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#i was actually gonna try go to bed early but then i saw that comic and i was like IDEA
michuyox · 1 year
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This is inspired by a silly comic by @emilyartstudio-s​ from like 2 years ago 😭
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quack-quack-snacks · 5 months
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Star Crossed - Chapter 1
| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |
The Star Crossed Masterlist
My All Of Us Are Dead Masterlist
My Navigation and Masterlist
Warnings: Na-yeon. Word Count: 4,147
Waking up was always the hardest part of the day for you. Your body resisted it with all its might and sometimes the temptation was too strong to resist.
Or at least it would be if you didn’t have an older brother there to smack you with a pillow until you got up.
Your arms instinctually went up to protect your face as you screeched when your attacker would not stop. You heard Gwi-nam laugh as you rolled around in your bed, trying to avoid the insistent hits of the fluffy pillow. Finally, he stopped. He was grinning until it turned into an annoyed scowl.
“I have been trying to wake you up for the past 30 minutes, now you only have 15 to get ready for school or else I’m leaving you here.”
You knew the threat was empty and he would wait all day for you if you needed it but you still practically leaped out of the bed at his words.
“Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I’ll be ready soon, I promise!” You quickly rushed to the bathroom to start your morning routine, brushing your teeth only until you were satisfied they felt and smelled clean before going on to styling your hair into a simple but cute hairdo. Quickly getting changed, you rushed out of your room and slid into the kitchen using your socked feet. Grabbing a quick breakfast time you could eat on the way, you rushed to put your shoes on.
When Gwi-nam walked out of his bedroom, unrushed and calm, you looked at him, confused.
“Why aren’t you rushing?” You questioned, slightly out of breath and slowly catching on as his lips tilted into a large and mischievous grin. You looked at the clock on the wall of your living room and looked back at him comically slowly. It was 40 minutes before you needed to leave. “Oh, you little shit! I’m gonna kill you!” You stood up, one shoe still untied but that didn’t stop you from running after him as he ran away and laughed loudly at your reaction.
You and Gwi-nam walked across the crosswalk, both walking in a comfortable silence until you both saw them.
Myeong-hwan and his 'friends.'
The small smile you wore as you walked dropped as soon as you saw them.
“Have fun,” You whispered to Gwi-nam, trying to keep the bitterness out of your tone. It seemed to work because he just gave you a small smile and ruffled your hair which you smacked him for. Ignoring the way his entire persona changed as he walked over to the group, you put your headphones on and turned your music up until you could no longer hear the chatter of the people around you before walking into the school and heading for your classroom, knowing the bell would be going off soon.
You arrived just as the warning bell went off and went to sit in your assigned seat next to the window beside Nam-ra. She was already there, early as always, and you gave her a small smile before sitting down, taking your headphones out and putting them away as well as turning your phone off completely and taking out your old one. Luckily, you hadn’t been caught not turning in your phone yet and Ms. Park continued to believe the phone you turned in each day without fail was your only phone.
You were a good student, why wouldn’t she believe you.
Ms. Park was one of the only people in the school - including the teachers - who never really looked at you based on who you were related to, which you were always grateful for.
You slipped your actual phone into your backpack just as all the other students started to flood into the classroom.
You saw one person in particular who walked in. She always sat behind you, relatively quiet and you only ever saw her hang around one person who you assumed was her close friend if not her boyfriend. You never really knew her or anything but you remembered her name from it being mentioned in passing. Hee-su.
You turned around as you saw her walk unsteadily to her desk which sat right behind Nam-ra. Her skin was as pale as ash and her face seemed lightly shiny with a thin layer of sweat. She clutched her stomach almost in pain.
“H-hey, are you okay?” You questioned her hesitantly. Rightly so as she looked up to you in a panic and stared at you with a slightly terrified look in her eyes.
“Yes,” she said almost too quickly. You felt hurt for a moment as you figured she was just scared of you because of your brother like so many others were until you saw the fear in her eyes. This wasn’t a fear directed at you but more of a fear of getting found out, of being caught. “Y-yes, I’m fine.” Her hand found its way back down where she almost imperceptibly caressed her sweatshirt covered stomach. You let out a silent gasp and she looked at you with an unbridled amount of terror when she realized you had figured it out.
You gave her a hesitant and small, but extremely genuine, smile as you slowly reached for the hand that she had resting on her desk to give it a small squeeze. She returned the smile after a moment of her face being in complete shock as she was completely shocked by your actions. You let her hand go and turned around just as you noticed two girls behind her putting on sweatpants underneath their skirts. You let out a small faint laugh as you did see them. Although you stopped doing that years ago, it was always a perk to know how to change your clothes in public even while wearing a full set.
A large group of boys gathered your attention once you turned back around and you watched them as they talked and laughed with each other. You didn’t bother listening to their conversation but you just watched as your arms formed a pillow on the desk for your chin to rest on and you dreamed about what it would be like to be a part of a group like that.
Suddenly, the girl you knew as On-jo stormed into the classroom, obviously annoyed, and threw a backpack at Cheong-san who just smirked at her as she sat down. You smiled lightly as you saw their interaction, they did this every single day without fail and you couldn’t help but find it endearing. Anyone with eyes could see that Cheong-san liked On-jo except for her apparently.
Even though you didn’t know any of the people in your class, you knew all of their names. Perks of being the outcast you guessed. You hardly had anyone to focus your attention on so you focused your attention on the people around you. You had Nam-ra but she was always absorbed into her schoolwork.
She had disclosed her insecurities and fears before: how she was scared to let her grades drop and her mom to get angry at her; how she was scared to open up to anyone else and get to know them because of how her mother would compare her to them as well as because she never really knew how; how she was hesitant to let you over to her house or even just tell her mom about you because she wasn’t sure how she would react to you being apart of the Yoon family. Though Nam-ra never judged you based on your family for even a second, she knew her mother would.
It hurt at times but you understood.
So you decided to get to know your classmates through your ears and their voices.
Getting snapped out of your thoughts when the right classroom door opened again, you noticed a familiar tall figure walk in and take his bag off before walking over to the group of boys who were still talking about a girl who worked at a store they had went to.
You heard Wu-jin make a comment about smelling his feet from across the classroom and you let out a small giggle.
One which caught the attention of the talked about boy and he looked over at you with his brown eyes. He shot you a small smile before walking over and draping his arms over the shoulders of Gyeong-su and Cheong-san.
“Then I’ll break his fingers-” Wu-jin started but was cut off as a familiarly irritating voice filled the air and Na-yeon walked in.
“Hey!” Unfortunately for Gyeong-su, he was sitting on her desk so he gained the full force of her wrath.
“Whoa. What the fuck?” Joon-yeong exclaims as Na-yeon walks up to them and he flinches slightly at her presence which you stiffle a laugh at, not bothering to pick your head up from your arms as you continue to watch them, waiting for what would happen next.
“Get off of there. You stink.” Na-yeon said to Gyeong-su and he got quickly got off, a little confused by her harsh demeanor.
“Oh, okay. My bad,” he said while getting up. “What’s the big deal? Sorry.” He tried to use his sleeve to wipe the surface of the desk off before she yanked her bag off and smacked his hand away.
“Cut it out! You’re so dirty,” she insulted.
Gyeong-su blinked once as he comprehended what she just said to him. “Hey, what the hell?” He asked, you could hear the slight trace of annoyance and hurt beneath the calm outer tone he portrayed.
Cheong-san came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him to prevent him from starting something in the classroom. “Hey, just let it go,” he said as the bell chimed.
“What the hell is your problem?” Wu-jin asked as he walked past her and she elbowed him in the ribs.
At the display of slight aggression, you lifted your head from your hands and Na-yeon noticed immediately. The fight went out of her eyes and she just stood there, looking at you fearfully as you sat back in your chair and glared at her with your arms crossed and your head tilted ever so slightly to the side.
The others did not seem to notice her lack of involvement in the argument anymore and continued asking her questions before Ms. Park entered the room. “Hey, you punks.” Her tone implied how tired she was of dealing with her students’ shit and you turned your head to the window to hide your slight smile at it. “Come on guys. Take your seats. Come on, move it!” She rolled her eyes as she got to her desk and placed her things down as the class finally settled down and everyone was in their seats.
“Hi there,” she said to the class, her face still portraying her annoyed face until she heard half of the class repeat her greeting back to her, some even waving childishly at her. She smiled. “Hi. Good morning. Time to hand in your phones, everyone!”
Starting with the front row, everyone stood up to hand their phones in and place them into the grey box with little numbered rectangular holes marking each one for the phones to fit in until the end of each day. Before you could even consider standing up, Nam-ra grabbed your phone from where it was placed on your desk and started walking towards Ms. Park’s desk with it. It was something she had offered to do the second day you had started chatting and considering each other to be friends and she had done it ever since.
After everyone had given their phones over, Ms. Park started speaking again. “Who’s in touch with Hyeon-ju?” Nobody answered but a few looked hesitant. “Nobody? So none of you have tried calling her today?”
Joon-yeong cleared his throat before speaking, “Uh, we cleaned the science lab together yesterday, but I haven’t seen her since.”
She sighed, “Okay, if anyone hears from her sometime within the next few days, let me know right away, okay?” Everyone nodded and replied with ‘Okay’s.’ She pulled one of the phones from the box and started doing something with it as she started going back to the topic of school. “Exams start soon, so get your acts together.”
You could see from in front of you the two “brothers” fighting as Wu-jin saw Dae-su holding his phone underneath the table when suddenly his and another phone, you guessed either On-jo’s or I-sak’s just based on location, rang out with a notification.
“I heard that,” Ms. Park let out a little groan of annoyance. “Hand over your phones, please.”
As Dae-su and I-sak stood up to go and turn their phones in, Dae-su made a show of holding onto his phone for dear life with two hands as Ms. Park tried to take it. It slipped from his grasp and she gave him a certain look as he backed away and gave a slight bow in apology.
Noticing one of the phones was not what she knew it should have been, Park took it out and saw it was On-jo’s number slot. “On-jo. This is your phone from last year.” The class snickered. “Take it please.” As On-jo did the walk of shame to replace her old and broken phone with her new and working one, Ms. Park placed the box in one of her drawers. “I will be back in a few minutes. Nam-ra, please watch over the class in my absence.”
Nam-ra gave a nod and Ms. Park smiled before walking out. True to her word, she was only gone for a few minutes before coming back in and starting the class.
For the majority of the class, you just drew little figures and doodles in the corner on your notebook, not writing much down and only paying attention through listening. Because your brother took this class last year, you would often sit down with him at the kitchen counter after school and do your homework with him. Being too skilled for your own grade, he would always print a copy of his work for you to do. You would whine and complain each time but it was nice to have something a bit more challenging - especially something like learning a new language as complex as English - since you were constantly bored in class.
Little did you know it would lead to you being bored in most of your classes the next year too. Oh well, at least you were fluent in English now.
“‘In fact, none of us are completely free from prejudice. We all have preconceived ideas about others.’” Ms. Park recited in English before switching back to Korean. “Here, ‘free from’ means the lacking in or unencumbered by. Anyone want to interpret this?” She started tapping on the wall as she waited for someone to volunteer. Just before she was about to pick someone to answer, the scraping of a chair against the granite floor was heard and you turned in your seat to look at Hee-su as she stood up. She looked even worse than she did before. “Okay. Hee-su?”
Ms. Park smiled in relief as she waited for her to respond only to get a shaky and quiet reply back. “I need to use the bathroom.”
“Oh, okay. Go.”
You gave Hee-su a reassuring smile when she looked down at you in a panic and you could see some of her anxiety melting off of her shoulders before she grabbed her bag and slowly walked - or wobbled - out of the classroom and in the direction of what you knew to be the nurse’s office.
Just as you were about to turn back around, your eyes caught on another’s. Su-hyeok sat there and was looking at you with a soft look in his eyes and his lips upturned into a small smile that he seemed to only have reserved for you based off of how you’ve seen him smile around his friends.
To be honest you weren’t sure if you should feel special or left out.
Giving him a small smile back, you turned back around in your seat just as the teacher called on Nam-ra to answer and she expressed her interpretation of the quote.
“The truth is, all of us have some sort of prejudice. We all have preconceptions about other people,” she said confidently and you looked down to hide your proud smirk while twirling your pencil around in your hands.
“Hmm, okay, nice,” Park praised before directing her attention to Su-hyeok who was drawing and smiling into his notebook, obviously not paying attention to what Nam-ra was saying or anything being taught. “Next, Bare-su. Stand up.”
Some of the students let out small giggles as they heard what she called him. “Yes?” he asked, unsure of why he was being called on.
“What’s with ‘Bare-su’?” She asked and he just stood there for a few moments in silence as he comprehended her words. Luckily, or unluckily depending on who you ask, Joon-seong answered for him.
“It’s short for Barefoot Su-hyeok. Bare-su for short.”
“He hates wearing socks. He’s so weird about it,” Dae-su interjected after Joon-seong was finished before looking back at Su-hyeok and maintaining eye contact while saying, “I can smell it from a mile away,” and plugging his nose dramatically as his face scrunched up as if smelling something extremely gross.
You let out an airy laugh that you thought was quiet enough to not be heard, especially under the noise of your classmates laughing as well, but Dae-su practically gave himself whiplash from how fast he spun around to look at you in surprise.
It was no secret you were not the most expressive of people at the school, competing with Nam-ra for how little you showed most of the time.
Although just like her, it was a defense mechanism.
“Okay, Bare-su,” Ms. Park said after her own laughs had calmed down. “What did Nam-ra say a minute ago?” She interrogated and you could basically see how Su-hyeok froze under her gaze.
Dae-su, who still had been looking at you in shock, whipped back around to face forward when you caught his eye and gave him a small and unsure smile.
“Uh…” Su-hyeok started and you looked back over at him only to see him looking at you almost in a plea for help. You were sure to everyone else, though, it just looked like he was looking at Nam-ra.
The whole class mocked him and he smiled while rolling his eyes. “She was absolutely correct. A hundred percent,” he confidently stated and the class, including Ms. Park, all laughed at his attempt to get out of the situation.
“What was her absolutely correct answer then?” Ms. Park didn’t let up.
“Hmm… All right,” he started again and shot you one last hopeful look. “I-huh?”
Everything stopped when the left door slid open and a bloody Hyeon-ju walked into the classroom. A few students stood up and walked toward her before she collapsed onto the floor with Ms. Park just barely catching her. At that, everyone, including yourself, stood up and rushed over to the scene. You slid onto your knees to kneel beside your teacher, ignoring how your knees ached from the impact, and placed your fingers over her pulse to find her heartbeat extremely irregular; speeding up to a BPM of 160 then slowing back down to a 40.
“Her heartbeat is irregular, I’ve never felt or seen something like this. She is also sweating profusely despite being very cold. She should be covered with blankets to help sweat off whatever infection she’s contracted as well as taken to the hospital immediately.” You told Ms. Park in a low tone that only the people in the small circle surrounding the girl could hear.
Then, you could hear the soft and slurred words she was saying, leaning your head down closer to hear what they were.
“Ms. Park…” she whispered, her eyes unfocused and head lolling back despite being in Ms. Park’s arms.
“Yeah, it’s me. Do you recognize me?” Said woman asked.
“He grabbed me… The science teacher grabbed me and locked me up.”
Ms. Park, as well as most of the other students, had a shocked look on her face before she shook it off. “He locked you up? The science teacher? Mr. Lee Byeong-chan?”
“He tied me up…” Hyeon-ju sounded more slurred yet scared by the second as she continued with her story.
“I told you, didn’t I?” Na-yeon said arrogantly from behind the scene.
“Na-yeon, shut it,” you spoke out quietly while taking off your jacket and using it to cover Hyeon-ju’s startlingly still body. You assumed it must have been because of the shock.
Because of your concentration, you didn’t see the petrified look on Na-yeon’s face and how she bowed down slightly toward you.
“I suggest we take her to the infirmary at least, there you should call for an ambulance to come and get her so she can be put into more suitable hands,” you started to take over the situation since you could tell Ms. Park was obviously too shocked and shaken by what was happening that all she could do was hold Hyeon-ju in her arms. “Su-hyeok, you’re the strongest so you should carry her there,” you looked him in the eyes as you spoke and could see the determination lighting a fire within them. “On-jo, I-sak,” both girls stiffened at your voice being directed at them which you tried not to let affect you or your voice and continued with your instructions. “You two should go along with him and Ms. Park to be of any assistance they might need. The nurse is alone today so she might need help.”
Both girls nodded at your instructions and you quickly grabbed Hyeon-ju to help situate her onto Su-hyeok’s back. Just before they all left, you whispered a quick, “Be careful,” into Su-hyeok’s ear and he only gave a very mild nod before rushing off with the three girls.
You all sat there as you waited for the teacher and students to get back, most ignoring Ms. Park’s instructions of staying in your seats and doing your school work in favor of gossiping or playing cards with each other.
You sat with your headphones in and your music playing just loud enough to blare out the noise of everyone talking as you rested your head on your arms once again. When I-sak came in, you lowered your music and heard her talking about what happened with the girl.
“It’s no joke. She was biting people and thrashing around!” As you tried to gather all of her symptoms together and come up with a diagnosis, the closest thing you could come up with was just a cold with how little information you were given. The biting part didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Whatever the science teacher did to her must have been something extreme.
Before you knew it, the bell had rung and neither On-jo nor Su-hyeok had returned so you wrote a note on a sticky note for Su-hyeok and waited for everyone to leave the classroom. Nam-ra told you she would save a spot for you at your normal lunch table until you told her not to worry about it and you were more than likely just going to eat it while underneath the cherry blossom tree like you did most days anyways. She nodded in acknowledgement and gave you a smile and a wink as she saw the name written on the sticky note. Once everyone had left, you walked over to Su-hyeok’s desk and placed the sticky note on his desk. As you went to walk away, you noticed a drawing of the top half of a girl holding a flower in the top right corner of his open-notebook. She looked familiar but you couldn’t place your finger on it. Noticing the slight pang in your chest, you shook your head and just decided you would ask him about it when you guys were to call next; maybe even earlier if you could catch him when nobody was around.
After grabbing your lunch and heading down to the garden section where only a few people hung around during lunch, you situated yourself underneath the cherry blossom tree and started munching on your food. With your headphones in and your music playing, you were unable to hear the screams of terror that were slowly getting louder as they approached you.
As you leaned your head back against the tree trunk, the rhythmic beat of your favorite song playing through your ears and the rest of the world canceled out, you didn’t notice the horde getting closer.
~~~
| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |
~~~
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Been thinking about the turtles' sleeping habits and such for a fic. This was meant to be a short one but I ended up having too many ideas so enjoy.
Raph:
Likes to sleep with his door open to be able to hear everything around the lair.
Somehow both a light and a heavy sleeper at the same time. Will wake up from the quietest suspicious sound, will be up on his legs in a second when his brothers come to him at 3AM because of a nightmare, but also won't budge when they literally jump on him to try to wake him up for breakfast.
Sleeps with a single quilt he and Mikey made together, with no pillow and with a LOT of teddy bears.
Belly sleeper.
Will use his teddy bears as a pillow when needed.
Will use his brothers as pillows during turtle piles as well.
Snores.
Used to sleepwalk a lot as a kid, happens way less often as a teen but could still happen once in a while.
And he has a sleepwalking stink of course.
Sometimes talks in his sleep too.
Has a very consistent sleeping schedule and wakes up pretty early without an alarm clock, but only on weekdays.
On weekends it's almost impossible to wake him up before 11 and definitely not before 9.
Takes him a while to get out of bed after he wakes up, and he's pretty slow during the morning, only really waking up after breakfast.
He also likes reading comics or play some idle game on his phone before going to sleep.
Donnie:
Sleeps with his door closed and locked.
Prefers to have white noise on.
Prefers sleeping with a weighted blanket.
Uses a either a gel pillow or a memory foam pillow. (Those ones that hold their shape that are good for back sleepers) - I actually went back to "The Purple Jackets" episode and it does look like he's using a gel/memory foam pillow.
I was gonna say he's a back sleeper and then I saw the scene in "The Purple Jackets" again and he changed his sleeping position like three times there, so I'm gonna say he falls asleep on his back and rolls around a lot during sleep.
While he likes the white noise and weighted blanket he doesn't actually need them to sleep. If he closes his eyes while sitting/lying down he's gonna fall asleep after 5 minutes max.
He also falls asleep if he just touches a bed for long enough.
And it also takes him exactly 5 minutes to get ready for bed. So 10 minutes from when he walks into his room until he's completely asleep.
Likes sleeping in small confined spaces. (Wrapping him in a blanket like a baby counts as a small space. The space under his desk is also a small space. The space under the sofa is too. And space between his brothers during a turtle pile.)
He has strict rules about his sleeping schedule. He wakes up at either 7:40 or 9:10 every day. He will stop working and go to sleep at either 1:30am or 3:00am. If he misses both he'll just work through the night and go to sleep the night after that.
He misses both marks quite often.
The only way to make him break those rules is with a turtle pile.
One thing he cannot tolerate though is scratchy beddings. He will not fall asleep if something scratchy is touching him.
I feel like he doesn't like ignoring his notifications so he always makes sure he didn't left anything unread before going to bed, and he makes sure to do that during the 5 minutes it takes for him to get ready. But sometimes someone sends him something dumb that makes him angry enough to drop everything and start a stupid online argument that lasts all night. So sometimes he just stays standing in the middle of his room without moving for hours instead of going to sleep, or he'll end up sitting in his chair with his phone. If he chooses to sit on his bed tho he ends up falling asleep almost immediately.
Leo:
Insomniac™
Sleeps with his door open a crack, enough for light and some sounds to get in but not enough to make him feel vulnerable.
But he also gets sleep paralysis once in a while and having your door be open just a crack is like perfect nightmare fuel so when that happens and his sleep paralysis demon peeps in he probably goes to sleep in Mikey's room for like a week.
Also definitely just have nightmares in general almost every night. He's used to it by this point. He does wake up from them like three times a night tho.
^ Definitely not projecting.
Has a nightlight. Cannot sleep without it.
And a digital alarm clock with glowing numbers that's always facing the bed so he'll know how long he slept for.
It takes him like half an hour to fall asleep on a good day and three hours on a bad day. Usually spends that time scrolling his phone until he can't possibly keep his eyes open for a second longer.
Uses like 5 blankets - a quilt over his legs, a fuzzy throw blanket around his shoulder, two more summer blankets and finally a comforter over everything. Or maybe swap one of the summer blankets for a weighted blanket, I haven't decided yet.
If he does use a weighted blanket though then he can't sleep without it.
He likes sleeping completely covered up from head to toe. Uses one of the summer blankets to cover his head to not get completely overheated, and to be able to see his nightlight and hear the noises from outside his room.
Uses three pillows - gel/memory foam pillow, understuffed normal pillow and an overstaffed normal pillow. The overstuffed one is to lean on when he's sitting scrolling on his phone, the other two are for sleeping on.
Has a small decorative pillow he got from April that he hugs to sleep every night.
Other than scrolling on his phone for the few hours before he falls asleep he actually makes an effort to only sit on his bed when it's nighttime.
He also always has a fan on for the noise and the airflow, but it's never directly facing him or it'll wake him up.
On really bad nights he can't fall asleep he gets up and makes himself something hot to drink (yes this is also inspired by "The Purple Jackets" episode how did you know?)
And then he'll go bother Donnie.
He loves sitting in Donnie's lab while Donnie is working. He either watches him working quietly, or he whines like a little bitch until Donnie gives up and talks to him, and then they spend all night talking about the most random stuff.
He likes reading comics before bed too, or fanfiction/fancomics on his phone. He'll read the most garbage incomplete fic that was witten in half an hour at 3am and posted 5 years ago, unironically enjoy it, and screenshot his favourite lines and send to Donnie.
I also think he sleeps in fetal position, but wakes up in the most absurd positions.
Mikey:
Prefers sleeping with his door closed, but doesn't actually mind if it's open.
Can sleep anywhere, anytime. Will fall asleep in the most awkward positions and awkward places.
Sometimes sleeps inside his shell, especially if it's somewhere with too much light.
Can lucid dream. Might be something he can do by mixing his lucid dreams with his mystic powers? Didn't think this through yet.
Sleeps with a huge thick comforter during winter and a super thin throw blanket during summer, just switches between them one day during fall/spring.
And he also has a blanket Raph knitted him that he always sleeps with. Like they all have blankets Raph knitted them but he's the only one who consistently sleeps with his every night. Hugs it more than covers himself with it.
Has a million different pillows and always burrows himself between them when he sleeps, in a different position every time of course.
Has a pretty healthy sleeping schedule, he gets tired at a reasonable hour and goes to sleep, sleeps for 5-6 sleeping cycles per night.
Goes to sleep early and wakes up early. He and Raph are the first to wake up, but he's the first to get up and get ready usually.
Really energetic during the morning. He's the only one of them who's like this, and Leo is the only one who can really keep up with him before breakfast.
He also has a lot of plushies on his bed but he sleeps with them less.
Will always sleep hugging one of Raph's arms during turtle piles.
I went a bit overboard with the headcanons whoops. This was supposed to be like 3-4 ideas for each one of the guys and mainly focus on like, the door and the blankets, and I ended up adding way too many things~
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skyland2703 · 19 days
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Javelia visits the Dino Charge dimension for one reason or another, and they end up followed back home by a baby Stegouros. They keep it as a pet and name it Waffles. Chaos ensues.
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(Art by @alphynix)
OH MY FLUFFING GOD—
“I know we caused an inter-dimensional anomaly, last time, but by any chance… did the two of you cause an inter-dimensional anomaly this time??” Javi had not expected to hear this sentence, this early in the morning. The inter-dimensional jet lag had still not dissipated, and here were two guys, suited in green and black spandex, breaking into their bedroom.
Javi rubbed his eyes, sitting up in bed, and then gestured towards where his girlfriend lay sleeping, beside him, and then turned back to the two guys, the black spandex one of whom had spoken, he signalled them to shush, with a finger on the lips.
The guy in the green spandex leaned closer, and whispered, urgently, in Javi’s ear, “dude. We need to talk.” And there was something so threatening in his voice that Javi immediately got out of bed, pulled on his fluffy puppy-dog slippers, and walked out of the room with the other two guys, still in his boxers and as they reached the living room, Javi found a hoodie and pulled it on. (Unnecessary detail.)
“What happened” he asked, rubbing his eyes again, trying to ward off sleep, and then gestures towards the kitchen, “do you mind if we make coffee while we talk?” He yawned, “and please suit down. Nobody’s gonna attack you here.”
That made sense, the two rangers suited down, and Javi found himself blinking at a very amused Chase and an equally annoyed Riley. Javi grinned at them, “hey guys! Want coffee or tea or green tea or cocoa?” He offered.
“I’d take coco—“ Chase was punched in the stomach by Riley, before he could complete his statement, “not the time, hotshot.” He murmured under his breath and then looked at Javi, “Javi, I appreciate you getting up this early in the morning, and offering us beverages, but this is important…” Javi looked at him curiously, and comically, Chase echoed the exact same expression, despite knowing exactly what Riley was about to say.
“Did you and Amelia… by any chance… steal a baby Stegouros from the dinosaur museum when you guys popped in to drop us home?”
Javi raised his eyebrows, “we… didn’t steal a dinosaur…”
“SEE? I told you Riles! They wouldn’t do that!! The mama Stegouros must be here for some other reason!” Chase was quick to jump to Javi’s rescue, and Javi saw Riley rolling his eyes in a very ‘i love you, Chase, but I can’t deal with this right now.’, an expression Javi was very familiar with, because he got it once in every two days from Amelia.
“Mama stego— WHAT!?”
Riley pulled up his Dino com, and showed it to Javi— in the middle of the night, a giant dinosaur was rampaging through the city like Godzilla. It was a Buzzblast report— and Javi realised him and Amelia, actual Buzzblast journalists, AND Power Rangers, had slept through the entire thing, with their phones on airplane mode, and probably wouldn’t have found out about it until after midday, if
“They don’t have the dinosaur, Riles, let’s go—“
“Wait, wait—“ Javi stopped the two rangers, “i didn’t say we don’t have the dinosaur, i said we didn’t steal the dinosaur. Waffles is right here!”
Both Chase and Riley, as if on cue, asked, “Waffles?”
“Yes! The stegou—“ Javi beamed, then gestured them to come with him, finger on his lips, to tell them to not make any noise. The three boys tiptoed back into the bedroom where Amelia was sleeping peacefully. Javi pointed to where he had been lying, and it took a bit of straining of eyes when finally the Dino charge rangers finally saw it. The tiny baby stegouros, sleeping peacefully in Javi and Amelia’s bed, cuddled up close with Amelia.
Riley was about to burst like a hydrogen bomb, and Chase and Javi realised it just seconds before it happened, giving the two black rangers time enough to drag the distressed green ranger out of the room before he screamed and woke both the dinosaur and the girl up.
They were out into the common hallway of the apartment complex, near the elevator, when Javi and Chase released him, and he let out a scream that would probably not only wake up Amelia and Waffles, but the entire neighbourhood in a three mile radius.
“ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS?! DINOSAURS ARE ENDANGERED!! ITS A FEDERAL CRIME, ITS A FELONY TO STEAL AND HARBOUR A DINOSAUR IN AN ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT THE REQUIRED CLEARAN—“ Chase’s hand was over Riley’s mouth again, smothering the remainder of the rant, while Javi tried hard to not laugh, because he knew Riley would puff up like a pufferfish, and might even start crying in angry tears— something Chase had told him happened when the anger got out of control.
“In our defence…. The lil fella just followed us home through the portal”. Javi looked like a mischievous kid, trying to prove his innocence, with his arms tied behind his back, his feet rubbing the carpet under them, “he spooked us when we closed the door of the apartment earlier, today— we decided to keep it as a pet. Waffles is a nice name, no?” He asked, positively beaming.
“I like Waffles!” Chase chuckled, while Riley tried to say something, but wasn’t allowed to, with the two boys still holding their hands over his face before he actually woke up the entire neighbourhood, “I’d have probably named him Pancakes!”
“Waffles was Amelia’s idea. I wanted to name him Marshmallow.”
“Waffles has a sister! Maybe we can call her Marshmallow, no Riles?” Chase made the fatal mistake of letting go of Riley’s mouth, and the green ranger screamed again, “IF YOU TWO DUMBASSES ARE DONE DISCUSSING FOOD NAMES, THERE IS A VERY ANGRY MAMA STEGOUROS ROAMING YOUR CITY, JAVIER, LOOKING FOR HER BABY. WE NEED THE STEGOUROS BACK!” Riley’s face was absolutely red, and Chase leaned in, and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek, immediately deflating more than half of the anger out like he was an angy balloon.
“Relax, Riles, baby,” he hummed, and Javi watched in amusement, as the kiss and the little chant worked like magic, and Riley calmed down.
“What I’m trying to say, is that we need the dinosaur back so we can save all of our asses.” He said, finally.
“You wanna take waffles away?” Javi made puppy dog eyes at the couple, and Chase almost melted, before Riley said, “yes.”
“Amelia’s gonna be mad…” Javi said, in the same tone, and Riley raised his arms, “we can get her a cat, or something. This is more important—“
“What is more important?” A feminine voice echoed from behind them, and the three boys turned around to find the red ranger standing in the doorway of their apartment, still in her bedclothes, the little dinosaur wrapped up in her arms like a little baby. She looked annoyed— and none of the boys knew they could deal with the wrath of Amelia Jones…
“Err—“
We’re gonna pretend this is in the aftermath of @gayferret420 ‘s Chiley landing up in Dino fury universe AU. Javelia went back to drop them off, and this all… happened…
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daisyachain · 1 year
Note
8 & 28?
ooh thanks!!
Who’s your favorite artist (fanon or canon)?
I can't say I know anything about art! The quick answer is Bill Sienkiewicz and Rod Reis, who both do fabulous free-form art like so:
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Then early X-Factor Investigations (left) had a smooth, noir style that was really well-done by Ryan Sook (pencils)/Wade von Grawbadger (his actual name apparently???? inks)/Dennis Calero (both)/Jose Villarrubia (colours). The colourist I feel like I have to credit because the whole run has washed-out, greenish colours that really add to the atmosphere. However I also have to put in that he whitewashes two of the regulars h e a v i l y. From what I've seen that's partly the fault of editorial, but it bears mentioning.
Also have to credit Marco Checcetto (pencil/ink) and Andres Mossa (colour) for drawing the sickest version of Sunspot in Avengers World (right). Their service in making my 3rd-fave look cool will not go forgotten. Checcetto's work on Elektra in the most recent Daredevil also looks great, though I only see the covers.
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Some bonus mentions for art that I've read that was enjoyable are Jae Lee (pencils)/Al Milgrom (Inks) on 90s X-Factor and Terry Shoemaker/Al Milgrom on assorted X-Force/New Mutants fill-ins
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What got you into comics?
Scully, you're not gonna believe this one. In 2018 I was living in the UK for a bit and came down the flu for the first time in years at the same time as Deadpool 2 was coming out with the associated marketing campaign. I was stuck in bed for 3 days straight. Looking for easy watching, I pulled up Deadpool 1. I don't remember anything of it except the Hugh Jackman joke and that it wasn't very funny.
Because I had nothing else to do, I did some googling and pulled up the Spider-Man/Daredevil joke comic that was ongoing at the time. I enjoyed some bits, I didn't enjoy some bits, I realized comics were a fully unexplored world to me. I had no idea it was so convoluted, cheesy, and self-referential. So I just searched it on tumblr because I was, again, stuck in bed except for meals and one miserable milk run. That turned up a whole bunch of those 'all LBGTQ+ superheroes in comics!' graphics because credulous nobodies think that Deadpool is 'representation' instead of 90s homophobic gay chicken gone too far.
Knowing this and being neck-deep in 90s Legally We're Not Allowed To Do Gay Stuff But We're Trying Hard DS9 at the time I got hit, I decided to follow up on the other gay characters I saw in the graphics to see how/why they were allowed to be gay on-panel in the 90s. That started me off with The Authority v1-4, then the Shatterstar reading list put together by lornahs on tumblr since I knew that character had a cameo in the new movie. The rest is history!
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deenoss · 2 years
Text
Dreamcatcher Chptr. 26
"I'd better start helping Chloe with the cleaning. And while I'm at it, I can't take one long, last look around the place. Then, I'll go see Clark. It's about time we got things cleared up between us." Max thought to herself.
Once the brunette was done soaking in a majority of the good times she'd spent in Chloe's room, she assisted Chloe by observing things around the room in order to get a start on what she could add to the 'TRASH' pile. At the same time, everything she observed closely brought back fond memories.
Max first made her way over to Chloe's shelf which had a bunch of books and boxes on each shelf, most of which were textbooks and school supplies.
She then eyed a skateboard that she recalled the amount of times Chloe persisted Max to try skateboarding, much to her preference for taking photos instead.
By the door, Max recognised a drawing Chloe once made which included the three of them in a mini-comic labelled 'The Adventurous Adventures Of Super Max, Dr. Chloestein & Mr C' - there were only three panels with a fourth missing, leaving them to wonder what happened next.
Two tickets were laid on Chloe's bedside table along with some other photos of locations and a self-portrait of Chloe and Clark. The tickets went back three years ago early July - an unsupervised concert Max, Chloe and Clark went to. It didn't take long for either of their parents to discover what their children had done.
Other personal belongings of Chloe's was scattered around the room. There were some report cards documenting the young Price girl's excellent academic work, a glowing bear, board games, a camera and a few other things that stood out to Max Caulfield. Above Chloe's bed was a saggy string with pictures clinging onto it. Each picture was taken by Max herself which Chloe saw befitting to commemorate by displaying her best friend's photographs in front of the window.
Max focused on the vintage Polaroid camera, recognising it as William's camera.
"Hey, what's your dad's camera doing here?" Max piped up.
Chloe looked over her shoulder, distracting herself from tidying up. "Dad said I could bring it up here for you to use. He's tired of watching you drool all over yourself every time he uses it. His words."
"Your dad is the best."
"Sure. Just don't ever tell him that. We need to keep him on his toes."
Max went to pick up the camera. By the way she grabbed the camera by its sides, her thin, nimble fingers accidentally triggered the flash as she lifted it up, causing her to jump.
"You're off to a great start."
The brunette flapped the photograph lightly until it revealed her unintentional selfie.
"Actually.. it's kinda cool." Max said aloud before thinking to herself. "I should take one with us three. They always loved hanging around me. Almost too much, I think. They are going to be so heartbroken when I tell them I'm leaving. It's so hard to believe. This room, this house, this town... all in the past now. Or soon to be. Who am I even without the twins? Chloe's the one who's always started things, pulling us into adventures. And Clark. He's always had our best interests at heart. Acting like the big brother and the bestest friend to me. Has he always been this cute now that I think about it? I can't imagine life without them."
Casually, Max donated some more belongings into the 'TRASH' box until she concluded that there was nothing else worth tossing out.
"That's it. I'm calling off the search. If you want more trash, you'll have to find it yourself. I'm gonna go see if Clark needs a hand now." Max announced, expressing her disinterest in cleaning the room.
"Well, it wasn't exactly the purge mom was hoping for. But at least we tried, right?"
Max nodded her head and walked towards the door, disappearing from the room. By heading across to the room next door to Chloe's, Max raised her hand up to the door. Her knuckled tapped on the door to announce herself before she entered the room.
It was very uncommon for Max to enter Clark's room. A boy's room for that matter. But then again, rarely anybody entered the room unless it was Clark. In which case, he was more than happy to make Max the exception, excluding his sister, of course.
"Hey Max! Thanks again for helping me out with the cleaning." Clark hollered as he waved the brunette over.
Clark was seated on the floor with his legs crossed. He was rummaging around a box filled with action figures and toys he played with as a kid. Footsteps got closer to Clark when out of the corner of his eye, a pair of chopstick legs appeared beside him, followed by the rest of the body belonging to none other than Max herself.
"Whatcha doin'?" Max asked coolly.
"Just... going through some stuff. Remember these?" Clark stated, holding up a Donatello Ninja Turtle figurine.
The small figurine twiddled by the leg where Clark's fingers pinched it.
Her azure blue eyes forced off of the figurine to more things in the box. There were some props used for the pirate fantasies that kept the youngsters occupied out of school hours. Max reached into the box and pulled out a rubber handball.
"So, um... did you need help cleaning up anything?" Max inquired.
Clark swung his head around, peering all around the room before giving a vague gesture on where Max could start. She noticed a similar place to dispose one's rubbish in, except it was a black plastic bin bag.
Aimlessly, Max wandered around the room in search for somewhere to start. Her hands fiddled with the rubber ball as the means to keep her occupied. Her eyes traced around the room so to familiarise herself with the layout of the room for one last time, given that she was going to leave for Seattle in a couple of days.
A miscalculation in her tossing the ball in her hands caused it to slip from her fingers. It bounced off the floor, its trajectory pointed towards the bed on the far side of the room until it vanished from sight underneath the bed. Max pursued the ball and knelt down and bent over to peer underneath the bed. There was still enough brightness in the room to illuminate the darkest parts of the room, such including the bit of space underneath Clark's bed.
The ball rested conveniently next to a lunchbox underneath the bed. Going against her better judgement, Max couldn't resist ignoring the unknown. Out of pure curiosity, Max reached for the box and grabbed ahold of the handle, pulling it close to her so she could see it in better light. Mat sat upright and opened up the box.
By opening up the box, Max looked inside and was shocked by what she found.
The lunch box was filled with letters addressed to Max, all of which failed to be properly distributed with the confidence Clark wished to have. Now that his secret was out, Max had no way to approach Clark nor see him the way she did moments before. A million thoughts raced through his mind about his secret crush on her. She could not believe it was true, but the more she quickly read over the letters, the more she came to struggle to face Clark properly afterwards.
"Max? Any luck?" Clark sang out.
She was startled by his voice, which caused her to act out of haste and dispose of the letters back into the box underneath the bed.
"Uhh, n-no. Nothing." Max replied dismissively.
"Well... you gave it a shot. Thank you for the help anyway."
"Gave it my best shot."
Clark peered over his shoulder at her and noticed how distracted she appeared.
"You okay, Max?"
"Hm? Y-Yeah. Totally."
"You know you can tell me anything, right?"
The brunette bowed her head and pursed her lips.
When Clark repositioned himself so he was right next to Max, it wasn't out of bravery that he decided to breach her personal space, but rather out of trust and companionship that he showed his undying support to her. His arm went up and across to wrap itself around her back. He pulled her tightly against him and gave her opposite arm a caress.
"Do you ever wish you knew you were living in your best days before you ended up leaving them?" Max asked, deadpanned.
Hesitantly, Max rested her head on his shoulder, embraced the comfort he provided. In return that Clark became stiffened and gobsmacked that she was resting her head on his should, Clark maintained composure and stared aimlessly at the wall.
"Actually, yeah. I do wish that. But what have I got to worry about if I got my best friend and my sister by my side? Nothing can go wrong. All I need is you and Chloe, mom and dad and I'll be just fine." Clark answered with full confidence in his voice.
Max couldn't help but bite her lip as he spoke. It pained her to think of the grief she would bring him once she left Arcadia Bay. The twins meant the world to Max, but having no say in her parents' decision to move to Seattle didn't make saying goodbye any easier, especially when she just found out one of her best friend's had an infatuation for her. And whether or not she'd accept that was entirely up to Max.
"Clark. There's somethi-'
The door abruptly swung open, interrupting Max. Chloe rushed over to her brother and her best friend to show them a tape recording they took five years ago. Chloe saw it fitting that they relieve their childhood for one last time.
"Avast, future wayfarers! Ye have uncovered the audio log of the most fearsome pirates in the Bays of Arcadia!" An eight year-old Chloe's voice came through the recording.
"Captain Bluebeard and Long Max Silver, with their trusty quartermaster, One-Eyed Parrot Joe!" The younger selves of Clark, Max and Chloe said all at once before they broke into laughter.
"So, yer in search of buried treasure, are ye?" A young Max Caulfield piped up, embracing her pirate fantasy. "Well, if it's treasure ye seek-"
"Do mine eyes spot two fair pirate wenches? What have we-" A random voice chimed in.
"Dad! Get away! We're in the middle of an important project!"
"Oh, a project! Nevermind, then. I apolog-"
"I mean it!"
"Alright, alright. Supper's in five. Wash your hands, you grubby pirate kids..."
"So lame."
"As I was saying...," continued the younger Max. "If it's treasure ye seek, ye've come to the right place."
And as if one cue, Clark's eight year-old self was made known.
"But be forewarned: the journey will be treacherous and full of... treachers. To find the treasure of Price Isle, you will need the map from the manuscripts of Captain Bluebeard and her trusty quartermaster, so humbly before ye now, One-Eyed Parrot Joe! Yaarr, me harties!!"
"Only the map can lead ye to the treasure ye seek. But be forewarned; uh, again. Only those with pure hearts will be able to see what the amulet shows them. Good luck. And, uh, bye," finished Chloe.
At the end of the tape recording, Chloe was blown away at how invested and devoted they were as eight year-old scallywag pirates. Max could only share the same optimism as she, while Clark couldn't help but cringe the entire way through.
It was Chloe's proposition that the three embark on the journey they'd long forgotten: to find the mysterious treasure they once purposed to fulfil their childish fantasies.
Max had never seen her so engrossed in anything before in her entire life, at least the memories that she could recall with ease. It brought a smile to her face to see her best friend dig around for anything that could provide hints at where to begin their journey. Fortunately, the one thing Chloe recalled was entrusting her ever so faithful 'quartermaster' with the information that they sought to uncover the treasure.
With a quick search through the shelves, Chloe quickly discovered and plucked an old sketchbook that provided the first clue to starting the treasure hunt they made specifically for their future selves to complete.
"Our old sketchbook!" Max cheered. "This is where we kept all of our pirate drawings."
"Yup. Now, let's see this map."
The front cover itself brought smiles to their faces at their creativity as well as the privacy warning specifically directed at Chloe and Clark's mother.
On the first page in the sketchbook was the design of their fantasy pirate ship, a galleon proudly titled, The Bane Of Arcadia. The ship had three masts with six cannons port-side with a plank as their particularly favourite part of the entire ship. The rest of the design was left completely to their combined imagination that spruced with creativity and liveliness to enthral the trio during their days off school.
Two portraits took up a whole page with the names for both Chloe and Max as Bluebeard and Long Max Silver. Clark's eight year-old self didn't get the luxury of sharing the page with his sister and best friend, but was safely accompanied by their late pet cat, Pogo, followed by a group photo of the four - including Pogo 'The Pirate'  - on the next page.
The page following after contained the rules which was mostly written down by Chloe.
PIRATE RULES
NO bathing
NO boys on the ship (except One-Eyed Parrot Joe!!!)
NO sharing pirate secrets
ALWAYS share plunder
ALWAYS bury treasure
ALWAYS protect fellow pirates
Failure to obey these rules will result in PLANK WALKING!!!
On the next page was the Captain's Log, according to Captain Bluebeard.
'Another day of plunder and destruction on the high seas. Our just buried treasure has come under attack again. The evil Commander Shelley, enemy to all pirates, has threatened to take the map from us if she sees it. Surely she has heard how valuable our treasure is and wants to steal it from us.
We are doing our best to keep the map hidden as we continue to work on it. Because our enemies want our treasure so bad, we must make sure the map is only readable to us. Captain Bluebeard and Long Max Silver with their trusty quartermaster, One-Eyed Parrot Joe.
To more plunder and riches!
Captain Bluebeard
Long Max Silver
One-Eyed Parrot Joe'
On the next page where the map was intended to be contained was torn from the sketchbook as means of protecting the location of the treasure. As a result, the three had to fan across both twins' rooms in hopes of gaining the vital part of uncovering the location of the treasure.
It didn't take long for somebody to discover the location of the map. In Max's success, she provided the map she, Chloe and Clark worked very hard on to create.
The map started at Chloe's Secret Lair, which lead to a Dark Cavern where an amulet was to be located; following on to Treasure Island and then wayward to Price Castle.
As they skimmed over the map, memories of the past came flooding back, which in turn provided the definition to the peculiar nicknames they'd thought of to describe the places they wanted jotted down on said map.
"I'm remembering this, now," said Chloe. "Didn't we make some crazy puzzle? You need the telescope and the amulet which we hid inside a dark cavern, A.K.A. the attic?"
"Ugh, why did we do that to ourselves?" Max asked nonchalantly.
"Because we were eight years old and the attic was the scariest place we could think of." Clark answered coolly as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Was? Your attic is still terrifying." Max said, establishing an eye connection with the brown-haired boy beside her.
"It's been five years, Max. I'm sure the Bogeyman has died of starvation."
"It's more the mice and spiders I'm afraid of."
"I'm with you there, excluding the rats."
"Time to face your fears, wussies! I'll head to the garage to dig up my old telescope. Max, you and Clark go find that amulet. We'll meet back at the pirate ship. Wa-hooo!!" Chloe shouted, whooping as she did so due to the sheer excitement she was unable to contain.
When Chloe left the room, Clark and Max smiled to themselves and begun their objective in heading up into the attic via the broom closet.
Max walked out of Clark's room with a smile on her face. She persuaded herself to have fun, even if that day wouldn't have likely been her last day in Arcadia Bay.
"The entrance to the Dark Cavern is here. Are you ready to begin this vitally important mission?" Clark asked with a sly grin on his face.
He offered his hand to her, showing that he would support her should either she or he get scared along the way. Max bit the inside of her cheek and smiled warmly at him as she took his hand into hers and used their combined effort to open the attic.
The attic was dark and barely lit, only illuminated by the light from downstairs. Fortunately, Max remembered where the light switch was before creating more light for both her and Clark to see. And yet, in despite of the endless possibilities in hiding the amulet, it was in plain sight, yet in the most difficult place to reach. This brought the challenge for Clark and Max to wander around the attic to the amulet by crossing memorabilia along the way.
"My gosh... there's so much stuff up here I remember from so long ago." Max commented in disbelief at how much old stuff was put inside the attic.
"I know, right? Feels like a trip down old memory lane - at least the stuff I remember mom and dad telling me about as a little kid. And you, of course." Clark replied in a gentle voice as if he was scared of frightening the creatures lurking in the attic.
Max looked over her shoulder at Clark, whom she caught staring at her with adoration when suddenly she hit her head on a low beam.
"OW!"
Clark gasped. "Max! Are you okay?!"
The brunette pursed her lips tightly as if it would help fight off the pain, even though it would do no good for her as she rubbed the spot where she hit her head.
"Yeah. I'll be okay."
When Clark began to touch her head around the sore spot, Max tensed but in a good way that made her feel comforted that he was indeed showing the support he offered to her. By the way his hands rubbed her forehead, it made Max feel slightly relaxed as Clark began to massage her sore, even being so bold as to give the bump that started to form a little kiss.
"You okay now?" Clark asked nervously.
"Yeah. Thanks, Clark."
"Anytime."
Unconsciously, Max smiled widely at him until she sedated that smile by bringing their attention back to making their way to the amulet.
Once they had acquired the artefact, the drawings and scribbles on it proved insufficient as to the meaning behind the symbols designed from so long ago.
Muffled shouts and grunts came from outside of the house. Max and Clark found a window in the attic which gave them a view of the backyard where they found Clark's twin sister messing around outside in some of the old gear she donned as a child, now as a young teenager with a spade as her weapon, an imaginary cutlass.
"Ha-ha! I have you now, scallywag!" Chloe exclaimed in her pirate accent.
As Chloe swung the shovel around, her attention was quickly brought up to the pairs of eyes on her.
"Are you just watching me up there, creepers?"
"You are one of a kind, Chloe Price." Max said in admiration of the imagination of her best friend.
Chloe raised an eyebrow in confusion and said, "What?"
"I'm lucky to you're my best friend, that's all."
"Damn right you are, you mushy weirdo! Did you find the amulet?"
Max showed her the amulet by raising it up so it was in sight.
"Awesome! Now get your asses down here, we have some treasure to find!"
Given that that was their cue to regroup with Chloe in the backyard, Clark and Max both made weaved their way through the intricate maze that was the attic before they headed downstairs and through to the backyard, where they spied Chloe standing on a ladder mounted on the swing, using a spyglass to wander her gaze wherever she pleased.
When the pair got around to showing Chloe the amulet, Chloe was stoked. The only disappointment was how neither of them figured out how they originally made the amulet attach to the spyglass. That was until Clark provided the solution with tape.
Once they figured out how to make it work, Max, who was so kindly bestowed the honours of locating the treasure, directed the twins to its exact position.
"Bingo!"
Chloe rejoiced and bounced on the tips of her feet before she and Clark scampered off to acquire a shovel and removed a fair size of dirt before the three used their hands to surface the treasure.
"What the...?"
"That is not what we buried."
"Don't give up just yet. Let's take it inside and see what treasure it beholds, Cap'n!" Clark said encouragingly.
Chloe looked at her brother, surprised. She didn't expect him to express any form of enthusiasm like that before, but it pleased her nonetheless.
And so, Chloe carried the treasure inside so they could examine its contents. Inside was a tape with a photo of Chloe, Clark and William, all dressed as pirates. At the bottom was a lunchbox which they assumed was the rest of the treasure they were after. Max rushed off to bring the tape player for them to uncover the audio for them to listen to.
It brought warmth and happiness to the twins that they remembered how much their father enjoyed being apart of their 'project.'
"Ahoy there, plankwalkers! It's me, Bloody Bill the Pirate King! By now, ye'll have seen that I dug up yer treasure, which would normally make us mortal enemies. But hear me out, I haven't pilfered a thing. On the contrary, I figured you swashbucklers might not be back to yer loot for some time, so I've given it extra protection from the winds and rain. I'm sure you're excited to open your time capsule, so I won't go on too long. Just know that Bloody Bill is bloody proud of you. All of you. Keep those sails trimmed and that anchor scrubbed. And always remember: the real treasure is..."
"Friendship," guessed Chloe.
"Love... your Oregon State pre-paid college savings plan! Argh!"
The three youngsters broke into fits of giggles and laughter at the end of the message before they all moved on to the treasure they buried so long ago.
Inside was a toy and letters distributed to and for Chloe, Max and Clark; each letter having sincerity and virtue in what was written.
" 'To Chloe Price.' Thanks, Max! 'I hope you are having a lot of fun being a teenager with your best friend.' Aww, you were so cute. Check it out."
All three letters contained questions regarding what their past selves were curious about, about the future - their futures.
It didn't take long for them to get bored with their time capsule slash treasure. Chloe decided to sketch something while her brother did some cleaning up in the kitchen and around the table and then in the backyard, as planned.
Max found it difficult to finally tell her best friends that she was leaving. The thought ruined Max's mood, making her moody and gloomy until she finally found the courage to tell them what was going to happen.
To Max's relief, she was pleased that they were understanding and thoughtful and considerate to plan ways they could discuss ways to keep in touch. But what concerned Max most of all was Clark's feelings towards her and how they would be interrupted by the long distance relationship the three of them shared together.
Just when they thought of a way to make the day pass by faster, Max heard the front door click open.
The brunette peered down the hall with such high hopes to see William and Joyce walk through the front door, carrying groceries and laughing at inappropriate things William would say to his wife to get her riled up.
But instead, Max saw something quite dreadful.
What she saw was Joyce walk through the front door, alone. Behind her was a stranger she didn't quite identify by the uniform they wore. As she read Joyce's body language and how sapped of joy she was, Max dreaded what bad news had befallen the Price family.
The twins were unaware as to what was going on, only relying on Max's blank stare down the hall, until they stood beside their best friend and looked at what she was looking at.
Joyce was already heartbroken enough, that it was even more agonising to see the confused expressions of her children as they scampered towards her in feared anticipation of what dreadful news Joyce had to tell them.
"Kids... it's your father. I... he... he's dead." Joyce said with a broken voice.
"What?!" Chloe exclaimed, her whole body going numb in disbelief.
"I-I know it's hard to believe, but... a truck collided with him on his way to come pick me up from the store. The truck ran a red light and y-your father died on impact."
"No! No! No, h-how could this be?! Why is it true?! It can't be true!"
"Chloe, Chloe. Dear. I need you to stay strong for me, now."
Chloe lost balance in her legs, which in turn caused her to fall down with the assistance of her mother who gently sat her down as she shared her pain.
What Joyce felt was missing was seeing her son's reaction to the sudden loss of his father. The blonde woman looked up at her son who was still standing on his feet.
His hands were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, almost drawing blood from how frustrated he was. His whole body trembled as hot tears ran down his cheeks, meeting in the centre of his chin. Clark's mouth was open but his jaw was clenched, showing that he was physically fighting back his emotions but as soon as he felt the soft caress of his mother's hand on his forearm, Clark faltered.
It took a minute for Max herself to absorb this information herself.
By looking over at the dinner table at the photograph of William, Chloe and Clark dressed as pirates, Max felt her heart sink into her stomach. To realise how much of an influence William Price had on Max was well enough to say that he treated her like his own daughter. And now upon hearing of his passing left a hole in Max's chest, even more so now that she realised her leaving Arcadia would not be justified. She came to realise that once she'd leave Arcadia, Clark, Chloe and Joyce would have nobody else to comfort them for William's passing.
The brunette put her face in her hands and bawled her eyes out while Clark and Chloe did the same around their mother.
It really was the worst time for Max Caulfield to leave after all...
1 note · View note
corysmiles · 2 years
Note
Could you believe I actually am back with some Runnaway Experiment WRITING??? :D
This takes place very early on in the story, and gives some more insight into Tommy's life before they escaped (in the comics). Enjoy :D
-------
The experiment was growing years after years, to everyone’s delight. It seemed the first laboratorial human had a decent enough lifespan so that it could be studied in the long run. And so, 14 years, it has been since T0M saw the light of day, and it acted in a similar fashion a 14 year old human would. .
Of course, the many researchers failed to take in consideration an alteration of the most cumbersome. T0M looked human, could understand the english language, followed orders and didn’t complain, asked some questions but the specimen…. was big.
Too big to fit in a human bed.
Too big to fit comfortably in a room.
It went in spurts, which was terrifying the first time. It kept on growing and growing, as scientists hoped it wouldn't take long for it to stop, otherwise, it might lead to a lot of problems. But for the past 2 years, no noticeable change really occurred, which was a relief when the thing was already 25 ft tall. It never seemed to be challenging personality wise, which was a relief, but they still needed to keep him in line.
Hopefully, the Doctor Soot, as well as Doctor Puff took part in daily check ups and made sure he didn’t rebel.
So, every 2 day, they took turns to visit T0M in the room accustomed to its needs.
And both’s reports were excellent! T0M learned more while being as obedient and compliant as ever. Phil couldn’t be more happy with those results.
However, as time went on…. Wilbur failed to mention another kind of teaching he had going on with the subject for the past months.
“And this is called ‘Sadness’.” He held an A3 size paper with a moody smiley drawn on it, the word being written below. “It’s that feeling when our sessions are over and I have to go and you say ‘oh noooo’ in that voice.”
T0M was sitting on his knees in front of him, paying the utmost attention to what Wilbur was showing and saying.
“I hate that one.” He pouted.
“I know,” Wilbur chuckled. “No one likes to feel sad. But it’s a part of life.”
A single hum. Wilbur’s smile turned more sympathetic.
“Do you remember the other ones?” He stood up from his place and put the sheet in one of the dark grey metallic drawers.
T0M nodded, excitedly. He took his hand and poked his fingers as he counted. “ there’s “Happiness”, it’s the good one. And “Disgust”, it’s when I have to eat the weird green stuff.”
“Brocoli”
“That. And then there’s excitement, it’s when I smile real big because you come early.”
Wilbur clapped “Wonderful!” T0M’s eyes were shining stars at every approval from Doctor Soot. Even though T0M’s enjoyment was very appreciated and contagious, but it could be a bit… much, to handle at times.
“Since you understand the basics, I think it’s time for us to start a whole new lesson.” He clapped.
T0M gasped and cheered from the top of his lungs “YEAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!”, throwing his arms in the air and effectively making the room shake from the sheer volume of his voice. When he looked back at the scientist, his eyebrows were pinched and the brunette was covering his ears and curled up, almost in pain.
“...Doctor?” He brought his head close to the man who, after making eye contact, scrambled back until he hit the same drawer he put the papers in earlier. T0M looked at him confused, face still too big in Wilbur’s peripheral.
“I… Tom, I appreciate your enthusiasm when we do our lessons, but if you could prevent yourself from screaming, it would be nice.” He tried in the most gentle voice he could muster without it shaking.
“What’s screaming?” T0M asked, crouched so his face was almost on the ground at eye level with him. He brought a hand closer to the doctor who was still breathing heavily. When his head shot to look at the hand, his body on alert, he froze before saying.
“... Is it a moment when I can’t touch you?”
Wilbur’s eyes were locked on the now frozen hand for a good second before returning to T0M, nodding. “Uh, yeah.”
“... Okay.”
The hand retracted in the following seconds, and soon, he was back in his initial position.
The doctor thanked before regaining his composure. He looked back at T0M, and his expression held remorse. A guilt twisted Wilbur's guts at the view. Thing is, as T0M grew up, people quickly realised he was the equivalent of clingy. He would constantly grab people into hugs and had a hard time keeping his voice down which resulted in a large noise blocker investment. And so they had a rule. T0M couldn’t make any sort of physical contact with anyone without being given explicit permission first. Obviously, most workers considered T0M as a test subject and therefore, wouldn’t give him that pleasure.
Wilbur, though, was not in the same vein. Once he realised how empathic and emotional and human T0M was, he started teaching him things a human teen should need, and started giving him a sort of affection a human teen should have. Which included some sort of physical affection.
When T0M was sad, he would sit next to him or pat his back. It quickly evolved as Wilbur accepted being held by the boy and brought to eye level as long as he was careful when doing so, and ever later, they would hug and wilbur would try to brush his hair at times.
Still, that didn’t make him immune to any of T0M’s carelessness which’s consequences were amplified ten fold due to his scale.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked pitifully.
“I- no, it’s not your fault. It can just be a bit overwhelming is all.” Wilbur explained.
“... what does that mean?”
“It means… when something is ‘too much’. Like when you want to bring Techno very close, but he keeps reminding you about the rule.”
“Oh.” T0M let his head fall. “... I don’t like that.” Wilbur scratched his head. “I want to be so close and show that I’m very happy and it’s all inside and I can’t let it out.”
“Well, here, it’s a bit more of the opposite. When outside, there is a lot and you’re incapable of letting it in.”
“... I’m sorry Wilbur” he mumbled.
“It’s okay, I’m not angry.” reassured the brunette. “I just have sensitive ears.”
“...Everyone has sensitive ears.”
“Well, when you’re a small guy like me, you’re sensitive on pretty much all fronts.”
“... It’s not fair.”
“What’s that?” Wilbur perked.
“When I stop getting big and strong, I want to hug you with all of my will. Like you do with me. It feels nice. I want you to feel nice just like that. I want you to be overwhelmed with happiness. I want to hug you so, so bad but I can't and it's shit. I don't want to be strong, I hurt you if I’m strong. I want to hug you."
Tommy vented, more to himself, and when he looked at Wilbur, his eyes shined, not with joy.
"Oh Tommy…."
It ached. It ached Wilbur to his core that something as simple as a hug was something he craved and still couldn't get. Because he knew. He knew all of the things T0M was missing out on. All the life he could have lived if he was granted freedom. How much he could live and appreciate. It kept him awake at night.
But he was here. Trapped. In a room barely tall enough to contain him, treated like a circus monster. And the worst thing was, T0M wasn't aware of it. Of all the life he wasn't living. How his life was no life and how he thinks this absence of everything is what life should be.
Plato would probably laugh in his grave.
"I promise you. One day, you will be able to do that. I promise you that I'll find a way for you to hug me just like you are a small man too. I promise you that I'll make you discover all of those joys of life, Tom. I Promise you. I will help you. And I'm sorry for not being able to provide it sooner. And I'll apologize for all the years it took for me to get it."
They stared at each other, and Tommy nodded, throat tight and eyes wet.
"And a promise makes sure that it's gonna happen." T0M croaked.
"Exactly, tom." Wilbur smiled. "You are going to live many more things."
The bell rang, and both faces fell a bit.
"I'll see you in 4 days, Tom. We're gonna have a little recap over the emotions you learned and then I'll teach you about relationships."
"Oohh, that sounds nice! What is it?"
As Wilbur packed his little bag, he looked at T0M and simply replied "it's all around you. But I'm not gonna spoil the next session. On that note, I wish you a nice week, Tom."
"Have a nice week, Wilbur! " T0M waved with a smile. "It's nice talking to you."
"It is my absolute pleasure, Tom."
And thus, they parted. As Wilbur walked down the immense corridor (just tall enough Tom could run through them.) He wore a satisfied smile. His small steps resonated, the only sound in the room, yet peaceful enough for his ears to listen to them as carefully as silence. Halfway through, the sound was doubled.
"Helloooo."
"Oh, hey techno! How are you?"
"Doing fine. You seem very happy."
"I am. I made some good progress with T-he subject. I feel like he's learning well. The next tests should have fabulous results."
"Ahh, wonderful. Let's make sure it doesn't learn too much though." He joked.
And at that, Wilbur chuckled, his hand on the man's shoulder. "Oh don't you worry about that, my friend. I can assure you that'll never happen"
"Amazing" techno replied, deadpan. Both nodded their conversation away and walked the rest of their ways.
As he got further away, the doctor's smile turned to an amused grin. His steps resonated, so much smaller than what could be, in a corridor in which the boy just next door should walk through.
"Don't you worry about a single thing."
MEL YES I ADORE THIS AU SO MUCH ITS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!
Poor Tommy but at least Wilbur is helping him :”]
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jeonjeonggukenergy · 4 years
Text
May 31
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summary ~ on the last day of your senior year living together, you're still fighting your feelings for your roommate jungkook. before you can fully move out and move on, he makes a pretty significant scheduling error. #and there was only one bed
genre ~ fluff, smut / roommate!au, college!au, bit of crack/fake texts
wordcount ~ 5k
warnings ~ smut (18+), blowjob (oral: m receiving), nipple play, marking, penetrative sex, cumplay (sort of oral: f receiving), jungkook just goes hard as expected BUT IT'S SOFT? this is just super cheesy and cute with some hopefully hot smut
a/n ~ surprise oneshot! and they were roommates? and there was only one bed? this is all my fave tropes wrapped into one, i had a ton of fun writing it and i hope yall enjoy :')
~ read on ao3 ~
You walked up to your apartment door just as a boy from the class below you walked out—with a wave, a "see ya, Jungkook!" and what appeared to be the last piece of your roommate's bedframe.
"You...sold...your bed?"
"Well, sort of. I borrowed it from that guy for the year while he was studying abroad. So now I'm giving it back to him. Since I'm staying in the city for my new job, though, I wish I could have just kept it. Now I have to actually buy one," Jungkook lamented.
"I mean, okay, but why didn't you just wait to give it back tomorrow when we move out?"
"What do you mean? Today's move-out day. I was just waiting for my brother to get off work to help get all my stuff out of here. I was kind of wondering why you hadn't packed up more, but you've always waited til the last minute to pack for things." Jungkook grinned, recalling your friend group’s spring break trip.
Momentarily distracted by his dig, you defended yourself quickly before returning to the subject. "Hey! At least I always get it done in the end. Better than packing too soon and accidentally giving away your bed a day early. Your new lease doesn't let you move in til the first day of June, right? It's May 31st."
Jungkook's pretty doe eyes went comically wide. "31st? There is no May 31st. It's June 1st. Because yesterday was May 30th. Right?"
"Oh my gosh. You're joking. You have to be joking," you tried not to laugh as you pulled up your Google calendar. "Here, look," you turned the phone around to him. "May 31st."
"Shit," he breathed, pushing the soft shock of hair back from his frozen face. "What did I do?"
You took your phone back, already distracted by your texts as you reassured him. "Don't worry, it’s funny but it's no big deal, I'm just messing with you. You can sleep on the couch for tonight, you'll be fine."
Jungkook grabbed your wrist, making you look up from your screen in surprise. In sitcom-esque slow motion, he swiveled his head sideways and you followed his gaze to the living room, realizing—
"The couch was his too. I gave it back."
"Oh my gosh," you muttered, shaking your head down with a smile. Feeling a little braver on your last full day as roommates, you finally gave Jungkook the warning that had almost slipped out plenty of times over the year. "Jungkookie...you're really lucky you're so cute. Otherwise you wouldn't get away with nearly as much as you do in life.”
"I..." Jungkook dropped your hand, grinning at the usual nickname but unsure how to take the half-compliment. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe I forgot about a whole day, I usually double-check my calendar. I can just take the floor for tonight, I guess? I'll go unpack my blanket again. Sorry, I don't want to be an inconvenience."
"No, no," you cut him off—against your better judgment, but determined to ignore your superficial attraction to him to be a good friend and roommate. "Don't be ridiculous, just sleep in my bed. I mean, if that's okay with you of course. It'll definitely be more comfortable than the floor." He nodded rapidly, eyes still wide but mouth perfectly flatlined like an emoji. "Okay then. No worries. Let's eat, I got us takeout for our last night but it's getting cold."
At the mention of food, Jungkook made a beeline for the plastic bags hanging on your arm, and soon you were back to normal—well, sort of. Eating slightly reheated noodles on the living room floor instead of the couch, you giggled over one last Friday night K-drama episode together and reminisced over all the best memories from your year as roommates. You missed the coziness of your couch more than you thought you might, or maybe you just missed the snuggles you'd shared in its corner on countless nights like this one.
Jungkook had always been cutely touchy with his close friends, but it had taken a while for you two to get comfortable. You had to admit you'd gotten spooked when you first met him, disappearing behind your door after a quick "hi, nice to meet you!" and furiously texting your friend and former roommate Jin in distress. He hadn't warned you the new guy he'd found for your apartment was, in your own words, "stupid hot." Jin had laughed you off, saying it hadn't even occurred to him because he just saw his former soccer teammate "JK" as a kid. To be fair, it probably truly had slipped Jin's notice—he barely believed anyone who told him how objectively attractive he was. But Jin was a good enough friend to both you and Jungkook that he took charge of dissolving the initial tension, immediately bringing y'all over for a "double housewarming" dinner party at the cute new place he now shared with his fiancée. (Thank goodness he'd finally listened when you'd told him she found him attractive. Even if it cost you a roommate of two years, you'd happily take credit for that relationship.) That first invitation had felt suspiciously like a double date, but Jin's cooking and hosting skills broke the ice nicely enough. After that, it only took a few more dinners and video game nights to initiate you into their casual rhythm of hair ruffles and backhugs.
Currently, Jungkook had his arm around you to offer a neck rub while you rested your head on his shoulder, hoping he couldn't feel your pulse beneath his fingers. "Ah, you're going so hard," you half-protested.
"I always go this hard! You never complain," he shot back with a teasing grin.
"Nah, come on, you're gonna leave a mark or something. At least check," you lifted your head, sweeping your hair aside. "Is it all red like Jin always gets?" you joked.
Facing away, you had no way of seeing it, but Jungkook's face had gone red too. "Uh...no, it's fine, it's fine." He glanced back to the TV and turned it off, noticing the episode had ended. "Sorry though, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm gonna go shower and get ready for bed."
"Hey, no, it's okay!" You tugged on his shirt as he got up, wanting to reverse whatever you’d done to make him seem so uneasy. "I'm not actually hurt or mad at you or anything, I was just messing with you. Again." You smiled lightheartedly, and his face broke into a soft nose-scrunch at the reassurance.
"Okay, good. I was gonna shower anyway though—so uh, see you in bed I guess?"
"Yeah same, see you in bed," you laughed, trying to maintain the ease in your facial expression until the moment he left the room, upon which your internal monologue immediately turned into "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."
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You couldn't help thinking about Jungkook in the shower. And not even in the usual way that you couldn't help thinking about Jungkook, in the shower. As much as you hated to admit it, Jin was probably right about your feelings for your sweet, dorky roommate going beyond just physical attraction, or friendship. Jungkook was kind, respectful, smart, athletic, artistic, funny, really hot, and you already got along well enough to live together: he really was the ultimate boyfriend material. You were both pleasantly moderate introverts. He shared your same favorite dramas and brand of instant ramen. Even your parents loved him—wait, did they want you to date him too? A strict follower of every social rule that dictated not dating roommates, coworkers, best friends' exes, exes' best friends, etc., you had simply never allowed yourself to consider the possibility until now. You played back your conversations with Jin over the year and considered the sheer amount of the funny stories you told him, or situations where you asked for his advice, or surprises he'd helped you plan, or simply glowing, grinning descriptions of something new you'd noticed, that all ended up being about Jungkook. He'd never even had to bring him up. Damn Jin for being such a good listener.
~
Almost an hour later, when you were already in bed, Jungkook politely knocked on your door. He always took long showers, and tonight you couldn't decide whether you were thankful for the extra time to prepare yourself or even more stressed from the extra time to overthink.
"Come in," you called quietly. Jungkook shuffled into your room, toe-socked feet making their way to the side of the bed you'd rolled over to clear for him. Cautious, he climbed in, and you stayed safely facing away from each other for a while, winding down for the night on your phones like you both normally did in your separate rooms. So spaced out that you couldn't even detect Jungkook's additional body heat, you felt the chill of the air conditioning instead and kept adjusting the blankets to try and achieve maximum insulation.
Jungkook eventually spoke his first words since he'd entered. "Am I hogging the covers? I'm sorry."
"Oh no, you're totally fine, if anything I'm taking up more than you. I'm just always cold, so I usually sleep in, like, a three-layered burrito. But it's fine! Really, no worries."
To your surprise, Jungkook rolled over, propping his head up on an elbow to look at you. "Well...I...we could..." he started, swallowing when you turned to face him. "I mean, you could wear socks! Like I do!" He pulled a foot out from under the sheets and presented it to your face, cackling.
"I think the fuck not," you snorted, shoving the foot away and falling slightly on top of him as you both lost your balance in giggles. "You couldn't catch me dead in your weird-ass socks."
"That's the secret, though!" he insisted. "That's how I stay warm."
"You are warm," you realized. One of your hands had ended up on his chest, the other arm tucked in the side of his torso, and both were burning up. You supposed you'd settled into similar positions on the couch before but you'd never noticed just how much of a human furnace he was. Maybe it was because he hadn't been wearing his toe socks.
Neither of you said anything for a second. You could feel his heart beating at a slightly elevated but respectable rate, and while you wanted to pull away, if only to spare your own nerves, you also...didn't. You were too scared to stay like this, but too scared to move too. Jungkook seemed similarly stuck, blinking down at your hand on his chest, but eventually he unfroze to reach over it and drag you fully onto him by your shoulder. You simply let him handle you, not making any additional moves but silently enjoying the heat he seemed happy to provide. His hand spread over your back to press your torso to his, radiating heat through your thin t-shirt, and you suddenly grew self-conscious that you were braless. But of course you were, who wears a bra to bed? You were fine. This was fine.
"Are you okay? Is this warmer?" Jungkook asked, as gentle as his touch.
"Yeah! Yeah, this is fine," you responded, the answer muffled by your mouth's placement all too near to his neck. You could sense the heat coming off his skin from there too, but it contrasted with the mild coolness of his still-damp hair. It smelled faintly of floral shampoo, and the scent suddenly amplified all your nerves as the implications of how close he was hit you from head to toe. Even the soft fuzz of his socks brushed your bare legs, now intertwined with his. You weren't exactly small, but the warm solidity of Jungkook’s body under you made you feel fully enveloped by him. Though he'd shared a fair amount of skin with you through the course of your friendship, the intimacy of sharing your bed took every touch to another level, and being pressed so flush against him felt unbearable. You couldn't possibly process a whole year of pure pent-up physical attraction right now, much less any other feelings that may or may not have grown with it, especially when you knew he had no reason to feel anything back. And you were roommates. You just needed to sleep it off and then you could both move, and move on, in peace. Hopefully the odds of ever being stuck in a bed with Jungkook again would go way down after tonight.
Not bothering to get up and turn off the weak string of lights above your headboard, you just slowed your breathing and attempted to drift off to sleep. Pretending the deeper breaths weren't so you could get a better whiff of his soft, flowery hair, you laid still for several minutes, successfully ignoring your body's instinctual response.
Eventually, though, it became impossible to ignore his.
~
Jungkook wasn't that hard, okay. He wasn't a teenager; he thought he could control himself around you enough by now that he could just enjoy this last night without giving anything away. He almost felt bad when you invited him into your bed, sensing your reluctance and knowing it was his own fault that you'd had to offer in the first place. But he knew you wouldn't have asked if you weren't truly okay with it, and that confidence gave him the tiniest swell of hope that maybe you were a little bit more than okay. While Jin refused to give away any real insight into what you thought of him, he'd been teasing Jungkook for six months about his crush on you, eventually convincing him to try making your friendship into more once you both graduated and moved on to different roommates. He had just been planning to bring it up in a much better way than the semi that you could definitely feel against your thigh. You had both been silent about it for over five minutes, though, long enough that he could cross his fingers that you were already asleep. He probably didn't have to worry about a thing.
~
"Jungkook?"
You had finally worked up the courage to stop pretending you’d fallen asleep. You felt him freeze up under you—the defined abs that covered his tiny waist tightening, solid chest muscles contracting, and his thighs tensing to trap yours between them, all at once. You froze too, attempting to speak again but no sound coming out.
"_____, guess what!" he blurted to cut you off. Which was good, because you had absolutely zero plans for what to say after that.
"What?"
"It's after midnight," he said, jolting up to point to the digital clock on your side table. "It really is the first day of June now. So, according to the lease, we're officially no longer roommates. Crazy!"
"I mean...yeah," you affirmed, confused. "But also, we're literally sharing a bed right now. In the same room. So until that changes, I would probably still call us roommates." A little too amused by your own clapback, you raised your head to peek into his wide eyes and smiled, a big one that scrunched up your whole face.
And his dick twitched. Yeah, there was no way you could not notice that.
Before you could even finish your gasp, Jungkook spoke again. "I like you. I'm sorry. I like you. I didn't want to say anything while we were roommates because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, and I definitely didn't mean for this to happen, I'm sorry. You can totally not like me back and it's fine. I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to tell you like this, I just...I like you. A lot."
Shocked into silence for a second, but galvanized by his unnecessary apology, you responded without thinking for once. "Don't say sorry. You don't need to apologize, it's okay. Oh my gosh, I had no idea. I really had no idea. I, uh, I think I like you too? Shit, okay, I thought you were really hot from, like, the day you moved in, and eventually it became more than that but I didn't want to make anything weird because, yeah, we’re roommates, so I pretty much tried to ignore it all year. But then Jin made me realize that you're basically all I think about—or talk to him about, shit, I must have been so annoying—"
"Jin? JIN?" Jungkook grabbed his phone from the side table and wasted no time in blasting off the last meme in his camera roll. You propped yourself up in his arms, both giggling at Jin's quick shot back.
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Looking at him now, a big cheesy smile on his face even as he stirred under you, still a little hard, you nodded as if fully understanding for the first time. "Yeah. I like you too."
As he set down his phone and brought his hand around your back again, his smile faded into a smirk. "Wow."
"Yeah...wow," you echoed, nervous and awkward again. You felt your face grow warmer as he looked slowly to your lips, then back up to meet your eyes.
"Can I kiss you?"
Blinking, you shifted your weight back down onto him, bringing your face close enough to hear his intake of breath as your hips brushed his dick. "Can you do more than that?"
"Fuck," he whispered. "Yes."
Jungkook snaked one arm down to your ass and one arm up your back to the nape of your neck, holding you close as he kissed you for the first time, fiercely. He didn't waste another minute hesitating now that he knew you had both wanted this for a year. Passionate but not aggressive, he teased the seam of your mouth with the tip of his tongue and you instantly opened for him, gliding your tongue over his smooth bottom lip as his flicked up to the sensitive roof of your mouth. Squeezing your ass to guide your hips down in small circles against him, he tensed his other hand slightly into your hair and you moaned at the competing sensations. Jungkook broke away to absorb every beautiful noise you made as he discovered you, heavy eyes finding yours before he rolled over to pin you to the bed and bury his face in your neck. He smiled into your skin when you moaned again from the satisfying pressure of his full body over you, and carefully rolled his hips into yours as he covered your jawline in tender kisses. One of your hands carved through his thick hair. As you dug the fingertips of your other hand into his prominent back muscles, you suddenly realized you were both still fully clothed and you really, really did not want him to be. Tugging his t-shirt over his head and throwing it aside, you paused before letting him do the same.
"Wait. Take off your socks. I can't believe I didn't make you do that before any of this. I really just almost had sex with someone wearing toe socks. Kill me," you whined over-dramatically.
"Come on, that would have been hilarious. What a first-time story!" Jungkook said earnestly. "Sure you don't want me to leave them on?"
"Please take them off. Please," you only half-jokingly begged.
"You wanna take 'em off for me?" he teased, wiggling a foot in front of you.
"Fine, whatever it takes!" You flung his sock across the room, reaching for his other foot below the covers to get rid of the other one.
He fell on top of you, giggling again, but as soon as you shut him up with your lips he snapped out of it, eagerly deepening the kiss while his warm hands traveled up under your shirt. Smoothing over the curves of your torso and reaching up to firmly grasp your breasts, he moaned into you and you whined back as his thumbs brushed your hardening nipples. He was incredibly physically precise, each movement graceful yet sharp and intentional. You felt deeply lucky to experience this dimension of him, the most perfect and natural expression of his contradictory nature. Equally loving, giving, overachieving, and sensual—with a side of weird socks and Gen Z meme literacy—that was your Jungkook.
"I can't believe this is happening," Jungkook murmured as he pulled your shirt over your head. "I can't believe I get to see you like this. You're so—ohhh." He trailed off, taking in the fully naked glory of your top half for the first time. His head immediately ducked to your chest, sucking dark bruises into the low-lit hollow of your breasts. You squirmed under his hold on the dip of your waist, whimpering, but the grip of your hands in his shiny black locks let him know you didn't really want him to stop. Grinding against his now rock-hard dick, you eventually couldn't take the friction anymore and reached down to try and pull off both of your pajama pants at the same time. Jungkook just laughed.
He paused to help you out, rolling off of you to take care of his own sweatpants, and you kicked off your pajama pants and underwear as Jungkook slowly let his erection spring free above his waistband. You'd never thought a dick could be pretty before, but it honestly made sense that his would be as perfect as the rest of his body. "Fuck," you swore softly, mouth watering. Jungkook raised an eyebrow at you, and you scrambled to lick the tip as if on instinct, eliciting a much more emphatic "Fuuuuuck!" from him. He spread his legs to let you crawl between them, holding tenuous eye contact as you smirked at his sensitivity. Teasing a single finger up his shaft, you followed its path with your tongue and he let out a deliciously high, shaky moan.
"Please," Jungkook choked out when you approached him, lips pursed. He praised you breathlessly as you tightened a hand around his length and began to sink down. "You feel so good already. Fuck." Closing your eyes, you hollowed your cheeks to accommodate his generous size and dipped your head, sucking him in as far as you could go. He was so responsive, you learned what he liked quickly, and savored each whimper as you stroked his balls gently or swirled your tongue over his slit. You licked all the way from his head to the base and he cried out. Bringing a hand to the back of your head, he didn't quite hold you down, leaving enough slack for you to move if you wanted to, but you submitted to his touch and stayed a second with nearly his whole length in your mouth. And then you swallowed.
"Stop! Stop, please, or I'll cum." He pulled you off by your hair, bringing your forehead to his as you realigned your bodies. "You're so good for me," he professed warmly. "I wanna be good for you."
"Then fuck me," you surprised him by answering bluntly. "Please, I want you so bad."
Jungkook groaned, arching his hips up against you and coating his dick in your wetness. Bringing himself back under control, he pinned you under his thighs and reached down to open you up with a finger. You felt so much more relaxed with him than you had with any previous boyfriend or hookup, and he slid into your entrance fairly easily. You moaned right away when he brushed his thumb over your clit, and he responded with a muttered "Fuck it, you’re so wet already," pulling his finger out and stroking it up your folds as he lined up.
"You're on the pill, right? For your periods," he confirmed.
"Yeah, of course. You really think I'd let you hit it raw otherwise?" you shot back teasingly, trying to hide how touched you were that he remembered from a few months ago, when he'd driven you to pick up your prescription since your car was in the shop. That was your Jungkook.
"No," he said sheepishly. "You're smart."
You smiled up at him fondly, ruffling his hair. "You're smart too. And sweet. And hot. And your dick is enormous. It's kind of unfair."
"Unfair!" he protested. "How can I be unfair when you're perfect?"
"Perfect? Shut up," you dismissed him. "Now I know you're lying. You cheeseball."
"I'm not lying! You're perfect for me."
"Oh, so you're just a hopeless romantic. Where did that come from? What am I getting into?" you fussed playfully.
"Okay, we can make fun of each other later, like always, but right now can I just get into you?" Jungkook pleaded, directing you back to the task at hand.
"Oh my gosh. I can't believe this, you're worse than Jin. That was actually pretty impressive—" Surprised, you half-laughed, half-admired his wordplay, but were silenced by both his lips and his first few inches gliding into you.
Not yet breaking your kiss, just absorbing your moans into his mouth as he stretched you out, Jungkook eased himself all the way in. He drank in every detail of your body's response to keep careful track of your comfort. You tilted your ass up against him, absorbing the fullness of his big dick immersed in your walls, and he froze. "Pretty impressive?" he whispered.
"Jungkook," you breathed back in pure pleasure, too overwhelmed to sass back.
"Can I move?" he asked sweetly.
"Fuck. Yes."
Jungkook's brows narrowed as his eyes turned darker, and he snapped his hips up into yours once, twice, before setting a fierce pace that had you crying out with each stroke. He hadn't lost touch on your clit the whole time, and he began to circle his fingers to pleasure you there too, building up an almost unbearable tension throughout your whole body.
"Fuck...fuck! Jungkook!" you chanted. His eyes overcame their fluttering to meet yours. Jungkook stilled, then ground down on you in one big, slow, circle, drinking in your blissed-out expression.
"Harder?" he whispered. Jungkook loved a challenge.
"Sure, harder. Why the fuck not," you keened, high-pitched and desperate. He could split you in half at this point, leave you unable to walk for days, and you'd love it.
Jungkook made a small, delighted noise at your eagerness, kissing you quickly before flipping you over and positioning you on all fours, sheathing himself in you again. He ran his hands along your torso to clutch your breasts from underneath, holding himself up against you with solely the strength of his thighs and his core. Pulsing his hips into you carefully, slowly, to let you get used to the deeper angle, his fingertips skimmed your nipples tantalizingly, warming you further. He dropped one hand to prop himself up and slowly traveled the other down to your center. The lustful, elated exhale you let out when he rubbed your clit made him snap his hips forward, tilting you into the bed before you could engage your thighs to push back against his. Your continuous moans encouraged him that you were enjoying this just as much as him, loving how he remained fully attentive to your pleasure while pounding into you to pursue his own high. He fucked you like a high-intensity workout, pushing his unreasonably built body to its limits of speed and strength. You couldn't help wishing you'd taken him up on more of his offers to hit the gym together, but he seemed to get off on your breathlessness, wanting to give you his all and push you past your limits too. His fingers working as quickly as his hips, heat swelled up inside you, and when you felt sure that the tension in your core was about to break, you turned your head to cry out to him.
"Jungkookie, Jungkook—nhngh, I'm gonna cum."
"Ahhhh," he moaned. "Me too, _____. You feel so amazing, ahh—you're so perfect for me." The praise warmed your heart and your core, and soon you came around him with a long, drawn-out whine. He fucked you deep through each spasm, sending you into hot, heady overstimulation as he shuddered and emptied himself into you. When you finally collapsed under him, legs sore and shaking, he pulled out of you gently and lowered his lips to your lower lips with great care. Jungkook meticulously kissed from your swollen clit to your entrance, soft as a whisper, and you breathed out in overwhelmed bliss as his tongue emerged to tenderly nudge every drop of his cum into your opening. The gesture of aftercare, just as soothing as it was inexplicably hot, bloomed an affection within you that almost made your heart hurt. You rolled over, stretching your legs out, and he looked up at you from between them. His hair was a beautifully sweaty mess, and he smiled in sweet satisfaction with your wetness adorning his chin. That was your Jungkook.
"Don't go anywhere," he said softly, kneading your thighs with his hands.
"Well, I have to do the whole pee-after-sex thing. But after that, where would I go? There's only one bed in this apartment now," you couldn't help teasing.
"Hey! If I hadn't given away my bed, none of this would have happened," he complained cutely, pulling himself up to big-spoon you. “Just stay with me.”
"I will. I know," you murmured back. "And I'm so happy you did." You shifted back, closer against him, and he buried his face in your neck.
"You know, I was gonna miss being roommates so much," he said thoughtfully. "But I'm so okay with not being your roommate now if I get to be your...your..." He grinned into your shoulder, suddenly too shy to say it.
You turned to face him, holding his pink cheeks in both of your hands and kissing his nose. Knowing this would be just the first intimate moment of many made you both flush with an easy, sweet joy.
"My Jungkook. You're my Jungkook."
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askthesunjackers · 3 years
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Hey! I’d just like to give a little... general update on My Life™ as concerns my ability to do the stuff you’re here for.
In case you’re not aware, I have Crohn’s disease. It’s a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive system, and I’ll spare you the gross details, and just tell you that it goes through periods of remission and periods where everything sucks, and you don’t have energy for anything, and you can’t leave your house for very long, you’re more vulnerable to infections, and it’s just a bad time.
Across the early months of 2021 my symptoms started slipping. My trip across the country to get vaccinated in March was significantly more fraught and complicated than going home for Christmas. People had started noticing that I was coughing a lot. But I was busy, and the comic layouts needed to be done, and an animation was due, and I’ll just... go to the doctor next week. Okay actually next week, there’s a thing this weekend. This is around the time that I was only doing one sketch stream a month.
Things continued to worsen throughout May, with a spell of pneumonia, being unable to get blood tests that would have saved me a lot of time because of a cyberattack on my country’s health service, and an increase in my medication that actually made my symptoms worse - I wasn’t eating for several days a week, and some days I’d barely get out of bed. This culminated in finally getting blood test results in front of a consultant about two weeks ago, which prompted them to call me into hospital for a week - which is what had me missing Galaconline.
The good news is that my spell in hospital really turned my condition around and I’m feeling fit as a fiddle. In fact I had no idea how sick I’d become until I got home and saw the state of my apartment. I’m sure my friends were all very worried about me, and I’m sorry for doing that, but relevant to this post - my illness affected my professional obligations to you, my patrons. Now, illness happens, and I’m sure you can understand that sick days are just a necessary part of any lifestyle. However, what I did was unnecessarily push myself to ignore it in the hopes that it would just go away, which has meant that I’ve been doing a half-job for several months. It was irresponsible, and for the sake of professionalism and just... my own wellbeing, I’m gonna try not to do that again.
Anyway, that’s been my ramble about how things have been for me for a while. I’m incredibly lucky to have an audience like you, and I wanna do right by you. So sit right there and boy howdy now that i’m back on all cylinders i’ve got some shit cookin’ up
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tippedbykreider · 3 years
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something just like this | c. parayko
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Word count: 14.6k Warnings: Mention of infertility Author’s Note: Colt and Cass are back! There’s been about 1.3k of stuff added to this but everything has remained pretty much the same :) Song title is from ‘Something Just Like This’ by The Chainsmokers Summary: Colton Parayko is no stranger to living life on the road and being away from home, but when a new neighbour moves in to the property next door, Colton comes to learn that perhaps home isn’t a place after all.
Colton Parayko would consider himself to be a lucky man. He had a dream job, he was living in a city that felt like home despite being thousands of miles away from his actual home. He drove a nice car, had a nice house in a good area and his neighbours were some of the kindest people he’d ever had the pleasure of encountering. Sure, there were days where he could kill a man for a Tim Horton’s but had to settle for a Starbucks instead, and those days made a pang of homesickness rear its head in his chest, but they were few and far between and if his biggest gripe was a lack of Tim Horton’s coffee in St Louis, then Colton thought he was doing pretty damn well if he was to say so himself.
He’d been in the city for the better part of five years now and had really found a place where he felt like he could put down roots, or at least for as long as his career would allow. When he’d first moved to the city he’d found himself an apartment right in the heart of Downtown, and while it was exciting and there was never a dull moment, it never really felt like somewhere Colton could see himself long term. He liked to party just like anyone else, but he was happiest when relaxing in his own space with a puzzle or a good book. To some this might seem boring or like he was old before his time but with a life as full on as Colton’s could be, it was a nice change of pace to kick back, relax and unwind. That’s what led him to the house he’d called home for the last couple of years. It was modestly sized but bright and airy and a perfect base for him during the season. The neighbourhood was quiet and filled with a lot of young families and it had that real sense of community that reminded Colton of his hometown back in Canada. He didn’t have to think twice about leaving his number with Laura and Joe or Tom and Martina on either side of him in case of an emergency and he knew that his bins would be taken care of if garbage day fell during one of his stretches on the road.
Things had been the same since he’d moved in and in some ways it seemed like time had stood still in that little corner of St Louis but rather than feeling humdrum and dull, Colton felt like it gave him a safe harbour to come back to during the crazy storm of the hockey season. No matter whatever else was happening in his life, Colton could always rely on the community spirit of his neighbourhood to make him feel like he was at home. But sooner or later, the tides of change sweep in and life as we know it is rearranged, sometimes in small ways, other times beyond all recognition. It started on a Tuesday morning in late-February; it was a rare day off and Colton was locking the front door to his house before heading out on his morning run when he noticed the for-sale sign in the front yard of the house to the right of his. He had no reason for the odd feeling that had sprouted in his stomach and had begun to settle heavily there, but there it was all the same.
He set off down the street at a leisurely jog, casting his mind back to the last conversation he’d had with Tom or Martina to try and remember if they’d mentioned anything to him about them potentially moving elsewhere but he was certain that they hadn’t. He would have remembered something like that, he would. He wasn’t exactly sure why seeing the sign had jarred him so much in the first place because while he was friendly with Tom and Martina and while he had always made sure to buy their son a small gift every Christmas and birthday since moving there, it wasn’t like he would consider himself to be their best friend or anything like that. But even so, Colton always enjoyed hearing Sam play outside on warmer days and he knew that he would miss his raucous laughter, it had reminded him so often of his own niece’s back in St Albert. Perhaps that’s what all this was about, Colton thought, the nostalgia and the sense of normalcy and that feeling of home, but even he understood that all things succumb to the rolling tides of change and that people move on to pastures new. All he could hope was that the new owners were just as nice and friendly as the soon-to-be old ones were.
 It was early April when Colton spotted the removals van parked out on the street and within 48 hours he found himself waving off the Parkers along with the rest of the cul-de-sac. He wondered then who the new owners were, what they were like, whether they had children and hoped beyond hope that they would be willing to help keep an eye on his place while he was either away on the road or back in Alberta. He didn’t give it much more thought after that; the Blues were about to start their playoff campaign and Colton’s mind was firmly fixed on hockey. It was only when he returned home from a two day trip to Minnesota that he noticed a silver Mercedes coupe on the driveway next-door. The neighbourly instinct in him told him to go and introduce himself, but it was getting late and all Colton could think about was getting inside, taking a hot shower and dragging his tired body into bed.
An early practice meant that any semblance of a lie-in was out of the question. He’d decided to forgo breakfast at home in favour of an extra fifteen minutes wrapped up in the warmth of his duvet, figuring that he’d find some time to eat at the rink instead. By 8am he was slipping on his sneakers and heading out the door, a small duffel slung over one shoulder with a travel mug of coffee in his hand and his keys in the other. He was so focused on getting the front door closed and locked without having his bag slip from its precarious perch and spilling his coffee that he didn’t notice his new neighbour going through a similar routine of their own. She had a tan leather satchel balanced on her shoulder and her tote handbag was hooked over the same arm and dangling obnoxiously enough that it was severely impeding her ability to get the front door closed. Colton had just turned to get into his car when he saw her and his eyes immediately went to the comically large travel mug that was being held at an almost dangerous angle while she tried to move the bags out of the path between the door and the frame.
It was a no-brainer for Colton to set his own travel mug down on the roof of his car and cross the distance between the two houses, pocketing his car keys as he went. He couldn’t help the small smile that sparked across his face as her voice came into focus with every step he took.
“Με δουλεύεις? Δεν έχω χρόνο για αυτό! Σκατά στον τάφο σου…”
His brows knitted together in confusion despite the gentle smirk on his lips, stifling a laugh as he approached the porch steps while his new neighbour sighed in pure exasperation, completely unaware of his presence behind her.
“Σάλτα και γαμήσου.”
Colton leaned forward and took the mug, which was now tilted almost horizontally from her efforts, from her hand. She turned her head quickly, a look of surprise on her features that Colton returned with a friendly grin.
“You looked like you were having a bit of trouble there.”
She closed her eyes and offered a small laugh on the exhale of a single breath, the corners of her lips quirking ever so slightly into a hint of a smile.
“Sorry about that,” she said apologetically. “The plan wasn’t to cause a ruckus in the street this morning.”
Colton laughed and offered his hand to take the bags from her which she accepted gratefully, turning and shutting the front door before turning the key in the lock with a sense of finality.
“Sounded like you were really sticking it to that door.” He handed back her bags and waited until she’d pressed the button on her car keys to unlock it before giving her back the mug of coffee, taking in the navy blue pencil skirt suit and the powder blue silk blouse she wore. “You gonna be okay from here?”
“Yeah,” she nodded as she tossed her bags onto the passenger seat and surveyed him with a thankful expression. “Sorry for the theatrics, I just get a little flustered when I think I’m running late, especially on my first day at a new job.”
“Completely understandable,” Colton agreed while nodding sagely. “I’m Colton, by the way.”
“Cassandra,” she replied, offering her hand which he shook. “I’m guessing you live around here?”
“Yep,” Colton pointed to his house, not a stone’s throw away from hers. “Literally just there.”
Cassandra smiled at him, bright and dazzling and a million miles away from the frustrated little grimace she’d had on her face only a few minutes before, as if the incident with the door was already a distant memory.
“Well, it was lucky you came along when you did. Two bags, one of them heavy and a mug full of coffee? Could’ve been messy,” she smirked behind her travel mug as she took a sip, surveying him with chocolate eyes that were keen and warm all at once. “That’ll teach me, huh?”
“Glad to help. Although maybe leave the octopus impression to actual octopuses. Or is octopi? I never know which,” Colton mused, adjusting the strap of his duffel on his shoulder.
“I believe octopuses is the correct plural, grammatically speaking, although I’m not sure they mind either way,” Cassandra contemplated with a bemused smile on her lips before a brief silence fell between them as they surveyed each other with easiness and a gentle intrigue.
She was beautiful, Colton thought, and nothing like any woman he’d ever seen before with her olive skin and hair as dark as her eyes and there was a kind of fire in her belly, of that Colton was sure because in his twenty seven years of life he’d never seen anybody berate an inanimate object with the kind of gusto that she just had, even if he didn’t understand a word of it. He thought it was an odd contrast to the perfect, pristine suit that she was wearing and he found himself wondering just what it was that she did for a living. That thought quickly brought his mind back to the present, remembering that the real world was calling and that they both indeed had to get to their respective jobs, and he made a mental note to ask her about it when they both had a little more time on their hands.
“Well, I uh, I actually gotta shoot for work too but it was really nice meeting you,” Colton announced with what Cassandra interpreted as slight reluctance which she found both intriguing and endearing in equal measure. “And good luck for your first day at work, I hope it goes well for ya.”
“Yeah, you too and uh, thanks again.”
Colton flashed her a toothy grin, one that gave him a boyish kind of charm despite his imposing size, as he replied, warm and genuine, “Anytime.”
Cassandra watched with intrigue as Colton retreated back to his driveway and got into his SUV, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She wasn’t sure what exactly the rest of her day would have in store for her, but as she saw the little wave Colton gave her through the window as he pulled away, she could feel a lightness start to spread in her chest and knew without a shadow of a doubt that the small act of kindness from her new neighbour had salvaged her morning.
 It was four days later when Cassandra saw her neighbour again, an unusually warm Friday afternoon to be exact. It was his car in the driveway that she noticed first on account that it had been missing for the last two days and while she knew nothing of the man that had rescued her Monday other than the fact that his name was Colton, she couldn’t help the involuntary smile that had settled on her lips as she turned into the quiet cul-de-sac and saw the dark grey SUV she’d recognised from the other morning. She wondered just exactly when he’d come home, remembering her earlier observation that it was still missing as she reversed off her own driveway a shade past 8am that morning. It was 2:30pm now and all Cassandra could think about was getting out of her tailored dress and court shoes and into something much more comfortable.
She shut the engine off and climbed out of her car, grabbing her purse as she went; she’d come back for her satchel later. She immediately slipped off her shoes, not caring that she hadn’t even made the short distance up the driveway to the house, and tucked them carefully under her arm while she fished in her purse for her keys. She didn’t notice the tall blonde from next door emerge from his house, nor did she notice the bemused smile he wore while he watched her root around her too-large purse for her house keys and she definitely didn’t notice him set down the bucket of water and sponge he had in his hands before starting to cross the short distance between their houses.
“You need some help there?” he called out with a grin, causing her to jump and drop the shoes under her arm and the purse in her hand with a clatter.
“Ιησούς Χριστός!” She turned then, the slightly startled expression on her face melting into a warm smile and a soft laugh as she took in the large man in front of her, playfully prodding his solid chest as payback for the little fright he’d given her before moving to bend down and pick her belongings up off the floor. Colton was quicker though and before she had a chance to really register what was going on, Colton was handing her back the oversized purse, the black court shoes still in his other hand.
“Now, I’m gonna hazard a guess here and say that those aren’t your size,” she added with a devious little smirk, nodding towards his hand and laughing. Colton took a couple of beats to catch up to what she was saying as his eyes drifted from the easy grin she had on her face to the shoes before his face turned an interesting shade of pink and his free hand moved to rub the back of his neck.
“I just, um, I figured I’d keep a hold of them while you looked for your keys,” he offered.
“Very thoughtful of you. I swear I’m not usually this disorganised,” she said while she resumed her search inside of her purse. “It’s the Friday brain.”
“Rough week?”
“I’ve questioned my life choices exactly seven times this week and considered becoming a stripper but then I remembered that I couldn’t dance and my parents would be extremely disappoin- Aha!” She pulled the keys from out of her purse and put them into the lock. Colton was instantly hit with the sweet smell of summer flowers mixed with a scent that he couldn’t quite place the second her front door swung open but it somehow seemed to fit her, despite him still not really knowing her all that well. He wanted to though, because while she was intriguing and piqued Colton’s interest in all manner of ways, she was also incredibly warm, the kind of warmth that would draw even the most adventurous wayfarer to hearth and home. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was about her that gave her this gentle presence, maybe it was her eyes and how they seemed to hold a kind of sincerity that he couldn’t help but be enchanted by. Perhaps that was the reason why he was still standing holding her shoes in his hand even after she’d crossed the threshold into her home, despite him every intention of using the rare sliver of free time he had to do something productive like wash his car.
She’d finished hanging up her purse and was now back in front of him, surveying him with an easy smile while her hands reached out to gently take the shoes from his hand.
“Do you wanna come in for a drink or something? I bought a new espresso machine the other day and it’s the perfect weather to make iced coffee, although other beverages are also available if you’d prefer something else.”
“Oh I don’t wanna interrupt-“
“You’re not,” Cassandra assured. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to, believe me.”
There was a lightness in her tone that matched her smile and Colton found himself nodding in agreement, the bucket and sponge sat on his porch steps forgotten as he followed her inside and closed the door behind him. Her home had a warmness to it, much like the one Cassandra radiated herself, and Colton couldn’t help but be impressed at just how put together and lived in the space looked, despite it not even being two weeks since he was sure she’d moved in.
“Wow,” he said as he followed her deeper into the house. “You wouldn’t think you’d just moved in here, it took me weeks to unpack.”
Cassandra smiled as she grabbed two glasses from the cupboard while Colton settled himself against the kitchen island.
“I don’t have a lot of stuff really. This place is easily two or three times the size of my old apartment back in New York so once the furniture was in there wasn’t really an awful lot left to unpack. I did go to Pottery Barn on like, my second day here, which I’m not sure I’ll ever financially recover from but those chunky merino wool blankets are like crack to me.”
Colton laughed as he allowed his eyes to go to the blankets in question that were arranged over the back of a cosy looking cream fabric corner sofa. There were scatter cushions that somehow managed to look both homey and perfectly placed and while the whole room screamed French farmhouse vibes that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Pinterest, it never lost the inviting and hospitable charm that hit him as soon as he stepped foot inside. He took in the rest of the décor while Cassandra busied herself with their iced coffee, pushing away from the island to get a closer look at the many photographs arranged on the side tables and walls.
His attention was caught by a particularly large framed picture on the wall above a console table, eyes immediately drawn to the large group of smiling faces staring back at him. There must have been at least forty people in this photograph, he noted, all standing in front of a white villa with shutters that were the colour of the bright sky above them. He found Cassandra easily, her smile even more dazzling than the sun was that day. She was stood between a man and a woman whom Colton could only assume to be her parents. She had the same golden olive skin as her father, he thought, and her eyes bore a remarkable similarity to his in the way they crinkled slightly at the corners when she smiled but her smile itself and the rest of her features? They were all her mother’s and Colton caught himself smiling softly as he traced his gaze over each happy face in the photograph.
“Is this your family?”
Cassandra poked her head around the wall to see what Colton was referring to, laughing softly at the sight of him looking at the picture with a mild sense of wonder resting on his face before going back to finish making their drinks.
“Yeah,” she called from the kitchen.
“That’s a, that’s a real big family you got there.”
“Well,” she started, the amusement and teasing clear in her voice. “I am Greek and if you’ve ever seen that movie with John Corbett and Nia Vardalos you’ll understand exactly what it’s like.”
Colton fired a grin at her as he shook his head gently, “can’t say that I have.”
“I wish I could say that they exaggerated what it’s really like for the purposes of the movie but they really, really didn’t,” she laughed over the sound of the espresso machine. “Although I am glad that the swearing the other morning didn’t tip you off, I was trying to stay incognito so I didn’t have to spend my life listening to people talk to me about how good the gyros are here. The ones you guys sell here? Not traditional Greek gyros and frankly I’m insulted.”
She reappeared with two glasses in her hand, sidling up next to Colton with a brush of her shoulder against his bicep as she nudged into him with a playfulness that he couldn’t help but chuckle at, thanking her as he took one of the glasses from her hands.
“I mean, I thought you looked Mediterranean but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure on what language you were yelling at your door in.”
“Sometimes when I’m frustrated I open my mouth and my baba comes out,” Cassandra shrugged casually from behind her glass as she took a sip. “Those genes run pretty strong. They’re a passionate people, the Greeks.”
“So were you born in Greece and then moved here when you were young, or?” Colton asked, following Cassandra as she moved to the patio door and out onto the deck before settling down in the chair next to her.
“Oh no, I’m a born and raised New Yorker,” Cassandra clarified as she set her glass down on the side table between them.
“Really? I’ve been to New York a few times with work and you don’t have much of an accent, if you don’t mind me saying. I uh I don’t mean it rudely it’s just, there’s usually a distinctive accent there.”
“Ah, they beat accents out of you in Law school,” she grinned as she surveyed him. “It’s not professional sounding apparently. Although it’s probably for the best, if I sounded anything like my mother I’d never be taken seriously in my field.”
Colton nodded, becoming more intrigued by the woman sitting beside him by the second. “So your parents came here from Greece,” he hadn’t meant for it to sound so much like a question but he was eager to hear more.
“My dad did, my mom was actually born in New York but my grandparents emigrated here from Italy so you can just imagine my mom’s accent,” she punctuated her answer with a laugh before continuing. “My Nonna is from Naples and my Nonno was born in Bologna. They met and got married in Italy and then emigrated here when they were in their early twenties, it was all very romantic. Nonno passed away a couple of years ago and Nonna took it pretty hard but she has my mom and aunts and uncles around to take care of her.”
“So your mom’s family-“
“Also massive,” Cassandra laughed. “I say that I came to St Louis for work but really it was for the peace and quiet.”
Colton chuckled with her at that, unable to even imagine the size of her combined family. He wondered if they’d ever all been together in the same room during Cassandra’s lifetime and whether it was as chaotic as he thought it might have been based on Cassandra’s words.
“So family gatherings must be pretty wild, huh?”
“Thankfully most of my dad’s family are all in Greece. My paternal grandparents are really old now so they don’t venture very far, let alone this far but my dad’s siblings have been to visit a couple of times and it’s always, um, interesting when mom’s family visit my parents while dad’s relatives are staying there and when I say ‘interesting’ I mean ‘loud’,” she grinned. “Everyone forgets regular social conventions like waiting for the other person to finish speaking before starting to speak themselves and the concept of an indoor voice.”
Colton let out a noise that was halfway between a laugh and a cough as he stopped the mouthful of coffee he’d just taken from reappearing out of his nose, Cassandra laughing along with him before she offered him an apology and a smile.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you inhale your drink there.”
“No,no, it’s okay,” he assured. “It was a good mental image, almost curious to see what that’s like.”
“Well, if you ever feel like subjecting yourself to a headache and my family is in town I’ll let you know,” Cassandra winked as a gentle laugh floated past her lips.
“I appreciate it,” Colton grinned in reply, although he couldn’t help the heat rising in his cheeks at the thought, which was an unusual response in itself, he thought, given that the woman sitting beside him was still really an acquaintance. He paused briefly as the light moment they’d shared settled between them, filling the space with a quietness that was by no means uncomfortable despite it being light-years away from their laughter not moments prior. There was a distinct curiosity there, a desire to know her in the way that friends know each other and it was a curiosity that Colton couldn’t trace the source of. She was his neighbour, yes and neighbours often knew a surface level of information about each other and their lives in a kind of shallow and superficial kind of way, and she’d been kind enough to invite him in for coffee, which was probably about as neighbourly as you could get but there was something else about their interactions that felt like more than being just neighbourly. There was a lightness to them, a playfulness that he couldn’t recall experiencing with any of his other neighbours and that curiosity, that need to keep talking to her and listen to her life story, her likes, her dislikes and everything in between, but he also didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, and so he opted to ask her about something safe, something she’d already offered to him in passing.
“You said you went to Law school? I know you probably get this all the time but you must be pretty smart.”
“Yeah, uh, NYU. Graduated a few years back, took the bar examination and then got a job at a decent firm in Manhattan. It’s just so competitive there, y’know? It felt like I couldn’t ever really get ahead no matter how hard I busted my ass because of just how cutthroat that whole scene is and I was sick to death of feeling like I had to prove myself in an old boy’s club just because I was a female in my mid-twenties with a foreign sounding surname so I thought I’d broaden my horizons a little bit. I looked up some reputable firms across the country, sent a few speculative letters and here I am.”
“I can’t even imagine what that’s like, having to jump over hurdles like that just because you’re a woman with a mixed heritage, like I guess I’ve always been aware of how my privilege has meant I’ve never really had to deal with stuff like that but I just can’t even… You’re one tough cookie, you know that?” Colton turned in his seat so that he was facing her better, his glass cradled within his hands.
“I guess you kind of have to be when you work in law, especially as a woman. I spend most of my days around guys who look for opportunities to turn any situation into a dick measuring competition and who look at you like you’re some incompetent newbie who’s only in that position to fulfil some sort of equality and diversity quota bullshit,” Cassandra sighed heavily, meeting Colton’s eyes as she continued. “Real talk? It feels like I lead a double life every single day. I go to work and it feels like I have to put on a persona just to prove that I belong at the table and that shit is fucking exhausting. That person I am when I’m at work? That’s not the real me but people will see that person and make judgments about her, y’know? They’ll say that I’m ‘difficult’ or that I’m ‘cold’ or ‘standoffish’ when in reality they create an environment that is so toxic for women that they force them to be someone they’re not just to get by.”
Cassandra inhaled deeply, filling her lungs back up with air after her mini-tirade had come out on a whoosh of a breath. She was wearing an almost sheepish look as she surveyed Colton, an apologetic smile gracing her lips before she spoke again.
“Sorry for the rant that you literally didn’t ask for or need.”
“Hey,” Colton replied sincerely. “You don’t need to apologise. Honestly? I’m just in awe that you’ve not let the bullshit stop you, most people would have thrown in the towel and peaced out.”
“It’s definitely better now that I’m not working in New York, like, I know it’s still very early days but all my colleagues are really nice and the few attorneys from other firms I’ve dealt with have all been really respectful. I don’t know, it just feels different here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my city, I love New York but I don’t miss the toxicity of working in practice there.”
“Was it hard? Leaving your family and stuff? I mean, it sounds like you’re all pretty close,” Colton asked.
“So hard,” Cassandra nodded solemnly. “Mom and dad were devastated. Their only daughter moving nearly a thousand miles away? God, I remember their faces when I told them. Mom cried, fuck, I didn’t think she was ever gonna stop.” She paused briefly and Colton felt her sigh settle all through his body as her dark eyes found his. “I don’t know how much you know about Greek and Italian culture but family is everything.”
“I don’t but I kind of know what it’s like,” he spoke softly, hoping that she would pick up on the reassurance he was trying to offer her. “Picking up and starting all over again? Leaving your family behind? I know what that’s like and sometimes, when the summer rolls around and my work is done for the year, I almost don’t wanna go back home because it’s hard. It’s hard to see all the things you’ve missed and it’s hard to leave it all behind again but I wouldn’t ever change that feeling because it’s good to know that you have something you miss that much.”
Cassandra took a few moments to let Colton’s words settle in her chest before asking quietly, “where is home?”
“Canada.”
“Wow, so you’re even further away from home than I am. God, I’m sorry. I invite you in for coffee and pleasant conversation and I turn this into a ‘woe is me’ pity party for myself.”
Cassandra looked down into her glass and Colton felt an unfamiliar pull in his chest. It was as if a cloud had passed in front of the sun and the light had dimmed and everything suddenly felt that little bit colder. He wasn’t sure why he all at once felt compelled to open himself up to her, usually being one for his own company and never extending the hand of close friendship to any of his neighbours before, but there was something about Cassandra and the way that she already felt like a ray of sunshine in his life. If there was a way for him to chase the clouds away, even for just a little while, Colton was going to make sure of it.
“Hey, Cassie?” he started, quickly correcting himself. “Um, can I call you Cassie?”
Cassie looked up from her glass to find him looking at her with a newfound softness and she was struck by how much he reminded her of her ancestral home with the rich, warm sand of his hair and the ocean harboured within his eyes. She smiled then and much like a passing cloud, the sun seemed to come back out with that small quirk of her lips.
“You can.”
Colton set his glass down on the table then and folded his hands together, looking at her with a gentleness that was reflected in his voice as he spoke. “I know I’m not always around. My job it- it takes me away quite a bit but I want you to know that you don’t have to feel like you’re alone here. I know how rough it can be starting over in a new city and if I can help or if you ever wanna just talk or hang out, I’m here for you. You can even have my number, if you want, y’know in case you wanna talk or anything while I’m out of town and I just, I want you to remember that it’s okay to feel homesick sometimes.”
Cassie nodded at that because more than his words and the candour with which he spoke, it was the sincerity in his eyes as he looked at her that made her believe him wholeheartedly.
 Colton’s offer of friendship was one that Cassie had taken him up on and it was a state of being that came naturally to the pair. Cassie had learned about Colton’s job as the number one defenceman for the St Louis Blues during their conversation on her patio and while hockey wasn’t a sport that she professed to be well versed in, she still enjoyed hearing about his training, the games and everything that came with it, and she’d been around the Rangers fans in her family long enough to know that he was pretty big deal given that he was a Stanley Cup Champion. Colton, on the other hand, found himself completely in awe of Cassie’s role as a complex litigation lawyer for one of St Louis’ most prestigious firms, especially knowing a little bit more about her struggles to be seen and work her way up the ladder and while he couldn’t profess to be au fait with how it all worked and what was involved in her line of work and the litigation process, he loved to hear about the cases she was working on and how her work helped others. But above those things, their jobs were ones that kept them both busy and it was during the quieter times, the times that would have had them both seeking the solace of their own company once upon a time, that they would seek out each other.
It had started as cups of coffee and quick catch-ups in the brief respites of their hectic schedules, but had soon evolved into making time for lunches and even dinners shared over bottles of wine, continuing long after Colton’s season had ended before finally pausing around mid-July when he would be heading back North to spend the rest of the summer with his family. It had worked out fortuitously though as Cassie’s caseload had multiplied seemingly overnight and she would find herself working longer days and spending more time at the office than her own home. Colton was concerned of course, as any friend would be, and he would check in often when he knew she was working late. It’s not that Colton thought that she shouldn’t be working more hours, understanding enough about her job and role to know that the final push before a big court date often meant extended working hours to get everything ready, but he wanted to make sure that she was taking care of herself and wasn’t putting herself at risk of burnout.
It was a late-August evening when Colton called at around 7:30, just as he had been doing for the last couple of weeks, knowing that Cass would usually be home from the office by that point with her being an hour ahead in Missouri, even with her later working hours recently. The line rang for a few seconds, longer than it usually took for Cassie to answer him and Colt wondered if he’d maybe caught her taking a shower or making dinner. She answered eventually though, a little breathless sounding and an almost forced calmness in her voice.
“Cassandra Constantinou.”
“Cassie? Hey, it’s Colton. Is uh- is everything okay? Is this a bad time?”
“Colt,” she breathed, voice softening immediately. “Hey. God is that the time already?”
She ran a hand through her dark hair as a tired exhale passed her lips which had Colton furrowing his brow at the other end of the line and while Cass couldn’t see the slight worry that rested on his features, she could hear it in his voice as he spoke.
“Are you alright? You never answer your phone with your full name.”
“Sorry,” she murmured, slumping back into her desk chair. “Still in work mode.”
“Wait, are you still at the office?”
“Yeah,” she grimaced as she took a sip of her long-cold cup of coffee. “The court date for that big case I’ve been working on is in two days and I just need to make sure I’ve got all my ducks in a row. Time got away from me a little bit tonight and I was already behind from putting metaphorical fires out earlier in the day.”
Colton sat up from where he had been laid on his bed, unable to keep the concern out of his voice despite the fact that he didn’t want to come across like he was being overbearing.
“Have you eaten?”
“Lately?” Cassandra replied.
“Cassie-“
“I had lunch around 12:15.”
“Cass, that was 8 hours ago,” Colton chided gently. “You gotta eat, πουλάκι μου.”
Cassandra paused her action of moving papers aimlessly around her desk, a grin sparking at her lips for the first time that day and catching like kindling until it had spread the full width of her face and all the way up to her eyes.
“Did you just- have you been googling Greek pet names, Colton Parayko?”
Her tone was light and bright and Colton could feel her smile through the phone, feel the way it crawled through his skin and settled in his bones like a welcome ray of sunshine on a cold day.
“I-I,” Colton was flushing beet red and he was thankful that Cassie couldn’t see him in this moment because the redness in his face was quickly spreading to the tops of his ears. “I’ve been trying to learn Greek.”
“Oh yeah?” Cassie grinned with equal parts mischief and glee, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her desk. “Look, if you wanna learn how to swear at guys on the other team, you might not wanna call them ‘my little bird’, you totally could’ve just asked me if you were wanting to learn some Greek phrases. I can teach you all the good insults.”
“That’s not,” Colton sighed in mild exasperation, although inwardly pleased that this had provided Cassie with a much needed distraction from the stress of her work. “I just wanted to surprise you.”
Cassie’s grin softened immediately and she didn’t miss the way her heart constricted ever so slightly either. Her tone shifted to something much gentler and a world away from her playful teasing not a moment ago.
“Well, consider me surprised.”
“You don’t mind, do you?” Colton asked after a pregnant pause.
“Not at all. I think it’s actually really sweet and thoughtful.”
A silence descended between the pair but it wasn’t one that was uncomfortable, instead it allowed the seed that had been buried deep in Cassie’s chest since the day Colton had gone back to Canada to sprout and it was in that moment that she found herself really missing him. She missed him for a lot of reasons, some she could rattle off like how he looked out for her and made sure that she was taking care of herself, and others she wouldn’t understand fully until later. It was as if Colton could hear that quiet call of her heart in that moment where she found herself wishing that he was back in St Louis because he broke the silence with the words Cass had been longing to hear for weeks.
“So I’m coming back at the end of next week and I was hoping you would be free to hang out.”
“That would be amazing,” Cassie’s voice was rich through the phone with her smile and Colton couldn’t help the slight flutter in his chest when he thought about how pretty she looked when she smiled in the way he was imagining her to be.
“Yeah? I figured I’d come back a couple of weeks early before training camp because… well because I’ve really missed hanging out with you.”
“I’ve missed you too, Colt.”
Colton didn’t miss Cassie’s choice of words and had to fight to resist the urge to analyse them for anything other than what they were. She said it though, not just that she missed hanging out with him, but that she missed him and she had meant it too. She had missed him, more than she thought she ever would and maybe more than friends should miss friends, and despite it being the height of summer, Cass felt like she’d been living under a grey cloud since Colton had left for Canada. It should have rattled her with how easy it had been for Colton to become a part of her life, especially when she had been so used to her own company. It had been the same since she graduated law school – she would work, often long hours as was expected of new associates trying to find their footing in a firm, she would come home tired, she would eat, shower and sleep before getting up and doing it all over again. Any free time was spent either catching up on all the things she didn’t have time to do during her working week or with her family, knowing her parents and grandmother well enough to know that if she didn’t surface frequently there would be a freak-out of epic proportions. Since moving to St Louis though? Cass’s life had changed completely and in ways she never thought possible.
Work was still stressful, yes, but for the first time in a long time she felt valued and appreciated and she was on course for partnership if things kept going the way they were; but more than that, she felt a sense of fulfilment that extended beyond her career. Being friends with Colt was easy and it was as if the two of them had an unspoken mutual understanding of what they needed from each other and their friendship. Cassie understood the pressures of Colton’s job, just as he understood the stresses of hers and it was that awareness of each other and their lives that had allowed their friendship to blossom so easily. That time spent with each other, whether on Cassie’s back patio or curled up on Colton’s couch, was what they both needed to re-center and reset. Sure, they would talk about work but it was always kept brief because neither felt the need to discuss it in great detail, they both knew what it was like for them and they both knew that their time together was an escape from all of that. Some nights they’d sit in companionable silence with nothing more than soft music in the background, others they would talk and talk about everything and anything. But as the weeks had progressed, they found themselves saying goodnight to each other later and later and that hint of reluctance would creep in in the form of a too-long hug or a lingering look. It felt natural though, and good and right, and so it was incredibly easy to make firm plans for when Colton came back to the city.
The end of the work week brought about a successful conclusion to the case that had consumed so much of Cassie’s time and with the resolution that she’d worked so hard for came vast amounts of praise from her bosses and a lighter work load the following week. They’d even gone so far as giving Cassie the Friday off for her efforts but there were a couple of loose ends that needed tying up and so, despite their gentle protests and their best efforts to get her to stay home, Cassie found herself at her desk that Friday morning. As lunchtime approached and all loose ends were sufficiently tied, Cass turned her computer off for the final time that week and said her goodbyes as she headed out of the office. She’d use the afternoon to spruce her house ready for Colton coming over once he was back from the airport and she’d resolved to give her parents a quick Skype after receiving a string of text messages from her mother, with the last one being a threat to fly down to St Louis if she didn’t hear from her soon.
The baking late-August heat had Cass tearing off her pencil skirt and blouse no sooner had she stepped into her house. She cursed as she hopped down the hallway in her heeled pumps, the grey fabric of her skirt bunched around her knees while her clammy hands fumbled with the tiny buttons on the crepe silk blouse.
“Γαμώτο!” she exclaimed as she came dangerously close to slipping on the rug in her hallway and face-planting the floor. “ηλίθιο χαλί.”
She kicked off the shoes that had almost been successful in making her the proud owner of a broken neck and pulled her skirt down her calves, stepping out of it before pulling her half unbuttoned blouse over her head and tossing the discarded clothing into the hamper in the laundry room. She rooted through the shamefully full basket of clean clothing that sat upon the counter top until she found the loose cotton maxi-dress she was looking for.
After indulging in a cool glass of ice-tea, Cass set about tidying the house - not that there was much to do, but growing up in a family full of house-proud women meant that not a single cushion could be out of place if company was coming over, especially if that company was of the male variety (not that she’d ever share that bit of information with her mother). After all, as her Nonna Gioia would say: “a ogni uccello il suo nido è bello,” and even Cassie could appreciate that a beautiful nest was indeed a tidy nest.
It was close to 3pm by the time Cassie settled down on her couch with her laptop, the temperature inside the house much more comfortable with the whisper of a breeze coming through the wide-open patio door. She balanced her computer on the arm of the sofa as she started the Skype call to her parents, her mother’s voice the first thing she heard, even before the video had loaded and before Cass had the chance to say ‘hello’.
“Mamma mia, Cassandra! We thought you’d dropped off the face of the earth!”
“Hi, mom,” Cass smirked. “How’re you?”
“Not funny, il mio passerotta.”
Cassie watched as her mother inched closer to the screen with narrowed eyes, already expecting the next words that came out of her mouth.
“You’re looking thin in the face. Are you eating? Are you sick?”
“No, mama, I’m not sick and yes, I’m eating,” Cassandra replied with as much conviction as she could muster in order to appease her mother, her effort falling short with her mother’s next line of questioning.
“What are you eating?”
“Giovanna,“ Cassie’s father interrupted.
“Look at her, Hector! She’s all skin and bone! Don’t you want to know what she’s been eating? She could be living off celery for all we know! When was the last time you had a proper meal? You’re not doing one of those ridiculous diets are you? They’re no good for you, Cassandra, there’s nothing wrong with a woman having a bit of meat on her bones.”
“I’m fine, mama,” Cassie sighed, keen to steer the conversation away from herself. “How is everyone? Nonna okay?”
“Yes, yes, we’re all fine here. You should call your Nonna though, she misses that pretty face of yours.”
“I’ll call her tomorrow and arrange to Skype next weekend, give her chance to get someone to set things up for her.”
Conversation quickly turned to the family happenings back in New York, much to Cass’s relief. Her father had been incredibly busy with work, she’d learned and he’d finally got around to buying himself a new record player after Cass had spent the better part of four months trying to convince him that there was no salvaging the old one. After half an hour or so of catching up, Cass felt a mild sense of relief wash over her at the sudden realisation that she’d managed to get through any amount of time talking to her parents without the subject of her love-life being brought up.
“Oh, your cousin Antonio had a date with a very lovely girl last week. She’s a hairdresser, such a good girl.”
Ah, fuck.
“Really, mama?” Cass said indifferently, praying to whoever was listening that she wouldn’t follow that up with anything. “Good for him.”
“You know,” her father began, looking over his glasses at her. “If you didn’t work so much then maybe you’d have time to find yourself a man.”
“Baba,” Cass warned gently.
“Your father’s right, Cassandra,” Giovanna gently scolded. “You’re a beautiful girl, why haven’t you found a nice boy yet? You’re too young to be a spinster.”
“Exactly, mama,” Cassandra replied calmly. “I’m too young to be a spinster. I’m working hard to get where I want to be in my career. There’s plenty of time for all the other stuff. Didn’t you tell me to work hard at my job and do well for myself?”
“Well, yes, but I don’t want to be an old Nonna. I want to be able to run after my grandbabies and I’m not getting any younger.”
Cassandra opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of her front door opening and then closing with a soft click.
“Cass?”
Cassandra’s face flashed with a gentle confusion as she checked the watch on her wrist before contorting into mild horror at the sound of Colton calling her name again, louder this time – loud enough that it carried through the microphone and out through the speakers of her parents’ computer judging by the gleeful expression on their faces.
“Is that a man?” her mother said excitedly. “I heard a man’s voice. Who is he? Why is he letting himself into your house? Is he your boyfriend?! Why didn’t you tell us you had a boyfriend?!”
Colton appeared in the living room, a sheepish look on his face as he spoke.
“Sorry, is this a bad time? I caught an earlier flight and wanted to surprise you.”
“Cassandra Giulia Constantinou, you’d better answer me this second!”
Cass winced at her mother’s voice and threw Colton a glance that she hoped would tell him to run far, far away before her parents started making demands that would make Colton want the ground to swallow him up, demands that she was sure would make their friendship incredibly awkward.
“Bring him in,” her father asserted. “Let me get a good look at him, make sure he’s good enough for you.”
“Baba,” that warning tone was back in Cassandra’s tone and there was a look in her eyes that Colton found adorable but knew better than to make a comment describing it as such.
Whether or not his next move was against his better judgment would remain to be seen but Colton found himself coming deeper into the living room and sitting down on the couch next to Cass, Giovanna audibly gasping as he did so while Hector removed his glasses and surveyed the large man sitting next to his daughter.
“He’s very pale, does he not go outside? Is he sick?” Hector remarked. “It doesn’t snow in St Louis, does it? You’d lose him in a blizzard.”
“Ooooh, Cassandra. Isn’t he tall? And so broad!”
Cassie gave Colton, who had turned an interesting shade of crimson she’d never before seen, an apologetic smile before turning her attention back to her parents.
“Okay, could we try maybe not weirding my friend out? ‘kay, thanks and Jesus Christ, dad, you can’t just say stuff like that to people, I don’t even know where to start with how inappropriate that is.”
“I thought my tan was pretty good this year,” Colton muttered loudly enough that only Cassandra heard him and she had to fight with every bit of self-restraint she had to keep a straight face.
“So, young man,” Hector was speaking again; those eyes that were so remarkably like Cassandra’s were keen on Colton and Cass knew that she wasn’t going to like what was about to come out of her father’s mouth. “What is it that you do? Cassandra is a very bright girl and she shouldn’t be settling for just anybody. She deserves only the very best. Tell me why you think you’re good enough to date my daughter-“
“Okay, that’s it,” Cassandra interrupted, her tone sharper than Colton had ever heard it before. “αυτό είναι απαράδεκτο. δεν τον ανακρίνεις έτσι! είναι φίλος μου και είσαι πολύ αγενής!”
“Cassandra,” her father tried but he was immediately cut off by her once more.
“είμαστε φίλοι και τίποτα άλλο. σταμάτα να με πιέζεις να παντρευτώ” Cassandra paused for a second, as if to catch her breath from whatever tirade she’d given her parents that Colton could only begin to imagine before she spoke again, in English this time. “Now, if you don’t mind, Colton here has just got home from travelling and we have plans. I’ll call you again on Sunday.”
Whatever Cass had said to them must have worked, Colton thought, because their responses were much more subdued and they said their goodbyes rather quickly, Cassie closing her laptop with more force than was necessary and with a long exhale of breath that flared her nostrils.
“I am so sorry,” she started, her eyes apologetic as she surveyed him with a slight crease in her brow that made Colton’s heart tug in his chest.
“Hey, it’s okay. I shoulda-“ he rubbed his large hand over the back of his neck as he spoke softly. “I shoulda called ahead or something. Or knocked. Literally could’ve done a thousand things differently. Sorry for putting you in a spot there.”
“No, no, you’re fine. It’s just them. They mean well but fuck.”
Colton reached across and squeezed her hand gently, the touch managing to warm Cassie’s skin even on a day as hot as that one.
“Y’know,” he began, his tone light with a hint of teasing. “You’re terrifying when you’re pissed and start talking in Greek.”
He grinned as Cassie barked out a laugh, her head thrown back in that carefree way that made his stomach do backflips and her dark eyes sparkled behind her long lashes as she looked at him with a beaming smile, the annoyance that had rested on her features melting away into nothingness.
“Yeah? You’d do well to remember that, Parayko.”
“I wouldn’t dream of fighting you,” he quipped. “You’d kick my ass.”
There was a pregnant pause before Colton spoke again, unsure whether or not to say the words that sat heavily on the tip of his tongue. It was the gentle look in Cassie’s eyes, the smile that still graced her lips as she surveyed him easily and the way her thumb had taken to absentmindedly stroking the back of his hand that spurred him on, sure as he was that he could always be candid with her.
“What um, what did you say to them? I’ve never seen two grown adults look so timid after a telling off.”
Cassie chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, chewing over the words in her mind before she spoke them quietly, her eyes resting on Colton’s hand in hers.
“They just have this thing about me settling down and I get it, I’m their only child, I’m approaching thirty and they want grandkids. Remember how I said that family was really important to Greeks and Italians?”
Colton nodded, his eyes soft on her while he waited for her to continue.
“And every time we talk it’s ‘your cousin is seeing this girl’ or ‘the oldest Maloney girl is pregnant, isn’t that nice?’ and it is nice, it is, like, good for them, y’know? And I know my parents wanted a big family and I can’t even imagine how that must have felt, being told after the birth of your first child that she’d be your only child when they had all these plans to have lots of babies and have a big family. I want to make them happy and give them the grandkids they’d always dreamed they’d have, I do, but I’m not there yet, maybe sometime in the future but it has to be right. It has to be.”
She paused then, the rich earth of her eyes finding the summer skies of his and felt a flicker of a flame stir within her chest at how easy it was to just be like this with him, to be open and honest without fear of him somehow using that vulnerability against her. It was liberating and terrifying and everything Cassandra ever dreamed it would be when she eventually found someone she was comfortable sharing this part of her life with, that vulnerability and intimacy that was often so hard to show because of her line of work. But Colton was good and sweet with a pure heart and purer intentions and so she didn’t need to think twice about sharing this part of herself and what she’d said to her parents with him.
“I told them that they were out of line, that they can’t interrogate you like that and that their behaviour was incredibly rude. I told them that we were just friends and that they needed to stop pushing me to get married.”
Cassandra could’ve sworn that Colton’s expression had deflated slightly at the mention of their relationship status but before she’d even had the chance to process it, Colton had fixed his features back to the easy and gentle expression he usually wore around her.
“They just really care about you, y’know?” Colton said quietly after a brief moment of silence. “They want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” Cassandra assured and Colton couldn’t help but wonder if the conviction in her voice was for his or her own benefit. “I am. Moving here has been the best thing. Work is awesome, I have a house that I could only have ever dreamed of being able to afford in New York.” She paused again, making sure that she had Colton’s eyes on her before she dropped the volume of her voice to just above a whisper, “and I met you. How could I not be happy?”
Colton smiled, not big and bright, but soft and warm and filled with a tenderness that teetered on the edge of crossing the line of friendship. Here in front of him was someone he would have never imagined would become a good friend in the relatively short time they’d known each other, his best friend in fact and now that she was here, in his life and in his heart, he wondered how he’d ever lived a life without her because with Cassandra, nothing was ever forced and she gave him a strange feeling of freedom that he’d never had before. It was that kind of ease that makes the stresses of life fall away and whenever he was with her it felt like they could be the only two people on earth. She knew when he was struggling with the stresses of his job without him ever needing to say it out loud, just like he would know when she was under pressure with her own work but more than any words of encouragement they could give to each other to alleviate the stresses and burdens of life, it was that peaceful, secure feeling between them, that came so effortlessly, that pulled them towards each other like planets to a sun. It was then, in that moment, that Colton began to understand that maybe home wasn’t a place at all, it was a feeling. It was something that you miss when you’re without it and Colton could say with completely certainty that he’d missed Cassie.
Cassie and Colton would see each other almost every day over the course of weeks that followed. Even with the start of training camp, Colton found himself home every evening and Cassie’s work schedule had eased somewhat, meaning that she was often escaping the office at 5:30 on the dot. They would spend those precious few hours before sleep called them to their respective beds together, talking over dinner with a bottle of wine open between them before eventually retiring to the couch. Sometimes they’d find themselves talking all night, with the TV in the background forgotten about, others they’d watch something easy together (which led to Colton discovering that he really enjoyed Bake Off, much to Cassie’s delight) but their favourite nights together, or at least for Colton anyway, were the nights where they would share their favourite music with each other. Colton had admittedly not been much of a music enthusiast. Sure, he enjoyed listening to it just as much as the next person, but he would be the first person to confess that his listening never really extended beyond the radio. The same couldn’t be said for Cassie.
Much like her father, Cassie was the proud owner of an old record player that had been lovingly refurbished. If asked about it, she’d preface her love of the item by saying that it was probably the most extravagant purchase she’d ever made, but she would also make no hesitation in saying that there was just something about listening to Etta James or Billie Holliday on vinyl that digital versions just couldn’t hold a candle to. Colton loved that Cassie’s music preferences had been influenced by her family, he loved hearing about how her father had fallen in love with Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin when he first came to America at the tender age of 21, he loved hearing about how Cass’s father would purchase a new vinyl with every pay-check, something that had started when he first started earning money as a carpenter and handyman and still continued to this day. He loved how Cass could recall, with complete clarity, the way she would sit on the rug in front of the record player as a child while she watched her father unwrap the vinyl, filled with both excitement and anticipation at what wonderful music was held on the black disc in his hands. Colton learned that music had been such a prominent and important part of her childhood, whether it was listening to her father’s music collection with him and telling him about new artists to try or weekends spent at her Nonna and Nonno’s house filled with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. All of those songs had touched her life in some way and with each story Colton couldn’t help but feel thankful and grateful to see inside the heart that brought him such peace and happiness without even realising.
All too soon though, the season had started once more and once again Colton found himself on the road. This time it felt different though. Instead of the usual indifference he would feel about being away from the comforts of home, he felt an ache that had started in his chest and settled all through his bones. It wasn’t homesickness, at least not in the traditional sense of the word, because it wasn’t his house that Colton missed, it was the person that made him feel like he was home. It was the person who had taken the time to make him a Spotify playlist to listen to while he was travelling, that playlist that he couldn’t help but have on repeat because during those moments that the music filled his ears and filled his soul like sand in an hourglass, he was back in St Louis on her patio with her, drinking wine and laughing together with that same music filtering through the sliding doors. It was easy, in those moments where he would be on the plane with his headphones and that playlist on, to close his eyes and imagine the way her rich laughter crawls all the way through his skin and warms his heart like a shot of whisky on a winter’s day.
Cassie hadn’t really noticed just how much a part of her life Colton was until his schedule was pulling him out of the city and she found herself alone again during the evenings. She also found herself, in those moments, picking up the television remote and tuning in to Blues games, even going so far as reaching out to her cousins back in New York to pick their brains about the finer details of hockey, citing her sudden interest in the sport as a new hobby on account of her not wanting to throw Colton into the lion’s den. She’d made sure to test her newfound knowledge on Colton during their phone calls while he was away (which impressed him to no end) and had made a promise to come and watch him play his next game at Enterprise Center. It was that promise that had Colton wrapping up a blue jersey, with his name and number on, in pretty floral paper, going so far as adding a length of ribbon tied in a little bow on top, even if it did look a little droopy by virtue of his large hands and less than nimble fingers.
Colton was tired. A tough stretch of road-games had his body aching in ways that would ordinarily have him crawling into bed and not resurfacing until practice obligations demanded it, but it’d been almost a week since he’d seen Cassie and the promise of her company, a home-cooked meal and all the wine he could manage was something he wouldn’t dream of resisting. He had taken a quick shower once getting home before changing into a pair of jeans and a soft-knit sweater, making sure to grab the wrapped jersey and the small bouquet of flowers he’d picked up on his way back from the airport. He was a little early but he’d learned from experience that Cassie wouldn’t mind. He would simply make sure that she had a full wine glass and offer to help in the kitchen.
He let himself in as normal, the beautiful smell of rich tomatoes and herbs hitting him immediately and sparking a wide smile on his face. He didn’t speak immediately, the volume of the music she had on loud enough for him to know she wouldn’t hear him, but instead slipped off his sneakers and moved further into the house.
“Hai usato capperi?”
The voice that came from the kitchen belonged to an older woman and Colton found himself wondering if he’d missed something during his earlier conversation with Cass. He was sure she hadn’t mentioned having extra company but he had been picking up flowers for her at the time and it was entirely possible that he could have missed that small detail in the process.
“Non è una vera puttanesca se non usi i capperi. Me lo hai insegnato tu.”
Colton paused in the archway, his eyes falling to Cassie in the kitchen while his heart swelled to ten times its normal size at the sight in front of him. There was no one else there with her, only her iPad on a stand resting on top of the counter. It took a moment for Colton to realise that the voice was in fact coming from the device when he heard the older woman begin to speak again.
“Dimmi di più su questo ragazzo che ti piace”
Cassie laughed at whatever the older woman had said before replying, “Ti ho già parlato di lui, nonna.”
‘Ah,’ Colton thought. ‘This is the word famous Nonna.”
“Bene, dimmelo di nuovo!’ her grandmother chuckled. ‘Sono una vecchia signora e la mia memoria è terribile”.
If you asked him about this particular night at a later date, Colton wasn’t entirely sure how long he had stood there listening to Cassandra talk with her grandmother while her hands worked the pasta dough she had been making, but he would tell you that it was long enough for him realise what had been in his heart for a while. Because somewhere in between Cassie talking and laughing with her grandmother and their spirited rendition of the number he recognised as being Dean Martin that was playing loud enough through Cassie’s record player for her Nonna to hear, Colton understood what that recent feeling of homesickness had been. It wasn’t homesickness at all, it was love.
He wasn’t sure why the sight of Cass kneading pasta dough while Facetiming her grandma had made the penny suddenly drop for him. Perhaps it was the fact he could feel every bit of the love that this girl had for her Nonna, much like the love she had for every member of her family. Perhaps it was the fact that she had taken time out of her day to spend time listening to old jazz records with her grandmother just like she had when she was a child. Perhaps it was the fact that the woman in front of him was beautiful and intelligent and so unbelievably kind. But the truth and reality of it was that it was all of those things and above everything else, it was the peace and sense of belonging he felt whenever he was with her. It was having someone to be proud of and be proud of him in return and it was having someone to miss, having someone in his life who makes saying goodbye so hard. Cassie was all of those things and deep down Colton knew that he was those things for her too.
His feet must have heard the call from his heart that his head had not because before he could catch himself he was right behind her with his hand on her lower back, gentle and soft. She jumped slightly at the contact, not expecting him to be in her house for another twenty minutes.
“Sorry,” he laughed quietly before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. “I figured I’d come over early and help but this all looks a little out of my ability range.”
“Guests don’t help the cook. Guests sit at the island, drink alcohol and mock those who are doing the cooking. Those are the rules” she grinned in reply.
“Mamma mia, Cassandra, cioè un bel giovanotto!”
Colton wasn’t entirely sure what Cassandra’s grandmother had said but whatever it was had Cassie groaning slightly and, unbeknownst to him, her face burning white hot.
“OK, ora riattacco il telefono,” Cassie groaned causing her Nonna to cackle wildly.
“Dagli un bacio per me!”
“Sei una cattiva signora,” Cassandra grinned before the pair said their goodbyes and she was closing the case on her iPad.
Cassie’s attention then turned to Colton who was leaning casually against the counter with an easy grin playing on his lips.
“So that was Nonna?” he asked.
“Yeah, that was Nonna,” Cassied laughed softly. “She was just checking in to make sure I wasn’t desecrating her spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe.”
“And were you?”
“Are you nuts? Do you know how angry Italians get when you don’t make their recipes properly? You might as well set fire to the flag.”
Colton barked a laugh at that, an impish little smirk on his face as he asked, “So cream in a carbonara would be a ‘no’?”
Cassie’s hands, which were rolling the dough ready for the pasta machine, stopped dead in their tracks, a look of abject horror on her face as she looked at Colton.
“Don’t even joke.”
“That’s one for the book then,” Colton grinned, referring to the little notebook sitting on his kitchen countertop that held all of his little tips and reminders he’d learned when it came to cooking, which Cassie found to be both hilarious and endearing in equal measure. “So your Nonna is okay?”
“Yeah,” Cass replied as she fed the pasta dough through the machine. “She said you were very handsome which is high praise indeed because unless it’s Dean Martin, Nonna doesn’t wanna know.”
Colton chuckled as he pushed away from the counter to fix them both a glass of wine.
“Your Nonna has good taste,” he smirked as he set Cassie’s full glass down beside her. “And what about you? Do you think I’m handsome?”
Cassie’s only reply was to suck air in through her teeth before giggling mischievously at the mock hurt on Colton’s face while his hand clutched at his chest.
“You’re wicked, you know that?”
“I get that from my Nonna too,” she laughed.
With Colton’s help, dinner was promptly served and Cassie asked Colton all about his recent trip while they ate. The first bottle of Barbera was soon empty and the pair were well on their way with the second one by the time their plates were clean of their food. Colton insisted on clearing the dishes away and loading them into the dishwasher, despite Cassie’s protests and soon enough they were both curled up on her couch with the glass pyrex dish Cass had used to make her tiramisu in and two spoons. The rest of the evening was spent in easy conversation, Cassie pressed into Colton’s side while his arm wrapped around her shoulders and held her against him. He couldn’t help the way his nose found the soft chocolate strands of her hair where her head rested heavily on his shoulder. They had been sitting in companionable silence for a while, with nothing but the smooth voice of Norah Jones filling the space between them but neither felt the need to speak, not because they didn’t have anything to say, but because there were no words that needed to be spoken, both content to just be there in that moment together.
That’s how it had been all along though, Cassandra thought as she listened to the steady beat of Colton’s heart beneath his strong chest. They had always been comfortable with just basking in the presence of each other, where nothing was forced or artificial. Every part of their relationship, from the moment Colton came to her rescue on the morning of her first day at work, to being in this moment with him now, felt natural and organic. It was easy to let him in and easier to open her heart and her life up to him and it was a trust that Colton gave back to her in spades. Cassie wasn’t sure if she really knew what love was, not having much of a positive experience of it herself and only having her parents’ and grandparents’ relationships to go off, but she believed that it had to be something just like this.
She wasn’t sure at what point she’d fallen asleep and she certainly wasn’t sure at what point she’d laid down with her head in his lap, but it was Colton’s gentle voice and the feeling of his fingers lightly carding through her hair that pulled her from the dream she was having, the memory of it slipping quickly away from her as she passed into the waking world.
“Cass? It’s almost midnight, πουλάκι μου… I gotta head home.”
He smiled softly as Cassie groaned while her eyes fluttered open slowly.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” she mumbled, the last little remnants of sleep still clinging to her voice.
“It’s okay, babe. I wish I didn’t have to go but I have some stuff that I need to do in the morning before practice.”
“Yeah,” Cass croaked as she sat up and moved so that Colton could stand. “Yeah, of course.”
She followed him out of the living area and down the hall to the front door, her eyes drifting immediately to the small bouquet of flowers and gift-wrapped package that sat on her console table.
“Colt?”
Colton followed her gaze to the gifts he’d brought with him.
“Ah shit, I completely forgot I’d even brought these. I heard voices when I let myself in and I guess I just got distracted.”
“You bought me flowers?” she asked as she picked the blooms up, smiling softly at the spray of freesias, peonies and baby’s breath before picking up the wrapped gift. “And what’s this?”
“Just a little something for when you come to the game,” Colton grinned as he slipped on his shoes before turning to face Cassie.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know,” Colton said softly, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “But I wanted to.”
There was a brief pause before Colton leaned in and placed a chaste kiss to Cassie’s cheek, his smile warm and gentle as he pulled back and with a tone to match while he spoke.
“If you’re home tomorrow afternoon I’ll come over with coffee and pastries after practice.”
With Cassie’s agreement plans were made for the following day and Colton said his goodnight before heading back home, already missing her despite only being next door. As Colton got himself ready for bed he let himself think about Cass and the way he felt whenever he was with her. She gave him the safe space to just be and that was something Colton wasn’t sure he would ever have the words to thank her for. He’d dated enough since going professional to know that not all women were genuine and that in itself made it hard for him to find a meaningful connection, but things were different with Cassie. She had her own life, was successful in her own right and didn’t care about who he was or what he did for a living. Instead, she was supportive and listened to what he was telling her, really telling her, and she always seemed to know what to say and, most importantly, when to say it because for all Colton was always open to hear someone else’s perspective, there were times where he just needed to he heard.
Cassie not only gave him that but so many other things too. She was bright and witty, thoughtful and patient, kind and generous but above all of her wonderful qualities, she’d been an incredible friend to Colton. That friendship was one that he cherished and he knew it was something she cherished too, but rather than be rattled by the idea of that friendship potentially becoming something else, Colton embraced it because it was only what he knew to already be true between them. Their friendship had laid the foundations for them to build something truly wonderful and Colton knew that he was ready to take that leap, but more importantly, he knew that he’d be taking that leap with an amazing woman by his side, and so, as he climbed into bed and settled his head against the pillow, he resolved to tell her his truth when he saw her the following afternoon.
It was a little after 2pm when Cassie opened the door to Colton, the promised coffee and pastries clutched in his hands which she gratefully took from him as she invited him inside. She arranged the baked goods on a plate while Colton poured their coffees into mugs and shortly after they were settled on Cassie’s couch with her sat cross legged facing him and her back against the arm.
“How was practice this morning?” she asked after swallowing her first sip of coffee, a gentle look on her face as she surveyed Colton.
“Yeah, it was good. Coach worked us hard but it wasn’t too bad.”
“Good,” Cassie hummed from behind her mug, eyes narrowing slightly at the way Colton was cradling his mug with his brow slightly furrowed. “Is everything okay with you? You seem a little distracted.”
“I um, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Colton replied as he set his mug down on the coffee table and turned his body to face her better. “About last night.”
Cassie set her own mug down, giving Colton her complete and undivided attention. She didn’t say anything else, instead giving him the time and space to get his thoughts in order and say what he needed to say.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever really told you just how thankful I am to have you in my life.”
“You might have mentioned it once or twice, yeah,” Cassie grinned, causing Colton to laugh softly and some of that tension he was carrying in his shoulders to melt away.
“Well I am,” he replied, tone filled with sincerity. “But I’ve been feeling like something has changed between us and I think it started not long after I’d gone home to Canada.”
Cassie exhaled and chewed on her lower lip slowly, not entirely sure where he was going with this but unable to stop the little pit of dread from opening up in her stomach. She didn’t speak though and so Colton continued.
“I missed you, more than words can say really and while I loved going home and seeing my family, there was a big part of me that couldn’t wait to get back to St Louis and for no other reason than because you were in St Louis and I realised then, that home is wherever it is that you are. Then last night, coming in here and seeing you talking and laughing with your Nonna, God, you’ve never been more perfect to me because all I could see was that love and passion that you have for your family and fuck, Cass, I wanna be a part of that. I want to be a part of your world. We’ve not been just friends for a while and I know that it’s because I’ve loved you for a while, last night just kind of confirmed to me what I already knew deep down.”
“Are you done?” Cassie asked with a straight face and Colton looked at her a little stunned before nodding apprehensively.
It took precisely 1.7 seconds for Cassie to close the distance between her and Colton and crash her lips against his, and another .5 of a second for Colton to catch up and move his hand to cup the back of her head while he kissed her back. They stayed that way for a few moments, their lips moving slowly together in perfect harmony as Cassie manoeuvred herself into Colton’s lap while her fingers busied themselves in his hair, long-overdue for a haircut but Cass found to be a look that suited him along with the short beard he’d grown.
She pulled away only once her lungs had begun their gentle protest for breath before pressing another, quicker kiss to his lips, Colton’s brow quirking as she devolved into giggles.
“What’s tickled you?”
“Nothing,” she grinned. “Just that second one was from Nonna. She told me to give you one from her.”
Colton couldn’t help but laugh at that and found himself wearing a grin to match Cassie’s, still smiling even as their lips met once more.
“God, I can’t wait to meet her, all of your family, actually.”
“You, Colton Parayko, are either incredibly brave or certifiably insane,” Cassie teased as she carded her fingers through his hair, the smile still bright on her face. “It’s a lot, you think you can handle it?”
“I know I can,” he replied, all cocky and confident with a sparkle in his eyes that reminded Cassie of the way the sun kisses the Mediterranean on a summer’s day.
“Good,” she grinned with that bright and beautiful smile that Colton loved so much. “Because one of the perks of loving me is that you inherit a weird, obnoxious family who will drive you completely crazy but who are the most generous and wonderful people you will ever meet.”
“I do love you,” Colton said, his tone soft and a million miles away from what it was not a moment ago. “And I want this, I want you and everything that comes with that because this? Us? It’s perfect and it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Cassie kissed him, slow and sure and soft while her hands moved from their home in his hair to cup his face while her thumbs swept along the scruff at his jaw. It was a featherlight, her touch, but Colton felt it spread all through his skin until it had filled every single corner of his body and had him feeling both grounded and weightless all at once. He pulled back a shade to look into her eyes, those brown eyes of hers that held all the warmth of an everlasting hearth, as if they were the wood that could burn with golden flames and yet be forever perfectly entire. In those earthly hues was his soul, those eyes that were filled to the brim with the kind of beauty that expands a moment into a personal eternity, a heaven he wished to always be a part of. So lost in that astral plain as he was, he almost missed her words, but they were the kind of words that go beyond hearing. They were words that he felt, in the way that she looked at him, in the way that she touched him and in the way that she spoke his name and hearing them said out loud only confirmed what they both felt in their hearts and in their souls.
“I love you too, Colt.”
Colton couldn’t help the smile on his face as he connected his lips with hers once more, sighing into their kiss. That feeling was there again, that feeling that had been there all along, that peaceful, easy feeling of being at home and while neither of them knew for certain what the future would bring, they knew that they would be okay while they always had each other. Neither Cassie nor Colton had ever really experienced what it was like to be in complete and irrevocable love, but somewhere deep inside of them, despite not really knowing what it was that they should have been looking for, they knew that it was something just like this.
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dakotacrisis · 3 years
Text
Topsy Turvy (2)
Welp, I guess I am expanding on this. I may have already been planning to write a part 2 but I wasn’t expecting to do it this quickly. While I am doing my own thing with the content initially inspired by the previous comic I did steal one of Plagg’s lines from their continuation comic cause it was too funny to be ignored.
So anyhoo! Here’s a part two!
---
“Geez, you would think Hawkmoth would give us one morning off,” Alya groaned. Marinette, Nino, and Alya had been heading towards the station to meet Adrien when that giant robot akuma came out of nowhere.
Now the girls returned to a worried looking Nino who embraced Alya happily. Marinette lingered a bit away from them looking pale and sweaty. Alya sighed and went back to comfort her. “Don’t worry, girl, I’m sure things with Adrien will work out.”
“Yeah...about that…”
The train slid into the station. The doors opened and people started flooding out. Marinette grabbed Alya’s arm and pulled her down to whisper in her ear. “I freaked out seeing Adrien while I was Ladybug and might have, sort of, asked him out to the movies.”
“As Ladybug?”
“Yeah.”
“What is wrong with you! That wasn’t the plan! You were going to do that only if he rejected you as Marinette!”
“I know but I didn’t want to get rejected so I jumped the gun. Do you think this will mess things up?”
“I don’t know! We don’t know what his reply is gonna be. What did he say after you asked him out?”
“Nothing. I left before he could answer.”
“I love you but I am going to kill you.” Alya pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Heads up,” Nino called for the girls’ attention, “I can see Adrien.”
“I’m gonna make a run for it.” Marinette took two steps before Alya pounced on her and forced her back.
“You dug this grave, now lie in it.” Alya grabbed her arm and pulled her down the platform towards Adrien.
Adrien was walking in a dazed state and his face was beet red. He almost walked completely past them before Nino hooked an arm around his shoulders. "Hey dude! It's great to have you back."
"Oh hi, Nino," Adrien snapped out of his daze, "You didn't have to come meet me."
"Sure we did," the three of them started walking back out of the station. Adrien clung close to Nino as he told them about his trip. His gaze kept flickering down to Marinette who walked in step with Alya. Nino would have found it funny if it wasn’t for the fact that Marinette looked like she wanted to melt into the ground.
After their initial phone call two weeks ago Adrien had been really quiet about the whole confession thing. He sent lots of pictures from his trip and talked to him but anything having to do with Marinette was nonexistent. He figured he was working through his feelings on his own. It may have been because Marinette was his friend or Alya’s aggressive shipping of the two but he hoped Adrien chose her. They really were made for each other.
The girls left early and Nino invited Adrien back to his place to hang out. "I'm glad you had fun on your trip. You must have had a lot on your mind regardless."
"A lot on my mind?"
"We were gonna have to talk about it at some point," Nino collapsed into a beanbag chair, "About Marinette?"
Adrien went rigid. "Ma-Marinette? What about Marinette?"
Nino looked at him deadpanned. "Dude, she confessed to you? Remember?"
"Yeah," Adrien sat down next to him, "I remember."
"So did you come to a decision while you were away?" Nino asked.
"Not really, I keep flip-flopping about it. I know being with Marinette would be the easier option and she's great. I would be lucky to call her my girlfriend."
"But?"
"I still really love Ladybug and after what happened today…"
"What happened today?"
Adrien recounted to Nino about the akuma and how Ladybug and Rena Rouge saved him. Then how Ladybug had asked him out to see a movie.
"HOLY CRAP!" Nino gaped, "Ladybug asked you out? Why didn’t you lead with that?"
"I guess because I was still processing it happened." Adrien leaned back so he was staring up at the ceiling, "It feels like I'm dreaming. I'm happy but it also confused me more."
"I wouldn't blame you for being confused. Having a friend confess to you and then your crush asking you out...it's a lot to think of."
"I feel like the answer should be obvious. But it doesn't feel that way anymore."
“So what are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know. Marinette said she wasn’t expecting an answer but I still owe her something. I don’t even know how serious Ladybug was with her invitation. She could have just been messing with me but I don’t really see casual flirting as something she would do.” Adrien pondered it some more. Nino could see the gears turning in his head.
“I’d like to see you and Marinette together but I can’t force you to be with her. If it turns out Ladybug is who you really want then that’s okay too. Marinette’s strong and for the most part it sounds like she just wanted to let you know she had feelings for you. You don’t have to feel guilty about either option. I hope you know that.”
“You’re so sagely. It’s throwing me off,” Adrien laughed, “Go back to saying dude and talking through a mouth full of hot cheetos please. But seriously though, thanks for talking with me about this. It helps.”
“I’m always here for you, brother,” Nino tossed him a controller, “Now let me whip your butt in Mario Kart.”
---
Adrien returned home after a few rounds of Mario Kart with Nino. He was already pushing things with his father by going off with his friends earlier instead of heading straight home. He received a cool welcome from his father when he walked inside the mansion before he was gone again. At least he had deigned to greet him when he got home. That’s more than what he expected out of him.
He climbed the stairs to his room. “Alright, you can come out now,” Adrien told Plagg.
“You couldn’t have snuck me some cheetos while you were hanging out with your friend?” Plagg whined, “I’m starving!”
“There were three full camembert tins as well as an emergency string cheese in my bag. How are you starving?”
“I ate those on the ride back to Paris. Now I’m hungry again!” Plagg crawled across Adrien’s bed, “I’m so weak, Adrien. I can hardly move. Everything around me is going dark. I can hear the angels singing.”
“You are a menace.” Adrien picked him up and tossed him into his cheese cabinet. “Happy?”
“I feel rejuvenated!” Plagg cackled as he dove head first into a new tin of camembert. Adrien rolled his eyes and closed the cabinet door.
He went to the window and looked out over the lights of the city. He couldn’t wait to be back running across that skyline. Two weeks without being Chat Noir had been torture. Ladybug assured him that she and Rena had things covered when he told her he was going away for a bit. Still, it didn’t stop him from feeling guilty about it.
Maybe he could tear Plagg away from his cheese hoard for a quick jaunt around town. Maybe he’d even see Ladybug.
Oh Ladybug. All this time he had been trying and failing to woo her as Chat Noir and then without any prompting she asked Adrien out. He still wasn’t sure if she was serious. How badly he hoped that she was though. He wanted it to be real. He wanted Ladybug to love him. Now it looked like he had a chance at that but there was only one snag. Marinette.
Sweet and wonderful Marinette. He already broke her heart as Chat Noir. Could he stand to do it again as Adrien? He really didn’t want to but neither did he want to leave her in suspense of an answer. He wished things could be simpler.
He thought back to what Plagg said on the train and scoffed. “Monogamy is a concept invented by humans.” he repeated it back to himself, “As much as I would love to be in the middle of a Ladybug/Marinette sandwich I don’t think that’s an option. I think I would combust at the mere possibility.”
He pressed his head to the cool window and sighed. His eyes fluttered close. He should just go to bed at this point. He would stay up all night worrying himself into knots about what to do at this rate. He opened his eyes once more and fell back with a startled yelp.
“Oops, sorry,” Ladybug waved at him upside down through the glass, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Oh no, no you’re fine.” Adrien shot to his feet, “What are you doing here?”
“Well,” she righted herself and perched on top of his open window, “I wanted to come by and talk to you. I realize I kind of gave you a shock today during the akuma attack. The whole asking you to go to a movie thing.”
“Right, yeah, I was certainly surprised.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. Ladybug was in his room! Okay, she was sitting on his window but that was still in his room. “I gotta know, were you being serious or were you just fooling with me? I won’t be mad if you were but I just wanna know.”
“Yeah, about that,” he could swear he saw Ladybug blushing. Ladybug was blushing around him! “I did mean what I said. I think you’re a nice guy and I know that we haven’t ever interacted that much but I like you. I have no idea what you think of me but now you know what I think of you. So...thoughts?”
“I think you’re amazing.” Adrien answered without hesitation. His feet brought him closer to the window so he could better gaze up at her. Her head was silhouetted in moonlight casting a bright white halo around her dark hair. Her eyes sparkled like stars as she gazed stared back at him. Her lips slightly parted and her cheeks pink.
Adrien cleared his throat and spoke again. “I’ve actually had a crush on you for ages. I had trouble believing anything would come of it though.”
“Oh really?” Ladybug smirked, “Ages you say?”
Adrien’s mouth went dry. He nodded his head.
“Well if that ain’t a kick in the head,” she chuckled softly, “I’ve had a crush on you too.”
Wait. Hold up! Ladybug had a crush on him? He knew that she liked him but a crush? For how long? Adrien’s mind flashed back to when Ladybug told him she was in love with someone else. Was the someone else Adrien? Had he been getting rejected all this time because Ladybug was already in love with him?
“Adrien?” Ladybug waved a hand in front of his face, “Did I lose you? Was that too forward? I’m sorry if it was.”
“No! I’m just really happy!” Adrien blurted out. “I...I uh…if you still want I would like to go to that movie with you.”
Ladybug smiled. “Great. Are you free tomorrow?”
“I will be,” he would move the heavens themselves in order to be free if so needed.
“Awesome. They’re doing a classic movie night at the theater tomorrow. We could see the original La Belle et la Bete or Citizen Kane or Roman Holiday.”
“Aren’t they playing Psycho as well?”
“A horror movie?” Ladybug’s eyes widened. “I mean if that’s what you want to see...well um…”
“Wait,” Adrien said, “Are you--are you scared of horror movies?”
“Yeah, I know, big bad hero Ladybug gets scared watching horror movies. Laugh it up.” she shook her head.
“I wasn’t laughing. I wasn’t!” Adrien couldn’t help but smile though. He learned something new about her. “La Belle et la Bete sounds nice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the original. I’ve only seen the Disney version and the live action remake they did back in 2014.”
 “Well then,” Ladybug twisted her yo-yo around in her hands. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow evening for our date.”
“Can’t wait.” Adrien was smiling like a fool. Ladybug gave him another wave goodbye before leaping off into the night. Adrien watched from the open window with a dreamy smile on his face. He had a date with Ladybug!
Then his heart sunk. He was gonna have to reject Marinette now. He hoped she wouldn’t take it too hard.
---
“I have a date with Adrien! I have a date with Adrien!” Marinette danced around her room. The kwamis were all out and celebrating with her. Alya sat on the chaise with a knowing smile. This wasn’t what Alya had planned but it looked like it worked out in the end. She had never seen Marinette so happy.
“Oh no,” Marinette stopped abruptly. “I have a date with Adrien!”
She ran to her closet and started pulling out clothes. “What am I gonna wear? It’s a movie date so it shouldn’t be anything too fancy but I don’t want to look like a slob. Should I wear something warm if the theatre is cold? But with all that body heat it’s bound to be warm so should I dress lighter? Alya, what do you think?”
“I think that you’re going as Ladybug so what you have on under your costume won’t make much of a difference.” Alya was trying not to laugh.
“Oh right,” Marinette threw her clothes back down, “Forgot about that part.”
“And you’re okay with dating Adrien as Ladybug? You don’t think that’s gonna cause any problems down the road? If you want this relationship to go anywhere in the future you’ll need to tell him who you are.”
“I know, but that isn’t for a good long while. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
The words of a fool in love. Alya decided to let her have her moment and not say anything. Tomorrow night would be interesting indeed.
---
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the-bastards-box · 3 years
Text
Comic' nightmares
A story written with @neon--nightmare as Fresh, about 11 Year old Comic having a nightmare and Fresh having to deal with that
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Comic woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, their breathing is a bit uneven, they're shaking and tears are streaming down their cheekbones, they tried wiping them away, after that they found their glasses and got out of bed, the small skeleton slowly went towards Fresh' room
In the pitch blackness, Fresh creaked one eye open wearily, his single pupil setting a faint white glow across his face. The parasite sat up and rubbed his eyes, not bothering to reach for his shades for now. He’d just been fast asleep, dreamless, for once, so he couldn’t imagine what had woken him up, but... Fresh had an inkling as to why, and he usually trusted his instincts.
Silently, Fresh stood up, lifting his glasses from his beside, and slipping them on as he went. He opened his door, took a step... and quite literally bumped into Comic, catching himself by surprise.
”C-brah?”
Comic looked up at him, They look scared, they wiped the tears from their face again, "I-I . . ." They started crying more.
Fresh mentally froze. He’d had a sense something was wrong with Comic, but... Crying??? He didn’t know how to deal with crying! But, obviously Comic wasn’t hurt, so... Yeah, never mind, not actually bad. Fresh crouched down on one knee, casting his mind back to what he’d seen other people do on TV.
”Hey... What’s wrong, lil broski? Somethin’ happenin wit’ ya?”
"I-I h-had a n-nightm-mare . . ." Comic said it while wiping their tears again, their voice was cracking.
”Shhh, shhh.” Fresh wiped a tear off Comic’s cheek, and flicked it away.
”It’s aight, C-dawg, I’m here, I’m here. Ya know it ain’t... Real, yeah? No point ta worryin’ all up about things that ain’t gonna happen.” Of course, Fresh neglected to mention his own nightmares, and how he sometimes snapped awake in a cold sweat, silently heaving for air. That was dumb, and hey, it wasn’t real! Fresh trusted Comic as much as he was capable of, but he still wasn’t in the habit of giving out his... ‘weaknesses’ all willy-nilly.
Suddenly Comic hugged Fresh, hiding their face in Fresh' clothes, "Th-they h-hurt me a-again . . . it h-hurt s-so m-much . . ." They're still shaking.
Fresh frowned, the letters on his glasses flickering briefly, before he wrapped his arms around Comic in turn, rubbing his back. Yeah, this may have been... more than he’d signed up for.
”Hey, hey. Dey ain’t here any more, lil brah. ‘S just you an me, yo! Jus’ all up Fresh an’ Comic, see! Nobody else here.” He went to rub Comic’s head, and thought better of it at the last moment; yeah, if he still thought his bullies were in the house with him, best not to go near the wound they left. Fresh felt a slight twinge in his gut, at that, but shoved it away.
”’Ey, I got a RADICAL idea, homeslice!! How ‘bout we all up go on a walk o’ da place, just ta up an PROVE dey ain’t here?? An’, ya know, even if some unfresh burglar-brah is here ta steal all ya snacks, I’M here ta protect ya~!!” He grinned down at Comic, lifting up his shades with one hand to give a wink.
"O-okay . . ." Comic is trying to calm down, they're still a bit shaky
In one swift movement, Fresh scooped Comic up in his arms, bridal-style, and his grin widened. ”C’mon, C-dawg, lead da way! Where ya wanna go first?”
After a brief moment, he added, ”We can walk an’ talk at da same time, by da way. If ya want~!”
Comic flinched a bit when they were picked up, "B-back to m-my r-room f-for now . . ."
That caught Fresh a bit off guard for a moment, but he managed to mask it quickly, barely letting a shred of surprise cross his face.
”Aiiight, back ta da room it is!! You’re da bus driver here, ya ridin’ on da FRESH EXPRESS! <3” And with that, still carrying the smaller skeleton, Fresh skipped his way back to Comic’s room, oblivious to Comic’s discomfort.
Comic is holding onto him, when they entered the room, the small skeleton looked around and wanted to be put down when they saw their scarf
Fresh set Comic down gently, still keeping a close eye on him. ”Dere ya go, lil brah, go get it. Ya feelin’ any better now?”
Comic took the scarf and wrapped it around their neck, then they went back to Fresh, "a little b-bit . . ." They're not crying anymore, but they are still a bit shaky
”PERFECT, yo!!! Hold on a sec~!” Fresh scooped up Comic once more, then looked around.
”Ya still want dat house tour, or d’ya just wanna up an crash here fo’ now? Ya look MAD wiped out, lil broski.”
"We c-could go around . . ." Comic then yawned quietly
”Ya wish is mah command, yo! Maybe I can, hmm...” Fresh trailed off for a moment, thinking. Then he walked over to Comic’s bed, snatching a pillow off and positioning it in the crook of his arm, so the other skeleton had somewhere that wasn’t bone to lay his head.
”Lil cozier now?”
Comic put their head on the pillow, "y-yeah . . ."
”BAM, SLEEPYTIME CENTRAL!!!” Fresh grinned excitedly, completely ignoring the irony of how loud he usually talked.
”So... Are ya thirsty, huh? Wit’ all dat cryin’, I’m surprised ya ain’t all lookin up like a piece o’ dried jerky right now, ah hahaha!” Fresh beamed at his own joke, the YOLO on his shades glowing slightly in the dark.
Comic chuckled quietly at the joke, "I c-could drink something . . ."
”Rad!!! Hold on just a sec, homedawg, we gonna get HYDRATED up in here!!!” Fresh nestled him closer and headed off in the direction of the kitchen, more slowly this time.
”Now, I ain’t all sure what time it is an’ junk, so I ain’t sure if it’s early enough in da mornin’ fo’ breakfast... I know some peeps up an’ chug warm milk ta get ‘emselves ta sleep an all dat, how’s it soundin’ ta ya? Plus, ya get dat sicknasty CALCIUM in ya diet!! Wicked strong BONES, yo, ya gonna be liftin’ towers in no time!!” Fresh was mostly talking to fill the silence, people did that, right? They’ve gotten this far already, no point in letting Comic’s mind wander back to his nightmares.
"It sounds nice . . ." Comic is rather calm now, they closed their eyesockets
Fresh chuckled softly, pulling up to the kitchen. Balancing Comic steadily, making sure there was as little jostling as possible, Fresh poured the skeleton a cup of milk, kicking the fridge shut and popping the half-full mug into the microwave. Hey, he didn’t want Comic to spill it on either of their clothes on the way back!
The gentle whirring of the microwave filled the quiet kitchen as they waited for the beep, a warm orange light washing over the two. Comic’s eyes were closed, but Fresh continued to smile down at him. It’d be so easy to just possess him like this, with his guard down... But, no, there was no point in it yet. This whole debacle would go a long way in gaining Comic’s trust, Fresh was willing to bet, and that was more than useful enough to justify the work he’d went through.
Besides, he’d gathered a lot of information... Namely that, yes, the incident continued to affect him deeply, something that Fresh already knew - but it was very interesting to see the extent of how deeply. It wasn’t often the parasite had a front seat to this sort of thing... And to see how Fresh was the first one Comic went to for comfort was hilarious, considering the reason Fresh had stuck around in the first place! There were so many possibilities... But, no, he wouldn’t play his hand too soon. He wanted to see where this was going, first! And all the things that trust could lead to...
The microwave dinged, jolting Fresh out of his thoughts. He gently eased the door open and pulled the steaming mug out with one hand, nudging Comic gently. ”Ya still awake in dere, lil brah...? Milk’s up!”
Comic looked at him, they're a bit sleepy
”Aw... Nothin’? Well, I guess da milk can wait a lil. Dey call it WARM milk, not steamin’ milk, after all~!”
Still holding both the mug and Comic, Fresh turned heel and headed back to the bedroom, making sure none of the liquid sloshed out as they went. When they arrived, Fresh gently plopped his cargo down onto the bed, leaving the mug on the nightstand and tucking Comic in. Once that was done, Fresh plopped down next to him, the mattress creaking slightly under the sudden weight.
”All tucked in, an’ wit’ somethin’ ta drink when ya wake up!! How ya feelin’ now, lil homie?” Fresh grinned, obviously proud of himself and his handiwork.
"better . . . Thank you" Comic smiled slightly at him
”Haha... No problem, C-slice. Ya can always count on me, aight~?” Fresh had been planning to leave and wait for Comic to call him back, but he thought better of it; instead, he climbed into bed next to Comic, tucking himself in and placing his shades safely besides him. The other skeleton had seen the parasite many times without his glasses, after all, though, luckily, never asked why his “eyelight” was cracked like that.
Also, Fresh hadn’t had the time to change out of his pajamas in the first place, so it was perfect! Who said that only kids could wear dinosaur-patterned sleep pants? Nobody, that’s who. Fresh sighed and nestled himself in, closing his eyes - although, if anything happened, he was always a light sleeper. For now, though, he highly doubted Comic could do any harm to him... and with that, Fresh was out.
Comic looked at Fresh, they decided to cuddle up to him, they closed their eyes and tried to go back to sleep.
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azucanela · 4 years
Note
Could you do another Sokka with the fire nation reader and maybe something domestic? Something after the war potentially? Please and thank you!!!
SERENE SHORES | SOKKA X READER
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SUMMARY: after years of chaos, Y/N can’t help but feel weird when everything is peaceful. but hey, weird can be nice. especially when weird is with sokka.
WORD COUNT: 2.5k
WARNINGS: kissing, soft, pretty basic.
A/N: this is gonna be the least heartbreaking thing i’ll ever write super domestic 10/10 soft. also it feels wrong to not write something thats like 10k words of pining askhdkjsah also this is weirdest title ever im sorry
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The sun poured into the room, indicating that Sokka had in fact, awoken, and opened the curtains, much to Y/N’s dismay. They were on vacation and yet he still insisted on waking up at the most ungodly of hours to work. Y/N had no doubt that he’d heard the whispers in the Southern Water Tribe, he’d done so much for the small nation that Y/N wasn’t shocked when rumors of Sokka potentially becoming the next chief came about. He was still young, but that didn’t stop people from talking, and maybe thats why he was putting so much pressure on himself.
But it was vacation, on Ember Island, alongside the rest of their friends. They’d agreed to head out later in the day together, to the beach to catch up with one another. Regardless, Y/N couldn’t help but groan, running a hand through her hair when she realized Sokka had gotten up early for no reason. Y/N had searched him prior to their departure to the island, ensuring he had no work at all, and yet here they were.
Sitting up in the bed, she stretched out her arms, allowing the sun to hit her face. Y/N squinted at the sudden brightness as she moved to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over her momentarily, causing her legs to wobble as she took her first few steps of the day. Y/N quickly recovered as she made her way outside of the room, bringing a hand to her forehead as she sighed. The Ember Island rooms were like small homes at this point, so Y/N wasn’t shocked to find Sokka in the kitchen, cutting up some fruits into the bowl. 
He looks up at her, a smile on his face as he put the knife down and tries his best to lean against the counter alluringly, only for his elbow to miss the edge of the counter. Sokka stumbles slightly, causing Y/N to laugh as she greets him, “hi there.”
“Hey, beautiful.” Sokka greets, recovering from his fall as he jogs over to press a kiss to her cheek, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer.
Y/N hums in response, wrapping her arms around his torso, “why are you out of bed?” She presses a kiss to his jaw before resting her head on his chest.
“I was making breakfast, per usual.” Comes his reply. Y/N had found that Sokka was actually a great roommate, he tended to wake up early to handle his duties in the Southern Water Tribe. Which meant he’d cook breakfast for the two of them, and get his fair share of cleaning done. 
Y/N is pulling herself away from him to grab his hand and pull him towards the bedroom, “let’s go back to bed.” It was vacation, and they could probably order some sort of room service seeing as Ember Island was practically a resort.
“We have to meet the others later.” Sokka reasoned, resisting her aggressive yanks at his arm, feet remaining firmly planted on the floor.
Y/N playfully glares at him, “yeah, later. Not now, we have time. I don’t know why you woke up so early.” She’s scolding him, mostly because he’s been having trouble sleeping lately, and refuses to drink the tea she offered him. Iroh had kindly taught her how to make a ‘proper’ cup of tea, as he’d put it. 
“It’s midday.” He points out, causing Y/N’s eyes to widen a fraction, her eyes flickering over to the windows momentarily as she tries to understand how she managed to sleep well into the middle of the day.
Her mouth opens and closes for a moment, brows furrowing in confusion as she looks to Sokka, “are you serious?”
Sokka blinks once before throwing his head back in laughter, “yes!” 
With a rather aggressive tug at Sokka’s arm, Y/N pulled him closer bringing her free hand to his cheek as she pulled him in for a kiss. Sokka melted into it, bringing both his arms to hand loosely around her waist
It was peaceful. Watching him look so happy, the way the sunlight gleamed on his face as Y/N practically tackled him onto the bed, the bright smile on his face lit up the room more than the sun ever could. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen these things and she certainly hoped it wouldn’t be the last. And given how few threats of war and death and chaos there had been lately, Y/N had a feeling that she wouldn’t have to worry about losing Sokka to some insane enemy anytime soon. 
Y/N hated how weird it felt. Being able to relax for once because there’s no threat of impending doom, no need to be alert despite the habit she’d developed to always have a hand ready to grab the knife at her side. Y/N hated that she couldn’t allow herself a moment of peace even though there was nothing to worry about. 
Even when the war had ended, Y/N had to be on her toes for all the riots that started across the world. She and the rest of Team Avatar weren’t necessarily prepared for all the diplomatic work that had to be done to repair all the damage that had been done to the world during the 100 years of war. Aang had a lot of other issues to handle as the Avatar, Katara and Sokka had to work on rebuilding the Southern Water Tribe, Toph had to handle her parents though she had favored spreading the wonders of metalbending instead. Zuko was rebuilding the Fire Nation was simultaneously tearing down the century’s worth of brainwashing. And as for Y/N, she was just trying to figure out where she fit in to all this.
For the first time in a long time, nothing was going on. Y/N didn’t need to bring her weapons, and she didn’t need to look over her shoulder ever moment for potential enemies. And it felt weird.
They’d returned to Ember Island for a vacation, a reward to themselves for everything they’d done. And it had been a while since they’d been able to actually catch up, Y/N wouldn’t deny it, though they saw each other fairly frequently when it seemed the world was about to end, time to talk was rare. And now that they could talk, she didn’t know what to say.
Yeah, it felt weird.
Sokka’s arm had wrapped around her waist, and Y/N found herself watching as he threw his head back in laughter at something Toph had said. The girl in question seemed pretty pleased with herself, Zuko on the other hand was looking rather embarrassed. Not that Y/N was really paying attention to the conversation. They had gotten to the beach not too long ago, and Y/N had a feeling they would stay awhile, but she was a little busy getting lost in her own thoughts. 
Was it wrong of her to wonder what happened next now that they had entered what would —hopefully— be an era of peace? The only person who could probably remember such a time was Aang, seeing as he was born before the war started, officially started that is. 
Pushing away those thoughts, Y/N returned her attention to the conversation at hand, “you know what, the rest of you never grew up with Sokka’s whining in the mornings— Y/N knows what I mean, right?”
Y/N found herself straightening beside Sokka, “actually, Sokka cooks me breakfast in the mornings, and he’s surprisingly neat, so I have no complaints.” She lets out a small laugh, and Y/N can feel Sokka’s eyes on her figure as everyone else laughs once more.
“Thank you Y/N, see I can be a fantastic roommate.” Sokka asserted, throwing a playful glare to Katara as he squeezed Y/N’s side gently. She and Sokka had gotten together shortly after the war, and they’d been living together for a while. Seeing as they travelled together for over a year, there wasn’t really much of an adjustment period if Y/N was honest, and Sokka was a model roommate. 
Sokka sits up suddenly, causing Y/N to raise a brow at him as she shifts in her seat, only for him to extend a hand to her, “I’m going for a walk, wanna come?”
She takes his hand, offering him a smile as she sits up as well, “yes.” 
From the corner of her eye, Y/N can see Aang move to speak, only for Toph to swat at his chest when he tries to stand, and Katara to glare harshly. Zuko simply watches the interaction in confusion, brow furrowing as Katara beams up at the couple, “have fun!”
Sokka fought the urge to roll his eyes as he took Y/N by the hand and began to drag her away from the campsite. He’d noticed her behavior, something was bothering her. Of course, Katara was reading into things again, she and Gran Gran had grown a little obsessed in regards to his relationship with Y/N. Mostly because Gran Gran insisted that she had to live to see the wedding.
Oh god, Katara must’ve thought he intended to propose—
Y/N had gathered that much as well, it wasn’t something the two had discussed yet, mostly because they’d never had time. When they officially got together, everything was so chaotic they just never had the time, and now that they had the time, well neither of them had tried to broach the topic. Katara on the other hand seemed to continue her meddlesome ways, trying to put the idea into Y/N’s head time and time again during their conversations.
Y/N did not approve.
The pair walked silently across the coast line, water washing up against their bare feet as Sokka comically swung their hands back and forth, earning a small laugh from Y/N. She came to the realization that as badly as she wanted to avoid this conversation, it was necessary. Looking up at him, her brows furrowed as she spoke, “don’t let Katara... pressure you into anything, okay?”
Sokka frowned, pausing as he walked, “don’t tell me she’s been talking to you about-”
“Marriage.” They both muttered, simultaneously. The pair burst into laughter, and Sokka simply shook his head. Katara had obviously been discussing the subject with the both of them.
Sokka simply facepalms, and Y/N finds herself smiling as she watches him, “I’m sorry that she’s been bothering you about that, even though I told her not to.” He turns back to look at the camp, that’s still visible in the distance, Katara is giving him a thumbs up alongside Toph, though the young girl is facing the wrong direction. A show of support as he attempts to ‘propose’ to Y/N, though he didn’t intend to, not today at least. 
Y/N offers him a nervous smile, pulling his attention away from their friends as they continued to walk, “it’s fine.” Another silence consumes them, and Y/N finds herself biting her lip as her gaze returns to Sokka, “have you thought about it though?” 
“Marriage?” Sokka asks, looking to her with wide eyes, “of course, I have. But we’re still young...” He trails off, tilting his head at Y/N as he mumbles, “have you?”
She shrugs, looking to the horizon, where the sun is slowly disappearing and the night sky begins to reveal itself, “honestly? Not really, no.” Y/N can practically feel Sokka deflate beside her, and quickly continues, “not because I don’t want to marry you. I just... I don’t know I never had...”
“Time. To think about it?” Sokka offered when she trailed off. He understood, in a way. They weren’t able to think much of the future while on the run, mostly because the future was a luxury that they were unsure they’d ever get. 
Y/N simply looks to him, nodding slowly she can feel her cheeks warm as she exhales deeply. “I want to though.” Her voice is quiet, probably because its the first time she admitting it to herself, that she does want to marry Sokka. There was always a small part of her that wondered what that would be like, and maybe moving in with him solidified the idea in her mind. Y/N didn’t know.
Maybe it was cliché but Sokka had known since they’d met. 
“I’ve thought about it for a while.” He mumbles, fidgeting with her hand. 
A smile graces Y/N’s face as she raises a brow, “what have you thought about?” She can’t help but feel curious, she’s well aware of how meticulously he plans things, and if he’s thought about their potential wedding it means he not only sees her in his future, but he also likely spent a lot of time considering minor details about the wedding. 
Sokka’s eyes are glued to her hands as he responds, “you would look really pretty in a wedding dress.” If Sokka was honest, she looked pretty in everything, but the idea of marrying her? It had crossed his mind in the past, several times.
She’s never seen him this shy and subdued before, and Y/N can’t help but feel shocked at how soft his voice sounds when he speaks. So, she finds herself considering what this imaginary wedding would be like. Yet all she manages to say is, “I was thinking about how I would never get married on a beach.” 
A small laugh escapes Sokka, “you hate sand.” They’d learnt that the hard way the last time they were at Ember Island, just before the end of the war. Sokka had spent about an hour convincing Y/N to come down to the beach despite her hatred of sand. She ended up agreeing— more accurately being forced to head down to the beach seeing as Sokka practically threw her over his shoulder and carried her there. Y/N vividly recalled the violent words she’d yelled at him when he threw her into the ice cold water.
Y/N is laughing alongside him, nodding,  “I do.”
She’d be saying those words again, not too far in the future. And maybe this possibility is why Y/N decides that she likes this whole peace thing, standing on the serene shores of Ember Island. Life is good when you aren’t worried about impending doom all the time, and its even better with Sokka in it. Y/N wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life with him.
“Let’s prank Katara into thinking you proposed.” She suggested, grinning at Sokka. If the girl was so insistent on meddling with their relationship, then why not get a little revenge?
Sokka seemed to like this idea, as his eyes iit up at her words, “I love you, so much.” He exclaimed, grabbing Y/N’s face with both hands and pulling her into a kiss. 
Y/N finds herself smiling into the kiss, pulling away to say, “I know.”
“You’re supposed to say it back.” Sokka is pouting now, trapping her in his arms as he awaits the response he wants. 
Y/N hummed in reply, a pensive look on her face as she pretended to consider his words, “I guess I love you too.”
“You guess?!”
Hopefully their honeymoon would be far less chaotic, and further away from sand. 
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A/N: lol writing something happy when you are sad is not it so im sorry that this is bad but i tried 🥺
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928 notes · View notes
fluffypeachwriting · 2 years
Note
Hitoya deserves love, can i request senario when a fem so is upset because she saw a woman (works with Hitoya in office) clinging to him like a leach and reader, please make it from angst to fluff
I don’t know if the ending counts as fluff, but it’s still a happy ending ヽ(*・ω・)ノ I hope I can do Hitoya justice as he can be kinda hard to write for, especially with angst, which isn’t my forte as of now  (シ_ _)シ This was a fun writing experience though, and I’m happy to get your request!
Either way, I hope you enjoy, and I’m sorry you had to wait so long for this  (⊃。•́‿•̀。)⊃
A new employee at Hitoya’s law firm seemed to take a liking to your boyfriend. It started with a few flirty lines, and nothing more. Hitoya never responded to them, and that was fine. He probably didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. The whole situation was easy to brush it off in the beginning, since you were well aware of how attractive Hitoya was, and that anyone could be under his spell.
The woman in question knew about your relationship with Hitoya too. The two of you weren’t super affectionate in public, especially at work, but she definitely saw the way you lovingly looked at him when he brought you a coffee and some cake during your shift, and the way he softly smiled back at you. After all, she sat right across from you. She would wait a few minutes, tapping her nails on the table, and eventually get up to go to his office. Then, after purposefully leaving the door just open enough for you to see, she would perch on his desk and laugh at every word he said, putting her fingertips to her lips in a faux-shy kind of way. The sight made your heart leap up your throat and thump in your ears.
The worst part was that she was pretty cute, looks wise. If you didn’t know anything about her personality, you would have compared her to the sexy love interest option in an anime. She made office wear look good, and you never saw her look undignified. Sometimes she leaned towards a femme fatale-type. That idea was constantly reinforced every time she placed her hand on Hitoya’s arm, playfully swatting at him when he got grouchy, and batted her eyelashes when she wanted something from him.
If she was doing this to literally any other person in the office – hell, some people there would kill to have this woman dote on them – you would probably find it funny. Her attempts at ‘seducing’ him were bordering on comical.
This whole charade wasn’t private. The office was getting annoyed too. Not by you, of course. The woman was pretty good at her little admin job, so any chance of getting her out of the office relied on her stepping over the line with Hitoya.
Hitoya continued to ignore this woman, but he never shooed her away or told her to stop. There was a tiny voice in the back of your mind, whispering nasty ideas into your head – the possibility that Hitoya was actually enjoying this attention couldn’t be shaken off.
One night, as you were both in bed, you rolled over and asked: “Hitoya, do you love only me?”
He replied, without turning to face you: “Hn? ‘Course, whaddya mean?”
“I just… the new girl at work is kinda clingy with you. Can you tell her to knock it off?”
“She’s not hurting anyone.”
You sat up in bed and rested your hands in your lap, hesitant to look at Hitoya. “Wait, so you’re gonna defend her? But she’s clearly into you. She knows we’re a thing and… please just tell her to quit it.”
There was a momentary silence, and in the dark room you could almost see the woman in front of you, doing her typical sly giggle. Maybe she had already won.
“You’re worrying over nothing. Go to sleep, you’re probably stressed and tired. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
But it had been many mornings since this all began. The clock read 9:45pm. It was too late to go out for fresh air now, and you had work in the morning.
“Okay, goodnight.” You laid back down in bed and laid on your side, facing away from your partner.
“Goodnight.”
You bit your lip to stop yourself from crying, and waited until you could hear Hitoya’s light snoring before feeling relaxed enough to fall asleep.
The next morning, you woke up to an empty bed. There was a note on your bedside table – Hitoya had gone to work early to prep for a few new prospect hires visiting.
Phew! Maybe that woman wouldn’t have to opportunity to bother him today.
Maybe today would be the start of some normality: with everyone keeping an eye on the visitors, most people wouldn’t be too keen on messing around. As you made some food and coffee, you updated yourself on the work group chat. There wasn’t much of it that concerned you, but seeing people’s elaborate excuses on why they couldn’t come in was amusing. That is, until you saw a message from that woman.
There was a selfie of her in the conference room, with Hitoya in the back, occupied with some papers, with the caption: ‘About to teach some newbies what’s up! Kya ahahaha!’
It was hard not to throw up your breakfast. Getting dressed was a struggle, since you wanted to punch every surface in the room.
They were alone in a room, without you. She could be saying god knows what to him, well aware that you wouldn’t be in for at least another hour.
Rushing to get ready and go to the office was an option, but what good would it do?
All you could picture was Hitoya staring down at you, as you burst through the door, dishevelled from rushing there, chiding you for imagining what you said this woman was doing.
When you came to your senses, you were in the office, bursting through the door, just as you didn’t want to do.
“Hey, Boss?” The receptionist said, looking concerned.
“…Yeah? Where’s Hitoya? And why’d you call me ‘Boss’?”
“You’re basically also our boss too. And I dunno where Boss Boss is but, are you okay? Are you like, super tired?” The receptionist gestured to his clothes, implying that something was wrong with yours.
And there was. Because you were not in your work clothes at all. You had come to the office in a hoodie and sweatpants. In your rush to get ready, you had forgotten about looking presentable.
“Oh shit.”
“Hey, Boss. I know it was an accident, if you slip out and come back soon, I’ll just tell people there was traffic. I got your back.”
“Thanks.” You sighed, thankful that someone was on your side for once.
Right as you turned to leave, a piercing laugh came from the conference room entrance. One that was all too recognisable.
‘Of course she had to see this. Just my luck,’ you thought.
Her heels click-clacked as she came closer.
“Oh sweetie, this is just too much! You think that just because you’re banging the Boss man you can show up in whatever clothes you want? What a pathetic little weirdo…” She looked at the receptionist for agreement but he had turned around in second-hand embarrassment.
You were too miserable to try and act polite to her. You’d had enough. All of that jealously that had been bubbling inside you for what felt like years had finally spilled over.
“Why don’t you keep your nose out of our business for once!? You know we’re in a relationship, so why don’t you just fuck off and leave him alone!? If you’re gonna try and sleep around at least go for single people, you freak!” As you raised your voice, tears started streaming down your face. You didn’t care that it made you look even more of a mess. “The only reason we keep you around here is because you’re good at your job! You belong in hell, you demon!”
No more words could properly express how fed up you were, how much you wanted this woman out of sight. Your hands were clutched tight to your chest, which hurt more by the second. You kept your eyes focused on the floor in fear of her reaction. It wasn’t likely that she’d do a 180 and take pity on you.
Instead, you did a 180 and ran out of the building. You could barely see where you were going, but you knew where you wanted to go.
One turn left, a few crossings straight ahead, a couple of right turns, and you were where you and Hitoya had your first ‘date’: a bench next to a vending machine.
That day, he had planned to take you to a fancy restaurant, but it started raining so hard that you had to take shelter in a convenience store for a while, and ended up missing your reservation. When the sky cleared, Hitoya gave you his jacket to shield you from future showers, and bought a couple of drinks to share. The indirect kiss you shared on that canned coffee gave you the strongest butterflies you’d ever felt.
You wanted to feel that same sunshine on your face as then, and see the same rainbow as then, but the sky was cloudy today. Sitting on the bench with your cheeks resting on your fists, you tried to force your mind back into that honeymoon phase. It all seemed so much simpler then, like nothing could stand between you two. Now everything was dreary. Now it was just you, the pit in your stomach, this convenience store, and passers-by.
Someone was walking a hyper-active dog that tried to jump at you. A lady with a small child asked if you were alright, which was nice. A few teens were out looking to cause trouble, though you didn’t care. A group of kids were meticulously counting their money out loud, and yes, they did have enough money to get a soda and a steamed bun. All of these people, going about their lives, reminded you that even in these times where your world was turning upside down, the rest of the world would go on. Even the guy going on a run was just doing his thing. You didn’t look up, but you could hear him running, then stopping just outside the store.
“There you are.” A familiar deep voice said in-between pants.
Your head snapped up. “Hitoya!?”
Hitoya was there, his hands on his knees, catching his breath.
“I heard what happened from Yamashita, at the front desk. I knew where you’d be. She’s gone. You don’t need to worry about her anymore.”
“What?”
“That woman. She’s gone. I kicked her out of the firm. I’m sorry for letting it get to this point.” Hitoya flopped beside you on the bench and took your hands in his. He sounded award, like he was having a conversation that was long overdue. “It was messed up on my end to not say anything. I just figured out that that was worse than doing something. I… You know you’re the only one I have eyes for, you know that? I know I don’t say this romantic sappy stuff a lot, but uh, you’re always what I look forward to seeing, like, you’re really cute right now, even in those clothes. I kinda wanna cuddle you. Hey, let’s take the rest of the day off and go home and do that, yeah?”
You were too stunned to reply with words. It was like a dream come true. That toxic bitch was out of your life, and you didn’t have to see her again. Hitoya was yours, and he was ready to confess – in public, no less – that he really did love you.
After a minute of collecting your thoughts, you replied in a croaky voice: “Yeah, let’s go home. To our home.”
Where no-one could come between you.
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bruhlsbees · 3 years
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it was real enough || baron helmut zemo x heike zemo
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summary: heike zemo spends her last moments with her son, carl, and father-in-law, heinrich, before the battle of sokovia
pairing: baron helmut zemo x heike zemo
warnings: i always say angst but this one is for real gonna rip your heart out, major character death, heike clinging to carl in their last moments, sad phone call that ends too soon
word count: 3,502
a/n: based on this set of sentences specifically "it was real enough", in mcu zemo's wife's name is not said, so i went with her comic name of heike, also according to his mcu fandom wiki - zemo's son's name is carl!
May 4, 2015.
“Don’t worry. They’re fighting in the city. We’re miles from harm.” Helmut whispered, holding his wife’s delicate face in his hands, stroking her cheekbones before resting his own forehead against hers.
Heike grasped onto Helmut’s hands, closing her eyes as she embraced her husband, “I know...I know, but the sounds of gunfire- the screaming, Carl can’t sleep well, Helmut...I don’t know what to do.” She didn’t try and hold back her tears as Helmut kissed her face, peppering slow and gentle kisses as he listened to her sniffle, crying quietly, “I wish we could leave...go somewhere...anywhere!”
“I know, I know. I wish we could, but it’ll be over soon. Yes? You and Carl will be safe here with my father. He will take care of you while I’m gone and until I return, and then we will leave. Perhaps Latvia? Carl enjoys the sun there.”
Running his hands down Heike’s arms, Helmut squeezed her elbows, watching as she slowed her breathing, calming herself down before nodding in agreement, “Yes, I would enjoy that.”
Helmut leaned forward, kissing his wife once more before letting out a shaky sigh, not wanting to leave her. “Please, Helmut...please come home. I can’t lose you.” Heike admitted, her voice cracking.
To him, Helmut thought this was just a temporary departure, hugging his wife tight against him as he whispered sweet reassurances into her ear as he always did. Little did he know, this would be the last.
Before Helmut left to join the others of the EKO Scorpion squad, he stood in the doorway, doing his best to stay strong as his father held his wife and son, doing his equal best to stay strong. Heike and Carl, on the other hand, were not holding themselves together - he couldn’t blame them though, if it weren’t for his own bundle of nerves that were forcing him to stay calm, he probably would be in the same boat as them.
Kneeling to his son’s height, Helmut pulled Carl in for one last hug, holding him close as he cradled his head in his hands, “You look after your mother and grandfather for me while I’m gone. Can you do that, my brave boy?”
Nodding, Carl squeezed his father tight, his sniffles calming him down for the moment, leaning into his father’s kiss against his head before pulling back with him. Watching as his father stood, Carl stumbled back into his mother’s grasp, squeezing her tight as he buried his face into her side, crying into her shirt.
Helmut wished he could stay, to be with his family, but he knew that he had to go - he had to help protect Sokovia and make sure that his family would see the end of this. Feeling the tugs on his heart as he turned, Helmut forced himself to exit the home, closing the door behind him. When the door clicked shut, he heard Carl’s sobs break out, flinching at how painful they sounded. He wanted so desperately to turn and run back inside, but his walkie crackled on, turning his attention back to joining the other members of his squad.
⋆ ⋆ ⋆
May 6, 2015.
The night had been filled with screaming and crying throughout the city of Novi Grad. Heike tried so desperately to ignore the sounds of gunfire and explosion, but it seemed the harder she tried, the louder they became.
Sleep for Heike did not come - not since the beginning of the fallout. Laying in bed with Carl, Heike held her son close, rubbing his back and kissing his head as he slept, flinching occasionally. Heike tried to hold back the grunts as Carl would kick her in his worst fits.
If Helmut were here, he would know what to do.
Blinking away tears, Heike sighed and looked over Carl to see the sun begin to peek through the curtains. Deciding that she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon, Heike pulled herself away from Carl who was clinging to her, gently moving out of the bed and down the hall to the kitchen.
Heike avoided looking out the windows, not wanting to see the damage the city endured in just the one night. She knew it couldn’t be good, judging by the troubling noises that were heard all night and into the morning. If she were to look out the window, her mind would go to Helmut - wondering where he was in all this and if he would return.
Opening the cupboard, Heike pulled down a teacup and prepped to make a pot of cherry blossom tea, blinking away tears as the water boiled.
“So, what is your poison?”
Heike smiled at Helmut from across the table, the light tune from the piano brought the atmosphere down. The restaurant would soon be closing, but the two didn’t have any plans to leave anytime soon.
Scooping a slice from the cake the two were sharing, Heike, put the fluffy chocolate dessert in her mouth, blushing and shaking her head. “It’s silly...but...I love cherry blossom tea.”
Helmut couldn’t help but smile at the confession, not expecting it to be so innocent. Here he was, planning on inviting her to go get drinks, only to find out that her own personal poison was not liquor, but tea.
“Cherry blossom tea? I would have never taken you for the cherry blossom type of lady.” Helmut teased, stealing the last bite of cake before placing his spoon on the plate.
Heike couldn’t help but giggle, putting her spoon on the plate as well before shrugging, “I never was too fond of hard drinks. I always enjoyed a warm cup of tea. Sometimes with a turkish delight, if I was feeling adventurous.”
She couldn’t believe it, but she actually got cheeky and winked at him. They had been going on a few dates now, so this wasn’t too forward, but for her, this wasn’t in the norm. Heike was rather reserved, but with Helmut, something came out in her.
Reaching across the table, Helmut took Heike’s hand into his, squeezing her soft hand into his rougher one, “Turkish delights? My, aren’t you the rebel.” He teased, grinning at her when he noticed her cheeks going more red.
The sound of the kettle whistling pulled Heike from her thoughts, quickly pulling the kettle from the stove to calm down before placing on the cooler burner. Placing a cherry blossom tea bag in her cup, Heike poured the boiling water over the bag and felt her body relax when the scent of cherry blossom hit her.
When she settled the kettle back down, she picked up the tea cup, not noticing how shaky she was until the light clattering of the cup hit against the plate. Choking back the sob, Heike felt the tears rolling down her cheeks, unable to take a drink of the tea.
She pushed the tea cup back onto the counter, burying her face into her hands to muffle her crying, not wanting to wake up Carl or Helmut’s father, Heinrich, as it was still fairly early. She had been holding in her tears for so long, her worries over where Helmut was at that moment stuffed down. Heike only wanted to make sure that Carl was okay, forgetting her own delicate state of mind.
Heike’s tears continued to fall, soon unable to even bite down on her lip to muffle her cries. What she was not expecting, however, was to be pulled into such a tender embrace.
When she recognized that it was Heinrich, Heike wrapped her arms around the larger man’s middle, sobbing into his chest as he held her, stroking her hair.
“Shh, Heike, it’s okay. It’s okay. He will be back soon.” Heinrich assured, humming lowly to try and take her mind off of the situation. Heinrich was very fond of his family, adoring his daughter-in-law and grandson. He knew this was hard on the both of them, with Helmut being gone, and he felt it was only fair to do what Helmut would do if he were here for them.
After a few long moments, giving Heike the time to calm herself down, Heinrich felt Heike pull back, sniffling as she wiped away her tears from her face and her nose. “Thank you…” She whispered quietly, her voice cracking from the painful sobs.
Smiling, Heinrich tucked Heike’s hair behind her ears and kissed the top of her head, “Carl needs his mother now more than ever, but that does not mean you cannot have your moments to break down. Even the strongest still need their moments.”
Nodding in understandment, Heike looked up at Heinrich and smiled, looking down at the counter to collect her tea once again, this time taking a sip of the warm liquid. The warmth calmed her down enough for her to catch her breath, processing what Heinrich had told her before taking another deep sip, finishing the cup. Heike set the empty cup on the counter before making her way towards the window. She knew she shouldn’t have looked out the curtain, but her curiosity got the best of her.
When she saw the damage unfold beneath her, her heart sank. She couldn’t imagine the lives lost, the damage it caused for everyone, all while the Avengers were doing what they thought was for the best. She didn’t hate them, no, she knew they were doing what they thought was best - but she couldn’t help but wonder if they ever stopped to think about how their actions would affect the towns they fought in?
“Carl will probably be waking up soon, perhaps I should make us something to eat?” Heinrich offered, approaching Heike and placing a gentle hand onto her shoulder, pulling her away from the window.
Pulled from the window, along with her thoughts, Heike looked up at Heinrich and nodded, “Yes, that sounds lovely, I’ll go get Carl...I just- I have to make a call first.”
Heike excused herself from the kitchen and made her way down the hall and into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her before she sat on the toilet, opening her phone and scrolling until she found Helmut’s contact, pressing the ‘call’ icon and putting the phone to her ear.
She knew that Helmut wouldn’t answer, couldn’t answer, she had tried just last night, asking when he would be home and trying to pretend in some sad way that everything was fine. This time, though, she knew she wouldn’t be able to pretend.
“Helmut...my love...it’s me again,” Heike began, steadying her voice before continuing, “I know you’re not able to talk right now and I’m sorry if this is interfering in any sort of way but I-” She paused, feeling herself being to choke up before she took a deep breath, “I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you. It’s silly to say over the phone, through a voicemail, but I fear something might happen that we both did not see coming...I know, I know I shouldn’t be talking this way, but one of us has to be realistic. Of course, I am praying, praying to anyone out there that this nightmare will be over, and soon you’ll be back in bed with me, but so far nobody has heard my prayers.” The tears that fell from her cheeks began to fall freely now, unable to be contained. Heike did her best to try and stop, to collect herself for the remaining seconds she had, but she just fought through them. “My only prayer now is that you return home safely...alive and well. I don’t care if you come back with a missing leg or in a coma - I’ll take care of you Helmut, I will, I just want you back. I need you back. Okay? I need to go now, but I just wanted to call and tell you how much I-”
The call dropping made Heike’s stomach sink. Pulling the phone away from her ear, she stared at the screen and stared mortified as the voicemail timed out. Her face contorted, squishing up as she let out another cry, holding herself tight as the emotions took over her body.
The knock at the door was drowned by the sounds of her cries, it wasn’t until she heard Carl’s sweet voice that brought her to.
“Mama? Are you in there?”
Sniffling, Heike wiped her face and moved to the door, unlocking it and opening it up before staring down at Carl, his hair messy and still in his pyjamas. He had a concerned expression on his look, one that matched Helmut’s all too well.
“Were you crying?” He asked innocently, reaching his hands up to feel the wet spots on her face. Heike could only sigh, dropping to his height as she knew lying wouldn’t help him, “Yes, my dear. I was...but I’m okay now. Okay? I am just missing your papa is all.”
Pulling Carl in for a hug, Heike held her son close, rubbing his back as he squeezed the fabric of her shirt, “When will Papa come home?” He asked sweetly.
“Soon, my dear, soon. Once he is done helping Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers, he will come home.” She smiled, feeling Carl grow giddy at the mention of the Avengers and specifically Iron Man, before clinging to his mother tighter.
“Your grandfather is making us breakfast, why don’t we go join him so he doesn’t eat alone?”
⋆ ⋆ ⋆
The night came quickly for the Zemo family - along with the growing destruction of Novi Grad. The streets below began to pile with cars and waste from the buildings and Heinrich went so far as to board up the windows after witnessing someone fall to their death. Whether it was purposeful or not, Heinrich wouldn’t allow Carl nor Heike to see the horrors of war - ‘least not more than they already saw.
The three of them were laying in bed together, watching old movies that were on some VHS tapes that Heike found in the closet. Carl, fast asleep in her arms, clung to his mother’s waist, while Heike, slowly began to doze off. She hadn’t been paying too much to the movie, in fact, she didn’t even know what exactly was playing, but she was happy to have enjoyed the peaceful moment, despite everything going on outside their home.
Unfortunately, the horrors did not end, and their peaceful night was soon ruined. The blood-curdling scream woke Carl awake, sending him into a crying fit while Heike held him, doing her best to calm him down while Heinrich held them both, consoling them as what he feared most soon approached them.
“I don’t want to die…” Heike whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she kept Carl’s face buried into her stomach. She looked up at her father-in-law, eyes red as she shook her head. Heinrich could only frown, not knowing what to say other than pull her close, letting her cry into his chest. As a realist himself, Heinrich knew the possibility of the building they were in to be targeted was high, but there was still a part of him that wished for the alternative.
The flames that flickered outside the windows signaled that there was sadly no way out. He didn’t want his grandson, nor daughter-in-law to have to go out in such a painful way, so he did what he believed was the only thing he could do - hold them close and sing a lullaby.
Heike’s face was buried tightly into Heinrich’s chest, Carl’s in his mother’s. The sound of Heinrich singing an infamous Sokovian lullaby calmed them enough to not think so hard as to what was going on around them. As the flames rose and the song continued, what came next was more painful than seeing a child cry - but the death of a child itself.
While the heavy concrete collapsed on them, they were fortunate enough to not feel the pain, dying on the direct hit. Even though there was no pain, the three still lost their lives, not having a single chance of survival - which perhaps was harder than the hit.
⋆ ⋆ ⋆
May 8, 2015.
Helmut had been digging for two days. Two days since the initial end of the battle when he returned home to find the building in pieces and when the smoke cleared enough for him to be able to search. He had been told that there was no use in searching, that it would take too long to find them and he didn’t need to go through that pain...but Helmut had to be the one, he wouldn’t sit back while some stranger dug to find his family’s bodies for him.
He ignored the painful cuts that dug into his palms, the numbness in his body a shield against the physical pain he was enduring. Helmut picked up piece by piece, tossing it over his side as he furiously dug deeping into the rubble, searching for any sign of his family. He hardly slept, continuing to dig deeper in the area he imagined his family to be. The surviving members of his squad became worried quickly, unsure as to what to do in this situation. They hadn’t lost families, ‘least not in the way that Helmut lost his. Nobody could understand what he was going through, and while they wanted to help, it became clear that Helmut found it worse to have help than do it on his own.
By the early afternoon of the second day, his motions began to slow, becoming weaker as the time went on. Helmut knew he couldn’t give up though, he wouldn’t, not until he found their bodies. It was a sad prayer really, asking whomever to let him at least find their bodies, but it was one he partially wished never came true - for he wished that his family had never died in the first place.
What stopped his movements was the arm sticking out of the rubble. He recognized the watch as being his father’s and his breathing stopped, catching in his throat. This was it, this was what he had been searching for, yet at the same time was dreading. Quickly moving the rubble off of them, Helmut let out a cry when he finally uncovered the bodies, seeing his father holding his delicate wife, and his wife holding their precious son.
He didn’t know who, but one of his squad members quickly rushed to him, pulling him off the bodies as he Helmut threw himself over them, ignoring the painfully obvious state they were in. The squad member held Helmut in his arms, letting the man cry as medical members carefully made their way up onto the rubble, doing their best to carefully collect the bodies and placing them in bags to be taken away.
Helmut’s eyes stayed on the bags, watching as they were loaded into trucks and taken to the nearest area for body collection and identification after the war’s aftermath. He felt his heart racing, his head resting against his friend’s chest as he blood soon boiled.
This was their fault. The Avengers, of all places they could have chosen, decided to come to Sokovia, their home, and destroy it. Destroyed their city, their homes, and families. Glaring into the distance, Helmut continued to let the tears run silent down his cheeks. He could picture his family’s death playing in his head. How scared they must have been and for him to be where? ‘Helping’ the Avengers as they hardly helped them.
And where were they now? The Avengers? Gone. Back to their own cities, their own homes, and families. And where did that leave Sokovia? The place they decided to play war at? In ruins...destroyed into nothing - leaving Sokovia and it’s people lost and without a home.
Closing his eyes, Helmut turned his head and rested his face against his friend’s chest, clinging to the front of his shirt before letting out a painful scream, soon faltering back into sobs.
Helmut would miss Heike’s hair, how soft it felt when it finally dried after being washed.
He would miss the sound of Carl’s laughter, how eager he was to be ‘just like his papa’.
Helmut would even miss his father’s awful snoring, and how Heike would always do her best to not be frustrated in the morning when Heinrich would ask how everyone slept.
No longer would he be able to kiss his family and hold them close, but only have the memories of their souls and the voice messages to hear the sweet sounds of their voices.
This was the only way now that Helmut had any way of being with his family, through the memories. It was real enough to get by, to feel comfort while alone, but it wasn’t real enough to move on.
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cruelfvkingsummer · 4 years
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Henry x Reader: If I could never give you peace. (3/3)
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Plot: The one where the rain is always gonna come but your love has never been clearer.
Part 1 - Anywhere I want, just not home - the one where Henry can never come home. (Inspired by: My Tears Ricochet)
Part 2 - My kingdom come undone. -  the one where his faithless love is the only hoax you’ll believe in. (Inspired by: Hoax)
TW: Sad, Emotional, Comfort, Awkwardness, Fluff, it’s kinda long?sorry
It’s the first time in a while that you had woken up before the sun. Henry had left your home with the promise of not bothering you until you were ready to let you calm down and give you as much space as you need after the heavy and emotional day you had.
“You have my number,” he whispered, standing on your doorstep. “Just … let me know.”
It had been four days since you last saw him. If you had any energy left in you, you would’ve felt horrible. It’s not that you didn’t want to see him it was more like you didn’t know how to cross that bridge: the awkwardness, the stepping on egg-shells type of conversation .... you weren’t sure if you had the strength to go through all that yet.
But you still very much felt his presence in the little ways he allowed himself to exist in your space.
The little trinkets he gave you had become a habit and never stopped – on the first day it was three pieces fruits you haven’t seen or tasted before placed on a wooden bowl in your doorstep, the next day it had been a bouquet of wildflowers wrapped in some string-rope and tied in a poorly-shaped bow, and yesterday it had been a medium-sized smooth rock that had a peculiar formation and looked like it had crystals growing from a hole at the center. It was still kinda moist and looked suspiciously like it came from that rumored small waterfall that was a two-hour walk away from this town.
It felt weird that he was here when the whole purpose of you even being here was to get away from him. The last couple of days didn’t even feel real. How was he even here? Isn’t his publicist and manager absolutely going crazy running around and looking for him. Isn’t the whole world looking for him?
A movie star in his level just can’t disappear from the world and not let them know.
You picked your phone up, texting your best friend but hiding the fact that she was right and Henry did find you, and opened up Google. You had learned early on of your relationship with Henry not to look up your name or his on any news outlet to spare yourself from the frustration and anxiety. You even had to create a separate private social media accounts a week before the two of you decided to go public. His pr team had been helpful in erasing any other old accounts you had since Henry wanted you to be as safe as possible from doxxing and hackers.
Still, you had to know. You typed up his name and closed your eyes as it loaded.
When you finally gathered enough courage to see it, what you read left you in a state of shock.
“Henry Cavill on another week-long bender? Break-up with longtime girlfriend is rumored to be the reason!”
“Henry Cavill drops his most anticipated character as Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming film Enola!”
“Did the Superman hunk cheat on his beau?! Our sources say so!”
“Movie star, Henry Cavill posts a photo in social media pleading his fans and the media to leave his ex-girlfriend and her family alone during their break-up, says he is ‘Taking all the blame.’Check it out on page 6!”
“Timeline of the lost love that broke Henry Cavill.”
Different articles of Henry going back and locking himself in your shared home were posted, hundreds of photos of him looking half dead yet carrying different forms of alcohol spread all over the internet, and there was even a hashtag for the fans trying to find you for his sake which Henry shot down immediately with a single post form his hefty instagram account.
You couldn’t believe that all this happened when you decided to disappear. You genuinely didn’t think anyone would care much less Henry. You thought disappearing for a while would help your process of slowly disappearing in obscurity after being involved with such a big personality such as Henry for such a long time.
It seemed to have back fired tremendously to your absolute horror.
It must be why your best friend sounded so stressed out every time you texted a few hours later than you were supposed to. It suddenly makes sense now. You have to treat her to some meal and a full-expense paid vacation after all that she took head on to protect you.
Letting out a shaky breath, you decided it was useless to hide in your house when you decided you would give the two of you another chance; you put your running shoes on and decided a walk would be a great way for you to relax. You carefully packed your little tote bag, bringing with you some water, your leftover sandwiches for breakfast, and the last piece of fruit that Henry gave you two days ago.
Staring at the piece of fruit you couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking your head in disbelief.
It really was a wonder how someone as big as him managed to sneak in and out your doorway for weeks now without ever getting caught –
The two of you froze, comically wide-eyed and shockingly looking at each other, when you opened the door. He was bending down about to place another bouquet of wildflowers, this time wrapped in some expensive looking scarf looking like a raccoon that had been caught stealing leftovers in the trash.
The silence and surprised lasted for only a few seconds but you swore time slowed down to punish you even more.
“Hi, sorry,” he stood up so quickly, flushing so hard you managed to see it despite the lack of sunlight. “I was just … I didn’t think you would be awake. Here.”
He hesitantly offered you the flowers, one hand on his back like a little child. The scene was so shocking and sudden that you couldn’t help but let out a surprised snicker at this awkward situation, making him look down bashfully.
“Thank you,” you whispered, taking it from him and smelling it. Flowers in the shops in New York usually lose their scent or smells fake due to the chemicals placed in it to make it live longer but something about the wildflowers in this countryside just smells so sweet you could almost taste it in your tongue. “They’re so pretty.”
You can see him lose the tension in his back at your compliment. There was a tense moment of silence but not the kind that could suffocate – it was hopeful and understandably awkward, like talking to your high-school crush for the first time where every single movement had to count. “Were you about to go to the market?”
You shook your head, moving back a bit to close your door and fully step out of the house. “’was just gonna take a walk. The hike trail they have is beautiful.”
“Oh, okay,” he cleared his throat, doing his best not to make you uncomfortable – looking for any signs of distress so he could back off immediately and leave even though all he wanted to do was stare at you in order to commit every single new thing about you into his memory in case you disappear on him again.
He knew this was not part of the plan, and technically he was kinda intruding on your time to ‘think’ about the next step on your relationship but he couldn’t help but try to milk every single moment he could spend with you due to his own desperation fill the void you left on his heart after the separation.
You hesitated when the two of you were out in your little yard, trying to ease the tension just a little bit by making polite small talk no matter how painfully awkward it is. “W-Where are you staying by the way?”
“Oh, just a few blocks away. There’s a little bed and breakfast in there, t’was the only thing available on such a short notice.” He pointed at the general direction on your left, his movement making his scent waft in your direction. You could recognize his cologne anywhere – you gave it to him after all, he never wore anything else after that. “The owners were kind enough to lend me their daughter’s bedroom. Must’ve felt bad for the poor lost idiot wandering around the streets.”
You looked away, trying not to show him your amusement in imagining this man wandering around these foreign streets when he couldn’t even buy a sandwich in New York without being hounded by fans and strangers alike.
“That’s nice …”
“Their daughter’s room has pink furniture and Hello Kitty wallpapers in it,” he added almost mindlessly, as if he couldn’t believe it either. This confession ripped out a giggle from your mouth that you couldn’t hold back.  
“Are you serious?” you snickered, covering your face to hide your laughter, that you couldn’t see how he had frozen on the spot for a few moments, taken aback at seeing your smiling face and hearing a bit of your laughter even for just a moment. It felt like a fragment of his soul had been pieced back together and healed magically.
“Y-Yeah, um,” he muttered doing his best not to openly gawk at you and placed his hand behind his back as he slowly walked with you. “, it’s nice though, got good windows and stuff.”
You tried not to laugh anymore than you did in fear of actually offending him when he had been staying in there for your sake – and for the sake of your crumbling relationship that was dangling on this string that the two of you call a vacation.
“I, uh, leave you alone for your walk. I’ll see you arou –“
“Wait!” you couldn’t believe you actually called out to him and by the look on his face he couldn’t believe it either. Or maybe it was the fact that you reached out your hands to hold his in order to stop him from walking away. He made a full stop, slowly moving his body so the two of you were facing each other and not standing side by side, gently flipping his hand so he could hold feel the warmth in the palm of your hands.
It almost feels foreign how rough his hands were. But nothing could’ve made you forget how perfectly it encapsulated yours – like it had been specifically crafted by a kind god for you.
“W-Walk with me? We don’t have to talk. It’ll be nice. I have sandwiches,” you muttered quickly, words coming out in a rush. This time it was your turn to turn red as a tomato.
Henry had been unaware he had been holding his breath until the necessary need to breath out took over. He smiled, grateful at your merciful heart that finally found it in her to start forgiving him if only for a little.
“You had me at sandwiches.”
The two of you started walking around town, window shopping in it’s tourist shops and even loitering by a bakery just to smell the fresh bread baking while the two of you ate your day-old sandwich laughing at each others shenanigans.
When the two of you were about to walk back home you could start to feel the growing harshness of the sun above you. He couldn’t help but chuckle when you tried to hide yourself under his massive shadow.
“Here, let me,” he murmured, taking the flowers you had been carrying in your hand and removing the scarf wrapped around it. He folded it diagonally in half and raised it to his chest to show you his plan. “May I?”
You nodded, giving him permission. He gently gathered your hair in his hand, hooking it in  one of your shoulders as he placed the makeshift bandanna on your head and tied it under your hair. The swift movement behind you and the way his soft breaths and nimble fingers hit the nape of your neck made you shiver, the intimacy a bit too much after a month of  seclusion but more than welcomed.
When he was done he placed your hair back down again, smiling down at you apprehensively. “That alright?”
You smiled up at him, softly nodding to hide your frenzy at such an innocent action. “Thank you.”
“Alright, let’s go then,” he beamed.
He turned, ready to start the slow and leisure stroll back to your house when you had a surge of courage go through you as you meekly reached for his hands clearly surprising him enough that he tripped a bit on his feet, instinctively making him tighten his hold on your hands as he tried to stabilize himself.
You stifled a giggle at his flushed face, “Let’s go.”
-----
When you heard the soft knock on the door your door you couldn’t help but smile. You quickly stride towards the door, unlocking and opening it to see Henry smiling down at you with the large wicker basket on his hands.
“Hi! Good morning!” you greeted, getting on your tiptoes to give him a short hug. “I’m almost done, come in.”
It had been about three weeks since the two of you stopped skirting around each other and actually made efforts to heal your relationship. It started with the short morning walks around the village, then when you had finally more comfortable around him it grew into shopping in the farmer’s market and buying each other small trinkets and exchanging purchases at the end of the day, and then the two of you decided to start eating breakfast together everyday in every local shops and café you could find and in a way meet so many of the kind residents who started to figure out that the two of you were ‘sort of’ together but never asked any questions, finally it had grown into both of you spending every waking hour of the day together until it started to feel like all the wounds had started to close.
The scars were still there and it was never the same as before but now you can look at him and not feel the deep resentment and pain that had sucked out all the color in your life, and for you that was enough for now.
To live and learn to love him again for the hope of it all.
The two of you had started to be quiet known as the budding sweetheart in the village, your name never being separated from the other.
“Well, if it isn’t Henry and (Y/N), what are you both up to today?”
“Henry! (Y/N)! I have fresh loaves just for you!”
“Will Henry and (Y/N) be visiting today as well?”
“Look, its Henry and (Y/N), set their table for them by the window, quickly.”
You were pretty sure the two of you had eaten and walked in every single store the town had to offer. Henry even managed to rent one of those heavy and vintage looking-motorcycles that was more machine than seats so the two of you can fully explore everything this place had to offer. You had been caught in the rain that day but the two of you just laughed it off, even when you managed to destroy your favorite dress with the amount of mud that got in it and the lightning threatened to blast the two of you to kingdom come.
It was a good day – just like today was going to be, you could feel it.
The two of you had planned two days ago to go on a proper picnic by the waterfalls where Henry confessed, albeit hesitantly, he did find the stone he gave you a while back. You didn’t bother to ask how he managed to carry such a heavy thing all the way down the mountain.
Henry carefully sat at the rickety wooden chair you have, just staring as you paced around the little kitchen available to you. You were making some finger food for the two of you to enjoy while Henry was assigned to get the lunch you had ordered yesterday in your favorite little restaurant on the other side of town.
It just dawned on him how much he missed seeing you up and messing around the kitchen every time he got home from his walks with Kal. No matter how much you hated waking up early you always made sure to cook him a little something before crashing back in bed or in the sofa so he can wake you up when he arrived and the two of you can eat breakfast together.
And if he didn’t fuck up as much as he did the two of you would’ve continued that little tradition you both had until both of you were old and gray. But it doesn’t matter now; he had to focus on fixing everything with you like his life depended on it.
Cause it did.
“Okay, it’s done,” you closed the wicker basket and Henry snatched it out of your arms. “You ready?”
He smiled down at you, wondering if you knew that if you asked for him to drop everything in his life and live the rest of your lives in this hidden little village in England his answer would’ve been the same.
“Yes.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I can’t believe I always let you talk me into doing physical activity, Hen,” you gasped, taking his hand that was offered to you. He was more than fine, walking the steep hill and carrying the heavy basket that had all your food and drinks in it with barely an audible gasp.
You really thought it would be easy for you since you had been doing nothing but take walks and run for the past two months alone but it seemed you were nowhere near his god-like stamina.
“Were near,” he promised you, gently pulling you up a particular steep collection of rocks, a gentle hand on your waist as you tried to catch your breath.
“Oh, look at me I’m Superman and I don’t need to rest when I climb mountains,” you mocked him with heavily exaggerated posh British accent making his booming laughter echo out amongst the trees.
“Get on my back then.”
The both of you stopped, the light mood dying along with his words, and Henry mentally cursed himself to high-heavens for ever bringing it up. The two of you had just started to get comfortable with each other and had just started to hold hands and hug goodbye and good morning everyday but … this one might be a bit too much just yet. It had been a little thing the two of you had for him to always give you a piggyback ride when you were already about to arrive home  when he drags you out of your house and make you join his walk with Kal so it came out in the one moment his defenses were down.
“I’m –“
“Please?” you smiled up at him, squeezing his hand gently to let him know it was okay. And that you were okay.
He sighed in relief. It was actually quite scary how well you can still read him despite the shit he made the two of you go together. He wonders what he did in his past life to not only deserve you but also be given a second chance when he managed to fumble the bag so badly.
He took the hand that was cupped in his and gently set it on his shoulders. He couldn’t help but hold his breath as you pressed your chest on his back and wrapped your arms around his neck. This had been the closest the two of you had been since the breakup three months ago and he could honestly cry at how much he missed your body against his.
“There we go, love,” he grunted a bit from the effort when he started to lift you up. Your breath on his neck was made more apparent from the slight perspiration on his body. He hopes you didn’t notice the shiver that came over his body as he gritted his teeth to calm himself down.
You were so soft – so, so soft and perfect next to him.
He squeezed the back of your knees softly and jumped a bit so you sat higher on his waist which made you squeal. “Let’s go, cowboy!”
Walking with you on his back was genuinely therapeutic. You kept pointing on different weird plants, local birds resting on the trees around you, and any colorful wildflowers you might find – he tries to entertain you by bending you down a bit so you can pick the ones you like until you had a bundle of them in your hands.
It was about five minutes later when the two of you heard the falls, which made you squeal and jump from excitement off his back. “Come on, Hen!” you screamed, taking his hand and pulling him to run with you, now apparently full of energy.
You gasped in awe, seeing the body of water in front of the waterfalls; the place was beautiful and was seemingly untouched. A few hanging ropes on the trees and a rusted metal jar overrun by moss was the only sign of humans ever stepping foot in this slice of paradise in front of you.
Henry himself had only found this when he was running on the opposite side of the hike trail where he knew you liked to take your walks before you knew he was here so as not to give you a shock when you accidentally cross paths. Then he asked the homeowner, wondering if people were allowed to take a swim in there and they assured him it was free to the public but the locals had gotten quite sick of it.
It had easily become his favorite spot, just to think.
You and Henry quickly set your base, placing the thick blanket on the ground and pulling out the towels you will need for later. He had given you the ‘go ahead’ to take a dip first, firstly cause he brought you here to enjoy the cold water and secondly, because he wasn’t sure if he had enough self-control not to pop a stiffy if you were ever to undress in front of him.
“Bear, the water is amazing!”
In his surprise, he accidentally dropped one of the wooden glass he had been pulling out of the basket, not sure if he heard you right. He wasn’t even sure if you were aware of what you just said cause you were still happily laughing and swimming around behind him.
He looked away, using his breathing exercise he had to learn to control himself in front of you, reminding himself to calm down and not cry or pass out in front of you because you might or might not have accidentally called him the term of endearment you had graciously given him on the end of your third date with each other where you had stayed the night and made love for the first time.
You had woken up, lying on his chest, giggling at his chest hair and how he was like a bear preparing for hibernation. The name had stuck for years and he had no problem with it whatsoever.
It was overwhelming hearing you say it again. It was one of the few signs he had that all of his efforts had not been for naught and that you still had some sort of love left for him in your bruised heart.
Sometimes he thinks you genuinely do not know the power you have over him.
He gathered himself and stood up, removing his shirt and shoes and smiled at you. You were already on the other side, near the actual falls, waving at him to follow. Even in just your simple white cotton underwear he could swear you were a water nymph set on enticing poor fools like him to drown in your home.
Still, now having had a taste of what life was like without you, he knows he would gladly take your hand and follow you willingly on his watery grave if it meant spending an eternity in your arms.
He quickly swam over, reaching your end of the falls and gratefully accepting your hands as help. The falling water from above made everything fuzzier and blurry but your smile was just as bright in his eyes. 
After a few moment of enjoying nature’s shower he felt your hands gently cupping his as as you pulled him to bend down towards you.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” you whispered, and despite the harsh slaps of the water on the stones he could still hear you so clearly, could still feel the warmth of your velvet skin on his as the two of you were chest to chest from the effort of not slipping down the wet and mossy rocks. “It’s beautiful.”
He knew he shouldn’t – knew he was risking the little progress he has made with you for an irresistible urge but it was like his brain has officially fallen out of his head and you just looked so beautiful in the early morning light with the droplets of water clinging to your lashes that his heart decided to take the reins and give him a shot of strength he so desperately needed.
He placed his palm on your face, testing the water and rubbing his thumbs on your cheeks. When you didn’t pull back even a little bit but just stared at him wide-eyed and trusting  he leaned in slowly, eyes not leaving yours and hoping to any god that existed to place whatever luck he had left in this lifetime to this very moment.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, voice so shaky it would be a miracle if you heard. “Just a little bit?”
He saw you suck in a breath, looking up at him through your lashes and he swore his heart had stopped beating in fear and anticipation. Yet when you smiled he felt the skies above open in relief. You gently wrapped your arms around his waist easily sliding into his personal space just like he had dreamt you would, standing so close to him your nose were touching and the two of you were sharing a single breath.
“Please.”
That was all the permission he needed. He softly touched your lips together, drinking in the water that settled on the center of your lips and gave both the top and the bottom a soft peck as if familiarizing himself to his forgotten home. He gently ran his hands on your hair, angling your head just right so he can finally give you the kiss he had been imagining in his head.
The kiss that was full of everything that he could never convey: his sorrow for ever letting you go and forcing you two to reach this point of no return, his gratitude for finding it in your heart to give him a lifeline when he swore he was going to drown in the ocean of misery he had put himself under, and his love for you that would’ve never waned even if you decided you were going to curse him for the rest of your life.
When the two of you finally pulled away, he couldn’t feel his knees or any of his limbs for the matter. “Thank you,” he breathed out, licking his lips to ensure he had gathered whatever taste you had left, selfish and hungry and desperate.
You had wrapped yourself in him, your skin touching his felt like coming back home after going to war and he gasped at the familiarity of how perfectly your body fit against his – he couldn’t stop his hands from slowly roaming around your body just to make sure you were real and that this wasn’t some cruel trick played by his mind. One he would wake up from and see the plain lonely ceiling of his broken home in New York.
He doesn’t think he would be able to survive that.
But it was real, and you were hugging him, and both your bodies were shaking from the sobs that was muffled by the crashing water all around you.
“I missed you so much, my love,” he confessed, burying his face on the crook of your neck.
It wasn’t much, and he doesn’t think the two of you will ever get out of this pain unscathed, but he hopes the running water would strip all the pain in both of your hearts and finally heal your souls so it can be one once again.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The two of you had decided to dry off and lay down on the blanket looking up at the trees that partially covered the sky. Time seemed to freeze and the whole world seemed to cease to exist except in this little corner the two of you shared where everything was tranquil and your hearts could rest.
Both your heads were the only thing that connected the two of you together as you both laid down in opposite directions with arms spread wide, one of his shoulders being used as your pillow as you traced your fingers on his face. He was on his back and you were on your side and even though your view was upside down you still couldn’t help but try your best to familiarize yourself with what you thought would only exist in your tattered memories.
You giggled when he wrinkled his face every time you hit a ticklish spot, your mellowed laughter and whispered conversations getting lost at the sound of nature around you but the two of you didn’t bother to care. The two of you were tracing back your steps, both broken and bruised and limping after such a cruel and vicious journey but it didn’t matter anymore, cause this love was familiar and so so good and it would always lead you back home where you would heal and draw stars around each of your scars.
“It’s so … pleasant here.” Henry observed, opening his eyes and staring at the great above beyond him. You followed his lead, laying on your back and cloud-gazing with him. The harsh light from the sun has been covered by the branches of the trees but the sunlight that managed to peek through it made everything look more ethereal and serene.
“I know,” you agreed, letting the stillness of the moment soak up in your skin. “I could stay here forever.”
He couldn’t help but let your words echoed in his head. The foreign seeds of doubt and fear that had never been there before starting to plant itself in his head.
Because you looked so happy here, in fact, being away from him and all the horrors that was his life has made you glow and grow like never before.
It was like you belong here.
In places where the rising sun and chirping birds would wake you up and not the door slamming when he has to rush for his business meetings only having the time to give you a rushed kiss you goodbye. You deserve being able to take your walks leisurely in peace without hounding cameras and screaming strangers trying to violate as much of your personal space as possible. You deserve slow mornings, friendly neighbors, and a man who would be able to give you this consistent sense of peace and serenity in your everyday life.
And he wasn’t sure if he could be that man.
“What’s wrong?” you asked, sitting up and hovering over him. The bleeding light of the sun behind you made you look like an angel to his eyes and he fears being with him would be your ruin.
But he doesn’t know if he was benevolent enough to let you go.
“I just … I want you to know,” he breathed, eyes going hazy at the many thoughts that are running in his head and the worries and doubts that tries to drown him. “I will love no one else but you in this lifetime. And – and I promise to give you nothing but happy memories from here on out. I know, sometimes our love can seem like it’s for show and we always have to put up this façade for the world but … but I would die for you in secret.”
“Hen, what are you –“
“Would that be enough?” he whispered voice shaky from fear and desperation. “Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?”
You were stunned; the words you wanted to say are stuck in your throat as you stare at this broken man in front of you. You knew the past couple of months had been an absolute nightmare for the two of you but the time apart really put everything into perspective for the both of you in such different ways it almost seemed like the heartbreak the two of you went through had been necessary for the you to grow.
For him, he saw how much you had sacrificed to be with him. The prideful, traditional man in him had always been more than happy of the fact that he was able to give you everything you could ever want with a snap of his fingers – his ego doubling in size every time you grace him with your bright smile and sweet giggles every time he gave you gifts and material things. But it was only when his money no longer worked for his favor that he realized how much you had truly loved him just for him when you decided that he was worth all the shit you had put up with. You deemed him worth losing parts of yourself to the world if it meant he gets to go home to you, you allowed yourself to but put on the spotlight every single day of your life if it meant he wouldn’t be alone in that lonely pedestal he was placed in. The separation put him in a place where he never wants to be ever again and showed him how much he had depended on you to be his home and lighthouse in the storm that was his life – and when he lost that he learned a type of fear that knew no bounds. The type of fear and desperation that felt like getting chained down into the deepest pit of the ocean with no one hearing your screams for help.
He shudders even thinking being back in that empty home again.
But for you, it was different. The painful experience of losing Henry helped you find yourself again, the one you had lost when you drowned yourself trying to love him. You learned that you didn’t need Henry to find happiness in your life because there were so many others who are willing to shower you in whatever aspect of love you lack. It made you closer to your friends, your parents and even yourself cause when it felt like there had been no one there for you, you always had yourself. But it also showed you that it didn’t matter if life away from him would be paradise– cause you would’ve dove headfirst to the depths of hell’s burning rivers if it meant being with him. You love him, amidst all the pain and heartbreak and all the chaos in between. You have and will always love him even if the two of you didn’t work out and the lived separate lives keeping your lost love as a fuzzy but warm memory in your past. You would’ve loved him till your dying day. And no amount of pain in the world would change it.
“Hey, look at me,” you cradled his face, leaning down to kiss the tip of his nose. “I don’t need it, I don’t. I just need you next to me, just like always, okay? I don’t want peace. I need you.”
He sat up, dragging your body so you were sitting on his lap, resting your head on the crook of your neck as the two of you kissed whatever part of each other you could reach. He had you cradled in his arms so scared of ever losing this feeling ever again.
“I love you,” you confessed in a hushed whisper, the three magical words like a balm on Henry’s broken heart. The sobs shook his whole body as the two of you repeated and mended the once broken bond between the two of you. Three words of promises and love being whispered in between your kisses.
He was so tired, so broken and exhausted beyond belief that having you in his arms once again was like having all the weight and painful shackles in his soul removed. His days of retribution were over, now he can rest knowing he finally had you in his arms once again.
He was loved.
And he was home.
---------------
[Henry and (Y/N) spotted house-hunting all over London after disappearing for four months!]
“Do you like it?” Henry beamed as you ran around the empty house. This had been just the third house you had looked at for today but he had a good feeling about it.
“It’s so big!” you cheered, your voice echoing a bit in the empty house. “Imagine me cooking in here when you arrive home like a proper housewife,” you teased, posing on the kitchen island making him laugh.
The two of you had made an executive decision to not go back to the mess that was waiting for you in New York and finally settle down, like you had always talked about, in London. Henry had immediately sent his secretary to scope out any houses available all over the country so the two of you could start picking out the ones you liked the most.
One he had a taste of peace in that little village the two of you spent your days in he had never wanted to put you through the noise in New York again. He’d just have to bite the bullet and travel back and forth from home to America if that’s what it would take to give you a home.
He walked towards you, picking you up and setting you down on the counter. “I think you like it here.”
“What about you?” you bashfully asked, wrapping your arms around his neck and giving him soft kisses that he gratefully accept.
“I told you, I’ll pick whatever makes you happy,” he hummed, making you pout. He couldn’t help but laugh knowing how indecisive you were about this and that he was of no help to you as he genuinely just wants to find a home where the two of you can be safe and veiled from the world.
“It’s got nice windows,” he tried to help, nudging your cheek with his nose.
“Doesn’t have Hello Kitty wallpapers, though,” you grinned down at him, the inside joke not being lost on you.
“Well, the realtor said it’s a fixer upper,” he added seriously, before the two of you burst out laughing, looking like love-struck fools.
“I like it,” you declared, sealing it with a deep kiss. “, and I love you.”
Henry couldn’t help but feel this warmth spread out of his chest hearing those words he thought he would never hear you utter again no matter how much you had repeated it to him every night. “I love you too. More than you would ever know, darling.”
[ Mr and Mrs. Cavill?! Our sources confirmed that Henry and (Y/N) had been secretly engaged for months and had held an intimate wedding in some unknown village north of London. Details in page 6!]
You felt like you were still dreaming, the golden ring on your finger is the only proof you have of the fairy tale that just happened a few hours ago.
You are Mrs. Cavill.
You had married the love of your life.
Henry had proposed to you a few months ago in front of your chosen friends and family when you thought you were just gathering to celebrate his win in the Oscars. The two of you had agreed to keep it a secret as you planned for the wedding to avoid any problems with the fans and paparazzi.
It had been his idea to go back to where the two of you had rekindled your love and found each other again. You cried in his arms the moment he had suggested such a perfect plan. Fortunately, everything just fell into place as you planned for it.
It was like it was the gods’ way of apologizing for all the pain the two of you had to go through so they made sure to get rid of any more problems that could’ve given you a bridezilla fit.
He had shipped everyone important to that little village, happily greeting your friends in that town who only knew you both as the Henry and (Y/N) that liked eating breakfast by the window and loved you both anyway.
The wedding was held by that waterfall, carefully constructed so as not to disturb the nature that kept that slice of heaven safe for years. He had donated thousands of dollars to ensure that that area would be protected and preserved – so it can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come just like the two of you did years ago.
Now here you were using the very same motorcycle that you used when the two of you roamed around town in the middle of a storm laughing at each other at how bad of an idea it was. But now, instead of the rickety and fragile relationship you two had the two of you were now healed and your souls had finally been tied as one.
You hugged his waist tighter, giving him a kiss on the neck to catch his attention.
“Aren’t you glad you stalked me down here?” you jabbed at him making him break out laughing.
“Best decision of my life even though half the world thought I was dead.”
Both your joyous laughter echoed into the night, the humming of the great machine giving you a sense of deja-vu as you looked up at the night sky as the same thought ran in your head during that stormy night.
Today was a good day.
[Baby Cavill is out and a short post from his Instagram explains that Daddy Cavill is retiring!]
Henry sat on his rocking chair, smiling at you and your daughter as you played a little game of tag even though she could barely walk much less run away from you. The game more or less consisted on her bumbling about and crawling on the soft grass as you pretended to barely catch her to make her shriek in laughter.
“Dada, dada!” his little Emily called to him, little hands raised up and grabby, giggling again when you pretended to catch her shoes instead of her feet.
He took it as his cue to play the hero, standing from his seat and quickly scooping up his little treasure. “I got you, my princess!“ he kissed her cheeks, softly throwing her in the air a bit to hear her laughter.
You had stood up from your position in the ground, patting your dress down as you slid in Henry’s arms. The early morning London temperature made you shiver, plastering your body as close as possible to the human furnace that was your husband.
Even little Em had the same idea, burying her face in her father’s neck as she babbled and tried to talk to him despite the obvious lack of words in her vocabulary
“You’re warm,” you giggled up at him, making him playfully roll his eyes. He placed a kiss on your head walking both his girls near the fire he had been stoking while the two of you had been playing. It was almost that time of the year when the London snow would start falling so he had made sure to keep the two of you warm the best that he can when you came out to play.
“I’m glad my life’s purpose is being fulfilled, “he joked. “Do you want to go out today for breakfast? The ladies in the café had been looking for Emily for a while now.”
You hummed, about to agree when you heard the slam of the door inside your house.
“Daaaad! Arthur made us miss the bus!”
“I did not, you’re such a whiny baby! This is why I don’t hang out with you in school!”
Henry couldn’t help but chuckle, passing off your dozing little girl to you as the two of you stood up and greeted your sons fighting and bickering with each other.
“Drive the boys to school then brunch?” he offered and you nodded, giving him a kiss to seal the deal.
You watched as Henry tried to mediate your two sons into not killing each other, laughing as he seriously listened to their mundane troubles as if it was the worst thing in the world. You looked back down on the little angel in your arms who was entertaining herself with chewing on your hair making you chuckle and kiss her chubby cheeks.
You walked in with your boys, their little fight and Em’s babbles filling the house with welcomed noise and the perfect kind of chaos that you welcomed with open arms. Their voices echoing inside the house as they explained to their father the intricacies of how they missed the big yellow truck.
You couldn’t help but silently laugh at yourself, as you observed your growing family and the life that you and Henry had built together. It was a hard journey and it seemed never-ending. Troubles are always around the corner and the rain always comes one way or another but it didn’t matter.
As Henry looked back at you. Raising his keys to signal you to prepare Emily for a long-drive you smiled at him lovingly, remembering the young and rash version of him that dropped everything in his life and tracked you down to this very same village you had made your home in. It makes your heart bloom at the thought of how far the both of you had come.
“You ready, my love?”
Your boys were getting fussy, screaming from the car about being late and how one should stop punching the other, Emily was wiggling in your arms trying to be in his father’s arms her shrieks of protests ringing in your ear, your local ice cream truck passed over your house on cue with a bunch of screaming children running after it in their bikes and screaming in glee at the sprinkled truck to stop.
It would seem Henry was right, he could never really give you peace after all.
But you didn’t have it in your heart to mind.
“Yes.” You whispered, heart and soul filled with bubbling love and adoration for this man who gave you everything good in your life. “,always am.”
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AND SHE’S DONE!!!!!! L-Let me know how yall like it p-please be kind. 
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