#i feel like a bystander watching a group of kids get bullied | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

renjuseyo · 3 years

Note

can i pls request Lucas x male reader where Lucas is the popular kid and reader is really quiet, but lucas likes reader because of readers personality(not like other guys/girls who tries their best to let them get noticed by lucas) and Lucas always tease and talk to reader because of that. maybe add a scenario where reader gets bullied on why he's dating Lucas and Lucas comes in and comforts reader. Thats all thank you!💖

up to you ; lucas

group: nct / wayv

pairing: wong yukhei / reader (male)

synopsis: yukhei is your school’s most popular heartthrob, and you’re the quiet wallflower. can things be any more obvious?

genre: fluff

warning: bullying

i hope this satisfies you anon! personally i lost inspo so it’s not that good... i apologize :,) also i just realized how long my fics are, so oops? as always, feedback is greatly appreciated! <3

you’re in the library shelving piles of books into their respective slots, gently humming to yourself as you drum your fingers on the spine of a book. the library is silent for the most part, save for the low buzz of the fan by the entryway and your soft humming. it’s quiet and cozy, just how you like it.

the quiet ambience is slightly ruined by the loud rattling from the left. it startles you, but luckily you remain your balance and don’t plummet to your demise. when you look towards the source of the noise, you see yukhei standing by the bottom of the ladder, flashing you his signature rectangular grin. “hi (name)!” he chirps, waving at you. a warmth blossoms within you, but the chorus of agitated shushes distracts you. he cowers within himself, sending other students an apologetic look. “sorry,” he whispers.

“i didn’t expect to see you here,” you reply, turning your attention back to the books in your arms. there’s no malicious intent behind your words, because you genuinely would’ve thought he would spend his free period playing basketball with his friends, not in the library.

but he gasps with loud, feigned hurt. “i’m offended! just because i prefer sports over school doesn’t mean i won’t come in and pick up a book every now and then!” another round of shushes ripples throughout the room, though this time they’re paired with irritated glares. you’re among one of them.

“please be quiet, we’re in a library,” you remind him, stepping down a few rungs. he sends you an apologetic look, one that reminds you of a kicked puppy. “if you’re looking to borrow textbooks, the librarian’s up front. if not, you’re welcome to browse through.”

“nah, i already got all of my textbooks. i just came in to see you~” he winks, which you respond with by rolling your eyes. you promptly ignore the butterflies in your stomach. “oh come on, don’t be so mean. why don’t you ever react?”

“why should i? all you ever do is tease me,” you deadpan. you finish categorizing the last book and begin climbing down the ladder to grab a new pile. yukhei seems to notice this, eagerly scooping up a pile to hand to you. it doesn’t quite work out though, because his massive hands accidentally push them to the floor, and he winces, knowing what to expect. along with other disturbed patrons, you glare at him. you bend down to pick up the books, sighing. “you know, you’re lucky i haven’t kicked you out yet.”

“sorry,” he apologizes, sending you a sheepish smile. “sometimes i have no control over this massively tall body. i guess being short like you would be better, huh?”

for your age, you stand at a relatively average height. but yukhei is a little taller than most, standing at six feet. it really isn’t that big of a difference, but he still teases you for it all of the time.

you’re about to retort when you see two figures lurking by the other side of the shelf. you sigh, already knowing what to expect. something like this happens nearly every two days. “two of your so-called fans at nine o’clock.”

yukhei turns to face that direction and the two figures jump in surprise, confirming your suspicions. you see two girls step out from behind the shelf, timidly staring at you two. you recognize one of them, yujin, from your history class. “hi lucas,” the girl greets. it’s the nickname he goes by, the one that everyone is familiar with. you’re one of the few people that uses his real name, though.

you don’t even blink at the lack of acknowledgement. you’ve never really talked to yujin, save for the time she shared her notes with you. a real life saver. “oh hey yujin! is there something you need?” he asks. she looks pleasantly surprised that he remembers her.

you see the girl beside yujin, probably her wing woman, ushering her to hand him what appears to be a letter. not wanting to disturb the love confession that’s to come, you quietly grab the cart of books and roll it away from them. no one seems to notice though; the perks of being a wallflower.

five minutes later, you’re standing behind the counter of the check-out area, helping a few students check out textbooks. “is that everything you need?” you ask, not looking up from the computer screen.

“no, but i’d love to check you out.” you turn your head at the familiar voice and snort upon seeing yukhei.

“that was bad, even for you.”

“the only way you’d notice me,” he shrugs. you notice that he isn’t holding anything in his hands, and from the corner of your eyes you can see yujin and her friend walking towards the exit. judging from the way her friend rubs her shoulders, you can only guess that she’s been rejected like the others.

“you turned her down?” you ask.

yukhei sighs. for someone who receives several confessions, he never looks less guilty when rejecting them. “yujin is really sweet and smart, but i’m only interested in her as a friend. plus, between you and me?” he leans in as if telling you a secret. “i’m pretty sure her friend somi has a thing for her.”

you shake your head in sympathy. poor girl, having to be a wing woman for the girl you like. “well, that sucks.”

he frowns at your curt response, resting his arms on the counter. “you know, we haven’t been friends for very long, yet you never question why i reject everyone.”

you shrug, walking towards the storage room. “you’re just waiting for the right person, because contrary to popular belief, wong yukhei isn’t a heart breaker.”

yukhei can only forlornly watch as you head to the back. “i’ve found the right person, they just haven’t noticed yet,” he mutters.

if you’re being honest, you don’t quite remember how yukhei entered your life. after all, he’s way ahead in the social spectrum, surrounded by swarms of friends like some enforcer of happiness. on the other hand, you’re on the complete opposite side of that spectrum. you’re the quiet guy who minds your own business, so you don’t have many friends like he does, save for the few close ones you’ve made prior to high school. but one day, like the friendly giant he is, he magically appears by your side, and now his presence fills each of your days.

save for the times he teases you about your height and your personality, yukhei isn’t as bad as kids like you describe. sure, he’s loud and outspoken, every introvert’s nightmare, but he isn’t a jerk or a heart breaker like they whisper about. he’s quite the opposite, actually, his personality similar to a golden retriever. the way others perceive him never gets less funny for you. you’ve personally seen him get his nose stuck in a coat hanger before; how in the world does a klutz like him scream heart breaker material?

you’ve only known him for half a year, yet you feel like you’ve known him since childhood. he’s never quiet about his life, and he always seems genuinely interested in you. naturally, like the fool you are, you found yourself inevitably falling for him. it’s not like things will go your way - yukhei is at the center of the school’s attention, meaning he’s surrounded by plenty of suitors. it’s so cliche you’d laugh - the quiet guy pining over the school’s heart throb - but truthfully, you’d rather watch him excitedly talk about his interests or do anything that elicits a smile from him. you’ll have plenty of time to laugh later, anyways.

when you enter the cafeteria, you scan the cliques assembled at each table, looking for your own little group made up of you, mark, renjun, and donghyuck. it’s a mix of different personalities with even more different interests, but sharing the cast roles of trees in the third grade goes a long way.

your sight is quickly obscured by two massive hands, and you sigh, recognizing the cold feeling of a ring against your face. “guess who?” a voice above you sings.

“what are you doing here?” you ask. you quickly regain your sight as the hands slink away, and you turn around to face a smiling yukhei.

“here to grab food just like everyone else,” he answers, ruffling your hair. he laughs when he sees you try to remove his hand from your hair, yours impossibly small compared to his. “is this bothering you, tiny terror?” he teases.

“seriously?”

“sorry, did you say something? you’re a little too quiet.”

to a bystander, it would look like yukhei, the tall, popular kid, was bullying you, the average quiet wallflower. but your friendship all began with this “teasing”, so you don’t really mind anymore.

before you can say anything, you hear a crowd of guys headed your way. you take that as your cue to leave, removing his hand from your hair. luckily, you finally see your friends at a table at the other side of the room. “i’m going to go now. bye,” you say. before you get a response, you slink away from him.

as you slide in a seat beside mark, you catch renjun and donghyuck eyeing you with interest. you’ve known them long enough to know that look means trouble - specifically from renjun and donghyuck. mark is never a part of their schemes, wanting nothing more than a peaceful day. “can i help you?” you ask, leaning down to steal a fry from mark, who shrieks in protest.

"so, you and yukhei?” renjun gives you a knowing look, while mark gives you an apologetic one. you feel like you’ve just jumped straight into a trap.

“we’re friends. what about it?” you ask, taking more of mark’s food. at this point, he’s given up on fending it from your hands.

“he’s in denial,” donghyuck whispers, though you hear it loud and clear. “dude, he gives you heart eyes when you do so much as breathe. how does it feel, having a heart throb like him wrapped around your finger?”

the thought is baffling; you, having yukhei wrapped around your finger? “no comment because i don’t.” renjun and donghyuck boo at your comment. “enough with that nonsense already. we’re just friends. plus, i’m not going to swoon over him-”

“-like everyone else in the building?” mark finishes, pointing his head forward. you look up, and unsurprisingly, a swarm of people surround yukhei, and he’s eagerly chatting with them, probably thriving from the attention. you swear you see a glimpse of yet another letter from a guy you recognize from your biology class, but with so many people it’s hard to tell.

“you know, i don’t understand how people perceive him as a heart breaker. he’s like a clumsy puppy with too much energy for his own good,” you comment, munching on a fry.

“maybe because you’re one of the few people who actually know him well enough to determine that?” mark suggests. “he gets along with everyone, but he tails you like a puppy all of the time. it’s no wonder you know him well.”

you shrug. “maybe if he teased other people all the time, they’d probably get to know him better, too. apparently that’s how people befriend others these days.”

they all exchange a knowing look before staring at you. “riiight. because he teases everyone he wants to befriend. not because, you know, he’s interested in them,” renjun remarks.

you stare at yukhei for a little longer until he looks up and sees you. he frantically waves with a large grin, and you can’t help the small smile that forms on your lips as you wave back. when your hand falls and you go back to eating mark’s food, you shrug. “right.”

something you find odd about your schedule is how you have pe right after lunch. do teachers seriously think it’s a good idea to have students running laps right after eating? that only calls for disaster. it’s something you complain about every now and then to donghyuck, seeing how he’s the only person you can talk to.

“i heard we’re doing the mile run today,” donghyuck shares.

you groan, walking beside him. “i don’t care how many times we do it. i will never not complain about it. what makes him think running’s fun?”

“i don’t know, i think running’s pretty great,” a voice chimes. you don’t need to turn around to guess who it is, but you do anyways. unsurprisingly, yukhei’s right beside you, grinning his signature smile.

“easy for you to say. you’re built like a greek god and you have abnormally long legs. you’re like... a spider.”

yukhei chooses to ignore your comparison about the spider, instead beaming. “you think i’m built like a greek god?”

what a way to feed into his ego. “i take it back.”

he visibly deflates, pouting. “what! you can’t take it back, (name)! don’t hurt me like that!”

you’re about to retort back when donghyuck taps your shoulder. “lucas, (name), hi. i’d hate to bother your flirting session, so i’m going to bother yangyang now.”

“we’re not-” the words are barely out of your mouth before he slinks away from you two, but not before throwing up finger guns at you. you’re left alone with yukhei, who shoots you a cheeky wink.

the five minutes it takes for you to walk to the track field quickly goes by, having spent it conversing with yukhei. your teacher tasks everyone to partner up for the mile run, and your instincts are telling you to go to donghyuck, who’s been your partner each time. but then you see him approach yangyang with an intention in his eyes and you decide to go against it. the only other friend you have in this class would be...

you turn around to look for yukhei, but he’s no longer by your side, instead being encompassed by several guys. he doesn’t quite meet their gaze though, eyes flickering to you. he’s obviously occupied. to your dismay, there are no other options left, and you’d rather die than talk to other people.

someone taps your shoulder and you jump so high that even the perpetrator seems startled. you fearfully stiffen, contemplating the dozen methods of running away, but when you turn around, you visibly relax. it’s hendery, one of your classmates. you don’t know him too well, but you share most of your classes together. “hey (name), you still looking for a partner?” he asks.

“yeah, i am. are you?" of course he’s looking for a partner. why else would he approach you? great. now he’s going to think you’re weird, and then you’re not going to have a-

“perfect, so am i! do you want to run first, or should i?” he flashes you a smile that eases your nerves, and the butterflies in your stomach still.

“i don’t have a preference.”

“okay, then i’ll go first. be sure to keep a good eye on me, okay?” he sends you a flirty wink, and you’re taken aback by the sudden motion, lightly blushing. he seems to notice this, too, grinning at your silence. “i’ve been told i’m a good runner. i hope i impress you~”

your mind is running faster than your body could ever, still trying to process hendery’s boldness. “oh. well, i bet you’re far better than me. i’m not a good runner,” you awkwardly laugh.

it’s only been a few minutes, but you find yourself pleasantly surprised to become acquainted with hendery, though it’s mainly hendery doing the talking since you’re not quite out of your shell yet. in the five minutes you’ve known him, you learn that he’s the captain of the track team and strangely enough, really likes hot dogs. you go through the five stages of regret upon learning this, because your running won’t even begin to compare to his. but he gently assures you it isn’t a big deal, even patting your shoulder.

you decide that hendery’s ability to put people at ease is incredible, because you’re too absorbed with his presence to notice the look yukhei sends from afar.

after that, you and hendery quickly befriended each other. your relationship kind of reminds you of your’s with yukhei because of how different you are, but unlike him, he doesn’t tease you all of the time. you’re not sure how to feel when you find yourself missing it.

on the bright side, he’s a great friend to hang out with when others are busy. renjun and donghyuck have volleyball practice? you go to the arcade with hendery. mark has speech and debate? you get tacos with hendery. yukhei is busy... being the social butterfly he is? you go over to hendery’s house. your increase in hangouts has definitely made your friends suspicious, with donghyuck going as far as accusing you of cheating on yukhei, whatever that means. it’s not like you two are dating, anyways.

(the thought reminds you just how impossible the concept is, and you would be lying if you said you weren’t bothered by it.)

your third period is when you act as mrs. choi’s library assistant. you’re sitting by the counter, flipping through the latest issue of haikyu!! when you hear footsteps approach you. having to act like the responsible assistant, you quickly tuck the book away, but not fast enough judging from hendery’s smirk. “so mr. studious isn’t quite so studious, is he?” he asks.

“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” you shrug. “anyways, what are you doing here? do you have a free period like-” you quickly stop in your tracks. the name stands at the tip of your tongue, but for some reason, a part of you tells you not to say it.

thankfully he doesn’t question your abrupt pause. “no, i have math. pauses for boos,” he sighs. “anyways, can you check this out for me?” he slides a thick textbook your direction.

“sure. student id?” you go through the procedure of checking out his book, which doesn’t take long. “okay, you’re good to go.”

he doesn’t immediately leave though, eyes never leaving your frame. “(name)?”

you pull out your book, flipping back to the page you were on. “yeah?” there’s a pause, which is unlike hendery. from what you know, he’s confident and doesn’t take breaks, which makes you look up from your book. he looks almost... nervous? “are you okay?”

he pauses to take a deep breath, and you’re suddenly embracing for something serious. “would you go on a d-”

“hey (name), hendery! what a coincidence seeing you here!”

you look behind hendery and is surprised to see yukhei approach you with a strained smile. you’ve been hanging out with hendery so much that you haven’t seen yukhei in a while, aside from your shared classes.

at this point, the other patrons in the library have already gotten used to his loud voice, and seeing how you never once kicked him out, they stopped shushing him altogether. “it isn’t a coincidence, yukhei. you know i’m here during third period.” you squint at his appearance. he looks stiff, sweaty even. “are you okay?”

hendery looks like he knows something you don’t, glaring at yukhei. “we’re in a library, or have you forgotten?” there’s an obvious bite in his words, one that shocks you. you had no idea they didn’t like each other, but seeing their mutual glares, it’s kind of obvious now.

“sorry, i had to get my point across,” yukhei responds. he turns to face you, and his smile quickly fades into one of genuine. “hey (name), can i talk to you about something?” he turns to give hendery the stink eye. “in private?”

“he can’t abandon his responsibility as mrs. choi’s assistant, much less for you,” hendery snaps.

okay, you’re really missing something big here. in an attempt to clear the tense atmosphere, you clear your throat. “can it wait...” you glance at the clock. “five minutes? mrs. choi should be back then.”

yukhei nods, giving hendery a triumphant smirk. “of course.”

five minutes later, mrs. choi comes back, allowing you to slink into the empty hallway with yukhei. “before you tell me what you need to tell me- what the hell was that?”

he gives you an oblivious look. “what was what?”

“the tension between you and hendery!” you exclaim. “you two looked like you were going to shoot each other had i not been there.”

he looks genuinely surprised that you noticed. what does he take you for, a dunce? “oh, that? we’ve never really gotten along... but recently, we found out we both like the same person, so that kind of worsened things.”

you nod, though the thought of yukhei finding his right person surprises you, and a small part feels a little disappointed. rightfully so, because not only is it not you, but because he didn’t bother telling you! “you finally found the right person for you?”

“for a while now, actually,” he corrects. now you’re even more surprised; yukhei found someone he liked and hadn’t once told you? the betrayal! “i just haven’t been able to tell them.”

“well, who is it?” you sigh, shaking your head. “you had all of these chances to tell me, and you didn’t even try? i’m disappointed.” technically he would be saving you from heartbreak by not telling you, but that’s beside the point.

“well, that would ruin the surprise then. i was planning on confessing,” he explains, giving you a cheeky smile.

this is fine, this is fine... except it’s not, you mentally narrate. you’re already flashing him a strained smile. “when?” you ask.

yukhei’s smile never once fades, and you’re tempted to wipe it off his face. “right now.” he sweeps his arm in a flourish. “i like you, (name) (last name).”

a pause. you’re frozen in your spot, replaying his words in your head.

i like you, (name) (last name).

this must be some sort of fever dream. or an elaborate prank; you frantically look around for someone to jump out in front of you, camera in hand. but to your shock, you’re still wearing clothes, and no one jumps out. “did i hear that right?” you gawk.

yukhei’s still grinning; your shocked look seems to satisfy him. “i like you. you’re the person i was talking about.”

you’ve been duped - bamboozled! “am i dreaming?”

he laughs, ruffling your hair. “this is very much real, cutie. do you want me to kiss you to prove it?” you visibly flush, hiding your face behind your hands. he’s always teased you, but this it the first time he’s really flirted like this. has he been holding back on your account? he peels your hands off your face, cooing at how red you are. “may i ask for your answer?”

your face is still warm, eyes refusing to meet his. he’s holding your hands, and it feels like he’s holding your heart in them, too. “why?” you’re not asking this because of your insecurities, but because you’re genuinely curious. if he’s shown signs that he likes you, he’s done a great job at making it subtle.

(yukhei’s definitely not subtle though, which means you probably didn’t notice because you’re just that dense.)

“i like your personality,” he begins. “you’re a breath of fresh air among the familiar, the quiet in my loud. i think we fit really well. plus, teasing you is a bonus, seeing you get all bothered.” he caresses your hands, and you’re suddenly keenly aware of where you two are. “you know, i would’ve made things more extravagant, but hendery was going to sweep you off your feet, so i had to make things quick.”

wait, hendery likes you too? then at the library... this feels like a wattpad fanfic. but instead of pondering on that, you roll your eyes. “even if he said anything, i wouldn’t have accepted.”

his face contorts to one of surprise, but it takes him a few seconds to understand the implications behind your comment. “does that mean you like me, too?” he hums, eyes twinkling in delight.

you hate feeding into his ego, but you decide right now is an exception. “maybe.”

you immediately regret it though, seeing him grin like the cheshire cat. you’re never going to hear the end of it now. “i even managed to woo you with my charms, huh?”

“shut up.”

“with your lips? because i’d love that.” he leans down, batting his eyelashes, and you’re heating up all over again. at first, you take it as another one of his flirty remarks, but the look he gives you is a silent question of consent. it reminds you of how no matter how much he teases you, he would never do anything to make you uncomfortable, never do anything without permission.

there are several thoughts swirling in your head and many things you need to discuss with yukhei. how will the general public react learning about this? will you be harassed by his hoard of fans? will things even work? but instead, you grab his hand and begin walking to a secluded part of the wing. ignoring the what-if’s is very unlike you, but you have more important matters to tend to. “we have to talk about this later.”

yukhei can only hum in agreement as your breath fans over his lips.

as mentioned earlier, yukhei isn’t subtle at all, so it’s no surprise that soon the whole school finds out about your relationship. you can’t be mad at him though, because he really did try. but then he accidentally let it slip during basketball practice, bragging about how you were an amazing kisser. you can’t really be mad at his comment, anyways.

to your dismay, your popularity has soared being yukhei’s boyfriend. you much prefer the times when people had to ask for your name again, because now they all label you as lucas’s boyfriend. like, you have a name. plus, high school students are incredibly nosy. but people are nice, for the most part.

needless to say, your friends had a field day with you upon hearing the news. apparently renjun and donghyuck had made bets on you, to which the former had triumphed. mark simply congratulated you as he struggled to stop the two from fighting each other.

to your surprise, hendery had approached you and congratulated you two on the manner. he ruffled your hair and told you that he’s always available if you ever choose to drop yukhei, to which the latter responded by lunging at him. you didn’t have time to question hendery about the events in the library from the past week, having to stop your boyfriend from fighting him.

your days at school have certainly become livelier. for starters, yukhei has become much more open about expressing affection, though the displays in public are nothing compared to in private. his friends were also quick to introduce themselves to you, even going as far as stealing you from him. you’re pretty sure you’ve become an honorary member of the basketball team now. things have seemed to calm down now, though your friends still tease your relationship every now and then. you try to go by your day with minimal interaction as usual, save for yukhei and your friends.

today was supposed to be your free day, but mrs. choi had called you asking if you could finish up things in the library, having to leave early for a doctor’s appointment. like the kind assistant you were, you had accepted with no hesitation, finishing up her tasks. however, you did feel like you were forgetting something important.

you’ve just finished shelving the final textbook when you hear footsteps approach you. you turn your head, expecting to see the janitor, but you’re startled to come face-to-face with a guy. judging from the threatening look on his face, you can tell you’re in for an unpleasant conversation. and if that’s the case, it’s probably because of yukhei.

with his popularity and your relationship, it isn’t surprising that there were a few that weren’t too happy to see you together. he isn’t some object that wannabe teenagers have ownership over. however, many are yet to grasp that concept. “how can i help you?” you politely ask.

you barely have any time to blink before you’re being pushed against the bookshelf, trapped in between his arms. this feels like a showdown between the love interest and the wannabe, the latter fighting for the affections of the male lead. “listen up, (last name),” the guy snarls. “you better stay away from lucas. you don’t deserve him.”

under normal circumstances, you would be terrified. but apparently you have a death wish, saying, “and you do?”

you close your eyes, bracing for a fist to your face, but surprisingly, it never comes. you squeak an eye open to see him looking down at you with a smirk. “whatever he sees in you, it won’t be there long. did he ever tell you how much he hates boring people?”

usually jerks like him don’t bother you, but... boring? you may be quiet, but you don’t think you’re that boring... right? the stranger releases his hold on you. before he can say any more, the library doors swing open, and like some knight in shining armor, there stands yukhei who looks out of breath. “(name)? hyunjung?”

you two are lucky he didn’t see your position earlier, otherwise it would beg for some unpleasant questions. “hi lucas,” hyunjung politely greets, doing a quick bow. a complete 180 from his personality from earlier. “i was just leaving.”

yukhei nods as hyunjung walks away from you two. he approaches you, pouting. “i was looking all over for you! did you forget about our date today?”

oh, so that’s what you were forgetting. you absentmindedly nod, still thinking of hyunjung’s words from earlier. “oh, sorry.”

he must sense some hostility in you, because he gently grabs your shoulders. “hey, are you okay? you look a little shaken up.”

usually you bottle up your worries; when they overfill, you shove them down even further. but yukhei is the complete opposite, so open about himself like he has nothing to hide. perhaps it’s because you spend so much time with him that his candid tendencies have rubbed onto you. “are you sure you’re okay with this?” you ask.

he tilts his head in confusion. “okay with what?”

you shrug, trying to show hyunjung’s words didn’t bother you as much as it had. “dating me?”

instantly he narrows his eyes, tightening his grip. “did- did hyunjung say something to make you think that way? is that why he came in here?” he protectively wraps his arms around you. “remind me to give him a lesson next time.” you snort; yukhei can’t even hurt a fly. if he does, it’s unintentional, and he always screams at the realization.

“i mean, i usually don’t listen to jerks like that, but-” you pause to gesture at yourself. “i’m your polar opposite, and as funny i think i am, i’m pretty quiet and boring. plus, you hate boring people, or at least people too stuck up for their own good.”

yukhei musters all of the sincerity in his eyes. “but that’s what makes us work so well, (name). i think i’m really cool and nice and all-” you snort at the comment. while all of those adjectives are true, it doesn’t make it less funnier, seeing how much confidence he has. “but i also have my flaws. i can be hotheaded, and i’m bad at saying no. but you help balance them out. you keep me leveled, and you’re always firm about what you want. plus, i help balance your flaws, too; we just work like that.” he squishes your cheeks together, eliciting a sound of protest from you. “if i don’t have a problem with a cutie like you, they shouldn’t, either.”

“some have yet to grasp the concept of treating you like a taken man,” you answer, though it comes out muffled. he giggles at the acknowledgement, leaning down to peck your nose. a garbled noise leaves your throat, and you close your eyes in embarrassment.

“maybe i should show them just how taken i am,” he hums. he promptly removes his hands from your face and wraps an arm around your shoulder. “how about we start by going on our date?”

despite how simple his resolution seems, you know you and yukhei will have another deeper discussion about today’s events. whereas he likes solving things with cuddles and kisses, you like to do it with deep conversations. that can wait for now. “let me lock up first. we’re getting food, right?”

when you look up at him, you suddenly realize what donghyuck meant when he said yukhei looks at you with heart eyes. the look he gives you is so sweet you feel like you’re getting cavities. it’s so endearing you nearly forget all of your insecurities, only focusing on how much he seems to adore you. he always seems to know what to do when you’re in a slump. “of course! gotta feed the cutie here,” he answers, leaning down to kiss the crown of your head.

you roll your eyes with a laugh, though you sneakily wrap your fingers with his. you’ll have plenty of time to repay the favor later.

#nct #nct u #wayv #superm #kpop #cpop #nct x reader #nct x male reader #wayv x reader #wayv x male reader #superm x reader #superm x male reader #lucas #wong yukhei #lucas x reader #lucas x male reader #renjuseyo : nct #renjuseyo : fics

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zoopzopp · 3 years

Text

A post for some BAMF Izuku fics <3 (more of these will be added and the list will be updated as i read them)

Fics i've read:

The Secret Ingredient is Crime- Izuku only had a whole month to further prove himself worthy of Yuuei's golden acceptance, and he was going to do whatever it took to make it in. Yuuei would never truly know what hit them until it was too late. (The secret crime AU in it entirety is fucking amazing and what wouldn't i give to read more stuff with it)

Deku the Villain Hunter: Support Hero - We all know the story: After being told he couldn't be a Hero by All Might, Midoriya Izuku still wandered over to a supervillain attack where he could save Bakugou Katsuki. But what if he had made the other turn? The answer is a butterfly effect that would lead him on a path to paving his own future. A path of revenge, finding his own moral compass, and doing the impossible. (OKAY MANY THOUGHTS. Very cool story and aspects. I binged it overnight and lost a bit of sleep the next night as well.)

The Story of How Midoriya Izuku Asserted His Dominance (And Traumatized Japan) - The Sports Festival was supposed to be a break from stress. Shouta should have known there is no such thing as a break with his class.

making it right (for real this time) - - Izuku is a support course student at UA, and Katsuki's neighbor, best friend, and former bullying victim. After Izuku's performance at the sports festival, Katsuki realizes something. He has to make things right. -

Hero Fall (UA Civil War Exercise) - It's now the end of the first year of UA for our students. Nedzu had decided to bring back the annual Heroes vs Villain fight. The fight shall last 5 days and the villain leader is Izuku Midoriya, with the commanding officer of the hero team being Katsuki Bakugo. But, what happens when Izuku is left alone?

Hero Class Civil Warfare - Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

"I Didn't Know You Had It In You." - Midoriya goes feral rage mode in his fight against Overhaul. The beat down still happens, but with Eri no longer at his back, he gets more violent. One For All reacts in an interesting way and Midoriya commits a terrible and unheroic act - the cold blooded murder and maiming of Chisaki Kai. Shigaraki is there to watch it all unfold.

Plan C meets Plan A - Even if All Might is right and Izuku can't be a hero, Izuku refuses to be useless. So Izuku uses his analysis skills to develop Plan C: Consulting in order to help the heroes. Eraserhead is impressed by this mysterious new consultant but alarm bells in Deku's behaviour quickly have Aizawa recruiting help for Plan A: Adoption.

Q. A. B. - One month after @hawks_unofficial's initial viral post, the blog titled "Quirk Analysis Blog for the Future", otherwise known as "Q. A. B.", has gone from an average of 10 views per post to an average of 20,000 views per post. Midoriya Izuku does not know how to view the impressions analysis for his suddenly popular blog, and only notices that sometimes, people actually comment on his posts now. He does not google himself or his moniker and thus does not see the rise in online articles and speculation. He is unaware that the "kyuu-ei-bee" he begins to hear about in passing refers to his own blog. He does not have a Twitter account. At the time, Midoriya Izuku is 15 years old.

How to murder your father - It's dangerous to be a bad father when you have a life insurance. Just saying.

Negation - Passive Quirks are a bitch. Izuku is reasonably done with the situation.

Thanks For Your Support - Izuku has the talent and the intellect to be the first Quirkless pro hero, and everyone at UA knows it. Unfortunately, his desire to become a hero has long since been buried thanks to the words of his childhood friend and childhood hero.

Policed To Meet You - Izuku takes All Might's advice and becomes a cop.

Vigilante Work And Other After School Activities - Izuku is a vigilante, Aizawa likes cats and therefore kids who help cats, and sometimes breaks must be forced upon overachieving teenagers.

When the Commission Lost Total Control - The hero polls have a small part where one can suggest their own hero. This is done just because of the amount of heroes is to great to name them all. This creates a little problem for the commission because a vigilante is assumed to be a brand new hero by the public- and ranks pretty high. Because of that, this vigilante now is too popular to hide and they can't come out with their mistake either! Think of the chaos that would bring.

Izuku being Badass but like in not that grand of a way but still tearing-people-down-in-some-way kind of way

He Was Quirkless - Midoriya get's sick of discrimination against the quirkless and decides to do something about it. It leads to some interesting situations. A trilogy.

bloody, but unbowed- It's Advocacy Week for Yuuei's hero students and it gives Midoriya Izuku a lot to think about about what kind of hero he wants Deku to be.

Called Out - When Izuku is hit by a quirk that will cause him to call out the first person to be rude to him on the way to school with every mistake they've made in the affected persons presence or have otherwise effected said affected person, Aizawa is in for a rough ride. In other words, with some help from a quirk, Izuku rakes Aizawa over the hot coals until he gives out. (a great fic but i've got mixed feelings on this one because on one hand, izuku is badass but on the other its Aizawa bashing and really like him skhdskdb so yea! Read it as per your tastes!!)

The time when everyone learned that izuku respects Bakugo more than all might. - I didn't like how Bakugo was tied up during the sports festival and so izuku didn't. Badass izuku roasted all might and midnight.

Villainous Sunshine - After an innocent question, Class 1-A learns just how terrifying Izuku's analysis is. Nedzu's along for the ride.

Never understand ( and you can't ) - Midoriya is sick and tried of his classmates bias and prejudice against the quirkless community and finally breaks

Mastermind: Strategist For Hire - Izuku Midoriya never got the chance to save Bakugo from the sludge villain and impress All Might. With his dream crushed, Izuku becomes bitter and angry. It also doesn't help that he faces discrimination at every turn. All he ever wanted was to be appreciated, so when the villains are the ones to recognize his talents rather than the heroes, well, Izuku just can't resist. He might as well help those who actually want him around. Mistakes were made, and now society must face a villain of their own making: Mastermind.

Malignance - Deku is far scarier than anyone gives him credit for.

Fics in my to read list which has/probably has BAMF izuku

Young Midoriya - Izuku Midoriya couldn't help himself when he saw someone in trouble. Even at 12 years old, his instincts drive him to help those in need. So when he sees Kacchan and his goons about to ambush another student, he has to step in, right? It's not like this hasn't happened before. What is different this time though, is that he's never had an audience that consisted of the Number One Hero.

Heroics and Other Things That Don't Require Superpowers - Izuku doesn't have a quirk. That's the long and short of it. After being told his whole life he can't be a hero, General Education at UA is the best he can hope for, right? Wrong. Dead Wrong. So super wrong that his best friend from Gen Ed, all of Class 1A and a whole mess of Pro Heroes are going to prove to him how wrong he is. Izuku has the makings of a hero, and his lack of a quirk only throws those qualities into starker relief. After all, who wants to be as strong as All Might when you can be the cleverest hero in the business?

Cases of More Than - Izuku is known as Deku online. He's an analyst of quirks, sometimes even working with the local detective, Tsukauchi, on a case. He meets new friends, builds a few relationships, and slowly crushes on his best friend. But then he's thrown into the General Studies Course at U.A. It doesn't help that All for One is showing an interest in him at all.

No Regret - In this world there is no hard set villain or hero. No victim and aggressor. Everyone is at fault for something and Izuku, with his own villain group, will make everyone pay. Even the bystanders who did nothing. This is what society gets for abandoning it's people. Deku will manipulate everyone and be the greatest villain, all so the world can be a better a place. With the stakes so high there is no time for regret.

We Are a Different Kind - Mirio doesn’t think he can be a hero anymore now that he’s quirkless, Izuku calls bullshit.

Live a Hero - "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Or, you're raised a villain, rebel when you're nine, and fight against the odds to become a hero anyway. That's how it is in Izuku's case.

Prodigal - After being convinced to give One for All to Mirio, Midoriya Izuku must rebuild his shattered dreams with bloody hands.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Vigilante - Izuku is orphaned at the age of four and is sent into the Japanese Foster Care System. After multiple failed attempts at finding a forever home and some unfortunate circumstance, he ends up on the streets. Eventually, the vigilante, Deku appears. Eraserhead must gain his trust to bring Deku back to the right side of the law. If he he does, however, the untrustful but pure-hearted boy may just be a bit more than Aizawa Shota can handle.

From Muddy Waters - - but the sleeve of his tracksuit was bulging, tearing and ripping and a mass of twisted flesh, nearly as big as the boy himself and nauseatingly familiar (the arm of the man that had torn a hole in his side with a grin and left him a frail shadow of himself) swung forward and slammed into the flat face of the giant robot. Izuku wants to be a hero more than anything.

Pieces are easily sacrificed when they're nameless - Nobody ever thought quirkless, weak, weird Midoriya Izuku was dangerous. This perception carried over to his first year high school class, because really despite the super strength Midoriya didn't have it in him to be dangerous. That was their first mistake. And the one that would see them fall.

Not exactly BAMF izuku but i just wanted to rec these fics <3

In the shade of a sunflower - Being biologically quirkless came more with an extra pinkie joint in the toes and a stunning lack of vestiges mutations. It came with smaller things, like extra teeth that did virtually nothing, exploding organs, and weird exposed nerves that weren't designed to feel pain.

Throat Punch - In which Aizawa attempts to teach Izuku how to use various battle tactics and it goes just about as well as you'd expect. At least Shinsou is there with his fantastic commentary. (just a fun lil thing where izuku is really stronk and trains with shinsou and aizawa)

So Be It - He could still do good. Midoriya could show them all what a hero without powers looked like. If he had to break a few rules to do it, so be it. So be it… (as stated not exactly BAMF but its a vigilante izuku so ye-)

Never Enter a Drinking Game with Bakugo or Izuku - Izuku walks in on Kirishima and Kaminari having a drinking competition (no alcohol involved). And it reminds him of an old story.

5 Times Midoriya Taught Class 1A about Memes and 1 Time they Found a Villain that Understood Them - After being diagnosed as quirkless, Midoriya gets into pre-guirk media and finds memes. He shares them with Class 1A. Aizawa doesn't get paid enough for this. (THIS FIC???? FUCKING AWESOME. LITERALLY WHAT I WANTED TO SEE)

Midoriya: JD Version - Nedzu has decided that a play should be put on so that the students can learn how to "go undercover", an idea which Aizawa thinks is utter bullshit. They're putting on Heathers and when Nedzu chooses to cast Midoriya for JD, everyone objects. Midoriya is a much better actor than they thought.

that is a lot!! I hope you have fun reading it!!!

#fic recs #bnha #bamf izuku midoriya #izuku midoriya

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722alycat · 3 years

Text

Face Down

pt i pt ii pt iii pt iv

Masterlist

an: sorry for the wait, i rewrote this like 6 times

Summary: Levi takes a job without you, and well, if that’s how it’s gonna be, you’ll show him you can do just fine on your own.

You’ve been alone for a year.

Kenny never really bothered to come back to say goodbye, and Levi tells you the last time he saw your surly guardian was for a moment. He was a face in the crowd, surveying the gutted body of Vic, the beaten and stabbed corpse of the tall boy whos name you never caught.

You and Levi did what you could do. You returned to your home built through ill gotten gains, your sanctuary constructed from trust and growing up side by side. You improved it, at the will of Levi the Dictator, who constantly bullied you to fix this, and clean that, and for the love of god dust that shelf.

Days turned into months, turned into years, and eventually you stopped waiting for Kenny and started scrambling for higher ground, for better weapons and thicker clothes. You bullied your way through marketplaces by day, and raided them by night. Things never got the chance to get harried; not since Levi's first kill. Now he led you, sneaking through shadows and striking through smog, always knowing just what to do.

You had laughed, frantic and aching and triumphant when you realized that the Ackerman Instinct Kenny had so fondly spoke of wasn't another lie. You watched as Levi danced around opponents, slipped behind enemy lines. He massacred men twice his age and skill level. He was invaluable even if you had only ever wanted him to be safe happy warm.

Naturally, this behavior would begin to attract attention.

Attention finds you in the form of a tall blonde man, looking as young and fierce as you and Levi tend to. His teeth are bared in a semblance of a grin as his eyes track you through the marketplace. You catch him watching you and Levi as you wander, wrist in hand, through the crowded market.

You twitch, once, and sidle in closer to Levi. He doesn’t stiffen, but you can feel his muscles bunch beneath his coat as you lean into his arm. You swipe a nail across his palm. His eyes flick lazily in the direction of your signal, and he finds the blonde boy in record time. Levi hums, tugging you closer and draping a lazy arm around your shoulder. It's more territorial and threatening than romantic like you hope dream want believe some may view it. You know his eyes will be too cold and too dark to whisper of love, know all you'll find in that gaze is a cool possession you know the people in the underground get love mixed up with possession sometimes and you remind yourself again and again you wont make the same mistakes. The knowledge strikes you again, of your circumstance: he is yours, and you are his, even if its not quite the way you're starting to want. He tucks his head into your neck to whisper in your ear. A young guard blushes crimson and shyly and looks away from you both. You blush too, and sternly remind yourself he’s just pretending to be in love with you.

Still, not much is romantic about what your pseudo-lover is saying.

"You have that knife I got you, right?"

The hand you have resting on his hip taps once, and you feel his smirk against your neck, and god are those his teeth? You shiver, feeling goosebumps crawl up your back as your heart bursts to life behind your rib cage. Surely he knows the effect he has on you. He has to. Levi doesn’t bother asking if your knife is sharpened and ready. He knows. He takes it from you nightly, looking over the blade, sharpening it if you had recently used it. You protested at first, telling him you could do it yourself, and he needn't trouble himself, but the look of annoyance and fond exasperation he had sent you left you winded and compliant, even as he called you stupid for suggesting he would ever go to any trouble for you.

Never mind that he always did go to trouble for you. Never mind that he always pushed himself between you and an aggressor, always took the larger opponents and left you to mop up the stragglers; that he would corner you after every fight, steady hands checking you over carefully. You hadn't known that the Ackerman instinct could leave him so gentle, so human, even as it changed him into something other; Not until you had felt his hands softly brushing over your cheeks, your arms, your stomach, searching for any sign you might have been close to being taken from him.

You were forced back to the present as he curled closer to you.

"Is he still looking?"

You giggled, leaning into Levi more. You shyly ducked your head, eyes searching until-

You tapped twice, and he nodded, separating himself from you just as easily as he had latched on. You tried not to feel bereft at the absence, but losing his warmth left you inexplicably chilled. Your arm fell to your side, feeling heavier than before. Your fingers tapped out against nothing. You felt wrong, jittery, like when your knife wasn't in its sheath against your hip.

You didn't know when you began this game of faking intimacy with Levi. The people in the underground who cared enough to form an opinion figured you were an item, practically sewn together at the hip for how little you were apart. Those who didn't put too much thought into it figured you were a hired lady who was very good at her job. Either way, you reasoned sensibly, it made them think you were a bystander, prey, a victim ready to be made. They didn't see you as the loaded gun you were, the livewire life had made you into. It worked to your advantage plenty of times, and so you supposed that's why Levi kept doing it. Why else would he keep you so close?

But rationality didn't reason away the skip and jump in your pulse when he pulled you close, the longing in your chest when he hugged you tightly to get a view on what was behind you. It didn't remove the way your mind ran in circles, caught between wishing it was all real and knowing it was just-

Just Levi. Levi the Survivor. Levi the Strategist. The boy who knew just what he had to do to survive. He reminded you so much of Miss Kuchel. Your heart ached at the thought of her. Of how proud she would be of her son.

You chased away the cold of his absence with the thought. He'll never be alone, you had promised her solemnly. The vow had become a prayer, had become a touchstone, a whisper to Miss Kuchels ghost and your weary soul. Never alone, never again.

Levi led you cautiously out of the market, constantly looking over his shoulder for that mop of blonde in case he was tailing you. You trailed along behind him, happy to linger in the silence of the walk home beside him. For once, Levi seemed the one eager to talk.

He called your name, slowing his pace so you could walk side by side. "I've gotten a job offer, from a local boss. Wants me to help him defend a merchant on their way through the underground... It pays."

You considered his words, slowly. "And?" You asked, feeling unbalanced and unsure of how to continue. Something felt wrong, felt off.

"I'd be gone, probably for a week."

You were confused, now. "Well... I would be coming with you, of course."

He pursed his lips, narrowed eyes checking behind you once more. "No, not on this one. His group... They don't work well with women."

You scoffed, feeling tense and confused by his rejection. "Neither does any other bastard here. Why should that stop us?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, reopened it once more. He was unsure, for the first time, of what to tell you.

"I don't think you should come along." He finally decided on, and you puffed up like a kicked cat.

"The hell do you mean? Levi, we're supposed to stick together," you hissed, "protect each other."

He shook his head sharply, becoming aggravated, and you became jittery. "I need to start taking real jobs, then we can stop stealing shit like we're still kids."

You were angry. He was leaving you behind. He was ignoring your history of saving each other and leaving you in the dust because some crime ring out there had decided he was the one they wanted, and you were a woman so you were only good for lying on your back. You shook your head in disbelief. "So what? We split up because some asshole cant see past my tits? You wanna work for someone like that? You know I'm more than capable!"

He gripped your shoulders, looking you dead in your eyes. "This group is little better than rabid dogs. I don't want you near that filth. Not until I have them trained."

You looked at him, pained and wary and more guarded against him than you'd been since you were six years old. But still, you knew this was a losing battle. He would leave you, regardless of your reaction, and take this job. Levi never gave an inch, but he always took a mile. And this was the part of him you would hate, if you had it in you to hate anything about him. The fragment of him that treated you like his ward, like he couldn’t trust you to tie your own shoe, let alone keep him from being stabbed in the back by some gutter rat.

Fine, you decided. If he was gone.. You'd show him you could care for yourself, without him. You shouldered past him, pushing away your mounting anxiety at being separated from him for a week.

You sighed, sharp and frustrated with the hand the day had dealt you, and finally bit out a "fine, but you had better come back to me".

He looked relieved at your surrender and ruffled your hair. "I will, brat."

You growled, smacking his hand away. "I might as well not turn it into a fight. God knows how either of us would feel if... If something happened while we weren't together."

Levi grimaced, "Stop worrying." He ordered, words clipped as he began to herd you back to your house. He reached for you again, oddly enough, but you skittered away. You couldn’t let him think this was something that didn’t bother you, didn’t hurt you.

You remained tense as you laid in bed that night. You would force your muscles to relax, shoulders to unhunch, teeth to cease their grinding, and then moments later find yourself doing it all again.

You felt like you were being left behind. Outgrown. And what stung the most is that even before Levi became a one man firing squad, you would've never dreamt of telling him you didn't want him on a job. He belonged by your side, you thought.

You gazed at his sleeping features, long since racked out and peaceful in sleep. You felt a flutter in your chest.

He clearly didn't feel the same.

Levi left in the middle of the night half a week later. You vaguely remembered his form hovering over you in your sleep, pulling you close and tight against his chest and pressing his lips to your forehead. You had figured it was just another wistful dream and went back to sleep.

When you awoke and he was gone, you fought the urge to either break something or blush ten shades of red. That little fucker hadn't told you when he was leaving. You weren't ready. He knew you weren’t ready. Probably thought you would try to follow him.

You languished in your bed the first day, huddled in blankets and feeling pitiful. The second day, hunger and frustration forced you out, and you neatly robbed a vendor of bread and some thick broth. You stole another a few minutes later to drop to the dirty street urchin you noticed huddled in an alley way.

You toyed with the idea of asking around about Kenny, for old times sake, but decided against it. Either he was dead, or he wanted to leave. Either way, there wasn't anything for you to do about it. So, with a full stomach and more melancholy, you headed home.

You toyed with your knife, you tested the weight of it as if you hadn't learned it's center the night Levi had given it to you. You threw it cleanly and precisely into the wall. You withdrew it, and repeated the action, again and again.

Kenny would be proud, really. You hadn't practiced one of those pretty tricks you used to be so proud of since you and Levi had killed those boys.

The knife struck the wall again with a satisfying thud. Then the voice came.

"Impressive."

For half a moment, you thought it was Kenny, peering at you from the rickety second floor overhand, watching you train. But Kenny had taught you not to believe in any miracle that wasn't Ackerman blood, and you lunged for the hilt of the knife sticking from the wall.

A gun racked behind you.

"Please don't."

Your fingers froze, clutching the blade so tight the skin on your finger tips broke on the edge. You took a deep, rattling breath. Okay.

You really hoped he didn't want to shoot you.

You released the knife, turning. Your hands were held out in submission. You blinked, looking at the tall blonde before you in surprise.

"You're that motherfucker from the other day!" You snarled, "how long have you been waiting? What do you want from us?"

He grinned at your descriptor of him. "I don't see an us here."

You bore your teeth now, furious, "so you waited until he left? For what? You gonna try to sell me?"

He laughed, then, shaking his head, gun wobbling.

“Nah. I don’t trade in little girls. But I do have an offer for you. If you’re interested?”

You considered your position, and figured that you would be damn lucky if he didn’t kill you and leave your body there to decompose until Levi finally made it back. Fuck, Levi.

“I don’t negotiate well under pressure.” you finally said, nodding at the gun he had loosely grasped in his hands. He chuckled, and lowered the weapon.

“I think I can work with that.”

Half an hour and two cups of weak tea later, you felt like you could trust Furlan. He was chatty, and friendly in his own point-a-gun-at-you way. You hadn’t talked this much in a while with anyone besides Levi. It was odd, but not unwelcome you supposed.

“So, there’s a cargo transport through the underground, and you have no idea what’s in it, but you think its worth stealing? And you want to recruit Levi and I?” you recapped.

He grunted, shaking his head, and set his tea down with a clank. “No, not Levi. We’d have to leave tonight, or tomorrow morning at the latest to cut it off. We don’t have time to wait.”

“Levi and I are a team.” you told him sternly, and Furlan raised an eyebrow at you. You fought the urge to throw your cup at his stupid smug face.

He stayed silent for a moment (probably sensing your bloodlust), deliberating the cost of his next words, rolling them in his mouth, before deciding to speak. “If you’re a team, why are you here alone?”

The statement hit its mark, and you flinched. “I... he just didn’t think I was right for the job.”

“Well, I don’t think he’s right for this one. I can’t wait for him either. So, are you in or not? You can’t spend your life waiting for him to think you’re the right one.” these words, too, hit home.

You thought, for a moment, about how you never wanted to be without Levi. Thought of how he left you behind, how he clearly didn’t mind you being left alone. You considered what would have happened, had Furlan been a trafficker, or just wanted you dead.

Levi had left you, was outgrowing you. For once never alone didn’t calm you. It felt like an empty promise. Levi wouldn’t be alone. He would always have someone who wanted him now. You, however... you needed security. Before he decided carrying you wasn’t worth the weight. Furlan was tall and strong and he was offering you a chance, ignoring your gender and age.

You thrust your hand across the table.

“I want whatever cut it is that you give yourself,” you demanded, “I won’t be paid like a rookie. I know I’m worth more.”

Furlan grinned, slapping his hand into yours and shaking it. His teeth were sharper in the light, even if his smile was warmer, more pleased.

“y/n, you and I have a deal.”

“Christ, Furlan, you didn’t say we’d be travelling for three days,” Ponye, a tall brunet boy griped. Furlan shrugged, sipping from his mug of warm tea.

Amaretto, or Ma, a portly sharpshooter, shoved Ponye, nearly knocking him over. “Quit gripin, brat. We’re gonna be rich after all this craps over. Walking for a few days ain’t worth that to ya?” she scolded, and the boy hunkered down.

“It’s just, I woulda bought new shoes if I’da known.”

Furlan grinned, “You don’t have the money for that, Pon. But you will when we’re done here. C’mon, break time’s over. Time to scramble. Cartel should be through the bottleneck in a couple hours. We gotta set up.”

You heaved to your feet, still observing the small group. There was Ponye, who was younger than you expected him to be, but still strong and angry. There was Amaretto, who had a gimp leg but could shoot out someone’s kneecaps from blocks away. There was Jakobs, who had more knives strapped to him than some vendors had in stock, and who had a wit about as sharp as the blades on them. There was Kur, a small dark haired boy who you forgot was there half the time. Then there was Furlan, who was far more stoic in front of the team he had chosen for this robbery, who seemed to look to you before anyone else for your opinion. You found it odd, to be looked at without lecherous intent by someone other than Levi.

You began to trail behind the blonde, following him through alleyways even as the group began to disperse to their assigned locations. He had insisted on having you with him, for some reason, and you tried to not be too suspicious. You just couldn’t understand how he valued you as a right hand over Jakobs or Ma. You didn’t feel so far away from the skinny girl who stole bread for her dark haired friend, from the one who needed to be held and carried everywhere by your mother or Miss.

You didn’t ask questions, reminding yourself that this job was an in, a way to make more money than you’d seen since you sold all that medicine back when Miss Kuchel passed. Walls, maybe you could even get out of the underground. Then you and Levi could...

Well, you didn’t even know where to start.

You fingered the hilt of your knife on your hip. You hoped Levi was ok, that wherever he was he was safe. You hoped no one had a heist like this planned against him. Not that it would make a difference. Levi was a one man army, and you had faith he would come back to you.

You followed Furlan up a ladder onto a roof, settling beside him.

“You ever been out of your corner of the underground?” he asked, and you shrugged.

“Once. When I was younger. Stole some medicine.” you carefully chose your words, deciding what information to dole out to him.

He hummed, looking at you, through you. You got this unnerving feeling that he knew what had happened, without you even saying. “I had a sister. Had to steal medicine for her too.”

You looked at him. “I’m sorry.” you finally decided on, not missing his past tense. He had a sister, like you had a mother, and had Miss to take care of you.

Furlan shrugged your words off. “It’s all over now. All that’s left is to wait to get to see her again, I suppose.”

“Hopefully you make it a long one. I doubt she’d want to see you again too soon.”

He laughed, and nodded, “She’d probably kill me if we meet again before I’ve gone gray. She always had such high expectations for my life expectancy.”

You grinned, trying to picture a girl like Furlan. Tall and blonde and quick to smile, sternly telling her younger brother that he’d better live a long and good life. “What was her name?”

“Frannie. She was always chasing after me and mothering me. I guess that’s what I get for being the younger one,” he sighed, wistful, “I hope that she would be proud of me, you know?”

You thought of your mom, of Miss Kuchel.

“Yeah, Fur, I know.”

Furlan was an easy man to pass the time with, and soon enough you heard the hooves of horses clicking on the battered cobblestones lining the alleyway.

You knew the plan, had been repeating it for three days. You and Furlan and Jakobs go in, work on distracting the guards. Ma keeps an eye from her snipers perch, ready to shoot if things get too harried. Ponye runs interference on the otherside of the bottleneck. Kur has the quick job of stealing the cart while everyone’s distracted.

You didn’t realize how quickly things can go wrong.

Furlan takes down one guard relatively quick, knocking him to the ground and kicking him cleanly in the head so he goes limp and quiet, incapacitated. You deal with yours in a similar manner. You turn to look at Jakobs when you hear a gunshot.

At first, you think it’s Ma, saving your ass, but-

-fuck.

You hear her shout, and see Jakobs slumped against a wall. It takes you half a moment to figure out what you’re even looking at. Half his face has been blown away, bits of blood and viscera splattering the brick behind him. The wide brimmed hat he wore is in tatters, hanging limply on his slumped shoulder. You watch the blood trickle down from the cavity in his head cover one of the hilts of his knives.

The guard turns to you, and grins. She raises the gun again. You hear a shot.

Levi, you think, I’m so sorry.

Blood splatters your face covering. Ma, bless her, has shot her stomach wide open with a bullet the size of your finger. She gurgles, and it reminds you of the wet sloshing sound of Vic’s entrails before she hits the ground.

Fuck, Jakobs.

You hadn’t known him well. He rarely spoke to any of you. But... he had been kind. He had complimented the knife Levi got you. You showed him a few of your tricks and he had laughed and told you they were impressive. He had been kind.

That was so rare, down here.

You wished you had been the one to kill her, for him.

Furlan stooped down to look at Jakobs. He fixed his hat as much as he could, murmured an apology, and stood.

“Let’s go. His cut... it’ll go to his family.”

Here, too, Furlan was better than any boss you had known. Usually, if a man died, it was a bigger cut for everyone else. But Furlan...

You didn’t bother with being quiet anymore. After those gunshots, the guards had to know what the fuck was going on back here. Either they chose not to help, or they thought you were both dead, and either way their nerves would be frazzled.

You clutched your knife. It hadn’t been sharpened in days, not since Levi left. You couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

You look through the alley opening to the cart. Old hickory wood and green fabrics and crates make up your objective, and you take stock of the guards surrounding it. Two, but you know there should be at least one more. The driver is there, looking ready to shit herself, and you almost feel bad for her. One of the guards had a dirtied MP logo on his shoulder, and you wonder briefly why he defected to come down to the underground of all places.

You twirl your knife and lunge at him, vowing to make him regret it. Furlan follows you a beat too late, left to mop up the remaining guard. However, you are intercepted midway.

The third guard is there, battering you away from the MP, and two others behind him swiftly advance on Furlan. Ponye is tied up and gagged by the entrance of the bottleneck, bleeding from a slash across his eyebrow, and you snarl.

“Fuckers!”

You attack him, fueled by anger and the bitterness of a plan gone wrong. Furlan cries out behind you, but you refuse to turn to look, remembering how the first man you had killed almost got the upper hand on you due to your worry for Levi.

You duck a punch from your hooded attacker, skitter back from a swipe of a blade to your ribs. The knife catches your arm from where you stretched it to counterbalance yourself, and you hiss, bringing your knee up sharply to nail him in the gut. He lets out a wheeze, hunching over himself, and you lunge to kick him over.

He twists out of the way, looking furious, and plunges his blade towards you. You screech and wheel backwards. You lash out, knocking one of his legs out from him as his knife catches your face, your head covering, and rips skin and fabric alike. You yowl, half blind from the blood running into your eye, and the fluid drips into your mouth. You try not to gag. Fuck, Levi is gonna be so mad when he sees me, you think.

You’re right.

You hear him snarl your name, and you think you’re going insane. You lunge at the guard again, and he smacks your hit away, clutching you around the waist. You snarl and fight against him, until the voice from under his hood calling you a stupid brat, and a dumb bastard filters into your ears. Holy fuck, you think, no fucking way.

“...Levi?”

He hisses, furious, shoving you away from him, and turns. He lunges at the guard holding Furlan hostage and drives his knife into his throat, clearing the windpipe easily. The man gurgles and drops, and Furlan splutters and nearly drops with him.

You think you’re actually going insane, now. Confused and probably concussed and halfway to blind from steadily clotting blood, you watch as Levi turns into a bloody whirlwind, hacking and slashing and destroying every guard in sight. He watches the driver run away screaming and doesn’t pursue her.

Furlan finds you in the middle of this, grabbing you hastily around the waist and hauling you into the cart. You try to speak, to tell him that this was Levi. But you felt so tired, and your head hurt so much, and...

You don’t wanna say you blacked out. In fact, you refuse to. You just lost track of some time. You don’t know how you end up back at the safe house with Ma and Kur and Ponye exactly, but you were awake for it, by the walls. Kur ties a strap around the gash on your head, and part of you wants to pretend its Levi but...

“Did you know?” you ask Furlan, and you can feel the dried blood on your lips, can taste iron on your teeth. You feel like an old woman and an old god at once, staring down the tall blonde.

He blinks at you with his one unblackened eye. “I was unsure.”

You stand unsteadily, wobbling to your feet. You feel nausea roll up your throat like the tide. “And you didn’t tell me?” you asked, calm and covered in the blood of Jakob and the woman who killed him and you, all mixing together into a dried and tacky river of red.

“I didn’t think it wise to worry you,” he tries, but his eyes are panicked and flickering between Ma and Ponye.

You snarl, and punch him in his unbruised eye. Kur moves to pull you away, but you shove him off. “Bullshit! You knew this score inside and out. You knew he was here. You fucking knew!”

Furlan picks himself up from where he stumbled into a table. “I wasn’t sure. The possibility of him being there wasn’t enough of a deterrent. Not from this big of a score.”

“Ma could have killed him!” you rage, now completely unhinged in your anger, “He could have killed me! We could have been left alone!”

“Guys,” Ponye tries to interrupt.

Furlan bowls over him, unwilling to lose this argument. “Whatever is in those crates was worth the risk!”

“Guys!” Ponye tries again.

“Was it worth Jakob’s life, though?” Kur murmurs.

The room falls to a hush. You feel eyes on you, on your blood stained skin and still sticky clothes. You feel like you’ll be sick.

You hear footsteps.

“So, you got the gear? I was hoping you would get my messages. Didn’t think you would bring her along though.”

Furlan stammers, coughs, and you turn towards that familiar voice.

You want to scream and lunge at him, to hug him until everything goes away, until you’re both safe and warm but something in his eyes keeps you at bay. You’d never seen him look so... empty, before. He looks at you, and you feel like he can’t stand the sight.

“That was you? Giving me the intel?” Furlan finally manages, and Levi huffs, tearing his eyes from you to look at the badly beaten Furlan.

He hums an affirmative, finally, “I’m sorry about your friend. I didn’t know they had a gun.”

“His family will be taken care of,” Ma promises, looking stern and determined. “I’ll see to it.”

Levi nods, seemingly pleased by the news, and walks past you to stare into the crate Ponye had cracked while you were arguing.

He makes a startled sound you hadn’t heard from him since you’d gotten your revenge for that worm on your pillow, and Ponye is practically vibrating.

“Guys!” he finally breaks, slinging an arm around Kur and nearly shaking the boy, “We’re gonna be fucking rich! Look at this shit!”

You walk up and peer over Ma’s shoulder. You feel your heart skip a beat. Now that old MP made sense.

“Holy walls,” you murmur, “Is that...?”

Levi smiles then, a cruel and sharp little thing, but he still won’t look at you. It feels wrong.

“Yeah. We were transporting eight crates of Three Dimensional Maneuvering Gear.”

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chase-the-ladybug · 3 years

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For @fast-moon, happy holidays! It’s your one and only lovely secret santa here for the @noragamisecretsantas event! Here I am on Christmas day to proudly present: your 🕺🙌gift! The prompt I was given for your present was also wonderfully full of potential, perfect opportunities for some fluff AND angst aha… with that, I hope you enjoy reading this. At the very least, I certainly enjoyed writing it x

It only took once for him to want to use his ability again. Then again. Then again. He felt he had to test and see if it really was true, the power he’d discovered. Even still, he couldn’t quite believe what a difference it had made, what it can make right now, what it could make in the future. There was so much potential to what differences he could make.

He could do so much good.

Hagusa had never had much presence while he was alive. That tends to happen when you come from a poor, abusive, broken family; people tend to ignore realities they can’t handle. And yet, with his newfound ability as father’s shinki, he discovered an astounding ability: he could influence people’s actions.

That first encounter at that restaurant is almost like a dream. That poor little kid was getting so much verbal smack from his dad for some pathetic excuse. He was arguing with his son over the change he carried, and that it was not enough for him to drink himself into an even steeper drunken mess. He was already pissed as it was, and the surrounding servers and patrons could only judge and watch as they struggled to intervene.

God, it reminded him so much of his memories of when he was alive, he wanted to puke. But somehow, the room’s atmosphere suddenly changed, like a switch flicked on in the minds of all the bystanders. The waitresses snapped down on him, the customers all defended the poor boy; before he knew it, the drunkard was thoroughly sobered by the audience he’d acquired, with the kid looked after by the rest. They had wanted to do so from the beginning, really: they just didn’t have the courage.

Hagusa, he had discovered, could give the people courage to act. And he just did so for the sake of a poor bullied kid. If he had an ability like this, there was no way assholes like his dad could get away with the way they acted. He could oust every abuser out there, track down exactly where he’s hiding, and finally confront him for the wrongs he committed.

He had to keep going.

The next opportunity he found was outside a convenience store. There was a high school girl who was wearing the uniform belonging to the establishment, being harassed by an apparently frequent customer. He kept insisting on walking her home, much to her adamance that she was fine. Anyone could tell he was not a trusted acquaintance of hers in any sense. Hagusa could feel the unease of passer-bys, latched onto them, and cast them into play.

Next thing you know a co-worker took a moment to step outside of the shop and ward him off. Another bystander, a woman who was passing by, offered to share her cab so she’d get home safely without a chance of him catching up to her. There was a nearby group of other schoolgirls too; they suggested commuting together anyways, since they recognised her from the same bus stop and finish their club activities at a similar time to her work commute.

Another opportunity occurred in a similar time frame: a working-class man was being extorted by his landlord for money. You could tell it was a common occurrence by the way he struggled to turn her away. Even still, the landlord started making a racquet, as entitled as a baby, it seemed. All the neighbours were getting increasingly frustrated, but mostly, just feeling bad for the neighbour. He wasn’t exactly made of money, none of them were in that apartment block.

The empathy was distinct among the neighbours, so it was easy to get a hold of their feelings, and with those he spurred them to do something about it. The residents all headed to the door of the victim, where the landlord had been looming, and pushed him down the hall. One of the people next door threatened to call the police, another claiming to have recorded his previous excursions to extort money unjustly. He was gone in less 5 minutes. The residents all discussed investing in a recording camera to put around the complex, so they’d have a defence if he were to continue coming back.

It carried on throughout the night. For every misdemeanour that he could find, Hagusa could always find at least one other person who wanted to help, to act. And often even, it wasn’t just one person, but many nearby who had wanted to help. The volume of people with the desire to help was simply a marvel!

To be honest, he wishes he could share this discovery with Yato and Hiyori. Knowing them, they’d be so proud of his discovered power, born of the desire to help people. But he shut down the thought. Hiyori wouldn’t approve of it coming from the means of Father, someone who apparently is the enemy of all. It was something he had heeded, cautiously, but also doubted. Afterall, would someone so bad really allow him to inflict this much good? And Yato... He would only be a distraction along his path right now. In this situation, he just can’t see them at this point. Even if he does miss them a whole lot. Father is the only one he can rely on to realise his path now.

Upon seeing these abilities, Father had given him encouragement; he was somewhat expectant towards his newfound power. And still as supportive as ever towards helping him find his dad, it seems. But he doesn’t oversee the entire extent of it, either he’s too busy or it just seems to bore him so. Hagusa almost couldn’t understand why- these continuous acts of good was reaching a phenomenal scale, and yet they never ceased to amaze him every single time. There’s nothing, to him, that was unremarkable about saving people, even if it was occurring so often by his help.

I guess, from his standpoint, Hagusa could understand what it meant. To be helped. In a way, he has been helped by the people around him since he became a shinki, and that’s something he’ll always be grateful for. But, he also started to think about his time before that.

He doesn’t remember a lot from his past yet, but from what he does remember- he was generally neglected. He could’ve come across any kinds of people in his day-to-day life: neighbours; store clerks; teachers; anybody really. If he somehow had this power when he was alive, maybe he could’ve gotten the help he needed. He would’ve been ok. He would’ve been free from his dad, and possibly able to reconnect with his sister. And he definitely wouldn’t’ve winded up where he is now-

He started to shake off his train of thought, which was beginning to wind down an impossible fantasy. That’s all it was: a fantasy. He was dead, he always would be.

The present is what was more important. Closure is something he can achieve, and these abilities help him with that. He could find his dad among all the abusers, the wrongdoers and perpetrators, all the people being confronted for their misdeeds. There is no chance he can’t be found, considering the violation that he had committed. Even if it is a past discrepancy, Hagusa knows that there is no chance he wouldn’t act just as vile as always. He must do, he was sure of it.

He can’t even tempt the idea that he’s not. If he’s dead, there’s no way he can get answers. If he’s changed, if he’s become someone capable of good… that means he can’t be found. And worse, he always was capable of being good. And that is a reality Hagusa truly cannot face. That would only be a reality of despair.

He can’t think about it.

Not in the slightest.

Not at all.

…

He senses a new encounter, ready to be turned around into a better outcome. He follows it. He doesn’t look back.

#noragamisecretsanta2020 #my writing #short but satisfying (I hope)#anyways Merry Christmas!#I was gonna post this later today...#but it’s barely been an hour into 25/12 in my time zone- And I have no patience #anyways enjoy :)#@other noragami fans; hello! I love this manga and would love to tell about it!#@my other followers: I hope I have wowed and bamboozled you simultaneously by my random change of content #since I’ve literally never posted fic on tunglr.net in my life #noragami #hagusa #noragami spoilers #sort of

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aprilnet · 3 years

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[!] Former A-JAX member Yunyoung speaks up about Hyunjoo’s situation

Yunyoung, a former A-JAX member and DSP Media labelmate, wrote a long post on his Instagram story. The story reads:

I'm so upset that I will just tell you the straight facs. When something happens, how much do you objectify your friends? They can’t be objectified but it is up to people to listen to both sides, and they can only pour up their sadness. Hyunjoo must have been upset. Because it is hard, and it is not going your way... but their hearts (April) have been torn apart. Hyunjoo, I’m sorry, but let’s be real. I feel sorry for them because of you.

While I was in DSP Media, I watched the entired process of how April was made. Suddenly, you couldn’t go to practice because you went diving and there were lots of situations in the schedule where you couldn’t participate due to emergencies. It's true that you can be in pain, but it is inevitable. You should've quit immediately. You still wanted to do it, but you also wanted to stay comfortable, how could that work? You weren’t a soloist - you were in a team. You’re a kid who would always crouch in the practice room with your eyes swelling because of how much you cried. When they (April) tried to communicate with you, you didn’t talk or listen but, in a way, the members are attached to each other like family.

Anyone can see that Hyunjoo is a visual. That is obvious. But if you couldn’t keep up with them, then you should've worked harder than anyone else, but you found it too hard to do such thing. I think you should know the facts because the contents uploaded are too one-sided. "Who is the mastermind, the perpetrator, without a bystander"... stop it... Hyunjoo, the members really wanted to protect the group... you only wanted to shine by yourself, but the members put the team and the fans first... You were all young at the time, so I didn’t make a big deal out of it and I just pretended not to know anything, but calling her an outcast... bullying?? Let’s stop trying to distract people's attention from a serious issue.

And Somin, who's a KARD member right now... She's a dongsaeng who’s been trying her hardest since she was young. She was the leader of April and practiced with the younger members while biting her lips and holding back her tears.

They worked so hard to get where they are right now, do you really hate to see them succeed? You know that I’ll always root for you with all of my heart, Hyunjoo. I just hope no one gets hurt.

Source: (x).

#april #type:info #yunyoung

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ifyouknowme-stayaway · 4 years

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Well, here I am and I'm going to make a BNHA AU of Assassination Classroom, mostly because I wanted to explore the idea of Karma on the path of becoming a villain. And yes, this is absolutely because @karma-gay-sa said if I tried it could turn out well. The quirk headcanons I'm using for this belong to @ladysunami, because her Quirk headcanons are amazing and fit it well with what I have planned.

First off, the Quirk Karma has is Damage Reflect, meaning he reflects the direct damage someone does to him

For example, if he was stabbed, the person who stabbed him would get an identical stab wound, but if the stab makes Karma fall off a bridge, the person would not get any bridge-falling-off damage (unless they also fell off the bridge

Unfortunately, he doesn't actually know that it only happens when other people do damage to him

He and everyone else generally just think that it happens

Which leads to him being thought of as bad luck

His parents starting to leave for months at a time starting from when he turns 8 (a.k.a when they decide he's old enough to take care of himself) does not help, because it convinces everyone that they too, are avoiding bad luck a.k.a Karma

When he is 9, people start avoiding him, and he doesn't do anything, trusting that an adult or someone else will help him, and losing that trust soon enough

When he is 11, they start calling him unlucky right to his face, he doesn't do anything, thinking that maybe they are right. He starts intimidating them a little, just to try and get them to back off

When he is 13, some of his classmates take to calling him a villain, but this time he fights back

He's on them before he can even think, his fists flying straight to their jaw

They fight back, of course, and soon he's taken several hits to the face and the stomach

And when the teachers hear about it, he realizes that 11 year old him was stupid to think that they would be on his side

Because they take his classmate's side

"Guess even the teachers know I'm nothing but bad luck," he thinks, even as he tries to defend himself

Afterwards, they sigh and give him a warning, but do nothing to anyone else

He wishes he could say he was surpised

Even if that didn't surprise him, two other people did

A short, blue haired boy, one of his classmates, who looks a little like a snake, come up to him after school

"Hey Akabane, are you okay?"

The genuine concern shocks him, but he warms up to Nagisa soon enough

They become friends

About a week later, a teacher calls on Karma to stay back for a couple minutes, just to talk

And Kensaku (you know, Karma's selfish traitor of a teacher in 2nd year? The one sent him down to E class?) walks him to his office

He tells Karma that he was in the right, and that he will support Karma as long as he's in the right

He tells Karma that he's not unlucky, and that he's very, very, helpful

Karma is happy, of course

Because for the first time, an adult supports him, thinks he's helpful

Hooray for him! He has a new friend and a new trusted adult!

He soon learns about Nagisa's Quirk, Naga which he finds pretty impressive

And he can fight back against all his classmates who tell him he's just trouble

I mean, sure, his classmates very publicly talk about how he's no good

And yeah, a there have been a couple people who have tried to jump him on the street (he ended up beating them up, though he's not sure why they're bleeding when they're the ones trying to get him with the knife)

But he has a friend now, one he can trust never to hurt him

And a teacher who has his back

Did you really think I'm gonna let this go without more angst? Absolutely not

We of course have the infamous Nagisa-pokes-Karma-in-the-back scene

And Karma is absolutely terrified

He doesn't tell this to Nagisa, but there amount of people trying to sneak up on him and hurt him on the streets have increased

And he's been getting a fair amount of death threats from them as well

It's been making him a little paranoid

More like a very paranoid

So when Nagisa, his most trusted (and only) friend sneak up on him so easily

He suddenly gets the feeling that he will kill him in his sleep

"But it's Nagisa, he wouldn't do that... right?"

He ignores the feeling for a few days, even if the growing feeling of fear and defensiveness is only growing

Then he sees two older guys beating up someone older than him in Kunugigaoka

The guy being beat up seems to have bat ears, which Karma assumes is his Quirk

He can hear them talking as well

"No good" "Stupid" "Cheater" "Useless" "Nothing but trouble"

So many words that have been said against Karma

His mind is calm as he beats up both of the bullies

The bullied guy had apparently gotten a high score in math, his worst subject

His Quirk let him hear very well, and the teacher had decided he had cheated and sent him down to E class

Since then, he had been bullied and talked down to, called a cheater, a liar, an eavesdropper for the crime of having his Quirk

Karma got that story out of him right after asking if he was okay

"Sucks to have your fate decided for you like that, still, don't let them give you lip about it,"

Kensaku takes him to his office just hours later

"Huh? I'm in the right here. What's wrong with saving a bullied student?"

And Kensaku is furious, because this time, Karma didn't just attack some random kids

He fought a hero's kid, and the other was the top honor student from third year

And that hero wants to sue the school because his kid was hurt, even though he was the one bullying others!

As Kensaku reveals his true colors, Karma realizes exactly what he did wrong

Trusting people

He leaves Kensaku trembling on the floor of his trashed office

Later that day, he is the one who picks a fight

But the one he fights isn't some delinquent in an alley

It's a small group of villains

This time, it's a fight that he can't win

And Karma meets their leader

"Hmm, so your name is Karma, then? Quite fitting with your Quirk, isn't it?"

And Karma doesn't understand

The villain leader pushes her sleeve up, revealing a bleeding cut

One of her lackeys push up Karma's sleeve

"I cut you there in the fight, and you were unarmed and no one else went near me, yet I still have this cut. I've heard word of you from others, watched your fights with others, do you really not know your Quirk?"

There's just this moment of realization that the one who figured out his Quirk isn't his friend or a teacher or an adult

It's a villain

With that shock playing to their advantage, the villains find it easy to convert Karma

They don't need to worry about having him cut ties

He doesn't care too much about his parents, since they rarely ever talk anyway

His teacher just betrayed him

As for Nagisa, well, he really does like him, but the idea of him killing him...

It's a selfish feeling, because despite how nice Nagisa is, Karma can't bring himself to trust someone who could hurt him

And after all the times his classmates have called him bad luck for his Quirk, then call him insane for fighting back

Well, there goes the problem of wanting people to like him

The hardest part to change are his morals

Sure, he's okay with hurting people in self-defense, he doesn't mind lying or deceiving others when they deserved it

But hurting them for no reason?

Tricking innocents?

That's not him

He's got his limits of who he's willing to hurt, and it sums up with his name pretty well

Karma hurts those who hurt others, not innocent bystanders

"You've seen what you're 'innocent' classmates do! What makes you think anyone is any better? Not even heroes are innocent, so what makes you think the average civilian is?"

The villain's got a tough thing to crack with his moral code, but his trust in the world is so cracked that it's so easy to shatter

With those words, Karma remembers all the times someone called him bad luck, unlucky, and troublesome when he had done nothing but take a hit from them

All the times someone called him violent, sadistic, and insane, just for defending himself and other innocents

And those were just his classmates! Those were just people his age!

He has a strong moral code to not hurt innocents, but his trust in innocence is about as easily broken as surface tension by a knife

He spends the rest of his second year suspended

He spends the rest of his second year a villain, he calls himself the Red Devil, and the group of villains who converted him cheer

Even when he leaves them, they don't look down on him, or hurt him, or insult him

A villain might disrespect the law, but a villain respects other villains

Unless they're being stupid, in which case you don't

This isn't the case though, since Karma's more or less a genius

And yeah, I guess I could stop here, let canon events (Korosensei and class E) solve this

You can take that road if you like, but if you don't want to, here's another thing I wanted to do

Most AU's I've seen involve 1-A and 3-E being the same age and stuff

Yeah, I'm not doing that

In this AU, let's say that class 1-A is around two years older than Karma

One day, after Karma's third year has started but his suspension hasn't ended, class 1-A (or class 2-A, I guess, but I’ll just keep calling them 1-A) stumbles upon a group of villains while they were restraining

Karma was pretty against that particular group of villains, and they had been restraining him

They also had backup ready to be called at a moments notice

Karma's got a bit of a reputation

He used class 1-A's appearance as a distraction

While most of 1-A deal with the villains, Sero and Kirishima find Karma

The two of them battle, with Karma dodging and counter attacking Kirishima's every move

Karma's a smart opponent, he knows how how to fight and dogde attacks

On the other hand, he's not that dodging a bigger, stronger fighter than him self with more training, and a whole lot of tape flying around

What I'm trying to say is that Sero traps him with tape by his neck, torso, and his legs

Kirishima takes off Karma's mask because reasons, and it's like a fork is stabbing his heart

Repeatedly

Instead of seeing a normal, evil looking adult

He sees a kid a year or two younger than him with the most distrust he has ever seen

"Hey, you okay? I'm a hero, I'm here to help you!" Kirishima says, trying to sound as cheerful and reassuring as he can

Karma doesn't buy it

He remembers the when he got suspended for fighting a hero's kid

Which leaves just one question in his mind

What does he want from me?

Whenever someone helped him, they always had something they wanted, a hidden motive

What does Kirishima want?

What does he gain from helping him?

Is he just using him to look more heroic?

Yeah, that's probably it

His mind is strangely calm as a plan forms in his head

"So you're a hero, right?"

"Yeah! Well, hero in training, at least,"

"So, would a hero risk his mission to save someone?"

"Of course. A hero's a hero, after all,"

Karma slides out a little knife from his right sleeve

Sero and Kirishima tense, waiting for him to strike one of them

Instead, Karma moves to slit his own left wrist

Kirishima grabs his right arm, stopping him from letting the blade cut himself

Karma doesn't stop pushing against Kirishima

To him, it all makes sense, a win-win situation

If he lets go, then Karma will die, and his image as a hero will die with him for letting someone kill themself

If he holds on, then the villain group's backup will come soon enough and Kirishima will have to let go

And if he doesn't, then the villain's backup will kill him because Kirishima wouldn't be able to fight back

But Kirishima doesn't let go

He keeps holding on, talking to Karma, trying to get him to stop

But when Kirishima looks back at Karma's face, it feels like his heart is in his throat

Because Karma doesn't look conflicted, or angry, or sad, or despairing

He's just smiling, as if he's going to laugh

The thing is, Karma's forgotten one thing

Kirishima isn't alone

Kirishima doesn't let go, and he doesn't worry, because he knows his friends will have his back and defend him

It's something that Karma just doesn't get

He's never had any other friends except Nagisa, and even then Karma had been the one defending him

The concept of trusting someone to defend you, to have your back

It's something he's never experienced without there being a hidden motive, one that meant betraying him in moments like these

So Kirishima doesn't let go, and Karma is stuck there until the cops come and he's taken away to a hospital for a check up

Later, Kirishima comes and sees him in his hospital room

He asks Karma why he did that, why he was going to kill himself

"It was no big deal-"

"No. It was. We've questioned the other villains, and they say that they were planning on keeping and hurting you in revenge for some trick you played on them, so don't say you were just keeping me until backup came.”

Karma isn't willing to explain himself yet

Instead, he just asks Kirishima what he wanted

When the answer of "To save you," comes, Karma's sure he's lying

"Why? What do you gain from that?"

"I'm a hero. Saving people is what I do,"

What he means is that he cares about him and genuinely wants to save and help him

What Karma gets from that is that our Kiri is only helping him because of duty

Which makes sense to him

Then, Kirishima, who is pretty worried and concerned about Karma, pulls out a thick-ish book

Apparently, while they had been looking for his identity, thye had gotten access to his school reports

Flipping through it, Kiri reads out loud the part reporting how he had gotten suspended

It talks about the upperclassmen he had beaten up

Nothing about the guy they had beaten up, nothing about their background, no context of the fight

It frames him as someone who picked a fight randomly

Kirishima asks him why he fought two innocent people

"That's not what happened. It says there are two guys beaten up, right? There were three, though I wasn't one of them. The two of them were beating up another upperclassman. I came along and beat them up instead. Do you know why they weren't reported, or why the bullied guy wasn't mentioned?"

Karma's not sure if he's talking because Kirishima's so likable, because he's tired, or because it's just the false report, but he knows he's rambling and being way too honest

" It's because he was in E class. And I've gotten in plenty of other fights before that, but that was the one that sent me to suspension and to E class in a couple days. Wanna know why? Because one of them was the son of a hero, and the other one was a top scoring honor student,"

Kirishima hears all this, sees Karma looking at him looking so frustrated and frantic, and he can tell that it's the truth

"If two people like them - people barely even older or bigger than me - weren't innocent, than what makes you think anyone is? They're not innocents, and really, is anyone really innocent?"

Kirishima's heart breaks a little hearing Karma, someone only a little younger than him, talking so honestly about his completely distrust in people

And it takes a while, but once Karma goes quiet, Kirishima starts talking

Comfortingly, he does his best to restore some sort of trust in humanity to Karma

And he knows that it might not work on this kid, because he's seen how bad people can get firsthand after being a - villain?

Can they really call him that? There weren't many reports about the Red Devil, and the few there were always had someone defending him

Like one case had involved the Red Devil fighting some couple for no reason, but some people said the couple had been yelling at two women to make out and punched them for saying no

Most reports were like that, though no one ever believed the ones defending him

Judging by that, Karma had definitely seen or lived through evidence that a lot of people sucked

I got nothing more to say, so like

I hoped you enjoyed this

Tell me what you think and all that

#akabane karma #karma akabane #karma #assassination classroom #bnha #boku no academia #boku no hero academia #boku no hero au #ansatsu kyoushitsu #angst

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miss-tc-nova · 4 years

Text

Priorities - Hermod x Reader

Hey! I finally finished it! I’m kinda iffy but it was fun. I chose Hermod because I’ve had this concept in my head for a while and I didn’t think Bragi, Eraqus, or Xehanort fit the story.

As for the Christmas zine, It’ll probably be posted well after Christmas and after the Christmas zine when the mods give the green light. But I will probably post a different Christmas related one beforehand.

Anyway, enjoy a little Halloween mayhem with out sweet boy.

~~~~~

The grip around my shoulders tightens and his body goes rigid. Slate eyes closely follow the shambler but tension lets up only the slightest when they pass.

“Hey, you okay?”

Feeble is the attempted cover-up. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Halloween is fast approaching and the citizens of Scala Ad Caelum do what they always do: celebrate. Jack-o-lanterns line the streets, fake spiders and ghosts hang from all heights, and there’s a skeleton on every block. As for the more extreme, there’s a group of people who rent the town hall every year to put on a haunted house. Seeing as this is my favorite time of the year, this annual attraction is always a must-see for me. But this year, I’ve been invited by the keyblade warriors-in-training to tag along with them. There was one person who didn’t seem quite as thrilled though—he’s my boyfriend and he’s not exactly excited to be here.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” I tell him, trying to reaffirm my words by drawing gentle circles against his hip. “We can go home if you want; I don’t mind.” I actually do but forcing him into something that makes him this anxious is borderline bullying.

There’s a little more sincerity in this smile. “No, it’s alright. Besides, you’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.”

The corner of my lips pulls back. Oh what this boy wouldn’t do for me.

This is where Smarmy Fluffcoat makes his entrance. “What are you lovebirds talkin’ about?”

“Just talking about how amazing that kettle corn smells,” I answer. It’s actually my friendship with the redhead that led me to meeting the rest of the key kids, so I know full well that he’ll never shut up about it if he learns about Hermod’s unease.

“Uh, right,” Hermod agrees. A peck lands on my temple. “I’ll go get some.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” I watch him amble towards the stall with kettle corn, giving a wide berth to the walking dead doing their thing.

My boy re-joins the line, treat in hand, and the group screws around waiting for our chance to experience the fright. My brain keeps careful track of his behavior while also diverting the attention of our friends away from said behavior. But then the time comes: we’re next to enter the haunted house. At the front waits a woman who greets the visitors and runs through her spiel.

“And just remember, don’t touch the actors; they won’t touch you.

“I’m sorry, what?” A trace of fear belies Hermod’s feelings. “There are people in there?”

I tug on his arm. “It’s okay. They’re not allowed to touch us,” I murmur. “Last chance to back out,” I whisper.

There’s a nervous gulp but no answer. Pulling back the curtain, the woman coos, “Have fun guys.”

Without waiting for any of the guys, Urd and Vor charge ahead. Bragi follows with a shrug and I take one last look at Hermod before leading him in, leaving Xehanort and Eraqus to bring up the rear. Only a few steps into the darkness, we hear Urd stumble.

“Watch your step guys,” she calls back.

Bragi follows with, “What is this?”

My foot suddenly sinks, causing me to teeter. Hermod immediately pulls me back, putting a steadying arm around my waist. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah,” I laugh. “It’s a mattress.” Hermod wobbles but follows me across.

Just as he steps off the obstacle, a light flashes on beside us, revealing a rotting face. The zombie screams and my boyfriend leaps back, stumbling into Xehanort who trips back onto the mattress. Eraqus helps his buddy back onto his feet and I manage to pull Hermod away from the terror.

As we go through halls of dim light, spooky props, and loud noises, actors continue to vex us. Shocks and surprises earn shouts from everyone but most of us laugh it off. Unfortunately, Hermod’s obvious anxiety earns him quite a bit of heckling and it takes stepping between him and the actor or dragging him into the next room to de-escalate the situation. Nevertheless, his stress levels are visibly climbing—each encounter becomes more and more dramatic and I’m not exactly sure what he’s going to do when he hits his breaking point.

“What’s the hold up?” Bragi asks, addressing our pause.

“There’s a wall here,” Urd answers.

Vor adds, “It’s squishy.”

“Squishy?” Eraqus wonders out loud.

“Yeah, it—woah!” Suspenseful silence overtakes us while we wait for Vor to explain her exclamation. “Hey, there’s a hole in this wall.”

“Oh, it’s probably one of those squishy walls you have to push through,” I explain.

“Oh yeah,” hums Bragi.

One by one, we squeeze our way through, but the other side isn’t very welcoming to nervous visitors. When I finally escape the squishing trap, I find a very dim light at the far end of the hall. As we go, I can’t help thinking that this hall is suspiciously dark and even more suspiciously empty.

Hermod’s hand disappears from my grasp and I’m jerked back sharply. Blinding light fills the room along with half a dozen screams but I recognize the back facing me. Worried these fight-or-flight instincts will end badly, I dart around him, throwing my arms around his waist. The erratic movements in his chest cease but I can still feel the chaos in his heart.

“Keep moving!” Xehanort urges.

Both his clammy hands remain clasped in mine while we move forward.

There are only a couple rooms after that yet Hermod keeps his tension under control. Finally, we make it out of the haunted house with little more than a slightly dusty Xehanort and an abashed Hermod.

The group wanders out of the path of the attraction exit, but I sneak my sweetheart off to the side.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Again, with the forced smile. “Yeah. Thank gods it’s over though.” A hand starts in my hair, sliding down to my cheek. Remnant trembling mars his fingers. “Did you have fun?”

“I did.” Wrapping him in another hug, I nuzzle against his chest. “Thank you.”

Suddenly, Bragi bursts out in a fit of laughter.

“What in the world?” I murmur.

“Not good if Bragi’s laughing,” grumbles Hermod.

A little stall is stationed, with strings webbed along the top, perfectly displaying newly developed photos. These are images of that suspicious hallway and it clicks: the bright flash was a camera. That’s when I notice the picture all my friends are laughing at. Yes, Urd and Vor are surprised and Bragi is nearly choking Vor while Eraqus and Xehanort at the back look like deer in headlights, but it’s Hermod front and center. He looks ready to fight while I’m barely visible behind his arm.

“Dude, what the hell were you doing?!” Bragi cackles, pointing at battle-ready Hermod.

“Looks like he was ready to kick some ass,” snickers Xehanort.

Glancing to my boyfriend, I see him wear an uncomfortable shade of red across his cheeks.

Vor turns on him. “You’re a keyblade wielder-in-training. Why are you freaking out?”

His shame is getting the better of him. “Th-That’s different; these are ghosts and zombies and demons and I’m not allowed to do anything about it!”

His friends pick and poke at him, only agitating his ego.

Loudly cutting in, I announce, “Well I’m flattered.” Various eyes watch as I pull the picture from the line and give the vendor a handful of munny.

Smarmy retorts, “I’m sorry, did you happen to notice your boyfriend is a scaredy cat?”

“Did you happen to notice, so are you?” I say, pointing at his murder attempt on Vor. “Besides, he acted on instinct to protect me.” Meeting Hermod’s gaze, I can’t help but smile. “That makes me feel pretty special.” His surprise turns to a sheepish smile. The photo whaps Fluffcoat. “At any rate, I’d hate to be your date to a haunted house. I’m surprised Vor’s still breathing to be honest.”

Urd takes the photo from me and suddenly, everyone is ganging up on the redhead. I take this opportunity to slip away, Hermod in tow. A beautiful autumn tree hides us from bystanders.

“Did you really mean that?” the boy whispers.

“Yeah. Did you see the death grip he had on her?”

He frowns. “No, the part about me…”

My touch proves much softer and smoother against his calloused fingers. “Of course I did. It’s nice to know that you’re looking out for me.”

Now that is a real smile. “You’re too important for me to let something happen to you.” Foreheads bump together. “You’ll always be my top priority—even if the others tease me.”

Around his neck slink my arms. “Even if I do?”

It’s a sigh, but also a smile. “Even if you do.”

“My hero.”

His lips, like his hands, are a bit rougher than mine but Hermod’s kisses are always gentle and sweet. My stomach squirms, leaving me with a happy high.

Before he kisses me a second time, I tack on, “And I’m not teasing.”

#hermod #kh hermod #khdr hermod #hermod x reader #xeha-non #novas requests #gender neutral reader

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dacrethehalls · 5 years

Text

Wonder Palace

Billy Hargrove x OC

Summary: Billy gets a summer job as a life guard at a water park in the next town over. He never expects to find a family in the rag tag group of people who work with him. Word Count: 15k+ Warnings: Physical Abuse, Abuse mention, Drug use, language, slight Smut A/N: Off Cannon! Season 3! Billy because baby boy deserves all the love and happiness in the world. This is based on State Champ’s music video for the song Losing Myself. This is my first fic in forever and it has taken me WEEKS to finish it. I’m rusty, so be nice!

Summer in Arbor Pines, Indiana was my absolute favorite time of year. Not only did it mean school was out, it also marked the opening of Reynolds’ Wonder Palace, a seasonal water and mini amusement park on the outskirts of town.

I spent almost every summer since I was 14 working there becoming a somewhat dysfunctional but loving family with the rest of the staff.

My best friends; Geoff, Maggie, Issac and Derrick were among the group of people I worked with along with our pseudo big brother, Tyler Reynolds, or as we called him, Naldo. Who’s family owned the Amusement Park.

Arbor Pines was a smaller town right outside of Hawkins, and Naldo’s Palace, as we all called it was right in the middle of both cities.

I blew my horn at the blue camaro who cut me off at the gas station sticking my middle finger up at the driver as I pulled my jeep into the gas station. I was already running late, but that never stopped me from grabbing the world’s best breakfast burrito from the world’s shittest corner store.

“Is it opening day already Daph?” Francis, the clerk beamed as I sat a cup of coffee and my burrito on the counter. I hummed pulling out a wad of cash from my pocket.

“The best day of the year!” I mused as Francis placed my items in a bag.

“I’m thinking of bringing Sydney and the kids next week. Do you give any friends and family discounts?”

“Of course! I work everyday, I’ll be sure to leave tickets at admissions for you.” I chortled grabbing my things off the counter. I gave a quick wave goodbye as I headed back to my Jeep.

“Daph, have you seen the new life guard?” Maggie asked as I climbed over the pool float rental counter. “His name is Billy, he’s from Hawkins” she continued as I punched my clock in card.

“It’s opening day and you’re already looking at the new meat?” I mused pulling my staff shirt over my head and hoisting myself up on the counter. Maggie’s mouth curved up into a smile, “of course, I’m a planner.”

I let out a snorty laugh swinging my legs a little, kicking the pool floats in front of me, “You think he’s as cute as Robin? I’m really sad that she got a job at Star Court and isn’t here with us.”

I pushed my bottom lip out, dramatically frowning at the thought of not being able to work next to one of the prettiest girls I had ever seen. “Well, he’s blonde and you have a thing for people with light colored hair. He’s a solid ten out of ten.”

I rolled my eyes playfully pushing her.

“... and this is Daphne and Maggie! Ladies, this is Billy Hargrove.” Naldo mused banging on the counter-top to get our attention.

Maggie and I’s head jerked over in the direction the boys were standing. I kicked my legs over to the other side of the counter grinning.

“I’m Daphne.” I chirped offering my hand for Billy to shake.

Maggie wasn’t kidding, the boy was a complete work of art, from his blonde curls that adorned his head to his torso with well defined muscles. My heart instantly fluttered when the two of us made eye contact.

He was beautiful. Until he opened his mouth.

I could tell by the way he deepened his voice, eyeing both Maggie and I with hungry eyes that he was a complete bonehead.

“Daph, you have training duties with Billy today. First rotation will be The Serpent.” Naldo grinned nodding his head towards the giant water slide. “You mind introducing him to the rest of the staff on your way over there?”

I nodded giving a toothy grin. “Of course!”

I hopped off the counter saluting Naldo and Maggie, than looking over at Billy “Let’s go Fabio.” I mused Strolling backwards placing my heart shaped sunglasses on my face.

Billy followed quietly behind me as I introduced him to the rest of the staff.

I knew he wasn’t paying attention to me at all by the occasional “Mmmhm.” and “uh huh.” I got as we made our way to The Serpent. I switched from talking about the park over to mine and my friends latest campaign, to talking about the latest centerfold in playboy, laughing to myself noticing he still wasn’t paying attention to me.

“Daphne!”

I felt arms wrap around me picking me off the ground. “You missed the morning roundup. You know what that means. SUPER SOAK!” Geoff yelled as our friends Issac and Derrick came out of the bathroom spraying me down with their water guns.

“Don’t you losers have anything better to do than hide in the shadows and attack an innocent bystander?”

“Poor Princess Daphne, is in distress with nobody to help her.” Derrick grinned shooting me again. Geoff flipped me over throwing me over his shoulder, carrying me towards my post.

I didn’t even try to protest Geoff carrying me. This was a usual occurrence not only being bullied by my best friends, but also being called Princess Daphne from the video game Dragon’s Lair.

All three boys eyes lit up when the game was released, having more ammo other than Daphne from Scooby Doo to poke fun at my name. Dragon’s Lair give them an inch and they take a mile.

“Well, I wouldn't have been late if an asshole in a blue camaro wouldn't have tailgated me, making me go twenty under the speed limit. I wasn’t going to not stop and Syd’s Gas Station and get a steak and egg burrito.” I chortled.

“You left the neighborhood before any of us and you were still the one that was late.”

I rolled my eyes looking up at the boy behind us. “Billy, these three idiots are Geoff, Issac and Derrick.” I grunted as the other two boys fell back behind Billy, still spraying me with water.

“And if you miss morning roundup, you’ll get sprayed with a water gun.” I huffed as Geoff sat me on my feet on the stairs.

“Our girl Daphne is always late. Don’t be like her!” Issac mused as Billy pushed past us heading up the stairs.

The four of us watched silently before I cleared my throat. “I think Naldo sticking me with him is some form of punishment. I’ve known him for about fifteen minutes,” I gestured my hand up the stairs watching the blonde boy climb up the third flight. “And I already want to fight him.”

The three boys started laughing as the park horns blew indicating the park was now opened.

“Try not to let anyone drown.” I quipped snatching the water gun out of Issac’s hand winking at the boys before heading up to the top of the slide.

Later That Morning

“So you’re from California?” I questioned as I helped a father and his daughter into their tube. “I’ve always wanted to go there, I love the beach.” I added looking over at Billy who wasn’t paying attention to me at all.

I rolled my eyes looking down at the duo in front of me, “You ready kiddo?” I Sang, placing my whistle in my mouth.

She nodded as her father held on to her tightly, “3...2...1..blast off!” I yelled blowing my whistle and stepping aside as the tube started its small plummet to the swirling bowl below.

Billy and I traded places for the next set of people as I continued to make conversation with the boy who was completely uninterested with everything I had to say.

“You’re not very nice” I finally, muttered watching as he pushed a kid in his tube down the slide, I was counting down the moments until our first rotation was over.

“I don’t have to be nice, princess. I’m just here to make money so I can leave this shit stain of a state.” He chided leaning on the railing looking down at me.

“Oh my god, you can talk!” I beamed clapping my hands.

Billy rolled his eyes as he helped another kid into a float pushing him down before he was actually prepared to slide.

“Come on, lighten up Billy. We don’t have to be friends, but I can promise you work will be a lot more bearable if you drop the bad boy facade” I stepped down the little ledge switching place with Billy again, ignoring the kid getting into the tube behind me.

“How about you stop acting like you know me, prin-”

“Call me Princess again and you’ll be the next one to go down this slide” I warned, cutting him as the kids snickered behind us.

“I’d listen to her, dude. I pretended I was drowning so she would give me CPR last year and sh-” I grunted snatching the float from under the boy kicking him down the slide. “I can still taste the peanut butter sandwich he had for lunch.” I complained, as the last of the queue took their place on our slides.

“You’re not very nice” He mocked suppressing a laugh, turning from me so I couldn't see him smile. I felt a warmth grow in my chest, watching the boy in front of me. I contorted my face in disgust at the feeling that smile gave me.

“Believe me, he deserved that.” I grinned watching as Billy relaxed his posture a little. “I have to admit, you may have won me over a little with that one”

“I’m a very likable person.” I chortled as he smirked stepping closer to me. “And you’re really pretty too”

I stepped back feeling the blood rush to my cheeks while looking at Billy like he was a complete nut Job.

“I have watched you flirt with every single girl who has crossed your path today. It’s not going to work on me.” I stammered.

“I like it when I have to work for a girl.” He smiled devilishly making me feel even more flustered.

If it wasn't for us being on the clock and a bunch of children surrounding us, I would have totally let him take me right then and there. But I had enough self control to know how bad of a decision that would have been.

Never get your honey where you get your money. I repeated the words my mother told me on my very first day of working here to myself as I tried my best not to seem completely flustered.

I cleared my throat as Isaac and Geoff approached us.

“You two can go on break now, and then you have lazy river duties.” Issac Hummed looking between Billy and I, giving me a look that I prayed only Derrick noticed.

“Oh thank god!” I praised shoving my rescue float at Isaac. I looked over Billy, smiling at him, pretending that the last five minutes didn’t happen.

“Let’s go, Fabio. We might as well stick together if we have the same duties for the next rotation.”

“Not a chance Princess.” He smirked as one of the many girls who flirted with him this morning shuffled up to us once we made it down the steps. “I have lunch plans already.” He eyed the girl, Victoria, hungrily.

What a pig.

I scrunched my nose, looking up at him. “Have fun with that.” I muttered as he took her hand, pulling her to the direction of the employee entrance.

I turned on my heel making my way back towards the rental booth, where Maggie was still stationed.

“How was first rotation?” Maggie questioned as I climbed over the counter and grabbing my lunch box from the cubby beneath it.

“Billy is a complete bonehead.”

I hoisted myself up on the counter, crossing my legs under one another and putting my lunchbox in my lap.

“He’ll fit in perfectly with the boys then.” She chuckled making me grimace at the thought of Billy being part of our group.

“Mags, he would one hundred percent make fun of us for playing D and D.”

“But I bet you he’s never played Drunk Dungeon and Dragons before.” she grinned.

I chuckled taking a bite out of my ham sandwich.

“Where is Judd Nelson at any way?”

“Eating lunch with Victoria Andrews.” I snorted using finger quotes around Eating Lunch

Maggie’s face contorted up in disgust. “He went off with Hickey Vicky?”

“I asked if he wanted to eat with me but he told me he isn’t here to make friends, so I see it as a lost cause.” I spoke, cringing at how bitter that sounded after I had said it.

Maggie let out an excited gasp, slamming her hands down on the counter on either side of me. “You’re crushing on him aren't you!?” She mused leaning in and taking a bite from my sandwich.

“No! I am not. I called him a bonehead for a reason.” I sputtered, eyes growing wide knowing that Maggie, the girl I had known since I was seven years old could see right through my bullshit.

She smirked at me crossing her arms. “Getting small flutters in my stomach is not a crush Margaret.” I jeered saying her full name.

“It totally is,” she retorted. “And you’re blushing!”

I sat my sandwich on my knees as I touched my cheeks with both hands. “He’s just flirty and was trying to pull a move on me and then he went off with Victoria.”

I avoided Maggie's gaze turning my focus on the rest of my lunch.

I made towards my new station, stopping and saying hello to some of the park’s regular customers. The lazy river was probably the most boring part of the water park.

It consisted mostly of the parents who brought their kids to the park and let them run loose, along with the occasional shithead kids who got joy out of taunting the life guards with water guns.

I started gathering the floats that people had left at the end of the lazy river, putting them back into the bin they belonged in.

“Hey, princess.”

I turned looking over at Billy disapprovingly. “How was lunch?” He questioned as I grabbed another float tossing it into the bin.

“I ate a ham sandwich, an apple and some chocolate pudding. And I sat at the rental booth with Maggie. How was your lunch?”

A smile spread across his face as he placed his whistle in his mouth, “It was great.”

“Just so you know, Hickey-” I closed my eyes suppressing my laugh at the nickname we all dubbed the poor girl when we were all twelve years old. “-I mean Vicky is a little on the loony side...and is probably already planning your wedding.”

Billy grimaced, as he helped me clear the rest of the floats out.

“You couldn’t have warned me?”

“I didn’t warn Issaac when he hooked up with her and he’s one of my best friends.” I mused, struggling to push the ben. Billy bumped his hip into mine moving me as he started pushing it without ease.

“The lazy river is the most boring but easy duty. Beginning of rotation we clear out the tubes from the gathering pool and same with the end. And then we just sit thirty feet apart and hope nobody will drown”

Billy hummed as we walked together to the start of the lazy river.

“So, I was an asshole this morning, and I wanted to apologize for that” Billy uttered. “I just need money and I don’t need any attachments.”

I raised my eyebrow looking over at him. “Flirting with me this morning and hooking up with a girl on lunch break isn't an attachment?” I questioned

Billy nodded his head pushing his lower lip out. “Touche.”

“I’m just saying, if you’re going to have vehicular sex on break, you might as well at least try to be friends with some of the staff. It doesn't even have to be me,”

I brought my whistle up to my mouth blowing into it and looking over at two kids who were running.

“Do you dweebs not know how to read?!” I yelled pointing to the NO RUNNING sign that was posted on almost every pole around the water park.

“Sorry, Miss Daphne!” One of them yelled as both boys slowed their gait.

I turned back looking at Billy with a smile, “Derek, Issac, Maggie, and Geoff are my best friends, so if you’re friends with one of us, your friends with all of us.”

He chuckled to himself quietly. “I figured that much. And what about Tyler?”

“You mean Naldo? He’s like the mom in the group. He’s five years older than all of us. He makes sure we don’t ever get ourselves killed. Or kill each other.”

Billy nodded. “My little sister has a friend like that. I think it’s weird but you know, it’s whatever.”

I shrugged. “He’s probably like a role model to her. My dad is an ass and I’m an only child, so having Naldo to go when I had problems was great.”

Billy nodded in agreement, “Kinda wish I had someone like that.” he muttered. “I mean, as long as you work here, you’ll have Naldo. Everyone needs a Naldo in their life.”

“I mean, I guess you’re right.” He shrugged as we stopped in front of the steps to the lazy river.

“I know I am.” I grinned earning a laugh from Billy.

We unloaded all the floats we gathered, Billy mostly telling me about himself, where he was from and how he was working as much as he could to go back.

Second rotation seemed to drag on after Billy and I went to our separate. I was dreaming of a cold shower after sitting out in the sweltering afternoon heat.

I signed slumping down in my chair kicking my legs over the railing. Discreetly looking over at Billy and laughing at how un interested he was in the conversation that Victoria was trying to have with him.

I turned my attention back to the water watching as a few people floated by me.

Suddenly feeling cold water being poured over my head, I gasped, turning to see who the culprit was seeing two middle school age boys laughing at me.

I jumped off my chair hitting one of them in the back of the head with my rescue float.

“YOU LITTLE SHITS ARE GOING TO WISH YOU HADN'T DONE THAT!” I fumed running after them and tackling them to the ground behind Billy’s lifeguard chair.

I sat on both boys hitting them both in the head with my life raft. “You twerps ever do that again you will be banned for life from this entire park!” I screamed hitting them again.

“Hey, relax.” Billy spoke lifting me off the boys, who were starting to cry as I struggled against Billy’s arms that was locked around my waist.

“That’s right, you cry for your mommy you shit stains!” I yelled kicking my legs at them as Billy carried me away from the two boys. “Uh,” he mumbled quietly as he set me down on my feet.

“Although that was probably the hottest things I have ever seen, but In my experience, trying to bring harm to middle schoolers will only bring harm to yourself.”

“Those two always like to pull shit with me.” I grunted as Naldo ran up to us. “Daphne would you like to tell me why the Erikson boys are crying right now?”

“Yeah, they poured water on me...again I guess hanging them up by their trunks to the light pole last year didn’t teach them anything.” I chided only to have Naldo shake his head angrily at me.

“Daphne, this-”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s my first and last warning.” I rolled my eyes cutting him off before adding “ I’m off lifeguard duties for the season, blah blah blah.” I chided as Naldo shook his head again in disappointment.

“I’m not that mean Daph. But I’m upset, just don’t act out so fast when they mess with you and let me handle it. Promise me you’ll come to me? That’s what the walkie talkies are for.”

I sighed in defeat, “I’m sorry, Naldo. I’ll go apologize to the boys too. And I’ll- uh sanitize the floats and snorkel gear tonight.”

A smile grew across his face, accepting my apology“Toot it and boot it Daph,” Naldo exclaimed holding his hand out. We high fived then bumped our fists together.

“Ok, you two can get back to your posts now.” he spoke, turning on his heal and heading back from where he came from.

“Toot it…..and boot it?” Billy questioned raising an eyebrow.

“He makes everyone do that. So get use to it Hargrove.”

I trudged out the back gate to my car noticing the blue Camaro from this morning parked next to mine, and Billy laying back on top of the hood. “Billy?” I questioned, approaching both vehicles.

He lifted his head looking over at me as I stood beside him.

“What are you still doing here? Everyone is gone.”

“I’m just avoiding going home,” He admitted. “Why?” I questioned throwing my bag in the back of my Jeep then laying next to Billy on top of his car. He grunted in response to me pushing him over a little to make room for myself.

“I just don’t want to go home.”

I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn't a subject I should push. “You want to spend the night at my place?” I offered

Billy looked over at me raising his eyebrows at me, a smirk forming on his lips.

“Uck, You wish, Fabio. I’m just being nice. I have a pullout couch in my room.”

Billy chuckled nervously, “I guess I can take you up on the offer.”

I sat up, sliding off of his car, “Okie dokie then, I’m starving so just follow me home.” I chirped turning around and climbing into my jeep.

“Oh and by the way, You drive like an asshole.”

Billy rolled his eyes as he slid off the hood of his car. “You’re the one that goes twenty under the speed limit.”

“Yeah, well I wouldn't have if you didn’t ride my ass like you were doing.” I chortled as I started my car.

“I’ll see you in a little bit, Fabio.”

It didn't take long for us to arrive at my house, I pulled into my driveway getting out as Billy parked his Camaro behind me

“Your parents will be okay with this?” Billy questioned as we went up the front steps of the house.

“Mom is a nurse over at Hawkins Memorial. She won’t be home until the morning,” I assured stepping into our home. “And besides, she wouldn’t care, she loves all of my friends. Maggie and the boys stay over all the time.”

“What about your dad?” Billy questioned.

“Doesn’t Live here.” I grinned dropping my bag by the door before kicking my shoes off.

“Billy, this Tatoonie my cat. She’s an asshole and will probably either pee on your shoes or sleep on your head tonight.” I giggled as we made our way to my bedroom.

Billy paused backing up looking at a framed photos of me and my mother hung up on the wall.

“Santa Monica Pier.” He whispered looking over at me.

“My mom took me there for my fifth birthday, paid for surfing lessons. We went every year until she left my dad and we couldn't afford it anymore” I frowned looking at the 8 photos of my mom and I standing happily together on the beach.

“You can surf?” Billy questioned looking over at me.

“Yeah, but I’m awful at it, if you were paying attention to what I was saying this morning you would have known that.” I crossed my arms jokingly glaring at him.

“I’ve been saving money so I can go back and visit. It’s been a while and I really miss the ocean.” I added looking back at the pictures and some of the best memories I had with my mother.

“I want to go back also,” Billy spoke softly not taking his eyes off of the center portrait of the Santa Monica Pier.

“Well if you play your cards right, I might let you come with me.” I winked

grabbing Billy’s hand pulling him away from the photos and to my room.

He looked around taking in my room and the various posters and photos that adorned my walls.

“Make yourself at home, I’m going to shower.” I quipped grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from the mound of clean clothes sitting on top of my bed I hadn’t bothered to fold then padding into my bathroom.

I quickly washed the work day off of me, taking the time to shave the areas on my body that needed it, - you know just in case. I stepped out of the shower, pulling a t-shirt over my head and wrapping my hair up in the towel to dry it.

I went back into my room right as Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent filled my room. Billy was sitting in front of my record player, thumbing through my collection of vinyls.

“You have great taste in music.”

I chuckled sitting next to him. “Thank you, there is a record store here in town that has a killer selection.”

He pulled Black Sabbath's Paranoia album out of my collection placing the needle precisely at the beginning of the song Iron Man. I laid back kicking my legs up and resting them on the wall in front of me.

Billy followed my motion laying the opposite way, placing his head next to mine.

“Hey, Princess?”

“Call me that again and you’ll sleep outside with the family of unfriendly gophers that live in my backyard.” I grunted.

He sighed loudly. “Daphne.” He corrected turning his head looking over at me. I hummed in response, closing my eyes, focusing on the music that was humming through the speakers.

“Thanks for letting me stay tonight. Even if we just met.” Billy whispered. I turned my head, smiling at him.

“It’s not a problem. I figured you didn’t want to talk about why you didn’t want to go home so I didn’t press it.”

He didn’t respond, he kept his focus on me. I rolled up on my side propping myself up on my elbow, looking down at him. “But if you ever want to talk, just know I’m here. I’m a good listener.”

Billy looked at me sitting up and pressing his lips to mine I stared wide eyed at him as he placed his hand on the side of my head, his fingers gripping some of my hair. My heart started to flutter after the shock of being kissed wore off.

Billy pulled away looking at me, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He apologized.

I tried my best to hide the shock of being kissed on my face, feeling my cheeks grow incredibly warm.

“I-I mean y-you could have -a-asked. I would've said y-yes, but that’s b-beside the p-point.” I stammered, rolling back on my back and trying to regain my composure. Normally when I was kissed, I didn't get so flustered. I was able to play it cool, but this kiss was different.

I cleared my throat looking back over at Billy who hadn’t taken his eyes off of me. “Can I kiss you again?” Billy questioned softly, any trace of the bad boy facade completely gone. He reached over gently caressing my cheek.

I could have melted into him right then and there without any hesitation. But playing hard to get would be more fun. I wanted to see how flustered I could make him, just like he had just done to me now and earlier on in the day.

“I’m actually really fucking hungry. Come on, Fabio lets raid the kitchen for some grub” I stood up putting my hand out to help Billy up. He took it with a smile, not even needing my counter weight to help him up.

“...so is that a no on the kissing you thing.” Billy questioned stroking my cheek with his hand.

“Yes, that’s a no.” I chuckled lightly grabbing onto his wrist. “Let’s go, lover boy.”

I lead Billy into the kitchen. “Mom and I made meatloaf last night. We have leftovers from that ooooor,” I hummed looking in the freezer, “We have pizza, pot pies ooooor,” I sang again looking in the small cookie jar on our counter we kept our money in for take out. “We can order Chinese.”

I turned facing Billy who was leaning against the counter. “You’re the guest so you can choose” I mused.

“Pizza is fine”

“Done deal.” I grabbed a cheese pizza from the freezer turning on the oven so it would start to preheat.

Turning back to the fridge I grabbed two beers, tossing one over to Billy, who continued to stare at me silently. “What’s your deal, Billy?” I questioned raising an eyebrow at him.

“Nothing- it’s nothing. I just- it’s-” He sputtered popping the can open. I chuckled stepping around the counter and standing by him.

“Now that we have decided on dinner, I suppose that you can kiss me. If you still want-”

Billy pressed his lips against mine cutting me off mid sentence, softly placing his hand on my cheek. I stepped closer to him, standing between his legs as his hand found its way to the back of my head, fingers knotting in my hair has he deepened the kiss.

I had never been kissed like this before, it almost felt like time came to a complete stop as our lips moved against each other. It wasn’t until the oven’s timer went off alerting us that the pizza was finished cooking that I had noticed it’d been a whole half hour that we stood in my kitchen making out.

I cleared my throat stepping back, “The Pizza is ready.”

Billy let out a small throaty laugh -- trying to hide the fact that he was just as flustered as I was. “I didn’t really peg you as that good of a kisser.” He mused earning an eye roll from me.

“Better than Hickey Vicky?” I joked winking at him as I sauntered over to the oven grabbing oven mitts and pulling the pizza out and sitting it on the stove.

Once it was cooled, I brought the tray over to the counter Billy was at sitting it on the bar and finding a place next to him.

“I would say you’re definitely in the top five.”

I contorted my face in disgust.

“I don’t know if I should take that as an insult or a compliment.”

Billy hummed in response looking over at me, he opened his mouth then promptly shutting it opting to shove a slice of pizza in his mouth than telling me what he was thinking.

We sat in comfortable silence eating our dinner.

“I need to wash my uniforms, if you want to give me yours too I toss them in with my dirty laundry.” I spoke, finally breaking the silence. Billy got up and made his way back to my room emerging with soiled clothes and handing them over to me.

I threw Billy and I’s dirty uniforms in the washer pressing start before walking back out to the kitchen, smiling at him as I watched him clean up the small mess we made from dinner.

“Ok, uniforms are in the wash, Mom will probably put them in the dryer when she gets home, So I’m going to pass out.” I nodded my head towards where my room was.

“Uh, you’re welcome to sleep on the couch out here or in my room. The latter would probably be the best option so my mother doesn't come home from work to a man-child with a mullet asleep in her living room.”

Billy chuckled following me to my room.

“I want to thank you again, Daph, for letting me stay here.”

“Oh, it’s honestly no problem, You’re a bone head, but I enjoy your company.”

Billy plopped down on my couch pulling his shirt off over his head. I grabbed a blanket from the top shelf of my closet, unfolding it and draping it over Billy. He smiled up to me sleepily, “You’re going to steal my heart from me” He muttered as I grabbed a pillow handing it to him.

“I don’t take hearts, I break them.” I joked leaning down and pressing a small kiss on Billy’s cheek then switching off the lights in my room.

Billy let out a soft chuckle, repeating the words I had just spoke to him. I rolled my eyes climbing onto my bed and getting under the covers.

“Goodnight, Princess.”

“Goodnight, Fabio.”

I rested my cheek on my hand watching as all the people in the park passed by the shaved ice stand I was assigned to for my shift.

Most of the customers opted for actual ice cream or frozen lemonades over the shaved ice truck, which didn’t bother me too much, not only was I able to sit in an air conditioned trailer, but my stand was also located close to Billy’s lifeguard post.

We were about a month and a couple weeks into the season. And Billy and I had grown pretty close, especially since he stayed at my house a few times a week.

The boys and Maggie, of course, welcomed him into our group with open arms and he begrudgingly became the Barbarian in our DND party.

The fuzzy feelings I felt in my chest when I was around him and the fact that my mother absolutely adored him didn’t help my situation either.

And that made me feel gross, seeing how he was always flirting with me and all the girls around him. Especially since we spent ninety percent of our lunch breaks making out in the backseat of my Jeep.

It was gross.

He was gross.

“Are you crushing on Billy?”

I rolled my eyes turning my attention to Naldo, who was leaning on the counter behind me, with a huge shit eating grin plastered across his face. “No, Tyler I’m not crushing on Billy!” I growled.

“Then where did that come from?” He questioned poking at the red mark on my neck.

“I got bit by a spider,” I lied.

Naldo pinched the bridge of his nose shaking his head. “I know when you’re lying Daphne Louise.”

I grimaced at the use of my full name. Naldo undoubtedly making a dig at me for calling him Tyler moments before.

“Hypothetically speaking, if I were to be crushing on Billy. And he left Hickeys on my neck even when I have repeatedly asked him over and over not to would you be angry with me?”

Naldo let out a guttural high pitched laugh startling the people who were walking by. I was almost certain Billy had heard him also, I nodded at the startled customers then looking across the way at Billy who lifted his arm up in a what the fuck kind of way. I gave him a shrug before turning back to Naldo.

“What the fuck was that!?” I hissed as Naldo failed to regain his composure.

“I knew it!” He exclaimed, “You’ve been a lot nicer than usual.. And,” He grabbed my leg making me lose my balance falling into the counter. “You’ve been shaving your legs.”

“You’re such a weirdo.” I fumed as he dropped my leg.

“Happiness looks so good on you, Kid.” he chortled

I smiled to myself eyeing Billy has he waved sheepishly at me. I waved back at him. Not turning back to Naldo, who started singing Billy and Daphne sittin’ in a tree.

I finally turned to him, sighing. “Yes, I like him. Will that make you shut up?”

Naldo looked at me, smugly. “Like I said, Happiness looks good on you. But how about you two eat lunch with all of us today instead of eating lunch in your jeep.”

I rolled my eyes at him, “Okay, Naldo.”

I held my fist out to him as he we did our not so secret toot it and boot it hand shake.

“I’m serious, I better see you in the food court!” He chirped as he stepped out of the shaved ice stand. I gave him a small salute before he turned and skipped away.

Our first shift felt like it lasted forever and I was hungry for some actual food instead of the ice I had been grazing on all morning. The person who came to relieve me was late, per usual, so I was late meeting up with him for our daily lunch break.

“There’s a party everyone is going to tonight Billy, are you going?” I overheard as I made my way up to Billy and the girls that had flocked around him.

“Please, and hang around the losers that work here?” Billy quipped once I was standing behind him.

“You work here too, Hargrove, so that makes you a loser by association.” I chimed in, poking him in the back.

Billy rolled his eyes before pushing his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose and turning back to the girls.

“Have a good lunch break, Jackass.” I quipped grabbing the cigarette from behind his ear and placing it between my lips heading towards the burger post.

I wasn’t even half way there before Billy caught up to me, throwing his arm around my shoulder.

“You know I was just kidding right? About you and the others being losers?” Billy spoke, quickly obviously hiding the anxiety that he actually pissed me off in his voice.

“Sure you were, Fabio” I smirked as we reached the doors to small cafeteria. He dropped his arm that was draped around my shoulder to open the door for me.

“I’m serious Daph.”

I rolled my eyes rising up on my toes pressing my lips to his cheek. “Billy, I’m just fucking with you. Don’t you worry that pretty little face of yours.”

Billy ducked down quickly kissing my nose. I beamed up at him grabbing his hand as we shuffled into the building.

“There’s a party tonight Billy, are you going? You can crash at my place after.” Issac offered leaning back in his chair.

“Please, Issac, Billy is way too cool to be seen at an Arbor Pines party. Apparently we’re all a bunch of losers.” I quipped looking over at Billy hinting at the conversation he had had earlier with some of the girls that crowded around him at the pool during shift change.

Billy's lips twitched up as he dug his fork into his potato salad. It was small and quick and I was almost certain that I was the only one who saw it.

“We weren’t a bunch of losers when we kicked Hawkins High’s basketball team at nationals.” Geoff smirked.

“And you made that Tommy kid cry.” I chortled taking a bite of my hamburger.

This time Billy didn’t suppress his laugh, it bellowed out of him as he threw his head back, eyes watering. “You were the one that made Tommy cry?” Billy asked between laughs trying to catch his breath.

“Jesus, Hargrove, in through your nose and out through your mouth.” I insisted, flinging a french fry at him.

“Tommy H cries all the time.” Billy sputtered causing all of us to start laughing along with him.

I felt the warmth creep across my chest again, watching as Billy was generally getting along with our little group. His asshole behavior and blunt attitude fit in perfectly with the rest of our personalities.

“When we were little, all of us were on a soccer team together, and he cried because he got beat by a team with girls on it.” I sat back rolling my eyes.

“Back to the party, you in Hargrove? We’ll have a few kegs, different kinds of alcohol and some special baked goods. You can’t say no, It’s your girlfriend’s birthday party.” Issac coaxed, winking at Billy.

Without a beat, Billy turned to me, eyebrows raised. “It’s your birthday?” Ignoring the fact that Issac referred to me as his girlfriend.

The look on his face was a mixture of embarrassment and panic, for either forgetting, not remembering my birthday.

“Relax, Billy, It’s tomorrow, and don’t think I ever told you my birthday.” I chuckled watching as his rigid posture became more relaxed.

He bit down on his lip trying to regain his composure.

“If there is a keg, you can count me in.” Billy grinned.

I wiped my mouth shooting my two middle fingers up at Billy. He stood there staring at me in disbelief after I beat his keg stand time by 30 seconds. I smirked at him blowing a kiss as I placed a cigarette in my mouth.

“It’s okay Fabio, You’re still the keg king in Hawkins” I quipped patting him on the chest.

“That was…..sexy.” He blurted as I passed my cigarette to him. He drew it in tilting his head up blowing the smoke in the air before passing it back to me.

“I almost forgot! I got you something!” Billy grabbed my hand pulling me through the crowd and out to his car.

“Billy, you didn’t have to get me anything.” I giggled as he dug through the back seat of his car. “Well you’re my best friend and the fact that I didn't know your birthday is so bad. So here you go!” He shoved a badly wrapped package into my hands smiling down at me.

My heart fluttered at how excited he was, and how he referred to as his best friend. I tore at the paper chuckling as it revealed a half eaten bag of cherry licorice and a small stuffed animal obviously taken from the carnival games at work.

“I will cherish these for the rest of my life.” I beamed pulling Billy into a hug. He wrapped his arms around me picking me off my feet. “Thank you.” I whispered into his shoulder as he placed me back onto the ground.

“It’s no problem, Princess.”

The night continued on with more and more people showing up for the occasion. We danced, and sang and drank the night away as everyone wished me a happy birthday.

Half way through the party I decided to try and start sobering up so I wouldn't be completely hungover on my actual birthday.

I made myself a home on the front law where it was pretty quiet. I laid back watch the stars before Billy plopped down next to me in the grass.

“Has anyone told you that you’re kinda scary?” He coaxed causing me to laugh.

“How high are you right now?” He shrugged laying back looking up at the sky.

“Only, a little,” he grinned sheepishly at me before continuing.

“You’re one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Your love and compassion for people-even the ones you hate is so genuine. You bring light into people’s lives, Daphne. And that scares me.”

I brought my knees up to my chest, hugging my arms around me in an attempt to keep my heart contained in one place as I looked down at the boy.

“Why would that scare you?” I questioned him as he closed his eyes drawing in his cigarette, than offering it to me.

I took it placing it in my mouth.

“The last person that was a light in my life left me alone in the dark.”

I frowned watching as he was fighting whatever thoughts were crossing his mind. “I lose myself in the best possible way when you’re around,” Billy opened his eyes, looking over at me as he sat up. I bit down on my lip, looking at him.

“I’m in love with you.” Billy spoke leaning in and pressing his lips to mine hungrily, our teeth clicking together as he knotted his fingers in my hair.

“Do you want to go inside?” I muttered on Billy’s lips. He opened his eyes slowly looking down at me through his lashes.

I lead Billy through the house and to the empty guest room, Maggie and I would always use when we stayed the night with Issac. I closed the door behind us, turning the lock then looking up at Billy.

He stepped towards me hooking his fingers into my belt loops pulling my body to his connecting our lips together. He backed me into the door as his fingers found their way to the hem of my of my shirt. He broke our kiss momentarily to pull my shirt over my head.

I rose up on my toes, to kiss him better pushing him backwards until he fell on the bed. I stepped out of my flats as Billy all but threw his boots across the room. I unzipped my shorts letting them fall to the floor as I climbed on the bed and on top of Billy connecting our lips once more.

His hands traced up my spine finding the band of my bra. “It unhooks from the front.” I chuckled

after a small grunt came from him.

“Why would you buy a bra that unhooks from the front?” he groaned has his fingers fumbled to get it unclasped.

“Because it was cute and on sale.” And I also got joy out of watching boys work hard to see my bare chest. I gave Billy a hand throwing my bra to the ground as he looked up and admired my topless form.

He grabbed my hips flipping us over so he was hovering over me, connecting our lips together. His hand that wasn't wrapped in my hair slowly brushed down my body, his fingers finding their way inside of me. I let out a small squeal at how cold his touch felt

. “Sorry,” He chuckled as he continued to move his fingers.

“You could have warned me that your hands were cold.” I giggled pulling his face back to mine.

I let out a small breathy moans while Billy kissed down my jaw, slowly making his way between my legs, kissing the inside of my thighs. He pulled my undies all the way off pressing more kisses on the inside of left my thigh before his mouth made its way to my clit.

My fingers instinctively ran through his hair knotting it in my fingers as he continued to hit all the right places with his tongue.

It didn’t take long for the electrifying sensation I hadn’t felt in so long to take over my entire body completely.

“Uh.. Um..B-Billy.” I spoke softly, voice shaky, as the electric sensation slowly left my body. He hummed unbuttoning his pants with one hand while placing small kisses up my body until our lips met once more.

“You have a condom right?” I questioned as he pulled away from me frowning.

“No, but we can still do it.” He muttered looking down at me.

“Uh, no we can’t. No condom, no sex.”

His head dropped on my shoulder, an annoyed grunt coming from him. “Do you have one?” he whispered nuzzling his nose into my neck.

“No,” I lied knowing that I had one hidden away in my wallet, Something my mother had always taught me, to keep one on me as a backup plan for if and when a boy tells me he didn't have one.

Billy sat up crossing his arms glaring down at me. “You’re lying.” I sat up on my elbows frowning, Billy had been around me long enough to pick up on my tiny mannerisms I subconsciously did when I told a lie.

“I have one in my wallet, but I really don’t feel like doing it anymore.” I mumbled reaching out to touch his face. “I love you too,” I cooed, responding to his confession from earlier.

“And I don’t want our first time together to be when we both are cross faded in someone else’s house.”

Billy finally rolled off the bed angrily buttoning his pants reaching down and grabbing his shirt. Not even looking at me.

“Billy, I want to, but I just don’t think its the right time for us to have sex.” I apologized earning a grunt from him as he left the room leaving me alone.

I got up, getting dressed quietly trying not to let the tears that were stinging in my eyes to completely fall.

I took a deep breath and headed back out to the party, where Billy and I didn’t speak for the rest of the night.

“Good morning, my darling birthday Girl!” My mother cheered as I hoisted myself onto the counter next to where she was standing. I smiled at her leaning over dipping my finger into the blueberry muffin batter she was preparing.

“Daphne Louise, that has raw eggs in it!” She scolded as I fished out another blueberry from the mix.

“That never stopped us from eating cookie dough while watching The Facts of Life” I giggled as my mom swatted at my hand.

“How was the party last night?” She questioned scooping spoonfuls of the mix into the muffin tin.

“I think Billy was trying to tell me that he loves me.” I crossed my legs under one another laughing nervously.

My mother’s eyes lit up as she looked over at me. “Annnnnnd?” She sang.

I dipped my fingers in the batter once again grabbing another blueberry, “We almost had sex. But I stopped it and he got mad and wouldn’t talk to me for the rest of the night”

She knew I wasn’t a virgin, I hadn't been since the ninth grade when I lost it to Joseph West in the back of his Cadillac DeVille. It was way less than satisfying. I asked my mother if it was supposed to be - that bad she laughed at me and told me the first time for everyone was pretty bad. My mother and I had a very close relationship, I was able to tell her things whether she approved of them or not, and she would always offer advice to me when I had any kind of problems.

She gave me a confused look, “Why did you change your mind?” She questioned moving the batter from out of my reach quietly giving me a “tsk.” as a popped another batter covered blue berry in my mouth.

“I don’t know, I just- want to make sure he’s in it for the right reasons.” I muttered.

“I like him, mom. I actually more than like him, I love him,” I admitted with a sigh. “And I want to protect my heart if the feelings aren’t mutual. What if he was just telling me the things I want to hear from him just so he can get me in the bed.”

My mother sighed wiping her hands down her apron.

“Honey, that’s just something you will have to decide for yourself. I personally think he really likes you, especially with all the time you two spend together. He never seems to go home. And he stopped sleeping on your couch weeks ago.”

I grinned sheepishly at my mother, knowing that she knew that Billy and I cuddled in my bed the nights that he stayed with me.

Hell, we would even cuddle the nights we both stayed with Maggie or one of the boys.

“Your father called last night. He wants you to come over for dinner to celebrate your birthday.”

My mother informed me changing the subject, Although we were open with each other she still preferred to not hear about my sex life.

I groaned grabbing and licking the last of the batter off of the spatula. “He’s going to be upset that I haven't applied to any schools still. He won’t even humor the idea of me taking time off of school and living,” I frowned. “I don’t even want to go to college.” I continued looking up at my mother.

My father was the complete opposite then my mother, he was harsh and cold where she was loving and accepting. When I was seven years old, my mother finally had enough of his anger and his hatred that she left with me, finding a home in Arbor Pines.

Growing up, there was a lot of stress and expectations put on my shoulders from him, from being forced into dance classes when I had to spend the summer with him, to having to go to after school tutoring when I wasn’t meeting his standards of grades.

I finally humored him when I was in high school taking advanced classes as well as being on the cheerleader squad and that still wasn’t enough. What I didn’t tell my mother was the abuse she endured before she got the courage was now put upon me. He promised that he’d never lay a finger on me but that complete changed the older I got, and the more of a failure he found me to be.

My mother cupped my chin in her hands pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Baby girl, no matter what you do, or where you go, you will accomplish wonderful things. I couldn’t be more proud of the young lady that you have become.”

I smiled softly at her as I wrapped my arms around her body hugging her. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too my sweet girl.”

I spent the rest of my morning eating and cleaning the kitchen with my mother and avoided going to Hawkins until I absolutely had to.

“I’ll probably hang out with Robin after dinner then come home.” I announced prancing out of the hallway to the living room where my mom was sitting. I pressed a kiss on her cheek.

“No parties while I’m gone.” I joked as I headed out the door with a wave.

It took less than an hour to get to Hawkins from my house, it was one of my favorite drives to take, a two lane road with a vast amount of trees, on the days I had to go to Hawkins to spend with my father, I would always take the top off of my car letting the wind and smell of pine surround me as I sped down the road.

One of my biggest dreams was to be able to travel the country, looking for hidden back roads that would twist and turn. Ones that I could zoom down listening to my music as loud as it could go.

I noticed a familiar blue car parked on the side of the road and as much as I didn’t want to stop and check up on the stupid owner with his stupid amazing hair, I did any way because, I’m a nice person that was in love with a asshole.

I pulled up behind Billy honking my car horn at him. He looked up from his flat tire, wiping his forehead, before standing up and stomping towards my jeep.

“Hiya, Princess.” Billy smirked leaning on my window. I rolled my eyes, ignoring the fact that I would never not be called princess by Billy.

“Come on, I’m heading into town. I can drop you off at the mechanic and they can bring a tow out here.” I smiled nodding to my passenger seat.

Billy took my offer, lumbering around to the passenger side climbing into my jeep. I took off once he was settled humming to myself to make up for the silence between us.

I wasn’t sure if he remembered the night before or not, which I was really hoping it was the latter. That he didn’t remember the kiss we shared or me rejecting him after us almost having sex.

I made a right turn onto the main road that took us to Hawkins, pushing my latest mix tape into the radio pressing my foot down heavily on the gas.

“AHHH AH!! WE COME FROM THE PLACE WITH THE ICE AND SNOW,” I yelled turning the volume to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song.

“FROM THE MIDNIGHT SUN, WHERE THE HOT SPRINGS FLOW,” I looked over at Billy as he clung onto the grab handle above him as we zoomed down the winding roads towards town.

“The Hammer of the Gods!” I smirked returning my attention back to the road swerving my jeep back into my lane.

“Are you sure you’re allowed to drive?” Billy questioned trying but failing to mask his genuine fear in his voice.

I laughed easing up on the gas, “What, never been a passenger to someone who drives like you before?” I smirked eyeing the boy next to me.

He grunted in response as I drummed my thumbs on the steering wheel. “Billy, if I wanted to kill you, vehicular manslaughter wouldn’t be my first choice.”

I could feel his harsh stare boring into me as I brought the jeep to a stop at a light. “I’m serious. I’d poison you and then get Maggie or Issac to help me hide your body.”

Billy rolled his eyes looking away from me. “Remind me to never eat anything you ever give me.”

“You always seem to enjoy the muffins I bring to Naldo’s every morning.” I mused earning another grunt.

“Ok, what gives Hargrove, I understand you being grumpy because you got a flat tire but did Issac piss in your Cheerios this morning?”

Billy muttered something under his breath that I couldn’t quite understand. I reached over to my radio turning the volume completely down.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” I questioned, finally pulling into the parking lot of Hawkins only mechanic.

“If I wanted you to know what I said, Princess, I would have said it louder” Billy grunted opening the door to her car hopping out of it. I sat back in my seat, staring at him.

“Are you seriously angry at me because you didn’t get laid last night?”

Billy let out another grunt slamming my jeep door shut. I felt my cheeks grow red from anger as I watched the boy stride away angrily. I placed my car in park getting out and chasing after him.

“You’re such a prick, you know that. Huh?” I yelled pushing his shoulder.

“Was you telling me that you love me last night just some bullshit ploy to get into my pants?!” I jeered as he turned around staring down at me, straight faced.

“What if it was? Huh? What are you going to do Daphne?”

I squeezed my fists into tight balls digging my nails into my palms. “Nothing. I won’t do anything but be completely disappointed in myself for letting some asshole into my heart. There’s a reason I didn’t want to sleep with you and this is it.”

Billy bit down on his lip before sighing and reaching down for my hand. I stepped back crossing my arms over my chest, waiting for him to respond.

“I’m sorry,” he began stepping towards me, and sign of anger he had slowly leaving as his composure relaxed. “I meant everything I said to you, Daph.”

Billy reached out stroking my cheek, “I’m an asshole..and a bonehead and anything else you want to call me.”

I rolled my eyes lightly grabbing his wrists as his hands found their way to the back of my head.

“I love you” he muttered before closing the space between us and kissing me.

“Who lives here?” Billy asked as I pulled into a driveway of a bright blue house. Billy and I spent most of the afternoon waiting for the Camaro to be repaired. After, I followed Billy to his home where he dropped off his car and got into mine so we could go and eat.

“My father and his wife.” I growled turning to my back seat and digging through the mound of growing cloths, settling on a dress. I pulled my shirt over my head, throwing it in the back seat and replacing it with the dress. Billy just sat there staring at me wide eyed as I traded my doc martens with a pair of white flats.

“My father isn’t a big fan of how I dress,” I explained running my hands down the length of my dress. “He’s honestly not a big fan of anything that I do. Probably won’t like you either.” I muttered leaning over and buttoning two of his buttons.

Billy frowned, “Your mom likes me.”

I chuckled taking my hair down from the messy ponytail it was in. “Yeah well, my dad is an asshole. So we’re not going to stay very long.” I cringed looking at the front door, dreading the monster that was behind it.

We both sauntered inside, Billy following me to my room. “Wow… it’s so…”

“Boring,” I cut him off looking around at the bare walls of my room. “I don’t stay here often, so there's no point in making it homey- especially since my dad will sell my things he doesn't like or want me to have.”

Billy frowned as I shut the door behind us. “Don’t worry we won’t be here for long. Just have to show my face because it’s my birthday.”

I rose on my toes pecking Billy’s slips making him smile.

“Wanna make out?”

I pushed his shoulder playfully as he scooped me up bridal style, pressing his lips to mine.

I could hear the rumble of my father’s car from outside my window. “Uh.. Billy,” I mumbled with a shaky voice as hummed against my neck.

“I need you to get into my closet”

Billy looked down at me confused as I slide from underneath him.

“My dad is home. And you being here is something he won’t like” I dug through my bag grabbing my powder compact, patting down the area where Billy had left a hickey. I groaned at how red the mark had remained.

“Daphne! Are you here?!”

“Baby, he can’t be that bad.” Billy spoke plodding towards me.

I turned to him frowning “Billy, please. Just get in my closet and stay there.” I begged pushing him towards the doors.

I turned around grabbing a book of my bookshelf climbing on my bed and laying down opening it. “DAPHNE!” my father boomed busting into my room.

“Hiya, Daddy!”I beamed smiling up at him.

“You didn’t show up for the first day of work at the post. We had to hire Karen Wheeler’s bimbo daughter.” My father growled.

I closed my tattered copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath sitting beside me on the bed

“Daddy, I told you I was working at Wonder Palace for the summer.” I mused only to earn a grunt of disapproval from him.

I stood up giving him a small hug before sheepishly stepping back eyeing my closet to make sure Billy could not be seen.

“Can we please not do this right now? It’s my birthday, I came to eat dinner, not fight about my future.”

My father grabbed my arm pushing me hard against the wall. “I’m so sick of you running up and down the street with all the riff-raff you hang around.” I bit down on my lip, breathing heavily

“You haven’t even given them a chance, dad. They aren’t as bad as you think they are.”

“I told you about these people. Smoking marijuana and drinking at that rundown amusement park isn't a job, It’s about time that you grow up Daphne. You’re 19 years old now. Did you apply to the schools like I asked?”

I looked away seeing Billy looking at me with terror in his eyes from my closet. “No, I didn’t. Mom said that I-“ his hand smacked across my face as he grabbed a hold of my face pinching my cheeks hard.

“I don’t care what your mother has told you. You’re going to go to college. I didn’t raise a failure did I?” I averted my gaze as tears started to well up in my eyes.

“Dad- I just graduated. I want to take time off of-” His grasp tightened around my jaw, forcing me harder into the wall.

“DID I RAISE A FAILURE DAPHNE LOUISE?”

“No sir,”I said through gritted teeth breathing heavily.

“You didn’t raise me at all. Mom did, and she’s proud of me. She’s proud of the person I am and who I may become in the future.” He lifted his hand to hit me once again but Billy caught him by the wrist, staring angrily at my father.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” He bellowed pushing him away from me. I dropped to the floor finally letting the tears fall from my eyes. Billy stood in front my me guarding me from my father as he stormed back over to the both of us.

“You’re not going to amount to anything. Just like your whore of a mother.”

I stood up balling my hands into fists, “And you’re going to die sad and alone.” I growled as Billy remained in front of me.

“I’m not letting you near her.” He spoke harshly reaching back and placing his hand over mine, squeezing it in an attempt to show me I was safe.

“And who are you?” Dad challenged bowing his chest up to Billy.

“My name is Billy Hargrove, and I’m in love with your daughter. We work together at Wonder Palace.”

My father squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, a huge knot growing in the pit of my stomach. Billy squeezed my hand again as I stepped up to stand by his side rather than behind him.

“Really, Daphne? You bring this trash into my house when you know better not to? You let him do this shit to you?” My father pushed Billy roughly away making him fall into my small vanity grabbing my chin, hard, pushing my face away from him so he could get a better look at the marks Billy had left on my neck.

“You’re disgusting.” He barked squeezing my cheeks as Bill pushed him off of me winding back to punch my father in the face. “Hey,” I spoke softly grabbing on to Billy’s arm.

“Let’s just go.”

Billy looked between my father and I before giving me a small nod. I turned to my dad. “I’m never coming back here again.” I declared as Billy grabbed my hand pulling me out of my room and to the front door, my father not even protesting us leaving.

I grabbed the keys out of the pocket of my dress. Pushing them into the ignition reeving my car to life and pulling out of the driveway.

“Daph, please pull over let me drive.”

I Ignored him, pushing my foot down harder on the gas pedal as we zoomed down the street. “Daphne,” Billy reached over caressing my cheek with the back of his hand. I let out a shaky sigh as I pulled over on the side of the road, resting my head on the steering wheel, finally letting out a sob.

“Daphne,” Billy repeated as he started rubbing my back.

“My father treats me the same way.” Billy whispered. My head shot up looking over at him.

“That’s why you never want to go home, isn't it? It’s where, all of your bruises come from?” I wiped my nose with the back of my hand as Billy slumped back in the seat.

“Yeah. My dad expects a lot from me, and no matter what I do, it’s not good enough.”

“What about your mom?” I questioned.

“She left when I was young, and she didn't take me with her. But if she did, I'm pretty sure I would have ended up just like you.”

“Cute with a bad attitude? Oh wait…” I joked winking at him.

“I’m serious,Daphne.”

“Are you going to be ok?” Billy questioned he as pulled into his driveway.

“I have a friend that works at Star Court, I’m going to go and visit her.” I leaned over pressing a kiss to Billy’s cheek.

“Thank you for today.” I continued as he turned looking at me, placing a small kiss on my nose.

“Anytime Princess.” Billy climbed out of my Jeep and striding over to the passenger side, opening my door for me. I slid out of my seat, Billy placing his hands on either side of my hips.

“Can I come over tonight?” He murmured leaning down and pressing his lips to my neck.

“There’s a slice of ice cream cake with your name on it.” I gasped as I felt his teeth lightly graze my neck.

“Uck, can’t you slobber over your girls somewhere else?”

Billy grunted resting his head on my shoulder as I looked over at the small redhead standing in front of us.

“You’re Max!” I beamed pushing Billy away from me and stepping towards her. Billy made another grunt of disapproval as I stuck my hand out to his little sister.

“I’m Daphne, Billy’s girlfriend.” I chirped as she reluctantly shook my hand.

“Max.”

I looked down noticing the skateboard she held in her hand.

“I have the same one but mine is blue. Me and my friends always hit the skate park in Arbor Pines when we have time. Next time you should tag along, you can spend the night if you want to!”

Max looked between Billy and I lifting an eyebrow. “He wouldn’t be invited if that’s what you’re worried about.” I chuckled as Billy slumped against my Jeep. I turned and looked at him angrily.

“Don’t be rude William.” I smirked earning a laugh from Max as I turned back to her.

“I’m serious, I don’t have any younger siblings. I am always game for a skateboarding session and a sleep over!”

Max gave me a huge smile before trying to shrug off her obvious excitement.

“Sounds like fun,” She looked over from me to Billy, who was still throwing a fit that I was talking to his little sister. “Try not to be a jackass and mess things up. I like her.” She quipped before excusing herself and going inside.

“Daphne, why?” Billy groaned as I turned to face him.

“Because if we’re going to be together, I want to try and have a relationship with your family- the ones that matter any way. Did you see how I instantly won her approval because I acknowledged her existence?”

He huffed crossing his arms.

“Stop being such a grump. Or I’ll make you sleep on the couch tonight.”

Billy sighed in defeat. “Fine. Thank you for caring…..about my little sister.” He spoke through gritted teeth, faking a smile.

I skipped into Scoops Ahoy leaning on the counter as a string of cuss words came from the back room. I hit the bell a few times before a boy with fluffy hair strode out.

“Ahoy there! Are you ready to be a passenger on the SS Butterscotch? Let me help you and your taste buds to set sail! I’m Steve Harrington.” He exclaimed running his fingers in his hair smiling at me.

I lifted an eyebrow at him as Robin opened up the back window to watch the boy fail miserably at flirting with me.

“This is what you left us for, Buckley?” Her eyes lit up as she ran out to the front of the store pulling me into a huge hug.

“What are you doing here Daphne!?”

“I had to come to Hawkins to visit my father for my birthday.” I mumbled with an eye roll.

Robin cringed contorting her face up in disgust. “And how did that go?” She questioned as I leaned back on the wall next to the counter.

“The usual, him being an asshole and hitting me. But my boyfriend came between him and I and my dad kicked us out.”

Robin knew most of what happened at my father’s house, after things got bad and I wasn’t able to go back home to my mother, I would find solace and safety at the Buckley household. Away from my father and whatever he had been drinking that night.

An exasperated sigh came from the boy, Steve standing behind the counter. I turned to him giving a confused look.

“You okay over there?” I questioned making him wince a little.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that- it’s just of course you have a boyfriend, you’re too pretty not to have one.”

I laughed at Steve as he awkwardly averted his gaze from mine. “Thank You. You’re very pretty also.” I complemented.

“I’m Daphne Collins.” I added offering my hand to the boy for him to shake. He gladly shook my hand reintroducing himself as Robin took me to the back room for us to hang out.

We spent the rest of the day catching up and hanging out until it was time for her to help Steve start closing the store.

“I love you, Buckley.” I beamed giving the girl a hug before telling her and steve goodbye.

I wandered to the food court noticing a familiar tall blonde haired boy standing incredibly close to a tiny brunette, smiling down at her as he rubbed his hand against her cheek. I marched up behind him tapping him on the back of his shoulder. He grunted turning around

“I told you to go away Max!” the color in his face completely drained as he looked down at me.

“Billy who is this?” The girl spoke peeking from behind him as he stood there stifled

“Yeah Billy, who am I?” I crossed my arms as he regained his composure.

“She’s just one of the losers I work with. Are you stalking me?”

I didn't even resist punching him in the face, the blow threw him off balance. He turned looking at me holding his cheek in surprised. “You’re an asshole.” I seethed through gritted teeth. I looked at the girl still standing behind him.

“He’s not worth the heartbreak.”

I turned around seeing that most of the food court had their attention on us.

“The Show is over, assholes!” I yelled. Before making my way back to the parking lot and to my car.

Billy pointed his rescue float at me before bringing it to his mouth, using it as a makeshift microphone.

“TOO RA LOO RA TOO RA LOO RA AYE.” Billy sang as he started dancing like a complete dork running into a few people in the process. I stared at him as he started using his float as an air guitar.

“COME ON EILEEN, OH I SWEAR WHAT HE MEANS, AT THIS MOMENT YOU MEAN EVERYTHING!”

I rolled my eyes pushing my sunglasses up my nose as Billy made his way dancing towards me and the skeeball carnival game I was in charge of.

“You know you’re making a complete ass out of yourself in front of the entire park.” I scoffed crossing my arms.

Billy shimmied pointing his rescue float at me once again as he kept singing along to the rest of the song.

“Come on, Princess, you can’t stay mad at me forever.”

“You tell me that you love me, twice might I add, and then you turn around and you flirt with any girl that looks your way. Do I only exist to you when you’re not in Hawkins?” I sneered crossing my arms.

Billy frowned dropping his arms to his sides. “Come on Daph, it’s not like that- It’s just,” He paused, thinking of a way to say what he wanted without pissing me off more.

“You have an image to keep in Hawkins and if you’re seen with the weird stoner chick who likes girls as well as boys people will think less of you.” I blurted leaning back on my stool.

“Life isn’t a popularity contest Billy. If you really loved me than you wouldn’t actually care what people think. And that’s the difference between us, I don’t have to put on this front to get people to like me.” I sneered as Geoff strolled by doing a double take at both Billy and I.

“Everything ok, Daph?” He questioned looking between us.

“Do you mind covering for me? I don’t feel very good.” Geoff nodded eyeing Billy skeptically as I grabbed my things and made my way towards the front office.

The knot in my stomach only growing bigger, the more I thought about the past few days I had shared with Billy.

I stepped into Naldo’s office not even bothering to knock, making my way over to and sitting on the sofa he kept in the tiny room.

“What’s on your mind, Kid?” He questioned, turning his chair around and facing me.

“Have you ever been in love?”

Naldo smiled softly at me, out of our group of friends, him and I were the closest. He genuinely thought of me as his little sister and was probably the closest thing to a loving father figure I had.

“Hargrove, eh?” He stood up, taking a few steps over to the couch sitting next to me.

“I hate myself for feeling this way. I hate it, Naldo. It seems like every time me and him get close, he finds a way to mess things up. Is it me? Am I the issue here?”

I was never the type of girl to question why I got treated badly by who I dated, I would normally end things with the person and move on. But with Billy it was completely different. With Billy, it wasn’t just an infatuation that would only last for the summer. With Billy, I could easily see us together, with a family.

Before him, the only future I saw was me traveling alone finding a beach somewhere to call my home. But now, I wanted the same kind of future but I couldn’t picture it without him. And I hated that.

I hated how I let this complete mess of a boy blow through my entire being like a natural disaster, leaving a permanent imprint in his wake.

“Sometimes, people do really stupid things because they don’t know how to react to the way the person who they love, makes them feel. But Daph, I promise you, by the way Billy just looks at you, He’s in love.”

I frowned looking up from my hands at him, “what do you mean by that?” I questioned.

Naldo gave me a half smile. “When you’re not looking he looks at you like you’re his entire world.”

“Toot it and boot it.” Naldo mused as I pulled him into a hug.

I chuckled rubbing my nose on his shirt. He grimaced looking at the snot and tear stain on his shirt. “I love you, Daph.”

“I love you too, Naldo.”

“Daph, your bonehead is here!” My mom called as I stumbled out of the kitchen seeing Billy standing in the foyer next to her.

“I do not claim ownership to this bonehead you speak of.”

I grunted putting my hands on my hips.

“Can we talk? Please?” He begged, biting down on his lip, a noticeable bruise forming below his eye.

“Please tell me you ran into a wall and Geoff didn’t punch you in the face” I grumbled stepping up to him and taking his face in my hands, examining his eye.

I looked over at my mother who was still standing next to us. Eyeing me with a smile. “Billy will probably stay for dinner, so grab something extra.” I sighed reaching down and grabbing his hand.

Okay, Fabio. Let’s go.” I spoke pulling him to the kitchen as my mom called out her departure to the store. I sat Billy down sauntering over to our refrigerator grabbing a bag of peas wrapping it in a dish towel and handing it to him.

I grabbed his chin examining the dark purple that had formed around his entire left eye.

“I don’t think Geoff, Issac or Derek likes me very much.” He muttered earning a laugh from me.

“They get protective. We all do. All for one and one for all y’know.”

“I’m sorry,” Billy spoke sitting back in his chair as I took my place on one of the bar stools across from him.

“I just, I don’t know how to react to these feelings I have. It’s new and scary, and nobody has made me feel like you do.” He blurted averting his gaze from me.

“You being in love with me is no excuse for being an asshole. You can’t just treat me one way and then the next you laugh at me telling people I’m the weirdo you work with.”

He frowned chewing on the bottom of his lip. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“Billy, you are an asshole. But you’re very lucky that I love you and that Naldo talked me into giving you another chance.”

A smile spread across his face as he stood up. “Really?”

He stepped towards me, sitting the bag of peas on the counter next to me before grabbing my face and pulling it to his. I pulled back shaking my head.

“You’re still in trouble, Fabio. You’re not winning me back that easily.”

He groaned dramatically placing his head on my shoulder.

“You’re an asshole.” I repeated making him look at me. I rubbed my thumb over the bruise that started forming under his eye.

“I’m going to make you wait until the end of summer,” I started as he closed his eyes from my touch.

“No making out on lunch, or cuddling in my bed. You can still spend the night, I’m not going to make you stay with your father. We’re friends. Just Friends. Until I say so.”

Billy looked down at me, tears brimming his eyes. “But you promise, that eventually you and I will have a future?” he questioned making me nod.

“I’m not ready to give you another chance as a boyfriend, Billy. But I do love you. I really really love you, so yes we will eventually have a future.”

Billy rested his head against mine. “For you, Daph, I’m willing to wait.”

The remaining months of summer flew by in a complete blur. Billy spent most nights over at my house or he stayed with one of the boy’s house floating around until he eventually stopped going back home all together.

The two of us fell into a comfortable routine of being together but not officially together. I was still withholding myself from him with only a few slip ups when the sexual tension between us got to be too much.

We’d lay in a mess of blankets and tangled limbs on those days, seemingly not letting each other go as we held onto one another. Eventually, I didn’t even bother protesting him sleeping in my bed with me. My absolute favorite time of the day was right before Billy woke up in the mornings.

He was so completely ...Soft when he was sleeping. And I completely loved it. His unruly blonde curls poking out of the quit we were under. Every morning he’d wake up, cuddling into my side. He’d mumble a good morning and a I love you before falling asleep again.

I was completely head over heels in love with this boy and had him wrapped around my finger. And the best part about it was that he didn’t care what people thought about him anymore. Spending the five summer months with me and my group of friends changed him for the better.

He had a group of guys that befriended him because they wanted to and not because they had something to gain in their social status.

He was loved and then in return learned how to love and let people in again. He finally had a family who accepted him, flaws and all.

I woke up next to Maggie, who was sprawled out on my bed, leaving little room for me to actually be comfortable.

We had an end of summer slumber party with Max and her friend El, both girls passed out on my pull out couch.

Max almost instantly took to me after our first meeting, when she wasn’t with her group of friends she was hanging out with me and Maggie. Sometimes all of her friends would pile into my truck, much to Billy’s dismay as we hauled the load of children to Naldo’s Palace.

The kids would spend the duration of mine and Billy’s shift running around the park, or they’d be picked up by Steve and taken back home.

“When did you get here?” I questioned hugging Billy from behind. He turned his head slightly peeking down at me.

“Right before your mom left for work. She told me that everyone was still asleep so I didn’t go into our room.”

“Our room?”

“Your room.” He chuckled correcting himself.

“It can be our room, if you want it to be. Y’know, stop bouncing between mine and the boy’s houses. Move here permanently?” I offered as he turned from the stove and the breakfast he was attempting to cook to pulling me into his arms.

“Moving in with you? That sounds so official.” He beamed leaning into me pressing a kiss to my lips.

I smiled into the kiss, “Guess that makes us official.”

“Have you seen Billy?” I asked Maggie as I took a look around to see if I could find him.

“I went to the bathroom and then ended up talking to Victoria Andrews for twenty minutes.”

Maggie nodded her head up to the top of The Serpent where I could see my boy. Smoking a cigarette.

“Why is he up there?”

Maggie shrugged, “I don’t know, but he mentioned if I ran into you to tell you to go up there.”

“...Okay?” I muttered reaching down grabbing two beers.

“Thanks Mags.” I beamed as I made my way to The Serpent.

Once I finally made it to the top, I sat next to Billy swinging my legs over the railing watching as the party boomed below.

“Whatcha doing up here?” I questioned handing him the can of beer I had grabbed for him..

“Just thinking.” Billy placed his arm around my shoulder pulling me closer to him, I instinctively leaned into him as he pressed a kiss to my head.

“About what?” I questioned reaching up to his hand that was around my shoulder, and intertwining our fingers.

“What I wanted out of life eight months ago compared to now.”

I gave him a confused look, waiting for him to continue whatever he was thinking about. “Eight months ago, my only plans were to work my ass off and save every penny I made so I could move back to California.Back to my home.”

I felt a tinge of pain pierced through my heart, I had the same plans for myself, but they fell through after we expectancy lost Tyler in a car accident that involved his car being hit by a drunk driver.

All of us were completely devastated at the lost of our pseudo big brother and one of our closest friends.

I just assumed that after Wonder Palace closed for the season that Billy still had plans to leave and go back to California, even when I made it clear I was staying in Arbor Pines.

After Tyler passed, we learned that he had left the entire theme park to the five of us, and of course we almost instantly took the offer to make sure that Naldo’s spirit lived on in his theme park he had loved so much.

“But now?”

He smiled looking away from me, as some of his curls fell into his eyes. Billy took his arm from around me stuffing his hand in the pocket of his jacket pulling out a small velvet box. He opened it exposing a beautiful diamond ring.

“Now, my home is here with you. And I can’t picturing being anywhere else but where I am right now. I love you, Daphne, and I know we both are young but when you know, you know. Will you marry me?”

I could feel a fire spread inside of me. The butterflies that had made a home in my stomach from the moment I had met the boy in front of me trying to burst out of my body.

I looked down at the box Billy held- his hand trembling waiting for me to answer the question he had just asked. I looked up at him giving a soft smile.

“I thought you wanted no attachments working here.” I joked earning an eye roll from him, completely killing the serious mood Billy had tried to set.

“I didn’t plan on having any attachments, until I fell in love with an absolute pain in my ass. Now answer the question before I change my mind.”

“Well at least I a cute pain in the ass.” I fell into a fit of giggles as Billy glared down at me, waiting for me to answer the question he already knew the answer to.

“Of course I’ll marry you, Billy.” I finally replied feeling my cheeks grow warm as a smile spread across his face. Billy slipped the small ring on my finger placing a kiss on my hand before pressing his lips to mine.

“Where did you get this, B? It’s beautiful.” I lifted my hand up looking at my engagement ring, wiggling my fingers out in front of me.

“I used all of my graduation money from my relatives I have never met and all the money I have saved from working here.”

Billy placed his arm back around me, as we fell into the same comfortable position we sat in when we were together. We sat up in the tower of the slide where we shared our first shift together until we decided to go to rejoin the party that was growing below.

“Daph, did you say yes!?” Issac beamed as everyone ran up to us.

“They knew?!” I sputtered turning to look at Billy with wide eyes. “You actually told these idiots you were proposing and trusted them to keep it a secret from me?”

“Of course I told them, Daph. They’re our best friends. I needed their approval.” Billy chuckled pulling me into his side.

“Wait, So you’re staying here?” I questioned making Billy nod.

“I just told you that I spent all of the money I saved for Cali on your ring. And I just proposed to you so why the hell would I go back to Cali when you and our friends live here?” Billy snorted

“I mean, I guess you're right.” I admitted, slightly embarrassed at the stupid question I had just asked.

“I’ve learned that home isn’t just a place, it’s also the people you surround yourself with. Home for me isn’t in Cali anymore. It’s right here with all of you, right here with the absolute love of my life.” Billy spoke, a small smile growing on his face as Maggie and the boys attacked both of us in a group hug.

Billy was completely right, home wasn't just a place, it was the people that you surround yourself with, the ones that when you felt completely alone, they would be there to catch you when you were falling and remind you that you weren’t alone.

And with us, Billy never had to worry about feeling alone again. He had us, and we had him. And all of us had Reynolds’ Wonder Palace.

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