#he said goodbye and farewell and you put my siblings through college thank you | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mikrowrites · 4 years

Text

knocking on heaven’s door

winchester!sister , sam x sister!reader , surprise jack kline x winchester!reader

SPN SEASON 15 FINALE SPOILERS!!!

summary: Dean’s gone, and Sam doesn’t know how to tell their sister, who stayed home at the bunker during the hunt.

warnings: ANGST, major character death, fluff flashbacks, grief

Y/N walked down the bunker steps, Miracle ahead of her and pulling on his leash. She unclipped the lead, watching the dog run happily to the kitchen with a smile.

Suddenly her phone began to ring in her back pocket, Y/N reaching for it and identifying the contact name “Dean-o”. She grinned, answering the call. “Hey big bro.”

“Hey little sis.” Dean replied. Y/N walked over and sat in one of the chairs in the library, putting the phone on speaker and setting it on the wood.

“How’s the hunt?” She asked.

Dean sighed. “It’s going. We’re outside a vamp nest right now. I think we’ll be home in time for lunch tomorrow.”

“So is that a hint for me to cook?” Y/N raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled through the phone. “You do make the best homemade pizza.”

Y/N hummed. “Damn right I do. Okay, okay. There’ll be deep dish waiting.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Dean was silent a moment. “How’s the college search?”

She pursed her lips, looking at the open laptop on the table with an application pulled up. Since the world was out of immediate danger and the Winchesters now had control of their lives, Y/N had decided she wanted to finish college, do something. “I’m thinking Kansas State. Close to home, so I can see you guys often.”

“I’m proud of you, kiddo.” Dean responded. “When we get back after some pizza we’ll go get drinks, you and I. Celebrate.”

Y/N smiled. “Can’t wait.”

“Well, Sammy’s being impatient and we’ve gotta rescue some kids. I’ll call you after the hunt.” He chuckled into the receiver.

“Okay. Be careful! Love ya, big bro!” Y/N cheerily answered.

Dean smiled, shaking his head. “Back ‘atcha, kid.”

The line went dead.

—

Jack held his palm up in a farewell gesture, smiling at the three Winchesters.

“Goodbye.”

He then turned, and began to walk away. Sam and Dean watched, upset but understanding of the boy’s decision.

Y/N, however, pushed past her brothers, running forwards towards the nephilim. “Jack! Wait!”

Jack stopped, turning and looking at Y/N questioningly. “Yes, Y/N?”

She exhaled shakily, stepping up to him so they were inches away. “Will you listen to my prayers? At least mine?”

The boy smiled. “You can talk to me anytime. I’ll be with you.”

Y/N nodded, stepping back for a moment. Then, after either building her courage up or contemplating (maybe both), she approached Jack once more, grasping both sides of his face in her hands as she kissed him, the boy letting out a noise of shock before melting into her.

After a few seconds they pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other’s, before Jack squeezed Y/N’s hand in reassurance.

With that, Jack turned and walked away, glowing with a bright light until he disappeared. Y/N exhaled, closing her eyes momentarily before turning back and looking at her brothers. She walked back over to them, Sam casting her a smile and look of pity, but Dean squeezed her shoulder.

Y/N looked up at her eldest brother, who pulled her into an embrace. The man chuckled, rubbing her back comfortingly with his hand. “You had the privilege of loving him. That’s a gift.”

She nodded her head, burying her face in his jacket. “Thank you.”

—

Y/N paced through the war room, biting her fingernail. She sent another text, her heart beating in her chest. It was 4 am, and Dean hadn’t called back.

Called: Dean-o (47) DECLINED

To Dean-o: How’d the hunt go?

To Dean-o: Dean?

To Dean-o: Hello?

To Dean-o: Please call me you’re scaring me

To Dean-o: Dean please

Suddenly the creak of the bunker door echoed through the room, Y/N’s head snapping up, the girl sighing in relief. “Jesus, Sam. Dean wouldn’t pick up his phone.”

The tall man walked silently down the stairs, Y/N shaking her head in disbelief and looked up at the door, waiting for Dean to appear. She rolled her eyes. “No need to hide, asshole. You just got your pizza privileges revoked, though.”

Sam silently walked up to the girl, who finally turned to him, laughing a bit. “Over-dramatic as always.” He looked down at his sister, tears threatening to escape once more. He pitied how he was about to upheave her whole life, destroy the happiness the family momentarily had. Y/N peered up at Sam quizzically. “What?”

Sam hastily closed the distance, pulling Y/N in for a hug, holding her tight as his whole body trembled. The girl hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

He continued to embrace his sister, who lightly tapped his back with her palm. “Sam?”

“He’s gone.”

Y/N felt the breath being sucked from her lungs, as if her heart had just stopped beating right then and there. “Who’s gone? Sam...?”

Sam tightened his hold on Y/N. “He’s... I’m sorry... Dean’s...”

She pushed him away shaking her head. “No, no, you are not saying Dean Winchester is dead. You’re joking. No way. Our brother is fine. He’s just avoiding me and—”

“Y/N.” Sam pleaded. “I’m sorry.”

Tears began to well up in her eyes, Y/N running her hands through her hair. “You’re lying. You’re a liar!”

Sam attempted to reach out to comfort her, but Y/N took a step back. She met his eyes, a tear trailing down her face. “You—!” Y/N suddenly lashed out, throwing weak punches at Sam’s chest, shoving him back. She cried out with every punch, the tears beginning to waterfall down her cheeks.

The tall brunette took every hit, every shove, every curse for a while until Sam gently grasped both her wrists, spinning her and wrapping his arms around her from behind, holding her back against his chest. Y/N thrashed in Sam’s grip, screaming obscenities as she sobbed.

After a few minutes she let her body go limp in his hold, her mouth opening as if to scream, but only a raspy whimper escaped her throat. Y/N squeezed her eyes shut, hanging her head low as Sam held her tighter, resting his forehead on her shoulder from behind.

The bunker echoed with her soft cries, the two Winchesters mourning an incurable loss.

—

Y/N closed one of her eyes, biting her lip in concentration before she let the tip of her cue hit the ball, Dean letting out a low whistle. “Damn, kid. You play a mean game of pool.”

“Well, you know. Training meant many different skills to Bobby. How to shoot a gun, wardings, kicking ass at pool.” Y/N mused, reaching a plucking the $20 bill off the edge of the table and pocketing it.

Dean took a swig from his beer, nodding. “Well, those three check out.”

Y/N blushed at the compliment, Dean sitting at an empty table in the bar, gesturing for her to sit across from him. Sam was resting at the motel while Dean and Y/N decided to celebrate another successful hunt. The girl grabbed her own drink and sat down.

“Nice work today, kiddo. You saved our asses out there.” Dean tipped the neck of his beer forward in a toast, Y/N clinking her drink against the glass of his. They took a drink, the girl shaking her head.

“Anytime.” She smiled.

Dean sat forwards. “Y’know, only if you want to, but um, Sammy and I wouldn’t mind another person helping us out on hunts. If you wanted to, I mean, you don’t have to, but if you wanted to—”

“Dean.” Y/N interrupted his rambling, grinning. “I’d love to.”

The man smiled at his little sister, nodded. “Great. Awesome.”

Y/N nodded, smiling back and taking another drink before standing and grabbing her cue. “Another round? I’ll bet fifty on this one.”

Dean shook his head in amusement, smiling and joining her at the pool table.

He had failed one of his half-siblings in the past. Dean swore he’d never do it to her.

—

Y/N sat on her bed, gripping her phone in a white-knuckle grip. She stared blankly down at the photo on her phone, it was a photo taken from that night at the bar. Y/N and Dean stood side by side in front of the pool table, smiling wide. Dean held his beer bottle in his hand, his other arm wrapped over Y/N’s shoulders.

It had been a week. One torturous week since they burned his body, since they said goodbye.

She sniffed, before laying the phone down on the bed, straightening her back and raising her vision forwards. Y/N inhaled, her eyes steady and red-rimmed.

Y/N closed her eyes slowly.

“Jack?”

The room was silent, Y/N opening her mouth once more.

“You said you’d listen to my prayers. You’d always be with me.” She exhaled softly. “I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care if I take his place, if I go to hell, if I suffer, fine. But please. Please Jack, bring him back. Bring Dean back. Do something.”

“You can’t just let this happen. Bring him back. I know you can, so just please, do it. I can’t... I can’t live without him. I can’t live without my big brother. Just bring him back. If you ever loved me, prove it and bring Dean back.”

Y/N sat in deafening silence, before opening her eyes, fresh tears gathering as she stared forwards. “Please.”

Silence. Nothing.

The girl shakily sighed, lowering her head.

A knock at the door brought her head jolting up, only to feel as though deflating at the sight of Sam. “Hey.” He softly spoke. “Donna has a case. I... I think we should go.”

Y/N nodded. “Yeah.”

Sam bit the inside of his cheek, looking for something to say, but opting to step away and head for the library when coming up with nothing. Y/N looked around her room, before grabbing her duffle.

She could read Sam like a book. He didn’t plan on coming back to the bunker after this hunt.

Y/N packed her duffle, leaving only the things she knew she wouldn’t miss. She smiled as she pulled polaroids of her and her brothers off her wall, stashing them into her bag.

She met Sam up at the top of the bunker stairs, looking out at the place she and her brothers had called home. Y/N let one last prayer be recited in her head before turning to her brother. “Let’s go.”

The lights shut off one by one, engulfing the bunker in darkness.

#supernatural x reader #supernatural imagines #supernatural imagine #supernatural reader insert #spn x reader #spn imagines #spn imagine #spn reader insert #dean winchester x sister!reader #sam winchester x sister!reader #winchester!sister #winchester!reader #spn 15 x reader #spn s15 spoilers

176 notes · View notes

probably-eating-poptarts · 4 years

Text

New Blood | Chapter 2

Tensions rise and plans are made

Universe: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Pairing: Thomas Hewitt x OC

Word count: 1,980

| Chapter 1 |

A/N: This chapter was honestly so hard to write considering the fact that, like… nothing interesting happens 😂 But I felt it ended where it needed to end, and I have ideas already set for where I want this story to go, so stay tuned! (@tentacles-and-coffee, would you like sum tag? 👀)

Chapter song: Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival

✧༝┉┉┉┉˚*❋ ❋ ❋*˚┉┉┉┉༝✧

That night was chaos at the Hewitt house.

“What the hell were you thinkin’, Ma? That bitch should be on Tommy’s choppin’ block, not off runnin’ your damn errands!”

“Now Charlie, you oughta know by now we can’t just kill off every single person that comes through; someone’s gonna catch on eventually–”

“It’s Hoyt, goddammit! Hoyt!”

A bony, long-fingered fist slammed into the worn butcher block table with enough force to topple one of the cloudy old mason jars spaced around at each place setting, and spittle flew from pooched, cracked lips. Luda Mae threw her hands up in exasperation before stomping into the kitchen, fed up with her son’s tantrums.

She returned a moment later, setting down a casserole dish fresh out of the stove. “That was a good girl, I just know it. She was just passin’ through and there wasn’t no reason at all to do away with her! Besides, her granddaddy is old John Elwood and you know he and his kin would come snoopin’ around if she up and disappeared!”

Hoyt spat carelessly onto the scuffed hardwood and curled his lip in a mockery of a smile. “You just jealous, Mama?” he wheedled. “Sad that you ain’t had no little bitch to gussy up, huh? Is that it?”

“That’s enough, now!” She snapped, her tone booking no room for further argument. “You won’t lay a single finger on that girl if I have anything to say about it, so just hush up and eat your supper.”

The old woman sat herself in her chair with a sense of finality, staring down her eldest child as if daring him to open his mouth again. Luda Mae had given her boy a lot of slack after his return from the war, and she loved him dearly despite the attitude he liked to give her these days, but at some point a mother just has to put her foot down.

The two locked eyes for several tense moments before Hoyt sucked sourly at his teeth and called over his shoulder, “C’mon in here, Tommy, and let’s eat.”

From the shadows of the hallway a looming shape moved; dim light from the dining room spilling over the burly, hulking form of the youngest Hewitt as he ducked under the doorway to enter the room. He had been patiently awaiting his adopted brother’s permission to join the rest of the family as always, but he found his thoughts distracted from his meal tonight with the topic of their discussion. Who was this girl, and why was Mama so taken up with her? Would she just end up like everyone else who found themselves on the receiving end of the infamous Hewitt hospitality?

He could tell that Mama was none at all happy with that prospect, and he found himself struggling with the uncomfortable possibility of having to choose between the wishes of his mother and the demands of his sibling. Cross as he could be sometimes, Charlie (Hoyt, Tommy reminded himself) had always been the one to give Thomas direction in his days following the collapse of the slaughterhouse; who to kill, who to detain, who to hobble for his… ‘personal enjoyment’.

But if his brother commanded him to kill this stranger, and then Mama told him not to… What would he do?

Shaking off the unanswerable conundrum for now, Thomas tucked into his meal with his usual gusto and decided he would just cross that bridge if or when he ever came to it. For now, supper was hot and the evening was still young yet…

“Thanks again, Bobby. I’ll tell Opa you said hello!”

Addie waved farewell to the bearded man and folded the small stack of paperwork he’d just finished filling out neatly as she made her way back towards her truck and now-empty trailer, hauling herself into the driver’s seat before cranking the engine and pulling out of the livestock pavilion.

Just a ways down the road - right where Luda Mae said it would be - a tiny little tea shop sat tucked away on the downtown strip between a record store and a newly refurbished post office. Addie had to drive almost half a mile more to find parking that accommodated the size of her rig, but she enjoyed the walk nonetheless as she made her way back past quaint storefronts and other folks out for a morning stroll.

The shop itself was cozy, if not slightly disorganized on the inside, but the rather eccentric older woman behind the desk knew exactly where everything was when Addie explained what she was after. When she finally left the store nearly a half hour later - the small silver bells above the door tinkling a merry goodbye over her head - she had two boxes of green tea and a little novelty tea strainer she’d been… somewhat coerced into buying all tucked away in a little paper bag under her arm.

From there it was just one quick stop by Luda Mae’s place, and then she’d be on her way home. The trek out always took much longer since she made extra stops at other farms to pick up livestock, but if she played her cards right, she’d probably make it back to Elwood Dairy by suppertime.

Someone at the pavilion had even managed to fix her radio, so with the windows cranked down and CCR blasting over the speakers, it was only just before noon when she found the little turnoff and rolled into the diner’s parking lot.

Roiling thunderclouds were gathering as Addie made her way across the asphalt towards the rickety front steps, and she paused for just a moment to study the looming darkness reaching out across the restless treetops in the distance.

“Looks like we’ll be in for a pretty nasty summer storm,” came Luda Mae’s voice from just behind the porch door. She pushed the screen open with her elbow and waved Addie inside, ushering her towards one of the antique tables where a porcelain teapot and mismatched teacups sat waiting.

The two women chatted amicably for a while as the tea Addie had acquired steeped; watching the broiling noon sun slowly and mercifully fade away beneath the creeping shadows of the oncoming storm cell.

“So do you stay with Old John up there at the dairy?” Luda inquired.

“Yes ma’am,” Addie replied, “Ever since I was a kid.”

“What about your folks? Do y’all all live on the property together?”

The younger girl pursed her lips and looked down into her cup, swirling the dark contents within.

“M’not really sure where my biological father is,” she finally confessed. “And my mom signed over custody to my grandparents when I was about six, so I’ve been with them almost my whole life. She comes around now and again, but we don’t really see her all that often.”

Her shoulders lifted and fell in a quick, nonchalant shrug. “Besides, growing up on the farm was really nice; and with Oma being sick lately, I came back from college to help out more.”

Luda Mae perked up. Sweet, well-spoken, and educated? “What were you schoolin’ for, then?”

“Well I finished my degree a couple years ago, actually.” The hint of pride in her tone was hard to hide. “I was really just taking extra courses during the fall before I left campus.”

Before she could elaborate the screen flew open with a sharp thwack, accompanied by a growling roll of thunder. Well-worn snakeskin boots thumped heavily against the dusty hardwood floor, announcing the arrival of the scowling sheriff Addie had seen briefly during her previous visit.

“Mama,” he nodded in greeting to the older woman, his sharp, beady gaze boring into Addie so coarsely that an instinctive shiver of apprehension tumbled down her spine.

“Hoyt! Come on in, honey; let me get you something to drink and introduce you to Miss Adeline Elwood, old John’s grandbaby.” As she spoke, Luda Mae tottered up from the table and pulled out a glass coke bottle from the old cooler by the register, popping the cap off on the attached bottle jack before passing it to her son.

The seemingly permanent frown he sported turned a fraction more sour, just for a moment, before breaking into a fractured grin - as if he had forgotten the art of smiling properly. “Pleasure’s all mine, ma’am.”

Both Hewitts joined Addie at the table, chair legs scraping as bodies settled into comfortable positions.

“So you mean to tell me ain’t nobody out here drivin’ that rig of yours?” Hoyt asked her with an air of haughty surprise. “We ain’t used to seein’ decent womenfolk around these parts all by themselves, y’know.”

Addie hid her clenched teeth behind a sociable smile. “Yep, it’s just me. Been hauling cattle by myself for a few years now since my Opa is staying home more often.”

The sheriff whistled low and reclined comfortably against the back of his chair. “Yeah, word spread fast when miz Rosie got sick. How’s she been holding up these days, hm?”

“About as well as can be expected,” Addie replied with a cock of her left shoulder. “We’re all just taking things one day at a time.”

He nodded sagely and took a swig of his drink, still watching her every move like a hawk zeroing in on an unsuspecting mouse.

“Now, you never got around to tellin’ me what you were upstate studying,” Luda Mae interjected with a gentle pat on the younger woman’s arm. “Such a bright young thing, aren’t ya dear?”

Clearing her throat, Addie fiddled with the excess of her ponytail before taking a brief sip of tea long since gone tepid. The wiry old coot was starting to make her rather tense. “I got my degree in animal science over at TAMU two years ago, and I’d been taking some agricultural classes right before I came back home to help around the farm.”

“Sciences, huh?” Hoyt sucked on the dip between his teeth. “Awful high aspirations for such, ah… lovely young lady such as yerself, dontcha think?”

Addie leveled him with a rather icy stare.

“Well that may be so, but since veterinary options tend to be rather limited around these parts, I figured I may as well learn how to do it myself.” She hit him then with her coyest, most femininely charming smile. “Sometimes a lady’s gotta help herself if there’s no man around to do it for her.”

With a sly wink to seal the deal, she pushed off from the table and tipped her head to both Hewitts in turn. “The tea was lovely Miss Mae, but I really ought to be headed on home, now.”

“Oh please, sweetheart, don’t go botherin’ with all that ‘Miss’ stuff.” The older woman began to gather their empty china. “Luda Mae will do just fine now.”

Nodding her understanding, Addie swapped final goodbyes and stepped back into the oppressive Texas heat, barely deterred by the flagging breeze pulling the surging storm cell ever closer.

“You drive careful now, y’hear?” Luda Mae called from beyond the screen. Hoyt stood at her shoulder - an ominous figure looming within his mother’s shadow - and he crooked his fingers at her in a little wave as he smiled that rusted out grin around the wad of tobacco always present within the rotting crease of his lips.

Ingrained southern manners had the young woman returning that broken-doll gesture with the barest tilt of her head in acknowledgment, and she clambered quickly into the confines of her truck cab where she felt a modicum of safety behind thick glass and sturdy American steel. She wasn’t going to outrun this beast of a downpour, but she was ready to get as much of a headstart as she could.

Things were looking to get nasty very quickly.

#the texas chainsaw massacre #TCM #Tommy Hewitt x OC #uh ohhh #that's what we call FORESHADOWING ppl #dun dun duuuuun #also i'm BACK #bay-BEE #Thomas Hewitt #New Blood #NB TCM

13 notes · View notes

yespleasefandomtrash · 4 years

Text

no ordinary exchange

ch.1 of my self-indulgent rayllum college!au.

AO3. FFN.

xXxXxXx

“Katolis State University is proud to introduce its first Xadian exchange student in over one hundred years - everyone, please give a warm welcome to Rayla Moonshadow!”

Callum found himself cringing at the contrast between his stepfather’s genuine excitement and the student body’s... lackluster response.

“I feel bad for her,” Claudia murmured, resting her chin on her hand. “I understand why your dad is so happy, especially since he pushed so hard with the state to allow her to be here, but so many Katolians still don’t like Xadians. I mean, look at the poor girl’s face!”

Claudia had a point - the Xadian student did look extremely uncomfortable. Though Callum could clearly see that she was tall, she was standing in a manner that made her appear much smaller. Her white hair hung down to hide part of her face, the lavender streaks dancing through it almost washed away by the stage’s bright lights.

“Rayla will study here for the remainder of her sophomore year. If all goes well, one of you will attend the Xadian Academy next year,” Harrow continued. “But that is not something any of you need to worry yourselves over at the moment. I expect you all to make Rayla feel welcome here.”

“Maybe we should go talk to her afterwards,” Callum blurted out as his father continued to speak. He flushed when he realized what he’d suggested - apparently the words had left his mouth before they’d finished being processed in his brain.

Soren raised an eyebrow. “Where did that sudden eagerness come from?”

Callum shrugged, aware of how red his face had to be but ignoring it. “Like Claudia said. I feel kinda bad for her.”

Claudia popped her gum, shrugging. “I’m down. Since she’s a sophomore, I might even have a few classes with her. Based on the anti-Xadian attitudes of... of more than a few kids at this school, I have a feeling she’ll accept any company she can get. Even if it is from weirdos like us.”

Soren laughed as he jokingly elbowed his sister in the stomach. “Don’t lump me in with the two of you.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. “Ugh. I have a class after this, so I can’t join you. But...” He put his phone away. “If you happen to hit it off, we can all go out one night and I can properly meet her.”

“Roger that,” Claudia said with a mock-salute, earning another elbow from Soren and laughter from Callum.

“Rayla, is there anything you want to say to your new classmates?” Harrow’s voice brought the attention of the three back to the stage.

The girl attempted to smile, though it was clearly more of a grimace. “Ah... I’m thankful for this opportunity.” Her accent was thick, but not enough for her to be misunderstood.

Harrow nodded, returning the mic to beneath his face. “And we are all grateful that you decided to take advantage of it.”

As his dad continued to drone on about the significance of the girl’s attendance at the school, Callum found his attention drifting down to his sketchbook. He was in the middle of working on a picture of his brother, Ezran, and Ezran’s leopard gecko, Bait. The jagged line that trailed to the edge of the page indicated the point at which he’d gotten distracted. He sighed and carefully erased it, doing his best to avoid smudging the graphite. He wanted to give the picture to Ezran for his fourteenth birthday, which wasn’t for another two and a half months, but his inspiration tended to wax and wane thus he decided to begin working on it early. He became so focused on his sketch that he didn’t notice the assembly had begun to disperse until Claudia snapped her fingers in front of his nose, startling him and causing him to drop his pencil and very nearly drop his sketchbook.

“Someone’s on edge,” Claudia said wryly as she returned his pencil to him. “Come on! My dad and yours are talking to the girl right now, but we have to hurry if we want to catch her before any classes she might have.”

Callum nodded, closing his sketchbook and shoving it into his satchel before following his friend out of the seats in the audience and down towards the stage.

“Again, I do apologize for the late notice,” Viren was saying. His voice oozed with a false pleasantry that sent chills down Callum’s spine. “But none of our available students were willing to room with a Xa...” He trailed off as Harrow sent him a warning glare. “No one wanted to room with someone they didn’t know.”

“I’ll room with her!” Claudia offered as she arrived at the foot of the stage, earning surprised looks from all. “You know that there’s more than enough room in my dorm, Dad.”

Viren offered his daughter a pained smile. “Are you certain about this, Claudia?”

She nodded, rolling her eyes. “Obviously, Dad, or else I wouldn’t have offered.”

The Xadian girl shook her head. “You don’t need to do that. Really. I have no problem with finding an apartment off campus if it’s more convenient -”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Claudia interrupted with a dismissive wave of her hand. “The best way to find your niche at KSU is live smack in the middle of it. As the daughter of the dean” - she gestured to Viren - “I was blessed with a larger dorm, plus the luxury of no roommate.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I have space, you need a room - problem solved.” She offered her hand and a smile to the girl, though her being on the floor and the girl on the stage meant the girl knelt down to shake her hand. “I’m Claudia.”

“Rayla. Though I’m sure you know that already.”

“So it’s settled!” Harrow said, clapping his hands together. “Rayla and Claudia will room together. I’ll see what I can do about arranging it so the two of you also have at least one class together.”

“Harrow? Viren?”

Attention in the room shifted to a blonde woman standing at the auditorium’s door.

“Oh, crap,” Harrow muttered, glancing at his watch. “Are we late, Opeli?”

“Not yet,” was the woman’s brisk response. “But I wouldn’t push your luck.”

Viren headed to the exit immediately, pushing past Opeli and not bothering to say any goodbyes.

Harrow returned his attention back to the trio. “Claudia, thank you again. Rayla, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to come to me. Callum -” He stopped. “Callum, have you been here the whole time?” At his stepson’s embarrassed nod, he sighed. “Right. Glad to know I’m a terrible father.”

“It was actually Callum who wanted to come talk to Rayla,” Claudia said, slinging her arm around Callum’s shoulders and causing him to stumble sideways. “But he’s a little shy, so he kind of became my silent cheerleader.”

Callum groaned at the description. “Thanks, Claudia.”

“Harrow, you need to leave now,” Opeli called from the doorway. “The council is pissed off enough already. Let’s not add to their list.”

Harrow sighed and said goodbye, pulling Callum into a hug before taking his leave.

Callum ended up being the one to break the silence - which, in all honesty, was not something he often did. “Hi,” he stammered, offering the new girl his hand to shake. “I’m Callum. Obviously you’ve already met my dad.”

“Rayla. And Harrow’s your dad?” She raised an eyebrow as she released his hand. “Forgive me if this is rude, but you don’t look much like him.”

Callum laughed as he pulled his hand away. “Stepdad, technically.”

“Ah. Makes more sense.”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Claudia began, “but I don’t have class for another hour and I’m feeling kinda peckish. Want to hit up that new café?”

Callum shrugged. “Sounds good to me.” He turned to Rayla, giving her a small smile. “Care to join us?”

Rayla hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her violet eyes. “Are you sure you want to be seen hanging around me? I know that I’m not exactly welcome here.”

“Trust me, most people really couldn’t care less,” Claudia reassured her. “And if anyone does say anything about it, I’ll just get them expelled.”

Rayla blinked. “You can do that?”

Claudia shrugged. “Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”

Rayla burst out laughing at her comment, and Callum found himself joining in. Her laughter was contagious, and the way her accent seemed to leak through was... endearing. “Well, as long as you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“Of course we don’t!” Claudia exclaimed. “Believe me, we wouldn’t have offered if we did.”

“That’s very true,” Callum added as they began walking out of the auditorium. “Claudia is very selective about her company.”

“Callum, you make me sound like a prick!” Claudia protested. “I just have standards. That’s all.”

Callum continued to banter with his friend as they made their way to the café, and while Rayla didn’t join in, he was pleased to see that the smile on her face didn’t fade.

xXxXxXx

Over the course of half an hour, Callum learned that Rayla was studying literature and sociology, with a few women’s and gender studies’ courses thrown in here and there. She was from Silvergrove in Xadia, and no, not everyone’s accent was the same as hers. Or as thick as hers. Her parents had been security guards for a Xadian diplomat, and as a result hadn’t been around much, even before the plane crash that had taken their lives a few years ago. She lived with family friends, Runaan and Ethari, and she had no siblings, for which she was eternally grateful. She’d studied martial arts for as long as she could walk. A few years ago she’d started to learn how to incorporate blades into her fighting.

Claudia was impressed by this fact, and asked if Rayla would be willing to provide a demonstration for her at some point, to which the Xadian girl eagerly agreed.

Callum felt no need to ask for a demonstration; Rayla was currently wearing just a normal t-shirt, and based on the way her muscles flexed every time she moved her arm it was clear to him that she was telling the truth about her physical prowess.

“Aw, man,” Claudia complained as she checked the time on her phone. “I have bio in fifteen minutes. Guess that means I have to say my farewells.” She stood up, giving the two a mock bow. “A delightful conversation we shared, truly. See you at the dorm, Rayla!” With a wink and the swish of her black coat, she was gone.

An awkward silence fell. Callum wasn’t sure how to break it - until then, Claudia had been the one primarily pushing the conversation forward.

“I take it you don’t have a class to get to, then?” Rayla asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

Callum shook his head. “Nope. I don’t have physics until one.” And it was currently only twenty minutes before noon.

“Hm.” Rayla pulled a sheet of paper out of her backpack, which was hanging from her chair. “I have Shakespearean Literature at 12:45.” She glanced at him, an embarrassed expression falling upon her features. “I don’t suppose you could show me where Seton Hall is?”

Callum laughed. “I don’t mind showing you, no. Although I have to admit I only know where that’s located because of Claudia.”

Rayla gave him a knowing grin. “Ah. I see. So how long have you two been together?”

Callum stiffened as his face turned bright red. “I - she - we’re not together!” he stammered as he dropped and barely caught his pen, his voice an octave higher than he would have liked. “We’ve just known each other for a long time! Besides, Claudia is a sophomore and I’m just a freshman, which means she’s - she’s way out of my league.” He placed his pen down as the red slowly began to fade from his face. “Why do you - why do you ask? Did you... notice something?”

Rayla, though seemingly startled by his outburst, chuckled. “So it’s one-sided affection. Gotcha.” She lightly flicked his nose, which was an action Callum would have been embarrassed to receive from anyone else but for some reason didn’t mind when Rayla did it. “Don’t fret. One year isn’t a huge gap, you know. And I asked because I noticed you sketching her the entire time.”

Callum flushed and pulled his sketchbook closer to him, though he didn’t bother to hide the picture of Claudia. “There’s actually two years difference between us,” he admitted. “Both she and her brother missed a year of school when her parents got divorced.”

Rayla winced, nodding. “That sucks.”

Callum snorted at her blunt response. “Well, that’s one way to put it.”

“Precisely.” Rayla took a final sip of her coffee. “I don’t think you should give up hope, sad prince. You’re pretty cute. If you ever work up the courage to ask her, she’ll probably say yes.”

Callum raised an eyebrow at her comment, a near-pitiful attempt to regain his composure and pretend he wasn’t still blushing. “‘Prince’? What’s that about?”

Rayla shrugged. “Your dad is the head of the college. He’s kind of like a king. As such, you are kinda like a prince.”

Callum paused, then grinned. “All right. I can live with that.”

Their conversation shifted back to school, and Callum explained how he was majoring in physics and minoring in art, and that his favorite elective was Renaissance History. Rayla asked him about sports, and while she was disappointed to learn that there was no martial arts team, the idea of wrestling appeared to intrigue her.

“Do you know if they allow girls?” she said.

Callum shrugged. “No idea. Remember - I haven’t been here for a full semester yet. Plus...” He gestured to himself. “I don’t exactly scream ‘wrestler’, do I?”

Rayla snickered. “Well, you’ve got that right.”

Callum gasped in mock-offense at her comment. “How stereotyping of you.”

“You said it first!”

Before Callum knew it, it was already 12:30. Rayla was easy to talk to, even if she did bruise his ego, and so far time was flying by when he was around her. She was funny, quick-witted, and charming - at least in his opinion.

It saddened him to think that some people would never approach her simply because she was Xadian. While tensions had certainly lessened between Katolis and Xadia, the situation was nowhere near perfect, and he was keenly aware of the shocked and even disgusted looks that had been sent their way just from being in the café together.

“Are you okay with showing me where my class is now?” Rayla asked as she threw away her cup and the wrapper that had held her pastry. “I want to get there a little early, if I can.”

“Sure,” Callum replied, following her lead and disposing of his trash. He tucked his sketchbook and his pen into his satchel, but before he could get to the door, Rayla stepped forward to hold it open for him.

“Princes first,” she said with a smirk, snickering as he rolled his eyes.

“Seton Hall actually isn’t far from here,” Callum said as they headed further into campus. “It’s the same building the auditorium and most acting classes are in.”

Rayla frowned upon pulling her schedule out of her back pocket and examining it, straightening out a bend in the top right corner of the page. “Why aren’t my other literature classes in this building?”

“I always thought they put Shakespeare in the building with theatre classes because of the overlap between the courses,” Callum offered. “Maybe you get to see them perform some of the plays.”

Rayla shrugged, shoving her schedule back into her pocket. “I guess I’ll find out.”

They arrived at her classroom a few minutes later, with just under 10 minutes left before her class started.

“I suppose this is where we part ways,” Rayla said, shouldering her booksack and giving him a soft smile. “It was nice meeting you, Callum. I hope we find time to hang out again.”

Callum chuckled. “With Claudia as your roommate, I’m sure plenty of opportunities will arise.” He hesitated, then added, “I could give you a tour of campus. Someday. If you’re interested.”

Rayla’s smile widened. “I’d like that a lot.” She reached into her pocket, pulling out her receipt from the café before ripping it in half. “Can I use your pen?”

Callum fished his pen out of his satchel and handed it to her, their fingertips brushing as he did so. She proceeded to scribble something on one half of the receipt before handing it all back to him.

It was a phone number, he realized.

“The school provided me with a temporary phone and number to avoid international texting charges,” she explained, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Rather kind of them, now that I think about it.” When Callum didn’t respond, instead simply staring down at the slips of paper and the pen in his hands, she rolled her eyes and sighed in mock-exasperation. “Callum, the polite thing to do when someone gives you their number is to give them your own.”

Callum felt the blood rush to his face. “Right,” he stammered, tucking her number away in his pocket and writing his own onto the other half of the receipt before handing it to her.

Rayla winked at him as she accepted the paper. “See you later, Callum!” she said before disappearing into her classroom.

Callum remained there, frozen, for a few seconds more, his pen still clutched to his chest. Rayla was... an interesting person, to say the least. She seemed smart - certainly more clever than him.

Then Callum remembered that he, too, had a class starting soon. But his phone buzzed only a few minutes after he’d headed out of the building.

(330) 229-6868: I’m sure you’ve realized by now that typically only one person receives a phone number in an exchange between acquaintances

Callum, in fact, had not thought that deeply about it, but he wasn’t going to tell Rayla that. He added her as a contact before responding.

Callum: Yeah, I was wondering, lol

Rayla: I assure you that there is a method to my madness

Callum: Riiiight

Rayla: Look. I knew you wouldn’t have the guts to ask for my number

Rayla: Don’t deny it

Callum guiltily erased the beginning of That’s not true.

Callum: Maybe

Rayla: And I also knew that even if I gave you my number, you wouldn’t dare to text me first

Rayla: Now we both win!

Callum couldn’t stop himself from grinning at his phone at her response. So not only was she smart and funny, but she was also far more lighthearted than he’d originally given her credit for.

Callum: Seems so

Rayla: oh my god you sound like a pretentious douche over text

Rayla: Class is starting soon

Rayla: Give my number to Claudia pls

Callum: Ofc

She didn’t respond, so he assumed her class must have started. He tucked his phone into his satchel and continued his walk to physics, stepping up his pace to ensure he’d get there on time. And while he walked, he couldn’t keep the happy smile off his lips at the thought of his new friend.

Strange.

But he liked it.

xXxXxXx

#rayllum #the dragon prince #tdp rayllum #tdp rayla #tdp callum #tdp fanfic #tdp soren #tdp claudia #tdp harrow #tdp viren #rayla #callum #fanfiction #my writing #college!au

54 notes · View notes