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annabethy · 3 years

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under the mistletoe, watching the fire glow day 21: best friend’s sister

Character A poses as their best friend’s lover for a Christmas party. Character B is the best friend’s sister,, percabeth

Percy truly doesn’t understand how it’s come to this.

He likes to think that he has at least some form of dignity, but he is quickly proven wrong as he is shoved into a suit by someone that has the audacity to call herself his friend.

“Quit pouting,” Piper chastises, pulling on his tie just a bit too tightly. He chokes dramatically, glaring at her, but she just rolls her eyes. “You agreed to this.”

“I did not agree to this,” he says. “I was simply there when your mom told you to bring a ‘lover’ to the party, and you held me at gunpoint.”

“You love it,” she says, laughing. It’s the complete opposite of the truth because he actually hates this, but his windpipe is cut off so he’s incapable of actually pointing that out.

“There’s no way anyone’s going to fall for this.”

She laughs. “Everyone will fall for this, and that’s why it’s perfect. No one’s seen us in forever since we moved away for college. We can just frame it as two best friends falling in love.”

“Yeah, but… I don’t know if I can do that. I look at you and want to vomit.” Piper gasps in mock offense. “You never had feelings for me? Not even small ones?”

“I had feelings for a lot of people, but believe it or not, you were never one of them. Not then, not now, not ever.”

“You really just friend zoned your best friend,” Piper says.

“I’m in love with someone else,” he lies.

Piper snorts. “You’re in love with my sister.”

His smile falls. “I am not. You take that back.”

“Relax, Percy. I think it would be cute if you got with her. You could marry into the family!” She claps her hands before pausing. “We could just never talk about sex again. I don’t want to hear about how you blew my sister’s back out.”

Percy shrieks. “Piper!”

She just laughs, throwing the jacket of his suit in his face and motioning for him to follow him out the front door. He hurls insults at her as he settles into the driver’s seat – also against his will, by the way – but she just throws them right back at him.

The hour drive home is spent with them being about as stupid as possible. They scream along with the music blasting in the car until they’re both laughing so hard they can’t breathe. It helps ease his nerves because he knows who’s going to be at this Christmas party, no matter how hard he tries to deny it.

He can’t even say her name right now because if he does, he might crash just so he doesn’t have to face her. It’s almost as though Piper can sense his frustration because she turns the music even louder until the car is shaking with the bass and he can’t hear his own thoughts.

Percy never ceases to be amazed by the wealth of Piper’s family. The second he walks into the manor, he is overwhelmed by the silvers and golds lining every inch of the place. It’s funny because he grew up around them, but it was always a stark contrast to the way his own life was. He could live a million lifetimes and never get used to being around people with this amount of money.

“So you’re rich rich,” Percy teases, just as he always does when they come home for the holidays,

“I’m wealthy,” she corrects, leading him along the corridors to the center of the party.

“Old money or new?”

“The type that could have you killed with the snap of my fingers,” she answers.

“Oh, please do not have me killed, your highness.” He grins cheekily as they walk into the center of the event.

“I must admit I’m liking the title,” she says. She stops him just before they are close enough to be noticed by anyone else, turning serious, and Percy fails miserably to match her tone. “From here on out, you’re my boyfriend, okay?”

“Oh god, I just threw up in my mouth.”

“That means having to kiss me at least once,” Piper says. “On the lips.”

“Please don’t make me.”

“I will never hear the end of this is they find out we’re faking, so start acting like a good boyfriend.”

“Uh.”

“Kiss me.”

“No.”

“Percy.”

“I can’t do it.”

“You’re going to plant one on these lips, or I’m going to pick up one of the silver forks and stab you with it.” “Fuck you.”

“Yeah, well if you’d kiss me, we might be able to get there.”

And then: “This is getting painful to watch.”

Percy and Piper both jump at the extra voice present. He turns his head so fast he nearly gets whiplash, and of course it’s her.

“Annabeth, my love!” Piper greets, giving her a lazy side hug. “I was just trying to get my boyfriend to kiss me.”

“Hm. I didn’t know you two were dating,” she says, a pointed grin towards Percy.

“Christmas surprise,” Piper adds, addressing Percy. “Aren’t you going to say hello?”

“You act like Annabeth’s my distant aunt,” Percy says, but he wraps her in a sweet hug anyways. It makes his heart stutter just the tiniest bit, and he has to force himself under control.

It’s embarrassing that he’s this caught up on her. It makes him feel a little guilty too, because she’s practically still a baby. He remembers when she was in diapers, wandering around the house with a pacifier while him and Piper messed around with play dough. Still, she had grown up, and he had too, and he hadn’t accounted for how pretty she would grow to be.

Okay, so he’s not that much older than her. He’s twenty, and she’s eighteen, so he supposes it’s acceptable, but now he’s in college and she’s still in high school, so things have grown… weird? He just doesn’t see her as much as he used to, and something in her changed. When she was younger, she would cling to him, but recently, she just looked at him with something he couldn’t pinpoint.

It looks similar to the face she has on now, actually.

“So you two are a couple now?” Annabeth asks, but Percy doesn’t really hear her. He’s too distracted looking everywhere except her short black dress she has on, or the way her curls fall perfectly onto her chest, or the gloss of her lips.

Piper elbows him, and he clears his throat. “Yeah. The happiest. We’re so in love. I want Piper’s babies.”

“Hm. From what I’ve heard, I wouldn’t have thought that was very true,” Annabeth says, giving him a knowing look. It makes him wonder just what she’s heard. “Anyways, dinner’s about to start. Why don’t you go show everyone just how in love you are, oh-so-real couple?”

Piper laughs, but Percy glares at her. He’s given no choice but to follow Piper as she skips towards the dinner, and Annabeth follows at a distance, eyes analyzing them. Annabeth clearly hadn’t fallen for the disguise for even two seconds, so it has him worrying the rest of the night.

He is rightfully worried because the dinner does not go at all as expected. Annabeth is directly to his right, and Piper to his left, and they seem determined to kill him. Piper’s all lovey on the outside, which is not something he’s used to in the slightest, and it has the entire family’s attention on him. They coo over the new ‘couple,’ and Annabeth laughs into the hand covering her mouth.

Annabeth clearly enjoys the entertainment, and also relishes in embarrassing him even more because she’s started playing footsy under the table, running her heels up and down his ankle. He does his best to not make a face, but then her hand occasionally brushes against his wrist, and it has him wondering what it all means. Annabeth is much more handsy today than she’s been… ever, and he’s enjoying it more than he should with his fake girlfriend next to him, so the next opportunity he gets to leave, he takes full advantage.

He twists and turns through the halls, gets lost about five times before finding somewhere that looks remotely familiar, and then repeating the process. It’s a good few minutes before he finds an empty balcony and pushes open the doors to step outside.

It’s not to take a moment to breathe, really, because he’s fine. It’s just overwhelming, he supposes, sitting next to the girl he’s almost ninety percent sure he’s crushing on that he probably shouldn’t be, and his best friend who is apparently his girlfriend now.

“Hey, Piper’s boyfriend,” a voice calls. “You good?”

Percy rolls his eyes fondly, turning around. “Did you need something, Piper’s sister?”

She just shrugs and steps forward. “Just thought I’d come tease you a little bit.”

“Tease me?”

“A fake relationship? Really?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” he says. “You’re, like, twelve.”

“I’m eighteen, but nice try.”

“A baby,” he emphasizes, heart suddenly beginning to race as she drags her fingers up his chest, tugging lightly on the tie. “Do you need something or not?”

“I guess I just have a question,” she says, leaning against the rail now. “So. I’ve heard things. Suspected even longer because even if I’m two years younger, I’m about two years smarter.”

He laughs. “What do you want to know?”

“You liked me,” she says. “Back in high school, I think.”

It’s a blow to his lungs, and he can’t find the air to breathe. He knew she’d bring it up at some point, because even if they never acknowledged it, it’s been floating between them, unsaid. He never acted on it because she was practically his own little sister at some point, and she’s Piper’s sister, and it just felt wrong.

“I think so,” he answers. “I don’t know.”

“Explain?”

“You’re Piper’s sister,” he tries.

“I’m Piper’s sister. I’m also your friend.” Annabeth tilts her head, a slight smile pulling at her lips. “What’s the problem then?”

“I–” He blinks. “I don’t know. I guess there isn’t one, really. It just never turned to anything more before I graduated, and now I’m hours away.”

“That leads me to my next question.” She stands again to face him head on. “You’re in college now. I haven’t seen you more than five times since you graduated two years ago. Are those feelings still there?”

“I don’t recall you ever being so upfront,” he teases. He doesn’t need to take time and think about her question though. He already knows the answer. He knows it every single time Piper says her sister’s name, or one of Annabeth’s pictures pops up on his timeline. He likes his best friend’s sister.

It might be more than just a crush.

(Definitely more than a crush.)

“I love you, Annabeth,” he says, “but I don’t want to do anything that might make things different, you know? I grew up with you, and I grew up with Piper, and if something happens, Piper will take your side, and I’ll lose the two people I love most, and–”

“That’s not what I asked,” she says. “I asked if the feelings are still there.”

From the way she’s looking at him, he doesn’t need to answer. “Why are you asking if you already know the answer.”

“Because I want to know if it would still be a good time to kiss you, like I’ve wanted to do for the last two years.”

Percy chokes out a laugh. “Annabeth.”

“You love me, Percy. It’s obvious to see it’s as more than a friend, and it always has been.” She bites at her bottom lip. “Do you know how many people I’ve had tell me that you and I would work well together?”

“I’m assuming a lot.”

“Piper was the number one supporter, surprisingly enough,” she tells him. “And I know you’re on a date with my sister, but she practically shoved me out of the dining room chair to come follow you, so it’s safe to say she wants this too.”

“Piper has issues.”

“Yeah, but you love her, and you love me.” Percy’s fingers fidget, because even though all of this has been swimming around inside him for years, hearing it from her is something else entirely.

“It’s only weird if you let it be,” she says, and something breaks inside of him.

Annabeth’s his friend too, and she’s a part of his life.

He loves her, so he kisses her.

It feels an awful lot like coming home. Suddenly, nothing else matters except him and her. Annabeth is his best friend’s sister, but she’s also his best friend too, and the person he loves and always has.

He distantly realizes that it’s going to be difficult to explain to her family how he went from being Piper to Annabeth, but right now, he can’t bring himself to care. It’ll be a cute story to tell in the future if this ever turns to anything more. He really hopes it does.

Annabeth is his family, and his best friend, and she is the one he was meant to be with from the start.

#percy jackson #annabeth chase #percabeth #pjo #percy jackson and the olympians #my writing

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phykios · 3 years

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honesty and promise me, co-written with @darkmagyk [read on ao3]

“I’m in love,” Piper tells her when she shows up for another fitting. “Have you seen the new Beyonce video?”

“I heard the song.” Annabeth says, “isn’t that enough?”

“God, your whole play-acting thing is too far if you’re pretending to not like Beyonce.”

“I never said that.” Annabeth holds up her hands, “I like the song. But I did not see the video.”

“Well, when you see it, you’ll be in love too, but I will fight you.”

Piper could be scrappy in a fight. But Annabeth had been a champion fencer in high school.

“Kidding!” Piper says at her look. “There’s plenty of them to go around.” She didn’t even start to drape fabric over Annabeth, pushing her onto a muslin covered couch, and then pulling the video on the TV. She didn’t have one of those voice control devices. Because she was friends with Leo, and he was pretty firm on them being evil. “But I do call dibs on the main guy. The CALVES. The thighs. He’s unreal.”

“That good?” Piper went all ways, though as of late she gravitated towards women more often than not, so this was some high praise indeed.

“Unreal, I am telling you. Like, the hand of God came down and sculpted him personally out of marble.”

Already in her recent watch history, the thumbnail of the video greets them, the song title splashed across the TV screen, weaving between a very, very familiar set of legs.

Like, intimately familiar.

In something of detached horror, she watches the camera pan up, lovingly lingering on every inch of bare skin, following the muscles of his calves (which were unreal) to his knees then his thighs (which Annabeth had spent almost too much time between now), up his torso and his chest (which she knew made for an excellent pillow) to Percy’s face, set in a firm, hard stare.

And that fucking blue lipstick again.

She can’t even focus on Beyonce herself, too distracted by the way her hand traces the length of Percy’s outstretched thigh held in perfect arabesque as she gracefully drapes herself over him, crooning softly into his ear.

Annabeth should do that next time. That’s her spot, after all.

Tearing her eyes away from the screen even as Piper watches, enraptured, she slips out her phone, sending a quick, furious text.

annabeth: BEYONCE???????

A minute, then he responds.

percy: oh lol i didn’t realize that came out today 😁

percy: what’d you think?

annabeth: i think im going to kill you later

“Just look at him,” Piper says, pausing on Percy’s form, his arms outstretched, fingers placed delicately around a bar. “I mean--look at him!”

“Yeah,” she chuckles, maybe a little uneasy. “He’s alright I guess.”

Incredulous, Piper swivels her head. “Alright? Alright? Do you need your eyes checked?”

She just shrugs.

Why is she being so weird about this? It’s just Piper. She’s trained to find symmetry and beauty in bodies. They’ve happily shared crushes and fixations plenty of times before, so why is Annabeth being so weird about Percy? It’s not like they’re… you know… dating or anything. Just hooking up a bit.

Piper squints at her, then shrugs herself. “Fine. I don’t have time to get an answer out of you anyway. Come on.”

“Speaking of time,” Annabeth says, following Piper back into the kitchen studio, “I have to head out by 6:30.”

“Oh yeah?” Piper’s head is buried in her belt box, searching for the perfect accent. “What for?”

“I’ve got a show to catch.”

“Kind of early,” she says, pulling out something thin and silver. “Don’t you usually meet Thalia at the ass crack of midnight?”

“Well I kind of want to eat first.”

“Okay.” She cinches the belt around her waist, tight. “Then you’re going to have to help me with this skirt.”

***

Hands aching from hours of macrame, Annabeth walks up to the box office window at the Koch Theater at 7:46, having a handful of second thoughts.

Old, uppity white couples keep shooting her some particularly intense passive aggressive glares, some of them even venturing into actually aggressive territory, which usually wouldn’t even register on her very short list of things to care about, except that she is feeling woefully out of place. The lady in front of her has ten pounds of diamonds hanging off of each old, wrinkly ear, and the best Annabeth could do was fish out her least-ripped pair of jeans, pairing it with one of her nicer black shirts, the sleeves long enough to cover most of her tattoos. The macrame kept her longer than she had meant, so she didn’t have time to change before dinner, but fuck it, right?

She did also take out most of her face jewelry on the way. But she left the nose stud, obviously. And the tongue piercing. And the industrial, because Percy really likes those, so she doesn’t feel that bad about it. And he hadn’t even told her about this until after she had already given herself the half-undercut, so it’s not like she could do anything about that either.

“Can I help you?” At least this box office worker isn’t giving her the stink-eye.

“I’m here to pick up a ticket? Should be under ‘Jackson.’” He’d offered to leave it under her name, but this was safer. She doesn’t think her mom is a big ballet person, but she isn’t about to risk it, either.

She slides the ticket towards Annabeth beneath the glass plane. “Enjoy the show,” she says, with a quirk of her mouth that is surprisingly sincere for someone in customer service.

She’s pretty sure she’d enjoy the show more if she weren’t panicking thinking about getting dirt on their fancy carpets. Her boots are clean, of course, and she doesn’t really care, but she doesn’t want to, like, embarrass Percy or whatever. She’d asked him if she should dress up, but he’d assured her otherwise. “No one’s going to care, I promise,” he’d told her the night before, her lounging in his bed while he did some pushups. “And if anyone says something, let me know and we can kick their ass after the show together.”

“Great. Guess I don’t have to break out the Chanel, then.”

He’d paused, frowned, then huffed a laugh, shaking his head. Like the idea of Annabeth wearing Chanel was hilarious. Like what she’s wearing tonight really is the best that she can do.

Self-consciousness isn’t really a feeling that Annabeth has anymore. She’s spent so many years chafing against expectations, shucking them off when she inevitably failed to meet them, desperate for a place, a crowd where she could just be. In her scene, she doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone, and when Percy is out with her, he doesn’t need any convincing. He likes her. He likes her a lot, she thinks. He likes her enough to let himself be dragged out to every shitty dive bar and shittier rock show in New York City, laughing and cheering and holding her close the whole time. He likes her enough to cart her to his apartment at 4 AM, inevitably waking Nico up from his undead slumber, and leave her with nothing but a glass of water and a kiss on the forehead. And she likes him, too--a lot. Annabeth likes Percy enough to ditch her band t-shirts for a night and track mud on the carpet of the Koch Theater and willingly sit through a performance of fucking Swan goddamn Lake of all things, and it’s only a little scary how much she is willing to do for him after only a few months of fucking him. Because this really isn’t her scene, not anymore.

The weight of everyone’s stares bears down on her, threatening to crush her beneath them, a feeling she was so sure she’d left behind.

At least Percy had been thoughtful enough to get her a ticket out of the way in the back of one of the balcony sections. It’s a bit of a hike, but the audience members aren’t dressed quite as nicely as the ones downstairs, and she feels like she can breathe a little easier.

She pulls out her phone, checking her text messages on instinct. There’s a selfie from Percy in his stage makeup (and she’s not going to lie… he looks fucking pretty), with his standard accompanying three blue heart emojis. She can’t help it, her heart skips a beat and she can’t help but smile, even as she rolls her eyes. She’s just about to send him something appropriately sarcastic when another text notification slides in. It’s from her father.

Hi Annabeth… I was talking to a friend in Boston who said he's looking for a new

prospective in his architecture firm. Passed your information along.

Love you, dear

She swipes it away. Deletes the whole text conversation, for good measure.

Forget about him. This night is about Percy.

A few minutes later, so engrossed in Percy’s program bio (it’s about all she can focus on right now), she doesn’t even notice everyone around her leaning forward in breathless anticipation, until the warm, honey-like sound of the oboe draws her head up.

Roughly two minutes in, she’s really wishing she had attempted the synopsis. The extent of her knowledge of Swan Lake is a few half-remembered orchestra rehearsals in her teens and reading the Wikipedia article on that Natalie Portman movie a few months ago, and she definitely doesn’t recall there being anything about any Men-in-Tights looking motherfuckers prancing around. They’re sort of bobbing, back and forth, elegantly stepping from one side of the stage to another. Even from back here, she can see the delicate, precise placement of their hands, fingers curved just so, moving through space as though they aren’t bound by the laws of physics.

The fingers, she remembers. She could never get the hang of the fingers. Her old ballet teacher had given up on them after a week, and that had been the beginning of the end for that particular extracurricular.

Now her fingers tap on her jeans, impatient, far faster than the easy going music on stage. She’s just about to give in to the millennial instinct and pull out her phone, maybe play a round of sudoku, when the dancers motion as one to the back corner, and Percy comes stepping out. His hair is perfectly slicked back, gelled down, any hint of curl beaten into submission, and his smile is small, but white, gleaming against the tanned brown of his skin. She can’t help but smile back, like he could somehow see her. Finally, she thinks, relaxing a little more into her seat. Something to watch.

On his off days, her off days, any day when she would spent the night at his (always at his, never at hers) and wake up wrapped in his comforter and the smell of seawater, she would take the blanket with her and steal into his living room, curl up on his couch with her feet tucked under her legs, and watch him dance. She’s seen him drill these sequences over, and over, and over again, counting furious sequences of sixes and eights beneath his breath in duet with the thuds of his feet on his floor. Most times he would notice her and shoot her a grin, granting her permission to observe the artist at work. Sometimes, though, he would be so caught up in his body, the shifting of his feet and the music in his head, that it was like he couldn’t see her at all. Seemingly alone, he would dance, uninhibited, and she would be struck by a feeling that she usually reserves for specific monuments. Watching Percy dance in his apartment, in his brown tights and black tank top, lost in his own world, is like looking at pictures of the Gateway Arch, or the Hoover Dam, or the Parthenon.

She searches for that feeling now, leaning forward in her seat, eyes hungrily raving his form, but she just doesn’t see it. It’s… honestly, it’s a little boring. She won’t lie. He had warned her it would be something of a slow start, but this isn’t exactly an ADHD friendly medium, and she is losing her patience, just a bit. He’s so reserved, like he’s holding something close to his chest, impersonal as he takes the hands of the female dancers and lets them twirl around him.

Personally, Annabeth thinks that he looks kind of lost. Maybe he’s just nervous--it’s a big role and he’s a young guy. But he had seemed fine when he’d kissed her goodbye just after lunch.

The court jester is killing it though. Feeling just the slightest bit guilty, she lets her eyes drift over to him, deciding to watch him for a while instead.

On some level, she does appreciate the skill on display here. Percy can raise his back leg in a perfect ninety degree angle that would make her architecture professors sweat. The girls drift back and forth across the stage on the tips of their toes, weightless and ethereal. It’s mesmerizing, and she lets herself be mesmerized.

Time must slip away from her, because she blinks and all of a sudden the stage has gone from sunny yellow to cool blue, the crowds of dancers having vanished. He is alone on stage. Percy kneels in a deep lunge that makes her thighs ache just looking at him (and for… other reasons), his arms and his attention pointed to the wings, with a… Annabeth squints. When the hell did he get a crossbow?

But everything is swept to the sides when the White Swan tiptoes her way on stage, impossibly graceful, and all of a sudden, Annabeth gets it.

It feels a little cliche to say, but the way that woman moves on the floor really does remind her of those old, vintage jewelry boxes, suspended in animation, moved by some otherworldly force. It’s amazing. It’s a little terrifying. Sublime is the word that comes to mind as Annabeth watches her. Her arms move with fluidity, perfect curves, her fingers trailing behind her like wings.

And Percy is just as mesmerized as Annabeth is. As the audience is.

A few things hit her, in rapid succession. First, that Percy is, actually, a really good actor. His reticence before--he’d been playing a character. He’d been playing aloof and reserved and unmoored, because Percy--Siegfried--whatever--has been waiting his whole life for something to fulfill him, until this singular moment, the moment he laid eyes on this beautiful creature. Second, that she doesn’t need words to understand what’s going on. It’s all there, in every look and gesture and step, as the two characters circle each other, slowly but irrevocably falling in love. And third, that she recognizes the look on his face. It’s the look that Percy gives her when she has been talking for too long and he can’t get a word in edgewise, or when she screams along to the god awful underground bands, three beers in and missing every single fuck she’d ever had, or when she wakes up after him to Percy’s arms around her waist, her hair in his mouth and her head resting against his collarbone. She recognizes it, because that’s the look that Siegfried has for Odette. Because that’s the look that Percy has for Annabeth. Because he loves her.

And fourth, that that doesn’t make her as happy as she wishes it would.

There’s a cold pit in her stomach for the rest of the show, a turning screw that twists in deeper, minute by minute, with every turn of the dancers. She wastes the next hour trying to puzzle this out, not even pretending to watch the drama unfolding on stage, because it makes no goddamn sense. (Her situation, not the ballet--she managed to skim the synopsis during intermission, her foot tapping incessantly against the blessedly empty seat in front of her.) Things are great between them. It’s been a heady, intoxicating four months, full of bubbles and butterflies, sweet, soft mornings, and some really, really phenomenal sex. This should make her happy. This should put her over the fucking moon, and she cannot, for the life of her, figure out why it doesn’t.

The prima ballerina comes back out as the Black Swan, just as poised and precise as her counterpart, but she’s a great actress as well, because there is something undeniably different about her. Her arms move like rubber, like joints are just an afterthought, wrapping themselves around Percy’s neck and shoulders. She misdirects his attention, drawing his eyes to her wrists, her clavicle, the curve of a leg or the point of her toe. Seducing him. Tricking him.

Like Annabeth.

Because try as she might to run from it, Annabeth isn’t who she says she is. She wants so desperately to be this fuck-the-rules, fight-the-power, punk rock princess that she took every part of her that didn’t fit that image and tried to rip it out of her, bloody and struggling. Her trust fund, her two (two!) Harvard degrees, her enriched childhood and her bright and shining future; she took it all out back and shot it, and prayed that would be the end of it. She’s a phony, just like that goddamn Black Swan. Percy is in love with a phony.

Her sweet, wonderful, devastatingly kind and handsome Percy--she tricked him and made him fall in love with a mishmash of archetypes and aesthetics, distracting him with nose piercings and ripped t-shirts and ugly, deafening noise.

She’s not surprised that she’s crying when the curtain falls. She’d never known that Siegfried and Odette both died at the end.

When the cast reunites for curtain call, Percy is given a standing ovation, and Annabeth enthusiastically joins in, wiping the tears from her eyes, smearing her makeup.

She doesn’t wait for him at the stage door, but sits on the steps of the theater, plucking at her sleeves, aching for a drink and wishing she had had the presence of mind to wear something a little nicer. Percy finds her there almost an hour after the show ended. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

In the dark of night, illuminated only by streetlamps, she can’t read his face--but she can read exhaustion, in every part of his body. “I was waiting for you by the stage door.”

Something in her stomach goes cold. “I… wasn’t sure if I was allowed,” she offers, weakly.

He smiles, a light in the dark. “Of course you’re allowed,” he says, offering her a hand. “Shall we?”

She knows what will happen next. She’ll take his hand, and they’ll walk to the subway together, fingers intertwined. They’ll get on the 1 train headed north, and Percy will let her rest her head against him, tilting his head back against the window, eyes closed, almost asleep. The doorman will nod at them as they walk up to Nico’s apartment, barely batting an eye at his sweats and her ripped jeans, the two of them sticking out like a sore thumb in a sea of impeccably dressed rich New Yorkers. Nico will wave at them distractedly from his office, gulping down his sixth coffee of the night, and they’ll tiptoe into his room, falling asleep in each other’s arms with little more than a good night kiss.

Which, of course, is exactly what does end up happening.

Almost.

Annabeth crawls on top of him in his bed, kissing him soft and senseless. She doesn’t know where he’s getting this energy from, but she is not complaining as he slips up inside of her, the two of them rocking each other gently to orgasm, their foreheads pressed together. Shuddering as he comes, he captures her mouth in another kiss, pouring every ounce of love he has in him into her.

A waste, honestly.

But as far as goodbye sex, it’s pretty damn great.

She needs to end this, before either of them get hurt. It’s the least of what he deserves, after all. To put yourself out there, to offer yourself up like that, that might be the bravest thing Annabeth’s ever heard of, and surely, Annabeth can find the courage to do what needs to be done.

#whomp whomp!!#ballet au #pjo fic #my fic #percabeth #the rivalry ends here #darkmagyk #perseannabeth

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depressedacadamia · 3 years

Text

De Humani Corporis Fabrica

Chapter II: Experience

Word count: 6.9K

Summary: Pjo dancer AU! Drama, drama and more drama. Old relationships and new ones continue to bear the weight of the upcoming auditions all while a special person makes a guest appearance.

A/N: I didn’t mention it before but they are aged up in this series! I picture them to be in their pretty early 20s but I like to think that they’ve known each other for a long time and other characters joined during their teen years. Make sure you enjoy, comment, like, share, reblog- yall know the drill. <3 from moi!

Taglist: no one :( [send a message and get on my taglissstt]

Read Chapter One here!

Le Studio Royal Jupiter was becoming competitive again. The members were still getting used to hearing that. To Nico, it was like a miracle; he had trained since the petit age of 2, waiting for this moment and now he was finally getting it. He wished his sister was here to celebrate such a moment but he knew that if she was here, the studio would have never stopped competing in the first place. The tragic incident had occured at the studio years ago and it had forced them to temporarily stop competing.

Everything seemed better- the sky (which was always a depressing sight) seemed brighter, the studio mirrors were cleaner and Dionysus was less lazy and more salsa-y. Studio 2 was empty on a Monday afternoon- as always because Dionysus would never schedule his lessons on a Monday as he saw it to be ’too drab’. Hazel and Leo however, who were dedicated to the studio, were almost always in on a Monday.

Hazel- in her De Luca heels- was practising a spin that she hadn’t been able to get down for ages while Leo was practising his ballet technique. While he was normally a salsa dancer, every dancer in LSRJ, including himself, was relatively well versed in ballet; Leo knew that working with Calypso would mean a lot of technical work. He was trying to get at least 3 turns in a row without feeling like he was going to fall- one more thing, Leo hated pointe shoes.

“Leo, what on earth are you doing?” Hazel's voice cut through Leo’s thoughts.

“I’m working with Satan, take a wild guess.”

“Yikes,” Hazel cringed. “How’s that going for you?”

“She walks out at the beginning of rehearsal, refuses to talk or work cooperatively and insults me as well as Salsa itself at every chance she gets- so Hazel, you tell me. How do you think it’s going?”

“Leo I’m sor-”

“-And it’s not even the fact that she insults me, it’s the way she treats me and salsa. Like all of a sudden, I’m inferior because salsa has no ‘proper technique’. Like wow, ballet is so sophisticated and you’re so cool. Congratulations, you and your pretty arms and pretty legs and fancy, snazzy vocabulary!” Leo ranted. Hazel, who was more used to the more creative and funnier side of her partner, frowned; she was slightly worried about him.

“Maybe consider dropping out on her?” Hazel offered.

“What will I do though? We both know that I can’t get on the team with a solo. Salsa works best with a partner. Besides, sure Calypso is the devil spawn, but that does not mean I don’t appreciate good technique.”

Hazel raised her eyebrow. “Didn’t you say that Luke, Annabeth and Nico all had better technique than she did?”

Leo, who was smiling smugly and had both his eyes closed, cracked one open and let his smile grow across his face.

“A small lie never hurt her nor anybody else.”

Hazel, who seemed quite unconvinced, nodded as Leo continued.

“What about you?” Leo asked. “How’s things coming up with the B-boy?”

Immediately, Hazel lit up. “It’s pretty good actually. I think Frank and I actually have a good chance of making the team!”

Leo noticed how Hazel had seemed so keen to talk about Frank and took this as an opportunity to tease her.

“So does that mean you won’t need me to fake being your boyfriend again?”

“What?” Hazel took a glance at Leo’s smirk. “No! No, we’re just friends. Friends, yes, yes. Just friends. He’s just a friend.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself more than me.”

“I’m. Not. Crushing. On. Frank,” She gritted out with her fists clenched.

“Okay,” Leo said in a sing-song sort of tune.

“I’m not!” She shouted before lowering her voice to a small whisper. “ Not after Sammy.”

Leo’s features immediately softened at the mention of his older brother. Hazel talking about Sammy had opened up old wounds that Leo thought had healed- he thought he was over this!

“After all this time Hazel? Still Sammy?”

Leo half expected her to say ‘always’ as if they were re-enacting Harry Potter. Secretly, he hoped that she didn’t. What had happened with Sammy was long ago and Leo never wanted to see Hazel in such pain again. They weren’t just dancer partners like himself and Calypso, they were friends. Hazel, to Leo’s avail did not respond; they remained silent the entire rehearsal.

In Studio A... Nico had never wanted to punch someone in the face as much as he wanted to punch Jason in this very moment. Afterall, it was Jason’s fault that Nico was partnering with Will. It wasn’t that Nico didn’t like Will, it was just that working with someone who was annoyingly attractive (Nico’s exact words were a hot piece of ass) often resulted in not working as well as one should.

It also meant Nico had to wear his tap shoes.

“Will, do I have to wear these?” Nico complained.

“We’re testing out ideas. We start with tap and then we’ll do ballet.”

“So that means I will see you in pointe shoes then?” Nico inquired, his voice suspiciously innocent and his eyes battering too fast. Will, in response, grimaced and nodded reluctantly.

“Perfect!” Nico hummed happily. The pain of tap shoes was nothing compared to pointe shoes. As Will laughed slightly at Nico’s taunting, they began going over the basics. Nico watched as naturally the corners of Will’s lips twitched upwards as he danced and taught. His smile was perfect, his moves in sync with the music blaring in the background- practically flawless.

Nico however, struggled a bit with certain parts that Will taught- not that he was surprised; he expected tap to be overly energetic. While they both took their break, Nico began spinning round and round on his tap shoes. He couldn’t really help it- they were so easy to spin on- it was like they were just begging him to turn.

“Nico, stop spinning like that, you’ll fall and get hurt,” Will warned as he sat in a corner, sipping at his water bottle. Nico ignored him and continued mucking about- only stopping to stick his tongue out at Will who on countless occasions, continued to attempt to warn Nico. Will could feel his own heart fluttering at the thought of an injury.

“Fuck!”

Will’s head snapped in towards Nico who lay on his butt, clutching his ankle. The ballet dancer was hunched over his foot, cradling his ankle with both hands.

“Shit! Nico I warned you! Where does it hurt?” Will asked with a thick layer of concern in his voice as he ran over. Slowly, Nico began shuddering, his body almost shivering as he made whimper-like noises. He refused to meet Will’s eyes as he continued shaking.

‘Shit, he probably injured himself really badly if he’s crying’ was the first thought to cross Will’s mind.

“Oh my God,” Nico said shakily. Will gently rested his hand on Nico’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Nico, it’s going to be okay. It’s probably a minor fracture at the most. You will be fine.”

Unexpectedly and out of nowhere, Nico threw his head back and began laughing.

“Holy moly, I can’t believe you actually fell for it!” Nico wheezed as he clutched his stomach. “And your face!”

Will in utter disbelief, took about 30 seconds to fully understand the situation and yet these were the first 5 words.

“You were lying to me?”

“It was a joke! I was just trying to prove that Ballet dancer’s aren’t as uptight as everyone thinks we are!” Nico laughed. Will could not believe this. He should have never partnered with Nico especially considering he was friends with Percy and Jason of all people. He started packing up, aggressively shoving his stuff into his sports bag. Nico’s laughter died down as he turned to Will, confusion growing on his face.

“Hey, where are you going?”

Viciously, Will turned on him. “I’m going to go dance. I’m not going to hang about with an immature and undedicated dancer.”

“Surely a small prank doesn’t change anything. I mean, there’s a reason you chose me-”

“- I chose you because I wanted a hardworking and professional partner, not some bumbling idiot who walks around like they own the place and does what they want!” With that, Will left and Nico sat on the floor.

Welp, Nico was never socialising with Will again.

In Rehearsal room 4... “Turn, turn, push back and drop!” Piper yelled over the loud music. Jason and Piper had been working hard- taking turns in choreographing different parts of the routine. They held their freeze for 5 seconds before relaxing and agreeing to take a break.

“So what was that earlier with Nico, huh?” Piper started.

“What d’ya mean?” Jason innocently responded. “ He needed a partner.”

“So I was imagining the look you guys had?”

“What look?” Jason sounded shocked.

“You guys had a look.”

“Like you and Annabeth?”

Piper could feel the immediate blush rising to her cheeks. She couldn’t help the way she felt- was it her fault that he best friend had gorgeous curly blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes? She turned her head slightly away so Jason couldn’t see her face.

“Nico and I go way back- we trust each other,” Jason chose his wording very carefully.

“Well… So do Annabeth and I…”

“Good… wanna go over the Hip hip section again?” Jason offered, desperate to change the awkward tension that had suddenly appeared in the air. Piper eagerly nodded.

In the Cafe... “What do you mean she’s with Leo? Frank, they’re just dance partners, nothing more,” Annabeth re-assured. She sat in the elegant armchair opposite Frank with Percy on her left. They were in the cafe that was underneath the studio- it was custom for the dancers to meet up here during lunch.

“But… are you sure?” Frank asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

“I give you my word Frank- they’re just good friends.”

At these words, Frank relaxed. That was until Leo and Hazel both walked in silently; their bodies close to each other but their faces catatonic. As they came to sit down, they both moved towards the same seat and exchanged a series of bumps, ‘ouches’ and ‘errms’ until they managed to sit down. Annabeth and Percy exchanged a wary look as the awkward silence between the two stretched out.

Nico stormed in, his face scrunched up as he ordered a coffee and plopped himself on the armrest of the chair that his ballet partner, Annabeth, was sitting in. He had a dark, raging and violent aura around him and carried on sulking until Annabeth spoke up.

“Nico, is that coffee?” Her voice had a hint of worry.

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “What’s up with you two? Lovers quarrel?” Nico pointed to Leo and Hazel who both immediately froze up. Leo, who was mid- sip, choked and began wheezing for air while Hazel gently patted him on the back. Frank, subconsciously, flinched.

“Dancers quarrel,” Hazel sighed after Leo had stopped choking before turning towards her brother.

“Wait, you’re drinking coffee? Again?” Hazel raised her eyebrows at Nico. The last time she recalled him drinking coffee… Well family tensions had been higher than ever, Nico was a literal caffeine addict and Hazel had been helping the ‘love of her life’. Nico had gotten over the caffeine addiction, well at least, she hadn’t seen him touch the substance in years so the sudden appearance of it alarmed her- What had happened to him that drove him back to coffee? Nico on the other hand, simply batted his hand signalling ‘later’.

“Does anybody want to break the awkward silence?” Percy murmured out of the corner of his mouth, looking down at his fidgeting hands.

“I heard an awkward silence needs breaking?” Jason appeared before them. “ Guess what?”

Almost immediately, the entire crowd perked up and asked ‘what?’

“Nu uh, I actually want you guys to guess.”

“Did your new pointe shoes break in?” Annabeth suggested.

“Please get to the pointe,” Leo tutted. Jason shot his roommate, a playful scowl, as he was used to the terrible jokes. Everyone else (except Percy) groaned, throwing their heads back and Hazel face palmed at the terrible jokes- sometimes she asked herself why they were friends.

“You guys are pathetic,” Jason hummed, his arms folded smugly.

“Bro, just tell us!” Percy pleaded, sick of the timely wait.

Jason took a deep breath, holding the tension out for as long as possible. “Well… Chiron’s returning!”

“Like returning returning or just visiting returning?” Annabeth immediately cut in, stopping all the whoops that had erupted from the happy news. Well mainly happy. After the incident, Chiron was left without half a leg which stopped his dance career. It had been hard for him and the dancers around him- tensions had never been worse within the studio and so for the sake of the dancers, Chiron had left to teach dance theory. He had visited every once in a while but if he was ever going to come back- since he was the owner of the studio- no one really knew.

“He didn’t really specify…”

“On the plus side, he’s probably gotten like what 14 new stories about the wheelchair?” Annabeth exclaimed. Percy, who knew about the wheelchair, threw his head back laughing as he remembered the previous stories of it. As they fell into a conversation recalling all the previous stories about the wheelchair, Leo had to clutch his stomach while laughing.

“I love that dude- he’s the only one who doesn’t take Calypso’s bullshit.”

A piercing voice came out from behind them. “Well, Calypso had been looking for you this past week. Where have you been?”

Outraged, Leo retorted, “Where have I been, where have you been?”

As the two started shouting their heads off at each other, the group of people fell silent and everyone agreed to leave them to it. Before Hazel left, she noticed the darker undertones of Calypso’s normally flawless skin as well as her red rimmed eyes.

“So, where have you been?” Leo repeated, almost drawling. Calypso ignored the question and instead told Leo to meet her in Studio A (Leo rolled his eyes at the choice of studio) in a half hour. Leo had to clench his hands to stop himself from making some sort of witty smart- alec response; he wanted to try his best to get along with Calypso because the sooner they finished the routine, the quicker he’d be able to get on the team and avoid her.

Back in Rehearsal room 4... Jason was very lucky to have Piper as a partner- mainly due to her great ability to adapt to new styles. Having a famous father who could easily (and would happily) pay for anything she asked, Piper was gifted. From her good looks, her various talents and her sparkling personality, one could say that Piper Mclean had it all.

Oh, how wrong one could be.

They had agreed to perform a musical theatre routine focusing on hip hop and tap- the styles which moulded together best. They were doing well with their choreography and had finished their routine and were now going over it- making sure everything was clean and worked.

“Hey, let's take a break here,” Piper panted lightly with her hands resting on her thighs. Jason nodded with a brief smile on his face- could you blame him? He had managed to improve his tap by miles compared to the small amount of improvement he would have made with any other person. He jogged towards their bags and pulled out both of their water bottles;he threw Piper’s bottle at her. Perfectly, she caught it .

“Our routine is great, we totally have a chance at making the team,” Piper told Jason as she took a sip of water and plopped herself on the bean bag in the corner of the room by their bags.

“Percy and Annabeth’s chemistry may blow everyone out of the water,” Jason said mindlessly as he sipped water. Piper visibly flinched at the statement- it was small but noticeable for Jason.

“What? What’s wrong? If it’s those two, trust me- they’ll be too busy fooling around to perfect their routine.”

Again, Piper seemed a tad uncomfortable. She had tried to not cringe at the mention of Annabeth but it was quite hard when Jason kept on mentioning it like it was simply nothing. Her face had momentarily scrunched up before she quickly attempted to smooth it out. Jason frowned with an expression that simply read ‘What’s wrong?’

“Well… uh, Annie,” Piper hesitantly started, trying to find an easier way to explain. “I have really short nails.”

“Okay…?” Jason, utterly confused by the random fact, frowned again. Piper sighed at his innocent persona and tried to emphasize what she was implying.

“There’s a reason I have short nails…”

“Because you don’t like long nails?”

Piper, impatient, facepalmed and decided to find a better explanation. She turned to his sister as an easier topic.

“Why does your sister have short nails?”

Jason’s face scrunched up for a few seconds, looking up towards the ceiling before his eyes bugged a bit and his lips pursed into an ‘o’ shape.

“Oh! Oh… so like lesbian or-”

“Bi.”

Jason took a deep breath. “ Well, I'm happy you felt comfortable enough to tell me and I’m proud of you...and I hope you’re happy Pipes.”

She nodded, more confident and happy that Jason hadn’t made too much a deal of it- he was a dear friend whose opinion she cared about dearly. She felt she could truly trust him.

“Soo… Annabeth huh?” Jason wiggled his eyebrows. Piper smacked his arm before retorting back.

“I’ve seen how you look at Percy- looks like a budding bromance to me.”

Jason choked on his water, sputtering everywhere and was left absolutely speechless.

In Rehearsal room 1... “5, 6, 7, 8!” Calypso calles as they started the sectioned choreography again. Leo internally groaned as they started again with practically no enthusiasm behind his moves. While the dance wasn’t bad, Leo wasn’t afraid to call out the dance so far was bland. It was all classical ballet and no spice. It was too boring for him and if he were an audience member he would take away points for lack of creativity. After what seemed like 4 days but was actually 40 seconds, they finished.

“Make sure your turns are in time with mine,” Calypso pointed out as she paused the music. Leo had to physically hold in the urge to make a remark. He glanced at his watch and his eyes almost bugged out of his skull. It was 4pm? Already? He knew he had to leave now or else he was going to be late. He grabbed his bag and started changing his shoes ino more suitable footwear. He snacthed his jacket, slipped it on in a rush and almost walked into the door due to the rush he was in.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Calypso’s voice coming from behind made Leo freeze. Shit. What was he going to say? Where were his excuses?

Breathe Leo, make a simple lie- can’t be too hard.

“Uh.. just grabbing something from the cafe. I think I left something there.” He jutted his thumb towards the door before slipping out to avoid Calypso’s questions. He had one more stop to make before he left.

In Studio B... Frank was learning a lot from working with Hazel. Other than the obvious (like her beauty being even greater up close), he also learnt more about salsa than he ever had in his entire life. Their routine was finally complete but they were trying to find the perfect place to insert a lift. The timing for it had to be perfect. Too slow and Frank gets injured. Too fast and Hazel falls.

As they rehearsed the routine and approached the final move, Hazel slipped- effectively pushing Frank on his back and Hazel falling right on top with her body pressed against him; practically straddling him. Frank’s head made a loud ‘thud’ sound on making contact with the solid floor- clearly it had won this battle between head and floor.

“Oh my goodness! Are you okay?” Hazel rushed out, still unaware of the compromising position. Frank nodded meekly, not wanting to further aggravate the pain in his head and reached his hand to rub the back of his head. It was only then did their eyes meet, Hazel’s eyes widening at the realisation of the position. Just as she was going to scramble off, Leo busted through the door. Frantically, Leo sputtered,

“Oh, sorry… er am I interrupting something?” Hazel almost flew off Frank and quickly made her way to Leo who now bore a small smile on his face,

“Just friends huh?” Leo mumbled. Hazel ignored the comment and instead asked what Leo was doing here.

“I gotta leave for work and Calypso is on my ass. Do me a favour- if she asks where I went say I had an appointment or something,” he whispered, his mood changing rapidly. Hazel nodded, loyal to her friend and ran to her sports bag. She whipped out her purse before waddling back to Leo, her fingers mindlessly rifling through the notes in her purse as if it was worth nothing more than paper.

“How much do you need for the bus fare?”

Leo’s hand immediately pushed back at Hazel’s purse, who again, ignored it. He was not about to take her money- not again at least, not until he paid her back for the previous times. It was hard though, because Hazel always insisted everything be on her and refused to allow him to pay her back in any way.

“Hazel, I’ve told you. I don’t want to take your money,” Leo pleaded, his face seemingly uncomfortable. Sure, he didn’t want Hazel’s money but he did want money.

“Ridiculous.” Hazel shook her head as if the mere idea of her caring whether he paid her back or not was utter ludicrous. She pulled out a thick wad of cash. “I don’t care. Here. Should be enough for the bus fares, lunch and other stuff.”

Leo hesitated. He needed this money. Bus fares, food expenses, new dance clothes and his share of the rent along with other things. But the idea of taking Hazel’s money always left a bitter taste afterwards- he hated feeling guilty over her money. Hazel on the other hand, was not going to let Leo refuse and shoved the cash into Leo’s pocket before pulling him in a tight and surprising hug. Her arms were wrapped around Leo’s back and in return, he closed his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. She smelt like flowers- no doubt from the expensive products she could easily afford along with the fact that her step-mother, Persophone, owned a fragrance line among other things.

“Gracias,” he muttered, squeezing her shoulder in an affectionate manner.

With the short knowledge of spanish she knew from her best friend, Hazel replied, “De nada.”

Confused, Frank watched the entire interaction.

Back in Studio A... Annabeth and Percy were not practising. While every dancer, perhaps excluding Nico, were nervously practicing every beat of a move they performed, Annabeth and Percy were not really stressing. In fact, they hadn’t worked much on their routine in general. Annabeth was lying on her stomach with her face in her hands and her legs dangling back and forth. Percy sat next to her, with his arms around his legs. They were both listening to their ex-mentor who was in a wheelchair. Chiron was simply talking about something that had recently happened with his two favourite students.

“He did what!” Percy and Annabeth shouted in sync.

“I told him that if he performed, he would have been scouted, but alas- Luke refused. He came with me but it was a true shame I didn’t get to see him perform. He’s been with the studio for so long now, I do find it odd that he has yet to move to a professional career,” Chiron sighed- slumping slightly in his wheelchair.

“How’s the leg doing?” Annabeth asked, hoping the subject was no longer sore.

“Which one?” Chiron smiled mischievously as he pulled the blanket off his legs- showing both legs seemed present. Normally, the bottom half of the left leg would seem empty unlike what they were seeing now. Percy looked a bit confused for a few seconds.

“But… but Chiron, you only have one leg.”

Annabeth slapped her head before breaking into fits of laughter. Both her and Chiron were laughing their heads off until Annabeth kindly explained.

“Prosthetics Percy! Prosthetics!”

Chiron flexed his left foot, showing off his new leg. The dancers were awe-struck. As far as they had known- Chiron had refused prosthetics since the accident. They felt an insurmountable amount of pride swell inside of them- This was good right? Chiron was moving on! He wasn’t being stuck in the past anymore. It wasn’t that fact that he got a prosthetic, it was the reason he used to refuse it. Annabeth and Percy knew that he didn’t want a prosthetic at first because if he couldn’t dance using it, he’d consider himself a failure and after the accident, he did not want to face any more failure than he had to- he wanted to protect himself.

And for a while, that was okay! The studio was supportive- they truly wanted him to heal. But Chiron was stubborn. He was -what one may dare even say- traumatised. But no one could truly blame him- Nico, someone who was barely conscious during the accident, suffered. No one could blame Chiron for what had happened but there looks. People who weren’t even relatively involved whatsoever casted glances. Gave their fair share of judgemental looks- despite not even knowing the truth. However, Chiron learnt better than to acknowledge said glances.

“Woah, Chiron, when did you get it fitted?” Percy asked in awe.

“A while ago. I wanted to manage a few steps in it before showing you all.”

Annabeth and Percy looked at eachother, the same thoughts, concerns and hopes crossing their minds.

“Can you take a few steps in it?” Annabeth said tentatively. Much to the students' hopes, Chiron nodded and both dancers ran to his side to help him stand. He held both of them as he heaved himself up and momentarily wobbled. He then pushed away their arms as he slowly made a few steps across the dance floor. He made his way towards the ballet bar, his hand stretching towards it. At this moment, Nico walked in, his jaw dropping before immediately resuming to a neutral facade.

“Nice leg,” Nico commented before making his way to the bar. Percy and Annabeth, once again, made eye contact thinking ‘what's up with him?’.

“ You ask him,” Annabeth hissed.

“No you ask him,”Percy mouthed as he nodded his head towards Nico.

“No, you!”

“I’m not asking him. Besides, he’s your dance partner,” Percy whispered. At this, Annabeth knew that Percy made a valid point. If there was anybody Nico trusted, besides Hazel for some apparent reason, it was Annabeth. The two danced together their entire lives, Nico couldn’t hide anything from her- not even his crush on Percy which many other people had seen as a crush on Annabeth herself. Annabeth on the other hand, could clearly tell the difference between jealousy and having a crush. Other than Annabeth and Jason, Nico refused for anyone else to know.

Annabeth sighed, shooting daggers at Percy as she got up and walked towards Nico. For the next 5 minutes, Nico and Annabeth stretched side by side in silence while Chiron and Percy chatted on the other side of the room.

“Soo.. how are things going with your routine?” Annabeth started as she leaned over her leg at the bar. Nico grunted something incomprehensible as he tried to avoid her by doing a plié. Annabeth joined him, asking him to speak up.

“Will walked out.”

“Why?”

“I played a dumb prank on him about getting injured.” Annabeth had to pinch herself to prevent herself from gasping. Nico? Her lifelong dance partner made… a joke? Pranked someone? Was this actually Nico?

“Well, why did you do it?”

“I was tryin to prove that Ballet dancers aren’t so uptight.”

“What exactly did you do?” Annabeth’s tone dipped and sounded slightly suspicious but either way, Nico did not notice.

“...Pretended to get injured… but that isn’t even the problem. My problem is that my chicken of a partner called me a bumbling, incompetent, priveleged idiot and then, then… they just bailed on me!”

Later, when Annabeth, Percy and Jason were in the cafe, Annabeth retold Percy and Jason about her earlier conversation with Nico- not sparing a single detail about the clear distress the situation was causing him.

“Happy now Jason? Paired Nico up with a damned jerk,” Percy said aggressively.

“I didn’t think he was such a big a bitch as you did!” Jason argued. Annabeth could sense the tension between the two men and decided to push them apart. She stood between them with her hands resting on her hips.

“I told you two so we could help fix what happened; not just argue over it and point fingers.”

“I never liked the damned sunflower anway,” Percy huffed. Annabeth resisted a giggle from Percy’s terrible insult.

“Anyway, someone needs to talk to him- see his point of view, try and get them over the petty argument.”

“Petty? Will insulted him over nothing!” Jason almost shouted, his aggressive and protective side shining through.

“Which we can all agree was wrong. But.” She glared at the men. “We also know that Nico can and will hold grudges over anything as long as time lasts.”

In agreement, they decided to all visit Will because there was no way in hell that Annabeth was letting Percy and Jason talk to Will alone.

Somewhere in the Dance studio... Calypso was pissed. It seemed that most days, she was thinking more about Leo than she’d prefer to. Sure, he was gorgeous- naturally gifted in the looks (and don’t tell him this but also the personality department) with his lucious brown curls that framed his face perfectly and the beautiful glint he’d have in his eye when he danced and they way his teeth would glimmer when he smiled like the true definition of pearly whites. But, she was also wondering about his whereabouts, more and more frequently.

She had checked the cafe, Studio 2 and Dionysus’s office (she did not know what to think of him) with no sign of Leo whatsoever. She knew that there would be only one person who would know where Leo was- Hazel. However, it seemed that Leo and Hazel both had something in common- the inability to be found anywhere.

Finally, she found her about to head out for the day entirely.

“Hey, Hazel.” Calypso tapped her on the shoulder, pulling her away from her conversation with Frank. “Have you seen Leo anywhere?”

With no tact whatsoever, Hazel stuttered out a ‘no’ that had Calypso raising her eyebrow in suspicion at her- clearly not believing the lie. Internally, Hazel forced herself to calm down and think. What had Leo mentioned, what could she use, what could she lie about?

Think Hazel, think!

Leo had mentioned saying something about an appointment- yes! Hazel mentally prepared herself and the words came magically stumbling out of her mouth- rolling off her tongue as if she lied on a daily basis.

“Well… you can’t tell anyone okay?” Hazel whispered convincingly, drawing Calypso's attention in. “ You can’t let Leo know that I told you this but he’s at an appointment, for his knee. He injured some time ago when we attempted a lift badly and well, you know…”

Calypso immediately felt regretful. It was like she was truly the villain half of the dancers here thought her to be. No wonder he was barely putting any effort into the dance! Not only was he injured but he was injured and doing ballet- a style he wasn’t so regularly familiar with. And she had been treating him like shit about it as well! She could feel the guilt slowly creeping into her.

“Oh my, Hazel.... I’m so, so sorry,” she managed to say. Hazel, also overwhelmed with guilt, wanted to take back the lie and just say the truth. Leo was at work to pay for his dance fees- why was he so ashamed of it! Hazel offered to pay for him but he would refuse everytime. She wished that he’d let her pay for him- her father had more money than he cared for and oftentimes, Nico and Hazel found themselves paying for everything they and their friends could truly desire- not that they minded. This was the one thing she could do for Sammy but not Leo and for it, her thoughts taunted her.

At least Sammy accepted her money, her help. Gods, don’t think like that Hazel. Money can’t save everyone, you know that Hazel.

Hazel glanced back up to see Frank waving at her and could only manage a small sullen smile.

On the way to Studio A... Calypso needed to get back to Studio A and perhaps find some edits for their routine- maybe lighten the ballet on Leo. Maybe Leo preferred Salsa because it was easier on his knee? It didn’t make sense to Calypso but despite not wanting to admit it, she had seen how happy it had made him. She’d have to ask Hazel or Dionysus about the technique of it but she had taken a few classes in it before and so she tried a few steps she’d seen Leo do before.

She soon realised that he made it look a lot easier than it actually was- she remembered how she had insulted salsa and it’s supposed ‘lack of technique’. But then, she also remembered how he’d insulted her by saying she wasn’t the ‘best ballet dancer’. What did that even mean? Her- not the best? Impossible. She had worked too hard her entire life for that to be possible.

For the sake of Leo and his knee (and reliving some of her guilt), Calypso persevered and tried to teach herself some basic salsa moves. The basics weren’t too hard, it was simply that trying to com[pletely abandon her ballet technique wasn’t very easy and subsequently, she found herself looking very stiff.

“What are you… doing?” a seemingly alarmed voice, that belonged to none other than her rival, called out. Flawless teeth, truffles of soft hair and glass like eyes- Luke Castellan walked in, his lips pulled into a smug smile that truly tempted Calypso to smack him.

“None of your business, Castellan,” Calypso quickly snapped.

“Castellan?” He turned towards her with an innocent look that quickly turned malicious. “That’s not what you were moaning under me whe-”

“-Shut up. That’s over, we’re over. We were over ages ago. It’s not happening again. Not after you lied to me.”

Luke frowned, his features seemingly cute but Calypso knew better than to trust what he portrayed on his face. When it came to Luke, the quote ‘there is no art to find the mind's construction in face’ should really be taken seriously. He moved himself so that he was working at the bar that was in front of the very mirror that Calypso was using. Calypso ignored him, going over the routine over and over again. However, Luke seemed determined to get in her way so he continued to stretch in front of the mirror until Calypso completely snapped.

“What?” Her hands were on her hips in a threating manner and face looked like she was ready to commit murder.

“Oh nothing.” Luke shrugged before quickly speaking again. “It’s just, I’d never imagine you’d actually partner with such… scum I guess.”

“A, why do you care who I partner with? B, Leo isn’t that bad,” Calypso reluctantly defended him. Leo to her definitely was that bad, but she sure as hell was not letting Luke know that.

“It’s a bit sad how you really downgraded after me… and I doubt that your nachos boy will be able to guarantee you a spot on the team…” Luke trailed.

Calypso had to admit that the name ‘nachos boy’ was hilarious and she definitely intended on calling Leo that some time.

“Are you okay?” Calypso’s concerned voice immediately threw off Luke. “Or have you just not seen a mirror in a while? Because anything could be considered an upgrade after you. Leo? That’s like what? A Triple upgrade in the least- Let it be known, when it comes to how good looking people at this studio are, you are like basically the last person.”

“And yet, you dated me. No, you pursued me even,” Luke teased, his voice with undertones of malice like a poison laced apple- sweet talking with a bitter aftertaste.

“People make mistakes.”Calypso shrugged casually as she grabbed her bag and left the room.

In the musical theatre office... “We just… wanted to make sure you and Nico were doing well with your routine,” Annabeth urged Will who refused to talk to Percy or Jason.

“So Nico sends other dancers to talk for him now?” Will frowned, relatively upset that Nico didn’t come to him. Sure, he had been really harsh and Nico did deserve an apology from him but he was hoping that Nico would come to him, not his three older and more experienced friends who seemed very threatening.

“He um, well Nico didn’t send us..” Jason said, slowly realising their mistake.

“So you decided to come and talk to me about our problem on his behalf without his permission or his acknowledgement? Did he even directly tell any of you what happened?”

“He told Annabeth!” Percy defended.

“And you wonder why we don’t get along,” Will sighed and facepalmed. “ Well, if it makes you feel any better, me and Nico are perfectly fine.”

“You guys… have talked?” Annabeth asked warily.

“We will.” And with that, Will waved them off.

9PM- Rehearsal room A Nico’s turns were consistent and his warm breath was forced out of his chest and he heavily breathed. The lights of the studio were all turned off except for the rehearsal room he was occupying. He could feel his leg muscles burning, telling him to stop but he ignored it, forcing his body into a state of pure divinity- his arms spread like a black swan, ethereal and elegant. His olive skin was shiny, a thin layer of sweat across his body and beads of perspiration forming on his forehead as he carried on moving. His feet pranced, hopped, turned, kicked, swept and jumped. In the lighting he looked like a god with his onyx eyes, framed by his dark eyelashes and messy hair that moved with his every step.

Click clack. Click Clack.

Immediately, Nico stopped, recognising the sound. He turned down the classical music and took a few bows, the sarcasm in his movement clear.

“Thank you, thank you,” Nico drawled, clearly slightly pissed.

“I didn’t even get to clap.” Will pouted. “Did my shoes give a good reminder?”

Nico nodded but refused to continue speaking to him. He refused to speak to Will until he felt like talking to him again- he wanted a decent apology which should include Mcdonalds and wine. Speaking of wine, Nico definitely wanted some after the day he’d had. He knew Hazel always had something delicious but she lived near their parents and that always presented the possibility of his father popping in- not that he really hated his father, it was his wife, Persephone (who had given Nico a perfume that had a flower that he was allergic to).

“Are you not gonna talk to me?” Will asked, his hands in his pocket and with a slightly disappointed tone.

“Okay. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I overreacted to something that was seemingly innocent and I shouldn’t have been such a…”

“Bitch?” Nico filled in.

Will let out a whole hearted laugh. “ Yeah, I guess bitch is the right word. Anyway, I’m really sorry that I called you that…I shouldn’t have judged you based on your friends.”

“Being forgiven will not be so easy.”

“Do you need a Happy meal?” Will teased until Nico’s silence filled the room. “Wait, seriously, just a happy meal? Deal.”

“Well, now that you mention it, some wine would be nice. Maybe a day away from the studio,” Nico mused as he stuffed his stuff into his bag carelessly. He’d hate himslef when he had to organise it at home but it was really late and Nico was hungry as fuck.

“I hear that Chiron is taking out some students to the beach this week. I’m pretty sure Calypso is coming, she’ll let me tag along and I’m sure Annabeth will drag you there anyway. We can have our… reunion then,” Will decided as they walked out of the studio. Nico stopped as he fished out the studio keys and locked up the font doors. Nico wasn’t truly fond of the beach but it was free food and a chance to hang around his friends.

“Sure.” Nico nodded. “It’s a date.”

Will watched as Nico got into his car. For some reason, Will felt himself blush at those very words- It’s a date.

Those words ended up replaying in Will’s head until they met again on Saturday.

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winryofresembool · 3 years

Text

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 17

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: Some truths come out... and some don't.

A/N: Did you really think I'd leave you hanging for too long? Now it's finally time to find out what happens when Calypso and Percy meet. I'm a bit worried some characters may sound a bit OOC here but writing conflict has never been my piece of cake so I was a bit out of my comfort zone here. But I tried! Without a further ado, I hope you guys enjoy! And let me know what you think!

Characters in this ch: Calypso, Leo, Piper, Jason, Annabeth, Percy

Words: 1899

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / next chapter / AO3

…

“Hold on, what’s going on here?” Leo asked, finally letting go of Calypso and throwing the last piece of the cupcake in his mouth. “You two know each other?”

“Well…” Calypso started but couldn’t find the right words to explain the situation.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Percy admitted when it became obvious that she wouldn’t be able to answer. “We used to chat online.”

Leo’s eyebrows shot up. “Chat… online? As in…?”

“On Tinder, yeah. But that was a long time ago.” Percy glanced at his girlfriend varily. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

Calypso wasn’t happy about Percy’s choice of words. To her, it had been a rather big deal, because the internet had been the only way she had been able to stay in contact with the outside world and she did care about the bonds she formed there. And Percy had seemed different from most of the people she had met online. Had. Until she had discovered she was wrong, after all.

“If it wasn’t a big deal,” Annabeth frowned. “Then why do you look so nervous and why did Calypso just go bright red? I may not be quite as good at reading people as Piper is but usually that isn’t a good sign.”

“Annabeth…” Calypso answered instead of Percy. “You are my friend and I’m not going to lie to you. I did have a crush on him, but that was two years ago and we cut things off entirely when Percy told me he wanted to start dating someone else.”

“Wait… you were the girl he was seeing before me? I… how…?” Annabeth asked, her eyes wide as owl’s.

“You were still seeing Luke,” Percy said carefully. “I liked you, Annabeth, but in all honesty, I didn’t think you’d break up with him. So, I met Calypso online and she seemed nice, but…”

“But I was always just a second choice to you,” Calypso said a bit bitterly.

“Hey, I never meant any of it to happen! I didn’t want to hurt you,” Percy tried to defend himself.

“...But it just happened,” Calypso finished for him, her voice poisonous.

Annabeth ignored their arguing.

“I remember…” she addressed Percy, “before I told you about Luke and my break up, you ranted about this girl who was so pretty and sweet and lonely and you hoped to meet her because she was living in the same city. You never told me her name, though, or what happened to her. Eventually, I just kind of… forgot. And now I find out that girl is my friend. This is just so weird…”

“A small world, huh?” Percy tried to lighten the mood, failing at it.

“It’s not funny, Jackson.” Annabeth scowled at him. “So… did you guys ever meet face to face?”

“Just once,” Calypso hurried to answer. “And at the end of it? Percy told me that he only liked me as a friend.” Two years worth of in kept emotions decided to pop on the surface in that moment, and Calypso directed the frustration at Percy. “By the way, Percy, I appreciate your honesty but you really could have told me that before I arranged the whole thing. You knew the circumstances.”

Leo had listened to the whole conversation with his mouth open, his head going back and forth between the arguers, but now he felt he had completely fallen out of it, so he asked: “Woah, you guys! Calm down a bit! What circumstances?”

“It’s nothing,” Calypso said quickly.

“It’s not nothing!” Percy exclaimed but seeing Calypso’s warning glare, he quickly shut up.

Annabeth casted Percy a disbelieving look. “Wait, she talked about whatever was going on with her to you? We’ve been friends for several months now and she still hasn’t told me what happened at the mall that one time…”

“Annabeth, I couldn’t…” Calypso wanted to explain but she knew that whatever she’d say probably wouldn’t help the situation.

“Calypso, friends don’t have secrets. I’ve been trying to be patient, but I’m getting tired of this. Just tell me one thing. Based on what you just told me, you would have been ready for a relationship with Percy. Do you still like him?”

Calypso wanted to say a very unhesitant no, that that raft had sailed away a long time ago, and she might be seeing a new one on the horizon... But she realized she couldn’t say that in front of Leo because she hadn’t fully admitted that to herself yet, much less to anyone else. Besides that, she was also feeling rather intimidated by the situation, so the words escaped her. “I… uh… no.”

“That sounded pretty hesitant,” Annabeth pointed out. She looked like she wanted to say more, but thankfully, Piper decided to intervene in that moment.

“Alright, guys. To me it sounds like some of you are overreacting. So, Cal and Percy used to chat online before Percy and Annabeth started dating. To which they had every right. Calypso had a crush on Percy, which I suppose isn’t that weird even though I myself am not seeing the charm.” She gave her own boyfriend a quick smile. “They met once face to face and on that date Percy told Calypso he liked someone else instead. Doesn’t sound like the smartest idea but I guess Percy preferred telling that way instead of over a message. Right, Percy?”

“R-right,” he stammered, probably worried about how the girls would react.

“Then Calypso mentioned something about ‘circumstances’ but sounds like it’s something very personal so it’s up to her if she wants to tell us more about that. For now I’d suggest that we’d leave that topic alone.”

“Thanks, Piper,” Calypso said gratefully. “This is probably not the best moment to talk about it.”

“Fair enough,” Piper said, looking at the others challengingly, then at her watch. “Maybe it’s time for us all to go home. It’s getting kind of late.”

Agreeing mumbling could be heard from the room. When Piper put her leader mode on, no one really dared to resist her. Calypso thought briefly that she’d be an excellent boss for some company one day.

Percy and Annabeth didn’t say much when they left, perhaps their silence speaking more volumes than words could have. As the door closed, Piper sighed.

“I’m sorry this went this way. I promise I had a good time…”

“Until I messed everything up.” Calypso said quietly.

“What?” Piper asked. “I wasn’t gonna say that!”

“Yes but it’s the truth. I complicate everything. I can’t believe the first person I made friends with here… was, um, somehow connected to my past.”

“She must feel just as weird as you do,” Piper reminded. “I think it might be good for you to take a time off and ask yourself if you should let something that happened several years ago affect your friendship. You didn’t do anything wrong; Annabeth just needs to cool down a bit to be able to accept that. And when she’s ready, explain to her what really happened.”

“My girlfriend, the boss lady,” Jason, who had followed the situation quietly, said acceptingly. “You handled this situation awesomely.”

“Pfft, Grace, you just say that because I sleep with you.” Piper chuckled.

“He is not wrong, though,” Calypso was quick to add. “I think you did exactly what needed to be done. And just gave me some good advice. So thank you, again.”

“No problem. And hey, if anything comes up… you can definitely contact me. Annabeth may have been my friend longer, but you’re my friend too.”

“Yeah, thanks, I will,” Calypso said, managing a small smile.

After that Jason and Piper said their goodbyes and left Leo and Calypso alone in their flat.

“That was… pretty intense,” Leo finally broke the silence when it was about to get awkward. For some reason, he seemed disappointed about something even though Calypso couldn’t decide what. That she had ruined the evening? Or could it be… that he was upset to find out that she used to have a crush on his friend? No, that couldn’t have been it, Calypso thought, because what reason had she ever given Leo to like her? When she thought about it, she had mainly been sarcastic and kind of cold in his company, probably not something most people cared about.

“Yeah…” Calypso didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to explain, to say that she really didn’t feel much of anything towards Percy anymore, but what would that help? She’d probably only make things even more awkward than they already were. Especially if she was wrong and Leo was disappointed for example because she might have caused friction between his friends. “Listen, I didn’t mean to…”

“Whatever,” Leo stopped her, sounding a bit sharper than what Calypso was used to hearing. “I guess it’s none of my business anyway.”

Calypso understood the implications in Leo’s comment. One of the reasons why he was mad was because she wasn’t telling him the whole truth. But she could not get him mixed in the life she was trying to escape from…

The whole situation made Calypso frustrated and she took it out in a way she later regretted: “Why are you acting like that? What happened with Percy has nothing to do with you!”

“Well, it becomes my issue too if it affects my friends! Besides, I… I care about you… because you’re my flatmate, of course! And if my friend hurt you…”

Calypso was totally taken aback by Leo’s answer. She hadn’t even considered that he might actually be worried about her. Her face softened as she replied: “What happened back then… it doesn’t matter anymore. He and I were never exclusive. So really, it was my fault in the first place thinking that we could have a future. Not with… everything happening anyway.”

“There, that’s the other problem,” Leo said in a low voice. “You never tell me… Calypso, even though I may seem like it sometimes, I’m not stupid. You’re not telling us something that’s obviously very important to you. And hearing that Percy knows… well, it does feel weird.”

“Leo, think about your worst memory,” Calypso said, her eyes looking even darker than usual. “And tell me if you’d be willing to tell it to me, right here, right now. If the answer is no… well, then you might understand what I feel.”

“I…” Leo started, but then hesitated, his expression turning dark. “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. I just want to…”

“Forget.” Calypso finished for him. “Guess you might understand, after all.”

“Yeah, maybe… I hope that we can be honest with each other, one day, though.”

“I hope so, too,” Calypso agreed.

“Listen, I’m gonna call it a night,” Leo finally broke the silence that had fallen into the room, combing his hair with his fingers. “Got lots to do tomorrow. So, see ya.”

“Night,” Calypso said after him. She was sad that the affection that had been there the other night as they had said good night to each other seemed almost non-existent right now. Maybe the bubble around them had broken when they voiced their issues out loud. But Calypso wasn’t someone who gave up that easily. She wouldn’t let the ghosts of the past stop her from living her life anymore.

#caleo #leo valdez #calypso #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #trials of apollo #my fics #caleo uni au

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buckysmischief · 4 years

Text

sweetest girl - 2

Scott Lang x reader

Word Count: 1.5k

Warning: language

Summary: You were a highly trained assassin who needed the Avengers help. Tony isn’t a fan, not yet. Steve really has all the patience in the world. Bucky is, again, waiting for his past to blow up in his face. And Scott, well Scott has a very important question for you. Sucks for him that you’re not much of a talker.

AN: I'm really sorry this took so long, y'all deserve more but this is all I have until next time ❤️

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

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The next day was business as usual; skipping therapy, training, team meetings, everything after that was personal time unless something important came up. A perk to skipping your therapy session was that you got the training area to yourself. You still had to participate with everyone else, but at least this way you could mentally, and physically, prepare yourself to deal with the others.

You began with stretching your body, even though you won’t be going on missions it still wouldn’t be smart to pull anything during training. Just in case. You started with your arms and wrapped it up by stretching out your legs before a run. Halfway through your mile the team walked in, including Scott.

“What a surprise to see you here so early, Yn.” Steve sarcastically said. You ignored him and kept running, they would be ready by the time you were finished.

It was Natasha’s day to train with you, which meant the next two hours were dedicated to your legs. Thanks to your above average hearing you heard her coming, blocking what would have been a kick to your head. “You’re getting better, Natasha.” you confess, dropping her leg.

“Was that a compliment?” without skipping a beat, she’s going for your head again. The two of you instantly are insync with each other after that, trading off blocking the other. You decided to switch things up, so the next time she grabbed your ankle you used it to your advantage. Quick with your feet, you hoisted yourself onto her shoulders and used your weight to slam you both on your backs.

When you and Natasha would train together, you would both block the rest of the room out. Mostly because you needed to focus, but also because everyone would like to spectate every now and then.

“Do they have that choreographed or are they both scary?” Scott asked while watching you and Natasha get back up and start again.

“You got a crush, Tic-Tac?” Sam walked up to Scott, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“What? No. She could totally kick my ass.” he looked at Sam, “Yeah, probably.”

“Don’t tell her that, she’ll definitely kick your ass.”

“I hope so.” Scott breathed out.

When training was done for the day, you left before everyone else like usual, or so you thought. You decided to take a detour to the kitchen to make some lunch, but Scott was already there preparing something for the whole team.

“Whatcha makin’?” you only ask while no one else is around, wanting to get your own opinion on him. Just because the Avengers trust him doesn’t mean you automatically should.

He’s standing at the stove, back towards you, “They told me about you, you know? About how you haven’t talked to anyone but Cap since you got here, if you can even call that talking.” He turns around and puts a plate in front of you, “It’s just a grilled chicken salad. Anyways, what’s your deal?”

You pick at the food in front of you for a minute or two while contemplating your response, “I guess you’re gonna wait to find out. Tic-tac.” The rest of the team began to walk in just as you finished your sentence.

“You heard them coming didn’t you?” he was looking directly at you, not acknowledging the team at all.

The tension in the room grew with each passing second, no one knowing quite sure what was going on, only that there was definitely something going on between you and Scott. While they made their plates and began to eat, you hadn’t broken eye contact with him for a second.

Bucky speaking to you, in Russian to everyone's surprise, breaks your concentration, “Stop looking at him like he’s your prey.”

You look back at Scott and smirk, “What makes you think he isn’t?” Bucky, Wanda, and Natasha are the only ones who understand enough to laugh at your response.

“Did we step into the Twilight Zone or something? What’s going on?” Sam finally asks, “Scott shows up and you’re suddenly social, even speaking Russian to Winter Wonder over here?”

“I could always stop.” you tease.

“Does this mean you’re going to start being an active member of the team?” Of course Steve had to ask the question, you would have been surprised if he didn’t.

“Sure, Rogers. If it means I can finally leave the property.” you put your empty plate in the sink and begin to walk back to your room. “See you suckers at the meeting later!”

It was odd at first, everyone seeing you around more. You started going to the meetings, get a feel for everyone's place and how they feel about different things. Then you started going to your therapy sessions, which wasn’t progressing at all but “it only matters that you’re going, yn, it shows initiative.” The only thing that changed about training was that you stayed longer with the rest of the team, but even that was progress to them. But the thing you started to do that not only shocked the team, but yourself, was accepting an offer to movie night.

“Hey, Yn, wait up.”

“Hey, Scott. What’s up?” you were both leaving another strategy meeting. There were rumors that a HYDRA cell was gathering in the Bronx, and apparently Steve and Tony thought you were ready for your first mission.

“Well, um. I didn’t quite think this through.” you laugh and gesture for him to follow you. “Right, so, Sam told me they planned a movie night for tonight-”

“What movie?” lately you’ve made a habit of throwing Scott off whenever possible. You noticed that whenever you would give a smart ass remark, he would be ready with another, but for some reason, whenever you talked to him like a normal person, he’d get flustered. And that was intriguing.

“Uh, he picked Clueless I think-”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“You’ve never seen Clueless??”

“I didn’t have much of a personal life up until recently.”

“Oh yeah,” he stopped walking, “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have said that.” You reassured him that it was all okay, and instead of dragging it out, you told him to save you a seat next to him later that night. And he did.

That’s how you ended up in the situation you were in now; laying in an open field on the compound, watching the stars, and spilling details about yourself to none other than Scott Lang.

“So, why did it take you so long to open up to everyone? They’re pretty easy people to get along with, you know, if they’re not trying to kill you.” You were out there for hours at this point, it had to be past midnight.

“I just never remember trusting anyone. I don’t, didn’t know what it felt like. When Bucky and Wanda saw me getting on the jet they immediately took me on and detained me. I understood why, but that didn’t make me want to trust them. Especially since my options were here or the Raft.”

“I wouldn’t recommend the Raft.” Scott laughs.

“Oh yeah, I heard about that.” you pause, “But, um. What really pulled me out of my comfort zone was you.. There was just something about a stranger coming in, knowing about me, and not being afraid. Not wondering if they were going to be added to my kill list. It felt good, still feels good. I feel like I’m making progress now, so I guess this is me thanking you.”

He stands up and pulls you to your feet, “Don’t go soft on me now, killer. We gotta mission to go on tomorrow.” But before you both walked back inside, he added, “I’m always here though if you need anything, Yn. I mean that.” He then grabbed you by the hand and walked you to your room, promising to save you a seat at breakfast.

The next morning when you don’t show up to breakfast, Scott had assumed you slept through your alarms. He started to get suspicious when he heard you skipped therapy. But when the whole team realized you weren’t coming to training, he suggested they go check your room.

When they opened your bedroom door, they noticed your room was a mess, and since no one has been in it, they didn’t know that wasn’t normal. Wanda and Steve checked your bed and bathroom, but you were nowhere to be found. “FRIDAY, do you notice anything out of place here?” Tony asked, starting to get worried.

FRIDAY took a moment to scan the room, “Everything, Mr. Stark, but what’s most out of place is the note under Miss Yln bed, the handwriting doesn’t match her or anyone that has access to the compound.”

Wanda picked the note up off the floor and read it, hoping it would help identify where you were. “It’s HYDRA, they took her.”

🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜

Permanent tags: @sociallyeneptbarnes @rogvewitch @saturn-aka-six @stuckonjbbarnes @superavengerpotterstar @estillion14 @sleepingspacedragon @geeksareunique @infj-slytherclaw @imsoft-barnes @piper-koko-barnes-rogers @murdermornings @disaffectedbarnes @screaming-fridge @readeity @aestheticrelated @my-drowning-in-time @valkyriesryde @sebbbystaaan @perpetually-tuned-out @distractedgemini @buggy-blogs @hey-its-grey @pinknerdpanda @brokenthelovely @sandyclaws @death-unbecomes-you @rhymesmenagerie @actualdpshuri @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @mushyjellybeans @https-bucky @nea90sweetie @goalexis123 @missmeganrachel @sunflowersandcherry @miraclesoflove

Series tags: @chiefwobblerauthorrebel & I think I lost some others I'm sorry

#scott lang x reader #scott lang imagine #mcu fanfic #reader insert #assassin reader #marvel #sweetest girl

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hellswolfie · 4 years

Text

The Mark of Athena Review

Ok so once again i continue reading “The Heroes of Olympus” and once again i need to vent so Tadaaaaa !!

So before I start, here is a more general Review : I really REALLY liked this book. Favorite of the serie so far. Also, obviously, SPOILERS !!

THINGS I DIDNT LIKE :

- The role of Frank : I can maybe forgive that, because with 7 main characters i understand it’s difficult to give them all an important role in one single book. But I really loved him in “The Son of Neptune” and I really wanted to see more of him, and the most of what we got was him being the Jealous Boyfriend. It was kind of disappointing so I hope it’ll change in the next books.

- Piper : it costs me a lot to put her there because I really really loved her in “The Lost Hero” but I have to admit I didn’t like one single chapter of hers in “The Mark of Athena”. Or at least not completely. In the first book there was the relationship with her dad, her culture, her dealing with the fact she was an Aphrodite children, the begining of a friendship with Annabeth and Leo... But in this book ? It’s only about Jason. Endlessly. And it’s so tiring and eyeroll worthy, especially when we compare her “issues” over JASON with the others’. And even without that, she was really not a great person in this book and not in the interesting way : she was ready to put the whole World in danger just so Jason wouldnt stay in New Rome, kept Charming Up her friends just for convenience (like srsly i know thats not supposed to be a Big Deal but thats still mind control so yikes), and when it came down to it, no matter what she said about how Leo is like her little brother or Annabeth is her BFF, she only gave a crap about Jason Jason Jason...There was barely a scene of her with the other two. And I find it frustrasting that it didn’t even feel like the plot during her chapters were about her, but more about Jason and her being a support for him, even though they were HER chapters !!

- Jasiper : Well I guess that’s not really a surprise lol. I never liked this pairing and this book didn’t change my mind on that at all. Piper keeps clinging to the three months THAT NEVER HAPPENED (and that apparently weren’t faithful to Jason’s character like srsly is she even really in love with HIM or the idea of him she had in her mind ?) instead of the 8 real months they spent together, thinks it’s a miracle when Jason appologizes (he’s a real catch huh ?) and is so so sure he’ll leave her to go to New Rome which first : wow you really have faith in this relationship huh ? But also second : why is this such a Big Deal ?? Even if he did go to New Rome she could still follow him (she made it pretty clear she’d leave all of her friends in Camp Half Blood to be with him), it’s not like he’s a whole new different person when he’s there !! And my baby Reyna was so hurt by that, like Jason was a reall asshole here, even if he was oblivious and didn’t realize her feelings for him she’s still supposed to be his friend and the first thing he asks after 8 months of disappearing is if he can spend alone time with his gf ? And I found it kind of frustrating that in the end, all the others left on their own to do their own things (yk, to save the fucking world ?) while literaly risking their life and Jasiper just...went on a date. Like seriously ? So yeah. Not a fan.

- The whole Frank x Leo “rivalery” : Why make another older character be attracted to 13 years old ?? Can you stop that ??? Leo could also be a real ass sometimes, even tho I still love him and Frank well...I already talked about that. This book had enough pissing contests between guys as it is.

- Percy apparently forgetting all the Hercules stuff he learned in “The Titan Curse”. I know it might not seem like THAT much of a deal but it was a really important thing for his character ? That he learned how Heroes, especially Hercules, were real assholes too and that he had to learn to not be like them ? That Zoe, his friend who sacrificiced herself to save the world, was treated like shit by this guy but now he was still like “omg this is Hercules I SO want to meet this guy he seems great !!” ???. It was just one sentence but I hated it.

- The focus on the Romantic relationships. Look I have nothing against romance and ships. I love romantic love in stories !! But I also love friendships and I really wish this book would have given us more of that instead of spending so much time on romantic relationships. I mean it is pretty well illustrated in the end of the book when they all separate : all the groups are romantic pairings. Percabeth, Jiper, and Frazel with Leo who has kind of a crush on Hazel. And as much as I love Frazel and Percabeth, where are the friendships ?? Percy and Jason’s relationship was supposed to be very important in this book so why didn’t we see more of that ?? What about the friendships that were already established like Percy with Frank and Hazel, Leo with Piper and Jason, Piper and Anabeth,...And all the new friendships that could have had more screen time like Annabeth and Frank or something !! So yeah that was disappointing.

THINGS I LOVED :

- the River God scene. Ok so yes I kind of lied : I enjoyed this chapter of Piper. Well this scene at least. And only kind off, because it is still a Jasiper moment but anyway. In my last review of “the Son of Neptune”, I mentionned how it always annoyed me that the heroes have a habit of always making the Good Moral Decision, without any hesitation, even if the fate of the world is in the balance. I was like “Give me morally conflicted characters damn it” !! And that’s what I got here. Piper having to lie to the God, taking his horn that was so important to him, even tho he was just a very tragic dude, to save Jason and the World, realizing that even if it is bad and she feels like shit after doing it, she still had to do it...YES !!! THANK YOU !! I LOVED THAT !!!

- The LEO X NICO INTERACTIONS !!!!!! After spending 2 books shipping them (they’d fit so well together i will die on this hill) they finally talked !!! Well once, and about the fact that Percabeth just fell into fucking Tartarus but like !!! TALKING !!!! And the first thing Nico tell him is to reassure him <3 (look I know it won’t be canon but the POTIENTIAL!!!)

- Annabeth’s chapters. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t like them like we finally got her point of view people !!! And it was awesome !!! I loved seeing her on a quest, the way she thinks and sees the world, how she uses her intelligence,... Like she’s so brave and smart but also so sentimental even tho she’d never admit it (like getting emo about having lost the white hair because it was a connection with Percy ? My baby is so fucking precious). And obviously we already knew that but to actually be in her head ??? It was so fucking good !! And it really succeeded to make me feel so much for her, like she’s just a kid and her mother literaly sent her to her death and she was so scared but she still kept going (only to end up in Tartarus WHYYYYYY) and I’m so proud of her. I love this character so much !!

- Percabeth : The reunion !!!! FINALLY !!!! That’s my first ever OTP right there and they’re so in love !! They’re such a badass power couple and they love eachother so fucking much !! God i missed them X( I loved every Percabeth scenes, they were so adorable and beautiful. I loved how even tho they are differents and are not always in the same page, they still know eachother so well and the communication was just so cheff’s kiss. And omg their lasts scenes together ?? Chills !! Like when Percy almost begged the (kind of?) gods to let him stay just a few more moments with her because he was so scared of never seeing her again almost brought tears to my eyes and then of course their final scene when they fall together into Tartarus, because all that matter is that they’re together...MY HEART !!!

- Percy’s and Leo’s chapters. I put them together because I don’t have much to say except that I love them so much and that I would literaly lay down my life for this two. Their chapters are always such joy to read, and after one whole book without him, I was really glad to get back with Leo. Probably the funniest chapters too.

- The Crazy Dolphins scene. This scene was fucking hilarious. Pic comedy ^^

- The crumb of friendhips dynamics we got. So much potential I want to see more !! Like Percy x Jason, Annabeth x Frank (so much Hermione x Neville vibes), Leo x Frank, Hazel x Annabeth, Percy x Frank, Annabeth x Leo (Leo who is so scared of and impressed by her as he should lol),...That’s probably one of the reasons I was so bitter about the romantic relationships getting so much more time, like ALL the friendhships that were so interestings like come on !!

- Percy thinking about LUKE !!! hjfgjehgfjhsegf !!! The fact that he still considers Luke as his fighting teacher, still thinks about his training and his advices !!! Even going as far as thinking he totally understood where he came from for doing all this horrible things !!! That was so awesome !! And such a character development !!! And that makes Percy even more of an interesting character !!! Anyway I loved that ^^

- All the mythological aspect like Rick can be such a genius sometimes with how he uses them, managing to stay faithful to them while sill adapting them to a more modern setting and that works so well !! Well its there in every single one of the PJO series book, but I just wanted to put it out there so here.

- Hazel story. Look I didn’t like the whole weird kind off “love triangle” thing with Leo and Frank. But I love Hazel and I LOVED knowing more about her and also knowing more about Leo’s ancestor (who was awesome btw). That was such an interesting story, how she discovered that her only friend back then and first love spent his whole life thinking her disappearence was his fault. And the flackback was so cute too ^^ Also Loved her being so desperate finding her brother because that’s what Nico deserves and that was adorable. I really hope we’ll get to see more of their bond.

- The end. Such an amazing cliffhanger. I could feel the tension in the scene, I could’t stop reading and then the last chapter were everyone was just so in chock but Nico still believed that Percy would come back out of it alive because he admires him so much. It was SO !!! FUCKING !!! GREAT !!! Amazing way to end this book.

And that’s also how I will end this review ^^ Feel free to comment on it (respectfully) in the comments if you want.

#percy jackson #PJO #pjo series #heroes of olympus #hoo #mark of athena #MOA #percabeth

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alisondepartedbear · 4 years

Text

Just Breathe

Everything is not what it seems in Swellview, a kidnapper is running amok while Henry faces some challenging trials in his life. The boy most overcome what is inside to deal with major life changes.

Part One / Part Two / Part Three

~~~~~

Chapter Four

"Good morning, this is Cheryl Gomez with Channel Six News." says the very attractive newscaster as she does every morning. I've had a huge crush on her since I was twelve. Every time I've been interviewed by her, being Kid Danger, I blush insanely under the mask and always have the biggest toothy smile.

"At 3:30 this morning, Elena Gilbert was reported missing. She was last seen crossing the street from Melbourne to Salvatore. She's five feet tall, dark brown hair-"

Piper gasps beside me when the photo of the girl appears on screen.

"She's in my grade! She's in my 3rd block!" Piper yells.

Oh my god.

"I saw her on Friday. She walked into the store." I whisper remembering her and her family.

"That would've been the day she went missing," She says. "You know, since it takes at least 24 hours to report a person."

A chill runs through my body at the possibility of her parents, Jasper, and me being the last people to see her. I have to go talk to Ray before school. Picking up my phone for the time I see its only seven. Ray couldn't possibly be awake but this was serious.

"Uh, Piper, I gotta go swing by work." I get up and grab my keys from the console table by the door.

"What do you mean? You're my ride!"

I spin back to her and tap my foot, putting my hands on my hips. "Piper,"

She rolls her eyes and looks to her phone. "Fine, I'll get a friend to take me."

"Thank you," I bow to her before walking out.

When I pull onto Thames street, I notice a cop car outside Junk'n'Stuff. I pull in behind them and park. Walking into the store, I see Ray, a cop, and an unknown man standing at the counter.

"Hey, kid," Ray says trying to conceal a confused face.

"Hey, what goes on?" I ask. My heart starts to speed up as I near the policeman. I always have this gut feeling that they know who Ray and I are.

Both men were dressed in the classic blue slacks and button up. Their badges shine from the lights in the room, almost blinding me. A man with thick framed black glasses and an Afro smiles at me.

"I'm Detective Shapiro," His voice was smooth and soft; trusting. "How are ya this morning?"

"Henry Hart, and I'm fine. What about yourself?" I can almost see the physical cringe when he clasps his hand onto my sweat soaked one. He shakes quickly before taking his hand back and wiping it on his shirt.

"Oh, just dandy. Do you know Ray or are you just a customer?"

"He's my second-in-command." Ray says with a smile that makes me beam. I get giddy when someone brags about me. It's like a dog wagging its tail; I almost always sit up and smile. "My left hand man,"

"Oh, that's great! Ray and I go way back, went to high school together."

I glance at his partner and know he's annoyed. This guy had a five o'clock shadow and tired eyes. He kept switching his gaze from his partner and the security monitors. He looked how I felt...dead. After my family's pity party yesterday, I couldn't help but create my own in my bedroom until late in the night. Standing here under the bright lights were making objects beat and pulse, I can't imagine what it'll be like at school.

"Oh, really," I force out. "Ray doesn't talk much about high school."

"There's a reason for it." I hear Ray say under his breath.

I look at him. He has his back turned to us doing what seems to be searching in a box. "Hey, Ray, can I help?"

"Yeah, do you know where the security tapes are from yesterday? For inside and outside."

I nod and walk behind the counter to get them.

"I can't believe you still use tapes. You're probably the only guy in town." said the unnamed partner.

Ray scoffs like he knows something magical about using tapes. "Well I guess we just like doing it the original way." He leans on the glass. "So have you guys got leads on the girl yet? Heard she was headed towards a bookstore on Salvatore,"

"There's not much to say." Detective Shapiro says shrugging. I turn back to them and set the four tapes on the counter. He picks them up. "But these tapes will sure help." He tapes them a few times with his fingers.

"Well, just hit me up if anything else is needed."

Detective Shapiro winks. "Of course, of course, let's go Parker." The silent cop follows after the Detective. That wink didn't help my nerves.

"Do you think they know who we are?" I ask Ray when the door shuts.

"No," He immediately says. Ray turns to me now, looking up and down. "You look a wreck. Why are you here?"

"For Elena! I just saw on the news. We gotta do something. This is the second kidnapping-"

"I know, and I got it. I'm just thinking." Ray makes his way to the back. I follow him.

"What are you thinking?"

Ray stops at the elevator and turns back. "Fine, I don't have any thoughts. But I did make an extra copy of those surveillance tapes." He says with a wicked smile.

"Good! We can go-"

"Nope," He grabs hold of my arm before I make it passed him. "You're going to school."

"I need-"

"I'll watch the tapes with Schwoz and make highlights. There's probably nothing on them. They said she was on Salvatore Street anyway."

"Ray, ple-"

"No, get out." Ray points to the front door sternly, eyebrows raised high.

I make it to school but not into the building. Something has me rooted to the seat. Glancing up at the school, I see our security man walking the perimeter, making sure no one was leaving cigarette butts in the parking lot, and that no kids were out smoking weed, skipping class, or having a panic attack.

A gasp runs through my chest with a sharp pain that makes me clench the skin above my heart. Closing my eyes, I try to breathe through my nose and out my mouth, but each release is gasps of air. My eyes squeeze shut and I lean forward. Without a thought, I recline the seat and lay back to curl into myself. Dad's words run through my head from last night, wondering how long he knew. The tears from last night return too. They fall harder when the images of Elena pops in my mind. Wishing I could go back and tell her parents to watch her all night. Last night I found the name of the boy that was kidnapped. Trevor Millton. He's only 11. I wonder how scared they are. How fast their hearts of beating from fear. If they're being feed. Trevor's been gone for almost five days. The body can't go without water for long.

I lay curled up and crying for a while, letting my mind slip into circle thoughts. Thinking about the kids dying, and about how I want to die. I wish it were cold enough to freeze me. I wouldn't need to deal with this if I were a ghost I think. But now, right here, my eyes burn and hurt. They feel tired from all the crying from the past twelve hours. Blindly, I reach in the back floorboard for a water bottle. After finding two, I take the cold bottles and press them on my eyelids. Some shuddering breaths come out from the sudden cold but I give in to the numbness it brings and sleep.

*knockknockknock*

...

*knockknockknock*

I peek with an eye over my shoulder to see Charlotte with a pinched face. Huffing a huge breath as I flip over, I raise the seat. When I open the door a warm breeze whips through almost shutting it again, Charlotte grabs a hold to open it wider.

"What are you doing?" She doesn't miss a beat.

"Taking a nap," The sun have risen a bit and I squint my eyes at her with a little smile. "What are you doing?"

"Checking if you're dead," She crosses her arms and leans against the door. "Officer Poke saw you and rather than yell at you, called for me to."

I snicker before letting my smile fall, remembering why I was taking nap. Charlotte sits on the concrete in front me. She wore jeans and a yellow shirt marked with little white sharks. Her hair was up showing off her dangling diamond flower earrings. I raise my finger to my ear and flip the lobe.

"Cute,"

She smiles and puts her hand to her ear too. I don't know if it's the heat outside but I could've sworn her cheeks looked tinted just then. "Thank you,"

I wave my hand at her, trying to be nonchalant. My fingers play with the frayed strings on the cut in my jeans. Another breeze comes through.

"What's going on?" She taps my shoes with her's.

I look down at her as I curl into my knees. "My-" I shield my eyes from her with my hand. "Things aren't great."

"I know, Henry. But I really believe that you and Ray-"

"Besides the obvious," I raise my voice. She's wrong. She's wrong.

Not wanting to get irritated, I close my eyes and try to control my breathing. Then the smell of orange blossoms come and I open my eyes again. Now Charlotte's standing in front of me, leaning against the door frame. Just a lot closer than before. Her doll eyes search over my face.

"What else is wrong?"

"My family," I could only manage a whisper. I didn't think she heard me until she reached with her hand and grabbed mine.

Squeezing my hand, she whispered back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shake my head. She steps back and lets go of my hand. Whipping my head up, not ready to let go, I see her with her arms a little open. "Hug me then,"

Stepping out of the car, my legs feel wobbly. She grabs my waist and pulls me close. I put my arms around her and lay my head against hers. My chest swells and I can't breathe again. I gasp and she starts to rub her hand on my back. With all my muscles I want to relax and let her comfort me, but a shake runs through my body and I let my head fall to her shoulder. My fingers grip her shoulders while I try to steady myself.

"Charlotte," I gasp out.

Charlotte holds me tighter, bringing me down further. "I know, I'm sorry." She repeats a few times. "I wish it wasn't like this."

A few minutes pass before I know I can look her in the eyes again. I pull away and sit back in the car. She looks down at me with soft smile and squeezes my shoulder.

"Please, talk to me when you're ready, even if it's super late. Okay?"

I nod.

"Alright," She steps back. "I'm telling Ms. Polly in the office that you need ten more minutes and then you'll be in. You cannot miss school. Ray will have you're head."

I nod returning the smile. "Thank you,"

She nods too before turning to leave.

That afternoon Charlotte, Jasper, and I went straight to Junk'n'Stuff. Jasper took his post upstairs while Charlotte and I headed down to Ray and Schwoz.

"We watched almost seventeen hours of footage, and found nothing." Schwoz says popping a cheese puff in his mouth. He looked very tired while he rested his head on the table with the couch.

Charlotte puts her hands on her hips. "You guys suck." She walks to Ray who was sitting at the computer.

"We have nothing to work off of!" Ray stands to pace about the front of the room. Charlotte takes her usual seat at the computer. "If we had all those security tapes the police do, we'd be golden."

"Well you don't." Charlotte logs into the computer and begins pulling up websites and programs.

"Little girl, we won't be friends if you keep talking like that." Schwoz snaps his fingers at her.

"Are we friends?" She asks putting an emphasis on the first word.

Schwoz scoffs in annoyance. I laugh at them as I sit next to him. When I steal a few cheese puffs, he pats my hand away. "So how was school?" He asks as he does everyday like the dad he is.

"Lame," I tell him shoving the puffs in my mouth, grabbing more.

"He's just saying that because he lost at HORSE twice." Charlotte doesn't even look back as she sasses.

"Why do you gotta tell him?" I whine. Ray passes me for a third time while pacing. "Why don't you ask your detective friend for help again? He seemed nice."

"Shapiro?" Ray scoffs. "No, he won't help. Too loyal to the force," He mocks.

"I'm not. Charlotte, you think you can get into police records?" I ask.

The phone on the desk rings. Charlotte picks up without answering me or the phone. She just sits and listens.

Ray walks up to stand behind her chair. "What are you doing?" He whispers.

She holds a finger up signaling him to be quiet. Silently, she writes a couple things on a piece of paper with her fluffy blue pen. Before too long, Charlotte puts the phone down.

"I got cop information." She says holding the paper as if it was gold. "There's a lead."

Ray snatches the paper from her to read. He smiles at Charlotte. "Good job. She found out about a tip. The person said there'd be another kidnapping at Swellview Park."

"How'd you do that?"

"There's a cop at the precinct that I pay to give me tips, as long as when he calls me I stay silent. He said there's a chance the line is recorded." She shrugs. I smile at her with pride. As always, she's three steps ahead of the rest of us.

"How much you pay him?" I ask.

"100 or 200 depending on the case,"

"That's smart," Ray nods then he whips his head to her. "Whose money are you using?"

"Yours," She says with a smile. "You don't pay me that kind of money to use my own."

"I know that's why I asked! You can't-"

"Shouldn't we go to the park?" I ask stepping in. "See if they need help,"

Ray gives up on yelling at Charlotte to grab his bubblegum. I do the same. We head to the tubes to leave.

"Wait, you need to be sneaky. He said they were planning to set up around the perimeter and put decoys in. So look for a big van or something they'd be in." Charlotte warns.

"What are you doing here?" The officer asks looking us up and down. He stood in the doorway of an unmarked black van parked near the back exit of Swellview Park. Two other cops are stuffed in behind him sitting at monitors.

"We figured you'd need the help and all." Captain Man says with a forced smile.

"Look, Captain Man," He leans against the door frame. "We don't need your help or your kid's. So go on back to the Bat Cave."

This happens a lot. We try to help and the police turn us away. They typically don't like us coming in and saving the day. Lately people have been gossiping about the police force and the hundreds of unsolved cases they set aside. Yesterday I even heard people saying Captain Man and Kid Danger were faster than the ambulances and the emergency teams. An elderly lady said we were the true heroes since we didn't get paid by the public. People in Bordertown and Neighborville were even chatting about wanting their very own Captain Man and Kid Danger.

Captain Man balls his fist before pointing a finger at the man. "Alright, loser-"

"Captain Man, how nice of you to join us?" Detective Shapiro says stepping out of an SUV. The car quickly speeds off after he shuts the door.

"Detective," He crosses his arms over his chest, looking up at the officer and smirking. "Just seeing how we could be of service,"

Detective Shapiro takes a sip from a Skyscraper Coffee cup. He smiles. "Of course, the more to help the better." He looks up at the van. "Evening, Officer Bladell,"

"Did you call him here?"

"No," Detective Shapiro pushes his glasses up his nose. "But we need the help if we want those kids back. You want those kids back, right, Officer?"

Officer Bladell says something under his breath as he backs into the van. Detective Shapiro hoists himself on the steps before turning back to us.

"How about you patrol the east side of the park near the woods? Also, if possible try to remain unseen. We don't want to tip this guy off."

Twenty minutes later, we're sitting in the woods. I found a fallen tree and took a space. We were at the edge of the woods and park, just barely hidden by low branches and leaves. For a moment I curse our red and blue suits for being so obnoxious and bright. I poke at the colorful fabric. To be honest, I don't think anything will happen tonight. The police department get tips like this all the time. But something must be different about this one. I wish Charlotte could get the written report instead of just word of mouth. We need a description of the voice. Was it a man, woman, or a child? Did they sound scared or cocky? Could they trace the call? Or was-

"Do you hear that?" Captain Man asks looking over his shoulder into the deep wood. I look with him.

Peering in the darkness, I see the over grown trees that have tangle together, vines, and even rope from old tire swings. I stare for a minute. "No, I don't hear anything."

Captain Man turns fully now to look into the woods too. I can see him really straining to mark out any noises that were animal, human, or vehicle.

"Hello," It was a far off echo. The voice was so faint I thought I made it up.

And then there's a wisp of white and I hear an echo of the word. I stand up, facing the direction. "I hear it now."

Captain Man begins marching to it and I follow him. I see another wave of white and start to move fasting.

"Hello," echoes around.

"Hello," I call back.

Branches break and another "hello" surfaces."

"Stay where you are," Captain Man calls. "Let's go, kid."

We run towards the noise and color. Thorns scratch my face and catch on my suit, I'm pretty sure ripping it harshly. My stomach feels bloated and large as I make it to a small meadow clearing. What was I expecting? I look around the area in excitement and terror. Then I notice a girl standing in a white gown near a black tree. Almost like ghost.

"Captain Man," She screams. The dark haired girl runs the remaining feet to crash into Captain Man. "Thank you. Thank you. I'm so cold! I've been running for hours."

"Shh," Captain Man hugs the girl back. "It's alright. You're safe with us."

She looks up to meet my eyes and smiles. "I knew you'd be the two to find me."

My mouth falls open and a lump forms in my throat. I force out words. "Elena Gilbert?"

Her smile doesn't falter. "Yes,"

Chapter Five

~~~~~

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taglist: @craploadofandoms @violetride

#chenry #henrydanger #henry danger #charlottebolton #charlotte bolton #charlottepage #ray manchester #raymanchester #jasper dunlop #henry hart #fanfiction

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intothesoul · 6 years

Text

Charmed Imagine Part3

Chris Halliwell x reader

Secrets from the past...

Chapter 3

Quick note - if you like this story please do me a massive favour and re blog. I know a lot of people don’t know how to search using tags and I really want them to be able to read this as I have a passion for writing this story xxx

In this chapter you will get a brief insight into the readers powers. More about this will be revealed as the story progresses. Xoxo

Y/N’s POV

I was standing in a garden, the view was beautiful. Just infront if you looked across you could see the whole of San Francisco. I loved this place it was special to me for some reason, I just couldn’t remember what. Only one type of flower bloomed here, Peonies, my favourite, they covered the entire place. You could smell them all around. But I hadn’t been here before? But why do I know this place. I tried to move my body before realising my actions weren’t my own. It was like reliving a memory. The sky looked dimmer now the clouds were gray instead of their usual white, the whole atmosphere had changed. The beautiful statues that had once stood so clean and pristine were now broken and covered in weeds. “You shouldn’t be here, it’s not safe”, called a voice from behind. I turned around to see a handsome, but familiar face, “I know, I just wanted to see you before tomorrow night.” I looked at him, a pained expression painted on his face. It hurt so much to meet like this, to be able to always see each other. To constantly be so close to someone but never be able to touch. “I know what you’ve planned to do Chris. If he finds out he’s going to kill you.” He stepped forward and took my hands into his own, “ he’s not going to find out, not until it’s too late to stop me anyway. I’m doing this for us Y/N, this is not how things were supposed to be and you know it. I have to set it right.” I leaned my head into his embrace, I didn’t want to ever let go but I knew I had to. Tears were beginning to form in my eyes, “he’s throwing me a party tomorrow night, inviting nearly every corrupt person there is, it’s going to be filled with his demons. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, just keep your head down until it’s over. You know he’ll be watching us.” He nodded, “don’t worry I’m not going to do anything, at least not until after tomorrow.” He gave me a reassuring smile, not long after I could hear a chime in the distance, midnight. Just then he took out a small jewellery box, opened it and pulled out a beautiful engraved ring it was attached to a delicate chain. He gently placed it around me neck. “Happy birthday Y/N”

I awoke to a warm light shining above my head. I tried to hold on to the dream but as I was being awoken the details just seemed to fade away. I opened my eyes only to realise I was in my bed, Leo was there, so were the girls and Chris was leaning by the doorway. “Hmm, what happened?” I looked around rather confused. “You don’t remember sweetie?” Phoebe asked, I could tell she was concerned. “Umm I remember some blonde bimbo was trying to blow you up- she had terrible aim.” Piper laughed, “yeah, tell me about it! She knocked you right into the furniture! You were unconscious when we came downstairs and found you.” I do rember feeling lightheaded... “what happened to them?” I asked. “Oh we bound their powers and Daryl arrested them for the murder across the street. It was all thanks to ah, Chris actually!” Paige said as she patted Chris on the shoulder. Then Phoebe quirked up “yeah he manged to get them to fight which severed the powers they stole from us, good don’t you think?” She nodded flashing me a cheeky grin.

A few weeks later

The last few weeks have been completely hectic, my boss had been unbelievably demanding so I have constantly been working in and out of the office. I was so relieved when I finally got to finish up early today. I knew Piper would be home alone with Wyatt and I hadn’t really spent that much time with either of them so I went straight back to the manor.

As soon as I opened the door Chris had just orbed in to aid a distressed Piper, some demon was trying to suck her into what appeared to be a vortex. “Piper!” I waved my hand and used a pulse to throw the demon far back. (A rare very powerful form of telekinesis which uses surrounding energy along with magical energy to move things, this can also be used to manipulate objects/ beings and crush them- this power is similar to the Scarlett witch) after appearing to wound the demon, Piper regained her balance and blew off the demons arm. With the demon now at a disadvantage It was obvious he wouldn’t win so he shimmered out.

“Unbelievable!” Chris shouted, he seemed rather frustrated. Then again, what else is new? “Where are Phoebe and Paige? They’re supposed to be here with you for these things you know lately I think you’ve all been slacking when it comes to necessary demon hunting!” “Relax Chris, Paige is just at another temp job and Phoebe’s probably at work.” I stated.

Paige has been spending a lot of time with Richard (her new boyfriend) lately whilst also continuing to try find her solo path away from the charmed ones. So those are the main reasons as to why she hasn’t been as around lately. “Well it doesn’t matter, we need to get them here because that demon is gonna come back and there’s other demons we gotta deal with as well.” Piper seemed to be the one getting frustrated now, “well we can deal with that later, I have a few guests coming over and food in the oven. So the demons can wait a few hours. Okay!” Piper went to the kitchen and I was left with Chris, alone. “ You’ve gotta give them a break Chris, don’t you think you’re overworking them a bit?” “You wouldn’t understand Y/N.” And with that he orbed away, leaving me to go and join Piper in the kitchen.

Chris’s POV

I knew exactly who the demon was that attacked Piper. Gith, demon of desires, he traps people in worlds made solely out of his victims desires and feeds off their energy. He was quite a legend in the future, but I guess that was another thing that was going to have to change. The Charmed ones needed to be taught a lesson, that their powers and responsibilities must come above everything else in their lives. The desire demon was the only one who could help me on this. I was handing him a list of the charmed ones desires when he stopped and turned to me. “With this I can bring the Charmed ones into my own worlds right here from my lair. But unfortunately this won’t be enough.” I had just managed to get the cloth with his blood for the vanquishing potion when I turned to confused. He then began to speak again, “unfortunately there is the other witch I’d have to deal with if you want this to work. An extremely powerful at that” I instantly knew he was talking about Y/N. “Are the charmed ones not enough?” He laughed at me, “Of course not! I don’t need the other one coming after me! Besides you don’t want to leave her to suspect anything, do you?” He had me right where he wanted me, if I pushed any further it would have jeopardised my plan, and I couldn’t have that. I needed the charmed ones to be focused again. That’s the most important thing right now. I took back the piece of paper and added her desires to it. After I finished I paused for a second before giving it back to him. Once I did I orbed away to prevent myself from doing something I would regret.

Y/N’s POV

Piper had sliced her hand while cooking, since she refused Leo’s efforts to heal her I went to the store to get some more bandages- and some medicine for Wyatt. He seemed to be coming down with a cold. As I was getting out of the car I felt a wave of energy surpass me, something felt off. I hurried and made my way into the house and called out, “Piper! I’m home...” But none was around. I put my bag down and made my way to the kitchen. That’s werid the hors d’oeuvres that Piper and I made weren’t there and the kitchen was completely empty? This was starting to feel completely wrong. All of a sudden a women appeared, she was surronded by purple orbs. She looked like me, but much older. Where do I know her from. “Hey sweetie, what are you doing here?” She looked at me confused, “You know Piper is usually at the restaurant around this time, right?” I stared into her eyes, something about them felt so familiar and comforting. “Mom?!”

Chapter 4 coming soon

Hey guys so please let me know if you like where this story is heading and if you have any suggestions I’d love to know. I have a few requests I’m working on that will be posted before my next chapter so I will hopefully cover those soon. My inbox is always open for requests and questions and messages in general. If you like this story please let me know and I hope you continue to enjoy! Xoxo

PS : I will also try and add a tag list for this story so if you would like to be included in it so you don’t miss an update also let me know.

- M

#chris halliwell x reader #chris halliwell imagine #chris halliwell #drew fuller #charmed #charmed imagines #holly marie combs #alyssa milano #rose mcgowan #chris x reader #chris x oc #reader insert

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suchastart · 6 years

Text

for @son-of-rome ♥

warnings for language and mention of physical injury

a sequel to this prompt here with Jason and Piper in a meet cute with a drunken night and a dog

I haven't written anything in 84 years so please be kind

It’s another two weeks before he sees her again.

Three, Piper corrects, as she always does when they tell the story of how they met. Though Jason is not known for having an incredibly reliable memory, he distinctly remembers those long weeks between, remembers the days he thought of her and her smile and the inevitability of never seeing her again. It’s not like he has any real proof of her--nothing but her name--and he’s not about to be the idiot who stalks a stranger on the internet.

So: he lets it go, and gets on with his life, and it’s another three weeks before he sees her again. Like the first time, he is standing in the kitchen of his townhouse, holding onto the counter, barely awake. He’s coming off the longest shift of his life and he can’t decide if he wants to pass out on the couch or drag himself upstairs to his bed.

The cold counter feels nice beneath his hands.

The sunset on the other side of the sliding glass door is pretty. Orange and gold and purple, fluffy wisps of clouds, shining rays of light.

His bed is so, so far away.

It takes a moment for him to realize that Libby is barking at something. He blinks, and the sunset has shifted, and his dog is in the backyard, barking.

Jason sighs and goes to open the glass door. He hopes Hedge doesn’t come over the fence yelling again. The guy’s a new parent, sure, and though Jason can’t fully empathize about a brand new baby in the house, he gets it. His dog should be a little quieter. But she’s a good girl, and she doesn’t really bark at much, not unless--

There’s a girl sitting in his backyard.

It’s like a punch-quick flash of deja vu, like the endless dreams and flashbacks that his therapist tells him are Okay. This one, though--this one doesn’t feel quite as dangerous. There’s a girl sitting in his backyard, and the little details are a little different--a tye-dyed tank top, camo cargo shorts, and worn sneakers. Her hair in a braid down her back. A bandage wrapped around her shin.

Some things remain the same: her warm brown skin, and the pink cast around her arm, and her laugh, loud and joyful.

Libby is shaking, her tail is wagging so hard. Piper McLean has her hands buried in the dog’s long, golden fur, and gives in completely to Libby’s aggressive affection, leans back in the grass and lets the dog lick her all over her face.

“Excuse me,” Jason calls, walking down the deck stairs.

Excuse me, Piper says, putting a hand up, interrupting his retelling. She’s sitting on the kitchen counter and has a greasy slice of pizza resting precariously on her bare thigh. Your first words were nothing near intelligible. I distinctly recall you saying, ‘Uhhh,’ for at least a few seconds. Tell it true, Grace.

Who is telling this story?

We are. Together. Go!

“Uhhh,” Jason says, walking down the deck stairs.

Libby detaches herself from Piper and hurries to him, tongue out, still wriggling. She takes an excited circle around Jason when he reaches the grass--look who came back, look who’s here!--before returning to Piper, feet tapping, tail wagging.

Piper sits cross-legged in the grass. She waves with her casted arm. “Hi.”

“Uh, hi,” Jason says. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands. “Do I need to take my shoes off?”

“No,” Piper laughs. “Totally sober this time. No danger of ralphing on your feet. Sorry about that, by the way.”

“I only have minimal nightmares about it.”

“Understandable.”

Libby settles at Piper’s side and looks between the two of them.

Miraculously, Hedge does not come out to holler at them from next door.

Jason stuffs his hands into the pockets of his sweats. He takes a breath. He doesn’t want to ask, doesn’t want to jinx it, lest she completely vanish, but: “What are you doing here?”

“I, uh,” Piper says. Jason has known her for all of half a conscious hour in total, but he recognizes immediately the bashful look on her face. She reaches back and pulls out a small bouquet of wrapped flowers he hadn’t yet noticed. Small and white and yellow and wrapped in blue cellophane. “I wanted to say sorry? For barfing on your feet, and crashing on your couch. You took care of me and you were a good guy and you didn’t have to be.”

“Uh, yeah, I did,” Jason says automatically. After a stalled moment--because she’s here, and she’s brought him flowers, and he doesn’t think anybody’s ever given him flowers?--he takes them, surprised, touched. “Thank you?”

“Is that a question?”

“No. Thank you.”

She smiles. “You’re welcome.”

The cellophaned flowers crinkle in Jason’s grip. He smells them, because they’re pretty and because why not, Piper is looking at him and he wants to be appreciative, is appreciative. He buries his face in the flowers and breathes in and tries not to be awkward, tries to think about what to say, what to ask, what not to ask--

“I’m a skater,” Piper blurts.

Jason unearths himself from his bouquet. “What?”

“I skate.” She waves her pink casted arm in the air. Jason thinks he sees a dick drawn in the space by her wrist. The whole thing is kind of a mess--scribbles, and drawings, and the rough wear and tear of plaster that she picks at. “Professionally? That’s not really a question. I, uh. I’ve been on TV. That’s a thing.”

“Wow.” He sits down a few feet across from her and motions to her arm. “What happened there?”

“This? Just landed wrong. Like, real bad.”

“No kidding,” Jason laughs.

“I have a video! It’s pretty gnarly.”

She pulls out her phone and scoots a little closer. She has to press hard on the spiderweb-cracked screen to get it to register her touch. “So, there was a meet a few weeks ago, super casual, and there’s this ramp I’ve taken a hundred times before. We call it the Empire.”

“But?”

“No but. Same ramp, same tricks. Just went down wrong, I guess.”

The screen focuses in on what looks like a huge warehouse. Several brand logos hang on the metal walls. Indistinct music plays in the background. The view shakes, is briefly obscured by a bandaged finger, and then turns; under high, bright lights, Piper frowns at the camera and makes a playful fist. She adjusts her helmet and looks down at the intimidatingly tall ramp. The wood gleams, falls into a vertical drop.

Jason feels exhilarated just looking at it. No wonder they call it the Empire.

The person holding the camera laughs, and a man says, “You gonna go or what?”

“Cool your jets, Jackson. I gotta make sure everybody’s paying attention.” She looks across the half-pipe to a shorter guy with wild curly hair, sitting on the opposite platform and fiddling with an old, hefty camera. “You almost ready?”

The guy flicks her off without looking.

“He’s ready,” Piper says, grinning. She nods and faces the ramp.

Jason feels himself holding his breath. He sees the results of this kind of thing every day, the broken bones and the bruises and the blood, but it’s never easy, watching it about to happen--watching Piper smile, and knowing what comes next.

I was alright, Piper says, now, taking a bite of her pizza. There’s a triangle of grease left on her skin, and he smacks a napkin down on her thigh. You knew I was alright.

Jason shrugs. Even years later, even in the retelling, he still feels nauseous. It still sucked, watching it. I had a big crush on you. I still have a big crush on you.

Aw, babe. That’s cute, but I wasn’t gonna let the Empire keep me down.

A hand reaches out from behind the camera and knocks on Piper’s helmet, a swift one-two, and she raises her shoulders, lets them fall, does it again, hyping herself up.

Someone shouts.

The camera follows her as she tips forward.

Piper flies. Down, and down, and down, and then back up. She does nothing special at first, a smooth turn at the apex, another trip down the ramp. Her face is focused. She pulls her board out from under her feet on her second apex, balances a hand on the edge of the ramp, is suspended upside-down, and, for the briefest second, still.

“Alright,” Piper says, leaning into his side. She brings the phone up closer to their faces, pointing to the screen. Her nails are a vivid, chipped yellow. He looks up to see her frowning in real time. It’s just as scary and endearing as it is on screen. “Look, you’re going to miss it! It’s right after this 360 Pegasus.”

“Is that English?”

She laughs, but she also puts a hand on his face and pushes his gaze back to her phone. The Piper on screen is at the end of some crazy-complicated acrobatics, twisting midair, coming back down, and it happens too quick for him to register--he doesn’t see what goes wrong, only sees Piper’s board shoot out from beneath her feet, sees her put her hands out to break her descent--

The recording shakes, blurs. Whoever’s holding the phone--Jackson, he thinks--must’ve slid down the ramp to get to her. When the view clears, Piper’s lying fetal on the wooden ramp, cradling her arm. “Shit,” she groans. “Shit, shit, shit.”

The curly-haired guy kneels next to her. “Let me see. Pipes, let me see.”

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” she says, her voice shaking. She sits up, and Jackson, behind the camera, gasps. Her forearm is almost bent in half. “I’m fine?”

Jason looks away from her phone. He’s seen this one before.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to squick you out,” Piper says. She locks the screen. The sound cuts off. “That wasn’t cool. I should’ve asked if you were okay with, like, gory stuff--”

“I’m a paramedic,” Jason blurts.

“Oh! That’s cool?”

“Is that a question?”

“Ugh, you’re awful.” She waves her cast in the air. “So I guess you see worse, huh?”

“Doesn’t mean I want to see you like that.”

Piper blinks, and Jason feels his face go red. He rubs at his eyes. “Sorry, I’m tired, and--”

“Do you want to go for ice cream?”

“Huh?”

“It’s a nice evening, and I want to hang out with your dog. There’s a little ice cream shop a few blocks that way that we could walk to,” Piper says, nodding back over her shoulder. She squishes Libby’s face between her hands, and Jason swears that her cheeks are a little pink, too, as she avoids looking at him. “How’s about it, Libs? You wanna go get some ice cream? Huh, sweet girl? You think you can talk your dad into it?”

Like she’d have to. Jason scratches Libby’s belly. “We’d love to.”

And Piper’s smile is as radiant as the sunset. “Me too.”

#jasper #jasiper #Jason Grace #Piper McLean #Heroes of Olympus #Mina writes fic #son-of-rome #I wrote you some fluff Dan I hope that is okay~

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deadcactuswalking · 6 years

Text

BLAST TO THE PAST: 1st July 2001

Hello again and welcome to BLAST TO THE PAST, where we review UK Top 40 charts from decades ago to see what was happening all the way back then. We’re taking a break from the 1980s and zooming past in lightspeed to 2001, specifically the week of 1st-7th July, as Summer had started to kick in. This chart in particular has some classics and some notable events, which we’ll get into right now.

Top 10

Okay, so first, we have a debut – yep, that’s right, it’s not just intense streaming that lands songs at #1 immediately, there were songs that were big enough to sell just that many copies to get to the top at their first week. At number-one, we have “The Way to Your Love” by megastars Hear’Say, who were pretty damn big in the UK, this being their second chart-topping single. Oh, yeah, and they were created by an ITV reality show, because, I mean, of course they were! They’re a British pop group from the 2000s.

Sadly, we don’t see the rise, yet we see the fall of classic cover “Lady Marmalade”, by the all-star cast of Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Lil Kim and Mýa, from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, down one spot to number-two.

We have another top five debut, and not the last top 10 debut, with Usher’s “U Remind Me” starting its chart run at number-three.

At number-four, dropping two places from last week, we have “Angel” by Shaggy featuring Rayvon.

Number-five is home to two-spot-dropper “There You’ll Be” by country singer Faith Hill, from the Pearl Harbor soundtrack.

At number-six, we have the debut of Gorillaz’ “19-2000” featuring uncredited vocals from Miho Hatori as well as founding Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz.

“All I Want” by Alesha Dixon-fronted R&B girl group Mis-Teeq has dropped three spaces to its current spot at number-seven.

Do any of you remember Brandy? Because I sure don’t. Apparently she was huge, but I remember her feature on a Kanye track from Late Registration and that’s pretty much it. It’s somewhat strange that she collaborated with Ray “Hey-Fab-I’mma-kill you” J of all people, but—Wait a second! They’re siblings? And Ray J is Snoop Dogg’s cousin? Wow, he really had connections, huh? Anyway, Brandy and Ray J’s cover of Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise” is down three spots to number-eight.

“Another Lover” by another-rando Dane Bowers debuts at number-nine. If you’re wondering who this Dane fellow is, he was in a boyband called Another Level then he was on “Celebrity” Big Brother. In fact, I don’t think I know who this dude is, and I see no reason to find out.

“Do You Really Like It” by DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies finished off the top 10 with a four-space drop back to the final spot in the ten most popular songs of the country as of July 1st, 2001.

Climbers

Let me tell you now – there weren’t many at all. In fact, other than the number-one, there weren’t any songs climbing the charts, rather a whole lot of new entries and a whole lot of fallers.

Fallers

Where do we start?

“Daydream in Blue” by electronica duo (sharing their name with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode) I Monster is down 11 spots to #40, “It’s Over Now” by Diddy’s favourite R&B group 112 is down 17 spots to #39 and “Best Friends” by pop group allSTARS* is down eight spots to #38, who had a show on CITV in 2001, and appeared on the Scooby-Doo soundtrack the same year, so I’m assuming they were for kids by kids.

“Close to You” by Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow is down 16 to #37, “No More (Baby I’ma Do it Right)” by three (forgettable) little women known as 3LW is down 10 to #36, “Digital Love” by the best robots in music Daft Punk is down 11 spots to #35, “Out of Reach” by soul singer Gabrielle is down seven spots to #34, “Sing” by alternative rock band Travis is down 10 spots to #33, “Ride wit Me” by Kelly Rowland’s former crush Nelly featuring rapper City Spud is down six spots to #31, “It’s Raining Men” by ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is down 10 to #30, the classic “Papercut” by nu-metal band Linkin Park is down 15 to #29, 1980’s hit “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant is here for some reason, but it’s down nine to #28... seriously, why is this here? Apparently it had a “ringbang remix” which landed it into the top five in 2001. Huh, you learn something new and kind of dumb every day.

“Booo!” by lost-in-time musician Sticky (no, not Sticky Fingaz, this Sticky is some nobody without a Wikipedia page) featuring rapper Ms. Dynamite is down 11 to #27, “Here and Now” by the freaking Steps is down nine to #26, “This Time Around” by house music duo Phats & Small is down 15 from #15 to #25, “Thank You” by Dido – best known for Eminem’s excellent use of it as a sample in “Stan” – is down six spots to #24, “Have a Nice Day” by Britpop band Stereophonics is down eight to #20, as is “We Come 1” by electronica group Faithless at #19 as well as “My Way” by walking punchlines Limp Bizkit at #18. “Don’t Stop Movin’” by S Club 7 is down five to #14, as is “All Rise” by boyband Blue at #13. Wow, that was a lot!

Dropouts

Some data in this section may be inaccurate or non-existent, so bear with me as not all drop-outs will be noted in this section, mostly due to the fact that we don’t know a lot of them and I’m just going by what’s there on the UK Singles Chart’s official website.

There weren’t any returning entries this week, so I figured we’d go straight to the drop-outs that we know of, of which there are quite a few of, like “Cold as Ice” by M.O.P. (the Mash-Out Posse) dropping out from #36, “Heard it All Before” by Sunshine Anderson out from #35, “Rock da Funky Beats” by Public Domain featuring Public Enemy Chuck D out from #33, “Video” by India Arie out from #32, “Free” by Mýa out from #39, “Fiesta” by living trash-bag R. Kelly out from #38, “Never Enough” by Boris Dlugosch and Roisin Murphy out from #40, “Musak” by Trisco out from #28, “Jonathan David” by Belle & Sabastian out from #31, “Voodoo” by Warrior out from #37 and, finally, “Let U Go” by ATB out from #34.

NEW ARRIVALS

Now, let’s just jump right into talking about the ELEVEN new arrivals we have this week. I’ll try and keep it brief.

#32 – “Innocente (Falling in Love)” – Delerium featuring Leigh Nash

So, Delerium is an ambient/electronica group known for their hit song “Silence” featuring Sarah McLachlan and Leigh Nash is the lead singer of rock band Sixpence None the Richer, known for their massive hit “Kiss Me”. They would later go on to record a whole album together six years later in 2007, which I don’t really recommend – it’s kind of boring. Is this song a foreshadowing of what to come?

So I’m not the biggest fan of trance at all but I don’t mind this calmer, peaceful trip-hop-influenced stuff from Delerium, in fact I really love the opening guitar riff and the looming instrumentation (and what seem to be bells) before the steady drum beat kicks in and Leigh Nash starts smoothly singing the first verse, all over the instrumentation like she is the main force rather than a jackhammer beat, which is why a lot of EDM doesn’t click with me. However, this is almost not EDM at all. I mean, it’s kind of danceable electronica but, yeah, this is not trance at all, although the strings are definitely reminiscent and it does slowly pick up pace with some uglier synths like trance often does. I don’t know about this, it really drifts along the line between boring and dreamy, much like a lot of songs from Sixpence None the Richer. Did it have to be six minutes? No, but it doesn’t drag on too much in all its peaceful melancholy. I really don’t know why this was listed as a trance song on Wikipedia? Are they talking about the much longer and much worse Tiesto remix? If so, then why did they not specify? Maybe I’m nitpicking about the Wikipedia page more than I should but this song doesn’t really do much for me. If it had some more pop-rock edge from Leigh Nash, maybe I’d like it more, but as it stands, it’s just really weaksauce.

#23 – “Happy People” – Static Revenger

Ah, great, more EDM – lovely. Static Revenger is a Grammy-winning DJ, mostly known for making house and disco. This song in particular went platinum, so you know it’s going to be good, right? Well, if 6ix9ine’s (Platinum-certified!) “GUMMO” told me anything, it’s that sales don’t mean the art or the artists involved are any good... Maybe I should be more open-minded to dance music, I mean, I like a lot of 1990s house so this can’t be much different. I like the R.E.M. song with pretty much the same name, so it’s not like I’m averted to the concept of... happy people. This can’t be too bad.

Oops! I already kind of hate it and love it at the same time. This guitar riff is great but the synths are too static-y for the most part and the build-up feels too drowned out to really be a good build-up until the jackhammer beat starts coming in before the drop, which is a good climax but not entirely satisfying as the simple, repetitive hook stays exactly the same after the drop – I expected some mix-up? The keys introduced after the first drop are a nice change of pace and I appreciate their inclusion, and this is definitely a really fun, exciting and catchy track, however, I think this is just not my thing. It feels soulless and like a bit of a non-presence, which I guess is good for this type of club track? I don’t know, but I guess I just don’t “get” modern EDM still, even though this is barely modern, being early 2000s and all. Maybe I just don’t get EDM at all. Maybe I should learn to have some fun. Probably that last one. Next.

#22 – “Getting Away with It (All Messed Up)” – James

So, James are an indie rock band who have also dabbled in electronica and more experimental rock, including the artsy album WAH WAH. They’re apparently releasing an album next month, which I’ll definitely check out. This single is from their 2001 album Pleased to Meet You, which received mixed reviews by critics at its initial release. Has this song in particular stood the test of time?

Well, yeah, it has. Not in a way that I can be ecstatic about, as it still is somewhat dreary in its constant simplistic guitar strumming, but once the drum beat kicks in, it gets much more exciting and uses the quiet-loud dynamic well, albeit to a lesser extent than other alternative rock bands, as the main increase in volume is the lead singer’s voice, who croons over the oddly funky bassline and the cheap synths as well as the distorted guitar riffs after the first chorus which, yes, are awesome and are pretty nice as a back-up to synth bleeping and different string patterns that add to how intense and urgent the song seems to be, despite its slower tempo. Oh, yeah, and there’s an insane breakdown or solo before the final chorus, where the synths just freak out and that’s pretty damn cool, and the fact that the last chorus continues with the same instrumental makes the song all the more exciting, as it progresses in intensity just to abruptly end. I’m more of a (similarly-named) Travis fan personally, but this song rocks as well.

#21 – “Million Miles Away” – The Offspring

Remember these guys? I don’t know about everyone else, but I used to love these guys. They were one of my favourite bands, and honestly, probably still are as far as rock is concerned. The Offspring are a Californian rock band fronted by Dexter Holland, who always straddled the lines between alternative, pop punk and straight-up punk rock. They have a UK number-one and many other hits (and damn good deep cuts) in their arsenal, so how does this song in particular, from their album Conspiracy of One, fare?

It starts with a rapid and intense guitar riff that isn’t too heavy but fast enough to keep up with the simplistic, mad-cap drumming, creating an instrumental base for Dexter to moan about his break-up over. While I appreciate the instrumental, it is a tad too simple, as is the hook with the “oh, oh, oh” vocalisations and the singing feeling too whiny at times, especially in that chorus. While I love the instrumental to death, I feel Dexter’s sloppily-mixed vocals being all over it ruin it for me. However, there’s enough time where it’s just the backing and the guitar solo also rocks, so yeah, although I’m not a fan of the repetitive lyrics and delivery here, I can dig what’s behind it. Sadly, this is probably the first and only Offspring I’ll get to talk about – trust me, they’ve made much better stuff. My personal favourite of their singles is “Hit That”, if you want to check that absolute romp of a dance-rock track. They’re also releasing a new album this year, so I’m excited for that.

#16 – “Hard to Explain” – The Strokes

The Strokes don’t really need an explanation, right? One of the biggest American rock bands in recent memory, hailing from New York and bringing back garage rock in a huge way that led them to two top 10 UK hits. This is their first ever single, from their debut album Is This It, annoyingly without a question mark. Maybe XXXTENTACION could have lent them one, he seems to have had an extra one left around. That’s beside the point, let’s get into the breakout single from The Strokes.

It starts with a simple drum beat – possibly not from Fabirizio Moretti but rather from a drum machine - before going into one of the most memorable and slick guitar riffs of all time, thanks to guitarists Albert Hammond and Nick Valensi, with a funky bassline provided by Nikolai Fraiture backing not only the guitars up but also the distorted vocals from Julian Casablancas, with a catchy-as-all-hell hook that leads into an abrupt fake-end, before it picks up again for another exciting few minutes of punkish indie rock, with Casablancas’ vocals getting more strained and emotional throughout. I’m actually finding it pretty hard to describe and review this song fairly without insane hyperbole, as Casablancas says, it is pretty hard to explain, as it is one of my favourite hit songs ever, with its perfectly balanced amount of rowdiness and genuine intrigue, and dare I say, a certain classiness to the composition. Fantastic song, fantastic album, and a damn great band.

#15 – “Baddest Ruffest” – Backyard Dog

This is the 2002 FIFA World Cup song, made by big beat producing duo Backyard Dog, consisting of Aniff Akinola and Lloyd Hanley. To my knowledge, they haven’t done anything else, although Akinola here has rapped on other songs, like the mild success “Bounce ‘n’ Boom” and Kirsty MacColl’s top 40 hit “Walking Down Madison”, so it’s debateable if these guys are one-hit wonders, but if one of the most notable things the lead singer has been in was a Vimto advert, it’s safe to say you’ve probably been forgotten in time since. So, how’s Backyard Dog’s seemingly only ever piece of released music (other than their only studio album and the remix EP for this very song) that is documented on the Internet?

Well, it starts with what are assumingly sampled horns in one simple loop before a subtle but effective bass comes in and Akinola starts shouting, adding some ragga influence, but mostly I’d say this is a pretty simple big beat song, with a solid horn hook and even Akinola’s vocals adding a lot of uniqueness to an otherwise not-very-noteworthy track. Hell, I’d like this a lot more if it weren’t for the annoying chicken-like record scratching that makes up most of the song. As it stands, there’s one element that just tears the whole thing apart, which is unfortunate as this is actually a pretty fun and exciting, different song, and I do wish these guys had more material to listen to, because I’m digging their style. It’s pretty intriguing, even if it is just some big beat loops with Caribbean-tinged vocals being yelled over the track by a charismatic performer, who I’ll try and dig up other projects from. I hope these guys reunite to make some more jams.

#12 – “More than That” – Backstreet Boys

Listen, you know who the Backstreet Boys are. I know who the Backstreet Boys are. I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand them. They’re talented men, sure, but it feels a bit too cheesy and sickly sweet for me to really get into. Does that ring true with “More than That”, from their 2000 album Black & Blue?

Yes, of course it does. Why wouldn’t it? It has a pretty interesting albeit typical Latin or tropical guitar riff, but the vocals from the boys here aren’t too great, and everything that surrounds them just feels like purely perfect pop blandness. It’s too perfect – kind of like “These Days” by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Dan Caplen and Macklemore and “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, both of which I talked about on REVIEWING THE CHARTS. It’s a good song, definitely, but it feels too manufactured for me to enjoy on repeated listening, as in the end, it is a soulless boyband song. What did you expect, a long, in-depth review that focuses on the vocal range of the boys and how excellently they mesh with the smooth R&B production? No, you’re not getting that, because there are better pop songs and better R&B singers that you could be listening to, even if it’s just the early 2000s. In fact, we’ll be talking about another in just a short while.

#9 – “Another Lover” – Dane

No, this is not who I meant! I meant Usher! I didn’t want this complete nobody to come in! Well, what does Dane have to say?

Nothing. He has nothing to say because he is uninteresting and typical lyrically. That was a dumb question, I don’t think he even wrote this song... but in R&B, it’s more about how you say it, and, damn, does he pull off the smooth, Latin-influenced production well! The Latin riffs are still present in the guitars, and the drums are more prominent than they probably should be, but Dane brings a great presence to the track, even if it doesn’t seem like he can actually sing very well at all, using his falsetto a lot of the time to mixed results, but he is fun and has more charisma than Juice WRLD and Dexter Holland when moaning about issues with a partner. I love the whispering in the penultimate chorus as well, which continues in the outro as some kind of acapella percussion, which I appreciate for its experimentalism if anything. This slick 1990s-resembling production and the man’s charisma make this a great listen, even if it’s not on Spotify and only has 70,000 views on YouTube... Yikes. Now, THIS has been forgotten in time.

#6 – “19-2000” – Gorillaz featuring Miho Hatori and Talking Heads (Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz)

I love Gorillaz. I’ve been a fan for a long while now, and I have grown to love how they blend genres excellently in accessible and catchy yet still experimental and strange pop songs, while still believing that the flow of an album is definitely important... well, they used to do that. Right now, with Humanz and The Now Now, it seems that they care more about the singular songs, which is fair because of streaming being more important now, but like the Avalanches, the flow of the album is seminal in my enjoyment of a Gorillaz album, and that has not been consistent recently, with bloated, boring albums and messes of songs like “Sex Murder Party” and... “Man Research (Clapper)”... from their self-titled 2001 debut album. Okay, so, maybe they’ve never been too great at the whole “making tight compositions” thing. This song is kind of proving as that chaotic structure not working too well. Let me elaborate.

“19-2000” is about the new millennium, as its title suggests, and follows the trends of the bridge between 1999 and 2000 very carefully, with a sampled trip-hop/hip-hop drum beat and catchy boyband-like vocalisations. However, it feels very messy in all its minimalistic joy. You have Miho Hatori’s repetitive lyrics about getting “the cool sunshine”, some reversed and heavily-edited vocal samples, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz doing whatever the hell they want in the background with some multi-tracked humming from frontman Damon Albarn, behind careless and slow verses from Albarn. You also have the “we gon’ break out” bridge thing, which is just kind of there? And then you have the various synth noises going on in one specific ear while there’s finger-snapping – could we have saved this for the video, guys? I don’t know, this song is fun and I’m still relatively positive on it, but like “Tranz” and “DARE”, it seems like too much is going on throughout. Also, I don’t know what’s Albarn, what’s Hatori, what’s Weymouth and where the hell Frantz is, so that’s lovely. It just piles into some kind of ball of musical elements, but they don’t mesh. They just keep growing.

#3 – “U Remind Me” – Usher

Usher is one of my favourite artists of all time. His charisma and personality is unmatched in R&B, and he will go down as a legend with some of the best club bangers and powerful and slick R&B ballads in music history. This is US chart-topper “U Remind Me”, from his third album 8701. While I’ve always preferred the Confessions era (my personal favourite Usher track is “Confessions Part II”), I can dig his earlier stuff and this is no exception.

Those introductory strings are damn beautiful, and then the piano and the synths come in, to assist Usher in all his glory, with his smooth delivery and scratched backing gang vocals. Sure, the lyrics can be seen as pretty corny or selfish and close-minded, but Usher pulls them off with his immense amounts of swagger, with a guitar coming in to match his charisma in the second verse. Oh, yeah, the song’s about a girl he can’t date because they remind him too much of an ex... for a song about what seems to be a first-world problem, Usher’s melodramatics may seem unnecessary, but they’re really not. The catchy hook and his many ad-libs really help rather than hinder, as it becomes pretty beautiful considering its potentially silly subject matter by the end. Maybe it’s too long, maybe it’s too overdramatic, but I don’t care. Usher pulls it off like no-one else ever could.

#1 – “The Way to Your Love” – Hear’Say

Okay, can I get a “get out of review” free card? Come on, it’s the eleventh new arrival and it’s the most anti-climactic, blandest-as-possible pop song, orchestrated by a trash talent show, with talented yet uninteresting and charmless singers, as well as cliché production – although the drums here are pretty cool albeit unfitting, I will admit – including the cheapest strings I’ve heard this side of Soundcloud rap, which I feel I’ve made too many comparisons to in a blog about 2000s pop music. Ah, well. What’s this song got to say, do or try and get across? Nothing. Nothing at all. This is so cheesy that I feel the milk being heated already... yet it’s not even funny. It’s just boring. It’s just a slog. Just an uninteresting, undeserving #1. At least it’s not “Freaky Friday”.

Conclusion

Best of the Week goes to “Hard to Explain” by The Strokes, no competition, although “U Remind Me” is an Honourable Mention and deservedly so. Worst of the Week? Although I have the most bile for our #1 here, yeah, it’s going to “Innocente (Falling in Love)” by Delerium for just being insanely boring, with Dishonourable Mention going to “The Way to Your Love”, I suppose. Nothing here is outright bad, just very uninteresting. See you tomorrow for REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

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robininthelabyrinth · 6 years

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Coldwave au idea: Lens life is better (dad is dead, mom stayed, etc) micks life worse. Their 1st meeting isnt big event for Len now but Mick is obsessed. Stalks him for right moment to have Len forever. Nabs Len. Makes Len his. Dark happy ending

I am so sorry, anon. I promise I will write you something nice and dark at some point. But I tried three times and every time I tried, it got fluffier and fluffier and fluffier until you have what you see below.

ao3 link (i.e. Harley Quinn fic 2)

———————————————————————————–

Lewis Snart is a corrupt cop with a sideline in Family work.

He’s also an incompetent thief, relying on suggestions from his nine year old son to fix his plans, but he refuses to admit such a thing. And so it is, when Len unexpectedly falls sick with a flu that robs him of his voice, he shrugs and does without.

He fails.

The Families have no patience for failure.

Lewis Snart is gunned down in his own house, before the horrified eyes of his son and his infant daughter.

Len’s foster home - both his and Lisa’s, a kind-hearted couple who fell for her golden curls and couldn’t bring themselves to tear her away from her sobbing elder brother - makes him get so much therapy.

That’s probably what makes him decide to become a shrink, really.

And that, in turn, is what leads to -

Well.

Everything else.

“- and that’s why I need your help,” Len concludes.

The woman in front of him looks utterly bewildered. Len’s not sure why; he thought he’d been perfectly clear.

“Should I start again?” he offers.

“Please do, mister,” she says, raising a hand up and pinching the bridge of her nose. “No, wait a sec. I gotta few preliminary questions, stating off with how’d you find out where me and Ivy were hanging out, anyways?”

“Really good fertilizer has a higher toxicity rate than normal soil,” Len explains. “I got the last two geological surveys, which Gotham gets with startling regularity; this was the only place that changed. Next question?”

“So that’s how Bats keeps finding us,” she mutters crossly. “Damnit, Ivy.”

“Maybe if you suggested she start a few new gardens each time instead of focusing on just one?”

“She doesn’t want to leave her ‘babies’ alone for that long. Second question: what in hell made you think that finding me ta ask for help was a good idea?”

Len blinks at her. “Why not? I have a problem and I need assistance from a colleague, and - as I said - you have the most expertise in -”

“I’m Harley Quinn, sweetie,” she interrupts. “I’m a supervillain.”

“What, and you stopped having your PhD as a result?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve had my license revoked,” she says helplessly.

“Don’t mean you got a lobotomy and forgot it all.”

“Fair enough,” Harley says, clearly giving up on convincing him. “So, yeah, start again, I wasn’t listening on account of thinking you was nuts. What’s your issue again? And why am I the best person to help you?”

“Okay,” Len says. He wouldn’t be as good a shrink as he is if he wasn’t patient and willing to go over things multiple times. “I’m a licensed psychiatrist specializing in severe disorders among the criminal population -”

“Same as I was,” Harley agrees.

“Yeah, and also like you, I specialize in self-identified supervillains.”

“Tell me you didn’t get a job at Arkham!” she exclaims, horrified.

“Oh, no, nothing like that,” Len assures her. “I work in Central City.”

“I guess that’s better…”

“Debatable. At least Gotham has an asylum, even if it is Arkham. We just have Iron Heights regular wing and Iron Heights supervillain wing. Not ideal for therapy, even once they’re out.”

“Out?”

“Iron Heights is something of a revolving door,” Len says. “Again, much like Arkham, but more urgent in the exit strategies. Honestly, in my view, it’s all for the best that they get out; most of my patients are definitely not being helped by confinement in a frankly abusive situation by people who don’t understand their particular needs -”

“No kidding,” Harley replies enthusiastically. “Even Arkham doesn’t care, it’s more about tryin’ ta keep ‘em from society than it is about actually taking care of ‘em and trying to make 'em better -”

“Exactly,” Len exclaims, nodding. He knew she’d understand. “The interaction of the superhero culture with the particular neuroses of these individuals results in -”

“- an entirely new pathology, necessitating by definition a different form of treatment -”

“This is why I came to you,” Len says, pleased.

Harley paused, flushing a little. “Well, I guess I do still take somethin’ of an interest. So you treat supervillains?”

“I actually have a rather unorthodox approach,” Len says. “Central City supervillains are often using their supervillainy to work through deep-seated issues - one is dealing with the loss of a younger brother he built much of his identity around, another is a clinical narcissist, yet another is a diagnosed pyromaniac with anxiety issues…”

“Yeah? You getting anywhere with 'em?”

“Actually, yes. In contrast to the traditional approach, which emphasizes care in a clinical setting - one that many of them reject rather, uh, forcefully due to various traumas in their pasts - I’ve taken an alternative approach of working on their issues in their own setting.”

Harley pauses mid-nod. “I know that’s a pretty common technique for patients in regular treatment, mixing with them in their own environments and whatnot,” she says cautiously. “But for these guys - ain’t their own setting supervillainy?”

“It is,” Len says steadily.

Harley holds out a little longer, but he doesn’t elaborate.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” she says. “How’re you treatin’ 'em?”

“They’ve created identities as supervillains, and they want to be recognized as supervillains,” Len explains. “It’s important to them. They form entire coping rituals around it. So I meet with them on their own level, acknowledging and respecting them as supervillains.”

“Won’t that require, uh, you being a super, too?”

Len shrugs. “I explained my approach to the Flash - he’s our local cape - and he’s real reasonable about it. We staged a few fights, couple of thefts -”

“Wait. You’re a supervillain?!”

“Technically I’m just engaging in a police-approved therapeutic roleplay with -”

“What’s your name? Have I heard of ya? Tell me I’ve heard of you!”

“I mean, it’s possible -”

“Alias, now! I’m tired of being the only shrink supervillain.”

“Captain Cold.”

“Holy crap, I have heard of ya! You’re the - oh, man, the Rogues! The Rogues are your patients?”

Len nods.

“How?!”

“I 'rescued’ them from prison. Technically, I’m acting as a guarantee for their parole officers -”

“And ya keep 'em from killing anyone.”

“Exactly. And I work with 'em in the meantime. I’ve made a lot of progress - Pied Piper is actually transitioning to working with the heroes on a regular basis, he’s actually dating a cop now and he’s dealing with his internalized self-hatred in a much healthier way -”

“Nice,” Harley says, offering her hand for a high-five. “That’s much better; if Ivy or Ozzie asks what I was doing, I can just say supervillain meet-up.”

Len frowns. “Are they restricting your access to non-supervillain acquaintances?”

“No, no, nothing like that! We’re just dealing with a small infestation of Owls - don’t worry about it; you don’t want to get involved in Gotham’s shit. No one does. Anyway. Tell me about the problem.”

“It’s not really - he’s not - it’s not a problem, really.”

Harley’s eyebrows go up pointedly and she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms.

“Mick Rory,” Len confesses. “Heatwave, our pyromaniac - diagnosed, as I mentioned, and working with a traditional shrink as well as with me. He’s working real hard on getting better, but it’s tough – it’s a long-standing issue. He’s had the pyromania and anxiety since childhood, and then his parents died in a fire and he got blamed, and then things went downhill from there, so you can imagine the rest.”

Harley nods. “Sounds knotty,” she agrees.

“He’s making plenty of progress, though,” Len assures her.

“So what’s the problem?”

“He’s – well. He’s developed something of a crush on me,” Len admits.

“Ooooh boy.”

“No, it’s - it’s not like that. It’s cute. He tries to stalk me sometimes.”

“Stalking ain’t cute, buddy. Trust me.”

“No, no, nothing like that. It’s, like, he hides behind lampposts. He pretends to be reading a newspaper, like that hides his face at all. Stuff like that, it’s absurd. And if I ever tell him not to follow me, he doesn’t.”

“So you haven’t asked him to knock it off generally?”

Len hesitates.

“Yep, that’s what I thought,” she says. “So lemme stop you right where you are: no. Don’t do it. Falling for a patient isn’t just ethically wrong, it’s - well. It’s a bad idea. Trust me.”

“That’s why I came to you, actually,” Len says. “You being the ultimate expert in HQS and all.”

“HQS?”

Len coughs.

“…tell me that don’t stand for Harley Quinn Syndrome.”

“If you don’t want me to tell you, I won’t. Won’t change it, though.”

“Oh jeez. I can’t believe it. You know, when I wished on my twenty-first birthday candle to go down in the history books, I ought’ve been more specific.”

Len shrugs sympathetically.

“So what do you need advice in? How not to fall for your patient?”

“That,” Len says grimly, “or else I’m gonna need to give you a referral so that he won’t be my patient anymore.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Harley says. “You’ve got it bad.”

“Harls?” Mick says into his phone. “You got a minute?”

“For you, sweetie, definitely,” she says. There’s the ripping sound of duct tape and the yelling in the background turns into muffled shouting. “What’s up?”

“I don’t wanna bug you if you’re doing something else…”

“Nah, no business or nothing. Spa day with the Sirens, fucking up some bad guys, but the girls have got it covered. Talk to me, baby. You sound upset.”

“I think I’ve done it again,” Mick says sadly.

“Gonna have to be more specific, sparky. Lit a serious fire? Went mano-a-mano with the Flash? Decided to blow up a building?”

“I kidnapped Len and moved him into my basement so we could be together forever.”

“Mick!”

“I left the door open, though,” Mick says earnestly. “I didn’t want him feeling confined or nothing.”

Harley face-palms. Mick can hear it. “Well, that’s something,” she says. “You know he loves you, right?”

“I know he thinks he does…”

“That’s just your anxiety talkin’. He’s dating you because he wants to be with you. S’why he referred you ta me. Tell me, did you at least leave him the key, too?”

“What key?”

“…didn’t you lock him up?”

“No! You know how Len feels about being stuck and unable to get out of places.”

“So you kidnapped him, took him to your basement, and…left him there with the door open and not tied up?”

“I made him dinner, too?”

“…you know what? I’m gonna call this progress. Now, I need you to go sit down and write about what your day was like so we can try to identify what led you to this decision…”

#dccoldwave #mick rory #leonard snart #my fic #Harley quinn #poison ivy

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meltaren · 7 years

Text

Leo Valdez imagine|Fireworks

Yo waddup! Imagine number 2. Again, don’t be hard on me, I’m new with this stuff.. enjoyyyy!

Summary: The reader and her crush Leo Valdez happen to see some colorful fireworks in the night sky.

-any godly parent -no warnings, perhaps some swearing?

—————

The 4th of July. Happy Birthday America yeah. Even though everyone around you was keen on celebrating this wonderful day, you were frustrated.

Why? Well the reason started with ‘L’ and was latino. Yeah! Right guess! Leo Valdez! (Hehehehe)

The adorably funny fire boy never left your thoughts. You couldn’t shut them off, you couldn’t think of something different. You even tried to band Leo from the fucking server. No luck.

Lost in thoughts, you didn’t notice Piper approaching your bench.

“Watcha thinking ‘bout (Y/N)?” You looked up to see her smirking. Did she know? Was it that obvious?

“U-uhm nothing, why?”

“Oh don’t 'nothing’ me! You know damn well what I’m talking about. Wait let me help you remember: does your huge crush on a certain member of the seven ring a bell?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

“Wh-what.. h-how did yo-.. no.. I-i don’t have a c-crush on Leo!” You tried to save yourself, oblivious to your mistake.

“Ha! I knew it! You have a crush on Leo!” And suddenly she started singing. “(Y/N) has a crush on Leo, (Y/N) has a crush on Leo!” A small amount of charm speak, that Piper didn’t mean to release, washed over you and you started to lightly hum to the rhythm. Until you noticed what you were doing and stopped yourself.

“Piper! Stop! Please.. I don’t want anyone to know. It’s already embarrassing enough.” You whined.

“Oh come on (Y/N)! Leo’s a good guy. And i think he likes you back.”

Your heart skipped a beat. I didn’t matter if piper was right or not. Somewhere your hope lit up and, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t avoid smiling. As you pictured the both of you together you felt your cheeks lit up and looked away, embarrassed to be seen like this. Changing the topic, you asked something you had wanted to ask her all day.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?”

Your best friend seemed fed up about the change in subject, but quickly forgot that, as she started talking about the plans.

“So at first we wanted to do something in couples. Just the seven… and then we noticed that Leo is the only single… so now we will all just go see the fireworks and enjoy each others company. Why? What are you gonna do?”

You thought about your plans. “I’m gonna do the best thing on this planet. Make myself a huge bowl of popcorn and watch game of thrones. And when I’m done with that, imma grab a bag of chips and begin the walking dead and then imma finish reading harr-” you were interrupted by an unimpressed piper.

“Ok stop” she put her hand on her hip and smiled “you’re gonna come with us. No but’s! It’s decided!”

“But..-”

“I said no but’s! Meet me at 8 in my cabin. And take some clothes with you. And by “nice” i mean NICE, alright?“

You sat there, thinking about your answer. Sure, it was cool having friends and going out with them. But you wanted to finish reading your favorite book.

Then you thought about your crush. Usually you never wanted to be seen by him. It made you think you looked suspicious. But at that moment you didn’t care. So you decided to give it a try.

"8 it is then.” You simply answered. A huge smile grew on pipers face. It made you happy to see your friend like that. You had seen her sad so many times. She was a wonderful person. All of the seven deserved the world. Not to save it. To enjoy it and live a happy life.

But you couldn’t just magically wish them a happy life. Maybe you could just be with them and make them laugh. Even if it meant to skip a perfect Netflix night.

'Le time skip’

All afternoon you were nervous. Regretting your decision, but then catching yourself making inhuman sounds as you were filled with excitement. A ton of emotions washed over you again and again. Some positive and some negative, but they were there.

You decided to try to nit be hopeful. Every time your heart pictured you and Leo together, your mind screamed for the image to go away. It was a fight no one could really win.

Caught up in the show of the battle in your brain, you didn’t notice it was getting late. So you quickly moved to the closet in the cabin of (G/P), trying to find something to wear. Soon you realized though that you were not going to find something in there. So you made the decision to ask Piper for advice.

As quick as possible you walked to the Aphrodite cabin. There were already some fireworks, symbolizing that the fun evening with the group was getting closer and closer. That made your heart skip a beat and your feet walk faster.

Soon you reached the cabin and knocked on the door. Piper opened and didn’t seem surprised by your appearance.

“Didn’t find anything, huh? Well I have ton of stuff. Just come in!”

And so you did. You entered the Aphrodite cabin and were overwhelmed by the smell of oil and sweat, which you found odd. So you asked Piper about it.

“Uhm Piper… why does it smell like in some kind of fabric in here? Isn’t it supposed to smell like perfume and roses?”

Your best friend just turned around and looked at you with the biggest grin you had ever seen.

“Hm.. so that’s how it smells for you!” You were confused and Piper could tell by your face.

“Girl. Aphrodite is the goddess of love, right?” You nodded your head. “Well it should smell like love in here. But there isn’t just one smell of love. Everyone smells something different, because everyone has a different definition of love. Understood? Good. So me for example, I smell the rain after a hot day. Or sometimes the wind in winter. So it smells like Jason basically. Annabeth, she smells the sea, duh… everyone smells something/someone different.” And with that she gave you a second grin. “Which means….”

You stood there in shock. You hadn’t meant to embarrass you. Luckily none of her siblings were there to laugh at you.

“Wh-whatever. Let’s just- let’s just… you know-”

“Calm down!” She laughed, “I have the perfect dress for you!”

“Dress?!” You hated dresses. So you hated what was about to happen.

“Yeah! Look here.” She held out a dress. It was white and had two hearts on it. Both on the chest. You cringed. “Really Piper?”

She looked confused, the took a look at the dress herself and laughed. “Oops! Wrong dress! I apologize!!”

Then her head was lost in the closet again.

The next dress she pulled out, was much better. It was reddish, but a little tighter on the top. From the waist down, it fell beautifully. It convinced you from The moment you saw it.

“Yes.” You said and Piper had a victory smile all over her face.

“Ok now… make up and hair.” She said and both of you moved to the cabins bathroom. You were there for like 30 minutes and when you left it, both of you were ready for the party.

Piper had a white dress and her hair pulled in a ponytail. You had your dress on and your hair was straightened. With only a little bit of make up, both of you looked like natural beauties.

“So… you ready?” Piper asked, clearly seeing how nervous you were.

“Yeah… let’s do this” you tried to get yourself to believe, that everything would be ok. But it was difficult with all the nervous thoughts filling your brain.

“It’ll be ok” Piper said and hooked her arm with yours.

“It’ll be ok.” You repeated and the both of you walked out of the cabin, towards the beach.

'Le time skip 2.0’

It was difficult walking on the beach with a dress. There was a light wind, but the weather was ok. As you approached the others, you could see that you were the last ones to arrive.

To your surprise you could see two more people. They were holding hands.

“Omg it’s Will and Nico! I might not be able to contain my screams.” You said to Piper. You had shipped them since they first talked. It was your OTP, and seeing everyday that it had become canon made your life worth living basically.

“Same girl!” Piper simply said as you reached the other ones.

“Hey guys!” Your best friend said, catching the others attention “I brought (Y/N) too! I hope that’s alright.” You looked at her, with your eyes saying everything. She hadn’t asked them?! What if they didn’t want you there?! What if they wanted some privacy?! What if-

“That’s perfectly fine! The more, the better! Hey (Y/N)! How are you?” A voice spoke and you instantly recognized it as Percy’s.

“Oh.. H-hey guys. Thanks Percy. I’m good! How are you?” Percy smiled at you.

“I’m perfect! Well I’m feeling perfect too of course!” At that Annabeth gave him a quick slap on the arm.

“Oh come on Seaweed Brain. We don’t want (Y/N) to leave because she thinks we are so weird.” She said and looked at you with a sorry face.

You laughed and wanted to say something, but then he spoke.

“Hey (Y/N)!”

“H-Hey Leo! How are you?”

He smiled, and for a moment you think you were gonna fall to your knees. Thank gods your arm was still linked with Piper’s.

“I’m really good, thank you! How about you? Oh wait you answered that to Percy already right? Ugh I’m sorry.” He smiled and looked down. Your knees were definitely pudding now.

“I’m great Leo, thank you so much for asking.” You said and smiled at him.

“Wanna take a walk till the fireworks really start?” He asked and you were wondering how you were still standing.

“Yeah sure. Be right back.” You said the last part to Piper, who was talking to Jason.

Leo and you took of and walked along the water. Your feet were inside, while Leo’s were on the sand only. At first there was silence with some random small talk. Leo had asked you about your day and you repeated his question.

It wasn’t awkward though. You loved to be around him. Sure, you got all nervous, but it was comfortable and you could be yourself.

After some time of talking, Leo turned towards you and stopped walking.

“(Y/N)?” You hummed in response staring at him, waiting for his next question.

“Do you like someone?” He asked and you weren’t prepared for that question, so you blinked and started stuttering.

“Uhm.. I-I.. do you?” You were taken aback by his smile. It was weirdly confident.

“In fact, I do.” He said. You didn’t know If to be happy or sad.

Happy because there was a chance that he liked you back. Sad because there’s a chance that he loved someone else.

You stared at him, frightened of your next question. “W-who?”

“Well she is beautiful.” He started. Your first thought was 'Oh wow.. definitely not me’

“She has (H/C) hair. And beautiful (E/C) eyes. I love when she smiles. It makes my days better. She enters a room and you could think the sun started shining even brighter. I love her so much, I wish she’d know.”

You wanted to scream Don’t tell her! Tell me!’ But obviously that would look suspicious. So you tried for the helping best friend kinda advice. You ignored the pain in your chest and said. “T-Then tell her. I-I think she’d want to know if such an amazing person as you loved her.” It was only the truth. Right as you said that, the fireworks, that you had completely ignored, became louder.

“Alright then” he looked you into your eyes “(Y/N)…. I love you.”

Your brain was on fire.. well it felt like it was. Your cheeks were to 100% as red as your dress.

“Oh my gods.” Is all you could say for the moment. He smiled and took your hand into his.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

“Fuck yes” and he kissed you. It was a tenderly sweet kiss that had you on cloud 16389. After pulling apart, you hugged him. The smell of a machinery filled your nose and everything was perfect.

#leo valdez x reader #imagines #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #leo valdez #leo #fireworks #romance

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