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hannie-dul-set · 3 years

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“i'll take your word for it and no one else's.” [lee jeno]

SUMMARY | maybe snooping through your friend’s phone wasn’t that much of a good idea. or maybe it was. either way, you didn’t regret it. PAIRING | lee jeno x reader GENRE | friends to something, fluff, lots of bickering JHDFJ WARNINGS | swearing, invasion of privacy (LMAO idk) WORD COUNT | 2.1k TAGLIST | @danishmiilk @lucyinthesunshinee @sehunniepot @nct-writers @czennienet @neowritingsnet

a/n: i didn’t think i’d turn another one of my dreams into a fic, but here we are HAHHAHA i tweaked a few bits and pieces to make it work (setting + added some dialogue + changed the ending because i WOKE UP before it could finish hmph) but please enjoy this unscheduled fic!! <3

early summer afternoons were warm.

bright rays of the sun were showering on your skin as you lounged on the park bench, hot enough to make you feel the season but not too hot to singe your skin. it was the perfect weather to waste the day outside, and your younger brother and cousin decided to haul you outside so they can play basketball at the park.

but you didn't know why your friend jeno decided to come along.

"your brother messaged me," he grinned at you, plopping down beside you with a long, refreshed sigh. a towel was slung around his neck and he used it to wipe the sweat on his face. "what? why are you staring at me like that?"

"since when were you close with my brother?"

"am i not allowed to be friends with the little guy?" he joked, but apparently he took the unamused look on your face completely the wrong way. "oh my god, are you afraid that he'll take all my attention away from you?" to further tease, he brought his smug face closer to yours that was dumbfounded in shock, his stupidly irritating smile moving in closer.

sometimes you wondered if this was the same boy who helped you cross the street the first time you met.

but you loved him nonetheless.

"like hell i want your attention," you sneered, lightly shoving him away with a glare. he only laughed at your display of annoyance. "go back to playing with the kids or something, you goof."

the never leaving grin in his face seemed brighter against the sun, and he playfully ruffled your hair before running off to disappear into the court.

"as you wish, m'lady."

you let out a huff of air, rolling your eyes as your cheeks were involuntary tugged upwards, prompting a smile to form on your lips. you brought your hands to your hair, fixing the mess that jeno left with, and your gaze landed on the phone he left beside you. the screen flashed on. someone was calling him.

brows knitted together, you picked up the ringing phone, unable to recognize the caller id. you brought the device to your ear, standing up walking towards the court— you figured that you'd just answer whoever that was now and just pass it on to jeno once he was at reach.

"hello?"

"oh, hello there!" there was a pause from the caller "is lee jeno around, miss? would you mind giving the phone to him?"

the voice was that of a middle aged woman's, but it wasn't someone that you recognized. you assumed it was a relative of his or something because you'd know that this was his mom if it were her. "ah, give me a moment! i'll just look for him."

your feet stopped at the edge of the court, the sound of a ball bouncing into the concrete jarring against your ears. not bothering to look at the scene in front if you, you covered the mic with your hand before deciding to shout.

"jeno! someone's calling you!"

there was no usual prompt answer from your friend.

"he's not here!"

the loud voice of your brother answered instead, causing you to narrow your eyes into the court scene with a tinge of confusion masking your expression. there was indeed no mop of blue hair within the area, and you were only confused even further.

"where did he— aish, nevermind."

scratching your head, you swiveled your heels and decided to just head back to the bench. "hi, sorry. i'm not sure where he is right now. so if it's fine with you, can you call him again later? or maybe i could just tell him to call you back when he returns?"

"oh, then can you just relay this to him? it won't take that long, i promise."

you inwardly sighed, but agreed nevertheless. oh, you were definitely gonna ask him to treat you and the kids dinner later. why the fuck did he just disappear like that? now you were responsible for memorizing whatever this woman was telling you (apparently it was about an architecture summer program he was interested in— the lady was a head from his department and she was just calling to tell him that he was accepted. she says she'll be forwarding more details later through text).

"alright, thank you! i'll be sure to inform him when he gets back."

the call ended, and you groaned. you were about to close the phone, but then all of a sudden a notification appeared with a quiet ding!

[haechan 🌟 liked your retweet.]

ding!

[ohhh shit why do i feel like i know who this is.]

"huh."

you knew that you shouldn't be snooping inside your friend's phone. you knew that you shouldn't be invading his privacy no matter how enticingly juicy the bait was. you knew that it was flat out wrong. but—

"ah, just a peek," you clicked on the notification. "payback for making me deal with his stuff."

a hint of excitement rushed through you. jeno never told you his twitter. actually, you didn't even know he had one. he was always buried with studies, sports, and friends so you didn't expect him to keep up with social media— this fact enough was surprising, but the moment the screen finally loaded the tweet

you were even more surprised than you were a few seconds ago.

[@markly tweeted: "it's kind of funny how sometimes we just meet random people at the most random of moments and you don't expect it but they just end up sticking by your side until now"]

[@leejeno quoted: "yeah. a few years back, i saw this girl while i was walking. it wasn't the usual path that i took to school. i saw her having trouble crossing the street because there was a dog hanging around (she's scared of them) so i decided to help her. she couldn't even look at my face back then out of embarrassment but earlier we were calling until four in the morning. if i took a different path that day or if i didn't help her, i don't know how i'd be like right now because she's become one of the most important people in my life."]

your heart skipped a beat. two beats. three. it was running a mile a minute and you could barely even breathe to catch up.

[@do0 replied: how are you two right now?]

[@leejeno replied: "we're good haha. i'm going with her and her brother to the park later. we're still really good friends.]

[@leejeno replied: but i'm not sure if i want things to stop there."]

"hey, sorry for running off there. i went to get some— whoa. whats up?"

oh my fucking god.

you shot up, eyes wide, and you automatically turned off the phone. broken stutters left your lips, as the leaping of your heart to your throat prevented you from saying even a semblance of a coherent sentence. all you could think of when you met his worried gaze, the way he rushed to your side to check on you, was the last thing you read. your grip on his phone tightened.

but i'm not sure if i want things to stop there

you were gonna fucking lose it.

"hey, are you okay?"

quick, gentle hands landed on your cheeks, fingers brushing against your skin like a match igniting a flame. you nearly got lost and tongue-tied all over again, but you quickly slapped his hands away in a scolding fit. "jesus christ, i'm fine. you just surprised me. are you a ghost or something?" you glared at jeno, but it only lasted one second because you couldn't bear to look at him without your insides going crazy. because of that, your eyes flicked to the plastic bag he dropped onto the bench. he brought you something to eat.

"a-and before you ask—" you defended yourself indignantly when he didn't even accuse you of anything. "i wasn't snooping. the school called. it was about your summer program. you got in."

"oh? they called already?" you nodded. "ah, let's talk while walking— the kids are mad because i only got you food. they're asking me to buy the entire store for them to compensate," he released an airy laugh. you mentally scolded yourself.

keep it cool. you repeated the mantra inside your head as you strided beside jeno, your brother and cousin racing ahead of you. street lights were lighting up and the sky was fading into the night. cool cool cool cool cool. keep it cool.

the walk to the store felt way too gruelling than it normally would. it wasn't even that far. you told jeno everything the lady had told you, including the more detailed texts that she'd be sending later on. you thought that he'd be a lot more excited after hearing— he was interested, after all. but to you, he just seemed dismissive. "should i go?" he mindlessly asked.

"what are you talking about?" your brows furrowed. "yeah, of course. you wanted to, right?"

"but it's gonna last an entire month this summer," he yawed, stretching out his arms and hooking you by the neck, causing you to halt and stumble into him. you held back a squeak, and he looked at you, eyes gleaming with curious anticipation. a car sped by. "you still want me to go?"

those damned words that you read echoed inside your head again. you wondered if it resonated into the fucking nerves of your heart, as well.

"i—i mean," you stammered. "it's only one month. and it would also help you a lot in the future, right? you'd make a lot of connections during the camp. so yeah, i do want you to go."

he blinked at you. a hum sounded from his closed lips. he let go of you and resumed walking. you gaped when he left you behind.

was this karma?

"hey, what the hell?" quickly, you caught up to him, grabbing onto the sleeve of his shirt so that you could hang on to him. "why are you being sulky? i didn't do anything wrong!" technically you did do something wrong, but he didn't have to know that.

"you said you wanted me to go."

"you're a baby," you scrunched your nose is disapproval. "i only said that because you said you wanted to go."

jeno abruptly stopped. maybe you were causing a scene in front of all the passersby, but you really didn't give a fuck anymore when your head was in a looped up mess. all thanks to your extremely difficult friend who apparently doesn't want to just be your friend. you swore that he was driving you insane on purpose.

he pulled out his phone and faced the screen to you. your sweat dropped.

[@leejeno replied: but i'm not sure if i want things to stop there."]

"even after reading this," he started. "you still want me to go?"

"w-well."

he just had to be so fucking sharp. well, you weren't exactly slick either. maybe he saw a glimpse of the screen before you got to turn it off earlier. heat started to rise from your neck into your face, a grinding mixture of embarrassment and desire to be hit by a moving truck afflicting your nerves. why were you the one suffering? shouldn't it be him?

"no."

he hummed, turning off his phone and shoving the device into his pocket. arms crossed, he leaned in to your face, bearing a look of feigned innocence. "but you said i'd make a lot of useful connections."

"you can make those anywhere."

"and it's only a month, right?"

"that's thirty days too long."

"and—"

"oh, come on!" you exclaimed, balling your fists in vexation. another car sped by with an accompanied honk. jeno simply wore a look of faint amusement at your little outburst. "i don't want you to join your stupid summer program. happy now?"

"well, if you say so."

you stared at him. he patted your head, eyes disappearing into a pair of crescents with a smile.

"i'll take your word for it and no one else's."

you were left frozen and dumbfounded in the middle of the sidewalk as jeno brazenly spun his heels to chase after the runaway kids that went before you— literally leaving you behind. letting a curse slip past your breath, you also went after them. he was definitely driving you insane on purpose.

sometimes you wondered if this was the same boy who helped you cross the street the first time you met.

this was one of those times.

"you said you weren't gonna go, you asshole!"

"payback for snooping through my phone!"

but you could still love him nonetheless.

#NCT-WRITERS #czennet #neowritingsnet #jeno x reader #lee jeno x reader #nct jeno x reader #lee jeno fluff #lee jeno scenarios #jeno scenarios #jeno fluff #lee jeno fanfic #jeno fanfic #nct dream x reader #nct dream scenarios #nct dream fluff

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theramseyloft · 3 years

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8/25/21

Cheeto, makin' sure my day starts early.

Couture is 6 months old today.

He officially joined the breeding roster yesterday when his first egg was fertile.

Archie is 16 weeks old, still looking for a home.

Banner (Patch x Spangle) is 6 weeks, due to get his initial vaccines tonight.

The second egg of Thistle and Amiga's second clutch and the first of Wess and Dolly's are being candled today.

Need to sit a minute.

Just moved my 150lb chewy order to the laundry room so I can get it out the door more easily and my back hates me.

This is why April wasn't allowed to hatch eggs even before I got out of breeding doves.

You can actually see where the shell has sufficient calcium and where is doesn't. The narrow end curves slightly to the side like melted plastic, indicating that is was rubbery when she passed it.

She is supplemented free choice and definitely eats her oyster shell.

But something is wrong with either her absorption or distribution.

If there is not enough calcium getting to her ovaries to build a full shell, there isn't enough in the egg to build a full peep skeleton.

If she were to hatch it, and the peep were to survive, feeding it would kill her.

Fuck.

Hate that this is the second rest I've needed today.

Hauled a 50lb sack of feed from storage to the loft and filled the feed container so I could fill the quarantine feed container.

Ok.

Back to it.

And four minutes later, I need another rest.

I just hauled out three 50lb bags from my laundry room to the storage shed.

They are paper.

I can't heft them over my shoulder to more evenly distribute the weight or drop them when they get too heavy, or they'll split.

I have also had them split from getting stuck to my shoulder with sweat

So I have to carry them in my arms like a gigantic baby, which us the position least kind to my back.

I have arthritis.

I physically cannot straighten my legs to stand with a weight, so I am not capable of lifting with my knees.

Moving feed, sand bags, and straw takes a LOT out of me that's very difficult to recover from.

Ok.

Laundry in the dryer.

Second load in the washer.

Writing all this down because I have been working since 8am, and Cheeto's mat is the only bird related thing I have cleaned, so it feels like I've gotten nothing done but hurt my back.

I got up two hours earlier than I usually do, and am still just now getting started on work.

Because the loft is no closer to clean than it would be on a day I slept in, everything I have done this morning registers as having done nothing.

Patron: "You’ve gotten a lot done"

Yeah.

My brain measures work in terms of "how much do we have left?" Because I have the same amount left, I have just been procrastinating, as far as she is concerned.

The "one more little thing" syndrome is real today.

Sat down to clean the dove Palace.

Realized I forgot to get them straw (April is on a fegg, so Gordon will be compelled to bring her the floor.)

Went to get straw.

Sat down again.

Realized I forgot the paper towels.

Gordon inspecting my offering.

2 weeks and a day until Vito can go home.

Mat fell in love with him and Danica.

By the time Nica is done with her peep, his flock will be out of quarantine.

Raddish got his second dose of wormer.

If his throat swab is clean tonight, he'll go out to the loft in the morning.

Raddish is very upset about wormer-get, and wants a bath.

Brightheart lost another scab layer.

He is so beyond done with my shit...

I trimmed his crest to keep it out of the blood when he itches those off.

Speaking of itches, Ibis was supposed to leave quarantine tomorrow, but she still has lice.

I found an adult and some hatchlings.

She's really tight-feathered, so getting her sufficiently dipped is a bit of a bitch..

Pants is on his last day of Trich meds.

He didn't have any worms, so he'll just join the flock on their schedule.

Charlie is standing like a pigeon!

She gets wormed tomorrow and then the last thing I'll have to worry about is lice.

Everyone who still needs it gets dipped on Sundays.

Today has not been my fucking day.

The humidity is so intense that I have to come in every few minutes because within five, I get dizzy.

aaaand a wasp got lost in my skirt and panicked when I did not let her out soon enough.

my ass and hips have been stung five times, and my skin and the only work skirt not in the washer or dryer is covered in scared wasp beacon pheromones.

Patron: "I have switched to ivermectin sheep drench for lice. One drop in each armpit. It worked for my flock's lice that seemed to never quite go away otherwise. And it's less traumatic for the bird."

Interesting.

I know that works well for swift body lice, but I use Ivermectin for worms.

If it worked on long bodied feather lice, I would not still have new birds covered in them.

Patron: "It worked on mine including the three I just picked up."

"They had them visibly, and pretty bad. Now none."

"I use it orally for worms. This is a liquid that I apply directly to the skin."

Does it not get into the bloodstream when ingested?

Not trying to be a smartass. Genuine question.

Patron: "I dunno the mechanism. Just that this works and orally doesn't."

"This says one drop, but I was told to do 2."

Every time I have used anything you just apply to the armpit or nape of the neck, there have still been lice every time I have checked.

Patron: "I can send you some to try it. I have a lifetime supply. Lol"

I have had to look very carefully for them, but they have always still been present.

I have some for worms.

Pigeons always drink before they bathe, and I got it as a back up if the worm out gel didn't work.

Patron: "It probably does get into the bloodstream but not at a high enough concentration to kill maybe"

That's a distinct possibly.

I will be back.

I am not allergic to wasps, but sensitive enough that a sting triggers nerve pain flare ups elsewhere.

By executive order, I'm taking the rest of the day off once everyone is fed, and I do not have words for how upset I am to need to stop every fucking cleaning day since Khou died because my ability to physically function keeps quitting on me for one reason or another.

I have maybe finished unaided twice.

And I'm so goddamn tired of either my brain or body quitting on me when I need them.

My bird picked me.

I had a break down in the loft, and diamond got into my lap.

When I went to pet her, she jumped off. She had only wanted treats.

But then Cotta got up into my lap.

When I tried to offer him a treat, he took it gently from my fingertips, spat it out, and bowed his head like Ankhou used to to get me to pet him.

I expected that he'd nope out, but he did actually cuddle closer when I pet him and let me cuddle with him until I was done crying.

But now my husband's bird is jealous and trying to win me back.

Cheeto...

Make up your goddamn mind.

#tw gore #blood #scalping recovery

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itsmeevie01 · 4 years

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Bio!Dad Bruce Month Day 8- Driving!

Marinette smiled at her brother as he helped her unload her bags from the car. When he had called and asked if she wanted to come visit for a month, the fifteen-year-old had jumped at the chance to get out of Paris. When she had landed, the first thing she had done was take a deep breath and started to process everything that had happened over the school year. At the sound of Tim scrambling down to give her a hug, Marinette brought herself back to the present. The taller teen caught her up in a hug and she clung to him and giggled. When he put her down, Marinette turned at towards the sound of measured steps nearing the group. The boy approaching her scowled and crossed his arms. Marinette shook her head fondly at him and waved.

She knew that Damien wasn’t her biggest fan, but she still tried her hardest to get along with the youngest in the family. While she had been greeting Damien, Cass had made her way over, and moved Tim out of the way. Once the girls had reunited, Marinette made to pick up her bags, only to have three sets of hands reach to stop her. With a huff, the noirette set her gaze on her younger brother. “Well, Damian, shall we?” the boy looked her over with sharp green eyes and nodded.

” Yes, sister, we shall.” The duo made their way up the drive to the manor, where Alfred was standing and watching them with a fond smile.

As they made their way closer, Marinette studied the butler. When she had, once, asked how long her had been taking care of the family, the man had smiled at her and simply said “A very long time now, Miss Marinette.” No matter who she asked, that was the clearest answer she could get.

Dick, Cass, and Tim soon followed, each carrying a bag. While Marinette had insisted that she didn’t need the extra bags, Dick had insisted that she pack an absurd amount of clothing. He had promised the extra bags would be paid for, and that was that. Marinette was not pleased, to say the least, but had reluctantly agree to her brother’s wishes.

At dinner that evening, Marinette was surprised to be greeted by Jason plopping down across form her. When she cast an uncertain glance at the chair that belonged to Bruce, Jason smirked. “B had to leave the country for something and took Duke with him. Suddenly, I had an open invitation to the manor again.” At her unimpressed response the young adult grinned. “I can’t wait to raise hell while mi here.” At Jason’s proclamation, Dick cleared his throat.

“actually, you won’t be raising hell, because none of us are going to be here.” At the looks of shock that were flooding the table, Dick smirked. “The reason we are all here is…DRUM ROLL PLEASE” Tim rolled his eyes but obliged the oldest, “we are going on a family vacation!” Damien groaned and Cass smiled.

“Dam it Dick, really?” came from Tim, while Jason shook his head in disbelief. Marinette, on the other hand blinked in confusion.

“what…what do you mean, a vacation? Is that why you had me pack an absurd amount of stuff?”

“Correct! And we are going to have so! Much! Fun!” At Dick’s excitement, Tim rolled his eyes and leaned over to whisper to Marinette

“how likely is it that someone is in the emergency room by the end of the first week?” She shook her head in response,

“that’s not even worth betting over.” Tim huffed at the ease she had used to cut off his train of thought.

“50 bucks say we are taking a plane.”

“I say were carpooling. Dick would see it as family bonding.”

“done. When your handing over the money, just remember to be thankful that we aren’t cooped up in tin cans with the rest of the hoard for weeks on end.”

“and when you hand over your money, make sure we are in the same car. I want a little bit of sanity on this trip.” The teens shook on their bet and turned to see the rest of the family looking at them, obviously wondering what exactly had taken place. Marinette flashed a smile at them, “sorry, did you need something?”

The next morning when Dick went around knocking on doors and waking up the family, only two went left unopened. When he bounded into the kitchen however, he found two pairs of blue eyes watching him from the table, coffee mugs in hand. He shook his head and moved to pour a bowl of cereal. When he turned back towards the table, he found them still looking at him. “yes?” it seemed that his question was all that was needed to prompt them.

“where are we going?” Tim started them off.

“it’s a surprise”

“when do we leave?” Marinette cut in before he had time to finish talking.

“two hours. Alfred packed everyone’s bags on the sly.”

“how long is the trip?” Marinette again.

“a few weeks. Why? Afraid you’ll miss Gotham?”

“when is our flight?” Tim, who was asking with quite a lot of hope

“who said anything about a flight?”

“shit.” At Tim’s face, Dick looked surprised. Marinette however, looked practically gleeful.

“looks like I won that bet! Hand it over, brother.” The pain on the seventeen-year-olds face was laughable.

“but- “

“Tim! 50. Dollars.”

“he hasn’t said we are taking the cars yet!”

“its implied, you genius. Honestly, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!” Tim halfheartedly glared at her as he handed over a crisp $50 and returned to his coffee. Before Dick could ask any more questions, Jason and Cass mad their presence know, while Damian followed a few minutes later.

When Alfred had helped Dick usher the rest of the family over to two cars, he turned to face them with a big smile. While they jostled each other, Steph climbed out of her car and hurried over, looking very pleased with herself. She paused by one of the cars and deposited her bag before joining them.

“alright, now that everyone is here, lets get started. We have two cars and will be rotating through drivers. Sorry, Damian and Net, you two are forbidden form touching the wheel. Now, I have decided on our seating arrangements already. Jason, Tim, and Ste- “

“and Little Bit. Marinette rides with us.” Dick blinked at the interruption and tried to protest only to see the other three nodding at Tim’s proclamation. He sighed.

“fine. Damian, Cass. You two will ride with me. If something comes up, we’ll rearrange. Now, today we are going to make it our goal to get closer to the middle of the country. After that, we will re-evaluate and pick a destination. Load up!”

The first four hours were fine. No, they were more than fine. Then, Jason got bored and started to play music to get on the other’s nerves. When he got banished to the back, Stephanie pounced at the chance to move up front and keep Tim company. In theory, it was a good idea. That is, until the blonde demanded that they stop every half hour for food. After the third pitstop, Tim moved her stuff in the back and kidnapped Marinette’s phone. When the others reconvened, there was a slight scuffle before they realized that Tim had made the call. Since neither of the others wanted to drive, Marinette happily settled into the passenger seat. The next three hours when by quickly. By the time Tim pulled over for gas, Jason and Steph had fallen asleep. While he took care of the car, Marinette slipped into the convince store and restocked on snacks and drinks. Tim grinned at her collection that she hauled out. “magnum bars? Really?”

“yup. Best ice cream you can find.” He snorted at her,

“maybe out here in the middle of nowhere. When we get home, remind me to take you for the good stuff.” The girl rolled her eyes and plopped back into her seat.

“let’s go, before Dick thinks we died.”

��The next morning, when they all piled back into the cars, the other car called. After a loud…conversation, they settled on working towards St. Louis, and going from there. Once the groups were well and truly on the road again, Jason started them on games. First was truth or dare. After that was never have I ever, food edition. (A/N-when my friends car trip, we play this. Instead of a shot, you eat. That’s all.) after the four had exhausted all of their tame, non-hero topics, the Gotamites started to slip some of their exploits that Marinette Was Not Supposed to Know About into the game. Once they had gotten as far as they could without revealing their secret identities as the Vigilante Bats of Gotham, they moved on to telling embarrassing stories. After lunch, where they stopped and switched drivers, Tim and Marinette got into a debate over a shared book series, while Jason and Steph played loud music and sang off key up front. After dinner, when they switched back, Jason and Steph once again fell asleep.

Two hours out from St. Louis, Tim turned to his little sister. “Hey Little Bit, how would you like to drive for a bit? I know you have your permit.” Marinette threw a glance over her shoulder and grinned at him.

“are you sure? Dad won’t ride with me when I drive. He says I’m worse than Jason.” Tim sniggered at the face she made while imitating their father.

“as long as we don’t die permanently, we should be fine. Its late enough that you should be ok to drive.” The smile she shot his way made Tim decide immediately that whatever happened during the next two hours, he would do the best he could to let her drive again.

An hour and a half, Tim wasn’t sure if he was right to give the keys to his sister. Somehow, they had beat Dick to the hotel. As Jason and Steph yawned and stretched, the other two made their way towards their hotel for the night. When Dick pulled up 45 minutes later, they had made their way inside, and Jason and Steph had already crashed in their respective rooms. Marinette was sitting in the room she was sharing with Cass while chatting with Tim, who looked a little pale. When Dick stopped by to gather the keys for the room he was sharing with Damian, he shot his brother a worried look.

The next morning, when Dick admitted that it would probably be good to switch up the cars, Jason and Steph jumped at the chance to switch cars. In return, Cass joined the other teens. Without the presence of anyone top pretend at being an adult, the three were able to mess around. When they checked their GPS, the group realized they not only had they been speeding, but they were quite far further than they had planned for lunch. After looking up the nearest food, Tim turned to Marinette and held out the keys. When Cass realized what was going on, she sniggered. That evening, the trio beat the others by over an hour. When asked, they all shrugged and said that they were just having fun.

Two weeks later, after the siblings had returned to the manor, Tim offered to bring Marinette with him while he ran into WE to pick up some paperwork. When the girl had nodded, her brother had grinned and tossed her the keys. At Dick’s shocked splutter, Tim turned and raised an eyebrow at his brother.

“what? Little Bit knows how to drive.” Dick shook his head fervently.

“Tim no! B said that Net was Not to Touch the Keys Unless It Was an Emergency!” Tim sniggered, and Cass who had been listening to their interaction, rolled her eyes. At Dick’s offended look, she looked to Tim. He sighed.

“Dick, she drove for as much of our trip as I did. Plus, I promised her ice cream.”

Dick Grayson’s shouting that followed the duo as they sped out of the drive could be heard echoing for miles, but neither sibling cared.

#b!dbwm #b!dbwm2020 #maribat #My writing #miraculous ladybug #this just apeared #oops #Mari is 15 here #yes i skipped over Damian joining the fam #we will get there #ml x dc

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isitgintimeyet · 4 years

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Just a Friend

So I finally started to write another story...

I will try and post weekly, but can’t promise on account of real life and my inability to actually focus on translating what’s in my head onto paper (or screen!)

Getting the courage to post never gets any easier, but here goes. I hope you enjoy this frothy bit of fun. I will also post on AO3.

Thanks to @wickedgoodbooks for being an excellent beta.

Chapter 1: From Airport to Aggravation

Bank holiday crowds, on the whole, are hell.

And this one is rapidly turning into an even deeper level of purgatory. The hottest May for years in Scotland and I’m stuck at Glasgow airport with a dozen women, collectively known as ‘Geillis’s Hen Party Posse’, each displaying varying degrees of inebriation, hangover or general sleep deprivation, and all aiming for the luggage carousel showing the flight from Barcelona. Which apparently is where several hundred other disembarked passengers are also heading.

Eventually, I manage to get a view of the bags and cases slowly making their way around the belt. They’re pretty picked over by this time, apart from the couple of boxes covered in gaffer tape that always seem to be first off a plane—any plane—and last to be collected. They’re always there, on every flight. Why is that?

I pause from my musings to wave frantically at Geillis, who now has a trolley and is clearing a path straight towards me.

“I got us a trolley.” she informs me, stating the obvious. “I thought it’d be easier. Have ye seen ours yet, Claire? I canna see the others. They must have already gone through.”

“No,” I answer, keeping my eyes firmly on the little hatch, willing our bags to appear. All I want is to go home, put my sleep mask on and try and get some sleep. Three days in Barcelona celebrating Geillis’s forthcoming nuptials have worn me out, and, I glance at my watch, I am due in theatre in approximately seventeen hours time.

"It's there, it's there," Geillis points excitedly at the neon pink and green leopard print bag making its way towards us.

She makes a grab for it as I continue to look for my bag. Predictably, it’s one of the last ones on the carousel. I recognise it immediately from the piece of red gift ribbon tied to the handle of the plain black Samsonite. I load it onto the trolley and Geillis and I head through customs to join the rest of the posse.

We say our goodbyes loudly, with much hugging and kisses. A stranger viewing this scene might imagine we won’t be seeing each other again for weeks or even months. In truth, I’ll be seeing most of them in the next week or so at the hospital as our schedules coincide.

“Shall we two get a taxi, then?” Geillis asks me.

I start to answer as my mobile pings — a text from Frank...very nice, very caring, very predictable.

Darling, it’s been a long three days without you. I am ready to collect you from the airport if you would like. If not, might I see you later this evening? xxx

And that is very clearly Frank. Correct grammar and punctuation, even on his texts. I shake my head as if to drive away my inner bitch and pretend I haven’t read it. I will respond, of course, just later when I’m back at home.

So, I smile at Geillis and agree. “Of course, we can go halves.”

***********

As I walk into my flat, the peace and quiet and sheer bloody calm wraps itself around me like a swaddling cloth. It’s blissfully cool too, with all the shutters closed.

It’s not that I didn’t have a good time in Barcelona. It was actually great. But being in the company of others twenty four hours a day is wearing, much as I love them. And we all had to do everything together. No sneaking off for a solitary walk, or escaping to bed for a little siesta.

I deposit my suitcase by the bedroom door, slip off my converse, pour myself a glass of orange juice, settle down on the sofa and figure out how best to tell Frank not tonight without offending him.

Frank, Sorry but tonight isn’t —

I delete and try again.

Thanks for the offer to pick me up. I was already in the taxi when I got it. Can we give tonight a miss? Theatre in the morning and I’m knackered totally exhausted. You know what Geillis is like. Speak tomorrow, I promise. C

Frank knows what Geillis is like. Frank thinks Geillis is a bad influence on me, with her larger than life personality and wild ideas. I think Frank doesn’t really know me at all if he believes I can be influenced like that. I hang out with Geillis and my friends because they’re fun and we laugh… a lot.

Without realising, I feel my shoulder muscles relax as soon as I’ve sent the message. These are not good signs for my relationship with Frank. He’s investing far more into ‘us’ than I am willing to do. But as long as I’m honest with him…

There are advantages to being with Frank, of course. He’s punctual, very organised and a proficient and considerate lover. He always makes sure I come, even if I sometimes...er… exaggerate my reactions to hurry things along. So much for honesty, then.

I finish my orange juice and plan my evening. Four things to do - unpack, grab some food, shower and sleep. Not even going to wash my hair. That would really be too much effort, struggling with my untameable mane, and it’s going to be stuck under a surgical cap for most of tomorrow anyway.

It takes a bit of effort to actually move from the sofa. I could quite happily fall asleep there. But then I’d wake up in the middle of the night—starving hungry and still smelling of sweaty airports. Reluctantly, I haul myself into a vertical position and head for my bedroom picking up my suitcase en route.

Opening the suitcase, I am not greeted with the expected haphazard mass of sun dresses, t shirts and shorts—all with the evocative aroma of Hawaiian Tropic—but a layer of white dress shirts, immaculately folded and the faint scent of a musky cologne.

Shit, shit, shit!! Some else has walked off with my black samsonite with the red ribbon on the handle. My evening plans are rapidly going awry. I delve into my handbag praying that I kept my boarding pass with the sticky bar code luggage receipt. The relief when I find it lurking in the bottom of my bag is immense. Quickly I google the airline lost baggage number and dial.

After a few bars of some god awful plinky plinky hold music, I hear a recorded message. “Your call is important to us, please hold. Your call is important to us, please hold.”

Good to know, then back to the plinky plinky before another message. “The office you are trying to reach is now closed. Please try again during office hours nine am to five thirty. Thank you.”

“If my call is so important to you, why is no one there at six o’clock?” I yell down the phone, but the plinky plinky ignores me and continues its irritating melody.

I sigh. I don’t want to have to wait until tomorrow morning to sort this out. Besides, by nine am tomorrow morning, I will be somewhat unavailable - reshaping the hip bone of a seven year old boy. So, I have no alternative. I will have to have a bit of a dig around this stranger’s suitcase, looking for any clue or contact details.

As I start to have a feel around, it occurs to me that some stranger might, at this very moment, be doing exactly the same thing — having a poke around my suitcase in the hope of finding my details. No doubt judging me based on my choice of holiday attire. And, I suddenly realise, his judgement may well be coloured by the discovery of some items of a more adult nature.

I say ‘he’, based on the XL white shirts, the pair of battered jeans and faded Scotland rugby shirt, but I could be wrong. I don’t have to dig any further into the case as I spy, in a mesh pocket, a neat rectangle of card with a name — James Fraser — a mobile number and an email address.

Relief sweeps over me. Perhaps we can get this all sorted tonight. Unless this James Fraser lives miles away and was just passing through Glasgow on his way to, say, the Outer Hebrides. That could be a whole other level of problem.

I quickly reach for my phone. Another message from Frank awaits.

Are you sure, darling? I’m looking forward to seeing you. Would tomorrow evening work for you?

I ignore it for the moment. Let me sort my luggage issue out first.

I dial the number on the card and begin to pace around my bedroom as it rings and rings. I am just about to give up when, thankfully, it’s answered.

“Hello?” A female voice asks warily.

I clear my throat and put on my most pleasant phone voice. “Is there a James Fraser there please?”

“Ye’ve the wrong number.”

“Oh, sorry, I must have mis—“ I begin, but find myself apologising to dead air.

I try again, carefully comparing each digit to those written, very neatly, on the card.

“Hello?” The same female voice answers, more than a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“I’m sorry, but this is the number I have for James Fra—“

“And I already told ye, ye’ve the wrong number. Dinna bother again.”

In the days before mobiles, I’m sure this would have been accompanied by a deafening crash as the receiver hit the cradle. Pressing a soft key doesn’t have the same dramatic effect. But I get the message anyway.

So, new plan needed. All I can do is email this James Fraser and hope he actually has written down the correct email address. If not, I’ll have to sort it out with the airline tomorrow afternoon.

My stomach rumbles and I suddenly realise that I’ve not eaten since breakfast, unless you count the slices of fruit in my jug of sangria. I wander into the kitchen and peruse the contents of my cupboards and fridge. I’m not the most gifted cook, but I’m not too bad and can usually rustle up something edible and fairly tasty. The bread feels a bit on the dry side but will be fine toasted, and I know I have eggs.

I put a knob of butter in a pan and text Frank while I’m waiting for it to sizzle.

Think tomoz will be ok. Talk 2morrow. C

I don’t normally use text speak at all, but something about Frank’s perfectly formed text messages always makes me want to rebel. I can imagine him wincing right now. He’s a professor at the university and is forever complaining about the standard of literacy amongst his undergraduates. If he thinks he has problems, he should try dealing with junior doctors.

With my scrambled egg on toast all eaten, I focus my attention on the email to James Fraser. I write it quickly, brief and to the point: I have your suitcase and therefore presume you have mine, can we meet to swap them over and here’s my phone number.

The longing for a shower and then bed is now overwhelming. I strip off and bundle all my clothes into the laundry basket, tie my hair up with a scrunchie and step into my shower. This is undoubtedly one of my favourite places on earth and possibly the reason that I bought this flat. Large enough for two, I suppose. Although none have yet been invited to partake in this heavenly experience. Maybe I’m saving that for someone extra special. It has a huge overhead rainfall shower head and a handheld shower head too.

My indulgences are all in here — a selection of expensive shower gels, scrubs and lotions and an assortment of huge fluffy bath towels. I choose a lavender scented gel and scrub all traces of the day from my skin.

Wrapping myself in one of my pristine white towels, I slather shea butter lotion on my slightly sun-burnt skin, noticing the uneven red patches where the sun cream hadn’t quite reached but at least it’s not sore.

A quick check of my emails shows there’s no word from James Fraser as yet, so I decide to just settle down to sleep and leave luggage worries until the morning. Fortunately, I had changed the sheets before my weekend away, so I simply unwrap my towel, leaving it in a heap on the floor and slide into bed. The feeling of the cool, crisp bedding against my skin is wonderful. I assume a sort of diagonal starfish position, not having to worry about any other occupants. It crosses my mind whether to reach for the tiny vibrator in my bedside drawer, but I’m too comfortable and drowsy for that, so instead I check my alarm and settle down for sleep.

#outlander fanfic #outlander fanfiction #Jamie Fraser #Claire Beauchamp #Just a Friend #chapter 1 #Here goes

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imakemywings · 3 years

Text

A Car Wreck in Motion

Fandom: Beastars

Pairing: Cosmo/Ibuki

Summary: After realizing she's in love with Ibuki, Cosmo knows there's only one course of action: leave, before he does.

AO3 | Pillowfort

________________________________________________________

The end was inevitable. That was the only thing you could count on, was an ending. Cosmo had spent so many months thinking about that, about the predetermined end to this, and dreading it, that somehow it had escaped her that it was not on her to sit around and wait for that ending. She was not tied to the tracks, bound to lay feebly struggling until the train whizzed by and smashed her to bloody smithereens. If the plane was already in free fall, she might as well crash in into a mountain and end it now, rather than continue this uncontrolled descent to the ground.

The universe may have had a loaded gun against her temple, but there was nothing stopping Cosmo from pulling the trigger herself.

So, she was packing. Haphazardly and hastily, throwing her things into a suitcase, tossing aside what was not essential and could be replaced elsewhere, trying to ignore the emptiness under her feet, trying not to think of the pain she was about to cause herself, and failing, utterly.

But if she cried alone in her apartment while she was stuffing her life into a bag, no one had to know about it. Furiously, she blinked the tears from her eyes and went on packing—she had no time to stop and have a meltdown.

It was in this frenzy that the train arrived, rapping uneasily on the front door, hanging ajar. Cosmo whipped around, in the middle of emptying her dresser into the suitcase on top of the pile of cosmetics. When she saw Ibuki in the door way, her ears flattened and her eyes burned afresh.

“What the hell do you want?” she asked, going back to her task.

“Are you…going somewhere?” he asked, looking around the wreckage of her apartment: coats she had given up on fitting in tossed on the floor, kitchen utensils spilled over the counter and falling onto the floor, the bedding torn apart and then left in a heap when she decided to just buy new things when she arrived wherever she decided to stop.

“Gee, how’d you guess?” The snap in Cosmo’s voice was hampered by the hiccup, much as she tried to swallow it down.

“Where?” Enflamed by his refusal to see this for what it was (was this cat deliberately obtuse?), Cosmo rounded, red-eyed and wet-cheeked, on the lion.

“Away!” she said. “It doesn’t matter where! I’m getting out of this shit city, with all these shit animals, this fucking dump!” Giving up on anything she hadn’t already gotten inside, Cosmo turned to jerk the zippers on the suitcase closed.

“Cosmo, did something happen?” There was a low urgency in Ibuki’s voice, an unspoken offer to, perhaps, take care of whomever or whatever had left her in such a state. Doing violence on her behalf was easy; violence was part of him, and not just because he was a lion (she had noticed how many of her regulars at the Red Chamber had gotten quite a bit less grabby lately). It hadn’t bothered her, she supposed, the idea of his carving out other animals’ organs, until it was her heart he held, dripping and pulsing weakly in his hand.

“It doesn’t matter,” she repeated, slinging her purse over one should and hauling the suitcase upright. “I have to leave.”

“Cosmo, if you need help—”

“I don’t need help from you,” she snarled, her ears angling back as far as they would go, tips pointed downwards. The calculations were going behind Ibuki’s glasses, trying to puzzle out what had happened to make her behave this way, trying to rationalize her. “Get out of my way.”

“This is very sudden,” he said.

“So what? That’s none of your business!”

“Cosmo, if something’s happened…”

“Get the fuck out of my way!” she shouted, gripping the suitcase handle until it dug into her palm. “I’m getting out of here and you can’t stop me!” He could, though, and all it took was a hand around her arm.

“Where are you going?” He didn’t like that she was jetting off without telling him anything, but if he was hurt, that was his problem, one he’d surely get over with a good snort of silvervine and some other stripper—maybe Isabella. “What’s this about?”

“Let go of me,” Cosmo said in a trembling whisper, her eyes on fire. Then, almost immediately, “Let go of me, Ibuki!” Her yelling was loud enough for neighbors to start taking notice, particularly if they were aware there was an herbivore in her apartment (and it was probably difficult to overlook the smell of okapi in the hall). So what if her neighbors took notice? So what if the police came? So what if he got booked? She didn’t care!

Doubtless wanting to avoid a scene, Ibuki released her immediately.

“Cosmo—”

“Fuck off,” she replied, striding past him into the hall. Ichiko could find the keys buried wherever they were in Cosmo’s apartment; she wouldn’t be around to be fined for not returning them properly.

“If I did something to you, I’d like to know about it!” he called after her, following her into the hall.

“Too bad!” She didn’t look back, but turned to look at one of her neighbors peering out of their doorway to scream: “What the fuck are you looking at?” The moon bear withdrew back into the apartment.

“Did I do something to you?” he tried again, leaning over the railing as Cosmo rushed down the steps, her suitcase clunking down after her.

“Yeah! You’re an asshole, that’s what!” An asshole who someday was going to be just another name in the diary of people Cosmo had stupidly trusted. Ah, but it was worse, wasn’t it? Because she had known all along that Ibuki would break her heart, and she had fallen anyway. Apparently, she was just as dumb as everyone back home thought. Not a comforting thought.

“Can we at least talk about this?” Oh, this asshole. Cosmo hadn’t yet hit the ground floor before Ibuki tried again to slow her departure. If I were a lioness, she thought, I’d bite your face off, and I wouldn’t have to explain myself. “At least let me apologize for whatever it was!”

“No! I don’t owe you a goddamn explanation,” she said, plowing ahead to the exit. “And I don’t want a stupid apology!” Why was he fighting her so much? It wasn’t like she was special. The Shishigumi hung out at plenty of strip clubs; there was no real shortage of animals to take her place. Sure, they had a good thing going, but worth the persistence? Probably not.

“I think you do, if you’re blaming me for your leaving! This isn’t fair, Cosmo!”

“Oh, it’s not fair?” she demanded, rounding on him, unable to let that idiotic remark pass without remark. “It’s not fair, is it? Welcome to my life, and yours too, you son of a bitch. You should be used to ‘not fair’ by now! Rex’s asshole, you’re too old for me to have to explain this to you!” She kicked open the door the way Ichiko ordered the tenants not to, and swung the suitcase out ahead of her.

“I didn’t expect it from you,” he insisted, as if he could appeal to some sense of guilt (to her ever-mounting rage, it almost worked).

“Well that’s just your bad judgement, isn’t it? I’m sure you’ll get over it. I do. But if you think I’m gonna sit around here any more and wait to get my—” She cut herself off and started down the abysmally neglected sidewalk, jerking her suitcase over jagged cracks and hillocks of grass sprouting through the concrete in the shadow of her apartment building, and other similarly dilapidated brick and concrete structures. “You’re out of your mind!”

“Love of Rex, Cosmo, if you never want to see my face again, just say so! You don’t have to leave the whole damn city!”

“The hell I don’t!” Her throat was starting to close up again, and she swallowed, frantically trying to beat it back. “I’m not gonna hang around here anymore, waiting for you to fuck me over. I’ve left before, and I told you before I’ve been here too long. Now I know I have.” Ibuki paused, staring after her, as pieces started to click together, but he kicked himself into gear again quickly and caught up with the little head start she’d managed.

“Are you mad about something I haven’t even done yet?” he asked. “Cosmo!”

“Fuck off!”

“This is ridiculous! What makes you so sure that I’m going to do something to you?” Cosmo stopped and turned to face him, looking up at the face that had been such a fixture in her life the past year.

“You’re a fucking gangster, Ibuki,” she said with emphasis. “How exactly do you see this ending? We’re on a sinking ship, you dumbass, and I’m not waiting around to drown. I’m getting the hell out of here, and you’re on your own.”

“Cosmo…” Fucking asshole! His voice had softened in a way that suggested he thought he’d found some way to reason with her, and she fought the urge to slug him. It wouldn’t matter anyway; her fists couldn’t do nearly enough damage to deter him.

“I’m saving myself!” Her voice had leaped up in pitch and it was cracking, and she swore inwardly. “That’s what animals like you and me do: we save ourselves. Because that’s all there is: it’s just me.” There were so many other things she had thought about when she pictured this kind of conversation between them, but they seemed to have passed out of her head like a sieve. This redoubled her wrath—there were so many good things she’d wanted to spit at him! But now they were gone, and it was just her, shaking on the sidewalk, trying to come up with a real zinger to end the conversation.

“Cosmo…it…it doesn’t have to be…” Ibuki could be good with words; there was a reason he had made it so far along in the Shishigumi. He had a talent for knowing when to apply diplomacy and how to do it, and when that failed, when to throw Free and Sabu at the unreasonable. But it tended to crack apart a bit when Cosmo hit him with too many feelings at once. He reached out to her again, clearly hesitant to touch her after the last time.

“You fucking asshole,” she said, letting go of her suitcase to punch him ineffectively in the chest. “You dick!” She hit him again. Her throat was catching and the searing burn was back in her eyes, so she wouldn’t look up at him anymore. “You fucking did this to me and I—I’m not going to wait around! I’m not going to let you do this to me! It wasn’t supposed to be this way!” That was a lie, though. Cosmo had known from the very beginning this was going to implode. She had known the first time she kissed him that she would fall in love with him, and that was why she had tried to long not to do it. Once she did it, she was giving into this, and now she’d finally come around to reap what she’d sown. There was nothing surprising here at all.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, crouching so that he was the one looking up at her, the end of his tail resting just beside his right foot. “Cosmo, I—I never meant to hurt you. You know that, right?”

“It doesn’t matter what you meant to do!” she cried, and a single infuriating tear slid down her cheek. “You still did it!” She collapsed down onto her suitcase and covered her face with her hands, her ears down. “You made me fall in love with a fucking gangster and I can’t do this again. So I have to leave! I can’t wait for you to leave. It has to be me.”

“I won’t leave you.” Ibuki’s husky reply came only after a few moments of quiet, and Cosmo snuffling trying to get her breathing steady. In response, she glared at him through glassy eyes. One hand rested on the cracked concrete, and he was leaning in towards her, but he didn’t touch her.

“Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up. You can’t say that. It’s not true. You will.”

“I won’t.”

“Shut up!”

“I won’t leave you, Cosmo,” he whispered, somehow managing to make it sound as if they were alone, ensconced in privacy, rather than sitting on a very public sidewalk in a dingy side street of the Black Market. “I couldn’t, even if I should.”

If you tell me you love me, I’ll kill you myself, she thought. She’d heard that song and dance before.

“You were right before, about how selfish we are,” he said. “Even if it’s better for you, and better for me, and better for the Shishigumi if I let you go, I can’t. I can’t.” There were things he was saying with that one word, more things than Cosmo cared to pick apart and contemplate at that moment. She had managed to get her breathing back under control for the most part, and when she met his eyes with hers, they weren’t watering anymore. “Please don’t leave. Don’t do this.”

He had her in a dangerous place. The fucking prick had worn her down; he knew, he had to know, how weak she was for the low resonance of his voice, and the gentle, but deep pleading in his cinnamon-brown eyes. It was so tempting, it was so tempting to believe him, because she wanted to believe him; to believe that he was genuine, to believe that he was telling the truth from the bottom of his heart, that she could trust him.

But Cosmo had always been shit at knowing who to trust, so the answer she came out to was a simple formula: no one. If she trusted no one, she couldn’t fuck up by trusting the wrong person.

“Please stay. I’ll do…whatever you want me to do. Whatever I have to do to make you change your mind.” He was so close she could smell his damned perfume and it was too easy to think of the many times she’d gotten off a long shift and buried her face in his mane, with one of his thick arms curled around her, and the slow beat of his big heart against her ribs.

“I’m fucked,” Cosmo lamented, lowering her head and pressing the heels of her hands against the whorls of fur between her ears where she’d have horns, if she were a male. “You fucking asshole, you’ve fucked me. I’m such an idiot.” Because it was too late, wasn’t it? It was too late. Leaving now wouldn’t spare her any heartbreak, it would only give her control over when to pull the pin. “A fucking Shishigumi’s fucked me!”

Ibuki touched her knee, tentative and experimental, and when she did not shake him off, he reached for her chin, to tip her face up where he could see her.

“I did warn you how selfish I am,” he said softly, and then leaned in to nuzzle his face into the crook of her neck. It didn’t matter that she stayed in tears and tatters—she was staying. And he was right—she had known what kind of animal he was from the start.

Despite all, there was a kind of tension that untwisted in Cosmo’s chest with the warmth of Ibuki’s nearness. That stupid, traitorous part of her that had stopped her progress towards the airport; the part that had got her crying in the first place.

A long, long sigh trailed from Cosmo’s lips, and she leaned her forehead against his shoulder.

“I really hate you,” she said.

“That’s fair.”

“My apartment is a mess because of you.”

“Your apartment was already a mess,” he said. Cosmo huffed through her nose and angled her ears back.

“Fucking cats. It was fine. Now it looks like there was a cyclone in there.”

“If I help you clean it up, will you stop being angry about something I haven’t done yet?” he asked. Cosmo weighed her options. She pondered. She thought about the inevitable future.

“Yeah, fine.”

#beastars #ibuki #cosmo #ibuki beastars #cosmo beastars #cosbuki #cosmo x ibuki #fanfiction #beastars fanfiction #rocky writes #my persuasive memo stares me down as I work on this instead

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angry-trashcan · 3 years

Text

Under These Waves

Chapter One

3.5K WC

TW:Blood

“I’ve told you once and I’ll tell you again Mr. Hagard, I cannot have you in here drinking until you don’t know a seagull from a rat’s ass. You need to leave. Your wife won’t be having it.” You stood in front of the man’s table, collecting a few of the empty meed mugs from his possession. “Now run along before I fetch the tab from last week too.”

“You won’t be doing shit, fetch one of the men from the back if you really want me gone. Nothing a tavern whore like you can do to me anyhow. Get me another drink.” You froze in your tracks at his words.

This was the third night this week he had come into the tavern. He was on his countless beer and couldn’t stand up straight, let alone get himself home.

The music was loud in the tavern, plenty of people chattering and dancing around. The thick scent of leather and sweat filled the room. Your waist pouch dangled under your thick skirt, making the room’s air feel even heavier than it already did. You sighed at the man, looking around the tavern.

“Mr. Hagard, I need you to leave. Now.” You made your way to the other side of the table where he was seated. “We can either do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“I already told you woman; I am not leaving this damn tavern! What part of that do you not understand!” He shouted, rising from his seat and coming to meet his gaze with yours.

“I suggest you retake your seat or leave, Mr. Hagard.” You stated ever calmly, shifting your weight so you were at eye level with the taller man.

“Or what, tavern whore?”

A glimmer of light reflected off the small dagger that you had pressed against the man’s neck as you placed more pressure onto it, “Would you like to turn that precious little wife of yours into a widow, Mr. Hagard?”

The man snarled, backing away. “I’ll be telling your father about this, y/n!”

You rolled your eyes at the threat, “What’s the worst he can do? I’ve already been promised.”

---

The sounds of the tavern were falling distant behind you as you walked, The night was hot, the breeze of the nearby ocean being the only thing keeping you slightly cool as you made your way home. Your nightly pay jingled lightly in your skirt pouch with every step. Your mind wandered as you walked, thinking about how your father had already set up your wedding date to the man from the Land of Wind. Far from the ocean you had grown up near. The date of your departure was approaching rapidly, only a few days’ time now. You knew that the man had money, plenty of it, you would live a comfortable life for the rest of your days. Bearing many children for the man to have as heirs until one day your time came. Though you had seen it time and time again, the woman is sold off to the highest bidder with no regard to her feelings on the matter and then she is shipped away to be a breeder for them.

Before you knew it you had made it home. Your thoughts were still floating about while you made your way inside the home.

“Y/n, could you come in here please?” You snapped out of the daze to walk into the main room to where your father was sitting.

“Yes, father?” You questioned, taking off your work apron and hanging it on a nearby hook.

“Mr. Hagard came by earlier, said you called him a rat’s ass and shoved a dagger in his throat?”

You fell silent for a moment, “Well, that is not exactly how I recall that encounter but-“

“You do understand that you are to be married soon. You cannot be running around playing pirate whore every chance you get. Where is this dagger?” He stood and extended his hand to you, waiting for the weapon.

“It’s mothers. Please, allow me to keep it. I will not use it in such a fashion again. I promise you this, father.” You bowed slightly to your father, to which he did not respond.

“I asked where it was, y/n. I will not be kept waiting.”

You did not rise to meet his gaze, instead just quietly answered his question, “my apron, father.”

He made his way to the wall where the apron hung and removed the small weapon.

“You and your mother both. Always trying to run to that damn sea, playing pirate. You know what pirates even do to women like you? They feed ‘em to the damn sharks.” He kept mumbling about pirates as he closed the door to his quarters behind him. You rose, wiping the few tears that had fallen from your face.

Rather fed to sharks than to an unloving husband.

---

You took the small candle and slowly opened the door to your father’s quarters. His fire had long burned out, only leaving a smoldering ember in the fire place to assist the candle in shimmering off of her mother’s dagger. He had left it lying on his desk in the open, almost asking for you to take it.

As you closed the door behind you, you heard him speak, “You really are her daughter.”

The light in the main room in front of the large mirror wasn’t much better. Holding your hair in one hand, you took the dagger in the other.

You thought back to his words, ‘they feed feed ‘em to the damn sharks.’

In one swift motion, you cut the hair you had been growing for years. The hair your father said your husband would want you to have. Without much time for thoughts or over consideration on the matter, you left the pile of hair on the ground. You picked up the bag of your father’s clothes that you had gathered, having already changed into a dark set. Tucking the remaining few stray hairs under your cap, you made your way to the door. You opened it, and for just a moment, stopped. You looked inside at the home your mother raised you in. You thought of your father, who was now being left by his daughter as well. You thought about staying. And then, you remembered the man from the Land of Wind. You remembered Mr. Hagard. And you remembered the sea.

You closed the door and made your way to the docks.

You hadn’t really thought this part out. Getting out of the house was the easy part. Getting on a ship seemed easy enough, though it was proving extremely difficult.

The docks were bustling with life, even in the middle of the night. Men yelling, carrying barrels around, drinking, hauling cargo onto ships and much more. You ducked down behind a large barrel, trying to think of a game plan. You noticed a group of three.

“I’m telling you! He couldn’t have gotten far from here! I’ll bet he isn’t even out of the bay yet! If we hurry we can-“

“Naruto, I’m telling you, there is no way to track him now. If he was on land sure, but he isn’t. He grabbed the first ship he saw and left. We have witnesses saying they saw a man with red eyes and the Uchiha crest board a ship that set sail an hour ago.”

“I understand that, Kakashi Sensei, but if we-“

“Oh stop it, Naruto. You are drawing more attention to us than is needed.” A pink hair woman in a large brim hat hit the back of his head.

“Sakura, aren’t you the reason we shouldn’t be drawing attention to us? You’re the woman here.” The blonde loud mouth spat back, rubbing his head where she hit him.

“You’re a little old school, aren’t you?”

The two continued to bicker while the third, who seemed older than the other two, seemed to ignore them. He motioned a random man over, to whom he talked to quietly for a moment before reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small silver plaque that held the Leaf Village emblem engraved into it.

“Are they ninja?” You whispered to yourself.

“They sure are, which means we really need to get out of here. Come on.” You almost screamed at the response from the random person behind you. You turned to see a man with white hair turning away from you. Glancing back at the three ninja, you noticed that the pink haired one was looking your way. You quickly grabbed your bag and hurried behind the mystery man.

The man motioned towards a large ship with black, red and white sails. Many men were hurriedly throwing things on deck and running onto the loading area.

“This your ship?”

“Yeah, yeah!” You forced your second yeah to come out deeper.

The man gave you a slight side glance but didn’t seem to pay much mind to it.

“Well hurry on board. She sets sail in three minutes.”

You gripped the bag tighter before throwing it over your shoulder. You thought about the pink haired ninja you saw. She’s a sailor, she hasn’t been thrown overboard yet. You should be just fine, you thought.

You walked up the large wooden ramp to the deck of the ship. Once you made it to the top you stepped down, looking around to the dozens of men who worked around you. Barrels rolled, ropes flew, crates were being traded from person to person.

You felt a large hand on your shoulder, “You gonna get to work son or am I gonna have to throw you off her before we even set her off to sea?” You looked up at the cause of the voice. A large man with an even larger hat stood next to you.

“Ay-aye captain.” You fumbled, falling into the assembly line of crates.

---

The familiar rocking of the ship came to a sudden halt. You slowly sat up in your hammock. The barracks under the deck were empty except for you, opting to slip away during the weekly round-up.

You had boarded the ship nearly seven months ago now. Keeping your cover as a new deck hand. It was back breaking work. Scrubbing the deck, manning the anchor, the sails, and anything else no one else wanted to do. She had only docked three times for supplies, and wasn’t planning to dock for another month. Which was why the sudden halt in the movement of the ship was unusual. Not even a single wave could be felt hitting against the side of the hull.

You slipped on your boots, being sure your growing hair was tucked back away under your cap securely before making your way to the hatch.

Stepping up the ladder you lifted the hatch above you just enough to pear out. It was dark out, but the lit lanterns illuminated the scene enough. Another crew had boarded your ship.

You watched as they placed a board between the two ships, allowing a few more people to board your own. The last of which being a man with long dark hair.

Your crew remained silent, lined up in front of the man. The crew of the other ship stood guard, watching along with you as the scene unfolded.

The man broke the silence, “Do any of you know who I am?”

Your crew remained silent, lone for one.

“You-you’re Sasuke of the Uchiha clan, aren’t you?!”

“Yes, I am Sasuke Uchiha. And those of you who don’t know me, be glad that you don’t. I do not plan on killing any of you, if you cooperate that is. Now, tell me where your captain’s quarter’s is.” A few men pointed the opposite direction from where you were, towards the set of double doors that lead into the captain’s private room. Sasuke nodded, turning that way. “You can come out, we won’t hurt you.” He stated, almost casually.

For a moment, you thought he was talking to the captain, until the door above you swung open. You fell back down the ladder, landing on your backside with a loud thud. You couldn’t make out any sounds of protest as two crew members picked you up and carried you outside. They dropped you down on the deck in line with the rest of your crew. Only then did you see the true extent of your situation. No waves crashed around your ship, nor the one the intruders came from. In fact, you couldn’t see the sea at all from your seat on the floor of the deck.

“Wha-whats going on?” You stuttered to whoever would listen.

“Some kind of high level ninjutstu. These pirates are all ninja. The ship… well, she’s floating on some kind of still water high above the sea below.” The captive man next to you panted out, clearly in disbelief at the situation as well.

“You be quiet ye hear? Before you’re shark food.” One of the nin bumped the back of a man next to you, causing him to fall silent and stare down.

The doors to the captain’s quarters opened as the darked haired man walked out. “Pathetic.” He mumbled as he threw a familiar hat to the ground, now stained in a red que. The captains hat. Your eyes widened. “Gentleman, today is your lucky day.” Sasuke began, retaking his place in front of the crew. Two of his nin emerged from the room, holding the captain’s now lifeless body, dragging it across the deck, leaving a trail of blood in it’s wake. “Today, you are now part of the most vicious fleet on the seas, known as The Taka. I, Sasuke Uchiha will be the new captain of this fine vessel. Fear not, for I have great plans. If anyone dares to cross our path with a hope to take us down, we will crush them. If anyone has any concerns regarding my leadership,” the two nin threw the captain’s body over the side of the ship, allowing it to fall the hundreds of feet into the water below, “well, you see how your dear ol’ captain turned out. Any questions?” It was silent for only a moment.

“Wh- why us?” You spoke up, not allowing your gaze to come off of the ground.

“Ah, good question. You see, I’ve been eyeing this ship for I’d say, about seven months. She’s a sturdy ship, I wouldn’t say it has anything to do with the crew. None of you are ninja. You’re all just warm bodies to me, nothing more, nothing less.” Sasuke responded, making his way over to you. He looked down at you, “You don’t seem to have manners, not looking your captain in the eye when he talks to you.” He bent down, grabbing your chin, pulling your head to look him in the eye. His eyes twisted into a bright red color, glowing against the dark night sky. “See, now that’s better.” He let go, standing up and turning his back to you, walking over to a handful of ninjas from his original ship.

Your head felt like it was spinning. Where have you heard the name Uchiha before? And red eyes? You looked up at his back, a large red and white emblem was embroidered across it. “We have witnesses saying they saw a man with red eyes and the Uchiha crest board a ship that set sail an hour ago.” Those three ninjas from the docks, they were looking for him?

“Men, we will be lowering her down and setting sail in five minutes, prepare the ship as if you were setting her off from dock.” A random ninja called out, prompting a varying degree of movement from the crew members.

The other ship fell from the sky first, free falling the hundreds of feet into the ocean below. When it did so, all of the crew members, including yourself, stared down the new captain with wide eyes as he stood at the helm. As the water began to break from its holding formation, the captain had only one thing to say.

“Welcome aboard the new Mangekyo, sailors.”

---

You looked at the man wide eyed. “No, you don’t understand.”

“Oh, I think I understand perfectly.” He grabbed you by the arm, dragging you up the ladder out of the barracks as you kicked and screamed.

“Let me go! You don’t understand!” Your free hand tore at the man’s grip to no avail. He drug you to the middle of the deck, causing many of the crew to gather around to see what the problem was.

“It seems like we have a problem, men! There was a pretty little lady here with us!” He pulled you up by your arm, allowing the shirt that you had half on to fall more, revealing more of your chest. You struggled again, pulling your shirt up to the best of your ability with your free arm. The gathered crowd started to yell incoherently, you looked around aggressively. This is it; they are going to feed me to the sharks. You thought back to your father’s words, panic pouring into your brain. The dagger, where’s the dagger? You pulled it out of your pant leg and attempted to swing it at the man’s hand, cutting his arm minimally.

“Dammit woman! I’ll bet you being on board is the reason the captain got killed too!” He released your arm for only a moment to grab your hair, grabbing the dagger out of your hand and putting it up to your throat. “You’re gonna be fish food when we’re done with you.”

“What is going on here?” The crowd fell silent and parted as the Uchiha’s heavy boots stepped through.

“There was a woman hiding aboard, captain! You know the laws of the seas! She has to be thrown off! I’d bet she’s the reason-“ The sailor got cut short.

“The reason what, mate? Hook catch your tongue?” Sasuke stepped towards you and your captor, “Could you think she’s the reason I took hold of this ship? Because I can promise you, it has nothing to do with a woman being on board.”

The man pulled on your hair tighter, pushing the dagger closer to your neck. “Either way, captain, she has to go overboard. She cannot stay here.”

Sasuke let out a slight tsk, “Why are you here?”

You realized his question was aimed at you. Why were you here? It all seemed so trivial now. You could be in a warm bed in a large fancy house right now. You could have all the food you could ever want, a husband, land, wealth, anything you wanted. And yet, this is where you were. Aboard a ship in the middle of lord knows where, a dagger to your neck, fighting for your life. Why wereyou here? Freedom.

“I was the captain’s daughter, sir. He brought me on board.” The words came out slow yet all at once due to the cold metal at your throat. A few gasps could be heard throughout the crowd.

“Release her.” Sasuke stated, not taking his eyes off of you. When the man did not, he repeated, “I said, release her.”

Upon his second order the man complied, throwing you to the ground with a loud thud. Your stolen weapon clanked against the wood next to you.

“What is your name?” Sasuke asked.

“Y/n.”

“Come with me. The rest of you, get back to your duties.” Sasuke turned back the way he came, making way in the crowd for you to follow. You rose from the deck, knees and arms bloodied from the force of you being thrown. You collected your dagger and stored it away where you pulled it from before following him. He led you to is quarters where you closed the door gently behind you.

“If what you say is true, then you will remain on board. I will be sure the crew brings you no harm.” He stated, taking a seat at a large desk at the far center of the room.

“You- you don’t believe me to be bad luck to have on board the ship?”

He tsked again, you were coming to find this as a habit of his. “No, that is rather old fashioned of the sailors to believe.” He looked down at his desk where a large map was laid out. “I do have a stipulation for you staying on board.”

You looked up at the man, who’s gaze had not left the map.

“And what is that, captain?”

“Tomorrow we will be docking. I wish for you to go find someone for me in the town. He goes by the name Suigetsu. He will not be an easy man to locate. If you don’t find him and bring him to the ship by dusk, I will set sail without you.” His gaze finally left the map, looking up at you. “And if you return to the ship without him in tow,” his eyes swirled into the dreaded red coloration. “Then I’m afraid that you’ll end up just like your dear old father.”

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strongsassysexysloane · 4 years

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Long Stretch of Love - Chapter 1

A/N: - Well hello again. Here’s a little something I’ve been working on for quite a few months now.

This story is about a young woman starting a new chapter in her life, opening up a small business and finding love along the way. After all love happens when you are least expecting it.

Sometimes you dreamed, dreamed of what it would be like and what you would do but never did you actually think it would come real. There was never a cost when you dreamed, it was just there, in front of you and you'd look around and it would be just as you had envisioned it so many times before. Reality is much crueller.

Now stepping into the little shop so early in the morning that the sun hasn't even decided to rise yet, you couldn't help but smile. Smile at the peeling paint, the dust covering every surface and the possibility of what it could be. The smile grew as you looked around the spar shop floor and just like you'd done in your dreams you saw the décor come to life as the lights flickered on at your touch and the rattle of your truck outside as your brother pulled in pulled you back to now. That definitely had to wake the neighbours.

The cost wasn't lost on you though, you could never have afforded this on your own, no, you wiped a tear that slid down your cheek as your eyes connected to the one framed picture left on the wall. This feeling was a mix of so many, sad for what had lead you to this point but over joyed to be standing right in this spot with the possibilities laid out before you. That was pretty much how your life had been lived up til now, you lived, moved and once the hardships were done you looked back on them with fondness as it turned you into the person you are right now.

“Thanks mum." You whispered, as the light over the counter flickered and blew out right where the photo of you and her was sitting on the wall. A smirk curved your lips again, you didn't really believe in ghosts or spirits but lately little things had been happening, ever since the funeral a few months ago. The thing was before your mother passed you hadn’t lost anyone you loved or hated so there was no one to haunt you until now. The thought made you laugh a little. If your mother was haunting you, you really were in deep shit.

"Move it sis, you gonna help me haul your crap in or not?" Your brother bumped your shoulder as he walked into the room, he definitely had enough room to go around you. You watched as he not so carefully dropped it in the middle of the shop floor and turned to face you, brushing his hands as he looked you over. His facial expression softened at the site of your red eyes, you hastily wiped away a tear again as he stepped towards you but you shooed him off and moved away. If you hugged him one more time it would be more than you’d hugged anyone in a life time, that or you would completely break down again and you weren’t prepared to do that today. You needed to get through one day without completely losing it. That reminded you, you needed to make sure your punching bag was set up today, you hadn’t seen it loading up the truck this morning so you made a mental note to make sure it was on the next load.

You shook your head to clear your thoughts and were brought back to the case at hand. "That's my books and paperwork.” It was clearly labelled so he had definitely known what it was holding and still brought it inside. “It goes upstairs, not in here, I have a lot to do in here before I can bring my office down here." His expression changed immediately, now it was more of a 'get stuffed, you move it.' but you just rolled your eyes and walked out. Just as you stepped outside you turned and -, "There's stairs outside around back and remember there's a bottle of whiskey in this for you." That was his payment because family never did anything for free these days. To be fair there was a lot of crap.

"Better be top shelf or I'm accidentally dropping half of your boxes." There was a deep sigh followed by a grunt before he walked back out and around the corner to find the mysterious staircase that he’d forgotten he’d walked up not the night before.

"Break anything and I'll make good on my threat of no freebies on anything I make, ever.” You yelled and then added for good measure, “Not even mum's special triple fudge cookies." You grin and you know for sure he’s mumbled something unlovingly brotherly. The one thing you wished that this place had was an access from the apartment to the shop inside but that's probably why your mum picked it. She always liked keeping work life and home life separate, that’s probably why she lived such a fulfilling and long life.

Not one of your family knew your mum had bought this place. You hadn’t seen it until the Will was read and you were handed the keys a few weeks ago. When people heard they all seemed to say the same thing. ‘That sounds like your mum.’ And it was true, she always did everything she could for her kids. You wished you got to thank her for this one but you had a feeling your happiness would be all the thanks she needed and to see you succeed in something you loved.

The sun started to rise but the brisk air didn't chill you to the bone it kept you fresh and moving with all the things you unpacked. When people say you don't know how much crap you have until you move house, they arent lying. It had been years since you moved fully, somehow well your mum mostly, to keep every little thing since a child and had to move it with you, much to your brother's dismay. Truth be told you’d been traveling a lot over the past year and a half, never spending more than six months in one place with only your backpack full of everything you needed. Going from job to job was thrilling for you, not knowing where you were going next or who you would meet. That all changed with the passing of your mother, it wasn’t unexpected but it did happen quick so much so that you wanted to be closer to family and to make your long-lost dream a reality instead of just wandering through life.

With the sun rising brought along with it your brother’s patience. He had grouched for the thousandth time this morning and you just laughed when the grouching stopped as soon as you held out a tin of cookies. You had these as back up because you knew it was going to be an early morning and a long one. He shut up for the next half hour after that, nothing much was said between you as you both worked. You were on your third round, unloading boxes and resting in between when someone caught your eye, it was the first person you’d seen this morning who wasn’t in a car on their way to their nine to five job in DC.

You'd just run back downstairs from hauling one of the heaviest boxes you think you packed and now enjoying a rest against the side of the truck with a long swig of coffee when a woman came around the corner, slowing to a walk from what looked like her morning run. You watched as she sucked in a few deeps breaths and checked her watch. You were unsure why exactly you stopped and stared at her but one thing was for sure she was the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen. Her blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, cheeks flushed, black sports bra revealing her toned abdomen covered in a light grey unzipped sweater. Her full-length black tights left nothing to imagination. She must work out a lot you pondered and smiled at the thought of this as her usual morning route.

You quickly averted your eyes when she looked up at you, turning you pushed yourself off the truck and climbed up onto the tray to grab another box. Your ears pricked at the sound of footsteps coming closer as you tried your best to find a light box and not look like a fool. The fact that you cared what this stranger thought of you had you on the back foot. You hadn’t cared what anyone thought of you for years.

There was a soft cough from behind you, she probably did that so you wouldn't get a fright even though you felt your heart beat faster. "Morning." She all but sung. You turned to see her stop at the side of your truck, resting her elbows on the lip of the tray, peering inside. You carefully bent over and the lightest box you could for some reason holding the box made you a little less nervous but she continued when you didn’t reply. "Moving in?"

An outstanding observation from the amount of boxes still in the tray and others piled close to the door of the shop but you nodded instead of responding with a sarcastic quip as you didn't know the woman and if you was a local you didn’t want to piss her off right away . She was still staring at you waiting for a response when you shook your head slightly before answering, "Morning...” You stammered, get a grip woman. “Yeah, apartment above." You felt like a complete idiot and added a small smile at the end to not look like a complete weirdo. It was probably too late for that though.

You saw humour in her eyes, probably from how stupid you sounded but she was distracted by easily by her curiosity to get to know the new person in the area. "Renting or did you buy the place?" She seemed genuinely curious, looking back at the shop with a small smile. She continued before you could get a word in, words were very hard to come by right now. You were thankful your brother wasn't here to see you stumble at a simple conversation. "Always liked the owners here before. Had a nice little flowers shop that I'd often buy a bunch or two off to make my place a little livelier except I’m hardly around much to keep them alive for more than a few days." She looked back up at you, her smile fond from reliving the memory but it quickly turned to a frustrated bend in her brow at the thought of killing so many flowers. You wanted to laugh but held it in, she intrigued you more and more with every word she spoke.

You shifted the box in your hands before placing it on the side of the tray, it wasn't heavy but you didn't want to risk the jump down and tripping in front of her. The woman must've guessed what you were doing and moved to the side more but not before she offered her hand to help you down. You wanted to ask if she was sure but the look she gave you answered that question.

Did she know what you were thinking? Usually, it was you who could read people so easily but you were having a hard time deciphering her.

"Thanks, but I can manage." You put a bit too much confidence in your tone and hoped you could make this jump with the exact same confidence. She stepped back and watched you jump and to no one’s surprise you tripped over your feet but you were steadied by warm hands at your waist, they were gone before you turned around. It was possible you imagined them but if you had you definitely would’ve fallen over.

She ignored your flushed cheeks and you thanked her for it with a small smile. "Probably shouldn't jump like that too many times, your knees will ache - at the end of the day and you didn't answer my question." Her words got muddled together. You smoothed your hands down your sides, the heat from where she'd held you was still there.

You normally would've been a bit taken back by how nosey a person was but the way she said it, like she genuinely cared, made you second guess your response. Just as you were about to respond your brother came around the corner and jumped into the truck. "Don't bother, I've tried telling her that for the past five hours." Without a second glance your way he shifted a few boxes around the truck.

"Whiskey isn't going to buy itself, Joshua." You scolded, glaring at his back.

"Oh it's Joshua now? I don't see sissy or daddy dearest helpin' ya kiddo." You wanted to punch him for the pet name which you usually didn’t mind being called but right now it seemed to bother you most. There was only five years between you. He shifted a rather big box towards the back of the truck before hopping down in a safer manner than he'd been doing all morning. Clearly doing it for present company and to prove a stupid point.

The woman smirked at your banter but you saw her eyes light up at the mention of Whiskey. "If whiskey is what you get for helping, count me in."

You both raised your eyes at the woman. She was very forward but you liked her even though you had hardly met her. Hell, you didn’t even know her name yet. "Bought. Mum bought it for me before she passed." You answered her earlier question. The brightness and spark in her eyes instantly darkened however instead of pity, something you'd both gotten far too much over the past few months, you saw compassion and heart ache from someone who knew the kind of pain you’d felt.

"That's an incredible gift." Was all she said. She took a look back at the shop before adding. "I should probably finish my run." Although the way she said it made it seem it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"What happened to that hand you just offered? You ain't intruding, you'd probably be more help than this one. I seem-" You turned to glare at him again which cut him off instantly this time.

He took the large box and walked into the shop, you tracked his movements and when you couldn't see him anymore, you turned your attention back to the beautiful blonde in front of you. "My names Y/n by the way.”

"Sloane, Jacqueline Sloane but please call me Jack." She held out her hand and you took it. She had a firm but gentle hold, her fingers smooth against your skin but you could feel small calluses on her palm. She must like to do a bit of handy work or weights, now that had your mind spinning. What was wrong with you today?

You dropped her hand after a few seconds too long and cleared your throat. "If you can put up with our banter it would be a great help but don't feel like you have to. It was incredibly kind of you to offer help to a complete stranger." Confusion set in your brow, why would someone offer such help to a stranger? You hadn't seen such kindness in a person for a long time. The only person who would do something like that that you know, or knew was your mother. The thought of her softened your expression.

Jack was about to answer with what you guessed was a yes to her offer because she just seemed like that overly caring and helpful person but her cell cut it off. "Sorry, I need to take this." She stepped away as she answered.

"You gonna stare at the stranger or help me move your crap into your building." His emphasis on crap only made you want to hit him harder but instead you picked up the box you were previously holding and followed the shithead inside. "Also feel free to carry the heavier items, save me the chiropractor bill."

You didn’t give him a smart quip back, you were still stuck on your building. You hadn’t owned anything more than a second hand car before and now owning a building was just completely mind blowing to you. The thought of that may never sink in completely so you continued hauling you stuff inside.

You placed another box just inside the door as you heard Jack finish her call. You were about to say something rude and mean to your brother but her presence stopped you.

Jack slid her phone back into her pocket of her tights and smiled at you. "Sorry, work calls."

"Saved by the bell." You smiled even though you knew it meant the end of this meeting.

She swayed like she was weighing up the options. "Not really, I would prefer helping you." Now her eyes matched the beautiful smile, they shone with something you couldn't quite explain. Who would prefer moving someone else’s things rather than work? Clearly her job wasn't as interesting as she seemed to be. "I'll see you around, then?"

Again, you realized you'd been staring for a little too long rather than being a normal human and replying to her. "I'll be here. This your normal run?"

"Sure is, every morning the sun rises and I don't have to work too late the night before or have too many beers." The last added comment made you smirk. “It’s either running or going a few rounds on the punching bag.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. You had a feeling people judged the punching bag answer by the way she shied away from it, just like when men heard you say it and instantly took a step back.

However, you keep a note in the back of your mind to figure out what beer she liked, but first you probably should get to know her a bit more. "Hope work isn't too bad."

Jack laughed, like what you said was unlikely before started jogging down the pavement. You watched for a bit too long as your brother just stared at you from the front door. You shot him a glare when you saw his smirk and pushed past him with the next box. He didn’t say a word.

The next few hours were spent doing the same thing, driving back and forth between your old apartment that you’d only been renting for two months and the new place. Plus a few runs to your parent's place to pick up somethings your father had put into boxes from the kitchen. Things he swore he'd never use because it was all your mothers and you were the only cook in the family now. The kitchen was very much your mother’s domain, a place you remember fondly growing up, watching her dance around the kitchen making delicious sweets, pastries and rich scrumptious dinners. Yelling your brother and father to stop eating all the ingredients before she even made the goodies and politely telling your older sister to leave the kitchen while she was in the middle of cooking. One rule when your mother was in the kitchen was that no one else was allowed but you seemed to be the only one who took that rule seriously. When you grew up a bit and started cooking by yourself, you understood why.

Your brother bailed midafternoon claiming a sore back and he needed a nap. It was Saturday after all and you knew that meant a few beers and watching some kind of sport. Another reason your brain flicked back to Jack this morning, who worked on a Saturday or got called into work on a Saturday? She didn’t look like a person who worked in Retail or Hospitality for that matter. Josh guessed she was a doctor or something. He only guessed that because you pondered it out loud by accident a short while after she left. To your surprise he hardly teased you about her at all which had your suspicions high for the rest of the day.

Whomever she was and whatever she did, she had clearly struck something in you because when you heard a cough at the front door the next morning you smiled widely at who it was. "G'morning."

"More moving today?" She skipped the normal ‘good morning’ which made you smile and stepped in when she knew you didn't mind as you didn't move from your spot on the floor sorting through one of the boxes of pictures. She looked around as you picked out the frames you wanted. This would've been a box you normally would keep in your home but as your mum bought this shop for you, you figured some photos should be hung up around to show who this place was for.

You placed the last frame on the floor and hopped up, grabbing your coffee from the counter. "Later. Josh complained he needed a sleep in after yesterday so we are starting at 0900." Jack's eyes lit up and snapped back to you at the use of military time. Without explaining you questioned, "Father was in the Core, you?"

"Me. Army." She walked along the counter that ran almost the length of the shop and stopped right in front of you.

Something in her eyes, made you not ask anything more about her Army days. "Guess you didn't work too late last night then." Her brows drew in, in confusion and then it clicked, you saw the light bulb flash in her eyes.

"No, team got a case, I helped as best I could but ended up leaving early afternoon."

"Cop?" Now this made even more sense and also clicked together why she would help a complete stranger.

"Special Agent and Forensic Phycologist, actually. You got more of that coffee or do I have to help unpack to get some?" Her eyes on your cup as you drew it close to your lips again with a smirk.

You gulped down, you watched her eyes track it and then shoot to your eyes again. Did the room just get a little warmer? "Impressive. Explains a lot." Your eyes shot open as your lips let slip what you were thinking rather than keeping it in your head but it made Jack smile which was worth it. "How do you like your coffee?" You place your cup down and put some space between you by walking around the counter to pour her a cup.

"Sugar with a hint of coffee, don't judge."

You snort with her quick add-on of judging as you pour what's left of your premade pot and froth up from milk. "Isn't that your job?" You shoot back, your back turned so you miss her roll of the eyes.

"No, I read minds, actually." She sassed you back which only made you like her more. You’d only been talking to her for a total of ten minutes including yesterday’s greeting and you felt far too comfortable around her.

Taking the pot of sugar beside your coffee machine and the cup of coffee, you place both on the counter in front of her and grab a teaspoon before handing it to her as you would a knife. She quirks up a brow but takes the spoon. "Don't like putting in the sugar?"

"It's a delicate balance of too much or too little so I'll let you taint your coffee as much as you desire." You try to hide the horror on your face as she pours way too much sugar into such a good dip of coffee. But the hum you hear as the brew hits her lips distracts you completely. Something bubbles inside you and you push it away, distracting yourself with another box of memories

"Thanks." She breathed behind you as she stepped closer, looking over your shoulder to see what you were looking at. It was another box of photographs. "I can lea-" Sensing your mood change as you picked up an old photo.

"Haven't ordered the takeaway cups yet." You answer but your mind is back in a memory of the photo you are holding. "And that's my favourite cup." You add.

At your words Jack looks at her cup. She didn't take note of it before, too preoccupied on getting some much-needed bean juice after her extra-long run this morning. She'd actually woken up earlier than anticipated and added an extra block to make sure she got to the shop at the same time she did the morning before and didn’t want to put too much thought into why she wanted to so much. She smirked at the Harry Potter quip "Don't let the muggles get you down." She read aloud.

"You aren't a muggle are you?" Still not looking up from the photo in your hand.

"No Harry, I'm a wizard." You laughed and the sound of her laughter brought you out of your memory.

You placed the frame on the counter, it was of you and your mother in the kitchen of your first house. You were sitting on the counter, giggling because you weren't allowed up there when she was in the kitchen but she was laughing as well. "Don't remember this but-" Your words were lost as a tear rolled down your cheek, you quickly wiped it away before Jack saw. If she did, she didn't say anything.

She smiled at the photo. "But looking at this photo feels like you do." She finished your thought and you nodded slowly.

You'd never let a stranger this close into your bubble but she just seemed to fit and felt less strange than even your closest family. Then it clicked, this was her job, she was trained to get people to open up to get into their heads but there was a big part of you that knew this was different.

The minutes passed by as you went through more of the photos and shared the memories with Jack. She listened and added to the conversation when it was needed but you mostly did the talking. All too soon her coffee ran out and neither of you could think of an excuse for her to stay.

"Thanks for letting me unload on you. Probably weird from someone you hardly know." You shifted awkwardly, not looking her in the eyes.

Jack shrugged. "Not in my profession, I always like to hear fond stories, memories, usually all I get in my job is horrible ones." She placed the cup down on the counter beside yours. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" If you didn't know any better and you hoped you didn't, you could've sworn there was a rise in the second half of the question. She wanted to see you tomorrow.

You looked up at her then, folding a box into the corner with the rest. "I've got a few meetings over town tomorrow to start sorting out the shop. So.."

"- a sleep in is definitely needed before that." She picked up where you were going and hid her disappointment with a smile, stepping towards the door. "You'll be exhausted after the weekend moving."

"Hadn't slept so well in months until last night." You didn't add on that you dreamt about your meeting yesterday, she'd read too much into it and probably think you were creepy. "I'll see you around, Sloane." You smile as you watch her walk out.

Her smile falters for a moment, you don't see it because she’s almost out the door but Jack picks up her smile again and turns to you as she exits. Ignoring the feeling in her gut after you said her last name with a low gravel in your tone. "You still haven't mentioned what you're doing with the shop." Although by the reference to cups and the larger coffee machine behind the counter it would take an idiot to not know what you had planned for this place. She was just grabbing at straws to extend the conversation that little bit longer.

"Coffee shop.” You smile at her before walking around the counter and add, “with the sweets that will even have your sugar levels satisfied." You look up to see a beaming Jack in your door highlighted by the morning sun.

She laughs, "I look forward to it.", and she was gone before you could add in me too, although you were pretty sure she could work that one out on her own.

-------------- How’d I do? This one has been stewing for so long and I enjoy the idea so much so I hope I can pull it off. I’m hoping to update this story every few weeks so don’t rush me >.<

#jack sloane x reader #jack sloane #ncis x reader #fem!reader #Long Stretch of love

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justkending · 4 years

Text

Just Roommates. Chapter 27.

Series Summary: These two college friends have had years to grow together. Each being the others support system, adventure buddy, movie night partner, and dorky roommates. That is until things start coming to a new light in their relationship. At least for him… Is there something else there? Is it possible? Were these feelings always there?

Pairing: (Modern) Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warning: Fluff, Adulting, sexy-times mentions, language.

Word Count: 2700+

A/N: This is a very simple chapter, but I needed it for the next chapter:) Hope you enjoy!!

Chapter 27:

"That's perfect right there! Thank you!"

Y/N was instructing the movers bringing in the last of their furniture while her and Wanda started unloading items for the kitchen. Steve, Sam, Clint, Wanda, and Vision had all pitched in their cars as ways to help with moving the smaller boxes from their flat. Nat and Maria were going to be there within the next hour.

Bucky was out by the cars with Steve bringing in a few more hauls of the boxes.

"So, when's the engagement party?" Steve asked.

"I honestly think Y/N's just going to count this move in party as the engagement party. She's not one for all the formal events. Which I'm perfectly fine with," Bucky smiled, re-adjusting his grip on the larger box as they walked up the porch.

"Really? How are we supposed to get you two gifts if we didn't know this was the engagement party?" Steve asked.

"Don't act like you guys didn't all bring some housewarming gift. I saw you all casually trying to hide your little gift bags and stuff. Horrible hiding by the way," Bucky chuckled as Steve opened the door for to the two of them.

"Housewarming gifts are different from engagement gift," the blonde countered.

"I guess, but we really don't need anything. We just want to hang out with you guys in our new home. That's enough for us both," Bucky shrugged, putting the boxes down and turning to see Wanda and Y/N laughing in the kitchen.

"You know, Bucky, just a year ago you would be all over the material things. Something I think Bonnie would have played a part in and also been ecstatic for," Steve smiled looking at his friend. "The fact that's not even a thought for you shows how lucky you got Buck. You and Y/N both got lucky."

Bucky couldn't looked away from Y/N. She was in her 'moving overalls' as she called them since apparently she had so many they all had a special purpose. Her hair was in a messy bun with a head scarf wrapped keeping her wayward curls out of her face. Failing at at its job, but still cute nonetheless. One of the overall shoulders wasn't hooked and was hanging off her shoulder. She was laughing and pointing something out to Wanda in the living room.

"I did get lucky. The woman has taught me more things than I cared to know existed. And because of that I'm a lot more content and happy with my life." Bucky sent a single nod and smile after making eye contact with Y/N who blushed and winked back at him. "I'm on a high Steve, and I haven't fell from it in 6+ months."

"I feel you brother," Steve said squeezing Bucky's shoulder.

"You feel me?" Bucky said with a small laugh knowing Steve was as single as could be. "How do you-" When Steve's reaction was just a dopey smile as if he were lost in space, Bucky's eyebrows shot up. "You punk! You're seeing someone and you didn't tell me?!"

"Hey, hey. Quiet!" Steve said, putting his hands out in surrender. "I-I just wanted to see how things would go and didn't want anyone to get their hopes up, but... Yeah... There's a girl."

"Steve, that's amazing!" Bucky said, pulling him into a hug. "How long?"

"Remember Dr. Erskine from your charity gala?" Bucky nodded. "One of his shadows for his work happens to be in the geriatric field, and he mentioned the senior home to her. She came by for a visit to see the home for some research and we kinda hit it off." Steve had a blush creeping up his neck and was rubbing the back of it in nerves.

"Well, what's her name? What was she doing research for? How old is she? Blonde or Brunette? Or maybe redhead-" Bucky started spouting out questions.

"Her name is Margaret, but she goes by Peggy. She does different funding for senior homes and is doing research in veterans history. She's trying to write a book right now about different stories of WWII vets and Vietnam vets. She's just a few years older than me," Steve answered with a laugh. "And brunette. The most beautiful brown hair and brown eyes I've ever seen on a woman..."

Bucky watched as Steve once again drifted into a dream world. He knew how that went considering it happened to him practically every time he thought of Y/N.

"I'm happy for you Stevie. And don't worry, I'll keep it on the down low. I know how important the beginning of a relationship is, and with our friend group, I'm not going to chance ruining that," Bucky laughed half joking, half being serious.

"You can tell Y/N. Just Y/N though," Steve laughed.

"Ok, good. That was my next question..." Bucky grinned.

"Come on. Let's get you moved in," Steve nudged as they went back outside for another load.

___________

"Y/N, this place is going to be beautiful!" Nat said, raising her glass as the group of friends sat in the living room on the new furniture.

There were boxes scattered everywhere in their designated rooms, some opened but not unpacked. Only things out were some coasters for the end tables, and a few accent pillows that came with the couches today.

"It's true. I saw some of the decorations you have boxed up, and just by the looks of it this place is going to be stunning," Maria nodded, taking a sip of her wine.

"How many bedrooms?" Clinton budded in.

"Four including the master. So enough for you guys to crash if you ever get too drunk to leave," Bucky winked wrapping his arms around Y/N's middle on the chair they were snuggled into.

"Careful to make that offer. I may never leave," Sam laughed with a smirk.

"Everyone but you," Bucky said with a fake glare.

"You see how he treats me, Y/N? So mean and for no reason," Sam fake pouted.

"Oh, quit it you two. Always teasing the other until someone actually gets their feelings hurt," Y/N waved them off. "Sam, you are more than welcome to stay here when you want."

"Thank you," he said in a proud tone as if he won.

"Of course after day 3 there will be a rent fee," Y/N added with a smirk of her own as she took a long sip of her drink.

"Hey!" Sam said, choking on his drink a little.

"That's my girl," Bucky laughed.

"So what did you guys decide on for the flat? Are you going to sell it or..." Wanda asked turning to them from where she was sat by Vis.

"I'm going to rent it out for cheap to some college kids. No point in bumping the price when I don't really need the extra money. I remember how hard it was for people to find affordable housing during that time, and that way I can still keep it. It's already paid off," Bucky answered.

"That's a good idea and sweet of you. College me would have jumped for a place to stay like that for cheap," Nat nodded.

"Y/N thought of it. I was going to sell it, but made better sense to just rent it out," Bucky shrugged.

"Ok, enough boring adult talk! Tell us how it happened!" Maria jumped in.

"Gotta be more specific sis," Y/N laughed.

"The proposal! We've all seen the ring! Now give us the details!"

"Ok, ok. You wanna tell it or me?" Y/N turned to Bucky who just smiled and shrugged.

"We both can, but you start."

"Ok," she smiled before turning to the group. "So we came out here just to set up some lights and see the finished product of the house."

The rest of the story later, the girls were ooing and aweing at the sentiment. The men just grinning and sending smirks to Bucky for the romantic kind of man he apparently had been hiding from them.

After some more catching up, Y/N giving the girls room tours as well as sharing her decor ideas, while Bucky took the guys out and showed them the land and what they planned to build, the crew started packing up.

Bucky and Y/N said goodbye to everyone as they packed into their cars, and waved to them until they were out the driveway and headed back to the city.

Y/N let out a sigh and turned back to the house. Bucky followed and wrapped his arms around her as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"We have a lot of unboxing to do," she said.

"Yep, but we unpacked a lot tonight. Let's save the rest for tomorrow."

"Yeah, ok." She turned back and gave him a hug as she fell into him. "I love you."

"I love you even more Y/N. Let's go to bed."

________

The next night, Bucky got a call from work saying they had a business trip that Stark had set up for the two to travel and speak with a few investors on some new projects. Something that was bound to take place in the merger. It just so happened to come up when the two were moving in and had a shit ton of boxes to unpack.

"How long?" Y/N asked once Bucky got done explaining Starks travel plans, and they unboxed some items for one of the guest rooms.

"Sounds like a couple of weeks. No more than two, hopefully only one," Bucky sighed. "I can see if I can make it shorter. I don't want to leave you to unpack all by yourself, and maybe the investors-"

"What are you talking about?" Y/N laughed, stopping and turning to Bucky from the bedside table she was organizing. "You don't have to make your work shorter just because I need help unpacking some boxes."

"Well, no, but-"

"I know what you're doing B. It's not going to work."

"I'm not doing anything..." Bucky mumbled, looking down at the bed frame he was currently screwing in the last few pieces into place for.

"You don't want to travel with Stark for up to two weeks, and you're using moving as an excuse. Nope. Nuh uh. You're going mister," she said matter a factly as she plugged in the bed side lamp and brushed her hands off.

"And what if I don't want to go cause I don't want to leave you?" Bucky said with a raised eyebrow standing up.

"It's your work Bucky. You're going to have to leave sometimes to take care of business." Her hands were crossed over her chest and hip popped. Bucky places his hands on his hips in an attempt to mock her sass.

"You want me out of the house or something?" he joked.

"No... I've just noticed you've been pushing work to the side, and trying to distract yourself from it and using the house as an excuse."

"I'm not-"

"James Buchanan Barnes. You have a huge, crazy busy, growing, multimillion dollar business to run. You can't keep distancing yourself from it just because you don't like Stark all that much," she said, taking a step closer and Bucky matched her.

He paused. She was right. He had been finding any excuse to work from home, or only going in during times Stark wasn't there. He still was extremely annoyed by the man, and the less time he spent with him the better. On the other hand he had been really excited about living with Y/N and being with her more now that they were engaged.

Screw knowing each other for years. The man was in the honeymoon phase still, and hadn't even glimpsed outside of the puppy love he had for her.

"But what if I don't want to..." he pouted moving closer and putting his hands on her hips as he pulled her in.

"Sucks. You're the big boss man whether you like it or not," she shrugged, still crossing her arms with a playful gleam in her eyes.

"You're kinda scary. You know that?" Bucky chuckled tilting his head to her.

"When I need to be, yes. That's not new news," she said with a sly smirk. "So on that note. Let's get you packed for your trip."

"But-"

"Nope! No excuses bossman!" she said walking out the door to their room.

_________

Y/N was right. This was a big opportunity for the business, and even though Bucky was getting comfortable spending his time with Y/n in their new house, and as a newly engaged couple, he did need to get out and actually work.

The trip ended up being a week and half. Y/N having to stay behind to handle some housing things like plumbing, gas, land surveying and all that fun stuff. That and she still had her job as a personal trainer/ yoga instructor, so she couldn't just up and leave with only a day's notice for almost two weeks.

The two facetimed and talked every night and day. Y/N showing him new places she had got around to decorating and layouts and ideas for the land.

What Bucky didn't know was that Y/N had the girls over almost every night to help her finish up unpacking and decorating before he came home. Sometimes Steve and Sam too if she needed some more heavy duty help.

"Y/N, this is all so stunning. He's going to be so surprised when he gets home," Nat smiled as they all stood looking at the newly decorated home.

"Really? You think? It's not too much is it?" she questioned bringing her hand to her chin as she examined the room they were currently in.

"He's going to love it Y/N. Anything you do he loves, but this is crazy impressive," Steve added as he packed up his tool box. "You ever thought about interior design?"

"That's what Bucky said," Y/N laughed. "And now that I have so many people asking me that," she looked at Maria, Wanda, and Nat who had also been commenting on it all day, "It's starting to sound like a possible fun side-job."

"Well, I'll pay you to come revamp my apartment if you do anything close to this," Maria grinned, taking a swig from a beer bottle.

"You got it," Y/N laughed. "Ok, I need to go pick him up from the airport in about an hour, so I'm going to go get changed and do a few last minute things. Thanks again you guys for coming out here and helping."

"Anytime! Maria and I love the scenic drive here, and it gives us a chance to see your fucking gorgeous home," Nat smirked bumping her hip with Y/N.

"That and you know you can always call if you need a handy man when Bucks not here," Steve added, picking up the tool box.

"Thanks for that Stevie. I appreciate you," she said giving him a small peck on the cheek.

"Yeah, I'm just here for the free alcohol," Wanda teased as she downed the rest of her beer. "Helps when Nat's driving."

The crew laughed at the red head and started heading for the door.

"Let us know what he thinks! And when you guys are ready, we can have a housewarming party since it's all done!" Nat shouted as she walked to the car.

"Will do! Love you guys! Drive safe!" Y/N shouted and waved from the porch as they loaded up and made their way down the long driveway.

Once they were out of sight, Y/N turned to look at the finished product of their home. The lights on the porch were hung and turned on. The inside was lit up and bringing life and a sense of comfort to it.

"How did I get so lucky?" Y/N sighed as she thought about the life that was to come with her special person. All she had to do was pick him up from the airport, and yet another milestone would be made.

(Ok pictures are coming next chapter!)

Just Roommates:

@starfirerules @buckys-blunders @alexxcorona113 @tcc-gizmachine @vrgelivvvv @nighttwingg @firefly-in-darkness @mizzzpink @poppunkdork @nerdygirlwithacrush @irespostthingsiwanttoseelater @ellaenchanted91 @sebbbystaaan

Marvel Tags:

@thejourneyneverendsx @death-unbecomes-you @heyiamthatbitch @zeilenkrieg @lizzymacy555 @iheartsebastianstan @srrymydood @xa-dia @redhairedfeistynerd

My Lovelies forever:

@natura1phenomenon @lauravic @traceyaudette @kakakatey @notyourtypicalrose @laneygthememequeen @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce @sandlee44 @thorne93 @snffbeebee @thefaithfulwriter @marvelfansworld @essie1876 @greyeyedsmile14 @capsiclehan @naomi02hook @xostephanie @averyrogers83 @awesomenursingstudent @gh0stgurl @cs-please @carls1022 @jjlevin @rainbowkisses31 @carls1022 @anise-d-castle6 @deannotmoose @their-bibliophile @kitkatd7

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes au series #justkending #bucky barnes roommate su #marvel #marvel au #marvel roommate au #Winter Soldier #winter soldier au #bucky barnes x reader

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olliepig · 3 years

Text

Centre Stage - chapter 4

A slightly different one this time - set during the events of the Long Reach, Cat’s left alone to wait.

As always with these, massive thanks are due to @willow-salix for her betaing skills, general cheerleading and without whom it’s entirely possible I would have deleted the entire thing and given up.

The whole thing is also available on AO3 here.

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

Cat rolled over with a groan, awake again for what felt like the twentieth time that night. She hadn’t slept properly since Scott had left to get the results of the final test of the newly named Zero XL, and three nights of broken sleep combined with a full rehearsal schedule meant that she was now at a point far beyond exhaustion.

In times of stress, her bedroom had always been her sanctuary, its dusty blue walls and cream furniture reminding her of the wide expanse of the sky and the sense of freedom it gave her when she was feeling overwhelmed by daily life. Now, it just made her think of Scott, and today, that was bringing her no comfort.

Despite the lack of daylight creeping around the curtains, a quick glance at the small clock beside her bed told her that the night had passed and it was in fact now just about what could be considered morning, albeit much, much earlier than she would usually consider being awake.

With reflexes honed by too many nights spent waiting for news from the other side of the world, her first instinct was to reach out and grab for her phone, squinting as the harsh light of the screen hit her eyes. The sight of a message from Scott made her heart lurch, fear that it would contain the words that she had been both waiting for and dreading in equal measure spreading through her veins like ice.

All go for launch. I’ll call when I’m back. xx

Dropping her phone beside her, Cat let out a groan and buried her face in the pillow while the wave of nausea that Scott’s words had triggered passed, the sensation triggering memories of the last time she had to say goodbye to him under similar circumstances.

That time, he was being sent off into a literal warzone and she had hoped afterwards that she would never again have to go through the worry of having someone she cared about in such a dangerous situation, but clearly the universe had other ideas. Now, not only was Scott going on the most ambitious and dangerous rescue mission that anyone had ever attempted, she couldn’t even talk to anyone about it as secrecy was absolutely paramount.

OK, that wasn’t strictly true, Cat reminded herself. Penny was on the island and had promised to keep her up to date with everything that was happening as soon as she heard it and that fact alone was an absolute godsend, but it was also her distance from the mission that was making her anxious. Even as a child she had never been content to depend on other people for things, preferring instead to go out and make them happen for herself, and so being reliant on others was not something that came easily to her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her best friend to keep her informed, far from it, but Penny was similarly emotionally invested in one of the other participants involved in the rescue and, if anything untoward happened, Cat feared that she would be too distraught to pass the message on.

It was this terror of not knowing that had kept her awake for the last three nights. Logically, she knew that she should be more scared of the physical and emotional risk that Scott was facing and the possible longer-term consequences of them both, but the reality was that she could barely fathom it all so, in order to maintain at least some level of sanity, she had chosen to stay focused on the few factors that she could have some modicum of control over.

So long as he came home, she had no doubts that they would be able to face whatever else had happened together. The alternative was something she was trying very hard to ignore.

Taking deep, calming breaths that stilled her racing mind for the time being, Cat lifted her head and glanced over to Scott’s side of the bed, suppressing a small smile at the fact that she already considered it his even though he’d only actually slept there overnight once. The rose he’d given her on his surprise visit to see her dance Swan Lake was dried and framed on the wall, and memories of that night made her smile widen before regret started to creep in, sending her mind spiralling back to that awful period afterwards where she wasn’t sure if she’d ruined everything between them for good.

Now that he was leaving on a rescue fraught with such danger, her heart ached at the knowledge that they could have had so much more time together if she had allowed herself to follow it that night and kissed him in the kitchen when she had the chance. At the very least, she’d have settled for having had enough time to go on what Scott would describe as a “proper” first date, but their busy lives had meant that even that hadn’t yet been possible. Instead, until he had arrived and poured his heart out to her three days previously, they had only had a single snatched night together in the two months since she had left the island.

It wasn’t enough.

No amount of time ever would be.

Cat rolled over with a groan and picked up her book, trying to distract herself from the almost unbearable ache for him that, regardless of the circumstances, was becoming an increasingly common feature of her life but, almost immediately, her earlier regret began to mingle with apprehension for what Scott was about to face. He’d been upbeat when they had spoken the previous night, the doubts and fears that he’d let her see only days before safely locked away again now that the hour was near, but this hadn’t been enough to convince her that they weren’t still there, bubbling away under the surface. Having agreed not to talk again until he was back, she felt cut off and alone, the enforced lack of contact between them now almost unbearable.

Realising that she had read the same sentence at least five times without being any clearer as to what it said, she gave up and abandoned her book once more on her bedside table. She hauled herself out of bed, deciding that an early start and a session in the fitness suite before work might take her mind off things, at least until she had confirmation from Penny that the launch had been successful.

As she went through the motions of her usual morning routine, she was pleased to find that she had been correct. Movement, albeit limited at the moment, had helped to clear her mind and she was already feeling a lot more positive about the day ahead. Although it was clear that her brain wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders as she carefully put her knife back in the fridge before throwing the butter in the sink to wash later.

A chime on her phone alerted her to a message just as she was gathering her things together to leave and she pounced on it, her hands shaking as she saw that it was from Penny.

They’ve not launched yet but should do in an hour. All in good spirits and are gathering in the lounge now. I’ll keep you informed of any further updates. x

Seeing first hand that their agreed upon system was working so far, relief flooded through her and she allowed herself a quick smile at her friend's formal style of messaging that hadn’t changed in all the years that they’d known each other. Letting the door slam shut behind her, Cat set off to start her working day, happy that at least one part of the load she was carrying had been lifted off her.

*****

“Wow, you look like shit! Everything OK?” Mark grinned, wandering over to take his place at the barre beside Cat for their morning class.

Looking up from her phone, Cat threw him a withering look, not dignifying him with an answer before going back to finish sending a message to Penny asking for an update.

Her time in the gym had done wonders for her state of mind, but by her calculations she should have had a message to confirm launch over an hour ago. The fact that one still hadn’t arrived meant that the nerves that she had worked so hard to rid herself of that morning had returned and were starting to become unbearable.

“OK, not the time, sorry,” he apologised, ignoring Maria, with whom Cat shared a dressing room and had been on the receiving end of her increasingly bad mood that morning, making frantic ‘stop talking’ gestures as he sat himself down next to Cat, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “What’s going on, honey? Your man out on another rescue?”

“Yeah, and it’s a really bloody dangerous one so I’d appreciate less smart-arse comments today, OK?” Cat snapped, knowing that she was pushing her friends away in her time of need but feeling so overwhelmed that she was unable to stop herself.

“Come here,” Mark insisted, pulling her into him in a one-armed hug where they sat. Smiling, he rolled his eyes at Maria as Cat rested her head on his shoulder, both of them knowing how badly Cat coped when she was not fully in control of things. “He’ll be OK, just you wait and see.”

Cat allowed herself a few moments to relax into him, closing her eyes and shutting out the unhelpful words that had been flooding her head, telling her that something was wrong. Mark’s silent support bolstered her reserves, calming her breathing and allowed her to think about getting through the day’s rehearsals, regardless of what was happening half a world away.

“I think that’s us about to start,” Maria informed them, jolting Cat back into awareness as Mark extracted himself and jumped to his feet beside her.

Unable to resist, she gave her phone one last look before chucking it into her bag with a huff of displeasure, as if it was the device's fault that she didn’t have a message back from Penny yet. Taking Mark’s outstretched hand gratefully, she hauled herself upright and pushed everything from her mind as the familiar movements of her daily warm-up began to slowly soothe her, calming her enough to believe that she would have a message back before the end of class.

In the short break between barre and centre practice, Cat took the opportunity to quickly check her phone again, convinced that this time there would be a message there.

“Any news?” asked Maria quietly, as they sat together, changing from the soft shoes they used for barre work into the pointe shoes that they needed for the remainder of the class.

“Nothing,” spat Cat, a hot flash of anger surging through her as she sent yet another message asking for an update.

Penny had been her constant support throughout her life, the one person who had never let her down, but now all her fears of being left in the dark were coming true, leaving her feeling abandoned and alone. She had trusted her to stick to her word and now she didn’t even know if they had departed safely.

Seeing the rest of the company beginning to gather again, Cat took a deep breath and dragged her attention back to class, trying to focus on the enchainements that were being given to them, but her mind was well and truly elsewhere.

Mistakes started to creep into her dancing as she struggled to concentrate, angering her even more. She had always prided herself on her ability to compartmentalise the different areas of her life and it was the first time that this strategy had completely failed, leaving her vulnerable to outside influences when she was in the one environment that had always been an escape for her.

Frustration began to mix with self-consciousness as she heard her name whispered more than once, making her whip around and glare at whomever was talking. She never made that many mistakes in class, and she could feel everyone’s eyes on her as she lost concentration yet again, her cheeks burning as she stalked to the side of the studio to await the next exercise.

As soon as the class ended, Cat grabbed her belongings and fled without making eye contact or speaking to anyone, ignoring the questioning looks that were thrown her way as the company enjoyed a brief break before the day's rehearsals began in earnest. Usually, she was in the thick of it, relaxing in one of the communal areas outside the studios, but today she had no desire for company and made straight for the relative privacy of her dressing room, collapsing onto her seat with her head in her hands.

She almost couldn’t bear to look at her phone, sure that she would still be no closer to knowing what was happening and had to resist the urge to throw it across the room when it turned out her hunch was correct. Images of the Zero XL exploding on the launch platform filled her head, making it spin as nausea washed over her for the second time that day.

Trying to ground herself, she grabbed her favourite picture of her and Scott from its place on her mirror, bursting into tears as soon as she saw their happy faces, laughing at something while they cuddled together on the beach on Tracy Island. Desolation that she may never get a chance to experience a day like that again flooded through her, leaving her breath hitching in her throat as she sobbed.

She knew deep down that she was jumping to conclusions without any proof whatsoever that anything untoward had even happened. But, if she was going to be able to get through the rest of the day she desperately needed the release of her tears so she didn’t fight them, letting them fall freely as she gasped for breath.

Hearing the door opening behind her, she quickly tucked the picture away, wiping her eyes as she turned to see Mark and Maria. Worry was etched on their faces as they descended upon her, wrapping her in their arms and holding her without a word until her breathing had calmed.

“You OK?” Mark asked gently as he extracted himself from the group hug and crouched down at her feet, reassured by the small nod that Cat gave in reply. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing,” Cat sniffed, suddenly finding eye contact very difficult to maintain, choosing instead to watch Maria dragging her chair from the other side of their shared dressing room so they could sit together in relative comfort.

“Well, with all due respect, it doesn’t look like nothing,” Mark pressed, forcing Cat’s attention back onto him, unwilling to let her get away with deflecting her focus onto someone else when something was so clearly affecting her.

“Just leave it, Mark,” Cat snapped, this time holding his gaze defiantly, daring him to continue.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to anyone about it. She knew herself well enough to know that she absolutely needed to, but she just didn’t know how to explain what she was going through without giving away information that she had sworn to keep secret. It was better to stay silent rather than risk it.

“Not gonna happen I’m afraid,” Mark continued, not looking away as he sensed her resolve wavering despite the challenge still present in her stare.

“And if he does, then I’ll be on your ass so you’re not getting out of this,” Maria added, giving Mark a nod of support before looking back at Cat. “You’ve been a total pain in the backside for days and now you’re crying in between rehearsals, so it’s obvious something’s going on. We just want to help but we can’t if you don’t tell us what’s happening.”

Looking between her friends, both watching her with concern in their eyes, Cat’s resolve crumbled, her need to talk outweighing everything else. She took a moment before answering, trying to collect her thoughts enough to navigate the conversation without saying too much, glad that they were giving her the space and not pushing her into an answer straight away.

“I can’t even really tell you,” she began hesitantly, expecting a chorus of protests, a wave of relief washing over her when none were forthcoming. “That’s the worst part about all of this. It’s all this big secret and I can’t talk to anyone about it. Penny knows and was supposed to message when they launched about two hours ago but I’ve not heard a bloody thing.”

“And you’re scared something’s gone wrong?” finished Mark, gratified to see a small smile of acknowledgement flit across Cat’s lips, encouraging him to continue now he was sure that he’d got to the root of the problem. “I’ll grant you it’s unlike Penny not to do something she says she will, but I’m sure it’s gone fine. She’s probably just got caught up in something else.”

“I don’t know,” Cat countered doubtfully. “It doesn’t sound like her.”

She desperately wanted to believe Mark. Penny was ruthlessly efficient in everything she did, but she was still human and that made her prone to making errors just like everyone else. With this realisation, a small portion of the worry that had been hanging over her all day lifted slightly.

“Has she even seen your messages?” Maria added, seeing the way Cat sat up a little straighter now that she had a plausible explanation for Penny’s silence and hoping that it might help further if it was clear that she wasn’t being intentionally ignored.

Cat reached for her phone again and shook her head, feeling better by the minute now logic was beginning to break through the panic that had overwhelmed her. She had never done well with hypotheticals, preferring to have definitive proof before allowing herself to believe something and yet she had allowed herself to become completely convinced of something that was not only unproven but also unlikely, if the number of test launches that Scott had told her about was anything to go by.

“See, you’re always saying how hard it is to get hold of her these days. If she’s not even seen your messages, I’m sure she’s just off dealing with something else,” Maria finished, relieved that some of the light seemed to be coming back into Cat’s eyes.

“It’s just scary not knowing what’s happening when all I want is to know that he’s safe. I just feel so stupid for overreacting,” she finished quietly, looking down at the floor once again.

“Don’t be silly. We’re your friends and that’s what we’re here for so there's absolutely no judgement coming from us,” soothed Mark, offering her a tissue from her dressing table.

“And I think I can safely say that there isn’t a person in the company who hasn’t been scared for someone they love,” added Maria, smiling encouragingly.

Cat nodded again, not trusting herself to speak as the casual way Maria had implied that she loved Scott sent a jolt of recognition through her heart. Pushing it away for inspection another time, she smiled at the others, reassured that at least they understood how she was feeling.

“Isn’t there anyone else you could message who might know what’s happening?” asked Maria, trying to think of anything that could help allay Cat’s fears, even though she was now obviously starting to feel a little better.

“Shit! Selene. She gave me her number when we were on the island but I completely forgot. It’s gotta be worth a shot,” she exclaimed as she grabbed for her phone again, leaving Mark and Maria to smile at each other at the difference in her demeanour now she was doing something practical.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’ve got a rehearsal in 10 minutes. Do you think you’re up to it?” asked Mark once she was finished, glancing at the clock above the door.

“Yeah, I’ll be OK,” Cat smiled. “Thank you both. I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”

“It’s what we’re here for,” Mark grinned, as he stood, stretching out his legs to rid himself of the cramp that had formed after crouching for so long.

“Right, I guess we’d better get going then.” Cat jumped up and grabbed her bag, her conviction that Selene wouldn’t let her down filling her with optimism as she dashed out of the room, leaving Mark and Maria trailing in her wake.

****

Cat sailed through the rehearsal with her friends’ words and reassurances ringing in her head, banishing her doubts any time they arose. She felt lighter even without any news from the island, knowing that she was understood no matter what happened and whatever the outcome would be going further forward.

The fact that she had been the one needing support had taken her by surprise. She had always been able to deal with anything life threw at her and finding something that had left her so vulnerable had left her shaken. Anger still coursed through her at allowing herself to get so caught up in her fears that it had affected her performance in class that morning but, thanks to Mark and Maria, it had abated enough that she was no longer ruled by it.

Now that she was no longer relying solely on Penny for news, she had a new sense of confidence that by the time the rehearsal finished, she would have at least some news, be that good or bad. That optimism meant that she was finally able to concentrate and work to the best of her ability.

“Feeling better now?” Mark asked with a smile as they finished up, pulling a pair of trousers and top on over his tights to maintain the warmth in his muscles until the next rehearsal.

“You have no idea,” Cat grinned in response, shouldering her bag and rummaging in it to see if her prayers had been answered with a reply to one of her messages. “I mean, I still feel constantly sick and I sort of want to cry, but it’s nowhere near as bad as earlier so I’m taking that as a win.”

“That seems reasonable,” he nodded. “Any news yet?”

Cat’s heart leapt and she froze on the spot as she saw Penny’s name flash up on her screen. Hardly daring to open the message that had arrived only moments before, she steeled herself before clicking on it and devouring the words it contained.

I am so, so sorry for keeping you waiting. Issues on the island prevented me from being in touch sooner. They’re back in orbit. Mission successful.

Relief flooded through Cat as she read Penny’s words again and again, the implications slowly sinking in with every pass. Sheer elation replaced the fears of the morning as fresh tears formed in her eyes at the enormity of what had been achieved that day and what it would mean, not just for Scott, but for the whole family.

“Everything OK?” Mark ventured tentatively, watching Cat closely, still unsure of the contents of the message until he was nearly bowled over, arms flung around him in joy as she answered in two words.

“He’s back.”

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds 2015

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thatbloodymuggle · 4 years

Text

oh, darling (1)

summary: JJ and Y/N’s fooling around comes with consequences. one of those consequences just so happens to have a heartbeat.

pairing: JJ x Reader

word count: 2.3k

warnings: implied smut, pregnancy, cursing?

masterlist

If there was one thing you prided yourself on, it was your ridiculously strong immune system. The last time you had a fever, the chills, or a sore throat was in the 3rd grade when your entire class had strep throat. ‘Being sick’ just wasn’t a part of your vocabulary. So why the hell were you leaned over the toilet puking your brains out for the third time in four days in the middle of summer?

You groaned and wiped your mouth with the back of your hand. You lazily reached up and flushed the toilet, too weak to stand. You leaned her head back against the bathroom wall and stretched your bare legs along the cool marble underneath. A guttural groan escaped your lips.

You mulled over a multitude of possible causes for your sudden illness in your head, but were coming up short. You initially thought you’d gotten food poisoning from the outdated milk in John B’s fridge, but it would have been out of your system by now. Then, you thought you’d caught the stomach bug, but your temperature was a healthy 97.3, your throat was clear, and the sick feeling would only last an hour or so each time.

Maybe this is Karma catching up to me, you thought to yourself, for eight healthy years.

Just as you had exhausted nearly all possible options, you looked down at her stomach, which was no longer churning. Your eyes widened as you stared at your bellybutton. There was one option you hadn’t considered. Were you—? No, you couldn’t be. You’d never failed to use protection. Well, as far you could remember.

And it was quite unfortunate that there was one night you couldn’t remember with a messy, blond-haired boy.

Your face paled. The night you’d pushed to the back of your mind came flooding back. It was a drowning feeling—like getting pulled under the tide. It was all a blur, but you definitely woke up the following morning without your clothes, wrapped in JJ’s arms.

Before pure and total panic began to set in, you reminded yourself that you two had never failed to use protection in any of your previous hook-ups. Not only had you likely used a condom, but even if you hadn’t, the chances of that one night resulting in a pregnancy were so low. There were couples out there who tried for months, years even, with no success. You regained her composure, and hauled yourself up from the cool floor.

You brushed her teeth twice to rid yourself of the acid-breath. You washed your hands, nearly scrubbing them raw.

You gripped the counter, and stared at your reflection in the mirror. Blood-shot eyes stared right back.

“No fucking way.”

About a week had passed since your incident in the bathroom. Much to your pleasure, you hadn’t had another episode of sickness in three days. Whatever virus you’d gotten must have passed through your system.

With a newfound bounce in your step, you hopped aboard the HMS Pogue for a day out on the water with your closest friends.

“There she is,” John B grinned at you.

“I present to thee, Lady Y/L/N of The Cut,” JJ spoke with an exaggerated British accent, beer in hand.

You played along with a deep curtsy and a light giggle. You fell into the empty space between Kie and JJ with a sigh of relief. You’d been longing for a boat day for a while now that you’d gotten over your internal crisis.

John B pulled the boat out of the marina, and zoomed into the open water ahead. The salty breeze combing through your hair felt like heaven. You threw her head back in relaxation and smiled.

“Haven’t seen you around in a while,” JJ leaned closer to you.

You averted her eyes to meet his baby blues. The ones you knew oh-so-well. The ones you always seemed to get lost in.

You shrugged, “I was sick. I’m better now though, so don’t you worry your pretty little head,” you teased him, ruffling his already messed-up hair.

Pope let out a booming laugh, “You got sick?! Well it’s about fucking time!”

“Yeah, it’s good to know you’re actually human and not a robot,” Kie added.

You rolled her eyes at her friends’ teasing, and gave them the finger.

The boat continued out into the water for a little longer before John B cut the engine. Kie pulled out her cooler full of beer and sandwiches. She passed the pre-packaged lunches around, and the teenagers all accepted them gratefully.

You were starving from skipping breakfast, so you didn’t hesitate to take a massive bite of the loaded sandwich.

But your taste buds weren’t absorbed with the usually delicious sensation. The taste was nauseating, and you felt her body trying to reject it.

“What’s in this?” you mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Kie frowned at her friend’s paling face, but began listing off the contents of the sandwich, “The usual, I think. Just some turkey, lettuce, tomatoes…”

You didn’t get a chance to hear the rest of the ingredients as your body lurched forward. You hauled herself over the edge of the boat just in time to empty your stomach.

“Woah!”

“Shit, Y/N. Are you okay?”

You felt a hand gather her hair and hold it out of the way, while another rubbed your back soothingly. You groaned as you felt the nausea subside. You wiped her mouth and situated yourself in the boat. Kie dug out a packet of gum, which you didn’t hesitate to unwrap.

“What happened?” Pope asked.

“I thought you said you were feeling better?” John B added.

You sighed and popped the piece of gum into your mouth. “I dunno. Guess I got sea sick or something,” you tried to dismiss them.

JJ furrowed his brows, “Y/N, you never get sea sick. You’re on the water, like, 24/7—“

“Well clearly not. Can you just drop it?” you snapped at him with a glare. You watched as his frown deepened and his eyes hardened.

“Fine.” JJ removed his arm from around you and moved to the driver’s seat of the boat.

You immediately regretted snapping at him, knowing JJ was very reactive. Pope and John B reluctantly their diverted attention away from you, and returned to their previous conversation.

“Y/N,” Kie whispered next to you. You turned to make eye contact with your friend. Kie gave you a knowing look, which made you tense.

Annoyance clouded your eyes. You shot up out of your seat and made your way to the front of the boat, isolating yourself from the rest of the group. You could feel their watchful stares, but ignored them. Instead, you laid yourself down to tan underneath the beating sun. Your mood had been killed. The worry you’d had a few days earlier was back, but 10 times stronger. You felt tears of frustration prickling at your eyes, so you covered her face with your sunglasses. You stayed like this for the rest of the trip: in isolation, doing everything she could to distract yourself (but failing).

You sighed in relief as John B finally re-docked not a minute too soon. You were the first to hop off the small boat.

“Well, this has been fun. Better get going!” you plastered on an overly fake smile and waved at your flustered friends. You caught JJ’s brooding eyes. He was clearly still pissed. You set off down the dock at a rapid pace, pretending not to hear John B’s protests.

Just when you thought you were in the clear, someone grabbed your arm. Your head shot to the side to see Kiara. You forced another false smile, “What’s up Kie?”

“Just giving you a ride home.”

You opened her mouth to protest, but Kie shot you a look. Te two of you continued walking side by side in discomfort. The second you’d piled into her car and shut the doors, the silence was severed.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Kie stared at you with hard eyes. You forced down the anxiety.

“Nope!”

Peppy exterior to balance the crumbling interior.

Your smile may have fooled the boys, but the broken look in your eyes was painfully evident to Kie.

“Y/N, you’ve been throwing up for days,” she started but was cut off.

“Yep. Stomach bug.”

Short replies were better. Made it easier to hide trembling voice.

Kie placed her hand on your forehead, “You don’t have a fever. And you’re always fine immediately after.”

“Some weird strain, huh?” you laughed. Your smile grew bigger. Your eyes cracked further.

Kie’s heart ached for you. The more you tried to convince her, the more evident it became.

“Y/N…” she barely whispered.

The sadness in your eyes was peeking through. Smile happier. Fool her. Fool them all.

The smile grew bigger in the same instant it was completely wiped. Anger. You was fucking mad.

“I’m fucking fine! Everything’s fine!” you snapped.

The barrier broke. No more pretending. Face it. Be brave.

But you weren’t brave.

You swung the car door open. You jumped out and ran. Just ran. Like a coward. Because that’s what you were—a coward.

But you didn’t make it far as a pair of arms wrapped around you.

The barrier crumbled. Tears spilled.

You sobbed into Kie’s shoulder. You held onto her for dear life, afraid that if you let go she might lose her. Lose yourself. Kie tried to maintain her composure, but the sobs wracking her body were too much. She pulled you closer and blinked back her own tears.

“Shh, shh,” she stroked your hair. “It’s gonna be okay. I’m here.”

You weren’t sure how long you stood in the empty parking lot clinging on to each other. Eventually, your cries subsided. Kie slowly lead you back to the car, not letting go until you were in the passenger seat. She hurried to the driver’s seat and revved the engine. Kie pulled her car out of the lot. The two of you sat in relative silence, with the exception of your occasional sniffle.

“Where are we going?” your voice scratched your throat.

“CVS.”

You nodded and leaned your head against the car window in acceptance. You stared at the road ahead. You didn’t move as Kie pulled into another parking lot. You didn’t move when she left the car. And you didn’t move when she returned five minutes later with a plastic bag containing a rectangular box.

“Is your mom home?”

You shook her head no.

Kie took the car out of park, and set towards your home. You sat in silence again, but this time not even your sniffles filled it. Kie pulled into the gravel driveway outside of the small wooden house you reluctantly called ‘home’. The two of you continued in silence as you got out of the car and went inside the empty house.

You sat in the hallway outside of the bathroom. You were yet to make eye contact with Kie since her breakdown. You focused on Kie’s hands as she pulled the box out of the bag and ripped off the packaging. A large paper of instructions came tumbling out. You watched as your friend read them in silence for a moment, examining the two small sticks that came along with it.

“All you have to do is pee on this side,” she flipped the sticks over, “of both of these. Then you can set them down right-side up on the counter, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Kie offered you an encouraging smile, but you didn’t look up enough to see it. Your hands shook as you gingerly took the items from yuor friend, as if they might break.

Your hands continued to shake as you did what you were supposed to in the bathroom. They shook harder as you placed the sticks right-side up on the counter. You stared absently at the little blank circle on the front of each. You exited the bathroom and sat across from Kie again.

“Done?”

You nodded.

Silence.

“Whose would it be?” Kie asked cautiously, with the softest voice she could manage.

Your eyes moved to meet hers for the first time in nearly twenty minutes. You opened your mouth to speak, but your throat tightened. You forced yourself to clear it and muster up the courage.

“JJ”

Kie merely nodded, masking her shock.

You and JJ had been extremely careful about keeping your occasional hookups a secret. You had a consensus that it was better left separate from the group since it wasn’t anything serious. But the guilt of hiding it from your best friend suddenly hit you.

“30 seconds,” Kie whispered.

You took a deep breath and shut your eyes, but nothing would prepare you for what you were about to see. You slowly pulled yourself up from the ground and tentatively pushed the door of the bathroom open. The two sticks glared at you.

You looked at her reflection in the mirror. Puffy eyes, red nose, matted hair. Color drained from your face. You already knew. Why even bother looking? You already knew.

+ +

You already knew.

A waste of $24.99.

You stared unbothered for a split second.

Then you crumbled.

Down you went onto the dirty floor. Down went your future. Down went your hopes of being different than your mother.

Down.

A scream of agony ripped through your throat with no tears left to cry. Your body had exhausted them all.

Kie rushed in and held you impossibly close, already knowing the result. She rocked you back and forth. Your voice was small,

“Don’t let go”

“Never.”

first JJ x reader imagine. let me know what you think! part 2 coming soon :)

#jj #jj maybank #jj x reader #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank smut #jj maybank fanfiction #jj maybank fanfic #outer banks #outer banks fanfic #outer banks fanfiction #outer banks imagine #John b routledge #John b #obx #rafe cameron #Sarah cameron #pope heyward #John b x reader #John b smut

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spoopycreepyhorrorcreepypasta · 4 years

Text

Stay Safe

I’m on the sixth floor of my apartment complex. It’s a small studio, and almost fully furnished. The only items I moved in were my twin-sized bed, various personal belongings, and kitchenware. Included in the apartment is a desk that folds out on the right side of the wall, a dresser, and coffee table.

Pat, my realtor, smiled at me with wide eyes when she showed me the apartment. “What do you think?” she asked, hands clutching her clipboard. “It’s fine, I guess,” I said. I had never lived on my own before. I was about to start college at DePaul. Chicago is a big city, and I didn’t know anyone yet.

“Great!” she exclaimed. “I’ll send you the final paperwork via email as soon as I get home, Becca.” She ushered me out into the hallway, taking a nervous glance behind her as we made our way to the elevator.

The only way that I can explain it is that her vibes were off. But, the apartment was actually below my price-range, and in a decent neighborhood (or so I was told by Reddit), so I couldn’t say no.

That first night, I barely slept. I was startled every time I heard the rushing of trains a few blocks away. Dogs were barking, car horns honking. This was so different from the small, quiet town I grew up in back in Indiana.

I didn’t have to start school until the next month, so I had loads of time to unpack and adjust to my new life in the big city. To help with motivation, I put on pop music and sung along as I unfolded all of my clothes and put them away into my new dresser, put away my kitchenware, and set up my desk space with my new office chair, which I had just ordered from Amazon.

The fold-out desk looked old. I wasn’t sure when the apartment complex was built, but it must have been decades ago. It was a little squeaky, so I dug out the WD40 my uncle had slipped into one of my boxes began dripping the liquid on the rusted metal parts of the desk.

I saw scratches on the underbelly of the wood. This was odd to me as the desk folded down to about thigh-height, so it’s not like anyone could have been underneath, clawing away. Perhaps someone had been working at this desk with some sort of severe anxiety and had dug their nails into the wood. I looked closer. The scratches were tinged with dark red stains. Chills ran through my body. I immediately whipped out my Magic Eraser and began scrubbing.

The stains were not rubbing out. I clenched my fists and scrubbed harder, to no avail. The scratch makes made my skin crawl, and I was really uncomfortable at the possibly that there would be stained blood right underneath me while doing schoolwork.

The days were long. I did begin to feel more comfortable as all of my items from home were coming together nicely in my new space.

The nights were longer. The trains still irked me, the dogs barking was unnerving. The third night, things got worse.

The scratching began.

As I was drifting off to sleep, I heard a “skritch” on the other side of the wall, opposite the desk. I thought nothing of it. The scratching continued, small noises, intermittently, with no distinct pattern. I tried to ignore them as best I could. I assumed it was a neighbor painting their wall, or maybe it was furniture of theirs scraping for some reason. Maybe they had a desk like me, which wasn’t sturdy, and they were working overnight.

The next morning, I made myself breakfast on my tiny kitchen stove. My eyes were drawn the to the desk, and my wall behind it.

“I’m going to take out the trash,” I thought to myself, “and explore my new building.”

The trash bag wasn’t heavy, as I didn’t have much to dispose of yet, but this was a good excuse to meander about. As I exited the apartment and turned to lock the door, I realized that there was no apartment on the left hand side of me, as my apartment was snuggled into the corner. The left side of the wall was where the scratches were coming from.

I ran to the garbage bin outside, tossed the bag, and headed back inside the building. As I approached my door, I questioned myself as to why I was so antsy to go back in.

"You're being stupid," I told myself. "There must be something in the walls. Maybe I can track down a neighbor and ask them if they've had similar experiences."

I did run into a neighbor that weekend, in the lobby.

I mustered up my courage to approach the strange man. "Hi," I said. "I'm Becca. I'm in apartment 608. Do you mind if I ask you a weird question?"

He was handsome, and his brow gleamed with sweat. His name was Greg, he said, and he was actually moving out. He set down the box he was carrying and brushed off his shirt. I could see the U-Haul parked out front of the complex.

"Oh," I said. "Congrats on the move?" You never know if someone is moving because they found a better opportunity, or worse, if they are breaking up with a partner.

"Hah," he said, chuckling a bit. "Yeah, I can't stay in this apartment much longer. So, your question might not be so weird." He chuckled a bit but I could see a glint of fear in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you have a weird question, but I bet I have a weirder answer. Let's sit down."

I froze, worried that he would invite me into his apartment, but thankfully he pointed to the couch on the other side of the lobby, next to the Keurig machine (which sadly isn't free, I noticed).

"Listen," he said, leaning forward. "This place is fucking weird."

I was taken aback. I wasn't used to cursing nor was I prepared for what he was about to say.

"I moved in about six months ago. I mean, this is a pretty cool place, right? Decent location, close to the train." He looked around, as if reminiscing. "Shit started to go down within the first week. I'm alone, right? How are my keys going to be place on my desk and when I turn around they're in my bathroom? Or in my fucking bathtub?!" He shook his head. "I'm thinking I'm going crazy. I'm hearing all these weird noises. I swear something is watching me. I'm finding nails on the floor. I'm seeing all this weird shit outside my window. And I'm on the third floor!"

My mouth fell open, agape.

"Bro, I had the creepiest feelings, too, I can't even explain them. Just like, the heebie-jeebies. Someone is watching me." He said it again. Someone was watching him. "I'm not even religious at all, but I'm praying every night. I had to get out. I was just done. I called the landlord and I broke my lease and I said 'I'm out, I gotta go.' She actually didn't ask questions..." He pondered this for a moment. "..and I didn't ask questions, either. So two weeks later, here I am, bailing."

"I've been hearing scratches," I said shakily. "They started a few days after I moved in. I also feel really...weird."

"The scratches!" He exclaimed. He took my hand, and I instinctively pulled away, but he held on. "The scratches is how it begins. You gotta get out," he said. "You need to leave."

He stood up quickly, before I could ask any questions. "Listen," he said. "I gotta go. I'm on a time crunch here. I really hope you, uh..." he was at a loss for words. "Stay safe."

Greg picked up the box he had left up front and hauled it out the front door, glancing back at me once, nodding his head, as if confirming his words, which echoed in my head. "You need to leave," he had said. "Stay safe."

I sat in the lobby for another ten minutes, cursing myself that I didn't have quarters for the Keurig. I could have gotten some hot cocoa. My aunt always made it for me when I was feeling anxious or scared.

I didn't want to go back into my apartment. But I had no choice.

Greg was right. The scratching was how it begun. It got louder, and louder. The scratches sounded longer, like someone scraping their nails across the walls in long strokes. I began to sleep with my AirPods in. The soothing sounds of ocean waves washed around me. "He was just messing with me," I thought. "It's just rats, or mice," I thought. "It's just a creaky old building, this is just in my head, this is all a dream, just a fever dream..."

I was reading in bed one afternoon. The sun was glimmering through the window, and the scratches started again. But they weren't coming from behind the desk. They were coming from the wall behind me.

I jumped out of bed, and flung my bed to the floor. I couldn't stand this anymore. I began knocking on the wall. "Hello!?" I said loudly. "Please be quiet!"

The scratching became louder. The noise traveled up the wall, creeping over my head, and onto the ceiling. RIPPP! SKREEEET!

I screamed, grabbed my phone and keys, and ran to the lobby, then outside, gasping for air. I looked around. Where was I going to go? What was I going to do?

"My realtor," I thought. "She has go to know something." The memory of her odd behavior when I accepted the space entered into my mind.

I dialed her number, and surprisingly, she picked up almost immediately.

"Hi Becca," she said. "So... how are things?"

"Listen, Pat. Please be straight with me. What is going on in this apartment."

She drew in a long, labored sigh. "What's happening to you?" she asked.

"Scratching!" I exclaimed. "My desk, it has stains on it. It's like, fingernail scratches and there is blood! There is blood, Pat! And the skritching, the scratching, it's like... creatures trapped in my walls! Is it rats? Mice? Racoons? Greg told me he heard it too." The words were rushing out of my mouth. "He said he saw something outside, Greg said that he was freaked out, Greg is moving out!" I'm almost yelling at this point.

"Hon," she said. "It's going to be okay. Meet me at the Starbucks down the street tomorrow. Does 3pm work for you?"

My breathing is slowing. "Sure," I said. "Sure. I'll see you there."

"I need to go," Pat said, sounding distracted. "I uh, I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up.

I didn't meet up with Pat the next day.

That night, the pitter patter of rain tapped gently on my window. I decided to not sleep with my AirPods in, as the rain was soothing enough.

Tap, tap! "It must be raining harder," I thought. "Tap, tap, tap." This didn't sound like rain though.

Scrreeeeeeeeeech! The sound of nails dragging on glass. Scriiiiiiiitch!

I closed my eyes tighter. "This isn't happening," I told myself. "I am dreaming, you are dreaming."

SCRIEEEEEEECCCH. I couldn't ignore it.

I shifted my head toward the window, moving at the slowest pace possibly, and saw it.

It wasn't a shadow. It was darker than a shadow. But solid. I was frozen.

Sunken eyes, sunken jowls, sunken cheekbones. The longest face, a dripping chin, like melting wax. Arms raised above it's head, claws like a bird's beak, scritching, scraping down my window. Head tilted, it noticed my presence. A small hole formed where a mouth would be. A small hole growing larger, wider. The scratching, it was scratching faster, and faster, the mouth growing larger, and larger, until it screamed louder than I could have possibly imagined, piecing my ears. Like a banshee, like a demon, a sound from the pits of hell.

I couldn't move. I couldn't look away. The shrill shriek seemed to last for eons. But then it stopped. It tilted it's head once more, and then scurried sideways out of sight.

The next morning I gathered my essentials, rented a car, texted Pat that I couldn't make it, and drove back to Indiana.

I had to break my least, which was a kick in the butt financially. I called Pat about a week later and told her that things just didn't work out.

"Oh," she said, sounding downtrodden. "Can I ask why?"

"No," I said firmly. "I am never speaking of it again." I hung up the phone.

I still see it. I see it in my nightmares. I see it in the corner of my eye. I ignore it. I think I made a mistake. I shouldn't have looked at it. I shouldn't have looked in those eyes. Those blackened, sunken eyes.

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grizzly-bear-bane · 4 years

Text

New Cigar Box, sneak peek

Arthur used to think that ‘growing up’ would be exciting, a whole new world of unlimited access right in his eighteen year old hands with this plastic ID and the wide eyed picture of himself trying his hardest not to smile. A new start, a change, a big change that meant them both moving forward, not backwards. A ticket to a bank account, for one. Legal cigarettes for another, which was a necessity for handling his stress. But most importantly, turning eighteen was an all access pass to an adult shelter he’d be able to walk right into with Eames without the threat of being hauled off by a social worker, which also meant no more Davids, no more nights spent outdoors or crashing on the floor of an apartment filled to the brim with junkies and the trappers that supplied their habits... Arthur's habit.

Habits, now.

He grimaces, taking a drink before he pours out a splash on the stone, earning glares as he toasts to Eames.

At least this time he couldn't say it was his fault that everything had gone south. They had had to abandon the car in favor of hiding in Yusuf's apartment once Eames’ demons from Chicago finally caught up to him. Three months of living a life of pure luxury in that old station wagon with its no battery, no wheels, and no gas, but it had been theirs, one promise of Eames’ fulfilled. And it had been permanent, parked in the industrial garage like a mobile home. A home.

Gone.

“Maybe a month or two in a shelter and we can circle back to the car once Travis can get the parts we need to actually get that piece of junk on the road. Then,” Eames had said, “we’ll be out of here for good.”

Only, Travis never got those parts and Eames never got to follow Arthur to the shelter. Arthur had gotten them a bed, went to sleep, woke up and Eames was still gone. No goodbyes, not a hug, nothing. Just the threat of an eight year prison sentence and the promise of deportation back to England for a stupid armed robbery.

“Don't worry about that, baby, you know your Eames always finds a way to get back to you. I'm not going anywhere.”

But even Eames didn't sound confident, not even after the trial was over.

“Two years. We can manage that... right?”

Arthur knew Eames’ tone had nothing to do with being afraid of prison. Eames wasn't afraid of anything.

Except Arthur himself, or rather the kinds of trouble Arthur could get into now that he was on his own again.

“Just keep your head down, boy, stay in the shelter as long as you can, and for god's sake, stay out of the streets.

And damn if he hadn't tried. He'd stayed put in the shelter, he’d kept pace with his medication, even jumped at the chance for free testing at the clinic on the second floor! He'd hustle once a week to keep their money growing in the account, he'd kept his head down just as Eames had told him to, tried his best to be civil with his new cot neighbors, and had done his best to stay the hell away from Yusuf, Nash, and anybody else with drugs.

But as always, ‘trying’ was just a fucking delay for the inevitable.

Even hiding out in a shelter couldn’t protect him from the one thing that had ruined him long before drugs did: men. The male counselor with his ‘clumsy’ hands, the creep in the cot closest to the bathroom, a brand new stalker…

And him.

Arthur’s been wandering the streets on a binge since spotting him, the one monster that’s been haunting his every step since puberty.

David hadn't seen Arthur but Arthur had seen him as that man loaded groceries into his minivan, a brand new batch of kids bouncing around him and his wife in excitement. Save for one boy. One scrawny little nothing sulking quietly as one of the bigger kids shoved past him.

It was enough to send Arthur into a tailspin. Even when he'd been on his own in this city, way before meeting Eames, he still hadn't ever been this scared, this sick, this damaged as he was with that monster standing just on the other side of the parking lot of where Arthur had been bouncing in a trucker’s lap for Eames’ commissary funds.

Arthur's not even sure how long he's been staring at the payphone on the sidewalk. He's been riding on a high all afternoon but it's fading. He's lonely and growing more and more sick as his anxiety starts to build up again, but he's far too terrified to call… anybody, really, certain that Yusuf and Ariadne must have tossed out his bag by now, thinking him dead in a ditch or the river after weeks of no sign of him.

After his trouble in the shelter, Eames had told him to go back to Ariadne’s place with his things where he could at least be safe from strangers even if it meant putting an end to his quest for sobriety, but Arthur had wanted to stick it out, stay clean, and prove to Eames that he could handle himself. After seeing David though, he couldn't handle the shelter any longer. Just being near a man sober sent him right into a panic attack.

It was like coming home, as easy as peeling a slice of cheese off its plastic, he'd quickly found some of Nash’s fellow junkies, though thankfully not Nash himself, and had silenced that panic. Hard.

Heroin, he found, didn’t clear out his pockets nearly as fast as coke did. How anybody could pass up cheaper, stronger drugs when high, Arthur didn’t know, but once that quick trip to the clouds was over? Replaced with puking and more puking and other fun things coming out of other fun places? He was more than happy to leave heroin forever and spend more money on a drug he could trust, one that was familiar, rather than risk any more bad trips. Unlike heroin, coke didn’t make him feel so bad so quickly. Coke didn't judge. It only held him close and kept him safe, alert, but he’d never been high on the streets by himself before.

Anxiety was one thing, but uncontrollable paranoia had had him clinging to that high just to pluck up the courage to show up at Yusuf's apartment, relieved beyond words when the squatter outside his door told him that Ariadne had left and gave him as good of an address to go find her that the dozing girl could muster.

It took him the rest of the evening and the last of his coke to find the apartment complex but he'd managed, still looking like a battered wreck after that fuck up with the truck driver.

But it didn't matter. Just like how his aunt would rush to his mother no matter how scared or how bloody her mouth was or how it stained the front of her dress, Ariadne had opened the door and hugged Arthur tight. Her long lost, chosen little brother.

It was nothing like Yusuf’s place. Small, simple, but clean and dry and safe. Even the streetlights looked that much brighter coming in through her open windows as Arthur sat at her kitchen table and let her dab days-old blood away from his busted lip. She gives him a pack a frozen broccoli to hold to his swollen cheek.

“I'm not going to preach to you, or judge or… anything… right now. I'm not even going to try to stop you. You've been through enough already.”

For some reason hearing that made him panic. He shook his head quickly. “No, no, I'm not, well, I only relapsed a few days ago.”

“Days? Arthur, you've been missing for weeks now. Eames’ been worried sick. So was I. Anything could have happened to you… and it looks like… anything did happen… Arthur--”

“I got sick and puked on a trucker in his cab so he beat the shit out of me. It's nothing--I’m going to get clean this time. I'm totally done, I promise.”

That promise had hung in the air between them, waiting for Ariadne to accept those words, but she waved them off, as disbelieving as Arthur had felt just repeating that promise himself. Even he knew he was nowhere near ready to handle a withdrawal.

It was soul crushing in its truth, but rather than leave him in that pain alone, Ariadne had gotten up to give him a hug. She’d held him for a small eternity before she’d wiped her eyes and looked at him earnestly.

“You don't have to make me any promises. I care about you, Arthur, and that’s not conditional. That being said, I'm really, really hoping that you don't go off in search of drugs while you're here, but...if you need them, then...okay. Yusuf and I are still friends even if…Just say the word and I'll get it for you. Whatever you need until you are ready to quit. Okay? Just...please stay. Everybody's so worried about you, Arthur. But you're here now, and you’re safe, and alive, and that's all that matters. We will figure out the rest later.” She'd paused, frowning even as she lowered her voice and asked, “Do you need...something...right now?”

He’d just nodded at the table, fidgeting so much he’d tangled his hands in his shirt, unable to say or do anything else without falling apart hearing her words.

“Arthur?”

He’d tried to say a simple thank you, but all he could process was David and his constant reminders that Arthur was worthless. “I don't deserve this. Especially not from you. I don't deserve any of this. I shouldn't have come here. You have your life in a good, good place here. I'm so sorry.”

“No, no, no. Why not?”

“Because…” He’d opened his mouth, ready to read off a mental list but with her rubbing his hands, even while holding them tightly to stop him from leaving, he couldn't seem to find one. He sat back in silence, staring at his hands in his lap.

#cigar box #vertebrae verse #arthur x eames #arthur/eames #sneak peeks #inception au

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aliceslantern · 4 years

Text

Heartlines, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, chapter 1

Twelve years ago, Xemnas betrayed the royal court of Radiant Garden to his father, Xehanort. Prince Ienzo flees to another city and begins university in the aftermath, hoping the anonymity will protect him from eager eyes with ill intent. The darkness spilling across the country, as well as an individual from his past, cut short Ienzo's new beginning and bring new conflicts to light. Strained between the desires of his magic and his heart, Ienzo's choice will change him forever.

Modern Fantasy AU, Soulmates, Zemyx. Updates Fridays until it's done.

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

---

“Ienzo, get away from the window. At least until you get that goo out of your hair. You look frightful.”

Ienzo scowled. “Yes, yes. Sue me for wanting to see sunshine for the first time in weeks.” He checked his timer; ten more minutes. “You’re certain this will work?”

“It did on my slides. Though admittedly that is meaningless nowadays.” He sighed, and kept cramming his books into boxes. “Have you at the very least packed?”

Ienzo gestured to the two suitcases at the door. “What else is there to do?”

“...Quite. Well.” Even ruffled a hand through his hair. “I suppose that is that, yes? Though I admit I’m looking forward to the fresh air.”

“...To think there’d be a time I’d wish I could frolic through the hills.” He rolled his eyes. His right was aching again, and without the curtain of his hair it felt very naked.

“Will you be… alright, tonight?” Even asked. He pursed his lips.

“Alright enough.”

“...Thankfully Aqua’s given us a good head start.” He sighed. “I’m hoping… after all this we’ll finally shake them. The papers should be foolproof. No traces.”

“I suppose it could be worse.”

Even rested a hand on Ienzo’s shoulder. “You deserve a taste of normalcy, at least.”

Ienzo said nothing. He was apprehensive about “normalcy”. What if a taste just made him want the unattainable? No point living above his current means. “...Quite. Well. I should try and wash this out.”

The basement apartment was small, and for the past month or so it felt like they’d been living on top of one another. It was what they’d been able to find, given the… circumstances, but honestly Ienzo was ready to leave it behind for good. He needed breathing room, away from these walls which were always damp and smelled perpetually like mildew and fried onion, away from the strange pink mold which grew on the tiles of the bathroom no matter how diligently either of them scrubbed.

The water never got quite hot, and as he scrubbed at his scalp and eyebrows it just became cooler and cooler, until finally the water ran clear. He towel-dried his hair, shivering a little, and turned towards the mirror.

“...Shit.” Ienzo sighed heavily. His hair was still, without a doubt, the strange violet-silver he’d been born with, the most visible sign of his magic abilities, his aura. It wasn’t even tinted in the slightest.

“...That does not sound good,” Even said, from the other room. (Another thing about this apartment; its paper thin walls.)

Ienzo opened the door and gave him a droll stare. Even pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Oh, child. Save frying open your hair follicles, I don’t think there’s anything else to be done. We’ve already tortured your scalp enough.”

Ienzo scowled at his reflection. “Do you truly think people will be looking for these signs where we’re going?”

Even considered. He held up strands of Ienzo’s tired, damp hair. “Perhaps not,” he said. “Many college students do torrid things to their hair.”

Ienzo considered his face one last time. He was glad to have his eye covered again. “I suppose that is true.”

They continued gathering their meager possessions in almost silence. Ienzo took one last look at the glorified walk-in closet he’d called a bedroom. He remembered other days, better days, when he’d had windows, bookshelves, days when he’d sit with Father in that rocking chair listening to those stories--

Ienzo took a quick breath. No good dwelling on any of this. In the kitchenette, he could see the sun setting… it was growing dark. The ache in his eye was worse now. He blinked, hard.

“Ienzo?”

“Right. Yes. Coming.”

---

The stars in the night sky were unusually bright. He could barely see through the pain in his eye, blind as it was. The illusion didn’t have to last long. A few hours and they’d be away from all this nonsense. He stuffed his hair under the beanie, hurriedly penciled on some eyebrows--at least makeup worked. If he were braver he’d just shave himself bald.

Even wrinkled his nose. “You look like a ne'er do well. Come on, then.”

Aqua, one of the resistance coordinators, would arrange for the pitiful remains of their things to be shipped. A black car waited for them outside, with taxi plates. Anyone would think they were going on vacation.

Even lowered his voice. “I’m told the driver knows. No need to waste your energy just yet.”

Ienzo supposed he should’ve felt anxious; but it was hard to feel anything other than the growing pain. Why? “Good.”

They loaded their bags and got in the car. It smelled like cologne, a rich, woody scent that was not at all obnoxious.

“The train station,” Even said. “Please.”

The driver didn’t say anything. Ienzo couldn’t even see their face; all he could tell was that the person was large, muscular, built. But… he fielded out with his magic timidly. Why was this person… familiar? And why was this familiarity not off-putting?

“As if Ansem would truly allow you the risk of long-haul public transport,” the deep voice said, and Ienzo’s heart leapt into his throat--

Even gasped a little. “Aeleus,” he said. “It is you… after all this time--”

“It is… good to see the two of you,” he continued. “Ienzo… you’re quite the young man now, aren’t you? I barely recognized you.”

Ienzo couldn’t quite swallow the emotion welling within him. “I’m twenty now,” he said. “But… where have you been, for--”

“I’ll explain everything,” Aeleus said. “Let’s keep things quiet, at least until we’re out of town.”

Ienzo leaned back in his seat. Aeleus . He hadn’t even known the man was still alive, let alone expected to see him ever again. He smiled despite himself.

“So Ansem is…” Even began timidly. “He’s still--”

“Yes. He sends his… regards.”

Even took a quick breath. Though it felt childish to do so, Ienzo reached across to give the man’s hand a quick squeeze. “The two of you arranged all this.”

“Forgive me for not sending word sooner.”

Even settled more comfortably. “And here I thought we’d be given over to a complete stranger.”

“For Ienzo? Never.”

---

They were all silent for a time, as the night grew darker. Ienzo wanted to ask Aeleus a thousand questions--where the man had been, what he’d been doing, how he was, how the others were. Moreover… what he thought of Ienzo now, how he looked. Being grown was the least of the changes. He hadn’t fully let himself miss any of them now--better to grieve, instead.

The city gave way to hesitant countryside, opening up into wide, empty fields. Ienzo breathed a sigh of relief, even as the pain in his eye crescendoed.

“Child,” Even began. “Are you alright?”

“My… eye is hurting,” he admitted. “I thought it would stop.”

“...What do you sense?”

Ienzo took a breath. He cast his magic out around them. He was aware he was basically setting a beacon for those that may be listening; but they were far enough out of the city that prying eyes were unlikely. “I sense nothing ,” he admitted. “Out of the ordinary, anyway.” Creatures at the side of the road, their energies, an ambient current of magic from the earth itself.

“That is… strange,” Even said. “Unless--”

“It’s a new moon,” Aeleus said. “Doesn’t that affect it?”

“Not like this,” Ienzo said. “Not usually. Usually only when there’s--” The pain spiked, and he cried out.

“Ienzo,” Even gasped. “Oh--”

Aeleus pulled over.

“Stupid,” Ienzo hissed. “They were using a jammer.”

“What?”

“Who?” Aeleus asked.

“The being that’s been following us.”

Sure enough, at the other side of the road they could see it, flickering, white, a large and graceful wolf. “How could he, during a new moon?” Even asked.

“It’s why I was thrown off. I thought it was merely interference." Ienzo swallowed the fear.

“What are we waiting for?” Even asked. “Aeleus, go.”

“If we go he’ll make chase, and find out everything,” the man said. He undid his seatbelt and pulled something from under the passenger seat. “Let me speak to the bastard.”

“No,” Ienzo said.

Aeleus took careful steps across the road, the headlights and the wolf the only thing illuminating the encounter. The wolf shifted, its light fading, into a man, one Ienzo had hoped to never see again.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Even said. “His power never works while--”

Ienzo reached out with his own, following Aeleus’s energy to hear the conversation. I’m sorry, friend, he thought. I know this is rude.

“Long live the king,” the voice said smoothly.

“What is it you want, Saïx?” Aeleus asked.

“I know she’s there.”

Ienzo could feel Even’s nails digging into his wrist.

“Whatever mutation gave you this ability is sorely mistaken,” Aeleus said. “These are merely refugees. I am allowed to transport them. I have the proper paperwork.”

“Then why does your car reek of royal magic?”

He shrugged. “You tell me. I just carry out the orders.”

“Aeleus, I know magic was never a specialty of yours, but I know you’re not an idiot.” Saïx turned and took a few steps towards the car. Ienzo winced. “You’re certainly hiding something . Else the spell would not have taken effect.”

“You’re free to talk to them. I’m sure you’ll find nothing amiss.”

Ienzo took a deep breath. He wished Aeleus had given him more warning. Shaping an illusion when he was in this much pain was bound to be a challenge. He chose random faces for himself and Even, random voices, though he was also acutely aware this man could smell when he was using magic--

He’d just have to be quick. Ienzo pulled the dagger out of his boot and slid it into the pocket of his hoodie. Saïx took long, languid steps towards them. He knocked on the window. Ienzo rolled it down, so slowly, bracing, already pulling for the spell--

“Don’t,” Even hissed.

“He already knows,” Ienzo said.

“Isn’t it a bit late, for a drive?” Saïx asked. “Enough with the smoke and mirrors, Princess.”

Ienzo screamed and forced the spell out as hard as he could, knocking Saïx some ten yards up the street. He leapt out of the car and readied another spell, but he was already on his feet, again a glowing wolf, one running at him almost faster than he could perceive. Ienzo took a deep breath, knotting his hands, shaping the magic into blades, but they all just glanced off of the wolf’s fur like they were nothing.

What had they done to him?

The wolf smashed through his magic shield and pinned him to the cold asphalt, its teeth inches from his throat--Ienzo tried to kick up a leg, to lob a spell into its ribcage, but the next thing he knew Aeleus was yanking it back by the throat with the handle of his tomahawk. Ienzo grasped at his dagger and lunged for the creature’s face--he was barely able to get in more than a superficial slash or two before it vanished into nothing, a light bouncing along the horizon in the opposite direction. The pain in his eye faded.

“Why the hell did you do that?” Even yelled.

“He already knew,” Ienzo said. “He smelled me.” He turned to Aeleus. “Are you alright?”

He sighed. “Got in a few good scratches, but nothing major.” He dabbed at his bleeding forearm. Ienzo reached for it and whispered a spell; the wound closed instantly. “I was more worried about you.”

“You’re lucky neither of you got killed,” Even hissed, grasping Ienzo’s shoulders and appraising him. “I don’t know what that lunatic did to invoke lycanthropic magic without a moon--” He exhaled. “It seems like all of our precautions were for nothing.”

“He still doesn’t know where we were headed,” Aeleus said. “Just that we’re alive, and we’re going somewhere. As long as we approach this with caution… we may be fine.”

“I hope for Ienzo’s sake you’re right.”

Aeleus sighed. “It looks like we might have to go with Plan B.”

“I’d hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but…” Even smoothed back his hair. “Yes. You are right.”

“Best to go sooner than later,” Aeleus said. “Off we go, little one.” He looked at him more closely. “I never got to see you… after…”

Ienzo dropped his eyes. There was less pleasure in this now. “It took months, with magic,” he said softly.

Aeleus gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It suits you. No.” Ienzo realized in the scuffle his hat had fallen off, leaving his hair free and, thanks to the magic use, slightly luminous. “It is who you always were, isn’t it?”

Ienzo nodded, blinking back the tears.

There was a moment where they all tried to gather themselves. “Yes, yes,” Even said. “Enough with the drama. We haven’t got all night.”

They got back in the car and drove off.

#heartlines #ienzo #even (kingdom hearts)#aeleus #saix #fanfic #zemyx (eventually)#au

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dantetv · 5 years

Text

It was a story...

Ed bent over to pick up the next box off the truck and laid it on the loading dock. Sun wasn't quite up yet, the wind still had a chill to it from the night. A few stars decorated the sky still. But the ache in his arms pretty much occupied his mind. He looked into the truck at the remaining thirty or so bigger boxes, then just sat down on the dock.

Needed a minute, Ed thought. Few more months, then he'd retire. Maybe Malibu. Or someplace warm. Eh, who was he kidding? Probably just ignore the world til Christmas. Maybe longer. He looked up as a couple walked by. Plainly but nicely dressed, they looked like they had Asian features. He caught the eye of one, who gave him a nod. Then a wink. They kept on walking up the street, probably for breakfast.

Ed shook his head. He imagined the wink, had to. It was almost like they knew him. He stood up, shaking his head again then hands to loosen them up. Get distracted too easy these days Ed, he thought. Gotta stay focused on your work. Wasnt like there was a going to be a 'flash of light' or something that would appear out of thin air. He took the little blue egg-sized stress ball from his pocket, giving it a few pumps in each hand. Need to get my focus, Ed thought. Bang out this last batch of boxes then head over to Gregg's Shop for a slice and a cup of coffee. Could've eaten breakfast first. But with all the idiots that come flying in to unload thinking they are entitled to their own special spot on the dock, just ain't worth the aggravation. Tho watching that one guy gets into an argument with a lady over her delivery yesterday was priceless. Beat the shit out of Jerry Springer. Best guess is the guy did a bid on the delivery, parcel unseen, in a fit of rage to beat out another shipper. However, he didn't realize what she had wasn't a movie prop. It was full-scale, military grade. He tried to weasel his way out of it, saying he didn't have licenses after she blew up when he tried to hit her up for money. No shit. He can still hear her words echoing all over the dock at the top of her lungs.

"But how am I going to get my field cannon home????"

Ed was just waiting to see after the guy finally left her in the lurch if she was going to load it up and blast his ass. Would've been funny as hell. Tho anyone asked, he didn't see shit. But when he came in this morning, it was gone. Wonder what kind of home she had that she needed a field cannon. Or for that matter, why the hell she needed one. Ed heard a noise in the corner, a rat looked like it had been in a fight with something and was flailing in a puddle of trash. Didn't look so good, tho no reason anything should need to suffer an end like that. Ed took out a broomstick and moved away from the trash, flipping a piece of string that had gotten tangled around the rat's neck. There ya go, little fellow, Ed thought. The rat did a few flips on its sides before righting itself. After a minute, it ran down a dark side of the wall out of Ed's sight.

Ed then heard the sound of a bicycle tire squeal and a young voice call to him. Shoot, he forgot. He waved at the voice and walked into the trailer, grabbing a large stack of papers. As he came out, he dropped the papers on the dock in front of a young boy, wearing a ball cap and jacket. The kid already had his swiss army knife out, cutting the string and starting to roll the papers into a bag he had.

Ed smiled. Nice to see a kid up early, trying to make some money for some sort of dooflicky thing. Wasn't sure if it was a video game, book, or someplace the kid wanted to go to. Maybe it was a movie he meant. Ed didn't know nor did he ask. The kid was on a schedule and he wasn't going to mess with his mojo. Ed went back into the truck for another box and came back out, noticing a tall man standing by the lamp post watching them. He looked like a mortician. Probably some guy that had a long night partying and wound up here to sober up. Didn't seem like a freak and the kid didn't seem fazed. It had been a very long time since Ed saw any form of law enforcement down here. Have to think on over coffee the last time it was later.

Ed turned his back, the young voice saying something as it trailed off. Ed turned back around, watching the kid disappear on his bike. The tall man in black was gone. Heck, for that matter, Ed seemed to be the only one around. The kid had left a paper for him, one of the extras they get in case one gets damaged when they're delivering them. He glanced over the headlines, reports of the death of Harry Stone, some great TV producer. His stars were planning a benefit in honor of him for some charity or another. Probably wanting to use it as a launching event for a new company while there was still some of Harry's warmth in people's minds. Or wherever they wanted it.

Ed flipped it to the back, some ads for alcohol and small news story on another death in Millville. Cub reporter, Ed thought. It was only a few lines. But it got this kid their first credit. Gotta start somewhere, Ed thought.

Ed went back into the trailer and grabbed what looked like a light box. Idiot kids liked to do it ass backward, lifting all the heavy stuff then the light. It all has to get unloaded. This way, he could have more room to shimmy the heavy stuff out. Ed had just placed one foot on the dock when the bottom of the box opened and its contents spilled out. Ed cursed, flipping the box over and tossing the contents back in before anyone saw anything. The top was still taped so he could just fake...

It was a hat that stopped him. A Totenkopf. He froze for a moment, then pulled himself together and threw it all in the box. It wasn't his business nor his shipment. He didn't even want to know why there was a pair of black stiletto boots in there. He got it all back in and folded the box together.

Shit, he thought. That took a lot out of him. Ed was feeling the need more and more for that coffee. Just to take the edge off, he thought. He started to go back into the trailer, then just shook his head. Naw, I gotta get the coffee. A few minutes later, Ed was still laughing after the service Gregg gave some tourist about their food. Gregg was in rare form, dousing the entire plate of pancakes in syrup. Then he set it on fire. There's your crepes, he said. Yea. Gregg....

Ed stopped in his tracks. The trailer he was unloading was gone. All the stuff he unloaded was also gone. But that was impossible. This town was too small for theft like this. Plus any truck that could haul this thing would have made a ton of noise going past the coffee shop. Ed checked his watch and the clocks in the loading dock office. They said the same thing, he was only gone for five minutes. Absolutely no way. Ed thought he might have been finally starting to lose it when he saw the newspaper the kid had left him was still in the office. Ads for frying pans and the new Pixie camera plus the article on the Millville Deep deaths.

He went back out, jumping off the loading dock and into the yard. It was all pavement, so no tracks. Ed then noticed a woman in all black holding up a lamp post across the road from the dock. He opened the gate and started walking towards her. She took a long draw on the cigarette she was smoking.

'Ed, we have a deal.' she said. 'I can do my thing until sunrise without hassle. We agreed to that.'

Ed nodded. 'Yea, yea. Don't care. I do care about what happened to the trailer I was unloading this morning. Did you see who took it?'

The woman took another draw on her cigarette, weighing her options as to whether or not it was worth asking for money. Before she spoke, Ed already had a $20 in his hand. Her eyes riveted to it, her top starting to open reflexively when she caught herself. Ed smiled. 'Just the info. I already had my breakfast.' She grabbed the $20, tho Ed didn't let it go. 'And what happened..', Ed asked?

The woman took a last hit on the cigarette, then dropped it to the ground and crushed it out.

TO BE CONTINUED...

MILLVILLE DEEP MYSTERY An Acme Detective Agency Campaign

#dantetv #millvilledeep #gaming

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