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deecitys · 3 years

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blue, white, and a little bit of gold; z. chenle

pairing: chenle x fem!reader

genre/warnings: school au, friends to lovers, student!chenle, fluff, swearing, food

word count: 2.7k

a.n.: this is part of the nct secret santa collab hosted by @neoculturechristmas ! i’m writing for @candychanhee i hope u enjoy <33

masterlist

lowercase intended

MONDAY, DEC. 14

“you’re really going to leave me alone?” you frown. “here? with mrs. s? out of all the teachers?”

your best friend, jiwoo, places her hand on your shoulder empathetically. “she called you. i’m terrified of her. the discussion is over, y/n.”

she bows like a ballerina and proceeds to jump away from you down the hall. you roll your eyes and push the wooden door open, sighing. the empty home economics classroom smells like freshly baked muffins, except evil freshly baked muffins, just because this is mrs. s’s classroom.

you walk up to the one desk you could find, clear of fabric scraps and needles, and dump your heavy backpack on it. the noise echos; or maybe it’s just your hyperactive brain anticipating for a jumpscare. in mrs. s’s classroom, anything can happen…

but just as you were about to call for the terrifying teacher, the door rattles open behind you and you let out a yelp, scrunching down.

“hey y/n,” a slightly familiar voice calls. you slowly shift your gaze to find zhong chenle.

you’ve known chenle ever since middle school (you might’ve had a crush on him back then…), and he was in your friend group at one point, but you two have never crossed paths in particular especially after he was announced as mvp for the school basketball team and became mega popular. he was nice though, as far as you knew, and it was a sense of relief that you weren’t going to be the only one in mrs. s’s room.

“haha, um, hi chenle,” you force a smile and hold the desk to get up. something shifts in the storage room of the class, and when you two turn your attention to the noise, mrs. s enters the scene. her leather buckled shoes clack on the floor as she approaches you and chenle.

“hello, chenle,” mrs. s greets the smiling boy with ink-black hair, and proceeds to frown on you through her narrow glasses. “you should’ve told me you’re here.”

“sorry,” you utter, avoiding eye contact.

she mumbles something about kids these days. “i called you two here because i want to ask for a favor.”

while mrs. s shuffles through her desk, you glance at chenle with wide eyes, who shrugs back in question.

“i’m on duty for planning, and you two are the highest performing in my classes. a week left.” mrs. s hands a piece of paper, and chenle reaches out to grab it.

“december 18th, friday, gym, at 6 through 8:30 pm… the winter dance?” he reads. “we’re supposed to plan it?”

“plan it, manage it, whatever else it needs,” mrs. s explains while you panic trying to think of an excuse out. chenle just stands, dumbfounded. “10 percent raise of semester grade of whatever class if it goes successfully.”

10 percent? holy shit, this is your chance. your math grade!

“we’re doing it!” you blurt out loudly, inducing an emotion (slight surprise? indistinguishable.) out of mrs. s for the first time.

“we are?” chenle questions, to which you blink inanimately . “oh… oh yeah, we are. leave it to us! we’re really trustworthy, and we have teamwork. we’re, we’re practically best friends. you can count on us.”

mrs. s slowly nods in approval while you force a big grin, grabbing your backpack and pushing chenle towards the door. “we’ll start planning now, thank you, see you in class!”

you two rush out of the room. “dear god,” you sigh.

“you know what? i need that grade raise, my english grade is, uh, kinda questionable.” chenle sighs.

“so is my math grade, i’m literally about to be disowned. meet tomorrow after school at the gym?” you ask, and he nods, giving you a thumbs up. with a strained grin, you turn right around and speed walk to the end of the hall. jiwoo appears, peeking behind the corner.

“is that zhong chenle?”

TUESDAY, DEC. 15

“so…” you hold on to the ends of your puffy jacket to make sure they aren’t blown away by the freezing winter wind. “where do we start?”

“we could look at the gym and, i don’t know, envision the scene. i got the keys. and budgets tomorrow,” chenle enunciates, which you give a positive shrug to.

the door creaks open and you hurry in to turn on the lights. you’ve been in here plenty of times before, and you try to remember the setup last year, hoping you would be able to get some inspiration. it’s interrupted by a tingly feeling in your nose and a following sneeze.

“god, it’s freezing in here too,” you exclaim. “doesn’t it get even colder? we’ll need to have everything indoors.”

“do you think they’ll let us sell winter themed popsicles?” chenle asks. you frown at his contradicting question. he’s wearing a simple crewneck sweatshirt unlike you prepared for antarctica.

“...a hot chocolate stand?” he negotiates, noticing your glare.

“a hot chocolate stand it is,” you take your phone out to write a note, pausing halfway to point at the spot near the entrance. “we could have it right there, with the entry fee stand, so people can grab one as they come.”

“and this can be the dance floor?” chenle is now suddenly standing in the middle of the room. you nod, writing down another bullet point.

“so, how was it?” jiwoo asks on the phone.

“it wasn’t that awkward, he’s still chatty, actually,” you describe, twiddling the blanket you have over your head. “we got a week’s notice which is so shitty, but we got to everything we had to do and we’re on track. he comes up with the wildest, most unrealistic ideas, though. can you imagine popsicles in a winter dance? it’s fucking freezing, i’m going to work a bit on decorations after school so he doesn’t mess with it…”

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16

“what are you wearing?” chenle lets out high-pitched laughs. it’s after school the next day, and this time, you’ve prepared for the climate.

“what?” you frown. “it’s cold in there. i need to survive.”

“you look like a penguin.”

“it’s only five layers.”

“whatever you say, best friend,” chenle does a fancy little bow to lead you into the gym. you huff but follow him anyway.

“today, we have to do all the budget stuff,” he takes a seat on the open bleacher to open his laptop, and you hesitantly take a seat a feet away. “i actually did some research and found all the places we need to contact, with all the costs and fees written and added一 here.” he turns the laptop your way and you lean towards the laptop (NOT HIM, THE LAPTOP!) slightly to take a look. a lot of work with numbers is done and you’re actually quite astonished by the organization and amount.

“practice got cancelled, and so like i had a lot of time lying around. i’ve contacted some places if we already made the decisions on the specifics so some are finalized, um, if that’s okay,” he explains. you continue to scan through the spreadsheet. the dj, catering, lights, they’re all done.

“wow, chenle,” that’s what you manage to say. “i’m glad i did something too.” you quickly dig up your sketchbook from your backpack and flip through it until you find the decoration sketches. you hand it over to him with fully stretched arms, keeping your distance. “they’re all at target, all the stuff i marked. so we can go get them whenever, if the budget, you know, allows it.” you hold down the strong urge to bite your nails through the long, dreadful silence. where did the chatty chenle go while you needed his chattiness the most?

“this is really cool,” he finally speaks. “and it fits our budget, so it’s perfect. i remember you being really good at art in middle school! guess you didn’t change.”

you flush (for no absolute reason!) and quickly take the drawing away, mumbling up a ‘thanks’.

“uh, anyways, today all we have to do is contact the rest of the people on the list, and then we’ll buy the stuff tomorrow, sell last minutes tickets on thursday, and theeeen we’ll decorate and see how the dance goes on friday, right? since the school’s been advertising since, what, last week?” you speak quickly to change the subject. he doesn’t seem to notice and instead nods.

“tomorrow, we’re driving to target to get all the decorations. hey, remember when i liked him in middle school?” you ask jiwoo. it’s after school and you’re at her house, doing homework. she looks up from her science assignment to give you a look.

“don’t tell me you’re starting to like him again,” she laughs.

“hey, what’s wrong with that?” you raise your voice slightly, then turn your attention back to your laptop, suddenly self-conscious. “i mean, not that i like him, anyway.”

“you know i can see right through you?” jiwoo doesn’t take her gaze off of you for the long period of silence that follows. you roll your eyes.

“fine, whatever, i may have the tiniest physical symptoms of liking him again or whatever,” you admit. jiwoo giggles, then scrunches closer to you.

“so, what do you like about him?” she asks enthusiastically.

“i mean… he has a nice smile, yeah, that,” you mumble.

“and?”

“i guess he’s funny, and nice, and actually kind of responsible, i don’t know, and his voice一”

your description is interrupted by jiwoo’s screech.

“shouldn't have brought it up…” you sigh.

THURSDAY, DEC. 17

what have you gotten yourself into?

out of all the cars, you’re sitting at the front seat of ZHONG CHENLE’s car. he’s driving. CHENLE IS DRIVING.

the familiar roads aren’t so familiar when you’re in such a peculiar situation. he drives nicely though. and there’s the radio on. and he’s humming. super nicely. that’s so attractive. there’s nothing particularly attractive about humming, but on chenle it is. SHUT UP Y/N!

“do you sing?” you unconsciously ask.

“yeah, actually,” he answers. “my dad doesn’t like it, though, actually, so i don’t tell a lot of people. he just wants me to focus on basketball, because i don’t sing in a deep tone like the opera people, and he thinks if i don’t do that, it’s not manly enough, or whatever.”

the mood… you brought up the wrong topic, you think. “sounds like what jake would say,” you reply in a lighter note. “remember him? the super old school kid from 7th grade?”

“oh my god, YES,” chenle laughs, moving on to talk about him and middle school memories until you reach target. you quickly find the party decoration section and pick out the things. you’re on your last item when chenle taps your shoulder. he’s holding packages of golden sparkly streamers.

“i know the colors are blue and white, but imagine a little bit of gold. a little bit of sparkle, but no annoying glitter shit! what do you say?” he anticipates.

“actually, pretty cool, yeah,” you say, and chenle pumps his arm before throwing the packages into the shopping basket.

“i was about to just say no without listening after that one time you suggested we get popsicles, but good suggestion. love the improvement!” you half-joke. he immediately mocks you, which you laugh at.

the car is loaded up and now you’re on your way back. you two chat about the most random things, from taste in food to tv shows to traumatic but funny experiences, and you keep yawning. it’s been a long day.

chenle drives out of route, but you’re too tired to realize; the most you can do is keep up with the conversation. a blink later and you’re at the drive-thru of starbucks. “pick a drink, miss,” he rolls the window down when the car stops front of the menu.

“me?” you ask in surprise.

“yes, you.” chenle laughs. “you look so dead right now, it’s only 5 pm. i think we both need a caffeine boost for homework.”

“ooh, so thoughtful of you,” you dramatize.

he rolls his eyes. “shut up, i’m paying.”

“caramel macchiato please, mr. zhong!”

you sit patiently while he orders and gets the drinks; a caramel macchiato for you and a café latte for himself. you sip the drink in now comfortable silence and bliss (who wouldn’t be happy with a free drink?) on the way back.

“why didn’t we ever talk before?” chenle asks, breaking the silence.

“dunno,” you say. “just we didn’t have any reasons to, i guess,”

“remember when i told mrs. s we were practically best friends? maybe that wasn’t a lie.”

for once, you love mrs. s so much right now.

FRIDAY, DEC. 18 (D-DAY!)

with the help of chenle’s friends, decorations are up on time and students show up to the dance. everything goes by plan and people are thriving, except… jiwoo had a change of plans last minute. and you were going to ask her to help ask chenle out.

“i’m telling you, it’s the perfect chance,” over the phone, jiwoo’s voice sounds passionate and a little distorted. it’s a little hard to tune into with the background noise, even outside of the dance room alone. “once this is over, nothing happens, and winter break starts, you guys will end up like before. distance friends with zero interactions and zero chances. take the risk while you can, y/n!”

“but you aren’t here to help me!” you whine. “i’ve never done this before! i wasn’t prepared for this! i’m not the kind of person to be doing this!”

“and you’ll never be prepared anyway, so what’s the point of waiting?” jiwoo argues. “don’t be a pussy and go for it. if he likes you back, that’s cool, and if he doesn’t, you have nothing to worry about because you guys won’t have a reason to talk anymore. now, i have an angry mother to deal with, so i’m hanging up, peace out and tell me how it goes. love you, bye!”

your urgent call of her name is interrupted by a long and loud beep. you sigh.

as much as you hate to admit, she’s right. there isn’t any other excuse to keep talking to him. you check the time, and it’s almost 8; half an hour until the dance ends.

“fuck it,” you say to yourself, pushing the heavy door open and meeting the warm and noisy atmosphere. it’s not long until you find chenle chatting with the dj. you take a deep breath feets away from his back and decide to approach him that way.

“chenle! chenle!” you whisper-yelled through the booming music. he turns around immediately, eyes wandering until he finds you.

“y/n! y/n!” he whisper-yells back.

“i need to tell you something important.” you take his arm and start to drag him towards the door out.

“you good? what’s up?” he asks. you shake your head, signaling it’s too loud in the gym, and point to the door, continuing to pull him. through your booming heartbeat you keep calm until you reach the cold outdoor air where you finally let go of chenle.

“so, um, hi,” you greet, to which chenle chuckles.

“hey.”

“the important thing is,” you take a deep breath in. “ithinkilikeyouandithinkweshouldgoout.”

it takes a second for him to process your fast words. maybe you shouldn’t have confessed, you think. you internally scream, and this is the longest second of your LIFE.

“uhh, this isn’t fair,” chenle argues, and you’re stand there, dumbfounded. ?_? “i was going to ask you out! life is so unfair.”

you gasp. “you’re KIDDING.”

“no, i’m not. uh, so, like, i think yes. what am i saying… i’m saying that yes, we should go out.” chenle looks nervous. CHENLE LOOKS NERVOUS!

“i was NOT expecting that,” you say.

“well, i wasn’t either, on my end,” chenle laughs.

“well,” you hold yourself back from screaming and jumping. “we should go back in, we’re the managers, y’know?” chenle nods, taking your hand to walk back into the gym. smooth.

“also, y/n, when i bought you starbucks, the intention was not to seduce you, just wanted to clarify. that was only like, four bucks. you’re worth more than four bucks, i swear.” chenle rants.

“glad to hear,” you roll your eyes but end up laughing anyway.

there couldn’t have been a better winter dance.

#nct fluff #kpopscape #neowritingsnet #neothestars #nct chenle #chenle fluff #nct christmas #nct collab #nct school au #nct drabbles #nct scenarios #nct #chenle soft hours #chenle fics #chenle oneshots #nct oneshot #nct dream fics #nct dream fluff

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sery-chan-13 · 3 years

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[Pragma]

Chishiya Shuntarou

Warnings: swearing, manga spoilers, mentions of nooses and hanging, death, blood, abuse

As always I think that's all, but feel free to tell me if I missed any. This is part one of seven of the idea I had!

The word love encompasses so much. Love can be different in the ways people say and mean it, which is why the Greeks had seven words for love.

Eros, sexual or erotic love. Can be the love you share with a partner. Lust.

Philia, platonic love. The love you share with friends.

Storge, natural love. The love you share with your family.

Philautia, love of self.

Pragma, long standing love. The love of a married couple.

Agápe, unconditional or Devine love.

Ludus, childish or playful love/flirting.

As the cupid of Pragma, you dealt with many types of people. People who were nervous to propose, people having second thoughts, and people who had been married for years. Every problem was unique in its own way.

"(Y/N)! There's someone calling for you specifically!" Eros's voice called out. You smiled, smoothing out your lilac dress, walking towards them. "You're always so graceful! Teach me!" Ludus's voice chirped. You patted her head saying, "Maybe later." Before turning your attention back to the person. It was a woman. "Oh this is silly... I am but a fool to believe this will work, but anything for him... Lady of Pragma, I wish to speak with you," she said. There was a green apple on her desk. "Well, I'll be going. Bye bye!" You said, waving off to them. You spun twice, disappearing in a cloud of cherry blossoms. "Ah, I should have known that language. I'm guessing this woman is in Japan then," you muttered, feeling cold move over you.

"Hello, you've called for me?" You said, standing besides the woman. She jumped, but sighed. "He was... it was correct? You're real?" She questioned. You nodded with a smile. "As real as you. I'm (Y/N), the cupid of Pragma, long standing love. How may I assist you?" You introduced, bowing towards her. She returned the bow. "I... I fear my husband and I... our relationship may have affected our son. He's... I would like for you to help him not end up like his father and I did. Please," she explained. It hurt you that such a thing could happen. People fell out of love all the time, and not even the magic of a cupid could change that. "Of course. I just need a name. Oh, and if I may request that apple?" You said, pointing towards it. The lady laughed, handing it to you. "It is for you. And the name is Chishiya Shuntarou. Please, whatever it takes for him to not end up like us," she requested yet again. You nodded, before spinning yet again. Cherry blossoms filled again. 'So he lives on Japan as well? I think he will be interesting.' What a travesty that their relationship affected their son. Love wasn't always easy, which is why so many people called on you and the other cupids.

When you opened your eyes, you were in what looked like a college dorm. A boy with blonde, almost white hair stood in front of you. No expression on his face, almost like you didn't just appear out of no where. "And that's the last time I go 2 days without sleep," he muttered, walking away from you. "Hello? It's quite rude to walk off like that. You must be Chishiya," you guessed floating after him. "How did you- nope, no, this is a figment of my imagination. The supernatural don't exist," he said, trying to walk off. You grabbed his shoulders, making him face you. "I'm real. Your mother sent me to help you. I'm (Y/N), the cupid of Pragma," you introduced. He stared back into your eyes. One of your hands was warm, the other icy. It felt to real to be a dream or a figment of his imagination.

"So, you follow me around everywhere basically?" He questioned a few hours later. "Yep. Until you fall in love with someone and they fall in love back in the way that would result in marriage. With my help," you explained. "And others can't see you?" He asked. You shook your head. "Only you can see and hear me," you answered. He nodded, before sighing. "And if I don't love someone or them love me back?" He asked. "I stay in your mortal life till you die," you responded. It was the life of a cupid, you supposed. "Well, you are going to be stuck here for a while. I don't like anybody. All the humans I've met are the same. Idiotic, cheerful, and to happy to be in this life," he said. Ah, an apathetic one is he? You could change that.

The next few weeks you spent trying to point out people to him. He wouldn't take any interest in them, saying that they were to dumb or any other excuse. We're you bad at your job? No, he was just a picky person, you guessed. "There has to be a person that's peaked your interest these past few weeks. I've found over hundreds of people. Men, women, in between. One of them has had to catch your eye," you said, floating above his bed. "No, not at all," he responded. You heard fireworks outside, and floated over to his window, looking out. The colorful sparks lit up the sky, and you watched in awe. "Chishiya, is there a celebration of sorts today?" You questioned. He shook his head, muttering something about dumb people. Suddenly all the lights turned off. You looked around, but it was pitch black. "Chishiya? Where are you?" You questioned. "On my bed... must be a blacko- oh my god... you're glowing," he started.

"Aw, thanks. That's the nicest thing you've said to me,'' you giggled. "No like... actually glowing," he said, reaching out towards you, and touching your hair. He pulled a (strand/curl) softly, showing it to you. You looked down to see that your body was actually glowing. Then you looked at your hair. Your hair had strands that were glowing gold, contracting with your (H/C).

The rest of your body gave off a small amount of light. "Let's go see if anyone else knows what's going on. Come on my glow stick, " he said, leaving already. You laughed at the nickname, following besides him.

There was no one. Not a single soul in the city of Tokyo. "Chishiya... what's going on?" You questioned, floating over him, deciding to sit atop his shoulders. He walked around the empty streets. None of the lights were on, all the cars in the street had stopped, and there was dead silence. The only sound was the occasional plastic bags that moved across the pavement. "I don't know. If I knew, I would tell you," he said. You looked down at him, and lightly slapped the top of his head. He turned his head to look at you, glaring slightly. "Why... aren't you heavy?" He asked. You didn't weigh anything, despite your body being on his shoulders. Every body type has weight, that's just how humans work. But then again, you weren't human. "Well, I can appear how I want to. I appear how I used to look in my life before being a cupid. And as for why, I just make myself lighter by floating so you're not carrying me," you explained, softly petting his hair in apology for hitting him. He nodded, and began walking again.

Of course, that's how you ended up here, in a game of Black Jack to the death. One of the advertisement boards had lit up saying 'this way to the game arena'. Chishiya being curious, followed the signs. They led you two in the direction of a casino. There were 4 other people there when you entered.

"Chishiya, I-" you started, before he placed a finger on your lips. "Quiet," he stated quietly, seeing as he didn't want everyone else to think he was crazy. You immediately shut your mouth. "Good girl," he praised, petting your head. No one payed any mind to him, so you assumed no one heard him. You blushed at his words. Why did they sound sweet coming from him? You had always despised those words. Coming from Chishiya, they gave you butterflies. 'Nonononono! It's against the rules. Butterflies, go away!' You scolded yourself internally. You floated over the table, looking through things. There were guns under glass cases, poker chips, and decks of cards. Another thing you noticed were the nooses hanging from the ceiling. "But Chishiya, this is... less than adequate," you said, holding his face in your hands. You huffed when he didn't answer back, and decided to use your magic, talking through his mind.

''Chishiya what in the Hades do you think you're doing!''

"Oh, this is new. Lovely."

"Don't ignore my question you brat!"

"If anyone's the brat it's you. So, be quiet like a good girl would."

This time, the words didn't sound sweet. They sounded like how he had said them. It almost made you throw up.

"Stop calling me that."

"Why? You seemed to like it."

"Chishiya... please. It just... it reminds me of someone I would like to forget."

"Well, that's not my problem, is it?"

"Chishiya I-''

"Just be quiet. I'm trying to focus."

You frowned, and nodded. He had always been kind of mean to others, and maybe sarcastic with you, but he had never been that rude to you. It made you hurt, shocking you, as this had never happened in your course of being a cupid. Why did it hurt so much coming from him? Others had said the same thing, but it never bothered you. Why was it? Although, it had happened in your life before becoming a cupid. But you didn't want to remember. You don't want to. But, in the moment, your memories got the best of you.

"Just take it like a good girl," he mocked, hitting you once more. You winced in pain. "Pl-please just stop!" You pleaded, wiping away the blood, wincing at the burning sensation. He only snickered as you tried to stumble away. You reached the door, only for him to grab your braided hair, pulling you back. You let out a sharp cry as you feel to the dirt floor. Dust flew up, making you sneeze, and your eyes burn from the dust getting in them. There was dirt all over your skirt, mixing with the blood that dripped from your injuries.

"Good girls don't get hurt. All you have to do is be a good girl and you won't get hurt," he said, crouching down in front of you and grabbing your chin with his hand. The teasing tone in his voice obvious. He spoke down to you as if you were a child. You averted your eyes, looking away from the man in front of you. "Remember the vows. You promised to love, honor, and obey me. So do as your told like a good girl," he said, spitting on your face. He let you go, leaving the house, as you curled up, crying to yourself. You knew he would come back and act like everything was fine. Like he didn't treat you like trash on the street. You wished he had stayed the sweet boy you fell in love with. So, as you fell asleep through tears and wracking sobs, you imagined he still was. That you were madly in love with the same sweet boy who used to bring you flowers. The sweet boy who used to kiss you goodbye.

You heard Chishiya gasp, and looked over at him.

"Who the hell was that? Why the fuck- what- what happened?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You! You and that man! Is that... is that why you don't like it? The nickname, I mean."

"...Yes."

"I-... I'll stop then."

You had a feeling apologies weren't his thing, so left it at that. You couldn't believe Chishiya was able to see into your mind. You knew that you two were linked because of when you talked to him, but no one had ever been able to look into your mind as you had been able to look into theirs. There had only been one other person who had been able to do that.

All was well, until one person lost, getting pulled up by the noose around his neck. You flinched, grabbing your neck. "Oh my..." you whispered. You heard Chishiya snicker at your reaction. "Chishiya Shuntarou, that is no laughing matter!" You scolded. He shrugged, going back to the game. He was to apathetic for his own good. You guessed this is what his mother was talking about. He didn't experience the normal family love as others would. He didn't experience love at all, you guessed, and that left him to be an apathetic man who had no care for his life, or anyone else's. He put no value on anyone's life, including his own.

"Sociopathic oh so tragic~" you sang, putting up the laundry on the hooks. "It's not my fault that I play with magic~"you continued, the sheets and clothes swaying lightly in the wind. You felt a hand on your waist, and tensed up. "What's that about magic?" You heard him say. Your eyes widened as he put his head in the crook of your neck. The cocking of his gun was the other sound you heard. "D-darling, it's just a rhyme I h-heard the ch-children down the s-street sing. I-it's all in good fun and i-innocence," you stuttered, hoping he wouldn't do anything to drastic. "Magic would explain why the men in town were talking about you. Whore," he spat, his grip on you becoming tighter. You felt the tip of his gun press against your back. "Let me go," you ordered, your voice stern and high strung. "Let me go, or I'll scream. Let everyone know what you've been doing. It's not my fault I was the talk of the town today. Maybe if you hadn't bruised my skin, I wouldn't be. Just as I promised in my vows, you promised too. You get your hands off me, or I'll scream. I'll scream and we'll see who's the talk off the town," you threatened, breaking away from him. You pushed him down, and picked up your skirt, running back to the house. "You bitch!" He screamed. All you remember was the sound of the gunshot, the pain in your abdomen, and the shrill shreak that came from your mouth.

Then, light. A bright light. "Oh no... my dearest (Y/N)... he will suffer in the pits of the most wretched places," the voice said. It was soft, and regal. The voice only a queen would have. "You poor woman... cursed with such a man," another spoke. This one sounded more girlish. Still regal, but as if a child spoke. You looked up, seeing two of the most beautiful women you've ever seen. One having caramel skin, shoulder length black hair, and golden eyes like those of a hawk. She wore a red dress that had gold at the ends. It ended just above her ankles. On her hair lay a headpiece with black horns, a golden snake wrapping around a red circle. The ends of her hair held golden pieces. She wore a beautiful gold and blue necklace, and had blue bracelets on her wrists and upper arm, and anklets. The other woman had golden hair braided back, with tan skin and the most pure hazel eyes you'd ever seen. She wore a sheer white dress a beautiful embroidered belt on her waist. You gasped, backing away. "Do not be frightened. I am Hathor," the woman with the raven hair said. "And I am Aphrodite. We've seen your suffering, and together, we've taken the decision to make you a cupid. The cupid of the word Pragma, to be exact," the other said. You swallowed. "You don't have to accept. But we'd appreciate if you would," Hathor said. "W-what would.. me doing that... include? My duties?" You asked. "You would help people who wanted to propose, those who are engaged, and even those who are married. You help them solve the problems. Pragma is the Greek word for the love of a married couple. Long standing love," Aphrodite explained. ''So? Do you accept?"

"(Y/N). The game is over. Let's go."

Chishiya's voice broke you from your thoughts. You looked up, seeing the people hanging, and shuddered. "Are they..?" You questioned, motioning towards the hanging bodies. He nodded, walking through the casino. He held a card in his hands. A six of diamonds.

You floated besides him, your dress flowing behind you. You didn't speak, just floated besides him. Your face was devoid of any emotion he could detect. And it was frustrating to him, someone who prided himself on being able to read others, but others not be able to read him.

"(Y/N), talk. It's to quiet. Never thought I'd say that," he said. "What do you want me to talk about?" You asked. You two sat on a bench in a park. "Who that man was. Why he hurt you. If he's suffering now," Chishiya responded. "Well, you don't sugar coat... that was my husband. In my past life. He was a sweet man... before we got married. After that, he showed his true colors. An abusive pig. I don't know why he hurt me. And I don't think I'll ever know. He is suffering. The gods of death are making sure of it," you responded. "Gods?" He questioned. "Yes. All the gods of every religion exist. No one's wrong, but also, no one's right," you said. "Ok... makes sense. Tell me about the cupids," he requested. You smiled. "There's seven of us. Each represents a different word the Greeks had for love. We all have a lucky item, a food that can be used to summon and appease us, and a special magic," you explained. "Alright, and what's your lucky item and your special magic?" He asked. "My lucky item are the earings I wear. A wedding gift from my mother. My special magic is reading minds and talking through them. It helps a lot, especially with the people I help," you said. He nodded, looking up at the sky.

"I've never seen the sky like this. Too many lights here in the city to look," he said. You nodded, agreeing with his statement. It was quite different from the normal sky you saw. "Hey... have you as a a cupid ever fallen in love with one of your human projects?" He asked. You could tell he was joking about the word projects, but still you tilted your head in confusion. "Why do you ask?" You questioned. "Just curious. Am I allowed to be curious?" He said, a smirk on his face. "Curiosity killed the cat," you responded, returning his smirk. "But satisfaction brought it back~," he sang, his smirk turning into a wide grin. Now you could see why his name meant 'Cheshire'. You shook your head, "You are something else Chishiya." "Well, have you?"

He sure was persistant to get an answer. But then again, he was a man. Most persist even after receiving an answer, which boiled you with anger. Eros had a way of dealing with them that always made you smile. You had a feeling he wouldn't stop asking until you answered, so instead of dealing with annoyance for the next... however long you would be trapped here, you decided to answer. You thought for a second. "No. I haven't. It's been said we'll die a devine death if we do," you said. "Has anyone actually tested it out?" He asked. You shook your head. He turned your head to face him. He got closer, making you keep eye contact. "Want to know something?" He asked. You let out a shaky breath nodding. "I did fall for someone," he said, eyes locked with yours. You backed up, hitting the handle of the bench, your legs strewn out under him, your lilac dress flowing off the park bench. "W-who? I can help," you asked nervously as he got closer. He leaned his head to whisper in your ear.

"It..."

"Is...

"... You."

You gasped, closing your eyes, pushing him off softly. You could feel the warmth rise to your cheeks, and shook your head. "You don't mean that. You're lying," you started, bringing your knees into your chest. "Oh, but I do. I see no reason to lie to you when you could just read my mind," he said. You could hear the smirk in his voice. "Ch-chishiya, I could die," you stated, your voice small. He softly lifted your face. You kept your eyes closed. "You said no one's ever tried it. How would you know?" He said. You opened your eyes slowly. "Would you like to test your mortality?" You retorted. "Yes. It seems like one way to feel satisfaction," he said. He fixed the strap of your dress, pulling it back onto your shoulder. "I hate that you don't care for your own life. You need to fall in love with a mortal person... I-... even if I did return your feelings and I couldn't die from loving you, I couldn't... we couldn't be together," you said, turning to face away from him. He sighed, grabbing your face in his hands, making you look at him once more. "Do you return the feelings? Or are you afraid to admit them? Is it that you're scared of getting hurt by someone you thought you could trust again? Is it the fear of death?" He questioned, although you could tell he was reading you like a kid's book, not really looking for an answer.

You looked down. "I-i don't know. And even if I couldn't die from it, you are still a mortal being. I live forever," you said. "There's only one way to find out if it's true. So, stop me if you really don't have feelings for me," he said, leaning in to you. Your breath got caught in your throat. He stopped, his forehead resting on yours. "Stop me if you don't want me to. I will. I'm not a monster, you know," he whispered. You took a shaky sigh.

When was the last time you had ever done anything for yourself? Not even in your past life had you been selfish. Never had you asked for more than you were given, never had you envied those who had more. You had never realized that throughout the years, you has become a bit sad at everyone else falling in love with your help, but you weren't allowed to. If the gods and goddess didn't want you to fall in love, then they should have made you to not feel it. None of the cupids had ever tested it. So, if the goddesses and gods of love could fall in love with mortals and do whatever they pleased, why couldn't you? It wasn't fair. For once, you were going to make a decision that benefited you. No more being afraid of unseen consequences.

You closed your eyes, nodding softly. "Go ahead," you whispered. In a second, his lips were pressed against yours. His hand caressed the side of your face, pulling you in closer. Your lips were so soft, and you tasted like apple. He thought to himself that he would become addicted to the taste. He pulled away, and watched as you touched your body. "I-im still here... I'm still here. Chishiya, I'm still here!" You repeated, throwing yourself on him. You hugged him tightly, and he pet your head softly. "See, nothing ha-" he started, before getting interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

You pulled away, seeing Aphrodite.

You kneeled down on the floor, ushering Chishiya to do the same. "In all my years... I never thought you'd be the one to test it," she said. You kept your eyes glued to the ground. "Lady Aphrodite, I-..." you started, thinking over your words. You took a big breath in. "I'm sorry, but... I won't apologize for falling in love. I think... for once I wanted to do something for myself. If you must punish anyone, punish me," you said. "(Y/N)-" Chishiya started. You shot him a look that said to stay quiet. He glared at you.

"I'm not staying quiet, damn woman."

"Don't start now. Not in her presence."

"You're not getting hurt because I forced my feelings onto you I c-"

"You didn't force your feelings on me. Let me deal with this."

"(Y/N), you're not getting punished. I don't know who told you ladies you weren't allowed to fall in love. I just thought it was something you seven had made a pact on. It seems more serious than what I first assumed," Aphrodite said. You looked up in shock. "I-. I can fall in love? But... Zues said-" you stuttered. "Zues? Did he really? I'll have a chat with him. But now, you have two options. 1, keep being a cupid, and have him join you in your immortal life. So, yes, your darling would become immortal. Or 2, become mortal again, and live the rest of your mortal lives together," She said. You looked over at Chishiya who smirked.

"What do you want to do?"

"I should be asking you that. It's your immortal life that would be lost. So you decide."

"Well... I like being a cupid. And I love you... I want you forever and ever..."

"Then there's your answer."

"But is it what you want? I don't want to make a decision based solely on my wants."

"(Y/N), I've already told you. I would care less whatever you pick. Both benefit me. Only one benefits you with giving you both things you want."

"I... I would like to stay a cupid, and have him indefinitely my lady," you said with a small smile. You liked the sound of having Chishiya by your side forever. She smiled brightly. "I'm so happy you've found someone. It was me and Hathor's goal since we chose you. I can't fathom why Zues would tell you ladies you couldn't fall in love. But, all shall be fixed soon. The others are all out on their own missions now. I think they're all headed the same way you two did. So, let's see where they go," she informed. She touched her hands to Chishiya's head, and smiled. "So you do have pure intentions with her. Good. Now... I'm not sure why, but my magic isn't exactly working here. I could barely appear in here. So, I must wait till you're back in the normal world to help you become immortal. Be careful my dear (Y/N)... This world is dangerous. Protect him best you can, although he seems to be plenty clever. Maybe a bit to clever for his own good? And, Chishiya?" She said, looking towards him. He lifted his head, looking at her for the first time, shocked to see she looked like you. From your hair, to your eyes, to your height, to your body type. She smiled, "Don't hurt her." And with that, she disappeared in a cloud of rose gold dust that blew away in the breeze. He turned to you, a shocked expression on his face, "She- she looked like you. Exactly like you." You giggled, and put your hand on his shoulder. "The belt she was wearing? It was made by her husband. He enchanted the belt so she was able to look beautiful to anyone who looked at her. But, everyone's standard of beauty is different, so she looks different to everyone who gazes at her," you explained. He nodded slowly, before looking away. You were confused, before seeing his ears painted red. "Chishiya, are you blushing?" You teased, turning him to face you. You grabbed his face softly, making him look at you. He averted his eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen you bashful or shy," you teased again. "Shut up... it's- this is all new to me," he stuttered. "I'm glad you find me beautiful," you said, kissing his nose. He smirked.

"You missed," he said. You looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean I- mmph!" You started, before getting interrupted with his lips on yours.

Maybe breaking the 'rule' for your own feelings was the right choice. No, scratch that, it was the right choice. And you would forever be with a person who loved you.

Next will be Last Boss, then after that it's Niragi's. Just a small reminder, these will all talk about past trauma which will include thing such as abuse, rape, assault, murder and other things. You became a cupid due to the experiences, OK? Thank you so much for reading, have an amazing day/night!

Hathor is the Egyptian goddess of love, and I tried to describe her as well as I could from the reference I found!

#alice in borderland #chishiya #×reader #honestly writing is going pretty smooth #this idea is the best I've had in a while #hes kind of ooc #besides the point. irrelevant.

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almost-jack · 3 years

Text

Sex, Drugs,&Space Chaos Ch. 2 (A Smutty Handsome Jack Adventure)

FInd more chapters on my AO3! https://archiveofourown.org/works/27921886/chapters/68380147

P.S. I friggen love comments, indulge me y’all

Chapter 2: A Push, a Pull, and a Twist

Rei arrived at Jack’s office promptly at 5. The room was enormous, with Jack’s desk at the far end on a raised platform in front of three massive windows overlooking a vast expanse of black space speckled with shimmering stars. Rei couldn’t help but smile to herself upon seeing the room; of course Jack would rule Hyperion from a stage.

Jack was lounging, feet up on his desk and a cigarette dangling between his fingers. A pair of unfamiliar people, clearly not Hyperion employees, were seated in front of him, drinks in hand. Jack was talking animatedly to a tall, lanky young man with slicked back hair and a cybernetic arm who was hovering at his side. This looked like less of a company meeting and more of small soiree, but Rei wasn’t complaining. Jack called out to her as she approached.

“Ah, good! Tiny cartel boss, meet the vault hunters. Vault hunters, tiny cartel boss,” he said cheerfully.

Rei decided to ignore the jab about her height and flashed him a crooked smile, relieved that he seemed to be in a very good mood.

“Is that my new title? I dig it,” she mused. Jack winked at her appreciatively.

“Have a seat. Rhys, pour our friend here a drink. What are you drinking, sweetheart?”

“Uhh whiskey neat, I guess,” she said, lowering herself into a chair. The tall man nodded and descended the steps of the platform to rummage around in Jack’s mini bar.

“This is your ace-in-the-hole, Jack? Really? She’s gonna get killed real quick down on Pandora,” growled a huge, muscular, bearded man with excessive cybernetics seated next to her. A tall, regal looking black woman dressed in a white fur lined coat leaned against his chair, eyeing Rei with equal skepticism.

“That’s why, Wilhelm, my dear, she’s not going down there to clean up that bandit filth. You are. You’re the brawn, she’s the brains. You clear the way and Rei will do the rest,” said Jack.

“You know, uh, I grew up on Pandora. I’ve held my own in more than a few fights,” Rei said with a hint of indignation in her voice. Her hand subconsciously drifted under her lab coat to the holster on her hip. She had decided not to take any chances and come armed with a pistol.

Jack’s eyebrows shot up.

“Hmm, is that so? There was nothing in your file about Pandora…”

“I’m sure you realize there’s a lot about me that’s not in Hyperion’s database. Besides, it’s not exactly something I advertise around Helios. People seem to have a lot of… misconceptions about Pandora. Thanks,” she said, taking the drink that Rhys handed her. “So what exactly is it that you want me to do for you?”

Jack grinned and took a drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out in a crystal ashtray.

“So-ho-ho much, cupcake,” he said with a chuckle. “Let’s start with mining the hell out of that shithole planet Pandora. We’re going to gut it and pull out all the Eridium until it collapses in on it’s stupid little self, and you’re going to oversee it. Then you’re going to take all that sweet, sweet Eridium and figure out a way to charge me a vault key. And all those little bandits your lab buddies drugged and tortured until they became psychos? I want some of those, too. But obedient. I swear I’ll shoot them right between the friggin’ eyes if any of those little monsters so much as looks at me wrong. But that comes later.”

“And what about the moral implications of, you know, torture and destroying a planet and all that…?” asked Rei, peering at him over rim of her glass.

Jack looked at her blankly for a moment, then broke into peels of laughter.

“Really? Really? The ex-Pandoran drug lord is questioning my moral integrity? Or are you getting cold feet, here?” he said, cackling.

Rei wasn’t questioning Jack’s moral compass so much as trying to discern if he actually had one. She concluded that…well she still had no idea, not that it mattered much. Over the years Rei had learnt and re-learnt the same lesson; survival first, power second, morality…whenever it was convenient. It was how the Borderlands worked.

“So I’ll take that as permission to do whatever I need to do.”

“You’ve got a free pass, run wild! And kitten, I really can’t wait to what happens when I set you loose. All you have to do is sign-” he motioned towards Rhys, who pulled a piece of paper from a folder under his arm. “Here,” said Jack, pointing to a blank line at the bottom of the page.

She liked the sound of that…complete freedom to do whatever questionable project her heart desired was all she had ever wanted. She took a sip of her drink feeling more at ease with Jack, optimistic that this situation might actually turn out well for her. Rei picked up the contract and began to skim it.

“Don’t bother reading it, cupcake. You either sign, or I give you a ten second head start before I start shooting,” said Jack, reaching for his own drink.

“Jack, darling, are you quite sure she’s trustworthy? Wilhelm and I have already proved our merit. Don’t you feel compelled to test our new comrade?” asked the expensive looking woman.

“Aurelia, your concern is adorable, really, it is,” Jack said, flashing her a charming, well-practiced smile. “But you don’t need to concern yourself with anything other than getting paid.”

“I don’t know about that,” she said, frowning.

“Speak for yourself,” grunted Wilhelm.

“So,” said Jack, pushing a pen towards Rei, “what’s it gonna be, darlin’? Are we going to be buddies, or do I need to blow your brains out?”

Rei couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Oh wow, thanks for the ultimatum. I’ll need a minute to think about that one,” she said sarcastically, picking up the pen.

“Ooh, mouthy. Very, cute, kitten,” he said, sneering down at Rei as she signed the contract. “Ok kiddos, now that you’re all acquainted, you’ve got work to do. Off you go,” said Jack, waving a hand towards the door.

Aurelia reached out and straightened Jack’s collar before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Do be careful, dear. I would hate for anything else to happen to that handsome face,” she cooed. She turned and followed Wilhelm out. Rei put her glass down and turned to leave as well.

“Ah-ah-ah. Not you, Rei. We’ve got a couple more things to discuss,” Jack said, eyeing her with a wolfish, almost hungry expression.

“Yes sir,” she said, taking a seat in Wilhelm’s recently vacated chair. She noticed that Rhys remained quietly behind Jack, watching her with a hint of concern.

“Rhysie, go get me a sandwich,” Jack said, without turning to look at him.

Rhys paused a moment, looking at Jack wonderingly, then shrugged and left.

As soon as the metal doors slid shut behind Rhys, Jack stood and rounded the desk. He perched on the edge directly in front of Rei, legs spread wide and arms folded over his puffed out chest, obviously trying to intimidate her.

“Aurelia’s got a point, kitten. How do I know you’re trustworthy?”

“Well I did just sign a binding contract under threat of death, so there’s that.”

“Is it really enough, though? Don’t think I didn’t notice that you showed up armed, today.”

“But sir, you’re always armed. Can you really blame me?”

Jack leaned in, his face less than a foot from her own.

“So what, you were going to shoot me if I scared ya? Nah. You wouldn’t dare,” he said, reaching out to cup her chin. He tilted her head up, exposing her neck to him. Rei didn’t resist, partially out of fear…but more so because something hot and dangerous was brewing deep in her stomach.

“No, sir. I wouldn’t shoot you. I don’t think that would be in my best interest,” she said softly.

“Good,” he said with a chuckle. Jack grabbed her by the lapels of her lab coat and pulled her out of her chair, forcing her to stand between his legs. He lowered his head to her neck and brushed his lips against her jaw, making her shiver slightly. Rei could have sworn he was inhaling her scent like some sort of animal.

“I like you, Rei. I don’t want to have to get rid of you. Don’t make me do that, ok?” he murmured in her ear.

“You like what I can do for you. You barely know me,” corrected Rei, putting a hand on his chest and trying to push gently away from his grasp, but Jack didn’t yield.

“Do you always get so hands-on with your employees, or am I just lucky?” she quipped sharply, pushing against his chest in earnest. Jack let go and sat back, leaning on his hands.

“Sorry pumpkin, did I misread the situation? I thought we had a fun little thing going. I’m attractive…you’re attractive…You seem kinda into me. Your little neck would fit so perfectly in my hand,” Jack extended a large hand towards her neck, but paused, letting it fall back onto the desk. He began to drum his fingers impatiently against the dark, polished wood, clearly displeased with being forced to practice some self control.

“But we can keep this strictly professional if you want,” he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.

“Hmm. Not sure, boss. First you don’t trust me, then you want to fuck me…I think you need to make up your mind,” Rei said, dropping her hand from Jack’s chest to his thigh. She slid her hand slowly up his leg, inching closer to the subtle bulge growing under his zipper.

“Since when are those two things mutually exclusive?” Jack purred, tucking her long, chestnut hair behind her ear to reveal a thick, silver cuff in her cartilage. He grinned and tugged gently on the loop of metal, leaning in so his face was inches from hers.

There was a sudden thunder of gunshots outside Jack’s door, followed by screams. Jack jerked back, looking around wildly, then reached for the intercom next to his computer, slamming his fist down on the call button.

“RHYS! What the goddamn hell was that?!” he growled.

“Jack, you better get out here…we’ve got a situation,” Rhys’ panicked voice crackled over the intercom.

“Wait here, kitten,” he said, standing and attempting to adjust himself to hide his growing erection. Rei took a step back to let him pass, snickering to herself.

“I promise this is going to be far less funny to you later,” Jack said menacingly, towering over her, nearly a foot taller.

“Sure. Go get ‘em tiger.”

Jack glared at her for a moment, then turned on his heel, sprinting across the enormous room and through the great metal doors. Rei waited a moment, then quietly followed, stopping at the doorframe to peer at the commotion outside. There, in the middle of the hallway, stood a burly man in a Hyperion guard uniform, an enormous machine gun in one hand and Rhys’ neck in the other.

Rei’s stomach sank; the shooter was one of her plugs, specifically Ian Lynch, who she had instructed to watch her back since discovering Jack’s intense interest in her. But what the hell had happened? Some of her distributers were thugs, sure, but they knew better than to get violent inside Hyperion headquarters.

Jack advanced on the man slowly, gun drawn, face twisted with rage.

“Don’t do anything stupid, asshole… That’s Hyperion property you’re screwing with.” he snarled.

“Hah! You’re not as ruthless as they say, Jackie boy, otherwise you would have just shot me already and let this twerp take a bullet to the head. You’re all talk, ain’t ya?” said the assailant.

Jack looked like he was seriously considering doing just that, gun aimed at the man’s head, but his finger was absent from the trigger.

Rei stepped out of the office, striding quickly down the hall.

“LYNCH. Drop him. Now,” she commanded, drawing her own gun from it’s holster.

“There you are, Barrett, you fucking weasel. I’ve been waiting for you,” he hissed.

“You know this guy? And Jesus fucking Christ kid, didn’t I say to wait in my office? You’re gonna get sh-“

“If it’s me you’re after, then what the fuck are you doing, Lynch?” asked Rei, cutting Jack off.

“I caught him eavesdropping, he was recording near your door” choked Rhys. Lynch gave him a hard shake.

“Shut up. Yeah, I was listening in on your little meeting. Sorry to interrupt just as you were about to let Handsome Jack bend you over his desk, bitch, but this little shit came along and blew my cover. Wasn’t gonna shoot anyone today, but he kinda gave me no choice. Little shit came at me with a stun baton.”

“So let him go and tell me what you fucking want already,” huffed Rei.

“I want the two of you,” he said, jerking his head toward Jack and Rei, “to stay the fuck away from Pandora. I don’t give a fuck what you do to your Hyperion lackeys- drug ‘em, torture ‘em, I don’t care- but you’re not getting anywhere near my people and you sure as hell aren’t taking over my planet. So I guess what I’m really saying is that I want you both dead.”

“A small time drug pusher with a hero complex. Cute,” said Rei smarmily. Jack stared at her, eyes wide with surprise.

“He’s one of yours?”

“Not my best and definitely not my brightest, but yeah. He seems to be forgetting that he agreed to sell some pretty dangerous shit to people on Helios just so I would get him off Pandora. Ease up on Rhys’ neck, or you’re gonna kill your only bargaining chip, Lynch,” Rei said, noticing Rhys squirming and struggling for breath as Lynch’s grip tightened in irritation.

“Alright, enough of this,” said Jack impatiently. He flipped on his cloaking device and vanished.

“STAY BACK! I’M FUCKING WARNING YOU, JACK!” Lynch shouted, looking around wildly. Rei took advantage of the distraction and hurled herself at Lynch, knocking both him and Rhys to the floor, just barely keeping her own footing by landing in a cat-like crouch. There was a sickening crack as an invisible force came smashing down on Lynch’s wrist, forcing him to release the gun. He howled in pain as Jack reappeared above him, kicking his gun across the hall. Jack aimed his own weapon at Lynch’s groin, a manic gleam in his eye.

“That’s better. Now let Rhysie go or I’ll shoot your fucking dick off.”

Lynch stared venomously at Jack for a moment, then loosened his grip on Rhys, allowing him to pull away and scramble to his feet.

“Good. Hand over that recording and I won’t torture you to death. I don’t really care if your little bandit friends know we’re coming for them, but I’m not ready to make that announcement just yet. I wanted it to be special,” Jack said with a mock pout.

“Why the fuck would I do that? Let’s be honest, Jack, you’re just going to kill me anyway,” spat Lynch, attempting to sit up on his elbows.

“You’re wrong,” said Rei, planting a boot on either side of his hips and crouching down so their faces were level. She placed the muzzle of her pistol gently between his eyes and leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

“I am going to kill you.” Rei pulled the trigger. The crack of gunfire resonated through the empty hall and a spray of crimson droplets spattered Rei’s face and lab coat. Lynch slumped back in a pool of his own blood and brain matter.

Jack stood motionless, mouth slightly agape, staring at Rei.

“That was…oh my god…so fuckin’ hot, I mean, I can’t even-“

“He’s wearing a wire. It’s still transmitting to somewhere…somewhere nearby,” interrupted Rhys.

He had pressed himself as flat as possible against a nearby wall, as if trying to make his lanky form disappear into the metal. He took a shaky step forward, gingerly rubbing a blossoming bruise around his neck.

“I picked it up with my Echo eye. Couldn’t figure out why that guy was lurking around Jack’s door, so I gave him a scan. Where are you going?” Rhys said, noticing Rei slowly backing away.

His Echo eye sparked to life and raked over her, his mouth falling open in surprise. The receiver for the wire was nestled in Rei’s pocket.

“Oh. Oh shit. You? Why?”

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” snarled Jack, stomping over to her so he could make the vast difference in their sizes all the more evident as he loomed over her. She looked up at him wearily, realizing the jig was up.

“I…gave it to him. I told him to tail you and try to get something… to blackmail you with… in case I didn’t like the terms of your deal,” she mumbled sheepishly.

“So why was he here now? Couldn’t you just record me yourself?” asked Jack in a low, dangerous hiss, his eyes narrowed to slits.

“I asked him to watch my back. Like I said before, it really wouldn’t be in my best interest to shoot you. But…Lynch could have easily done it and left Helios for a while, if need be.”

“You really are a fuckin’ weasel, you know that? Give me one good reason not to shoot you right now.”

“Jack, she just helped you save my life…” muttered Rhys.

“She’s also the one who almost got you killed.”

“Look, I’m not sorry for protecting myself, but I honestly didn’t mean for Lynch to do a damn thing at all unless- SHIT, OW!”

Rei cried out as he roughly grabbed both of her wrists with one large hand, hoisting her arms above her head, forcing her to drop her gun. He pulled her up until the steel toes of her boots barely brushed the floor and gently placed the barrel of his gun under her chin, tipping her head up to look at him, all the while crushing her wrists in his powerful grip.

“JACK! Knock it off! Come on, you need her, remember?” Rhys protested, loudly and firmly this time.

“Yeah, you need me,” Rei hissed.

Jack glared at her furiously as he gave her wrists a twist that made her whimper, then lowered her slowly.

“Congrats, sweetheart, that’s strike three. First you use my company to run your little drug ring, then you try to blackmail me, then you try to kill me? Looks like you just earned yourself an early ticket to Pandora. Normally I’d toss you in a holding cell and let you rot there until I need ya, but I don’t trust that you’ll be a good girl if I let you out of my sight. So you’re taking Rhysie’s place and coming with me to help take care of some business. So glad you’re not shy about murder. Hopefully you don’t have to kill anyone you know, but… I wouldn’t count on it,” he purred, his voice dripping with honey and poison as he gave her wrists another twist.

Rei shoved a knee into his groin, not hard enough to hurt him, but with enough force to serve as a warning. Much to her surprise, she felt him half hard inside his jeans. He was clearly enjoying menacing her. Rei pressed a little harder and his cock gave an interested twitch under her knee, sparking a twisted pang of lust in her stomach.

“You want a mountain of dead bandits? You got it boss. Nice rage boner, by the way,” she snickered. Jack released her and stepped back, adjusting himself once again to hide the bulge in his pants.

“Don’t push me, cupcake, I think it’s evident how much I want to break you right now. You’re on the next shuttle with me to Pandora, pack your shit and be at the departure terminal in two hours. Rhys, you keep an eye on her, I’ve got shit to do. Oh, and give me that,” he snarled, thrusting a large hand roughly into the pocket of her lab coat and rifling through it. He pulled out the receiver and a small joint, inspecting them both, then dropped the receiver and smashed it under the heel of his shoe.

“What’s this?” he said, waving the joint in Rei’s face.

“Just plain old weed. Take it, on the house. I can’t think of anyone who needs to chill the fuck out more than you, right now,” she said brazenly.

“So help me god, I am going to…” Jack mimed strangling the air in front of him.

“My point exactly.”

He made an aggravated noise in the back of his throat and stomped back down the hall, leaving Rei eyeing Rhys suspiciously while he uncomfortably shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“Sorry about him. It’s really hard to calm him down when he gets like that,” Rhys said with a weary sigh.

“Nah, I would be pissed, too, if I were him. I would have kept monitoring him if I hadn’t been caught, and maybe not entirely for safety’s sake. If I have to destroy my home planet, I want to make sure I’m getting my fair share of the reward,” she said shrewdly.

“Well he shouldn’t have put his hands on you, at least. He can really do some damage if he’s not careful.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” said Rei, examining the angry red fingerprints around her wrists. “You seem to know him pretty well. What exactly are you to Jack? Personal assistant? Babysitter?”

Rhys laughed weakly. “Technically I was a middle management coder, but Jack took a special interest in me because…well, not to brag, but I’m a pretty great hacker,” he said with a hint of smugness. “So now I’m kind of…his protégé, I guess? But lately he’s been using me as an assistant because he freaking killed so many that no one wants the job anymore. He’s such a big, murderous baby sometimes.”

“Volatile psychopath is more like it.”

“Hah, yeah. You know…and don’t quote me on this because he’s pretty hard to read… but I think Jack was really disappointed about the whole blackmail thing. He seemed to really like you, kept talking about plans for his promising new “lab nerd”, and uh… something about bending you over his desk and uh…Well he was pretty excited that you weren’t a dude. And that you’re one of us,” Rhys said with a wink.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, attractive. In the 8 and up club. Grade A, Hyperion made.”

“God, you really are his protégé,” Rei said, picking up her gun and returning it to her holster.

“Hey, those are his words, not mine. You got a little something right here,” Rhys said, pointing to his cheek. Rei dragged her already bloodstained sleeve across her face, adding more crimson to it.

“Better?”

“You kinda just smeared it around…here.” Rhys wiped her cheek with the back of his hand, pausing just a moment too long before breaking contact. Rei raised an eyebrow and he blushed slightly.

“So, uh, we better get going,” he said, avoiding her gaze.

“Yep. Clearly I need a shower. Come on, Jack junior, let’s roll,” she said, taking off down the hall, Rhys hurrying after her.

#handsome jack #borderlands #borderlands 2 #fanfic #fan fiction #ao3 #ao3 writer #rhys #smut #adventure #video games #writing #rhys strongfork #handsome jack x oc #handsome jack x rhys #rhack #hyperion #sex drugs & space chaos

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syndianites · 4 years

Text

The After; The Athar: Chapter One

Chapter 1/?

Chapter 1 [Here] - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5

AO3: This Chapter - Full Fic

Summary: Post Season 2, non-Mianitian Compliant. The crew finally land back into the world after the events of Ruxomar. That should be a good thing, right? But Wag is feeling the burden of everything that has happened to him, and he didn’t even get his magic back to boot.

It’s hard to be happy when life has been so shitty.

Relationships: Sparklington (end-game), Marthlington (temporarily), Sparkanite (Spark x Ianite) (past, mentioned), Motanite

Content Warnings: Death Mentions, Implied Depression, Implied PTSD, Self-Deprecation, Breaking up a Relationship (Marthlington)

AN: I’ve been working on this since September? of 2019! I have 5 chapters done and still going. I wanted to wait to post this until I was done with it, but my impatience has gotten the better of me.

@the-moon-pal I’m coming for your crown king >:)

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They’d made it home a couple weeks ago, to the land of Mianite. It’d been such a relief. They got to meet the rest of the alts, got to watch Dianite meet the other gods- and cringe at the tension that crackled between them- got to find all their homes again. For once, in the past-however-long, there was peace. They could relax.

So why did Wag feel like utter shit?

Right. Because he literally got the worst part of the deal.

He thought his powers would come back when they got home. And they did, for a few hours. Not the full range, but a lot of it. It felt good to be full of magic again. It felt like he was himself.

But then things started to fall apart. Martha grew distant. His powers fell away in fits and bursts. He realized that the rest of FyreUK had moved on after they made amends in Ruxomar. They found their way on. Without him.

Nothing was the same, he realized, as he spent more time around the place they had called ‘home.’

Spark had done what he did best: built a city. Well, more like a village. What had once been a place of buildings thrown about at random and mostly open plains was now sparsely populated. Neatly arranged shops and a few houses took up the space next to the beach. New people had even begun to show up.

Everything was changing around him, yet he was stuck holding onto the past. Holding onto his wizardhood, to his brotherhood, to a partner that was farther now than ever, and- worst of all- he was still holding onto the hope that everything would just… go back. To how it was.

To when he was important.

Well, like fuck is he was going to sit around and loathe his existence. He could at least try to do something. Swear to Athar, he wasn’t going to turn into a lump of depression just because he couldn’t handle change! He’d rather be a walking mass of depression! That way he could at least pretend he was being productive.

Potions or spellbooks? A question as old as time. Potions were a staple in his life. If there was one thing that would never leave him, it was his ability to make fucking potions. Like, fucking make potions. Not potions to help people fuck. On the other hand, the more he poured through spellbooks, the more likely he was to get closer to finding out how to get his powers back.

Maybe his powers left when FyreUK left, taking all the glory of Athar with it. But that was too terrible of a thought, so that got chucked in the ‘not-today-bitch’ bin. Which was a handy dandy mental bin that stored all of his worst problems.

He never could fit himself in it, though.

So potions it was.

Now that he was out of the business of magic, most of his money came from his potion making. He had made yet another little wizard- alchemist? Potion master?- tower. Plopped some advertisements in el Pueblo de Spark and took orders to pass the time. He had to fund his botany experiments somehow. Someone had to introduce weed into this world, that might as well be him.

If he was going down in history for something, that wasn’t ‘Word Renowned Wizard Extraordinaire’, then ‘The Guy who Made Weed’ would sure as hell work.

Wag pulled up his log of orders. Luck, luck, dexterity, healing, luck, love- yeah, those didn’t really work but he’d make it anyways-, strength, luck, yadda, yadda, yadda. Lots of luck. He could probably get away with making a batch or two of luck potions, then work through the rest.

He spared a glance outside. Spark’s little hut-square town was beginning to develop into a pleasant little fishing hole. Surprisingly- or not, given how deep the waters were nearby- the place was actually a fairly hot place for single fish to mingle. Warm waters, nice and deep, lots of cover, and not much human interference. Until now, anyway.

Either the fishermen were starting to get a fair amount of revenue going or they really needed help. Luck potions were among his most expensive. The ingredients were hard to acquire regardless of how you made it.

Rabbit’s foot? Morally and physically hard to get a hold of. Rainbow trout? Terribly rare. ‘Star-light Fruit’? Not even confirmed to exist.

His method was a little more straightforward. A butt load of four-leaf clovers, a tiny bit of alcohol, and a fuckton of glitter. Clovers for the magic, glitter for the look, and alcohol for the feeling of being lucky.

It was a very bullshit potion.

It took forever to find the clovers, let alone collect them.

Athar give him strength.

Giving one last look outside, he tucked his log book in his cloak. Then he went and rummaged through his chests.

Monotony here he comes.

~~~

Wag was halfway through his second batch of luck potions when a distant knock came from his door, followed by the sound of bells. If not for the bells he’d have ignored the knocking. With a stretch, he putzed down the stairs. The many flights of stairs.

He missed being able to make elevators.

Opening the door revealed one Mr. Sparklez, hair tousled but otherwise neatly groomed. He was relaxed, if not a little winded from his trek up the hill Wag claimed as his own.

Wag smiled. “Hey Sparklez, what brings you up to my tower of terror today? Here for a chat or a swanky danky potion?”

He gestured for Jordan to head inside and get comfortable, but the man waved him off. “Actually,” Jordan started, “I was wondering if you’d seen Martha? I needed to ask her something and I haven’t seen her all day. Figured she’d be with you.”

Ah, so Jordan wanted to find Martha.

Ouch.

Doing his best to ignore the squeeze in his chest, Wag kept his smile firmly in place. “No, I don’t think I have. She, uh.” He paused, going for a nonchalant shrug. “She doesn’t come around the tower all that often. I’d ask Spark instead. She tends to hang around him more. Her good ole pops and all, y’know. They do have a lot to catch up on.” Wag tried to ignore how weak his words sounded. He didn’t want it to sound weird that Martha wouldn’t come around, but instead he just sounded pathetic.

Great.

Jordan gave Wag an awkward smile, seemingly uncomfortable with the sad display. “Ah, alright. I’ll ask around for Spark.”

He turned to leave but caught himself before he was fully turned away. Jordan chewed on his words. “Are you-” His eyes swept over Wag. “How have you been? We don’t see you as much anymore. Other than Tom, I guess, but it's hard to get rid of Tom once he decides you’re friends, y’know?”

“I’ve been,” Wag wanted to laugh, but pushed through the sentence, “swell, thank you. I would get out more, but I’m always so busy potion making. Gotta pay the bills somehow.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue. It wasn’t the exact truth, but he did spend a lot of time on potions.

Letting his shoulders settle, Jordan gave a small laugh. “Who would press a wizard to pay bills? Someone who wants to catch on fire, I’m sure.” He opted for a friendly smile. “If you ever want to hang out or something, let me know. I’ve been getting kind of bored between Spark telling me how to be a better champion of Ianite and living in an actual, peaceful society.”

Wag waved after Jordan as he began his descent. Yeah, a wizard. A frown tugged at his face while he shut the door.

A real fucking wizard.

~~~

Making potions was rather methodical. Each step took a certain amount of time, each item had certain effects, meshed certain ways with other items. It was like following a recipe, but with bigger consequences for messing up. Cooler results, though.

Wag had just finished melting down the clovers he’d gathered and extracting the essence- which is to say he lit it on fire after sprinkling a generous amount of blaze powder on it- when Jordan had stopped by. Which was convenient, since he needed to wait for the weird half-liquid half-slime to cool off enough to move it. The awkward potions, glitter, and alcohol were already prepped. Now all he needed to do was mix shit together.

Oh joy.

At the very least, it was satisfying to roll the clover essence into little balls to plop into an awkward potion and then watch them dissolve. The clover gave the essence a natural, healthy green color while the blaze powder, which clung to even the most thoroughly washed slime, gave it something of a yellow highlight. Golden glitter gets dumped in to make it feel like you were about to drink something special. Yes, the glitter was edible. No, most people didn’t realize he put glitter in this shit. Then the alcohol was for that background buzz. It was meant to dull the senses just enough to trick people into believing, wholeheartedly, in whatever god-forsaken abomination he just made.

Sorry. What ever divinely crafted, totally safe potion he’d just made.

Sure, he didn’t test it himself, but it seemed to work well enough for the people he gave it to. So where was the harm?

It was fine.

The next part was perhaps the most boring. And he’d spent all day yesterday crawling on the ground looking for four-leaf clovers.

Tagging and packaging. Writing names on slips of paper, tying them to the potion, putting it in a small, padded box to prevent any breaks. Rinse, repeat. It was annoying, wasted money, all that jazz, but it helped the look. Who wants to be handed a regular old potion, by hand, when you can get it in some majestic looking box to really add some sparkle to your magic?

Maybe Ruxomar rubbed off on him in a bad way.

In any case, the look was important, and by Athar was he going to make it look fucking fantastic.

Unfortunately, this task was also terribly, horribly monotonous. Worse yet, it left room for thinking. And thinking was Wag’s least favorite pastime since floating in the Void. Especially since floating in the Void.

It lead to him thinking deeply about himself and Athar knows that most of his life problems could be traced right back to that. His mistakes, his fuck ups, his shortcomings, all of it came back to him thinking way too hard about himself.

Gross.

Instead, he tried to run over potion recipes in his mind. Or any recipe, really. All the different ways to make a fire resistance potion when you don’t have magma cream. Counting how many potions used lemongrass. Figuring out what potions would make it more likely to catch fish. Literally anything. As long as it was potions, it was fine.

Not about himself, not about Athar, not about wizards, and not about… Martha.

Yeah, that last one would be a one hit k-o.

But now that his mind had touched on the subject, it dug in. Sunk it's claws into the delicate stability of his mind. Dramatic, he knows, but that’s how it felt. It was like the more he tried to get the thought out of his mind, the further it burrowed into him. Awful, painful, and not even worth the effort.

Martha… clearly didn’t care about him anymore. Or, well. He winced at the thought. She didn’t love him like she used to. If she, uh. Did in the first place. But this was old news. This was something he pondered after she seemed to avoid him like the plague, seemed to grimace when she looked over and saw him and not him.

Steve.

The name sat heavy in his head. They hadn’t meshed well, ‘specially where Martha was concerned. But they managed, for her, because they loved her.

Wag felt guilty, looking back on it now. For stealing their time together, for messing with their relationship. They hadn’t gotten to be together enough, had lost too much time before-

Yeah, he didn’t like thinking about Steve more than he didn’t like thinking about Martha. Wag didn’t feel like he deserved to think the name, let alone put himself up against his image. Steve was a hero. He rebelled against Helgrind in a cunning, intelligent way, he was selfless in more aspects than any of the heroes that appeared in Ruxomar, and he was the one to sacrifice the most. To sacrifice it all.

Where did Wag stand against that?

Honestly, it was no wonder Martha couldn’t stand to look at him. He was just a reminder of Steve, a reminder that she didn’t have Steve. That she had him instead.

Had she ever loved him?

That wasn’t the point. The point was that Martha was hurting, trying to pick up the pieces of what she left behind in Ruxomar. What she had lost. And Wag wasn’t doing anything to help. He was stuck up in his tower, making potions, trying to forget about everything that he wasn’t.

He should try to look for her.

But the last time he did, he got turned away. She was “catching up with her father.” She was “busy settling into the new world.” She was “trying to get a grip on her new goddesshood.”

Wag was persistent, but even he could get the hint.

By Athar, he got the hint. “I don’t want to see you.” “Don’t come near me.” “You can’t help me.”

He wondered if Spark was doing anything to help her or if he was also caught up in everything that had happened. From what he had learned about the man in Ruxomar, he was devoted to his wife. No, he gave everything for his wife. Learning she was dead after working up everything to see her again?

He had played it well. When he heard the news, Spark kept strong, only letting his tears show. If he had gone home later after parting with Martha, who had her own grief and guilt, crumbling on the inside no one would know. And if he had locked himself away and let everything loose, let himself break, none would be the wiser. But they could guess, they could give him a passing glance, a thoughtful frown.

Wag wondered if he still carried that grief around with him.

Spark had taken to trying to discipline Jordan to be a better champion of Ianite. It had made the man uncomfortable with getting told he could be a better follower and all. Or rather, having it implied that he wasn’t the best follower. Spark was stubborn in ‘training’ the champion of Ianite to be a full fledged follower.

Still, Jordan didn’t appreciate the sentiment.

Wag understood. Having the husband of the very goddess you watched die get on your case about being a better follower? When the crushing weight of guilt hadn’t fully let off your shoulders? He wondered if Spark hadn’t taken to coaching Jordan to make himself feel better, to remind himself that he would have kept Ianite safe, that he would have fixed the world before it broke out from under them.

It sounded like torture.

But it helped settle Wag. Call him selfish, but he felt better knowing other people had real problems, real grief, to deal with. Sure, Wag had his hang up with Martha. Yeah, he had his issues with being-a-wizard-yet-not. But he wasn’t as close to neck deep as Spark was. Like Martha was.

He wished belittling his problems made them feel less suffocating.

Martha. Martha was still pushing him away. And he was letting her. What did that say about him? About their relationship?

A sigh heaved out of his chest. It was like someone stuck a large rock right in his rib cage, tucked neatly between his lungs. Hard, heavy, and an all around burden. Potions. He needed to think about potions.

His hands betrayed him with a subtle shake. How many names did he have left to write? How many boxes did he have left to pack? Fuck if he knew. He had to keep counting, to find a way to wrap up all his issues, his panic, his fear, into a nice little package and tuck it away like a forgotten gift.

Athar help me, Wag tried to control his thoughts, I might drive myself insane by the end of the year.

As if on cue, another knock at his door broke his thoughts. He tried not to feel relieved to rush away from his potion packaging. He was fine, cool as a cucumber.

Throwing open the door, he came face to face with his second visitor of the day. Tom.

Tom was standing in front of his door almost uncertainly, like he wasn’t quite sure why or how he got there. He took one sweep over Wag’s unhidden face and a determined, focus look set in on his own.

“We,” Tom looped his arm around Wag’s in a sudden movement, “are going out somewhere. No if’s, and’s, or but’s.”

Eyebrows shooting up, Wag let himself be dragged from his house with an aborted motion to close the door behind him. He mournfully watched his door stay ajar. Hopefully no one else ventured up the hill today, otherwise he might be down a few potions.

“Why?” Wag turned his attention back to Tom, who was resolute in his intention of pulling Wag away to Athar knows where.

A grin was shot in his direction. “You look like you need to get out of the house. Also, I’m real fuckin’ bored and you’re clearly in need of some company.”

A wry smile snuck on Wag’s face. “Oh lucky me. We should get some tea, live up to our trademark.”

Tom nodded. “Absolutely. Let’s hit town. Fuck it up. Flaunt our hero-ness and get shit faced.”

“Let’s not get shit faced, and especially not get kicked out of town for making a ruckus.” Wag fondly rolled his eyes. “I do quite like living here and it’d be a shame to have to follow you around to make sure you don’t die.”

Tom gave a mocked offended gasp, free hand coming up to his forehead as he leaned away. “How dare you! I’ll have you know I’d never die if I didn’t live in a community. I’m a rogue, don’t you know.” He sniffed. “I can easily hold my own in the dangerous wilds.”

“Without anyone to pester and annoy?”

“I can pester anything!”

Wag bit his lip to stop a laugh. Tom always brought such energy with him. It was refreshing. Maybe he was right, he just needed some company.

He wouldn’t say that to his face, though.

“I suppose so,” Wag continued, “You are rather persistent. I bet you could annoy the sun into setting early.”

“Nah, I’d blow that fucker up instead.” Tom winked, snuggled back up to Wag, effectively trapping his arm. “I still think we should get shit faced. Drink our sorrows into the drain, throw them up another day.”

Wag mock gagged. “I’d rather keep them down the drain, thank you. Besides, what a waste of alcohol. If I’m drinking, I’m drinking to keep it down. Not!” He quickly cut Tom off, “That I want to go out drinking.” He eyed the sky, giving a disapproving look to Tom when he saw that it was still early afternoon. “No one should be getting drunk before the sun touches the horizon.”

With a pout, Tom leaned into Wag’s side. “Lame. I suppose,” he drew out the word, “we could go get some good old fashioned tea. Call it a pre-game without the game.”

Wag rolled his eyes. He wasn’t looking to out game his issues. That wasn’t a solution. It’d just make him turn into a sad drunk and give him a headache in the morning.

This is why he needed weed back.

But also, he didn’t want to develop another problem. Gotta keep it clean. For now.

Tom still had his own plans, alcohol or no alcohol. “I find when I’m feeling down that doing something batshit stupid makes me feel better. We should go fishing with our bare hands- no, with only our teeth- and no shirt on. Attract ladies and gents to us alike. Are they looking at our finely chiseled chests or our daring courage? Who’s to say.”

“You are far from chiseled my friend. Try soft.” Wag poked Tom in the stomach jokingly. “And who said that I’m feeling down?”

“Hey!” Tom swatted his hand away. “I’ll have you know I’m more ripped than you’ll ever be!” He huffed, squeezing Wag’s arm. They walked in silence for a moment, now upon the town. After wandering the street for a second, Tom spoke again, quieter. “I had this feeling.” Wag eyes him. “It was weird. My gut was telling me to check in on you. And then when you opened the door it was written on your face. Even I’m not dumb enough to miss that.”

Wag heard the unspoken I was worried carried in Tom’s words. Talk about soft. He squeezed Tom’s arm back. “Oh wow, a gut feeling?” He teased lightly, “I think it was just you missing my magical presence. It is hard to go too long without seeing me.” If only that were true. “But I’m here now, and we can go do something absolutely stupid, just for you.”

They share a smile, a quiet thank you floating between them.

Tom gets a glint in his eyes. “Does this mean we can go catch fish with our bare hands?”

“I suppose so.” Wag drawled. “How else are we going to show off our toned figures?”

That got him a laugh, one concerningly maniacal, and he was dragged between houses.

Yeah, he might regret this.

Tom turned and gave him a smile that was all teeth and no common sense. He paused next to the shore, a little ways off from the docks. Shucking his clothes, one Tom Syndicate stood proudly in his underwear, unconcerned about the effect of sunlight on zombified skin. People gave them a look of distaste.

Oh, he was definitely going to regret this.

~~~

Soggy was one way to describe how Wag felt. Wet as shit was another. All in all, he was rather pleased with himself and the rather large, shiny fish sitting in his lap. The fish which so happened to be a fair amount larger than Tom’s.

“Oh fuck you.” Tom spluttered around a mouthful of fish, laying down an arm’s length away. He had gathered quite an amount of fish, a solid number for catching something with your mouth alone. None of them were that large. In fact, most were an average, if not slightly below, size.

Wag eyed the pile smugly. He may have only caught two, but damn if he didn’t go big.

“Well, it seems that I’ve caught myself a winner.” He tried not to look too pleased. The look on Tom’s face told him he failed.

Tom scoffed, letting the fish fall to the sandy floor with a wet fwop. “You got lucky! Clearly, quantity wins the game here. Sure, you caught one big, old, dumb motherfucker, but I caught a dozen other dumbass fish! I should get the win.”

“Wasn’t size the goal here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do.”

Before Tom could fire back, a voice from behind interrupted him. “I think the two fools sitting in their underwear soaked to the bone are both losers.”

Wag tilted his head back to see Tucker standing with his hands in his pockets, back slouched, and an easy smile on his face, standing just where the sand turned to grass. Next to him was one lovely fox lady, Sonja herself, and one Sparkle butt, Jordan.

Nice to see the gang all here.

Tom sat up. “How dare you! I’ll have you know we are the best fishers on the island!”

Tucker raised a single eyebrow. “Really now? Are all the other fishers out at sea today?”

“Well excuse you, Mr. Boner. I’ll have you know we caught all of this,” Tom sweeps his arm across their score. “And I think that’s quite the haul.”

“How long did it take you?”

“Fuck you.”

Tucker snickered, moving closer to poke his foot into Tom’s side. “That’s what I thought.”

Wag, meanwhile, was carefully moving his prize to the side so he could stand up. Brushing the sand off himself, he exchanged a smile with Sonja and a nod with Jordan. Sonja gave him a good natured headshake. “And here I thought you were smarter than this.”

Jordan’s eyes trailed down Wag’s chest before flittering away. “Right down to your boxers? Tom must have gotten you good.”

“Well, I was fairly set on getting a nice cup of tea and walking across the beach, hand in hand like real lovers, but Tom was far more intent to go all macho and catch fish with his mouth alone.” Wag leaned in with a hand against his mouth to give a stage whisper. “Between you and me, I think he’s trying to step up his oral game.” He winked.

Jordan groaned, giving Wag what he thought to be a rather dramatic eye roll. That wasn’t even the worst he had to offer, and he’d given him such an easy setup! Sonja waggled her eyebrows and giggled when Tom butted in. “It’ll never be as good as yours dear.” He batted his eyelashes mock innocently.

The group burst into laughter. Tucker stepped closer, swinging an arm around his vaguely damp shoulders. “Hey, it’s nice to see you out and about man. It’s been a hot second. Almost thought you’d drank the wrong potion and kicked it or something.”

Wag nodded seriously. “Quite the real possibility. Why, just yesterday I almost drank real glitter! The kind you’re not supposed to eat.”

“Been there,” Sonja added, “I thought I was going to die when I did. Just gave me a very colorful trip to the bathroom.”

Tom grinned as he moved to elbow Jordan in the side. “I bet our good ole Captain here wouldn’t know the difference. How else did he get his namesake, right Mr. Sparkley Butt?”

“Hardy har,” Jordan gave Tom a fondly disgusted look. “The name’s Captain Sparklez, that ‘namesake’ came from you giving me a stupid nickname.”

They fell into more chatter, giving Tom and Wag the time to put their clothes back on, Tom not caring that he was still wet as he put his suit back on, while Wag just slung his cloak over himself. No point in putting pants on over wet underwear.

The group, all now clothed to some extent, began to wander back towards town. Wag was more than content to listen to Tom ramble on. He would get interrupted by Tucker when he said something ‘incredibly stupid’ and, more rarely, by Jordan, who would correct some technical thing that Tom clearly did not give a shit about.

Sonja drifted next to him, giving Wag a conspiratorial smile. “You’re looking mighty fine in just a robe and boxers. Is this the bedroom Wag special? Or is that sans boxers?”

“The bedroom Wag special is whatever you want it to be.” He winked. “It’s magic all around.”

They exchanged a laugh, falling silent again.

Wag knew that wasn’t what Sonja really wanted to talk about.

She looked back at him, a warm look in her eyes. “It’s nice. To see you out. Been a while, y’know?” Sonja stretched her arms out in front of her. “It really has been a bit since we’ve talked. And since you’ve left the house. But honestly?” Her tail swishes behind her. “I could have made a few more treks up that damn mountain myself.”

Shaking his head, Wag elbowed her side lightly. “It is a fairly tall hill, but I think mountain is a bit of an overstatement.” It was, in fact, a bitch of a climb, but Wag didn’t think it was that bad. He’d put the tower just on the other side of the Glowstone Forest, across from the Priest’s house. (What was it called again? Forest of the Void? Abyss Forest? Obsidian Trees? Yeah, he didn’t know or care).

Left unsaid was a ‘That’s okay, you don’t have to go out of your way’.

He received an eye roll. “Please, the only trek worse than that is up to where Tucker’s first house was. I was so happy when we moved it down the mountain. Well, into.”

It’s no trouble, her words left hanging, I don’t mind.

Wag huffed. How dare she be considerate. “You know what’s worse than a trek up a mountain? A trek up a mountain to get some rare flower, only to be spited by the universe and have not a single flower growing up there. Honestly, I could use some help from someone so used to climbing mountains.” A smirk pulled at his face. “Or maybe just send someone up there for me.”

We could always hang out when I’m playing master botanist. If you’d like.

Sonja smiled at him, but couldn’t resist getting a dig in. “Aw, did you skip leg day? Have some chicken legs over there? That’s alright, I’m sure someone,” she tilts her head, eyes sweeping past the buildings around them, “would be willing. Get a nice little lackey so you can rest your old bones at home and complain about how the cold makes your joints stiff.”

“How dare you,” Wag sniffed, hand held up to his heart. “I’ll have you know, my joints are just fine in the cold! Some of us just aren’t made of the cold, little miss fox.”

Sonja, ever so mature, stuck her tongue out at him.

They kept up some conversation, occasionally stopping to listen in to whatever Tom was saying. Wag, for a moment, realized that he had missed this. Missed them. That even though he wanted to avoid all the new things in this world, he’d always have his friends.

A quiet, hopeless voice asked if they’d leave him too.

~~~

There was nothing quite like hiking up a hill, in only your boxers, a little buzzed, during the night time. The pure amount of skeletons that had sniffed around looking for a cheap shot alone was bad enough, but the fact that his legs already hurt from struggling to fish with just his mouth without drowning? Yeah, it felt more like he was climbing up a mountain that was near vertical.

Fuck gravity.

A pit of warmth had settled in his chest a couple hours ago. Whether it was the alcohol that Tucker, of all people, had got the group into drinking or just the effect of being with friends for a while, Wag felt content. Not a common feeling in recent times. It was nice.

Really nice.

Upon reaching his door, his mind scrambled to figure out why it was left slightly open. He shrugged. As long as nothing was missing or stolen, he didn’t really care.

He made his way inside- making sure to actually close the door behind him- and wandered over to the stairs. Ah, his mortal enemy. Between being a wizard way back when and the magic rampant in Ruxomar, he had gotten way too used to avoiding stairs. Now it was a chore to move up and down the tower. But his bed was upstairs and he was not sleeping on the crappy couch he shoved into the lobby for guests or customers again.

So stairs it was.

By the time he got halfway up the stairs, he wanted to quit. Why, in Athar’s name, did he put his room on the third highest level? Stupidity, that’s why. The view was so not worth it.

When he actually made it up to the correct floor, he pushed the door to his room open, chucked his clothes to one side, and collapsed in bed. Now this, this was worth it. Soft, plush, warm, and very much without skeletons.

The less arrows being shot at him the better.

A soft chuckle caught his attention. Or rather, killed the peace he had wrapped around himself mere hours earlier.

He didn’t move. Not because he was scared. No, he knew who was in his room. He just wanted to pretend, for a moment, like this was something he was used to.

Like coming home to his lover being home wouldn’t surprise him.

The bed dipped beside him and his robed and boxer-ed glory. A hand ran through his hair. Wag tried not to tense.

“Seems like you had a good night out.” Her voice was like silk, soft and pleasant on his ears. “Hopefully they didn’t hassle you too much.”

Wag breathed. His chest was tight, emotion punching at his ribs. “Yeah,” he said, “It was nice to have some time with them again.”

All of this felt so forgein, now. To have her here. Was she here? Or did he drink more than he had originally thought. Shit.

Martha scratched his head. “I do have to say, I’m surprised that you actually left the tower. You’ve been holed up here for so long I thought I’d have to drag you out.” He could hear the smile in her voice. Or maybe he was imagining it. His head was a mess and he wasn’t quite sure what he was making up and what was real.

It was kind of pathetic.

He laughed. “Yeah, Tom showed up and dragged me out. Not complaining though, I had a lot of fun. It was nice to take off from work. Making potions gets boring.”

So did sitting in your own depressing thoughts, but that was more exhausting than boring.

“Oh,” Wag turned his head to face Martha, looking up at her. The darkness made her hair stand out. It looked like a halo around her face, bringing out her lovely lilac eyes. She was just as beautiful as the last time he’d seen her. But there was something heavy in her eyes that she tried to wipe away when his own reached her. “Jordan was looking for you earlier. Did he ever find you?”

Martha blinked and the heaviness was gone. Ish. He knew it was there. Somewhere.

“Ah, no.” She frowned. “I’ll have to see what he needs tomorrow.”

He nodded. To be honest, Wag wasn’t convinced Martha was actually sitting here with him. Which was kind of sad. Very sad.

“I can come with, if you’d like,” Wag rushed out, trying not to sound desperate. “We haven’t had much time together, which is understandable with your dad being around and all the stuff you need to do. And, y’know, it’d be nice to walk with you for a bit.”

Oh, he sounded so desperate.

Yikes.

A smile graced Martha’s lips. “Sure, I’d love that.” Wag let out a breath. “We’ll take a stroll, get a nice scenic view of the beach as we go, call it a date-” She cut off. The heaviness came back to her eyes. Wag knew what she was thinking. Who she was thinking about.

It hurt.

“I’m going to go take a shower before getting ready for bed. You can go ahead and sleep, if you’d like. I know you’ve had a long day and you’re probably tired. Don’t force yourself for me.” Martha stood as she said this, fingers trailing in his hair. Then she left.

Reluctantly, Wag got up to do just that. Changed his boxers and hung up his cloak. Buried himself back into bed, under the covers.

Yeah. It’d be a date.

~~~

Martha didn’t like to get up early. Neither did Wag. Normally, this lead to them sleepily cuddling until one felt so inspired as to get up. Normally.

Ever since the group returned to the land of Mianite, Martha didn’t sleep as well. Between nightmares, being a fledgling goddess, and the… absence of certain people, she found herself waking earlier and earlier.

Wag had his fair share of sleep troubles. Where sleep troubles stopped Martha from sleeping as much, it led to Wag sleeping more. The less he slept the more exhausted he was. The more exhausted he was the more he slept. It was a vicious cycle and actually the reason Wag didn’t leave the house as much.

Nonetheless, both found themselves getting ready to leave just after dawn. Martha moved like last night didn’t end awkward and uncomfortable. Bright, cheerful, and painfully affectionate with Wag. Like she hadn’t been avoiding him for the better part of their stay here.

The worst part was that this wasn’t the first time she came back like nothing was wrong. It was almost like she could tell when he was starting to doubt their relationship. Except, he was constantly doubting their relationship. Even when things had been going well. But this time, it was like she knew when he was thinking about how much of a relationship they didn’t have.

Which was concerning if she actually knew what he thought.

Wag, on the other hand, moved like a zombie. Tired, groggy, and barely awake. The picture of early morning beauty. It wasn’t far off from how he used to act, but now it was like someone had chained weights to his feet.

Damn, he was tired as shit.

Martha had set about making some breakfast from the little food he had. Some eggs, some- thankfully not spoiled- fruit, and milk. Wag was pretty sure he didn’t have milk, but he wasn’t going to question it. She was the more magical of the two, now, so it was within reason that she could get milk in the few minutes he’d lagged behind her in getting out of bed.

He, on the other hand, was on the task of making coffee. Coffee was something of a luxury here, since it was so new to the land. It wasn’t grown naturally on the island and Wag wasn’t sure if it was imported from some far off place or if it had been introduced by the earlier dimension hoppers that still hung around. Spark, for sure, seemed to run on the stuff.

That didn’t really matter to Wag, though. He had a plant of it in his garden, for ease of access, but more importantly to see if it could be used to help crossbreed weed into existence. No far off land had procured the plant yet, so he would still strive to be the maker of weed.

Not the best plan in the world, but that wouldn’t matter once he actually made the plant.

He really shouldn’t be encouraging substance abuse.

Surely, coffee would wake him up. Then he could go on a walk with Martha and do that thing they seemed to do where they avoided those topics and pretended like everything was fine. And maybe, just maybe, they’d enjoy the conversation. Maybe they’d feel something again, feel whole for the brief moment where they let themselves forget about the person who was missing, the person that clearly held more place in Martha’s heart for it to have torn so much when he-

Maybe Wag would get his shit together and let things die between them.

Maybe he’d decide that fighting an uphill battle wasn’t worth it.

For now, though, he was content to pretend things were the same. It was better than being entirely, wholly alone. And, deep in his heart, he still loved her. So, so much.

Enough that he knew it would hurt no matter what he did.

They chatted over the food Martha cooked. She complemented his coffee, the beans from the plant he owned, and he told her that the cooking is just as good as it’d always been.

Neither mentioned that it was usually Steve, not either of them, that did the cooking.

They tossed little affections at each other with ease. Like it was second nature. A brush of hands, a quick smile, a peck on the cheek. It was like a dance. As though they were trying to make a show of how much they still cared, how much nothing had changed despite the fact that everything had changed.

Hands loosely held together, they left the house as a unit, holding up a conversation with ease. If either of them tripped up in their speech as they avoided that topic or this word, neither called each other out for it. For all that everything was off and wrong, they made it work. They found a way to shove a cube into a round hole.

Whether it was because they wanted it to work so bad or because the hole was a giant chasm with space for miles was up to debate.

The beach was calm in the early morning. Fishers were stocking up their ships to start up on their daily trip, tightening a rope here, making space there. Few people walked about the town, the kids either asleep or getting hassled to eat breakfast. With so few people out, it felt like they were on the outskirts of life, just the two of them. Like viewing the world through a painting.

That illusion was helped by the sheer height of Jordan’s tree. It was still there, despite the damage it had received when Tom got to it. If he looked closely, Wag could see the remains of burn marks and grooves held in the thick bark. He had heard that, after the heroes had left, Ianite had nursed the tree back to life in honor of her lost champion.

He ignored the fact that Ianite had sent them into the void in the first place.

Wag himself had left before that, called on to help the heroes that he had watched over as a distant wizard. Even now, he wondered if it had been worth it. To lose everything because he was asked to. In his weakest moments, he wondered if it hadn’t been the gods’ way of throwing him out.

That thought hurt the most out of everything in his life and he never let it linger.

It wasn’t long before they made it to the base of the hill that Jordan’s tree- sorry, Jerry’s Tree- sat beside. They weren’t that close to getting inside yet, but it was a milestone.

As they climbed the hill, massive roots stretching out below them, Wag started up some conversation about the different species of trees. He never once mentioned apple trees. It was part of his botany, after all, and important to keep track of. The types of trees, not apple trees. Apple trees were just one of those topics and therefore something they made an unspoken agreement not to talk about.

He pondered, during his ramble, that Martha could have just flown up the tree. She could do that, after all. Wag couldn’t. Not anymore. The worst part was that he’d help build this tree, or, well, make it. Way back then. That was a sore spot to think about, but even still he was in awe of the tree. Not because of the fact that he's contributed to it- no, he had felt a sense of pride for that a long time ago. Rather, because of how it’d regrown.

Ianite’s gentle hand had turned it from merely a large, enchanting tree to a behemoth of divine wonder. Its branches had spread further, with more room between them and the tips reaching towards the heavens. The leaves had shaped up and gotten fuller, surely the size of a full-grown adult by now. Fireflies could be seen lazily hovering about clusters of leaves, giving the tree a pleasant, natural lighting.

Many more platforms and walkways had been built, new buildings having been added on top of that. They stretched from one end to the other. The most daring teased the edge of a branch, hung firmly along the length of it. The walkways were either long rope bridges made of braided vines that shimmered a faint purple or ramps made and reinforced by the same wood the tree was made of, the bottom featuring fancy swirls alongside the support beams.

Other vines, flora, and bushes lined the branches and platforms. Though they looked like they were leeching off the tree at first, a closer inspection- granted you were on the tree to get an inspection- showed they were delicately wrapped around the branches and sneakily planted in hidden pots for a more natural look. The flowers ranged from all sorts of purples- fitting. Buddleias enclosed doorways, Hyacinthus were wound along lanterns strung along pathways, and an abundance of Jacaranda could be found wherever space was made for flora.

The more he looked the more nature there was to see, the more connecting walkways there were strung along, the more everything there was. It felt like the whole world was home under the canopy.

The tree had gone from the house of a solitary man to a city of nature.

It didn’t feel like the same tree.

Wag pushed aside the nagging thought that it was better than anything he could have ever made. Ianite was a full fledged goddess, Wag was- had been- a mere wizard with the idea of godhood in his head. What he made had been incredible for mortal standards, and was still incredible for the standards he had held himself to. It would do no good to compare himself to Ianite, especially when all she had done was repair what was already there.

As they made their way up to the crest of the hill, following the path from the town to the tree as it curled around Jordan’s old home, Wag spared a glance at the birch and quartz house. It was simple, sleek and minimal. It suited Jordan. Of course, Jordan himself had made it, so why wouldn’t it?

Compared to Jerry’s Tree, though, it seemed rather dull and insignificant.

Actually.

Wag spared a closer look at the smaller home. It looked lived in. A frown pulled at his lips. Was someone living there? Who else, other than Jordan, would?

Martha had picked up the conversation now, adding in details about trees that she had seen in her travels long ago, ones he’d never have had the chance to see. There were many interesting species, some magical in the same sense as Silverwoods, some as plain as a simple oak tree, but all more than enough to satiate Wag’s desire to know more. His mind kept getting pulled back to the Casa de Sparklez, though.

A thought struck him, one he’d had just moments before.

Jerry’s Tree looked and felt so different, now that Ianite had tended to it. Like it was a different tree. Did Jordan think the same? Did it feel less like home, after being away for so long and having watched it burn?

Was Jordan living in his older house because the tree felt so forgein?

Martha was going on about a beautiful tree known for the lights its seeds shone, especially during the night hours. It really sounded like a sight to behold. More than that, the gentle, awed look on Martha’s face pulled at Wag’s heart.

Take care of her.

There was a sour taste in his mouth. Wag decided not to mention what he had just noticed. That was Jordan’s business, not his.

Martha was looking at him now, a small, shy smile on her lips. Wag felt like if he said the wrong thing it’d disappear in an instant. Like Martha was used to having her interests pushed aside, or used to pushing them aside herself when people didn’t seem to care about what she was saying.

Take care of her.

He offered a smile back, a genuine one. He really did love her. More than anything, he wanted to keep loving her. But something told him it wouldn’t work. That what they had had started to decay sometime around the end of Ruxomar, around when he left.

No, around when Martha almost became Mrs. a instead of a Ms.

Bitterness clutched at Wag’s heart. For all the love he held for her, he wondered, again and again, if she held the same. If she ever held the same, if she even held something close to the same.

Take care of her.

Looking up at Jerry’s Tree, Wag remembered what it used to be. He remembered watching it burn, the pain he had felt in seeing his hard work get tarnished, in seeing a friend’s home wither away.

Now, though, it was different. Not quite a home, anymore, but reborn. Alive. And maybe, in the future, it’d be a home again, or maybe not. Maybe it needed to burn for it to become what it was now. Jordan would have never built it up to this, but Ianite had.

Maybe that was the secret, Wag pondered. Maybe you had to let things burn to be able to build them up stronger.

He looked at Martha again, at the softness in her face and the hardness in her eyes. His heart pulled in so many directions. Love, anguish, love, despair, love, hurt, love love love.

Yeah, he was going to have to let this relationship burn.

35 notes · View notes

breakingsomething · 4 years

Text

october tenth - part three

ok so this one is 8.7k words so be warned. tagging @beebmo for inspiring this idea!

basic summary: aiden takes guitar lessons. jack meets a man in a store. both of them keep secrets and don't communicate, as per usual.

trigger warnings: blood, alcohol, mentions of murder, self harm

aiden hadn't realized just how lacking in social skills he was until he was attempting to make contact with someone other than jack for the first time.

the door of the music store was red, with a small window on the front. it was covered in colourful flyers and newsletters, advertising various events and things aiden knew nothing about. there was a small sign that said "push" in bold black letters. aiden had been staring at it too long to feel comfortable. shaking slightly in his long black coat and beanie. too afraid to step inside.

"excuse me, are you going in or not?"

aiden jumped, not turning to look and see who had spoken but instead quickly pushing open the door open and stepping inside. the store was much warmer than the biting air outside, the lights so bright it made aiden wince. there were stacks of records and cds and vinyls, so many vivid colours and patterns and fonts. a loud song aiden didn't recognize blasted over speakers above. aiden felt his lips twitch at the corners. oh, he thought he already loved this place. was it just because it was somewhere other than jack's place? he didn't know. didn't care enough to think about it.

he glanced around for the employee he was supposed to talk to, anxiety bubbling in his chest again. it wasn't just that he was an introvert or antisocial, though he supposed those were supporting factors - but he had literally never held a conversation with anyone other than jack in his life. on a couple occasions he'd spoken a few words to others, but now… now, he was not only going to have to talk, but pretend to be jack at the same time. which he could do. maybe. in front of a camera was one thing, but…

"can i help you, sir?" said a man dressed in all black, with a nametag on his shirt. rhudy, it said his name was. "are you jack? just wondering, you look rather lost."

aiden just nodded, for all his usual cockiness suddenly rendered unable to speak. rhudy smiles, dimples appearing in his pale cheeks. "alright!" he stretched out a hand for aiden to shake. he didn't take it, swallowing hard, and rhudy retracted his arm without changing expression. "come round the back, i'll show you around. we only have a small space for lessons, hope you're not claustrophobic, ha!" he beamed, and turned to walk in the other direction, quickly weaving through the shelves.

no, he wasn't claustrophobic. he was, however, breathing very heavily and feeling rather like he needed to sit down. he wanted jack. gods, he wanted jack. with a shuddering breath - this was pathetic, he needed to calm the fuck down - he followed the other man to the back.

it was small. red walls covered in shelves, stacks of different instruments in one corner next to a large window covered with white curtains. there were five chairs in a circle in the centre of the room on top of an oval crimson rug. rhudy pulled a chair and sat, aiden very slowly following but staying as far away from him as he could. every nerve in his body was screaming at him to run.

"now, jack," the man said, running his fingers though wavy black hair, dyed blue at the ends. "my name's rhudy, pronounced roo-dee, it's great to meet you. you told me you know a bit of guitar already?"

jack had told him that. aiden nodded again, biting his tongue so hard blood welled up in his mouth.

rhudy gave a small laugh, reaching behind him and grabbing a red acoustic guitar, much like aiden's own but definitely in better condition. "do you talk, then? nothing wrong if you don't want to, just wanting to know."

aiden flushed, forcing himself to open his mouth. "yeah, yeah, course," he said, far too quickly. his fingers gripped the underside of his seat far too tightly.

rhudy blinked, then tilted his head slightly. there was a moment of silence before he spoke, his words sending spikes through aiden's heart. "your name isn't jack, is it?"

aiden was going to throw up. "course it is," he laughed nervously, voice far too high pitched. fuck, but he hated this man for making him feel this way. how did he know, how did he -

"no," rhudy said firmly, leaning forward in his seat, guitar on his lap forgotten. "it's not. and you're…" he lowered his voice. "you're definitely magic or something, it's coming off you in waves. what kind of magician are you, then?" he folded his hands. "also, what's your real name? just by looking at you, i think maybe it starts with an a." he started listing off ideas, ignoring aiden's small noises of protest. "andrew? anthony? aleksanteri? antiseptic?"

he then seemed to notice how pale aiden had gone and how badly he was shaking. "oh, oh, i didn't mean to upset you," he said, sitting up again awkwardly.

"y-you didn't," aiden spat, trying to disguise his panic with anger. he wanted to fucking kill this man, he wanted to… oh, this wasn't right, he couldn't be here, he had to go home to jack. aiden stood, pushing past the chairs and making for the door. "i think this was a mistake."

"wait, wait!" rhudy said, setting his guitar aside as he leapt to his feet and stumbled past the chairs to stand in front of aiden. "i am so sorry, i get carried away sometimes and i swear i didn't mean to -" he took a breath. "sorry, really. i'll call you jack if you want."

aiden burned. he wanted to run, he wanted to pull the switchblade from his jacket pocket and rip this man's throat out. "ok," he instead said softly. more blood in his mouth as he sat back down, rhudy following.

he narrowed his eyes, desperately trying to push through his slowly building panic attack and regain some semblance of dignity. "magician," he muttered. "what makes you think i'm a magician?"

rhudy hesitated, reevaluating. aiden hated him. "you're… you smell like magic. harsh, like fire, or an overheating computer." he snorted, trying to keep eye contact with aiden. "do you do magic?"

aiden had come here for a guitar lesson. a fucking guitar lesson. "no," he said firmly. "i don't. do… do you?"

rhudy nodded. "you don't know about… well, suppose it doesn't matter." and before aiden can say a word, he picked up the guitar again. "anyway, let's -"

"hey, wait, you can't - you can't just dump that shit on me and then teach me guitar!" aiden spluttered, throwing up his arms. "how did you know my name wasn't -" shit. he visibly winced. rhudy just smiled, eyes twinkling.

"i know things," he said, tapping the side of his head. "that's one thing i'm good at. knowing things. clairvoyance, it's called."

clairvoyance. wow, everything made sense now.

rhudy absentmindedly plucked a tune on the guitar strings, raising an eyebrow. "so your name's not jack?"

"no," aiden admitted. he didn't say anything else.

rhudy nodded. "ok, i'm calling you antiseptic then. more badass name than fucking andrew. unless that is your name?" aiden shook his head. "ok. anyway. we'll have plenty of time to talk about magic later. for now, let's just… ok. what songs can you play?"

rhudy was odd. rhudy was odd, and aiden did not know how to feel about him.

over the next two weeks, he explained a bit about the magic to him. from what he said, it seemed like magic was slightly more common that aiden had thought, which worried him. surely he would have noticed, surely he would have seen at some point? he'd considered the possibility that jack's creation of his magician had something to do with it, but that seemed ridiculous. bringing to life one person with magic powers was one thing, but a whole group of people? unless… unless jack was one of them. a particularly powerful magician, maybe. ugh, it hurt to think about.

aiden didn't tell jack what he'd learned.

well, he did tell jack some of the things he'd learned. the music related things, at least. jack had commented on how much he'd improved in terms of playing, and despite himself, aiden had swelled with pride.

"thanks. i guess lessons are paying off." he grinned. jack ruffled his hair as he walked by, and aiden attempted to swat at his legs as his friend laughed.

"oh, they are. i can say this now, but you were simply terrible before, aid. completely and utterly horrendous." he smirked and disappeared into the kitchen.

aiden rolled his eyes, zipping up his guitar case and preparing to head out again. "well, that's rude."

"it's just truth!"

aiden followed jack into the kitchen and stuck out his tongue. "ok, whatever. dickwad. what are you doing today?"

jack shrugged. "dunno. i've been watching dude perfect a lot, i was legitimately thinking about attempting to fly to texas and do a collab with them." he laughed at the ridiculousness of it, evidently trying to relieve the tension of making a joke like that. he knew aiden didn't like jack's collabs. "what do you think?"

aiden rolled his eyes, grabbing his boots from the shoe rack. he knew jack was only joking. "alright then, bro average."

"hey, that's so mean!"

"oh, i'm mean? you just told me my guitar was shite!"

"your guitar was shite, past tense!"

"fuck you, i'm leaving."

jack rummaged in the fridge, pulling out a rectangular bottle. "stacy, no, don't take the kids," he joked, twisting off the cap and taking a gulp.

aiden suddenly frowned. "are you day drinking, jay? seriously?"

jack shrugged and sat down at the table, pulling out his phone and adjusting his grey snapback. "this whiskey is nice. don't worry, i wouldn't get drunk without you."

"can't get drunk with me, either, if you don't want to kill me." aiden said as he tied his boots. "are you forgetting i can't drink?"

jack started, blinking like he'd just woken up. "oh… oh, yeah," he murmured softly. "yeah."

aiden didn't move for a second. then he came round the table and hesitantly placed a hand on the back of jack's neck. "jay, are you ok? you've been acting… a bit off, lately."

jack nodded, far too quickly. "yeah, yeah, of course," he reassured. "just a… i'm fine, don't worry."

aiden didn't have time to worry anyway. he was late for his lesson. he just smiled and told jack to take care of himself as he left, half jogging down the street with his case on his back.

yes, rhudy was odd. he talked about magic ever so casually when he was around aiden, and joked with him like he was an old friend. aiden was still debating killing him. but part of him thought… maybe he liked this guy. he was interesting, definitely. and he was good at guitar. and he was nice to aiden despite how rude and snappy he was. aiden couldn't understand him.

"hey, anti!" rhudy greeted him as soon as he came into the store. he had his hair back in the tiniest ponytail, curls hanging down in front of his face. he didn't try to high five aiden, either, which showed he'd at least been paying attention to his touch aversive tendencies. "good to see you, even if it it ten minutes late." he laughed, already starting for the back of the room. aiden smiled slightly. yes, he thought he did like this guy.

there was someone waiting in the back room.

"oh, is someone in here?" said the man who was sitting on aiden's usual seat. he had spiky brown hair and a long beard, a bass guitar resting on his legs. "sorry, bros, lemme move my stuff."

aiden and rhudy waited awkwardly as the man slowly packed up his guitar, chattering all the while. "no one told me this room was being used, rhudy, apologies. i thought it was free, didn't know you did lessons in here on thursdays."

"yep, i do," rhudy interrupted. "it's ok, rory, just remember that for future."

aiden got the feeling rhudy wasn't exactly fond of this man. he shifted from foot to foot, tapping his fingers on his knife in his pocket.

rory looked up at the movement, standing up straight. "well, who's this awkward looking fellow?" he asked cheerfully, and aiden's face burned. the man flashed a grin. "name's rory. rhudy teaches me too sometimes, when i can pay him." he laughed, though no one else did. "so, you any good on guitar? can't be that great if rhudy's teaching you."

"hurry up, rory," rhudy said tiredly before aiden could do anything he wouldn't regret. "we have a lesson to have."

"naturally!" rory chuckled. he clapped aiden's shoulder, causing him to yelp and rory to laugh. "oho, calm down, i won't hurt you. a bit jumpy, are we?" he waved at rhudy as he went out, and he unwillingly waved back. "seeya, lads!"

the man had his phone in his pocket. by the time he'd left the room, aiden had gotten everything he needed. he sat down next to rhudy, shaking with rage and anxiety and disgust.

"sorry about him," rhudy said sympathetically. "he's… a lot to handle. doesn't mean any harm, really."

aiden didn't care. the second he was feeling upset enough to kill anyone again, this man was becoming his first new victim. he had his address now. fuck anything else.

but then rhudy tilted his head, looking aiden in the eyes. "can i touch your shoulder?" and just the fact that he asked touched aiden enough that he nodded, and before starting the lesson rhudy gently pat aiden's shoulder and smiled, and aiden felt strangely warm for the rest of the day.

everything was wrong.

everything was so painfully wrong that jack felt sick. if anyone had asked, he wouldn't have been able to tell them what the problem was, but he knew that something was so off it was making him shake and cause bile to burn his throat. he pulled his knees up to his chest on the couch and took a desperate gulp of his whiskey, hoping that maybe for a second it would burn this feeling away. it didn't. in fact, it seemed to make it worse.

he should be recording. he should be making videos. he shouldn't be shivering in his living room, curled up and drinking an expensive bottle of japanese whiskey. where was aiden? fuck, he needed aiden. he was going to throw up or pass out or something. part of him hoped for the latter if only to rip this strange horrible feeling right out of him.

no keys in the lock. no knock at the door. jack couldn't sit up to look at the couch, but he knew aiden wouldn't be back anytime soon. he let out a shuddering breath and laid sideways on the couch, his bottle falling to the floor. he didn't care. he fucking hated the taste anyway.

"i better go home soon," aiden said, though part of him really didn't want to. he was actually having a good time. he and rhudy had stopped playing guitar long ago - now they were just talking, or really, rhudy was talking and aiden was listening. which he was fine with, really. it was easier for both of them that way.

"aw, man," rhudy groaned exaggeratedly, slumping back dramatically in his chair. "really? come on, septic, stay here, i don't have any other lessons tonight."

aiden shook his head. part of him thought about staying, if only so he wouldn't have to go home and see jack. but he was getting tired anyway. "yeah, i should go."

rhudy made a face and stood. "ok, ok. see you tomorrow?"

aiden frowned as he slung his case onto his back. "i don't have a lesson tomorrow."

rhudy gave an embarrassed laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "oh yeah, you don't, do you," he murmured. then he raised an eyebrow. "would you like to? maybe somewhere… not here? like… out in the park or something?"

they made their way over to the door, aiden biting his lip. "you, uh, you wanna give me a guitar lesson in a park?"

rhudy nodded eagerly. "uh, yeah. a guitar lesson, yeah. just - yeah. if you want."

aiden shrugged, feeling a grin on his face. "yeah, sure, yeah. if you want."

"if you want."

"if you want!"

and despite wondering if maybe he was missing something obvious, aiden was smiling as he left the store and walked home, feeling light and warm.

that feeling immediately dissipated the second he walked in the house.

it was freezing. the windows seemed to be all open, a cold breeze blowing the curtains out. "bloody hell," aiden muttered, slamming one shut and glancing down the hall. "jack, you up?"

there was a moment of silence before aiden heard a sound that made every hair in his body stand on end. a sharp, pained whimper, coming from what seemed to be the living room.

he bolted down the hall, shrugging off his guitar and tossing it carelessly to the ground. when he came into the room, his heart dropped. jack was curled up on the couch, shaking badly, hands over his ears and blood on his face. his eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and he didn't look up as aiden dropped to his knees beside the couch, gasping. "jack! jesus shit, jack!"

jack gave a small, pathetic cry. "no, no, leave me alone," he sobbed, drawing even further into himself. "don't touch, don't hurt, fuck off, fuck off, fuck off!"

aiden cursed, noticing an empty bottle of alcohol on the floor near the couch. "fuck, jay, how much did you have to drink?"

"barely anything, swear, i don't drink, i don't!" jack cried, trying to cover his face and ears at the same time. "leave me 'lone, go away, don't want to hurt anyone, don't want to die!"

aiden's blood ran cold. "jack. jack, what are you talking about? did someone hurt you? did something - shit, jay, did you make another video?"

"no, no, no!" jack wailed, tossing and turning wildly. blood trickled from his eyes and onto the cushions below. "i didn't, aiden, didn't do anything, please!"

aiden couldn't get another coherent sentence out of him for another four or so hours. by the time jack calmed and was able to sit up and speak properly, it was late at night and the room was dark. jack leaned his head against aiden's shoulder, breathing heavily and shakily but still breathing, still breathing. aiden didn't know what to say.

"i'm sorry," were the first words jack said when he could speak. "i don't know what came over me."

aiden stroked his hair, the physical contact making him shiver. "there was blood and shit," he mumbled. "like a creation. but it was - you didn't make a video."

"i didn't make a video for you either," jack said, voicing what they were both thinking.

"i… i'm different," aiden said. "and we both know it."

jack glanced over, his eyes red. "different how?"

aiden didn't want to say it. he didn't want to say anything. so he didn't.

"maybe you have some kind of epilepsy too," he eventually said. "and that's why you have those…seizures."

jack snorted. "seizures that make me bleed from the eyes and create magic clones of myself?"

aiden smacked his chin into his knees. "well, you didn't make any magic clones this time." he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "you just drank too much, that's all."

"drank one bottle of whiskey and bled like a demon," jack said under his breath, and aiden pretended not to hear him.

they spent the night watching voyager and eventually fell asleep, jack on aiden's legs and aiden slumped over the arm of the couch.

aiden left early the next day.

"who are you texting?" jack teased as he walked past aiden in the kitchen. they had wordlessly agreed to put the events of last night behind them until they had to face them. "and why-y do you have your guitar with you? you don't have a lesson."

aiden flipped him off without looking up. "because fuck you, that's why."

jack frowned. "be careful, aid."

he glanced up, relaxing and shooting a small smile. "when am i not careful, jack?" he furrowed his brow. "don't answer that."

after aiden had left, jack decided to go out shopping. it was early on a saturday, and there were a lot of families with kids and such, who jack carefully avoided as much as he could. he stopped in the sweets aisle, pondering buying aiden some black liquorice. he hadn't been spending a lot of time with him lately, and figured maybe he'd appreciate it. he was just throwing a bag into his basket when someone small bumped into his legs.

he jumped, turning round quickly to face whoever it was. a young girl, no older than six, with brown hair in a ponytail and a puffy pink jacket. "papa, connor's being mean!" she whined, not letting go of his legs. "i wanted to get the tangfastics, but he said he wanted them, but i asked first, papa! i asked first, i called bagsy!"

jack was stunned into silence for a second. "uh," he eventually managed. "uh, kid, i'm not your… your papa."

the girl looked up, bright blue eyes sparkling. "you're silly!" she grinned, then taking a step back. "lift me up, i lost connor and wanna see him over all the people!"

jack was just about to start panicking when someone came through the crowd, tapping the girl on the head. "lou-ise, did you -" he started, then he and jack both looked up and froze.

jack's first thought was - "aiden?" he said, confused. "what are you…"

but no, this wasn't aiden. but the man was jack's exact twin in every seemingly possible way. messy, yellow-green hair, a short brown beard, bright blue eyes, wearing a grey snapback and black leather jacket. he was staring at jack blankly, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. jack stared right back, mind absolutely racing.

his first instinct was to run. what if this was jackieboy man or the magnificent magician, the ones who had hurt aiden? but before he could do anything, before he could race down the aisle as quickly as he could, the girl next to him spoke. "you're not my papa!" she said, skipping over to her other man and the tiny blonde boy that jack assumed was her brother. she grabbed her papa's hand and both kids joined their father in staring at jack in awe.

"holy sh- my god," the man said after a moment, sounding just like jack but with an american accent. "you look - wow, that's so unbelievably weird. you are… you're like my exact twin. and i found you in an asda. what - what the hell?" he broke into a grin, laughing at the ridiculousness of it. "are you my long lost brother or something?"

jack made several noises, struggling to speak actual words. "i… uh…" he snorted, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. "yeah, this is… weird."

"he even sounds like you, papa!" the boy cried, stepping forwards slightly. he made a face at jack, his sister giggling. their dad shook his head before letting go of his daughter's hand and stretching it out towards jack.

"sorry, uh, my name's chase," he said, still grinning. jack shook his hand, suddenly very aware of how many people were in here watching this go down. "chase brody. it's, uh, nice to meet you, even under these odd circumstances, ha."

jack forced a grin. he didn't recognize the name at all. he couldn't be the doctor either, then, the doctor was german and his name wasn't brody, it had been… schneeplestein? "my name's jack," he said. "yeah, wow. nice to - to meet you, yeah."

there were several seconds of awkward silence after that, until the girl spoke again. "are you our uncle?" she asked. "or papa's brother? why do you look like him? are you twins? do you know each other? are you his clone?"

jack laughed despite himself. "i wish i could answer any of those questions, uh…" he looked at chase questioningly.

"oh! this is louise, and my son, connor," chase introduced, tapping them both on the head in turn. "and, uh, we should probably get going, my wife will be wondering. wait a sec." he pulled a tiny notebook and pen from his pocket, scribbling something onto the paper. "i don't think this is something we can just walk away from and never think of again, so i'm gonna give you my number, maybe we can talk later." he handed the paper to jack, and he took it, both of them smiling awkwardly. "yeah. uh, good to meet you." he grabbed his children's hands again, and they both waved at jack as they turned round and started to walk off. "see you, dude!"

jack waved slowly, staring after them long after they were gone.

it was cold out. so cold out that no children or families were even in the park, leaving it all to aiden and rhudy. they chattered warmly as they crunched through the early september frost in the grass, making their way over to a spot in the field next to the trees and sitting on the freezing ground. rhudy had bought them food from greggs, and they ate as they talked, both guitars forgotten on their legs as they leaned against the trees. despite the chill, this was the warmest aiden had felt in a long time. it felt like easier days, like when jack and aiden had been able to get along and be friends instead of snapping and ignoring each other. it felt good. it felt happy.

this wasn't a feeling aiden was used to, but he wished he could be.

later on, they picked up their stuff and walked down on the beach. the tide was in, so they kept close to the wall, stumbling over rocks and slipping on seaweed, laughing loudly and clinging to each other. for once, aiden didn't mind the unexpected touch that he usually only accepted from jack. it felt happy. everything really did feel happy.

"come on, anti!" rhudy yelled, racing ahead of him across the rocks. aiden flipped him off, finding solid ground and taking advantage of it to run after him. he was aware of how stupid the both of them must look right now - two men in their late twenties chasing each other like children - but he suddenly didn't care. he didn't care, and he didn't know why. he was having fun. he wasn't feeling depressed, he wasn't thinking about killing himself, he was alive and it felt fucking amazing. he laughed as he tore across the rocks, almost catching up to rhudy, reaching out to grab his arm -

and slipping, falling -

"anti! anti, shit, anti!"

he groaned, bright light in front of his eyes the second he opened them. something digging into his back. sand on his hands, something sharp, his head, his head hurt - "fuck," he mumbled. he felt a pair of hands grab his, helping him sit up. "oh, oh, fuck, ow."

"anti, are you ok? shit, did you hit your head? are you bleeding? your hands are bleeding, shit," rhudy panicked. his hands were on aiden's shoulders, aiden's face. he let out a noise and leaned into the other man, his whole body aching.

rhudy ran his hands over his back. "hey, i think you're ok, i don't - i don't have a medkit, specifically, but we can go to mine and get -"

and suddenly the embarrassment of everything hit aiden all at once. what was he doing, running around like an idiot, getting so close to someone who was still mostly a stranger? he pulled back, cheeks burning in humiliation, struggling to push himself up. "i'm fine, i have to - i have to get home, my - my roommate will be worried about me."

rhudy nodded, too quickly. "oh, yeah, sure," he said. he grabbed aiden's hands again, trying to help him up, but he was suddenly just so fucking angry with everything that he pushed him off, stumbling to his feet himself. it was after he'd done that that he realized that had been a dumb idea - sand had gotten into the big cut on his hand, and it stung. he swayed on his feet, and rhudy helped steady him despite his yelp of protest.

"i'm - uh, i'm sorry you… can i walk you home?" rhudy blurted. aiden started making his way back up the beach, trying to subtly wipe sand off himself.

"i'll be fine," he mumbled. the last thing he needed was for jack to see him like this with another person.

despite that, rhudy walked him up to the gates of the park, occasionally looking at aiden like he wanted to say something but never doing so. at the gates, he stopped walking and hesitated. "anti, uh… sorry this didn't go so great. maybe next time we can go get food or something. less risk of injury." he laughed awkwardly, running his fingers through his hair. aiden eyed him suspiciously, wondering if he was mocking him.

"sure, yeah," he said, having no intention of going out with rhudy again. he'd stick with just the guitar lessons, thank you very much.

rhudy brightened, a smile spreading across his face. "cool!" he beamed. he clapped his hands together gently. "sure you don't want me to walk -"

"yes, i'm sure," aiden interrupted and left rhudy at the gate, beginning the walk back himself in silence.

jack wasn't at home.

that wasn't extremely unusual, but usually he left a note or something. aiden wandered through the house uncertainly, making sure there was really no one there, before collapsing to the couch and staring at the wall, thinking about how much of an idiot he was.

"aid-en. wakey wakey, i got you liquorice."

aiden slowly blinked, seeing a pair of bright blue eyes in front of his own. he didn't even remember falling asleep. "mm," he groaned, closing his eyes again. "thanks."

he felt a hand run through his hair, and he unwillingly let out a small, relaxed sigh. "what's up?" jack said softly. aiden heard him sink down next to him on the floor. "how were lessons with - shit, aiden, what happened to your hand?"

oh yeah. he'd forgotten. "fell," he mumbled, not bothering to elaborate. jack cursed silently.

"and you didn't disinfect it or bandage it or anything?" aiden made another sleepy "hmm" as a no. "fuck's sake. stay there, lazy bastard, i'll fix you up."

it was another quiet night for the both of them, although jack did decide to forfeit recording for a little while so as to sit with aiden, chattering and playing music loudly. and despite how his anger had faded to a soft numb burn, jack's presence was nice, and he felt slightly more alive than usual.

it was the next day that aiden noticed.

a new presence. a new electrical item in the house. that wasn't extremely unusual, but usually jack would tell him something like that, obviously knowing that aiden would recognize the change and wonder. the fact that he hadn't mentioned just made aiden more curious, and he followed the signature through the house, somehow unable to locate it exactly until late that night, when jack was recording and aiden found it in his coat pocket. a new phone. aiden hesitated, knowing he should respect jack's privacy like he'd promised and not look - but what was he doing with a whole new phone when he already had a perfectly good one?

one look. just one look. no harm could be done with just one look.

there was nothing on the phone. nothing but a text conversation to a number aiden didn't recognize.

the conversation had been initiated by jack, at two am that morning. aiden would have been asleep by then, he realized with a jolt.

hey, the message said. figured i'd message you.

the number had responded. hey there! i almost didn't think you'd text me.

who the fuck was this? a girlfriend? but why would jack have bought a whole new phone just to text her? heart racing, he kept looking.

course i did. look, i can't say much over text. can we maybe meet up again, same place we met? i want to talk to you again.

hell yeah, dude. tomorrow at twelve work for you? i gotta get the kids from school, so i can't do later than three.

sure. seeya then.

that was how the conversation ended.

ok, aiden thought. so jack was keeping secrets from him. "i can't say much over text" - hmm, wonder why that was. aiden reassembled and slumped against a wall, breathing heavily through his nose.

that fucking bastard. whoever it was he was meeting, it was someone he didn't want aiden seeing. and that was exactly why he was going to follow him and see who it was.

he thought aiden wouldn't notice if he bought a new phone? fucking idiot. it would have been easier to hide if he had just used his normal phone. did he really think aiden was stupid? he clenched his fists, biting his cheek so hard he tasted blood in his mouth. that asshole. that asshole. that fucking asshole.

by the time jack was done recording, aiden was in his room, pretending to be asleep. but in reality, he was already planning exactly what he was going to do the next day, and how he was going to tell jack what he knew.

"i'm going out," jack said, around eleven thirty the next day. aiden was sitting on the couch on his laptop, eating apple slices, and he barely glanced up at jack's words. "got shit to do. what are you gonna do?"

aiden shrugged, holding up a hand while he finished chewing. "can i hack into police records and find wrongly released criminals so i can kill them?" he joked once he'd finished.

jack rolled his eyes, relieved aiden hadn't questioned where he was going. "oh yeah, absolutely," he chuckled. "have fun with that, dude. seeya." the door clicked as he left and walked down the steps, putting up his umbrella to shield himself from the pouring rain.

he felt kind of bad doing this without telling aiden. truth was, he didn't want him to know about chase because he might think he was bad like that hero and magician. but even that… after leaving asda yesterday, jack had gone to the library and done some researching. the hero had been seen several times around the city, his costume constantly changing but always recognizable. he had become known as "jbm," which jack knew was short for "jackieboy man." how no one else knew what the jbm stood for, he didn't know, but what he did know was that this hero didn't seem evil. he had appeared to only do good things from what he had seen, from rescuing that girl at the beginning to saving a kid who was being hurt by his father. jack didn't understand why he'd hurt aiden like that. it didn't seem right.

he didn't want to say aiden was lying. he didn't.

but there was something more to the story that he was definitely missing.

he saw chase standing outside, a small yellow umbrella with a duck's face on it held over his head. seeing him again was strange enough - it was like seeing himself wearing a stranger's clothes - but that umbrella had to be the icing on this very weird cake. he tried to hold back a laugh as he walked up beside him. "hey, there."

chase jumped at his voice, then jumped again at his face. "christ on a bike, you scared me," he laughed, shaking his head. "i haven't gotten used to - you know." he waved his hand round his face, jack humming in agreement. "so, uh… where do you wanna go?"

jack hesitated. "you wanna go get some food? there's some places just over there, i don't mind where we go."

chase grinned. "hell yeah. you have any preferences? i'll eat anything, i don't mind."

"subway?"

"sounds like a plan."

they walked through the parking lot and crossed the street to the various restaurants across from the asda. they politely chatted the whole way there, ignoring the very obvious elephant in the room in favour of discussing chase's umbrella. "it's louise's, my daughter," he clarified with a chuckle. "i think i've lost my own one. i have gotten several strange looks, but hey, that's how it is sometimes." jack laughed, and chase held the door for him to go inside. they each ordered and sat down, preparing to finally talk.

"so," chase eventually said as they finished a casual conversation about chase's kids. "are we gonna talk about the whole… why we look identical thing?"

jack had been hoping to avoid talking about that for a while, mostly because he wasn't sure how to explain the truth without seeming insane. how do you tell someone you think you might have brought them to life? "uh, yeah. i guess. i mean… i don't really know."

"it's not even a funny "haha we look sort of similar" thing," chase said as he unwrapped his bacon and salad sandwich and took a bite. "it's like - we're literally identical. every last detail. down to the shape of, like, our eyes. and our voices are the same, just different accents." he swallowed and then puts on a very convincing irish accent. "i mean, i can do irish too."

"that is weird," jack murmured. he was starting to feel very light. "how - how did you come to be able to do such a good irish accent if you're american?"

"my family moved us to ireland when i was fifteen," he said, waving his hand in a circle. "i learned to impersonate an irish accent to fit in with my classmates, so they didn't make fun of me. dunno how it got so good." he laughed awkwardly, sipping his coke. "so we both have ties to ireland, too? damn, ok, this is getting… very weird. i think that we genuinely might be related."

jack bit into his own sandwich, at a loss for words. "uh, maybe," he said. had he really created a person with a whole backstory that he didn't even write? "yeah. yeah."

chase hesitated. "think we should do, like… a blood test or something?" he winced. "that sounded dumb. i mean, i - i told my wife about this whole thing last night and she didn't believe me, even when my kids backed me up. this is all so weird." he shook his head again and breathed out a laugh. "but, anyway! we can talk about that kinda stuff later. tell me a bit about you, i've talked about myself enough."

jack did so, avoiding all mentions of aiden and his powers, instead talking about his time in ireland and his youtube channel. surprisingly, chase told him he had a channel too. "it's called bro average," he said, picking at his sandwich and not noticing the shock on jack's face. "i do trickshot stuff, lots of athletic shit. it blew up sometime last year, i've got like two million subs. it's wild, dude, seriously!"

bro average… where had he heard those words? he knew them. he'd heard that name. fuck, but he couldn't remember where. and if it was true, this man had only been in existence for a few days. why could he remember a past, how powerful were jack's powers?

the lights flickered. chase barely noticed. jack did. he glanced up, suddenly desperately hoping it was just a coincidence.

"and you've got a gaming channel?" chase said, oblivious. "how many subs does that have? i haven't heard that name before."

"about four million," he said, face reddening as chase cheered in awe.

"holy shit! that's so cool, dude. i'll have to check it out, i'm surprised i haven't seen it." chase stirred his drink. "i think maybe we're just the same person from different lives, ha." he stilled very suddenly. "i'm joking, but also i'm really not."

the lights flickered again, much more forcibly this time. the woman preparing the sandwiches glanced up, confused.

"so… you wouldn't happen to know any other clones, would you?" chase joked, tucking a strand of hair back into his hat. "you don't seem as… surprised as you probably should be about this whole situation."

jack hesitated. "what would you say if i told you i did?"

chase raised his eyebrows and was about to say something else when he paused, looking behind him slowly. "hey, what's that… can you hear that weird buzzing noise?"

"i have to go to the bathroom," jack said immediately, standing up and nearly knocking over his drink. "be back in a sec."

he didn't even give chase time to respond. just stormed into the bathroom at the back of the restaurant and, after checking there was no one else in any of the stalls, stood in the middle of the room. "what the fuck, aiden?"

there was a loud screeching that immediately spiked jack's tinnitus, and he cried out, clamping his hands over his ears. the room sparked with colour and static, and aiden formed in front of jack, face blank.

"jesus shit, dude!" jack yelled. "what the fuck is wrong with you, are you following me?"

aiden tilted his head and crossed his arms. "you bought a whole new phone just to talk to him?" he said flatly. "and you thought i wouldn't notice? seriously? do you take me for a fucking idiot, jack mcloughlin?"

jack sighed. "i didn't -" he threw up his arms, at a loss. "aiden -"

"what were you afraid of, jack?" aiden said, very quietly. his body glitched, and his eyes melted into a solid black. "were you scared i'd be upset? scared i'd do something? scared i'd try to -" he disappeared and suddenly reformed directly in front of him, causing him to yelp and jump back. "- hurt him?"

"aiden, stop it!" jack cried disbelievingly. aiden stepped back, still glitching wildly, an amused smile on his face. "what the fuck's gotten into you?"

"you were keeping him secret." aiden deadpanned. "hiding from me. lying to me."

"because i knew you'd react like this!" jack despaired, and aiden's buzzing glitches quietened for just a second, his smirk slipping. "i knew you'd freak out and get all possessive, like you always do!"

there was no sound but the hum of static for a long moment.

"so that's how you see me, huh?" aiden eventually said. "just possessive."

jack shook his head rapidly. "aiden, fuck's sake, of course not. you're my friend!"

the smirk came back. "am i really?" the glitching suddenly picked up full force, and even the space around him began to bend around aiden. "am i? or am i just your fucking puppet, jack? here to jump when you say jump, just made to keep you from being sad and lonely?" his tone became mocking and childish at the end, and each word felt like a stab to jack's heart.

"aid-aiden, dude, of course not! what the fuck gave you that impression? i love you, you mean the goddamn world to me!"

the glitching suddenly stopped, leaving a deafening silence.

"i'm sure i do," aiden murmured, and disappeared.

jack just stared at the spot where he had been for a moment. then he splashed some water from the sinks on his face, feeling sick with dread and worry. he had never been good with confrontation, and everything aiden had said just felt… painful. the fact that he thought like that made his head spin. was he really that bad of a friend?

the word "puppet" kept echoing in his mind.

he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. he looked tired, bags under his head, hair mussed from the weather. he didn't bother trying to sort it, just left the bathroom and back into the main section of the restaurant.

chase was gone.

panic coursed through jack's body. he raced outside, swinging round the corner, only to see - his heart dropped. aiden, talking to chase as they walked quickly away from the subway.

"chase!" he called, and they both turned round, chase's eyes widening in horror as he realized. aiden broke out in a huge grin as chase jumped away from him, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"what the - what the fuck, what the fuck!" he stammered, stumbling back into a lamppost. "who - what - i don't -"

"oh, keep quiet if you've nothing good to say," aiden jeered, letting his eyes turn black. chase cried out in shock, and aiden laughed in amusement.

"aiden, get the fuck away from him," jack ordered, pushing aiden back. "this isn't a joke, aiden, stop. whatever you're mad about, don't take it out on chase."

"aw, chase!" aiden sang, rapping his knuckles on chase's head. he shrank back, terrified. "you have a name, how sweet! did you call yourself that, or did jack name you?"

"i - i - i don't know what you're talking about!" chase sobbed. his eyes flickered over to jack, who was dithering helplessly at the side, fruitlessly trying to pull aiden away. "please, leave me alone, i have a wife and kids -"

"a wife and kids!" aide crowed. he turned to jack, eyes comically wide. "you hear that, jack? he has a wife and kids!"

"aiden, stop it. come home, we can talk - i'm sorry i tried to hide this from you, ok? please, calm down, just -"

"can we talk about what the fuck is happening?" chase interrupted, looking like he was about to cry. "i don't - i don't understand, i didn't think there was more - clones, more clones, i don't get it!"

"ohhh, you didn't mention me, jack?" aiden said in an exaggerated, mocking tone, pouty lip and all. "your first creation, too?" he cackled. "why am i not surprised?"

jack covered his face, suddenly too overwhelmed to speak as chase continued panicking. "creation? jack, what - what the fuck are you on about? what have - what have you gotten me into?"

"ah. you haven't told him that either." anti turned to chase, who was trembling enormously now. "would you like me to tell you why you look so much like our jack here?"

despite it all, aiden jumped when jack put a hand on his arm. "please," he said quietly, biting his lip. "go home. or go… somewhere. or stay, if you're gonna stop being an asshole. just - stop this. please."

all the fight seemed to go out of aiden at once, and he practically deflated in front of jack's eyes. he glanced at chase, who was breathing very heavily and scrubbing at his face to try and hide the tears leaking from his eyes. he didn't say a word this time. just vanished into the air, buzzing as he disappeared.

jack and chase were left alone.

"chase," jack murmured. chase was trembling badly, shoulders shaking. "i'm sorry, i - i didn't mean - that was a lot, i'm sorry."

"what did he mean," chase said through his tears. "created?"

jack went silent.

"ok… uh," he started. a couple people walked by, and jack realized; how had no one noticed his and anti's fight? a thing to think about later, he supposed. "i… i have these… these weird abilities. aiden thinks that, maybe, it's like soul -"

"no," chase interrupted. he laughed, almost hysterically, stepping off the curb into the parking lot. "no, don't even try that shit. you're - you're insane, you're fucking insane!"

"chase, wait," jack pleaded. he cursed aiden in his mind. "please -"

chase took off running in the other direction, leaving jack standing by himself.

the worst part was, he couldn't blame him, really. he wished he too could run and never come back.

jack was alone all night.

and the next night.

and the night after that.

he spent the fourth night crying, out of despair, out of anger, out of sadness, out of fear. out of everything. he missed his friend so badly, so badly. but he'd ruined everything. it was all his fault. all his fucking fault.

yep, he was a terrible person.

aiden spent four nights away.

he spent those four nights sleeping in people's attics and such, stealing food when no one was looking and using public bathrooms in shops. he could just go home and listen to jack apologize tearfully and put all the blame on himself, which he thought would almost ne worth it - but really, he was too fucking tired. too fucking angry. he wanted to do nothing but sleep and hate himself and feel angry at everyone around him.

surprisingly, he decided to go back to the music store for his next lesson on friday. he was bored and lonely and, quite honestly, desperate for human contact. rhudy's face brightened when he saw him enter the store, and aiden hated the smile that tried to rise to his lips upon seeing him.

"septic!" rhudy cried, and without warning, threw his arms right around him. and fuck, if aiden didn't sob slightly, practically melting into the warmth. it felt fucking fantastic. he hated it. he wanted it to last forever.

"i'm sorry about the beach," rhudy mumbled into his ear. "i can see so much shit, but i didn't see - i didn't know -" he suddenly pulled away. "are you… ok?"

aiden didn't dare say a word in case he somehow burst into tears right then. rhudy took that as a sign to take his shoulder gently and pull him away from the crowd. "come round the back, you're ok, you're ok."

aiden was dimly aware that he didn't even have his guitar with him. he almost laughed at his idiocy.

"sit down. anti, are you ok? talk to me, man." rhudy opened the back room curtains, and aiden winced in the light. "you haven't been home in a while, have you?"

aiden was confused, before remembering - clairvoyance. he sighed. "no. had a fight with my - with my roommate." a shuddering breath. "i'm fine."

rhudy sat down across from him. his black hair curled round his face, stopping just above his shoulders. his brown eyes were filled with worry. "i'm sorry," he mumbled. "the other man i taught guitar to - rory - he's dead. murdered, they said. he was fucking ripped apart, they wouldn't have known it was him if it wasn't his home."

aiden forced a look of surprise onto his face. "oh, shit. rhudy, i'm sorry."

"don't be," he sighed. "it's not your fault."

aiden swallowed and looked down at the floor, nodding.

rhudy tapped his knees. "you've hurt yourself."

aiden snorted, self consciously wrapping his arms around himself. "jesus, you know a bit too much for your own good, don't you think?"

rhudy ignored him, instead gently taking one of aiden's hands and rolling up his sleeve. aiden's breath hitched at the contact, and he felt almost satisfied with how shocked rhudy looked when he saw what aiden had done. "fuck, anti, did you do this to yourself?"

not intentionally, at first. he'd just scraped his arm against the scratchy, uneven floor, then he'd liked the pain and done it again, and again. grounding himself. "why do you call me that?" aiden said, instead of answering his question.

they stared at each other in silence, rhudy still holding aiden's arm. "i don't know," rhudy eventually murmured, evidently not wanting to leave the previous topic be. "it just seemed like… your name. like it was connected to you. if - if you don't like it, i can call you something else?"

aiden considered for a moment. considered a lot of things. then he gently pulled his arm away from rhudy's and smiled up at him, an actual, genuine smile for the first time in about a week. something about that felt right. something about him felt right. suddenly, everything seemed to make sense.

"no," anti said. "i like it. i think i like it."

rhudy smiled back at him, and the world was right again.

#jacksepticeye #boop writes #antisepticeye #chase brody #arc zero: cruthú #rhudy o'donnell

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tara-the-quiet-bookworm-2016 · 3 years

Text

Dance For Me (Traci! Kara x Human! Connor) (Chapter Four)

Authors Note- And here we are with Chapter Four of DFM. This is where things get serious, as our boy Connor gets a call about a homicide at the Eden Club aaaand... nope I say anymore and I’ll spoil the entire chapter before you even think of reading it. But I will let you know of any triggers in the story. In this chapter it will feature death, blood, and swearing courtesy of one Gavin Reed. If none of this is your cup of tea then this is where we part ways but I’ll remember our time fondly.

But if you’re cool with that then onward to Chapter Four, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Four: Investigations.

Connor hated mornings, he thought as he stifled a yawn as he walked into the breakroom in desperate need of coffee. And maybe one of Hank’s donuts the older man kept hidden, especially from a certain someone who could enjoyed making Hank and on occasion Connor’s life miserable on a near daily occurrence.

“So, the asshole tells me that if I don’t stop what I’m doing and leave the dick I’m trying to arrest alone he’s going to call the cops.” Connor tensed as he stepped into the room, and heard an all too familiar voice. Great, just what he didn’t want to deal with today...or any day.

Glancing further into the room he saw Gavin Reed leaning against the table talking with Tina, who listened raptly to whatever story the other Detective was going on about. Shaking his head Connor ignored the other man as he made his way towards the coffee machine. “So I look to the guy like I can’t believe him and I reach into my pocket for my badge, and I’m like I am an cop you asshole. And if you don’t stop messing with me I’m going to arrest you too. And do you think the asshole took a hint and fucked off?” Gavin continued, seeming oblivious to Connor’s presence as he continued to talk.

Tina only shook her head. Coffee untouched in her hands as she listened to him. And as Connor waited for his coffee to brew he watched the two. Resting his hip on the counter, arms crossed over his chest as he listened. Wondering why anyone ever listened to any of Gavin’s crap. Like the man in question was a god among his peers, when in reality Gavin was nothing more than a slimy, miserable, asshole with a badge. Connor could recall more than a few occasions when he or Hank would butt heads with the other Detective. And Gavin wasn’t someone to back down, or pull punches, Connor recalled more than once how Gavin had pointed out that Hank was nothing more than a worthless Detective who cared more about getting shit-faced than doing his job as a cop.

However, Connor had jumped to Hank’s defense and basically put Gavin in his place, earning the ire of the other Detective, remembering grey eyes glaring up at him as Gavin took a few steps towards him, hands balled into fists, but thankfully Captain Fowler had stepped out of his office to break up the impending fight, but ever since then Connor could always feel Gavin’s eyes on him, or having him bump into him whenever he walked past. And Connor, never being one to rise up to any challenges from Gavin ignored it, after all, what was the point it wasn’t like Gavin ever tried anything outside of the precinct anyways. And Connor worked too hard to get where he was to ruin it because of the man before him.

And, if he was being honest. Gavin wanted to rise up the ranks anyway, so why would he ruin any chances messing with Connor? So aside from a few incidents Connor had heard through the grapevine Gavin was all talk. Shaking his head Connor poured himself a cup of coffee, and headed back to the office. Taking a seat at his desk he wondered what today would have for him. Seeing that Hank wasn’t there he could only assume the older man was back home sleeping off last nights bender. Connor couldn’t help but smile as he imagined it, the older man no doubt past out on his couch, his massive, slobbering hound Sumo cuddled up next to the man.

Shaking his head, he booted up his computer and set about going to work. Looking up only once as Gavin walked past his desk to his own, propping his feet up on his desk as he leaned back in his chair before going about his own work. The computer screen illuminating the other mans face, making the scar across the bridge of his nose stand out more, Connor wondered if he had received it in one of his many fights, the man could never shut his mouth when it mattered, hence he got into more than a few fights. Hell, Connor thought as he turned back to his own computer, typing away. It seemed the man just reveled in chaos.

Shaking his head Connor pushed those thoughts from his head as he set about working. Muttering a hello to Hank as the man plopped down at his desk in front of him. However it wasn’t long before Captain Fowler poked his head out of his office.

“Stern, Reed, in my office.” He called out.

Blinking Connor quietly got up from his seat and followed Gavin into the office, what was going on? Why did the captain call him and Gavin? Hank was usually his partner on most cases. Casting Hank a question look, the older man only shrugged his shoulders as Connor closed the door behind him.

“Why did you call us in here?” Gavin asked, arms crossed over his chest.

Connor stood there with his hands clasped behind his back as he stood next to Gavin, awaiting what Fowler had to say to the both of them.

“I’m assigning you both on a case.” Fowler said, hands steepled in front of him, Connor couldn’t believe his ears. What?

“What?!” Gavin spat, sounding incredulous. “You got to be fucking joking, right?!” He asked, placing his hands on the top of Fowler’s desk, meeting the Captains eyes. Looking for any sign this was all a joke, a fucked up one but a joke none the less.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Fowler asked, leaning back in his seat. “There has been a murder at the Eden Club, the third one in a handful of months, and I want the two of you to investigate together.

“But I’m Hank’s partner he and I-” Connor started to protest.

“Hank has a few court hearings to attend to, otherwise you and him would be on this case.” Fowler cut off.

“I can’t work with this asshole-” Gavin started, jabbing his finger at Connor, who merely scowled at him.

“Shut up, shut up, just shut your damn mouths!” Fowler shouted, silence falling over the room as the two young Detective’s shut up, looking to him.

Fowler sighed, he, like many people in the precinct knew of Connor and Gavin’s mutual dislike for each other. Hell, you’d have to be blind, deaf, and stupid not to see it. But he had no other choice, they were the only ones available for the case.

“Look I know you two don’t like each other but I need you to get the fuck over yourselves and work on this together. There is no other option.” He said, as they looked down at him.

Finally it was Connor who broke the silence. “I understand, Captain.” He said with a nod. Gavin reluctantly agreed, Fowler watched as the two of them filed out of the office, when-

“Reed.” He called out, stopping Gavin in his tracks, making him look over his shoulder at his Captain. “I want you to know if this case goes well I will consider you request for promotion.”

Gavin’s heart skipped a beat at that. A smile formed on his lips as he nodded, fine. He could play nice with Connor until this case was over, once it was over he could kiss the cheerful little fucker goodbye, and make his way up the ladder to Lieutenant. Yeah, he could suck it up and deal with Connor for a little bit. Watching Connor grabbed his jacket off of the back of his chair he grabbed his own and shrugged it on before following after him.

Silence continued to fall over the duo as Gavin slipped into the passenger seat, buckling up as Connor pulled out of the parking lot. “So,” Gavin started, as he peered out the window as the various buildings as they flew by. “What do you think happened?”

“What do you mean?” Connor asked. “There was a homicide.”

“Well, no shit.” Gavin spat, glaring at the man beside him. “Of course there was a homicide. But like what do you think happened?”

“We’ll find out when we get there.” Connor said.

Gavin sighed, and slumped down in his seat, saying nothing as the neon purple lights of the club came into view. Several patrol cars were parked outside the club, red and blue lights cutting through the night as the two Detective’s stepped out of the car. Gavin noted the coroners van was also here, waiting to take the body away.

Standing perched outside the entrance were two police androids who stepped aside, allowing them in as Gavin looked around, a look of disgust on his face as he looked at the advertisements. “Sexiest androids in town?” he spat. “Man this club must be for losers who can’t get with real humans, I mean what’s the appeal?” he asked, as he stopped in front of one of the tubes, eyes scanning the dark skinned female android staring back at him seductively. A shiver running down his spine as he moved on. “Like they would rather fuck some emotionless doll who can’t feel anything than to disappoint a human or something.”

“You do realize we’re here to do a job, right?” Connor asked, looking to Gavin. “Not to question why people would frequent places like this?”

Gavin rolled his eyes as he moved to join Connor at the door that was marked off with crime scene tape. Gavin noted the manager stood dutifully by the door as Officer Chris Miller spoke with him. Gavin would have to get Connor to interview him when they were done here.

Stepping into the room there were greeted by chaos, a table lay knocked over the lamp that once sat on it lay shattered on the floor. The bed its self was relatively untouched, but that wasn’t what drew their attention. In middle of the room lay the body of a man in his thirties, eyes staring up at them, mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Bruises formed on the mans neck indicating that he had been strangled.

Gavin couldn’t help but chuckle as he crouched down beside the body, looking it over. Before looking up at Connor, a cruel smile on his lips. “So, what do you think?” he asked, gesturing to the body between them. “Think he forgot his safe word, and the plastic asshole got carried away?”

Connor scowled at his partner, as he crouched down on the other side of the body. “I think it’s more than that.” Connor said, picking up the victim’s hand in his gloved one he pointed to the bruises on the mans wrist. “Looks to me like our victim here got a little violent with one of the androids, and maybe it fought back.”

“Fought back?” Gavin parroted, looking up at Connor. “You mean the fucking thing went deviant?”

Connor worried at his bottom lip, and nodded.

Gavin scoffed. “Well, if that’s the case then it seems our newly deviated android flew the coop, wouldn’t you agree? Though between you and me I think those assholes at Cyberlife need to do a better job at making sure these plastic pricks stay obedient to humans. None of this deviating and attacking humans bullshit. Mine ever starts acting up like that I’m using it as target practice.” Walking out of the room Gavin looked to Connor, as the other man stood up. “I’m going to look around, you talk to the manager. Maybe dickhead has an idea of what kind of android we’re looking for.”

Connor scowled at Gavin as the other man disappeared. But never less he did have a good point, pulling his notebook out of his jacket pocket he moved to where the manager was standing.

“Evening Detective.” Chris greeted as he looked up as Connor approached.

“Officer Miller.” Connor said, before turning to the manager.

Well, wasn’t this all peachy. The manager thought as he looked to the kid standing before him. Of all the cops that roamed around this stinkin’ city it had to be the one cop who frequented the Eden Club. Let alone the one that used the very android who killed their victim, and a guy he genuinely liked if he was being honest.

“What can you tell me about the victim?” Connor asked, straight to the point he liked that about the kid.

He shrugged his shoulders, what was there to tell? The dead guy was like every other guy that came in here. Quiet, kept to himself, hell, the only problem he seemed to have was his tendency to constantly break some of his androids. Some of them so damaged they were beyond repair. And it seemed the kids favorite was going to be next until she deviated.

“Not much, quiet guy, kept to himself. I think the only problem I had was him busting up a few of my androids.” He told him, watching as the kid scrawled something down in a worn leather notepad.

Worrying at his bottom lip he looked around the floor, looking for any sign of that douche bag cop he was with, seeing no signs of him he placed a hand on Connor’s arm, making him look up at him. “Kid, I gotta say you got lucky, the android that did him in? The one you liked, the little blonde, plain looking one.”

The one he was going to trash in a few weeks, but the kid didn’t need to hear that. After all, when he did the kid would no doubt find himself a new favorite. “Looks like you dodged a bullet, kid. You could have been her victim.”

Was he hearing this right? Pen hovered above paper as he let the mans words sink in. Kara, she couldn’t, could she? Opening his mouth a few times he looked back at the scene, at the chaos before him. Could she have done this? Kill a human being like this? But then he recalled the managers words to him as the man walked off. The customer that was with Kara had a habit of breaking androids whenever he came here, maybe... she deviated to defend herself, to keep herself from being busted up.

Yes, that made sense, Connor told himself, as he tucked his notepad into his coat pocket once more. His eyes scanning the room, it all playing out for him in his head, Kara, sweet Kara fighting for her life against the bastard now laying dead on the floor. Kara, with fear in her eyes as the man advanced on her, until she wrapped her hands around his throat and squeezed. But the question on his mind now was, where was she now?

Could she be hiding in one of the rooms terrified about what was to come? Gnawing at his bottom lip Connor scanned the rooms, finding them empty, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he came face to face with Gavin.

“Did you find anything?” Connor asked, as the door slid shut behind him.

“Yeah, pretty sure the android slipped out through the Employee’s Only door and is hiding out in the back, c’mon.” He said, jerking his thumb towards the door.

“How can you be so sure?” Connor asked, following after Gavin.

Opening the door, Gavin pointed to a blue smudge on the wall. “Looks like our android is bleeding. Left us a trail marker.”

Connor looked to the blood, before turning to follow Gavin. She was hurt, she was bleeding. Connor thought as he followed Gavin into a large storeroom. Several androids stared at the two with lifeless eyes as the milled around the room. This would be a perfect place to hide, Connor thought as he peered in every corner. Seeing no sign of her, his gun in his hand as he moved throughout the room.

“It ain’t here.” Gavin spat, his lip curled as he scanned the android before him, hoping at least one of them would leap out and attack him. He had spent too much time here already, and having these freaking androids stare at him was making his skin crawl. Sighing Gavin turned towards the large door across from him and Connor, it lead to the back alley, it was the only place they hadn’t checked. And as far as Gavin knew it lead to a dead end.

Opening the door the two peered out, a frustrated growl escaping Gavin’s lips as he found nothing, their suspect had escaped, leaving no sign of where they went. Gavin muttered a curse as he stamped his foot on the ground, frustrated as their case, something he thought would be open and close, something he thought would be easy just became a hunt of a deviant. As for Connor, he couldn’t be more relieved, though... worrying at his bottom lip he knew that now that she was out there things would be far from simple for Kara. As he turned to follow Gavin back into the club he silently wished Kara good luck where ever she was as he disappeared into the club.

***

She didn’t know how long she had been running for, she knew that since she had left the comfort of the club she had hid in the darkened alleys, keeping out of sight of prying eyes. Pain stabbed into her side as she continued to walk. Her systems constantly giving her warnings about her damaged biocomponents as she leaned against a grimy brick wall. The thin blanket she had managed to scrounge up in one of the dumpsters draped over her body, obscuring her from view, hiding the fact that she was a rogue Eden Club android roaming the streets unaccompanied.

And now she had nowhere to go. Thunder rumbled overhead, indicating the coming storm that would be on her in moments, that was exactly what Kara needed after the day she had, sure she couldn’t get sick but who wanted to wander around soaked? Not her, she needed to find a place to stay, but with her damaged parts and the fact that she was obviously in dire need of blue blood that was easier said than done.

Blinking a few times Kara slumped against the wall, all energy sapped from her body, chin resting on her chest as exhaustion caught up with her. What was she going to do now? Where was she going to go? Kara didn’t have the answers as the darkness slowly rose up to swallow her whole, the blonde android slumping sideways to rest against a pile of garbage as she did so.

Little did she now that as she lay there, she was being watched...

#Chapter 4 of 10 #DBH #Connara #Connor #Things get serious #Gavin Reed #Hank Anderson #Crime scenes #Tw death #Investigations #Cliff Hanger #Gavin is a douche bag #is anyone shocked #And yes I know blue blood disappears after a while but I needed something #Kara

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bigskydreaming · 4 years

Note

I have a question. In one of your recent posts, you said that trigger warnings come from a place of obligation and not true caring. I agree with you that a lot of the time, that’s true. Which can be concerning. But my question is that at the end of the day, does the person’s reasoning matter? Maybe they’re an awful rude person but if they’ve tagged their stuff, made it easy to see what’s gonna be in the fic, doesn’t that still help? Even if coming from a rude place. The end result is good

Well sure, any time a trigger warning is a benefit to someone, it doesn’t really matter what the reasoning for making it was. Absolutely.

My point there was the problem is one of priorities, and approach. And bottom line, a person who is only tacking on expected trigger warnings out of a sense of covering their own ass, like......they’re not ever likely to be examining their own work with an eye towards the kinds of negative effects it could potentially have on people, because they’re too busy denying that there’s any possible negative impact it could have at all. Despite the fact that this is just willful obliviousness - if fic can have a positive effect on people and inspire or reinforce positive ideas, it has just as much power and likelihood to have a negative effect on people and inspire or reinforce negative ideas. Its not about a one to one correlation, like, its not like anything someone reads in fic they’re going to do, but as pieces of a larger fandom culture? That absolutely adds up and contributes to the normalization and perpetuation and spread of negative ideas and ideologies.

And this is the kind of self-scrutiny an over-reliance on trigger warnings gets in the way of....because its just accepted or taken as fact that trigger warnings ARE the solution....despite all the times and ways people speak up to say well there’s a problem here because this alleged solution is not working here and here and here and over here too.

But someone who’s convinced they ALREADY did their due diligence by tacking on a couple trigger warnings is never going to be as receptive to being told they missed some, as someone who approaches things from a perspective of understanding that trigger warnings are not infallible, they’re only effective when an author has an HONEST view of their own work.

(And if fandom was truly engaging in a lot of this content honestly, as I’ve said, tags like dub-con and pseudo-incest and consensual underaged sex would not be as widely used as they are in the ways that they’re most often used.....ways that are categorically NOT what those things mean and advertise).

And most importantly, trigger warnings as they’re used by fandom now, like....have kinda become an excuse for authors to try and abdicate any responsibility for what they write. “Oh, I used trigger warnings, so any impact my fic has on someone has nothing to do with me past that point.....unless of course its a positive impact, in which case I’m still more than happy to soak up the praise.”

And that’s just not how it works. You know that thing I said in an earlier post about how all writing is just another form of communicating things - to ourselves in journals, to others in stories or emails or messages.....bottom line, writing has one purpose: to convey ideas, meanings, etc between the person writing and the person or people they’re writing TO or sharing that writing WITH.

In essence, a fic that you’ve written and then decided to POST, to publish, to put out in the world in some form and share with others.....at that point, it stops being a conversation with just yourself and becomes a conversation that’s being had with anyone and everyone who then reads that fic....even if it is a one-sided conversation for the most part, with others just listening to what ideas and thoughts and images and impressions you’re conveying via your writing.

And think of it in terms of like, literally ANY conversation you might have out loud.

If you say something offensive, is it anyone’s fault or responsibility other than yours, that you said something that was offensive?

If you say something you don’t actually believe, but don’t follow it up with anything that actually indicates out loud that this isn’t something you genuinely believe, is it realistic to pretend that people have no basis for listening to what you actually SAID and from that drawing conclusions about what you believe or support?

If you say something that’s in direct opposition to something you said earlier, is it any wonder if people question which you ACTUALLY meant or believe MORE, or just flat out don’t believe what you said earlier now?

If you say something insensitive or even cruel, do you have any right or reasonable expectation why anybody who hears you shouldn’t be within their rights to call you out for what you said and why it was fucked up?

If you choose NOT to say something, out of respect for someone you’re around, or because you know its insensitive or offensive or anything of the sort....are you being censored, or are you just choosing not to be a douchebag?

And so on and so on.

Writers have a tendency to kinda hide behind the logic “not everything we write has to be something we personally believe, we can write characters who have very different values than us” - and that’s absolutely true....but only up to a certain point.

Because you can absolutely write a CHARACTER who believes the opposite of stuff you actually believe or value.....but your NARRATIVE still has to refute that somewhere at some point in some way.....otherwise.....there is literally no reason why anyone reading that, ‘hearing’ what you spoke into the world, would think you DON’T actually believe that. You’ve communicated something toxic or ugly or even harmful or predatory....without accompanying it with ANY communicated idea as to why a reader SHOULDN’T just absorb those ideas as is.

Like.....if you write a rape fic that’s INTENDED to be received as sexy or hot, even if you’re not actually condoning rape within the fic, and even if you would never condone it in real life.....

If your fic still garners comments like “that’s so hot” or something like that, and this isn’t a problem for you because this is a reaction you expected or even a response you intended or were seeking?

You didn’t say or express that you would ever rape someone or say it was okay to rape someone.

But you still communicated, without any kind of self-contradiction:

“Hey, here is a scenario in which rape is hot.”

And whether you’re talking about fiction or reality, why WOULDN’T that communicated idea be anything other than wildly insensitive and yes, even offensive and yes even DAMAGING to many rape survivors....even if you’re one yourself?

Like.....another example, okay so I’ve literally been gaybashed, nobody’s likely to ever accuse me of being homophobic, its a pretty safe bet, right? But if I write a fic FOR WHATEVER REASON, in which a character is homophobic even though I’m not myself, but where a character expresses toxic, prejudicial, HARMFUL ideas about being gay....and then my fic nowhere at any point says or does anything to REFUTE or contest those harmful ideas......why would the fact that I don’t actually believe those things make ANY difference whatsoever in terms of whether those things were absorbed by readers in the exact way I communicated them....but without the benefit of any of the reasons I KNOW - but did not communicate in the fic - that they’re harmful and shouldn’t be paid attention to?

So yes, fiction absolutely can do harm, if its not treated with the appropriate responsibility. It can make people who’ve never met someone who’s Muslim decide all Muslim people are terrorists. It can convince people that destructive, harmful instances of incest are actually the outliers and most incest is harmless and between equals. It can normalize the idea that all bisexual people are slutty and promiscuous. It can do tons more beside all that.

And yes, fic absolutely can and often DOES, in fandom, communicate the idea that many of the exact same people who swear they support survivors and have nothing but sympathy for what they went through and all that....can in the right scenarios and circumstances still find the very IDEA of rape hot and exciting, can find the IMAGERY of a hot or sexy character being raped to be sexually stimulating and gratifying and DESIRED, and so on and so forth.

And why wouldn’t that communicated idea make someone question if you’re someone they can ever be comfortable being around, because one way or another, you still found and advertised, broadcast, invited others to join in enjoying.....a scenario in which something an awful lot like that someone’s trauma was hot or sexy to you just as long as it was projected on someone else - a distance which may not matter to them or make them feel any better about the fact that you’re still talking about one of the worst things to ever happen to them, but skewing it in a way where every thing actually being said isn’t about how its bad or wrong or nothing you’d ever condone....but hot and titillating and sexy?

Why wouldn’t it bother someone or weird them out that you see no conflict of interest between having sympathy for them but then flipping a switch and happily consuming content that’s entirely and unilaterally just about characters going through the exact same kind of thing.....and the viewpoint you’re siding with in this particular instance is that of like....the actual attacker, the one going yes, this is good?

ALL OF THESE are the kinds of questions - and the kind of impact - that not only do trigger warnings just flat out not cover....but that the over-reliance on trigger warnings makes less and less likely to even pop up in a writer’s brain as something worth considering or weighing at all.

So again, like I said at the top - I mean yeah, if a trigger warning is actually helpful to someone, it doesn’t matter WHY it was added or put in place.

But if it wasn’t put in place out of a genuine self-examination of your work and a genuine desire to look out for readers’ comfort and take responsibility for the kind of heavy content you’re choosing to write and share.....

Chances are, the fact that one trigger warning did work for one person or however many, was just a stroke of luck and there’s likely to be a dozen other ways in which that writer failed to consider or even ask themselves....is there anything else I should recognize and acknowledge as potentially having a negative impact on people?

And please, if you read or write dark fic for any reason, you don’t owe me an explanation but you owe it to yourself to at least take a second and honestly ask yourself if you’ve EVER stopped to ask or examine any of the above questions or angles. And if not, why? Ask yourself if you’ve ever been encouraged or had it suggested by others in fandom to even just ask or wonder about these things. And if not, why?

Please examine - who benefits MOST in all of this, from encouraging more and more readers and writers to just NOT think about ANY of this stuff at all, and to instead just shut down any and all conversation about it or attempts to START conversations like this......

Other than people who like and enjoy this type of content and genuinely just do not care about the impact it might have on others....and so similarly, want as few other people as possible to care or even THINK about the impact it might have on others....and thus, maximize the number of people who absent those considerations, have no problem contributing to or enjoying that type of content?

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krystalkoya · 4 years

Text

Ad Hoc | 04

Summary: Landing your dream job as an advertising exec at Kim Entertainment straight out of college was nothing like you imagined. Mostly due to the fact that your college rival, Jung Hoseok, sits ten feet away from you and never misses an opportunity to make your life a living hell. When a position opens up at the firm to be chief of advertising, you jump at the opportunity, but not without having to go up against Hoseok who is also vying for the position. In a dirty game of deception and betrayal, the last thing you expect to come out of it is love.

…

pairing: coworker!hoseok x reader

genre: enemies to lovers, future angst, smut, humour

rating: nc17

word count: 10k

chapter warnings: none!

…

Chapter Summary: You cut Hoseok off for a reason. What happens when you run into an old friend that tells you more about the past than you thought you needed to know?

Series Masterpost

…

________

Jesus, Hoseok was going to have a killer hangover in the morning if he didn't slow down.

Not one to waste alcohol, he threw back the last shot in his hand and wiped the liquid that hadn't made it into his mouth off his chin. Now that he was sufficiently buzzed enough to enjoy this party, he’d allow himself to cool off before he accepted any more drinks tonight.

He had to have been here for about half an hour by now but he still hasn't had the chance to speak to Wonho yet. Their mutual head nod of acknowledgement when he’d first arrived didn’t count.

Hoseok swiveled his head around the room, looking for any signs of the host in the sea of people here tonight. Wonho really wasn’t kidding when he said any and everyone was invited. Well, the man did keep to his word, he’ll give him that. A few months back he said he’d throw a celebratory party if he managed to pass that damn macroeconomics class. Hoseok was grateful he didn’t have to hear about how ‘the professor had it out for him’ anymore. Hoseok glanced around the crowded room in search of Wonho and luckily, he didn’t have to search long when he spotted the man chatting with a group of guys outside. The fresh air would be a welcome escape from the muggy humidity of the living room. But as he was making his way through the crowd of wasted college students, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Hoseok! Where have you been? I haven't seen you all night!"

It was Taehyung. One of Hoseok's good friends for ages now. They met back in high school, Taehyung had been someone who knew him both before and after his little self-destructing episode. A loyal guy, no friend, who’d been there for both his highs and his lows. Being a couple years older than him, Hoseok had always felt like he should set a good example for the younger man, especially after he finally came his senses. But really, Hoseok new he needn't worry. Sure, Tae was a typical college kid, he liked to have fun just like him but he was nowhere near as bad as Hoseok was in his rebellious teen years. Hoseok would never allow him to.

"Taehyung I see you everyday. Isn't that enough for you?"

"I didn't see you at all today though. Had a final, remember? I haven't been home since my 8 am this morning. Come here, man. It's good to see you again." Taehyung engulfs Hoseok in a drunkenly awkward hug, sloshing whatever was in his plastic red cup on Hoseok's sleeve and the floor. Hoseok grimaces because now he was going to reek of cheap beer for the rest of the night.

"Taehyung, we're roommates, we see each other all the time."

Taehyung nuzzles in deeper, ignoring Hoseok completely. "Where's ___?"

"Not here. She’s studying."

Taehyung pulls back. Thank god because Hoseok felt like he was going to suffocate in that grip of his. Had he been working out lately? Why the hell was he so strong?

Taehyung shoots him a sympathetic look but Hoseok brushes him off.

"Put the sympathy-eyes away Tae. It's not that serious." he says bitterly.

Taehyung drops his hands exasperatedly and whines, "When are you just going to tell her already? In all the time I've known you I swear you've never acted like this much of a pussy bef-"

Hoseok slaps a hand over his companion's mouth. He was not going to have this conversation with Taehyung, halfway drunk off cheap liquor, in the middle of a college party. Or ever, if he could avoid it.

"Annnd I'm gonna stop you right there. We've been over this, remember? It might take you a while in your state but it'll come to you. We’ll talk later, okay? I’m gonna go catch up with Wonho." Hoseok starts in the direction of the sliding glass door that leads out to the patio but someone stops him yet again.

It's not Taehyung this time.

"Hoseok! I didn’t know you were here!."

It's Jiyeon. She looks good. Boy does she look good. Long hair cascading around her face, makeup done up just right to highlight all her best features. She was hot, and totally the type Hoseok would consider going for if he wasn't so hung up on… someone else.

"Oh, hey Jiyeon."

Taehyung grumbles in the background, which draws Hoseok to the fact that he was still here.

"Well that’s comforting. I’m not the only one Hoseok’s been avoiding tonight, there’re others."

Hoseok doesn't even begin to acknowledge that passive-aggressive comment in favor of addressing the girl before him.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were here. I would've said hi sooner."

"Well, now that you are, you have to dance with me at least once tonight? Please? I've been bored out of my mind- everyone else is no fun."

Hoseok scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn't really have any pressing concerns to attend to at the moment. He assumed catching up with Wonho could wait. So with a decision in mind (a poor one, he’d come to find out) he said,

"Sure, why not?"

…

Hoseok was sweaty and hot but he was genuinely enjoying himself. He chatted with Jiyeon and Taehyung for a while, which gave him ample time to get a few more drinks in his system. But once Jiyeon's patience wore thin, she got antsy, pulling him out to the makeshift dance floor of the fraternity's living room.

Which is why he was currently pressed up between the hot sweaty bodies of several twenty-something year olds as he danced with Jiyeon to the loud music blaring overhead from Wonho's top of the line sound system.

He was going to need that patio break soon, he realized as the third song was coming to an end. He could literally feel the trail of sweat sliding down his spine at this point.

But just as he was about to mention to Jiyeon that maybe they should take a break, she was leaning in closer to ask him something herself.

"It's getting kinda crowded. Maybe we should cool off a bit, talk someplace a little more private."

Hoseok stilled at her words, unsure how to respond. He wasn't an idiot. He knew when girls said they wanted to 'talk in private' it was code for hookup. And like he said earlier, he would've totally been up for it about 6 months ago, but now...?

Hoseok opened his mouth to try and let her down the easy, but Jiyeon was already turning away from him, taking his hand and dragging him off somewhere in her wake.

Before he knew it he was being pulled inside an empty bedroom. Jiyeon plopped herself on the edge of the bed, staring at him expectantly.

She patted the space beside her and smiled up at him, "Come sit."

Hoseok stood there reluctantly, feet glued to the ground for a few moments because how the hell did you tell a girl that you didn't want her? Jesus, it already sounded shitty in his head, just imagine if he'd said that out loud. And the douchebag award of the year goes to... the idiot who rejects a hot girl (who clearly wants him) all because he can't tell his best friend he likes her. How pathetic.

Despite himself, Hoseok sits himself at the edge of the bed, leaving a good amount of space between the two of them. He figured it was best to deliver this news sitting down, jesus the alcohol was really clouding his judgement tonight cause that plan all goes to shit when Jiyeon takes this opportunity to pounce on him.

Hoseok is forced onto his back with the weight of Jiyeon’s body. She wasted no time as she clambered into his lap and eagerly attached her mouth to his.

Hoseok was shocked by her boldness for the first two seconds, eyes wide open and body frozen in place with the force of Jiyeon's enthusiasm, but he quickly snapped out of it. He pulled away, placing his hands on her arms to pull her off of him.

She pulls back, her expression flooded with questions.

"Hoseok, what's wrong?"

He grimaced because this was the moment of truth. Hopefully she would understand.

"Jiyeon, I don't think we should do this. You're drunk and..."

"I'm not drunk!" She says in protest.

"Okay, not drunk. But under-the-influence nonetheless. Either way, we should stop-"

"Is this because of someone else?"

Hoseok paused because boy was she spot on. How did she know?

"Yes. No. It doesn't matter. Look, how about we go back out and enjoy the party. Listen, they’re finally playing some better songs, we can-“

"It is, isn't it?" she asks dejectedly.

And something about her tone makes him think he shouldn't evade the question a second time. It wouldn’t be right.

So with a sigh he nods, staring at the floor because he can’t meet her eyes. "Yes."

There’s silence as she tries to process his words and she’s still perched on his lap but Hoseok is the perfect gentleman. After all, he knows from experience how hard it can be to have unrequited feelings.

But then Jiyeon is speaking again, although tentatively. "I mean, we can just fool around a little bit. I don't mind if you don’t..." She reaches out to stroke his cheek tenderly.

Hoseok reels back from her touch, but cringes yet again when he realizes how rude that may have come across.

Nevertheless, Jiyeon gets the message, her arm freezing in place as her jaw drops open in shock at the sign of true rejection.

"Jiyeon- I, I promise, it's nothing against you. You're great, really! It's just… me." He says defeatedly.

Jiyeon hums in response, her posture more reserved and drawn into herself than before.

Hoseok puts distance between them again, and this time Jiyeon separates herself from him as well, climbing off his lap to sit at the opposite side of the bed.

Hoseok, not knowing what else to do, shoots her a tight smile as he says,

"I-I’m gonna go back out there. Come find me later?"

Jiyeon nods in his direction, her eyes trained to the floor.

"Yeah, um… sure. I’ll be out in a minute."

There’s silence in the room again as Hoseok stares at Jiyeon’s expression which is currently trained on the floor. After a few more moments of this, Hoseok figures it’s time for him to go, not wanting to upset her any longer. He rises from the bed and shuts the door behind him, shooting her one last sympathetic look before he goes.

…

Jiyeon’s P.O.V

Jiyeon heard the click of the door shut when Hoseok left, yet she remained rooted to her spot at the edge of the bed.

Jiyeon knew exactly what was keeping Hoseok from hooking up with her. Or rather who was. She didn’t think they were together but who knows, they could’ve been. That would explain why she and him were always together all the time. But no, she remembers hearing from others, in addition to the source itself, that they were just friends. Had always been and will always be just friends. Bullshit, anyone could see the way Hoseok’s eyes lit up whenever her name was merely mentioned. He was a goner and any and everyone knew it except for the girl in question.

Either way, Jiyeon was hurt. She could have any man she wanted except for him. She was sure she had him tonight but she was wrong yet again. ___ was obviously still a factor, and nothing she did could change that.

As she sat there at the end of the bed, her hands picking at a stray thread on her blouse absentmindedly she realized she was hurt yes, but she was also angry. Angry that she couldn’t have him. Angry that he was smitten with someone else who probably didn’t even care enough to bat an eyelash at his feelings.

So when a phone that wasn’t hers buzzed on the bed beside her, Jiyeon found herself doing something that she wouldn’t do under normal circumstances.

She picked it up to see that a message had come in. And speak of the devil, it was from ___. Which meant that this must’ve been Hoseok’s phone.

It must have fallen out of his hoodie at some point during their oh-so-brief tumble in the sheets (if you could call it that).

Jiyeon felt inclined to pry, curious as to what Hoseok and you talked about at this hour of the night.

You: Hey, spilled coffee all over my laptop and now it won't come on. Mind telling me the hw for ad class? [11:35]

As Jiyeon read the message she was almost overcome with a sudden sense of boredom because obviously nothing interesting was going to come out of this conversation. She was almost compelled to go find Hoseok and return his phone to him so he could respond to you. Again, almost is the keyword here.

Instead, Jiyeon’s initial boredom was twisted into something much more sinister, because although she was hurt, she was also angry. And when she was angry, she was far more inclined to seek revenge. Her siblings had never appreciated this quality about her growing up. Always said she was far too petty for her own good.

And so she found herself replying to ___’s message, feeding her wrong information under the guise of being her trusted friend, ‘Hoseok’.

It takes her a mere couple minutes to come up with something believable. Thankfully, she took this course last semester, otherwise she’d have no proper basis for her lie. The truth was, the final assignment for Smith’s class was always an essay, and you were truly toeing the line if you expected to start this late and get a good grade on it. Decent at best, but only if you really knew you’re stuff. But Jiyeon destroyed any hope of that happening when she lied.

You: A skit? [11:42]

You repeated her words, Hoseok’s words as far as you knew, as if asking for confirmation.

Jiyeon surprised herself with how good she was at this, coming up with details on the spot that sounded legitimate enough to be true.

Hoseok: Yeah, like an ad. Can be on anything really. Just incorporate some of the terms and techniques we learned throughout the semester and it should be fine [11:43]

You: Ok, thanks, you're a lifesaver. Are we presenting in class? [11:45]

Sure, why not? Hoseok: Yup [11:45]

You: Alright, thanks again, really. [11:46]

You: Don't stay out too late. you could barely function in class last time that happened [11:47]

Jiyeon is just about to type out one last reply when a sudden knock on the door makes her jump out of her seat. The door swings open just as Hoseok’s phone clatters to the floor.

“Everything alright in here? Hoseok didn’t shoot one off and leave you high and dry, did he?”

Taehyung shoots Jiyeon a quizzical look when Hoseok’s phone clatters to the floor a few feet ahead of him.

“Hey, you okay? Why do you have Hoseok’s phone?”

Internally, Jiyeon is panicking, her heart racing at the prospect of being caught. Not only did she snoop through someone else’s phone, she’s also pretty sure she costs someone else their grade in class.

Externally, Jiyeon does her best to keep her cool. She rises from the bed and picks the phone up off the floor. Instead of standing up immediately, she remains hovered over it on the floor, feigning inspecting the phone for damage when really she attempts to delete the message thread between you and ‘Hoseok’.

It is only when any traces of the conversation are deleted that she rises from the ground.

“Nothing, nothing. Hoseok left his phone in here though. Could you do me a favor and give it back to him?”

Taehyung looks from her to her outstretched hand skeptically for a moment but then he drops it, taking the phone from her hand acceptingly.

Jiyeon mentally sighs out in relief, thankful that Taehyung did not feel the need to push the issue any further. She bids him goodnight, saying she’s tired and going to turn in early for the night.

Taehyung bids her goodnight, saying he’ll tell Hoseok she left already.

Jiyeon’s lips quirk up at the corners, thinking that after tonight, Hoseok might just be hers after all. /tonight wasn’t so bad after all/at least one good thing came out of coming here tonight.

This past week at work has been... weird. You were starting to think Hoseok’s favorite pastime was purposefully seeking you out to try out his new ‘insult of the day’ but he’s gone out of his way to avoid these last few days. Perfectly fine by you because it means you can finally get some work done without any interruptions.

Hoseok’s absence was a welcome presence in your life. It seems like the man, who’s made it is life’s mission to make your work life a living hell, has done a complete one-eighty.

Now, when you pass him in the halls on your way back to your desk, he looks straight ahead, averting his eyes to avoid looking at you head on.

When you stumble upon him in the breakroom, he regards you with complete silence, busying himself with reheating his lunch in the communal microwave instead.

So, strange considering that this is Hoseok we’re talking about, but not unwanted. You guess he took your advice. This is exactly what you wanted right?- a peaceful work environment, no drama, minimal arguments? Right?

You shake your heard as if to snap yourself out of some stupor. Of course, this is exactly what you’ve wanted ever since Hoseok started here.

You should’ve known not to be foolish enough to believe that this sudden change in behavior would go unnoticed by other prying eyes and ears in the office. You were even more of a fool to believe this one-eighty wouldn’t alert gossip-king himself.

“ Hey, I know I told you I'd lay off a little, but I've gotta know. What's up with him? He lobs his head in the direction of Hoseok's cubicle in place of saying his name.

“He’s been quiet all day. You two didn't even have your routine quarrel in the breakroom this morning.”

You shrug. “Don’t know, don't care. Let’s just enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts, shall we?”

Jimin shrugs, glancing behind him where Hoseok is busy typing away at his desk.

“I don’t know. Whatever happened, it looks pretty serious.” You pause for a moment, but resist the urge to glance over at the eerily quiet man. Thankfully, before you are pulled any deeper into analyzing what happened the last time you talked to him, Jimin decides to drop the subject.

“Sorry I shouldn’t have asked. I’m too curious for my own good sometimes. But you’re right though, the quiet is nice for a change.”

You’re lips quirk up at the corners and you spin around in your chair to face your companion fully. “Glad you agree. Now, let me run something by you for my project. I have this idea but I’m not sure how to execute it…” ===================================================

Hmm, milk chocolate with hazelnuts or dark chocolate coffee crunch? Ah, one of you favorite pastimes, choosing which assortment of chocolates you should take home as your guilty pleasure snack this week. Truthfully, you should be avoiding sweets like the plague unless you wanted to start looking like the version of yourself from ages 14-18 again, hills and valleys all over your face and all. But when aunt flo came to visit it was sure convenient to have those chocolates around when those cravings hit. And they always hit. Even after aunt flo had long since took her leave.

Mind made up you reached for the raspberry delights instead, deeming that the fact that it had fruit in it made it slightly healthier. The slight resistance confuses you until you realize another hand is tugging on the same bar of chocolate as yours is. Despite there being plenty of other bars for you to grab, you were most definitely there first and your head shoots up to let the person know that they best grab another one when realize that you know this person.

“Taehyung?” your eyes crease at the corners, brows furrowed in recollection as if it will help you decipher if this man is someone you know or not. It’d be extremely embarrassing if this man didn’t happen to be who you think it is. You’d have to file this memory in the place in your brain that randomly comes back to haunt you at the most innocuous of times. But he definitely is, you’d remember a face like that anywhere.

Though the more you look at him, the more you can see how he’s grown. His face has filled out a little more since you’ve last seen him, jawline much sharper and more defined. You got a glimpse of his resting face before his own broke out into recognition at the sight of you and, well let’s just say it’s alarmingly intimidating. You most definitely would have let go of the chocolate and let him have it despite how bold you were 10 seconds ago.

“___? Is that really you?” A smile breaks out onto his face like he can’t believe it’s you.

“In the flesh.” Before you can even get the words out he’s pulling you into a strong hug, limbs fully encasing your own in a deathtrap you wouldn’t be able to escape even if you tried.

“I haven’t seen you in forever! How’ve you been?”

What is going on? Is there a college reunion happening that you don’t know about because you have been running into way too many people from the past lately. First Jiyeon and now Taehyung? Who’s next? You really hope it isn’t your roommate freshman year. She always hated you.

“Doing great! I’m over at Jin’s dad’s company now and it’s the best company I’ve worked for so far. How about you?”

Taehyung’s eyes light up as if remembering something. “Oh, that’s right. Hoseok did tell me you worked there now. That’s funny.” He shakes his head in thought. You don’t know why you’re surprised to hear Hoseok’s name come out of his mouth. Taehyung had always been his best friend throughout college and even before that, you think. They went way back. You had always been cordial with Taehyung, even after your fallout, but it’s clear where his loyalty lies. So no, it’s not surprising that he and Hoseok still talk, though it is surprising to hear that they’ve talked about you with each other. But, of course, why wouldn’t Hoseok take the opportunity to bitch about his worst enemy to his best friend. It’s what you do, so can you really blame him?

Nevertheless, you ask him what he finds so amusing.

“Hmm? Oh, it’s just the fact that you and Hoseok were always so close back then, and now when you two are actually given a chance to work with each other, you hate each other’s guts.”

When you think about it like that he’s actually right. How ironic.

Your lips tilt up at the corners in agreement with him. “I guess it is kind of funny. But the universe is weird like that. Things never sync up when you want them to.”

Tae nods his head solemnly in response to your comment, the jovial air inspired by your reunion with an old friend being quickly clouded by the somber note bad memories usually bring.

In an effort to steer the conversation in a positive direction, you try to lighten up the mood.

“But I swear, the universe must be trying to tell me something. I’ve been running into all sorts of people from college, first Jiyeon, now you…Is there a reunion coming up that I don’t know about?”

“You ran into Jiyeon?!” He chuckles. “Last time I saw her, she was still chasing Hoseok.”

You shoot him a look and that tells him all he needs to know.

He looks at you incredulous, mouth ajar. “Still?! Geez, poor girl. She’s got to learn when to quit.”

You join in laughing lightly along with him, because that’s exactly what you said just some days ago.

Tae clears his throat but the small smile that appeared on his face remained as he says, “You know, there was one night where I thought she was this close to actually bagging him.”

You ears perk up at that. If you were a cartoon character, you’re pretty sure your 2D animated ears would be extending out of the side of your head to hear him better at the prospect of juicy gossip. Look at you, Jimin was rubbing off on you after all.

Interest peaked, you can’t help but ask him what happened.

“Well, nothing surprisingly. It was that night at Wonho’s party and I saw the two of them go into a room together so I thought, you know…” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively, thrusting a finger in and out of the ring he made with his thumb and forefinger of the other hand.

You make sure he clearly sees the look of disgust you’re directing at him before waving your hand in a gesture to move this along.

“But, yeah. Nothing happened. Hoseok told me they never hooked up or anything. He was kind of…” he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, averting his gaze “…kinda smitten with someone else at the time.”

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Damn, I never knew.”

Tae nods in understanding, “Mhm. I kind of feel bad for her in a way. Unrequited love is tough.

Tell me about it. You will that part of your brain to shut up because this was not the time to reminisce on old feelings (that may or may not have even been there in the first place).

Despite your internal torment, Tae continues blabbering on, “And when I went to check on her she was all alone in the room. She looked really frazzled, like she was in a rush.” He scratches his head as if trying to figure something out in his head. It’s been so long he must be struggling to remember clearly. “I mean, who wouldn’t be all squirrely after they just got rejected? I’d be. Shit, when I was hung up on that hot senior sophomore year I was a mess when she rejected me. And for Todd of all people? What did she even see in him? The guy had a plaid shirt for everyday of the week-“

“Tae, my ice cream is melting.”

“Right, anyways, where was I? Oh she asked me if I could return Hoseok’s phone and then she left. Poor girl, couldn’t even hand it to him herself, she must’ve been so embarrassed. But no hookup. I’d thought she moved on after all these year but clearly that’s not the case.”

“Wow,” you say. That’s all you can say. You didn’t know all of that went down back then. Hoseok for sure would have told you something as eventful as that, despite how many times you told him you didn’t want to hear about his hookups, or lack thereof. He must’ve finally taken the hint.

Come to think of it, you also hadn't known Hoseok had a crush at the time. He never mentioned anything about pursuing anyone besides the occasional hookup. You would’ve known, cause like you said Hoseok told you everything. You physically could not put a filter on his mouth no matter how hard you tried. But apparently he knew how to keep some things quiet. You wonder who it was. Must have been serious if he didn't tell you right away. A pang resonates in your chest. You make a mental note to see the doctor about this heartburn you’ve been having lately.

“Yeah, sad I know. But that’s on her if she wants to put herself through more heartache after what happened all those years ago. But enough about the past. How’s the job going? I heard about that new position that opened up.” He pauses a beat. “And Jin, how’s he? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Something about his hesitance makes a your lips quirk up at the corners. “It’s… it’s going.” You pause and add, “But if Hoseok asks tell him I’m halfway through with my project and nothing he could even dream up is better than what I came up with. And Jin’s good too. A pain in my ass, but what’s new? He’s in culinary school now, and I’m so glad he made the switch. I was getting tired of his bitching and whining.” Tae’s brows quirk up in surprise. “And his dad’s… okay with that…?”

“Absolutely not.” You reply. “Well, he hasn’t told him yet but I’m pretty sure when he does he’s not going to be too happy about it.”

“Oh. Well I’m happy for him either way. I know he’s never wanted to end up taking over for his dad. He always complained about it even back then.”

You fall into a comfortable conversation with your old friend as you finish picking up the last few items on your grocery list. You had only stopped by to pick up a couple of things, but once you bumped into Tae, you ended up spending far too much time in there than intended.

Taehyung was Hoseok’s friend, sure, but he had always been nice to you, even now. He was a good conversationalist and a great friend so when the time came for you to part ways and he made you promise to keep in touch, you agreed with little to no resistance.

When you leave the supermarket for home you expect no more surprises that night. It was stupid of you not to, with the people you keep company because when you finally push the stubborn door of your apartment open (you should really ask your landlord if you can change the locks) you see that all the lights in the kitchen are on and Seokjin is standing in the kitchen hovered over the stove.

His back is to you so he can’t see you staring at him in confusion? Anger? You’re not sure at this point.

“The fuck are you doing in my apartment?”

He tosses a head over his shoulder only to turn back to whatever he’s stirring in the pot.

“Oh hey. How was work?”

“Hey. The fuck are you doing in my apartment?”

He stirs the pot a few more times before he turns down the heat and pops a lid on it. Wiping his hands on the kitchen towel, he turns to you.

“Hi Jin, how are you, thank you so much for cooking me dinner tonight.” The high-pitched voice he uses to imitate you sounds nothing like you, you’d like to add.

You drop your bags at your feet, shrugging off your coat to hang in the hallway.

Once you face him again you’re brows shoot up in disbelief.

“Trying out a new recipe again?”

A shrug of his shoulders as he turns his back to you again. “You barely have any of the necessary essentials in your apartment to make a decent meal but you’ve got a gas stove and a convection oven. It’s a shame they don’t get much use unless I’m here. I brought some things over, I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

You peer over at the concoction of stuff he’s got simmering on low heat in that pan of his and you scoff.

“That’s because everytime I do stock up you just end up using up half the ingredients in my fridge every time you cook! Warn me next time, I was at the grocery store today, I could have picked up more than just coffee beans.”

“Shush woman, you’re getting dinner out of this, I’d be grateful. And did you pick up the flavored kind? The classic one you like tastes like shit.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------

“How’s my risotto? You should try the risotto. Is it good?”

You swallow around a mouthful of food you already had in your mouth and say, “I tried it Jin, it’s as good as always.”

“Just good?”

Noting the apprehension in his voice, you decide to ease his worries. “It’s wonderful. Absolutely delicious. The best risotto I’ve ever had.”

He points his fork at you, expression turned serious, “You’re pushing it. I’m good, but not that good.”

“I ran into Taehyung today.”

He chokes a little, and you look at him in confusion. “Taehyung? The same Taehyung from college?”

You nod.

“Is there a reunion happening or something? What’s with you running into everyone all of a sudden?”

“Right? That’s what I said. But no, no reunion. Just a coincidence.”

“What’d he say?”

“Nothing. We caught up a little. I told him about my run-in with Jiyeon the other night. He seemed to be just as amused as I was when he realized she was still pursuing that man after all these years.”

There’s a comfortable silence after that, the two of you just enjoying your meals, but then you perk up, remembering something else.

“Did you know she already made a move on him once and he rejected her?”

Seokjin gasps and you get an eyeful of brown mush that was once a perfectly sliced cube of pork. “No, really?”

“Yeah. Tae told me all about it.” You fill him in on all the details you heard at the market not too long ago.

“He turned her down apparently. Something about having a liking someone else instead.” You see the look in his eyes at that and shut him down immediately.

“Don’t you dare say it. I swear to god not a word. If you do I can’t assure you that you won’t lose a limb tonight.”

The ever present look of mischief in his eyes tells you he’s not derailed by your threats. So you change tactics.

“Alright. I wasn’t going to say anything, but how about we talk about your not-so-subtle crush on Taehyung. I see that’s still very much alive and well.”

Bingo. His face falls immediately at that, not expecting you to be so clever.

However, he pulls himself together impressively quickly. Seokjin, face calm as ever, even when he realizes you’ve backed him into a corner, replies coolly. “Please, if you really think I have a crush on a child like him, you must really be insane.” He focuses on cutting another piece of meat instead of the piercing stare you are pinning him with from across the table.

“He’s only three years younger than you! And he likes you. He always has. You know he asked about you right?”

“He did?” A brief hopeful look in his eyes flashes across his face but it’s gone all too quickly. No matter, that one unconscious act was enough evidence to prove your point.

“Puppy love is what it is. It’s hard not to fall in love with me at first sight but he’ll grow out of it. I’m sure.”

“You need to stop denying yourself the right to be happy. I’m serious. It took you this long to realize what you really wanted to do and it’s not taking over your father’s company. I won’t let you deny yourself the right to a healthy relationship too.”

There’s silence for several moments as you allow your words to sink in. Jin takes his time, chewing, swallowing before he opens his mouth to reply.

But of course, he chooses to deflect instead.

“I could say the same for you.”

You sigh, resigning yourself to eating the meal Seokjin so graciously prepared for you this evening.

The atmosphere is quiet, which to you means the conversation is over, the only chatter coming from the television anchor relaying the news in the background.

Just as you think the conversation is over, Seokjin surprises you again when he says,

“There’s one thing I don’t understand though.”

“What’s that?”

“Why was Jiyeon on Hoseok’s phone? Especially when he wasn’t there…”

You shrug, not really thinking much of it. “I don’t know, maybe he gave it to her to use.”

Jin shoots you a look. “___, no college guy just lets a girl use his phone without him being there.”

You stare at him for a moment, not fully understanding his meaning but knowing it isn’t a pleasant one. Your lip curls in disgust. “Eww… do I even want to know?”

Seokjin shakes his head rapidly, implying there are much greater issues to attend to. “That’s besides the point, but no. Listen, you said this was at a party right? Was it that party that happened just a day before the ‘incident’?”

“Don’t call it that.” You frown at his choice of words but now that you think about it… yeah. Hoseok was at Wonho’s end-of-year bash that fateful night before class.

“Ok, sure what if it was? I don’t see what this has to do wi-“

“And didn’t you say Hoseok texted you to tell you your assignment that night?”

You nod slowly now, not seeing his point. Or rather, refusing to acknowledge it. “Okay and? Can you hurry up and get to the point, cause you’re still not making any sense.”

“The point is, at some point during the night Jiyeon had Hoseok’s phone. And she was alone. Unsupervised…”

Jin looks at you expectantly, brows lowered when it as he waits for it to click.

Your jaw drops in disbelief.

“You don’t think…?” But Jin is already nodding along, because yes, he does think.

You shake your head in disbelief. “No. It can’t be. I mean, Jiyeon wasn't necessarily 'nice' but she wasn't that much of a bitch. I mean why would she-“

He pins you with a look, effectively shutting you up.

“___ think about it. What better way to screw over the girl her crush had a crush on than to do something that would cause said people to never speak to each other again?”

So many thoughts going through your mind right now. If what Seokjin is implying is true then… you can’t even think of the implications of that thought right now.

“Wait, wait, wait. So you're saying that Jiyeon messaged me from Hoseok's phone, created a whole entire fake assignment, just to cause Hoseok and I to have a falling out just because she was jealous?”

Seokjin drops his knife and fork to his plate, leans back in his chair to cross his arms over his chest as he responds with a firm. “Yes, that’s exactly what I'm saying. I never trusted that girl.”

You consider for a moment before you shut him down again.

"But that doesn't even make sense because Hoseok-"

“Didn't have a crush on you. Yeah, we get it. But consider, just for a moment, if he did and that Jiyeon knew about it. I mean, this story makes perfect sense! And if Jiyeon is still pursuing this guy after all these years I think it's fair to say she's serious about him. Serious enough to sabotage a good friendship and to tarnish your GPA.”

Before you even have a chance to reply Seokjin is already beating you to it, bulldozing over whatever excuse you had come up with to dispute this time.

“I mean, if we’re being honest here, it’s a farfetched plan. If Jiyeon really did do it girlie really put it all on the line, assuming that she would a) never get caught and b) you guys would become the literal definition of sworn enemies.”

“You didn't even give Hoseok a chance to explain himself all those years ago. It's like you were waiting for him to fuck up and once he did, or it 'looked' like he did, that was it. You know how many times that man tried to use me to get through to you? But like a good friend, I told him to fuck off, because you were so insistent on not speaking to him again, ever. You need to stop pushing away the good guys ___. Now if Hoseok did do this, he’s trash and me and Jimin will beat his ass for what he did to you. But speak to him, if only for the closure.”

He lets that sink in for a minute and the silence helps you to organize your wildly rampant thoughts. Deep, deep down you did have the slightest inkling that Hoseok could have been innocent in all this. After all, you told him time and time again how important it was for you to keep up your grades. Your scholarship was riding on the fact that you had a high GPA. You didn’t have the pleasure of being able to go to college without it. You were blessed with a lovely set of parents who did want to see you pursuing a higher education but simply didn’t have the money to do so. They tried not to show it but secretly they were relieved when they’d found out you received a full ride. But after taking too many hits to your GPA the previous semester you were in danger of falling too low. Your last hope was scoring high marks in your ad class to keep you afloat. Hoseok knew this, could even relate to it as you spent many heartfelt nights talking to him about your fears of disappointing your parents and most importantly, yourself. Could someone who you’ve confided in be so malicious as to sabotage you like that? Now you weren’t so sure.

In an effort to hide your inner turmoil partly because you weren’t ready to accept that Jin had a point but mostly because you weren’t ready to open up a whole new bag of emotions you say, “Yeah, well, look who’s talking.”

He sighs recognizing that you are shutting down emotionally. Picking his silverware up again, he replies “Yeah, well. Take it from me. Don’t fuck this up. More than you already have. Talk to him. I know you like to deny it but I can tell you miss him.”

After Seokjin's long spiel you really had nothing else to say. It was a lot to take in. For one, he completely uprooted your entire beliefs for the last five years with his elaborate theories. But eventually he had to leave, saying he had laundry and other neglected chores to attend to. You suspect he would have stayed over longer had your conversation not went down the path it did. He must think he’s doing you a favor by letting you stew in all that transpired while he was here.

He wasn’t. You were perfectly content with locking those memories up in a file in your brain and never opening them again. At least you thought you were. You didn't want what he was saying to make any sense but it did. Any sane person would think you’d be ecstatic to find out Hoseok was innocent after all. But all you could think about was how you threw away a good friendship over something Hoseok didn’t even do. If this was true, it would throw your whole world on its axis. You would be the person in the wrong this time. In your eyes, Hoseok was guilty before he even had a chance to prove his innocence. Whatever the case, you wouldn't rest until you found out the truth. And that started with speaking to the source itself.

The next morning you stalked into the office determined to find the answers to all the questions Seokjin had planted in your mind the night before. You were doing that a lot lately. Stalking in on a mission. Boss behavior or signs of a stressed out, emotionally overworked colleague? You preferred to think it was the former.

You headed straight for the break room because it was 9:30 and Hoseok always made his morning cup of coffee around this time. Like clockwork, there he was, stirring the same serving of two sugars and two creamers into his mug as he’s done every day since he’s been here.

You stopped beside him.

"I need to talk to you."

He keeps his eyes trained on the red stirrer swirling in his mug when he replies,

“You need to talk to me, I don’t want to talk to you. I see a potential issue here.”

"Hey, I’m being serious.” You place a hand on his bicep to turn him towards you. “Did you have your phone with you that night at Wonho's party? The night before the last day of class?"

"What are you talking about? How am I supposed to remem-"

"Hoseok," you huff out at him. You needed answers and you weren't going to get them if he kept being difficult. "I really need you to think about this, okay? That night you went out, was there any point in time where you didn't have your phone on you?" 

Hoseok's expression changes, probably shocked by the seriousness in your tone as you ask him to try to remember a miniscule detail on a night years ago when his mind was fuddled with the influence of alcohol.

But he can clearly remember one detail.

"No, I misplaced it at one point during the night. Taehyung found it and returned it to me the next morning."

Shock courses through your veins at his confession. Because Seokjin's far-fetched theory wasn't so far-fetched anymore.

You nod slowly. "Okay." You clear your throat, a hand on his elbow to guide him. "Okay, come with me."

You pulled Hoseok into an empty conference room, glad Minho likes to spend majority of his mornings cooped up in his office working so you two can talk.

This time, you give Hoseok the floor, finally allowing him to tell you his side of the story, something you should have let him do way back when.

"So you're saying you never saw my texts to you that night? After you got to the party? The ones where I asked you what Smith's assignment was?"

"Not even one." Hoseok replies instantly.

You clench your teeth cause dammit, Seokjin was right.

“What’s this all about anyway?”

You snap out of your haze and turn your attention back to Hoseok. He deserves to be filled in on all of this, especially after all you’ve put him through.

“Listen, it could be nothing, probably is nothing, but Seokjin had this theory that, well Jiyeon found your phone and apparently she was using it that night. Taehyung found her snooping around on it before she gave it to him. And you never saw my texts so..." you trail off, conveniently omitting the part of Jin's theory that implied Jiyeon did this because the girl Hoseok had a crush on was you.

If you could take a guess, you would imagine Hoseok’s face is a mirror image of the one you were sporting when Jin first relayed this not-so preposterous idea to you.

He shakes his head as if trying to make sense of it all. “So what you're insinuating is that Jiyeon texted you from my phone and lied just so that you would fail?” 

You nod hesitantly.

Unsurprisingly, his excuses are much like yours as well. But you need him to be absolutely sure that there was not even a sliver of a chance that Jiyeon could have done this. Assuming he wasn’t lying to you, this was the only plausible explanation you had at the moment.

“Come on ___, sure Jiyeon had her flaws but she wouldn’t do something like that. I mean, I thought you two were friends." 

You snort. "Hoseok, you were the one who was friends with everybody not me. Jiyeon and I were closer to acquaintances but like, only when you were around."

He receives this as if it is new information to him, and it most definitely is considering Hoseok’s track record of being oblivious. Exhibit A was not knowing about the current suspect’s attraction to him for so long. For god’s sake the girl was practically vibrating with energy every time she stepped near him in college. It was truly a spectacle to behold.

“Hoseok I really need you to think. Do you think for any reason that Jiyeon would've done this? Out of spite maybe? Revenge?”

He laughs incredulously at what you are implying. This was ludicrous. “Revenge, why would she need to get revenge-“

All of a sudden he stops talking, a thought springing to his mind. After Jiyeon came onto him that night he did his best to let her down easy. He remembers telling her he had feelings for someone else. Was there someway Jiyeon had connected the dots and discovered that this 'someone' was you? If so, he's starting to think this crazy theory of yours is closer to reality than he initially thought.

He must be taking too long to respond because your rambling again.

“Otherwise, how else could this have happened? You said you didn't see my texts and as far as we know, no one else had your phone besides Taehyung. You think he did this?”

“God no, Taehyung would never do something like that. He’s pulled his fair share of pranks, but this is going too far. It’s just,” he scratches the back of his neck, “…that's a lot to accuse someone of.”

You nod in understanding, lips pressed together in a thin line. “I know. This is why I'm trying to gather all the facts, before I accuse another innocent person. I already did it to you and I'm so soo sorry. I didn't even give you a chance to explain yourself.”

He smiles sheepishly, his attention not directed at you but at the ground as he says, “Not gonna lie, it hurt a little. A lot actually. You were one of my closest friends and then… poof you weren't. And when I tried to get through to you I was met with either the silent treatment or petty insults. I started hating you simply because you hated me.”

Gosh you are an idiot. What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t stand the thought that you caused him pain simply because you were too afraid to get hurt yourself. You should have known something like this was not Hoseok’s doing. It just wasn’t in his nature. But all you can do now is apologize and hopefully, he’ll give you the chance to make up for lost time.

“I really am sorry. Can I make it up to you somehow? I'll do anything.”

Hoseok quirks a brow which prompts you to rephrase. “Anything…within reason.” You pin him with a narrowed stare.

Hoseok laughs and your reminded of how much you miss hearing that laugh, bouncy and airy and full of joy.

“Relax, just lay off on the insults maybe? And, start being my friend again? I missed you.”

Your surprised by how much hearing those words come out of his mouth affected you but you do your best to keep your expression neutral.

“I-I can do that.” You choke out.

“Great.” A smile spreads across his face, transforming his lips into a heart-shape you also missed seeing regularly. He leans in to encompass you in a hug and you freeze at first, unused to the contact but after a few moments pass you melt into the embrace, enjoying the scent of clean linen and sandalwood that radiates off of him. Your pleased to see that he still smells the same as you remember,

The two of you pull back, facing each other again.

“I’m surprised you forgave me so quickly after the way I treated you.”

“Yeah well, I’m just glad this was all due to a misunderstanding and not because of anything that I actually did. For the first few months I was racking my brain trying to figure out how I offended you.”

You chuckle sheepishly, “God, I am an idiot. I know this probably won’t make up for how I treated you but like I said, I’m really really sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He brushes you off. “You have plenty of time to make it up to me. The important thing is we’re friends again. I hope nothing changes when I get that promotion though, I’d hate to see a good thing come to an end so quickly.”

“Yah! Tell yourself that cause I’m the only one getting a promotion around here.”

“Righhht, uh huh. So how do we go about figuring out what happened? I feel like this is a witch hunt and since I’m no longer on trial I’m game to see where this goes.”

“First off you never even had a trial. In my naïve eyes you were guilty, case closed. And secondly I’m not sure I even want to dredge this all up again. Whatever happened, happened. It was so long ago and I ended getting to keep my scholarship in the long run. What’s the sense in starting unnecessary drama?”

Hoseok nods, understanding perfectly. “I get that but don’t you want to figure out who did it? I mean all accounts point to Jiyeon.” “Well if it was, then her plan backfired. I ended up barely passing and still got to keep my scholarship in the long run so…” You shrug pointedly.

Hoseok doesn’t comment on the fact that he doesn’t think that was Jiyeon’s goal in all of this (if it was in fact her, which common, he’s pretty sure it was at this point).

Needless to say, the two of you decide to drop the topic for the day, content to spend it trying to amend for lost time. And the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that…

As days continue to pass, the more you and Hoseok work on building your relationship back up, little by little. You won’t lie, it is a bit of an adjustment at first. These last few years you have physically trained yourself to automatically scowl at Hoseok every time you pass him in the halls on the way back to your desk. He’s even become accustomed to arguing every point you bring up during staff meetings, just for the heck of it. You now have to unlearn these habits, and curb those feelings of blind rage that has been coursing through your veins for so long. But it’s relieving, the daily menace you have come to dread at work is slowly transforming back into one of your good friends again, albeit slowly. Things have been going so well in fact, that the whole office starts to notice this change in behavior. It has been no secret around the office that you and Hoseok have had a strong distaste for each other so when your coworkers find you smiling and dare they say, laughing with Hoseok on your breaks it is quite shocking, to say the least.

The pair of you are so shocking that a small crowd has developed outside of the conference room you have chosen for today, the translucent glass making it visible when you let out a good-humored laugh, arm hanging off Hoseok’s shoulder as you double over in mirth.

“Are you… are you guys seeing this?” Jihyo doesn’t take his eyes off the two of you as he asks his question.

“You’re seeing it too? I thought I was the only one.” Comes Jungkook, sounding relieved to find out he hasn’t been hallucinating for the past five minutes.

“Oh yeah, we’re definitely all seeing this, I just… I can’t believe it. Just a few days ago ____ was threatening to claw Hoseok’s eyes out with a plastic spoon for not consulting with her first before he chose the font size for an ad. The font size.” He stresses.

“I never thought I’d see the day but we’ve finally surpassed the Dark Ages. It’s been a long dark road but it’s a brand new day and- oh shit, scram, they’re looking.”

Jungkook mutters before bolting along with Jihyo. Jimin’s a bit too slow to react, too caught up in looking at the way Hoseok retrieves an eyelash from your face and holds his finger out in front of you to make a wish. What alternate reality is this??

But all too soon Hoseok is looking up and when he spots the three stooges peaking through the glass he’s alerting you to their presence too. But when you turn around all you see is Jimin who can do nothing else but awkwardly wave back at the pair of you. You narrow your eyes at him. He shivers, that look doesn’t look good. He takes that as his cue to leave.

In the conference room…

“Guess the whole office is curious as to why we’re so buddy buddy all of a sudden.” You say.

“Oh, is that why half the office has been staring at us like we’re the damn circus this whole week? Are we that entertaining? Good to know.” Hoseok jokes back.

“Apparently. I should at least tell Jimin though. I know he’s dying to find out why the sudden change.”

Hoseok shuffles the papers on his desk, arranging them into a neat pile as he says, “Oh I could tell. Poor guy looks like his head was gonna explode if he doesn’t know what’s up by at least tomorrow. Get back to me once you finish the text, placement and sizing yeah?”

“Yeah, no problem. Alright I’ll see ya.”

You separate as you leave the conference room, Hoseok headed for his desk and you headed straight for Jimin’s cubicle.

When you arrive you’re 100% sure he feels your presence hovering over him but he does his best to pretend like he doesn’t see you, head straight and typing away at his computer.

“Jim-“

“Yes, I was spying okay! But Jungkook and Jihyo were there too, they just got away faster. In my defense, I tried to mind my business, I really did. But you’ve gotta give me something. I’ve been pinching myself trying to figure out if I was dreaming this entire week. Look!” He points at a spot on his forearm, red from how frequently he’s picked at the flesh between his two fingers.

“Jesus Jimin, no you’re not dreaming. Hoseok and I… we made up.”

It looks like his eyes are going to pop out of his head with how far they are bulging out of his head.

“Made up - what? Since when?! Explain, now.” He demands and you let out an exasperated sigh at his antics.

“Long, long story. I’ll fill you in on all the details tonight. But trust me when I say that we’re cool. I was wrong, turns out Hoseok isn’t as big of a dick as I thought.”

“What’s this about me having a big dick?” Speak of the devil, Hoseok pops head around the side of Jimin’s cubicle. He seems to have a knack for popping up unexpectedly.

“Not what I said in the slightest.” You turn to him, “Did you need something?”

He shakes his head, “No, just forgot to ask you if we’re still on for lunch today?”

The expression on Jimin’s face lets you know that he is still very much getting used to this new dynamic between Hoseok and you.

“Oh yeah, for sure. Jimin you’re welcome to join if you want to but I’m afraid it won’t be much fun. We still have plenty of work to do.” Hoseok’s brows furrow at that, “Um, I don’t know what she’s on about but I’m going to eat, nothing else. I work my ass off at this company and deserve at least one hour to fuck around on my own time.”

Rolling your eyes you push past your coworkers, dare you say friends.

“I’m taking my lunch at 1. Hoseok, don’t be late or I’m leaving without you. I’ll catch you later Jimin!”

Jimin watches as Hoseok hurriedly speeds up to catch up to you on your trot back to your desk. He’s slightly offended that you blew him off to have lunch with Hoseok but a smile tugs at the corner of his lips nonetheless. Looks like he’d be making a phone call to Seokjin today. And who knows? Maybe this was his chance to finally get the cute guy from graphic design to agree to have lunch with him.

#hoseok x reader #jhope x reader #hoseok x y/n #enemies to friends to #technically friends to enemies to friends to lovers #bts jhope #coworker!hoseok #workplace au #btswriterscollective #bangtanhq

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broadstreetmisfits · 5 years

Text

Death By a Thousand Cuts - Brandon Carlo

Requested? Y / N

Prompt: N/A

Warnings: Drinking, Clubbing, Swearing

A/N: This was sooo much fun to write! I hope you guys enjoy and I will be getting to the requests soon

WC: 2,872

Summary: After finally getting your dream job, you realize that you have to move all the way across the country for it. When Brandon finds out, things don’t go the way you necessarily thought it would.

A huge goofy smile was on your face as you put down your cell phone. You had just finished talking with a lady from Warner Brothers Entertainment letting you know that you had gotten a job as part of the makeup crew for an upcoming film. You had dreamed of working in the film industry ever since you were little and now it was becoming a reality

But there was one problem.

The film was being shot on location, in Seattle. That’s completely fine, except that you live in Boston, with your boyfriend of almost four years, Brandon Carlo. You knew you needed to break the news to him soon since shooting started in not even three weeks and you were terrified. But, you thought it would be better to tell him now rather than later.

You got up from Brandon’s bed that you were laying on and slowly made your way down the hall to the kitchen where your boyfriend was. For some reason, each step towards him got heavier and heavier, as if your body wanted you to hide it from him. It’s not like you were randomly popping this on him, he had always been supportive of your dream of being a part of a film. It was just that you had no idea how he would actually react in the moment, he wasn’t the most stoic when it came to big and shocking news.

“Uh hey B?” You began as you finally entered the kitchen “Do you have a moment?”

“Yeah, of course,” He said, “What’s up?”

Sitting down on one of the stools, you were silent for a moment before letting out a sigh “So I just got a new job…”

“That’s great!” Brandon exclaimed, cutting you off. He was clearly oblivious to your serious tone of voice, “Where are you working? What are you doing?”

“Yeah uh… I got hired to work in the makeup department on a film… but the film is being shot in Seattle”

His face fell as soon as he registered what you had said “Oh… wow…”

“I know, it’s a lot to take in. I’m planning on moving out west in three or four weeks since shooting starts in six weeks.” You said

“It’s nice that you’re finally going to be living out your dream” He spoke

“Yeah, it’s just us I’m a little nervous about. Like I know you can’t go out to Seattle with me because you have hockey to play here in Boston, but I mean long distance is always an option”

“No” He whispered, barely audible

Eyebrows furrowed, you looked over to see he was starting at the counter “What? What do you mean ‘no’?”

“I mean I can’t do long distance,” Brandon answered and his eyes met yours. “We can’t do long distance. You know how we both are,”

“But it’s only for four months, max.” You repeated

“Babe, we can barely be apart for a road trip-”

“You mean you can barely be away from me for a road trip” You corrected him

“Okay yeah, but that’s not the point. We’re not ready for a long-distance relationship.”

“What’re you trying to say?” You asked, hoping this wasn’t going where you thought it was going

“I’m saying,” He began before letting out a sigh and running his hands through his hair “What I’m saying is that we need to take a break”

Of course, it went exactly where you thought it was going. However, that didn’t make the sting hurt any less. The words cut you deep like shattered glass had met your skin. “O-oh”

“Look, I’m sorry. We both know it was a great love while it lasted, but it can’t go on any longer.” He said, trying to comfort you, but his words only made you feel worse

“I’m gonna go,” You said “I’ll see you around” Quickly slipping on your shoes, you rushed out the door and the apartment building and into the city streets of Boston.

The air was colder than you expected it to be, but you didn’t bother to pick up the pace. You knew you wherever you were you were going to be sulking so you might as well take your time. But even though you obviously were heartbroken, you couldn’t cry. As much as you wanted to, you physically couldn’t. And honestly, that just made your walk back even worse.

Once you got back to your apartment, you changed into your pajamas, grabbed a few bottles of whatever cheap alcohol you could find and crawled into bed. Before cracking open your first bottle, you found some sappy stereotypical romantic movie on TV, and not even five minutes in it finally made you break. Tears began to slowly fall down your cheeks as you watched the movie, slowly drifting off to sleep.

The next morning you woke up confused as all hell. The TV was on and you were surrounded by wine and beer bottles and a tub of ice cream. You carefully moved all of the crap off of you and on your bedside table. Once that was done, you rolled over and reached out your arm, expecting it to rest on Brandon. However, it just fell flat on the bed. Confusion filled your mind as reasons for him not being there began to sprout.

He’s probably in the kitchen or the bathroom or something. You thought. After forcing yourself to crawl out of bed, you walked around your apartment, searching for your boyfriend. Eventually, you realized you were alone. Okay, maybe he went back to his place. I think he has a game tonight or something.

You walked back into your bedroom to get your phone to text Brandon. However, when you picked up your phone, you noticed that it was filled with text messages from some of the other Bruins, as well as your own friends, all of them asking if you were okay.

And that's when you remembered what happened last night. The exciting news you had gotten, Brandon’s reaction, the breakup, the tears, your drunk self watching that movie. You remembered everything.

As much as you wanted to grab more drinks and crawl back into bed, you knew it wasn’t going to help in the long run. So instead, you decided that you needed to get out of the apartment. You quickly got dressed and ready, then grabbed your bag filled with your daily essentials - money, gift cards, tissues, lip balm, etc. - and then headed out.

Contrary to last night, when you walked out of your apartment building and onto the city streets, the weather was warm. But even though it looked like a beautiful day, the emptiness and sorrow still remained

To be honest, you weren’t really sure where you were going. You just knew you had to walk in order for your head to clear for a while.

Somehow, you ended up by Faneuil Hall Market Place, or otherwise known as Quincy’s Market. You loved to explore the endless rows of shops and food kiosks, so of course, you went in. As soon as you entered, you were whisked away by the familiarity of the place. Ever since you were a little girl you’d come here and the magic of the place never seemed to disappear. Just like every other time you’d been there, you made it a point to stop in almost every store, starting with the South Market and making your way North.

You entered the North Market with a smile on your face, this part of the market was always your favorite for some reason. Maybe it was because of the comic book store that was in there, or the calm vibe that the place had, or maybe it was the place with the best sit down restaurants and the best food. Whatever the reason was, you absolutely loved it in there.

As you walked passed the places that you had eaten at with your family countless times, reminiscence began to creep in. Reminiscences of when you were younger, more carefree, and not tied down by any responsibilities whatsoever. You weren’t exactly longing for that time, but just looking back on the good old days so to speak.

But then you approached that tavern. That tavern where you two went out on your first date three years ago. That same tavern where he asked you to be his girlfriend. That tavern where you two began talking about your future together. That tavern that was your and Brandon’s casual date spot where you two would always get the same meal no matter how many times you said you’d try something different. That tavern where you fell in love with him.

You wanted to walk passed the place without batting another eye. You didn’t want to give that place a second thought. But your feet wouldn’t move away from the building, and your eyes wouldn’t stray away from the window that you’ve looked through innumerable times before. The tavern was the exact same since you had seen it last. Nothing had changed except for the people inside.

Your eyes landed on what used to be your and Brandon’s spot. It was a booth tucked away in the back of the restaurant - just barely visible to anyone peeking into the building. But as soon as you saw the booth, you couldn’t believe yourself. Brandon was there, or at least you thought. After rubbing your eyes to make sure you were seeing things correctly, you noticed that he was gone. You shook it off, thinking it was just a postponed hangover or something and finally continued to walk.

However, on your walk back to your apartment from the Market, you kept seeing Brandon. He was everywhere you looked, on every stranger’s face, on every billboard or advertisement on a passing bus. As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t escape him.

You looked to anything and everything for a sign that everything was going to be alright. Maybe since it was a nice day, life was going to be alright? Or maybe the smell of the gas emissions from the cars was a sign that eventually the memories of him were going to burn and be forgotten? It got to the point where you were standing at a crosswalk asking the traffic lights if you were going to be okay. Of course, they didn’t answer, because they’re traffic lights, and you got some weird looks from the people walking past, but you didn’t care. You only cared about if you were going to be fine again.

------------------------

Once you got back to your apartment, you felt the tears start to well up in your eyes, just like they did last night. You didn’t know what else to do except open your diary and start writing whatever came to your mind.

Dear Brandon, You began, after you decided the best way to put this was in a letter that you were never going to send, Do you think I could have one more kiss? I’ll find closure on your lips, and then I’ll go. Maybe also one more breakfast, one more lunch, and one more dinner. I’ll be full and happy and we can part. But in between meals, maybe we can lie in bed one more time. One more prolonged moment where time suspends indefinitely as I rest my head on your chest. My hope is that if we add up the “one mores”, they will equal a lifetime, and I’ll never have to get to the part where I let you go.

Your breath was starting to shake, and you felt yourself fighting back tears. Yet you continued to write. But that’s not real, is it? There are no more “one mores”. I met you when everything was new and exciting, and the possibilities of the world seemed endless. And they still are. For you, for me. But not for us.

At this point, you gave up trying to combat the tears, and instead embraced them. You accepted the emotions that flooded through your body and out through the pen onto the paper. Somewhere between then and now, here and there, I guess we didn’t just grow apart, we grew up. When something breaks, if the pieces are large enough, you can fix it. Unfortunately, some things don’t break, they shatter. But when you let the light in, shattered glass will glitter. And in those moments, when the pieces of what we were catch the sun, I’ll remember just how beautiful it was. Just how beautiful it’ll always be. Because it was us. And we were magic. Forever.

A few tears slid off your cheek and onto the paper as you signed your name. Once you finished up and put your diary away, you checked your phone and realized that you hadn’t replied to any of your friends’ texts. You ignored all of the texts from the Bruins and instead put all of your closest girl friends in a group chat and told them that Brandon broke up with you. Of course, everyone was freaking out about it because you two were the it couple, but you just shrugged them off.

------------------------

A few weeks later, you were starting to get over the breakup. It was late one night and you and your friends decided to go out and have a girls night. You showed up at your best friend’s apartment and everyone who was there, including yourself was dressed up and ready for a fun lady’s night. Once the last people arrived, the group headed out.

The group ended up going to a local club that wasn’t too far from everyone’s apartments. Just like you had expected, when you walked in the music was blaring, everyone was drunk and grinding on each other. To be completely honest, you were excited about the night ahead; you couldn’t remember the last time you were single and out at a club.

Immediately, you headed over to the bar to get your first drink of the night. Once that was in your system, you made your way to the dance floor where some of your friends already were. The music flowed through your body and you began to dance without a care in the world. The night had only just begun and you already knew it was one of the best that you’ve had in a long time. No one was going to be able to ruin it.

An hour or so later you had downed a few drinks and had gotten to the point where you were grinding on guys as well. You had no idea who these guys were, but you knew you weren’t going to see any of them again so it didn’t matter. However, at one point, one of the guys turned you around so you could see his face. And as soon as you met his eyes, you stopped dancing all together.

“Jake?!” You asked, both confused and shocked

“Y/N?!” Jake asked in the exact same tone that you had a second earlier

“What’re you doing here?” The two of you asked at the exact same time

“No, you first” He said

“I’m here with some friends” You told him “Having a girls night. Now what’re you doing?”

“Uh um I’m here with a few of the guys” He answered awkwardly. He didn’t have to name any names, from him just saying ‘the guys’ you knew Brandon was here.

“Oh that’s… cool…” You trailed off “Well uh I’ll let you go and enjoy your night”

You awkwardly walked away and found your girl friends over by the bar. “Hey, I think I’m gonna get going”

“Alright, let’s go” One of your friends said

Your eyebrows furrowed “You guys don’t need to come with me”

“We’d be shitty friends if we let you go home by yourself” Another one of your friends said “Now come on, let’s blow this joint”

As you made your way through the club to leave, you happened to see Jake again. He gave you a curt nod and you responded in the same way before you looked to see he was with. Of course, it was Brandon, and with your luck, you two had made eye contact. Brandon then proceeded to check you out before giving you a pathetic version of puppy dog eyes. It was clear that he wanted your body, but after the break up, you knew he wouldn’t want anything else.

You weren’t going to try and kid yourself, part of you wanted to go back to him, you missed him. But you knew if you did, it wouldn’t end well and just put you back to square one. Even though it took everything that you had, including tears starting to form in your eyes, you managed to walk away.

At that moment, you couldn’t help but be proud of yourself. A few weeks ago, when he had just broken up with you, you would’ve crawled back to him in an instant. But that wasn’t you anymore. You knew you had a whole new life waiting for you on the other side of the country, and you couldn’t be more eager to get started.

#Brandon Carlo #Boston Bruins #NHL #Hockey #NHL Hockey #National Hockey League #National Hockey #NHL Writing #NHL Writings #NHL Imagine #NHL Imagines #National Hockey Writing #National Hockey Imagine

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piccolina-mina · 5 years

Text

Don’t You Know Who I Think I Am?

Fandom: Roswell, New Mexico

Characters: Rosa Ortecho, Alex Manes

A/N: I’m late, but it’s still yesterday somewhere! I don’t quite know what this is, and it’s angstier than I imagined, but you know me, I wing it.

This is for you, @suzteel! A little something for a very special person on her special day. Love & Hugs. Always. :)

—–

“The coast is clear, kid.” Alex tossed Rosa the keys to his truck and smirked at her scowl over the term of endearment.

She snatched the keys out of the air and climbed into the driver’s seat with ease. She stopped herself from telling him to move his ass.

He was more gracious than anyone when it came to her faux pas as she struggled to adjust to how different the world was around her now.

She never had to censor herself with him. They both were blunt and without filters, and it was one of the reasons she didn’t mind when he used to tag along behind her when he was a kid, or she was a kid, or they were kids, or something.

He was like the little brother she never wanted, but now, now she didn’t know how to see him. But of all the things she had to adjust to, he felt the most familiar and comfortable.

Emo rights or some shit. And even though the man she was cruising with wasn’t the same as the teen she knew before she was killed, he was still in there, somewhere.

“Stop calling me ‘kid.’ I don’t care what I look like, I’m still older than you,” she hissed.

It felt good to squeeze the steering wheel, let her dark hair whip around her as they picked up speed, nothing but desert ahead of them and Fall Out Boy blaring.

“Someone needs to tell Liz that too,” she bit at her thumb even though her nails were bitten down to the nubs. “She keeps mothering me.”

“In her defense, you do look 12,"Alex deadpanned.

"Fuck you,” she mumbled. She rolled her eyes when he chuckled low and deep.

She used to love his hearty laugh and big smile, and she hadn’t seen or heard either since she … returned. He was always haunted, but this time, it was for deeper reasons, and she didn’t know what to do with any of that.

Her thumbnail went to her mouth again. Ten years of being frozen in time meant she still had an oral fixation she couldn’t quit. She didn’t smoke. She stopped, but she needed …

She took her eyes off the road for a moment when she heard the rustling beside her. Alex had a candy bag in hand. He yanked out a couple of suckers, popped one in his mouth and handed her the other.

The sweet and tartness on her tongue triggered memories, but more importantly, it put her at ease.

“I’m told it helps,” he said stealing a look in her direction. She could feel him studying her intensely.

He always had a way of peering through a person, and somehow that skill was enhanced with time and age.

They sailed pass a billboard advertising legal aid specializing in immigration law. Her vision clouded over, dark specks belying her anger, and she internally counted backwards to ground herself.

“That persimmon pendejo is president, the planet is self-destructing … I come back from the dead, and it’s worse than hell,” she sighed.

She bit down on the sucker and tried to assuage the ball of anxiety bubbling up. She worried about her papi, and it was made worse by the fact that she couldn’t lay eyes on him.

She felt Alex studying her again, his intense gaze burning the side of her face until she couldn’t take it anymore.

She replayed the last few moments in hopes of pinpointing what set him off again. Then, “I didn’t go to hell,” she said quietly.

The small exhalation he let out was the only sign he gave her that it was his concern. She stole a glance his way.

His expression was as stoic as ever, but as usual, his eyes gave him away. He was terrified, but also relieved.

It was something they never spoke about in great detail, but it was something she knew he wondered about.

He didn’t speak of his own ghosts, but she sensed them the second she wrapped him into her arms again. He was haunted, whatever had taken place in the decade since she last saw him – war, loss – it weighed heavily on him.

“The last thing I remember is her – him, –it..” she squinted at the sun, busied herself snagging a pair of his sunglasses from the cupholder and shoving them on.

If she shielded her face she wouldn’t feel so exposed under his scrutiny.

“No worries, kid,” she tried to lighten the mood and mock him with the endearment. “If there is an afterlife, I don’t remember a second of it. I guess I haven’t paid for my sins yet,” she shrugged.

“So I can’t give you solace if you’re afraid about paying for yours.” She knew she struck a nerve when his eyes darted away.

“My sins are darker than yours, squirt.”

She let the attempt to get under her skin go.

“You’re a good person, cabron. I have known you your entire,” she shook her head and swore under her breath. “I have known you for most of your life. You’re one of the best people I’ve known. War or whatever else you’ve gotten yourself into over the past few years doesn’t change that. I know your heart, bro. ”

“Bro?” He scoffed. It was a misdirect as he choked back the emotion that rose in his throat.

She didn’t respond, merely pulled over at one of her favorite spots. There were a different set of caves, and they always brought her peace or something akin to it.

It was different than what she remembered. Everything was different than she remembered.

“I thought when I was gone things would be better.” She reached across the seat snagging another sucker and popped it in her mouth.

“I mean, I didn’t plan on,” she felt his dark eyes boring into her face again searching, always searching. “I planned on leaving, before I died, I planned on leaving.”

“I thought that when I was gone things would be better for the people I care about. But even my death caused more harm for those who gave a shit, and even in my absence things fell apart,” she picked at her nail and stared off into the distance, the wind making flyaway hair dance within her line of sight.

“I would have at least hoped my death mattered. That if I had to die, at least it meant something, but catching up on everything has taught me that it was meaningless.”

She tossed the half-eaten sucker out the window. It no longer gave her the satisfaction it did before.

“Liz still came back to this place. She should have stayed away, but she came back, and look at what she’s in? All I wanted is for her to be free of this place, and she’s right back here heart deep in alien shit.”

“She did get away, Rosa,” Alex reached out and tentatively touched her hand.

“She traveled. She completed her list. She went to school and pursued the career she wanted,” he rested his head on the back of the seat, and it was the most relaxed he looked in a while.

“Maria didn’t get to follow her dreams. She wanted out of here, and now it’s ten years later, and she’s still stuck behind a bar trying to make ends meet and taking care of Mimi. Christ, there’s nothing fair about that.”

“Life happens, Rosa,” Alex sighed. Whether he was unfazed or resigned, she couldn’t tell.

“Yeah, I know. And death,” she closed her eyes and turned her face up toward the sun.

“My papi could be put in a damn cage like an animal at any moment, and my birth father is dead. So many questions left unanswered.”

“I still can’t believe you and Kyle are related,” Alex chuckled. “It actually makes sense now though.”

“I’m being serious here and you’re deflecting with jokes? Typical. And Kyle and I are nothing alike.”

“He was an asshole in high school. It’s true, but he’s a good man. You should try getting to know your big-little brother better.”

“You used to be my favorite and now I’m reconsidering my position on that,” she shoved him, and he laughed like he did when he was young, gangly, and unburdened.

“Easy there, Valenti.” It earned him another shove until they both were laughing.

“That was easy. I’m saving the real hurting for the Valenti with a dick. I swear if he brings me another teen magazine, I’m going to gauge his eyes out.”

“See? You’re acting like siblings already. You have obnoxious little sister in the bag.”

“First of all, it’s big sister. Second, you and Kyle can kiss my ass,” she said it with heat, but Alex’s bemused expression made her smirk against her better judgment.

“Kyle is, annoyingly perfect, but it’s going to take a while. It’s going to take longer if he treats me like one of his teen patients.”

“Yeah, that has more to do with Kyle than you, I promise.”

“I would thank you for being the only one who isn’t treating me differently, or like a child, but I would hate for it to go to your head.”

He flashed her one of the first genuine smiles she saw since she reunited with him. “Too late, Rosa. I already know I’m your favorite.”

The laughter in his eyes warmed her heart. Alex was so guarded with everyone else. They didn’t think she picked up on these things, but she did.

“And then there’s you. Finding out you enlisted …”

His smile vanished as quickly as it came, and she damn near saw the walls go up. “You think I’m a poser.”

“I think you’re a survivor,” she said instantly without thought. She didn’t have to think about it because it was true.

“I just hate you had to lose pieces of yourself to prove something to that dickwad dad of yours.”

Alex averted his eyes, and suddenly he was 14 again, and Rosa was reading through him like no one else could.

“Maybe no one else will point it out, but that’s what happened. And I hate that for you. I hate that you didn’t get to follow the path you chose for yourself instead of his,” she spewed. Her heart raced with anger and guilt.

She knew the odds of her being alive wouldn’t have changed some of the outcomes, but she was just enough of a masochist to think maybe if she were around she could have.

Her eyes flickered to his. Both sets glassy with unshed tears and emotion they withheld as if their lives depended on it.

Maybe both of them realized a long time ago that sometimes their lives did.

“But I’m living proof it’s never too late to find yourself. I’m getting a second chance I never expected to…” she released a puff of air and grabbed Alex’s chin.

It was strong and firm, the stubble prickled her skin, and it was a far cry from the last time she had done it.

“I still see him in there. The darkness you’re afraid has consumed you, it hasn’t beaten him out. Remember? That’s a strong ass guy who could take a beating. And now he can kick ass too.” Her sly grin made him return one in kind.

“He’s still there, just stronger and older. And you gotta stop hiding him away. I’m not the only one who was resurrected. That part of you is trying to come back too. Let him. You’ll be much happier with it.”

He sniffled, swallowing back emotions again, and she raised her brow but didn’t say anything.

“Are you done, obi-wan kenobi?”

“God, you’re still on that Star Wars shit?” She snorted. “See? Still a dork.”

“This is why I love you more than your brother,” he joked.

“Fair,” she quipped. “But I’m serious Alex.”

He sighed. “I know. All the things you could do now, and you’re trying to fix me?”

“Well, you’re not irrevocably broken, just a little lost,” she tangled her fingers with his. “We both are.”

“I can’t fix any of the other shit with Liz, or my father, or Maria and Mimi, but your shit can be fixed, and I can help you. I’m not afraid of the dark, and we both need to find the light.”

He snorted at her cheesiness, but accepted it for what it was. For the first time in years, he felt seen again.“We do like that dark shit.”

“Damn right we do.”

She hooked her pinky with his and had a flashback to warm summer nights painting each other’s nails black and listening to the latest obscure band.

She wouldn’t mention the occasional bruise blooming on skin hidden away, and he wouldn’t comment on how twitchy she was for her next fix, but the camaraderie in those moments sustained them.

He popped his sucker in his mouth and smiled at the gesture. She imagined he was recalling those nights too.

“You’re good at that,” she nodded at the sugary treat in his mouth. “Lotta practice over the years?” She asked suggestively.

She was pleased with herself when his face went red and he nearly choked.

“You’re as bad as Maria and twice as crude,” he sputtered.

“Some things never change then,” she started the truck back up. “You don’t have to tell me now. You can tell me when we get there.”

“Um, get where?” He stiffened in his seat and narrowed his eyes sensing she was up to no good.“ Get where, Rosa?”

She tossed her bag into his lap and shot him a mischievous grin. It grew wider when he swore profusely as he pulled out the assortment of spray cans.

Her fingers were itching to create something, and it felt like forever since she tagged something, made art, left pieces of herself she had control over somewhere – left the mark she wanted and not the one chosen for her.

For her, it was a release she had been craving, but for him it would be a walk down memory lane to the days when he would occasionally play look out.

“So what do you say, Sergeant?” Her voice took a conspiratorial tone. “Are you in or are you going to chicken out on me?”

His face was unreadable for a moment, but then there was that familiar light in his eyes.

“Fuck it. Why not?”

She threw her head back and laughed, and he turned the music up as they sped down the highway.

#roswell new mexico #rosa ortecho #alex manes #roswell new mexico fic #happy birthday chica all I got you was this little fic but I still hope you like it #:)#and I have some work to do at half past midnight. yikes!

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yeaaabudddy · 5 years

Text

Hiding

Ship: Jason Todd x Reader (Y/N)

Type: Fluff

Requested: Yes, by anon

Words: 2 622

Notes: A bit of making out if that makes you uncomfy. I hope you it is good enough, if you want me to write something else just let me know!

You don’t know how it really occurred, it all happened pretty fast. You and Tim are really good friends, you always come over to his house to make sure that he’s still alive and well. You guys became great friends during school because you ended up accidentally stumbling upon Tim changing into a Robin costume in the school when a bunch of gunned men started infiltrating it.

You were walking in the hallway when you saw a man with a huge gun, turning into the hallway you were in and you panicked, opening the closest door to you so you can hide and stumbled upon Tim changing in an empty classroom.

You were too shocked by the fact that you might die that you totally didn't register the fact that Tim, the guy who always ends up accidentally falling asleep in your classes, is Robin.

That’s how you became friends, you realized how overwhelmed he was and you would always make sure he’s okay because he was helping the city, you thought you could help him just a little if he was doing so much.

Also, you had a frightening talk with Batman, him making sure that you won’t give up the fact that you knew who Robin’s identity was.

You then realized that Batman was Bruce Wayne when Dick Grayson came rushing into the cave without a mask on.

Two Wayne kids were superheroes? That was not a coincidence. Plus you could totally imagine it, the amount of money he had to be able to make a whole expensive cave with expensive weapons and gear.

You then started coming around to the manor more often, you realized that the intimidating mansion wasn’t intimidating. It was just quiet and lonely.

Sometimes everyone was present in the manor and sometimes there were only a few members. You realized that the family needed a bit of fun. They were just too uptight.

After a few months, they all got used to you coming around and making food and just blasting music.

You had met Jason after a week of coming around. He came into the manor to see a bright looking home that felt… warm? He looked around confused at why the lights seemed warm, why the house looked smaller and why he could hear laughing.

He walked into the kitchen to see a girl he’s never seen before, wearing an apron and chatting with Alfred. Tim and Dick were sitting on the dining table with a plate of cookies between them.

His attention turned back to you when he heard you laugh when Alfred made a joke. Your laugh brightening the dark that was lined around the area. At first, Jason was annoyed.

Who are you? Why are you laughing like you’re talking to longtime friends? Why is everyone not questioning this and why is Dick just smiling and enjoying cookies?

Did he drop into an alternate universe? He questioned reality for a second, not understanding what he was seeing.

Did the Flash do something? He shouldn’t be able to know though if something changed in the timeline.

He was only gone a few days…

“Um…” His voice broke the weirdly happy atmosphere in the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at him standing in the doorway with a confused expression.

“Jason, You’re back!” Dick acknowledged him, nodding at his brother. Tim just looked at him briefly before going back to whatever case he was working on.

“Jason… is it?” You ask him, smiling and Jason just nods in response. You finally met the whole family. “By process of elimination, I guess you’re Red Hood then.”

Jason’s eyes widened in response, his eyes immediately whipping to his brothers who were sitting on the dining table, munching on cookies and not even phased.

“Is this real?” His hand went to his head, how can so many things change in a few days. He wants everything to go back to how it was.

It was too warm, too bright for him.

“What the fuck is going on?” Jason’s voice was a bit rough this time, wanting an actual answer and not just blank faces of his brother.

“Master Jason, calm down. This is Tim’s friend, Y/N. She’s come over for the past week to help out around the manor.” Jason scoffed at the information.

“Tim’s friend?” He looked at Tim who was just ignoring the whole situation that was unfolding. “Guess you just figured it out yourself then?”

You were not phased by Jason’s reaction, you grabbed a cup and poured in some coffee.

“Yup, want some?” You held up the coffee cup to beside your face, smiling like you were in an advertisement.

“There’s something in there, isn’t there? You’ve taken control over the whole family. Oh my gosh, why me?” Jason’s voice groaned out in frustration.

“Jason, just sit down” Dick groaned at his brother’s dramatic self.

“Shut up, Dick.”

“I swear I’m not a villain.” You put your hands up in surrender.

“How do I know that?” Jason squinted his eyes at you in suspicion.

“Uh… you can test the coffee?” You offered, not really knowing how to prove to him you haven’t done anything wrong but skip class.

Jason just laughed at the offer. “Test the coffee?”

“I don’t know! I literally just figured out Tim was Robin, I don’t know how this stuff works.” You defended yourself.

“Jason, chill. We’re all conscious and aware. Y/N just came around and started helping us out a bit.” Dick explained for you as Tim was clocked out, what a great friend he was.

That day was the start of it all. Jason was still very suspicious of you, he never ate or drank anything you made no matter how much Alfred yelled at him and how much you tried to hide your frown.

You guys eventually became acquainted after Jason realized that you were literally a normal girl. It took some time but eventually, he warmed up.

A few years had passed from that moment, a lot had happened. You realized that you wanted to help them out more as they were putting their all into making sure that everyone in this city was safe.

There were so many scares as many more dangerous villains came around. You started going to university to get a medical degree because the whole team hurt themselves too much and don’t have proper help or a proper doctor.

They have all the expensive hospital supplies but only Alfred really uses it on the others because the boys are too tired to patch themselves and others or are passed out.

You ended helping in the batcave with patching up the members and it scared you because you were depended on to help them. It was you or no one else though so you decided you needed to help as you wouldn't let them die.

Since you were Tim’s friend as you were only a year older than him, you spent most of your time with him. You were close to everyone else but you realized Tim needed the most help with his 24/7 sleep deprived state.

There was one person you never managed to get too close to and that was Jason Todd.

You did try but the atmosphere always felt awkward around you for some reason. Well actually, you know why.

It was no secret that Jason Todd was HOT. The whole family was but Jason was just in his own way so attractive to you. Since you were so close to Dick and Tim, they felt like brothers to you but Jason didn’t come around often, usually in his own team and apartment so you didn’t see him as much anyway.

When he did come over though, it was always a sight for you. Dick noticed the way both of you stared at each other and he couldn’t stand the sexual tension between you guys. Tim obviously didn’t notice even if it was happening right in front of him.

When you both ended up getting together Dick, Bruce, Alfred, and even Damian thanked the heavens. The tension between you guys was getting to them and they instantly knew when you guys got together because the awkwardness was suddenly gone.

You guys didn’t say anything to them but they all ended up seeing you together randomly in random corners of the manor like you were trying to hide but didn’t actually care enough to properly do it.

Tim obviously still hadn’t gotten a hint and no one told him, you were a bit nervous to tell him that you were dating his brother. They didn’t have the best relationship but it wasn’t the worst so you didn’t know how he would take it.

You kept it ‘hidden’ for now, it wasn’t like you really needed to hide it though because Tim had no suspicion especially when it came to stuff he didn't really care about.

“Jason, do you think we should tell Tim? It’s been a month.” You felt guilty even though you weren’t exactly hiding anymore. You guys just weren’t into much PDA around the family so it’s not like you were particularly keeping it from him it but you still thought you should tell Tim yourself.

“Screw him, you can tell him tomorrow. Right now I just want to spend time with you.” Jason pulled you closer to him with his hands that were wrapped around your waist. His grip strong as he put his face closer to yours, your noses brushing together.

You giggled at the sensation, you bring your mouth closer to his. Jason smiled at your laugh, the sound always making his heart beat a bit faster.

“Alright but I’m telling him tomorrow.” You kiss him slowly, his lips feeling so good against yours. You bound your arms around his neck, one hand brushing through his gorgeous hair.

Jason’s arms made their way down your body as he tried to speed up the movement of your lips together. You pull apart from him to catch your breath and he makes his way to your neck.

You crane your neck to give him more space for the lewd kisses Jason was planting on your neck. His hands went down to your ass, massaging it in his big hands making you groan against him.

You brought his face back to your own and kissed him again, rushing this time to feel him again.

Jason’s hands make their way down, bending to accommodate for the height difference. The force of his hands on your thighs always surprised you because of how Jason easily picked you up.

You clench your arms around his neck as he forces you up. You cross your ankles behind his waist, continuing to kiss him.

Jason prodded your mouth with his tongue, asking you silently to open up which you allowed. His tongue makes his way into your warm mouth, exploring it.

You always thought Jason would be pretty rough with his kisses and actions but he was pretty soft unless he had a bad day, of course.

Jason pushed you against the living room wall, his mouth leaving your lips. He kissed along a trail making his way down back to your neck to leave some marks, making you moan at the feeling. His hand made his way to your face and run through your hair and moving it away from your neck.

You were so into Jason at the moment as he softly bit onto your neck and kissed all over it that you barely heard a nudge against the glass table. The noise echoed around the dimly lit room making you both stop.

You and Jason turn to look at the cause of the noise, seeing the culprit standing right next to the glass coffee table.

Tim stood there in his Red Robin suit, mouth agape staring at you both. You noticed the open window, realizing he probably came through from there for a particular reason.

“Um…” Tim didn’t know if he was hallucinating because he had his 20th coffee or this was a weird dream.

“Tim!” You squealed, realizing what position he was seeing you and Jason in. You wanted Tim to find out but not like this, you wanted to tell him yourself.

You tried to get down from your position but Jason had a tough grip on your thighs that were holding you up against him and the wall. You slapped his hand, the stinging sensation catching his attention and he looked back at you.

He loosened his grip when he realized what you wanted and you made your way down to the ground, parting yourself from Jason and fixing up your messed up shirt and hair.

“Uh-” you don’t understand what to say in the moment, how to explain it to him.

“You and… Jason?” His face looked in disgust at the prospect of you and him together. Jason glared at Tim who stood still in his place.

“Hey, watch it.” Jason said to Tim in response to the disgust he held when he said his name.

“Please, she’s like my sister and you’re… you. It’s weird!” Tim said, making a face.

“I wanted to tell you! I was going to tell you tomorrow!” You tried to defend the both of you.

“Oh my gosh, how long?” Tim’s eyes widened at the aspect that you’ve been going out for a while and him not picking it up. He wasn’t always the best with figuring out relationships and he definitely didn’t expect you and Jason to get together.

“Only a month!” You respond, quickly.

“Ugh, I wish I could cleanse my mind. I really wish I didn’t have to see that.” Tim covered his eyes with his gloved hands.

“Speaking of that… why are you here?” Jason asked, his face annoyed at the aspect of being interrupted by none other than Tim.

“Bruce was looking for you, he had called your phone but you weren’t picking up. There was a case he needed your hands on so he sent me.” Tim explained his reasoning as to why he broke into his apartment.

Jason checked his phone that was in his back pocket, seeing the missed calls lined up in his notification bar.

“I would leave but I kind of gotta leave with you to make sure you’re coming. Big Bat’s orders.” He looked between the two of you, implying that you couldn’t continue on whatever you were doing.

Jason groaned, even more annoyed at the fact that he has to leave you. “You guys have the best timing.” Jason fixed up his suit and picked up his helmet and wore it. The guns on the dining table being put into various parts of his suit and he turned to you.

“You’ll probably end up in the cave anyways but…” Jason looked at Tim who was still rooted in his spot and rolled his eyes under his mask. He leaned towards you, close to your ear. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Gross!” Tim fake gagged as he realized what Jason was whispering to you.

“Oh shut up, you interrupted our time!” Jason shot back, making his way to the window.

“I didn’t know!” Tim shouted at him, following behind him. They both left through the window, leaving you alone to clean up a bit and leave the apartment as well and make yourself to the cave.

You knew if most of the crew was out right now, people would most likely come back with injuries. At least Tim knew now, so you don’t feel the guilt of hiding something from him. You hope that this might help with the relationship between Tim and Jason a bit.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave me a message about this fic or just to talk!

#jason todd imagine #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagines #red hood imagines #red hood x reader #red hood imagine

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lovemesomerafael · 4 years

Text

Here Goes

I don’t even know what I’m saying. I’m just babbling at this point. I feel good. I’m so relieved. I’m actually smiling. I guess that’s why I can pretend to be so flirty and brave, talking to Peggy. Because I’m not paying the slightest bit of attention to the conversation. I’m watching the ice come up toward me. I’m watching it and I know it’s gonna happen so fast it won’t hurt and I’m not even really seeing it. I’m seeing Bucky. I’m seeing him smiling at me after he’s hit me with some insult or another. I’m seeing the way he looked at me when I pulled him off that table in Zola’s lab. Like he knew I would come for him.

I know it’s wrong that I didn’t even try. I know that. I guess I musta stored up some karma points or something because I get to check out saving a bunch of people. This way, people won’t know, not the way they’d have known if I’d jumped after Bucky the way I wanted to. Oh, who the hell knows. Maybe they wouldn’t have figured that out, either, but I was just too stunned and that stupid fucking survival instinct kicked in and I kept holding on.

Three days. That’s how long I could stand living in a world without him. That’s my limit. He’s gonna give me so much shit about that. I’m gonna be listening to him say, “You can’t live without me” for all eternity. And I’m good with that. I’m so good with that.

He’ll throw his arm around my neck like he does, and he’ll laugh into my face, and I’ll probably blush – why is he the only one who can make me blush, when he’s the one who gives me the most shit about it – and then we’ll go find some trouble to get into. Like old times. Like it should be.

I knew he wasn’t dead when the 107th was captured. I knew I’d feel it, and I didn’t. Which is why I went and got him without a second thought. Honor, duty, rules, those are all things I care deeply about in my soul, and I’ve done some stuff that gave me an almighty pucker in the name of those things. But those things were lookin’ at my taillights when Bucky was in trouble.

The ice is a pretty color. I like that. It reminds me of his eyes. Shit, he’s gonna tease me about thinkin’ that. It would probably freak people out if they could see me right now, smiling and chuckling in the cockpit of this airplane speeding toward the ice. They’d think I’m some sort of suicidal freak.

I’m not, of course. Just a guy who can’t live with half his soul missing. A guy who, as it turns out, will follow his best friend anywhere. Even here. Funny, I never realized people did this kind of stuff for love. I thought it was only despair or something. Well, now that I think that, I guess this is kind of despair, too.

Except I don’t feel like I’m despairing. I feel excited. Happy again. Happy like I know I would never have been able to ever feel in this life again without Bucky in it. Guess I shoulda known. If he’d have had time, he woulda wished me to be happy. And I’d have said, “How can I? You’re takin’ all the happy with you.” He woulda punched me for sayin’ that. But he’d have understood.

Well. Here goes. See ya’ in a few, Buck.

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

This hurts. Fuck, this hurts so much. Why are they doing this? They’re Americans, too, I can hear their accents clear as day. Americans torturing Captain America. Maybe I’m in Hell. Oh, shit – maybe I killed myself and that’s a sin and I’m in Hell. But I didn’t kill myself! God knows that! I just saw a chance to save people and stop a bully and I couldn’t not do it! Yeah, I was tryin’ to get to Bucky, too, but-

No, Oh, please, God, no. Bucky.

I killed myself and now I’m in Hell and being tortured by Americans and I will never, ever, for eternity, get to see Bucky again. Fuck it. I’m gonna lean into the torture. Give me something to think about other than the real pain. This excruciating burning and unspeakable crushing ache everywhere as my body thaws, that’s what I’ll think about. And, let’s be real, it does kind of hurt.

At some point, I musta passed out, or whatever. Can you pass out in Hell? Whatever. Now I’m in some kind of, I don’t know, apartment or hospital room or something. There’s a baseball game on the radio. I remember this game. I remember it because I was there with Bucky.

I’m about to yell and beg for the torturers to come back, because I cannot think about that. Some girl comes in. She’s all wrong. Everything about this is wrong. And she’s apparently not gonna torture me. Fuck. Then I’m out.

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

Huh. Not technically Hell, then. New York in the future. Hell with more advertising.

Well, now at least Bucky can’t tease me that I can’t live without him. Apparently, I can, and I have to, even though I would give anything, anything to be dead and with him. I’ve thought about it, and I realize I dodged a bullet. Almost blew my chance to ever be with Bucky again. I can’t kill myself. Because if I do, then I really will be in Hell (although what could it possibly have to offer that New York in 2011 doesn’t?) and I know for an absolute, bedrock fact that Bucky isn’t in Hell.

All I can do for the first month is cry. When I’m not screaming myself awake from nightmares, that is.

Fucking Nick Fury wants me to join some kind of crusader outfit. I don’t care. I really don’t. As long as my uniform can be a little more dignified than the last one, sure. I’ll be your damn Captain America. Captain fucking broken-hearted, lonely as all hell, absolutely nothing to lose, please kill me America. Pretty sure you don’t understand who you’re dealing with here, pal. I’m as likely to run in front of a bullet with my arms spread than to use this weirdly light shield.

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

Motherfucking survival instinct. Motherfucking, damn it all to hell, why aren’t there more swear words, jumpin’ fucked-up shitty useless survival instinct. It’s why I couldn’t jump after Bucky. And now I’m putting one foot in front of the other and I feel nothing but towering guilt because I’m surviving and making a life without Bucky that I absolutely do not want and it hurts so fucking much I sometimes fall to my knees with it. But then some bad guy gets a hard on for world power or some ugly-ass aliens tear a hole in the sky and drive their Steampunk whales through it and I gotta get to work. So I go. What the hell. I can’t kill myself, can’t even make myself let me be killed. Can’t get back to the real world where things make sense and there’s real butter and no fucking cell phones. Shit, in this future, even the swells dress like bums. Bucky would laugh his ass off.

So here I am. Captain America, bleeding to death whether I’m wounded or not, but I just can’t seem to fucking die. I just keep on saving the world because I’m Steve I-can-do-this-all-day Rogers, and apparently I really do like getting punched.

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

I wonder how long I’ve been staring at this little mark on my shield. Don’t care, just wonder. I know the pain’s driven me crazy now, because I’ve been sitting here, looking at this little mark on my shield for so long the sun’s gone down and there’s a pink glow on the horizon again, because I know he made it.

And it makes me so happy I can’t stop crying.

Bucky is alive. Bucky is alive when he can’t possibly be. I don’t understand it, but I also don’t give a rat’s ass how it happened. I just know Bucky is alive and I’m gonna find him.

He also wants to kill me. They keep trying to tell me that’s a problem. Only problem I see is he’s not right here next to me. Everything else? Details.

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

Shit, he’s gotten good. I know technically he was trying to kill me, but I’m so fucking proud of him. I keep thinking of stuff he did, and I just wanna jump up and down and cheer for him. I can’t stop smiling, thinkin’ about it. Anyway, how else would I know how unbelievably strong and fast and lethal he is now? Nobody else coulda given him the workout I did. Of course, nobody else woulda let him live, either. OK, actually saved his life, but the brass doesn’t need to know that. And then he turned right around and saved mine back. ‘Cause he’s Bucky. And that’s what we do.

That’s right. I said smiling. I haven’t smiled since 1944. I’ve probably showed my teeth a little, it’s part of the stuff I have to do to keep people from seeing who I’ve been since I lost Bucky. But I never smiled until I found him again. Well, I haven’t found him yet. What I meant is, since I knew he was here to be found.

Always before, I wanted crises to come so I’d have something to distract me from missin’ Buck. But now that I know he’s alive, the world needs to simmer the fuck down because I gotta find him and it’s the only thing I care about. I keep doing my job, because I’ve got this ridiculous urge to do the right thing all the time – oh, when he finds out all the inconvenient shit I’ve done because it was the right thing, I’m never gonna hear the end of it – but my heart and my head are somewhere else. I don’t know where. But I’ll find him.

Tony Stark be damned. I love him; he’s my comrade in arms, my friend, my brother, and it hurts like hell to be split from him. But he’s so wrong about these fucking Accords. God knows I know about guilt, but Tony’s been blinded by his and he’s putting his trust in the wrong people. And as much as I care about that, I care more – infinitely more - about Bucky. And Tony and the rest of the Avengers standing with him are just gonna have to do what they’re gonna do. Same with the rest of the world and all the governments and nations trying to stand in my way. Because Bucky’s alive and he’s in trouble and I will get to him, no matter what I have to do. Or who I have to do it to.

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

I’m lookin’ right at him. And he’s lookin’ at me. I didn’t know it was possible, I guess I’m a self-centered asshole, but these years have been much harder on him than on me. Nobody’s stolen my mind and made me into a murderous robot fighting on the wrong side. Believe it or not, though, there’s an upside. He only had a few seconds to realize we were bein’ separated, and there’s something to say for that. The rest of the time, his body was – well, his body was goin’ through what my heart was. Let’s leave it at that. But his mind, his heart, they were at least safe from the memory of that crevasse and the seventy-odd years of anguish that followed.

I had to do a lot of shit to get us here. I had to seriously piss off a whole hell of a lot of people, some of whom I love. I may have burned down some of my most beloved friendships. And me and Bucky, we got a metric crapton of destruction to answer for. Don’t care. There’s one man that’s worth all of that, and anything else I ever have to do. I’d do it again. Twenty times over. A million times over. As many as it took.

Because let me tell you some universal fucking truths. Nobody’s ever gonna hurt Bucky again. And I’m never gonna leave his side. Somebody swings at him, they’re gonna hit me because I’m gonna be there, standing between him and anybody ever fucking touching him again. And then they’re gonna get hurt. Anyone ever tries to get between us again, I will go on a rampage the likes of which this world has never seen. Is it wrong that I’d use all the expensive serum and rays and whatnot to defy everyone on the planet and burn it the fuck down to protect Bucky Barnes? I absolutely do not give a shit. Now that I know what comes after he falls, I’m gonna jump. Every time. My damn survival instinct’s not backward anymore. And the more I learn about what they’ve done to him, the more I hope there’s more of Hydra out there somewhere for us to kill and kill and kill until he feels clean and safe and whole again.

Right now, he doesn’t. Right now, he’s askin’ to be frozen again, because he doesn’t trust his own mind. It hurts. It hurts so fucking much it’s takin’ all of my superfuckingsoldier strength not to scream with the pain of it. But it’s what he wants. It’s what he says he needs to feel safe, and so that’s what we’re gonna do. We’ll get him to Wakanda where they think they can heal him. And by we, I mean me and whoever else, but always, always me. I will do whatever he asks of me every day for the rest of our lives, and if this is what he wants, this is what he gets, but I will never, ever be separated from him. Even when he’s in the cryo bed, I’m gonna be right there with him.

The part of him that’s still all Bucky gets that. Feels the same way. He says it all the time, even when he’s making fun of me, callin’ me a barnacle and sayin’ next I’m gonna get a pouch and carry him around like a baby kangaroo. Because I can’t get close enough to him. If I can’t feel him touching me, he’s too far away. Sometimes it’s so bad I swear I’d climb into his skin with him if I could.

But right now, he’s so skittish. He’s so broken and exhausted and sad. I have to give him room, and I do, because that’s what he asks me for. But it’s hard. I want him to be all Bucky, all the time, like he used to be before those assholes got ahold of him. And I sure the fuck don’t want to hurt him in any way, ever. That’s why I’m sittin’ here now, looking in his eyes while they do whatever it is they do to freeze a guy. And I’m tryin’ to think of all the terrible icicle jokes I can, to make him laugh and let him know that, no matter what, it’s still him and me, together, till the end of the line.

#Steve Rogers #Captain America #Bucky Barnes #The WInter Soldier #Chris Evans #Sebastian Stan #Peggy Carter #Hailey Atwell #The Avengers #Till The End Of The Line

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evilrubberducke · 5 years

Text

A Day Among Nerds

I haven’t been able to write much for the past couple weeks, but I’m getting back in to the swing of things. As usual, have some fluff of my favorite couple of dorks. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: When Mina notices Izuku is hiding something from her, it leads to a day that neither will be forgetting anytime soon.

Rated T for some use of language.

Read it on AO3!

The school day had only just begun, but Mina could already tell that something was going on with Izuku. Ever since class began, he had been even more distractible than usual. Normally, he made a point of paying attention in class, even during boring subjects. Today, however, Mina had noticed him staring out of the window rather than paying attention multiple times. If it was anyone else it wouldn;t have been that remarkable, but for Izuku it was a significant change in behaviour.

Even still, she might have dismissed it if it weren’t for the rest of his behaviour.

During third period, while Present Mic and Iida were engaged in a heated debate over the correct translation of some English poems, Mina caught Izuku checking his phone. He was trying to be subtle about it, and failing miserably, probably because he had next to no experience breaking the rules on his own. Their eyes met as Izuku looked up and Izuku froze for a moment. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and looked away as quickly as he could, but the encounter stuck in Mina’s mind for the rest of the class. When they’d locked eyes, he had looked almost...guilty?

During the break he had been the first one out the door, despite his position in the class,and left her blinking in surprise. A quick glance towards Iida and Uraraka showed that they were just as taken aback as she was.

When he returned to class just before break ended, he looked even more nervous than he usually did. His fingers drummed an unconscious beat on his leg, and Mina could swear she saw a faint bit of perspiration on his brow.

He was also sneaking glances at her whenever he thought she wasn’t looking. She caught every one of them, of course, thought she did her best not to let on that she could see him. While he stared, his nerves seemed to grow worse, and she could tell he was doing his absolute best to clamp down on his mumbling.

There was only one real conclusion Mina could draw from his odd behavior, and it was one she really didn’t like. Izuku was trying to keep something secret, despite some part of him desperately wanting to tell her.

Izuku was not the type to keep secrets, and especially not from her. He wore his heart on his sleeve nearly all of the time. True, Asui probably had him beat as the most honest person in the class, but Izuku definitely gave her a run for her money.

So, she decided, there was only one thing to do. She would have to shake him by the ankles until he started talking.

Her chance didn’t come until the end of the day. To his credit, Izuku proved to be extremely slippery. He’d manage to dodge her all throughout lunch, using some clever moves born of long years avoiding bullies. Their hero training for the day had been Quirk improvement exercises which meant she was on her own while she worked to improve the amount of acid she could expel and Izuku trained with Kirishima on their ability to give and receive damage, respectively.

When class was done, he tried to slip away once more, but Mina had grown wise to his tactics. The minute Izuku attempted to dash down the hall, Aizawa grabbed him by the shoulder and reprimanded the boy for attempting to run in the halls. Mina had learned months ago that while their teacher was not prone to enforcing the school rules when it didn’t affect him, his opinion could be swayed by a well placed bribe. Three weeks of no pranks or class disruptions was a hefty sacrifice to make, but it was a price she was willing to pay, given the circumstances.

By the time Izuku was free to go, everyone else had filled out of the class and were either on their way to the dorms to relax or to the gym to sneak in some extra training. The hallways were nearly empty as Izuku hurried down them, glancing behind himself periodically to make sure Mina wasn’t sneaking up behind him.

Instead, she popped out in front of him from her hiding place in the stairwell, and slammed a palm into the wall to bar his way. His reactions were fast enough that he didn’t get clotheslined, though he did stumble back a little bit in surprise. Mina took the opportunity to bring her other arm around him, guiding and trapping him against the wall.

“Afternoon Babe.” Mina said, her words as honeyed as she could make them without dipping into the territory of being actually threatening. Push him too hard and he would shut down before she could get what she was after. Push just hard enough though, and he would be putty in her hands.

“Good...uh...nice to…um...hi Mina.” His stuttering was as bad as she’d ever heard it. Perfect.

“Did you have a nice day?”

“Uh...y-yeah? It was ok, I guess.”

“Really?” She was laying it on thick, but she didn’t mind too much. If Izuku was going to keep secrets from her, then he deserved a bit of teasing. “Cuz you weren’t looking so great during class.”

He laughed nervously. “N-no. I’m fine. I just….” his eyes were firmly glued to his shoes as he trailed off.

Mina placed a hand on his shoulder. She’d gotten her digs in, and now it was time to actually talk to him.

“Izuku, you know if there’s anything bothering you, you can talk to me about it, right? And I’ll help any way I can.” This time her smile was as warm and genuine as she could make it.

As she spoke, his eyes rose to meet hers, and his back straightened just a little bit. He wasn’t back to his old self, but a bit of his usual fire had returned.

“I know.” He said softly. “It’s….” He trailed off once more.

She waited for him to gather his thoughts, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. Finally, he gathered the will to continue. It did make her a little happy to see him push past whatever was making him uncomfortable for her sake. Sure, he had taken some prodding to get there, but that’s what she did best. Help him push past his mental hang ups and live life to its fullest.

“I didn’t want to say anything, because I know you’ve been looking forward to our date this weekend, and I know it’s selfish of me to want to do something else, especially since I know you wouldn’t enjoy it, but people keep talking about how amazing it’s going to be this year, and it’s just so cool and-” As he spoke, the words came faster and faster, until he was practically babbling.

“Midori, I’m going to need you to breathe for me” Mina said, placing a finger on his lips to cut him off. She waited for him to calm down slightly before continuing. “Wanna try that again?”

He nodded, but didn’t speak. Instead, he held out his phone for her to look at. She grabbed it gingerly, interested to see what had sent her boyfriend into such a tizzy. There was a long moment where her eyes danced across the screen, taking in every detail.

Then she burst out laughing.

“Midori, you are such a dork!”

The page that had given Izuku so much grief was an advertisement for “Mightfest 2319”. The hero might have retired, but his fans were still going strong apparently, and were planning on congregating in Mustafu that weekend to celebrate their favorite hero and probably purchase a ridiculous amount of merchandise.

It took Mina several seconds to control her laughter, and to look Izuku in the eyes once more. He still looked worried, but now confusion was written plainly on his face as well.

“I'm ...pfft… I’m sorry, but only you would get so tied up in knots over something so ridiculous.” She wiped a tear from her eye as she spoke. The intensity of her laughter had probably been over the top, but the whiplash of going from worrying over her boyfriend’s mental state to realizing the insane reason for his nerves had left her feeling a little giddy. “It’s a little cute, honestly.” She said with a grin.

Izuku seemed to deflate as the last of his nerves left his body. His concerns had proven to be unfounded, but they had been weighing on him for more than a week, and it was a relief to finally be done with them.

“I’m sorry” He apologized, his voice still quiet.

“Izuku, it’s fine. I’m not angry. Well, I’m a little peeved that you didn’t think you could talk to me about this.”

“I didn’t want to ruin our date.” He protested.

Mina shook her head. “Izuku, we were gonna get pizza and watch a movie. We can do that anytime. This is something that only happens once a year, right?” Izuku nodded in response. “And you really want to go, despite the fact that All Might himself is one of our teachers and you see him every other day?” He nodded again, although much more sheepishly this time.

“Well then, I guess we’re going to MightFest!” She grinned at the look of surprise and excitement that blossomed across her boyfriend’s face.

“Mina, are...are you sure? I mean, it’s really nerdy, and it’s going to be super crowded, and there’s gonna be tons of people in costume, and I don’t want you to be bored or anything.”

Mina pretended to think for a moment, then nodded her head. “Here’s what I think. You really like this, and I really like you, and therefore, by the transformation property, I’ll enjoy it!” Izuku raised his finger as if to correct her on her misuse of mathematical terms, but thought better of it and give her a hug instead.

She relaxed into the embrace, though she sighed a bit internally. She wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about the change of plans as she had lead Izuku to believe, but she would be damned if she let him find out about that.

A few months after they had started dating Mina had asked a simple question about one of the many figures that decorated his room. Izuku had lit up at her curiosity and started describing all the variations and features of his collection as well as the symbolism and history behind them. While Mina hadn’t particularly cared about the information, she had enjoyed watching Izuku become so animated as he talked about his figures.

However, when he was part way through his collection, one of Bakugou’s explosions had echoed through the dorms, and Izuku had frozen mid sentence. It was like a switch had been flipped. He crumpled in on himself and started apologizing for annoying her.

Mina hated it. The Izuku she loved was happy, goofy, occasionally over the top, and all the cuter for it. She decided then and there that Izuku wouldn’t end up like that because of her. She was going to indulge his nerdy side until he never reacted like that again.

<And who knows,> She thought to herself as the pair made their way back to the dorms, Izuku busy plotting out exactly what activities they would be participating in, <Maybe I’ll actually enjoy myself.>

Mina actually balked as she witnessed the crowd that had assembled outside the Kiyashi Ward mall. The last time she had come here had been in the middle of the day just before the beginning of summer, but the crowd now made that one seem tame in comparison.

Everywhere she looked, Mina could see excited nerds chatting with each other about their favorite All Might costumes or poses, or other such topics. Almost every single one of them was decked out from head to toe in All Might merchandise, which made navigating the crowd somewhat of a headache.

Thankfully for her, a beacon of green stood out in the sea of red, white, blue and blonde.

“MIDORI!” Mina called as she pounced on her boyfriend. He staggered slightly from the sudden embrace, but recovered quickly and returned her hug. “Were you waiting long?”

The pair had originally planned to meet up before heading into the event, but Mina’s little brother had proven to be a little bother, filling her shoes with the viscous and sticky goop he was just starting to be able to produce, and causing her to run late. She’d texted Izuku to get started without her, letting him know she would catch up.

He’d apparently enjoyed himself. He was already carrying a small plastic bag with several rolled up poster sticking out of it. At the rate he acquired merchandise, Mina was amazed his that there was still spaces in his room that weren’t plastered with the hero’s iconic smile.

“No...not really. I just checked out a few of the booths. There’s some amazing artists over there, and I saw one girl who had made an entire sculpture out of macaroni, and she said she didn’t use her Quirk for it AT ALL which is so cool, and then there was this guy ...”

Mina chuckled as Izuku spoke excitedly. All around her she could hear similar conversations from other super nerds as they filed into the event. For once, she realized, Izuku wasn’t the biggest nerd in the room.

“Uh...M-Mina. Can we...That is...do you mind if we...um...”

Mina cocked her head to the side, trying to puzzle out what exactly Izuku was trying to ask her. He’d been doing fine with his stuttering this afternoon, so this had come out of nowhere.

“What’s that Midori?” She asked, leaning closer so he didn’t have to speak up as much.

“I..uh...wanted to...take a picture. With you. Over...there…”

Mina turned to where he was pointing, and a smile broke across her face. At the edge of the crowd was a display of a classic image of All Might and Sir Nighteye posing victoriously, their heads replaced with holes so people could pose as the iconic duo. A young woman stood nearby, offering to take photos for you in exchange for a few yen.

She grinned as she looked back to Izuku, who was still imitating a strawberry. Even still, she could see the look in his eyes that said this wasn’t some idle whim, but something he really wanted to do with her.

<Well then, here we go!!> Mina grabbed Izuku’s shoulders, and began to push him towards the display. He served as an excellent battering ram and the crowd parted around them, though whether that was out of respect for their fellow con goers, or just them trying to avoid the heat of the furnace that was emanating from Izuku’s blushing face was up for debate.

She tossed her phone to the photo girl, who caught it with surprising dexterity and gave Mina a thumbs up.

Whoever had set up the display had obviously thought ahead. There were a pair of adjustable stools for anyone who didn't measure up to the massive hero or his lanky sidekick.

Izuku briefly and unsuccessfully tried to relinquish All Might's visage to Mina, but she was having none of it. She practically shoved his head through the appropriate hole, then did the same for her own.

She craned her neck slightly to grin at Izuku while they waited for the photo girl to line up the shot. He looked a little put out by the rough treatment, but his frown quickly changed to a smile as he caught her gaze.

"Say Plus Ultra!" The girl called to them, and the pair flashed the biggest smiles they could muster.

“You know, it’s actually impressive how many of these have Izuku blinking.” Mina mused as she reviewed the pictures while waiting for Izuku to return with some snacks.

There were quite a few to choose from, the photo girl had been very diligent in capturing multiple angles and facial expressions. Unfortunately, this meant she had captured more than a few awkward ones as well. From Izuku mid blink, to Mina looking cross eyed, there were a few stinkers that Mina intended to delete later.

There were, however, several that she really liked. One captured Izuku’s surprised blush as she pinched his butt behind the scenes. The objectively best photo showed them both with matching smiles as they stared into the camera.

But Mina’s favorite by far was the final picture in the series. Izuku hadn’t realized that there was one more photo being taken, and so he wasn’t posing at all. Instead, he had turned his head slightly to stare at Mina, while she was still smiling for the camera.

He had a soft smile on his lips, and a light blush dusted his cheeks as he stared at her. That was adorable, but what really made Mina’s heart skip a beat was the look in his eyes. She wasn’t sure how the phone camera had captured it so well, but she could easily see that he was looking at her in abject adoration.

She squeezed her phone tight to her chest as a light blush touched her cheeks once more. She’d send the rest of the pictures to Izuku once they got home, but not this one.

No, this picture was going in a special folder that she kept, one that sparked warm memories every time she opened it. It was where she stored photos and texts from her boyfriend that really reminded her why she had fallen for him in the first place.

Not just because he was attractive, funny, incredibly smart, loyal, dedicated, and completely adorable. It was because he was the most genuine person she had ever met. She never had to doubt where she stood with him, since he told her how he felt with everything he did.

She looked up as a drink entered her field of view, and interrupted her thoughts.

“I...uh… thought you might be thirsty.” Izuku said with a gentle smile.

Mina grabbed the refreshingly cool bottle gratefully, and took a long drink from it.

<That settles it.> She thought happily <Best boyfriend in the world.>

Izuku began to vibrate with excitement as the announcement came over the PA system.

"The Mightiest trivia contest will begin shortly. All contestants, please make your way to the stage in the next five minutes so we can begin promptly."

Mina smiled at her overenthusiastic boyfriend. "Someone's looking excited. You think the contest is going to be exciting to watch?"

He shook his head. "I'm uh...I'm a contestant."

Mina blinked in surprise. Izuku had mentioned that there were some events he wanted to take part in at the convention, but he hadn't named anything specific and Mina had expected something a little more laid back. He had made great strides in his social skills, but standing up in front of a crowd like this was still a step outside his comfort zone.

"You are, huh? What's brought this on?"

"Oh! We'll, uh, I've seen some footage from previous fests, and it looked really fun. They have these really cool, in depth questions, so lots of super fans participate, and it's really cool."

Mina arched an eyebrow in his direction. She could tell he wasn't giving her the whole story.

He lasted nearly a minute before breaking under her stare.

"There's a really cool All Might plushie that they're giving out as a prize." Izuku mumbled, pushing his fingertips together dejectedly.

"There’s my favorite dork." Mina teased. "Think you've got a shot?"

Izuku looked pensive for a moment, then nodded slowly. It wasn't exactly the enthusiastic response Mina had been hoping for, but she'd take what she could get.

Another announcement played over the PA, letting them know they had only a couple of minutes to reach the stage. Izuku stood quickly, shaking a little in the knees, and made his way through the crowd with Mina following close behind him.

The set up for the trivia contest was actually quite impressive. It wasn't quite a professional level set, but it was close. They had a large screen strung above the contestants to let the crowd see the questions, as well as some smaller screens for the contestants to view. They each had a large red buzzer placed in front of them, the kind that made an irrational part of Mina want to run up and press just for the sake of pressing a button.

Izuku was even easier to pick out of the line of contestants than he had been on the floor. For probably the first time since Mina had met him, Izuku was wearing the least amount of All Might merchandise in the room. He had on a t-shirt, of course, and an armband that he had bought as they toured the con. Everyone else on the stage was decked out in full regalia, including several in full cosplay, complete with muscle suits.

Izuku was also easy to pick out, because he was looking even greener than usual. Apparently he'd worked himself into a fine state backstage. Mina had no doubt that he'd taken one look at the other contestants and had started to feel self conscious.

She shook her head. Izuku would be Izuku, even when he was among his people.

The hostess tapped her microphone, indicating the crowd to be quiet. As the noise started to die down, Mina could see that Izuku was still working himself into a tizzy.

<Guess I'll have to do something about that> Mina thought to herself.

She cupped her hands in front of her mouth, and shouted as loud and enthusiastically as she could. "GANBARE IZUKU!"

He visibly started at her call, but Mina could tell it has worked. His spine straightened, and his shoulders squared as she watched. He still looked nervous, of course, but it was leagues better than before.

Sighing contentedly, Mina sat back and tried to get comfortable in the plastic folding chairs the event had provided. Time to watch Izuku kick some nerd butt.

"Holy shit Midori" Mina said in amazement.

Izuku had come in first place in the contest, like she knew he would. One girl in gender bent All Might cosplay had given him some trouble, but in the end Izuku's encyclopedic knowledge of his idol had proven superior.

It wasn't Izuku's success that had surprised her, though. It was the reward for said success that had blindsided her.

The "plushie" that Izuku had won turned out to be a nearly life-sized recreation of All Might in his silver age suit. It was made of a soft and fluffy fabric that just begged to be hugged, and the stitched on smile was positively adorable with its faux chibi style. Grabbing onto it, Mina was instantly in heaven. It was just as comforting to hold onto as it looked.

"Midori you have to try this!" Mina called, voice muffled by the cushy fabric and layers of stuffing. She had no doubt that she was drawing several stares, but she also didn't care one bit.

She felt the plushie shake slightly as Izuku grabbed onto the other side. A moment later, his hand found hers and squeezed lightly. "I’m glad you like it." Came the muffled response.

Mina popped her head out, though she kept her arms wrapped around the plushie and her fingers intertwined with Izuku's. "What do you mean?"

Izuku popped his head up as well, staring at her with a small smile on his face. "I...uh...the plushie. I wanted to win it for...for you." He blushed, and buried his face once more.

Mina could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. It wasn't anything to rival Izuku's magnificent strawberry impersonation, but she did turn a rather lovely shade of lilac.

For the first time that day, Mina found herself at a loss for words. At this point, she should be used to Izuku's heartfelt gestures, but they still had a tendency to take her by surprise, and after dating Izuku for so long, Mina found that she quite liked surprises.

In a supreme effort of will, Mina detached herself from the plushie and made her way around to the opposite side. Izuku was still spooning it, an image that Mina saved in her memory to chuckle over later. Then, she wrapped him in as large a hug as she could manage.

"Thank you, Izuku" she whispered to him.

It definitely wasn't what she envisioned a perfect day out with Izuku would be, but it was special in its own way. And for her, that was more than enough.

“Hey Midori?”

“Yeah?”

“How are we gonna get this back to the dorms?”

“...I may not have thought this through all the way”

#izumina #my hero academia #mina ashido #midoriya izuku #bnha #fluff #dekumina #mha #mha fanfiction #minadeku #bnha fanfiction #fanfiction

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siliquasquama · 4 years

Text

Elf Storage

This is the first short story I ever told anyone. I think I came up with it for a Boy Scout campfire. But I lost the original document somehow (no idea how, it ought to be on my computer and it isn’t! I am vexed! I am infuriated!), so this is the revised version that I came up with yesterday -- here it is, and enjoy it as you please.

So I used to have a job in this town. I used to be the second-shift front desk clerk for a self-storage facility.

It wasn’t a fancy job but it was a big job, at least I like to think. ‘Cause a lot of people need their stuff stored, right? You know, we’ve all got so much stuff these days – sometimes I wonder where everyone puts it! But my place was one place. And, you know, lots of people have more stuff to store than their apartment can hold – better a self-storage facility than tripping over a bunch of junk to get to the kitchen table, right?

Well anyway. This place, big tall square brick building, not dressed up very fancy. It had a big neon sign out on the top that said “Self Storage.” Big letters lit up in red.

And I’m working at the front desk alone because the only two people who really need to be there are the receptionist, a couple security guards, and the manager. It’s a pretty low-overhead kind of place. Good profit, and I get some of it.

So around about noon one fine cold day this guy comes walking in and he looks homeless. You know how you can tell sometimes, right? Wearing lots of clothes all at once, carrying a big bag of cans, face looking like all the world’s come right down on you, which, to be fair, it has. Well this guy didn’t have a big bag of cans and he wasn’t wearing all his clothing at once, but he did have that look on his face.

And he came up to me and he said, “I would like to store myself, please.”

And I said “Stop yanking my chain.”

And he said, “I’m not trying to yank your chain, I want to store myself.”

And I said, “Either tell me what you actually want to store or stop wasting my time and get out of here.”

And he said, “Look, can I speak to the manager?”

And I rolled my eyes and I went to bring the manager out, and the manager asked the guy if he could pay, and the guy brought out a big old wad of cash. Well that threw me for a loop. Where did this guy get a big old wad of cash if he was homeless? The way he explained it, he had a decent job and all, working at the dollar store and second shift at a fast food joint, but he still just couldn’t afford an apartment in this dumb city, you know how it is, especially since he had to help pay his sister’s medical expenses, and the motels didn’t want him around, and he got kicked out of the Salvation Army Shelter because – well he wasn’t going to explain that at all. So maybe this was a last ditch, you know, a wild shot in the dark. Better than sleeping on the cold street, right?

And I thought well that’s fair, and the manager said well that’s fair, but it’s not like our units have ventilation or anything. And he said he would leave the door open a few inches at the bottom.

I didn’t think the manager was going to go for it, but he did, and the fellow purchased a unit and promised he would pay extra if he was going to bring anyone else in. And by day he would be out and about, doing his work, and by night, before the third-shift clerk came in, he would come back, pay his fee, give me a high five and go to his unit. Never brought anyone else in. Maybe he couldn’t afford it?

We wound up having to explain things to the third-shift clerk and the first-shift clerk, because sometimes Mister Stores-Himself would come in much too late for me, and of course he’d be leaving when I wasn’t there – the first-shift clerk thought it was pretty funny but the third-shift guy took some convincing. Fortunately in this economy, “do it or you’re fired” is pretty convincing. I always felt a little ashamed about that but hey – I’m not the manager. None of this was my decision. I’m just along for the ride and making money.

Well. Things went like that quietly for a while. I wondered if any other homeless folks would follow in his wake, but, you know, we do charge a fee for storage, and we’re not going to give discounts. Got to make money, right?

The first test of that principle came when the neon sign had a letter burn out.

You know how it is with those signs, right? Where you drive up to the store at night and the sign says “HARMACY” or “OOD MART” or “1-HR P O O” because the boss was too cheap to get the sign fixed and who cares anyway. Maybe you’re old enough to remember when the Hollywood sign said “HULLYWO D”? That kind of thing.

So now, as soon as night fell, our facility was called “ELF STORAGE.”

I thought that was kind of funny, like, oh no someone’s going to try to store an elf here. I stopped laughing when a lady came in around 6 PM and asked to store an elf.

So I said, “Come on, lady, I don’t need this kind of crap. I’m here on my feet from 5 to 11 and – ”

And she cut me off like a jerk. “I don’t care about your feet,” she said. “I want to store an elf.”

And I said “Look, you can store any object you want as long as you can pay, but why do you need to tell me the details? Just get out your credit card and stop wasting my time.”

And she said, “This isn’t an object, this is a real elf. The sign says Elf Storage. So I’m storing an elf. Do you want me to sue you for false advertising?”

And I said, “Do you want me to call security?”

And she said, “I want you to call the manager.”

Here we go again! So I brought in the manager and the manager said alright, let’s see this elf, and the lady brought out – must have been from behind her back somehow, I swear I never saw the damn thing before that moment – a living breathing elf.

A fairly tall elf lady, as it was, and I could tell even though her long hair covered her ears, cause she was a foot taller than my annoying customer and she was giving me a look that made me shudder and I was pretty sure her dress was made of actual leaves.

So I turned to the manager, hoping to get some backup for my refusal here, and the manager said, hey, we have to make money. And I said, I think we’re in over our heads. And the manager said, do you want to get paid or not?

That was a good answer, but I still had a burning question on my mind, so I turned to the annoying customer and said, “Why don’t you let the elf here speak for herself?” And that turned out to be a mistake because the elf’s response was a song that sounded like it came out of twenty different people.

And the annoying customer said that this was the elf lady’s request, because now that the sign no longer said self-storage, she couldn’t ask to store herself.

And that was when Mister Store-Himself walked in and put down his fee for the day, and the Elf Lady told him to scram because he was violating the sign. He told her to shove off. They almost started a fistfight until the manager put his foot down very loudly and said it was his facility, by thunder, and he’d accept whatever he wanted to accept.

That was a fair enough answer for the elf lady. She could understand monarchy well enough. And Mister Store-Himself was just glad to avoid being tossed out. So he didn’t put up a fuss.

Money in the till and that was that. The annoying customer purchased a small unit and the elf lady shrank to fit. I could swear she gave me a wink before she closed the door.

Things went like that for a while. Someone would come in wanting to store an elf, and all kinds of them – some thin as a rail and taller than me, some short and squat, some pale, some brown, some golden, some blue, didn’t matter really, they always looked completely different every time any of their doors were opened. And the third-shift guy kept telling me that they looked nothing like human when they crossed through moonlight. I asked him how the hell he was seeing moonlight in the middle of this city and he said he could see the full moon out the windows every night, when the lights flickered out at random times. I asked him how the hell the lights burned out when they were fluorescent track lighting installed last month. He couldn’t explain.

It took some convincing to get him to put up with all this, which is to say the manager threatened to fire him again.

Well, whatever. I didn’t have to deal with it except on the very occasional instance that the lights went off before my shift ended. One time Mister Store-Himself came in at just that moment, and needed help finding his own unit. Wouldn’t have been a problem except that my flashlight wasn’t working, so I had to use the glow from my smartphone and that kept turning off. Slow going. Especially since Mister Store-Himself told me to keep my eyes away from the patches of moonlight, so I’m shuffling around them with my eyes down. Talk about a nightmare. I have no idea how I found the guy’s unit before dawn.

Both me and third-shift guy were envious of the first-shift clerk, or more envious than usual.

That went on for a few months. No more incidents on my end, although Mister Stores-Himself complained to the manager that his unit’s door kept getting shut all the way. Thank heavens the first-shift guy always made sure to check. Otherwise it was a nice time. The building was warmer than you would have expected.

Then the next letter in the sign burned out.

At that point most of the elfs disappeared. They weren’t going to stick around if the sign didn’t say they could. And the manager no longer had a hold on them. Maybe he never really did. Maybe they were just playing with him. Or maybe they were following rules that he didn’t understand. Or maybe they understood what was coming. Whatever it was, the fees for their storage were gone, and the manager was despondent. He made hints that he would have to let us go. No more money. Well, that was going to be a problem, but at least the units were free for other people, right?

Unless some whack-off comes in trying to store an LF. What the heck is an LF? I don’t know. Hopefully nobody knows.

So the very next evening some fellow comes in with a pet carrier in one hand. Big pet carrier, the kind that holds a medium dog or a really big house cat. And oh boy, the sound that comes out of this pet carrier. Snarling like the devil himself. SNARL, GRRR, ROWL, RARR. I can barely hear the guy as he requests to store an Eleff.

I say, “What? You want to store an elephant?”

And he says, “No I don’t think you’re elegant!”

And the manager comes out, grabs the pet carrier, opens the door, sticks his hand in, and suddenly it’s dead quiet.

Alright, so maybe these things shut up if you give them a taste of the long pork. I asked the manager if Mister Stores-Himself is going to like that idea and the manager said, we have to make money.

So now it was my turn to suffer. First-shift clerk had no people coming to store Eleffs; third-shift guy only got them now and then; they all came in on MY shift, and oh my poor eardrums. I had to learn to stick my hand in the pet carrier despite my utter terror.

Whatever these Eleffs were, they were pretty fluffy.

And once you shoved the pet carrier into the unit their snarls were muffled. That worked well enough for a while. Until we got as many of them as we used to have elfs, and all the muffled snarling added up to an ominous sound that had the third-shift guy shaking in his shoes all night. He didn’t wait for the manager to fire him, apparently. Just ran out the door into the night. Or so I was told. I never actually saw him go.

You’d think if he got eaten Mister Stores-Himself would have gone first, but, by the same token, HE had a big steel door to hide behind. And what was he going to do if he didn’t like it? Leave?

I felt a little sick thinking that way about a fellow down on his luck, but it was true. He had to accept whatever this place threw at him, as long as his unit was his own. And the manager would take anything, as long as someone paid the fee. Money. Money money money. Maybe Mister Stores-Himself and the manager were both stuck in their own way. Manager out of greed, Mister Stores-Himself out of desperation. And me? Well, I had an apartment to pay for as well. This place paid well enough that I only had to work one shift. What a rare thing around here. I was stuck as much as anyone else was, unless I wanted to work myself to death at some warehouse package-fulfillment place where I could die and nobody would find me for twenty minutes.

So while these Eleffs were snarling all the livelong night, I was drowning them out with my own snarls about who had enough money to pay our fees, after all. How the hell did they get it and what did they do. Who knew.

Well, that went on for a while, and I wound up picking up the third shift because I was really good at ignoring the noises from the units, and NOBODY was applying for the position. Hey, two wages in my pocket, what’s not to like, right? Oh right, the fact that I had to stay awake from 5 PM until 5 AM. No goddamn way, man. I slept under the front desk.

Until the security guards ratted on me to the manager. Maybe they were mad at me for supposedly accepting all this nonsense. Hey, all I ever did was call the manager!

So I got real mad and I decided to get real sneaky. One night I told the security guards I was leaving the desk to use the bathroom, cover for me alright? And I sneaked up to the seventh floor where the big red sign ran right under the windows. This whole LF thing was going to end right now, dammit. I leaned out the window and whacked the glowing red L real hard.

Admittely it was a long shot, but I was thinking that, if they’re hanging up high, they’re not built to withstand any heavy blows. Well, I can’t say for certain. My idea didn’t work.

What actually happened was that the metal parts holding the sign to the brick were really rusty because Mister We Gotta Make Money never bothered to pay for maintenance on these things. So one smack sent the entire thing right off the wall.

The impact down on the ground sure drowned out whatever snarls were coming from the units. And thank god it sent both security guards running towards it, because they were too distracted to see me coming down the stairs. They were looking up to wonder why the sign had fallen, and down to worry about the massive amounts of glass all over the place.

I didn’t get any more sleep that night. The manager told me to sweep up all the glass. Oh, security guards didn’t have to help, did they? No, they had to protect the precious storage units from the sneak thieves who might have been using the sign as a distraction.

They wound up blaming Mister Stores-Himself because he was…an easy target, to be honest. They knew I’d gone to the bathroom and Mister Stores-Himself couldn’t prove his whereabouts, could he? And he could open his unit’s door from the inside, right? There you go.

The fact that I never revealed the truth when I had the chance to save that guy is not the greatest shame of my life, but it’s up there.

Well. I’d solved my problem, at least. Now we were going to get people trying to store an F. And no more snarls! No more Third shift for me!

Except that by this point, nobody in their right mind would have applied to work for us. I had hoped that Mister No Longer Stores Himself would take the opening that I had left, but maybe he wasn’t going to put up with a place that treated him like crap after pretending to give him a chance. So, welcome to third shift again!

And my assumption about the new customers proved correct. Sort of.

The first guy that came in next evening said, “I want to store an Eff.”

And I said, “Store an F? Maybe you can just paste it to a wall somewhere.”

And he said, “Excuse me? Oh, no no. Spelled E-F-F. Slightly different.”

And I said, “The sign says F not E-F-F. No dice.”

And he said, “I want to talk to the manager.”

I was sorely tempted to go behind the doorway and pretend to be a gruff manager telling him to scram, but the actual manager was there, so, nothing for it.

The manager said it was fine as soon as he could see this “eff”.

And the customer said, “You can’t see it. But! You know it’s there. Here effy effy effy effy.” And suddenly a gentle breeze blew through the room even though the door was closed.

Money in the till and that was that.

Only after the second and third of these things came in did I think to ask where, exactly, these things were being stored. The manager said, wherever. And I said, what do you mean whatever. And he said, you can’t store the wind in a definite place, can you? And I said yes you can, it’s called compressed air. And he said, the point is, we can store as many of these things in here as we want. Infinite customers! We’re no longer limited by space! And I said, compressed air, dumbass, there’s a limit to how much air you can fit in a space. And he said shut up or you’re fired.

Fine. At least this time the security guards weren’t going to venture into the building. At all. They were getting really scared. So I could sleep behind the desk now and fall asleep to the sound of a gentle breeze.

Or with good earplugs, because as we got one customer after another, the wind got louder and louder. I had to sleep with a thick blanket behind the desk because that wind was taking the heat right off me.

Mister manager kept his door closed and pretended not to notice.

But eventually, it was impossible not to notice, especially when I was having trouble standing upright at the desk. If I couldn’t hear a customer say anything then how could we get any more customers? Sign language! Thank goodness everyone knows sign language, right? Right. Right. Lucky me.

At the point that the manager himself could barely get his own door open, he began to have some doubts himself. But, gotta make money, right? And I tried to tell him that this was now impossible. First-shift clerk was long gone. Maybe blown out the window. The manager had to cover that shift himself.

But before he had the chance to figure that all out for himself, I wasn’t going to let him learn for himself, before I had my goddamn revenge. What I did was, instead of communicating the impossibility of the situation to him in sign language, I opened one of the windows, staggered back to the cash drawer, opened it up, and tossed all the cash into the air.

Must have been three thousand dollars that blew out the window with the escape of the Effs.

So NOW it was quiet.

And the manager told me I was fired.

Fine.

As it turned out, I wasn’t going to get any more money out of that place. Now that the remaining customer base had been thoroughly infuriated, they collectively sued the guy to oblivion. He tried to pin the blame on me but I never wound up paying anything because HE counter-sued the customers for creating the whole situation, and the whole thing became a legal tangle. He had to sell his storage facility to a national chain in order to keep paying his legal fees, and then settle.

In the meantime I took a first-shift job at a mattress store and a second-shift job at a nail salon, and those places were at least a little nicer. And I’d picked up enough money from the night shift at the storage place that I could put a down payment on a better apartment than my old place. I tracked down Mister Stores-Himself and offered to make things up to him by letting him pay a quarter of the rent instead of half. And he said, oh no, I don’t think you can put up with me, and I said, what could possibly be the problem? And he said that, before he managed to put on deodorant in the morning he always smelled like the devil himself. He had asked for a unit in a storage facility because he knew he’d be totally alone in the morning.

Well I’d lost my sense of smell in a firecracker accident years ago, so that wouldn’t be a problem. And he said fine and dandy.

So now we’re kind of stuck together, but I’d rather be stuck with him than my old manager. He’s a clever fellow, and bold. He proved that at the start of the whole ordeal.

I wonder why the manager never said anything about the smell. Maybe he was too polite? Nah, can’t be.

It had to be the money. Well, he got what he wanted.

And maybe everyone got what they deserved after all.

#Elf Storage #self storage #neon sign #fun with neon #short story #text #fiction

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shirohcsbecausewhythehellnot · 5 years

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Prompt: HI! Can I get a Shiro x female reader please. The plot will be that they are both actors for Voltron and that they're secretly dating. The whole cast of Voltron went to a convention and a bunch of fans during that convention asked if Shiro is in a relationship. Of course, since both Shiro and his girlfriend keep it low key he didn't respond because his girlfriend inst there. But then he talked to her about it then they revealed it during the convention meet up. All the fans go wild (1) Hey Hey! Can I request a Shiro x Female reader. Both of them are visiting his mother. And Shiro knows about reader and Shiros love for each other (and their married) but both of them are they to tell her news. Me personally, I think Shiros mother was a single mom so it can be like that in the story. So Shiro and reader during the day take his mother out where ever she wants to go. But after lunch, Shiro and reader reveal that reader is pregnant. Shiros mom gets emotional and happy for them. (2) So its about Shiro x Fem reader actor AU and how both of them are a couple and his mother approves of reader. In my opinion I think Shiro's mom was a single mom so can that be included in the story? Anyways since Shiro and reader are back from acting scene for Voltron, Shiro wanted to visit his mother in Japan and he wants to surprise her with something. Of course his mother is exited to see her son and her daughter in law so she clears her schedule to see them. The first week shiro,reader and his mother go out eating and do what ever she wants, becuase shiro and reader respect her and love her. After the first week, Shiro goes out with his mom and tells her that reader is pregnant. His mother is in shock and starts crying joyish tears. Once they get back home she hugs reader and tell her she happy for them. You can change the ending or whatever but It needs to be cute! THANK YOU (3)

Okay so this was a long-ass prompt and it was requested to me literally months ago. Not even kidding. ANON I’M SORRY! So I think that the person who requested me this was the same who DM’d me to add more detail (The last prompt) and so I just added the two together. If not, I’m sorry whoops. I guess you can request again once I open them. Also, this isn’t the first AU that I was requested but it was the first one I completed WOOT WOOT! *gives self lame high-five* Anyway, enjoy!

Fandom: Voltron Legendary Defender

Pairing: Shiro x Fem!Reader

Genre: Actor!AU, Fluff?, Slice of Life

Word Count: 9,642

Warnings: I’ve decided to remove swearing as an official warning so no

“And… cut! That’s a wrap, guys! Great job!”

You heard applause from the staff as you and the rest of the group walked off the set. You had just finished filming the pilot season of Voltron: Legendary Defender that will air on Netflix not long from now. Being advertised on such a huge platform was going to give you a lot of street cred. This was going to be your first big break.

“This is going to be a hit, guys! I just know it!” The director enthusiastically walked up to all of you with a beaming smile on her face. You returned her smile before taking a sip from your water bottle. You noticed your boyfriend, Shiro, walk up to you. You smiled at him as well.

You two had met before briefly during auditions for previous roles but the relationship never went further than that. He was just the “hot dude in auditions” amongst you and your friends. That is until you were both cast for this show. You played as the stowaway engineer while he played as one of the Paladins. You were also each other’s romantic interests. Although, it was only hinted in the first season. And it wasn’t even intentional. Your chemistry was just so great on-screen that everyone agreed it would be a good idea to add a bit of romance to the, otherwise, action-based show. However, what the crew didn’t know, except for the cast who had their suspicions, was that the on-screen chemistry was a direct result of your off-screen chemistry after months of quick glances, flirting, and blushing. Neither of you was entirely sure how it started, you were just glad that it did. You two were just rehearsing a newly added scene between your characters in Shiro’s apartment which then lead to the day ending with the two of you naked and in his bed. You grinned slightly at the memory before locking your gaze with Shiro’s.

“Hey, you.” He said fondly. He had already removed his scar makeup and fake prosthetic, although his white patch of hair was still there.

“Hey.” You replied. You looked at your surroundings to see if anyone was watching before you reached up and planted a quick kiss on his lips. He looked at you amusedly before he grabbed your hand and sneakily brought you two behind the Black Lion prop that hid you from the eyes of others and kissed your lips deeply. You sighed softly as you wrapped your arms around his neck and brought him closer to you. You slowly parted from each other with a small smile and stared lovingly at each other.

“So I was thinking…” He trailed off with a grin.

“Yes?” You inquired.

“Well, we’ve been dating for a little over a year now…”

“Uh-huh.” You urged him to continue.

“And we’re going to be so busy once the pilot airs…” He said dramatically. You rolled your eyes.

“Get on with it already, Shirogane!” You said teasingly. He let out a quiet chuckle.

“I was thinking, while we’re free before the pilot airs if maybe we could go visit my mom? She’s been dying to meet you.” Your mind went blank for a split-second before it flooded with thoughts. Aside from what Shiro said about his mother being an angel, a part of you was nervous about meeting your boyfriend’s mom for the first time. Although, the bigger part of you couldn’t deny that you were happy Shiro wanted to show such an important part of his life to you. You squashed down your fears of the worst-case scenarios and beamed at him.

` “I would love to meet your mom, Takashi. I can’t wait.” A breath of relief left Shiro’s lips before he bent down and kissed you once again.

“That’s great.”

A week had passed since then and you were repacking your suitcase yet again for your trip to visit Shiro’s mother in Japan. You had just closed your suitcase when you heard the door to your bathroom open. You turned around only to be faced with a wet and nude Shiro. The only thing covering him was the towel wrapped around his waist. You didn’t even try to be subtle as you admired your boyfriend’s physique.

God damn, I’m the luckiest woman on earth. You thought.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Shiro said smugly. You only hummed in agreement. Your eyes trailed his form until they rested on the top of his head. His previous white patch of hair now replaced with a black one. Your eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, my god! What did you do to your hair!?” You asked in shock. Shiro raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“I dyed it?”

“But why?” You inquired.

“Because it’s my natural hair color, Y/N.” He stated. You let out a little pout.

“But your floof…” Shiro sighed affectionately before he went up to you and lightly pinched your cheek.

“It’ll come back when we film the next season, don’t worry.” You sighed softly.

“Fine.” You grumbled. Shiro could only chuckle. You turned around to zip up your suitcase. It was then that he realized that you had just finished packing. Shiro wrapped his arms around your waist and hugged you to his chest as he rested his chin on your shoulder with a confused pout.

“You just finished? I thought you were halfway done before I got in the shower?” You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly.

“This is probably the fifth time I’ve repacked, actually.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just nervous about meeting your mom.” You sighed softly and leaned into his embrace. “I don’t want to give a bad first impression. It’s bad enough that I won’t be able to have full conversations with her due to the language barrier.” You averted your gaze from his. You heard him sigh before he gently turned you around to face him. You slowly looked up and met his tender gaze.

“You don’t have to worry about anything, Y/N. She’s going to love you. And you can’t blame yourself for not knowing the language. You weren’t raised in an environment where you had to and she gets that.” He gently rested his forehead against yours. “You’re going to do great and everything is going to be just fine.” You let out a deep breath to calm your nerves before you nodded in agreement.

“Right, you’re right. I got this!” You said enthusiastically. Shiro smirked at your reply and stroked your cheek affectionately.

“That’s my girl. Now come on, we should go to bed. We have an early flight to catch.” You nodded and huddled under your covers as you waited for Shiro to dry himself off and get dressed. He soon joined you in the bed and immediately wrapped his arms around you in another comforting embrace. You snuggled into his hug with a sigh.

“Night, Kashi.” You whispered.

“Night.”

It was a little after 4 in the afternoon when your plane finally landed at the Narita Airport. Your nerves once again resurfaced and you even felt a little nauseous from it. You felt a big, warm hand gently wrap around yours. You turned to face Shiro.

“Relax.” He said softly. You slowly nodded your head and forced yourself to calm down.

Relax, Y/N, relax! You’re just meeting his mom, you don’t need to get worked up over this! What’s the worst that could happen? She doesn’t accept our relationship? She makes Shiro choose between us and obviously he has to choose his mother because come on, it’s his mother! Or maybe- You mentally shook your head to stop the pessimistic thoughts from filling your brain. Shiro told you everything was going to be fine, so it’s going to be fine. And besides, Kashi literally talks about how much of a sweetheart she is. Also, since she raised him by herself and he turned out this great, she’s bound to be just as great. You were too caught up in convincing yourself to calm down that you didn’t even realize that you and Shiro had exited the airport and was headed toward the bullet train to Osaka. You two entered the train and found your seats. You looked out the window as the train started to leave to soak in the sights of Japan. You felt Shiro’s hand lace between your fingers and you looked over at your boyfriend who was smiling at you softly.

“We’re really lucky we were able to get here right before the cherry blossom season started in Osaka. I really wanted to show it to you.” You beamed at him.

“Really? I can’t wait! I’ve seen the pictures online and they look so beautiful.” Shiro let out a little chuckle.

“Trust me, the pictures pale in comparison to the real thing.”

“I have no doubts about that.” Shiro hummed softly in agreement and brushed some hair behind your ear.

“I’m really glad that you’re here, Y/N.” You looked into his dark eyes that were filled with love and you gave him a warm smile as you squeezed his hand.

“Me too.” You murmured. Everything’s going to be fine. You thought.

After a few hours, you finally got off the bullet train and stepped out of the station. You took a deep breath of the slightly chilly air and noticed a hit of salt from the sea. But what was most significant, was the mesmerizing aroma of the street vendors holding various types of delicious foods.

“Everything smells amazing.” You said in wonder to Shiro. He smiled at your reaction in amusement.

“Osaka is quite known for its food. We even have a saying here, ‘kuidaore’. Basically, it means to eat until you drop.”

“Oh, I intend to, don’t worry.” He let out a little snort at your response as he hailed a taxi.

You finally made it to his mother’s house. It was a small two-story house wedged in between two others that faced the beach from a distance. You noticed the laundry that was hanging from the second story balcony and the flowers that decorated the fences and front yard. It looked very homey. You were admiring the exterior of your boyfriend’s childhood home when you heard the front door open. You quickly focused your attention to the petite woman exiting the house and unconsciously straightened your posture.

Shiro’s mother reminded you of him. She might be a bit short and her dark hair might be greying slightly at the roots but she had his warm smile and dark eyes specked with silver that was filled with the same strength. Her hair was tied back and she had an apron wrapped around her waist as a delicious scent came from the house. She was probably preparing dinner when you two got here. She walked up to the two of you, beaming, with her arms spread wide.

“Takashi.” She said lovingly. Her voice shook a little and her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

“Kāsan,” Shiro muttered before he dropped his bag at his feet and quickly walked up to her, engulfing her small frame in a hug. Your heart warmed at the sight of him being reunited with his mother. Her arms were wrapped firmly around his back and she patted it lightly before slowly parting from him. She placed a hand on his cheek with a smile filled with motherly affection before her eyes glanced to you. You again straightened your back as you held your breath.

“Is this her?” She asked, a hint of excitement lacing her voice.

“Yes. This is my girlfriend, Y/N.” He replied looking back at you with a small grin. You only stood there and smiled nervously as you wondered what they were talking about. Shiro’s mother fully detached herself from her son as she walked up to you and cupped your face with both her hands. She tilted your head from side to side as she looked at you with a scrutinizing gaze and you sweating anxiety bullets before she smiled yet again and hugged you firmly.

“Arigatō.” She whispered into your ear. Even though you lacked greatly in your Japanese skills, you were at least able to understand the meaning behind those words. Your body relaxed immediately and you returned the hug. You looked over her shoulder and smiled at your boyfriend who was staring at the two of you lovingly. Eventually, she let go of her embrace before she bent down to grab your luggage.

“Oh, ma’am. That’s fine, really. You don’t need to-” You stopped yourself short, remembering that she didn’t speak English and looked at Shiro with pleading eyes. He looked at you amusedly before he turned to his mother.

“Mom, you don’t have to. Y/N says she can carry it.”

“Nonsense! I’m perfectly fine. You two just had a long trip, you must be exhausted. I just finished dinner. I made your favorite.” His mother didn’t even bother to stop as she continued to walk into her house. Shiro sighed as he glanced at you and shrugged his shoulders.

“She’s stubborn.” He said. You grinned slightly.

“It must run in the family.” Shiro rolled his eyes and muttered for you to shut up before he bent down to grab his luggage and follow his mother into the house. You giggled slightly and moved to follow him before you stopped abruptly at the sudden wave of dizziness that washed over you. You pinched the bridge of your nose and took a deep inhale of air as you tried to steady yourself.

“Y/N, are you okay?” You looked up and saw Shiro standing at the entrance, his mother behind him, both looking at you with concern. You smiled warmly and waved your hand.

“I’m fine, just a little tired. Probably from the lack of sleep.” You reassured. Shiro sighed slightly in relief before he turned around to explain to his mother. She said something back at him while glancing at you and he turned around to translate.

“She said that it’s probably best if you take a nap to regain some energy.” You shook your head softly and looked at her gratefully.

“I’m fine, really. Thank you for your concern. I’ll regain energy from eating your food. It smells delicious.” You smiled gratefully at his mother. Shiro smiled as well while translating for you. You grinned at the moment where you assumed Shiro was complimenting your mother’s food for you when you noticed her raise her head in pride. Shiro’s mother spoke again with a grin as she entered the house and you and Shiro followed. “What’d she say?” You asked as you caught up to him. He glanced at you and smirked.

“‘Damn right.’”

“The food was delicious- uh, babe, how do you say that in Japanese?” You said quietly, reminding yourself, once again, of the language barrier.

“Oishī” He whispered back.

“Right, yes. Oishī, Shū…tome?” You said hesitantly, glancing at Shiro for confirmation that you said mother-in-law (after his mother insisted) correctly. He nodded at you with a smile and you returned it. Of course, the two of you weren’t married, yet. Let alone, engaged. But you couldn’t deny that you have been thinking about it recently. You were taken away from your thoughts and hopes for the future when you noticed Shiro’s mother stand up and begin to pick up the empty dishes. “Shūtome, I can take that-” You stood up quickly and stopped yourself mid-sentence when another wave of nausea washed over you. You leaned against your chair slightly and pinched the bridge of your nose.

“Y/N!” Shiro quickly stood up and rested his hand on your forehead. “You’re a little sweaty, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. I guess I just stood up too quickly.” You tried to settle his nerves with a smile but he still looked worried. You sighed and placed a hand against his cheek. “I’m fine, honestly. Don’t worry.” You looked up to see Shiro’s mother walk up to you too. You smiled at her reassuringly. “Daijōbudesu.” You muttered and turned to look back at your concerned boyfriend. “I’m just gonna go use the bathroom and splash some water on my face, okay?” Shiro’s eyes scanned your face before he relented.

“Alright. You know where it is, right?” You nodded and turned your back on the two of them as you headed to the bathroom as calmly as you could. When you turned a corner and was certain that you were out of sight, you quietly bolted to the bathroom, covering your mouth with the back of your hand. You had just barely made it to the bathroom before you coughed up your recently eaten dinner into the sink. You turned on the faucet to wash it away and to drown out the noise as it continued for a few more minutes. Once you were sure it was over, you washed your mouth with water and washed the sweat away from your face. You leaned over the sink and groaned quietly.

“Not again…” You muttered. This had been going on for the past few weeks. You’ve hidden it from Shiro because you didn’t want him to worry and because you needed to finish shooting the final episodes of your show. You were sure that it was just a stomach bug at first but they shouldn’t last this long. Your eyes snapped open. “Oh shit.” You whispered as you hastily pulled out your phone and checked your menstrual tracker app. You gasped silently in shock as you read the screen. You were over two months late. At first, you chalked up your first late period to stress from the shooting but by the time the second had been missed, you completely forgot about it due to the show. “Oh shit.” You said again. You looked up at your pale reflection as you tried to calm yourself down. “Okay, don’t stress over this, Y/N. This isn’t the first time you’ve missed more than a month. Finals week was always brutal to your cycle.”

‘Yeah, but you weren’t having sex during finals week.’ A little voice in your head replied. “That’s true.” You responded out loud. You started to panic. I can’t be a mom. Not right now. I don’t know if I’m ready! Plus, what’s Takashi going to think about this? Worst-case scenarios started popping up in your head before you mentally cut yourself off. “Okay, I think that we can all agree that we shouldn’t be freaking out over this until we take an actual test first.” You said to no one. You nodded to your self in agreement as you walked out the door and into the living room with a smile.

You entered the living room with the view of Shiro and his mother talking. They noticed you right away and Shiro’s mom walked up to you and cupped your cheek.

“You… okay?” She asked in hesitant English. You felt touched at the effort she was putting in to communicate as you nodded with a soft smile. She smiled back and grabbed your hand as she lead you to the couch. Confused, you allowed it at sat down next to Shiro. He put an arm around you and squeezed your shoulder lightly.

“Are you sure? I can take you to the doctor’s if you’d like.” You gave him a quick peck on the lips in response.

“Thanks, but I’m good.” You heard Shiro’s mother softly clear her throat and you returned your attention to her. She raised up both hands, fingers spread apart and made a small gesture.

“Wait.” She said. You nodded to let her know that you would before she walked off again. You glanced over to your boyfriend and he just shrugged his shoulders as you both waited for his mother’s return. Not long after, she re-entered the room with a couple of photo albums in her hands. You sat up straighter in excitement while Shiro groaned.

“Mom, we don't need to show her these.”

“Well, why not?” She asked.

“Because…” Shiro trailed off.

“Because?” She urged him to continue.

“It’s just embarrassing.” He muttered. Shiro’s mom rolled her eyes.

“Oh please! It’s just pictures of you as a child! Worst-case scenario, she sees a picture of you in the bath but what’s the big deal? She’s definitely seen more than that.”

“Mom!” Shiro gasped, mortified. You sat quietly in between the two of them bickering as you tried to stifle your laughter. Despite not knowing what was being said, you had a pretty good guess based on the photo albums before you, your boyfriend's flushed face, and his mother’s triumphant one. While the two of them went back and forth, you quietly picked up one of the photo albums and opened it. You started flipping through the pictures of Shiro’s childhood with a smile on your face. Shiro and his mother both noticed and Shiro sighed in defeat and reluctantly started looking through them with you. You landed on a picture of Shiro, no older than ten, in a baseball uniform, a band-aid and a little dirt on his face, and a wide smile with a gap from a missing tooth. Shiro’s mom pointed at it with a fond smile and held up nine fingers to tell you his age. You smiled in response as you continued to look through the album. You closed it and picked up another right away, the teddy bears on the cover indicated that these were his baby photos. You quickly opened it and let out a small squeal in delight.

“Oh my god! Kashi, you were so cute!” You turned to see your boyfriend with slightly flushed features as he averted your gaze.

“Kawaii ne?” Shiro’s mother asked. You nodded enthusiastically and continued to look through his baby pictures fondly.

I wonder if our kids will look like this? You asked yourself. You mentally shook your head at the thought. You intended to not think about it until you were certain and dammit, you were going to. You finished looking at the final page of the album and reluctantly closed it and picked up the last one. Most of the pictures were of him in middle and high school. The pictures of a younger and smaller looking Shiro being goofy with his friends made you smile the most as Shiro pointed them out to you and gave you a brief introduction on them. You remember a few of them that you and Shiro met when they visited you in LA, but most of them were strangers to you. You flipped the page again and another picture caught your eye. It was old. The faded colors and grainy filter told you that. And in the picture wasn’t Shiro but a young woman with a slightly older man. You instantly recognized Shiro’s mother for she barely aged a bit. She was probably in her early twenties and she was looking up lovingly of the man who was clearly of European descent. He met her gaze with a similar look.

“Hey, babe, who’s this?” You pointed at the man in curiosity.

“Who?… Oh.” You felt the mood drop instantly. You looked up and saw that both Shiro and his mother looked a bit grim.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to-” You were quickly cut off.

“No, it’s fine. That’s just… my father.”

“Your father?” You repeated softly. You looked at the man closer and noticed a bit of resemblance between him and Shiro with the facial structure. Shiro never talked to you much about his father. All you knew about him was that he was from Sweden and Shiro’s never met him. Other than that, he basically didn’t exist. You felt a small hand rest over yours and you looked over to Shiro’s mother. She was smiling sadly as she spoke to you in Japanese. After she finished speaking, you turned to look at Shiro for a translation. He looked over at his mother for confirmation that it was okay to repeat it and she nodded.

“She said that he was a professor at her college. And that they had a secret relationship with one another and that they were doing really well. But when she found out that she was pregnant with me and told him, he quit his job and left the country almost immediately because turns out, he was married and had a family back in his country. He’s probably somewhere in Sweden, the bastard.” He added angrily with a hint of hurt in his voice. You laid a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at his mom with an apologetic look. She smiled and patted your cheek.

“Daijōbudesu.” She said with an optimistic voice. She looked over to Shiro and looked back at you. Even though she wasn't communicating to you with words, you understood what she meant. ‘In the end, I got Takashi out of this so I don’t regret a thing. If anything, he’s missing out.’ You grinned and nodded in agreement.

Shiro’s mother tried to stifle her yawn as she glanced at her watch. You checked the time as well and noticed that it was around 11 o’clock at night.

“Hey, Takashi, it’s getting late. We should probably try to sleep and fight off this jet-lag.” Shiro seemed to have snapped out of some trance and nodded automatically. You got up from the couch and turned to Shiro’s mom. “Oyasuminasai, Shūtome.” You said hesitantly, praying that you bid her good night correctly, before walking up the stairs with Shiro.

“Oyasuminasai.” She replied.

You closed the door behind you after entering Shiro’s childhood bedroom. Bits and pieces of his past were shown through the things that he had in them. You looked over to see Shiro staring out the window silently. You frowned slightly and walked up to him. You hugged him from behind and rested your cheek against his broad back.

“Hey, you okay?” You asked. You heard him let out a big sigh.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just… bad thoughts.” He muttered.

“Sorry for bringing up those bad thoughts.” You replied, guiltily. Shiro sighed again before he turned around and returned your hug.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. If anything it was him. I mean, how could somebody do that? How could somebody just leave a pregnant woman who was carrying his unborn child alone without a good reason?”

“I don’t know Takashi. I don’t know why or how people do it. There are just some people like that in this world, unfortunately.”

“But still. If it were me, I wouldn’t leave. There is no way in hell I would leave. And yet, he did.” You felt yourself let out a little breath of relief that you didn’t even know that you were holding. You were glad to know that if you did find yourself pregnant, he would be with you.

“You’re not like him Kashi. You have a heart. And you do what’s right.” You felt Shiro hug you a little tighter.

“But… why didn’t he care?” He asked in a whisper. You felt your heart clench at the hurt in his voice. You pulled back slightly and cupped his face in your hands.

“Because he's a coward, Takashi. He’s a coward who doesn’t even deserve to know you anyway. You’re a better man in a day than he will ever be in his life. You’re better than him.” You repeated firmly as you tugged on his chin to look you in the eyes. “And he’s worse off without you.” Shiro stared into your eyes deeply and in silence, processing your words. He parted his lips, preparing to speak before he shut them. Finally, he let out a breath.

“You… you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, you know that?” You grinned slightly.

“That’s a given.” Shiro gently shook his head in amusement as he bent down to brush his lips softly against yours.

“I love you.” He murmured against your lips.

“I love you, too.” You replied. You two continued to softly caress each other lips before slowly parting from each other.

“Let’s get ready for bed. As you said, we should fight off this jet-lag.” Shiro said before leaving your embrace and unpacking both of your toiletries.

“Okay.”

It had just past 4 A.M and you still found yourself unable to sleep. Shiro had managed to doze off a few hours ago, hugging you close to his chest. However, you didn’t even feel the least bit tired. And by keeping to yourself in the quiet, the unwanted thoughts of a possible pregnancy started to resurface. You tried to block out the thoughts by shutting your eyes and trying to force yourself to sleep but eventually, you gave up and let out a silent groan in frustration. You slowly started to get up from the futon when you felt Shiro’s arms tighten around you.

“Babe, what are you doing? It’s the middle of the night.” He mumbled, sleepily. You turned around slightly and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

“I can’t sleep. I’m going to take a walk around the neighborhood.” You whispered.

“But you don’t know the area. I’ll go with you.” He replied as he started to get up. You quickly stopped him and gently pushed him back down to the futon. Luckily, he didn’t put up much of a fight.

“I’ll be fine. If I get lost, I’ll just use Google Maps.” Shiro cracked one eye open and looked at you curiously.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Positive. Now go back to sleep. I’ll be back within an hour.” You said as you kissed his lips gently. Shiro hummed in acknowledgment before his breathing quickly went back to a slow, steady pace. You smiled softly and ran your fingers through his cropped hair before getting back up and putting on a pair of jeans and a hoodie. You quietly walked down the stairs, hoping that you don’t wake up Shūtome. You sighed in relief when you reached the door. You slowly opened the door and picked up your shoes from the shoe-rack outside and slipped them on. You put the hood on over your head and started to walk off in a random direction.

You continued to walk in whatever direction you felt like before you halted in front of a Lawson. You noticed that it was still open so you decided to walk in and grab a quick snack. You nodded politely at the cashier who welcomed you before you started walking down the different aisles, grabbing snacks that you thought looked appetizing along the way. You were about to walk into the next aisle when something caught your eye. It was a small, pink box. You couldn’t read the words written on it but you could swear that it was a picture of a pregnancy test on the box. You quickly pulled out your phone and opened up Google Translate just to be sure. When the words on the screen matched the label on the box, you quickly reached out for it. Just before you were going to grab it, you hesitated.

Should I really be doing this? You asked yourself. I don’t know if I’m ready to know the answer.

‘It’s better to know now than having a random baby popping out of you and ending up on I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.’ A voice replied. After a swift internal battle with yourself, you steeled your resolution and picked it up. You headed over to the counter and pulled out your wallet from the pocket of your hoodie. You quickly exchanged your money for the items and muttered a quiet “Thank you” in Japanese before heading out again.

You quietly entered the house again and tip-toed up the stairs. You placed the snacks in Shiro’s room before heading to the bathroom with the pregnancy test in hand. Once you were finished, you placed the test on the counter near the sink while you washed your hands. You set a timer for two minutes on your phone and turned away from the test. Seconds seemed like hours as you anxiously waited for the result. When you finally heard the soft chime from your phone, indicating that the timer was done, you slowly turned around with your eyes screwed shut. After some attempts, you picked up the test.

“Okay, Y/N. You got this. Just open your eyes on the count of three. One. Two…” You slowly opened your eyes and looked at the test. At the end of the stick, you saw two lines. The moment those lines hit your vision, every doubt, every fear or concern or hesitation flew right out the window. You were pregnant. And it was with Shiro’s baby. You were going to be a mother.

“…Three.” You whispered with a smile. Tears started to prick at your eyes as you let out a watery laugh. “I’m gonna be a mom.” You still couldn’t believe it. You rested a hand on your stomach, it was too early for a bump to be visible but you stared down at it lovingly. “Hello, little baby.” You whispered. You felt a tear slip down your face. “I’m your Mama.” It felt right having those words leave your lips. “I know you can’t hear me yet but I hope you know how much I love you already and I can’t wait to meet you. Wait until your Papa hears the news. I can’t wait to see the look on his face.” Happily, you left the bathroom and headed down the hall to Shiro’s room. You glanced out the window and saw the faintest hint of sunlight. You checked your phone and saw that it was ten minutes to six. You knew that you were defiantly able to sleep with this news so you decided to go for a walk on the beach in front of the house. You entered the bedroom and knelt down to look at Shiro’s sleeping face. You smiled warmly at the thought of the future before you reached out and gently shook his sleeping frame.

“Mmm.” He groaned sleepily.

“Hey… hey Kashi. Wake up.” You whispered.

“No.”

“Come on. Let’s go see the sunrise.”

“We can see the sunset. Let’s just stay in bed.” He muttered as he grabbed you and brought you down to him. You let out a little squeal of laughter as you playfully pushed against him.

“Please?” You asked cutely. When he didn’t respond you sighed and continued. “Please?Please? Please? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-”

“Alright, fine. You win.” He groaned as he regretfully pushed himself off of the futon. He slowly dragged his feet and changed into some jeans and a hoodie as well before you two set off for the beach.

You walked against the tides hand in hand, your shoes in the other. The chilly seawater tickled at your feet as the sun continued to rise, slowly, over the horizon. You two stopped walking soon after and sat down at the edge of the sea. You sat side by side as you watched the sun ascend.

“This is beautiful.” You said in awe.

“Yeah. You were right.”

“I always am.” You said with a grin.

“Shut up.” Shiro chuckled. You did as well as you continued to stare into the distance. Alright, Y/n. Now or never. You thought. You opened your mouth to speak, your eyes still set on the rising sun.

“Hey, Kashi?” You said. When you heard him hum in response, you continued. “I’ve been thinking.”

“About?” He asked.

“You know, about us. About our future.”

“Is it a good one?” He asked. Even though you weren’t looking at him, you could hear the smile in his voice.

“Obviously.” You snorted.

“So what is it that you saw in our future?” He asked.

“Oh… you know. The basics. Engagement, marriage…. kids.” You added softly. Shiro didn’t respond.

“Do you… do you want kids?” You asked hesitantly, daring not to look at him. Shiro softly cleared his throat before he answered.

“I mean, of course, I want kids. And I especially want them with you. Eventually. But with the show going on right now and our schedules, we can't possibly-”

“Takashi, I’m pregnant.” You blurted out. Everything was silent again. You held your breath as you waited for a response.

“…What?” He said in disbelief. You sighed softly and turned to face him. His face looked like if the word ‘shocked’ was created for just this moment.

“I’m pregnant.” You said again, quieter. You didn’t think Shiro’s eyes could get any wider but they did.

“You…” He took in a shaky breath and stood up and took a few steps into the ocean. The water soaking the ankles of his jeans. He didn’t seem to notice or care. You followed suit and walked up behind him. You placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Are you upset?” You asked. You knew that he wasn’t going to leave. His declaration from the previous night confirmed that for you. But you still couldn’t help but feel scared at the thought that he doesn’t want this baby. When his reply didn’t come, your heartbeat quickened. “Takashi?” You asked hesitantly.

“How long have you known?” He asked quietly.

“I had my suspicions but I just found out. When I went out for a walk, I bought a test and took it.” You replied.

“How far along are you?” You took a moment to think about it.

“If I’m correct…. then a little over two months.” You heard him let out a quick breath.

“Takashi? Are you upset?” You asked again, quieter now.

“Of course I’m not upset.” You heard him whisper. He slowly turned around and looked into your eyes with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “How could I ever be upset. We’re going to be parents!” He said with a watery laugh as he picked you up and spun you around. You let out a little scream in shock before you laughed with him. He eventually stopped and slowly put you down, still wrapped around in his embrace.

“But you just said-”

“Forget what I said. I meant it theoretically. But now that I know that you- we,” He corrected as he placed a hand on your stomach, the bump still invisible. “are going to have a baby, I wouldn’t have it another way.” A single tear slipped down your face as you hugged him tightly. He returned the hug and let out a dreamy sigh. “I am so, so in love with you, Y/N.” He whispered into your hair.

“I’m in love with you, too.” You replied. You two gently pulled apart from each other and stared lovingly into the other’s eyes before you both slowly leaned in and kissed deeply. He slowly slipped his tongue inside your mouth and twirled it around yours. You let out a soft moan in delight as you pulled him closer. After a few minutes of loving kisses, Shiro’s body tensed and he immediately pulled away.

“Ah, shit.” He muttered. You looked at him curiously.

“What?” Shiro let out an exasperated sigh.

“I left it at the house. Had I known… wait here.” He said before quickly jogging towards the house. You stood there in shock as you watched his figure get smaller.

“O…kay?”

You waited for your boyfriend’s return, your feet splashing the water slightly. He couldn’t have been gone for more than a few minutes but it felt like hours. You soon heard footsteps and you quickly turned around to see Shiro running up to you, a little out of breath.

“I was going to do this when we went to go see the cherry blossoms, but I guess now is better than later.” You raised an eyebrow at him.

“What are you talking abo-” Your voice left your lips when you saw Shiro kneel down and pull out a box from the pocket of his hoodie. The sea water was basically soaking all of his jeans but his only focus was on you.

“Y/N, you didn’t know this, but I’ve been set on you for a while now. Even before we were official. When I saw you for the first time at one of our previous auditions, I knew that you were going to be a special part of my life. And when we got cast together for Voltron, I knew that I had to get to know you. And then after our first night… I knew that I was done for. That you were the one for me. I fell for you hard and fast and I couldn’t wait to ask you to be mine forever.”

“Oh my god.” You whispered. You felt your heart swell at his words.

“Every time I picture my future, you’re there, Y/N. You’re always there. And I know that we’re a little young and that we just got our careers off the ground but hey, we’re going to be parents now. Life is unpredictable.” He said with a chuckle. You laughed as well. “So what I’m saying is…”

“Yes?” You whispered.

“We’re going to have a baby soon…” He trailed off.

“Uh-huh.” You replied. Your smile widening at the familiar scene.

“And you’re the love of my life…” He said dramatically. You giggled slightly as you rolled your teary eyes.

“Get on with it already, Shirogane!” You teased, your voice shaking with tears. Shiro hummed in amusement before slowly opening the box and revealing a gorgeous ring. In the center, it held a round carbonado diamond that sat on a band of white gold. An intricate pattern was carved in the band and held smaller carbonado diamonds along with miniature crystals within. You let out a quiet gasp.

“Marry me?” He asked. His voice was soft and loving as he stared deep into your eyes. The dam finally broke and the tears spilled down your face. You couldn’t speak so all you could do was nod frantically before you finally found your voice.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you!” You sobbed. Shiro let out a small breath of relief before he stood up and gently grabbed your left hand.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this.” He whispered as he slipped the ring onto your finger. You laughed in disbelief. You looked up and saw that a few tears slid down Shiro’s face as well before you quickly grabbed his face and crashed his lips against yours. You soon parted and stared at each other lovingly.

“We’re going to get married!” You squealed. Shiro softly kissed the tip of your nose.

“I know. And we’re going to be parents.” He reminded you as he looked down onto your stomach. You gently rested a hand over it and Shiro rested his hand over yours.

“I can’t wait.” You muttered happily. Shiro hummed in agreement. His eyes still focused on your unborn child.

“You’re going to be so spoiled, you know that?” He said to the baby with a smile. You giggled at his interaction with the baby.

“You’re going to be a great dad, Takashi.” You whispered. He finally looked up and smiled at you.

“And you’re going to be a great mom.”

“Speaking of moms, we should tell your mother.” Shiro gently shook his head.

“Not yet. Let’s surprise her.” He looked back down at your stomach. “Your Baba is going to spoil you rotten as well.” He chuckled.

“Baba?” You asked.

“It’s short for Obāsan. It means grandma.”

“Ah.” You understood. You looked out into the horizon and noticed that the sun was fully up. You checked the time and saw that it was a little past 7 A.M. “We should head back. We don’t want your mom worrying about us.” Shiro nodded.

“Yeah, okay.” You started to walk off when you felt a little tug on your arm. You turned around just before Shiro pulled you close and kissed you passionately. He slowly parted his lips from yours and smiled.

“I’m so happy.” You smiled back.

“Me too.”

You entered the house with Shiro and was greeted with the smell of steaming rice.

“I guess your mom’s up.” You said. He shrugged his shoulders.

“She’s always been an early riser.” You noticed his mother poke her head out of the kitchen and walked up to greet you.

“Ohay-” She stopped abruptly in her tracks. Her eyes focused on you. Or more specifically, your hand. She quickly ran up to you and brought your hand up to her face as she examined the ring. She looked up to Shiro with questioning eyes. When he nodded his head with a smile, she let out a squeal of delight as she crushed your body to her small frame. You let out a little laugh in surprise before you returned the hug just as forcefully. She removed herself from you and held your face in between her delicate hands. “Welcome!” She said gleefully. You felt yourself tear up again at her kindness.

“Arigatō.”

It was the last day of your two-week trip to Japan. You spent a lot of time with Shiro and his mother. You also got to meet some of his relatives and childhood friends. You and Shūtome had gotten really close over the past two weeks despite the language barrier. You had managed to get by with your minimal Japanese, her limited English, Shiro’s translations, Google Translate, and a whole lot of hand gestures. You silently vowed to yourself to become fluent in Japanese as soon as possible after what could possibly have been the thousandth time you or Shūtome called over Shiro for translation help. During the trip, you and Shiro sneakily went to the doctor who confirmed that you were nearing the end of your first trimester of pregnancy. You, along with Shiro and his mother decided to have a picnic in the park where the cherry blossoms were. Even though you and Shiro knew that it was probably best to share the news after your first trimester, you both agreed that you wanted to be there in person when you told her the news. And plus, you were going to head into your second trimester within the next week.

After you had found a decent spot to sit, Shiro set up the picnic blanket while you and Shūtome pulled out the food that you had made together earlier that day. You glanced up and admired the view of the cherry blossom trees that surrounded you.

“You were right, Kashi. The pictures pale in comparison to the real thing.” You said in awe.

“I know, right? You don’t see things like this in LA.” You hummed in agreement before pulling out your phone and snapping a few pictures. You noticed from the corner of your eye a pair of kids running around and playing with kites as their parents sat nearby. Your thoughts were once again brought back to the baby that was currently resting in your womb and you absentmindedly rubbed your hand against it with a smile. Shiro noticed your gaze and gave you a knowing smile. You returned it.

“So when should we tell her?” You whispered. Logically, you knew that she didn’t understand what you were saying but you couldn’t help but be secretive. Shiro rolled his eyes amusedly at your actions.

“We’ll tell her later. Let’s just enjoy lunch. You especially, since you’re eating for two.” You grinned slightly as you picked up a plate of food that Shiro handed to you. Ever since you told him about the news, he has even more attentive than before. Sometimes, you even woke up in the middle of the night to find him talking to the baby in hushed whispers. And now he will only sleep with his arms around you and hands resting protectively over your stomach. Sometimes you think that he’s being a little too cautious but you couldn’t deny that you found the whole thing really cute. You silently took a bite into the delicious food, glad that your morning sickness has been wearing off.

“Oishī?” Shūtome asked you. You turned to face her and smiled.

“Hai.” You replied. She returned your smile and continued to eat as well. You, Shiro, and Shūtome engaged in a limited, but lively conversation throughout the meal.

You all had spent most of the day at the park. Taking pictures with one another and admiring the cherry blossoms as they fell around you and into your hair. The sky was now bright orange and you turned over to look at Shiro with a knowing look. He nodded in agreement and turned to his mother.

“Mom?” Shiro called out.

“Yes?” She replied.

“There’s something that Y/N and I need to tell you.”

“Really? What is it?” A curious look appeared on her face as she turned fully to face the two of you. “Well…” He trailed off and glanced over to you. You smiled and gently grabbed Shūtome’s hand and rested it against your barely-visible bump. She looked at her hand that was over your stomach questionably before recognition flickered in her eyes. Her head quickly shot up as she turned to look at you then at Shiro.

“Takashi?” She asked. Her voice laced with hope. He nodded slowly with a smile.

“Yes, mom. Y/N’s pregnant. Nearly three months.” Shūtome gasped at her son's words before she turned to face you. She grabbed your other hand with her free one tightly.

“Baby?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Hai.” You responded. Shūtome’s eyes immediately filled with tears before she pulled you and Shiro in close for a hug. You both returned the hug and smiled at each other over her shoulder.

“That went well,” Shiro said happily.

Nearly three months had passed since your trip to Japan. The release of Voltron: Legendary Defender was a month prior and, like your director said, was a big hit. You had informed the cast and crew about the pregnancy and engagement and everyone congratulated you. You even noticed Lance hand Keith a twenty dollar bill in defeat. You grinned at the memory. You and Shiro were preparing to appear at Comic-Con. Your bump was extremely noticeable now so you wore an oversized sweater, despite the heat, to hide it.

“You ready? We don’t want to miss out flight.” Shiro asked. You turned and saw that he was heading towards you. You stood on your tip-toes and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Yup. Let’s go!” You said excitedly.

When you and the rest of the cast showed up for Comic-Con, you were all immediately swarmed by fans asking for pictures, autographs, even to just shake your hand. It was all very hectic. And you loved it. You couldn’t believe that in less than a month, your show had this much attention. Surrounded by fans, you looked over to Shiro who was surrounded by his own and smiled. The fans started to ask you and the cast questions and theories about the show. You were trying to be as discrete as you could when you felt a warm hand on your shoulder. You turned and saw Shiro smiling at the crowd.

“We would love to answer these questions for you. However, you’re going to have to ask at the panel. Where we have to be soon.” The fans all let out a collective sound of disappointment and you had to hide your smile behind your hand.

“See you later.” You said as you waved at them. You and the cast walked away from the fans and headed off to the panels.

“Hey, guys!” The director said as she walked up to you. “Did you see the fans? We’re swarming with them!” She exclaimed happily.

“We just experienced it first hand.” You giggled. The rest of the cast nodded in agreement.

“Well, anyway. We have to get ready. Our panel starts in an hour.” The director replied. You all went your separate ways to prepare.

Your panel finally started and the room was filled with fans. There was barely any room left for any of them to sit. You and the cast and the director greeted the fans enthusiastically while the fans returned it with the same energy. You all had a lot of fun talking about the future of Voltron and making the fans laugh with your bickering. Finally, it was time for the cast to ask the fans questions. A bunch of fans stood in a line, waiting for their turn. There were some questions that you could answer, couldn’t answer, could answer vaguely, or just made you laugh.

“Alright, next question!” The director called out. A bubbly girl, no more than 16, walked up to the mic.

“Hi! First of all, I just want to say that I’m a big fan! Especially, Lance’s character!”

“Why, thank you,” Lance replied smugly.

“So my question is: Do the cast know about the big shipping wars going on? Especially Klance?” Lance’s smug look quickly turned to one of embarrassment and you had to stop yourself from nearly spitting your drink from laughter. You heard squeals from the audience and you and the rest of the crew stared at Lance and Keith with amusement before you reached over and picked up a mic.

“Trust me, they know. We’ve read the fanfictions and we were all very amused, surprised, and a bit disturbed.” You said with a laugh. The rest of the audience laughed as well. “Maybe next time we should have Keith and Lance reenact some fan fiction.” You said teasingly. The whole audience erupted in excitement at the thought. Keith quickly grabbed a mic as well.

“Nope. Not gonna happen.” He said.

“Oh, come on! Everyone wants to see it!” You replied. You glanced back at the fans. “Isn’t that right?” You asked, holding your mic in the direction of the audience. A series of screams and agreements were heard as you glanced back smugly at the two actors, the rest of the cast stifling their laughter.

“N-next question!” Lance said in mortification. To his, and Keith’s relief, another fan walked up to the mic.

“Hello! I love your show!” They said enthusiastically.

“Thanks!” The director replied. The rest of the cast nodded in agreement.

“Adding on to the last question on shipping,” They continued. “Many have noticed the sparks happening between Y/N and Shiro’s characters. Will there be any more development in the future?” Now it was Keith and Lance’s turn to grin at you mischievously. You rolled your eyes and gave Shiro a playful look.

“I don’t know, Shiro. Will there be more development?” You asked dramatically.

“Well, I don’t know myself, Y/N. What do you think?” He asked back, just as dramatic.

“I think….” You trailed off, keeping the suspense. “That you all will just have to wait and see in the next season.” You said with a grin. You heard the audience let out a collective groan in mock-disappointment which only made you grin wider.

“Although,” Shiro quickly piped in. The audience’s focus was back to him. “that next season might take a while.” He said as he looked at you. The crowd immediately erupted in a commotion. Your eyes widened slightly before you smirked.

So this is how he wants to tell them? You thought. Alright, I’ll play along. You brought the mic closer to your face, your eyes never leaving his. When you were sure that you had most of the audience’s attention, you started to speak.

“Really?” You inquired. “And why is that, Shiro?”

“Well, we couldn’t possibly film the next season right now. Not with the baby and the wedding coming up.” The room got so silent you could hear a pin drop. It sounded as if there was no one left on Earth. Suddenly, all at the same time, the audience exploded.

“WHAT!?” You heard one say.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!?” Said another.

“OH MY GOD, I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING MY REAL LIFE OTP AGH!”

“I KNEW IT! I KNEW THEY WERE A THING FOR REAL!” You glanced back at the audience before you returned your attention to Shiro. He shrugged his shoulders with a grin and stood up from his seat before pulling you up as well. First, he held up your left hand, showing off your engagement ring. Then he looked into your eyes for a silent question. When you gave him the okay, he slowly lifted up your sweater and revealed your very visible bump. The audience was destroyed at this point. You heard a series of congratulations and applause from the fans and you beamed at them with pride. Shiro bent down slightly and picked up the mic from the table.

“And I think that concludes the end of this panel. We hope to see you all again soon. Maybe even with the baby next time?” Said teasingly. The entire audience squealed at the thought. You rolled your eyes at his actions before you and the rest of the crew walked off, waving at the crowd.

“Wow, way to make a scene, Shirogane.” You said as you walked backstage. He shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

“What can I say? I’m an actor. I have a flair for the dramatics.” You snorted and shook your head in amusement before you pulled him down for a kiss.

A/N: She lives! For like a day lmao. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE YOU GUYS ARE HONESTLY THE GREATEST HUMANS!!!

~🐼

Masterlist

#shiro x reader #shiro headcanons #shiroxreader #takashi shirogane #takashi shirogane x reader #shiro voltron #voltron #voltron headcanons #voltron lengendary defender

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