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#how are they supposed to hide their scary eyes without extensive bangs??
lynxgriffin · 1 year
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Do you think Susie would agree to get a haircut? Would she only want a trim, or would she go for a short hair style? Either way, Noelle would love how Susie did her hair.
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I think you'd be hard-pressed to get Susie or Kris to get a haircut!
I mean sure eventually they'd agree and probably just get a trim and it'd look cute, but they'd be such big babies about it.
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zedwards · 3 years
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MOVIE DATES WITH STRAY KIDS
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stray kids x reader
genre: fluff
word count: 1.8k
warnings: intended for male reader, but can be read as gender neutral; my first fic 👉👈 im nervous; lowercase aesthetic; does “bastard” count as a swear word..?
i hope you enjoy this little gift :)
bang chan
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he likes romantic comedies
tbh being chan’s s/o would feel like a romcom of its own
since he doesn’t like crowds, your movie dates together usually wouldn’t involve actually going to the movies
instead you’d probably both opt to stay in for the night and watch a movie on the couch
under multiple blankets
in each other’s arms
hugs and cuddles
with the occasional kiss on the top of your head
it’s so soft
it’s chan :)))
he does the little claps at the end of the movie
because happy endings ^–^
y’know those awkward scenes where the main couple meets for the first time?
he likes to point out which character you were most similar to when the two of you first met
“i didn’t know you were in this movie!”
“you look so different! i could hardly recognize you!”
he’s such a dork
all your movie nights would end in one of three ways:
1.) you falling asleep in his arms
2.) him falling asleep holding you close (yeah not really, this man doesn’t sleep that much T_T)
or 3.) you both make it through the movie, and one of you says something like
“this is nice...i wish we could just stay like this”
and so you both (in theory) fall asleep right where you are
either way, chan is the best boyfriend and neither of you know what you did to deserve each other
lee know
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he’d get you to go see a horror movie
even if you protest, he’d manage to convince you somehow
pokes fun at you every time you get scared
during a suspenseful part in the movie, he’d suddenly put his hands on your shoulders and shake you (lightly) out of nowhere, just to startle you
and he’d have to stifle his giggles because your reaction is just too priceless
absolutely relishes in how you never let go of his arm
like ever
seriously, his arm might as well be an extension of your body at this point
he may act like he’s annoyed
but he loves it
cuz he knows it’s because you feel safe with him
and if you hide your face in the crook of his neck
he’d get this look on his face...
something between an evil smirk and an amused grin
why? because his plan is working
plot twist: the whole reason he chose to see a horror movie with you was so that you would cling to him
surprise!! >:]
but even if you catch on, he’ll never admit it
tsundere
“did you even see any of the movie?”
you just kinda grumble in response, still latched onto his arm
“i can’t believe it... i so generously paid for your ticket, only for you to hide your face the whole ti- OW!”
you jab him in the side with your elbow give him a “love tap” :)
but it’ll take more than that to get him to stop teasing you about it
he’s a cocky bastard but you love him to death for it
seo changbin
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superhero movie!!!
like something from the mcu
seeing him get so excited/invested in the movie??
wholesome
but he might get a little too excited
in other words, going to the movies with changbin is an...interactive experience
meaning that he talks at the movie
not to the movie, but at the movie
like...he talks at the characters on screen
as if they can hear him
honestly it’s kinda cute
but occasionally you have to remind him to keep his voice down
“HE TRIED TO TELL YOU NOT TO TOUCH THE STONE”
“shhhh alright calm down a bit-”
“...AND NOW YOU DEAD”
“changbin i love you but please don’t get us kicked out of the theater”
10/10 would have his arm around you throughout the movie
even if his arm goes numb, he’d refuse to let anything stop him
“changbin, you don’t have t-”
“CUDDLES.”
lowkey feels like a pillow
bc he beefy
on very rare occasions he might fall asleep during the movie
if he does end up dozing off and you catch him in the act, he’d deny it profusely
he likes to spontaneously slip his hand into yours :)
and lace your fingers together :))
you’re holding hands now :)))
his presence is just so warm and fuzzy and you make each other so happy
hwang hyunjin
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THIS MAN
the funnest(?) most fun bf in existence
he’s definitely the type to try and smuggle outside food into the theater
he insists that he’s inconspicuous about it
and he tries to be
but he’s not :)
“uh... hyunjin, why are you wearing two hoodies?”
“i uh... i’m... cold?”
“so you’re sticking bags of microwaveable popcorn in between your sweatshirts...to keep warm?”
*visibly sweating* “i can explain...”
ok ok
so y’all seeing a comedy
why?
because HIS LAUGH OMG
it’s so bubbly and contagious
so naturally, you’d both be laughing up a storm at the back of the theater
and sometimes it’s because of the movie
but most of the time it’s because of the side comments the two of you keep making to each other
and it doesn’t help that he keeps making these ridiculous observations about the characters in the movie
“what’s up with that guy?”
“what about him?”
“why is he built like a refrigerator?”
about halfway through the movie, you both reach that delirious state where literally anything and everything becomes funny
even if it’s not supposed to be funny
...especially if it’s not supposed to be funny
the two of you? lowkey hyenas
long story short, you’re both asked to leave the theater not even two hours into the film :)
han jisung
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action!! movie!!
finishes the popcorn within the first ten minutes of the film
that is, if he doesn’t scarf it all down during the previews
he talks through the entIRE THING
he’s always got something to say
it’s like watching the director’s commentary version of a movie
but instead of the director talking about the film-making process
it’s jisung muttering nonsense in your ear
sometimes pertaining to the movie
and other times...
“hey did i ever tell you about the time i saw a seagull eating garbage?”
...yeah, other times it’s...not
either way, you don’t mind
because you aren’t really paying much attention to the movie anyways
you’re too busy admiring your boyfriend
how could you not?
the way he’s on the edge of his seat, giving the movie his full attention...
the light from the screen flickering dimly on his face, highlighting his gentle features...
you’re the luckiest person in the world, no doubt
his eyes light up whenever something particularly cool/badass happens in the movie
but he also gets startled by the explosions every now and then
when that happens, you just look at each other for a moment
and then burst into a fit of giggles
“stoooppp!! it was loud, ok??”
you just hum in response and rest your head on his shoulder
y’know that thing he does where like...
he’s giggling, but he has something he wants to say, so he keeps trying to talk?
but his words keep getting cut off by his own laughter?
yeah... that’s what he’s doing
he’s adorable
lee felix
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animated movie
a firm believer that you’re never too old to enjoy cartoons
he never lost that child-like energy/enthusiasm, which is part of what makes him such a gem
so of course, when the new disney movie came out, he knew he had to go see it with you
he would definitely load up on snacks from concessions
if you don’t stop him, he’s gonna be buying two giant things of popcorn and at least five different kinds of candy
and when he walks back to you after paying, he’d just smile brightly from behind the mountain of junk food in his hands like
“snacks :D!!!!!”
seriously though, try to keep track of how much popcorn he eats
bc he might overeat and get a stomachache :((
obviously he can take care of him self, cuz he’s an adult
but like
he loves when you look out for him
because he knows just how much you care about him
sunshine boy :((
y’all already know how much of a cuddle bug this man is
so of course that means lots of cute, affectionate gestures during the movie
skinship
holding hands
you resting your head on his shoulder
and him resting his head on top of your head
and most importantly SNUGGLES
snuggles are a must
for him, movie dates are just an excuse to be extra touchy with you
even though he never needs an excuse to get cuddles whenever he wants
because c’mon
it’s felix
what are you gonna do, say no?
kim seungmin
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murder mystery film
tends not to talk all that much during movies
he’d just be so completely engrossed in the movie that he’d forget about his surroundings
but that’s not to say he won’t hold your hand or drape his arm over your shoulders
every now and then you can catch him leaning forward in his seat
with his mouth slightly ajar
it’s so endearing
but if for whatever reason you want to get his attention...
heh...
yeah, good luck with that
you’d have to maybe give his hand a lil squeeze to get his attention
and at first he’d just turn his head in your direction, keeping his eyes glued to the movie
but if you gave his hand another squeeze, he’d snap out of it
“psst...seungmin”
“mm.”
“hey, seungmin?”
“huh? yeah?”
“i love you”
if that doesn’t make his heart SWELL—
his dazed expression would quickly shift into one of pure elation and fondness
he might not respond verbally
but he’d gently bring your hand up to his lips
press a soft kiss atop your knuckles
and then lower your hand again without letting go, turning his attention back to the movie
but that bright smile of his would never falter for even a moment
he loves you too
so so much :)
yang jeongin
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another one for romantic comedies
he likes it when there’s a little less “rom” and slightly more “com”
and so do you
because it means you get to hear his laugh more
oh god...
his laugh
the little giggles in between the short gasps for air...
so cute
“no. i’m not cute.”
he is very cute
probably won’t initiate any skinship
but if you do, he will absolutely go along with it
sometimes he’ll nod off in the middle of a movie
and then wake up during the credits, completely disoriented
“where am i”
“you fell asleep”
“huh??”
“you drooled a little on my shoulder, you goof”
unlike hyunjin, he’s really good at sneaking food into the theaters
like really really good
almost to the point that it’s scary
usually people try to sneak in popcorn or candy or maybe soda
well not jeongin
“hey, you want some?”
“what the- HOW DID YOU GET A BUCKET OF FRIED CHICKEN IN HERE”
“:]”
he’s not telling
like or reblog if you enjoyed ^^ feedback is always welcome and very much appreciated!
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cazziamo · 6 years
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Runaway [5]
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Requested: No
Group/Member: Exo/Baekhyun
Word Count: 3,369 words
Summary: All it takes is being at the wrong place, at the wrong time for you to be dragged back into the world you had tried so hard to leave behind.
"Well, this is a problem." Suho reclined in his leather chair, leaning as far back as he could, arms crossed and brows furrowed. You snorted at the understatement but didn't respond further, only shifting your weight in the much less comfortable chair. You had only been in Suho's presence for a total of an hour tops, from the moment you woke up in the cell. You didn't know how he would react, how he vented. You knee he was angry at the situation, but you didn't know if that anger extended to you as well, and if it did, if he was the punishing type. 
The four of you had come back from your apartment, having peeled out of your parking spot and off the street moments before the squad of police cars came roaring onto it, and explained the whole situation to Suho. He had sat silently through the entire explanation, with zero interruptions, zero movement, zero blinks for Christ's sake, and to be honest, it scared you. No one should be able to be that calm.
"Do they know it was us?" Suho finally began asking questions, sill sitting back in his chair. 
You shook your head. "I don't know. I wouldn't think so since you guys are mostly faceless in your dealings and even I didn't know you guys at first, but it also wasn't hard to figure out and the Owls have a habit of keeping very good tabs on any competition. It's a toss up. But," you hesitated, but at Suho's nod, continued. "They know I'm with whoever it was, so they'll most likely be digging. A lot."
"Why do they need you so bad?" He asked, not unkindly. The tone of his voice surprised me, startled you enough that you uncrossed your legs and felt forced to look up. The two of you made eye contact, and they were softened a bit, the anger they had earlier no where to be seen. 
"I-" your voice broke, and so you took a second to clear your throat before continuing. "I left. You can't just leave a gang. So they want to kill me. Y'know, protect the secrets and all the bullshit."
"There's more to it than that." Suho shot back immediately, and you recoiled back into your seat again.
"There was a... rebellion of sorts. Our leader before, people didn't like the way he was doing things. So they allied with enemy gangs, sold information in exchange for weapons, all kinds of things. The wanted him dead, along with his top two workers. One of which was me." You stopped there, but Suho had leaned against his desk by now, and he cocked an eyebrow as an indication to continue. "Kris and I found out the night it was supposed to happen and we rushed to go find Han but by then they were already in there, and so they hurried up and shot him before turning on us. Kris got two or three of them, I got a couple. Kris got shot, I took the key and ran. Almost a year later and here we are." You shrug, making it seem nonchalant, but the panting from the rushed sentences and the shaking of your legs gave you away.
"The key to what?" 
Your leg stilled immediately, breath hitching in your throat. You hadn't even realized that you had mentioned the key in your nervous rambling. 
"The key to what?" Suho repeated himself, firmly this time.
"The key to Han's safe." You said quietly. "He had files upon files in there- on the police, on members of the FBI, contacts, appraisers, extensive background checks and history on many members from rival gangs, the damn life story of most of their leaders. What the old man could take over with his guns, he had the information, the leverage for. They wanted to get the safe, sell copies of the information and then try to take over all the surrounding gangs. We couldn't let them do that, especially not when they needed to kill off half of their own gang to accomplish it. So I stole the key and went."
Suho remained quiet, only staring at you. It was a little unnerving, to be honest. You had never seen somebody look that comment something like that before, like you we're reciting a grocery list or a list of encounters you would had that day. You had just told him about the reason you left your gang, about the secret stash of information that your leader had, about all the people that your own gang members had killed, and yet here he was- gently making eye contact, not even looking the slightest bit mad. You just didn't understand it. No matter how you looked at it- it just didn't make sense.
"So you're saying you have the means to make any gang basically untouchable." At his words, you nodded, although hesitantly. "And you were going to keep it from us?" You nodded again. "Why?" It came out sharp and harsh, and way louder than any of his words before it. Suho was scary like that. He could go from zero to full speed in a split second, full throttle before you could finish blinking. The quickness of it made you flinch, but it also caused you to square your shoulders, the fire in you having been re-lit. 
"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you speaking to?" You snarled. "Is it one of your lackeys? A member of your gang? A friend? I'm not a single one of those things, so shut up and realize this- why would I have told you?" He looked so completely taken aback by your sudden rebellion that you took the opportunity to continue. "None of you are worth anything to me. I don't trust a single one of you with my middle name, much less this kind of secret. Why would I give it up? Besides, if I were to tell you guys and give you the key, you get the info. Since I'm the only one who knows where the key is, they find out you have it, they find me. Not like any of it matters now." You muttered the last part, childishly pouting now that you had vented your anger. 
"They know where you are anyway, so what's the point? I'm not asking you to give me the key, but just tell me where you have it." He had stood up earlier, and was not sitting down again, obviously putting great effort into staying calm after your blow-up, which you were grateful for. 
Here's the thing- the key was the last thing you had from Han, the reason you weren't sure if you would ever get to see Kris again. It was safe with you, and the damn thing didn't even look like a key. If you died, the key died with you. You didn't want to give it up, not for anyone. But at the same time, these boys had done more for you than your first gang had ever done. People were after you, and they were trying to help you. They also didn't torture you for one, or kill you, which was actually pretty nice of them considering the circumstances. Even if you just told them were it was, they weren't going to take it. You were confident in that. So, you reached into the inside pocket of your jacket and pulled out the key.
The second that passed next was one of observation, and then the one after that was spent flinching at Xiumin's sudden burst of loud laughter. It continued for a long time, probably a full thirsty seconds to a minute of nothing but him laughing, and you staring back at him, completely unamused. Xiumin was thrown into a bout of wheezes that turned into coughs, and you finally snapped. 
"What's so funny?" You had meant to sound tough, but it came out more of a whine. 
"The goddamn necklace." He responded, finally catching his breathe. "Of course it's the necklace. Like, I'm surprised by the fact that this surprises me."
"Hiding in plain sight." You said as an answer, shrugging. "And that's only in plain sight if they knew where I was, Which, for a year, none of them did."
Suho laced his fingers together and sighed heavily, dropping his head down to rest on his arms. "[Y/N], why don't you go get yourself something to eat and then try and get some rest. We'll figure out where to go from here tomorrow."
Too tired to argue, you simply nodded, reaching a hand up to rub your eyes, fingers trailing closer together again to pinch the bridge of your nose. You hadn't been in a fire fight in a while- you swore the loud bangs were still echoing in your mind, replaying over and over again. You had wanted out for so long, you had actually gotten out, and with that had come the promise that you wouldn't kill again. You had broken it, and even though you tried to tell yourself it was you or them, the tears welled up in your eyes.
By this point, you had turned and left the room. You kept your eyes wide open, hoping desperately that if you didn't blink then the tears wouldn't fall. But with the new ones constantly welling up without the old ones being shed, the tears began to fall anyway. It made you feel weak, and stupid- just like you had when you were first dragged into this life. You didn't have anyone to fight for anymore. At first, it was all to help your brother.. You worked so hard for so long, sending him everything you could. But then he found out how you made the money, and cut everything off. Then you had Han and Kris, the only ones who had accepted you, but they were both gone now too, leaving you broke and alone in the normal life you had tried to leave behind. And now you've come full circle, with no one to fight for but yourself, and you weren't sure you had the motivation.
You didn't want this life. Not again. You didn't want to fight anymore, you didn't want to kill anymore. You had been doing so well, so fucking well, until Baekhyun ruined everything. And even then, no matter the front you put up, you couldn't hate him for it. You had once been Baekhyun; you were the one to do the messy deals, and the one to clean up after yourself and others. You had been the one to bring innocent people in and hand them over to the interrogator, to your gangs Xiumin. You had been the reason so many people were dead. 
These thoughts made you weak, and you knew it. But you were tired of all of it. If being strong meant you had to continue, you didn't want it. You wanted to be weak. You wanted to yell and scream and cry out of frustration as all of the memories of your actions came back, reliving everything from the moment Han found you n the side of the road, face bruised and wet from your own tears. He had taught you to be strong. If he could see you now, he would have been disappointed. The thought choked a sad laugh from you, causing your eyes to squeeze shut and the tears to finally fall. 
You skipped entirely past the kitchen, in no mood to eat. The room you had been given wasn't far from it, so if you somehow wound up in the mood t eat later (which was doubtful) you would just grab something then. You continued on, pressing your hand against your mouth to muffle the coming sobs, slamming your door open and practically throwing yourself in. You stumbled, blinded now, pressing your back against the door to close it. It slammed shut and the impact caused you to loose your balance, but you didn't fight it, just simply slid to the floor, and began to cry. 
"[Y/N]?"
At the sound of his voice, your head snapped up, far enough and quick enough to hit the door. "What the fuck?" 
"Well, sorry." Baekhyun snapped, probably offended by the tone of your voice. "I wasn't expecting you to throw yourself in here mid break down."
"Why are you in my room?" You muttered the question, voice heavy and thick. You cleared your throat and tried again. "Why are you in my room?"
"Well, I was gonna rub what happened in your face but now that you're crying, I can tell it isn't the time." At your miserable scoff, he frowned. "I'm not that  big of an asshole. Now c'mon, get off the damn floor."
You hadn't even seen him get up, much less noticed when he wound up close enough to you to grab a hold of your arm. You didn't have the energy to fight him, so you let him pull you up, sniffling again as you wiped your nose with your sleeve. Baekhyun was supporting most of your weight, leading you to your bed where you scooted back and curled up against the wall. He shook his head at you, but you just glared weakly, otherwise ignoring him.
"Why are you crying?" He asked you, not unkindly. It was sort of throwing you for a loop. 
"Don't worry about it." Your answer came automatically, but the voice crack gave you away. 
"Spit it out." He huffed, dropping down on the bed next to you, slaying out. He propped his feet up on the wall, staring at you. "Is it cause you got found out?"
You hummed in response, closing your eyes. "I was so happy to be out. I had tried so hard to stay gone, and I was doing so well-" You cut yourself off as the tears began to well up again. "He- He said I was a killer, and that he wanted nothing to do with someone like me. So I found a way out, I wanted him back, he wasn't safe there, I needed to get him but he wouldn't come, he wouldn't come." You rambles dissolved into cries, and those cries into high pitched whines. Baekhyun was more than confused, but he didn't speak. "I promised him I wouldn't go back, I promised him I wouldn't kill again. But I lied to him. I'm back and I killed four people today. And I'm the reason that even more are dead. Now they know where I am, they know I'm back. They're gonna come after me and if they can't get me then they'll go after him, and I can't let them get him. Baekhyun, they can't get him."  Baekhyun scoffed, and even though you didn't see it, you knew he was rolling his eyes. "All of this over some stupid guy? Jesus, even I thought you would be better." The bed creaked as he began to get up, not wanting to hear anything else. "Not some guy. My little brother." At your words, the movement stopped, and you heard a faint sigh as Baekhyun eased himself back onto the bed.  "That's what you're so pressed over? So why don't you just bring him here?" "He wanted nothing to do with me while I was living this life. He barely kept contact with me once I told him I was out. I-I've been sending him money so he can-" You stopped to try and catch your breath, sniffling. "So he can live on his own. He has a job, but with that and... and school, and food and bills, it just isn't enough. And I can't let him go back with out parents. If he knows that I've been dragged back into it, then number one, he won't come, and number two, he'll have to go back home. And I can't l-let that happen." You moved to press the heels of your hand into your eyes, hiccupping. 
"No, no, don't fucking do that." Baekhyun whined, reaching over to grab your wrist. He pulled your hands away from your eyes, and then awkwardly moved them up to pat your head, long fingers flattening on top of your hair and then slowly stroking down. "I really fucked things up for you, huh." It was said like a question, and you could feel that he hadn't meant it as one.
What surprised you the most was the tone he had said it in; it was sad and almost guilty, like he was beginning to regret bringing you here. The irrational, emotional part of you wanted him to feel much, much worse, but the rational part of you knew that it couldn't be helped. He was close enough to you now that your shoulders were touching, so you relaxed, putting your weight on his side. He didn't shift at all, just turning to look down at you. You didn't look back, just closed your eyes. "It's not your fault." You said, but even you could hear how unsure you sounded. "You were just doing your job. It's not your fault." You said, more certain this time.  
He hummed in response, but otherwise didn't do anything. The room lulled into a comfortable silence, your sniffles being the only audible sound in the room.  Even those stopped soon enough, and the last thing you remembered was Baekhyun shifting, putting his arm around your shoulders, and a pressure on the top of your head. 
When you woke up, it was alone, and tucked tightly into your covers. Your light was off, and the curtains drawn so not much light was getting in. The clock on your bed-stand said it was nine thirty in the morning, which was a bit surprising. For a life-style like yours, this was considered sleeping late. Rubbing your eyes, you started to get out of bed, going about your morning routine. Face washed, teeth brushed, and dressed in somewhat decent clothes before heading to the kitchen for something to eat. Most of the boys were already milling about, dressed and n their phones. There was already a pot of coffee made, so you grabbed a cup and poured yourself some, adding creamer to it and stirring as you went to sit down.
"No sugar?" Suho asked you absentmindedly. 
"No, creamer is enough. Sugar will make it too sweet." He hummed in response, sipping his own coffee. 
"We need to figure out what to do, you know." He said this suddenly, almost rushing the words. You set your coffee down and sunk further down into your chair, huffing.
"I know," You muttered petulantly. "But it's not like you can just take down the whole gang. There's no way. And on top of that, they've made allies. So if you go against them, you have to worry about everyone else too."
Suho laughed loudly, and it made you jump. "I don't have to worry about anyone. You seem to forget that we're one of the strongest, furthest reaching gangs in the country. I run all of them." He said this gesturing to the boys in the kitchen. "And then each of them run at least three districts. Meaning they have a lot, and I mean, a lot of men working for them. And then those men have people that work for them. And then I can't let you forget that we have allies too." He smirked and brought the cup back to his lips, taking a long sip. 
You cocked an eyebrow up. "Then what do you propose we do? Start a war?"
"If we have to." He shrugged. "But in reality, all we have to do is take out whoever it is that took over, and then they're under my control." 
"And how do you plan on luring him out? He'll just send lower men in his place, disposable people."
"We give him what he wants." 
You had been drinking when he said that, and almost immediately choked. "You don't mean-"
"Oh yes I do mean. [Y/N], you're going to be bait. Go get dressed."
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tysonrunningfox · 6 years
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Mending Bridges
So this is so late that it’s early because I needed to add the whole giant scene that’s most of it because I was missing some fuse/feret/smitelout/smingrid/arvid development as I read through.  So it’s like 8000 words.  I’m not even going to apologize.  
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Ingrid doesn’t cry when Gobber sees her hand.  She unwraps the bandage herself and holds it out, more annoyed than anything, and like I expected, he declares it clean and healing.  I give Gobber a ride to the chief’s house but come back afterwards, feeling like I need to check on her because bringing Gobber in was my idea in the first place and after this morning, I’m not really sure what might set her off.  When I get back, she’s asleep in the chair in front of the fire where she’s slept every night since getting home and I cross the room, thinking about taking her boots off for her but well…that’s the kind of thing she might react badly to, isn’t it?
I build up the fire and look at Arvid’s cracked opened door down the hallway.  He’s snoring but he’s here and I can leave and go get some actual rest but I feel bad.  
Arvid doesn’t know the truth. Dad doesn’t even know the truth and what if she gets upset again? What if it’s as bad as earlier or the other day?  
I sit down at the table and rest my head on my hands, trying and failing not to think too hard about it. It’s Ingrid.  She was never affected by anything, let alone a week later.
And I can’t help think about all of us, about how it was safe enough off island for the chief to be gone for months at a time and nothing like this ever happened to him. And yeah, he had a night fury but…it’s Ingrid.  Ingrid who never lost a fight, Ingrid who was strong and with someone and had a dragon too. What if it’s not just the dragons leaving Berk, what if the whole world is changing?  What if I’ve been looking at one tiny part of a whole big problem?
Or what if it was just random?  
That’s almost worse, because well…I’ve always dreamed of leaving, in some way.  Not often, not for forever, but there’s a whole world I’ve never seen out there and never before now has that fact felt threatening.  It makes me think about Fuse, going to neighboring islands for supplies and just…being a fixture there even though it could be dangerous.  And Fuse isn’t someone I’ve ever felt I had to protect, maybe from my own idiocy, but neither was Ingrid.  
If this can happen to Ingrid, it feels like it can happen to anyone anytime and that’s terrifying.  
If the dragons are sick, does that mean people are turning on each other everywhere?  When there’s no monster in the woods does something have to replace it?  
And that makes me want to go out there and fight it, it makes me want to push back.  And that’s scary too because well…when Arvid fought me, I fought back.  That was the last time I made a decision like this, really maybe the only time because yes, I’m a Viking, my childhood was skirmishes and bloody noses and hiding torn clothes from Mom but none of those people actually wanted to hurt me in any real way.  Arvid did, for a while, because like me he thought that if I hurt he might hurt a little less, but even then he was my brother.  He’s tough but—
Well, he’d never cut off half my hand.  
For the first time, going out there, beyond the extension of Berk’s reach feels truly dangerous. Flying out there with a bunch of bombs like I know what I’m going to find when I haven’t been to the dragon island in months feels dangerous.  Like it could fail.  Like someone could get hurt.  
The door opens and Dad walks in, pausing when he sees me.  I nod at him and look back at the table, thoughts jumbled but still very much there and very much depressing.  
“Are you staying here?” He asks and I almost don’t look up, because it seems more likely that I’m finally snapping and imagining things. “Arvid said he was taking a shift.”
“He is.”  I look around, trying to find something to focus on other than him and the weight of the stretching silence.  “I’m just…here.���  
“Do you not trust him?” Dad asks me like he actually wants to hear an answer and I shake my head.  
“I trust him fine. There are what?  Three dragons in the barn, Bang’s…” I gesture to him where he’s snoring gently in front of the fire.  “Nothing’s going to happen to her, I know that.”  
“You look tired.”  He looks at his old chair like he’s thinking about sitting down but I don’t hold my breath.  
“You care?”  
“Odin,” he looks old and sad and I miss him like it should be impossible to miss someone right in front of you.  I miss him calming me down and building me up and being there, steady the way the chief isn’t, the way the chief could never be.  “Of course I care.”  
“Of course.”  I mimic, tone hollow, and he sits down, the chair dragging loud across the floor.  Ingrid shifts in her sleep, curling further into the pile of blankets on top of her and I’m not sure where to look.  Dad’s looking at me like he used to when I was doing something he didn’t understand. Something that wasn’t part of him or Mom or the part of the chief he accepted as necessary.  
“It’s been good having you here.  It almost feels normal again.”  He doesn’t sound like he’s lying and I hate that I know what his lies sound like. That my definition of normal is shattered while other people’s still exist.  
But I can’t help but hear that maybe in some way, I’m still a part of his normal.  
“Normal but without Mom.” It comes out at the same time as I’m thinking it and I remind myself of Arvid earlier, poking old wounds just to check that the conflict is dead.  
“Maybe it was always without her.”  He’s the sad kind of resigned that I can’t get to.  He and Arvid and even Ingrid can let things go, they can give up without falling apart.  They don’t drive themselves insane for months, pecking at the same problem even if they know they can’t get anywhere.  
“That’s not true,” I shake my head and look up at him, feeling my placid mask start to slip.  I want to talk to him, I want this to feel final the way that everything else is starting to and I want it to be somewhere else when it does.  “She was here every day.  If anyone was half-hearted about it, I’d have to put that on Rolf.”  
“You’re not wrong about that,” Dad rolls his eyes, “now that he’s heard a council seat might be empty soon, he’ll barely talk to me, let alone in public.”  
“I’ll keep him in line,” I mime punching my palm, “the council pretty much follows me around all the time and asks me to make their decisions for them so…”  
“The chief thinks you’re doing a good job.”  Dad passes on the compliment like a package he didn’t necessarily want to deliver but got roped into it and it makes me feel strange because I shouldn’t care but I do. “He told me.  You’re about the only thing he can talk about without me wanting to throttle him.”  
“I’m the new ‘how’s the weather’?” I weigh that for a second before shrugging, “that’s kind of a compliment, I guess.”  
“Do you want to talk about it?”  
“About the weather?” I think of Fuse as I say it and that makes this even weirder because he doesn’t know and he always knew everything about me.  
“About whatever has you sitting in the dark and staring into space.”  
“You aren’t really someone I talk to about stuff like that anymore.”  I don’t say it to hurt anyone but his face falls.  
“And that’s my fault.”
“I haven’t been the most exemplary son this year either.”  I look at my hands, “if, you know, for the record, you still think of me that way after—”
“Of course I do.”  
“Of course.”  I repeat, nodding to myself and trying to count all the things I should have known but didn’t over the years.  “If…can it be a secret?”  
“That’s not what I like to hear.”  
“I mean—it’s Ingrid’s secret.”  I bite my lip, betrayal foreign and acrid in my throat, “and if you keep a secret like that from Mom it’s not like it’s in the way of your marriage or anything, right? Ha, that’s not funny.  None of this is funny.  I—I’m sorry.”  
“No, I’m glad to know you aren’t quite as grown up as you were pretending to be.”  He looks at me with some of that old, confused fondness I never quite understood.  “And if it’s Ingrid’s secret, she should tell me herself.”  
“She’s not going to.” I sigh and rub my eyes with my knuckles, pressing until my vision goes fuzzy like out of the snow some perfect clarity as to what I should do will appear.  But that’s never how it works, it’s all just…binary decisions that don’t line up with right and wrong or smart and dumb and somehow, I’m supposed to know better. “It’s just…it’s something that could hurt her, and I’m worried it’s something that could hurt someone else and—and it’s…if we’re going to help her, she needs us to know even if she doesn’t know that.”  
“I can’t tell you what to do.”  
I snort, “a year ago, that would have been pretty much my favorite phrase in the whole world. I—growing up sucks.”  
He laughs and shrugs like he doesn’t have anything to say and I missed that.  I missed his patience, the way he’d wait until I wound myself down before trying to get through to me instead of winding myself up until I end up dizzy but somewhere in the vicinity of the right answer.  I wonder if Mom misses it too.  
“I—she’s lying.”  I start, pausing and waiting for a reaction.
“Ingrid’s lying about something?”  
“About how she got hurt. It wasn’t an accident.  She and Spitleaf got attacked by some obviously sadistic and horrible excuses for human beings and she…didn’t win, which, I don’t even want to think about who she was fighting.”  
“She knew it was dangerous when she left, we’ve always told her how dangerous it is.”  
“But she’s lying about it, Dad, she’s lying about it and crying and—she told Spitleaf to give her space and she—when she saw her earlier, she hid and I stepped in front of her and for a second I swear she saw someone else and…Spitleaf had to leave her? To save the dragon she had to leave and come back and…”  I trail off, and swallow, “she’s not ok.  It’s more than her hand, she’s not ok and no one knows why except me.”  
“It’s not going to get better overnight.”  He’s pale and his hair is grayer than it was at Snoggletog and I steel myself reflexively before he continues.  “It was years before I didn’t see Drago Bludvist in crowds, before I really accepted that he was dead—”
“At least he was dead! At least you knew that!  The people who did that to Ingrid are still out there and no one’s going to do anything about it unless they know which—”
“Is this about helping your sister or is it about getting revenge?”  
“Both!”  I cross my arms and sit back, “I don’t know.  It’s not revenge if they deserve it.”  
“That’s not how revenge works.  It’s revenge if it’s about yourself.”  
“Maybe it is,” it sounds selfish and I hate how he makes me admit that to myself.  “Maybe I’m supposed to be chief or something, I’m sure working enough for it, but—but I’m still not making anything better.  I’m not protecting anyone, I—Ingrid isn’t the first or last person to go out there and now they’re all my people too.”  
“It was always dangerous.”
“Yeah, but I never saw it like this.”  I look over at Ingrid again and think about her flying away, excited if weighed down by her stupid little brother tagging along.  “I could have been with them.  I was but I left, and if I’d been there, I could have done something.  She wouldn’t have been left behind, I—It’s my fault.  Oh my gods, it’s my fault.”  I sag down in the chair, “if I’d been there—”
“You have no way of knowing what would have happened if you’d been there.”
“Not this—”
“You can’t blame yourself for everything.”  
“You say that,” I shake my head and look at her, “you say that, but it always comes back to me.”  
“Well, Eret,” he says my name like it’s significant, like he’s claiming me again like he did when I was born and I think about Gobber telling me about my mopey third like it had something to do with my Dad.  And maybe it does, but maybe moping is just another word for thinking about the dark angles, the sad angles, the regrettable things I can’t change but should still recognize.  “You can’t choose your family, and you happen to have one that always ends up at the center of everything.”  
“I’m not sure about that either,” I blink, more earnestly, calmly tired than I’ve felt since Ingrid came home, “I think I’ve spent about a year choosing my dad.”  
He doesn’t say anything and I clear my throat.  
“You, just to be clear.”
“I missed you,” he points at the door, “and I hope you keep coming around, but right now, you should go sleep in your own bed and stop thinking about chasing anyone down.”  
“I thought you couldn’t tell me what to do.”  I yawn and stretch my arms over my head.  
“I’m your dad, let me pretend.”  
00000
When Fuse asks me to help her build some bombs, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t show up early on purpose. I’d be lying even more if I said I wasn’t disappointed when she’s already sitting between Aurelia and Smitelout in her shed, all three of them loading jars and shells and muttering to each other.  I was hoping we could have a few minutes without everyone needing something from me, but she’s happy to see me anyway, smiling briefly over her shoulder before turning back to whatever she’s doing.  
“Then you tie the top off with the oil slicked cord…triple knot…” she demonstrates, bandaged fingers knotting quickly and when she wipes her forehead she leaves a deep blue streak along her eyebrow.  
I pause in the doorway, staring for a minute and trying to decide how this isn’t weird even though I feel weird about it.  Only Aurelia knows about me and Fuse, I guess, Smitelout’s just guessing.  Well, Fuse knows, and I’m not even sure what she knows. She knows we went on half a date until everyone interrupted us and I haven’t seen her since, because between the chief keeps still assigning me things and watching Ingrid, I’ve been a bit busy.  
“Are you going to help?” Smitelout huffs, struggling with a second attempt to tie the knot that Fuse got easily the first time.  “Your girlfriend needs someone else to boss around.”
“You don’t have to help,” Fuse is measured like whatever she’s touching is extremely explosive and like Smitelout calling her my girlfriend doesn’t make her heart jump, “Arvid should be here soon to help you pack some of these into bundles…” She puffs a lock of hair out of her face and ties another careful knot in the twine before pushing the jar away from her.  
Then she smiles at me again and my face heats up.  
“Hi.”  Why did I say that?  She knows I’m here, I don’t need to say hi for no reason.  
Aurelia rolls her eyes at me and this is so much harder when other people are around.  Especially people who have so much vested interest in making fun of me.  All I need is for Ingrid to show up and they can go around in a circle pointing out the goofiest things about me until Fuse decides that letting me use the ‘date’ word was a mistake.  
“Hey,” she points at the tall shelf on the wall of her shed behind her.  “Can you hand me that green jar?”  
“Oh?  Yeah, sure.”  I should probably use the stool she has leaning against the back corner but it’s easier to jump, grabbing the jar and turning to give it to her.  She frowns at me.  
“This is a stabilizer,” she takes it, her fingers brushing against mine and making me feel even redder than I already did.  “Which is lucky because if it hadn’t been, you would have just blown the roof off.”
“Nice going, Twerp.” Smitelout snorts, tying a knot so messy even I know it’s wrong and pushing her jar away from herself.  
“Nothing happened,” Fuse gives Smitelout an almost dirty look and opens the green jar.  I’m still standing behind her and it’s a view I’m not used to, the pale back of her neck under her tied up hair and the tense line of her shoulders.  She’s focused, because she doesn’t have time to say anything else, muttering under her breath as she counts spoonfuls of bright yellow powder.  
“That reeks,” Smitelout comments, ever useful, and Fuse’s shoulders tense up further.  
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her stressed but it strikes me that this is what it would look like.  I look around at the dozens of mostly assembled bombs strewn across her work space and feel bad that I haven’t been helping more.  I know I’m busy but I didn’t intend to put this all on her.  At least Aurelia seems competent, working without instruction and stacking another sealed jar against the wall.  
“Maybe if you didn’t have to comment so much, you’d be keeping up,” Aurelia gestures at her pile of completed jars and Smitelout frowns.  
“It’s not my fault you skinny fingered twerps tie faster knots than me.”  
“…ten, eleven…” Fuse counts louder, like their bickering made her lose her place, and her hair smells like smoke and I don’t know why I’m still standing here right behind her. It’s probably creepy.  I feel kind of creepy.  Maybe I only feel creepy because I want to touch her and while I don’t think she’d say no, Aurelia and Smitelout are here and that makes it different.
Aurelia looks over her shoulder like she can hear my internal panic and raises an eyebrow.  I shrug.  She shakes her head like she’s embarrassed for me and Fuse sets down her spoon, pulling a spool of coated string towards her and measuring it around a couple of fingers, the twine digging into the bandage around her middle finger and leaving a gray smear across the clean fabric.  
“What else do we need to get done today?”  Smitelout leans back in her chair, kicking her feet up on the workbench.  “Believe it or not, I actually have plans elsewhere so…”
“Leave whenever,�� Aurelia reaches for another jar and starts filling it, “I bet we figure it out without you.”  
Her animosity towards Smitelout seems a little more cutting than anyone else’s and I know at some level, it’s more about someone infringing on the original group than it is on the inevitable personality conflict at hand.  
“Hey, I’m here to help—” Smitelout insists.  
“So.  Help.”  Fuse halfway snaps, unraveling the twine from her hand and starting again.  My hands kind of hover in front of me, still debating on touching her, and Aureila gives me one more unimpressed look that pushes me over that awkward edge.  I take a step forward and put my hands on her shoulders and she relaxes slightly, rolling her head from side to side and spooling the twine a little faster.  
She’s cool to the touch, which seems strange because of how warm touching her makes me feel, and I tentatively rub the knotted muscle at the base of her neck with my thumb.  She relaxes even further and snips off the twine, pulling the loaded jars into a circle and wrapping it around all of them to tie it off.  Aurelia finishes the one that she’s working on and Fuse sets it in the middle, tightening the twine around the outside to hold everything in place.  
“What can I do?”  I lean forward to look down at her face over the top of her head and she blushes slightly, shrugging under my hands.  
“You’re good there, but Smitelout, if you could start taking the finished shells outside and sorting them by size?”  
“Can’t Eret do that?” Smitelout whines, “it’s not really skilled labor.”  
“Eret’s busy,” Fuse sighs, leaning back into my hands slightly. I rub the back of her neck a little more firmly and she hums, a content little sound that I can feel in her shoulders.  
“Sheesh, get a room,” Smitelout stands up and pushes past me and Fuse’s head bumps back into my chest.
“Sorry,” I take a step back but my hands feel like they’re glued to her shoulders.  And she’s not shrugging me off, so I start rubbing again, working outwards along the stiff muscle between her shoulder and neck.  
“Why are you sorry?” She goes back to working, braiding some twine into a thicker cable.  “My neck’s been killing me.”  
“Because he’s an idiot.” Aurelia stands up and looks down the hill, “isn’t Arvid supposed to be here by now?”  
“I told him to come at the same time as Eret,” she threads the thicker cable through slits in the leather on top of the jars.  
“I was early,” I admit and Fuse pauses.  
“Oh, that makes sense, I thought we’d have more done by the time you got here.”  
“Still, Arvid’s not usually late,” Aurelia wipes her hands off on her skirt.  “I’m just going to check down the hill.”  And then she leaves and Fuse and I are almost alone. Almost because Smitelout is outside, sorting bombs and of course she has to make some comment about how lazy Aurelia is as she walks by.  But aside from that, we’re alone.  
“You don’t have to keep doing that,” she looks over at my hand on her shoulder, “Smitelout isn’t interrupting me every few seconds, I’m not that tense anymore.”  
“Oh, I don’t mind.”  I stop anyway, because maybe it’s weird and now it definitely feels weird.  Maybe she thinks it’s weird.  “Unless you mind.  Then I mind.”
“I don’t mind,” she grins, “like I said, my neck was killing me. Sit,” she pulls Aurelia’s stool back out with her foot, “I need steady hands for this part anyway.”  
She leans down, threading the cable through the last lid and tying it off with a tight knot.  There’s a smudge of something blue on her chin and her teeth dig into her lower lip as she tucks the knot carefully into the tight groove between two of the jars.  A piece of hair slips out from behind her ear and she puffs it out of her face, adjusting one more thing and sitting up to wipe her hands on her knees.
“What’s this for?”  I point at whatever she just finished and she smiles a smaller version of the smile she saves for when something very large is on fire.  
“I’m going to tar coat it and mount it to the baffle charge, it should heat the shell more evenly and cause a hotter, more front facing blast.”  She tucks her hair back behind her ear and leaves a sooty streak across her cheek.  And she’s still smiling that half-crazy smile and we’re the most alone that we’ve been since the night Ingrid came back.  
“Cool.”  
“I wish we had time to test it first, but it’d take another month to get this many supplies again, so I think at this point we’re better off just going for it,” she picks up a writing stick on the counter and makes a couple notes on a wrinkled piece of paper. “Maybe even amp up the charge in the main shell, that couldn’t hurt anything.”   She laughs to herself, “or it could hurt a lot.  It is an island, after all.”  
“Remind me not to piss you off,” I laugh and she narrows her eyes, still smiling.  Joking with me in a way that makes my skin feel too tight because it can’t be real.  Out of everything that’s happened this last year, somehow Fuse looking at me like that is the most unbelievable.  Also, the best.  Not that it’s competing with a bunch of sunshine and dragon kisses, but still.  
“Was that ever the plan?” She stands and offers me her hand.
“Oh yeah,” I let her help me up and wiggle my other hand at her, “I was just going to lull you into a false sense of security with my magic fingers and then just…piss you off.  I hadn’t worked out how yet.”  
“Magic fingers?”  She raises a half-singed eyebrow and her cheeks flush slightly.  “That’s bold.”  
“Are you minimizing my shoulder rubbing skills?”  I step closer and it’s the first time this has felt easy.  Hel, it’s the first time I’ve managed to joke with her since realizing that looking at her made my heart beat in my throat.  
“Not exactly,” she turns redder and coughs and she’s still holding my hand from helping me up and it makes me want to pull her in closer.  
“Are you two going to fucking help me?”  Smitelout sticks her head through the doorway.  “Or are you just going to stand in the dark and hold hands.”  
I almost blurt out that I’m going to stand in the dark and hold hands but Fuse drops mine, cheeks still pink as she peeks around me to look at the piles outside.  
“Is everything sorted?”
“Go see for yourself.”
Fuse doesn’t get a step closer to the door before Aurelia reappears, dodging around Smitelout and nearly running into me.  
“We’ve got to get everything back inside.  Now.” She starts shoving things across the workbench to make room.  One of the jars smacks the wall a little too hard and starts smoking and Fuse steps between her and the bench.  
“What’s going on?”  
“Arvid’s coming.” Aurelia is out of breath like she just sprinted up the hill, “and Ingrid is with him.”  
“What?”  I look at Fuse but she’s already looking at me, like she’s waiting for my reaction.  
“Ingrid’s coming,” Aurelia repeats, dodging past Smitelout to grab an armful of loaded shells and carrying them inside.  
“Did you have to mess up my piles?”  Smitelout whines, “really?”  
“What do you want to do?” Fuse asks me and of course the split-second decision in on me, again, and I knew I should have picked the stand in the dark and hold hands option.  
“Fuck, we have to hide everything.” I follow Aurelia outside and start grabbing shells, handing them to Fuse over my shoulder while Smitelout continues to complain about her piles.  “Ingrid can’t know, she’s got enough going on without thinking about dragons.”  
“So I literally sorted all of that for no reason?”  Smitelout, against all reasonable odds, starts helping, handing larger shells off to Aurelia, who stashes them under Fuse’s workbench.  
“Yes,” Fuse and Aurelia snap in unison and we’re just cramming the baffle into the shed when Arvid’s head crests the hill.  He’s walking backwards in front of Ingrid, trying to block her view and maybe some of that old ability to reach each other’s minds is back because as soon as we shove the door shut, he turns around.  
“You’re late,” Aurelia says, too loud and out of breath, walking up to hug him and whisper something in the direction of his ear.  He shrugs and looks frustrated.
“He was being suspicious,” Ingrid tucks her bandaged hand in the pocket of a jacket I think is Dad’s and steps up closer to Fuse’s shed.  “Outhouse?”  
“Workshop,” Fuse lunges to shut the door tighter when it tries to creak open under the weight of the baffle rocking against it.  
“Can I see?”  Ingrid reaches for the handle and I step in front of her.  
“Nope,” I shake my head and look at Fuse for an idea, “I…spilled something.  Because I’m so clumsy.”  
“Yeah,” Fuse nods, “and it may or may not explode.”  
“So better safe than sorry,” I clear my throat, “which is my idea because that’s a sentence a Thorston has never said.”  I punch her in the arm because it feels casual but it must be harder than I intended because she rubs the spot, elbowing the door shut one last time and stepping away from it.  
“And I thought Arvid was acting weird,” Ingrid frowns.  
“If he was acting so weird, why did you want to go with him?”  
“Because he told me no,” she shrugs.  Smitelout barks out a laugh and Ingrid looks at her like she’s the craziest of all of us. “What are you guys doing, really?”
“Nothing.”  I lie, badly.  Aurelia glares at me and I shrug, urging her to come up with something better.
“That’s convincing.”  
“We’re having…a double date,” Aurelia gets out, grabbing Arvid’s hand like that sells it.  Ingrid narrows her eyes at me and I loop my arm over Fuse’s shoulders, pulling her into my side.  She fits there better than I remember and I hope she doesn’t mind, because it’s going to be hard to let her go.  
“Isn’t that weird?” Ingrid looks between Arvid and me and I shrug, my arm sliding down to Fuse’s mid-back.  That lines my hand up with her waist, which makes her feel even closer, and she doesn’t shove me off.  
“Why would it be weird?” Aurelia bumps her shoulder against Arvid’s side, smile stiff and unmoving on her face.  
“It just seems like there’s a lot of…siblings for a double date.”  
“That makes it better,” I nod, “sibling bonding and a date. Two dragons, one stone.  I’m a busy guy.”  
Arvid laughs he expected everyone else to, but he’s the only one, and he cuts it off as quickly as possible. Ingrid crosses her arms, looking between us like she’s not buying this in the slightest.  
“Why’s Smitelout here?”
“They invited me,” Smitelout shrugs, “well, actually my date cancelled—I mean, I totally had a date. That I ditched.  I did the ditching.”  
“To hang out with my little brothers on their double date?”  Ingrid raises an eyebrow and Smitelout scoffs.  
“Yeah.  Keep up.”  
“What was the plan for this double date?”  Ingrid looks at me and Fuse in particular and I lean my head against hers.  
“A…bonfire.”  Fuse bounces slightly when she thinks of it, and it’s adorable, and I almost forget that this is a lie for a second because that sounds like fun.  It’s definitely nowhere near dark and it’s not cold either, but still.  And it’s a distraction, and it sounds like something that we might actually do.  You know, if Arvid and I were even on the kind of speaking terms where we’d ever consider a double date.  
Fuck, if Arvid and I having nothing to talk about is what messes this up I’m going to have to attempt to kick his ass again.  I give him a stony, don’t-blow-this-for-us look and he looks down at his feet like if he’s not willing to have my back, he’s at least not going to get in my way.
“Which is why we needed stuff from the workshop, to start it,” Aurelia explains, “but then Eret was clumsy and spilled it and now we’re here.”  
“Guilty.”  I nod.  
“I’ve got flints though,” Fuse pulls some out of her pocket and her knuckles glance across my hip as she tosses them in the air so they spark and then catches them.  And she’s cool and she has to show it now and I can’t believe she likes me.  And our last date was a mess that I didn’t even mean to be a date and our second date is now a lie and both my sisters are here and I can just feel that I’m messing this all up.  
“The clumsiness is redeemable.” Aurelia squeezes Arvid’s hand and tugs him, “the firepit is over here, right?”  
“Yep,” Fuse leans against me a little harder for a second before pulling away and walking a little too fast, like she only does towards fire.  Ingrid falls into step next to me and elbows me in the arm, always too hard.
“I was just trying to get out of the house, if Arvid had just told me this was a date I wouldn’t have followed him.”  She looks genuinely apologetic and I can’t help my eyes flicking to the hand still tucked in her pocket. I sigh.  
“Well, since Smitelout already crashed, we might as well back the title back from date to a more generic group activity.”  I scratch the back of my head and she looks at me for a second with narrowed eyes.  
“You couldn’t put on a not wrinkled shirt for a date?”  She tugs at my sleeve with her good hand and I bat it away.  
“You know what?  No, you’re uninvited if this is a game of tease Eret in his unnatural habitat.”  I glance up at Fuse to see if she heard any of that but she’s helping Aurelia stack a pyramid of kindling into the center of a well-used fire circle, rimmed by flat rocks.  
“You don’t let me have any fun,” she sits down on one of the three logs around the fire pit and Smitelout freezes.  
“I was going to sit there,” she points at Ingrid who rolls her eyes and scoots over from the center of the log.  
“I bet there’s still room given it’s about ten feet long.”  
“Fine,” Smitelout huffs and sits down hard enough to rock the log slightly, “just don’t make me sit next to any of those twerps, I don’t want to catch the lame.”  
“I’m not,” Ingrid looks at her good hand, nibbling on her nail and watching Fuse strike her flint next to a handful of dried grass and push it under the kindling when it catches. I move towards one of the other logs but Arvid is doing the same and he freezes, pointing at it.  
“Do you want—”
“I’m fine with either—”
“You can have this one, it’s fine,” he backs off and I almost wish he’d fight me for it.  Or act like he knows me, at all.  Like we could be on the same side here too, when we’re both hiding the same thing from the same person.  
“Thanks,” I sit down instead of arguing about it and Fuse feeds the fire a couple of dry logs before sitting next to me.  Close next to me, close enough that the length of her thigh is pressed against mine and there’s not really room for my shoulder until I wrap my arm around her, hand on the log beside her other hip.  
Aurelia sits between Arvid and Ingrid, holding his hand but looking purposefully at me like I’m supposed to start talking.  I don’t know why she’s putting it on me, I don’t know how to be on a date, let alone a double date.  I can barely hear myself think when Fuse shifts and her shoulder presses into my chest and reminds me how close she is and her hair is still pulled back so I can see her face better than usual.  And she smells like wood smoke and girl and my whole side is starting to feel too warm and I don’t think I have anything to say that wouldn’t be mortally embarrassing, especially with the way Ingrid is looking between me and Arvid.  
“Are they going to talk or do people not do that on dates anymore?”  Ingrid jokes with Smitelout and her eyes widen.  
“Normally I can’t get them to shut up,” she coughs out, too loud, and Ingrid raises an eyebrow.  
“Maybe we don’t have anything to talk about,” Arvid mumbles, glancing up at me like it’s meant to be an insult and that makes me want to laugh.  Even more so when Aurelia elbows him and he sighs.  “I’m just saying, it’s not like Thorston and I ever had anything in common.”  
“We had dragon training together for eight years.” Fuse reminds him.  “Didn’t you call me your sworn enemy or something?”  
“That was dumb kid stuff.” Arvid shrugs and looks at Aurelia for help.  
“Yeah, I guess you moved on to a new sworn enemy,” Fuse laughs like it’s a joke and sets her hand on my knee and I don’t know how she says stuff like that or touches me so easily or how I’m not on fire being so close to her for this long.  
“Thinly veiled threats are not a normal date activity, guys,” Ingrid shakes her head and leans forward, chin on her good hand.  
“It’s not a threat,” Aurelia sighs and shakes her head at Arvid in a way that manages to be fond and irritated all at once.  “I think they’re bonding.”  
“Yeah, it wasn’t all bad,” Fuse shrugs, drumming her fingers on my knee, “I perfected my stink bomb recipe years earlier than I would have otherwise.”  
“You should name it after me,” Arvid suggests and Fuse cocks her head.  “You know, for my pain and suffering.”  
“It never hurt you,” she shrugs, “but I’ll think about it.”  
It’s petty, but I don’t like that I’m on a fake date and Fuse is looking at Arvid instead of me. After trying to get a couple hours alone in the mead hall and then this, I don’t think group dates are my thing. I think I’d rather have her full attention, my eyes flick to her hand on my knee and I remember what that might imply and my heart jumps in my chest.  
“That’s not fair,” I say and she turns her head to frown at me.  And again, if all of these people weren’t here, I could kiss her, and it’s worse that they’re my family.  Well, except Smitelout.  Second cousins or whatever doesn’t count.  “I want an explosive named after me.”  
“I’ll name one of the new ones after you.”  She offers, wrinkling her nose.  And I don’t think it’s normal to get the impulse to kiss someone’s nose, but I want to kiss hers and I’m never consenting to another double date again, even a fake one.  “Not a stinkbomb, that’s not a comparison I’d like to make.”  
“You haven’t smelled his socks,” Aurelia interrupts and Ingrid laughs.  
“I said no commentary.” I point between the two of them, “especially because it’s not fair because no one is picking on Arvid.”  
“Thorston picked on me.”  He points out, actually managing eye contact and Aurelia nods in agreement.  
“When you were nine.” I adjust my seat slightly and Fuse doesn’t seem to mind when my hand rests against her hip.  If anything she leans closer to me, the knot of her hair pressing into my shoulder.  
“I hold a grudge.”  He shrugs and it’s half a joke and I half want to laugh at it but I still feel like that’s going to pull me into another brawl I don’t want to have.  
“It’s like watching a yak learn to fly,” Ingrid rolls her eyes and looks at Smitelout for back up.  It makes sense that somehow they ended up paired up here, because they’re both older and everyone else is coupled off, but it still doesn’t make sense to look at.  Maybe it’s because I can’t believe that Fuse is choosing to be this close to me or because seeing Arvid look so normal with Aurelia still doesn’t make sense. “I was never this stupid, right? Someone would have told me?”  
“I did,” Smitelout inflates slightly, “still do.  Because you are.”  
“Oh my gods,” Ingrid rolls her eyes, “I almost forgot who I was talking to for a second.”  
“Fire’s getting low,” Fuse uses my knee to stand up and I’m instantly cold without her under my arm. She grabs a log off of the stack behind Arvid and tosses it on the fire, wiping away some ash that lands on her arm and leaving a gray streak on the back of her hand.  Her sleeves are pushed up and she’s not wearing her vest and I realize she’s been leaving it off a lot lately.  Like she’s actually making that effort to occasionally not be around explosives.  
And that just makes me think of being alone in the forge with her and my face heats up.  I lean forward to try and blame it on the fire but it feels different when she sits back down next to me, I’m too aware of her hipbone against mine and I jump when she puts her hand on my back.  
“Sorry,” she tries to pull it off and I shake my head.  
“No, it’s fine, I’m just jumpy.”  
“Why?”  She looks self-conscious, briefly, eyebrows furrowed, and I hate it.  
“Because three of my siblings are here and I don’t think group dates are my thing,” I blurt out and Arvid meets my eyes across the fire.  He nods in agreement and Aurelia looks slightly miffed at me.  
“I thought it would be fun,” she lies better than the rest of us seem to be able to, “I won’t suggest it again.”  
Meaning, next time she’ll just let me bumble through the lie alone.  She doesn’t know what a bad idea that is, last time that happened I spilled the secret to Smitelout.  
“Plus it’s not a group date,” Smitelout holds her hands out to Ingrid like she’s trying to pacify her, “not that—”
“Yeah, I know we’re not on a date,” Ingrid shakes her head, “you don’t have to clarify that.”  
Fuse’s hand starts moving on my back, not really rubbing, just sort of tracing the line of my spine and it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  It feels better than it probably should, relaxing in a way that’s going to make me say something else stupid.  
“I was just going to say that twerp commentary is more fun than a random bonfire when it’s not even dark yet,” Smitelout tosses a chip of wood into the fire and Fuse tenses like she doesn’t want anyone else feeding her fire.  It’s cute that she’s possessive of the fire.  It’s weird that she’s still feeling my back, because I don’t see how it could still be interesting to her, but I guess I didn’t get bored rubbing her shoulders.  Not that it’s the same thing, because glancing sideways at her profile and the way her sharp blue eyes are taking in the interaction, I’m hit with another wave of disbelief that she likes me, of all people.  
“Yeah, kind of a weird choice of activity, guys,” Ingrid agrees, just for the sake of teasing me, I’m sure, “maybe Smitelout shouldn’t have ditched her date.”  
“I’m playing hard to get,” Smitelout looks at Ingrid like she’s stupid.  
“Isn’t that self-defeating when you’re also playing hard to want?”  Ingrid snorts at her own joke and Smitelout tosses her braid over her shoulder.
“You know, your axe is in pretty rough shape, I might not have time to get it fixed before Thawfest this year…”  Smitelout sighs like this is deeply tragic for her and I tense when Ingrid glances down at her bad hand.  I know she said it’s just Smitelout but still.  No one gets to mention it.  
I can tell Arvid agrees with the sentiment from the way he gently disentangles his hand from Aurelia’s and glances at me.  
“Right.  Thawfest,” Ingrid deflates as she pulls her hand out of her pocket, “it might just be your year, Lout.”  
“Yeah, no, I don’t want to win like a loser,” Smitelout scoffs, “I don’t care if you borrow the twerp’s axe, it’s not a win if you don’t lose, fair and square.”  
Ingrid stares at her for a second before nodding, “it’s almost like you’ve been hiding an honorable streak this whole time.”  
“Don’t tell my dad,” Smitelout snorts and looks around at the rest of us and our collective expression that she just grew a second head.  “What?  Thorston’s the one with something on her face.”  
“Not again,” Fuse mutters, taking her hand from my back and wiping her cheek.  It just leaves a new black streak on top of the old one and I don’t think before reaching up and wiping at it with my thumb.  That just smears it around and I laugh.  
“And I just made it worse.”
“Really?”  She looks embarrassed and that’s another reason to punch Smitelout.  
“Here,” I take my black smeared thumb and wipe it on my cheek, “now we match.”  
“We should go see if my shed blew up or not,” she almost deadpans, color rising high in her cheeks, “I think I know how to clean up what you spilled.”  
And of course she’s brilliant, that’s a way out of this disaster of a fake group date.  Maybe we can even hide the bombs better while we’re at it.
“Yeah, sure,” I stand up and offer her my hand, “my clumsiness in the first place.  Yak butter fingers, am I right?”  I show the hand she’s not holding to the group like they’ll take it as an explanation.  
“Oh shit,” Fuse curses under her breath and drops my hand and I’m sure I said something wrong until she waves up the hill.  “Hi dad, what are you doing?”  
“I heard teenage merriment and thought the firepit must be haunted,” Tuffnut walks up to the firepit and puts his hands on his hips, “because there’s no way that my lifelong dream of my daughter having friends over is finally coming true.”  
“Dad,” Fuse flushes up to her hairline, crossing her arms, “Darren has friends over all the time.”  
“Which makes it less of an occasion,” Tuffnut looks at me in particular and it hits me, specifically, for the first time that he’s her father. Before I guess I haven’t thought about it except in the context of avoiding repeating the Aurelia situation, but now I’m just picturing every angry father figure I’ve ever seen glaring at Arvid.  “And a part time Acting Chief in attendance, this is quite the high brow chill sesh.”
“Oh my gods, Dad, don’t say that.”  Fuse hides her face in her hands, “I’ll be in later, alright?”  
“Now I just feel like you’re trying to get rid of me,” Tuffnut—or is it Mr. Thorston?  Am I suddenly supposed to call him Mr. Thorston because I’m hoping to kiss his daughter again sometime soon?  Oh Gods, I shouldn’t think that now—sits down between Ingrid and Smitelout and claps Ingrid on the shoulder.  “I haven’t seen you since you got back, glad we get this chance to hang.”  
“I am trying to get rid of you,” Fuse looks at me apologetically and I’m as disappointed as she must have been when Gobber interrupted us the other night.  
“No, I think we want to chill with your dad,” Smitelout laughs and Ingrid nods along.  
“I don’t remember the last time we hanged.  Hung?” Ingrid looks at Tuffnut and cocks her head.  “What is the past tense of to hang?”  
“Who cares?”  Tuffnut shrugs and Fuse’s nostrils flare, cutely, and that’s another thought I shouldn’t have when her dad is here. “I’m a cool dad, grammar is lame.”
“Dad, why’d you come out here?”  
“Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Ok, let’s go inside then,” she gives me one last sad look and walks behind her dad to grab his arm and tug.  He falls backwards off of the log and Ingrid shoves his feet to the side, laughing. “I’ll see you,” she says to me in particular and I wave, trying not to look as miffed as I feel about it.  She looks disappointed enough for the both of us.
“Well, this has been lame,” Smitelout stands up next, rubbing her hands together, “I better go get to salvaging that axe.  Assuming you’re still ready to pay for it.”  
“Like I said, I think I lucked into chief money,” Ingrid stands up and loops her good arm through mine, “but take your time.  I don’t want you questioning your craftsmanship when I still kick your ass. Come on, Fuse will still be there tomorrow.  I’m hungry too,” Ingrid starts dragging me back down the hill towards the old Hofferson house and I’m surprised when Arvid and Aurelia follow.  
“Remind me to never have friends over,” Aurelia shudders, “it’s bad enough when my dad tries to be cool to get Eret to like him.”  
Arvid falls into step beside me and watches me look back at the Thorston house twice before it’s out of view.  
“Do you think he wants to beat me up?”  I ask him, because he’s the authority on this that I’ve wanted this whole time.  He’s silent for a second and I think he’s not going to answer but then he shrugs.  
“Probably.”  
“Great.”  
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