#like no one though to maybe consider that anyone who went and got the booster would be feeling fucking awful the next day
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Ugh sorry I’m late to this topic but your office au thing, as a mid-20s office worker, has me losing it. No one hates sales like the ppl who have to execute all the things sales sells that don’t exist yet. I can’t think of anything more infuriating than when sales sells smth and everyone else has to go “cool, we don’t offer that, but I guess we do now.”
Al is the kinda guy who believes in the ppl around him’s ability to make things happen (and also wants his commission check bc that’s how you like. Make rent). He would be GREAT at selling shit to high profile clients and earning the scorn of his coworkers bc he sold smth in the “technically-possible-but-oh-my-god-please-no” category. Arthur doing any sort of implementation work and being a perfectionist who HATES the idea of flopping? He would keep getting stuck w these awful assignments, just the worst clients. The real weirdos who scream at you over Microsoft teams calls. BUT he looks good bc he always deals w it anyway. He gets called a rockstar on slack by his manager. He does NOT get a raise. Everyone says that he and alfred are a great team. They both hate it bc Alfred sells shit they can’t do and Arthur is a pain and keeps making passive aggressive announcements during the sales/implementation sync about how to frame product capabilities to future clients.
They eventually go to a company happy hour and both take FULL advantage of their boss paying. They take the same train line back to their respective homes and talk MAD shit about how it’s so bullshit that HR told them no new hires till next year bc they’re already understaffed. And can you believe that at Brent’s farewell party all ppl were able to say he contributed was “bromance” and yet he’s going to a job where he’s gonna make 6 figures?? He left his projects in a total state of disarray and didn’t even document them properly and now everyone else has to clean up his mess while he and his family take a trip to Disney before he starts at his new cushy salaried job.” I feel like after a few rounds of regular shit-talking they’re screenshotting slack messages and sending them to each other like “WHY did Brenda react to Marc’s announcement that he’s leaving the company w the party emoji, read the room, Marc is the only one on the customer service team who knows ANYTHING and he’s gonna be impossible to replace” and “i just walked by Mikayla’s desk and for some reason she just has a Google images tab open and is just looking at pics of the Kardashian’s. Why.”
Am I projecting? Yes. But also, these scenarios are based on real convos and experiences I’ve had and real office crushes I’ve witnessed. I’ve worked a few office jobs now and I feel qualified. I’m at work now even. I’m an expert in the stupidity of office work.
bro BROOOOO 😭 brooooooooooo i hate this so much but only because i can absolutely see this exact same shit happening at my office
my office always has a yearly christmas party where the higher ups rent out a bar nearby and expect everyone to go even tho its always on a fucking week day from like 4-10 in the afternoon and they get pissed when folks dont go and half of everyone gets shit faced and anyways i wanna join in on this perfect projection so those two? hating each other and getting shit faced at the christmas party but then they both find themselves going the same way home and realize that they can bond over hating everyone else? oh you know those two would go home and bone and then wake up to ww3 when the texts they were forwarding to each other just so happened to be sent to other people as well 👀👀👀
i work compliance and dealing with all the messy bullshit my companys versions of sales reps do is an absolute fucking nightmare and im not even the one dealing with customers or anything like that 😭 i know arthurs a dick but jesus christ he still must have the patience of an absolute saint to where passive aggressive remarks are the worst he does
#you know whats funny is i looked up from my cubicle to talk shit about a fellow coworker#cuz shes always online shopping on her fucking work desktop#and not just on her phone like a civilized adult#and what do i see?#my version of mikayla on the abercrombie and fitch site BROOOOO#anyways back to the christmas prty thing#they literally had it the day after they had the covid booster clinic on our main floor#like no one though to maybe consider that anyone who went and got the booster would be feeling fucking awful the next day#and sure enough i didnt fucking go because i was about to faint in my chair#smh offices are so stupid i hate that our society makes us live like this 😭😭😭
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Routine Procedure pt. 5
Over the next couple of days, it was actually abnormal for Kate not to give me some special attention down there during a diaper change. Just woke up? Let's try using my vibrator on your soaked diaper. Need a change before lunch? How about reverse cowgirl while laying there on top of your fresh diaper. Time for your night diaper? Bedtime blowjob.
Don't get me wrong, Kate and I have always had a very good sex life, but this past week was unlike any other.
On Saturday, in the middle of a mid-afternoon change, was when Kate suggested we try getting out of the house for a bit.
"You really soak through these diapers quick, Mike. We're gonna have to see about getting some more soon."
"I suppose we should, right? I mean, they're working infinitely better than that condom thing," I said as I was laying back while Kate took care of wiping me down.
Despite what she had said about showing me how to change myself, she didn't seem to mind taking care of it, and I was in no rush to put a stop to it considering what was in it for me.
"That's very true. There was only that one minor leak you had last night, which I'm sure we can find a way to prevent in the future. I'll put in an order for some new diapers tonight, so they get here by Monday."
Kate secured the last tape and ran a finger along the elastic leg gathers. "You know, that new game store opened up in the mall on the other side of town. What do you say we stop over there and see how it is?"
I froze. Being diapered at home was one thing. Going out in public though.... Kate seemed to know exactly what I was thinking.
"Mike. Earth to Mike. Remember what we talked about? No one is going to be paying attention to the size of your butt or the sound of your pants. And guess what? Even if they do, who cares? You have a medical need to wear diapers. Just like people who have trouble walking use canes, it's a medical thing. You didn't ask to be incontinent."
────────
I looked at myself in the mirror. My jeans appeared to do their job of concealing my diaper.
"You know," Kate popped up behind me in the reflection, "if you're so worried about people seeing, they do make onesies for adults. Just a thought."
I scoffed at her, and we headed off to the mall.
About 30 minutes later, we arrived. I couldn't help but notice that it seemed like there were a heck of a lot more people there than normal. Another 10 minutes later and we were finally able to find a parking space towards the back. As I got out of the car, I made sure my shirt was pulled down as far as it could go. It was all I needed for my shirt to ride up and expose my plastic waistband.
Kate grabbed my hand, but not before giving my padded butt a firm slap. The corner of her mouth turned up ever so slightly, and we walked hand-in-hand up to the mall.
────────
You know that feeling you get when it feels like someone is watching you? Yeah, it did not go away no matter how much time passed as we meandered through the mall.
Our first stop was in the food court, where we grabbed a late lunch of chicken and waffles. Kate went to order the food while I found a spot to sit down.
"All ready," Kate said as she walked up with a tray piled with chicken. "They accidentally made your lemonade a large, and I wasn't about time tell them they were wrong."
"It is the best homemade lemonade in town," I said, grabbing my plate off of the tray.
Kate set the tray down, then went to grab a couple of napkins. A few moments later, I noticed my shirt rising up and the back of my diaper being pulled open. I spun around and swatted the offending hand away, which turned out to belong to Kate.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Giving you a diaper check, what else?"
"We are in the middle of the mall!"
"It's been awhile since you had your diaper changed, and I know you are bad at knowing when you're at capacity," Kate gave me a 'prove me wrong' look.
"I'm fine!! Just... not out in broad daylight, please?" I pleaded.
"Well I didn't even get a chance to properly check just now, but if you say so...."
────────
After stopping in a couple clothing stores, ("Hey, we should think about getting you some new jeans. Those ones seem a little tight all of the sudden.") we finally made our way to the new gaming store. It was like a one-stop shop for gamers, with board games, collectibles, and video games. Towards the back, there were tables setup, where people could break out their games or card decks and hang out for a bit.
Once we had searched down all the aisles, we found ourselves in the back next to the gaming tables.
"Hey, we're looking for two more for Ticket to Ride! Do you guys want in?" said a blonde girl from a table in the corner. She and another girl were setting up the board, getting ready to start.
Kate's eyes grew to the size of saucers.
"Oh heck yes! I never lose at this game!" It was true, she did never lose, and she never let me hear the end of it whenever we played.
An hour later, and it was clear that it was between Kate and Melanie, the blonde girl, on who would be crowned victorious. The other girl and I had all but given up. Seeing that there was no way I could complete all my routes, I had long since resorted to my usual strategy of trying to sabotage Kate.
"Annnnnd 110, 111, 112. I have retained my crown," Kate gloated.
"Oh wonderful," I said, "I can't wait to hear about this all the way home."
"Well played, you two," Melanie chimed in. "Don't worry about cleaning up, we are actually waiting for some friends to come play a round."
"Oh thank you, that's so nice," Kate said as we both stood up to leave.
"Of course! It was nice meet....." Melanie trailed off, staring at my crotch.
Both Kate and I followed her gaze, and it was then that I saw that I'd had a major leak.
Large wet spots had formed down the inside of my jeans, as well as two half-moon shapes on my butt. Looking at my chair, there was more evidence of my accident, there for all to see.
It was obvious to anyone looking what had happened.
I was speechless.
"Oh shit, we're so sorry! Let me just wipe this up..." Kate said as she frantically wiped the seat down with a tissue.
The girls were equally dumbstruck, as they watched Kate lead me out of the store waddling behind her.
────────
The feeling of eyes on me increased tenfold on the walk through the mall to the car. Without a jacket or anything to cover up with, we moved as fast as we could, whispers and giggles following us out.
In what seemed like an eternity later, we finally made it back to the car.
"I'll get the seats cleaned, don't worry baby, just get in." Kate pulled open her door and got the car started. I didn't need to be told twice, as I practically leaped into the car.
"That...I...I'm so embarrassed...." I was starting to get choked up, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
"Hey, hey, there there sweetie, I'm sorry. That can't have been fun, I know. It's not your fault." Kate was rubbing my back, the car still in park.
"That doesn't make it any less humiliating! And it's not even like I had a little accident, Kate, my diaper leaked!" I was almost yelling, my emotions getting the better of me.
"Shhhh baby, it's okay, take deep breaths, it's going to be okay. We didn't know anyone there, no one important saw, you'll be fine."
I was still upset, but I listened to her, taking steadying breaths that at least got my heart rate under control. Seeing this, Kate started to back out of our parking spot.
"Let's get you home and into a bath, baby," Kate soothed. We drove on in silence for awhile as I continued to calm down.
I think," Kate broke the silence, "that we might want to consider getting you some thicker protection. Just to be safe, you know? What do you think?"
"I think that means I will definitely be waddling, and it will be obvious to everyone what I'm wearing," I said, staring out the window.
"Well, do you prefer people maybe noticing that you walk a little funny, or running the risk of leaking like happened back there?"
"I don't know Kate, I just...I don't want to think about it."
"I'll take care of it then, babe," Kate said, "those hospital diapers are notoriously cheap anyway. We'll find something that works better for you. And I'll look into some of those onesies, so you don't feel so self-conscious about your diaper sticking out."
"Yeah, whatever," I said, as we continued down the highway.
────────
Kate knew exactly where to look when she logged on to order new diapers.
Let's see, she thought, I think probably a case of ABU Simple Ultra. Maybe a mixed case with some fun prints? No, it was too soon to go all-in like that. I'll just add in another pack of PeekABUs. That's 90 diapers, so at 2-3 diapers a day, that should be good for a month. Better throw in some boosters, too. And set up a recurring monthly order, yes please.
With that order placed, it was then to the ODU website, where she settled on several of their basic onesies.
"All in good time, Kate," she muttered to herself as she looked longingly at all of the cute designs. She could just picture how adorable Mike would look in that dinosaur onesie.
She was so horny right now. The sight of Mike in his wet jeans, his face burning bright red. Her hand slipped down the front of her shorts.
Oh fuck, she thought, he was so humiliated. She rubbed her clit to the image of Mike standing there over the pee puddle on his chair while those girls looked on.
Had she taped on his diaper perhaps a little loose before they went to the mall? Yes.
Had she intentionally ordered Mike a large lemonade? Also yes.
Had she suspected during her impromptu diaper check at the food court that Mike would protest and insist he was fine? Triple yes.
Had she known those flimsy hospital diapers would fail sooner rather than later, and she could talk Mike into something a bit thicker?
Ding-ding-ding, we have a winner.
Kate closed the laptop and got up.
She had a diaper boy she needed to fuck.
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Chances
Mammon x gn!MC
Words - 5245
Content warnings - lots of angst, cheating, no smut, lots of comfort
Prompt/Inspiration - none
Summary - You and Mammon start to drift away from each other, and a drunken mistake forces you both to have a very difficult conversation.
AO3
Mammon had just made the biggest mistake of his life.
Which is honestly saying something when taking into consideration his age and tendency to make frequent stupid mistakes. But this one was far worse than anything he had ever done before. And the minute he was done, he knew just how badly he had fucked up. If he thought it would do any good at all, he would have gone to Lord Diavolo and Barbatos and begged, groveling if necessary, to go back in time and stop himself from doing this.
Ordinarily, he would go to you when he needed help getting himself out of a tight spot. But this wasn’t the sort of thing you could help with. It wasn’t something anyone could help with, really. He briefly considered just not telling you, but he knew the guilt would eat him alive. No matter how he looked at it, he was going to have to talk to you.
But where would he even begin? Should he start with how he’s been feeling for the past month? Or just the incident from earlier in the week? Or should he just cut to the chase and say exactly what he did? He didn’t want to make excuses for himself, but at the same time he wanted you to understand how this all happened. It wasn’t because he didn’t love you, and he wanted to make sure you knew that more than anything. You could think he was stupid, selfish, a total scumbag - but he wouldn’t be able to live with it if you thought he didn’t love you.
And oh did he love you. So much. More than he ever thought possible. More than himself, more than Goldie, more than all the riches in all three realms combined. There was only one thing that would satisfy his Greed now - and that was you.
That’s why it hurt so much when he felt you pulling away from him. He wasn’t sure how it happened exactly, either. Only that it was a slow process where he lost you little by little. The first thing he noticed was that you weren’t laughing with him as much as you used to. Instead you’d roll your eyes and ignore him. The next thing that caught his attention was when you stopped standing up for him in front of his brothers. Up until then, you were always quick to put an end to their shit when they’d try to pin all their problems on Mammon. But then one day...you just didn’t.
That was probably the first big red flag that he was unable to rationalize away. And after that, he noticed dozens of other little things - how you stopped saving his seat at dinner, you didn’t wait for him to walk home from RAD, when you canceled movie nights without a reason.
He wanted to talk about it, he knew he should. He knew that’s what you would want. But he just couldn’t make himself take that final step. Partly because he felt he had to have done something to upset you and that’s why you were acting this way...and partly because he was afraid of what you’d say. Afraid that you’d tell him you didn’t love him anymore, or even just confirm that it was all his fault, that you were tired of dealing with him.
So he bottled it up, and shoved it down, and tried to ignore that lonely, empty feeling. But the longer he went without talking about it, the worse he felt, and the angrier he got. Couldn’t you see he was trying? Why didn’t you appreciate his efforts? Did you have any idea the things he’d given up, the changes he made, all to make you happy? To make you proud of him?
Until finally he started to pull away too. He stopped crawling into your bed at night. Stopped buying you little trinkets. Didn’t invite you out as frequently. Started spending more time out partying again, trying to keep his mind off you.
And it was one of those late nights out at The Fall that started him down this path he was now clueless as to how to escape from.
Before he had even left the House of Lamentation, he knew what he was going to do - he was going to break up with you. It just hurt too much to be constantly rejected, avoided, and ignored when he was expecting you to be there for him. When it felt like you should be there. Too afraid to try to talk things out, he decided this was the only thing to be done. He would leave you before you had the chance to leave him.
But first, he needed some liquid courage. He didn’t want to be completely hammered, he still needed to be coherent enough to tell you what he wanted to say. He just needed some help working up the courage to knock on your door.
It was then, while he was enjoying his third glass of Demonus, that he was approached by a beautiful demon. Of course, he didn’t think they could hold a candle to you, but there was no denying that they were attractive. And what better way to help himself relax than by giving himself over to his more demonic...urges? He was about to break up with you anyways. So what did it matter if he got a little frisky on the dance floor with someone else? Plus, knowing there were others that were still considered him desirable was a huge confidence booster, something he desperately needed right then.
Thinking back, he could see that this was the moment when he should have just turned around and left and went straight to you. Because maybe if he had talked to you right then, everything still could have been salvaged. He would be able to tell you how he felt, and you could tell him how you felt, and everything would just...work out.
But that’s not what he did.
Instead, he took this demon’s hand and let them lead him out to the dance floor. Right to the middle of all the action. With so many bodies pressed together, and so little light, it didn’t take long at all before he lost himself in the music and the feeling of them grinding against him. Soon, his hands had found their way to their waist, and they encouraged him to let them roam. Under the hem of their dress. Pushing the straps on their shoulders aside for better access to their neck. Teasing the edge of the V on the neckline of their outfit.
Mammon didn’t think he had been that drunk. But the combination of music, alcohol, and heat was overwhelming. So he didn’t hesitate when the demon asked if he wanted to get a private room. He didn’t hesitate when they pushed him down on the sofa. And he didn’t hesitate when they began undoing the buckle on his pants. All he could think about was how he wanted more, more, MORE. Something, anything , to fill that hole you had left inside him.
And then it was all over.
He was left in the room by himself. His partner not bothering to help him get cleaned up or get dressed. Wholly unconcerned with how he would get home, if he managed to get home at all. They had gotten what they wanted - a fun romp with a powerful demon - and now they could brag to all their friends about how they absolutely ruined Mammon, Avatar of Greed.
The cool air on his bare skin began to return Mammon to his senses. And the more he sobered up, the more he hated himself, and the harder he cried. Silent tears, just streaming down his face, getting caught in his ears. He missed you so badly. You were always so tender and affectionate with him. You spoiled him. And this...it had been the opposite of everything he loved about you, and he felt so hollow, so dirty , the longer he thought about it.
Why had he thought that talking to you would be so scary? What made him think breaking up with you would have been so much easier? How did he manage to convince himself that this would give him courage?
Mammon wasn’t sure how long he laid there, staring at the ceiling and reflecting on where exactly it had all gone wrong. He didn’t remember getting himself dressed again either. And by the time he had returned to the House of Lamentation, he just felt numb . There was no point in delaying the inevitable, so he shuffled his way to your room, careful to avoid disturbing his brothers, and knocked on your door.
When you saw him standing there, unsteady on his feet, reeking of booze, clothes absolutely filthy and unkempt, your eyes went wide. And then a moment later you had flung your arms around his neck, hugging him close.
“I’m so glad you’re ok!” you whispered in his ear. Mammon was stunned. He didn’t know how to react. Should he hug you? Is that the appropriate reaction for someone who was about to shatter your heart into a million pieces?
“C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up,” you said, releasing Mammon, only to tug gently on his hand and lead him inside your room. He sat obediently on the edge of your bed, still trying to work out what he’s supposed to do next, as you gathered up a fresh change of clothes for him, and a couple damp washcloths to clean away all the grime.
You couldn’t even begin to fathom what sort of trouble Mammon had gotten himself into this time. Did he start a bar fight? Refuse to pay for his drinks? It didn’t really matter to you though. You had been trying to reach him since earlier that afternoon and his DDD kept going to voicemail, and all your texts were ignored. You were just glad he was alive and in one piece, you’d deal with the fallout from whatever this was later.
When you went to remove Mammon’s shirt, he finally reacted, grabbing your wrist and halting your movements. He still hadn’t figured out what to say, but he knew if you removed his shirt, it really would be all over. You’d see the evidence, marked all over his body.
“Mammon? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
You knelt down on the floor in front of him, trying to catch his eye, as he was refusing to look at you. When you brought your other hand up to gently caress the one that was holding your wrist, he finally looked at you. Why were you so tender to him? Even now? Even when it was clear he must have done something absolutely awful?
And that was all it took for the tears to start to flow again. Mammon let go of you, just to bury his face in his own hands as he tried to curl up into a ball from where he sat. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go! He was supposed to be mad at you! He was supposed to march into your room, and tell you things were over! Why was he now sitting on your bed, while you rubbed his arms, as he cried harder than he ever had cried before?
“Hey, sweetheart, what happened?” you asked softly, your concern only mounting the longer you spent with him as you watched him unravel. Mammon had always been on the emotional side, but this was beyond any reaction you had seen from him before. Carefully you moved to sit on your bed next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he continued to cry.
“I’m sorry. So sorry. I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry,” he choked out between sobs and gasping for breath.
“Shhhhh, we’ll talk about it later. We’ll figure it out.”
You had started running your fingers through his hair, something you knew that he loved, before gently pulling him to you so that his head rested on your lap and his body curled up on the bed.
Mammon hated himself more and more with each passing second. He knew he shouldn’t be letting you do this. He knew it was wrong of him to let you comfort him. He knew that he was just taking advantage of your kindness. But he just couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t been able to spend quality time with you in weeks, and laying here like this, your fingers running through his hair while you whispered soothing words in his ear, was just what he had been wanting. So even though each motion of your hand felt like a barb to his heart, he stayed and soaked up that feeling. This would be the last time you ever touched him, wouldn’t it?
As Mammon rested in your lap, you realized how much you had missed this. He had been so busy, for what felt like months, and no matter what you did your schedules never seemed to match up. You knew that was partly your fault though. You had been avoiding him to a degree.
When you had first started dating him, everything had been amazing. He lavished you in love and attention. You gave him your whole heart, your entire being - and he returned your affections in full. There wasn’t time for anything else, the two of you were enamored with each other. Obsessed, even.
But after awhile, you started to become aware of tiny little things that started working their way under your skin, grating on your nerves. On movie nights, he stopped asking if you’d be there. It wasn’t that he just assumed you would since it was your custom, but he didn’t even tell you he was looking forward to it or...anything. In fact, he hardly texted you at all now. Unless he wanted something.
Before, it wasn’t unusual to find the two of you with dopey grins on your faces, sitting in the same room, sending each other all manner of adorable and ridiculous messages. And he always had a word of praise for you. Even if it was simple things like how he enjoyed the way you smiled at him that day during class. But those compliments had just dried up too.
You tried a few times to send sexier texts, just to tempt him and get him to respond, but those were also ignored, aside from a flirty demoji. He just didn’t seem to have time for you anymore.
The breaking point for you was one day at RAD, when you were waiting for him to walk home with you. He was late. Very, very late. You tried calling him, he didn’t answer. And when he finally appeared, he acted like nothing was wrong. He didn’t apologize or offer an explanation. He just grabbed your hand and started heading home, talking about his day like he hadn’t just left you standing at the entrance to the school for 30 minutes.
That’s when you decided to pull back a bit. Just a little. You just wanted him to notice all you did for him so he’d stop taking you for granted. You were expecting him to ask you about it, or to take a step towards you and initiate things for a change.
But...he never did.
He never breathed a word of it to you. He didn’t ask you what was wrong. He didn’t pick up the slack. He just let you drift away. And the less he said to you, the further away you pulled, until the two of you hardly saw each other at all.
You were at the point now where just the sight of him made your heart break, especially when you’d catch him laughing or smiling with anyone else. It was like a slap in the face - he was still happy without you. He didn’t miss you. He didn’t need you. For all those words of love and promises of eternity, you were just another passing distraction. You had served your purpose. And now, he was simply no longer interested in you.
Today, you had decided to finally talk to him about it. You didn’t think you could survive much longer in this relationship limbo you currently found yourself in. You needed answers or...well, you didn’t want to think about the or. You still loved him. But you were starting to think he didn’t love you, even if you didn’t want to believe it and refused to let yourself admit it.
When he first ignored your calls, you assumed he was just avoiding you, maybe even playing hard to get. Which you felt was fair, given how you had been behaving recently, not that that made it any easier to stomach. The longer he went without contacting you though, the more concerned you grew. Until he finally showed up at your door looking like death warmed over. And as soon as you saw him, nothing else seemed to really matter.
After awhile, Mammon’s breathing had finally begun to even out and you could tell his crying had stopped. He didn’t move to sit up though, and you didn’t stop running your fingers lovingly through his hair. It seemed both of you knew that whatever happened next wasn’t going to be pleasant. You still needed to talk to him, and he still needed to confess to you.
“...I made a mistake…” Mammon finally mumbled into your lap, tightening his grip around your legs. He was going to hold on for as long as he possibly could.
“What sort of mistake?” you asked, in a quiet, gentle voice.
“...a really...really...bad one…” he choked out, fighting back his tears.
“Tell me about it. We can fix it together.”
“...no...you can’t...you can’t fix this…”
“You won’t know for sure unless you tell me.”
“...someone…”
“Did someone hurt you?”
“...no...I...I...was...with...someone…”
“You were with some…?” you inhaled sharply as you finally began to understand what he was getting at. The hand that was combing through his hair stilled, but you didn’t push him away. You didn’t know what to do. Was this why he had been so distant? Why he started avoiding you too? Why he let you drift away? Because he had found someone else to take your place…? The thought of it made you sick. But why was he sobbing into your lap, desperately clinging to you if he had already decided to replace you?
Not knowing what else to do, you resumed running your fingers through Mammon’s hair. You felt him flinch under your touch, but he still didn’t move. It was obvious he didn’t want to leave. And you...you didn’t want him to leave either. Not yet. Because the moment he did get up, and he did leave...that would be it. As long as he stayed here, holding you like this, you both could pretend that everything wasn’t as bad as it was for just a little bit longer.
Maybe it was the fact that your disposition made you naturally good in a crisis, but for whatever reason, you were calm. Irrationally so. Anyone else in your position would have shoved Mammon to the floor by now, and chased him from their room. But you didn’t. You were doing the unthinkable - you were comforting him. And all you could think about was finally getting the answers to the questions that had been plaguing you for over a month now.
“Do you think we could start from the beginning?” you asked.
“The beginning…?”
“Yeah, like why did you go out tonight? Or when did all this start? The beginning. Whatever it is.”
“Umm...I…” Mammon stumbled over his words. Where did he even begin? Where was the beginning anyways? His heart was so mixed up. And even though he was sober now, he still couldn’t get his thoughts to focus.
“Just start somewhere, ok? We can piece it together as you go.”
Mammon took a deep breath, steadying himself, before finally continuing, “I was...going to break up with ya tonight. That’s why I went out. I didn’t...I didn’t mean for this…” now that he had started talking, he was finding it easier to get his words out. He still had so much to answer for and so much to explain, and if you wanted to know, telling you was the least he could do.
“After...I...I knew I messed up. That’s why...why I came here…”
“...why did you want to break up with me?”
Mammon’s admission of cheating hadn’t really bothered you. Perhaps you were just rationalizing it, but if he was planning on leaving you, then you weren’t really sure it could be counted as cheating. At least not in the same way as if he had stepped out in the middle of your relationship and had been trying to have his cake and eat it too.
What really bothered you was the fact that he was even planning on breaking up with you in the first place.
The thought that maybe he didn’t love you anymore briefly crossed your mind, but you had a growing suspicion that it was more than that. Something told you that you were somehow responsible for this. That your attempts at getting him to appreciate you had actually hurt him, instead of their intended effect. That if you had just talked to him sooner…
“...I thought ya didn’t want me anymore…” Mammon’s voice trailed off. He hadn’t said that out loud before, and it hurt far worse than he was expecting it to. It was like now that he had said it, it made it real. It wasn’t just something he feared or worried about. Now, it was simply a fact.
“Wh…? Why would you think that…?” you asked, but you knew why. You knew exactly why he thought that. You had done such a good job of pushing him away, after all.
“You just...stopped laughin’. Like ya didn’t have fun with me...like ya preferred my brothers. Jus’...seemed like ya...were tired of me…”
By now, you had started crying. You tried to muffle your sobs with the hand that wasn’t still carding through Mammon’s hair, but you were unsuccessful. As soon as Mammon realized, he immediately sat up and turned to face you. He wanted to comfort you, to hug you. But it didn’t seem like the sort of thing you’d want from him right now.
When Mammon sat up, all you could do was stare at him, both hands clamped over your mouth. The reality of what you had done was finally starting to hit you, and all you could feel was overwhelming guilt. Why didn’t you just talk to him first?? Why did you wait so long to talk at all?? You hadn’t accomplished anything that you had set out to do - you had only hurt the one person who mattered most to you.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so so so sorry.”
What else was there to say really? How would you explain that you had done those things...intentionally?
Mammon started to reach out to you, instinctively wanting to hold you, but then he froze with his hands hovering halfway between you, not wanting to do anything that would make you uncomfortable. You didn’t hesitate to return the gesture though. And soon he had you pulled into his lap, straddling him, while you hugged one another, with your arms around his neck.
“I thought you were sick of me .”
“Why the hell would ya think that?”
“...you stopped texting me. And there was that one day at RAD…”
“Huh?”
You pulled back from Mammon a bit so that you could sit up and face him, resting your hands on his shoulders, “There was one day I was waiting for you after school. I had to be waiting there for 30 minutes at least, before you finally showed up. And you didn’t say anything. You never told me why. You never apologized...and I just…I just felt like you were taking me for granted.”
It wasn’t difficult for Mammon to remember that day. He had been so happy to see you waiting for him, even after he had taken so long to get ready. You still waited. Part of him just assumed you knew, that saying those things was unnecessary, because you always seemed to know what he was trying to say.
“I was happy to see ya. I’m always happy to see ya.” Mammon tucked a stray hair behind your ear before cupping your cheek tenderly with one of his hands and wiping away what tears he could reach with his thumb. You closed your eyes and just held his hand to you, enjoying the feeling of the warmth on your skin. Why hadn’t you just talked to him sooner?
You knew the next part of your story was going to be hard to hear, and even harder for you to admit. But it needed to be said, probably more than anything else.
“So umm...I decided to...kinda play hard to get I guess? I thought if I wasn’t as available, if you had time to miss me, that you would appreciate me more. Except...you didn’t...so…” silent tears had started running down your cheeks and you couldn’t bring yourself to raise your gaze to meet Mammon’s either.
“I just…” you continued, determined to get the rest of your thoughts out, “...I thought that you would say something to me about it, you know? I kept waiting for you to notice. But you never did...you just kept on like nothing was wrong. And…I...I didn’t know what to do…”
To your surprise, you felt one of Mammon’s hands begin to tenderly rub your back, as he gently pulled you towards himself so he could hold you again. He had been so stupid. The irony was not lost on him that by avoiding talking to you, he managed to let you slip through his fingers. If he had only mentioned that he even noticed any of the things that had been bothering him, the two of you likely would have worked things out. Or at least, had the opportunity to try.
You slipped your arms back around him, burying your face into his neck. From that position, you couldn’t smell the alcohol - just the comforting, warm scent you came to know as “Mammon.” Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just stay there? you thought.
“I’m sorry,” you whispered, “I should have talked to you. But instead I...”
“Shhhhhh, it’s ok. It’s ok,” he soothed, continuing to rub your back ever so affectionately. It was clear to him now that this massive dumpster fire that his life had become had all started from some small, seemingly innocuous incident. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, and his was no exception. All the small moments when he could have done something to prevent things from spiraling out of control replayed in his mind with perfect clarity. So many chances that he ignored where he could have taken you aside and just said “thanks” or asked if you were ok. And he had just let them all pass him by, too scared to make a move.
“I’m sorry too. I should have talked to ya.” His response just made you hug him closer. How could you be mad at him when you did the exact same thing?
“...do you still want to leave me…?” You were hesitant to even ask, but...you had already wasted enough time not talking these last few weeks.
Mammon stiffened. He was not expecting you to ask him that. At least not in that voice. And especially not after he had admitted to being intimate with another. Of course he didn’t want to leave you. He never really wanted to in the first place; he had just backed himself into a corner and couldn’t figure a way out. And weren’t you supposed to be pushing him away now? The air had finally been cleared. There was no more reason for you to let him stay. He couldn’t forgive himself for what he had done, and he had no right to expect you to.
“...do ya want me to…?”
You sat up again, keeping your arms looped around Mammon’s neck. You knew why he was asking that question. And you had almost let yourself forget about it. But it was something that needed to be addressed and couldn’t be simply ignored, no matter how much you wanted it to.
“I think...this was like a perfect storm, you know? We did this to ourselves. I mean, even if you didn’t make that...mistake...I can’t act like I wasn’t responsible for hurting you in the first place. And if we had just talked…? I feel like none of this would have happened. So…” you wove your fingers into Mammon’s hair at the nape of his neck, before leaning your forehead against his and continuing, “I’d like to try again. And maybe not make the same mistakes twice?”
You opened your eyes to find him staring at you, and you offered him a small smile before pressing a kiss to the tip of nose. Mammon smiled at you in return, a light blush dusting his cheeks. How had he managed to get so lucky? You were...he didn’t even have a word for it. “Everything” didn’t seem like it was enough, his feelings about you were much stronger than that. All he knew for sure was that he couldn’t live without you.
“I love you,” you whispered, wrapping him up in yet another hug, “so much. And I’m sorry I didn’t make sure you knew that.”
Mammon hugged you tighter, hiding his face in your neck. He was so glad you were still here, that you hadn’t left. He had a second chance, and he was determined not to mess things up.
--------
This is just some tooth-rotting fluff to make you feel better after the main story. I didn’t feel like it belonged with the rest, so I’m adding it here as a little “extra”.
It had been a couple weeks now since you and Mammon had finally talked to one another. And things were going a lot better than you had expected. After your conversation, Mammon had gotten himself cleaned up, changing into a set of clean clothes he kept in your room, before crawling into bed beside you. The two of you then spent the rest of night, into the early hours of the morning, talking and whispering words of love to one another. There had been so much to catch up on, that you hadn’t been able to share while avoiding him. And it felt good to finally have your best friend and partner in crime back and talking with you again.
After that, you two were stuck together like glue, always touching one another in some way - a hand on the shoulder, pinkies linked together, legs resting against each other. You still felt a knot of anxiety sometimes when Mammon was slow to reply to a message, but both of you made a considerable amount of effort to draw closer to one another. And the results you felt spoke for themselves - everyone in the House of Lamentation got so sick of looking at the two of you, that Lucifer finally gifted you a voucher for a free meal at Ristorante Six just to allow the rest of them to have a peaceful dinner. Well, that’s what he told you at least. But you were fairly certain he had noticed how depressed you and Mammon had both been and wanted to give you something as a way to celebrate resolving...whatever it was.
As you walked home, Mammon swung your joined hands happily between the two of you, fingers laced together to get as much contact with you as possible. He was in such a good mood. To think a few short weeks ago he had been positive that he’d never get to enjoy a moment like this with you again. And now look at him. Laughing and smiling, with a big dopey grin that hadn’t left his face once. So happy that he didn’t even care how much his brothers tried to tease him.
And boy did they try, in a vain attempt to discourage the lovebirds from all their PDA.
It did not work.
In fact, it only made it worse.
Not that you were complaining.
Feel free to discuss in the comments! Do you agree with MC? Are you sympathetic towards Mammon? How would you have reacted differently?
#gn!mc#happy endings#tw: cheating#obey me#obey me shall we date#obey me mammon#mammon x mc#obey me fanfic#obey me angst#mammon fanfic#mammon angst
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Hi. Can I ask you to write about Aizawa or Hawks and their darling, who constantly joked about death and eventually she committed suicide, please? I love your writing💞 You are so awesome and talented and cool. Thank you so much for your work💕
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I hope you like it!💞💞
Platonic Yandere Hawks x suicide joking reader
Tw: Yandere, suicide, self harm, angst
Enjoy!
💛Hawks first met you at the sports festival, showing off your quirk and demonstrating power. You caught his attention rather quickly.
💛Not only were you adorable but intriguing as well. You wore long sleeves, even though you looked uncomfortable in them, and you seemed oddly quiet compared to everyone else, shying away when they come up to talk to you.
💛Another thing that stood out to him was when you were doing the calvary battle. No one came to ask you to join their team, but you didn't go out and ask to join either. You just stood there until a purple hair guy came up to you, most likely getting you to join his group.
💛Though, you seemed to change. Your fighting style and the way you use your quirk changed.
💛It bothered Hawks the whole calvary battle but he was put at ease when some kid with a tail backed out due to the other guy brainwashing him.
💛You end up backing out too, much to Hawk's dismay.
💛Even though you weren't fighting anymore he still keeps his attention on you, not seeing your other classmates or students.
💛He watched you zone out and silently cheer for your classmates, finding it adorable as you watch in awe at some of the battles.
💛The sports festival ends and he follows you home, only to make surd your okay. Once he got home he quickly put in a request for you to come intern with him before going to bed.
💛When you went back to school you were excited to see if anyone wanted you to intern with them, knowing you wouldn't get as many requests like Todoroki or Deku.
💛... two. Only two requests.
💛It hurt to look at the board and see that you one of the most unwanted students in class 1-A. You thought you did really well and maybe impressed more than two people.
💛You get your list of hero agencies and sink deeper into your self pitty when you realize that one of the agencies werebt even specifically asking for you. All the students got requested by them.
💛That leaves Hawk's agency.
💛You didn't know much about him and his work so this was going to be awkward.
💛When the day came to board the subway and head off to your internship, no one wished you goodbye. All the groups and clicks were together, walking each other to their respective trains while you again, stood alone. You ere used to it though.
💛You board the train and zone out, nearly missing your stop.
💛Right as you get off the train your vision is filled with red feathers. Low and behold the pro hero who requested you.
💛His charisma hits you as you instantly feel welcome. He makes witty remarks about the train being too slow as he begins walking with you in tow.
💛Along the way you ask him why he wanted you to intern with him. He smirks and responds with a "Why wouldn't I?" That didn't answer your question.
💛He walks you to his agency and introduces you to all his other interns. After that he shoves you towards the bathroom, telling you to change into your hero costume.
💛He sure didn't waste time as the two of you begin patrolling the city. It seemed very rushed and eager but you prefered it over having to sit in class and do quizzes.
💛During patrol Hawks starts questioning you about school and life almkst like an uncle or brother would. It was very odd to you, considering you never get asked questions about yourself.
💛You felt so pitiful not being able to tell him your birthday, you had forgotten it, but somehow he was so understanding and kind about it.
💛It wasn't long before all of his fans flocked to the two of you, shouting questions and begging for autographs. You didn't like how all the people were surrounding you and Hawks could tell.
💛He uses his wing to shield you and hastily shoos the crowd off. After that he asks if you're okay and checks to make sure you didn't get hurt.
💛His intentions weren't to sleep with you, no. They were pure. He almost saw himself in you, alone and blocked off from the world. He just wanted to protect you and make sure you knew you weren't alone.
💛It was working too.
💛In the short week you were with him you had laughed the hardest you had in awhile and smiled more. You even considered him your bestfriend.
💛The one downside of your friendship was he couldn't see your cries for help.
💛While one roofs or flying with him you'd make jokes about how easy it would be to fall and die or how fun it'd feel to free fall.
💛He'd only laugh these off, thinking it was some kind of dark humor, because if something was wrong he'd trust you to tell him.
💛When the internship was over you had to hold back tears as he hugged you goodbye. Of course he gave you his number to keep in touch but it wouldn't be the same as sneaking away from work and eating fried chicken.
💛The second the train left you felt how alone you were. You didnt want to text him right away because that would feel too needy. Should you even text him? Was he doing it just to be nice or did he actually care?
💛You leave those thoughts behind as your phone buzzes. It was a text from Hawks. "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
💛Your mood brightens as the two of you continue sending dumb chicken jokes, memes, and puns, with the occasional "dark humored" joke from you.
💛You make it home and your texting slowed, mainly due to Hawks having to work. You didn't know he was actually flying outside your house, making sure you were okay before flying off to buy you a dumb looking teddy bear.
💛Slowly, your mood begins to brighten with the constant reassurance of Hawks being there. He knew the right things to say at all times. Self conscious about your outfit? Incomes a barrage of compliments and confidence boosters. Nervous about a test or presentation? Boom, paragraphs about how amazing you are and how you can do it.
💛It almost made the emptiness inside go away.
💛Problems don't just go away, and it really shows.
💛Whenever you couldn't text or call Hawks your loniness sinks in. You had no other friends besides him. Your parents weren't the beat either with their comments about what you're doing or what you're wearing.
💛It only reminded you of all the reasons for the scars on your arms.
💛But before you could act on those reasons he was there. It was always magicly when you were crying in bed or fumbling with a sharp object.
💛Over time Hawks picked up on your thoughts and feelings, causing him to watch over you every second he could. He loved you so much, he couldn't lose you.
💛The amount of cute gifts he gets you griw over time. More stuffed animals, more snacks, more little trinkets. Anything to make you happy.
💛And again, it worked. The nights you spent crying or staring numbly at the ceiling slowly decreased. You also threw away the razors you had hidden, determined to stay clean.
💛When the work studies came you were the happiest you've ever been. You got to be with Hawks again.
💛Upon seeing him you were greeted with the best hug you've ever gotten along with fried chicken for lunch.
💛But something was off this time. He seemed a little more paranoid walking around the city with you, more eager to be inside at night, and disappearing at night.
💛It worried you, making you overthink the hole situation tenfold.
💛What if he was trying to avoid you? Where you being that annoying? Maybe he was tired of you. You should just leave him alone.
💛He hugs you goodbye as you leave, still conflicted.
💛Sadly your thoughts only grow stronger as time goes on. His texts become shorter and less frequent, making you think he was tired of you. His constant gifts had stopped as well
💛Hawks couldn't control his lack of contact with you. He wanted to spam you with memes at two am like he normally did but he was given a mission that couldn't be compromised, even at the expense of your friendship.
💛You fall back into your dark place without him. You were reminded of how forgettable you were to everyone, how you had no friends beside him, how your parents were disappointed in you.
💛What's the point in living in pain?
💛You start cutting again, just wanting to feel something again. You stop sleeping and eating, not feeling the need for it anymore. You completely passed out during training due to this.
💛One weekend you ride a train away from your town and into the one where Hawk's agency was. You were looking for him, a sign, anything, to tell you to stop.
💛The streets were empty and he was no where in sight.
💛You fight yourself at the top of a business building, hands trembling as you sent a final text to your only friend. You told him how much he ment to you, how grateful you were to him, how sorry you were for being annoying and taking up so much of his time, how this was goodbye.
💛You got to feel the wind rush past you. You were right about it being fun to free fall.
💛Hawks was talking to Dabi when his phone buzzed. Thinking it was the commission he checked it.
💛Dabi watched as Hawk's smug demeanor turned to confused then broken. He watched the pro hero fall to his knees and clutch his phone, nearly cracking it.
💛Dabi didn't even have a chance to ask what was wrong as Hawks flew at super sonic speed away from him and up into the sky.
💛He first scanned the buildings looking for you, wiping the tears from his eyes to try and see better. When he couldn't find you he swoops down low to the streets to see if he could catch you before you hit the ground.
💛He stops when he sees the splatters of your body of the ground.
💛He collapses next to you, sobbing as he looked at your remains.
💛It was his fault. He should've been there so much more. He should've watched you more carefully than he did. He should've killed those fuckers who thought they were better than you.
💛You should've lived.
💛Hawks lays there crying, going over all the things he did wrong and how it should've been him to die.
💛The morning comes and police officers tape off the area, pulling a now broken man away from you. They clean the area and leave.
💛Hawks mindlessly sits in the spot you were in, hoping this was a nightmare.
💛Night falls and Dabi managed to find him. He tells Hawks that he saw the news. It was odd for him to feel sympathy for a hero but here he was.
💛Hawks stands and grabs Dabi's hand, placing it on his face before begging him to set him ablaze. He didn't want to live in a world without you.
💛Dabi backs up, retreating his hand and looking at him stunned. What exactly did you mean to him?
💛Hawks continues to beg and pleas but Dabi continues to refuse. Too bad Hawks would do anything to die at this point.
💛Hawks shouts out his plans to spy on the league, to manipulate and destroy them from the inside. How he would kill them all in secret if he could. How it would be the best feeling ever to watch them die in betrayal.
💛Dabi falls for his trap. Rage was the only thing he could feel as his fire engulfed Hawks, semding him to the grave in a firey blaze.
💛He ran from the scene, leaving another body in the same spot.
kiby~💚
#bnha hawks#hawks#hawks x reader#keigo tamaki#mha hawks#my hero academia keigo takami#bnha#my hero academia#yandere hawks#yandere Keigo#yandere#yandere x reader
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Emotion Sickness: Diary Entries from Shadow the Hedgehog (Part 1)
Select entries from Shadow’s diary were found and compiled by Sonic (with Shadow’s permission) as an homage to both Shadow’s development and their relationship together. The entries were made between March 2009 and October 2013. This part of the compilation contains the entries made between March 2009 and December 2010.
10:53 PM - 4 March 2009
Hmph. Another day behind me. I crossed paths with Sonic today and he offered to have lunch with me. The request was somewhat flattering, but I turned it down. I don’t really need to eat.
Why is Sonic always so nice to me? It’s a liability to be within ten feet of him at this point, considering how much trouble he gets into. Whatever. I’m better by myself anyway.
5:02 PM - 19 July 2009
Amy visited me today and said she was here on Sonic’s behalf. Don’t know why, but she wanted me to know Sonic was offering to have me over at his place.
Sonic has a permanent home? Who knew?
I thought about it for a bit, but I declined. Again, I don’t understand why Sonic continues to do nice things for me even though I’m the most miserable being on the planet. It’s not that I hate them or anything, but I just can’t get close to anybody else. What if they reject me? What if...
Forget it.
I can’t think about this stuff. I’m going to take a nap. My thoughts are the last thing I need to be with right now.
6:46 PM - 30 November 2009
Wouldn’t you know it, that stubborn blue hedgehog turned up at my door today and again asked me to spend time with him. I was about to just tell him to piss off, but something about this interaction was different. I don’t know what, why, or how, but... it actually sounded appealing this time?
Very hesitantly, I said I’d think about it but don’t expect me to take you up on the offer. He just smiled, said okay, and left.
Maybe I should at least try to be somewhat charitable for once. I called up Rouge and told her about what had happened and she just teased me over it before hanging up. You know, typical Rouge.
But she did tell me that it was ultimately my decision to make.
Hm. I think I might go after all.
12:25 PM - 2 December 2009
Just got back from having breakfast with Sonic. He was actually surprised I showed up. Honestly? I was surprised, too.
I didn’t talk too much, but Sonic... oh boy, Sonic. It’s like he never ran out of things to talk about. He’s smiling the entire time he’s with me, too. It was almost alluring just how much his bright demeanor contrasted with my moody self.
One of the things Sonic talked about was his friends. I was fully ready to just stop him right then and there (it rubs me the wrong way when anybody mentions friendship), but then he told me I was a “good friend” to him.
I asked him if he was serious. Sonic said yes.
In retrospect, it was certainly more eventful than most days. Perhaps little meetups like this would be healthier for me if I did them every once in a while.
3:59 AM - 28 May 2010
I can’t rest. I keep thinking about Sonic.
We’ve been meeting occasionally like I said I should. The longer I’m with Sonic, the more I begin to see in him what I could’ve been.
He’s a caring, generous man with everything going for him. People like him. He has a purpose in life. He’s coolheaded, rational, and valuable to society.
So why on Earth would Sonic be spending time with me, a reprehensibly depressed alien who is so completely worthless and undeserving of care? How could he possibly like me when I don’t even like myself?
I’m tired and tears are pricking at the corners of my eyes. I need to talk to someone in the morning.
1:51 AM - 29 May 2010
I called Rouge and told her about last night. She wasn’t very vocal, but she did offer a little encouragement. She said I don’t get enough sleep and that a little bit of rest would put me at ease for a bit. But I’m still on edge. What does Sonic see in me that I don’t? Or am I just overthinking this? My thoughts are erratic right now, so I’m sorry to anyone reading if this doesn’t make sense.
Ugh.
I can feel tears welling up in my eyes already.
I’m so weak. I’m so pathetic.
Who would ever want to spend time with someone like me?
All I do is brood in the corner of the room all day and be an asshole to everybody. I don’t understand how anybody could be tolerant of me, much less a “friend.”
Yet... I’m still drawn to Sonic. For whatever reason, he’s just so inviting. He’s nice. Too nice.
11:32 AM - 8 August 2010
Over the past few months, Sonic and I have been visiting each other more often, and not much has changed.
From me, at least.
Sonic has been growing even kinder towards me than before. Sometimes, he’ll give me small gifts like a scarf. Other times, he’ll ask me about myself. If I were ready, I would’ve just spilled my true feelings about myself right then and there.
But I wasn’t ready. So I just talked about the very few things I did find enjoyment in. Gardening, space, and Chao. I begged him to never tell anybody about what I said to him, and he looked at me like I had three heads but vowed to keep it a secret anyway.
I just don’t know. Sonic’s a good guy, but... I can’t bring myself to be friendly with him. If I start growing close with people, they’ll just die or leave me and I’ll be heartbroken again just like last time. I can’t go through that again. I’m not strong enough.
I appear tough on the outside. But the truth is, I’m always on the verge of breaking down. My mental state is so volatile and virtually uncontrollable.
Chaos damn it, just get out of my head already!
3:40 PM - 23 December 2010
The holiday season. A time for joy, reminiscing on the past, looking forward to the new year, and exchanging gifts.
For everybody else, that is.
Ever since I came here, I’ve spent every Christmas alone.
All the others have a big gathering at Sonic’s house, having a good time (allegedly). I was never interested in these and I always declined every single invitation I got from Sonic. Yet, like clockwork, he still sends me one every year. Maybe hoping that I’ll change my mind one year.
After a lot of self-reflection over the past year, though, I’m not sure how much more invitations I can reject before Sonic gives up trying.
I crumble in social situations. Interacting with anybody other than Rouge, Omega, or Sonic for more than ten seconds takes an insane amount of willpower.
Something has to give. Either I go for once or they stop trying.
12:48 AM - 24 December 2010
I’ve decided I need to go. Maybe bring one of my Chao if things go wrong. I’m not necessarily doing this because I want to go. In fact, I’d be a lot happier if I didn’t go because at least I know things can’t go wrong if I’m by myself.
But I can’t stop thinking about Sonic and his friends. It drives me crazy.
9:21 PM - 24 December 2010
Party’s tomorrow. Note to self: don’t fuck this up.
11:17 PM - 26 December 2010
How quickly things can change has always amazed me. Tonight proved that.
Everybody was really surprised to see me showing up, but they said they were all grateful I showed up. Sonic, of course, was the first to welcome me, giving me a hug that admittedly felt like a breath of fresh air after so much time alone. Then again, I have a reputation so I needed to act like he was crushing me to death.
I didn’t spend much time talking with other people, though I did exchange some small talk with Rouge. The usual.
As the party grew longer, I found myself being... complimented by others?
Knuckles said he hoped I was “doing well.” Cream gave me a single flower while wishing me a merry Christmas. Tails shyly waved at me (I put on a smile and waved back). Omega said I was “one of the only creatures made of flesh” he trusted.
I’m sorry. Did these people forget who they were talking to?
Dinner was fine, though I was particularly eager about the sweets. Oh, right, I forgot to mention I have a knack for candy. The more you know.
Of course, then it was time for gifts. I swear you could fill the Grand Canyon with the sheer amount of presents under the tree. I guessed that roughly three of those were for me, ready to be mailed to me if I didn’t show up.
So you can imagine my surprise when I saw eight presents being dropped into my lap and all of them reading “To: Shadow.”
We all took turns opening our presents. I had two presents from Amy (a coffee mug and a Chao toy), one present from Espio (a kunai), one present from Tails (a bag of coffee beans), one present from Knuckles (a Kill la Kill DVD) and... three presents from Sonic?!
The first one was classic Sonic stuff. A sweater with the word “faker” sewed on the chest. He thought that one was really funny. I didn’t really care.
The second one was more genuine. A pair of rocket boosters for my shoes. My old ones are just about dead, so this was welcome.
The third one... subverted all expectation. It was a small box that contained a piece of paper. It read:
“Dear Shadow, stay after the party and meet me upstairs when the others leave. Signed, Sonic.”
The others were curious about what Sonic meant by this. Silver joked that I was being sent to the principal’s office.
Eventually, the party came to a close and people left. I went upstairs as Sonic had told me, and there he was sitting on the edge of the bed.
He motioned for me to take a seat next to him. I sat down and asked him what he wanted me for, half-expecting something stupid.
“I understand you haven’t had the easiest life...”
I instantly got up to leave. No way I was sticking around to hear this again.
But Sonic grabbed my arm and yanked me back to the bed, his face now spelling genuine concern.
“...I know you mean well. Sometimes, you do things that we think are dumb but actually turn out to be smart. Other times, you just do dumb stuff. But that’s not the point. The point is, I want you to know that I’m still here for you. I can tell you’re bothered by your thoughts. But the bottom line is that I, and we, care about you. We love you, Shadow. I love you. Please don’t think you’re not worthy of being cared about. We have our ups and downs, but we always work it out eventually, right? I know your thought process works differently than mine. That does not make you any less deserving of respect. My greatest wish is that you would love yourself as much as we love you.”
I was stunned. That bastard. Quickly losing my composure, I began blubbering about how I couldn’t stand the thought of getting close to someone just to lose them again. How I’m so terrified that I will just be manipulated and used by people pretending to be my “friend.”
Sonic told me that he would never go away and that he would never “use” me.
Fuck. Fuck.
Sonic embraced me and I’m embarrassed to admit that I began sobbing as I wrapped my arms around him. I swore to myself that I’d never show any kind of weakness around them.
“It’s okay to cry,” he told me. “Don’t be afraid anymore. I’m here now. I’m here.”
“And I always will be. That’s a promise.”
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Chase
Summary: Evangelina had to run away from Andy to protect her son from the man his father was becoming.
Pairing: OC X Biersack
Genre: Angst, romance, smut later, fantasy. FallenAngel!AU
December 5th,
Two Years later,
5:30 PM
“We found her sir,” a werewolf named James informed his superior, “She’s changed their names she also dyed her hair black.”
Andy sat on his throne his hand beneath his chin as if he were trying to stay awake from such a boring conversation. However it was just the opposite he was actually thrilled that someone had located his missing family. Although he was disappointed to learn that his wife had actually abandoned him while stealing their child as well.
“Just out of curiosity what names do they go by?”
“Evangelina goes by Amy,” James told his superior who only smirked at this information.
“And my son?” Andy asked this time amused and a little curious to know what name she had changed their kid’s name to.
“Andrew Junior goes by the name Elijah now.”
Andrew frowned he hated that name and he wondered now if Evan had changed AJ’s name to spite him even though he was still unsure why. He loved his wife and son so he was still confused as to why his wife and child had left. He hid his devastation well from his friends and minions but every day that passed by he thought of Evangelina and Andrew Junior.
He was very unhappy knowing that when he found his wife he was going to have to have to punish her harshly for her leaving. No one made a fool of the Prophet. No one. That was the whole reason why he fell, he couldn’t be bossed around any longer but someone who was way too forgiving to those who did something that went against the supreme being.
“And where are they now James?” Andrew asked finally sitting up fully.
“New York City in the borough of Manhattan sir.”
“I want my men in the city.”
“Yes sir we should be able to surround her building easily—”
“No I just want them to watch her for a week or two,” he replied, “I want to make her nervous enough to realize that we actually have found her.”
“Yes your highness,” James replied, “We’ll take care of it right away.”
“Notify me three days after your arrival,” Andrew ordered, “I will join you in the city after my meeting with the guardians.”
“Of course.”
The werewolf then bowed his head and exited the room; a norc opening the door for him. Once the creature had left the throne room Andrew turned to his man Jeremy, a fallen angel like himself but with the ability to heal any creature.
“Elijah?” he snorted, “Can you believe that?”
His friend chuckled, “She had wanted to name AJ that since her first trimester.”
“I’m aware.” He mumbled lowly, “Not only did she leave by choice but she had to spite me while doing it.”
“Don’t be so sensitive,” Jeremy chided, “She has been located and a few days you will have your family back.”
“You’re right,” Andrew sighed before standing to his full 6’4 height, “We better begin with the preparations, we only have a week and my wife is very…particular.”
Jeremy laughed and nodded his head, “Always has been.”
“Always will be….” Andrew mumbled as he followed his friend from the throne room.
***
December 9th
2:30 PM
Four days later
“Hayden…” I mumbled in to the phone while I played with my cup of tea, “I think he’s found us.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve seen two werewolves, a warlock, and I’m entirely sure that I have seen Ashley down on my sidewalk.”
“Well that’s a sheer sign if there ever was one,” he told me with a humorless chuckle, “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know if I pick up and leave now he’ll be sure to follow us,” I sighed running a hand through my hair, “I have to face him.”
“Do you really think that’s going to work?”
“What choice do I have?” I asked in return , “Eli keeps asking me about him and why he isn’t like the other kids anyway it’s time to grow up and do what I know I have to.”
“Well put Evan I was about to play the inspirational music for you,” he teased me and I rolled my eyes.
“Shut up,” I looked over my shoulder when my heightened senses picked up on the tiny pitter patter of my son’s footsteps. “I’ve gotta got Eli’s awake.”
“Alright call me before you do anything.”
I told him I would before I hung up the phone to turn around before my son came barreling down the hallway seeking me out in our tiny two bedroom apartment. I spread my arms for the fast paced child and swooped him up once he landed.
“Oh my darling little cherub,” I chuckled as he snuggled in to my embrace letting a small yawn past his lips, “Are you still tired?”
“Nuh uh,” he told me, “I awake now Mommy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Uh huh!”
“Alright then,” I kissed his head, “It’s snack time for my little dude.”
“Can I have a cookie?” he asked me sweetly playing with the ends of my hair.
“Not right now,” I told him softly, “After dinner.”
“Alwight,” he mumbled disappointedly.
I smiled as I sat him down in his booster seat once again kissing his blonde head of hair. Why couldn’t my boy look more like me and less like his father? He had his eyes, his hair, his beautiful smile. Absolutely every physical trait that my husband has is reiterated in my son. I loved my son to death, but I despised that every time I looked in to Eli’s eyes I saw Andy.
We had so many unresolved issues that I had such terrible resentment towards him. Even now as I contemplated the move I had to make after he actually closed in on us. I wondered if I should cooperate or make it hard on Andrew so it didn’t look like I was up to something? I didn’t know, I was more concerned with how Elijah would react to Andrew and vice versa.
It was clear to me that he didn’t remember his father one bit since he always asked me about him and I knew that was bound to piss off his father. I’d cross that bridge when I got there, so I shook the troublesome thoughts away and served my son some sliced apples with a little peanut butter.
As soon as I sat down there was a knock on my front door, I hated that our landlord hadn’t got around to fixing the main lock on the building’s door. Those Jehovah’s witnesses are a real pain in the asshole. I pushed my chair away from the table.
“Remember the drill my cherub?” I asked my son as I ruffled his blonde curls.
He nodded his head as I pulled him out of his booster seat and tucked him under the table to keep him safe, “I hide until you say da magic word.”
“That’s right,” I squeezed his small hand, “Mommy will be right back.”
He gave me a thumbs up as I continued on to our foyer, I got on my toes to peek out the peephole. I couldn’t see anyone so I poked my head just enough outside the door to see if there was anyone out there. But it came up clean so I closed the door until there was a booted foot caught between my sanctuary and the danger I knew my kid and I were in.
I didn’t fight as hard as I should have but I didn’t want to frighten my kid, so slowly I backed away from the door as the booted foot pushed it open wide enough to reveal to me the seraphim I had left behind. He wore a leather jacket with a muscle shirt beneath it, tight black jeans and a devious smile that made all the old feelings come rushing back right where it hurt.
I backed up slightly and nervously as I tried to gain as much distance as I could. I would do anything to keep him from touching me. I knew the moment he did it would be all over even with all the repressed anger I had for the seraphim standing in my doorway.
“My darling…” his deep voice drawled, “Still as beautiful as ever even with pitch black hair.”
“Thanks,” I held down the blush and covered my true feelings with sarcasm, “How’s Juliet?”
He chuckled at me, “She’s well the black eye that you gave her healed rather badly.”
“That’s nice to hear,” I replied getting a little kick out of the damage I inflicted, “Would you like a matching one?”
“Is that anyway to talk to your husband?”
“Is that what you are?” I asked sarcastically, “I thought you were a bad decision my parents made.”
I saw his jaw twitch in anger and a long time ago I would have swallowed in fear but since I had Elijah my demeanor had changed I had become a protective mamma bear. I would brave fires and hell for my son’s safety. His father was close enough to being hell on earth. I had to learn how to swallow my fears in order to protect my child from his own father.
“I like to think I enhanced your life for the better,” he replied after a moment stepping further in to my hallway, closing the door behind him. He looked around my apartment his eyes shifting around to the toddler toys I had placed around my small home.
I snorted, “We’ve always been complete opposites even when we were kids.”
“That’s obvious considering the downgrade you’ve made,” he openly mocked my two bedroom apartment with a laugh and a look of disgust, “You went from our palace to this little hole in the wall?”
“That palace was never my home Andrew and you know it,” I growled at him feeling my wings shift angrily from where they hid in my back.
“And I’ve never understood why since I did everything in my power to change everything so that it was to your liking…”
“Aesthetically maybe Andy but you never made me feel welcome after you—”
“After I what Evangelina?” he questioned him, his eyes turning in to blue fire.
“…After you fell.”
“Whose fault was that huh?” Andy barked at me losing his temper slightly, “It wasn’t mine that’s for certain.”
“Are you serious?” I snapped at him, “I never asked you to follow me down here you did that on your own, the hierarchy sent me with a special request I would have returned to you. You knew that, don’t even try to make me feel like an idiot. You fell because of your lust for power, not because of your love for me, if you even have any.”
“If I have any for you?” he snapped at me, “Would I have searched every end of this pathetic realm for you if I had no love for you?”
I nodded my head, “I’m a possession that you don’t want to share with anyone.”
“No you’ve seen my possessions,” he replied surprisingly calm, “I do not have children with my possessions.”
“You have other children?” I asked bitterly, getting ready to throw a marble statue at his head at his admission.
“Of course not Evan,” he shook his head, “That’s what I was trying to tell you.”
I gave him a dirty look but he continued to back me up in to my own home.
“However now that we’re on the subject where is my son?” he asked as he picked up one of Eli’s favorite stuffed animals; his elephant Toby, “If I remember correctly I gave him this toy right after he was born…Toby right?”
I nodded my head stiffly.
“Hey!” my son cried as he came barreling around my side of the double entry kitchen, I pulled him in to me immediately. He struggled with me but I refused to let him go for his own good.
“I told you to hide,” I mumbled in disapproval.
“I heard dat man say Toby,” he told me, “I thought you telled him da special word.”
“Dat’s my toy Mr.!” Eli told him unhappily, something was brewing inside of Andrew as he looked at our boy. I guess it would be a bit of a shock, he hasn’t seen him two years he has gotten much bigger.
“You haven’t taught him to share I see,” Andrew chuckled before approaching my son and I, I tried to put my baby behind me but the strong seraphim wouldn’t allow me to.
“Andy—”
He shot me a menacing look as he knelt down to my son’s level, “What would you say if I told you I gave you that elephant when you were a tiny baby?”
“You gived me Toby?”
Andrew smiled a genuine smile, “I did.”
“How come?”
“Because I’m your Daddy,” the seraphim admitted to our kid who looked unbelievably confused, he looked back to me for confirmation all while I glared at Andrew.
“He’s my Daddy?”
I nodded, “Yes Eli he’s your Daddy.”
“How odd,” Andy said, “I could’ve sworn his name was Andrew Dennis Biersack Junior.”
“Be quiet Andrew,” I snapped, “Don’t confuse him anymore you already dropped a bomb on him.”
“I’m confusing him?” he snapped, “I didn’t take him away from you…he doesn’t even remember me!”
“How can he?” I bit back in return, “You were too busy entertaining Juliet to even care about him!”
“How dare you!” he roared and I honestly thought he was going to raise his hand at me, but my son’s frightful cry made him still in his place.
“I apologize…Eli,” Andy told Elijah softly, “Your mother just frustrates me sometimes.”
Eli only snuggled in to my side further refusing to acknowledge the older angel’s apology, once Andy realized that he adjusted his jacket and then pulled out an iPhone to check the time I assumed.
“Come along Evangelina we have to get back to the palace in a few days,” He gestured for me to move forward, “We don’t want to be late for your homecoming party.”
#andy biersack#andy biersack au#andy biersack imagine#black veil brides#black veil brides imagine#fallen angel au#andy biersack smut#andy biersack fiction
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Rewind Chapter 3
Awareness came in pieces, like waves lapping over the shore, slowly bringing back each sense. Ford yawned and rolled his neck to ease out a crick. He really should stop sleeping sitting up.
The warm form cuddled against him stirred and he placed a soothing hand on their head of soft curls until they stilled, burying their face in his shirt. Ford hummed happily and let his head rest back against the headboard, content to just stay here forever…
…wait a second.
Ford’s eyes flung open with a jolt.
What had he been thinking, falling asleep? Sleep was the one thing he couldn’t afford! He looked around quickly, heart pounding. He was still sitting against the headboard of his bed, pillows propped behind his back and a child-sized Stanley curled up in his lap, the way they had been when he must have fallen asleep part way through telling stories of his previous discoveries. His journal lay open at his feet. To his relief it was bereft of cryptic code and taunts. Bill must have been busy, or perhaps had not noticed Ford’s slip-up. He hadn’t been possessed.
Ford cursed himself. How could he have made himself vulnerable like that? The portal was wide-open for the taking! And there was no telling what Bill Cipher would do to his brother – his child brother, who was currently helpless and foolishly, trustingly snuggled against the front of Ford’s turtleneck.
He forced himself to take a deep breath. He couldn’t change the past, only the future. Now he had other things to concentrate on – namely, building a Bill-proof barrier, since his investigation on how to cure Stanley had hit a snag – he had none of the components he would need to start reverse-engineering a cure. The sun peeking through his window told that he must have been sleeping for at least an hour. Morning was already slipping away from him.
“Mmmph.” Stanley mumbled. Ford’s hand was still in his curls. Ford couldn’t resist ruffling those curls as Stan pulled his head up, yawning and blinking sleepily. “F’rd?”
“Good morning, Stanley.”
Stan rubbed at his eyes. “Whaza time?”
“Time to start working. Come on, up you go.” Ford lifted his brother from his lap. Stan whined at being put down on the covers.
“Nooooo, ‘s cold!”
“Then hurry up and get moving.” Ford swung his legs over the bed and stood. “I have a lot to do today.”
Stan grumbled the whole time. He was still wearing that old shirt. Perhaps Ford should get him something that fit better? No, it would be useless in a day or so anyway.
Ford spoke to himself as he walked.
“Now, I’ll have to go as soon as possible to get that hair – what’ll I do with you? Oh, children need to receive their daily nutrients, don’t they? Hmm, when was the last time I ate?” He couldn’t recall. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter, I’m an adult, I can stand to skip a few – hmm. Weeks? No, that can’t be right. I should eat too. I have coffee? Is it safe to give a child coffee?” He opened the fridge and stared in dismay at the rows of empty shelves. “Oh. That’s why I haven’t eaten. Guess I’ll just have to – buy some supplies. Yes. Come along Stanley, we’re driving into town.”
“Who’stha whatnow?” Stan stumbled into the kitchen after him. That was right, his brother was certainly not a morning person. Ford wondered again how ethical it was to give a child coffee. Probably shouldn’t risk it.
“Town, Stanley. I have to do some shopping. And come to think of it, you’ll need someone to watch you…” Unless he could just leave the child locked in a room? Ford wasn’t exactly familiar with babysitting protocol. Maybe it was better to just bring him along for now.
He dropped one of his old coats around Stanley’s shoulders and ushered him outside. The coat was a good call – it was still freezing. Ford was climbing into the car when he hit another snag.
“…ah.” He didn’t have a booster seat. Stanley would be riding in the back seat, it seemed.
Luckily the town was still waking up, so it was quite simple to walk in, grab some supplies, pay and leave without having to deal with the hustle of crowds. Ford pulled up in his driveway with a relieved sigh. He thanked his lucky stars that Gravity Falls was slow to wake on a Sunday… wait, no, what day was it?
Didn’t matter.
With his arms full of groceries, Ford nudged the door open with his foot. He could hear Stan grunting under the weight of his own load as he placed the bags on the kitchen bench.
Maybe he had gone a little over the deep end, Ford admitted to himself as he went about sorting groceries. He hadn’t realized until this morning that his fridge was empty. That did explain the hollow feeling in his stomach though. Come to think of it, when was the last time he ate? Not counting the copious amounts of coffee and energy drinks he ordered weekly.
It also explained Stan’s rumbling stomach. Honestly, Stan should have said something if he was hungry!
Said child wobbled his way into the kitchen with a shopping bag in his arms. Ford took it and started unloading it as well. Marshmallows – he didn’t remember buying those. Maybe Stanley snuck them into the cart. Ford could remember the gleeful giggles he and Stan would break into when they’d managed to sneak a treat into their mother’s shopping cart. Stan was always better at it than Ford.
Ford shook his head to clear it. He had no time for nostalgic thoughts anymore. He snagged two frozen single-serve pies plates and started searching for clean plates to put them on. Finally he found two with only a few crumbs on them – he brushed one off and placed it in the microwave, trying to remember if he’d paid his electricity bill recently.
He must have, because the microwave was heating and glowing when he pressed the right buttons. Ford sighed and leaned against the bench to wait.
Stanley was in the process of pushing a chair towards the table. He paused to let out a gigantic yawn, rubbing his eyes with his too-big sleeve.
“Tired?” Ford found himself asking. Stan nodded and yawned again.
“Mm hmm.”
“Did you have trouble getting to sleep?” The uncomfortable position must not have helped.
Stan finished pushing the chair and now he crawled up into it and rested his elbows on the table. On closer inspection he did look tired, dark bags collecting under his eyes.
“Nah.” Stan rested his cheek on one hand, squishing his round face slightly. “Just had weird dreams.”
A shiver ran down Ford’s spine.
He hadn’t even considered if – what would happen if Stan made a deal with Bill Cipher? Had already made a deal? It would explain why Bill wasn’t in Ford’s dreams. Ford hadn’t warned his brother about the demon, he’d been so sure that Bill would focus on him and him alone, but Stanley was vulnerable here and Ford hadn’t even thought about it-
“Did you make a deal?” He demanded. Stan blinked at him blearily.
“What?”
“A deal. In your dream. Did you shake anyone’s hand? Talk to anyone?”
Stan shook his head with another yawn. “Don’ think so.”
He was a child, Ford reminded himself sharply, a child that didn’t grasp the significance of what was happening. He needed to have patience. Or else Stan might clam up and refuse to talk to him further.
“Stanley.” Ford forced his tone to stay even and slow. Stan send him a curious look. “I need you to tell me everything that happened in your dream. It might be important. Okay?”
Stan frowned. “Uh – okay. Are you gonna interpret my dream, like Ma does?”
“…something like that. But it’s very important you don’t leave out any details.”
“Okay.” Stan hummed for a minute, in thought, before he brightened. “Oh, yeah! So I was in my car – I mean, I don’t have a car, but it was a dream and you just know stuff in dreams so even though I don’t have a car I knew it was my car – and it was all snowy outside. I think I was stuck in a snow bank or something. Hey Ford, where do snowmen keep their money?”
The microwave beeped. Ford placed the hot pie in front of Stanley and searched for a fork. “A snow bank. Continue.”
Stan pouted. “You ruined my joke!”
Ford handed him a fork. Stan sighed and poked at his pie while Ford started heating up his own. After a moment the child continued, his voice uncharacteristically somber.
“It was really cold. Like, really cold. I could see my breath and it wasn’t even cool. Haha – cool. I… didn’t know cold hurt so much. It was like my bones were made of ice, all cracking and popping.”
“Was anyone in the car with you?”
Stan screwed up his face in thought. “Um, no. Just me.”
“Then what happened?”
“Well, I had some matches and I was lighting them for warmth, but then they ran out.” Stan paused for a moment with a frown, comedic on his childish features. “I, um, was looking for some more in the glove box and a gun fell out. An’ I don’t know where I got it but I know it’s mine. S’ gotta be, if it’s in my car, right? But I don’t remember where I got it and I don’t know if it’s got any bullets in it.”
Ford nodded along. If Stanley could recall the dream so vividly, it probably wasn’t a normal dream, the likes of which tended to fade as quickly as they had appeared. But so far it didn’t seem like Bill’s style.
“What happened then?”
Stan bit his lip, wincing. “Um, you remember how we used to play Russian Roulette with soda cans? How we’d shake one up and take turns opening ‘em and try not to get the fizzy one?”
Ford got a bad feeling in his gut. “Of course.”
“I, um, I can’t remember why, but I wanted to find out if it had bullets in it. So I put it to my head and pulled the trigger.” Stan pulled a face like he’d tasted something sour. “There was this click and I guess it was empty because nothing happened. So I put it back and curled up all small, because it was still super cold, and I think I went back to sleep.” Stan shrugged with one shoulder. “Then it ended.”
Well, there was a lot to unpack there, and Ford could unpack it later. The microwave beeped to signify his breakfast was sufficiently warmed. He took it and slid into the seat opposite Stan.
“Is that everything? No one talked to you? How clearly do you remember it?”
“S’weird.” Stan admitted, pulling off the top of the pie to get at its insides. “So normally dreams kinda fade, all fuzzy-like, right? But the ones I had last night aren’t fading. It feels real but not-real.”
“Vivid?”
“Yeah, maybe.” Stan shrugged. Ford took a bite of his pie and was chewing before he registered what had just been said. He spluttered a little.
“Ones? Plural?”
“Uh, yeah.” Stan shrugged again. “The other one was weirder. Do you wanna know about that one too?”
“Do I – why wouldn’t I? Why didn’t you mention that?”
“Well, it was shorter and way more blurry. I couldn’t even see anything so I don’t think it really counts as a dream.”
“Tell me.”
Stan scrunched up his face. “You sure? It’s kinda silly.”
Ford sent him a look and Stan sighed.
“Fine. In the second one it was all dark, I couldn’t see anything. Well, not at first. There was this… man.” Stan shuddered. “This, uh, really creepy guy. And he put me in a coffin? No, um, a car trunk I think. It was all dark and then I couldn’t see anything. Then there was just lots of noises, and rumbling, and it got all wet.”
“Wet?” Ford echoed. Stan shrugged.
“Yeah, all wet. And cold. Like I’d been dumped in a lake or somethin’! Cause the whole trunk started flooding, which was really scary. An’ I don’t remember how I got out but at some point I was swimmin’ up feeling like my lungs were gonna explode.” Stan shivered, hugging himself. “An’ my mouth hurt and the water tasted like metal an’ it was so dark. Then, um… I dunno, I woke up or something?” He frowned. “Wait, no, there was something else – about a llama that knew too much? It all kinda gets smudgy.”
Unsettling, certainly, and something to ask questions about later – but for now it sounded like Bill had missed his chance to mess with the Pines twins. Ford let himself relax slightly.
“Thank you, Stanley, for telling me.”
“So are you gonna read my future or something?”
“No.”
Stan poked out his tongue. Ford sighed. The matter aside, he still had to find someone to look after Stanley while he got the unicorn hair! But there was only one person in Gravity Falls he trusted, and…
Well, that person might not pick up the phone.
But desperate times called for desperate measures. Surely, surely Fiddleford would at least hear him out? And if that failed Ford could always lock the child in a room for a couple hours.
Mind made up, Ford excused himself to go make a call.
His palms were oddly sweaty as he dialed the number he knew off by heart and pressed enter. The phone rang once, twice, thrice in his hand. Surely a hopeless endeavor. Ford was sure he wasn’t going to pick up, when there was a click and a crackly voice sounded tiredly down the line.
“Hello?”
His old assistant’s voice sent his heart leaping in his chest. Ford hurriedly cleared his throat. “Fiddleford? It’s me, Stanford.”
In the half-second of frigid silence that followed, Ford began to realize he might have made a mistake by introducing himself.
“Wait!” He gasped out. “Please don’t hang up.”
“What do ya want?” Fiddleford growled out. He sounded so unlike himself that it made Ford pause. But – no. This was Fiddleford. His research assistant. His friend. The one person he could trust.
“I – I need your help.” Ford admitted. He plunged on before Fiddleford could interrupt, “I was an idiot. You were right – about the portal, about Bi- the demon.”
There was a crackly silence. Ford took a deep breath.
“I know that what I did is unforgiveable. I abandoned you and refused to heed your warnings. I understand if you can never forgive me. But please, I need your help to fix what I’ve done.”
“I aint goin’ near that portal!” Fiddleford’s voice lifted in both volume and pitch. Ford hurried to reassure him.
“No, no, of course not. That’s not what I need your help with. And it’s not for me, it’s for my twin brother.”
“You have a twin?” Fiddleford demanded, a lilt of curiosity sneaking into his tone. He sounded a little more like the man Ford knew. “Why didn’t ya tell me that?”
“Stan and I haven’t on the best of terms recently.” Ford explained. “Fiddleford, you’re a father, you know how to take care of children. I need you to take care of my brother – just for a little while.”
“Whoa, hold up.” There was shuffling on the other end of the line. “I’m gonna need ya to go back to the beginning. What did ya get yourself into this time?”
Ford chuckled humorlessly. “An experiment gone wrong. Stanley – my twin brother – has been reverted back into a child.”
A pause.
“Fiddleford?”
His friend let out a sigh. “Yeah, sure, course this is happening. Weird stuff always happens around you, Stanford.”
Ford chose to take that as a compliment. “I currently have my hands full. There is a spell – a magical barrier, in fact – that can protect us against the demon you warned me about, allowing me to disassemble the portal without risk. But to do this I have so obtain several rare ingredients. I can’t take Stanley with me, and I can’t leave him alone. I was hoping you would be able to watch him. Just for a little while!” He added nervously. “I know Stanley can be a handful but I’ll be back as quickly as I can and-”
“Ford, shut yer yap.”
Ford shut up.
“I’ll not leave a child alone, no matter what I think of his brother. When d’ya need him taken care of?”
Ford let out a breath and thanked any and all deities that may have lent a helping hand. “I was hoping, today? As soon as possible?”
Fiddleford groaned. “Fine, fine – but only for the kid!” He added. “And in the name of keepin’ that demon away. Not for you.”
“I understand completely.”
“Ya still at yer cabin?”
“Yes.”
“’Course ya are. Now, how old’s yer brother?”
“Ah…” Hmm. Ford had never been good at ages. He’d passed through them himself and never looked back. “He’s old enough to talk. And complain about not having clothes that fit. Maybe about as old as Tate was when I last saw him…?”
Another long-suffering sigh. “A’right, a’right. I’ll bring some old clothes of Tate’s, see if they fit, and I’ll watch the little tyke for ya. But I’m not goin near that portal. Or any of your hinky experiments, ya hear?”
“Certainly. Thank you, Fiddleford.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be there in an hour, maybe two.”
“Thank you.” Ford said again. Fiddleford hung up.
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I stumbled upon your Marching band AU request.... these my HC Aang: any woodwinds ;) or tuba bc boy got LUNGS Katara: Flute Sokka: trombone or Quads Toph: pit or quads (but she can’t be on the field bc she’s too precise and makes everyone look bad) Suki: saxophone or color guard Zuko: trumpet Azula: clarinet Ty Lee: Color guard Mai: color guard rifle or saber (refuses flag) Iroh: director everyone loves Zhao: director everyone hates
1000% on board with Aang on tuba but only because of The Headband. He'd have to learn not to dance though, at least while with other's around because it might throw them off.
Sokka on trombone is good. Honestly I don't have one instrument in my head for him because I can't stop imagining him as drum major. The fun kind who gives good speeches before and after and helps kids who need help and doesn't yell at the color guard for something we can't control like the wind knocking out flags out of our hands or not marching fast enough (can you tell I've had some Not Nice drum majors?)
Toph on percussion is the only answer. And yeah, she makes them all look bad. Starts out on quads maybe but graduates to a base drum. It's not like she needs to be able to see over the top.
Suki, Ty Lee, and Mai. I'm glad you agree with me because I've already claimed them as guard. Suki is captain obviously and her and Sokka make quite the pair in charge. Mai went to auditions only because Ty Lee did but ended up staying. Complains a lot about the make up, especially of the sparkly kind, but always does it. In charge of hair of parade days and football games because she's secretly great with doing both her own hair and other's.
You say Katara on flute. I say, consider this: Katara on quads. Maybe she starts out on flute in elementary school but in junior high she discovers percussion and is like 'wow this is a good way to vent my anger and not something that won't get me in trouble' because the girl has a secret angry side she rarely lets out. Also because my best friend is quads and they have similar vibes when angry so yeah. But honestly I could see it either way.
Azula is in the same camp as Sokka as in idk what they would play but they'd totally be drum major. But Azula is the horrible kind who gives really aggressive pep talks and tells at the guard and everyone really. Very obsessive though and her band is high ranking (if I could imagine anyone letting Ozai anywhere near kids I'd say he's the director but no. He's in jail for child abuse and probably tax evasion, end of story)
Zuko...where to start with Zuko? Again I know very little about band because guard is it's own seperate thing but all of my friends are in band or guard so I know band kids if not instruments. Trumpet players have negative connotations for me for the most part so I'm putting him in the flute section. No I won't explain.
Iroh would be a good director but also a good band parent? My school has band boosters, idk if it's called that other places, but they give us snacks and water after performances and cook breakfast before early parades and help with guns raising. This seems more Iroh to me but because of the cannon music nights on Zuko's ship o choose to believe he got his niece and nephew into music in the first place
#aang#Katara#toph#sokka#zuko#azula#suki#ty lee#Mai#uncle iroh#iroh#ozai#marching band#marching band au#atla#avatar the last airbender#avatar thoughts
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I love mbav so much it’s one of my favorite shows ever and I’m still so upset over the cliffhanger ending but on a side note Benny weir was definitely my number one favorite character but that might be due to the fact that I have a crush on him and in real life too anyway though I will say bethan is definitely my otp favorite pairing from the show as well and I was so upset they didn’t end together in the end but I was wondering if you would consider making Bethan fanfiction for this month?
duuude i feel the same way i love the show and even me who isn’t really into shipping can’t argue that those two had some real chemistry going on. that cliffhanger ending will always suck but at least we got fanfic to cope and pretend it didnt happen lol but yeah i’ve been writing two or three (really) short fics. the requests are mostly bethan so lucky you! i just put a new i did under the cut. its short and smiple and not too over the top shippy. its still good i think but the next bethan fic i want write to be super over the top shippy for fun with fluff (and angst with comfort ofc) (also this is on ao3)
The Valentine Dance at school was only a week away and Benny had the less than amazing plan to confess some long time dwelling feelings, and if he was lucky score a date to the dance. Although, he was lacking in any confidence seeing as he was never the best with plans and had the worst luck with... Well with everything if he was honest. Ethan was more the plan guy. Which was a total problem when Ethan is who the confession was for. Benny debated for half the school day if he should ask anyone for help, it became pretty obvious that they wouldn’t be that helpful. Rory can’t keep a secret to save his undead life, Erica isn’t much of the romantic type (ignoring that she wouldn’t want help at all in the first place), and Sarah... Actually Sarah might be the only one that would be any real help. That’s if she wanted to help. After what happened Freshman year with Ethan pinning for her and the eventual coming out from Sarah that she didn’t like guys it was sometimes amazing they could still be friends without one of them dying of awkwardness. If anything it was more awkward to ask for help from your current crush’s ex-crush, but Benny was out of options.
“Hey Sarah!” Benny greeted on his phone, his leg bouncing as he sat nervously on his bed. He had decided that he would try talk to her after school, partly hoping he would talk himself out of doing any of this. “I kinda need your help for something important. How quick do you think you could be at my place tonight? Sarah? Sarah!”
When there wasn’t a reply Benny repeated her name wondering what happened followed with a moment of silence and a sudden swiping sound of gusting wind through his phone then a whoosh out in front of his bedroom window. Vampire speed, always handy. “This quick enough for you?” Sarah giggled. Between last year to now Sarah was a lot more playful about her vampire-ness, much to the amusement of Benny.
“Knew I could count on you, Sar!” He grinned at her.
“As always. So, what’s this super important thing you needed my help in the middle of a school night?” She asked, jumping onto his bed with a weightless thump. “Is it a magic problem or just your special brand of weirdness for tonight?”
“Ha! Very funny. I mean it. It’s serious. There’s the dance coming up and I need your help scoring with-” Benny was cut off by Sarah abruptly standing up with a squeaked out “What!”
“Benny! I thought you said this was serious. I rushed over here for you thinking ugh-I can’t believe you! I am not helping you with ‘score’ with some random-”
“It’s Ethan.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah....”
“Benny, I am really sorry.”
There was an awkward silence that made Benny want rip his insides out which was a total confidence booster. “Nah, no, it’s fine. I shouldn’t have been so ‘Benny’ about it. My fault.” Benny’s voice sounded worn and hoarse. Sarah wrapped her arms around Benny to comfort him, sitting back on his bed they stayed quite, Benny taking steading breathes. “I know it’s been a summer since he got over you, but I dunno we’ve always been friends and really close. Confident Benny wants say there’s a chance he’s into me, but Nervous Benny says everything I think has been a sign is just me getting way too hopeful and I’m just,” Benny sighed leaning into Sarah’s hug. “Really tired dancing around how I feel all the time.”
“Awe, Benny,” Sarah settled into her place on the bed facing her favorite spell-caster. “Okay. I’ll help you. What’s the plan?” Benny sheepishly smiled and raised his shoulders.
“I was kinda hoping you could come up with something. I’m more of a plan follower than a plan maker. My ideas tend to lead to the actual problem that needs fixing.” He laughed nervously.
“I think I can come up with something. You still know that flower spell, right?” They grinned at each other.
“Of course.”
+++
The school dance was now only four days away and Sarah’s plan was simple and more importantly fool-proof. Which is what Benny was counting on.
“So, all you need to do is talk to him. Take him to the park. Whoa him with some magic, some flowers and then boom! Ask him to the dance. Simple and sups romantic.” Sarah said as they walked outside to see Ethan and their friends waiting for them in the school parking lot. “Think you can manage?”
Benny waved at them nervously. “I’m totally going mess this up.”
“Ben, it’s literally the most straightforward plan on the planet. There’s no way for you to mess it up. Just be your usual funny and charming self, it’s what he loves most about you.” Sarah smiled reassuring. Reaching their friends Benny tried not act anymore strange than his typical self, which was hard when Benny’s go to was being strange. It came with the magic powers and general teenage boy awkwardness. Erica was pushing Rory back onto the ground as he tried to float above her head saying there was something in her hair, there wasn’t, really he just wanted steal her hair pin that he was obsessed with.
“Come on, Erica!” Rory teased picking at the clip.
“Rory, if you don’t stop I’m going drive a stake through your un-dead heart!” She threatened as Ethan laughed before turning his attention to Benny and Sarah.
“Hey, Sarah, Ben.” He smiled sweetly, his eyes glancing at Benny with a sheepish blush. Although the boy in question was too busy freaking out internally to notice. “We still on for movie night?”
“Oh right!” Sarah said suddenly with a false quickness. “I totally forgot that’s tonight. Me and the vamps have some Vampire Council business and such. Y’know, vampires only. Heh.” She lied poorly but Ethan was just a little too slow to catch on.
“We do?” The two other vampires said holding off on their mini fight over a hair clip, Erica holding onto both Rory’s wrists in opposing directions. Erica watched the panic in Sarah and Benny’s eyes that said all she needed to know; ‘please just pay along’ written all over their faces. “Oooh. Yes-yeah. We do. Totally. No humans allowed or they will eat your face off. We’re doing a... vampire... ritual.... Yeah.”
“We do that? Awesome!” Rory said suddenly excited if not a little confused. “Why didn’t they tell me anything? Do you guys have their number or something because if so I feel it’s unfair that I don’t-”
“Rory, not right now.” Erica pulled her hair clip out of Rory’s hand, annoyed. “We should get going. Don’t want be late for the... ritual. Right, Sarah?”
“Right! Yeah, we really need get going. Super speed can only be so quick. Let’s go.” Sarah chuckled, pushing two of her friends away from Ethan and Benny. “We’ll see you later!” The three vamps speeded off, the other two waving them bye. The school parking lot was empty by then, Ethan’s full attention placed fully on Benny who felt the crushing weight of his friend’s eyes on him as he always did when they were alone. It was easy to play off any pining feelings when they hung out, their friendship had always been enough for Benny. Even when he had see Ethan longing after a different person, it was hard sometimes, but Benny could always push down any budding jealously or unsettling sadness. Ethan would always be his friend and now if he was lucky he could put boy in front of friend. The thought making his cheeks warm and his heart fast.
“Soo, movie night?” Ethan asked, they started their walk home only instead Benny had planned to take a subtle left turn towards the park the spell for appearing flowers repeating in his head.
“Actually I was thinking we could, uh, go for a walk... to the park?” Benny flinched with the odd expectation that his friend would suddenly reject him right there and then. “I have something I want show you, I dunno. Is that dumb? I feel dumb.”
“Benny. It’s cool. Come on, I kinda wanted tell you something anyways.” Ethan replied with a smile, his hand close to gracing against the taller boy’s. The near touch drawing them closer to each other, they’ve always gravitated towards one another with a strange pull that was always between them. Benny wondered if Ethan ever felt it, if he could ever see how Benny looked at him with such love and care. Maybe his seer powers let him see it more clearly than Benny felt it, lucky him Ethan still didn’t fully know how mind read yet.
The start of their walk was mostly silent, the longer the quite went for the more Benny’s internal freak out grew into full blown panic. He was seriously reconsidering saying anything at this point. Half way to the park and they hadn’t said a single word to each other, a first for their friendship. Ethan was biting his lower lip clearly lost in deep thought, Benny was too nervous to speak and break into whatever was going through the shorter boy’s head.
“Ben... Benny, heh, uh, I’ve been wanting to say this for awhile and I didn’t know how and I know you’re you know... You.” Ethan started. None of his words were comforting to Benny right now. “Wait-wait. That came out weird. I just wanted say when we came out to each other last summer. I know I acted really weird afterwards and it was totally uncool of me and I know I should’ve said sorry forever ago, but I’m real sorry, Ben. It was lame of me and I only acted like that because there some feelings I didn’t think I was ready to think about and now it’s like my brain is stuck thinking them but I don’t want things weird so, uh, am I making any sense?”
Benny didn’t know if he should laugh or cry, he went with the former and abruptly began to giggle in a almost soft of manic way. The sudden out bust of laugher worried Ethan. “Why are you laughing? Benny, I’m being serious. Come on, dude.”
“Sorry, dude. It’s just, you really scared me there for a second, E. I know it was a weird shift it’s totally fine. I was never mad.” Benny said, his laughter subsiding. Although he took note of the last bit, he didn’t want feel like he was reading too much into it but it couldn’t nothing, right?
They reached the park a few yards off where there was a bench was waiting for them. The lump in Benny’s throat was starting appear and it was getting too late for him to choke and bail on this whole thing. “Let’s go sit on the bench. It’s my turn to ramble and make barely any sense.”
“So nothing new.” Ethan teased. Ben wrapped his arm around Ethan’s neck and ruffled his hair.
“Yeah, yeah. Just sit down, okay?” Benny sat down with a nervous smile and his leg bouncing with a quick uneasy pace. “On the topic of us not being the straightest lightsabers in the bunch. Heh. There’s the dance coming up and I didn’t want go alone and there’s this person I wanted ask-”
“Really?” Ethan butted in with a sad look making something clink in Benny’s head. “That’s... great. What’s he like?”
“Oh you know, he’s really cool and mega smart and like, the biggest dork in the whole world.” Benny was grinning now, biting his lower lip to fight back his nervous joy. Maybe it was petty but if he was understanding right then making Ethan jealous for two minutes would make up for last year’s Sarah obsession.
“Oh. Uh. He sounds really cool. I’m glad you like him so much. So, what’s the plan to ask him out?” Ethan asked, his mood becoming more downcast suddenly. E, you pretty idiot. Well, just a bit of teasing fun wouldn’t hurt.
“Mhm. Yeah, he’s really great. I was thinking of asking him after school, y’know, surprise him with some flowers use a little magic to make sure their his favorite. Like this,” Benny made a quick glance to make sure no one was looking before making a bouquet of flowers appear. It had been the first simple trick that Benny had ever show Ethan. It started as a cheesy way to impress girls now it was becoming a cheesy way to impress his Ethan. The flowers matched the color scheme of Ethan’s favorite Star Wars character, right down to matching the center one with the character’s lightsaber.
Ethan stared at the flowers with a shy sadness. “Oh? Then what? Explain to him vampires are real next? I’m sure that one will go over real great, Bens.”
“Maybe. I think he’d be freaked out at first, probably less than he should be but grow to think it was way kick ass. I think he’d do pretty awesome fighting some bloodsuckers. Bet he looks really hot staking one out. The same way I think he looks really hot when he plays video games and starts losing and sits on my lap-which is totally cheating by the way, but I let it slide because again total cutie. I want ask him to the dance, maybe after we could sneak out and-”
“Jeez, Benny. Stop it, okay. I get it.” Ethan stood up from his seat, covering his ears. “You must really like him. What’s his name?”
“Oh, I dunno it’s something like Ian? Eric? Wait! No, I remember it’s Ethan Morgan the dumbest yet prettiest boy in town. Only second to yours truly.” Benny grinned gaining more of a cool confidence as he saw the way Ethan’s blush grew dark across his face.
“Oh.”
“Yeah ‘oh’ you dope! Who else could I have ever been talking about?! Han Solo?”
“First of all, I don’t know! And second, Han was totally gay for Luke but that’s for a different time.” Ethan said, glancing as an older couple walked past them.
“Wait, were you jealous? Like actually?”
“What! No way, I was not.” Ethan’s blush creeped up to his ears. “And anyways, it was totally not cool of you-”
“Then we’re even. Fair?” Benny leaned closer to Ethan, the flowers disappearing from between them. “Were the flowers too gay?”
Ethan leaned closer and bit his lip. “Bens, I don’t know how break this to you, but you’re like the gayest person in town.”
“Second to you.” He laughed before Ethan closed the gap between their lips catching him off guard. The small doubt that lingered in the back of his mind was put at ease as their lips fit together. “Sorry. I was really hoping I didn’t mess this up.” Benny tried not to giggle.
“Lucky you, your bad gay jokes and charm is what got me hooked on you in the first place.”
“Yeah, guess I am a catch. So... We’re on for the dance?”
“Yeah.” Ethan smiled holding Benny’s hands. “Yeah, Bens. We are.” They grinned at each other, hands clasped together and knees touching.
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Same Difference, Ch.09
A/N: FYI, this part gets a bit violent. No domestic abuse or anything like that, just a good ol’ fashioned fight scene. Anybutts, hope y'all enjoy~
Chapters: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08
AO3 | Fanfic
Nanami began walking down the now-familiar, winding hallways from her tea break to return to the lab. She wasn’t ready to examine the feelings she’d had after her spat with Overhaul, especially the ones that caused her such sadness at the thought of not seeing him again. In the back of her mind, she knew whatever she was feeling could simply be the result of successful manipulation on his part, but it didn’t change the relief she felt knowing they’d continue working together. Hoping to push away the thoughts before facing him again, she decided to focus on her efforts to find a suitable class for self-defense. Sure, Hitomi had a point in that it would at the very least be a confidence booster, but Nanami felt like she needed more.
I know Kurono said it was a cheap shot in a 1 vs. 30 battle royale, but still. * BANG* If Overhaul, ~*killer extraordinaire*~ can get injured like that, * BANG* I might as well be a sitting duck. Nanami concluded, remembering that she had involved herself in a world much more dangerous than she wanted to acknowledge. But where in the world am I gonna find * BANG* a class that’ll * BANG, BANG* teach me how to survive a fight to * BANG* the * BANG, BANG* death? * BANG, BANG, BANG* Ok, what the hell is making all that noise? Nanami thought now annoyed at whatever had been interrupting her train of thought.
Following the sound, she found the source of the noise: a very large man beating a block of concrete in the training room as though his life depended on it. She watched for a moment in amazement as his fists covered in heavy, metal gauntlets wore down one block of concrete after the next, ignoring the traditional workout equipment. He stopped for a beat, sensing her watching him from the doorway.
“Hey, doc. What brings you here?”
“Hi Rappa, it’s nothing, just heard a lot of commotion and wanted to make sure everything was alright. Don’t mind me!”
Shrugging, he continued training, now moving to weightlifting. Man, this is nothing like the classes I sat in on. I wonder what kind of training you’d have to get to be this proficient… I wish I could… Oh, duh. Nanami thought at the epiphany.
“Hey, Rappa, can I ask you a question?” Nanami asked, with a plan already in mind.
“Who’s gonna stop you?”
“True. Have you ever tried teaching anyone?”
“A couple times, but most don’t last too long. They lack the warrior spirit.”
“So… if someone did have this ‘warrior spirit’, you’d consider taking them on, right?”
“It would be a dream come true, to trade blows with another man, hellbent on victory! They’d have to prove their mettle, but nothing would bring me more joy!” He exclaimed and she could tell he was already daydreaming about the next fight.
“Well, what if there was a person that was hellbent on victory and had a true warrior spirit... but they were a woman. Would you train them?”
“Impossible.” He responded immediately.
“What makes you say that?” Nanami queried, a bit miffed at how sure of his answer he was.
“They don’t have it in their nature. Besides, we yakuza have a code of chivalry. I could never fight a broad.”
“Even if said broad could kick your ass?” Now she was pissed.
He laughed heartily, “The day I meet a woman like that, will be the same day Mimic can keep his mouth shut for more than 5 seconds. Or when hell freezes over, whichever comes first.”
“Well get ready for 5 seconds of bliss and Satan in some long johns because that woman is here.” Nanami said with a renewed sense of resolve.
“What?”
“Nothing, I’ll talk to you later, Rappa.”
“Uh… Ok, see ya later, doc.”
On the remainder of the walk back, Nanami practiced her proposal in her head. She knew it might be a hard sell, but she was determined. Bursting through the door, she saw Overhaul focused on his laptop, going through some data sheets. Aw, he looks so peaceful—no, snap out of it. Back on task. Nanami chastised herself, though she was happy knowing she’d be able to see him like this regularly since they’d done their version of making up earlier. Focusing on the task at hand, she spoke confidently,” Overhaul, I need to borrow one of your bullets.”
“Who do you need taken care of?” he turned to her, a serious look in his eyes.
“Wait what?”
“What?”
They exchanged looks of equal confusion, before realizing what the other meant. “Oh no, no, no—I don’t need anyone ‘taken care of’, I want to take care of them myself—but not like that…”
“It would be clearer if you referred to them as the Eight Bullets or Eight Precepts of Death in the future.”
“Oh, yeah that sounds way cooler.” She stated matter-of-factly.
“Tch. Of course, it does.” He said turning and she could tell he was grateful in his own way of the compliment. “What do you need them for?”
“I don’t need all of them, just Rappa. And I want... no, I need him to train me.”
“Why do you need him to train you? It’s you and I who share the same quirk…” He trailed off at the last part.
“Oh, don’t be jealous, it’s just that I... I want to learn hand-to hand combat. I want to protect myself. I need to. You were right earlier when you said I’ve entered a world that prioritizes violence. It’s not that I want to prioritize it myself, but I know it would be naïve of me to be unprepared.” She replied resolutely.
“Of course, I was right.”
“That’s what you got from that?”
“However, I fail to see how this benefits me. Technically speaking, you have yet to rectify the power imbalance between us; you being able to completely negate my attacks is… problematic. Making you stronger would border on foolishness on my part.”
“So, you plan on attacking me in the future?”
“No, but the point still stands and the question remains: what do I have to gain from this?”
Nanami’s resolve did not waiver. She had the answer to this one, “An ally.”
His eyes narrowed at her, almost cautioning her to use her words wisely, but he continued to listen, pushing his laptop to the side. “Go on.”
“I wouldn’t serve you or be an accomplice, nor conspirator to any crimes. However, I will not plot against you, attack you without proper provocation, and if you’re in a bind like tonight, I will be there. In addition to this… I’ll tell you how I was able to negate your attack. It’s still a working theory, but I’d be willing to share and practice it with you until it’s fully proven. I can teach you, but only after Rappa has trained me and you teach me a defensive move using Overhaul. This way, we will be equal, for the most part.”
He stared at her searchingly, considering her proposal. After letting her squirm for a bit in suspense, he responded,” It cannot interfere with our organization’s daily dealings or our work in the lab.”
“Of course.”
“Then it’s a deal.”
“Also, could you talk to Rappa for me? You know the whole chivalry thing…” She trailed off hoping he would catch her drift.
“You’re just full of requests today.” He said, slightly annoyed as she raised her brows waiting for an answer, “He will comply. You may have to prove yourself, but he will comply.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was decided that Nanami would be tested by Rappa a week from the day. If she wasn’t sure about the nature of the test, it was certainly made clear when Rappa explained in a way only he could:
“I’ll take it easy since you’re a woman. If you can make me surrender, I’ll teach you.”
Such a generous soul~ Nanami mused to herself after pushing through the fourth lap. She didn’t expect to become a prize fighter in a week, but not getting winded just by going up the stairs at work was a good start. She’d kept somewhat in shape and had grown up doing club sports in school, but nothing she could think of that would constitute a “warrior spirit”. Looks like we’re gonna have to get creative with this…
Checking her watch, she realized she had just enough time to make an important call before her next appointment. “Hey Miki, how’ve you been?... That’s awesome, I’m doing alright myself… Hm? No, no we’re still on for dinner Thursday, I just had a favor to ask… Could I join you for some freerunning this week?... Nevermind why I’m breathing so heavy! Can I come? ...Thank you, Thank you, Thank you—I’ll see you at the station by your place. Bye!” The phone clicked.
She wouldn’t become a master in a week—maybe not even an intermediate level fighter—but at least she could have a sliver of a chance at winning Rappa over. With her plan coming together, she pushed for another lap, a little more confidence in her step than before.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A week came and went, now Nanami stood in front of her closet, unsure of what to wear.
“What do you usually wear to a fight anyway…” She pondered, remembering what every fighting person she knew wore on a regular basis. Rappa wore jeans and a t-shirt, “If I can’t sleep in jeans, how the hell am I supposed to fight in them? Next.” Overhaul wore business attire, “The man’s an enigma, not even realistic to compare wardrobe choices there…Wait.” Nanami had an epiphany. Her fighting style, if she could call it that yet, wasn’t much like either of theirs from what she knew. Deciding it would be smartest to wear what she’d been training in that week of preparation, she got changed and hurried over.
Rushing her park job, she sat in her car for a beat, trying to catch her breath. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been a nervous wreck anticipating her “trial by fire” today. Even with a plan, it would be hard to predict how she’d react in the moment when her safety was on the line. After rejecting her quirk and consequently, her body, for such a long time, it seemed like an impossible task to lean on it completely, to trust it, but what choice do I have? Nanami asked herself with equal measures of resignation and resolve. Deciding it was do or di—nope, gotta use a better phrase. We are not speaking the possibility of death into existence. Not today. Deciding it was now or never, Nanami took a deep breath, centering herself as she worked up the nerve to exit her car and march to the base and down to the training room.
Stopping in front of the entrance, she exhaled deeply once again, pushing the large door open. Upon opening it, she saw Rappa rotating his shoulders and stretching his arms. She gulped heavily, remembering his quirk, Strongarm, would soon be used on her. Focusing on her opponent, she hadn’t noticed someone else standing in the corner by the door.
“If you focus any harder, you’ll pop a blood vessel.” Said a familiar voice, startling her from her thoughts.
She put a hand to her chest, trying to calm down, “Oh my gosh you scared the shit out of me… and leave me alone. Everyone has their own way of preparing, I’m just… figuring mine out.”
“That and your sparring attire.” Overhaul responded too quickly for her liking, giving her a once over.
Defensively pulling her tracksuit closed, she gave him a look,” Did you come to roast me or root for me?”
“Neither. I am merely here to supervise. Whether you win or not is none of my concern.”
“Aaaand this is why I didn’t ask you to train me. If you need me, I’ll be stretching over there, ref.”
Nanami rolled her eyes, making her way to what she figured would be her side of the arena. The training room was large with two sections; one part took up a third of the room, hosting a myriad of traditional gym equipment and weights. The other part which was the arena, took up the remaining two thirds and was outlined on the floor in white with room on the sidelines for observers …and sassy referees. Nanami thought, remembering his dig from earlier.
Removing her tracksuit, she donned black leggings and a matching, sleeveless workout top. It was sleek and formfitting, maximizing her range of mobility. After she completed a couple toe touches, lunges and back stretches, Rappa took a step forward into the ring, “Alright, you know the rules! I’m making it easy on you by only asking for a surrender, but I won’t hold back.”
“I wouldn’t want you too. Let’s do this.” Nanami said, her game face on and her voice confident in an effort to override the doubts she had in her head.
“Now that’s the spirit! Come at me, doc!”
Getting into a stance, Nanami made a B-line towards Rappa, sprinting at full speed. He braced himself in a defensive stance, ready to attack when she came within striking distance. He was wearing his mask, but she could feel how serious the mood of the room had gotten. Just stick to the plan, it’ll all be ok, she said, steeling herself from further doubt. Focusing, she saw the second he was readying himself to take his first swing. Just then, she slid and dodged, slapping her hand firmly on the ground as she slid, sending a ripple in the direction she was headed, a pillar forming. She then slid past the new structure, extended her arms, and grabbed onto the pillar to swing herself back in his direction at full force. Keeping both her feet together she surprised him, landing a solid kick to the face. She followed through as he staggered, and she landed, rolling to minimize the impact. Before she could appreciate the look of surprise on Overhaul’s face, Rappa had recovered. Her refresher course on parkour with Miki had paid off and she had a few tricks up her sleeve.
“Now that was good. Give me more!” He exclaimed, punching the ground, barely missing her head as she dodged. Nanami had been fast, but Rappa was much more agile than he looked. She’d done some research on his quirk, but no amount of reading could have prepared her for the reality of it. Though it probably wouldn’t have seemed threatening if it had belonged to someone else, it suited him perfectly. He didn’t just have a quirk, he had a set of skills and used it to amplify them. Even without the added power, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Before she had the chance to think too much, he struck again and again, dodging becoming more difficult with each blow. Deciding to act, she erected more pillars.
“Putting up a wall for protection won’t gain you a surrender—come and fight me!” He warned, charging towards her.
“Who said these were for my protection?” Nanami responded as she ran. She launched herself to gain enough momentum, bouncing between the pillars, she managed to land a punch to his side, just beneath his ribs, earning her a grunt. Now more confident, she went in for a second attack, this time she was going to aim for his chin, hoping to knock him out. In this movement, her lack of combat training caused her to make a grave error: she was wide open. By the time she saw Rappa winding up for an uppercut, it was too late to react. He landed a solid blow to her abdomen before grabbing her like a ragdoll, tossing her clear across the room and into the wall on the opposite side of the arena. Her back hit the wall with a thud, and she gasped for air as the wind was knocked out of her. She was certain she’d broken a rib or two. She fell on all fours, heaving as she grasped at the broken parts of her rib cage. She coughed up blood, accepting the consequences of being hit in real combat. When she expelled more of the red liquid from her mouth, she could’ve sworn she saw Overhaul reflexively lunge towards her. Without thinking she raised a hand motioning him to stop whatever he planned on doing, the other still clutching her side. Looking over to him, her expression must have relayed her determination. He took a step back, his face expressionless once again.
Reaching under her shirt to the affected area, she felt for a moment and healed herself, the sound of bones cracking back into place echoing throughout the room. She rose again, steadying herself as she took up her stance once again, “I’m not done yet.” Nanami gritted.
His mask was now ripped from her previous blows she could see a large smile forming. “Now that’s the look I want to see. IF YOU WANT VICTORY, COME AND TAKE IT WITH YOUR FISTS!”
Nanami charged forward, landing some solid blows as using her ability to manipulate the arena to her advantage. Though she’d used her quirk on their surroundings, she’d yet to use it on her opponent directly. Deep down, she was still too afraid to use it in that way. The only “fight” she’d ever used it against someone was when Overhaul and her first met, but really it was just a means to escape. Even in the face of danger, she found herself more afraid of losing control like she had all those years ago. As she hesitated, Rappa landed another solid blow, this time to her shoulder, dislocating it. She managed to stifle a scream of pain, but she knew this was bad. Before she had time to heal, he was charging towards her once again. She had enough mobility to dodge some of his blows, but not all of them. She couldn’t heal herself quickly enough to keep up with his attacks. He landed another to her ribs, a fist to her back and a knee to her abdomen. Rappa was enjoying himself and she was becoming less and less sure that he remembered this was a duel to a surrender and not to the death.
Completely forgetting where she was in her panic, an immense sense of danger crashed over her, the adrenaline taking over giving her tunnel vision. Judging by how he wound up, the next blow could have certainly killed her. She braced for impact, no longer thinking strategy and then… nothing. All she felt was the gust of wind that came from his fist stopping near her face and his breath on the back of her hand. Focusing her vision, she realized she had her finger pointed, mere inches from his neck and Rappa was frozen in his place, careful not to even clear his throat. Nanami hadn’t realized it, but her eyes were almost black and her face that of a cornered animal. She would have obliterated him had he not stopped short, an experience he wasn’t quick to relive a sixth time.
A smile slowly crept back across his face and Nanami was snapped out of her trance by the sound of jovial laughter. “I surrender, doc. THAT WAS GREAT! The look on your face right now, it’s perfect! I’ll see ya Thursday for training.” He boomed before shaking her hand that was aimed to kill him mere seconds ago. “I gotta make my rounds, but I’m looking forward to working with ya, doc. You’re one tough broad!” He said as he continued laughing to himself, exiting the room.
This whole place is just a dozen different flavors of crazy… I almost killed him, Nanami thought to herself, happy to have passed his trial, but terrified at the possibility of repeating “the incident”. Losing control scared her more than anything, but deep down she knew in order to master her quirk, she would have to take the risk and use it first. One step at a time, Nanami reassured herself, quelling the effects of the traumatic memories. In reality, she knew whatever training he could give her would far surpass any of the self-defense classes she was going to settle for before. She wasn’t just going to be confident; she was going to be prepared. Just as she was riding the waves of her victory, the adrenaline began to wear off and the pain came washed over her like a tsunami. It left her breathless for a moment and all she wanted was to cry out but couldn’t as she felt one of her ribs pushing into her lung. Now laying on her back, she focused on moving the arm that wasn’t dislocated to her side, repairing her ribs and internal organs.
As she sat up to kneel on the floor and heal her shoulder, she heard footsteps coming towards her. “You’re going to have to get quicker at recovering if you plan on standing a chance the next time.” He said, looking down at her exhausted form still seated on the floor.
“I know.” Nanami sighed, reflecting on her sluggish reflexes with a bit of disappointment.
He stood in place, examining her for a beat. Suddenly something white entered her line of sight. Lifting her gaze, she saw his gloved hand extended to help her up, though his face was turned away. Quickly brushing off her surprise at his gesture, she patted her palms on her sides, before clasping his hand. He lifted her up with ease, and had she not already tempted death once today, she would have jokingly asked for a piggyback ride. Now standing close, their hands remained clasped between them longer than she expected. Craning her neck to make eye contact, she could tell he was thinking, his gaze unwavering with an emotion she couldn’t name. Just as she was about to get lost in those golden eyes, he spoke “You smell terrible.”
Ah. The ~emotion~ was in fact just stank face. Should’ve known he’d say something like that... She thought as her face dropped into one of exasperation.
“That, my very rude friend, is the smell of victory, so take a big whiff.” She retorted, moving past him, flipping her hair as she sashayed over to her bag to collect her things.
“Still wreaks… however, your performance was impressive, for an amateur.” The last part added as though it would break the very laws of nature itself to award a compliment without a catch. “See you tomorrow.” He remarked, leaving the room.
Her back was still turned as she zipped her bag, trying her best to hide the small smile that rested on her now proud face. “See you tomorrow.”
#overhaul#overhaul x oc#overhaul fanfiction#chisaki kai#kai chisaki#shie hassaikai#kendo rappa#bnha fanfic#mha oc#mha overhaul#mha fanfic#overhaul fanfic
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I think I officially hit “Crack” levels with this MHA fic idea(which is once again me wanting to make more found family AU and redeem villains who maybe shouldn’t be because I like them!) because so far these are my morally grey hero’s/villains depending on context.
We got: (read more in case you don’t want to see 😊 no worries!)
Pirate Super who is very rambunctious and overeager to party. She exclusively sings sea shanties and dances on tables, refuses to use her power(which is called Final Stand, a support power that boosts others in her group), will only fight with a sword made out of some unbreakable metal, and is very much in love with her wife who ironically is the Siren Super of the team. Commonly heard screaming “THATS MY WIFE” across the battlefield before punching someone.
Siren Super as previously mentioned. She’s a bit of a bookworm, covered in tattoos and piercings, and is currently banned from coffee due to not wanting to sleep. Her power let’s her control others through song, but depends on said song(examples include love song = obsessed with her, lullaby = everybody sleep, and angry song = everyone going f*cking feral on each other). Once a week needs to sleep in a tank, and also once a week needs to encourage the rest of the team to kidnap her wife because “Sleeping on the floor isn’t good for your back, my sailor, please stop trying to sleep by the tank.”
Pirate is still trying.
Potion Super who, in truth, has zero powers! Just a big cookbook of different potions meant to help the team. Is basically the “team mom”, tallest and strongest of the group physically, and when in combat will use bare fists or metal spear. For some reason, I “hear” her as having a thick Russian accent, like almost stereotypically one. I’m not even sure why, just everything I picture her in a scenario she has one.
Then there’s Discord, who is a old character of mine. She is, in fact, a Symbiote like Venom or Riot. Light silver color, has chaotic tendencies and is still trying to understand things. You know that meme “What do you have?” A knife!” “No!” Yeah Discord gave the kid the knife pretty much. While she’s lethal on the battlefield, her main goal is to help this next Super out with control issues.
I call her the Demon Super, or Darkest Super. I’ve been playing around with names for this one, trying to find a name related to more dangerous stuff — again demons or shadows or something. She’s the “leader” but is pretty relaxed, simple, and friendly. Protective of those under Her care, defensive of anyone she wants to be defensive of, and untrusting towards the masses but won’t show it often in trying to be polite. She can become...violent and threatening when provoked, and will lose control after massive provoking. Has varied tastes towards stuff, and is basically a surprise each day.
The big worry is Demon Super’s powers — nightmares. She can summon beasts from nightmares, control shadows, and the longer she uses her powers the more unstable she gets. Things start to grow more and more dangerous, to the point where her body either shuts down or she starts to change into something other than human. It’s why Discord bonded with her, they help each other to stay above water.
These ladies have a “hideout” that’s basically a bought out warehouse. I haven’t really come up with an inside yet but I got this so far;
The line “looks like a neon nightmare” because neon signs n stuff EVERYWHERE.
Old stuff too. Record boxes stuffed with classics and new ones by a legit jukebox, a big ol’ fish tank off to the side(guess who), a library with books on anything but very unorganized(some is breaking and yellow pages), vintage furniture some fixed up some not, and a couple of carousel animals hanging from the ceiling.
Nobody gets the carousel animals hanging from the ceiling.
There’s a dedicated quite corner in the main room. It is Warehouse Law that any big stuffed animals won must be put in said corner, unless really needed by their winner.
There’s bedrooms. Decorated by their owners, unsure of how or why a warehouse has rooms period. No one really questions it anymore.
Someone has hooked up a movie area. There’s a projector to plug stuff into and a popcorn machine on hand.
There’s a bar. Like not even a whole set up just a random bar counter. Someone saw the Pirate drag it in one day and just...nobody asked. Don’t know where, and don’t care to find out.
Stuffs getting added all the time. It’s a chaotic hell storm but beautiful too, in the way a really weird ass painting can have pretty colors n stuff but you have zero idea what it is.
Here’s my big “twist” though: Nobody has Quirks. Not in the usual way. The Pirate’s ability is literally just a booster effect by giving a good speech(working on it), Siren is that — a siren!, Potion is just a girl with strength she’s trained years to get, and good food, Discord is a legitimate alien, and finally Demon is...well...I got two backstories for her. One is being used by a c*lt to try and summon the creature they worshipped, backfired and now she has all the powers. Second is her just being cursed/overactive magic. Not sure which to use yet, or if I should mix the two together.
...aaaand that’s it. I don’t even have a title yet. Just like, adoption papers for Midoriya and five Super characters who took one look and went “Yeah we’re big sisters now.” and Shenangians Ensure. That’s my plot. Oh and some MHA villains get adopted(read; kidnapped and niceified, which might actually be terrifying considering this group can be ✨ scary ✨) so also redeemed. But yeah that’s all I got so far.
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Black Cat
Welcome to the beast! I did toy with splitting this into chapters, but I like a long one shot and hopefully you all do too.
So, I voted for the superhero prompt and was psyched when it was picked but then drew a blank about how I wanted to approach it. Then I listened to ‘To die for’ by Sam Smith and that was it. It was supposed to be a short little fluffy story… then this thing called plot came marching in, knocked me off my chair and took over. So now there’s fluff AND plot AND a lot of words.
Summary: Sanji’s pretty sure he’s found the love of his life, shame it’s the elusive criminal he’s supposed to be catching. Superhero AU
Rating: M for Language, brief mention of violence and a limey moment that can be skipped (Do we still use the terms lemon and lime for sexy times?)
Words: 18k, buckle in kids.
@sannamiweek
This can also be found on FFN and AO3
Enjoy
“Ah, Mademoiselle, what a pleasant surprise.”
The lady before him gave a short laugh as she turned, jewellery still in hands, as she gave him a once over.
“Pleasant indeed, have you been working out?” She said in a sultry tone. He knew she was trying to get under his skin, and whilst it was working, he didn’t miss the way her eyes drank him in.
He tried to keep his cool, he wouldn’t be had this time. “I have, there’s a certain Black Cat that I have to keep up with after all.” He said as he began to walk closer, something that her keen eyes instantly picked up on and tensed, ready for whatever move he made.
“Well, I’m flattered, of course.” Her casual words betrayed by the way she took a step back, eyes assessing the room for an exit.
There was a tense moment as they both watched each other, trying to anticipate the others move.
“As ravishing as you would look in them, you know I can’t let you leave with them.”
“That’s such a shame, I really like them.” She pouted and started to play with the gems. “I feel like these would really suit me, especially this one.” She held the diamond necklace up to her neck and laid it across her bust, smirking. Although his eyes were covered by black glasses, she knew he couldn’t keep his eyes on her face.
“Is it hot in here or is it just me?” She looped the jewels through her arms and let them slide down as she pulled at the black leather away from her body with one hand and fanned with her other.
He was frozen at this point and she used it to her advantage. With him like this, she walked towards him, making sure to swing her hips and start playing with the zip hiding her cleavage.
Once she was in front of him, she ran her hands along his shoulders, moving them up to cup his face and move it to one side. She leaned in closer, so her body was pressed against his. At this point his face was bright red, extending further than his mask.
She sighed in his ear before whispering, “Thanks for the jewels.” And then kissed his cheek, leaving a red lipstick mark. “See you next time.”
She shoved him down in his stupor and he watched in a haze as she suddenly took off running across the store. She climbed up the wall, giving him a lovely view of her behind, and out of the open window, which she’d clearly used to break in.
She was breath taking.
.
.
.
Black Cat once again succeeds in stealing jewels, leaving Stealth Black in the dark.
Sanji sighed.
He was in his favourite café as he read the newspaper and although it was frustrating, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry at the headline. They weren’t wrong after all. She was successful and he was still in the dark as to how to capture her. She was smart, beautiful, sneaky, gorgeous, tactical and did he mention she was an absolute bombshell?
He rubbed his hands across his face. He definitely shouldn’t be thinking about her like that. He should be thinking about how to capture her. Yet, he didn’t really want to. She was a petty thief more than anything, she’d never hurt anyone and left the place with minimal damage. Plus, she brightened his day with her wit and sunny smile when she saw him.
His thoughts were interrupted by another voice, “Would you like another refill?”
His head shot up from the newspaper and was met with a young waitress holding a coffee pot. He gave a grateful smile, nodding and going back to his newspaper.
“Black Cat, huh? I don’t mind her; she seems harmless enough.”
Sanji chocked out a fake laugh, hiding his chagrin, “Yet powerful enough to take on Black Stealth, she must be something alright.”
She shrugged. “Black Stealth is something himself, I’m sure he’ll snag her someday.” There was something in her tone that made him look back up at her. She was giving him a funny look, like he was missing an inside joke that he wasn’t privy too.
And with that, she took a step back and turned around. He wouldn’t think anything of it, but her tone was odd, and did she wink at him before turning? He felt a blush rising on his cheeks at the thought but shook his head. Yes, he had a weakness for women but there was only a certain woman on his mind right now. The one who was suddenly leaving lipstick marks on his cheek.
It had been almost 5 months since she’d come into his city. No one knew anything about the Black Cat, she came out of thin air one day when she’d picked a lock to get into a high-end jeweller. He’d been stupefied back then; she was bent over looking at something and gave him the greatest look at her lovely behind in her tight leather cat suit. Then she’d turned to look at him (her suit really was tight, ahem). Her mask covered the middle of her face, starting below her eyes brows and stopping at her nose but revealing big amber eyes with eyelashes fluttering against flushing cheeks and scarlet red lipstick adorning her lips. Adorable cat ears donning her head.
He’d been frozen just looking at her, but then she’d breathily said his superhero name, almost like a moan, and he completely shut down after that. She’d winked at him, gave him a flirty wave and had taken off. He was in euphoria for a couple of minutes after, until he’d realised that he’d just let a robber escape his clutches.
Since then, they’d faced off quite frequently. Every time she used her charms against him, becoming bolder each time. They’d never actually clashed like other villains he’d faced up against, then again, he wasn’t so besotted with the others. He’d faced off against women villains before, he took greater care with them than he did to men, but he always got them in the end. But her. She was something else. It was love at first sight and whilst he’d hoped it’d pass… it didn’t. Every time he saw her, he fell a bit harder. It put him in quite a pickle.
The worst thing though, was that they actually got along. Considering their opposing sides, they had banter and over time, he was feeling like he was getting to know her. She was just intoxicating. As the days went on, he moved further and further away from catching her, simply because he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to capture her. But he had an obligation to. He was a superhero and whilst she was a very smart, crafty thief, she shouldn’t be a match for him. But she was.
.
.
.
It was one of Sanji’s days off and normally, he kept superhero work for night-time only but liked to keep an eye on the news during the day, just in case. It was incredibly rare that the police couldn’t deal with criminals during the day, the night-time was when the real low lives showed their faces in this city.
When the radio was suddenly interrupted by a special report, he felt his ears prick. It was telling civilians to stay indoors and avoid the city centre because a shoot-out had broken out. So far, no lives were lost but a few injured.
No more had to be said and Sanji was abandoning his relaxing day off. He’d never forgive himself if someone innocent got shot.
Stealth was a big part of his image and his suit was black for a reason, to blend in during the night. Right now, the only thing that fit in was his blond hair and tiny bit of yellow on his suit. Normally he would activate the invisibility feature on his suit, but he wanted the attention on him when he arrived. This way the shooting would be aimed at him and not civilians.
He landed with a thump on the police officers’ car just outside of city centre and all heads whipped towards him. He could see the relief on a few of their faces when they recognised him. It must be worse than he thought.
“Focus on civilian safety, get them out and I’ll deal with the gang.” Stealth Black said, launching himself back into the sky.
From above, Stealth Black could see carnage. A car was alight with two officers trapped behind it, surrounded by the gang who were slowly spreading themselves out and strategically using abandoned cars to move forward. His eyes narrowed at their organisation. So it looked like this might have been planned and they weren’t normal thugs.
Over the past few weeks, he’d heard rumours about a gang that had moved into the city. They were apparently recruiting members but nothing other than word of mouth had surfaced. He couldn’t do much else than keep his ear to the ground. Maybe this was the start of it.
He swiftly dropped behind the burning car to retrieve the stranded officers. “Are you injured?” His eyes scanned and found no more than a couple scrapes and a lot of dirt.
They both shook their heads.
“Keep still and brace yourselves.” Without another word, he wrapped his arm around each of them, stood up and activated the boosters in his boots as he kicked the flaming vehicle in front of him towards the gang. This gave him the opening he needed as gang members jumped out the way and shouted to each other about his arrival. He left the officers just outside the shooting zone, where an ambulance was on hand and took off again without a word.
He ran through the shooting zone, bullets flying past him or ricocheting off his suit as their attacks were now focused on him and started taking them down one by one. They were smart thugs, but they were still human, he laid off the boosters that helped increase his kicking power and that seemed to be enough.
He ducked as a thug swung their gun, attempting to hit him in the face and Stealth Black swept his leg out to knock the guy off his feet. Once the thug was down, he brought his foot down sharply onto his chest and heard a few ribs break. He shouldn’t be getting up quickly.
The gang, sensing they were losing to one person, all swarmed him in an attempt to overwhelm him. He backflipped into a handstand, bringing his legs out vertical and spun, hitting some of the thugs that were close enough and stunning a few before they got too close.
“Ben, no!” A scream tore through the air.
Stealth Black’s head whipped in the direction of the voice, only to find a child running across the shooting zone. The child had escaped the grasp of his mother as they were being moved to safety and now the police were having a hard time holding the mother back too.
He knew that no thugs took sympathy, regardless of whether it was a child or not and that if he didn’t get to the child quick enough, one of the thugs would shoot.
Whilst he was distracted, a thug saw an opening and hit Stealth Black on the back of the head. He was dazed for a moment and the world went silent as he desperately tried to catch up. A thug wrapped their arms around him to hold him in place as more gathered. He snapped out of it when he heard the mother screaming again for her child and his senses came back to him.
Stamping his foot down, he created a shockwave of power that launched him, and the thug wrapped around him, into the air whilst the other thugs went sprawling. He sharply dug his elbow into the thug behind him and watched as he fell to the ground below.
Looking again for the child, he was met with a sight that chilled his blood and made time stop moving. One of the gang members had seen the child and was raising his gun ready to shoot. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through him, as he took off charging with everything he had towards the child. Whilst he prayed for a miracle, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to reach the child in time and his brain was working through every possible option to overcome the inevitable.
The bullet was already flying towards the child, who was stood still, paralysed by fear.
He could feel his heart pounding in his ear as his stomach plummeted.
He wasn’t going to make it.
Suddenly the sky turned dark and electric crackled through the air.
“Thunder tempo!”
And then there she was. God, she was so overwhelmingly beautiful. Wind whipped around her face, making her hair fly through the air as a ferocious lightening bolt hit the gun wielding thug. She swooped in and picked the, now crying, child up in her arms and used her baton to deflect the bullet. Interesting, he’d never seen her the baton before, maybe it was new?
When he would look back on this moment in the future, he would this as the tipping point of when he started to fall in love with her and confirm that she wasn’t a villain.
Any tension suddenly left, as the last crispy thug fell to the floor and the crowd around them cheered.
Black Cat looked completely bewildered as people came closer to start congratulating them both. The mother of the child came weeping towards her, thanking her profusely again and again. She managed to stutter out a quiet you’re welcome, as she handed over the child in her arms to the mother.
However, as the camera crews started to come over, he could see her starting to panic. Her eyes darting around the area for the easiest escape route in all the mayhem. To his delight, she’d never had that look around him. She always seemed at ease… probably because she had the upper hand, but he still liked that she was relaxed around him- even if he was a hero.
She jumped when he strolled up to her, his arm resting on the small of her back to get her attention. He murmured in her ear, “You want to get out of here?”
Whilst his words were supposed to be overly flirtatious, she gave him a relieved smile regardless. “Please.”
“Hold on then.” The arm on her back snaking around her waist and they were airborne. Her screaming into his ear as she strangled him in a chokehold and him laughing.
He soon regretted laughing when they landed on the top of a roof building because she soon hit him over the head and was lecturing him about warning someone first before doing that.
She was still angry when he suddenly wrapped her up in a hug and all the anger bled out of her when she heard his heavy breathing.
“Are you okay?” She asked, as she tentatively wrapped her arms around him, unsure what to do.
“I thought he was going to die,” his voice small.
Suddenly Black Cat understood, the moment had passed and now he was forced to deal with the emotions. Her arms wrapped around him surely now and rubbed up and down his back in a soothing manner. He couldn’t see it, but she smiled. He really cared, huh.
“But he didn’t.”
“All thanks to you- I can’t thank you enough, I don’t know how to show my appreciation.”
“You don’t have to. I don’t want to see a child die, or anyone innocent for that matter.”
Stealth Black pulled away but clasped her hands in his and blinded her as if face lit up behind his mask and glasses. “I knew you were good. Join me! We’d make a great team.”
“We’d make a fantastic team. But no. I’m not made for that right now.” She hated that his face dropped. “But you’re great at it. It’s fun to watch you in action when I’m not the one trying to escape.”
“You were watching…?”
She cursed herself for getting too comfortable. She’d been sitting there before he even arrived, ready to step in should she need to. He was impressive, it wasn’t something she had seen him do before, commanding officers and skilfully fighting off thugs. “Well, it’s- uh, yeah.” Her shoulders dropped. “But you know, you can show you appreciation by not telling anyone! I have a reputation to upkeep.”
He felt warm inside. She was rough around the edges but a good person at heart and had his back when he wasn’t enough.
She extracted her hands from his grip as he just stared at her. It was of course flattering but she could only deal with his adoring look for so long without feeling… things… for him.
She really needed to go.
But she couldn’t leave without teasing him a bit, butterflies in her stomach or not. The hand on his arm got his attention as she leaned in to leave him with the trademark lipstick mark on his cheek.
What she wasn’t expecting, was for him to use his other hand to pull his mask down enough to reveal his lips and to turn his head.
To kiss her.
On the lips.
The wasn’t part of the plan at all, she frantically thought. He was hesitant for a second, giving her a chance to break the kiss and kept still. When she didn’t pull away, he applied pressure and moved his lips. She found herself melting into the long overdue kiss.
Black Stealth felt like he’d died and gone to heaven, something he would not be upset about right now. The woman he was pretty sure he was in love with was kissing him back and if he heard right, she just sighed into the kiss. He tightened his arms around her, pressing them together as tightly as possible and she reciprocated by angling her head and running her hands through his hair.
As intoxicating as she was, he needed to breath. When he pulled away and looked at her, she was dazed. Eyes glassy, cheeks flushed and smeared red lipstick, most of it was probably on his lips right now but he didn’t care. She was still in his arms, not hitting him for kissing her.
“That probably wasn’t a good idea,” she whispered against his lips, but made no move to pull away.
“Probably not, but I just don’t care. Do you?” He whispered back.
She smiled at the confession. “I like this, it suits you.” Rubbing her fingers against the scruff on his chin. “I have to go.” She said, leaning back in for a quick peck on his lips before she was pulling the mask on his face back up.
He could only nod, not expecting the second kiss. As she began to pull away, he came to his senses and grabbed her hand before she could go. She turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
“I have a feeling this wasn’t a one off and might be part of a gang operation that’s slowly growing. I haven’t heard much, no one has, do you know anything?”
Black Cat considered him for a moment before answering, “Not really. Same as you, only hear say. I hear they’re dangerous and expanding at a fast rate. That’s it.”
Stealth Black couldn’t hide the disappointment on his face, he’d wanted more information. He nodded anyway, thankful that she’d at least been comfortable telling him something, they weren’t exactly on the same side. Him on the ‘good side’ and her sitting in a weird grey area. “Hm, okay, thanks anyway,” he hesitated a moment before continuing, “Just… be careful okay? I don’t want anything happening to you, especially if they get wind that you helped me.”
She squeezed his hand, smiled and turned around. Just as she was about to leap from the roof she stopped, turning her head and said, “Those were on the house, the next kiss will cost you.”
And just like that she was gone.
But he still smiled in triumph. There was going to be a next time.
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The gang had finally made their appearance, the shoot-out in city centre had only been their introduction. It was no longer vague rumours.
He’d seen his fair share of petty gangs, but this was nothing like that, they were the real deal. Highly organised and from the few vans he’d busted they were transporting drugs but none of the lower ranking thugs in the gang didn’t know the identity of the boss. Seemed he was pulling the strings behind the scenes, clever. They’d also committed bank robberies and he’d noticed the police were becoming less effective. There was less urgency in their movements, and he got the impression higher ups were being paid off by the gang.
Newspapers were unaffected, though they didn’t pose much of a threat and didn’t know any more than him. They did, however, keep him up to date with what villains were currently on the loose and supposedly they were linked with the new gang starting up. Yet he never bumped into any of these villains.
Things were starting to get out of control, and he got the impression this is what they wanted. Cause chaos, meanwhile, gain the upper hand in underground dealings and they’d be running the city.
Normally he would listen in to the police scanner on his days off or during the night for anything major going on. Now it was eerily silent, apart from the odd drunk driver. Instead he’d now taken to doing nightly patrols to see if he could gain any leads. He did this in his stealth mode so that no one could see him and catch on to what he was doing. Yet he’d found nothing. Not a thing. They weren’t sloppy and it was starting to irritate him.
Just as he was about to turn in for the night, he saw something jump past him on his left. What was someone doing jumping about on the rooftops? He followed the direction they went and what he saw made him feel like he’d finally hit the jackpot.
Kalifa.
She was part of an organisation that he’d captured a couple of years ago. They ran their own form of justice, which included killing people if they saw it fit. They made themselves judge, jury and executioner.
He landed on the roof, several feet away to observe her before he took any action.
“My, my, Stealth Black, long time no see. What can I do for you?”
He stayed silent; she shouldn’t be able to see him in stealth mode.
“I know you’re there. You thought I wouldn’t learn your tricks after last time?”
He sighed and became visible. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m not doing anything illegal, so that’s not any of your business.” She smirked and adjusted her glasses.
“You did escape prison though. How?” He demanded.
Many years ago he’d struggled to capture Kalfia, he was raised not to hit woman which is hilarious for a superhero. He’d always used his Stealth mode to capture them, it’d been a handy feature. However, that mode didn’t prevent blushing and stumbling around on his part. He knew women would always be a weakness and he had to factor that in when he went up against one. Then Black Cat strolled into his life and raised the bar. It’d been a blessing and a curse. He was somewhat immune to other villains’ charms, becoming more effective at catching them… but then he couldn’t catch Black Cat. Not that he really wanted to. But that was a different matter.
“It helps when you have connections,” she drawled coyly. “Enough chit chat though, I have appointments to get to.”
He just managed to throw up his leg and block the kick meant for his abdomen, what he hadn’t expected was for her other leg to come up and clock him around the face.
“You’ve gotten faster, that’s a pain.” He grits out as his head throbbed. Maybe he needed a helmet, everyone liked to hit him there. He backflipped into a handstand to avoid the foot coming down on his head and when he looked, the concrete had cracked from the impact. Okay, he needed to get serious. Except she didn’t let up and he spent his time dodging or blocking her attacks as they came hurtling towards him. “Appointments, huh? I heard you joined the gang that came into the city.”
She gave a short laugh. “Nosey journalists, how do they find this information out? Maybe there’s a rat… or feline, on the loose.”
He blocked the last kick, shoved his foot out and sent her falling to the ground. He was exhausted and in trouble. Whilst his stealth mode seemed to be useless around her, he used it anyway, just in case he could throw her off and took out the cuffs from in belt. As she started to pick herself up, he used the boosters on his boots to send a shockwave through the ground and succeeded in throwing off her footing. Using this to his advantage, he flew forward and locked one of her hands in the cuffs but just missed the second hand as her foot came out to trip him.
Stumbling back, he managed to keep himself upright but now had to come up with something else. At least one part of the cuffs was on.
Kalifa started laughing and Stealth Black couldn’t be more confused. “You thought that cheap trick would work again?” She boasted. And he watched in disbelief as the cuff slid straight off of her, falling to the floor with a loud clang. Stealth Black could only gape. What the hell was he going to do? He grit his teeth, he couldn’t hit her but he really needed to. It was the only time in his life that he cursed his father for instilling this belief in him.
“It appears I’ve had an upgrade, whilst you’re still left in the dark. Let’s see if you can keep up now.” She said. Her body became slick and shiny as she surged forward.
He threw his knee up again to block the hit and watched as her leg slipped straight off of his to the side and came back around to hit him in the kidneys. He fell sideways as pain erupted in his side. He couldn’t even block her now.
She was now charging towards him, but his body wasn’t responding. He was fatigued. He managed to lift both his legs and hit them against the roof top, creating an even bigger shock wave to send her flying backwards. It would do nothing but buy him some time.
It started to rain, and he groaned. It’d been clear skies just a few moments earlier but as he looked up, he could see clouds starting to form. He really didn’t need this right now. He was getting his arse kicked and he was going to be rained on. It felt like his luck was running out.
Oh god, she was getting up again. He heaved himself to sit upright whilst his mind whirled for solutions.
“You look like you could use a hand.”
Relief rushed through Stealth Black at the sound of her voice and he turned to see her standing there in all her glory, baton extended at the ready. Black Cat. His knotted stomach calmed, and his heartbeat picked up. Oh thank god.
“You really should learn how to deal with women… apart from me, of course,” she said, winking as she walked past him.
Kalfia looked at Black Cat in disdain. “What a surprise to see you here Black Cat, seems you’re quite the accessory to Stealth Black. I’m sure people would be interested to know that.”
Stealth Black had no idea what was going on, but Black Cat’s face screwed up and she went straight on the attack. She whipped her baton for Kalfia’s face, but the woman dodged it. Kalfia started a flurry attack, much like she did with Stealth Black, except Black Cat would allow herself to actually hit the woman. The hits were actually landing this time, did the rain affect Kalifa’s abilities? Black Cat managed to hit Kalifa in the face once and then in the stomach, before sending out a harsh wind from the baton.
Black Cat didn’t give the woman a chance to recover before she was sending a thunder bolt straight through the woman’s chest.
Kalfia’s eyes lost their focus and she opened her mouth to let out a puff of smoke before falling to the floor in a steaming pile.
Stealth Black was speechless. He was in awe of the woman in front of him… and if he was honest, a little turned on. She was a powerhouse. Another quality to add to the list of things he loved about the woman in front of him.
Black Cat turned to him, “Do you still have handcuffs?”
His head filled with images of the lady in front of him in handcuffs… or her using them on in, but he snapped out of it when she coughed and gave him a hard stare.
“Focus, we don’t have time for your daydreams.”
He passed her the handcuffs and she clicked one part around Kalfia’s wrist and the other to the drainpipe up on the roof.
“That should be enough to hold her, she’ll be woozy when she wakes up but make sure to keep her wet and take her to the police as soon as possible.”
“You’ve never been like that with me before.” Black Stealth said.
Nami’s head tilted in confusion before she understood what he meant. “Luckily you’ve never given me a reason to. I used to just bat my eyelashes at you, and you were putty.” She laughed.
“I’m glad, that looks like it hurt.” He walked closer to her and his hands itched to wrap them around her waist, but he wasn’t sure whether he was allowed to. They’d kissed but what if that was too familiar? “What are you doing here by the way? Not that I’m not thankful.”
“Luckily for you, I was passing by and saw she was about to kick your handsome face in. I’m the only one allowed to best you.”
His heart soared at the handsome comment and that she wrapped her arms around his neck, his own hands now making their way around her waist to settle there. The only thing that was odd, was the look on her face. He couldn’t read it. She’d never looked like that before. Normally she was an open book, but he didn’t question it as she pulled his mask down and leaned in to kiss him on the lips.
She sighed into the kiss and tilted her head. Her tongue touched his lips and before he knew it, he’d let her in, and she was playing with his tongue. When they parted, he squeezed her sides, he was just so happy he couldn’t resist. Even though he couldn’t see it, he knew there was a dazed expression on his face, he just couldn’t get enough of this woman.
“What’s the price for that kiss then?” He’d expected her to smile or laugh but he felt his stomach twist when she frowned, eyebrows pinched together in worry.
“Forgive me for what’s going to happen.”
His stomach plummeted but he didn’t get the chance to question what that was meant to mean, she extracted herself quickly from his embrace and was gone.
He felt empty.
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Black Cat is the newest member of underground gang
Sanji was at the restaurant on break when he saw the news. He felt like he could be sick.
He went back to work in a daze, and it was only as he was cooking and flipping ingredients in the pan that his mind began to wonder. The puzzle started to piece together. She said she’d been watching him take down the gang… because she was already one of them? That’s why she was there? But why would be intervene and take down some of her own guys? Then again, when she ran into him facing up against Kalfia. Kalfia said she had appointments, was Black Cat her appointment? She was meeting her to join the gang? Or was she already in and they were going to do something? But why stop Kalfia?
‘-quite the accessory to Stealth Black. I’m sure people would be interested to know that.’ That sentence Kalfia had said kept going around in his head. He hadn’t thought anything of it, was she threatening Black Cat? With him? His thoughts were going around in circles and he had no answers coming to mind. He didn’t believe for a second she was a villain, there must be an angle he was missing.
The thing haunting him the most, was her expression as she told him to forgive her. A villain didn’t ask for that. A villain didn’t kiss the hero either.
He had no solid answers to the majority of his questions, but he believed in her and his gut was telling him she needed his help.
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It turned out following her was incredibly hard. Normally he was too… overwhelmed after meeting with her to actually pursue her after a robbery. He doubted she’d ever give him the information, but he was curious about her baton. It turned out she could also turn herself invisible using it. It’s like they were made for each other~
He shook his head, now wasn’t the time for fantasies of the two of them but he was seriously thankful that she didn’t use all those moves on him or he’d actually have a hard time with her. He did feel a tiny bit guilty for underestimating her. It did give him an opportunity to use the new feature in his glasses though, the heat signature that Franky had just put in.
Even with that though, he still had difficulty keeping up with her without being caught. She certainly earned the title of cat, she was agile, ducking and diving through alley ways and above rooftops. Where on earth was she going? They were starting to get close to the docks in the rough side of the city. He certainly hoped she didn’t live around here, she could clearly handle herself, but he’d still be worried. Anything could happen in this city.
Since the news broke a week ago, he’d heard absolutely nothing from her. He didn’t exactly know what they were right now, but they’d kissed twice (her initiating the second) and she normally made sure to make an appearance at some point during his week, even if it was fleeting. Something wasn’t quite right.
He was pulled out of his thoughts as she came to a standstill in front of the pier, she appeared to be just gazing out at nothing and for a split second he considered going over to her. But then she was deactivating her invisibility and looking around. He stiffened when she looked straight at him, he thought if might just be chance until she waved and winked at him… she knew he was there? Had she let him follow her? How did she-? Stealth Black smiled to himself, reminded once again how amazing she was. This was planned. Any hesitation he had regarding her allegiance vanished and he kicked himself to doubting her. He knew Black Cat. He should be trusting her.
Ten minutes later and he was in their hideout. Considering it was underground, it had high ceilings, supported by multiple beams or scaffolding where it wasn’t quite complete yet. It did make him wonder how long this took to build and why no one noticed, but then if his information was correct and they were paying off people in high places then it’s really no surprise at all. Nevertheless, the high beams and scaffolding will be handy for him to navigate around here undetected alongside his invisibility.
The voices started to get louder as he made his way further into the hideout. As he entered the large room where the voices were coming from, he saw four men. Three of them were visible and standing in front of the fourth man who was sitting in an even bigger, imposing chair covered in shadows. The three visible men were huge… inhumanly huge.
In front of the group of men was Black Cat, she looked tiny compared to them.
“-and here she comes, crawling back after ruining our gang operation the other week and taking down Kalifa, for no good reason. We should kill you right now for being a rat.” One of the large men walked closer, leaning down over Black Cat.
Stealth Black felt his leg twitch and had to resist the urge to go down there to beat the shit out of him. To speak to her like that and threaten her. He could feel heat working its way up his body, as his anger spiked. Any thoughts were interrupted by her harsh tone.
“Oh cut the shit Kuroobi, if you believe any of that then you’re a fool.” She replied frostily. He’d never heard her voice so sharp and stinging, normally it was smooth and soothing like honey. “Have you not seen the newspaper? You think I want the police to take me as a serious threat? I’m a petty thief, like I want all of the city after me.”
Kuroobi snorted, “Don’t try and make me think that wasn’t you just so you can clear your name with us. You need us now to protect you.”
“And the coincidence that the news broke after Kalifa’s arrest? I told you all along she was the rat and you didn’t believe me. I had to step in, she was having a meeting with Stealth Black-”
“Funny that you mention him. We’ve heard news that you’re involved with him, kissing up on rooftops? You’ve been feeding-”
Stealth Black froze and his body tensed, ready to step in at a moment’s notice, this sounded like it could get ugly.
“Don’t interrupt me!” Kuroobi’s face darkened but stopped talking, “I’ve been keeping tabs on them both. Stealth Black is getting suspicious, I’ve been keeping him entertained- you’re welcome by the way- and he has no leads about what you guys are up to, thanks to me!” She paused and looked at all of them. “So don’t you dare accuse me!”
There was a tense moment as the four men stopped to consider her words, the three men turning to look at the man in the chair.
She was what? Keeping him entertained? His initial reaction was betrayal and hurt before he reminded himself that she knew he was here. She was lying to them to save face.
Kuroobi looked like he was about to argue some more but was interrupted when the deep voice from the shadows interrupted. “Calm down, Kuroobi. We have no reason to accuse her like this, for the time being what she says checks out. She’s our ally after all.” The man’s voice from the chair was calm.
“But boss-” Kuroobi was silenced as the man in the chair got up and made his way from the shadows, slowly walking down the steps in front of him to reach Black Cat.
He was bigger than the other three men, he made them look tiny in comparison. Much taller and vile looking. His calming voice didn’t match the twisted smile on his face. He had shaggy black hair, a long-pointed nose and razor-sharp teeth. He leaned over Black Cat and tilted her chin up so she couldn’t look anywhere else but at him.
“Because allies don’t betray each other and I’m sure Black Cat is smart enough to figure out what would happen if she did. I didn’t get this reputation for nothing.” His voice was still calm but there was an edge to it now, one that was threatening.
Black Cat shoved his hand off of her chin but maintained eye contact. “Well now you know. So stop sending people after me.” She turned to leave and just before she left the room, she called over her shoulder, “Also, I never agreed to killing innocent people when I joined.”
“Shahahaha, but you’ve teamed up with a gang that has no problems with it? You have no moral compass, so don’t get high and mighty on us.” The men continued to laugh as she left without another word.
Stealth Black didn’t miss the way her face screwed up as they laughed.
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Sanji was tired. It’d been a long week. Between his day job as a chef and spending his nights and days off patrolling, he’d had no time to relax. Since the hideout he’d heard nothing from Black Cat, or the gang, and he was starting to get nervous. His previous conclusion was correct, Black Cat had let him follow because since then he couldn’t find her, no matter how much he wanted to. That meant it would be another night patrolling to try and find her or see if the gang is doing anything around the docks where they were based.
He’d contacted his friend in the police force to try and get details on the gang. He had a name of one key member and description for the illusive boss, but his friend couldn’t tell him anything. Apparently, things were tense within the precinct at the moment, anyone digging too deep into gang activity were moved onto different tasks or sent on a goose chase that led nowhere. He left his friend with what little details he had and told him to let him know if he hears anything else.
When he’d booted up his own computer to do some research, he’d only found snippets of activity from eight years ago. The name Kuroobi popped up in the article and pictures of him and another man that looked similar to the guys from the hideout, but they looked so much smaller. Nothing compared to the huge bulky men from the other night. The article briefly discussed gang activity in villages before they suddenly disappeared.
It was so frustrating, considering the major events that were going on, no one knew anything. He’d never seen anything like it in his time of being a superhero.
Rubbing his face, Sanji walked to his apartment door and prepared himself for a night of more researching and patrolling. Entering his apartment, he took off his shoes and put his bag down on the table next to the door. He took one step in and knew something wasn’t right. There was a breeze. He always made sure windows were locked before he left. He stilled and waited, no noise. But that didn’t mean the place was empty.
He started to migrate through the apartment, back pressed against the wall and tentatively looking around corners to clear rooms. He’d cleared the kitchen and office, by the looks of it nothing had been touched. Odd.
Even though the apartment so far looked untouched, he didn’t let his guard down. Someone might not be after possessions, after all. He breathed out slowly, to calm himself as he stood next to the opening for the living room. Quickly whipping his head round to look in, he met a pair of amber eyes looking back at him.
“Took you long enough, do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”
Sanji had moved away from the wall and was now standing in the doorway, mouth ajar in disbelief at what he was seeing. There Black Cat was in all her glory, seductively stretched out across his sofa, one arm supporting her head and the other propped on her hip. It was like one of his fantasies come true, he had to remind himself not to faint. But then he realised, he wasn’t currently Stealth Black… he was Sanji.
“Uhhhh...” Damn him. He couldn’t think of a single thing to say, he was too shocked.
She stood up, walking to him and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Do you want to sit down?” She asked comfortingly. Black Cat did find it funny, honestly, he looks like he’s seen a ghost, all the colour in his face was gone and he couldn’t string together a single sentence. Almost like when they met, ah good times.
When he sat down, she sat down next to him as well… a bit too closely, which certainly didn’t help his brain with thinking. He ended up blurting out, “I don’t have anything worth stealing!” It was almost worth looking like a fool when she started pealing with laughter. It did cause a blush to appear on his face
“For once, I’m not here for that,” she said once she’d calmed down. She leaned in closer all of a sudden and Sanji had to not think about the breasts pressing against his arm or the hot breath on his ear as she whispered, “I know who you are, Stealth Black.”
His stomach dropped. “How- how do you… when did you- what?!” He couldn’t articulate anything, there was too many questions and his brain couldn’t organise them, they just came flooding out all at the same time.
At least she moved back so she could give him a second to breath, but somehow the hand she put on his knee in a comforting gesture made him even dizzier. “I’ve known since the beginning. All those months ago, just after my first theft I found out. I like to know what I’m up against.”
“Why did you never say anything?”
“There was never a need to and I never told anyone either. That information was just for me.”
He’d calmed down by now and rested his hand over hers on his knee and squeezed it. “Thank you. So, why are you telling me now?”
“Things have changed, my plan is now in tatters. I wasn’t exactly planning on your competence, you have a very handy weakness to women, and then there’s us- ah well, I mean-” Her eyes were as big as saucers as she looked at him, she hadn’t planned on having a discussion about their relationship right now, it’d just slipped out.
“That we’re a couple?”
“Well you’re bold all of a sudden, you couldn’t even form a coherent sentence just a few minutes ago!”
“You wouldn’t have kissed me if you didn’t want to be.” Sanji smirked at her.
“And how are you so sure?”
“Because from what I’ve heard, you use your feminine appeal if the situation calls for it, but you’ve never kissed someone.”
“You’ve been keeping tabs on me?”
“I have a friend in the force, and I ask him about you. I worry about you.” He finished before smirking, “You sure give them a run for their money though.” He remembered his friend begrudgingly admitting how difficult she was when they occasionally encountered her. It appeared she kept her criminal activity according to his schedule.
She snorted, pleased with herself.
He flipped the hand still on his knee so he could tangle his fingers with hers. “I want to be a couple, if you want…” His voice trailing off, unsure.
Black Cat could feel a blush forming on her face and she felt flustered, she nodded and choked out, “After all of this is done.” Normally his face was covered with a mask and glasses but to be at the brunt of such a radiant smile was almost too much, did he even realise how handsome he was? “We still have a gang to deal with and it won’t be easy.”
They were interrupted from any further discussion as her stomach grumbled, Sanji raised an eyebrow looking at her. “When was the last time you ate?”
“I’ve eaten today,” she said flippantly.
Sanji’s eyes narrowed at her vague answer and recalled earlier that she’d been waiting for ages. He looked at his watch, it was almost 8pm. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen. I’m a chef, I don’t like people going hungry.”
“Oh no really, it’s fine!”
Except he wasn’t listening anymore and left the living room to go to the kitchen down the hall, leaving her to trail behind him, insisting that she didn’t need to be fussed over.
“Don’t you at least want to change first?” She asked. He was still in his suit from work at the restaurant.
“Not right now, I can change later once we’re both fed.” His jacket was now hung-over a bar stool at the kitchen bar, and he was rolling up the sleeves of his shirt as he started getting ingredients out. “Take a seat.” He gestured for her to sit on the other bar stool.
She sighed. No matter what she said he was intent on feeding her and hadn’t listened to a word she said in protest. Giving up, she took a seat and settled on watching him cook. At least from this vantage point she could give him a once over without him catching her, admiring the way his suit fitted him. He turned to ask her something and raised an eyebrow when he caught her red-handed checking him out, or more accurately, his behind. He didn’t need to say anything when she jumped and suddenly averted her eyes to the side, pretending to take in the kitchen.
When he’d finishing plating up the food, he turned and this time she was actually looking around his kitchen. This was almost surreal, having Black Cat in his kitchen eating dinner with him. He felt like he should pinch himself.
This was one of the best things about being a chef. He’d placed the food in front of her and whilst she’d politely waited for him, he didn’t miss the delight on her face when she’d started eating. He enjoyed people enjoying his food.
Whilst they were eating, he started telling her about his day. They’d held conversations in the past and they did actually get along quite well, but it struck him that he knew very little personal details about her. It wasn’t much of a surprise, she was a wanted person after all, and he wasn’t sure whether she’d even tell him.
He stopped talking midstream, interrupting himself, “What about you? Apart from breaking into my apartment, not that I mind, what have you been up to? Actually, I haven’t seen you for a week, have you been okay?”
She considered him for a moment, deciding on what information to give him, “Well, I circled around the city for a bit today before breaking in, to make sure no one was following me. As for my week, I’ve been at work. I’ve being putting Black Cat away, until I could come here. I think there’s people looking for me.”
That was a lot of information to take in, Sanji thought. “There’s people looking for you?” He asked with concern.
“I think I’m being kept tabs on by the gang, I may have cleared some of my name but they’re suspicious. Maybe let’s get into this after we’ve eaten. I have a lot to discuss with you.”
“So, you also work? Similar to myself then. What do you do?”
She smiled coyly, “Trying to find me?”
It hadn’t even occurred to him before, until this very moment, “Wait, have we met? When I’m me and you’re not Black Cat?”
She laughed and looked amused when she replied, “Yes we have, and you barely looked at me. It was both incredibly flattering and a bit rude. You were too hung up over Black Cat in the newspaper.”
Wracking his brain he couldn’t even think of when this may have happened. To be fair, he was always hung up over her… but to ignore her over Black Cat… but then she was Black Cat, so his attention was on her. His head was starting to hurt.
“You know I am actually interested in you behind the mask, right?” He had to clarify this, whilst they were skirting around the topic.
She nodded and smiled, “I kind of guessed when you showed no interest in any women at all, apart from Black Cat.”
It was now his turn to smile, “So, you’ve been keeping track of civilian me and my personal relationships?”
She couldn’t make eye contact as she replied, “You’ve shown a great amount of interest, I wanted to see whether it was genuine or not.”
It was true. At first, she had been curious when he’d ignored her. She knew she was attractive and knew about his weakness to women, but when she’d started to develop feelings for him in return, she was checking to make sure he wouldn’t break her heart.
“Because you like me?” Sanji couldn’t keep the joy out of his voice.
“Well I think we’ve already covered this, why else would I have kissed you?” She rolled her eyes, trying to stamp down the blush.
“I know, I just can’t believe it.” He paused as he considered her words and the meaning running deeper underneath. “I know I have a certain reputation around the city as being weak to women, but that just came from be inability to hit them.” He ran a hand through his hair, trying to pick his words carefully. “I was raised not to hit women; it was ingrained in me and I’ve never been able to shake it off. But please don’t misconstrue it. I’m a one-woman man.”
Next to him, she smiled. She already suspected as much, but it did put her at ease hearing it from him. It appeared she’d picked a good one. She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Thanks for dinner, let me help wash up.” He didn’t even see her pick up his empty plate as she made her way over to the sink.
They continued discussing their weeks, her hedging around any personal details she wasn’t willing to share yet, as Sanji washed and Black Cat dried.
It was nice, Sanji thought. Having her like this, not on opposing sides and just being domestic. Even if she was still is her costume. It was as close as he could have her for the time being.
It was almost 9.30pm by the time they’d finished, and he made them both a coffee. There was still a lot to discuss. They both settled back on the sofa in the living room, leaving their mugs on the coffee table in front of it.
Before Sanji could say anything, Black Cat put her hand on his arm to stop him. “There’s a lot to go through, so I’m going to go from the beginning and stop me if you have any questions.” She said.
“You’ve now seen the most prominent gang members, they run everything but never go out in the field, so that’s why you’ve never seen them. They pull the strings from behind the scenes. They’re incredibly dangerous and if you go against them, they will ruin your life. They either know everything about you or have enough connections to find out.” She paused. “I’ve never been Black Cat before moving to this city, I’m only here because I want to take them down and this suit provides the people close to me safety. Also, it gave me the opportunity to build a reputation so they’d invite me into their gang, and I could find out what their plan was.”
So he had been right, he’d never been able to find out any information about her prior to her appearance here.
She continued. “The gang is run under Arlong. He’s the boss. Without my mask he’d know who I was instantly. Eight years ago, he ran my village into the ground. We were thriving and happy, but he came in to use it as a test run. He brought criminals into our village and imposed a tax on all of us to ensure our safety from them. The police in our village stood up to them. The woman leading them was my adoptive mother Bell-mère,” she paused for a moment to compose herself (‘Bell-mère, no, Bell-mèrrrrrre’), it still stung. “He beat her and publicly killed her in front of the village to make a point.” A tear escaped and ran down her cheek.
Sanji ground his teeth, not only hearing of how they treated women but for Black Cat. For her to go through all of that… and then to be working for them. His hand reached out to hold hers, his thumb rubbing along the back of her hand to rub along it in a soothing gesture.
She paused, gathering herself, before continuing. “The village agreed afterwards no one else should have to die like that and we obeyed his rules, waiting for the day he’d leave. He finally did and took all the resources with him. I swore to myself I would make it right. For Bell-mère and for my village. I later found out he was producing drugs. There’s a reason why they’re all so big. They’re manufacturing drugs that alter human abilities. They’re unstable and have adverse effects, I refused to take them, but Kalifa did and so have they. They’re inhumanly strong and quick. He thinks with a big enough army, no one will be able to stand in his way, so he can start taking over the region.”
“Shit, this isn’t good.” Okay, so they were in deep trouble. He exhaled loudly and started thinking about what they were going to do.
“I can feel you thinking. I already have a plan in motion. I had one from the very start, but someone came into the picture and I’ve had to alter it. I now need your help.”
He shouldn’t be happy about this situation, but he couldn’t stop himself. She wasn’t a bad guy at all, and she hadn’t planned on using him, she genuinely liked him. She’d made it pretty clear by now that this was the case, but it was just so nice to hear. He cupped her face and brought her into a swift kiss. “I’m all ears, m’dear. The floor is yours.”
She coughed to compose herself from the sudden kiss, “Well, ah, yes. The plan. It turns out I actually am the leak; my friend works in the newspaper and I’ve been leaking information to put pressure on Arlong and his men. I was always going to pin it on Kalifa, I’d mentioned her to Hatchan, Arlong’s right hand man, and he fell for the bait and recommended her to Arlong. He’s not the sharpest tool.” She laughed to herself. “Obviously, I had to move up the schedule once I’d taken her down, with her new abilities you wouldn’t have been able to take her down without exerting force, and I outed myself to the papers myself to try and win myself more time with Arlong. I know where the drugs are and where they’re storing their money. They don’t know about my clima-tact; I’ve worked hard to keep that a secret. It’s the only thing I have against them that they won’t be expecting-”
“Sorry to interrupt, but I was curious about the baton, will you tell me about it?” It wasn’t relevant at all, but there had been so many questions going round in Sanji’s head for weeks and seeing most of them were slowly being checked off, he might as well go for this one too.
Black Cat considered him for a moment, before answering. “I have a friend who’s quite handy and he made it for me, as well as some other gadgets. It’s a weather weapon, I have a degree in climatology and with that knowledge I can control the clima-tact.” She finished proudly.
“So you work in weather?” Sanji considered her for a second, she’d make a beautiful weather lady.
“That’s the first thing you think of after I tell you about a magic weather weapon?” She laughed. “But no, hopefully after all of this is done, I’d like to get into the field.”
“You’re amazing, you know. Doing all of this.” Sanji could feel himself falling deeper into the rabbit hole after talking to her. They’d spoken before during the 6 months he’d known her but not like this. She was a beautiful person, through and through.
Moving closer, Black Cat tucked her head in the crook of his neck. She’d never felt so comfortable around someone before. She could hear his heartbeat picking up and she smiled. He was still so nervous around her, it made her like him even more that he technically had her at the point but still had this kind of reaction around her. She moved her hand to twine with his and his free hand came to rest over their joined ones. “Hmmm, this is nice.”
He didn’t say anything in return, just rested his head on top of hers.
Jolting awake, Sanji woke to a pitch-black room, only the streetlights outside giving a dim glow. He could feel a weight in his hand and looked down to see their hands still loosely joined. She’d stayed. And fallen asleep with him. He wanted to squeeze her, he was so content right now, but he didn’t want to wake her.
Looking at his watch it was only 12am, they hadn’t nodded off for long, but he did feel self-conscious, it’d been a long day and he was pretty sure he smelled. The inner gentleman in him refused to leave her to sleep on the sofa, he’d move her to his bed, and he’d sleep on the sofa after taking a shower.
As he picked her up, she stirred and tucked herself in closer to him, mumbling incoherently. How cute. He laid her down, using a spare blanket to lay over her and moved over to his draws to pull out sleeping bottoms before going to the adjoining bathroom to shower.
It was a quick shower, only about ten minutes and he was walking back into his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his shoulders trying to get the moisture out of his hair. He was careful not to shine the light from the bathroom onto her face, only using it so he could make it out the room without stubbing his toe.
There was a sense of déjà vu as he looked at the bed to see her laying before him, amber eyes meeting shocked blue ones. “Oh, you’re awake, did I wake you? Sorry.”
She completely ignored what he said, “You really weren’t joking about working out, you’re ripped.” Except her tone wasn’t joking or coy like usual, she sounded in awe. She’d always known he had a good body; it was hard to miss in his suit but seeing him without a top on. He was lean but muscular. Defined arms, even though he didn’t use his hands to fight, broad shoulders that tapered down to a trim waist and six pack. What a view.
And just like that, the room was flooded with tension as they took each other in. Their eyes moving along the others body before resting on the other’s face. For once, not in a dangerous situation or where they’re trying to read the other’s movements. Sanji could feel his heart pounding and in the quiet room, he wondered if she could hear it too. Her eyes were huge, and they were slowly drawing him in. He’d never seen her look at him like that and he had to convince himself to swallow and breath to keep a level head.
He didn’t realise he’d moved until his legs hit the bed. She was looking up at him now, pushing herself to sit up and her arms slid along his arms to grab the towel around his neck to pull him down, so his face was a hairsbreadth away from hers. His arms came down on either side of her face to support himself as he leaned over her. They slowly drew in closer to each other until they met in the middle to kiss. This wasn’t like any of their other kisses. It started slowly, lips brushing against each other until their kisses became longer as more pressure was applied. They started to become hot, needy and desperate as Sanji slipped his tongue into her mouth. Perhaps it was because it was so long overdue, the time of night or because they were about to tread dangerous waters with this gang takedown.
None of those thoughts mattered though as Black Cat tugged the towel down closer to her, becoming frustrated by the distance still between them and pulled back to nip at his bottom lip. It didn’t take much more than that for him to change his position, his hand sliding along the thigh furthest away from him to part them and make space for himself. She had no issue with this, parting her legs in invitation as he settled his body in between them, no longer leaning over her. She gasped as his body settled against hers and he used the opportunity to slip his tongue back into her mouth. Her hands moved from the towel and pushed it away so she could thread her fingers through his hair, their mouths moving together in rhythm. She earned a groan of approval from him.
They broke apart for a brief second to catch their breaths, before meeting again for another hurried kissing, the bodies slowly starting to move against each other’s. His hands moved along the leather of her suit and groaned when his hand pressed up against the side of her breast. Her body was something else. He nibbled her lip in parting before he moved down to the side of her neck, leaving a trail of blazing hot kisses. She made the sexiest little noises and the way she was wiggling her hips was driving his crazy. He could feel himself hard and ready, only getting worse with each of her gasps, did she know how much he turned her on?
She did in that moment as she ground her hips fully against him. He could feel the heat through her suit and could only imagine how wet she was. Hotly against her neck, he said, “You’re so sexy,” and squeezed her breast over her suit. The moan he received in response was almost dizzying and she slowly started a rhythm of moving her hips to rub against him, her legs tight against his waist, locking him in place. Not that he was going anywhere, his hips moving along with hers and pulling back to thrust against her.
He pulled away to look down at her face. She was breath-taking and he couldn’t believe that he was in this moment with her. His hand moved from her breast up to the zip to slowly pull it down but hesitated. He looked at her face again and was met with smouldering amber eyes, they hazily looked back at him in question as to why he’d stopped. Amber eyes filled with lust… behind a black mask.
He sighed and pulled away to sit up on the back of his heels, trying to reason with himself and resist the urge to ravish her. His hands running through his hair in frustration.
“Sanji, what’s wrong?” She asked, sitting up in concern. Moments ago they were filled with lust, now they reflected nothing but worry.
“I can’t do it like this,” he said despairingly. One of her hands moved to his shoulders to comfortingly rub along them and encourage him to continue speaking. “I don’t want our first time to be like this. You deserve more. I want to wine and dine you first, know everything about you and not have a gang looming over us. And I completely understand you might be uncomfortable taking your mask off right now, but I want to see you properly when we do this. You. Not Black Cat.”
Oh, she’d picked a good one alright. “You’re right. It’s okay.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to offend you. I want you; I really do but, I want everything.” He couldn’t bring himself to look at her yet.
Hands moved to cup his jaw, bringing him up to face her. “You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met. You’re right though, now’s not a good time for this. Come here.” She removed her hand from his shoulder and opened her arms to hug him.
He returned the hug eagerly, bringing her up to him, squeezing her to him and making her laugh. “Please stay the night here though, I’ll take the sofa, I’d worry if you went out this late.”
“Just stay here,” she said matter-of-factly, and he had to ignore the way he twitched in his trousers, he was trying not to think about her in bed with him right now. Pure thoughts, pure thoughts, he chanted to himself in his head.
He nodded, composed. “If you want me to. I have a spare change of clothes; you can keep the mask on. No pressure.”
She went to change, coming back to join him, mask still on but cat ears off. He was laying on his back and to her delight, he hadn’t put a shirt on. They wouldn’t be doing anything tonight, but the eye candy wasn’t something she’d turn down. He lifted his arm for her when she entered the room and she accepted the silent invitation to cuddle into his chest, her hand resting over his heart.
.
.
.
He woke up alone, the light peeking through the curtains and the spot cold where she’d slept last night. He almost groaned in disappointment, he really wanted to wake up to her, but his eye caught the brightly coloured note on his chest.
Went home to shower. I’ll be back shortly.
We still have a lot of planning to do.
xxx
This time his groan was for another reason, the thought of showering with her and his mind running through last night. He’d done the right thing… but still. Shaking away any further thoughts, he went to have his own shower and prepare for when Black Cat got back. What should they have for lunch? Or would she be back in time for breakfast?
She wouldn’t be back in time for breakfast. She’d been gone for hours and he was starting to worry. Sanji couldn’t help but fret, her note had said shortly. He’d begun pacing around the apartment, he didn’t want to be clingy and go looking for her, but he made a deal with himself, if she wasn’t back in 30 minutes, he’d put his Stealth suit on and go out.
Ten minutes later, he could hear the windowsill in his bedroom opening. He sprung up from the sofa in the living room (in vain he’d been trying to distract himself) and was met with a very dishevelled Black Cat. Her normally immaculate hair was all over the place, she was heavily breathing and… was that a rip in her suit? “Holy shit, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” He was in front of her, arms roaming across her body to look for any cuts. When it ran along her waist, she cringed, and his fingers came back with blood on them. “You’re bleeding?!” He said almost hysterically.
“Sanji, calm down. It’s not as bad as it looks. I was caught off guard. It’s a flesh wound really.” She tried to reassure him. “There was no point in showering though, I’m a mess again,” she tried to joke to lighten the mood, but it fell flat. He was too concerned.
He could kick himself. Here he was, in his comfortable apartment, whilst something happened to her. “Tell me what happened.”
She’d borrowed another of his shirts, so she could peel down her uniform whilst preserving her modesty and he could deal with the cut on her waist. It was just a flesh wound, but it didn’t make him feel better. As he cleaned her up, she was telling him about what had happened. She’d been right, Arlong had not been convinced and instead sent someone to just dispose of her. The thug had caught her by surprise on the way back and they’d scuffled, she’d struggled to get the upper hand but when she did, there hadn’t been any more issues.
“So, where is he now?”
“…Well, that’s the thing.” She paused, as if thinking about how to phrase this. “He’s passed out outside in the alley way, with zip ties around his hands and feet. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon but it does mean we need to strike tonight. I wanted to do it in a few days’ time, but we don’t have that luxury anymore. Arlong won’t like him not returning, he’ll know something’s wrong.”
Sanji rubbed his forehead, this was a nightmare, but he agreed with her. “Any plans for the body? We can’t leave him in my apartment, nor can we hand him into the police because they’re being paid off.”
“Well, I do have one idea… you said you have a friend in the police?”
.
.
.
“What did you say to get him to come here?” Black Cat had already shared her concerns with texting him outright, in case someone saw, or their messages were being monitored.
“I asked him if he wanted to come over for lunch,” he replied casually.
Her eyebrows shot up, “Seriously?! I told you to be discreet but where’s the urgency, we can’t leave an unconscious body outside?!”
“I never invite him for lunch.” He told her, deadly serious. “He’ll know something’s wrong.”
She cocked her head in confusion, they were friends, right? Anything else she had to say was cut off as there was a knock on the door.
Sanji looked through the peephole and opened the door. The other guy looked at Sanji, a bored expression on his face but changed to one of alarm as he saw Black Cat peering over Sanji’s shoulder. His hand went to the gun on his hip and hissed out, “What the hell is she doing here?”
Sanji’s face turned dark as he put himself fully between the man at the door and Black Cat. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, shitty bastard?”
“I’m obeying the law! She’s a criminal, I don’t forget that when a woman bats her eyes at me, unlike you, pervert.”
“What did you call me?”
“Per-vert.”
“Moss head!”
Black Cat could feel her temper thinning as the two grown men in front of her descended into childish bickering. It was the last straw as they both grabbed each other’s collars, tugging at each other. She walked over to them, hitting them both on the back of the head. “Would you two focus! We’re against the clock.”
It turned out Sanji’s police friend was actually a childhood friend named Zoro. They had an… interesting friendship, they were like brothers; easily descending into arguing and fighting, but clearly had each other’s backs like family. Sanji had reassured her that Zoro’s nicknames for him were way behind him. He’d admitted when he was younger, his soft spot for women was a bit more than just refusing to hit them, but he’d grown up since then and the moss head now used it to get on his nerves. She understood he was still a bit perverted; she’d seen that many times during their encounters, but it appeared to be with just her, he wasn’t the least bit interested in Kalifa and she was a stunning woman.
But regardless of their relationship, it was quite clear that Zoro didn’t trust her, no matter how much Sanji waved him off.
That didn’t stop her teasing him though, “Are you just annoyed you’ve never been able to catch me?” She smirked at him.
His face went red in annoyance and he huffed, turning his face to the side and refusing to look at her. It didn’t help that Sanji was next to her, throwing him looks too.
Before anything could start up again, she started talking about her plan. She wanted Zoro to take the guy from the alleyway into the police station but under the guise of public intoxication to get him out of the way for the time being and without anyone being paid off by Arlong to tip him off. She and Sanji would sneak into the hideout tonight.
Zoro wasn’t pleased about being left out of taking down the gang and it took some explaining from Black Cat to make him understand. They were dangerous and he had no disguise, even if Arlong was behind bars, anyone in his life wouldn’t be safe. Arlong had all kind of connections. She would be calling him in, with the rest of the police force, when they were down, and the drugs would be with them. Reluctantly he agreed but told them to contact him in case things went pear shaped.
After their planning, Sanji went down with Zoro to get the guy and make him look drunk. In other words, pouring alcohol on his clothes so he reeked. He’d be disorientated enough when he finally woke up to pass for drunk.
“You sure about her?” Zoro nodded up to Sanji’s apartment, referencing Black Cat.
Hands in his pockets, Sanji nodded. “Absolutely. She’s not a bad person.”
“She’s a criminal.”
“She’s a petty thief- and she’s only doing it to take down Arlong.”
Zoro considered his words and examined Sanji’s face. Not a hint of doubt.
“Worried about me?” Sanji said, smirking at the other man.
“Tch, no.” He responded in agitation.
They loaded to man into Zoro’s police car. Zoro was about to go but stopped as he opened the door, “Good luck tonight, call if you need me.” He got into the car but before he closed the door he called out, “You make a disgusting couple,” and slammed the door, not giving Sanji a chance to respond.
In his own weird way, Zoro had just given his approval.
Sanji smiled before making his way back up to his apartment and Black Cat. They still had to flesh out more details.
.
.
.
“You’re sure about this?” Stealth Black whispered to Black Cat, as they stood in front of a secret entrance she’d made for when this day came. “If you want a few more days to plan, you’re welcome to stay at my place.”
She rolled her eyes. “My plan’s always been the same, only now I have an accomplice. So this way it’s not impossible. Do you trust me?” She looked at him, holding eye contact.
“With my life.” Was his blunt response.
“Then we can do it. Let’s go.”
They’d gone down to the pier cloaked in invisibility. Black Cat had used that very moment to show a handy feature, she also had heat tracking so they could keep up with one another. The ears of her costume came down to become glasses when she needed them. He mentioned the similarity of her glasses with his and she waggled her eyebrows at him cheekily, casually mentioning her tech guy knew his, Franky. Where did he think his guy suddenly got the idea from?
“Right, so we first locate the drugs and money, then we pick them off one by one, that’s our only chance. It’ll only be Arlong and the other three right now, maybe a few strays that aren’t out and about but they’re easy to deal with. It’s those four we have to keep separate.” Stealth Black nodded, taking in the information she gave him.
Black Cat lead them, both masked in invisibility as they navigated through the hideout via the beaming and scaffolding near the ceiling. They were close to the main room where Arlong generally stayed and overheard him, his voice commanding. “What do you mean he hasn’t returned? Where the hell is she now?”
Another voice responded but was too quiet to make out, almost as if they didn’t want to be heard.
“You don’t know where Black Cat is? Did I not make my instructions clear? Don’t return without her body.” Arlong shouted and the body came crashing through the opening. “What the hell are you looking at? Go with him.”
Other bodies scurried out, picking up the man crumpled against the wall.
Stealth Black frowned and looked at the woman in front of him in worry. He wanted her dead and he couldn’t stop imagining it, his heart constricting. Over his dead body. She’d make it through this alive, she’s scarified enough.
Amber eyes turned to him, whispering, “Don’t worry, if they think I’m still out there, they won’t suspect I’m in here and-” she grinned, “-Arlong’s emptied out the place for us.”
Continuing forward, Black Cat did an exceptional job navigating their base and within minutes of entering they were dropping down from the ceiling to land in front of the door. It’d taken her a week to find this room, they’d kept it well hidden and by the looks of it only Arlong and his three most trusted men knew about it, as following lower ranking gang members had led to nothing. She’d had to follow Kuroobi, which was a risk, but it’d paid off and then opening it had been a cinch. They kept their loot in this room, both the money and merchandise. They appeared smart but clearly weren’t, why would you keep two valuable parts of the business together?
But she’d gotten cocky. Hearing Arlong send people out looking for her gave her confidence and she’d entered the room with very little precaution, Stealth Black following in after her, his back to her as he checked to make sure no one was coming.
That’s how they now found themselves face to face with Hatchan and Chew. Chew had been talking to Hatchan before they both heard the door open. Black Cat stilled as the other two men looked just as surprised to see her suddenly appear, Stealth Black still none the wiser as he inspected the hallway. He did turn when she suddenly started tapping his back to get his attention.
“It looks like we’re in undetec…ted,” Stealth Black finished slowly as he turned to see the situation in the room. “Shit.”
Chew looked unimpressed, raising an eyebrow at their carelessness. Hatchan laughed, “Word got to us what actually happened with Kalifa, so Arlong took action.”
Of course it did, Black Cat bit her cheek. There was too many threads dangling in her plan, trust one of them to trip her over so close to the end. Oh well, they’d planned to take them down anyway, this section would just be harder than the rest. At least Arlong and Kuroobi didn’t know they were here yet.
“Hatchan, you take care of them, I’ll let Arlong and Kuroobi know.” Chew said.
“Stealth, you’re in charge of Hatchan, I’ll take Chew.” Black Cat said and Stealth Black nodded back to her. Chew snorted in derision, but still tensed, ready for her attack. They both moved at the same time towards their targets.
“It’s ridiculous to think you can take me on. You’re inferior to me.” Chew spat out at Black Cat.
Her clima-tact out, Black Cat suddenly extended it, so it shot out to hit Chew in the face and he stumbled back, not expecting it. He recovered quickly, seemingly taking her seriously now and shooting forward to punch her. She jumped to the side barely missing it. Right, increased strength and speed, she reminded herself.
Across the room, Hatchan had drawn his sword to use against Stealth Black, something he wasn’t worried about as Zoro had used his kendo sticks against him when they were younger. Stealth Black did glance over to Black Cat to make sure she was okay and watched as he butted Chew in the stomach with her clima-tact.
“You should keep your eyes on your opponent,” Hatchan said and swung his sword towards Stealth Black’s head, but he managed to bend backwards at the last minute to dodge it. He was a few hairs shorter now though. He launched himself into the air to avoid any more sword attacks and came flying down to deliver a swift kick to Hatchan’s face.
So far, Chew had only managed to nick Black Cat with a hit on her shoulder and trip her twice. He was getting more and more frustrated; she was quick on her feet and he couldn’t land a hit. He tried to rush her, throwing constant punches and not allowing her to respond, until he finally cornered her against the wall. She ducked when his fist came flying towards her, his fist colliding with the wall and going through it. Whilst he was stuck, she moved around him but wasn’t expecting him to rip out part of the cement wall and throw it at her. She went down with a scream and just as he was about to kick in her face, Hatchan came flying towards Chew, crashing into him and through the other still intact wall.
Stealth Black was at her side, helping her sit up. He’d seen Chew about to hit her in the face and recklessly kicked Hatchan towards the pair. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s my own fault.” She said, now standing. “Contact Zoro and let him know there’s gang members on the streets, they can easily be handled. They’ll be downtown, the industrial estate, tell him to grab some trusted police officers too.”
They both paused as they could hear footsteps moving towards the room they were in, they nervously looked towards Chew and Hatchan, who still hadn’t gotten back up since being launched into the adjoining room. They looked at each other and nodded, both instantly understanding the other.
Kuroobi entered the room and looked furious as he saw his fallen comrades. He appeared to just stand there a second, before he called out. “Come out here you little rat, I know you’re here.” He turned around, scanning the room and locked onto something in the corner of the room. He launched himself across the room, his punch being blocked but what he wasn’t expecting was someone to come from the other corner and smack him across the head.
From the floor, he watched as the person in front of him revealed themselves to be Stealth Black and the one who had the audacity to knock himself to the floor was none other than Black Cat herself, smirking down at his stupefied face, clima-tact resting on her shoulder.
He picked himself up as Black Cat and Stealth Black tensed. “I’m stronger and faster, if you think you can beat me, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Black Cat, move the money and drugs to another location, I can deal with this.” Stealth Black said, not taking his eyes off of Kuroobi. She nodded to moved towards the money and just as Kuroobi was about to move to stop her, he had to block off Stealth Black who had come running towards him.
Kuroobi and Stealth Black were then locked in flurry attacks. Punches and kicks being thrown from the both of them and they only just about managed to block them. However, Kuroobi found an opening and punched Stealth Black in the abdomen, sending him to the floor winded and proceeded to kick him in the side. Stealth Black laid there, pain shooting through his body, those guys hit hard. He’d have to be careful; he wasn’t sure how many more of those he could take.
Whilst Stealth Black was trying to recover, Kuroobi locked his eyes on the traitor that had her grubby hands on their money. He grabbed her shoulder and threw her back, causing her to drop the bag on money and groan as she felt the rubble from broken walls cutting through her suit. She detached the clima-tact from her belt and twirled it through her fingers as she considered the man in front of him, both of them circling each other.
“What, no whip?” Kuroobi sneered at her, jabbing his arm out, she managed to dodge the first but the second connected with her shoulder.
“Oh, I’ve got something that’ll sting alright.” She responded as electricity crackled through her clima-tact and the confidence melted off his face, not expecting the device to do anything. She stormed forward, whipping the clima-tact round to connect with his face and send electricity coursing through him. She then launched a gust of wind at him and he stumbled back, still standing but just barely.
“Now Stealth Black!” She shouted.
Kuroobi could barely turn before Stealth Black was before him and roundhouse kicking him, sending him stumbling to the floor. Stealth flipped forward, activating the boosters, to send his foot careening into the back of Kuroobi’s head and then kick him in the side to send him towards Black Cat. At her feet, Kuroobi looked up and the last thing he saw before blacking out was her clima-tact coming down to make contact with his face.
It was Black Cat’s turn to move towards Stealth Black. Her hands cupped his face but all she could see on him was a few scratches from being thrown around. She imagined she didn’t look much better. “Well, not exactly how I planned it, but we’ve still got 3 out of 4.”
“Shame he’s the hardest one.” His side was screaming at him not to move but he got to his feet regardless, trying to mask the grimace. He noticed she did something similar, but she was walking towards the door before he could say anything else. She peered into the hallways and found it empty. She gestured with her hand for him to follow.
They were jogging down the hall, discussing what their next move would be when they both heard a rumbling sound. Stopping, they looked around to see nothing and it was only too late that they realised something was running towards them. But not down the hallway, Arlong was running through rooms, tearing down walls to reach them. With all the walls coming down, the hideout would collapse at this rate. He burst through with an enraged cry, and before they could move, they were being lifted by their necks and slammed into the wall behind them.
“I’m going to kill you both to make an example, how dare you do that to my comrades.” He leaned over them, looking animalistic with his nostrils flared and teeth bared at them. They both struggled against him, his grip like iron and Stealth tried to knee him in the abdomen but Arlong barely flinched. “You’ll be first,” he said, eyes boring into Black Cat’s face.
Arlong’s head reared back to head butt Stealth Black and then proceeded to throw him away like a dirty tissue down the hall. With his hand now free he tore the wall down behind Black Cat and threw her through it. She rolled once she’d made impact with the floor.
“I invited you in, trusted you with vital information and you betray me.” He walked towards her as she tried to crawl away from him. She couldn’t keep up and his foot came down on her free hand, she cried out in pain as he started to put his weight on it. “Tell me, tell me why you did it.”
Despite her situation, she looked at him with nothing but hatred in her eyes, “Because you’re a monster and I won’t let you get ruin this city and these people’s lives like you did my village.”
His face twisted into a cruel smirk. “Those people were pathetic and once I’m done with you, I’ll kill everyone in that puny village. You’ll have brought that fate on them. You can’t save shit.”
The clima-tact in her free hand came around to hit him in the face and she used that momentum to kick him in the chest, freeing her hand when he took a step back. When she got to her feet, he looked bored, like she’d barely done anything. It didn’t stop her though and she swung it again, hitting his chest, legs, head, anything she could to get him to the ground.
All the hits were for nothing as he levelled her with a questioning stare, “Finished?”
She smirked, looking past him, “Not quite.”
Arlong was thrown to the side from behind when Stealth Black joined the fight, his foot making contact with the side of his face. They both nodded at each other and moved in harmony. Both of them relentless, he would kick, and she would be ready with her clima-tact, either hitting him or sending him back to Stealth with a strong gust of wind. The man before them both wasn’t given a chance to get a hit in before the other was attacking.
But it seemed Arlong had grown bored, as his hand came out to catch Black Cat’s foot when she attempted to kick him and picked up her before sending her flying into Stealth Black. The impact sent them both flying back and rolling across the floor.
“Stealth, Stealth, are you okay?” Her hand came out to touch his, shaking it.
He looked up slowly and nodded but his face said otherwise. His eyebrow had split from where Arlong had headbutted him and a massive lump was forming under it, the blood trailing down the side of his eye. There was rips in his suit and she didn’t have to see it, but she knew there’d be some nasty bruises underneath that suit. They’d both taken a lot of damage. He attempted to get up, Arlong was slowly walking towards them but Stealth Black slumped back down. “Shit, we might be in trouble here.”
Black Cat frowned, she hadn’t taken as many hits as him, she needed to get up and buy some time. “Mirage tempo.”
Maybe he had a concussion, maybe he was already dead, and this was heaven. But his body hurt too much for that. There was multiple Black Cat’s standing in front of him. They all had a great behind though, he thought deliriously.
“Cheap tricks won’t work on me,” Arlong said, unamused at her antics.
She didn’t reply, instead all the versions of her split apart to run around him, openly mocking him, to stall him. It worked. His temper thinned dangerously, and he lunged one by one at the different versions, swiping his hands out and watching as one by one they disappeared at his touch. Until he was left with one.
But it was too late. Thunder crackled angrily from above him and a second later it came hurtling down. He screamed in pain as he was absorbed by white light.
When the light show receded, black smoke was coming off of his body and his mouth gaped open. He wheezed, but when he wheezed again, it wasn’t it pain. He was laughing. Laughing at her.
Her face paled. That was her strongest move.
“That’s it? Don’t tell me that’s your best move? Pathetic.” He advanced on her. When she brought her clima-tact up to hit him, he grabbed it and ripped it from her grip, throwing it behind him. He swatted the hands away that came to punch him and he painfully grabbed her hair, tugging it to make her stand on tip toes to try and alleviate the pressure. She was forced to look at him in the face as he snarled. “I’m better than you-” he kicked the feet supporting herself from under her, leaving her to dangle from her hair, “-I’m faster than you-” he slammed her into the wall, “-and that’s why you’re going to die.”
Stealth Black blearily looked up to see the love of his life being slammed against the wall. Arlong’s hands moving from her hair to around her neck, slowly choking the life out of her, as her hands clawed at him to no avail. Her face scrunched up and legs desperately kicking when she couldn’t intake air. His hands balled up, he gathered up whatever energy he had left, and he ran towards Arlong. He hooked his foot against the side of Arlong’s head and kicked with all his might, sending the both of them flying in different directions and successfully dislodging Black Cat from Arlong’s grip.
“Diable jambe.”
And Stealth Black was in the air plummeting towards Arlong’s head. The kick sent Arlong’s head into the concrete below him and Stealth spun, flipping over to send a kick into his side. He was in front of Arlong by the time he’d finished rolling from the kick, his foot coming under Arlong’s back to send him into the air and smacking back down into his chest to send Arlong crashing into the floor. Stealth fought to stand on his feet afterwards, his energy depleted and the injuries he’d sustained taking their toll.
It wasn’t enough though. Arlong twitched from the floor and rolled to his side to start getting back up again. What was this man made of? Perhaps if they both hadn’t fought others before hand, they wouldn’t have such a problem.
At least when Arlong got up, he looked a bit battered. The man still had more in him than the both of them combined but their hits were still taking a toll. But his stomach clenched. It wouldn’t be enough.
Stealth Black tried to block the punch but the force of it was too much and he was sent flying back. Looking next to him, Black Cat was laying on her side hunched over, hacking, and trying to intake air that she’d been denied.
Arlong was advancing on them and all Stealth Black could do was crawl towards the woman in front of him, insistent on trying to protect her and take whatever hit Arlong was about to deliver. Stealth was protectively in front of her, hand on her thigh to keep her behind him. She didn’t have the strength to argue this, she merely squeezed the hand on her thigh.
This would be it.
Arlong loomed in front of them, manic grin in place.
A gunshot sounded. Stealth Black opened previously clenched eyes to see Arlong standing there, eyes blown wide with a hole in his shoulder, blood saturating his shirt. Arlong stumbled around in disbelief.
“Get on the floor with your hands behind your head.” Came a rough voice. Black Cat’s arms came to wrap around Stealth’s shoulders as she rested her head against his back, her relieved laugh in his hear.
The moment was interrupted by another voice screaming at the top of their lungs and running into the room. Without hesitation the newcomer ran to Arlong and hit him square in the face, breaking his nose and causing him to fall to the floor in front of Stealth Black and Black Cat. The combination of all the attacks, current and previous, being enough to finally take him down.
“Luffy, I told you to round up the others!” Zoro grouchily said, lowering his gun.
The boy just grinned, sticking his finger up his nose, “Did you?”
“You know he can’t stick to a plan, why did you even bring him?” Black Stealth said from the floor, no malice in his voice, just amusement. Since Arlong was no longer a threat, he’d turned around to face Black Cat and cup her face, bringing their foreheads together. It was over. They’d done it… with help, but still.
“Couldn’t trust anyone at the precinct and at least Luffy has a fighting background, even if he is a firefighter- they aren’t being paid off.” Zoro rubbed a hand across his face. “I’ve called this in, police should be on their way. The news will be having a field day tomorrow.”
It was only then that Zoro looked closely at the two on the floor. “You two look like shit, by the way,” he said bluntly.
Pulling away from Stealth Black to face Zoro, Black cat beat him to responding, laughing despite the state of the pair of them. “How about we throw you around for a bit, then we’ll talk.”
“Right, Luffy you take Black Cat, I’ll take the idiot. We need to get you both looked at.” Zoro said, eyeing the nasty cut on Stealth’s eyebrow. Stealth looked like he was about to protest but couldn’t say anything when his ribs screamed at him to not move.
It didn’t stop Stealth from looking over his shoulder when Luffy went to pick her up, just to check on her. “Calm down would you, Luffy might be energetic but he knows when to dial it down,” Zoro said. Behind them, they could hear Luffy nattering away and Black Cat laughed at something he said, before groaning as she’d jolted something.
Knowing she was okay, he focused on not leaning too much of his weight on the marimo and tried walking himself. “How did you know where we were?”
Zoro shifted his grip on Stealth. “Got in contact with Franky when we’d rounded everyone up, he put a tracking device in your suit for emergency’s. Good thing he did otherwise you two would be in trouble.”
“What will happen now?” Stealth Black asked.
“Leave it to the police, for now. Shit’ll hit the fan at work,” Zoro groaned at the thought. “But Arlong and his gang will be dealt with, they’re no longer paying them.”
.
.
.
Black Cat and Stealth Black join forces to take down the malignant Arlong gang.
Police are currently under investigation after allegations they were being paid off…
Sanji was currently sitting in his favourite café, reading the latest newspaper and eyes skimming for any new information. He’d spoke to Zoro about the headlines, asking him if he was really okay that he received no credit. The other man had just shrugged him off, saying he didn’t need that kind of attention, especially considering the scrutiny they would now be under.
His eyes locked onto the information he was looking for.
Black Cat has not been seen since the gang takedown and the question still looms about whether she is still considered a criminal or not. Police are refusing to comment on the matter and Stealth Black has been unreachable. Can her past crimes be forgiven?
He shook his head, what trash and they call themselves to news. If only they knew what she’d done and everything she’d sacrificed, they’d be begging for forgiveness for even thinking about writing this. To even cast doubt on her was beyond him.
Once they’d made it out of the hideout, Black Cat had directed them towards a clinic her friend, Chopper, owned. The young doctor had looked aghast when he’d seen them and had treated them straight away. Sanji hadn’t managed to stay awake for much longer once they were in the clinic, his body finally succumbing to exhaustion now they were safe.
He’d woken a little later to find Black Cat in the chair next to his bed, dark marks covering her neck but a sunny smile on her face despite it. Sanji had tiredly smiled at her, his eyes fighting to stay awake so he could be in her presence for longer, but it was a battle he was losing. It was just as he was drifting off again then he felt lips pressing into the corner of his mouth and a whisper in his ear.
‘Come and find me.’
The words had been ringing around in his head ever since he’d woken back up to an empty room. Chopper had been angry that Black Cat hadn’t waited to be discharged by him.
Since then, he’d looked for her, he really had. He even had Zoro keeping an eye out on his patrols, but Black Cat had disappeared completely. He’d realised soon after exactly what she meant by what she’d whispered to him in the clinic and his brain was sifting through their conversation they’d had that night in his apartment, ‘‘Wait, have we met? When I’m me and you’re not Black Cat?’ ‘Yes, we have...’’.
She’d wanted him to find her, not Black Cat, but her civilian identity. And he’d kept her waiting so long already.
That’s how he’d found himself currently in the café. He’d spent the day walking around the city, going into his local bank, supermarket, petrol station, anywhere he frequented to try and find her. Every woman that he walked past made him feel paranoid.
But nothing.
He put his head in his hands, running them through his hair. She was a little minx, making him search for her like this with little clues. He wasn’t annoyed though; it was so her that it made him fond if anything.
“Would you like a refill on your coffee?” The waitresses voice interrupted turmoil but he didn’t move his head from his hands.
“Yes please.” He nodded.
‘and you barely looked at me…’ Whispered in the back of his mind.
He whipped his head up from his hands to look at the waitress next to him. Amber eyes filled with mirth, uncovered by a black mask and red lips twisting into a coy smirk. He’d imagined this moment so many moments and, in his daydreams, he was suave, sweeping her off her feet.
A stark contrast to the fool gaping at her, eyes moving frantically around her face, taking all of her in.
She laughed and sat down in front of him uninvited, although he would have invited her to sit if he could get his brain to work and pull her chair out like the goddamn gentleman he was supposed to be, but he couldn’t get his legs to move.
‘You’ve been here for 30 minutes and I’ve walked past multiple times, you’re very unobservant for a superhero,’ she lowered her voice towards the end. “I decided to put you out of your misery when my shift ended. You were looking despondent, so I decided to come save you.” She finished, winking at him.
He laughed at her pun, eyes still sweeping across her face, in fear of missing anything. His face lost all signs of amusement as his hand moved her long ginger hair away from her neck to see fading bruise marks. His mind replaying the moment when he’d looked up as Stealth Black to see her dangling by her neck, legs desperately kicking against Arlong. His eyes snapped open when the woman in front of him moved his hand from her neck to her cheek and resting against his hand.
“Are you okay?” Sanji asked, his thumb brushing against her cheek, looking for any signs of distress on her face.
“Better than okay.” Was her simple reply, her face showing nothing but happiness. He figured any other emotions would probably present themselves over the next few weeks. She was probably too overwhelmed with relief for the time being, a massive burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
It wouldn’t matter anyway; he’d be there to help her through it all.
“I suppose introductions are long overdue, at least on my behalf.” She pulled his hand away from her cheek and held it in front of them both, shaking it in introduction.
“I’m Nami.”
Am I an absolute tease for ending it like this? You bet your arse I am. But am I also writing an epilogue? Yes, I am. So I’m not completely horrible.
I’d had the ending written out roughly in my head since the start, with some changes along the way; the epilogue is completely new though. This has honestly been such a such a wonderful challenge. I’ve only written small little fluff pieces before, so to write something like this has been a pure joy. And a bit of a nightmare. I’ve spent all of February plotting and writing.
Also, forgive me for any errors, I’ve eyed this story multiple times and done the best I could.
Thank you for letting me share my imagination with you.
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i am for you (17/?)
We're back! And playing with the timeline a little... this goes back to before the fic itself starts, and then moves along a whole *six weeks* because this, my darlings, is a 5+1 chapter in the middle of everything else. (Because why not?) 5 Times Catarina Went to Brunch, and 1 Time Brunch was Brought to Catarina (ao3 / series tag)
*
1
Brunch is quiet this week.
No one's really got much to say.
Even Magnus just shrugs when Cat asks what he's been up to.
(Even Cat can't think up any fun Madzie stories; baby-girl's got a cold and this week has mostly been about tissues and soup and endless re-runs of Moana and Mulan and The Princess and The Frog. She even picked Tangled once, and Cat thought maybe they'd moved on... but then she went back to Moana. She always goes back to Moana. She once sang You're Welcome over and over again for the entirety of her bath.)
Ragnor drinks and Dot sighs and Raphael rolls his eyes at the lot of them. Tessa is looking forward to the ALA conference in two weeks, but she's quieter about her enthusiasms than the rest of them; her smile is warm, but it doesn't spark anyone else into anything.
Still, it's nice. Cat never thought a single one of them would ever be stable enough to fall into a rut, and the fact that they've settled into one together... there are worse things.
Besides, there are mimosas.
2
Magnus is... fluttering.
He's not upset, he sits and eats and passes the syrup when asked and talks about his classes, but there's definitely... something.
He pauses before he sips his drink, and he ducks Ragnor's half-assed question about his current research. (Ragnor just raises his eyebrows. He's not terribly interested in dramatic portrayals of the occult, but Magnus usually is, and the fact that he doesn't want to break-down everything he's read on the subject this week is a bit unusual.)
He zones out while Dot's talking about the idiot client she'd been fighting with the entirety of the past week, arguing with every suggestion as if he wasn't the one who'd hired her; Magnus doesn't even laugh at her petty revenge of charging her client an extra half-an-hour for "removing all those squiggly lines from under the words" in his word doc.
But there's a hint of a smile on his face as he looks out the window.
"What is going on with you?" Cat asks while everyone's gathering shoes and bags and saying their usual farewells.
"Nothing." Magnus shakes his head, and Cat frowns at him. "Really," he lifts his hands in defense. She waits. "Yet?"
He won't say more than that, no matter how much she gives him The Look, but that almost smile lingers, and she hopes whatever it almost is turns out as well as Magnus seems to hope.
3
Alec Lightwood is a revelation.
She's seen Magnus fall too hard and too fast before, but she's never seen him like this, never seen him look lighter for it rather than just more intense, never seen the person he'd fallen for look just as far gone just as fast. Alec's expression when he looks at Magnus is sublime, it's like he's smiling all the way to his fingertips, and she has to look away.
Which is admittedly a little easier once he gets his shirt on.
Magnus has excellent taste in arm-candy... even if it's blatantly obvious that this is more than that.
Already.
She wouldn't be completely surprised if they eloped to Vegas the first time they tried to take a vacation together.
She'll yell at Magnus for it forever, and hold his hand while he gets desperately drunk if it leads to an equally quickie divorce, but she won't be surprised.
Ragnor clearly likes and might even respect Alec, which is... weird. She's not quite sure what to do with that, and she keeps glancing sideways to share her what the fuck? face with Raphael, but he doesn't cooperate nearly as well as Dot or Tessa would have. He seems to be cautiously in favor of Alec too, which is... even weirder. There are days she's not sure Raphael likes anyone, except maybe Ragnor, despite eating brunch with the rest of them every week. But he's very over-protective of Magnus, usually, especially since Camille, but now... now he's just. Leaning back? Relaxed? Sipping his coffee?
Cat feels like maybe she fell through Alice's rabbit-hole and somehow didn't notice right away.
But then Alec snorts out a laugh at something Ragnor says in his usual bone-dry way, and Magnus sputters something that sounds like an honest to god giggle, and she gives up on understanding and goes to refill her drink.
Wonderland seems pretty nice, this time of year.
4
Cat gets to brunch a little early this week, before anyone else. Besides Alec, of course, who's cradling a mug she doesn't recognize in his hands, and she wonders how much of his own life this past week has been spent at Magnus' rather than his own place, wherever it is.
She ought to be worried about that, she knows, but he'd been so clearly smitten whenever she mentioned Magnus at their lunch, it's hard to hold onto any concern. He offers to pour her some coffee, and even remembers that she likes sugar but not cream, and she can't help but smile at him in thanks.
He smiles back, sort of, and she wonders if he's nervous about Dot and Tessa, or if it's something else that's bothering him, and if it would be terribly blunt of her to ask. Not that she's usually concerned about that, but he's new, and if she made him uncomfortable Magnus might murder her.
Or ban her from mimosas for awhile, at least.
Magnus comes fluttering in then, touching half the appliances in the kitchen as he wanders back and forth. She cuts her eyes back to Alec and is inordinately pleased by the way he ignores her entirely and instead reaches out to catch Magnus' hand when he tries to swan past him for the third time.
"Why are you nervous?" Alec asks, and Cat almost slips off the counter she's leaning against. So much for worrying about being blunt. "I'm worried your friends won't like me, but you don't have to worry about my parents until dinner time."
Magnus' mouth opens, then shuts, clearly slightly shell-shocked by the blunt as well, even though she suspects from how quickly he pouts that it isn't at all out of character for Alec. "I can't also be worried my friends won't like you?"
"You weren't this worried last week."
Cat blinks as she realizes he's right.
"You already knew Ragnor, and Cat will give anyone at least two chances to prove they're not an idiot, and Raphael hates everyone regardless, so there wasn't anything to worry about."
Alec tilts his head, half-considering and half-amused, and Cat can't hold in the laugh anymore, snickering over her coffee. "But you're worried about Dot and Tessa? Dot already feels bad about her accidental drama and won't make any more, and Tessa's the nicest person on the planet."
Magnus scoffs. "Tessa's all quiet and polite right up until you fail some internal judgement you didn't even realize she was making and then she very serenely ignores you so thoroughly you can feel it all the way back seven generations or so and you can never quite put the pieces of your self-esteem back together."
It's Cat's turn to tilt her head, because he's not wrong, though she hadn't ever quite thought about it that way.
Alec snickers that time though. "To be fair, the last seven generations of Lightwoods probably deserve that?"
Magnus rolls his eyes, and half-heartedly smacks Alec in the chest with the back of his free hand. "But you don't."
"Well if she's as smart as you all say, she'll know that, right?"
Magnus grunts, as if annoyed that he can't argue with that, and then the knocker hits the door, three quick hard raps, and Magnus slips his hand free, blowing a kiss in Alec's direction before he goes to answer it.
"At least you've got your shirt on, this time. Might help."
Alec chokes, almost spitting coffee all over his hands, and she's still laughing when Dot and Tessa make it into the kitchen to be introduced.
5
They make Magnus and Alec take them all out for brunch as punishment for getting engaged at first sight. (And also apparently moving in together, which Cat had strongly suspected the week before based on the mug, and the toothbrush and razor in the bathroom, and the boxes hiding in Magnus' office nook, but she makes them acknowledge it out loud before she'll sit down at the table with the rest of them. Ragnor snickers, and she wonders how long he'd known, and if he'd been planning on telling the rest of them if they hadn't figured it out.)
Tessa does, in fact, serenely ignore the both of them for about half an hour, while everyone else is ordering drinks and perusing the menu, and Magnus and Alec both visibly wilt a little.
They're also clearly holding hands beneath the table, which is unbearably sweet, and Cat kind of hates how un-surprised she is the more she thinks about it. They fit, and while Alec isn't anything like she would have pictured some ideal Magnus partner, she can't begrudge them for being happy to have found each other.
"You're idiots," she informs them after they've finally all ordered. "But you're adorable, and I'm very happy for you."
Alec ducks his head and looks perilously close to blushing again, but he's smiling.
Tessa's lips twitch before she lifts her glass. "A toast to the happy couple?"
There's a clink of glasses as everyone else agrees, and Cat's never ever in almost twenty years seen a smile like the one spreading across Magnus' face.
+ 1
Baby-girl's best friend Lizzy, who she usually goes to play with on Sunday mornings, has chicken-pox and does not want visitors. (Cat reminds herself to have Madzie tested to see if her antibodies are still up to par from her vaccination or if she should get a booster.) Which means Cat isn't going to brunch.
Magnus scoffs at that when she calls to tell him on Friday, and insists that brunch will, instead, come to her.
She's not sure that's a good idea, but she can't seem to figure out why not, and it's not like Magnus listens when he's sure he's being brilliant anyways, so she makes sure to let Madzie know that a bunch of boring adults are coming over, and that she'll help her set up her tablet so she can watch cartoons in her room just this once if she'd like.
"Can I have breakfast while I watch?"
Cat really ought to say no to that, because she's probably going to find Madzie sneaking snacks into her room for at least the next month otherwise... but the last couple days have been a bit much at work and she is too tired for that conversation, so she says yes.
Madzie fist-pumps to celebrate her victory, which is, of course, unfairly adorable. Cat hopes she doesn't try to talk Uncle Magnus into having brunch at their house every week in order to make this a regular occurrence.
Then again, for all Madzie likes Uncle Magnus, especially when he brings presents (which is almost always, they're both very fond of brightly colored plush animals and Madzie's collection is now very impressive), none of Cat's friends have kids of their own, so their conversations with Madzie tend to be pretty brief.
It should be all right.
Hopefully Alec won't be too intimidating. He is ludicrously tall, with those scowly eyebrows, and Madzie is still usually shy with new people. Cat will have to remember to introduce them carefully.
(She wonders, later, how she'd forgotten the man had at least six younger siblings; even if half of them were metaphorical, that kind of thing tends to have an effect on a person.)
Magnus and Alec show up before anyone else, carrying four bags of what she assumes is going to be breakfast. Madzie peers around Cat's legs, clearly hoping for her usual squishy from Uncle Magnus, but uncertain about the very tall man next to him.
Alec sees her, and smiles, something small but friendly enough that it makes Cat blink, and then he's down on one knee so he's at a much more reasonable height for a child, and Cat blinks again.
"You must be Madzie." Alec doesn't have either that bright condescension or the slightly formal stilted tone that most people get when talking to little kids, and he's just loud enough that his voice carries without it being obvious he's keeping it a bit quieter than usual.
To Cat's utter shock, Madzie steps out from behind Cat's legs before she nods. "You must be Mr. Alec."
Alec nods back, and to Cat's continued surprise Madzie keeps talking. "Momma said you're going to marry Uncle Magnus but I don't have to call you Uncle Alec yet if I don't want to."
Cat doesn't know whether to be impressed that she's talking to a stranger or slightly embarrassed at what she chose to say, but Alec just grins, bright and delighted, and Cat rather forgets to breathe. Madzie smiles back and takes a step forward, as if she can't help herself.
Alec waits until she stops moving before he answers. "I am going to marry your Uncle Magnus, but you don't ever have to call me Uncle Alec if you don't want to, even after we're married."
Madzie nods very seriously, as if she's considering that.
"Are you having breakfast with us?" Alec asks, his voice leading up like he's going to add more, but he stops when Madzie shakes her head very fast.
"Momma said I could eat in my room while I watch Moana!"
"That does sound like a lot more fun than listening to us talk."
"Did you want to watch it with me?" Madzie offers, and Cat has to swallow something like a squawk before it bursts out of her, because Madzie is never this comfortable around new people.
Alec leans a little closer, his voice dropping. "I did promise Uncle Magnus and your Momma that I'd help make brunch."
Madzie turns her head up towards Cat and Magnus, going full on puppy-dog eyes and pouting lips. "Please, Momma?"
Cat nods, rather helplessly, and sees Magnus looking about as shell-shocked as she feels next to her. It took ages before Madzie was all right being alone with him, and she's known Alec five seconds. To be fair, she's much more trusting and relaxed now then she was when Cat first adopted her, but... five seconds.
Cat blames that ridiculous smile.
"See!" Madzie turns back to Alec, rocking up on her toes. "Momma says it's alright!"
"Well, I'm certainly not about to argue with your Momma." Alec shoots a glance up at the two of them. "Let me know if you need our help with anything, all right?"
"Of course," Magnus answers when it becomes clear that Cat's not going to manage more than a nod, her chest aching a little at how easily he'd said our, how easily he'd included her daughter in... everything.
Cat turns very slowly to watch as Madzie drags Alec down the hallway to her room, and equally slowly to turn back towards Magnus, whose eyes widen at the sound of Madzie laughing loudly enough they can hear it clearly where they are.
"What just happened?" Magnus asks.
Cat shakes her head. "He's your boyfriend. Fiancé. I thought you'd tell me."
Magnus looks down at the two bags Alec left by the door. "She didn't even ask for her toy."
Cat leans over enough to look into the bag, and sees a small glittery white stuffed unicorn with a rainbow mane and tail on top of a mesh bag of fruit. She covers her mouth to muffle a snort of laughter. "Apparently Alec's even prettier than unicorns?"
Magnus laughs. "Well, I can't argue with that."
#shadowhunters#catarina loss#malec#i am for you#jilly writes#my sh fic#magnus bane#alec lightwood#madzie loss
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you're the sun, you're the day. the light that guides me.
WORD COUNT: 4115
WHO: @txdkxrd, rani carter, skeets, mentions of darkseid
WHEN: two weeks ago
WHAT: time travel gone wrong leaves the carter family stranded in an alternate universe
NOTES: speech in bold is rani and italics is skeets
TRIGGERS: mentions of war, death, depression
MICHAEL CARTER: Nothing has felt right since his best friend died. Michael has experienced tragedy before and saw it with his own eyes as cities burned and innocence is lost. Nothing could have prepared him for the day Ted would die. Maybe his way of coping with the grief wasn’t healthy, his sister tried to make him understand why his actions were inappropriate. He would travel into the past for only a few hours at a time to spend time with Ted. Who was too smart to be fooled by seeing a version of Booster with more experience than they remember.
Four years ago Darkseid invaded the planet Daxam in the 31ST CENTURY and Michael tried to stop the war but there wasn’t much that could be done except help the Daxamites try and evacuate or get to shelter. He ended up bringing a young child back to Earth with him. Rip wasn’t much thrilled by having a nine-year-old Daxamite living with them now but informed Booster that he was a father now. It took some time to wrap his head around this but quickly became thrilled about having a daughter. Rani seemed to really look up to him and that never changed over the years.
Now, Michael may keep up on being in shape but doesn’t shave as often anymore. He puts too much thought into taking care of his daughter who just turned thirteen a few months ago. Michelle gifted her niece an old Goldstar uniform for emergencies only. Jaime and Skeets didn’t think it was a good idea but far as birthdays go it couldn’t have been better.
The ache of Ted being gone for so long still lives within him but it doesn’t seem like a loss that you can ever get over. He tells Rani all about their adventures and what kind of man Blue Beetle is like. He talks about how they would have gotten along well because Rani is a little genius and likes helping out around the lab when Rip is home. He thinks that Ted and Rani could have had a special relationship by bonding over coming up with new inventions. Which always never made sense to Michael, only wanting to know how something works not how you build it. He was the only one who regularly took care of his headstone too.
Something goes wrong though and Skeets informs Booster that Rani followed them dressed in her newly acquired Goldstar uniform.
“I can help you, dad! You can’t keep doing this on your own!” She would tell him, always trying to get Michael to let her be his sidekick but he never budges. He doesn’t want Rani being put in danger but that’s what happens. The creature finally found them and crashes through part of the building in it’s path. He doesn’t have time to try patching into his comms to see where Batman is. He does what any parent would do and focuses on getting Rani out of the situation. He uses his time-travel circuitry to get the three of them out of there and to be somewhere safer. The safest place he could think of and hasn’t been in years. His best friend’s lab.
Both Michael and his daughter pull off their goggles which are dangling around their necks as Skeets hovers over their head.
<Sir, you might want to turn around.>
“Not now, Skeets.”
<It’s most urgent.>
Booster signs, turning to see what the big deal is. Rani hides behind her father’s tall stature unsure what to expect. Apparently in his moment of panic they were resorted to an entirely different timeline. The year is the same but something leaves the blonde speechless. Ted walking into the lab and Michael feels his eyes water but tries to pull himself together before they’re noticed. “Teddy...” He says finally when their gazes meet.
Rani steps out from behind Booster, in just as much shock. The teenager tugs on his arm knowing how this must feel for him. “Dad?” She asks while looking between the two adults.
TED KORD: Teddy had a lot to be getting on with these days but his mind occasionally drifted back to Booster. He’d been his best friend back in the days of the JLI; they’d bonded over being the jokers of the team, both seeing the value in each other that was rarely seen by other people. Of course, even the best team ups couldn’t last forever and Teddy was one of the few who understood the amount of work Booster did keeping timelines in check and there was a reason he couldn’t tell anyone about it. In fact, the only reason Teddy had put it together in a combination of tiny clues from talking with Booster and his own smarts. So when Booster left he didn’t question it, no matter how much he missed his best friend he knew life needed to go on. So, for years, it had. The ban came into effect and Booster wasn’t there. So, Teddy poured all his knowledge and time into Kord Inc. and pulled his somewhat mediocre company out of a rut and made it a real world competitor on par with several branches of Wayne Enterprises and Stark Industries. He’d also found Jaime and taken the boy under his wing in El Paso; he was a good kid and damn if Teddy didn’t think he’d be so much better than he ever was and probably save the damn world many times over.
It was hella busy and of course he’d poured that same obsessiveness into his own health as well. Sure doctors told him that his heart couldn’t be fixed and didn’t warrant a translate, yet, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make himself as healthy as possible. So he dieted, constantly, and worked out (too much) to try and help himself out. Truth be told he was in better shape than he’d ever been in his life (BMI readouts and body measurements didn’t lie). But he still looked in the mirror and saw many imperfections, too many of them. Ones that made him pale in comparison to folks like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. He couldn’t help but wonder why they’d even invited him into the Avenging League. Not that he was complaining! Getting involved with them reminded him of why he’d loved getting into the hero game. So he’d pulled the worst Blue Beetle out of the closet and back into the field. He couldn’t wear the spandex again though. Seven years away from it had clued him into how, well… unappealing it could look. The spandex hood certainly did him no favours. The description ’human condom’ had been used by some particularly uncharitable news reporters.
His new costume was much simpler, it consisted of some fitted cargo pants with several pockets, his own utility belt, a skin-tight t-shirt with the beetle emblem, fingerless gloves and his trademark orange goggles, he’d not been able to give them up. And that was how he was currently dressed in The Bug monitoring the city, with NOVA now pushed out it was much easier to do. He was shocked when an alert triggered that had been programmed to detect one missing best friend: it had been years since it went off. Booster. And he wasn’t far!
He synched the tracker to the tech in his gloves and jogged out of the Bug to the outskirts of the city, only about ten minutes so he wasn’t out of breath when he arrived (take that crappy heart) and when he arrived Skeets was already trying to tell Booster he was here. Teddy smirked and waved at the little robot who bobbed up and down in response. Then Booster was finally turning to see him and wow that’s a beard. He grinned, why was Booster looking so dumbstruck, “Were you expecting Guy instead?” He asked with a chuckle, but then the teenager spoke and what did she say!? DAD!? “Boos… Who’s the teenage girl?” He asked with a raised brow.
MICHAEL CARTER: It was no secret that Michael changed after Ted died. He continued exercising regularly but allowed his facial hair to grow out to a very visible blonde beard and mustache. Which isn’t something that he ever decided to do before but the traumatic loss of his best friend made him stop caring about being clean shaven. Booster let himself go in at least one regard — but over time began trimming it to at least pretend that he has it together. His daughter doesn’t know anything different. There are pictures of him without it but has never seen it with her own eyes before. Another thing that Michael stopped taking care of was his suit. It had always been Ted who did repairs and sewed the fabric back together. Rip started taking it upon himself to fix the Booster Gold suit and that’s something they never talked about it. Something unspoken because maybe Rip knew Ted wouldn’t want Booster to do that to himself.
Small reminders were all over the place and surrounded him after it was revealed that Kord Industries had been left to him. Some people didn’t understand why — Michael included since he doesn’t know anything about running a business. He didn’t want to let Ted down since he must have believed in him to make the decision and be confident in it. Booster worked hard on making sure the company would continue to thrive even if he left to travel through the time stream. Keeping his memory alive is important and maybe that’s why Jaime ended up being taken under his wing. The kid was important to Ted — considering that Jaime is his legacy after all. The blonde might not be the mentor the teenager wanted but was the only one left to teach him in a way that would make his best friend proud.
Despite having all this responsibility Michael never quite got over the loss. Michelle might argue that going into the past to observe a time when Ted is alive wasn’t healthy. She always told him that won’t help him move forward and maybe she was right. He stopped after Rani came into his life because he needed to set a good example. It was never in his plan to become a father but sometimes the universe gives you what it thinks you need.
After crash landing and destroying his time travel device in the process, Booster planned on sitting his daughter down to try making her understand why it wasn’t the time for being a hero. He wants her to have a normal life, after everything they’ve both been through one of them deserves it. Rani is young and no thirteen year old should be fighting monsters and crime. If anything happened to her too ... that might completely break him. The already shattered pieces scattering across the floor in a way that would be impossible to piece back together. This thought is forgotten after the Ted of this universe walked in. He just stares, not caring that this one is younger ... only that he’s still alive.
Everyone’s voices pulls him out of his thoughts, needing to explain himself. This Ted’s Booster must not have any children which is interesting. He doesn’t see another version of himself around but keeps it in mind for later. Michael doesn’t joke as often, maybe grown up a little and locked away part of his personality after his own Ted died. “When has anyone wanted to be alone in a room with Guy?” The tug on his arm from Rani reminds him, and looks between the two of them. He doesn’t know how long they’ll be here but it’s going to be a while. It wouldn’t be easy fixing technology from the future and maybe he wants to be selfish by spending time with his best friend.
The blonde takes a step forward, an arm wrapping around Rani as they approach Ted. He never thought that this would happen and needs to try not getting choked up about it. “Teddy. This is my daughter, Rani.” She smiles and waves at him. ”It’s nice to meet you!” Although there’s more to that story that can be triggering for the teenager so he sends her off with Skeets to look around to give the adults some privacy. Michael watches her for a moment before turning back to Ted.
“She’s a Daxamite. Darkseid invaded her planet four years ago and killed her parents. She was only nine at the time and didn’t have anyone else. I wasn’t going to leave her alone ... I couldn’t save everyone but I saved her. I adopted her soon after bringing her to Earth. She’s a sweet kid and so smart. I know what you’re thinking ... I’m the last person who should be a father. I try to do right by her.” Michael sighs for a moment as he explains. Rani however is in the background hovering in the air next to Skeets with her legs crossed.
Booster scratches at his beard for a moment. “My sister gave her an old Goldstar suit as a birthday gift and ever since Rani keeps trying to convince me to let her be my sidekick. I just want her to focus on being a normal teenager ... normal as one can be with the powers similar to Superman anyway.” He pauses for a moment. “She showed up when I was helping deal with something in New York with a few members of the Justice League. I tried getting her out of there but ... my device brought us here instead. It got broken in the process so we’re stuck. I’m not sure what to do, Teddy.” He doesn’t have any money and nowhere to go. He can’t ask Ted to give him anything because it wouldn’t be fair, would it? He has his own Booster probably waiting for him somewhere.
TED KORD: Teddy was struck by Booster’s new look. It wasn’t that he looked bad (not that it was his place to comment unless he was trying to get a rise out of the other guy) but Booster had always been so fastidious about his appearance and that had included making sure he was clean shaven twenty four seven. Teddy was pretty sure he’d only even seen him with a fine five o’clock shadow like twice and both times it had been because they were on a mission that went over a day. So he couldn’t help but clock it and spend a few moments taking it in. It made him look… older.
Maybe he was older? He couldn’t be sure how much time Booster spent away (a day for him could be years for the other and vice-versa after all). The retort, while on point seemed to take a little bit too long and lack a lot of Booster’s usual zeal, enough to have Teddy frowning and wondering what’d happened to his friend. “No one ever.” He responded with a small smile, though the concern was probably easy to read on his face. Both would’ve continued but the teenager with him caught Teddy’s attention again and seeing how she clung to Booster was yet another surprise.
D-DAUGHTER!? Teddy was pretty sure that short circuited his mind for a good five seconds, his eyes wide staring at the pair and trying to catalogue similarities in facial structure, mannerisms and other indicators. She was too old! Even if Booster was a little older he wasn’t THAT old! Eventually he manages to raise an arm weakly and offer a “Nice to meet you too Rani.” In return. Not the best of greetings but he was trying to deal with a pretty earth-shattering revelation here!
“Oh my god you pulled a Batman.” He said quietly, not wanting Rani to hear, his eyes still fixed on the girl floating in the air with Skeets who offered Teddy a little flicker of his lights before turning back to the girl and doing as Booster said to occupy her. “You’re a father.” He repeated, “You. A parent. Of a super powered teenager.” He took a deep breath, “Okay. Okay… Okay, this is a thing that’s happened.” And Booster clearly loves her, that much is easy for even him to see.
“Michelle? Boos… how long have you been away for?” She was nine, that girl had to be in her teens so at least four years. What the hell!? “Oh sure yea, wanting a powered kid to be normal, that works out well.” He deadpanned, finally getting a sense of himself back. Fortunately, Booster telling him the predicament he’s in flicks his ‘look after Booster Gold’ switch on and he can somewhat function again. “Well the solution to that’s simple.” He smiled, “You and Rani can stay with me. I’ve got an apartment in the city and The Bug too, we’ll fix up your tech and help get you and Rani back to wherever you gotta be in the time stream. I’m not about to let you both go when you’re in a bind. You my bud.” He clapped Booster on the shoulder, having to reach up to do it. “Plus, your suits a mess man, you gotta take better care of it. I’ll fix it up for you when we get to my place.”
“Rani!” He called to the kid, taking charge of the situation, “You and Booster… Your dad are gonna stay with me for a little while, okay? Skeets, the Bug’ll give you the details and I’ve got a changing bay for you in there too.” He’d made one in case Skeets ever needed a nap in the Bug, even machines gotta catch their Z’s. “C’mon I bet you’re both hungry. I’ll order some food, you can both have the good stuff and I’ll have a crappy salad. Rani and you need to shower too, you’re both looking a little… less than clean. She can borrow some of my clothes and I brought some of yours with me when I moved up here.” It had felt wrong not to bring his ‘Booster Draw’ to Star City with him.
“Don’t worry man. This’ll be fine.” He grinned up at Booster, “So long as no one’s died, it can be fixed.”
MICHAEL CARTER: The beard originally manifested from his depression roughly seven years ago after all the memorial services that they held for his best friend. He couldn’t bring himself to care about being clean-shaven anymore when the grief felt so suffocating. He usually took so much care of his appearance — styling his hair a certain way, skincare treatments, and the obvious task of shaving any facial hair that grew overnight. He continued to lift weights as any kind of distraction but that would end up being only temporary. The sorrow always came back twice as strong. Eventually over the months Michelle would sit him down and express her worries. He couldn’t continue going on sabotaging himself and traveling back in time to see Ted from a distance. He never interacted with him but instead treated it as a way to replay memories. It wasn’t healthy but Michael missed his best friend. Nobody seemed to understand how unfair it was to have the ability to change an outcome but be told, ’no this is the way it has to be.’ His sister stuck around so Michael wouldn’t be alone and maybe that makes all the difference. He might have spiraled more if it weren’t for that. There was quite a lot of drinking after it settled in that the universe won’t let him save the Ted Kord from his universe. When Rani came into his life it thrilled Michelle to have a niece. They were a little family and can’t imagine how worried she must be when they disappeared.
There was shock written all over both of their faces. He always dreamt of what this moment would feel like. Those first few years were spent leaving his door unlocked waiting for Ted to walk in with some grand excuse for his absence. Maybe they would laugh about it but that never happened. Instead Michael needed to learn how to exist in a world without him. It doesn’t ever get easier, he thought that was bullshit but figured out how to live with it. He became a mentor for the first time in his life which had been interesting, never trained anyone before. He would respect Ted’s last wishes and become the new GOLD AND BLUE with Jaime.
He could tell immediately that the other version of himself wasn’t a father since the reveal resulted in such a surprised reaction. Maybe nobody would expect him of all people to raise a child but ended up being a natural without even realizing it at first. Her planet had been invaded, parents murdered, and having nowhere else to go. Michael wasn’t going to leave her alone, not when she was holding his hand every second they tried to flee from Darkseid. “I know! I can’t believe I’m a knockoff Batman now.” He jokes softly, despite the fact it’s not completely true due to how different the two heroes are. “It was unexpected but the best thing to ever happen to me, Teddy. She’s thirteen now … and I’m just trying to be the kind of father Rani deserves.” Michael knows that he isn’t perfect but wouldn’t change anything about the situation.
The offer live with him makes him feel happy but the hand on his shoulder is all a confirmation that Ted is really here. He wasn’t disappearing before his eyes and it takes all of his willpower not to start tearing up. The blonde just wishes it were possible to express how much he missed him without making this weird. “You really wouldn’t mind? It would help us out since we really need something stable right now. I have to warn you …” The safety of his daughter comes before anything else. “While the power sets of Daxamites and Kryptonians are identical … their weaknesses aren’t. She becomes severely weak when coming in contact with lead instead of kryptonite.” What he has come to understand is that this could be fatal in some instances. “There’s no cure created for it yet.” He mentions that so Ted has the information too if they’re living together but knows any version of his best friend might take it upon himself to try looking into it. Maybe it also makes him emotional knowing that after seven long years his suit will be repaired from the best one for the job once again. Nobody ever sewed it back together quite like Beetle does. “Thanks … you know me, can’t sew to save my life.” Which is followed by a light chuckle as well.
Rani comes back over to join the adults, smiling brightly as Skeets isn’t too far behind. “Sleepover! Can we order pizza?” Her feet landing on the ground at this point while looking up at the two adults in the room. “Only a salad? Eat pizza with us!” She insists, not quite understanding the reason behind Ted not wanting to eat something greasy.
<You are always good to me, Mr. Kord. I look forward to catching up with the Bug.> Skeets responds with as much enthusiasm as one can expect from a robot.
The blonde just stands back admiring what was happening, getting a little emotional at the sight. He spent many sleepless nights daydreaming about this and now it’s real. He takes a step forward, trying not to get choked up and ruin the moment. “We could use a shower. I’m still covered in some alien guck.” He makes a disgusted face for a moment, sticking his tongue out instead as an attempt at bringing out his humorous side. The banter that’s always exchanged with Blue Beetle is one of a kind. Although the words that come out of his mouth next leaves Booster’s smile fading again.
“Y-yeah. I’m sure this will be —” He turns around for a moment, pulling his visor off his face to wipe away some tears that can’t be held back. The reminder that his best friend died and thee was nothing that can be done to fix it. Thee’s a second chance standing in front of him but that can’t erase the trauma from that loss. He can’t do this here, not now. He puts visor back on and faces everyone again. “Sorry, something was in my eye.” You’re a good actor so this lie wouldn’t raise any red flags.
“So … you know any good pizza places?”
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Monster (Kiki/Isabella and Professor James backstory self write Tw: Abuse, Violence, Rape)
Isabella had the worst day at college possible, if that was saying something considering lately everyday had been dreadful. Her project that she was planning on submitting into an art gallery had been smashed to bits. By the looks of it, it definitely was no accident. She couldn’t understand how it would’ve happened though. Her art professor had graciously allowed her to put the sculpture in his office for safe keeping. Did someone sneak into his office just to break it? Oh how cruel could people be? Luckily it was Friday and she didn’t have any classes on the weekends, a break from college. A chance to hide away in her room from the town. She was meant to visit the professor at his apartment that evening for their usual day night.
Dressing up was a hassle with her mood. However she managed to slip on a short but stylish spaghetti strap black dress. Slipping on her black flats she reached over on her nightstand and grabbed a black hair twisty, tying her hair up in a messy bun. Snatching up her purse off of her bed, she said goodnight to her mother and grandmother as she likely wouldn’t be home till late. Slipping into her lavender punch buggy she made her way to the professors complex. Upon arriving she used her key that he had given her to unlock the door and entered his apartment. Closing the door behind her she announces her presence knowing he was somewhere within the apartment. “James, I’m here! You wouldn’t believe what happened! My sculpture somehow got smashed...I honestly thought it would be safe in your office...it’s absolutely awful I won’t be able to submit anything for the gallery!”
James slid a bookmark into his book and set it down on the coffee table, getting up to greet the young woman. “Oh how terrible! These kids should know better than to take their fears out on someone else” he said slightly louder to let her know where he was. As Isabella came into veiw he approached the girl with a smile gracing Isabella's face at seeing her lover. He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, and Isabella nuzzled her cheek against his caring caress. “Don’t worry about it too much, my love. I could let you get some time to remake the sculpture this weekend if you would like. Though if those rats can get into my office, I’m not sure I can guarantee it won’t happen again.”
She normally would be cheered up by his presence alone and of course offering her a chance at a redo as he had many times before. But today the depression of everything that had been happening was weighing heavy on her heart. “Could you? Even then though would it be worth it? Everything I’ve created since...they found out who I am has been destroyed...” she bites her bottom lip and averts her gaze, tears pricking in her eyes. “I know that I shouldn’t give up but....it’s getting worse at school and just in town...they’ve started getting physical...”
James eyes narrowed. “Now now, I’m here, aren’t I? I’ll always have your back Isabella.” He wiped the tears away with the pad of his thumb and pulled her in for a hug. With a soft sigh Isabella wrapped her arms back around the professor. “If it ever gets too unbearable, just come to me, and I will protect you from them.” He always did give the best hugs and knew exactly what to say. “You’re right...I’m so lucky to have you, thank you for not leaving me or judging me for who I am,” Isabella replied.
James pulled away from the hug but left his hands on her shoulders. “Would you like something to drink? I have all the usual beverages.” He spoke with a warm smile on his face.
“Then that means you must have chocolate milk, which I need!” Isabella says and grabs his hands and leads him into the kitchen.“Maybe if you’d help me with the sculpture we’d be able to finish it together? I really want to be accepted into the art gallery I know you mentioned how popular they are.” She opens the fridge to find the carton of chocolate milk that the professor kept specifically for her. Isabella loved anything sweet, knowing that the professor kept it in his home because it was something she enjoyed. Anything that made her rely on him for comfort. Grabbing the carton of chocolate milk when she found it. Setting it on the counter she got on her toes and reached up into the cabinet to grab herself a glass.
James crossed his arms, watching Isabella. "An Interesting thought, though I'm not sure how much help I'd be able to provide, my sweet. It is against the rule for a professor like me to help out on such a project, so if anyone found out, the whole town would be after my head." He gave her a sad looking smile. "Nevertheless, I will provide you with all the tools you need and help with what I can. I'm sure with your talents, you will be able to make something beautiful in no time."
Kiki poured the milk into her glass then put the carton away in the fridge. “I know, your reputation is important. I wouldn’t want you to get in any trouble....“ she closes the fridge and grabs the glass from off the counter.
James leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, watching her closely. "I'm glad you understand. It's truly unfortunate that I can't help you more…” he said with a sigh.
“The new sculpture won’t be as wonderful as the first one I made but I’ll do my best! Should we start it tonight or do you have other plans for date night?” Isabella asked as she continued sipping on her milk. Chocolate milk and the professors encouraging words was definitely a mood booster.
James leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “I don't see why we can't do both. I was just thinking of taking a stroll, but we could always just take the long way around to the studio."
Finishing up her glass she places it in the sink. He really was such a sweetheart, she got lucky finding someone like him. “That sounds like a plan! Let’s do it!” smiling she links her arm around the professor, who grabbed his shoes and keys on their way out. Walking out of his apartment and down one of their familiar pathways. They often would walk at night ever since being exposed. Of course Isabella didn’t mind it, as she loved staring at the twinkling night sky.
As they walked, James seemed to be on high alert for someone-- anyone-- who might be watching them. When they at last reached the campus, he unlocked the door to the studio, ushering Isabella in and locking the door behind them. He covered the windows so that nobody could see inside either. "Alrighty," he said, clapping his hands together in a motion reminiscent of a man starting class. "What can I do to help you get started?"
Isabella set her purse down and chuckled as James seemed to take on his usual authoritative role. “Well I’ll need colorful clay....some carving tools....some glitter....”
James rolled his eyes, a smile making its way onto his face. "You and your glitter... As usual, just don't make a mess with it. I'd feel bad for the custodians." With that being said, he went around the studio, getting out the various items that she needed and setting it up for her. He sat down in a corner to give her some time to work, his legs crossed as he watched the girl he once admired so much.
“I’ll try my best not to make a mess!” Isabella replied she slipped off her black flats and reached into her purse, pulling out a hair twisty and tying her hair up in a messy bun. When she was focused on something she zoned everything else out. After everything was set up she immediately got to work. Humming softly to herself as her hands worked with the clay. She had a specific vision in her mind and she was completely focused on creating it. Using the different colors she was given to create her masterpiece. The form of her art taking shape as beautiful fairy with large wings. Using the glitter she was given to detail the wings. As she finally finished she stepped back. Her hands covered in clay and glitter with some on her face. A smile on her face as she stared at her masterpiece. “sooooo do you like it?” she waited for the usual approval of her lover.
James smiled as she looked up to face him— had he not been smiling the whole time? "Why don't we put it in the oven? We can talk for a bit while it's firing," he said, dodging her question with a forced smile as me motioned for her to put the creature into the oven.
“Ooo alright! I hope it comes out well. I really think I let out my creativity in this piece. I love designing fairies though usually I keep them in my sketchbook hidden...” She carefully lifted up her creation and set it down in the oven. By now she knew how to work the machine and turned it on. Before twirling around and walking back over to the professor. Isabella was practically beaming, it was obvious she was proud of her work.
James watched, his fake smile plastered on his face as she set her abomination into the oven, and waited until she had closed it to approach her. He gently reached out and caressed her cheek, wiping a bit of glitter off of under her eye with the pad of his thumb before removing his hand-- only to swiftly make contact with her cheek once more with a heavy smack. His smile faded instantly to a disgusted frown. "You should keep that disgusting filth hidden forever." before she could get over the shock of him smacking her, he grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against the wall, the force of the action knocking a couple unpainted pots off the shelves and they came crashing down around them.
“J...James....?” her voice cracks as she stares into his blue anger filled eyes. Had she done something wrong? Why was he angry at her?
"Do you honestly think anyone will compliment that abomination you've created!?" James spat, his eyes full of rage. "You should be afraid -- very afraid -- of what this town thinks of you. Yet here you are, happily enjoying yourself with your filthy little hands, creating such vile forms out of our precious clay. You're a disgrace to the art program."
“You said I shouldn’t be afraid....that you’d protect me from them!.....I thought...I thought you didn’t mind supernaturals....what’s going on?” her brows furrowed in confusion as she tried to make sense of what was happening. “Did someone threaten you or something?”
A nasty grin spread across his face as he noted the fear in her eyes and in her voice. Yet he still wasn't satisfied-- he needed more. "Oh, sweet Isabella. I will protect you from them-- but only because you are mine. I used to love you, you know... but you ruined it, ruined everything with this vile truth-- you're a monster, something to be feared. But I won't have that, no no. I will make you fear me." His voice at this point had lost all hints of kindness and was at a low growl, like an angry beast. He kept his grip tight on her, before saying in a deep voice, "I will make you fear me like no other." With that said, he drew back to punch her in the face, the stomach, and kicked her legs out from under her to send her crashing to the floor.
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, was this the man she loved? What happened this couldn’t be real. Had he been lying to her this whole time? Was he like everyone else in this town?! “I...I’m not....I’m not a monster...I...James...I love you....please...” her words of desperation to try and convince him she wasn’t bad, she wasn’t wicked. Instead she was met with a version of the professor she never even knew existed. Chills running down her spine as he claimed that he’d make her fear him. Next thing she knew, more pain. Before she had a chance to recover he had pinned her underneath him, kneeling on her legs so she couldn't kick or get up.
“SNAP OUT OF IT JAMES!! Fucking stop it!!!” Isabella shouted. “I’M NOT GOING TO LET YOU TREAT ME LIKE THEY TREAT ME! I AM NOT A MONSTER!!!!” As she was pinned to the floor she instinctively opened her mouth to let out a scream. However it was muffled by his hand and she stared up at him in terror.
"Scream, I dare you. No one will come to your rescue. And at the off chance they do, I'll simply tell them you attacked me. They will believe me, of course. Who would believe a monster?" He gave off an evil-sounding laugh as he continued to beat her, leaving cuts with his rings and bruises with his fists.
James knew exactly what he was doing, he knew how the town worked. They all saw her as some awful monster but she wasn’t. The professor had led her to believe that he thought differently from the rest. Part of her still wanted to believe this wasn’t him. She struggled back against him but it was proven useless. Hit after hit came down and all Isabella could feel was pain. Bruises already forming on her pale skin along with bloody cuts. Once he seemed to be finished she tried getting up, but groaned in pain as she realized how badly he had beat her.
Yet he still wasn't satisfied. Before Isabella could get up, he grabbed the glitter she'd been using. "This is for the art you've disgraced," he spat, sprinkling some into her open cuts. "How does it feel now, Isabella?"
Watching him grab the glitter as she finally allowed her eyes to fill with tears. Hissing as the glitter was sprinkled into her already bloody cuts. It stung, despite this she still didn’t want to believe this was James. She wanted to believe that maybe he was forced to do this? He had to love her right? “ I love you please...James don’t do this....don’t be like them....I thought...you were different....who’s...making you do this?...”
James's twisted smile grew at the sight of her tears. "Who? Who's making me? You really don't know?" he asked, faking a surprised expression. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "It's you, of course... you freak." He needed to get up, and after glancing around the room, grabbed the wire that was used to cut clay and tied her ankles with it. "Now, be a good girl... I certainly wouldn't recommend struggling against those wires. You know how they cut through clay... like butter."
Her blood ran cold as the realization finally hit her that this was of his own will. His breath tickling her ear as he insulted her. Freak, monster was that really what the man she loved saw her as? After all they had been through, after all the trust she had put in him. As he finally got off of her, she attempted to push herself up. Her arms were shaky and she could barely lift the top part of her body before laying back down. Next thing she knew something sharp was tied around her ankles. She looked down and panic shot through her body yet again. Without even struggling she could already feel the wire cutting into her skin. Gritting her teeth as she laid there, now she really was stuck unless she wanted to amputate her feet. Hearing his mocking tone just hurt her even more, was he really enjoying doing this to her?
After saying that, he got up and opened the oven, the heat of the fire quickly filling the room. He turned the oven off and reached for the metal tongs, bringing out the still uncooked sculpture.
“JAMES NO DON’T!! PLEASE DON’T!!” Isabella cried, reaching out towards the sculpture, her cries were in vain as the masterpiece she’d worked hard on was dropped.
"Oops," he said with an evil grin as the sculpture smashed to the floor with a dull thud and shattered and squished onto the floor. "Oh no.... just like all your other art. How... unfortunate."
“W...why....” a sob escaped her lips as she saw the sad state of the destroyed fairy. Shooting a glare at him. “Like all my ....other art....w....wait...you! Did you...have you been the one destroying my art?!!!” anger swirled with pain as she shouted at him.
"You just now figured it out? Poor girl," he said, clicking his tongue. After kicking the broken pottery out of his way, he made is way back over to Isabella, kneeling down in front of her once more, his face getting dangerously close to hers. He ran his hand through her hair, a gentle caress that the girl was used to-- yet at the end of a few strokes he firmly gripped her dark locks.
"Did you really think I would be careless enough to let others into my office? No... you are mine to destroy, and that applies to your artwork as well." he paused for a moment, looking into her angered eyes with dissatisfaction. "tsk tsk... this won't do. Is that.. anger? Little Isabella... the only emotion you should feel towards me is fear." Like a hungry beast, he hit her once more, then began tearing off her clothing, not caring at all about the ripped fabric.
~ Rape Occured will not be writing details ~
Once he was satisfied, he redressed, straightening his tie and running his hands through his hair, leaving the sobbing girl on the ground as he walked away. Yet before he shut the door behind him, he turned to face her once more. "Remember, Isabella... I would strongly advise against telling anyone of the... 'love spell' you used on me tonight." with that said, he turned off the lights and left, leaving her there in the dark. Staring at him with terror in her eyes, he’d won, she feared him.
Her heart was absolutely torn into pieces, how could he do this to her? The studio was eerily silent minus the pained sobs coming from herself. Using her arms she managed to pull her body to her purse that was near the entrance. Finding her phone she switched on the flashlight and snatched her pocket knife from deeper within her purse. With shaky hands she cut the wire from her bloodied ankles, free at last. Using the wall to help her she managed to stand up on shaky legs. Her entire body was sore and every move brought on more pain. She couldn’t stick around though, turning on the light switch her gaze landed on her destroyed sculpture. Making her way over she knelt down and scooped up the remaining pieces. “I’m sorry....” she whispered as she got up and chucked it into the trash can. Staring down at her torn dress she debated on how she’d be able to get home. Glancing around the art room she snatched up one of the art aprons and slid it on. It covered the parts she needed it to. Taking one last look around the studio she once adored making art in, she promised herself she’d never come back here. Sliding on her flats and snatching up her purse she flicked the lights off and left the studio.
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talk to the hand [ TIMOTHEE CHALAMET ], [ REED ‘NEWT’ NEWTON ] is the new kid on the block around here. at [ TWENTY ], the [ CIS BOY] works at [ BABBAGE’S ] in the mall and, like, [ HE ] totally reminds us of [ CHANDLER BING ]. oh snap! what? their favorite movie is [ HOME ALONE ]???? so is mine!
ABOUT THE MUN.
i used to lie to y’all, my mom didn’t say no, i did
i hate this site man. and that’s it, that’s all you gotta know about me.
BIO.
good news!!!! i’ve successfully replaced all my emotions with jokes !!!!
tw bullying
reed newton was born in london england to sylvia anne bixby and cornelius otis newton and honestly, he’s regretted it ever since.
newt was an accident. he was the product of one of his mother and father’s first ever lustful encounters, and their subsequent shotgun wedding so honestly they both spent most of newt’s formative years in the honeymoon period. some of newt’s earlier memories are of him walking in on his parents doing the devil’s tango in the broom closet and his nanny rushing to cover his eyes. good times.
honestly newt walked in on his parents doing the do more times than any kid should have before the age of nine. and then he walked in on a parent doing the do with a non parent. in other words newt got an eyeful of his father and the pool boy and it wasn’t long after that that his parents went through a long and messy divorce. once again, good times.
his mother decided to pack up their things and move herself and her nine year old very impressionable son to nebraska, because fuck that kid amiright. newt was quickly designated as the skinny weird nerdy kid with glasses and a funny little accent, and so as you can guess he was pretty mercilessly bullied from age nine to eighteen. he really never stood a chance.
i feel like this is a good time to mention that newt’s mother was a sex therapist, which is not the same as a regular therapist but still, therapist is in the name. he should have been able to talk to his parent in this time of strife and get some level of support right? nope. sylvia bixby is well known for writing a men are from mars, women are from venus like book on communication and dating and all that, so his mom was generally on book tour after book tour. but maybe she would have been supportive if she was ever actually around, right? again, nope.
unbeknownst to newt whenever his mother was around she was not only just casually psycho analyzing her only child for shits and giggles, no, she as also writing about it. newt’s mother wrote an entire book about raising a highly repressed teenage son with newt as the star, and you can only guess what that did for newt’s stellar high social status in high school. nothing great.
did newt ask her not to publish it once he realized she had wrote it? yes. did she still publish it? also yes. so newt and his mother no longer have the greatest relationship. holidays are awkward.
things were not better on his fathers end, but it wasn’t because his father particularly did anything nearly as tone deaf as his mother. yes, his father was a famous erotica novelist and yes that made newt’s life a living hell, but newt luckily wasn’t the subject of those books. neil transitioned from writing fabio like novels to writing some lgbt fiction which, great for representation, horrible for your teenage son who is now known around school for having a dad who writes porn. to top it off, neil ended up starting a long term relationship with the pool boy and gaining a pseudo step son from it. benjamin caley was not only more athletic than newt, not only more attractive than newt, but also better than newt in every single way imaginable which was a real self esteem booster. his father actively prefers benji and every time newt visits him in england over the summers he comes home hating himself a bit more.
which works out because after the book being published, most people kind of hated newt too so at the very least he was on trend. there was a lot of classic nineties bullying you know, wedgies, swirlies, shoving newt into lockers. all very cliche. newt would tell his bullies as much, but it never really went over that well.
but then finally newt graduated. he was free from the hell that was the public education system and his childhood household. he graduated with honours, moved out of his mother’s house, and got himself his own apartment with a roommate near the mall where he got his first real job.
goes to university for software engineering. has an internship at apple that he’s absolutely terrified to mess up. has an old beat up car that was like the first big purchase he ever made with his own money, so he loves it to death even though it’s a piece of shit.
PERSONALITY.
do you fear me? don’t feel so special now. i have social anxiety. i fear everybody.
this is my first time playing newt so all of this is subject to change BUT
INSECURE. newt is a weird mix of cripplingly insecure and weirdly confident and there is no in between ever.
WITTY. humour is and always will be the only defense newt has against anything, so he makes a lot of jokes especially when he feels uncomfortable.
EMPATHETIC. newt is a big push over when it comes to emotions like he would never do anything to hurt someone unless it was by accident or he was provoked or you’re his step brother benji or either of his parents in which case he will run you over with his car on sight. but no really, if newt is in a position where he has to hurt somebody he will do absolutely everything in his power to either not or avoid the situation completely.
AWKWARD. sometimes honestly, although it depends on the day. v clumsy though. usually he can try to make his awkwardness funny but does he always succeed? the answer is no.
HEADCANNONS.
actually all of my systems are nervous.
has to drink like six cups of coffee or tea a day. very serious about his tea because english. also has vegemite on his toast.
can actually cook pretty well even though he prefers to eat takeout. cooks because it’s cheaper and he’s a broke ass student yk. won’t take money from his parents ever, and will straight up give it away if it’s forced upon him.
writes star trek fanfic for fun and has a kind of weird relationship with writing because of his parents honestly?? but he enjoys it so, maybe the apple in fact does not fall from the tree.
has commitment issues because of his parents divorce but don’t we all.
developed a stutter after all the divorce drama because he thought it was his fault. he later had to see a speech therapist. his mother later had a fwb relationship with this same speech therapist. newt wanted to die.
traded his glasses for contacts and you will literally only see newt in glasses if he rips or loses his contacts or if he’s at home.
in love with all things sci fi, will rent and see every sci movie ever made if he can
accidentally knocks down at least one display in babbages per day so there’s that.
speaking of newt runs a small side gig out of babbages where he fixes up tech because paying for university, rent, and car insurance out of pocket gets up there. so if you need someone to fix your desktop newt is your guy.
is actually a pretty good flirt when he’s drunk or feels comfortable. is constantly teetering between painfully insecure and confident.
is very bi and very hesitant about it because of his father and all his feelings towards that, but he will eventually stop fighting it so much soon hopefully. has probably had a few drunken hookups with guys but tries to convince himself that is just a drunk thing yk.
is allergic to bees so death has a kiss just for him i guess.
loves video games but that goes without saying
has anxiety and takes medication for it, one of the few healthy things his mother has ever done for him.
speaking of his mother if newt ever sees her book about him in a book display he will spend as much time as needed taking each book and hiding them in obscure places so that no one will ever be able to find them and buy them. he read the whole thing because he had to know and yep he absolutely hates it.
goes by newt and only newt so that no one can make the connection between him and his mother or his father upon first meeting him or hopefully ever. a lot of the kids he went to high school with still know though and with the accent and everything, he’s not fooling anyone who has at least heard a rumour
idk what else y’all imma fite tumblr for making me write this twice
WANTED CONNECTIONS.
actually wait, i take that self deprecation back, i’m great.
ROOMMATE. because newt can’t afford his place on his own between all his expenses. please. think of the shenanigans.
ON AGAIN OFF AGAIN THING. kind of inspired by chandler and janice tbh. these two are pretty incompatible and whenever they’re together all they talk about is breaking up with each other but whenever they’re broken up and they see each other they somehow always find themselves waking up in bed together the next morning. it’s a mess.
NERD SQUAD. give me newt’s friends from high school please and thanks. just a crew of absolutely dweebs and misfits.
FWB/EWB. self explanatory considering newt’s big commitment issues but i just imagine like making out in the back room and like hooking up in the break room and someone leaving like a damning article of clothing in there and the two of them scrambling to get it before anyone notices. just fun.
EX. self explanatory but yes, an ex gf or bf, an ex fwb or ewb, give me all the exes please.
REPEAT CUSTOMER. this person is always paying newt to come fix their computer and other tech and newt just doesn’t understand how they mess it up so badly. like he doesn’t get how or why technology hates them as much as it does, but he’ll take the money.
HATESHIP. just good old fashion animosity. could be hate from school or the fresh hate upon working in the mall together or they can just be newt’s least favourite customer and he can hate them for that.
CRUSH. maybe newt had a crush on them in school. maybe they had a crush on newt in school. maybe newt has a crush on them now. maybe they have a crush on newt now.
and anything else tbh. i’d love a smoking buddy for newt, a friend who he can never get any work done around like when they’re together they’re just like !!!, someone who used to be one of the popular kids who he is now getting along with or still holding a grudge against, his big gay awakening in school maybe like the first masc person he had a crush on, someone who tries to get newt to party and come out of his shell, someone who idk steals from babbages skjsdj idk man i am open to anything at all so just like this and we can brain storm if anything!
#vhsintro#r.n. | intro.#using this gif of timmy surfing cause when else am i gonna get the chance#but oof finally done
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