you could hear Bakugo comment through his headset.

  Nonetheless, the blond ignored his remark. Denki flashed you a smile, raising a hand to cup your cheek. Smooth as he is, he captured your lips in one sweet kiss.

  “Gonna leave the round to you, my dudes. My baby needs attention.”

—bakugo katsuki.exe has stopped working

  Ah, yes. Bakugo Katsuki, the man, the myth, the legend.

  Contrary to popular belief, this personification of a hedgehog is an actual softie. It may not look like it, but Katsuki is adores you 100%. Though, it is understandable that most people wouldn’t believe you if you told them this man has the ability to blush.

  Yes, blush. If one is lucky enough, they might witness such a holy sight if they caught him off guard. And that someone is you.

  “No, no! You cream the butter and sugar first before the eggs!” he spat, hands darting out to stop you from cracking open an egg. Earlier that day, you suggested that Katsuki and you bake some cookies. It took an hour’s worth of begging, but you’ve managed to convince him to participate in your plan.

  You’re quite a baker—if you do say so yourself—but Katsuki has zero confidence in your cooking skills. And so here you are, standing like an idiot while he continuously ridicules your knowledge in the kitchen.

  “I’ll let you cream me, if you know what I mean.” You winked at him.

  Katsuki stops with what he was doing to shoot you a look, “Don’t even get me started (____).”

  You let out a giggle, pinching his cheeks despite his complaints. He mumbled curses under his breath after almost dropping the bowl. At this point, Katsuki’s doing most of the baking while you did most of the pestering. In your defense, how could you properly work on it if he keeps berating you every move you make?

  “Aight explosion boy, what can I do to help you?”

  He let out a huff, “Go get the vanilla extract.”

  You hummed, turning around to search for the item he needs. At the same time, Katsuki opted to go and prepare the mixer for the ease of combining the ingredients later on. Just one problem, this one’s busted.

  He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

  “What’s up?” you asked, placing the bottle of vanilla extract on the counter before leaning on it.

  “Damn thing is not working” he gave the machine one firm smack as if it would help fix it. Katsuki’s nostrils flared, the corners of his lips pointing downwards. You would be lying if you said he doesn’t look cute when he’s angry. He looks like a little angry pomeranian.

  Against your better judgment, you leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. Now, this isn’t the first time both of you had shared a kiss. In fact, you and him had multiple times already as controlled by hormones. But that doesn’t stop a blush dusting his cheeks and ears.

  You pulled away, a smirk on your face as Katsuki froze in his spot. He stared off into the distance, too flabbergasted to respond. It took one full minute before he regained composure.

  “You—huh. What?” he stammered. “What was that for?”

  “Am I not allowed to kiss you?”

  “I-. . .” he sucked in a breath, finding it hard to form words. “Just— just help me with this will you?”

  Note to self: always catch Katsuki off guard.

—shouto todoroki is confusion

  The sky is as black as tar accompanied by nimbus clouds that slowly covered the whole city. It started with a soft pitter-patter of the rain against the window sill, until it gradually got loud that you have to increase the volume of the movie you and Shouto was watching.

    With a thin blanket over your shoulders, both of you intently stared at the screen. A sappy yet heartfelt romantic film on play just the way you like it. The bowl of popcorn, now long rid of its content, sat in between your legs.

   The movie had now come to that point wherein the two main leads confessed their love for one another. It was about damn time. The scriptwriters of the show truly did drag the plot way too long that at some point it became rather boring.

   Shouto shifted in his seat. You opened your mouth to ask him what was wrong. That is until his arm wrapped around your form, resting his hand just above your hip. A soft smile made its way to your face. Whether it was his intention or not, Shouto had always pulled on your heartstrings and made your heart beat fast with his actions.

   “Sho. . .” you called out to him. He hummed, turning his head towards your direction.

  Without prior warning, you leaned to press your lips against his. It was short yet sweet, just an unspoken message to show how much you love him. When you pulled away, he had the cutest reaction ever.

   He slowly blinked. Mouth falling open in shock. Shouto looked at you with a bewildered expression. Throughout the course of your relationship with him, kisses are barely shared. Hugs? Yes. Holding hands? You betcha. But the fact that he and you just started dating a few weeks ago, both of you were still adjusting to this change of pace.

   “Why?”

   You chuckled.

   “Just wanna.”

  He gave you a soft smile, brushing strands of your hair that stuck before placing a chaste kiss on your forehead.

@zhaozaipalooza

Heyyyyy wow why am I not surprised my first post on tumblr already contains problematic content ANYWAY I’ve tried to write something beautiful and eloquent and flowy but this is all my brain has spat out oof -

Filling the modern au prompt with TA!Zhao in an introductory maths course. Started out as Zuko/Zhao, turned into Yue/Zhao (I believe the ship has been coined fried fish??) and then for some reason settled on Hakoda/Zhao (at least, the setup for it). It’s a little hastily put together (could it be??? My word counts somewhat under control???) and I have no idea what I’m doing so I’m keeping it on tumblr. I’m so sorry for being horrendously late, but a huge thank you to the mods for all their time and effort!!

.

Despite the many grievances that came with being a TA, Zhao did find the job rather fulfilling in some respects. Tearing through assignments, breathing down people’s necks while invigilating exams, getting paid to answer algebraic questions he could do in his sleep…

And then, out of the blue, he would be reminded that there were a few but significant downsides.

Such as now.

Sometimes, students thought they could waltz into his office and expect him to bend rules to their whim.

“Sokka…” Zhao said carefully, sliding his pen down the enrolment list. “I thought this would be the first time I received everyone’s assignments on time, but it looks like I’m still waiting for that day to come. So, what’s your excuse?”

“It’s done!” Sokka yelped, waving his hands about in a flurry of panic. “I swear it is, I’ve got it in my bag right now. Just, uh, could you possibly, pretty please with cherries on top, let the late penalty slide? Please?”

Zhao arched an eyebrow. “And pray tell, why should I do that? The guidelines clearly state that a penalty will be applied for late submission, increased in increments of five percent for each day that it is late until it reaches a total deduction of forty percent, in which case you will receive a zero instead. You’re six hours past the deadline. If it were six minutes, I may have been more inclined to let it slide.”

“Please,” Sokka begged, clasping his hands together. “I’ve been doing so well in this course! But today was super busy and I tried, I really tried to get it in on time.”

“Look,” Zhao sighed, scrubbing at his face. “If I let this one go, there’ll inevitably be a next time. Not for you maybe, but someone else. That’s just how these things work and –”

“I swear I won’t let anyone know,” Sokka promised. “And… and…” his eyes sidled to the empty coffee cup on his desk. “I’ll get you a coffee! As a token of my appreciation.”

“That sounds more like bribery than appreciation.” Zhao scoffed, flinging the paper cup into the bin. “Just give me your assignment so we can call it a day.”

“And a cookie.” Sokka tacked on, evidently refusing to go down without a fight.

“… A cookie.” Zhao repeated flatly. “You’re trying to bribe me with a coffee and a cookie.”

“Is it working?”

“No.”

“But…” Sokka said, a crafty look in his eye. Zhao would be more impressed if he hadn’t seen that exact expression for most of his upbringing. “I know for a fact that you’re a crazy fast marker. You always get our results back to us within a week. No one can do that without binging coffee and sugar… aren’t you in need of a fix?”

He was a fast marker because there were only two teaching assistants in this course, and Jee was woefully slow-paced, so obviously someone needed to pick up the slack. What usually happened was that Zhao would tackle the stack of assignments nearly solo and leave grading input and moderation to Jee, before happily returning to other pressing matters.

“Actually,” Zhao said, picking up a second, smaller stack of papers on the other side of the desk, holding it up for Sokka to see. “I’ve already graded these, and I’m doing just fine.”

The horror on Sokka’s face nearly made Zhao smile. Nearly.

“But…” Sokka protested feebly. “How… how are you nearly halfway done?”

“Trade secret. Now, assignment. Gimme.” Zhao held out a waiting hand.

“Large coffee.” Sokka pleaded once more with newfound desperation. “Anything you want. And a cookie. One of those massive ones.”

“Not that interested.” Zhao said. “Come on, come on. I’m planning on getting these done by tomorrow.”

“And,” Sokka pitched forward. “In the next tutorial, I’ll answer all your questions if no one else puts their hand up.”

Oh. Now they were talking.

“Next three tutorials.” Zhao leaned forward, a sharklike smile spreading across his face. “And I want that coffee and cookie.”

“Done.”

“Very good,” Zhao grinned, “you can give me your assignment now. No penalty will be applied. I’ll mark it now while you get the goods, and once you’ve come back, I’ll input your grade into the system.”

The relief was palpable in Sokka’s face. “Yeah, yes. I’ll do that. What kind of coffee and cookie do you want?”

Zhao hummed, taking the assignment out of Sokka’s hands. He got started on marking immediately, red pen working furiously as he tore through the questions. The answers have practically been imprinted behind his eyelids at this point and thankfully, Sokka almost always got full marks, which meant he didn’t need to spend time picking through the working. “The coffee? Surprise me. I want an oatmeal raisin cookie, though.”

Zhao decidedly ignored the muttered incredulity under Sokka’s breath about his taste in cookies, and pointedly flipped the next page to spur him into fetching his bribe.

By the time Sokka scurried back into his office, Zhao had already made another dent in the pile of marking. He lifted his head at the sound of the door opening, and the sight of Sokka’s triumphant face tempted him into changing his mind about accepting the bribe, if only to pour cold water over his excitement.

But, as Jee had pointed out earlier this morning, he’d already reached his maximum quota for assholery today.

“Here,” Sokka presented the cup and a small, brown bag that smelled heavily of baked goods.

“What did you end up ordering?” Zhao asked, taking both items from his hands.

“I asked my dad to make something for my grumpy TA,” Sokka grinned cheekily.

“Need I remind you that your grade’s fate is currently held in the hands of said grumpy TA?”

“Right, yes. Sorry, sir.”

Something else about the statement had caught his attention, though. Zhao examined the logo on the cup, tilting his head as he asked, “Your dad made this?”

“Oh, right, yeah.” Sokka scratched his head sheepishly. “My dad co-owns a café with his best friend. Anyway, uh, he says he’d like to apologize on my behalf for annoying you and that he hopes you’ll enjoy the coffee and cookie. He said it’ll knock your socks off.” Sokka puffed his chest up with pride.

“I’m hard to impress.” Zhao drawled, a bit derisively, but he reckoned he was entitled to a little haughtiness.

“That’s what I said, but Dad’s confident you’ll like it.” Sokka shrugged. “Said you’re welcome to stop by the café anytime. He’ll hook you up with a treat.”

Zhao rolled his eyes and shifted his attention back to his end of the deal. He turned his desktop around so the screen was facing Sokka and pointed out his name. “There. Ninety-seven percent. Congrats.”

And before the fool could do something intolerably annoying like celebrate in his office, Zhao growled out a dismissal, pointedly picking up his cup as Sokka waltzed out the doors.

Alone again, Zhao popped off the lid, peering down with slight confusion when he caught sight of latte art. A classic heart, which he barely managed to rein in another scoff at. At least it tasted… decent. Surprisingly strong notes of espresso, none of that flavoured syrup shit he couldn’t stand.

The cookie wasn’t bad, either.

Well. Colour him slightly impressed. Slightly.

Making a note to stop by the café sometime, Zhao turned back to his marking, mood lighter for some strange, inconceivable reason.

Ok um... could I ask for Bruno using his stand abilities in bed 😏 I’m always thinking about what he could do with those zippers dhdkdjdj,, Maybe Sticky Fingers himself is there too, its up to you 👀

This was gonna originally go a different direction, but then the ‘Bruno is super weird’ post came around on my dash and I decided to go with this angle instead. Enjoy!

—

Sex with Bruno is never uneventful.

You’d quickly come to the realization on the first date that this man wasn’t exactly the everyday joe on the street, and that you had, in fact, agreed to a date with the man who was currently testing out different melodies of whistling to see if certain patterns would encourage the sparrow to hop into his hand to eat the seeds he was offering.

You’d be lying however, if you said it hadn’t endeared him to your heart immediately.

Throughout your relationship, you had also gotten used to the odd schedule of his work, both in him leaving for day trips or overnights at short notice, or when someone stopped him on the street to ask for his help, or opinion on something. You didn’t mind, knowing his heart and longing to help others was one of the reasons you fell more in love with him every day, and that if it ever interfered with your plans or your date, that he would make it up to you in any way he knew how.

When the phone rang while you two were enjoying each other’s company in bed was another matter.

You were tangled in the covers, thin sheet stuck to your bodies with the sheen of sweat that had built up on the two of you. Both lovers paid it no mind however, continuing to run their hands over each other’s skin, bodies smoothly rolling against each other in slow deep thrusts.

The two of you were laughing, he had likened a squeal you made (his hand had been a bit cold) to the sound of a certain gull he had seen on the wharf the week prior, sending you into a fit of giggles between kisses, only encouraged when he reassured you that you were “Far prettier than any gull he’d ever seen.”

A bit odd for dirty talk, but not the strangest thing you’d ever heard him say.

After the laughter had died down, he’d put a bit more concentration into fucking you, still gentle and sweet, but with a bit more urgency, relishing in your sighs and moans as you nuzzled into him, mouthing at the skin of his collarbone.

Rolling over to be on top of you, he gazed down at you, dark hair framing his face as he leaned down to kiss you.

With the change of angle, his cock dragged against a sweet spot inside of you, causing you to gasp out his name and clutch his back, prompting him to let out an amused hum of, “oh, you like that?”

“Oh, please, mmm!” You keened against him, pleasure making your brain go fuzzy around the edges as you felt a tight sensation building in your very core.

“Are you getting close for me darling? You’re making such pretty faces-“

He stilled against you as a loud trill of a phone rang from the bedside table.

Letting out a sigh, Bruno started to get up, your legs and arms wrapping around him with a whine.

“No no no, come on don’t go I’m so close, they can wait!” You pleaded, but to no avail.

“Tesoro, you know I have to take this, just- gimme a moment- there.”

Closing your eyes and throwing your head back in the pillows in frustration, you didn’t notice what Bruno was doing until he had gotten up, snatching up the phone with a quick “Bucciarati here.”

It took a moment, until you shifted your legs, to realize that somehow, despite being across the room, he was still inside of you.

Sitting up with a hand flying down to your entrance, fingers brushing against the metal of a zipper.

You sat dumbfounded for a moment, trying to come to terms with the fact your boyfriend had, in fact, unzipped his dick and left it in your pussy while he took a phone call.

This wasn’t the first time he had used his stand in the bedroom, but in the past it had usually been to take your clothes off faster, or to zip open the bedroom wall to carry you inside, refusing to put you down to open the door like a normal person.

Sticky fingers had made a few appearances as well, but not exactly like this.

Testing the waters, you clenched, watching as Bruno’s eyes fluttered shut a moment before shooting you a mischievous look.

Reaching down again, as soon as you touched the zipper, a hand gripped yours, Sticky Fingers manifesting beside you.

“Hey there handsome, it’s been a while.” You greeted him warmly, the stand raising your arm to press a soft kiss to your wrist. You lowered your voice, “Bruno sent you over to make sure I keep it in, didn’t he?”

“Ari!” He gave a firm nod.

You settled back into the bed, brushing your hair back from your face, mussed from previous activities. Stretching out and then shooting a grin to Sticky Fingers, who was still watching you intently.

“Guess we just gotta keep ourselves busy until he’s done.”

Your hand wandered down, reaching no farther than your clit as you began to stroke and tease yourself, a soft hum leaving your lips as your eyes fluttered shut.

A second hand joined yours, your lovers stand beginning to caress your body with practiced care.

Soon you pulled your fingers away, allowing him to control the pace completely, Bruno’s voice fading into the background as you were drawn back into the warm lull of pleasure.

Sticky had a better idea, however, as his other hand reached to grab his users cock, pulling it out of you, and slowly sliding it back in, essentially using it like a toy to fuck you, quickly choosing a faster pace, watching your back arch as you gripped the sheets.

Bruno obviously hadn’t been expecting that, and nearly doubled over with a choked gasp, quickly and breathlessly assuring the voice on the phone, “Oh no, I’m fine, just- ah- tripped on something. Y-you know, we could probably go over most of this in person, it’s rather late- oh? Yes that would be fine, I’ll meet with you tomorrow. Yes sir, thank you. Good night.”

With the phone hung up, he rushed back over to the two of you, catching your face in a deep, passionate kiss, his stand slowing down a bit, the pace a languid rocking of the wrist.

“You,” He pointed at his stand, “Were supposed to keep her out of trouble, not make your own.”

“Oh don’t blame Sticky, he was just having a bit of fun.” You defended, cupping the stands face, “Weren’t you? You just wanted to make me feel so good, and you did, you’re doing such a good job”

Your breathy praise put a smile on his face, Sticky Fingers looking smugly at Bruno, the latter shaking his head good naturedly.

“Well lightning shouldn’t strike twice, so we should be uninterrupted now.” Your lover dismissed his stand, crawling back between your legs with a grin, “Let’s pick up where we left off.”

View From The Top

Being in his slim form does offer Fatgum some advantages.

You need more butter.

The first time you’d come face-to-face with Fatgum’s slim form, you’d burst into tears out of sheer worry for the man. It had taken him almost an hour to convince you that he was fine, really! It was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with some extra TLC (and KFC); he’d be back to normal in no time! Of course you still had questions. How could you help? Could he still do hero work and other intense activity while he was recovering? What about sex?

And now, years later, you’ve become an unfortunate pro at fattening him back up after an rough mission. Your engagement ring is stored safely in the pocket of your apron as you rush around the large kitchen, shoving yet another cake into one of the three ovens before tapping on your phone to confirm your fourth order to the grocery store in as many hours. You’re going to spend the next week cooking like a mad woman, shoveling as much food as you possibly can into your fiance's eager mouth.

You’re pulling the current round of baked goods out of their ovens and debating on whether to just add bacon to everything you’re about to cook next when the door opens and the man in question ducks inside. Immediately you’re at his side, fussing over his ruined hoodie and the scrapes decorating his torso.

“Honey, I’m okay! Ya know it takes a lot more than that to bring me down!” He grins at you and strolls into the kitchen like someone who hasn’t just lost half of his body weight. “Man, it smells great in here. You did all this work for me?”

“Always. How are you feeling?” You slip your ring back on and untie your apron, waiting for him to finish devouring a banana cream pie in only four bites. Taishiro flashes you a thumbs up, then freezes when he gets a good look at the tight, low-cut sweater you’re wearing. You may have had an ulterior motive behind your wardrobe choices.

Fatgum swallows the food and licks his lips. “Sweetheart…” he trails off, shrugging off the remnants of his destroyed shirt. Before you can respond he’s in front of you and you’re hoisted up over his shoulder. It takes all your effort to hide your laughter, thankful once again for the high ceilings in your home and he carries you back to the bedroom like a sack of flour. He deposits you on the mattress with surprising care and kisses you until your lungs begin to hurt for air.

There are some things that never change about Fatgum, regardless of his weight. He’s still so warmly confident towards anything he faces. He’s still ridiculously tall and strong. He’s still hungry; his appetite is just a little more specific at the moment. You love him no matter how he looks, but there are certain things that are safer for you in his muscular form, and he never misses the opportunity to take advantage of these times. It’s wonderfully vanilla, but Fatgum loves nothing more than plain old missionary when he gets the chance to be on top.

He’s wasting no time today, easily stripping off your clothes in record time and caging your naked body underneath him to cover your face in kisses. He gropes at your chest, easily fitting your breast in one hand and squeezing your soft skin to feel your nipple harden against his palm. You always feel so small with him, completely enveloped by his sheer size and all the enthusiasm he brings with it. You should feel overwhelmed by it, helpless even; but instead you bask in the knowledge that all of it, all of him, is devoted to loving you.

“I’ve been waitin’ for this all day, sugar,” Taishiro murmurs against your ear and you shiver at the touch of his breath. “You got any idea how hard it is to win a fight like this when all I can think about is gettin’ back here?” His lips press against your throat, sucking a red mark into your neck and earning a needy little whine from you. He moves down your body; even in his haste to fuck you, he still takes proper time to suck and tease at your breasts.

“Taiiii,” you groan impatiently, squirming under him and he laughs into your chest. With your nipples rock hard and almost painfully sensitive, he finally continues his trail downwards. His breath is so warm on your stomach as he leaves kisses in his wake and his large hands slip around your thighs to urge them open. You don’t need the encouragement; you’re already very familiar with what that mouth can do.

You find yourself eagerly yanked lower on the bed, Fatgum pulling your legs over his wide shoulders for the best view. “That’s my sweet girl,” he groans, fingers spreading your folds apart to enjoy how wet you’ve gotten with so little work. His tongue is on you without another word, licking a messy stripe up your pussy to lap at your clit and your mind goes blissfully blank. “You taste even better than your cooking, cupcake.” You groan at the compliment, trailing off into a shuddering gasp as he begins to eat you out with enthusiasm. Your ears fill with the very wet sounds of him running his tongue over you, wriggling inside your cunt while his fingers rub teasingly at your clit. He’s got you crying out his name within minutes, gushing your juices into his waiting mouth as you grip the sheets for dear life.

“I really got me the best girl in the world, don’t I?” His words are interrupted with a noisy slurp before he leans back to catch his breath. You run a hand through his blond hair, pant out some half-thought words that you’re just as lucky and are immediately distracted again by that wonderful mouth. You forget how to breathe as he presses closer, trying to push his tongue even deeper into your pussy. Your thighs squeeze uselessly around his head, doing nothing to muffle the noises of pure delight coming from him. It’s impossible to see with your eyes rolled back, but you can practically feel him grinning against your skin.

Your knuckles are turning white and you wonder for a moment if your nails are tearing holes into your nice sheets, but you can’t focus on such an unnecessary thought for long. “Fuck, Tai. You feel so good,” you whimper, barely audible over the wet noises coming from below. “You always get me so worked up, baby.” A shudder runs down your spin and you feel you’re about to come again. He can tell, from the way you squirm and gasp and clench around him, but he doesn’t back off. Taishiro doubles his efforts to please you, tongue fucking you without rest for what feels like an eternity. You don’t know how many orgasms he forces out of your body; you can hardly remember your own name by the time he releases you to admire his efforts.

“I, uh, maybe overdid it, huh?” Fatgum offers a sheepish laugh at the sight of you. You’re shaking, sweat pouring off of you as you struggle to catch your breath; your clit is throbbing almost painfully from his touches and your cunt feels so drenched you’d be surprised if you weren’t staining the sheets. “You okay down there, sweetie?”

“Peachy,” you gasp out half-jokingly. “Just gimme a minute here. Fuck…”

Your fiance stretches, so tall he still has to remain slightly curled up to keep your faces level as he settles above you. He waits for you to calm down, leaving kisses all over your neck and lips and you’re extremely aware how soaked his face is from you. The two of you have done this far too many times for it to embarrass you, but you still feel heat rising to your cheeks when you’re reminded how good he makes you feel and how much he loves doing it.

Eventually you manage to get your body under control and wrap your arms around his broad shoulders. “Com on big guy, let’s take care of you.” Taishiro nods happily, reaching between your bodies to position himself. Even in his skinnier form his dick is huge; only losing a bit of girth from his normal size, he’s definitely big enough to hurt you if he didn’t spend so much time preparing you to take him. He moves slow, giving your much smaller body time to adjust to the thick head of his cock spreading you open inch by inch.

“I got ya, honeybun,” he coos in your ear, brushing your increasingly messy hair out of your eyes. “Nice an’ easy, you’re doin’ so good.” He slips halfway into you and finally starts thrusting, keeping his eyes on yours to see how you feel. You pull him down for a kiss, hiding your moan as he slides deeper with his movements and offering him a sweet little smile of encouragement. “Y’know it’s nice when I get to be on top, lets me do all the work and take care of ya, and all you gotta do is lie there for me,” he huffs, working himself further into your willing cunt until, after several careful minutes of work, he manages to bottom out.

You’re in total bliss, you’ll never get tired of the sensation of being completely stretched and filled like this as long as you live. He pulls out and back in a few times for confirmation before his pace increases. “That’s it, baby. You’re so good to me,” you pant, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to wrap your legs around him and pull him closer. He keeps his hands on the bed to brace himself above you, if only to avoid crushing you with his huge size, but his mouth more than makes up for the lack of contact. You’re being kissed nonstop, only separating to breathe or offer half-formed compliments about how good all of it feels. One noticeably deep thrust forces the air out of your lungs and leaves you gasping for more. “Right there, love. Really- ah! I wanna feel it nice and hard…”

“You sure about that?” He grunts, reaching your hip and pulling you up just a bit to hit a spot he knows drives you crazy. Your eyes snap shut in response, chest heaving with effort.

“I don’t want to walk tomorrow,” you confirm, only half serious but it’s all the approval he needs to slam forward like a battering ram and you see stars. “T-Taishiro, just like that, love you so much...” the words spill mindlessly out of your mouth as you’re completely lost in his attention.

He’s right there with you, desperately close after hours of waiting to feel you wrapped around his dick like this. “Ah honey, me too.” One massive hand comes up to cup your cheek, your eyes meeting his with a look of complete happiness. “Hell, I’m gonna…” he trails off, choking out a rough moan of your name and you can feel the sudden, warm flood of him coming hard inside you, overflowing out of your stuffed pussy and running down your spread thighs. He keeps up a determined effort to maintain his rhythm for you, releasing your face to drag his fingers down your body. He only needs to stroke your sensitive clit for a few seconds before you join him, clamping down hard on his cock and holding on to his strong arms like your life depends on it.

Fatgum lets you wear yourself out, waiting for your shivering to subside before he pulls out of you. The sheets are an absolute mess, rumpled and stained from both of your release, but he’ll deal with that later. With a heavy thud he flops down on the mattress beside you, sharing a laugh while you recover. “Man, I gotta get my ass kicked more often,” he jokes. “That view from the top is incredible!”

“Noooo,” you protest weakly, slapping a sweaty hand against his chest. You lay there in comfortable silence for a minute, wearing matching grins and enjoying the peace until his stomach starts growling.

“You want anything while I’m up?” He’s already moving, hopping out of bed to wrap a robe around himself.

You shake your head, bones feeling like lead. “Gonna need some time here, you go ahead.” He shoots you a thumbs up and disappears into the kitchen, returning minutes later with half of a cake and a bottle of water for you. You accept it gratefully, sitting up and looking at the disaster that is your bed. “Guess I should get some laundry started.”

Taishiro smirks at you. “It can wait,” he wipes his mouth, setting his food safely out of the way on the dresser. “ ‘Cause as soon as you’re ready, we’re gonna make good on that promise about you not walkin’ tomorrow.”

You’re going to have a very busy, exhausting week until he gets himself back to normal.

Could you possibly do a Dean Winchester x reader where they start a prank war with each other because they would rather do that than admit their feelings for each other?

First of all, thank you so so much for sending in a request and please send in more! Second of all, I totally loved this request so much! This piece was a labor of love but I was so in love with the concept. 

I hope I lived up to your imagination and you love the piece as much as I do!

Alls Fair in Love and Prank War

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Warnings: Minor cussing

Slam. Crash.

You slid into the library on socked feet and fell into the nearest chair across from Sam. With shaky hands, you calmed the flyaway hair from your face and then grabbed the closest book. Sam looked at you bewildered for a second. 

“What the hell is going on?” 

“Quick, act like you’re talking to me.” 

“I am talking to you?” Sam questioned.

You waved your hand at him absentmindedly as you watched the library door. “Shush, just act like you’re talking to me about something normal.” 

Sam scrunched his brow at you, his eyes darting to the door to follow your gaze. “What was that sound?” 

“Y/N! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?” Dean bellowed from down the hall. 

Immediately, you opened the book and flung your head down just in time for Dean to come stomping in the room. Slipping a calm and collected smile on, you glanced up at him.

“Oh hey, Dean, what’s up?” You said before looking back down at the ancient book.

Dean scowled at you and then over to Sam, who was trying to stifle a giggle. “What’s up?! What’s up is this!” He gestured at himself and you had to hold back a laugh at him in an undershirt and boxers, covered in white cream.

“Wow, did you decide to start shaving below the neck? I gotta say, I don’t think that’s gonna be the best look for you, Deano.” You quipped, feigning innocence. 

“Shaving below th-NO! You tricked me into thinking there was pie and then when I ran into the kitchen, I slipped on shaving cream and ran into the cabinet.” He growled. He was trying to wipe off the shaving cream but it kept puffing in the air and landing on his body again. 

“Wow, Dean, that is really...” Sam started but trailed off when Dean shot him a murderous glare. 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Dean, but I have no idea who could have spilled all that shaving cream. I would give them a piece of your mind when you find them.” You batted your eyelashes at him sweetly. 

Dean huffed and put his hands on his hips sternly. “I heard you calling for me and saying we had pie. I know it was you, Y/N.” 

“Purely speculation, there’s no proof.” You grinned like a cheshire cat. “Can you please go take a shower? I’ve got a lot of research to do and the smell is giving me a headache.” 

He pursed his lips in frustration and started to run his hand through his hair before realizing his hand was completely covered. He turned to walk out the door, but just before he left, he murmured over his shoulder, “you are so gonna regret starting this, kid.” Then the door slammed shut. 

It was silent in the room and you let out a deep breath you had been holding. You looked up and made eye contact with Sam, who was smirking at you. 

“What?!” You exclaimed.

Sam snorted slightly, “why do you do that to him?” 

“What are you talking about, Sammy?” You twisted your body so you were looking at him directly. 

“Why do you love getting him so worked up? He’s always in such a bad mood after you pull pranks on him.” 

You shrugged and avoided Sam’s eyes, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s just harmless pranks. It’s not my fault he’s wound up tighter than a two dollar watch.” 

Sam raised an eyebrow at you, his smirk growing. “You sure that’s all it is?” 

“What else would it be?” You flipped through the pages of the book, barely reading the words on the page. 

“Maybe the fact that you have feelings for him but you’re too chicken to say anything about it?” 

“You’re way off base there, Sammy.” You slammed the book closed and shot up out of the chair, frowning at him. “I’m just here to kill monsters and give you two a laugh every now and again because you’re both way too uptight. There’s nothing more to it. Now, I’ll be in my room if you need me.” 

You stormed out with your head held high, only pausing for a fraction of a second when Sam called out, “you know he’s gonna get you back for that, right?” 

“I’d like to see him try.” You scoffed casually before disappearing around the corner. 

~~~ 

It had been three days and the incident had been completely put out of your mind. Dean had been acting completely normal, well as normal as he could get. He had stayed out of the bunker for the most part but you hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. 

You had gone about your business and now you were gearing up for a fun night out with the boys at the bar down the street. The perfect outfit was laid out and you had taken a long shower with the works of shaving, moisturizing, and pampering. 

Just as you had slipped on your towel, there was a knock on the door and Sam’s head popped in the room, “hey, we’re all ready to go as soon as you are.” 

“Awesome, I just need to dry my hair and throw on a little makeup. Gimme 15 minutes and I’ll be all good.” 

You hustled over to the counter and slipped on your underwear and bra before snatching up your hair dryer. You flipped the switch on and there was a giant puff of white, and before you realized what happened, your entire head was covered in talcum powder. Panicking, you turned the dryer off and blinked hard, trying to keep it from falling into your eyes. 

A giant marshmallow was staring back at you in the mirror and rage was bubbling up inside your chest. A high pitch scream mixed with a growl of frustration came out of you as you tried to wipe the power out of your hair, but with each swipe, it turned into a slimy mess. 

“Dean, you’re such a jackass!” You screamed into the hall. 

Sly as a fox, Dean rounded the corner and leaned against the door frame, a devilishly grin on his face. “Whoa, Casper, I thought I ganked you a while ago.” 

You narrowed your eyes at Dean furiously and shot your fist out to hit his shoulder. The hit landed perfectly on his bicep and he jumped in surprise.

 “You are such an asshole for this.” 

“Hey, I told you that you were regret pranking me the other day. An eye for an eye, kiddo.” He chuckled as he rubbed where you’d hit him.

“This is not the same thing, Dean!” You spat bitterly, your cheeks hot with fury. “It’s gonna take me forever to get this out of my hair and I won’t be able to go out with you guys.” 

Dean bit his lip as he looked you up and down then smirked, “I think you should definitely go like this. Guys really go for the Snow White look.” He chortled, completely pleased with himself. 

You growled again, “you want a prank war, well it’s on, asshat. You better sleep with one eye open.” 

You thought for a second that he might be scared, but instead, he leaned forward and winked at you. “It’s so on, sweetheart.” He teased, “oh, by the way, you have something right here.” He gestured to a small space on his cheek.

“Ugh, just get out, you jerk!” You screamed and shoved him out the door before promptly slamming it in his face. 

Dean doubled over laughing, falling against the wall to hold himself up. Sam popped his head out of his bedroom across the hall and sighed heavily at his brothers antics. He already knew that the bunker would be in World War III for weeks after this.

“Why did you do that to her? She was really looking forward to going out tonight.” 

Dean wiped a stray tear out of the corner of his eye. Chuckles were still bubbling out of him every once in a while. “I just love when she gets angry and her face does that cute pinchy thing.” 

“It’s like you’re five years old, Dean, and you keep pulling on her pigtails. Just tell her that you like her already. It’s tiring for all of us.” Sam rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, almost daring Dean to disagree with him. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sammy. I just think it’s funny to make such a tiny girl angry. Besides, she should have known better than pranking me, I’m the Prank King.” Dean beat his fists on his chest like a gorilla as he paced back and forth. 

“No, you’re an idiot, and she’s not gonna take this lying down.” Dean made a pfft sound and waved off Sam’s statement before sauntering down the hall like he was cock of the walk. “I’m just saying, leave me out of this!” Sam called out one final plea. 

~~~

It had been the longest week of Sam’s life. Every moment he had gone to relax, Dean and Y/N were pulling some type of elaborate prank of each other, and it was all giving him a headache. All of this pranking and teasing had transported him back to middle school where it was all the rage to be mean to your crush. 

Over the week, he had watched you put Baby’s keys in jello in retaliation for the talcum powder hair dryer. You had laughed for a full hour in Dean’s face while he berated you for getting his keys all sticky and ‘there was just no way they would ever be the same again’.

The next day, to counter your jello attack, he had watched from the sidelines as Dean had meticulously covered every single one of your belongings in tin foil. Sam was almost positive he had seen steam come out of your ears when you laid eyes on the silver wasteland. 

He was currently sitting at the kitchen table watching you make a cherry pie with lots of whipped cream. You were in your own little world but every once in a while, you would giggle to yourself before remembering you weren’t alone. 

“Hey, Y/N?” Sam finally forced himself to ask.

You hmmed in response, barely even glancing up at him, and continued to lather on the sugary substance. 

“I hate to assume anything, but would you mind telling me what you’re planning on doing with that pie?” 

Your head snapped up and you had a wicked smile on your face. “Oh this pie here? This pie is reserved for ol’ Deano’s snarky mug.” Sam grimaced at the answer. “What’s gonna happen is, I’m gonna have you call for him to come into the kitch-” 

“No, no, no, I’m not involved in this and never will be. You both are being ridiculous and I will not be a party to you ignoring your feelings for each other.” Sam was pacing around like a crazy person, nostrils flaring fiercely. “So ya know what, I’m outta here until you two can grow the hell up!” He stalked out of the kitchen, leaving you with your mouth hanging open like a fish. You could hear his boots stomping up the stairs and then the bunker door slammed shut. 

“What the hell was that all about?” You could hear Dean call from the library. 

Adrenaline shot through your veins and you snatched the pie up, racing over to hide by the edge of the door. The second Dean rounded the corner, you slammed the pie right in the middle of his face, smushing it in a little just for the satisfaction. 

You spun on your heel in attempts to get the hell out of Dean’s path of rage, but he grabbed your wrist at the last second to pull you back to him. The floor was covered in whipped cream and cherry filling and as you fell backwards onto him, your foot slipped and your momentum sent you both tumbling to the ground. 

You huffed as you landed hard on to Dean’s chest, slamming your elbow on the hard linoleum in the process. 

“Ow ow shit ow shit shit shit.” You muttered, tears pricking in your eyes. 

Dean quickly sat up and tried to wipe as much whipped cream off his face as possible before adjusting you on his lap. “Oh, Y/N, I’m so sorry. Shit, I did not mean for that to happen.” He tucked you in closer and cradled your elbow delicately.

You let yourself relax into him for a minute, willing the stubborn tears to disappear. “What are you even sorry for, Dean? This whole stupid thing was my fault, I’m the one who started with the pranks.” Your voice was shaky as a tear rolled down your cheek. 

He sighed before reaching up to remove the tear but instead leaving a trail of whipped cream. He closed his eyes in defeat at forgetting he was covered in dessert. You let out a croaky laugh at the look on his face. 

The feeling of his touch on your skin felt like sparks shooting through you. “This isn’t all your fault, ya know. I could have been an adult and not retaliate.” Your gaze cast down to the ground, trying to ignore the way he was causing your whole body to cover in goosebumps. “But I did have a lot of fun with you this week.” 

You looked back up at him in disbelief. “You did?” 

“Of course I did,” he grinned, causing his eyes to crinkle at the sides, “It was the most fun I’d had in awhile. I wasn’t thinking about monsters wanting to kill me or Sam’s mental health, I was just being a guy.” 

“I had a lot of fun with you too, D.” You said, laying your head against the pocket of his shoulder. 

The sound of his heart beating through his chest was comforting to you and you had almost completely forgotten about the ache in your elbow. 

“Besides,” His gruff voice sent vibrations into your ear, “all your attention was on me all week, so that was pretty great.” 

Your stomach flipped in exhilaration. “Why would that be a great thing?” You hoped you weren’t going in a wrong direction with this. It felt impossible that he could even remotely feel the same way as you.

Dean reached up and tilted your chin, forcing you to look at him. He was covered in a slimy layer of sugar but he had never looked more handsome to you.

“Because it felt great to not be competing with other guys when all I want is for you to spend time with me.” His voice was hesitant and unsteady because the anxious part of him was still telling him that you didn’t like him back. 

You swallowed thickly and powered through the jumbled nerves, “Honestly, Dean, you’re never competing with other guys. They would lose to you every time.” Dean let out a deep breath he’d been holding in and tightened his hold around you causing your body to mesh with his. His eyes were sparkling with happiness and the feeling of his eyes on you was making your heart soar. 

Dean brought his lips to yours, hardly a whisper away, and you could feel his breath heating up your face. The smell of whipped cream was mixing with his cologne and the scent was fogging your brain. You slipped your arm around his shoulder and pulled him to close the distance. 

He inhaled deeply and pulled you closer, his lips melding with yours in a tender kiss and the taste of him was making you forget your own name. Vaguely, you could feel his arms snaking around your waist but all you could think about was the heavenly feeling of his plump lips and his tongue sweeping into your mouth, your bodies pulsing together in harmony.

“Ahem.” 

You and Dean broke the kiss and your gaze raised to find Sam with his hands on his hips, eyebrows raised up in exasperation. He looked down at you two in a pile of pie and whipped cream, you draped over Dean’s lap, and you both intensely making out. 

Dean let out an airy laugh as you let your forehead fall against his shoulder. 

“I guess you got your wish, Sammy.” Dean said as he casually caressed your back. Sam’s face pinched up with disgust and he ran a hand over his face. 

“I seriously did not think this through...” He muttered, frustration lacing his voice. 

You laughed and snuggled your face into Dean’s neck, mortified at being caught in such a compromising position in the first place. Dean tightened his hold on the backs of your legs and stood up, his strong arms holding you with no problem. 

“Now if you’ll excuse us, Sammy, I’ve got to clean up and I believe Y/N deserves a little payback for the pie in my face.” He growled lightly and whisked you down the hall to his room, your laugh bouncing off the walls.

Caveman part 3

Part 2

Okay hi. I know it’s been forever but I’ve written up to part 5 so I’ll be posting part 4, 5 and 6 during this week!! 

Word count: +4600

Warnings: none, swears... the usual

Tags: @jenn0755 @zappyzoodle @disturbthepearls @lost-in-the-stories @lithesxx @racingandreigns @rocketgirl2410 @vebner37 @therianfurry46 @littlelunaticfringe @finnbalorlover21 @winged-time-criminal @mrsnegan25 @xfirespritex @wefunloveruniverse @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk @scuzmunkie @buckyaboveall

Four days went by since the kiss. Baron hasn’t spoken to me since that night and Roman has only talked about tutoring. I shouldn’t be as upset about this as I am but I couldn't help it. I finally kissed the guy of my dreams and now he acts like nothing happened. I can’t even tell my best friend about it. 

Baron came into study hall late that day. After weeks of him avoiding me, he scanned the room for an open seat and plopped down right next to me. “You look upset.” He asked quietly. He kept his head down and his eyes didn't meet mine at all. “Are you okay?” Although his words were caring, they seemed to bite me. I’m sure he really didn't care to ask me these questions but he did anyway. 

“Not really, no.” I responded, keeping my words as soft as Baron’s were. 

“Is it my fault?” He asked. 

Here’s when I finally realized what was happening. Baron asked because he thought it was him that was making me upset. I couldn’t tell him the truth; that it was actually Roman that was making me feel this way. He’d never speak to me again. “Why’d you stop talking to me?” Was the only thing I thought to say. I really didn’t want to lose my best friend right now. 

“Lindsey, you know how much I hate Roman,” I cut him off there. I didn't mean to, but I just did. Why the hell am I always defending Roman? I really need to stop that. 

“Why should that matter? I’m your best friend and just because you don't like the guy I’m tutoring you feel the need to avoid me?” I snap. I really didn't mean to snap, but I couldn't help it. 

“You aren’t just tutoring him, Lindsey. You know that it isn’t just tutoring. You’ve loved him since the 6th grade. You’re getting involved with him, there are rumors about you all around the school, you spend everyday with him in the library- I’m not the only one who notices that. You kissed him.” He kissed me. I wanted to correct him, but I knew better than to do that. “Don’t gimme that look, whatever, he kissed you. It doesn't matter. He’s bad news.”

“You know that’s all you ever say. He’s bad. How? What does he do?” I asked. I was starting to get annoyed and Baron was too. Our voices were way louder than they were at the beginning of this talk. 

“Ms. Walsh, Mr. Corbin… please. If you two are going to speak so loud and disturb everyone else, please go outside.” 

“Sorry, Mrs. Packer.” Baron apologized and walked out of the classroom, leaving in the center of staring students. 

Fuck. “Sorry.” I apologized quickly after and ran out behind Baron. I kept my head down and hoped I wouldn’t make eye contact with any of them. 

I followed Baron out to the courtyard. I expected him to stay inside but I guess he knew he was about to scream. The second he heard the door behind us close, he whipped around and began his rant. “He’s using you, Lindsey. He’s getting good grades and now he has a stupid little doll to play with too!” He spat. 

Out of everything Baron has said to me, that was the worst. “Stupid little doll? You didn't just call me that, did you?” I really was expecting Baron to retract his previous statement. But not only did he stick with it, he ran with it. 

“Yeah. A stupid little doll. Don’t look at me like you’re the victim, I know damn well why you’re actually upset. Don’t forget, Lindsey, I’ve been your friend for years and I know you!” His voice was now way above his normal volume, I was right about the courtyard thing. 

“Oh yeah, and why am I upset?” I surpassed Baron in volume. He makes me so mad sometimes. 

“You’re upset because Roman kissed you, he shoved his tongue down your throat and you got nothing out of it. I saw you in the car with your little dumbstruck look. You can’t act like you don’t care. Roman made you feel all special and now he’s doing what he does best, ripping hearts out! He made you think that he cares about you and now he’s proving that he doesn’t!” 

I didn’t have a response, I just let him scream at me. Maybe Baron was right. Roman doesn’t care about me. 

“And the worst part about all of this is that now I have to deal with your dumb ass. You’re all heart broken over a dumb jock, now I gotta clean it up. You’re such a stupid person and I really thought you were smarter than this! But you’re no better than those blond idiots in all those high school movies we used to watch!” I was done taking it. He was crossing the line now. 

“Then fuck off! If you feel so burdened to deal with me, then leave me alone! I didn’t ask you for your advice, I didn't tell you to fuckin’ ask how I was, and I didn’t even bring this up. I asked why you started avoiding me and you blamed it on the kid I tutor! This is your fault! Not mine, Corbin!” 

I couldn’t tell you where in my response my voice started to waver. Or where my eyes started to tear. But by the end, I was crying and I hated myself for it. Maybe this was all because I was gonna get my period. Maybe this was when I finally realized that I might lose my best friend. Or maybe I was crying because I already lost him. 

I didn’t feel like Baron was right though. Usually, after we fight, either him or I feel awful and beg for forgiveness. I didn’t have the feeling of regret in my gut, I was mad and upset that Baron didn’t see Roman how I did. And look, I know what they all say, you’re best friends know you better than you do. And if they don’t like the guy, he’s no good. But this was different. 

Baron noticed my tears but didn't let up. He kept screaming. About what exactly, I didn’t know. It just seemed that now he was yelling at me about everything that I’ve ever done that bothered him. I really didn’t think this verbal beatdown was gonna let up anytime soon, until I saw someone running towards us out of the corner of my eye. Teacher? I hope not. Security Guard? Not likely. Student? Definitely. But who? Roman? No way. Wait, that is Roman…

-

Where is she? I had finished the first half of my sandwich, something that I don’t usually do before Lindsey comes in. I knew she was here today. I checked my phone. No text. So I texted her and I figured I’d finish my first sandwich. If she didn’t come in or text back, I’d go look for her. 

She still didn’t come in after I finished the rest of my first sandwich and there was no text so I walked out into the halls to find her. I walked in the opposite direction of the cafeteria and headed toward the language hall, her 5th period study hall was there. 

From down the hall I saw a bunch of people looking into the courtyard and that’s when I saw it. I saw Baron first (the guy’s like 6 ‘5) but then I saw Lindsey standing right in front of him. They looked like they were just talking. I felt something stir in my gut as I got closer and saw what was actually happening. Baron stood towering over her and screaming his head off. Normally, if I saw something like this, I wouldn’t jump to do anything about it. But this time, I had to. 

I picked up the pace and ran towards the door, that something I felt stirring in my gut earlier turned into blind rage and jealousy. I practically broke through the door that was standing in between Lindsey and I. When I heard Baron’s volume, I got even more angry. Nobody talks to her that way. I had the urge to protect her, she was so tiny and cute and sweet and so… mine. Baron was mistreating someone that was mine. I felt rage brewing inside me from my head to my toes. I wanted to kill him. Lindsey is mine and he can’t have her. 

-

I felt Roman’s large hands grab my hips and pulled me forcefully towards his brick-wall like chest. He leaned down and asked if I was okay and I quickly whispered yes. He moved instantly, creating a barrier between me and Baron. “Fuck off, man! Haven’t you screamed at her enough?” He didn’t know I was crying yet. 

Baron’s words stopped short when he saw Roman approaching but he didn’t lose any aggressiveness. “Roman, I swear if you know what’s good for you you’ll fuck off.” Baron growled. 

In my personal opinion, the only person truly able to stand toe-to-toe with Roman, was Baron. Both in size and intimidation factor. Baron is actually a couple inches taller than Roman but because Roman plays football and lacrosse, he’s a little bigger. Roman is most likely heavier too and probably stronger. Baron is no string bean, but Roman holds most, if not all, of the current weight room lifting maxes so many people wouldn’t choose to go up against him. But Baron did and he didn’t look scared. 

“I don’t care what’s good for me. You’re screaming at a sweet girl who probably didn’t do anything to deserve it. So it’s you who better fuck off, or you’re gonna be late for class.” Roman’s words were calm, a lot calmer than his first statement. With that, Roman turned to face me. “We got studying to do, Lindsey.” Between his words with Baron and his words with me, Roman’s tone changed from a deep growl to his low bass whisper. 

I was really convinced Baron was gonna swing. And I mean, why wouldn’t you? Roman’s back was turned. It’s the perfect time to hit him. But Baron didn’t swing. He didn’t even raise his fist. He just huffed and walked back inside, adjusting his beanie before entering back into the halls. 

Roman’s hands went instantly to my cheeks and he wiped my tears away with his thumbs. “Please don’t cry, sweetheart. I don’t like seeing you cry.” Roman removed his hands from my face and pulled me into his chest. His strong arms held me firmly in place and I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head. “Let’s go inside, yeah? We’re missing lunch.” 

When we arrived at our usual spot in the library, there were almost no eyes on us. Thankfully, the show really began right at the beginning of 6th period so not too many people were able to stop and watch the scene unfold. Apparently, Roman was waiting in our usual spot and after eating his first sandwich, he began to wonder what the hell was taking me so long. He also informed me that he had a sub in math class today so he didn’t have anything to work on, so he wasn’t too nervous about how much time we’d have. But nevertheless, he wanted to find me so he began his journey through the halls while he scarfed down his second sandwich. 

“I got really nervous when I saw him yelling at you. You’re really… little, you know that.” I smiled at his concern.

“Yes, Roman. I know how small I am.” At 5' 5”, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself short, but with Roman standing 8 inches above me at 6’ 3” and Baron standing a hell of a lot taller at  6’ 5”, I often get clumped into the “short” category. 

“I just wish I got out there before he made you cry. I should’ve left right when I realized you were late, instead of eating my sandwich first.” Is he being protective? Does he feel guilty for not coming to save me earlier? “Are you sure you aren’t hurt? I didn’t really get to ask you back there.” Definitely being protective. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” was really all I managed to get out but my brain was pounding. Why did he feel the need to come out? Did he save me because he cared? Does he care about me? Well anyone would come out to save a friend. He called me sweetheart. Woah, I totally missed that one. I was aching to know why he even felt the need to come find me. So I figured, we have nothing to do today so why not ask… right now? 

“Roman, not that I don’t appreciate you coming to get me… because I really do, but why did you?” He looked momentarily confused before answering. 

“Well when I went to look for you I saw you and that gorilla in the courtyard. When I saw him standing there with you I got annoyed ‘cause he’s always causing problems. Then when I realized he was yelling at you, I knew I had to go get you.” Roman’s answer was simple but, of course, it didn’t satisfy me. 

What was I expecting? ‘I came out to save you because I love you?’ C’mon Lindsey, get real. 

I guess he noticed my facial expression. I still looked confused, I still felt confused. Roman looked confused too. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just really protective over you,” he mumbled. Protective as a friend or protective as more than that? “I just really hate when people are mean to you, I guess.” 

“You say this like it’s happened before.” I said. I couldn’t say what was in my head. Roman did just admit to being protective and I wanted to know why. 

“Well, yeah. When I got suspended.” Roman said easily. He seemed sure that I knew about that. 

“What? What do you mean when you got suspended?” 

“You didn’t hear? The kid I beat up was talking about you and I didn’t like it.” Throughout his sentence, Roman’s voice got quieter. His jaw clenched and he tensed up. It was as if he was remembering what the kid said and was getting angry all over again. 

I put my hand on his shoulder. “What did he say?” I asked while my hand moved down his arm. I smiled to myself at the small small goosebumps my hand left behind. 

“He was talking to me about how hot you were. He kept saying how hard he’d fuck you. He was talking about you like you were some kind of slut.” Roman’s voice remained a quiet growl as he told me what happened. After hearing the kid say how hard he’d fuck me for the fourth time, Roman had enough. Without warning, Roman punched the kid and they had a fist fight in the hallway. Over me. 

I didn’t know what to say, but my mind was going wild. HE GOT INTO A FIST FIGHT OVER ME. Mutual acquaintances don’t get into fist fights for each other and ‘just friends’ don’t either. I waited a second before changing the subject, I needed to cool down. My mind was all over the place and I was freaking out, I hoped not in an obvious way. I wanted to know more about it, I wanted to ask him why he cared. But I knew I couldn’t. I didn’t want him to close off again, I just got him talking. 

“Today though, when you turned your back to talk to me didn’t you know Baron was right there? What if he hit you?” I saw that Roman’s expression change slightly after I changed the topic. Was he disappointed? 

“I did that because I knew he wanted to hit me. He wasn’t gonna to hit me if I stayed facing him, so I gave him a chance. I don’t know if Baron is miraculously strong or something but one hit probably wouldn't have done much, plus I was expecting to get hit so I figured it wouldn’t kill me.” Roman explained all this so easily. He is actually quite smart and if he thought about math with the same depth as a fist fight, he probably wouldn’t need me. 

Although I changed the subject I was really having a hard time with what he had said earlier. So I continued to ask him questions and we kept our conversation casual as lunch came to an end. 

I spent the rest of the day replaying Roman’s words over and over in my head. ‘I’m just really protective over you.’ ‘The kid I beat up was talking about you and I didn’t like it.’ I was really starting to convince myself that maybe he did actually like me. Maybe he even wanted me. But each and every time my mind went wild with it’s fantasies, Baron’s voice was there in my head to bring me back. 

-

Ok. Deep breath, Roman. Figure out what you’re gonna say to her. I was beyond panicked on my way to her house today at lunch I told her too much. I admitted to her how protective I get over her. I didn’t want to. It was her eyes, I swear. Her stupid, sparkly eyes: they were staring into my soul and I couldn’t stop talking. She makes me crazy, but in a good way. She makes me crazy but I’d go crazier without her, ya know? What the hell am I saying? Nevermind, man. Think about what you’re gonna tell her. 

“Lindsey, I’m not looking for anything serious right now.” No, that's terrible. 

“You’re hot but I can’t have you attached to me.” Wow, douche. 

“I like someone else…” What are you trying to do? Rip her heart out? 

“Friends with benefits?” Nope. 

“Lindsey, I am irrationally afraid of feeling anything, therefore I cannot form any type of relationship with any person. For the fear that I will feel is much stronger than any attraction I can ever have.” Nice, dude. Real broad and… subtle, even. 

“Fuck!” Perfect. I’ll walk up to her front door, and yell fuck in her face. 

I pulled into her driveway and I still had nothing. The worst part was that I didn’t even know what I wanted to say, let alone how I was gonna word it. Did I want her? Did I not? Maybe feelings wouldn’t be too bad. No. Hell no. Like Dad said, feelings are for little girls.

I took a deep breath before getting out of my car and I tried to clear my head before getting to her front door. You got this, just tell her and don’t lie. 

She opened the door and I lost it. She looked up at my face and smiled before letting me in. Don’t look in her eyes. Her stupid, sparkly, perfect eyes. But it was too late, I looked at her face and got lost in her eyes and her smile. 

Okay, this is okay. I like her face. Just tell her when the time is right. 

-

“Oh fuck.” Oh god I hope he didn’t hear that. I opened the door and couldn’t stop myself from speaking out loud. He was wearing flannel pajama pants and a tight black tee shirt. I don’t know what it is, but I think guys always look so fucking hot in those pants. He had to have noticed I was checking him out.

But he didn’t. My eyes made their way up to his face and he looked pretty out of it. Maybe I shouldn’t bring up the kiss right away. 

His eyes met mine and I felt my face heat up. “So what do you have for me today?” I asked, keeping my voice level, as I let him in. He looked possessed as he walked past me 

-

I wish she was mine.

-

“Huh? Oh!” Roman snapped out of his little spell and put his backpack down to dig through it. “Functions and stuff… I think.” 

-

Smooth. Fucking idiot. 

-

Roman finally found his folder and sat in his usual seat at the table. I tried to calm down before sitting down next to him so we could start the problems and finish this as soon as possible. 

Oh my god he smells so good. 

We had been doing problems for about 30 minutes now and I was really fucking up a lot. Functions were so easy and I had already gotten 3 questions wrong.

This was the first time I’ve ever felt nervous while tutoring Roman. With every mistake I made, it felt like my face went up in flames. I was second guessing myself. 

Roman was making me stupid. 

RED ALERT: A boy is making you stupid. RED ALERT: you like a boy so much he’s making you dumb and nervous! 

“... Then you subtract these and you get 18.” 

“Lindsey, the answer key says 67.” Roman corrected. This was the fourth time tonight he’s corrected me and he still sounded shocked. I was shocked too. 

“Oh, yeah. You’re supposed to add the two numbers, not subtract them. Sorry, I guess I’m just a little…” madly in love with you and obsessing over the fact that you kissed me “…distracted.” 

“Fuck… I knew the kiss would make things weird.” Roman pushed his paper away and turned to face me. “Look, I know you already think I’m a douchebag and this is gonna make it worse but I can’t date anyone right now.” His eyes looked apologetic. Like he knew this was going to crush me. Or maybe it was crushing him. No, it definitely wasn’t crushing him. 

oh.

“My dad said no distractions during football season. He’d kill me, Lindsey.” Roman inched closer to me. 

I fell in love with how my name sounded coming from his lips. Fuck. Okay, Lindsay calm down. It’s gonna be okay. You knew this was gonna happen, he doesn’t want to be with you. I didn’t know what to say. I felt like an idiot. 

You’ve been quiet for too long. Say something! 

“Wait. Roman, slow down.” What are you about to say idiot?  “I don’t want a relationship either.” Yes you do, stupid. Stop. 

Roman’s eyes looked hopeful. “You don’t?” 

No, Roman. I’m in love with you. “Yeah, I’m not looking for anything serious with anyone.” 

-

She isn’t? Honestly I was hoping she’d press a little so I could give in. At least then I’d be able to tell myself I tried. 

“What if we just had a casual thing? No Label. No obligation.” My voice got quieter and I placed my hand on her thigh. I wasn’t thinking, I had no clue what I was doing. 

That’s a terrible idea dude. You, out of all people, are suggesting an open relationship. You’re the most jealous person ever. 

I needed to stop but I couldn’t. Her eyes were begging me to continue. 

-

I felt Roman’s large hand trail up my thigh. My heart rate picked up and butterflies began flying in my stomach. I hated when Roman made me feel like this, I’m completely defenseless.

Roman inched his way even closer to me. I felt hypnotized. “Like friends with benefits?” I whispered. This is gonna rip your heart out, Lindsey.

-

“Yeah.” I whispered back to her while I leaned in even more. Don’t do this to her. Don’t do this to yourself. I knew I needed to stop but I didn’t. I felt drawn to her. My brain didn’t work right when I was around her. 

-

My eyes fluttered shut and I moved in to meet his lips. I involuntarily moaned into the kiss, his lips were warm and full like they were last time. But this time, for some reason, it was better. I missed his lips. I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I was kissing him. 

Roman responded to my moan by lifting me onto his lap. I have to admit I was quite impressed and turned on by how effortlessly he lifted me.

I felt him harden underneath me and I smiled against his lips. I moved my hands from his shoulders to free his hair from the perfect bun it was tied back in. Roman bucked his hips up as I laced my fingers through his thick black hair. 

Everything about this kiss was different from the first one. This one wasn’t desperate or rushed, it was perfect. Or rather, it should’ve been perfect. The situation was far from perfect and I hated myself for allowing this. But I kissed him nonetheless. I couldn’t stop myself. 

It was safe to say that we forgot about the math. Thank god my parents were away. Roman’s hands gripped my waist and he began moving my hips. I kept my hands in his hair and started moving my hips so he didn’t have to. Roman pulled away from my lips and moved to kiss my neck. 

-

Holy shit. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Her hands felt so good in my hair. I instantly knew I would crave this every day. I just wish I told her how I felt. Maybe then I wouldn’t be so mad at myself for wanting her so bad. 

-

Roman’s phone rang at 10:07, it was his father. 

“Oh fuck.” Roman said as he pulled away. He set a distinct ringtone for his father and we had both recognized it. 

We both knew that Roman was in trouble. He looked at me with fear in his eyes and I apologized profusely. 

-

“Don’t apologize, Lindsey.” I said as a lifted her off me and gently placed her on her feet. 

It’s me who should apologize. 

-

“Hey Dad-” I could hear Roman’s father yelling at him through the phone. I couldn’t believe Roman didn’t look phased, I was terrified and he wasn’t even yelling at me. 

“Yeah, I know I’m late but there was a tree down on Fern street so I had to go around.” I raised my eyebrows at him. He thought of that quickly. 

I wonder how many times he’s needed to make up excuses because of girls. It’s pretty obvious that he’s done it before. 

“Lindsey, I gotta go. My dad’s pissed if you couldn’t tell.” He said, throwing things into his backpack. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that he grabbed my shoulders, pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, and ran out the door. 

I stood there in shock as I heard his car speed off into the night. I couldn’t believe I said okay. I couldn’t believe I told Roman I wasn’t looking for anything. I am madly in love with him. When he kissed me and I was so excited for something to come from it. I wanted to call him mine. I wanted to wear his jersey to football and lacrosse games, I wanted to go to prom with him, I wanted so many things and I just threw it all away for friends with benefits. 

-

I can’t believe she just wanted to be friends with benefits. I can’t believe I told her I didn’t want to date her. God, why did I assume that she’d push me. I had played it over and over in my head, too. I’d tell her I couldn’t date anyone during football season and she’d give me that look and I’d fold. I’d tell her the truth, how I really felt. Then I would finally have her. But I fucked it up. I agreed to an open relationship. Why didn’t I just tell her? I wish I had the balls to stand up to my dad, but every time I have a chance I just… don’t take it. 

part 4... coming later this week!

Survey #250

"you’re so pretty, dripping sin.”

Do you plan on having children in the future? No. How big is your house? It's very small. Two bedroom, one bathroom. Do you believe that the world will actually end? Humanity, yes. The planet being inhabitable, probably at some point. The universe itself, life itself, won't, though. Describe your handwriting: Very fancy/fluid, a weird mix of cursive and print. Can you speak any other languages than your first language? Some German, but not a lot by now. I've lost a lot of memory of it. If you could speak another, which would it be? I wanna be fluent in German, but it's not something I pursue 'cuz I guess like... why. I don't think I'll ever really apply it to my life, nor is it something I'm DYING to do, so paying for classes just seems. Idk. What is one trend you think is stupid? I don't care. Let people enjoy things. Do you ever watch any soap operas? No. Do you ever get goodnight or good morning texts from people? Not usually. If I do, it's only ever Sara. When did you last go to the doctor and what for? I'm assuming you mean a general doctor, in which case, I think it was just a regular check-up a month or so back. Are you socially awkward? To a painful degree that I'm incredibly sick of. Can't be in a social situation and not feel uncomfortable even if it saved my ass. Would you rather watch a comedy movie or horror movie? It would depend on my mood, but horror would usually win. Do you know where your family came from? Europe. If you could choose to be any mythical character, which would you choose? Realistically, probably like, an elf or something 'cuz they're pretty unlike me so it'd be a nice change. :^) Where are both of your parents right at this moment? Mom's at church, and Dad is probably at home 'cuz it's Sunday. Have you ever seen a movie so ridiculous you couldn’t watch the rest? Yep. Does it make you angry when people text short messages back? If I'm seriously trying to have a conversation, it doesn't make me *angry*, just aggravated. What is your favorite animal and why? Meerkats. I could write a damn essay on why, but I'm not up for it, so basically, they are just extremely interesting animals with serious fire in a foot-tall body. Are you satisfied with your gender? Yeah. Have you ever kept a successful diary before? Not really. Well, I guess for short periods of time. I'd call them just "journals," though. It was something to do every time I stayed in the hospital, a good, insightful thing even, and just really at my lowest times, it helped me, but I never stuck to it. Are you good at admitting your problems? I think I'm very honest about them, really. Have you ever had a hangover? No. What is something you’re looking for in the next three months? I don't know. What’s something you normally cannot spell on your own? I have trouble with certain words where "e" or "a" could both easily be used (ex., "independEnce"), so I rely on spellcheck with words like those a lot. Looks or personality? Which is more important to you? Personality. Do you know any strippers? I don’t think so. How many times have you dyed your hair? Holy fuck idk. What is something that reminds you of your childhood? Cranium games. Do you think you eat healthy? I think I eat decently. Since I started paying attention to calories, I improved a lot. How would you describe your style of speech? Are you a fast/slow speaker? Do you stutter often? Generally, I think I speak quietly (but sometimes actually too loud, according to Mom) at a pretty normal pace, sometimes kinda fast, but I stutter a lot. When was the last time you’ve visited a family member’s house? What was the occasion? I haven't been to anyone's in a while... I think the last time was when I went to Ashley's to babysit my nephew a few months ago. Have you ever tried to construct a language? How do you feel about fictional languages (such as Dothraki and Klingon)? Not really. One of my old RP friends and I kinda-sorta had this "ancient meerkat language," but it was faaaar from developed. I don't feel any particular way about fake languages. Were you born and raised into a certain religion? What was it and have you changed your religion? Yes, Roman Catholicism. I've changed my religion quite a few times... Well, I don't like "changed." It just developed away from what was instilled in my head as a little kid. How do you usually feel when one of your favorite television or book series end? This doesn't apply to me really, because I haven't been involved in those things for a long time. The only one that I really cared about/was watching when it was current content was Meerkat Manor. I was sooooo so bummed out. That show had such, such, SUCH a colossal impact on my life. What do you like most about your town or neighborhood? Nothing. Well, it's small. Are you looking forward to any upcoming events? I'm obviously anticipating Mom starting chemo this week, but also very nervous. I don't want to see the physical toll it takes on her. What were your first impressions on your current best or closest friend? Lmao it's still funny to this day to me, our start... I just didn't like her. I thought she was over-dramatic and attention-crazed. What would you do if you knew a person that you were not fond of or even disliked, but they considered you as a friend? Would you confront them, avoid them, etc.? "I wouldn’t confront them unless something happened that made it come to a head. I’d try to be civil yet non-committal. It would also depend how I knew them and how much I had to interact with them." <<<< This. It doesn't seem necessary to just randomly walk up to this person and be like "hey you know you're not my friend, right?" Just leave it be unless something occurs where it seems more relevant. What are some things that you do to make you feel relaxed? Listen to music, nap... How often to do go to concerts? What was your favorite experience so far? Not even nearly enough because 1.) I'm not in a position where I can afford tickets and 2.) NO good bands like, ever come here. We only ever have country bands. The only concert I've been to was Alice Cooper, which was great. What is your newest and/or current passion? Newest, uhhhh. Idk man. I have a lot of current passions, but none surpass the Blazing Inferno of Love in my heart for Mark Edward Fischbach. Do you still have a fear that you had held since childhood? If not, how did you overcome one or more of your childhood fears? Yes, dolls. It's really mild now, but still, I really don't like porcelain dolls. What is your favorite type of weather? In general, a moderate snow. To actually be in, ohhhh man, gimme that cool, crisp fall air with a partly cloudy sky, very little to no breeze, depending on how cool it is. Do you watch documentaries? If so, do you have a particular favorite? I love animals docs. Meerkat Manor is of course my favorite. Is there a particular sentence or line from a book that carries a deep meaning to you? What is that sentence/line and why does it speak to you? I'm sure there is, but none immediately come to mind. When's the last time you ate bread? A couple days back for a sandwich. What's the last movie you watched on your own? UHHHHHHHH I think it was The Shining. Great movie, so glad I finally watched it. What about the last movie you watched with another person? Now this I'm unsure about, but I want to say The Lion King (live action) with Dad. What about the last movie you saw at the cinema? Was it good? ^ It was fucking great. I mean maybe I'm biased because it's my favorite movie, but either way, the hate it got shocked me. I know people were upset about like "oh they looked so emotionless" but like... they're animals made in the most realistic portrayal possible. I thought that was very cool. Do you attend school, college, or uni? I'm a college student. What do you study, wherever you study? Photography. What industry do you want to be a part of when you’re older? At least SOMETHING with art, or even animal rescue and conservation. How many girls can you trust? Like, two. What about guys? Also probably two, maybe three. How do you earn your keep? I don't. I don't/can't work (at least right now) and my disability case was just denied for the second time, so, y'know, I'm basically a leech. If you could speak three different languages fluently, what would they be? Not including English? German, Japanese, and Spanish, for convenience's sake. Who do you usually text the most? My mom or Sara. Baths or showers? Showers; baths gross me out. Cheese or tomato? Noooot a tomato fan, so. At least I like some cheese. Shaved legs or shaved arms? ??? I mean I think shaving your legs is more noticeable, but I don't care. I'd only ever shave my legs (I mean unless I had a good reason to shave my arms?), but shave whatever you want, dude. How many coats do you own? One winter coat. What about shoes? A handful, though I only ever wear my sneakers or flip-flops, lol. One word to describe your most recent ex? A soldier. Fried, poached, boiled or scrambled eggs? I will only ever fully eat scrambled eggs. Boiled, I'll only eat the whites. Fuck yolk, shit's gross. Have you ever been surprised with breakfast in bed? No. Where, in your current cournty, would you like to live, other than where you do now? Western NC, in the mountains. It's beautiful. Where wouldn’t you want to live? Several places, like North Korea. Do you like snow? I'm a kid when it comes to snow, I love it. Have you always got good grades? Up until college, I did... Do you like sheer clothing? With something under it, yes. List four things about your facial appearance: 1.) It's this really weird mix of dry as hell and oily; 2.) I have blue/gray eyes; 3.) I wear large, black-rimmed glasses; and 4.) I have a vertical labret in my bottom lip. List four things about your general appearance: 1.) I'm fat even though I've worked my fucking ass off to keep losing weight for two years now :^); 2.) I have some but certainly not enough tattoos and piercings; 3.) I'm very pale; and 4.) I have very short, brown hair that needs to be dyed immediately. List four things you like about yourself: 1.) I'm extremely empathetic; 2.) I care a fucking LOT about the people I love; 3.) I'd say I let myself fall kinda easily, yet I'm resilient as shit and will always get back up; and 4.) I'm extremely open-minded and capable of considering a whole lot. List four things you dislike about yourself: 1.) MY GOTDAMN WEIGHT; 2.) my teeth are too yellow for my liking (I've been exceptionally self-conscious of that lately as I've used whitening strips); 3.) I'm extremely impulsive with what I say and do when I'm seriously upset; and 4.) I will, without fail, jump to the worst possible conclusion in any and all situations. List four of your favorite TV programs: 1.) Meerkat Manor; 2.) That '70s Show; 3.) Fullmetal Alchemist (+Brotherhood); and 4.) Deadman Wonderland. List four of your favorite foods/drinks: 1.) Mountain Dew Voltage is my absolute worst enemy; 2.) I will ANNIHILATE the spicy shrimp fritas from Olive Garden; 3.) the shrimp & cheese quesadillas from Mexican restaurants are not safe either; and 4.) pizza is, of course, rather gucci. Cats or dogs? Idk, I really like both. Have you ever seen anyone famous in the street? Hunty I live in NC, that doesn't happen here. Are you hungry right now? No. What do you think of couples who have entire albums just for them, with pictures of them just randomly at home, doing nothing that really requires a photo? Dude, I love that. Cherish every moment with each other. Make memories, freeze them in pictures. Can you work the microwave? Well, considering it's the only thing I cook in and we've had the same one my entire life (ours is extremely old/can't be bought anymore and is SERIOUSLY durable with time, apparently, as it works perfectly), I know it well. Can you work the washing machine? Heh. Not really... embarrassing as that is. My mom does both of our laundry together, so... but I should seriously still know. She's shown me a few times, but with how abominably horrid my memory is, I forget again and again. There's too many options. Do you like your photo being taken? NO. Have you ever got into a club, whilst being underage? Never been to a club period. How many magazines do you buy a month? None. How many of them are car-related? "If I did, they certainly wouldn’t be car related. That doesn’t interest me at all." <<<< Big same. What about fashion? Well, I'd like ones that offered alternative clothing choices that you could order. Any celeb gossip ones? Ew. What pets do you have? We're about to have only two: my snake Venus and cat Roman. With Mom's cancer diagnosis and both chemo and surgery coming along, she simply can't handle our dumb dog anymore. He's needed to go for a LONG time, so we're trying to find a new home for him. Last gig you went to? Still Alice Cooper. Next gig your going to? Should Ozzy still have his concerts like he wants to after his treatments in Sweden or wherever it is, most likely him. Mom and I planned to, and we will absolutely go if he reinstates them. I'm completely understanding if this doesn't happen though; he has to take care of himself, the poor 'ole man. Bless him. Life's a cruel bitch, giving a legendary singer Parkinson's (it's going to disable him from singing with time). Favorite color? Pink! o: Are you regularly tired? Only always, my friend. Are you excited to live on your own? Completely alone, no. I know it would be extremely unhealthy for me with depression and becoming so easily lonely and unmotivated without encouragement and companionship of some sort. I'll have to live with a spouse. Even then, I'm nervous about it. Living with Jason and our friends in that apartment was both a good and very bad experience; it taught me a good deal of independence, but I still found it very stressful. When do you plan on moving out? When I've been in a long-term, healthy relationship. Do you daydream? Only all the time. Do you dream at night? More like have nightmares/terrors almost nightly. BUT! They've actually chilled some the past few days!! I don't recall what the dream was (but I'm 90% sure Mark was in it, A SHOCKER), but I woke up laughing hysterically recently, Mom told me. So that could only be a good sign. When you’re sick, do you like to be pampered, or left alone? A mix, but mostly the former honestly. Halp pls. But I also want my time to sleep. Are you superstitious? Nope. How many pictures are in your wallet? Ohhh I'm actually not sure. I know I have a handful of my nieces and nephews. I need one of Emerson now. If someone cries while watching a sad movie..do you laugh at them? ???? That is so insensitive???? No???? How often do you change your sheets? I'm... not sure, actually? I know at LEAST once a month (which probably isn't enough), but possibly another time? Idk, I don't pay attention. I just do when I feel it's time to. Is you bedroom upstairs or down? We only have one floor. Is it true blood is thicker than water? Nope. If you could wish someone out of your life... who would it be? Well, he's not *literally* a part of it, but Jason, as far as in my head. Remembering him, sudden memories, flashback prompts, all that jazz are very much daily events. Truly, it doesn't *really* affect me much anymore, it's just so "normal," but it would certainly be grand if he wasn't the most staple person in my head. If you could be with anyone in the world..famous or not..who would it be? HUNNY SWEET CHILD- Are you high maintenance? Nope. If you could change one thing in the world... what would it be? PEACE. JUST PEACE. No war, no violence in general, just. Handle shit like mature adults. If you could star in any movie... which would it be? None. I'm too self-conscious of myself to be in a movie, and I'm a horrible and extremely awkward actress. If you could live in a fairy tale..which would it be? "Alice in Wonderland." <<<< 100% 100% 100%. If you could live in the past..where would it be? The '80s, baby!! If you could see only one person right now..who would it be? Ugh, Sara. I've missed her to death and desperately wanna hang out. Do you wear shoes in the house? No sir. Do you dream in color or black and white? YO! I only recently learned this is a thing with some people, but I dream in color. What is your favorite accent? British. Do you write poetry/songs/stories? Poetry, occasionally. Stories, well, you could easily consider RP that, as we're all collaboratively writing many. Do you wear socks with sandals? gtfo of here with that shit Would you marry for money? HA, no. Do you have any “in the mood” music you like to listen to? AHAHA YES I'M SORRY. Would you vote for a woman president? "If she was a good candidate in my own personal opinion, yeah." <<<< "This. I want to vote for someone who I feel can do the best job. Their gender has nothing to do with it." <<<< Ditto. Are looks/appearances really important? For me personally, not really. Like yes, it's nice to feel physical attraction towards your love interest, but it's a very, very little factor for me, if at all. When you die, do you want to be cremated or buried? Please just cremate me. I really don't wanna be buried. Just taking up space. Do you like to play video games? Yeah, but not as much as I used to, though I wish I did... I think I've watched way too many let's plays to where I can enjoy just fine watching YTers I like experience the game, and I do secondhand while getting some good laughs. Do you like Final Fantasy? Which one do you prefer of all? Oh my god, I wish I was more involved in that series, as I know how madly beloved it is. I used to be obsessed with the demo for FFVIII; my sister, brother, and I would play it like mad, but only Bobby could beat it. The final spider-like boss of the demo was fuckin impossible. I did play a lot of FFVII, which I adored, it was just... so long and by maybe over halfway through, I just drifted from it. I need to watch a playthrough of it, honestly, because the story was so captivating and I genuinely would love to witness how it ends. Have you ever caught on fire? WOW no thank fuck. Do you have a YouTube channel? Yeah, but I don't really make stuff anymore. I don't have Vegas on this computer and honestly I'm just not motivated to really make videos. Do you ever go to video game arcades? No. :( Do you care what people think of you? In most cases, VERY MUCH. Not always, though, but it STRICTLY depends on the situation, big time. Like, I'll walk into Wal-Mart in my pj's np, but there are just a lot of things where I will seriously care too much. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? No. I had one teacher that ALL the girls thought was super attractive, but I definitely didn't have a crush on him... and then later he got fired for sexual relations with one of the students. OOF. Do you like Lady Gaga? I don't mind her, usually. She's got some good jams. "Bad Romance" is legendary. Do you think you have been in love before? Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadly in love, friends. Do you like Edgar Allan Poe? Love him! Have you ever gotten hit on by some creeper? Oh god yeah and it was awful. Do you bless random people when they sneeze? Yep. Do you have a short temper? No. Have you ever had a yard sale? Yes. Do you go to Barnes and Noble for books, the library or someplace else? I go to Books-A-Million. Do you have an iPad? Nope. Are you scared to die? Yes and no. It's the unknown of what comes after that makes me apprehensive. Do you go to church every Sunday? I never go. Do you think you draw well? I honestly think I draw decently. Have you ever wanted to be a meteorologist? No. Do you like Taylor Swift? Not really, and DEFINITELY not newer stuff, but I will rock hardcore to "Picture To Burn," "Safe and Sound" is positively beautiful, and "Love Story" used to be my favorite song at one point.

Lux & Dash

Lux: Good pilgrim, praytell Lux: is your hair just like that or do you have a routine Lux: I must know Dash: what's yours naturally trying to hang like? I'll hit you with what's outta this world 🐤 Lux: full samara, senpai Lux: turn off the tube QUICK 🙄 Dash: 🤣 bummer Dash: 🥥 oil is far out on all hair types even 🔪🔪🔪 Dash: aloe vera will make her 💪 Dash: lemme 🤔🤔.... Dash: do you fuck with 🐣?? Lux 🙇 down at your feet, oh lord is the most high place! 🙌 Lux: the chooks here lay too many for us non-strict-vegans to get through Lux: save my hair AND cut down on our foodwaste? Lux: I will be ♕ and you will be ♚ Dash: 2 🥄 🥑 oil, same of 🥥 & aloe vera gel Dash: 2 raw 🥚 Dash: heat it & leave that baby on for time Dash: 30 mins ++++ Dash: 🚿 with whoever Lux: the CP of my hair is gonna rival Rapunzels Lux: 💃💃💃 Lux: I promise to never ever clock you with a 🍳 Dash: 💛👼👑 Dash: you'd be choice with her 🌺🌺🌺  look Lux: 😘 plant 🌱 for every 🌺 and compliment you gimme then we can talk about april showers coming earlier than anticipated☔️ Dash: right on Lux: Is your full name Dashiell/ can I call you that anyway Lux: because its really fitting and if you care to know I shall tell you for why Dash: it's not but if you're down I can be down too Lux: SO; here was my thought 🚄 climb aboard and ride the rails with me for a sec here Lux: Dash ➼ Dashiell ➼ meaning page boy ➼ page boy = ring bearer ➼ ring bearers of the One Ring ➼ Samwise Gamgee = you AM I RIGHT OR AM I RIGHT Dash: 🤯🤯👍 Lux: I know, allow me to scoop up the remainder your 🧠 from the ceiling and put it into a handwoven jute tote for you to take home Lux: I been knew you love food as much as him, its like 1845-49 up in here after you've come around 🥔💀 Dash: tight gestures like those 👐 gotta keep you in the groove here 🥰 Dash: trust you to pick up on a royal appetite Lux: I'm the holy daughter returned, boy Lux: only eating manna from heaven, though if anyone in this place could make a 😋 cake like back home, I'd let them eat it Dash: set to call you that when I fall in with my 🎺 but do you go by anything shorter on top? Lux: Hebrews 13:2!!! Lux: so that explains where you come from Lux: more in a cloud of smoke than holy light but they could only get so many details dead on in the good book Lux: I'm Lux, of course, X if the mood takes you but I can't make it any easier for you Dash: here to make us 👀 the light, yeah? righteous 👼 Lux: The mission of making my parents proud of me again is not one I am currently embarked upon but service to God and all his creations was always their jam Lux: supposedly Lux: but if you're here to get me to renounce my sex, along with the devil and all his works (duh), oh angelic messenger, I still have to decline Dash: aere perennius is the vibe I'm picking up from you, Lux Dash: it'd be a heavy mission Lux: You owe the world a forest for that one because words like that evoke so many cardinal sins within me Dash: do you know about 🎋? Lux: Tell me Dash: it's a tanabata tree, for wishes Dash: they set the bamboo afloat on the river or on 🔥 after the festival Lux: We must participate here Lux: and one day I will go to where the festival is meant to be and you must come because you introduced me to the magic Dash: we can go to Japan, Sao Paolo or LA, they all have 'em Lux: Of course Lux: I seem to have traveled in the wrong direction Lux: to the wrong coast and onwards Dash: at least you ain't separated from your lover by a 🌌 Dash: that's the legend that goes with the festival Lux: oh Lux: how heartbreakingly beautiful Dash: but they are allowed to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month Dash: it's not a total downer Lux: so young Dashiell believes it is better to taste heaven but the once than to never know it at all Lux: good Lux: I like you Dash: I try & get my kicks tasting as much as I can as often as I can Dash: though yeah, once over never Lux: can't take on the 🌌 Lux: though perhaps you can, with a name like a superhero Dash: no sweat 💪 Dash: if I don't ✂ my hair off 😏 Lux: 😱 Lux: I do have weak ankles! Lux: you avoid barbers and I'll avoid heels that are taller than... Lux: five Lux: no six inches Dash: 👌👌 Dash: if you avoid any heel I'll be able to reach you way out though Dash: no 🛹 jumps 💫 Lux: YET Lux: until you remember where you parked your chariot of fire, you give me reason to kick off my heels, and I'll happily do it Dash: 💃? Lux: Both in worn levis, both in torn T-shirts Lux: of course, that's the only way Dash: there's a tanabata song, I could sing it for you Dash: the translation at least Lux: 😻🙏 Dash: it'll be a blast Lux: 🚀🌠 Dash: have you 👀🎸? Dash: mine's MIA Lux: you can borrow my girl Lux: for one song Dash: I won't hog her like a flake, digging the trust too much Lux: you can abuse my trust just go easy on Dolores Lux: she's a folksy kinda gal, if you kick it punk rock she'll 😳😩 Dash: she'll stay 🍒💖 I'm about a gentle touch Dash: what kind are you? the words are the festival's but I don't know the 🎶 Dash: I'll make it yours, like Lux: as angelic as you look Lux: a sinner can only but hope not Lux: how about you sing it for me but play it like its yours Dash: cool with me Lux: then the song can be ours Dash: I think you're unreal Dash: the most Lux: Oh, because I am Lux: and you are perfect because you know that's a compliment Dash: this fly by of yours is gonna last some time, yeah? Lux: though not compelled by God or a power higher than my own Lux: this is where I'm meant to be Dash: me too Lux: I know Lux: I divined you out of 🌟✨☀️🌌 Dash: we planting that forest to grow together or on opposite sides? Lux: one 🌎 one 💓 Dash: roots are gonna get tangled if you keep laying down your 💓 next to mine Lux: I can grow anywhere Lux: you don't need to worry about me Dash: 🌻 Dash: you're gonna make this place better, I feel it Lux: you have family here? Lux: in the commune Dash: yeah Lux: do you like it here Dash: I love it Lux: I do too Lux: its Lux: loving Dash: when did you come through? have you met every 🐤 & 🐈? cos you should meet everyone Dash: feel all the love Lux: I've been in Dublin about... a month, two Lux: feels like forever Lux: but here I'm a total 🍒 Lux: I met Hazel completely by fate at a women's health drop-in she was running a few weeks ago, told her my story and here I am Dash: farm tour 1st 🍀 tour 2nd Lux: Coming Lux: 🎸 in tow Dash: safe Lux: and sound Lux: I'm just tryna catch a mirror moment Lux: not enough, if I had any complaints but 🤫 Dash: which room's yours? I'll make space to hang another one near Dash: then the 🌙 Lux: we'll end the tour there Lux: my contribution Dash: now that's sound Lux: Do you know about me? Dash: what about you? Lux: That I don't have girl parts Lux: I won't be accused of that kind of trickery Dash: I won't accuse you of any Lux: ☺ Dash: you set the pace, I'm in it Lux: You're keeping up spectacularly Lux: now, where does my tour start? Dash: orchard Lux: 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍇🍈🍒🍑🥭 Dash: there's the best 🍏🍎 tree, easy to climb whatever shoes you're wearing Dash: you can see the whole farm from the top Lux: [Show up honey] Dash: [😍 at her we all know] Lux: [dressed hyper-femme as always and way more dressy than most here we know, doing a curtsey like 🤭] Dash: [holds out a 🍎 like he's the 🐍 & she's Eve, looking cute and tempting] Lux: [obviously taking it and taking a sassy bite] Dash: [into it obviously hand holding through this orchard tour for Winnie's sake] Lux: [gonna climb this tree] Dash: [do it kids] Lux: [gonna have to help her even though she's left the heels behind] Dash: [thankfully he's not that much of a dick that he won't, imagine just like byeeee] Lux: [😂 no one needs anyone falling out of a tree rn] Dash: [we aren't killing either of you off so just enjoy the view] Lux: ['it looks so big from up here, when you're in it, it feels...close'] Dash: ['it's big but the fam's bigger' gives her a look like you'll see, genuinely buzzing cos does love it here] Lux: [the biggest smile 'why don't you live here?'] Dash: ['my mum & dad don't, & that's their biggest drag, they ain't hip but they ain't real hassle' casually don't mention that Cosmo exists okay then] Lux: [nods 'everyone should get as much family as they can'] Dash: ['you can meet 'em too, it's cool'] Lux: [excited puppy look like really?!] Dash: ['my mum used to be a rad skater & now she sits around bench racing at her own bone yard, it's a good space to hang loose'] Lux: [just listening like no way! 'what about your dad?'] Dash: ['he's more easily bugged, we don't always vibe, but shit stays chill'] Lux: ['yeah but what did he used to be? before he got old and boring too'] Dash: ['he played football' with a shrug cos so uninterested we know] Lux: ['ooh, was he famous?'] Dash: ['not really'] Lux: ['bummer'] Dash: ['you wanna be famous?'] Lux: [is thinking like hmm 'I don't NOT want it but its not my number one all-time dream...not even top ten'] Dash: ['what is?'] Lux: [puts her index fingers to the corners of his mouth to make him smile] Dash: [laughs] Lux: ['you?'] Dash: ['I'm thinking we should start a band' shout out to Ali your lowkey grandma] Lux: [a look like um yes, how have you not and putting three fingers up to let him know its made the list] Dash: [starts to climb down like come on, so much to see] Lux: ['don't ditch me!' and running after him] Dash: [takes her all around the vegetable patches next, introducing her to any peeps they come across] Lux: [living laughing loving honestly we can skip] Dash: [imagine all the cute animals they would have, I hope none of them die in the fire I'll cry] Lux: [lmao animals usually bolt when fire so they should be fine, unless they then get hit by cars or some shit] Dash: [I'm saying they are all A okay bitch] Dash: [post tour skip] Dash: gotta hit home Dash: later? Lux: Undoubtedly 😊 Dash: we'll jam Dash: 🤔 band names Lux: I'll throw it out there Lux: I wonder if anyone can drum drum Lux: not just drum circle Lux: I'll ask that too Dash: I'm jazzed Lux: 🎺 Dash: you play the harp 👼? Lux: ☺😋💕 Lux: If only Lux: there are bass' and banjos and plenty of acoustics Lux: I'll go thrifting and see if I can find one Dash: wait for me Lux: we should see how many wild instruments we can find Lux: one for everyone Dash: your 🧠⚙️ is far out Lux: but not far enough you can't reach me Dash: 🌌 can't stop me, yeah? Lux: nope Lux: not as long as you got that hair Dash: [selfie like it's still there] Lux: Thank God Lux: don't need to 😢 today Dash: you don't need to cry any day baby Lux: Keep me smiling Dash: I've got you Dash: we all have Lux: 💕 Lux: I really thought I knew family and community before this, you know Lux: but I was wrong then and this is better Dash: right on Lux: You're adorable Dash: I've got 👀 for you too Lux: I know Lux: your 👀 are like Lux: coffee Dash: 🧠⚙💖 Dash: yours are like jumping into a river Dash: they get bluer the deeper you go Lux: oh Lux: I think I want you back here now Lux: where did you go again Dash: 🛹🗲 Dash: my parents place Dash: you wanna meet me there? Lux: I'm not in the mood to meet your parents right this second, forgive me Lux: but by the time I've finished dinner here and 🚲 over Lux: sounds good Dash: idk if they're there cos I'm not yet Lux: so we can be alone alone Lux: that'd be novel Dash: yeah Dash: it feels like so much empty space Dash: for the number of bodies who live in it Lux: do you feel lonely there Dash: nah, it's got a good feel Dash: I grew up in it Lux: That's a feel you can't buy Dash: I'll show you my 👶📸 Dash: they're wild Lux: you musta been so cute Lux: your face is still 👶 now Dash: no ✂ then either Lux: so mowgli Dash: oh no, is this a trippy topic for you? Dash: I didn't think Lux: it's okay, I like hearing about happy kids Lux: its a sin to be envious of or covet other people's happiness Dash: Lux Lux: 😊? Dash: I don't think I believe in sin Dash: so if you wanna harsh on my good vibes, you know, I won't be 😡 Lux: Oh, sin is very real, its just whether you believe you'll be punished for the sins that are written about Lux: I appreciate you but I've got nothing to be 😡 about either Lux: 🤞 Dash: you can hit me with a shut up any time Dash: I'll still dig you Lux: I enjoy our conversations Dash: yeah? Lux: absolutely Lux: you're a beautiful 🐺 boy Dash: you're the most beautiful 🦊 Lux: never stone cold Dash: nah, the hottest Lux: I feel it Dash: 👍 it's the mood you gotta stay in Lux: with you around, that shouldn't be a problem Dash: we'll keep vibing Lux: did you like it Dash: you want me to say what I know you could tell Dash: I'll write you a 🎶 Lux: First hit for the band? Lux: I'll be famous after-all Dash: I've been listening Dash: I understand what you want Lux: and you're gonna give it to me Dash: that's my action for sure Lux: roll 20 please Dash: come be alone with me Lux: dash dash dash Lux: you're so pretty and fun and cool and I want you again Dash: [sends her the deets to where his house is] Lux: so far Lux: I must like you huh 😏 Dash: yeah it's a drag where I live Dash: but it's new heights that you like me Dash: 🚀💕 Lux: why wouldn't I? Dash: idk Dash: do you know about me? Lux: I know enough to like you Lux: what do you think would make me unlike you Lux: let's compare Dash: it's not all laid back the shit that other girls say Lux: you're a 💔 Dash: I'm not out here making a game of it like that Dash: but it's happened for real Lux: Oh dear Dashiell Lux: my heart was broken long before I got here Lux: and I've had to severe and untangle roots so much deeper than yours could ever be Lux: I told you, there's no need to worry about me, you can't hurt me Dash: that's fucked up Lux: Perhaps Dash: can I make it any better? Lux: no Lux: but that's okay Lux: now is better, there's no need to fix what's been Dash: I wasn't being plastic before, you're home now Lux: I feel it Lux: I have no choice but to give up my old definition but I'm less scared and 😢 at the prospect of the redefinition now, forced though it was Dash: it'll be okay Dash: we'll make it happen that it's only that Dash: or like better Lux: you're not a bad person Lux: I can tell Dash: if I'm someone you like, I'm cool with it Lux: good Lux: I need people right now, you know Dash: everyone at the farm, they'll be what you need Dash: they are for me Lux: what do you need them for? Dash: a blast Dash: my other fam want me to change some shit I do Lux: 🚀👌 Lux: I get that Lux: is it stuff you can't change or don't wanna Dash: idk if I recognise the difference Lux: sounds like a can't, then Dash: stepping into new 👟 feels like a bad scene Dash: I fuck with the ones I've worn in Lux: That's up to you Lux: I like new shoes Lux: maybe they're just worried your feet are getting all scrunched outta place Dash: yours are groovy though Dash: not handed down Dash: they fit you Lux: I had to steal 'em though Lux: and when my dad found 'em they sent me away Dash: a 🦊 like I said Lux: have you seen the fox and the hound? Dash: nah Dash: it's disney yeah? Lux: Yep Lux: I'm gonna make you watch it Dash: I'm about netflix & chill Lux: We'll chill first Lux: its real sad Lux: 😭 Dash: I be trying to chill with you nonstop though Dash: how bad do you want me to 👀 at things other than you Lux: 🤭 Lux: maybe your cinematic education can wait Lux: if we're truly to make the most of alone alone time Dash: lay it on me that I'm an ugly crier another day Dash: we're making beautiful things happen Lux: you're Lux: just like Lux: seraphic Dash: around you, I gotta be Lux: nu-uh Lux: I can't tell Lux: I fell out of God's favour like a long time ago Dash: you can tell Dash: you're still 👼 Dash: the fallen ones were the most beautiful anyway, yeah? Dash: god's a jealous 🐈 Lux: All angels are beautifulc Lux: and genderless actually, like God Lux: beyond our limited understanding, better Dash: cool Lux: for them Lux: its self-idolatry if you want it for yourself Lux: 🚫 Dash: if I want you for myself, what sin is that? Lux: you actually wanna know? 'cos I've always thought this particular subset of sins sounds unintentionally hot Dash: I'm listening intently Lux: peccata clamantia Lux: The sins that cry to Heaven for Vengeance 🤤 Lux: they're the ones that God will deliver his justice upon, lots of people only know about the seven deadly Lux: but they're the least serious, actually Dash: shit Lux: guess that's why it feels so good Lux: shall we? Dash: 🌌 & god trying to stop us but I'm 💪 Lux: you want me Dash: yeah Lux: then you can have me Dash: show up Lux: I am Lux: ⏲ Dash: right now though Lux: if only my bike had wings Dash: that can be your festival wish Dash: mine too cos I've waited fucked up amounts of time for you Lux: 💡 Lux: your mind, boy Lux: though patience is evidently not your virtue, I'm not mad about it Lux: at all Dash: idc about virtues if you're a sin Lux: you're making me all pink Dash: it's a beautiful colour for you Lux: you're the loveliest 🐺 I've ever known Dash: I wanna be Lux: you are baby Dash: you're like a song I can't get out of my head Dash: & it's the most Dash: I'm so connected to every word Lux: You make me feel really...high but it that warm, soft focus way where there's no bad thoughts or feelings at all, no doubt or regret or shame creeping in, just the good washing over you again and again, like that split-second after you cum but Lux: prolonged Lux: its crazy, you're crazy Dash: we can live in it Lux: lets Dash: I'm in Lux: 🎡🎢🎠 Dash: 🎪🤹 Lux: 🤡 Dash: 🦁🐯 Lux: 🐘 Dash: 🍿 Lux: 🥜 Dash: 🐿️ Lux: 😱 Lux: how could you Mr Squirell Dash: he's gotta eat Lux: He could've just asked Dash: he don't know you like that Dash: thought you'd say nah Dash: I tried to persuade him he wasn't right on & you're 👍 but I must not 🗨🐿 Lux: 😂 Lux: he's more than likely from my homeland, I'll speak to him Lux: can't understand your accent Dash: gabh mo leithscéal Lux: 🤗 what did you say?! Dash: pardon me Dash: is 🗨🍀 on your list? Lux: I've always wanted to Lux: no one at my father's church really spoke it Lux: or would teach me if they did Lux: will you? Dash: my mum taught me Dash: hers never spoke it either Dash: your turn to bring me an 🍎 Dash: but yeah Lux: 😣 damn Lux: someone else here might, I've heard loads of languages flying about Dash: eu também sei português Dash: also from that side of the fam Lux: I 👀 that Dash: Arlo & his brother & sisters are my cousins Lux: Ahh Lux: that's cool Lux: they're so cute Dash: there's many more but they don't live at the farm Dash: you have to catch 'em when they fly by Lux: I'll be sure to do that Lux: do they all have lots of kids, how are there so many Lux: no offense Dash: started with 11 Dash: & most of 'em had 👶s Lux: ELEVEN Lux: 🤔💡 Lux: are you mormons? Dash: 🌼 children ☮ Dash: it was a big-ish fam before that though 👵 had 8 Dash: & she's no hippie Lux: why are you an only-child? Dash: I'm not Dash: I've got an older brother Lux: oh, me too! Lux: he's 13 years older Lux: I was a miracle mistake baby Lux: where's yours Dash: at ⚽ training I think Dash: that's his bag Lux: oh he's not 👴 Lux: you didn't mention him before Dash: he's 18 months + on me Dash: but we're in different 🌌 Lux: I feel you Lux: it musta been nice when you were kids though Lux: I loved when there were kids in the congregation but people always moved on, from God or physically Dash: nah, it's been hassle from the jump Dash: he's 🏆🥇💪 Dash: I'm 💫🚀👀 Lux: you don't like him huh Dash: he's a drag Dash: we're usually jiving 🥊 there's no ☮ & 💓 Dash: messes with my equilibrium Lux: You gotta protect yourself Lux: I get it Dash: I knew you would Lux: 'course Lux: its the same with my brother and my mom Lux: they still 💓 me but they can't see me Dash: do you 💓 'em? Lux: oh of course Lux: they're my family Dash: do you wish you could see 'em? Lux: I wish I still lived with them Lux: but I understand why I can't Dash: do you get to 🗨? Lux: no Dash: can't you? if your dad didn't find out? Lux: No Lux: not unless I'm going to make efforts, make changes Lux: and I can't and that's two eternal sins Lux: at least Lux: could make a case for 3 Lux: so they have to turn away, you see Lux: they all love me but there's nothing they can do until I do Dash: I'm sorry Dash: that everything's so heavy for you Lux: you don't need to be sorry Lux: not your transgressions Dash: but I don't want you to change Dash: & idc if it's a sin Lux: you're sweet Lux: they just want to save me from hell Dash: we're gonna have to live forever Dash: to save you Lux: We better find the philosopher's stone Lux: or the fountain of youth Dash: the 🐿 will help Dash: he digs you now Lux: he's a wizard Lux: knew it 😏 Dash: most animals have magic Lux: true facts Dash: 🦊s who are unreal 👼s especially Lux: you're such a flirt Lux: 😋 Dash: yeah 😏 Dash: that's my magic 😍💖 Lux: I can't disagree Dash: 💭😘 Lux: you can dream 'til I get there Dash: I'm 👀 for your 🚲 Lux: I'm meant to be up on the balcony, not you Lux: love some role reversal Dash: yo don't be on the rebound, Romeo 💔 Lux: awh you jealous Dash: 🤣 Dash: of someone you forget at the start of the play as soon as you 🕰 me? nah baby Dash: but it's salty to the other 💘 Lux: It saves her life Lux: she's fine, honestly, thriving Dash: okay then yeah, I am jealous Dash: of her thrive Lux: poor boy Dash: it's no bummer, like Dash: she ain't gonna be immortal, that's me & you Dash: our fam Lux: there's only so much magic to go around Dash: however much there is, we gotta use it right Lux: 🎺 that's holy decree Dash: & royal 👑 Lux: okay sweet prince Lux: 🤭 Dash: if I go solo from the band, there's an outta sight name Lux: you could do so many covers 💜 Dash: it'd be groovy Dash: but I ain't leaving the group Lux: not before its started Lux: have some loyalty, boy Dash: yo not ever Lux: we gonna do a blood oath Dash: use your hair as a 🔪 before the 🥑 & 🥥 hits Dash: or the ✂ I don't Lux: 😂 you're horrible Lux: and its far too limp for that Dash: nah your hair is 💣 Lux: ☺ Lux: really Dash: yeah Lux: it grew quite fast Dash: 🔮✨ Lux: I'm gonna grow it as long as I can Dash: there might be a better recipe Dash: I'll 🗨 to every 🐤 on the farm Lux: I wish I had curls like them too Lux: most of them Lux: alas Dash: you can borrow mine Lux: you're the bestest friend in the whole 🌌 Dash: 🤞🤝👐 Lux: let down your long hair then Lux: I think I've arrived Dash: [let her in and give her a house tour boy] Lux: [we clearly need Cosmo to come back like Dash did in that convo jussayin] Dash: [payback tbh so yeah we do] Lux: [she'd just be chatting up a storm, awks] Dash: [casually steer her to your room as fast as you can like] Lux: [just being like wanna come watch fox and the hound lmao] Dash: [she's so cute bye] Lux: [at least Cosmo won't be rude to you, even if he is like umm] Dash: [just thinks she's high probably] Lux: [most likely] Dash: [rude but fair] Lux: [when is your brother not as far as you're concerned] Dash: [exactly dr phil] Lux: [anything else we wanna though?] Dash: [we know what's up I think we can post it]

Syzygy

Notes: New story. Will be putting it in installments, probably once/week. This is more or less to keep me honest with writing it. If I don’t, I won’t finish. I know me far too well. It’s a monster, probably close to NaNoWriMo levels if I’m honest. But it’s a nice monster. Note the tags.

Syzygy

Rating: M (themes/language mostly)

Pairing: Stark Spangled Banner

Special note: an AU of Infundo (post-Infundo Chronicles).

Summary:  They’d always been a triad - sun and moon, encircling a heavenly body...

***

The question was so out of the blue, so perplexing, so - fuck no, he must be losing his hearing - insane that Tony dropped the spanner. It bounced and clanged angrily across the lab's cement floor causing one bot - U - to chirp softly and pick it up. U tried returning it to its creator by repeating bumping against his leg, but Tony focused on one thing right now. One person.

"Run that by me again?"

"You heard me." Bruce Banner stared at an oil smudge between their feet. It was twisted in an odd shape, reminiscent of pancake-shaped licorice. "I don't think I need to repeat myself."

"Oh hell, no. No." Tony yanked the spanner from U's grip and tapped his shoulder with it while pacing the floor. "You don't drop a bombshell like that without giving a guy a hint. What brought this on?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah, honestly."

"It looks comfortably soothing, I’m tired of running, I like who I am...and." He bit down his response, holding it between his teeth, but Tony could see Bruce mentally shifting gears - frustratingly choosing to conceal a portion of truth. A skill Bruce was, unfortunately, still good at doing.

Bruce sighed. "Maybe I'm warming up to full-on pampering from you and Steve. Do I really need to explain myself?"

"All right, fine. I...get it. Sort of." Tony paused mid-pace and gave Bruce the side-eye, but not without sauntering over to his extremely significant other while poking him in his gut (and Tony's finger sunk in a good five inches, before Bruce swatted his hand away).

Like diving into fresh dough, Tony thought wickedly.  

“Stop that.”

"Whatever. I'm just saying, you're what. Three-sixty? Three-seventy?"

"Three-ninety."

Tony tutted his tongue against his teeth, his eyes scanning Bruce from head to toe. He'd overlooked how round and jowly Bruce's cheeks had become and how much more his heavy belly wobbled over his belt like an over-inflated water balloon.

Tony slowly scraped his lower lip with his teeth and let his libido drink in Bruce's delicious form.  His fat had dissolved all his chiseled edges, smoothing them like candle wax, dimpling him in places Tony never expected to notice. Arms, legs, face, chin, chest, neck - even elbows and fingers Pillsburied up into scrumptious fat. Bruce'd blown up like a county fair attraction and Tony couldn't tell where he'd even put on the extra twenty; Bruce’s fat had settled into all his body’s spare nooks and crannies. All that lovely jiggling Jell-o. Waiting for touches, prods, tickles, and gropes—

"Earth to Tony," Bruce muttered, snapping his fingers in Tony's slackened face.

Tony snorted, pretending Bruce hadn't mesmerized him and turned him so the fuck on. Was he becoming more like Cap these days? Wouldn't doubt it. "ANY-hoo," Tony said, grabbing a rolling chair. He took inventory of Bruce more thoroughly by rolling around the scientist, taking a good 360-look while Bruce stared at his circular pattern.

"Are you trying to orbit me?"

Tony laughed. "No. Although that could be an experiment for another day." Tony poked and prodded Bruce’s flab, freely grabbing fistfuls of his favorite butterball and fluffing his ample butt cheeks.

"Tony," Bruce cautioned.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist."

"What are you plotting?"

"Me, plotting? Perish the thought. I'm planning, Banner. I have ideas, I have a million ideas. But we're gonna have to get Cap involved. He'll want to know."

Bruce fidgeted somewhat, which surprised Tony. Didn't seem like something Bruce would be shy about.

"So soon?"

"Well, yah, the sooner the better." Tony narrowed his eyes at him. "What's bugging you, Care Bear?"

"Nothing," Bruce said, but Tony didn't believe him. He let it slide as he rolled back to his desk.

" 'Nothing' for now, babe, but I'll challenge that declaration later." He did a quick calculation in his head and pulled up Jarvis' keyboard. "J, open a new file for me. Call it, 'Operation Supermax.' "

"Seriously?"

"Don't mock the name, Brucie Bear. It's not like I had time to come up with something better."

"New file created," Jarvis intoned, flooding the room with his soothing AI voice. "Would you like to add to it now, sir?"

Tony grinned at Bruce. "Scan Brucie for me, Jarvis. Put all his current vitals in there. Show us what we're working with."

Jarvis threw up a 3D image of Bruce‘s body and stats. “I will say, I'm quite curious, sirs."

"So‘re we, J. Especially interested in what'll happen after we tell Cap."

Bruce looked less enthused at telling Steve, but whatever. Steve was their partner; not telling him would be ridiculous. "Sure you don't wanna say why you're lookin' grim?"

"I'm not grim," Bruce stated, and Tony waggled his finger at Bruce's lie.

"Not my monkeys, not my circus. But you know Steve'll get it out of you if I can't, Pooh."

"I know."

"Easier to rip off the band-aid."

"I said I knew, didn't I?"

"Fine, fine." Tony toggled a few buttons on his keyboard. "J, call Steve down. We're gonna have a family meeting."

**

But Steve relayed a message through Jarvis saying he'd meet up after he'd finished his workout.  Bruce had grabbed five pounds' worth of snacks and wanted to wait for Steve in the media room, but Tony cajoled and wheedled him until he caved. Which was why he ended up joining Tony in the exercise room instead, ogling Steve's lifting routine.  Well, “cajoling and wheedling” wasn’t exactly right, to be fair. Watching Steve work out was a damn privilege.

"I feel like a stalker," Bruce muttered, unwrapping one of his remaining chocolate bars. He wasn't not staring, though.

"He probably knows we're here. He says he doesn't, but I think he does. I'm just obeyin' my thirst."

"Quit watching those dumb commercials." Bruce scarfed down his jumbo Snickers bar with two or three grateful grunts and gulped down his soda. And no, Bruce's Adam's Apple bobbing so deliciously up and down did not mesmerize Tony. Certainly not.

Nope.

"Mmf--and/or, get off social media. Sounds like you’re trying too hard to fit in with the cool kids."

"Heh. You can't tell me Steve doesn't like teasing us right back." Tony pointed his chin at Steve powerlifting weights rivaling Thor's class. "Look at 'im, you can't tell me he's not a thirst trap."

Bruce made a face as he tossed his wrapper and soda can in the trash. "Definitely too much social media."

Tony's eye lingered over Bruce's dwindling dragon hoard of snacks, which teased a lecherous smile from his lips. "You startin' early, or what?"

"Gotta keep up my strength."

"Mhm." Tony went into his head, thinking about how Steve'd go bonkers. In a good way. Probably in a good way. "You know Steve'll have his own ideas. You gonna let him go hog wild?"

"Oh, hardy-har." Bruce tore into a packet of mini donuts. "Yeah, okay, fine," he grunted. A smattering of donut crumbs sprayed from his full mouth before he put a hand to his lips to stop them. "You figured out why I'm apprehensive. Don't rub it in."

"I'm not tryin' to, Brucie. In fact, I think you're blowing this up way out of proportion." And don't think Tony didn't recognize the pun, even if Bruce didn't. He casually watched Bruce scrape crumbs from his shirt. "Don't you think he cares enough that h--"

"Oh, hey, fellas!"

Steve finally noticed them salivating in front of the spy window. Which was what Tony called it. Really, it was a breezeway with a window to the exercise rooms so folks could check for occupied training floors. But Tony mostly used it to indulge his naturally nosy nature.

Steve grabbed a fresh towel and wrapped it around his neck while Tony bit his tongue. Making lewd comments was tempting and although Steve wouldn't have minded, Bruce would get skittish if he ramped up the tension now. And if Bruce bolted, well...kinda made what he was about to do moot.

"What's up?" Steve dabbed sweat from his forehead and plunked next to Bruce on the thirst trap bench. His cheeks reddened when he noticed the mound of opened goodies. "Is it an emergency? Fury call us in?"

"Oh, nothing like that," Tony said. He propped his feet beneath the breezeway window. "Bruce has something he wants to say."

Bruce wiped powdered sugar off his lips while swallowing thickly. "Well, not...exactly."

"Yeah, ya do, exactly," Tony said, nudging Bruce's shoulder. "Boy Scout," he said, calling to Steve. "D'you think you could steel yourself enough to not act like a kid in a candy store?"

"Tony..."

"Bruce, hon', it's all good. Steve," he started again. Poor guy already looked five kinds of confused. "It's something that'll affect the three of us but unless Bruce explains with his big boy words I'm not gonna help him."

"Traitor," Bruce huffed.

"Only way to kick you out of the nest."

"What," Steve said, finally getting a word in edgewise, "the hell. Are you two talking about?"

Bruce shot Tony a narrow look before turning to Steve. "It's...it's not enough," he began slowly. "I-I mean, we're fine," he stuttered, gesturing to each of them. "We're great. But I want. I want more. And I'm not sure how you'll take it."

"Just know," Tony interrupted, "I'm on board 100% if you are. But I'm looking at this from a scientific perspective more than--"

"I thought you said I should tell him."

"Well, you're taking too long, Banner. Cut to the chase!"

Steve held up a hand, motioning both to shut their traps. "Thank you," he said once they quieted. "Now. Bruce. Muffin." He stroked Bruce's chubby cheek and Bruce melted like butter in his hand. "Gimme the specifics. Let me decide if I'll be okay or not with whatever it is."

But Tony could see the small trembling smile on Cap's features; Steve was noticeably scared. He made a face, hoping Bruce hurried it up before causing irreparable damage.

"I want," Bruce sighed heavily. His glance went back and forth at the men in his life, then to his hands. "I'm not exactly happy at my current weight."

Steve's lips thinned. He looked like someone had taken his favorite toy away, but the expression fled before Bruce caught it.

Tony noticed, though.

"So you want to lose weight," Steve sighed. He kept his voice level but Tony detected his disappointment. "Well, I understand. It's not like we expected it forever and--"

"No," Bruce interrupted, quieter than before. He wrapped his hand around Steve's, stilling the man's jitters. "You've misunderstood. It's...ah. It's the opposite."

Steve's cheeks flared while Tony choked back laughter from Steve's startled expression.

"W-what? You wanna gain more?"

Bruce slowly nodded. "I know you've always been encouraging, and you seemed satisfied when I tapered off. But I really like it when you and Tony feed me." Bruce reached for Tony's hand and rubbed his thumb across their knuckles. "I like breakfasts in bed, lazy nights watching B movies, and eating crappy takeout. I like feeling overstuffed, and the headiness the feeling brings me. I think I've gotten as large as I can on my own. So I'll need help from you and Tony to get...um. Larger."

Steve visibly gulped. "Um. H...how much larger are we talkin'--?"

Bruce glanced Tony's way, and Tony encouraged him with a nod. "Um. To a point where I can  stay sedentary. I'm happy at home - I'm happy here. With us. I don't want to run anymore, and I want to feel grounded. Literally. So--"

"He wants to become immobile," Tony explained, butting in again. "Which is no mean feat, with his metabolism. Even with Bed, even with all the snacking and meals he gets, he's probably leveled off. But if we're talkin' immobility, we're probably addin' another three hundred to him, more or less."

Cap let out a shaky sigh. "Whoa..."

Tony shrugged. "Again, more or less. Depends on what 'immobile' means to a guy like Bruce. 'Course you know," Tony said, sobering. "He's wouldn't be totally immobile, not really." His dark eyes roamed Bruce, emphasizing the seriousness of his next words. "The only way that would happen is if we separated him from the Hulk."

"Which I'm not asking for," Bruce quickly piped. "That's not my goal."

"Good. 'Cause that's more than my paygrade. What'dya think, Spangles?" Tony turned to Steve. "You in, or what?"

"I...I'm not even sure." His expression remained pensive before hovering between Tony and Bruce. "I think I want to understand what that means before I agree to it. It'll change our 'rules,' our dynamics, the team--"

"Absolutely," Bruce agreed. "But I guess...I'd like to retire, if that's okay. From the team. I've already spoken with the university--"

"What?"

"You have?"

Bruce motioned for his boyfriends to calm down.  "I'm not giving up teaching, I'm just switching to an online format. I'll still be an adjunct but I won't teach in person or in front of a classroom. And besides..." He sighed, but a small smile teased his lips. "I won't be mobile enough for a classroom. At least that's what I'm hoping."

Tony shared a look with Steve who looked both mesmerized and stunned. But then Tony noticed something else a sly, (dare he say it), evil mastermind grin on Steve's face rivaling their greatest enemies.

"Steve. Your bad boy expression is showing," Tony muttered.

"I know, I know," Steve breathed. "But I kinda I wanna know how soon we can start."

Part two: https://burlybanner.tumblr.com/post/185854349769/syzygy-2

Slice of Life

Author's Note: This fic is inspired by @altruistic-skittles and their Slice of Life Sanders Sides AU, which can be found here. All worldbuilding credit goes to them, I only stitched the ideas together in writing.

Author's Note #2: Due to Tumblr restrictions, the story was split into three chapters. Next chapter will be posted on Sunday.

Honorary mentions: Keep your eyes peeled for @themicrosoftnerd and @crofters-jam , who make an appearance in this chapter!

Shoutout to Toby, who is part of the AU but sadly doesn't get a mention in the story.

This work will also be posted to Ao3 in the near future.

Link to my Ao3 profile will be at the end! Tag list will be in the replies! Enjoy!

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3

***

"Virgil~"

It's barely above a whisper, but he groans anyway and sinks into the pillow like dead weight. He swears he hears someone giggle just above him and he feels warmth through his chest.

"Virgil, honey," he feels a hand on his shoulder that gives it more of a gentle nudge than a shake, "get up. You'll miss breakfast."

The prospect of waking up just makes him settle down even deeper under the comfy blankets.

Truth be told his brain had probably kicked into gear a good while ago, but once the dreaded feeling of expectation that his alarm would be blaring into his ears any minute had passed without coming to fruition, he hadn't questioned any of it and simply gone back to sleep.

He doesn't know if he's actually gotten any rest since, but the fact that his mind is a foggy blank space probably alludes to a yes.

The mattress dips beside him and the hand on his shoulder resumes its shaking—definitely a shake this time.

"Viiirgiiil~" they say, stretching the word like it's a song lyric, and he can hear the smile in their voice even through his sleep clouded mind. "Wakey wakey, sleepyhead~"

He groans again—though it comes out more like a whine—and tries to wiggle out of the hand's reach. There's another giggle, and this time he grudgingly opens his eyes just enough to muster a glare, but even that's half-hearted and reduced useless when the offending figure leans down and plants a kiss on the tip of his nose.

He laughs softly, reaches up to rub at his eyes, and the steady warmth in his chest flares when the source of said warmth laughs back, beautiful and genuine and music to his ears even after nearly two decades of hearing it every day.

"Five more minutes?" he tries, raspy with morning voice, but even as he's saying it he's already sitting up and stretching his stiff muscles.

His answer is a peck on the cheek this time, and he can see Patton's entire face break into a smile out the corner of his eye when he leans into the touch.

That reminds him, their anniversary's coming up. He makes a mental note to get something ready in advance, even if that won't be for a few months now.

"What time is it...?" he mumbles and reaches for his phone, effectively draping himself across the bed.

"Kids are already up and about." Patton offers as he rises from the bed and goes to open the curtains.

"Wow, I outlasted Roman's beauty sleep? That's a first." he squints through the sudden flood of light and gapes at his phone screen until he's sure his eyes might roll out of their sockets. "Breakfast?? Pat, it's nearly noon."

Patton gives him a sheepish look, though his smile doesn't falter. "Brunch then? We've all had breakfast except for you and Ro—Lolo and I already had pancakes. Roman thought I batter go wake you before you turned into Sleeping Beauty—"

He snorts, both at the pun and the implication; sounds like his eldest alright.

"—and he wanted to make his own breakfast. I'll go get some leftovers ready for you, yeah?"

"If there are any leftovers..." he mumbles under his breath, before it's silenced by another kiss.

"You know Roman is too worried about his physique for that and Logan doesn't approve of pancakes in the morning. I barely got him to eat his share." Patton smiles, and it's crooked and beautiful and the sunlight beaming through the windows brings out his freckles and Virgil gets this inexplicable urge to kiss every single one of them. "Take your time getting ready, you haven't been sleeping much for the past week and I don't want you falling asleep at the table again."

He chuckles, standing up and stretching some more; he can hear the birds chirping downstairs when Patton opens the door on his way out.

Someone that sounds suspiciously like his son is talking more loudly than is necessary on the phone and he swears it's a habit he only picked up after they moved; he must've stayed up late and gotten friendly with that Remy kid at some point, because Virgil knows his 'beauty sleep' is more of an excuse to sleep in rather than an actual concern with beauty.

On second thought, knowing Roman, it's probably both.

"Oh! I almost forgot," he hears his husband, who sounds like he's halfway down the stairs, "Thomas told me yesterday that his car broke down!"

Again? He should probably ask Emile for some lucky crystals or whatever he's into these days, their soft-hearted neighbour could sure use it. That man has such a knack for trouble that sometimes Virgil finds himself wondering how he hasn't burned down his house yet.

Would be a shame too, apparently it's been in the family for generations.

"Do you mind if I drive them to the theatre today? Ro agreed to extra practice hours and his whole group of friends wants to come see how the big play's coming along!!"

Of course he did, and of course they do.

"Nah, I'll do it." he says, even though that's the last thing he wants to do today. Not that his other options are much more exciting; he mostly just feels like sleeping the whole day through. "I've got a shift in about three hours anyway, might as well waste a bit of gas."

"You're working? I thought you had weekends free??"

He pulls out some sweats and a simple black T and heads to the bathroom to turn on the shower. His work clothes are already laid out for once, look at him being productive.

"It's just a small shift, Pat, I took it up so I could have less overtime, it's a compromise."

He can hear the underlying tone beneath the innocent question, the silent implication that if his boss is screwing him over Patton can and will physically fight them, because for all his fun loving self he's also dreadfully overprotective.

He knows Patton's not convinced, but he's also learned that Patton still puts a lot more trust in him than he ever expects to receive, and just like that Virgil suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of belonging.

He loves this kind, beautiful, incredible, perfect man that he shares his life with so much he vaguely wonders if he's legally, ethically and morally allowed to marry him again.

Patton laughs again, and so does Virgil when he realizes he's spoken out loud.

How did he ever get so lucky?

***

Patton walks in on the sight of his eldest son pacing a hole into the kitchen floor, a piece of toast in one hand and a bunch of disorderly papers in the other, with his phone squished between his shoulder and his ear.

"Right?! I would make for a brilliant prince!!" he tries to get out between a mouthful of toast and jam, flailing the papers around like they were the ones who didn't give him the part. "Thomas is totally underestimating my incredible acting skills, the audition I gave was practically flawless!!"

"Or perhaps your ego has finally rendered all your other brain functions useless and you are living under the misguided assumption that you are better than anyone at everything you do."

"Nobody asked you to speak, Microsoft Nerd!"

Logan doesn't even lift his eyes from the book he's reading. As a matter of fact he flips the page over, looking utterly and purposefully disinterested in the tantrum of his older brother, who is currently at risk of choking on his food if the fact that his entire face looks like it's gotten sunburn is any indication.

"No, but you are yelling rather loudly and I am trying to enioy a quiet morning lecture." he adds, manoeuvring his cup from its place on the table to take a sip of tea without breaking the narrative he's currently engrossed in. "Not that anyone ever gets any peace and quiet in this household when you're home."

"I beg your pardon?!"

"Play nice, kiddos." Patton chides as he walks in, opening the fridge to take out a rather large stack of pancakes and some orange juice. "And Roman, quit talking with your mouth full."

Roman quietly mutters something like 'gimme a sec Val' before dropping the papers—which Patton assumes are pages of his current script if the neon highlighter marks he catches a glimpse of are anything to go by—into a messy pile on the counter, a tactful distance from the sink.

He even makes a show of swallowing to prove that he's not in any life threatening situation before propping the phone right back to his ear.

"Sorry, my dumb brother interrupted me—"

"I'm not the one actively trying to fail math after the semester's hardly begun." there's suddenly a definite edge to Logan's tone and he's giving his brother a stare so cold it's a wonder his head doesn't turn into a block of ice.

Patton knows that tone; if there's anything his little Lolo is insecure about it's his intelligence, no matter how many times he or Virgil assure him that he's not only the smartest one in the family but also one of the smartest in his school. A work friend of Virgil's they invited over once even called him a prodigy, and that must mean something coming from a therapist.

Unfortunately, Roman's impulse of speaking with absolutely no filter is just as immovable, which means their children have raised the term of sibling rivalry to a whole new level.

Patton decides to stop the argument before it's begun.

"Boys." they clamp their mouths shut immediately, as he knew they would, but he places his hands on his hips just for a little more authority. "What did I just say?"

'Play nice?' Roman more asks than answers at the same time that Logan lets out a tight 'Play nice.'

"Now, what's the right thing to do?"

They sigh in tandem and speak together. "Sorry dad." When he gives them a pointed look they share a glance and give in, both their shoulders dropping the tension simultaneously.

"I'm sorry I called you dumb, I didn't actually mean it..." there's genuine emotion in most of his eldest's apologies, because most of the time he really does blurt out his first thought without considering it and realizes it when his head's in the clear.

"I didn't mean to undermine your creative skills or make you feel inadequate in any way." his youngest is not the most in touch with emotions, but he is smart enough to know when an apology is in order and to differ between a sincere and insincere one.

He gives them a nod of approval and goes back to putting together a late breakfast, plopping the pancakes into the microwave and reaching into a cupboard for a clean glass. Logan likewise resumes his reading as if nothing had happened; Roman is the only one who settles down, picking up his conversation at a more acceptable volume.

As the pancakes are heating up he opens another cupboard door and frowns.

"Have any of you seen the honey?"

"Mhm?" Roman glances over as he chews around another mouthful of toast with too much jam on it. "Oh, it's over there."

Patton turns to the area he'd vaguely gestured to and spots the bee shaped bottle peeking out from behind a very familiar jar of jelly, both items that have long become staples in the kitchen due to Logan's surprising demands. The cap of the jar is undone, and as he swiftly puts it back on his dad reflexes kick in before he can think better of it.

"Who left the jar open?"

The microwave decides to beep at the same moment that Roman abruptly freezes, sticky fingers in his mouth, and he immediately turns to his brother. Logan puts it together in a matter of nanoseconds and practically leaps out of his seat, book tumbling off his lap.

"Is that my Crofter's?!?"

Seeing that not even his acting skills can provide an escape, Roman spreads his arms in a shrug. "Uh, do you own the company?"

It's difficult to get Logan truly riled up, but Roman does have a habit of biting off more than he can chew. Literally this time.

"You know it's family owned—that's not the point, Roman, it's my food!!"

"Oh come on, you have like fifty jars, you can share."

"You didn't even ask me if I'm willing to share!!"

"I was hungry!!!"

"Dad!!!"

Patton manages to suppress a sigh, but only just. He shoves his glasses up and pinches the bridge of his nose for the briefest moments.

Honestly, he loves his children unconditionally, but sometimes, on occasion—and he would never in a million years ever admit this to anyone except maybe Virgil—sometimes he loves them a lot more when they're in separate rooms.

On separate floors.

With their doors closed.

***

My Ao3 profile.

Captain N - Chapter 16: The Mayor and I

Upon entering city hall, Falco and Captain N were met with a wave of cool air emanating from the interior. The interior matched the art-deco exterior, with a large rug laid out across the polished floor of the large lobby, with small tables holding fancy lamps and weeks-old magazines for reading, in between large, cushion chairs. Above the center of the room was the largest and surely most expensive chandelier Captain N had ever seen, immaculately decorated with countless, intricately cut crystals with the light from the ceiling gently reflecting through each one. The two's presence was immediately noticed by the others waiting in the room, the formally dressed businesspeople looking up from their magazines and newspapers to subtly gawk at the casually dressed young man and the bird-person. Being the center of attention like this did make Captain N feel slightly uncomfortable, but it's preferable to confronting Dracula or one of Bowser's airships. "Can I help you two?" The receptionist asked from behind the desk. "Yeah, do you think we can meet with Mayor Pauline today?" Falco asked in return. "Captain N, tell Falco we-" Zelda suddenly spoke to him in his mind, which he waved away. "Don’t worry, we’re at city call." Captain N thought back to Zelda. Zelda didn't say anything back in return. "Unfortunately not, as she's spending all of today at the park, commemorating the recent renovations." The receptionist answered, making Captain N feel freeze in place. "Wait, the Commemorative Park?" Falco clarified, double taking. "Yes, would you like me to schedule you in tomorrow?" The receptionist politely asked, where Falco looked back at Captain N. Captain N was still frozen in place. "Did you find Mayor Pauline?" Zelda asked him in his mind, with a hint of smugness in her voice. "...I think so." Captain N awkwardly thought back, where he could sense her suppressing slight laughter. "No thanks, we're good." Falco answered the receptionist, quickly turning back to her. "Well then, have a nice day!" She bid them farewell, turning back to what she was doing.

As the two quickly exited, Captain N could feel Falco leering at him. "She knew, didn't she?" Falco asked, referring to Zelda. "She might've!" Captain N defended himself. Falco shook his head as Captain N hastily pulled the map out of his pocket and unfolded it, trying to find a route to the Commemorative Park. "Do you need help finding us?" Zelda asked him in his mind. "I think we got it under control." Captain N mentally spoke back to her as he speed-walked alongside Falco. He ended up bumping into many more businesspeople on the sidewalks as he tried to navigate through New Donk City, much to their annoyance. "Gimme the map!" Falco hissed at him, snatching it out of his grasp. Taking a quick stop to carefully look at the map, Captain N kept his head low, hoping to avoid attracting attention from the Koopa, Waddle Dees and Kremlings patrolling above. The longer the two stayed in place, the more likely it was that they get singled out. Captain N impatiently looked over Falco's shoulder at the map, hoping to find the path himself. He could feel tensions rise, with more and more businesspeople around him peering at the two outsiders as they walked by. Just as one of the Waddle Dees was beginning to notice the small commotion occurring, Falco smacked the map triumphantly and declared "Got it! Follow me!". The two then darted off, with Falco weaving through the dense crowds and navigating around the maze of roads. Captain N tried his best to keep up, often bumping into other people on the way. Realizing they could be causing even more of a scene, Captain N tugged on Falco's jacket slightly. "What's the rush, man?" He asked him, who whipped around to face him. "We can’t mess around. Time’s a-wasting!" Falco insisted, realizing he was standing on unsteady foundation. "Yeah, well, WE could be in trouble if we keep making a scene!" Captain N reminded him, hiding away from the view of the goons above. Falco was about to shoot something back, but after noticing a Kremling patrolling above, he relented. Assuming a slower, more subtle page, the two carefully followed the path leading to the Commemorative Park. Captain N ducked his head down, further obscuring him from the forces above.

Upon reaching the archway leading away from the crowded, busy streets and into the more peaceful Commemorative Park, Captain N held Falco back from entering. "What is it now?" Falco asked, turning to face him. "Shouldn't we approach this with a little more caution?" asked Captain N.

"What, you mean more than the snail's pace we were just at?"

"Yeah!"

Falco groaned in annoyance.

"Look, Pit and Her Majesty are already in there somewhere. They've found Mayor Pauline and has she told you that they're in trouble with those goons?"

"...No, she hasn't."

"Exactly. Plus, you and I both know what a GREAT disguise Zelda's got on. So, if they haven't been sniffed out yet, they won't sniff us out either."

Captain N groaned to himself, relenting to Falco's insistence.

"If that's it, then come on." Falco said, heading into the park. Captain N quickly followed behind. The park provided a nice contrast against the modern and crowded city. Here, the air was fresher, the grass and trees were more alive, and the wide area reserved for the park was lined with dirt paths to a small pond near the center. None of the three king's goons could be seen around, but Captain N was hesitant to let his guard down. Apart from the occasional light post and metal park bench, the two noticed four robots moving along the grass with their hexagonal bases. These robots also had a "platform" halfway up their spines that connects to their arms, and a rectangular head with two large, round eyes. "You ever seen robots like these before?" he asked Falco. "Nope." was the answer Falco gave. The robots didn't notice the two, and seeing that they posed no conceivable threat, the two paid the robots no mind and continued down the dirt path.

"I can see you." Spoke Zelda in Captain N's mind. Caught off guard, he stumbled back a bit, looking around for the source of the voice. "Something up?" Falco asked, noticing Captain N stumble back. "Zelda said she sees us." he answered. Falco looked around for a bit, then settling on a specific point in the distance. "Maybe she's over there?" Falco suggested, pointing to the location. Looking over, Captain N saw a fairly large crowd gathered around, where could be heard the sound of faint music being played. "It's worth a shot." he agreed. As the two walked over, the music grew louder, the crowd remaining respectfully quiet throughout. The band stood on a short metal platform, and was comprised of a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, a trumpeter and a singer. The four instrument players were men, wearing red formal jackets and pants, with a black shirt, black hat and white tie. The singer was a rather tall woman with long dark hair, wearing a formal red dress and a large red hat as she sang. The song they played was lively and energetic, the crowd enraptured by the song. Three more of the robots from before were situated behind the band. Captain N noticed Zelda and Pit near the back of the crowd, listening to the song alongside everyone else as he pointed them out to Falco. Pit noticed Captain N and Falco approaching, as did Zelda. Falco began to ask her where Mayor Pauline was, but was quickly shushed by Pit, not wanting him to disturb the song. Alongside the people of New Donk City, Captain N could finally understand the lyrics of the song.

 "Spin the wheel, take a chance"

 "Every journey starts a new romance"

 "A new world's calling out to you"

Captain N found himself getting swept up in the positive air of the song, his spirits being lifted by the joyous energy conveyed from the instruments and singing.

 "Take a turn, off the path"

 "Find a new addition to the cast"

 "You know that any captain needs a crew"

It sounds cliché to him, but Captain N felt the lyrics really speak to him.

 "Take it in stride"

 "As you move from side to side"

 "They're just different points of view"

 "Jump with me, grab coins with me"

 "Oh yeah!"

Glancing at his allies, he found Zelda surprisingly at ease, enjoying the song as well. A gentle smile graced her face, softly rocking her head in time with the beat. Pit was also entranced by the elegant yet energetic singing of the woman behind the microphone. It took him a moment to ease up, but even Falco got into enjoying the live musical performance, not that he would admit it. It was also nice for Captain N to see the townspeople enjoying the nice day, paying no mind to the forces of the three kings currently infesting the city. The song continued on, and his worries felt assuaged. He silently wished he could freeze time in these few moments, where there was only him, his teammates, nice music, a warm community and a sunny day. He could feel the beautiful notes of the song waft around him, almost entrancing him in this warm melody. But only a couple minutes of bliss later, the music faded away, the song drawing to a close. Reality came back to Captain N, along with a slight depression with the end of the lovely song. Once the band was officially done playing, the crowd of casually dressed men, women and children cheerfully applauding. Even the robots behind the makeshift stage applauded, their metal "hands" rapidly clapping together. "Wasn't that song the coolest!?" Pit excitedly goaded. "Yeah, it sure was something." Captain N agreed, smiling. “Eh, I’ve heard better.” Falco bluntly said, earning him a scowl from Zelda and Pit. Once the applause faded, the woman took the microphone in her hand. "Thank you all once again for coming today, it's more important now than ever that we maintain our New Donk spirit!" She cheered, earning some more applause. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to meet with someone important, stay safe, everyone!" She proclaimed, and after another quick round of cheering, the crowd began to disperse. He could sense the people weren’t too keen on leaving the park and going back to the city being patrolled, but they had their own lives to get back to. Once it was clear enough to get to the band from the back, Zelda made her way up to the singer, her band members packing up their instruments. "Your song was lovely, you and your band should take great pride in your talent!" She congratulated her. "Thank you, Princess. It's not often we receive such esteemed audience members!" The woman replied. "Man, we really should get you a better disguise." Falco remarked, which Zelda ignored.

"Oh! I haven't introduced you to my companions yet!" Zelda suddenly realized, motioning to the three with her. "You’ve already met Pit, this is Falco Lombardi of Star Fox squadron, and Captain N of the savior's prophecy." She formally introduced them, each waving after their name was mentioned. The woman's eyes widened, turning to Zelda. "You mean 'from beyond the stars'? To come in our 'hour of greatest need'?" She asked, which Zelda answered with a nod. The woman quickly turned to Captain N, who produced the Zapper from his pocket as well as the Ice Booster. "Oh, how wonderful! Hope has finally returned!" She cheered. "My name is Pauline, I'm the mayor of this fine city as well as singer." She introduced herself, taking Captain N aback. "...You're Mayor Pauline?" Falco asked her, getting a cheerful "Why, yes I am.". Falco and Captain N shared a surprised look, which earned a laugh from Pit. "Got you guys!" He gloated. "At any rate, it's an honor to meet you, miss Mayor." Captain N said to her. "Oh, the honor is all mine! And please, call me Pauline." She replied.

"Well then, Pauline, you're the best mayor we've met thus far." Captain N remarked.

"Oh yes, New Leaf Town. I know their mayor well." Pauline remarked.

“That makes one of us.” Pit noted.

"We came to you hoping you'd know where we could find Ryu." Zelda said to her, surprising her slightly.

"Ryu? You mean the man who's about to compete in the World Warrior Tournament this weekend?"

"That's the guy." Pit confirmed.

Pauline put a finger to her chin, thinking to herself.

"Well... it's not under my job description to keep tabs on citizens of New Donk City, but I think Ryu could be found at Doc's Gym on the east end of the city." Pauline answered. Captain N got the map out and scanned the diagram for the gym. "It's at 74 Squaks Park Street, not too far from here." Pauline clarified. This helped locate the destination, approximating it to be only a few miles away from the Commemorative Park. "Thank you, Pauline." Captain N gratefully said to her, which she met with a hand wave. "You being here could mean so much to a lot of people. That horrible Bowser's had his oppressive hand down on the city for so long. The people are too scared to go out at night, fearing they'll be roughed up by his goons, if not the minions of Dedede or K. Rool.” She explained with a scowl. “Mario was... he was the best of us. Him and his six allies. With them gone, and presumably... we've almost lost all hope.” She mournfully went on, turning away slightly. “But you being here, proving the prophecy true, it could bring hope to these people." Pauline spoke, her voice rising once more at the prospect of liberation. This did little to help the pressure Captain N felt to perform, but wanting to maintain the image of the prophesied savior Yamajiro so desperately needed, he puffed up his chest. "It's the least I can do for you fine people." He boldly stated, making Falco groan a bit. "Say, if you don't mind me asking, what are the robots for?" Captain N asked, referring to the three robots currently disassembling the stage. "Oh! Those are Light-patented Robotic Operating Buddies, or R.O.B.s for short. They're a great help in renovating and performing odd jobs around the city." Pauline answered proudly. Upon hearing their names mentioned, the three R.O.B.s looked up and waved at the group, their mechanical arms moving jaggedly. He waved back awkwardly, knowing that the R.O.B.s weren't conscious of what their gesture meant. The three robots turned back to their job, and Captain N turned back to Pauline. "Thanks again, miss mayor! It's been great listening to your band!" Pit said cheerfully. "My pleasure. I wish you all well on your journeys, beyond finding Ryu." Pauline said back. "We'll be around in case those grunts cause too much trouble." Falco assured. "Indeed, you have our word that the people of New Donk City can rely on our protection." Zelda added.

"Thank you, you don't know how much that means to me." Pauline said, gratefully. "Well, I shouldn't keep Mr. Savior of Yamajiro much longer, so I'll leave you all on your way. Happy trails!" Pauline bid farewell. With the four thanking her one last time, they referred back to the map, found the route to Doc's Gym, and went on their way to hopefully find Ryu.

Underearth: Book 5 - Chapter 2

Calibri's eyes slid open; a bitter-cold wind wailing against the sides of the house as snow fell from the chimney. Calibri let his eyes slide closed again, though shot them open upon remembering the events of the last World.

Immediately, he shot upwards, focusing magical energy into his hand as his feet touched the wooden floor of the cabin. In the center of his palm, a small glowing white orb appeared. Calibri then closed his eyes again, though the room around him was still in his sights, albeit monochromatic, his vision now heavily obscured by his hand and his face.

Rising upwards, the orb began to fly around the room, Calibri's vision keeping pace. As it continued to fly, he opened his eyes; his vision now mixed with what lay in front of him, and what the orb obtained. Once calibrations were complete, the orb shot up the chimney and towards the Citadel, specifically the closest tower.

With the orb away, Calibri pulled a diaphone stone—a small ornamented rock attached to a string—from his pocket and poured more magical energy into it. Receiving the energy, it began to glow light blue. A few seconds later, the blue darkened to a more modest blue.

"Sans." Calibri said.

"What? What's going on?" a voice came from the stone.

"I need to talk to you, in person. It shouldn't take long."

The stone went dark.

"What is it?" Sans asked after appearing in the center of the cabin.

"A RESET has just happened."

"A RESET!? But I still remember everything you told me last time."

"That's because the power to RESET has moved on to somebody else, setting a new point as its basis. Everything I told you a couple weeks ago still holds true, except for the part regarding Flowey and time of RESET."

Sans sat down at a nearby table, pulling a hotdog out of his pocket. "Alright, so who has it now?" he asked, taking a bite.

"A Human."

Sans choked upon hearing these words. "A Human? Here?"

"Yup. Don't rush yourself too hard, I'm currently searching the Royal Watchtower for them now."

Sans swallowed, then looked down at the ground. "How long have they been here?" he asked. "What have they done? Are they... as bad as Flowey?"

Calibri took a deep, thoughtful breath. "No." he said. "No, they're alright. As for how long they've been here, I wanna say... seven Runs, maybe. This one would probably make the eighth and, hopefully, final."

"Sounds like you two got to know each-other in one of the previous Runs. Anything I should know?"

Calibri gave Sans a reprehensive look. "No, nothing too important." he said. "You two did become close friends in a previous Run, though."

Sans chuckled at that statement.

"I'm serious." Calibri reinforced. "This Human even went out of their way to befriend our brother, Papyrus, and even Undyne."

"They befriended Undyne? No, that's impossible. Undyne hates Humans more than anything else in this world. I can't think of a single thing that could possibly change this."

"What about Papyrus establishing the befriending of a Human as a great challenge?"

Sans looked back at Calibri. "You're kidding."

"Nope. It was actually quite entertaining to watch. Especially when Undyne actually took him up on that challenge and ended up blowing her house up again."

Sans began laughing. "Wow, that definitely sounds like Undyne."

"Indeed." Calibri said, his smile dropping as soon as an anthropomorphic goat climbed through an opening in a purple wall. "I've found them." he said, shifting the tone of the room again. Flying through the hole, Calibri found a Human standing distracted, staring at a nearby wall. He was unarmed, even lacking the leather gauntlets Calibri had last seen him in. Shooting past his face, the Human began looking around for the orb of light that had passed but moved on when nothing came from his brief search.

"Alright, it looks like we may be in the clear." Calibri said, his vision orb keeping close watch from a distance on the Human.

Calibri, focusing back on where he was, looked over to Sans. "While we wait for more information, could you tell me the story of the Prince and the Human? It's been some time since I last heard it."

Sans was taken aback by this strange request. Despite not knowing his brother's mind, he didn't raise question.

"A long time ago," Sans began, "a Human fell into the Citadel. Injured by its fall, the Human called out for help. Asriel, the King's son, heard the Human's call. He brought the Human back to the castle. Over time, Asriel and the Human became like siblings. The King and Queen treated the Human child as their own. The Underground was full of hope. Then... One day... The Human became very ill. The sick Human had only one request. To see the flowers from Ochyro, their village. But there was nothing we could do. The next day, the Human died. Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the Human's SOUL. He transformed into a being with incredible power. With the Human SOUL, Asriel crossed through the Barrier. He carried the Human's body into the sunset, back to Ochyro. Asriel reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the Human onto it. Suddenly, screams rang out. The townspeople saw Asriel holding the Human's body. They thought that he had killed the child. The Humans attacked him with everything they had. He was struck with blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all. But... Asriel did not fight back. Clutching the Human... Asriel smiled and walked away. Wounded, Asriel stumbled home. He entered the palace and collapsed. His dust spread across the garden. The Kingdom fell into despair. The King and Queen had lost two children in one night. The Humans had once again taken everything from us. The King decided it was time to end our suffering. Every Human who falls down here must die. With enough SOULs, we can shatter the Barrier forever."

"I see..." Calibri said, a hand stroking his chin. "Thank you..."

Sans watched Calibri with interest throughout the story. "You look troubled." he said.

"Yeah... just a little bit."

Calibri then stood up, approaching a bookcase in the corner. From the bookcase, he pulled out an old patchwork book and brought it over to the table which Sans sat at, and sat down himself, opening it up.

"Anything you wanna tell me about? Maybe I could help."

"Gimme a few seconds, Sans." Calibri flipped through the pages.

The two sat in silence for a time, the only sounds were that of the wind outside, and the flipping of paper. After a bit, Calibri closed the book and placed it flat against the table.

"Do you know when that story was written, and by who?" Calibri asked.

"Uh... sometime after the heirs died, by Asgore I think."

"Right. So then that begs the question; how trustworthy is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"According to this personal account of those times," Calibri pointed to the old book, "things don't exactly add up all that well. Simply thinking about it brings up some holes as well. Firstly, how the use of 'castle' and 'palace' are used as they are, though this could just be the difference in timeframe between when Chara fell and when she died. Another problem that arises from this, though, is the fact that the Palace wasn't right next to the exit at this time. It was where the Oldtown Palace is right now, which is far from any exit, or entrance for that matter."

"You're saying that people should have seen Asriel leaving and returning, right? What makes you so sure they didn't?"

"The journals from the time only mention Asriel leaving, but not returning. This one," Calibri pointed at the old book again, "is from... Wing."

Sans twitched at the mention of that name. Calibri, understanding why, simply continued.

"Seeing as he was alive at the time, and even helped Asriel leave in the first place—according to his own account, it's a good resource to work from. Asriel just left one day, and next thing everyone knew, Asgore was saying that he too was dead. Being close friends with the King, Wing even got to visit where Asriel died, though the descriptions he gives are more poetic than helpful—as though he could actually feel sorrow. All I can tell is that it's most definitely not in the palace. My best guess is somewhere in Waterfall, but those caves are dark, and most haven't even been explored."

"Shame." Sans said, the lights in his eyes gone.

Calibri delved back deep into thought.

"Wait a second..." he eventually said.

"Figure something out?"

"Maybe... Do you remember the rainy area in Waterfall?"

"Kinda hard to forget. The area around Asriel Lake, right?"

"Yup." Calibri stood up. "Let's go there."

"What? Now?"

"Yeah now."

"What about the Human?"

Calibri closed his eyes. The purple hallways of the Citadel came back into focus. The Human was talking peacefully with a Froggit.

"They're good, don't worry about them." Calibri said, stretching his hand out to Sans.

Sighing, Sans took Calibri's hand and focused on Asriel Lake within Waterfall. Like the opening of a door, he sent himself through, pulling Calibri along with. Once on the other side, they both found themselves in the last bit of shelter from the rain surrounding and feeding the lake.

"Excellent!" Calibri said as he turned around and started making his way towards a rain-drenched statue. Sans simply followed after.

Once in front of the statue, Calibri kneeled down and stared at it. The upper surfaces of the statue had weathered away from centuries of rainfall.

"You don't think—" Sans started saying before Calibri shushed him.

Still staring at the statue, Calibri slowly brought his hand up over its chest, his eyes glowing red soon after. The statue, Calibri felt, was not regular stone. It felt as though it had been alive at some point before, though the only life within now seemed to be... asleep.

Calibri pulled his hand away.

"So... this was your fate, huh..." Calibri mumbled to the statue. "But what of Chara...?"

Sans simply watched with interest, making sure to not distract.

Calibri clapped his hands together, a red pulse of energy erupting from his compressed palms out into the surrounding caves. After a few seconds, he felt a presence—familiar, yet novel. Standing up, Calibri followed the thread of familiarity, which led him to a dead-end room with a piano in the corner.

"Sans." Calibri said. "What's beyond here?"

"A 'treasure room' for a puzzle Undyne set up, I think."

"Where'd she find the treasure?"

Sans shrugged his shoulders. "Nearby? She's not really the type to put a lot of effort into puzzles or their rewards."

"I see..." Calibri turned to face Sans again. "We need to go to the primary access corridor of the Royal Watchtower."

"Inside the Citadel? Why?"

"To pick up the Human, of course."

"Wha! Seriously?"

"Don't really have much time, Sans. He's getting ready to move on."

Sans grabbed Calibri's outstretched hand and opened a tunnel to within the Citadel, exiting into a long hallway with many pale-grey pillars lining the walls.

Once within, Calibri saw a rather unremarkable Human standing nearby—one who wore a blue sweater with two pink stripes running around its middle, and dark blue jeans.

Immediately, Calibri brought his white orb into the Human's view, summoning more to accompany the first. Once his attention had been captured, Calibri drew the orbs back to him, having them circle around Sans before dispelling them near his own hand.

Emergence : Inquisitor

Previous First posting First of this book Next

Solstice, Chapter 19 - A Final Fantasy XV Story

Pairing: Ignis x Female Original Character

AO3 | Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

A/N: Sorry this one got posted kinda late! I've been super busy all day and only got a chance to sit down at my computer just now. It really hurts me to write Iggy struggling like this, but it would be unrealistic if he wasn't.

Gladiolus growled to Ignis’s right, and Ignis spun away on his left heel, feeling the breeze as Gladio’s blunted practice sword slashed the air where Ignis had just been standing. Ignis crossed his practice daggers in front of his chest, blocking the thrust he already knew was coming. If only all his future opponents would be so considerate as to wear a chain on their belts and cycle through the exact same combination of movements during each sparring session.

“You’re holding back,” Ignis said, shoving Gladio away from him.

“Yeah,” Gladiolus said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, perhaps, it was. “Ain’t trying to kill ya, Iggy.”

“I’d like to think it would take more than a few hits to kill me,” Ignis replied, standing on the balls of his feet to prepare for another round. “Even from you.”

“Heh. Is that supposed to be trash talk?” The chain affixing Gladio’s wallet to his belt rattled as he shifted position, marking him as five or so feet in front of where Ignis stood.

Ignis slid backwards to stay out of the man’s considerable reach. “If I intend to antagonize you, you will know it.”

Gladiolus grunted with effort once more, and the gymnasium floor quaked with the pounding of his heavy boots. Ignis easily dodged the charge by leaping backwards, but gasped as something hard and unyielding collided with the back of his shins, causing him to lose his balance and topple forward. At least he managed to catch himself before his face hit the ground, causing only his knees and pride to be battered.

“Bloody hell,” he cursed under his breath.

“Bleachers behind you,” Gladio said, helping him back to his feet.

“Yes, I surmised that,” Ignis snapped, immediately regretting his tone. It wasn’t Gladio’s fault that, in the past six weeks or so, inanimate objects had become the bane of Ignis Scientia’s existence.

“You alright?” Gladiolus asked, concern lacing his usually gruff tone.

“Fine.” Just more bruises for Val to fuss about. He wanted to be annoyed with her for that, but he knew if their situations were reversed, he would not have let the topic go so easily. Or, perhaps, at all.

“You’re getting better,” Gladiolus offered.

Ignis frowned. “Don’t patronize me.”

“When the hell have I ever done that?” Well...never, Ignis supposed. That wasn’t Gladio’s way. “I’m serious. You’re getting better.”

“Until I run into the furniture,” Ignis muttered.

Beside him, Gladiolus suddenly lurched. “Ugh…”

All of Ignis’s self-effacing thoughts vanished in the wake of his friend’s sudden distress. “Are you ill?” he asked, sticking a hand out to brace the larger man’s shoulder.

When he got a whiff of Gladio’s sweat, smelling of stale alcohol, he realized that his friend was sick, but there was no reason to be concerned.

“Allow me to guess...whiskey? Or perhaps bourbon?” Gladiolus had always had a penchant for hard liquor.

“Heh…” Gladio’s laugh was cut off by the audible churning of his stomach. “Your nose might be almost as good as Umbra’s, Iggy.”

“I don’t think one needs superior olfactory senses to tell that you’re hungover.”

“Well?”

Ignis tilted his head. “Well, what?”

“Aren’t you gonna tell me to knock it off?” Gladio asked.

“Why would I? I’m not your boss.” And Ignis knew that, whatever his vices, Gladiolus took his duty - to both the Crown and his sister - every bit as seriously as Ignis took his own.

“Iris has really been on my ass,” Gladio grumbled.

Ignis crossed his arms over his chest. “It wouldn’t hurt you to help out around the house once in awhile.”

“It ain’t that,” Gladiolus said. “It’s, you know…”

Ignis shook his head. “I’m afraid I have very little experience with younger siblings.”

“She dropped out of school. She wants to be a Hunter.” Gladiolus sighed. “Gimme a break.”

Ignis smiled. “She’s growing up.”

“She’s sixteen,” Gladiolus replied. “And this ain’t the kind of world any kid should grow up in.”

Ignis gave his friend a sad, understanding smile. “We’ve very little say in that, unfortunately.”

“Just when the hell is he coming back?” Gladio growled. “It’s already been a damn month.”

“I don’t know,” Ignis admitted. Somehow he figured that their missing Prince was at the root of Gladio’s mood. If only he could offer some - any - insight into the Astral’s cryptric message.

At a loss, he merely asked, “Perhaps we should call it a day?” Ignis felt a bead of perspiration roll down his back between his shoulder blades, and wanted to at least rinse off before escorting Valeria home.

“You saying I need a shower?”

“I believe that would be prudent, yes.” Ignis once again shrugged off Gladio’s helping hand, instead nodding to indicate he would follow the larger man to the locker room. Ignis had memorized how many steps it took to cross the breadth of the gymnasium from the bleachers to the opposing wall, and was only uncertain of the location of the locker room door relative to his current position.

When they entered the locker room, him a pace behind Gladiolus, Ignis was abruptly stopped by Gladio’s outthrust arm. “Hold up.” Then he heard the sounds of clothing and other objects being kicked or shuffled around on the floor, Gladiolus grumbling all the while. “I keep telling them to pick up their shit,” he muttered. “This place is a pigsty.”

Given the state of Gladio’s lodgings, Ignis knew his friend’s insistence that the Hunters put their things away was more for his benefit than anything else, but he merely nodded in response, allowing them both to keep up the pretense.

When the floor was cleared, he felt his way to the showers, removing his sunglasses and clothes, leaving them neatly folded on the nearest bench. Cold water dripped from the shower head, causing gooseflesh on his skin, all except for the scarred area around his left eye, which registered the mild discomfort not as temperature, but the sensation of pressure, like someone pressing their fingers into his cheekbone.

He hadn’t been able to speak with a real doctor about his injuries since leaving Altissia, but Ignis believed that some underlying nerves must have been damaged along with his eyeball and the surrounding tissue, leaving the wires of his nervous system crossed, so to speak. It wasn’t too painful - usually - but it was quite strange, feeling pressure when the rest of his body felt cold.

“That was your friend in the Marshal’s office, right?” Gladio asked from the shower stall beside him. “The one you’ve been trying to get a hold of?”

“Indeed,” Ignis replied as he ran a bar of soap under his armpits.

“Must be pretty relieved.”

“Indeed,” Ignis said once more. If you want to know something, Gladio, you’re going to have to ask.

“So...you still up for that run to Galdin next week?”

Not the question Ignis had been expecting, and frankly a topic he’d entirely forgotten about since Valeria had arrived. The Hunters had intercepted a transmission from Galdin Quay, begging for power-related supplies - batteries, lightbulbs, and such - and promising a load of fresh fish in exchange. Lestallum had no problem charging batteries, but they were going to have a serious problem with food very, very soon. Rather than make it a one-time exchange, Ignis had volunteered to accompany Gladio to try to work out some kind of ongoing trade.

“Of course,” Ignis replied after rinsing the suds from his hair. “I can hardly leave negotiations in the hands of a man who seems to think shirts are optional items of clothing.”

“It's like I keep telling you - intimidation factor,” Gladio said in reply.

Ignis joked, but the truth of the matter was, he didn’t want to leave Valeria so soon, now that she’d finally arrived. He didn’t want to, but the city and the people needed him, and he’d promised the Marshal to help however he could - and negotiating was something he still could do, without question.

“She can stay with Iris, if you want,” Gladio went on. “Your friend.”

“I think she would prefer that.” Ignis turned off the water, ran a towel through his wet hair, then slung it around his waist. “Thank you.”

“Heh, well...ain’t the only reason I’m asking,” Gladio said as he stepped out of the shower. Ignis knew the man hadn’t bothered to cover himself, and knew that it had very little to do with the fact that Ignis was now blind. What had he just said? Intimidation factor. Ignis coughed to disguise a laugh.

“You’d like an adult to keep an eye on Iris?” Ignis ventured, returning to their conversation. He donned his sunglasses and tucked his shirt into his jeans before zipping the fly.

“It ain’t exactly babysitting, but…” Gladio’s voice trailed off into another groan. “Ain’t showers supposed to help with a hangover?”

“I believe that’s the actual state of intoxication itself. If it’s any consolation, I can barely smell you anymore.”

“Ha ha…Iggy’s got jokes.” Gladiolus thumped him on the arm. “Imma head home and sleep it off. You good?”

“On finding my way back to the Marshal’s office?” Ignis asked. “I should hope so.”

He was still a bit fuzzy on other locations in the building - the classrooms converted into the Hunter barracks, the makeshift armory, the cafeteria - but the gymnasium and ‘Vice-principal’ Cor Leonis’s quarters were the two parts of the former school that he frequented the most.

Ignis made his way up the stairs and turned down the hallway to the Marshal’s office, following the sound of Valeria’s voice and - somewhat to his surprise - Prompto’s chattering.

“Hey, Iggy,” Valeria called to him.

“Ignis! What’s up?” Prompto said.

“Prompto,” Ignis nodded toward his voice, then turned his head slightly to where he thought Valeria was sitting. “I apologize for keeping you so long.”

“Yes, my social calendar is really full this afternoon.” Valeria’s sarcasm caused Ignis to grin.

“Don’t worry, Iggy,” Prompto chirped. “I kept her company.”

Oh, dear. Ignis may have grown quite fond of Prompto, but it certainly hadn’t happened overnight. “Are your ears still attached?” he asked Valeria. “Or did he talk them both off?”

“Oh, come on,” Prompto muttered.

“Prompto is a perfectly lovely conversationalist,” Valeria said, clothing rustling as she rose to her feet. Ignis was certain Prompto was blushing profusely at such a compliment from a woman.

“You’re all scruffy,” she said playfully, nudging Ignis’s shoulder. Ignis raked a self-conscious hand through his damp, messy hair.

“You think that’s scruffy?” Prompto asked, incredulous. “You should see Gladio after three straight days of camping and no shower.”

The smell was worse than the sight, in Ignis’s opinion, but he kept that to himself.

“I said ‘scruffy,’ not troglodyte.”

Ignis snorted a laugh. Accurate.

“Huh?” Prompto said.

“Caveman,” Ignis explained.

“Ohhh. Yeah.” Prompto laughed. “Pretty much. So, uh...you guys...”

Ignis shot a threatening look in Prompto’s general direction. “What?”

“Are you, like...living together?”

“Where else would she stay?” Ignis retorted.

“Don’t you only have one bed?”

“Yes,” Valeria replied smoothly. “And there’s no space for you.”

For Gods’ sakes… “I sleep on the couch.” Ignis felt blood rush to his cheeks. “And I have lunch to prepare. Shall we?”

“Alright,” Valeria said as he took her elbow. “Bye, Prompto. It was nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Totally! See you guys!”

Ignis would have considered inviting Prompto over for lunch if he hadn’t been acting so Gods damned nosy; he knew that the only time the younger man had a proper meal was if Ignis or Iris prepared one for him. But the mishap at training this morning had already left Ignis feeling out of sorts, and the last thing he wanted was to unfairly vent his frustrations on a friend.

When they reached the front steps of the building, Ignis released his grip on her elbow and breathed deeply, despite the fetid city air assaulting his nostrils, preparing himself for the mentally exhausting task of getting them back home.

Valeria grabbed his hand and put it back on her arm. “I think I know the way back,” she said gently. Because you’re so obviously hopeless at taking the lead, Ignis imagined her saying. He knew he was being unfair - Valeria would never say something like that to him, even if it was unequivocally true.

“How was the rest of your meeting with the Marshal?” Ignis asked, trying to distract himself from his own, dark thoughts.

Valeria sighed. “I don’t know if anything I said really helped. It’s just…” Ignis felt the muscles of her arm tense. “Whenever I saw the Niffs, I wasn’t thinking about the size of their patrols, or what kind of weapons they were carrying or anything. I just didn’t want them to kill me.”

I’m so sorry, he wanted to say, although he realized at this point he was beginning to sound like a broken record with his apologies.

“You’re a civilian,” he said aloud. “Of course you weren’t looking for such things.”

“I know, I…” Alongside him, her shoulder sagged. “How was your training?”

“Mildly humiliating,” Ignis replied before he could stop himself. That’s right, Specs. Keep whinging. “I apologize.” There it was again. “You don’t want to hear me complain.”

“You can complain,” Valeria said. “You can say whatever you want. I told you before, Ignis - you don’t have to be a certain way for me.”

But I do, he thought. I do, because if you knew how unsure I am, how frightened, you wouldn’t see me as a man, but a sad, lost child. And pity was the antithesis of desire.

Valeria only took one wrong turn on the way back to the apartment; if Ignis noticed, he didn’t say anything. The sea of people spilling out of the city streets was still overwhelming and vaguely frightening - if she’d learned anything in the past six months, it was that people only looked out for themselves.

People, except for Ignis. And probably Prompto, Cor Leonis, and the others too. I want to be like that, she thought. I don’t want to be bitter and cruel like everyone else.

“When was the last time you went outside the city gates?” Valeria asked as the town square came into view. A large fountain, which had probably been quite a relaxing sight in its heyday, now sat among the crowd, its playful spouts no longer running, water in the basin filthy and brown.

“Not since we arrived, I believe, about three weeks ago. They hadn’t erected the gate then.”

“How do all the people outside not starve?” she asked.

Ignis shook his head. “I suppose their friends and family lucky enough to make it inside smuggle out what they can. But, that’s hardly an acceptable solution.”

“No,” Valeria agreed. “It’s not.” And if not for the stroke of luck that had allowed her to hold onto her identification, she would be stuck outside there with them, hungry and dirty and afraid.

“I hate the Niffs,” she said. “I really do. But this…”

“The people out there aren’t soldiers,” Ignis said. “They had nothing to do with what happened to the Crown City.”

“I know.”

“Why don’t you speak to EXINERIS about it?” Ignis suggested. “When you meet with them.”

Because I’m probably going to be laughed right out of their offices, she thought. Aloud, she said, “I’ll try.”

Once, Valeria would have marched right up to the CEO’s desk, nose in the air, every fiber of her being commanding confidence - even arrogance, perhaps. It was so easy to be self-assured when you had the weight of millions of gil behind you. Now, she was a beggar, a person who ran away from her fears while leaving others behind to suffer. You can’t go back to who you were, she thought. That life is gone now. But she didn’t want to be a scared little mouse anymore.

They lapsed into silence then, walking arm in arm. The streetlights glowed warmly in the constant darkness, bathing the cracked, cobbled streets in soft gold. It would almost be romantic, if not for the ubiquitous stink of filth and getting jostled by a passing stranger’s shoulder or elbow every twenty feet. What would her mother think if she could see Valeria now? ‘Get your head out of the clouds, girl,’ her mother’s voice came. ‘Romance is a waste of time.’ Or so she had always said. But hanging onto her wedding ring told a different story. Maybe it just hurt too much, Valeria thought, unconsciously moving closer to Ignis’s side.

But she knew what her mother would say about meeting with EXINERIS. ‘Don’t let those idiots push you around. Don’t you dare take no for an answer.’

I won’t, Mom. I won’t just try - I’ll succeed.

The chaos of the Market brought Valeria back to reality and out of hypothetical conversations with dead relatives. She grabbed Ignis’s gloved hand, interlocking their fingers, then pushed and elbowed a path through to his apartment.

After they ate lunch (cold, but oh-so-delicious sandwiches, again), Valeria began to clear the table as Ignis went to use the bathroom. Somewhat curiously, she noticed light coming from under the closed door, and watched him switch it back off upon exit.

“Ignis, can you tell when the lights are on?” Given what he’d told her over the phone, Valeria had assumed he couldn’t see anything at all, but perhaps she had misunderstood.

“I can,” he said. “But that’s about the extent of it.”

“Oh.” Valeria felt both pity and joy at his reply. At least he’s not entirely in the dark, she tried to tell herself. The thought only offered a modicum of comfort.

“It may seem like a trifling thing,” Ignis went on, as if she’d spoken her thoughts aloud, “but, given the circumstances, it’s actually quite useful.”

Valeria thought about that for a moment. “If you can tell where it’s light and dark, you can tell where it’s safe.”

“Indeed. Safe from the daemons, anyway.”

“That’s good,” Valeria said. She knew she had to stop looking at this as what he had lost, and focus on what he still had (his life, his wits, his strength), but it was just so damn hard. Still, she thought, I must do it for his sake.

And while they were addressing the blind elephant in the room, she thought she might as well get out what she’d been grappling with since reuniting with him in Lestallum. “Iggy, I...I want to help you, however I can. But I don’t want to insult you by making assumptions.”

The way Ignis seemed to hang his head made her wish she hadn’t said anything at all. In the nearly ten years that she’d known him, he’d always been so independent, self-sufficient. Valeria remembered riding the subway with him when they were fourteen and feeling so grown-up, buying her own ticket, going where she wanted without any adults tagging along.

She had always been on her own too, ever since her father had bolted, but her mother had ensured she was surrounded by a handful of attendants - butlers, bodyguards, babysitters. Not Ignis. His uncle made sure he was provided for financially, but Ignis had always had to take care of himself. How could he ask for help now?

“It’s not insulting,” Ignis said quietly. “It’s…” He let out a heavy sigh.

“Don’t be ashamed, Iggy. Please.” Valeria stood over where he sat on the couch and gently rested his head on her chest. “You know I think you’re wonderful, no matter what. I just want to help.”

Ignis grabbed her waist, pressing his face against her body. “...Thank you.” His voice was thick, quivering.

Oh, Iggy. Valeria buried her hands in the back of his hair, rested her head on top of his. She felt his chest heaving as he began to quietly weep. Probably for the first time since everything had happened, knowing Ignis.

“Forgive me,” he mumbled, as Valeria slid his sunglasses up and over his head, placing them in his lap so he’d be able to find them later.

“Shh, Iggy.” She held him tightly, knowing, perhaps instinctively, that he needed this. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

His sudden outburst of emotion left Ignis feeling more than a little humiliated, and more than a lot relieved. Even he could only bend so far before breaking.

You’re wonderful. You’re wonderful. Only a fool could think that of him as he was now, a shadow of the man he used to be. But Valeria wasn’t a fool. She was the cleverest person he knew, and she’d offered those words to him freely, unsolicited.

And it had been that expression of kindness, not scorn or pity, that had finally split him open, spilling out everything he’d been burying deep since Insomnia fell. Ignis couldn’t recall the last time he’d cried; intellectually, he knew that grieving was essential to processing loss, but it still felt like weakness in him, a weakness he was unable to stem once it started.

“I apologize,” he repeated once he was finished, slipping his sunglasses back on and extricating himself from Valeria’s warm embrace.

“It’s okay, Iggy,” she said gently, rubbing his arm. “It’s okay. Want some water?”

“Please,” Ignis said, swallowing the phlegm in the back of his throat, despising how brittle and raw his voice sounded. How you must look to her, he thought as he mopped the moisture from his face with his handkerchief. Like a little, lost puppy.

He drank the water she brought him, suspecting she was watching him all the while. Even as it filled him with shame, Ignis had to admit he felt undeniably lighter, lighter than he had in months, since before Altissia.

“Thank you,” Ignis said, handing Valeria the empty glass. “For dealing with me.”

“I like ‘dealing’ with you,” she said simply. He heard her rinsing the glass in the kitchen sink, the gentle clink as she put it away in the cabinet.

“What’s on the radio?” she asked, pausing where he knew his table was, midway between the kitchen and where Ignis sat on the couch.

“Ah.” Ignis lifted his head, grateful for the change in subject. “Hunters use radio frequencies to communicate when they’re out in the field, since cell reception is so poor.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “So you’re not hosting your own talk show?”

In spite of himself, Ignis cracked a smile. “Goodness, no. Can you imagine?”

“I’d listen,” Valeria said. "You have a great voice."

He shook his head, still smiling. Since the Marshal had sidelined him, Ignis tried to assist however he could, monitoring the hunters’ calls, offering strategic advice or suggestions, coordinating rescues or aid.

“Someone’s been broadcasting old radio serials,” he offered. “If that’s more your thing.” Ignis was fairly certain it was just an ordinary hobbyist, not an actual radio station, but regardless of the origin, any sort of entertainment was a welcome escape in these dark times.

“Really?” He was surprised to hear excitement in Valeria’s voice. “I loved those as a kid. My dad and I used to listen to them at night while we waited for Mom to get home.”

“Your father,” Ignis broached the usually sore subject while she fiddled with the radio dials. “Is he…?”

“Dead? No. Last time I checked he was somewhere in Accordo.” Ignis couldn’t help but feel a little shocked at the glib way she spoke of her father’s safety. There may have been little love lost between them, but he would’ve thought her mother’s death would have forced some sort of reconciliation.

“You didn’t go there?”

“There’s no way I’m getting on a boat in this mess.” Valeria found the station with the serials and joined Ignis on the couch, sitting so close their sides were touching. “Besides, I’d rather be here with you.”

“Oh.” Ignis cleared his throat, feeling a flush creep up the back of his neck. Maybe she really was a fool - a beautiful, brilliant, bloody fool.

Supercorp: Lena decides to get a tattoo of Kara's crest in a very intimate area. Healing time is twelve weeks. Kara wonders why Lena doesn't want Kara to touch her. Kara always means to ask but Lena distracts her by satisfying her until she's seeing stars.

Lena satdown and winced slightly; she realistically had known how much a brand new tattoowould hurt, but she still found herself slightly unprepared for just how tender she currently felt. She foundherself questioning her sanity for the fourth time that afternoon for decidingto get the rather small tattoo, just below her bikini line.

Everytime she moved, the tiny House of El crest ached and made Lena suck her breathin rather sharply.

She hadbeen told that the tattoo would take twelve weeks to heal, which seemedreasonable enough, until Lena remembered she wanted the tattoo to be a surprisefor Kara, which meant her girlfriend couldn’t see her without her knickers for twelve weeks. That, Lena decided, wasgoing to be an issue.

Thatevening, Kara flopped onto the bed next to Lena, a mischievous glint in hereyes. Her fingers started trailing patterns over Lena’s stomach, occasionallydipping under her top to dance across the bare skin.

Lena placeddown her book and turned her head to face Kara, a smirk on her lips, a quip onher tongue, but found her lips suddenly pressed against Kara’s. Lena deepenedthe kiss, her tongue swiping across Kara’s lips to gain entry. Kara shiftedslightly, her knee moving between Lena’s legs, which caused Lena to stillmomentarily as she remembered her new tattoo.

In onedecisive movement, Lena rolled, gently pushing Kara back onto the bed and movedto straddle her hips. Lena slowly drew her top over her head and grinned at theway Kara drank in her form. Kara moved to sit up, to undo the buttons on Lena’strousers, but Lena took Kara’s wrists in hers.

‘Uh uh’she tutted and moved Kara’s hands away from her, ‘let me look after youdarling.’

Karagrinned, assuming she’d be able to return the favour, and settled back as Lenaslowly undressed her, kissing each piece of newly revealed skin.

Sheconvulsed as Lena nipped at her abs, and squirmed as Lena trailed kisses fromher navel, lower and lower until Kara let out a small gasp as Lena ran hertongue over her clit.

Karatangled her hand into Lena’s hair, her head rolling back against the pillow asher girlfriend continued to gently tease her with her tongue.

Shelooked down and locked eyes with Lena, who raised an eyebrow and brought up twofingers, slipping them easily into Kara.

Karamoaned as Lena set up a slow pace, fingers pumping at a deliberate pace to keepKara on the edge, while slightly increasing the pressure with her tongue.

Lenacontinued this pace, waiting for Kara to ask for more, to beg for more.

‘Pl…please Lena’ Kara eventually relented, ‘I need more.’

Lena spedup her fingers, curling them as Kara panted above her. She felt the grip in herhair tighten and Kara’s thighs clench as Kara’s hips bucked, riding Lena’sface.

Kara camewith a loud cry, repeating Lena’s name over and over again as her orgasm shookthrough her body.

Lena didn’tlet up and continued to flick her tongue over Kara’s clit, coaxing her throughher second orgasm.

As Kara’sbody convulsed for the second time, Lena crawled her way back up the bed toscoop the twitching Kryptonian into her arms.

‘Gimmefive mins’ Kara mumbled, ‘and I can return the favour’

‘Justsleep darling’ Lena chuckled, stroking Kara’s hair.

Less thanfive minutes later Lena heard low snores from beneath the blonde curls strewnall over the pillow.

Lenafound that she could keep up the same pattern of behaviour over the next fewnights, but feared Kara would call her out on it soon enough.

ThankfullyLena was able to distract Kara for a few weeks; diverting her attention fromthe fact Lena hadn’t let her touch her in two weeks. It was simple enough at first;she made sure to wear Kara’s favourite bras; the ones that pushed up herbreasts and encased them in lace.

She hadto get slightly more inventive when Kara questioned why Lena kept wearing hermore risqué underwear, but she wasn’t a genius for nothing, and distracted Karaby providing a rather sensual lap dance.

Massageshad also been used to ensure her tattoo remained a secret, but Lena wasstarting to feel guilty about not telling Kara, plus she was only three weeksinto the twelve it would take to heal; she wasn’t sure she would survive thatlong.

Kara hadpicked up that there was something Lena was keeping from her, but she couldn’t lie;she was loving all of Lena’s distraction techniques. After all, there was noway she was quizzing Lena when she was dressed in a black lace corset with agarter belt.

Karadebated using her x-ray vision, but decided that if it was serious enough, Lenawould have told her.

Finally,Lena’s tattoo healed and Lena was ready to cry with relief. As she hadn’tallowed Kara to touch her, Lena hadn’t let herself come at her own hands. She wasfrustrated beyond belief and couldn’t wait to show Kara her tattoo.

Karalanded on the balcony of Lena’s penthouse and followed the dim flickering lightto the bedroom. Upon entering, she discovered Lena laid out on the bed, wearingonly one of her checked shirts,bathed in candlelight. Her skin was luminescent as the candles scattered aroundthe room flickered.

‘There’sbeen something I’ve wanted to show you for a while…’ Lena started.

‘Doesthis have something to do with why I have had, in my estimation, roughly a thousandorgasms in the past twelve weeks?’ Kara questioned.

‘Younoticed…’ Lena bit her lip.

‘I’m notcomplaining!’ Kara grinned.

Lenasmirked back and slowly lifted the bottom of the shirt to reveal she wasn’twearing any underwear.

Karagulped.

Lenacontinued to raise the shirt until it was high enough to show the small cresttattooed on her lower pubic bone.

Karastepped closer to take a look and looked up at Lena, eyes wide. ‘Is that..?’she questioned.

Lenanodded.

‘Can I..?’Kara didn’t finish the sentence; instead her fingers hovered over the blackink.

Lenanodded again.

Karagently ran her fingers over the small tattoo, looking up at Lena again when shewhined at the contact and her hips bucked slightly.

Karagiggled at the reaction her fingertips had caused, but stifled it when Lenacocked an eyebrow.

‘It’sbeen twelve weeks Kara; twelve weeks in which I have been unbelievably turnedon, but not let myself come…’ Lena stated seriously.

‘You’venot even touched yourself?’ Kara asked incredulously.

‘I thoughtthat would be a little hypocritical as I was not letting you touch me…’ Lenareasoned.

‘You’reso wet…’ Kara marvelled as she slid her fingers down a little further, runningthem through Lena’s folds.

‘Twelve.Weeks.’ Lena husked at Kara slipped two fingers into her and quickly sought tobring her to release.

It didn’ttake long until Lena was wrecked; panting, writhing, begging Kara to fuck her; fuck her deeper, fuck her harder.

Karaobliged and Lena toppled over the edge, Kara’s name on her lips.

Karaspooned Lena as she shuddered through the aftershocks of her orgasm, her fingerstrailing down Lena’s body until they were ghosting over the tattoo.

‘Do youunderstand what this means?’ Kara whispered, unsure if Lena was aware of thefull implications of having her crest permanently etched into her skin.

‘It meansI’m yours forever’ Lena stated simply.  

The Journey: NHL Rookie Scoring Rates & How They Stack Up (Forwards)

Happy Belated New Year’s, Journeyers! I didn’t get many responses regarding anyone’s resolutions from last week so I’ll just go ahead and assume that we’re all resolving to read more Dobber articles and continue to make progress in our leagues as we push into 2019 – if you hadn’t already decided that… you’re welcome!

Today we’re having a look at the rookie scoring race, but from a different angle than we’re used to seeing on the major networks. I decided to break the short list into three top-tiers, based on a rough history of how rookies with these rates typically pan out. Kicking things off, though, we don’t have much of a surprise. The criteria for this list was a minimum of 15 games played this season.

Tier I: EP (3.00 points/60+)

Elias Pettersson

The numbers don’t lie, Elias Pettersson is a gimme in just about every category. If you don’t know that by now, you’ve likely just recently emerged from your home under a rock. His scoring clip (3.73 points/60) as we near the halfway point of the season is comparable to the league’s most elite players… not as rookies but today.  Although he hasn’t flinched the one inflated statistic that would indicate a dip in his current pace is his 28% shot success rate. The rate exceeds other elite-level snipers averages such as Patrik Laine, Steven Stamkos, and Alex Ovechkin by double digits.

By adjusting his shooting rate to a more realistic expectation (but still on par with other top snipers), we’d likely see his season-long goal scoring totals in and around the 35-goal mark, given his shooting frequency as opposed to his current 48-goal pace. At that expected total, his points/60 would drop to a rate of 3.10 points/60 – still exceptional, and an expected point per game rate of 1. Essentially, we’re expecting that EP will regress to a scoring rate of a truly exceptional NHL player with several years remaining to reach his full real-world potential. Based on these numbers, I expect him to be a top-twenty contributor in points-only leagues for the next 10+ years.

Like I said though, chances are you already knew most of this, and unless he’s available in some kind of an upcoming draft. Right now, you either have him, or you don’t – I’m with the latter, and I have to say, my friends, nobody should be giving this kid up any time soon.

Bottom line: The highest full seasons for points/60 rate since 2009-10 by a rookie was 3.50 by Mathew Barzal, followed by Connor McDavid at 3.39.

Tier II: Take note – this rate doesn’t usually happen by accident (2.50-2.99 pts/60)

Travis Boyd

This 25-year old rookie just barely meets the games played threshold for this investigation. That being said, he does in-fact meet them, and he’s currently leading the second tier scoring rate at a pace of 2.94 points/60. While his shooting percentage is on the higher side, it’s not quite inflated to the point that Pettersson’s is. For every five shots, Boyd has been finding the net once through the course of his first 20 games this year.

Some of the most positive indicators included in Boyd’s statistic line include the fact that of his eleven points this year, ten have come at even strength, and seven have come as assists which helps to overlook his barely inflated shooting rate. Of his seven assists, five have come in the form of primary assists alongside the likes of Nic Dowd, Devante Smith-Pelly, and Andre Burakovsky – hardly elite finishers.

With these indicators trending on their current path, Boyd appears to be proving himself as a late-blooming depth playmaker. While his age and lack of NHL experience should be taken into consideration, there appears to be potential for him to remain in the league long-term as a productive depth player – think Mathieu Perreault in terms of upside.

Bottom Line: Jeremy Morin scored at a very similar rate over the same period in his rookie campaign… His NHL career ended in 2015 with a career total of 22 points. The sample size here is a concern.

Brady Tkachuk

Minus a rough patch through the first two weeks of December, the youngest Tkachuk has been every bit as impressive as his elder brother was in his rookie campaign, and probably more. His 2.56 points/60 minutes have come evenly in the form of assists as well as goals while being flanked almost exclusively by Mark Stone. The two seem to have developed an excellent chemistry in the first half of the year which provides an interesting indicator to keep in mind with Tkachuk’s future. With Stone’s pending unrestricted free agency, Tkachuk could be looking at the loss of a critical linemate if the Sens decide not to pony up.

Despite the frightening statistics that would indicate some dependence on Stone, it’s important to realize that the two have been joined at the hip since Tkachuk’s NHL debut. A measly 6.6% of Tkachuk’s total even-strength deployment has been without Stone. In the case that Tkachuk is left to his own devices in the future, his intense drive and work ethic are likely to be compatible with other offensive weapons in the Senators’ shallow artillery.

Matthew Tkachuk’s rookie campaign saw him wrap up a 70-game rally with a 2.58 points/60 minutes – a mere 0.02 lead on Brady’s current pace. Although his then linemakes weren’t exactly Mark Stone-level (Michael Frolik & Mikael Backlund) the two brothers certainly seem like copies of one another, and that makes the future look quite bright for the Senator forward.

Bottom Line: David Pastrnak scored at a comparable rate in his rookie campaign. His contributions also came mostly in the form of assists alongside Milan Lucic, who, if you remember, wasn't always a massive liability.

Tier III: They’re good, but good help will take them to another level” (2.25-2.49 pts/60)

Colin White

Sample size isn’t an issue when it comes to the second Senator’s forward to find his way on to this list. Although he’d already played a handful of games in the league prior to this year, the NHL considers him a rookie once again. White falls under a similar category to Brady Tkachuk, however, in the sense that the majority of his ice time has come alongside Mark Stone. The silver lining to this apparent dependence is that the two rookies will be Senator property for several more years, so long as the team desires it to be so. While they both seem to have developed a stunning chemistry with Stone, that chemistry also appears to be trilateral, connecting the two of them to one another.

The trouble, if Stone does in fact find his way out of Ottawa in the coming year, is that the two will indeed be short a sniper. White’s point scoring rate of 2.36 points/60 minutes has a similar makeup to Tkachuk whereby his assists account for the majority of his production.

Foreshadowing and assumptions aside, White appears to have made his entry to the NHL at a very appropriate time for his development.

Bottom Line: Max Domi and Nico Hischier performed strangely similar in their rookie campaigns. While neither have necessarily had the time or opportunity to truly expand their development to a consistent level, they give some indication as to what we should expect from White as an NHL player.

Andreas Johnsson

The Leafs rookie has moved up in the lineup as of late, and his production has benefited enormously. Skilled linemates such as Mitchell Marner have certainly had an effect on the seventh-round draft-pick’s confidence at the NHL level, where he’s now proving himself to be capable of a top-6 position. His scoring rate of 2.28 points/60 minutes is at the baseline of what typically results in a positive NHL career, which makes for an appropriate cut-off point for this list.

Despite his recent success alongside the Leafs’ more namely players, Johnsson had less trouble contributing with his fourth-line buddies than you might actually think. His five points while flanking Par Lindholm with Connor Brown have accounted for about 35% of his even strength production, almost identical to his even strength deployment rate with that group.

Bottom Line: If the Leafs are able to keep Johnsson in the fold with some of their skilled core, it looks like he will be an excellent complementary piece for years to come. A Carl Hagelin-like trajectory would be a safe comparison

As always, thanks for reading! Feel free to get involved in the discussion below or on Twitter with me @olaf1393.

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/the-journey/the-journey-nhl-rookie-scoring-rates-how-they-stack-up-forwards/