Kibum joining Taemin on his Instalive 🥰💞 [xoalsox bumkeyk] 230616

slight au where team russia worked a little faster and eddie and max make it out scathed but alive, unlike vecna who finally got his comeuppance

eddie and steve have an unnamed thing in the months after eddie gets out of the hospital but without an earthquake wrecking hawkins, eyes are everywhere and rumours are hard to kill in a small town and eddie's sick of the way they're all being treated. he thinks it's all because of him, thinks it'll fix everything if he's not around, thinks steve deserves to find his wife and have his nuggets.

so eddie runs away in the middle of the night, just leaves a note for wayne with a promise to call and hitchhikes to cali with his guitar and not much more than the clothes on his back. he works hard and makes it big with his band, they win awards, sell out arenas, front magazine covers but eddie just takes it day by day. time passes without him really recognising its passing, just going from one gig to the next. another town, another state, another country. they've travelled the whole world by now and although his bandmates make a big deal out of birthday's, another trip around the sun eddie! whenever he thinks of home, everything and everyone are just as he left them.

it's the late nineties, eddie and wayne sitting on opposite ends of a phone line having their monthly catch-up when wayne casually mentions that he's going to a divorce party on the weekend. eddie laughs cos parties aren't exactly wayne's scene to start with, but eddie misses small town drama so he asks who at the plant got divorced? and wtf is a divorce party anyway?

and wayne knows he's fumbled the ball in a big way but all he can do at this point is just explain and eddie's sorry but... what?!

steve's getting a divorce! eddie's steve? eddie didn't even know he'd got married! he knows The Party are still close and that when eddie had been dragged into their weird little group, wayne had too. he knows that they keep a good eye on wayne, that he's still one of them.

and wayne was true to his word with not updating eddie on their lives because he knows if he'd heard any of it he'd've come running home immediately but wayne's getting on in years and this little bit of info just sort've slipped out.

so now, guess what? eddie's booking himself a flight because how can he miss this now that he knows it's happening?

so steve's getting drunk surrounded by all the people who love him. he and tina ended things amicably enough, she fell in love with robin and what was steve supposed to do? he could hardly blame her! tina and robin despised each other, had from the moment steve introduced them but robin was going through some work stuff and she'd needed a break. so steve had twisted her arm and she'd come to stay for a month and well, shit happens! they hadn't crossed any boundaries, robin wouldn't ever do that to him but the mother of your kids being in love with your best friend kinda puts the kibosh on your marriage.

it was dustin's idea, the party, he thinks steve needs cheering up, which he probably does because he'd had everything he'd always dreamed of and now his life's in a shambles for the second time even though he's only in his early thirties. except eddie, blast from the past, love of steve's life, took steve two solid years to get over him, steve's eddie, showing up unannounced (because gatecrashing is just eddie's way of not having to deal with all the nerves he's been feeling since he stepped into lax) kills the party.

everyone's furious! steve's drunk, thinks eddie's an hallucination but dustin takes a swing at eddie, which is sobering to say the least. hop's yelling, wants to drag eddie outside "i just wanna talk, i swear!" luckily for eddie, joyce and murray know him better than that. max is ripping him to shreds, erica's hyping her up and no-one is brave or stupid enough to get in their way.

and eddie's only just now registering that it might've been a terrible idea to just drop in on people you trauma bonded with and then abandoned over a decade ago and wayne's trying to gauge whether he needs to get his nephew the hell outta there or whether it's best to just let it play out and steve might be hammered and in a state of shock and eddie might deserve everything max is saying but he just can't stand there and let it happen.

so steve grabs eddie by the wrist and drags him outside and no-one follows because they all think it's fair that steve gets first crack at him. except steve isn't all that angry, he might be tomorrow, but right now he just tugs eddie into his chest and wraps himself tightly around him.

there's a thousand questions they both want to ask, things they definitely should be talking about but eddie just melts in the circle of steve's arms. he's forgotten why he ever left this space, where he can feel steve's heartbeat and smell the cologne that he still wears and that underlying something that's just steve. then steve squeezes him tighter and sighs so heavily it seems the whole world is on his shoulders and all eddie wants to do is drop everything and help him carry it.

"wayne let slip, huh?" steve says instead of something normal like hello.

"he didn't mean to," eddie defends even though he knows he doesn't need to. he'd seen the hug they’d shared before he'd waltzed in, even though they're all older than eddie thought possible, nothing about The Party has changed.

"sorry about your party," eddie mutters. he does feel bad for ruining their good time, he doesn't know now why he thought he could just pick up where he left off. steve just shrugs, huffs a laugh into eddie's hair

"you're a much better surprise than the strippers they’d booked for me anyway," steve admits. and eddie can't help himself he starts to laugh, it starts off with jiggling shoulders and escalates until there's tears running freely down his face. it wasn't even that funny, the absurdity of this situation isn't even that funny, it's all just... it's a lot.

"jesus h christ! i've missed you," eddie says when he's calmed down enough to speak.

"i missed you, too," steve confesses with such a raw honesty it gives eddie pause, makes him pull his head away from steve just enough to see his face.

"really?" eddie's a little awestruck but he tries to keep his voice level, he fails miserably.

"yes, really! what you thought you'd disappear and we'd all just, what? forget about you?" steve scoffs, looks into eddie's eyes, really looks and then rolls his own "oh my god! you did, didn't you? you're unbelievable, eddie munson! why'd you think the kids are so mad with you?" steve asks remarkably calm. must be a dad thing, eddie thinks because the lump in his throat prevents him from speaking, he can only shrug, "because they love you, you idiot! and you abandoned them but they still love you. dustin waited for two hours outside your indy concert before realising he was waiting outside the wrong door and that you'd already gone. poor kid was a mess for a week!" steve sighs heavily, cups eddie's face, wipes away the fresh tears falling down eddie's cheeks with his thumbs.

"you're not mad," eddie croaks almost accusatory, misery filling him because the one person he wants to love him, the one person he's never stopped loving, is holding him, yes, but thinking about it eddie would've been happier with the fury dustin had shown him because dustin's mad because he loves eddie but steve isn't mad at all.

steve smiles, tired and a little soppy, kisses eddie on the forehead and pulls him back against his chest.

"not yet, but i've no doubt in the morning i'm gonna be livid. you better still be here to see it!" and it's the first time there's been anything warning in steve's tone, it makes eddie hold him tighter.

"i'll be here," he promises. eddie's tucked so closely into steve's chest he doesn't hear his uncle approach, doesn't see the smile he and steve share over eddie's head. wayne knew eddie was safe out here with steve but The Party's getting antsy.

"time to face the music, boy," wayne can't fight his grin when eddie turns in steve's hold, like he used to when they were young and eager to head to bed and wayne would say "those dishes won't wash themselves" and eddie would huff and fuss from the confines of steve's embrace, being dramatic for the sake of it. other than a change in hairstyle and a few new lines on their faces, wayne doesn't see any difference.

eddie grins when he realises that steve is equally reluctant to let go, propping his head on eddie's shoulder and holding him close, they both make puppy dog eyes at wayne, except wayne isn't about to cave like he would with the dishes. his friends are furious but they love him and they're worried that steve's murdered eddie already.

except wayne knows there's no safer place for his boy to be. steve's spent many a night in wayne's trailer, reading through articles, watching award ceremonies, listening to the albums eddie sent to wayne. sleeping in eddie's old bed, both when eddie first left and even more so recently, not that either of them have mentioned that to the others. it's a secret exclusively for the two people in the world who love eddie munson the most.

wayne gives eddie a pointed look and eddie sighs, nods to himself, he can do this. these people love him deep down, even if they don't like him very much right now.

"ready, big boy," eddie teases waggling his eyebrows at steve, who laughs and calls him an idiot affectionately. eddie classes it as a win. steve gives him one last squeeze, reluctantly letting go as the three of them head back inside but steve's hand never quite leaving the small of eddie's back (even when dustin tearfully tackles eddie into a bearhug) might be the best thing he ever could've hoped for.

and eddie thinks that maybe, just this once, his inability to fight his impulse control might've finally worked in his favour.

[taps mic] is everybody here? everyone still manning their tumblr blogs after the twitter roller coaster of the past couple of months? cool

so! 2022, huh? it's not new year's eve without one of my soppy, navelgazing year-in-review posts. if you're reading this, you survived. as an acquaintance of mine put it, "i hope 2023 is the year it all pays off for you."

if i seem unusually optimistic about it, it's because this year, against the odds, things started looking up. i had no idea when i stepped out last december 31st and listened to the neighbors' firecrackers what i was in for. i didn't know that when obsidian emailed me on a january afternoon about "a quick follow-up meeting," it would be their offer call. i didn't know what kind people i'd meet there, or the lengths they'd go to to make me feel like a respected peer instead of a gatecrashing fan. i knew least of all how it would affect my state of mind: that i'd finally feel a sense of accomplishment and dignity. i look ahead and i see a viable future for myself. i've been paid to write for years, but now i can support myself with it. i think about the weight that takes off my mother. i remember staying up until 4 A.M., wondering how i'd do the only thing i ever wanted to do. it was a big, dark ocean then. it's still an ocean now, but i've got a boat, a crew, and a lantern. it's hard to overstate what that does to you.

the downside is, there are only 24 hours in a day, and your time feels very different when you're on the clock for eight of them. i knew it'd be a change, and it's gone more smoothly than i thought it would, but i just can't churn unpaid stuff out the way i did years ago. projects that would've taken a long time in college have become interminable now. you wouldn't believe how much half-finished art i have sitting around. it's not lost on me that this is just ordinary adulthood, and even i had to get around to it at some point. laugh all you want! seriously, i probably deserve it, and it's hard enough to find things to laugh about in this decade.

part of me misses that pillowy freelance lifestyle of cramming my paid work into the mornings, then doing fun projects all day. then i remember i was numbing the ache of not having a career that i now have, and the superficial sense of leisure came with a heavy price. it wasn't worth three cents a word and almost no creative input. it wasn't worth being on medi-cal and having my mother keep me afloat. it certainly wasn't worth watching my friends work themselves half to death because they weren't privileged enough to have that support network. i think we all agree that we should have a better world, that artists should be able to just make art, that contractors aren't paid enough. [except for relic, they were very generous, i loved them.] in the meantime, we have to make it through with what we have, and figure out how to look after each other as best we're able to.

i think, when people gain a measure of success in life, they want to fantasize that they did it all by themselves. that's ridiculous. i wouldn't be writing any of this without the people who hyped up my wild fanfic ideas or bought dangerous crowns. i'd never have written anniversary without the other longsummer nights authors building a vivid world for hercule and aida to live in. i'll never forget the colleagues and the industry doors they helped me through, and, you know, i'm not much now, but i hope i can pass that on. even if you only have a little power, you have to use it for good, right? otherwise, that's how you get a chandelier dropped on you.

seriously, though, read anniversary. i want to talk about it more. it's short, i swear!

Day 3 of @jonmartinweek

you get a fic and art, its on ao3 here

How many ikea candles can one man own?

“Watch your fingers!” 

Martin looked over the top of the repurposed filing box at Jon. He was struggling to bite back the retort at the micromanaging that was happening. If he could actually see more than the top of Jon’s head somewhere beyond the expenses of what passed as Jon’s worldly possessions, he might have made a witty remark. But as he could just see the top of the other man's bun, the words died on his tongue. He settled for just rolling his eyes fondly. 

Martin wasn’t sure exactly how either of them had accumulated so much stuff. For two men who had spent the best part of the last year gatecrashing in other people's spare rooms, and for one brief slightly overlapping time in the basement in the bookshop, they had a rather impressive collection of tat. 

Somehow, they were now on their fifteenth trip up the three flights of stairs to deposit yet another of Jon’s miscellaneous boxes. 

The front room was slowly looking like it should house the arc de covenant rather than the barren magnolia box it had started life as this afternoon. 

Why Tim thought that the two of them house sharing would be a good idea was beyond Martin. 

Yes, they had both independently looked at the same flats as each other over and over, unknowingly blocking the others' offer left, right and centre. And maybe, yes, they had both fallen in love with the little two-bedroom flat ten minutes walk from the bookshop, overlooking the canal and unfortunately just outside of their individual price range.

Of course, Tim had suggested that they ‘combine income’ and get a joint let. 

“You both like the place, and you are both more than capable of sharing the same space without killing each other, look it just makes sense” Tim, as ever, was right. He didn’t need to give Martin the loaded wink over the top of his Ray-bans, as he nudged Martin in the leg with his knee, for Martin to pick up on the not-so-subtle suggestion.  

Jon, however, seemed oblivious, but had found the idea “practical, and economically viable.” Martin wasn’t sure he would ever get over watching Sasha practically choke on her cocktail olive as she tried to calm her laughter behind Jon’s back.

So now Martin watched as Jon sagged. They had been at this for the last eight hours, and he was glad they had finally finished the last trip to the van. The flat wasn’t furnished past the white goods, so he sunk down onto the floor with a resolute thud, glasses perched in his hair and shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow, Jon wasn’t built for physical labour and it showed in the way the layer of sweat pooled on his brow and shimmered in the hazy late summer sun that fell through the open balcony window. 

He looked knackered, but unfortunately for Martin, he also looked just as handsome and dishevelled as he ever did, it was doing nothing to slow how Martin’s heart had been stuck in the back of his throat since they had signed the lease at the beginning of the week. 

Jonathan Sims was exactly Martin’s type. And in that lay the gaping problem with Tim’s master plan. Martin’s gigantic crush wasn’t going anywhere, but at least when Martin was crashing on Tim’s pull-out sofa, he could get a rest from Jon’s intense stare. 

But if they were living together? Well, it was going to be difficult to escape it. The constant feeling of Jon watching him would follow him around the flat from waking to sleep, with no downtime between. 

And Jon stared a lot. At first, Martin had thought it was just his imagination. Jon was quite intense, always had been. Martin used to think it was some sort of personal vendetta against him, but over time he realised that the prickly cactus exterior was just a cover. Jon was a pussy cat really. You just had to get past his thorns. 

******

Jon was exhausted. He knew he was exhausted. He was somewhat an expert in that particular area. Between work, and… well… more work, he couldn’t remember the last time he thought about anything but the next paper or the next paycheck. 

Yet as he opened the windows to the flat and let some of the warm breeze dislodge a little of the dust from the packing boxes, he felt something else set in amongst that bone tired ache that had followed him constantly for the last god knows how many years.

He was under no illusions that it was anything other than the presence of the man currently attempting to find homes on the kitchen counter for the mismatched microwave, toaster and toastie maker, but most importantly, the kettle. 

Martin had made easy work of lifting the heavy boxes out of the back of the rented van, and Jon had to admit it had been a shock, how distracting it had been to watch him. 

There was just something about Martin. 

Jon's life comprised sharp edges, and here was Martin, the perfect opposite of all the harshness that the world offered. 

It was true; they hadn't got off to the best of starts. Martin was too quick to back down from Jon's vicious asides, unwilling to fight back when Jon ranted and raved. 

But after the showdown with Jane over the state that she had returned one book in, Martin had shown a side to him that had caught Jon's attention. His waspish retorts and bitchy nature once he got going was a sight to behold. And Jon had found himself happy to be on the same shifts, the new, more confident Martin dragging him to eat or to socialise when the shutters were down and the rest of the staff long gone. 

They had taken turns on Tim's sofa over the course of the last year, first Jon's gran had died then Martin's mum and if it hadn’t been for Georgie swooping in and saving him one of them would have had to move to the basement of the shop. 

This flat came on the market at the perfect time. Jon was sure he wouldn't have needed much convincing to move in with Martin, but Tim had been quick to give him examples of why it was a good idea, and it had seemed rude not to take the easy option when it had presented itself. Jon was an adult. He could deal with the near constant presence of the man he had a king-size crush on. After all, he had managed so far.

The move had been only slightly problematic. They still needed to make a trip to Ikea to get a sofa, but other than that, they were practically set up. Apart from the two empty bedsteads that still lacked mattresses (I'm sorry Jon I forgot I'm in Scotland with Mel and the Admiral till Monday… I'll sort it out then ok?) and the fact that the gas and electric still hadn't been turned on. But they were minor issues in the grand scheme of things. This didn't seem to detour Martin, who was browsing his phone now in one hand and searching out two wine glasses with the other. 

" I ordered food, should be here soon" Jon pulled the few throw pillows that had once belonged to his gran from the top of the boxes as Martin wandered over, the late evening sun lighting the room through the cracks in the buildings across the river. 

"What would I do without you ?" 

"Starve to death, we've been through this." Martin rummaged in a box near the fridge, pulling out two wine glasses that looked like they had seen better days. Turning his attention to the Asda shopping bag that sat on the top of one bag of clothes, he pulled out a bottle of red wine, brandishing it like a first place trophy. "Do we drink this now or with the stupidly over priced pizza I just bought? " 

Jon waved a grabbing hand in the glass's direction. "I need a drink. " 

"That's what I thought." Martin passed the bottle to Jon, and he peeled off the stopper. Only to burst into fits of laughter when confronted with Cork. 

"Got a corkscrew? "He asked, offering the offending bottle up. He expected Martin's face to drop, but the other man turned to the box by Jon's head, pulling out a first aid kit and passing it over with a flourish. 

"And I need this because? " 

"You asked for a corkscrew?" Martin said, simply taking a seat at his side. 

Cautiously, Jon opened the green box and low and behold, there was indeed a corkscrew sitting atop the neatly packaged plasters and bandages. 

"Should I ask why you have this in here?" He asked as he went about opening the wine. 

Martin's grin was bright as he held out his glass and Jon filled it.

"Always know where it is. Put it in a drawer and they disappear. It's like there is an offering to some sort of god of cutlery." 

"Should I ask where you keep the tin opener?" 

"Now… you can't tame a tin opener. They are free spirits. They do what they want. " 

Jon took a sip of his wine to hide the smile on his face. Was this his life now? If so, he wasn't sure how he would get through it. He was achingly in love with this madman, and he wasn't sure how he was going to hide it. Especially when they were both sitting cross-legged on the floor and the sunlight was doing something almost breathtaking to Martin's hair as it set in reds and golds. 

"What? Do I have something on my face?" 

He had caught Jon staring, and unlike at work, he couldn't really hide it under the pretence of anything but what it was. 

Martin flushed slightly, his ears where they poked out of his hair, going almost as red as the setting sun. 

He denied anyone who said they couldn't love this man. No wonder Tim had seen right through him. 

“Just wondering if I should expect to find the toilet brush in the fridge? The kettle in the bathroom?” 

"Now you're just being ridiculous. We all know the toilet brush belongs under the bed next to the TV remote and behind the bread bin?" Martin took a hasty mouthful of his wine as the door buzzer sounded. Jon tried not to stare as he jumped to his feet and headed for the door. But he knew he was lying to himself if he said he didn't enjoy the view. 

***** 

It was almost comical the fact that on the first night in their new flat they had no beds, no sofa and no power. 

Martin had picked the olives of his pizza as he watched Jon pull out scented candle after scented candle, the IKEA stickers clear as day on the bottom of each one. They blazed away now on the kitchen counter as the two of them sprawled on the floor in what would soon become the living room, hopefully.

Jon was a present presence at his side, humming away to the 80s radio station on Martin's phone. His glasses long discarded on a brown box in the corner, one hand grasping at his wine glass, the other twisted up in his own hair where he propped himself up to talk. 

Martin lay on the floor, wine abandoned to his side as he watched the shadows flicker across the roof of their new home. 

Home.

It felt like a home, and he knew that was more to do with the man who was now rambling about the new romantics as if they had offended him personally than anything else.

Martin wasn't really listening. He had stopped after Jon had picked holes in Depeche Mode songs. He didn't fancy a fight on their first night together.

He shook his head. No, not together. They were roommates, that was all. 

No matter how much Jon pressed into his side as he leaned over to top up his glass, best to ignore the fact that they were both lying on the floor together by candlelight, drinking wine. 

Jon had stopped talking. 

Martin turned to see what had caused him to give up his endless rant, only to find Jon gazing back at him with what could only be described as want across his face. His dark eyes flickered in the candlelight, and for the first time Martin released just how close they really were. 

Jon was practically curled up on him. His elbow resting beside Martin's ear. His hand hovering just above Martin's chest, half way drawn back from where he had just discarded his wine glass on Martin's other side. 

It would be poor form to point out the closeness, but Martin almost wanted to. Did Jon understand how this looked? He knew Jon had problems sometimes understanding boundaries, but something almost felt deliberate, like Jon wanted to be in his space. 

Tentatively, Martin brought his arm up to fold his fingers protectively over Jon's, lowering his hand till it covered his heart, and Jon could feel the way it raced at the closeness. Jon tipped his head questioningly as he tried to understand the gesture. 

Martin brought his other hand up, tracing the shape of Jon’s back till Jon sunk into the touch as he somehow curled even closer to Martin's side. Both of them seemed to try not to blink first. 

Finally, Jon spoke, barely over a whisper. 

"This feels like the setup for some terrible romance novel that we would put in the bargain bin. " 

"I dunno. I'm yet to see you with your shirt torn off as it billows in the wind." Martin, in a sudden burst of bravery, chuckled back, enjoying how Jon's slight frame juddered with the action. 

Jon grinned at him then. This close, Martin could trace the way his dimples formed, appreciating the way Jon's eyes sparkled as he thought of his own witty comeback. 

He never got the chance to say it though because Martin used his sudden burst of bravery to close the gap between them, placing a gentle kiss over the newly discovered dimple on Jon's cheek cutting off whatever Jon was about to say in a garbled shocked sound. 

 What Martin didn't expect was for Jon to burst into hysterical laughter, burying his face into Martin's neck as he tried to bite back the sound. 

Martin's heart dropped. He had finally made his move and Jon was laughing? 

He knew Jon was harsh, but he wasn't cruel. Was this his way of drawing the line in the sand between them? If so, it hurts. 

It took a moment for Martin to realise Jon was muttering something between the laughter. Each time it made him chuckle just a little more, curl into Martin just a fraction tighter. Jon didn't seem to want to let go, and Martin found himself all the more confused about it. 

Finally, Jon calmed enough that Martin picked out the word Tim in the gulps of air between laughter. He didn't know what to think about that either. Why was Jon thinking about Tim as he lay in Martin's arms? 

Eventually, Jon pulled his head out of Martin's neck, his eyes red from laughing so much he was almost crying. Setting his face as straight as he could, he looked Martin straight in the eye.

"Oh, my God, they were roommates," Jon deadpanned before cracking a dangerously wide grin and hiding his face back in the fold of Martin's neck . 

"For fuck’ sake Jon! You had me worried for a moment…" 

"Roommates Martin…. Roommates…" 

This time Martin let himself join in the laughter. If his relationship with Jon had to boil down to a trope at least it was a good one.

My J2 au fic recs

I thought it was time to make a list of some of my favorite j2 fics. This is au only. Not au coming next. Enjoy.

Absence from those we love 

by mournthewicked

Word Count: 41,000

Link:  https://users.livejournal.com/-mournthewicked/354607.html

Summary: Jensen Ackles led a great life. It just wasn’t the one he planned on. Now he’s newly single, stuck at a job he hates, and sharing an apartment with his lovably psychotic best friend. When he’s given the chance to go back and do it all over again, he leaps at it. Only he soon comes to realize that no matter what’s in front of him, it’s impossible to leave the past behind. Considering what he’d be giving up, he might not even want to. (17 again j2 style)

Like a music that holds my hands down 

by saltandbyrne

Word Count: 22,891

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15310197

Summary: Perpetually-single pediatric dentist Jared lets his best friend Misha talk him into going to an anonymous BDSM party. Jared hooks up with a gorgeous stranger, but panics after their encounter and leaves before he can learn more about him. A year later, Jared is stunned to recognize Jensen Ackles as the father of one of his new patients and the guy from the best one-night stand of Jared’s life. With some encouragement from Jensen’s co-parent Danneel and Jared’s plucky office manager Genevieve, Jared realizes that he and Jensen might be perfect for each other after all.

Inked Verse

by non_timebo_mala

Word Count: 43,593

Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/series/344780

Summary:  Jared's been dying to get tattooed by renowned tattoo artist Jensen Ackles for ages. When he finally walks into the shop, he discovers he wants a lot more than just ink.

Gently play upon your heartstrings

by Cleflink

Word Count: 11,576

Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/1032133

Summary: Jensen is the superstar lead singer of the world's hottest rock band and, as such, is totally not bitter about getting turned down by Jared fucking Padalecki. Too bad the guy manages the hotel that Jensen lives in and is incredibly difficult to ignore.

Superheroes suck, or, the unfortunately extraordinary life of Jensen Ackles

by Cleflink

Word Count: 33,055

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/468711

Summary: Jensen hates superheroes. Having grown up with not one, but two of them in the family, he's more than aware of just how much having a spandex-clad alter ego can cock up the rest of your life. Luckily, his own powers tend towards the more passive, hippie florist side of things which - while embarrassing - means that all that superhero crap is someone else's problem. Or it would, if not for the frequent interference of superhero-obsessed friends, hostage situations, hotshot new superheroes and irritating relatives. Not to mention a boyfriend who has the uncanny ability to go missing whenever bad things are going down somewhere else in the city. Sometimes, Jensen's life is kind of bullshit.

The beat of our noisy hearts

by Cleflink

Word Count: 47,890

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/909642

Summary: In a world where heartbreak is a literal condition, it's Jared's job to sew, fill and patch the physical wounds left in people's hearts by lost loves, misunderstandings and betrayals. Jared's own love life is more than a little dire, largely because Jensen doesn't date and Jared doesn't do one-night stands, but he's got good friends and a job he loves, so he figures that he can't complain too much. When a killer attacks Jensen, Jared discovers that a needle and thread, desperation and a sharp scalpel are enough to save Jensen's life, but at a cost that is going to change Jared's life forever and tie them both together in a way that goes far deeper than flesh.

And the rest, as they say, is history

by Raina_at

Word Count: 17,728

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15012887

Summary: Struggling actor Jensen takes a job as big-shot movie star Jared Padalecki’s dogsitter. And the rest, as they say, is history.

A different kind of team building

by ashtraythief

Word Count: 8,924

Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/24683401

Summary: Jensen is a facts and graphs kind of guy; he never should have started working at a hipster California startup. His boss is insane, everybody’s wearing beanies, and Jared, the tall and cute head creative designer, thinks Jensen is too stuck up to work at One Tree Solutions. And now they’re going on a company retreat. But when the sleeping arrangements don’t work out as planned, Jensen realizes that maybe he didn’t have all the facts after all.

Hustle & Heart

by righteousbros

Word Count: 16,819

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143701

Summary: Jensen is the star quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he lives and breathes the game of football. Then at a charity signing event he runs into Jared, his former teammate and his former flame. It's been years since they've spoken, but Jensen hasn't been able to let the feelings he has for Jared go. To complicate matters, Jared is on the brink of a major decision that will change his life and the history of the sport forever. Now Jensen has to decide if he has the courage to speak up and claim his chance at happiness too.

Cuffs

by TwoBoys2Love

Word Count: 87,156

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1283929

Summary: Detective Ackles gets a new partner who may be a bit of a challenge. They have different views about everything. Ackles picks up some work on a new case that reveals his partner's secret and dredges up the past.

The American Bachelor 

by dugindeep (hotsauce)

Word Count: 21,415

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1774633

Summary: Jensen Ackles is the first openly gay president, but that's the least of his worries. He's battling the press on his continued international trips to keep the peace, he has a 12-year-old to raise on his own, and he's trying to make something happen with the hot florist he just met. Jared Padalecki, on the other hand, is trying to not go insane at the prospect that the country's most eligible bachelor, and the world's most powerful man, is trying to woo him.

Splintering in slow motion

by cyndrarae

Word Count: 30,881

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7526416

Summary: Jared has been fighting the ‘darkness’ for as long as he can remember, until he can’t, or doesn’t want to anymore. He decides to treat himself to one final weekend of fun before laying down his arms, so to speak. The last thing he expects is a gatecrasher, someone who might derail his best-laid plans for good.

Apocalypse: Cancelled 

by jeyhawk

Word Count: 28,000

Link: https://jeyhawk-fic.livejournal.com/62095.html

Summary: July 7, 2008 at 2 a.m. in the morning a comet will hit Earth, destroying all human life. Humanity gets 54 hours to prepare and chaos ensues. A chance encounter has straight architect Jared Padalecki saving the life of deeply closeted movie star Jensen Ackles. The unlikely couple cling to each other during what they think will be their last days on earth, but what happens to the relationship they built when the world doesn't end after all? 

Slowly, with each touch and each kiss

by whisperedstory

Word Count: 24,136

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21607546

Summary: When Jensen starts coming to JD's, the cocktail bar where Jared works, Jared is instantly interested in him. What starts out as a one-night stand quickly becomes a casual arrangement that Jared could easily see turning into more. But Jensen isn't looking for something serious and Jared would rather settle for being friends with benefits than not having Jensen in his life at all.

Baby, it’s cold outside

by Merenwen76

Word Count: 35,245

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22177129

Summary: Christmas is the best time of the year for Jared. But this time he's caught in a blizzard. With his boss, of all people. - Jensen Ackles This one not only hates Christmas but is also extremely hot.

A song in the stars

by strive2bhappy

Word Count: 39,813

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11224314

Summary: Jared Padalecki has dreamed of taking to the skies since he was five-years-old. When he becomes an adult and builds a spaceship of his own, he gets to do just that, looking for adventure -- little did he know the adventure waiting for him. Jensen Ackles is born part human, part Terryn and his life as an outcast is difficult -- music is his only real escape. When he's captured by the Dominion, an organization hell-bent on taking over every galaxy in every way they can, he's used as a lab experiment to see how his special, combined heritage can be advantageous for them. Fleeing Dominion control, he vows to himself, they will never find him again. A chance meeting between Jared and Jensen helps both of them get what they're looking for -- and the way things end up, it may have been more than just chance. From various planets throughout different galaxies, to nights under the stars in space, Jared and Jensen find in each other something worth fighting -- and possibly dying -- for.

Right. Let’s try this again shall we...

So. Roxanne is currently inhabitant numero 7 in the Lair. The first two being Megamind and Minion of course, three through six are the alligators and the bots “technically” don’t count as they’re a kind of hivemind thing.

Except for Pumpkin and Starlight. Who knows what’s going on with those two

Anyway.

Roxanne is living in the Lair, she’s got a week off work and by god she is going to do...something...about her feelings. What that something is? Nobody knows.

Least of all her.

But hey, there is a Swarm to hang out with and she doesn’t have to cook and her husband is very snuggly so far so good right?

Enter Aunt Helen. Well gatecrash. Well...look we need some kind of reason for Roxanne to yell about how wonderful Megamind is and ranting at xenophobic family members is always fun. So after Roxanne finds out the brain-bots have recategorised her as Designation Mama and Megamind has to rescue her from a very excited swarm its time to go back to the office because well shit there are MORE BOXES?

Does no one in this city have anything better to do than send them well wishes? Its getting creepy guys. Enough with the baby clothes already.

A wild Aunt Helen appears and its time for Roxanne to pay Megamind back for saying how much he loves her and how wonderful she is by doing the same mid rant and also sends herself into something of a spiral around family and self worth and feeling worthy of love and a whole mess.

So Megamind takes them for a drive to the lake where ooh remember that teaser I posted months ago about “tell me you love me?” Yeah that. This is gonna hurt kiddos I’m not gonna lie.

Of course Roxanne’s still under the impression he’s a very good liar and isn’t actually in love with her. And Megamind thinks she doesn’t love him.

They’re idiots your honour. Pining morons in love.

The other thing that happens is that Roxanne gets absolutely drenched by a speedboat that comes way too close to shore and lake water isn’t particularly healthy and she’s been under a lot of stress and is it any wonder she gets sick?

Roxanne doesn’t temperature regulate when she’s sick. This will mostly be played for laughs. I apologise for nothing.

Once she’s feeling better (and after she has essentially kicked Megamind out of bed for the weekend in the process, she feels pretty bad about that) she goes to apologise for kicking him out of his own bed an that somehow devolves into Megamind going into a guilt spiral about the cold and damp lair being no place for her to live and hands Roxanne the cash he won in Vegas and she storms out to find somewhere to live.

No dice.

She comes back home and they kind of dance around the issue for a bit before through a series of events including a punchingbag emblazoned with Metro Man’s face, supervillain capes and one or two other details I’m forgetting, Roxanne moves her stuff out of storage and into the Lair.

This is great except she’s not moving into the Lair per say, just storing her stuff here. Except then she gets an office.

Okay this is a lot more like moving in.

Have I mentioned these two soft idiots are finding it really hard to keep their hands to themselves? Because that’s a thing that keeps happening.

What it DOES lead to is a conversation between our two lovebirds where they finally admit uh...this is...kind of great? And I’m kind of into this? With you?

Is it wrong to want to date your husband/wife? Is that weird? Too bad we’re trying it anyway.

Minion would really appreciate if they would stop making out in the middle of his kitchen. He’s trying to bake here.

Megamind starts heroing without Metro Man’s support and wow no wonder the flying menace wanted to quit. This shit sucks.

Roxanne is kind of worried about him. She suggests maybe they take their private dating a little more public because people seem to leave them the fuck alone when its the two of them.

Megamind is incredibly in love with his incredibly smart wife.

Roxanne is incredibly in love with her incredibly fun husband.

Have they admitted it yet?

Fuck no what kind of story do you think this is?

Of course within 5 minutes of going public a few new villains roll into town and well, there’s still no new damsel for reasons relating to oh hell no Gerry, with a side of fuck you to the council, so Roxanne you’re up.

The first time it happens its funny. Or at least it looks that way. Its the first time Megamind has seen Roxanne get kidnapped by someone else and “I don’t care if the remote didn’t have any batteries in it! He could still have hurt you!”

Though good news it does get them to admit they are in fact actually in love with each other, have been all along, thanks for noticing.

Oh god you two idiots why are you like this?

Sadly that’s when a Council Endorsed Hero rolls into town, refusing to believe (and possibly has been a little tricked into thinking) there’s no way a villain could go good and he’s here to take down this psychic alien who’s tricked the city into thinking he’s a good guy.

What part of Megamind means psychic? Seriously?

Through a further series of events, mostly involving a battle and “You know what? You got me, I am still the bad guy, and you’re first on the scene so you’re the new hero! Hooray!”

They escape and wind up in Back up Six where you all finally get that tentacle sex I’ve been promising you since I first tagged it.

Also peace out we’re running back to Vegas to live in wedded bliss and Roxanne can run a Damsel Union and Megamind can keep inventing shit and they can establish the House of Minion.

Fin!

OK I’m really conflicted about them finally getting off as a kind of sexilogue. I am not about that life. but also most of this happens in like a week. And I coould do a sequel? I guess? IDK. Maybe we just spend a lot of time mutually getting each other off without actually getting naked?

I have no idea but I’ve written out how this is supposed to end four different times and frankly I’m done with the angst. Get cute you two.

Fic Interview Meme

Thanks for the tag, @rubickk7 !

How many works do you have on AO3? 

I have 115 fics.

What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

1,553,954

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

On AO3:

The Magicians (TV) (28)

A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin (21)

Inception (2010) (20)

Suits (US TV) (17)

Game of Thrones (TV) (12)

Black Sails (7)

Supernatural (6)

The Avengers (Marvel Movies) (5)

A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms (5)

The Tudors (TV) (3)

The Hobbit - All Media Types (2)

X-Men (Movieverse) (2)

Marvel Cinematic Universe (2)

The Hobbit (Jackson Movies) (2)

Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) (2)

X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies) (2)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman (1)

Conviction (TV 2006) (1)

16th Century CE RPF (1)

Star Wars Legends - All Media Types (1)

Star Wars - All Media Types (1)

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy (1)

Whitechapel (TV) (1)

Chronicles of Narnia (Movies) (1)

Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (1)

Here’s the list from my fanfiction.net days (some overlap here):

Song of the Lioness

Star Wars

Stargate: SG-1

Harry Potter

In The Forests of the Night

X-Men: The Movie

Circle of Magic

Doctor Who

House, M.D.

Wicked

Law and Order: SVU

Torchwood

Charmed

Primeval

NCIS

Tudors

Inception

Supernatural

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Lady of Rivers and Storms [ASOIAF]: When Lysa miscarries Petyr's child before anyone learns of her pregnancy, her father negotiates a different marriage for her instead. Married to the second Baratheon son, will the future be any easier for either of them?

In the Middle (Before I Knew I Had Begun) [Suits]: It's an accident, when Mike touches Lyla. But everything follows from there. (Or maybe everything follows from the moment Rhi saw the golden tiger and all she could think was how beautiful she was.)

Skyfall Is Where We Start [ASOIAF]: 'At least Stannis won't laugh at Renly if the boy tries to follow him around when he's a bit older and takes a tumble on the flagstones. It's not much, not much at all, but perhaps it's enough to be going on with.'

Robert never loved his brothers, but this is not a story about Robert. This is about Stannis, and Renly, and glimpses of how they might have been different, had they let themselves love each other as brothers usually do.

Breakin’ Out the Institution [Suits]: “OK, so, before we start, a few things you should know about me. My name’s Mike Ross, not Rick Sorkin. I am a lawyer, I just didn’t go to Harvard. But you should hear me out anyway.”

Where Mike is actually a lawyer, a Brooklyn ADA looking for a change of pace, and gatecrashes Harvey's interviews entirely on purpose.

Lay Me Down (Pockets Full of Stones) [The Magicians]: The world spins, and Quentin doesn’t even feel his knees buckle, or how his head hits the wall on the way down. All he knows is the fall into the quiet dark.

In which Quentin survives the events of 4.13 by taking such bad care of himself he never actually makes it to the Mirror Realm. Also in which everyone loses him for a day, and Eliot is Not Happy about this.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yeah; I like getting responses to my comments so I do my best to reply to comments I get.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I had to go back to fanfiction.net for this because I never crossposted these to AO3, but Kiss My Eyes for The Tudors. It was Anne of Cleves/Cromwell, which was tragic mostly because it was historically compliant so a deathfic. Honorable mention, same fandom, was And In That Hour, Charles Brandon/Margaret Tudor and Charles Brandon/Henry VIII, unrequited love for the latter. 

Fun fact about the latter, it was the first m/m fic I ever wrote; the deal was I’d write a slash fic if one of my forum friends did a femslash one.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve ever written?

Ha. Hahahahahaha. So, back when I was 17-18 I was working on a verse titled A Moment To Be Real, and it was a crossover verse that, taking all the relevant fics into account, included Charmed, Primeval, the Whoniverse, and NCIS in major capacities. In more minor capacities, the plans for the verse also included Fringe, Supernatural, Stargate SG1/Atlantis, and Warehouse 13. Oh, and there were two main timelines and two minor ones the stories spent time in. Heh. Yeah, that was a thing, yes it was way too big a project and I didn’t finish it, but I truly think that working to juggle all that was very helpful to my later work. 

I don’t write a lot of major crossovers anymore, but I tend to just... live in the idea that certain canons can feasibly coexist so when I can do little crossover cameos I like to do them. One recent exception is return to the sunlit lands, which is a Magicians/Narnia crossover.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not recently; a long time ago back on ff.net, I left a comment that was misunderstood as hate (I said something was bad, meaning the characters’ situation, but the author thought I meant her writing) and the author of that fic responded in kind. Once I clarified, they were nicer in a subsequent review. I’ve been very lucky in that regard; I’ve had friends who have had to deal with a lot of drama in that sense.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I didn’t for a long time, but recently I’ve begun to! So far, it’s been m/m and f/f, though there was an intentionally-vague m/m/f scene and I’m... currently avoiding writing a more detailed one because I’m nervous as hell about it, lol.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. 

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, actually! Two of my older ASOIAF fics, All the Traveled Roads and I Will Not Fall, I Will Not Break have translations, which is just really neat to me.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

About ten years ago I was working on a joint project about modern day Tudors; never did get posted, alas. I’m not sure I’d be very well suited to co-writing a single story; co-writing a verse where different authors do different stories might work, though.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

God, I have no idea, but I still and always have strong feelings about Sam/Jack from Stargate SG1, so let’s go with that for longevity?

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

A Moment To Be Real, actually; it’s not so much that I want to finish it as that I know I won’t and I regret it. I have another verse that I probably won’t finish but one of these days I’ll at least post an outline of where I saw it going so that there will be some degree of closure. Pretty much every other fic has at least a faint chance I might go back to it, or I genuinely don’t want to.

What are your writing strengths?

Worldbuilding and handling the moving pieces of a canon divergent AU. I’ve also been told I’m pretty good with ensembles.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes, which is unfortunate when I find myself definitely needing to write a battle, and I suspect is part of my smut hang-ups too.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I have done it occasionally, but honestly I feel it’s usually easier to italicize English dialogue and put the other language in the narration - I think it’s probably easier to read, too.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Stargate SG1

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I couldn’t possibly pick one, really.

Tagging @theemightypen @cosmonauthill @jayneladybright @ofthedirewolves @portraitofemmy @nellie-elizabeth @mihrsuri

DESIRE

Part 25

Joe awoke to the smell of coffee the next morning. Slowly, he lifted his head off the pillow, bleary eyed trying to get his bearings. It was a beautiful sunny morning. Paul had opened the windows so he could hear the birds outside. Paul came into the room holding a small tray with two cups. He was wearing a black t-shirt and a loose pair of shorts. “Aah you’re finally awake.” He commented, setting the tray on the dresser and approaching the bed.

“What time is it?” Joe sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Almost eleven. You must’ve been worn out after yesterday.” Paul handed a cup of coffee to Joe. “Thank you. What time did you get up?”

“About seven. Went for a run, did some more cardio. It’s beautiful out. I figure we could have a chilled day by the pool, some proper downtime.” The older man got into the bed with his coffee. “That’d be nice. I can’t remember the last time I had a few days off to just chill. There’s always something to do at home or someone to see.”

“Well, it won’t all be chilled. If I have anything to do with it.” Paul smirked, taking a sip. “Oh I don’t doubt it. Last night was…pretty full on.”

“I loved it. You were so good for me. Do you hurt?” Paul asked. “A little but I think it hurt a lot more last night.”

“Well it’s something you can get used to. I’m glad you didn’t mind it so much though.” Paul set his coffee aside and whipped the covers off Joe. His semi hard cock rested on his abdomen. The older man crawled on top of him, taking his cup from him and set it on the bedside table. He ran his fingers through his wild morning hair while kissing him and nuzzling at his neck before lowering down his chest. His teeth playfully gripped a Joe left nipple, causing the young man to gasp. He gripped Paul’s muscular shoulders as he moved down to his abdomen. He started pumping at Joe shaft, making it immediately hard, a lustful look in his hazel eyes.

“Oh god, yes…” Joe moaned shutting his eyes as Paul took the tip in his mouth. He was so good on Joe cock, knew just how to get it on the edge, enough to make him cum but enough to hold out, leave him begging for more. Joe gripped the pillows on either side of him, spreading his legs further as Paul jacked him off, fishing him furiously. “Cum for me baby,” Paul growled in his gravely tone. A wicked smiled crossed his face as his cum spurted up, across Joe abdomen. His head fell back on the pillow, spent. “Thank fuck…” he breathed, palming his forehead. “Don’t move.” Paul said leaning towards the nearby drawer, pulling out some wet wipes. Carefully, he cleaned the mess off his hands and Joe. “Thank you,” Joe smiled as Paul leaned in to kiss him. “I should make you breakfast for that.”

The older man got off the bed. “Don’t even think about it. You’re my guest. I want to spoil you.” Joe rose up to meet him, wrapping his arms around Paul’s waist, “You’re so bad, you know that?”

“Only when I want to be,” He smirked, grabbing Joe buttocks, causing him to wince. “Oh baby,” He remarked, feeling the welts. He turned him around and smiled at the sight of the bruised and marked skin. “Nice handy work if I do say so myself.” Paul was clearly proud of what he’d done. “Why don’t you jump in the shower and I’ll make us breakfast,” he said disappearing into the bathroom. Joe followed him. He pulled out a small tube of cream. “Put this on your ass after, it’ll help speed up the healing process.”

“Sure thing.” He kissed Joe again before heading downstairs.

The cool beads of water were welcoming. Joe was aching a little more than he was letting on but he didn’t want to make a fuss. Maybe he could sway Paul into giving him a massage by the pool later. As he washed himself, he thought about what he had seen in the secret room last night. It was probably only the half of it if he knew Paul well enough. He did like to surprise him. He turned the water off and stepped out. As he reached over for the towel by the sink, he caught his reflection. He turned around and surveyed the damage on his backside. His eyes widened at the sight.

Jesus Paul. Why do you have to be so fucked up?

Breakfast was delicious. Joe was touched that Paul had made such an effort and he still felt bad about not being able to help out. He stood by with a glass of orange juice watching as Paul loaded the dishwasher.

“Will you relax?” Paul barked jokingly, shutting the door and turning it on. “Besides, I’ll have my way with you later so just chill out until I tell you otherwise. Got it?”

“Yes Sir.” Joe said, defeated. “Good boy.” Paul responded taking his hand and leading him upstairs. He took him into his walk-in closet. It was so organised. Joe was impressed. He opened a drawer. “Plenty of swimwear to choose from in here baby. I have towels downstairs. I’m just going to set up so come down when you’re ready.”

“OK, thanks.” Joe smiled. He carefully went through the drawer, opting for a pair of black swimming trunks. He couldn’t remember the last time he was in a pool. He padded around the bedroom, putting his hair up in a bun, stopping to look out the opened window after slipping into the trunks. It looked so beautiful out. He went downstairs and out the back of the house to the pool area. Paul had set up a cooler with bottles of beer between two sun loungers. “Let me put that on for you.” Paul took the bottle of lotion from Joe and watched as he lay down on his stomach. He rested his chin on his forearms. The cool lotion was very welcome in this heat. Joe groaned as Paul expertly applied the lotion to his back. All he could hear was the light breeze and the sound of the lotion being massaged into his back. “Feeling better baby?” He cooed from behind.

“Mmmhmmm,” Joe responded feeling so relaxed. Some of the tension in his upper back was beginning to ease off. Paul really did have magic hands. “You’re spoiling me, you know that?”

“Well, I want to take care of my special boy. Because I’ll probably not be so nice to you later.” He laughed, leaning in and kissing his temple. Joe turned his head off in the direction of Paul and smirked. “All done, you can sit up now.”

Joe did as told while Paul stood up. Paul moved over to his lounger. Joe squirted a handful of lotion onto his hands and fanned it out on the older man’s broad back. He enjoyed taking his time doing this, giving his man some care and attention. “Thanks babe.” Paul acknowledged with a kiss on the lips. They both grabbed a beer and chilled out on the loungers for the next couple of hours, had some mild chat about work but it was all very relaxing until Joe opted to get into the pool.

Paul enjoyed watching him frolicking in the water after a few beers. This was the downtime he so desperately needed. His phone vibrated. Drew was calling. He grabbed it and went into the house while Joe continued to do some laps.

“Heyyyy,” he said with a smile as he walked into the living room, closing the door behind him. “What time are you due in?”

“I’m boarding in a few minutes so should be with you in a few hours.” Drew advised. “What are you guys up to?”

“Just relaxing by the pool. I figure we’d have a laid back day before you get here later.” Paul padded around the seating area.

“I’m looking forward to it. I take it you still haven’t said anything to Joe?” Drew checked. He felt bad about gatecrashing their downtime. “Not yet, kinda want it to be a surprise…why?”

“I just feel bad about just showing up. I don’t want him to be pissed off. He was really looking forward to this time with you.” Drew told him. Paul always loved how considerate he was. He sighed realising that he was probably right. He didn’t want any drama. “It’s OK, I”ll speak with him before you get here, don’t worry. Let me know when you land. I’m about 30 minutes from the airport.”

Paul ended the call and let out a long sigh. He returned to the pool area as Joe was just getting out of the water. Damn he looked sexy soaking wet and in his trunks. “You don’t know how lucky you are to have a pool.” He said grabbing the towel on his lounger and drying off. “I wish I had more time to use it.” Paul complained grabbing a couple of beers for them and setting back on his lounger. “Would be cool to make this happen again sometime. It’s so peaceful here, no worries, no prying eyes.” Joe smiled taking a sip of his cold beer, resting on the lounger. “I’m sure we can make that happen.” Paul looked over at him. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

He sat up in his lounger and set his feet on the ground. “I’ve got something planned which I hope will make you happier.”

“Something twisted knowing you.” Joe joked flashing his lovely smile. “Aaah you could say that.” Paul teased awkwardly. The smile disappeared from Joe face. “It is something twisted isn’t it?”

“Drew’s coming in a few hours.” Paul announced. Joe jaw dropped slightly. “What?”

“He’s boarding a flight from Florida as we speak.” Joe sat up, setting his beer aside. “You serious?” Paul nodded. “Why?”

“Because I invited him. You don’t seem too pleased.” The older man observed, reading the annoyance in Joe eyes. “I, I thought this was our time?” Paul reached out and took his hands. “It is our time. I thought you liked spending time with him?” Joe pulled away and stood up. “I do, but not like this? It’s too awkward. Why didn’t you check with me?” Paul stood up to meet him. “I don’t believe I have to ask your permission to do anything.” He said sternly, wanting to remind Joe of his place. Joe let out a frustrated sigh as he paced around the concrete. “What’s the big deal? We’ve all fucked each other at one point!”

“No! You’re wrong. You’ve never had me fuck you.” Joe corrected him. “That’s my choice. Besides, it doesn’t work with what we have.” Joe narrowed his eyes. “It’s always been your choice. Even before we started this relationship!”

“I thought this was what we agreed on? I make the decisions! I call the shots!” Paul roared, getting in Joe face. Joe was fuming. He turned away. “Don’t you turn your back on me when I’m speaking to you.” Joe stopped, refusing to look at him. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, blood starting to boil. Paul moved around to the front on him now. “I get it, you’re pissed off that I planned this without you knowing. If It’s any worth, I only asked him last night.” Paul had calmed his tone a little more now. “What was your plan, huh?” Joe asked staring into his eyes. “Like I said last night, I’d enjoy watching you two fuck…I’ve never seen you fuck another guy before.” Joe could feel his cock starting to stir at Paul’s words. He averted his gaze as Paul placed his hand on his growing bulge. “You’re getting turned on at the prospect. Aren’t you?” Joe eyes met his. “It’s just one night. That’s all I’m asking for.” Paul cupped his hand around Joe balls, squeezing them. A moan escaped his lips just before Paul leaned in and kissed him deeply. “One night.” Joe uttered finally. “Good boy.” Paul smiled.

New Fanfic: If Only You Would Listen, Chapter 1

So, after having a few requests to, I’ve decided to post my new fic on here as well as AO3. If you would prefer to read on AO3, I have included the link below! No real warnings for this one. Just the usual angst I'm sure you've grown accustomed to with my fics if you’ve read any of my previous work!

A huge thank you to Phoebe (@theatergirl06), Lilac (@timetoriseabove) and Blue (@pen-and-a-microphone) for beta-reading this fic! You guys are the best!

AO3 Link

---------------------

Kitty decided she had had enough.  Everything was becoming overwhelming. The home she shared with the five other Queens suddenly felt overbearing and overly dominated by the others, so much so that she felt like she didn’t belong there anymore. Like she was an outcast. Sidelined. She didn’t feel like a priority to any of them, more a burden. An afterthought.

The truth was, Kitty was fed up with being mollycoddled by Jane. She was fed up of being treated like she was a child. But most of all, she was fed up of walking into a room, only for the lively chatter to descend into quietness, the other women refraining from talking openly for fear the topic might upset or offend her. They’d never told her that, but she knew. She was, after all, the vulnerable one in their eyes. The liability.

She appreciated Jane’s love and care towards her, she really did. It was nice to finally feel like someone genuinely cared about her, after a childhood with inattentive parents and ultimately being raised by her father’s negligent stepmother, the Dowager Duchess. For once, she felt wanted and loved. But as much as she appreciated it, Jane’s motherly care was smothering. Suffocating. Jane had always had a desperate longing to be a mother, having been robbed of the chance with her own son. So, naturally, with Kitty being the youngest, she projected all that energy onto her. But for Kitty, it was all too much. She didn’t feel she had any real independence. 

Eventually, she started to realise she was being excluded from conversations.

She’d accepted it at first. Perhaps she didn’t want to hear it. The conversations would just stir up old memories and rip off the superficial plaster she’d put on those wounds. That was, until she realised she was slowly losing her voice within the group, her right to speak for herself. Instead, the Queens were doing it on her behalf, assuming they knew what was best. Assuming they knew what she would say.

Last week, the Queens had all been invited to a podcast interview with an up and coming theatre critic, who had recently seen the show. The critic had analysed and dissected each of their individual songs and probed them for more details. When it came to Kitty’s song, she immediately saw the concerned faces of the others, like they anticipated a breakdown. Much to her annoyance, Anne butted in halfway through her response to a question. After that, Kitty noticed the subtle actions of the others: the critic saw it as casual banter, but it was really just a cover-up for the tougher questions regarding her past, an effort to keep things light-hearted in an attempt to stop it being so upsetting. What they didn’t realise was that Kitty had recounted her previous life so many times that, although still arguably painful to recall, it didn’t provoke the heightened emotions the Queens were probably expecting. She was tougher than that. Yet, by the end of the interview, Kitty felt like she hadn’t really contributed anything. 

A couple of nights later, there was a small incident at stage door when Kitty was approached by two young girls. As she happily signed their programmes, one of the girls piped up excitedly.

“I can’t wait to hear your next interview on Saturday! I’m going to send a question in for you to answer!”

Kitty frowned, but quickly concealed her confusion with a laugh. “Yeah, you should totally do that! I’ll try my best to answer as many as i can!”

On the Tube home, Kitty queried the conversation. “What’s this about an interview this weekend?”

Anne gasped. “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you! We’ve got an interview with a theatre magazine on Saturday. They are also hosting a little Q&A session with the fans. Should be fun.”

Kitty leant back in her seat, going quiet. When were they actually going to tell her if she hadn’t prompted?

The next evening, when Kitty came downstairs to find the Queens huddled around the kitchen, seemingly in a deep conversation without her, it was the final straw. Right on cue, as soon as she walked in, the mood immediately changed and, like a flick of a switch, a hush fell over the room as the discussion dropped away. It always felt like she was disrupting them. Like she was gatecrashing a party. Uninvited and unwanted.

Kitty glanced from one Queen to another. 

“What are you all talking about?” It was an innocuous enough question. She kept her voice light, casual. There was no need at this point to get tense and uptight. 

Anna, in one corner, gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Nothing important. Just about that silly interview we have tomorrow.”

The interview with the magazine. The interview that she was also involved in.

Kitty blinked. “What about it?”

She caught Cathy giving a nervous glance across the room to Anna, her hands firmly cupped around her coffee mug as she leant against the kitchen counter. Kitty could sense the atmosphere in the room growing tense. After all, they weren’t stupid. They could tell where this was heading. 

Anne gave a shrug. “Just about what kind of questions we think they’ll ask. Just...boring stuff really.”

Here we go. Trying to assure her she wasn’t missing out on anything. That it wasn’t important enough for her voice to be included.

“It didn’t sound boring,” Kitty leant against the doorframe. “Sounds like a good idea, actually. Always best to be prepared for whatever they throw our way.” She was still maintaining her casual tone, but she could feel her patience being tested.

Jane, as always, was the first to get flustered, sensing that things were starting to head south and wanting to avoid confrontation. “Look,” she held up her hands. “Why don’t we just talk about this later when-”

“When what?” Kitty snapped. “When I’m back upstairs in my bedroom? When I’m out of earshot and can’t hear what you’re really talking about?”

Jane blinked. She didn’t know how to respond. Catherine bowed her head, staring at the lines of her hands. Across the table, Anne visibly squirmed in discomfort.

Kitty smirked. She’d caught them red-handed and now they didn’t know what to say. There was nowhere to hide. She raised an eyebrow expectantly, looking around the room for a response.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Have I made things a bit uncomfortable?”

This tense confrontation had come as a surprise for them. Out of them all, Kitty was largely overlooked, usually the quietest and the most reserved of the group. Sweet in nature and often quick to comply, she was the last one they’d expect to be interrogated by. But it was becoming clear that she was on the offence. Quite frankly, Kitty had reached the end of her tether. She wouldn’t tolerate being made to feel like a child, like an inconvenience, any longer. Whether it was the Queens’ intention or not, it still hurt. She still felt like she didn’t matter, that her words were worthless.

Finally, Cathy took a deep breath. “What is this all about, Kit?” Her words sounded so feeble. She wasn’t stupid - she knew exactly what was going on here - but she felt the need to break the awkward silence.

Her attempt only made Kitty scoff. “You all know exactly what this is about. I’m sick of this!” She yelled, her voice increasing in volume.

Jane bit her lip, the harsh tone of Kitty’s voice packing a sting that she really wasn’t accustomed to. Not from her sweet Kitty. She was trying to hold back tears, startled by this sudden outburst and hostility. Realising her discomfort, Catherine squeezed her hand under the table.

“Do I really not matter?” Kitty lowered her voice again, trying to keep composed. “Because sometimes I wonder if you’d all be better off without me!”

Anne looked up at that comment, hurt and panic in her eyes. “That’s not true! Of course you matter! Of course we want you here!”

“Then why don’t you ever include me?!” she cried, unable to conceal her trembling voice, despite her resolve not to cry. Crying would prove to them that she was volatile. It would justify their actions. “Why am I always the one treated like a child and left out of everything?”

“Kit, we’re not doing this to hurt you. We’re doing this to protect you and to stop you getting upset-” Anna started. 

“See, that’s just it, isn’t it? You all treat me like I’m some kind of porcelain doll that might fall and break. Don’t think I don’t notice you acting like you’re walking on eggshells when I’m around and pandering to my wishes like I’m a kid! I hate it!” Her frustration mounting, Kitty slammed her hand against the doorframe, making Jane visibly jump.

Catherine, remaining as composed as ever, thought quickly, trying to desperately diffuse the situation before it got the chance to escalate any further. “Kitty, why don’t you sit down and we can talk about this rationally?”

The suggestion only made Kitty laugh. “Oh, so now you want me to sit down and talk?”

She shook her head. “I’m sick and tired of being made to feel insignificant. Like I don’t matter. Because isn’t that what you say in the show? I think she’s the least relevant Katherine.” She changed her tone, trying to mimic the other Queens. ‘Oh, we can’t talk about that in front of Katherine, it’ll only make her upset’ Well, guess what? I want you to stop invalidating my opinions and my words, just because the topic of discussion might hurt me!”

“Kit, you know we don’t really mean that when we say that line in the show!” Cathy insisted.

“Well, it certainly feels like it!”

“We didn’t realise you felt like this…” Anna mumbled.

“Because you never thought to ask!” erupted Kitty, exasperated. “You were all so busy trying to keep me sheltered away that you never once thought to ask! You don’t want my opinion on anything! Precious little Katherine can’t think for herself and make her own choices and decisions! Why don’t you let me make up my own mind on whether a topic is too sensitive or not? I can always walk away, can’t I?”

“Like that other night at stage door. I was made to look so stupid because I was oblivious! I can’t believe a fan knew before I did! So, when were you all going to decide to tell me about the interview, hm? If it wasn’t for that girl mentioning it, I’d probably still be in the dark!”

“That was my fault!” Anne admitted, putting her hands up in surrender. “I genuinely forgot to tell you! Anna even mentioned it in the morning and I still forgot. I’m sorry.”

This admission from Anne seemed to soften Kitty slightly, her shoulders relaxing. It put the tiniest doubt in her head: maybe she was overthinking this all? Seeing Kitty relax a little and contemplate what Anne had said, Jane took the opportunity to try and reason with her and further dampen her anger. “Look, maybe you’re right. We’ve been unfair not including you. But none of us have done this to intentionally hurt you, love. You must know that. Neither do any of us see you less of an adult-”

“But Jane, you make me feel like a kid all the time! The constant prompting of what time I’ll be home when I go out, the constant fussing, it’s just too much! I’m constantly made to feel like I am incapable of doing anything for myself. I’m just as capable of being independent as Anne is, and you certainly don’t hover over her shoulder all the time!”

“I just like to make sure you’re okay…” Jane’s voice had gone quiet, almost a whisper.

“Well, you know what, Jane? It’s suffocating! You need to face up to the fact that trying to mother me isn’t going to bring back Edward!”

The words cut through Jane like a knife right to the heart. The others watched as the woman crumpled in front of them, before fleeing upstairs to the confines of her bedroom. Catherine  pushed her chair back and marched up to Kitty like a protective lioness, pinning her against the fridge.

“That is quite enough! Jane has done nothing but show you love and care, which is much more than any of your true family did for you. And this is how you repay her? You don’t deserve it. If you want to stop being treated like a child, you need to buck up your ideas and try and show some respect and gratitude. You should be ashamed of yourself, Katherine.” At that, she stormed off to console her friend.

Although Kitty had to admit that she’d regretted the words as soon as they’d come out of her mouth, she was determined to stand her ground. If she crumbled now, this whole confrontation was pointless. She looked to the three remaining Queens. 

After a long pause, Anna approached her, her jaw clenched, stone-faced. “You know, maybe you’re right, Kitty. Maybe we would be better off without you.” She grabbed her jacket from the back of a kitchen chair and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door behind her. Anne and Cathy flinched.

Having long abandoned her mug of coffee, Cathy folded her arms. “If you wanted to be treated more like an adult, perhaps you should have thought about approaching this like one. We could have had a civilised talk, instead of this mess.” With a disappointed shake of her head, she too strode out. As she passed the table to leave, she cast an apologetic look to Anne.

Now, it was just the two of them. The two cousins. Sitting there at the table, Anne was bewildered. She hadn’t expected such an outburst, especially not from Kitty. She’d never thought her capable of causing so much upset, to get so angry. She suddenly felt like she’d lost a good friend. As quiet once again fell over the room, Anne wondered if she’d ever really known Kitty at all.

She was also consumed with guilt. They were so close, and yet, she hadn’t realised that what they’d been doing had proved so hurtful to her own cousin. What’s more, Kitty had never confided in her. There had never been any hint that she was feeling this way.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Anne mumbled, finally lifting her head to look at her cousin in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me you felt like this?” 

Kitty turned her face away. She was just so disappointed in them all. She felt utterly let down by the very people she trusted the most. 

“Anna didn’t mean what she said…” Anne made a pitiful attempt to show Kitty she was on her side. “She just upset-”

Tears pricking at her eyes, Kitty clenched her fists. But all the fight had gone out of her.

“Well, now you all know how I feel.”

Kitty whirled around and sought the refuge of her bedroom, throwing herself onto her bed as the sobs overcame her. Suddenly, all the fire in her belly was extinguished, replaced by a hollow emptiness. Now she realised the enormity of what she’d done, the potential consequences of her actions. Things had spiraled out of control, her words had become ammunition created by her pent-up frustration. She had just been so desperate for change. How long was she expected to tolerate it all? She feared if she’d waited much longer, her voice would be silenced altogether. She might as well just walk out the door. Now, consumed with the horrible dark thoughts that shrouded her as she cried into her pillow, she started to take the thought seriously. She didn’t fit here and the Queens now despised her. Seeing the disgust in Aragon’s face and Anna’s clear contempt said it all. Maybe she needed to prove it to herself, not them. To prove that she was capable of looking after herself, like she insisted? Being independent. 

She lifted herself from the bed, grabbed her rucksack from the wardrobe and blindly stuffed some clothes in, her vision still blurry with tears. She checked the contents of her purse: her bank card and £60 - it would be enough for now. As she fumbled for some essential items she thought she’d need, her hand fell on a polaroid photo - a black and white picture, taken of them all on stage after their first performance together. They all looked so happy, so united. Now, she’d ruined all of that. Yet, something made her take it with her, slipping it into the zip pocket of her bag. Just because they hated her, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t miss them. Lastly, she picked up her phone, staring at the lockscreen photo of her and Anne for a second before putting it back onto her bedside table. She didn’t really have a use for it now. 

You know, maybe you’re right, Kitty. Maybe we would be better off without you. 

After all, she was of course, the least relevant Katherine. They wouldn’t want to talk to her now.

At that, she tiptoed downstairs. She was relieved to see the kitchen was empty. Helping herself to a few biscuits, pieces of fruit, and granola bars, she took one last look as she slipped out of the back door.

And, just like that, Kitty disappeared into the night.

SCM Gods in College HC (Wishes pt.1)

Link to Punishments pt. 1, 2

this is chaos incarnate

1. Leon

The Unofficial King

Raging Homosexual

is a Med School student

this man is gorgeous.

works as a part-time model alongside Partheno

can’t even begin to imagine the amount of times that perverted fucker has tried to grope him during a shoot

He’s the unofficial king of the entire university. people may as well bow when he walks by

has freshmen underlings who’re basically his servants

Surrounded by thirsty guys and girls alike

Leon only has eyes for Karno, however

they’ve been best friends since high school

yes, Leon has been pathetically pining after him for that long

is tempted to ask if Karno is even gay just to put him out of his misery

is MEGA RICH

for Karno’s 20th he was about to rent out a whole cinema because he offhandedly mentioned he wanted to see Endgame

always showers him with cute little gifts if he’s had a hard day like the dedicated, unrequited (in his mind) boyfriend he is

but only god knows just how much he’d like to grab Karno’s face and kiss the shit out of him on a daily basis

even though he’s a saint for Karno, he’s foul mouthed around everyone else

Zyglavis would never say it, but thinks Leon would actually make a pretty good doctor

Leon would never say it, but thinks Zyglavis would actually make a kick-ass lawyer

begrudging mutual respect is strong

though they mock each other relentlessly for their cowardice when it comes to their love lives

have a silent agreement not to rat each other out to the others

would be a FIRE couple in an alternate universe

2. Teorus

Wild Frat Boy

Pansexual

this boy loves 👏 to 👏 get 👏 down 👏 and 👏 dirty 👏

is a part of the biggest and best fraternity in the college

as expected of a rich ass golden boy like Teo

saying this boy loves to party is an understatement. He lives and breathes for it

no.1 gatecrasher 🥂

if it’s a party, he’s going. oh, it’s for some random freshman’s birthday? will there be alcohol? he’s motherfucking there, bitch

drink of choice would be a tequila body shot

naturally he’s had some iconic moments throughout his college career

like that one time he managed to rope a couple guys into an orgy that were only at the college for a visiting day

or when he downed an entire tray of pot brownies and somehow didn’t die? wtf just to win a drunken bet with Ikky

to put it simply, his nightlife makes him worthy of King status 👑

outside of partying, though, he’s a Biochemistry student (surprised? I was too sis)

a lot of people assume he’s the dumb blonde manwhore who likes booze and sex but he’s actually lowkey smart

well he does like booze and sex but still

so much so that he may have had an abortion scare or two in the past but we move

His father is a big CEO who wants Teo to take over the company, but sis just wants to prove he’s capable of making his own way in life so he’s trying his hardest to secure some good qualifications in uni

doesn’t mean he won’t still have fun along the way tho, he’s a party boi through and through

3. Karno

The Handsome Prince

alternate title of The Perfect Wingman

Bi-curious

not so secretly adores Leon

everyone else secretly adores Karno, though

he’s so kind and compassionate, it’s hard to not love him

one time it was pouring down so he literally gave this random freshman his umbrella and walked home in the rain 😭

like he’ll help you out usually with no questions asked unless it’s to dump a body which is why he’s the perfect wingman

though only the other guys know that he can actually get pretty pissed at times. Ichthys still gets shivers when he thinks about Karno’s famous eye twitch to this day

lowkey this man could be a fortune teller or an agony aunt bc he has it all

He can fix relationships with one piece of advice and he can tell exactly what ur thinking, lil spooky

people have legit asked him to run an Agony Aunt section in the college newsletter tho

Ikky and Teo often use him to bail them out of trouble

Karno has lost count of the amount of apologies that he’s had to give out on their behalf

hopes to be a Doctor with Leon

Karno’s a natural caretaker so this is an obvious career choice for him. sis always ends up cooking and taking care of the other 11

He knows that Leon is gay but he can’t bring himself to confess because they’re such great friends already

he very much appreciates Leon’s gifts but he can’t help but feel like such luxury is wasted on him

he almost had a heart attack when Leon told him that he’d booked out a restaurant to celebrate them getting placement offers in a renowned hospital

but damn sometimes he just wants to grab Leon’s face and kiss the life out of him

meanwhile, the other 10 swear to rip their hair out if they see one more longing puppy-eyed gaze from either one of those two cowards

make a pact to become matchmakers so these two can FINALLY get the fuck together like holy SHIT

Can we have a sequel to Undertale - Swap MH meetups where Classic Sans and Noodle, Classic Undyne and Axe, etc. (Basically the character taking their place) meet up (With the exception of Frisk and Chara ofc since you tackled those already)? I'd love to see what Papyrus would think of a version of his brother that's, you know, not lazy

absolutely you can that’s even more my jam

UT Sans & Noodle:

chill skells eating garbage food together :’>

despite the weirdness of seeing their own personality in each other and still expecting this version of their brother to start shouting and running off somewhere like they’re used to, they still end up treating each other as brothers (UT Sans being the older bro, of course).

it’s just a nice goofy hangout until UT Sans starts punning and then Noodle’s like “alright i’m out you can have him back now”

UT Papyrus & Neptune:

THE GREATEST, MOST SANSATIONAL HANGOUT OF ALL TIME

UT Papyrus is the more surprised of the two by his brother’s counterpart - a version of Sans who actually does things? incredible. meanwhile Neptune is less surprised by UT Papyrus’ usual energy since Noodle has his energetic moments too, but he’s very excited to meet a Papyrus who’s like that all the time!

UT Paps is still annoyed by the gratuitous bad puns, but clearly something would be wrong if a Sans hated puns so he can put up with it. they’d spend the time rushing around being cool dudes, sparring together and generally being good bros (again, Neptune being older) until Neptune inevitably runs out of energy and has a nap while UT Papyrus carries him. some things are universal constants.

…honestly though Neptune might be a little bewildered by the hotpants. his brother does not tend to show that much femur

“COULD I, UH. OFFER THE GREAT PAPYRUS SOME LONGER SHORTS?”“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?? MY BATTLE BODY IS A LOOK!!”

UT Alphys & Sci-Fi:

one minute the cutest geeking out together, the next a lot of intense nerd rambling about bad anime sequels and Top 10 Shows That Made You Believe In The Power Of Friendship Again

there will be no cross-universe cheating in my house but neither can deny that seeing a version of their girlfriend in glasses is adorable

Sci-Fi and UT Alphys working together would be a Scientific Dream Team and they’d create the coolest gadgets :D

“S-so, um… b-buff girls, right?”“Oh my god buff girls are great.”

UT Undyne & Axe:

meeting a strong version of her favourite little nerd is just the cutest and coolest thing to UT Undyne very relieved that this even more intense version of Undyne doesn’t have access to dangerous chemicals.

Axe isn’t surprised to see UT Undyne still uses spears (again, she’s just glad they don’t explode with poison gas on impact), but UT Undyne’s reaction to Axe’s, uh, axe? damn that’s a cool weapon

they gatecrash their friends’ other meetups just to see who can lift all of them the easiest

UT Undyne plays piano and Axe loves her anime theme songs, so they’d also have a duet where UT Undyne plays piano covers of anime openings while Axe sings the lyrics~

UT Mettaton & Swap MH Napstabot:

like I mentioned in the previous meetups ask, MTT would be so excited to meet a version of his cousin with a robot body. admiring the gadgets on their gauntlets, love this hairstyle darling, floaty legs?? and they’re monsterkind’s beloved music star? he could not be prouder.

Napstabot is much more surprised to meet Mettaton, still instinctively calling him ‘Happs’ at first but they adjust to his new name immediately. they’re still a little shyer about sharing their music compared to MTT showing off his brand, but his compliments double their self-esteem that day.

the show these two put on together would go down in the history books :’D

UT Napstablook & Swap MH Happstablook:

a very… familiar meeting for the both of them :’> it wouldn’t take long for both to start treating each other like cousins, just like when their own respective cousins were still ghosts.

a quiet hangout consisting of eating ghost sandwiches, UT Napstablook working on a new spooktune remix while Swap MH Happsta writes in his diaries, and chilling with the snails.

occasionally one of them has a moment that surprises the other by how similar they act to their robotic version they’re used to, and neither draws attention to it but it warms their ghostly souls.

I did not expect to have this many Emotions about ghost cousins help

UT Asgore & Orchid:

in a word? tense.

UT Asgore would be quietly shocked to know a version of Toriel could do the same things as him, given how against all that UT Toriel is. Orchid would be very quick to mention it was never her choice, but that anger would just as quickly turn into self-hatred knowing she’s no better than him. she’d at least acknowledge that this version of Asgore had the guts to stick to his decision.

and this meetup sounds so miserable even the characters themselves would notice, so UT Asgore would try to say something meaningful about second chances on the surface. but he’d probably word it some goofy way at the end and that’s what gets at least a hint of a smile from Orchid.

UT Toriel & Dandelion:

UT Toriel would still take issue with knowing Dandelion made the call to kill humans, but her opinion of him would definitely be more positive than how she feels about UT Asgore ahah

Dandelion would be quite glad to meet a version of Toriel whose life isn’t as consumed with grief as Orchid’s, and like the previous meeting of Toriels I think they’d end up talking about both their past and present children. also probably a mention of their respective door pals?

…I swear I was just gonna leave that last sentence without going off about Soriel but I had a thought I can’t not mention: in Swap MH’s post-pacifist Orchid and Neptune get together a few months earlier than my headcanon for when UT Toriel and Sans start dating, so if UT Toriel isn’t already with her Sans at that point then Dandelion just quietly sips his tea with his eyebrows raised knowingly at the way she talks about her skeleton friend.

“…What are you smirking at me like that for?”“Ah, nothing, don’t worry about it. }: )”

UT Flowey & Swap MH Temmie:

Swap MH Temmie probably just assumes UT Flowey is another identical Flowey from the village at first and just keeps up her act. UT Flowey is much more suspicious about this living plushie Temmie but tries to figure them out with his usual friendly facade.

if they meet post-pacifist and therefore aren’t still trying to be antagonists, maybe they’d actually talk openly? they’d both be pretty surprised to know who the other used to be, and very curious to know about how the living version of their respective human sibling is doing.

oh also, UT Temmies meeting Swap MH Floweys: a bunch of weird creatures repeatedly yelling “Howdy!” and “hOI!” over and over and calling each other their best friends. anyone witnessing this just walks away in silence. their mind will never know peace, forever confused and haunted by whatever the Heck was going on there.

UT Monster Kid & Swap MH Asriel:

I’m not sure if UT MK really knows about Asriel and the significance of seeing him alive? they might just be like “hey, you’re a kid too! you kinda look like the king and also my teacher :D”

Swap MH Asriel on the other hand - he knew Swap MH Monster Kid before their death, and wasn’t inseparably close but they were still part of his family. so he’d be a lot more sentimental about meeting them :’>

Swap MH Asriel wouldn’t tell UT MK that they died in his world though (that’s just weird), he’d simply appreciate getting to spend time with them again. they both talk about the cool adults they idolise and practice magic together.

“Hey, MK, do you wanna guess how old I am?”“Um… 10? Maybe 11?”“Close! I’m 113. :3”“???!?? YO????”

OC Quiz

Tagged by @amistrio​ and @stvnningstrike​ !! Thank you for the tags in this fun ask game!! :D ♥ Tagging anyone who wants to be tagged, go forth and tell us about your lovely OCs!!!!

—————

Deputy Joshua Rook

————— Asked someone to marry you? - Innocent.

Kissed one of your friends? - Uhhhh, innocent...? What kind of kiss are we talking here, because if we mean cheek kisses or something like that then yeah, guilty, but if you mean a proper kiss on the mouth then pretty sure innocent. Well. So long as we’re counting people as friends that I’ve known longer than the lifespan of a mayfly.

Danced on a table in a bar or tavern? - Innocent.

Ever told a lie? - Guilty guilty guilty, it’s a marvel I have a single pair of pants left, rather than all of them burning up in one of Sharky’s bonfires.

Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have? - ...I mean, yes. It’s a crush, I’ll get over it. Guilty.

Ever kissed someone of the opposite sex? - Innocent ish if we mean strictly me being the one to initiate the kiss. Platonic affection kisses guilty, romantic or sexual kisses innocent. If we’re including being kissed by someone of the opposite sex, guilty then.

Ever kissed someone of the same sex? - Guilty on all counts.

Kissed a picture? - Does it count as guilty if I was five and it was for art time? It was an effort somewhere between painting and cleaning all the paint off my face. If no, innocent otherwise.

Slept in until 5pm? - Guilty and then some, I’ve slept at weird hours before for night work. [coughs.]

Fallen asleep at work or school? - ...guilty on rare occasion, I try not to though. Sleepwalking, you know how it is.

Held a snake? - Innocent which is unfortunate, snakes are cool animals man. I’ve only seen them in pet stores and in documentaries.

Been suspended from school? - Ehhhhhhhh, technically innocent as I was not actually suspended. I was threatened with suspension if I was found to be acting out again. So I made sure to not get found out.

Stolen something? - If I had a nickel for every item I’ve stolen, I’d have a small fortune. Guilty as hell.

Done something you regret? - Guilty again. We all have regrets, don’t we?

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? - ...innocent, I hadn’t thought to try this yet, why am I living this far up north where it gets freezing cold and snows if I’m not going to do these things. I’ll have to do that when winter next rolls around. If I can, anyway.

Laughed until liquid came out of your nose? - Innocent. That sounds uncomfortable.

Kissed in the rain? - Uh. Guilty? It was an out of the blue surprise and I wasn’t expecting it. Nice though.

Sat on a roof top? - Guilty. It’s nice up there.

Kissed someone you shouldn’t? - Innocent?? Who would count as “someone you shouldn’t kiss”? ...maybe guilty? There was that one time I gatecrashed a party to, uh, avoid a close encounter with the law, shall we say, as a teen. Was yanking my hoodie off to try to blend in and change my look when I ran right into this guy—real cute, real surprised, but that left no time for me to really hide though. So I panicked, pulled him out of the way, and sprang a surprise smooch on him. I apologized after the coast was clear, but he was...ahem, more than fine with it. Ended up sticking around to talk to him. Nice night, nice guy, honestly. Rory's his name. We still talk on the regular.

Sang in the shower? - Innocent. I think.

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? - Do lakes count? Guilty if so. Blame Sharky and Pratt. Hurk helped.

Shaved your head? - Personally innocent, though others have given me a really close cut as a kid on occasion. Didn’t much care for it at all, then or now.

Slept naked? - Guilty. Sometimes summer got too damn hot and clothes were overkill because there was no air conditioning. Thankfully I make more than enough to afford AC now so I don’t melt into a puddle during a heat wave—or turn into an icicle up here in Montana during the winter.

Made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? - Innocent. I’d need to have an S/O to run that risk first. Pretty sure if I ever do get one there’ll be fights eventually because I don’t think anyone can avoid fighting forever, can they?

Donated blood? - Innocent, it just never came around as a situation to consider before now.

Eaten alligator meat? - Guilty, it was a food bank donated can of the stuff. Tasted kind of like a cross between something gamey, chickeny, and fishy?? Not real keen on eating it again, but if there was nothing else to eat, probably would.

Eaten cheesecake? - Guilty. Tasty stuff, cheesecake.

Still loved someone you shouldn’t? - ................... [What an uncomfortable question. He doesn’t want to answer that.]

Have/had a tattoo? - Guilty on multiple counts.

Liked someone, but will never tell who? - Guilty, though Joey already knows, she has this ability where she can just stare into your soul and know your deepest darkest secrets— [He’s kidding, Joey’s just perceptive and he knows it. He likes to pretend that she doesn’t know though, helps with the denial.]

Been too honest? - ??? Uh...I...would...not think so? Innocent?

Ruined a surprise? - Guilty, both accidentally and intentionally.

Eaten so much that you can’t walk after? - Innocent. I have wolfed down my food on more than one occasion though, even though I know I shouldn’t. It happens sometimes, but still working on it.

Dressed in a man’s clothes? - Guilty, I generally wear men’s clothes.

Dressed in a woman’s clothes? - Innocent as far as I know, though many clothes are unisex and I’ve gotten clothes from thrift stores and other sources before so who knows? Hoodies are for everyone.

Joined a pageant? - ??? I don’t think so, unless school talent contests and costume contests count? Didn’t really do much for those either. So, innocent.

Still have communication with your ex? - Pfft, I’d need to have an ex first for that. Innocent. Rory isn’t an ex by virtue of the fact that we never dated.

Been told that you’re beautiful by someone who meant it? - Innocent.

Cheated on someone? - See above, have not had an actual serious relationship to speak of for this to happen. Nor have I been the, uh, third person so to speak, so innocent.

Gotten totally drunk and missed an exam? - Innocent. I don’t really get drunk outside of drinking with friends socially, and even then I would prefer to keep my personal intoxication levels low.

A total stranger treated you by paying your fare? - Innocent.

Got so angry that you cried? - Guilty. Life sucks sometimes.

Tried to stay away from someone for their own good? - ...does for our combined mutual good count? Guilty if so.

Thought about suicide? - ...Guilty in passing, once. Not deeply or seriously. [He’s too determined to try to live his life, honestly. Even if he’s kind of worked up into a mess with all of the cult business and the psychic bullshit he has to deal with.]

Thought about murder? - Guilty. Very guilty if dreams and visions of possible futures count.

Actually murdered someone? - Innocent. Hopefully it’ll stay that way regardless.

Thought about mass murder? - ...Guilty. Comes with the territory of dreaming about the Reaping and Collapse for years upon years from different perspectives. Would prefer not to think about that. [It’s unsettling to him.]

Actually committed a mass murder? - Innocent, and hopefully will very much stay that way.

Rode in a stranger’s vehicle? - Do taxis count, or public transportation? Guilty if so, innocent otherwise.

Stalked someone? - ...guilty but it was for a good cause on all occasions. Namely keeping a third party from tormenting and or murdering them and their family members or friends.

Had a girlfriend? - A serious girlfriend? Innocent. A girlfriend in kindergarten school for all of one recess and free play period? Guilty ish? Kindergarten was wild, man.

Had a boyfriend? - Innocent since I would say I haven’t actually had a serious relationship yet. I’ve had...flings?? It’s weird to call them that, we didn’t discuss what name fit it at the time or anything, just acknowledged that we were both on the same page of not looking for something involving commitment at the time from each other. Just...you know, being there with each other for a little while, before we parted ways. It wasn’t a good time to pursue a relationship for me, at the very least. Not sure when a good time would be, though. After all this? [Assuming there is an afterwards worth mentioning once the cult situation is...resolved, shall we say. He doesn’t know what will happen then. Terrifying, isn’t it. Almost as bad as knowing what could and would happen in what he considers the Bad Ending from his point of view.]

Gotten totally drunk during a holiday? - Innocent. Don’t much care for loss of control over myself, as stated earlier. Some drinking is fine in good company and a safe environment.

PDA | A SasuSaku FanFic (One Shot)

When the Seventh Hokage received the great news from the Shadow Hokage that all the traces of the Otsutski Clan were now eradicated, he finally felt completely at peace. It's been a few months after the gatecrashed Chunin Exams, and with a mischievous glint in his eyes, Naruto announced for them to have some sort of a victory celebration, much to Sasuke's chagrin.

He insisted that it was something that they all deserve, and that it was time to show appreciation to everyone close to them considering all the hardwork they've been giving for the village because for once, the possibilities of them encountering supernatural enemies could only be counted as distant memories.

Despite Sasuke's apparent disagreement to the matter, no "Hn", "Tch", nor Amaterasu threats could stop Naruto as he started informing Konoha 12, their senseis, and their families to the said upcoming celebration. He also did not fail to remind Sasuke time and time again that his presence was a must because he's been involved – more than required – in the guarding of peace in the shinobi world.

No one could remove the excitement of the Hokage as he kept on proudly mentioning how he had been organizing the said party, declaring it to be some sort of a much awaited holiday for all his colleagues and friends. When discussed, Sasuke just rolled his eyes at the irony that his best friend couldn't even organize his own life, and now, he was organizing a feast for a bunch of people.

Naruto soon admitted that he has resorted to asking their wives to do the planning and preparation so as not to cause a mess resembling another Shinobi World War. With that, Sasuke commented on how Naruto's still a total dobe even after all these years.

Within the week of their wives' party arrangements, Sasuke found himself slowly resigning to the idea, something he would definitely not admit in front of the dobe. Even though he was still uninterested, it dawned on him that the first and last celebration he'd ever been a part of was his own wedding several years ago. And it wasn't even a long and relaxed reception, since he and Sakura were already set to travel together right after their wedding – a journey that wasn't entirely a walk in the park considering how they're not only a married couple, but two-thirds of the new generation of Sannin at their own right as well. Hence, the first few months after their wedding were more focused on keeping themselves and the village safe from the people who wanted to seek them and take advantage of their prowess.

Speaking of, how many wedding anniversaries had he missed? He frowned at the thought. It wasn't even that he forgets, but somehow, deep inside him resided that one-track minded shinobi that had his eyes fixed on his job to protect the people he values and the village that his brother safeguarded at the cost of his reputation and his life.

Still, many times, he wished he could've been more intentional in showing any sign of remembrance to special dates to both his wife and daughter, but he yearly found himself often rationalizing that any celebration was futile if the world could be in danger at any given time.

Now, however, he realized how the dobe could actually be right – that having a little commemoration to the wipeout of their other-worldly enemies was a considerable idea. For once, he felt as if a huge baggage was lifted from his shoulders, and that all his years of sacrifices away from Sakura and Sarada were worth it.

This post-Otsuski season was quite new to him, considering the fact that tracking any mark of the said clan became his purpose in the past years. Even so, he couldn't deny how satisfied he was when he admitted to himself that it's time to loosen up a bit and finally be there for his family – a term that's been foreign to him until a certain pink-haired maiden changed his life after willingly and wholeheartedly accepting the Uchiha insignia on her back.

The party was going well in one of the function halls at the Hokage Tower. If it meant having the kids enjoying the feast on the table, and the adults having fruitful conversations that were not entirely focused on their lives as shinobi, then that, for Sasuke, meant it was going well.

After a short speech from Naruto about how he was grateful for everyone's contribution to the stability of Konoha, the guests spent the rest of the evening with more food, drinks, games, dancing, and catch ups. Naruto even emphasized how Sasuke was one of the main people that should be acknowledged and appreciated for all that he has done. And even though the said man was kind of flattered (something his face didn't show, of course), he was glad that the spotlight was quickly away from him and everyone went on doing whatever they found enjoyable to do.

Sakura was keeping an eye on her husband. She knew how Sasuke never wanted social interactions with numerous people especially in a single event, but she couldn't deny how glad she was that somehow, her husband was at ease and probably even enjoying the party in his own subtle ways. She chuckled inwardly as she made a mental reminder to commend Naruto for actually being able to drag Sasuke to the party.

Her eyes scanned the room. She grinned when she saw all their children bantering while devouring the desserts that she and Hinata had prepared, glad that all of them were enjoying the presence of their friends, and most of all, the presence of their parents who were all finally available in one gathering without any mission or work being hindrances.

Catching the big beam of Sarada, she remembered how very apparent Sarada's gladness was when Sasuke mentioned that he most likely wouldn't leave much anymore. Seeing her daughter happy gives her joy above all.

As she shifted her gaze on the other sides of the room, she found the adults enjoying each other's stress-free company which was quite a rare sight during the Chunin Exams attack and the few weeks after it.

Amused, she shook her head at the sight of Kakashi and Guy who were in some sort of another petty competition through a card game, with Yamato closely monitoring the duel, and Kurenai sighing at how childish her fellow instructors were.

Then she caught sight of the couples: Naruto had just started eating beside his wife after his speech, munching on the various meals that Ino and Temari had prepared, yet quite disappointed that Hinata didn't allow him to have some ramen for tonight. Across them, Choji was still eating ever since the party began, causing his wife Karui to scowl at him in what seemed like dismay. Temari was fiercely playing Shogi with Shikamaru by the balcony, and Temari seemed to be winning because of the wide smirk on her face. At the far end of the room, Ino was singing a love song to Sai through the Karaoke, and the pale man smiled every once in a while although he seemed to be filled with curiosity on the Karaoke manual in his hand. Overall, they all appeared to be too engrossed with their partners.

But then there was her and Sasuke, casually standing beside each other by the window.

No big deal.

She shot a glance at her husband, who, as expected, was harboring a bored expression on his ever so handsome face. It was obvious how they were both growing uncomfortable by the minute, but really though, shouldn’t they actually do something together or at least talk about anything?

"Anata?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want me to get you a drink or something?"

Sasuke briefly gave a glance to his wife. "No, thank you. I'm already full."

"Oh, okay."

There were beats of silence until Sasuke surprisingly spoke again, "How about you?"

"I'm good, too. Thanks, Anata." Sakura sheepishly smiled.

"Hn."

And then she didn't know what to do next.

While everyone was having fun with their mates, and the kids were enjoying themselves, there they were, standing awkwardly as if they weren't even married for thirteen years.

Sighing, she stared back at the people in the room, until all of a sudden, Kiba called out for the others to join him, Shino, their fiancées, and Tenten who had no other partner but Lee, on the dance floor as he played a slow and sweet music.

The other couples entertained the idea and began to occupy the space that was proclaimed as the dance floor, slow dancing with their partners as if it was a high school prom night.

Without a thought, the Uchiha matriarch didn't even bother to budge, for she knew that her husband would not appreciate it if they did the same thing. However, she felt the stare of the Uchiha patriarch beside her, as if weighing the situation if it was a must for him to resort to public display of affection through dancing – something he surely wouldn’t enjoy doing even without a partner involved.

And then Sakura heard him sigh. "Sakura...do you..."

"No need, Sasuke." She cut him off and gave him a faint smile. "There’s no need to adjust for me and everyone else." She then turned her head back to the pairs and watched how Sai twirled Ino in front of him, bragging to everyone about how he got to learn that move from one of his books.

Sasuke frowned at his wife's response, quite disappointed with himself that he could do extreme stunts and deadly jutsus to save the world yet he couldn't even move a muscle to romance his wife just because of the presence of their friends. However, he would forever appreciate Sakura's patience with him and his diminished social skills. If Sakura wasn’t a part of him now, he wouldn't even survive the first minute of any party, which shows how much the personality of the pink-haired Uchiha complements his.

Naruto, however, caught a glimpse of the uneasy couple. He smirked playfully before yelling that caused the other people to turn to them from across the room, "Oi, teme! What are you and Sakura-chan doing over there?"

"Oh. Stop being a drag, guys," Shikamaru butted in. "I know dancing is quite troublesome but it's relaxing, too," he said as he swayed to the music with his wife in his arms.

Sai chuckled when he noticed the Uchiha pair. "You don't want to dance? Then perhaps you could kiss or something so you aren't merely standing like lampposts there, Ugly and Coward." If Sasuke didn't know the guy to be normally too straightforward and careless with his words, he would've punched him on the face right after he heard him say the word lamppost.

"Heh! I actually kind of like that suggestion, Sai," Their former sensei intervened with that closed-eye smile of his, probably imagining something out of his favorite book that he's been reading for more than a decade now.

Sakura seemed to be frozen on the spot. More than her own thoughts about how awkward the situation was, she was thinking that it might be too uncomfortable for Sasuke already. He had been away for far too long, and the last thing she would want to happen was for him to feel uneasy and pressured with the teasing of their friends when he's around.

"C'mon, Sasuke." Naruto wiggled his eyebrows while proudly holding Hinata by her waist. "Look at every couple. We want to see our Shadow Hokage go lovey-dovey with his woman too! We never witness your sweet side!"

Ino nodded almost too aggressively. "And Sakura's always alone. When I brought her to the place where you've had your first date, she almost didn't want to return home."

"Ino!"

"What?" Ino giggled at the blushing Sakura, not even bothered that her best friend's clenched fists could actually crush her to bits. Turning her head back to Sasuke, she winked. "We've always wanted a SasuSaku sweet encounter right in front of our very eyes, Sasuke. Even just this once. What do you say?" It's funny how time went by, Sakura's best friend used to have a deep crush on the Uchiha as well when they were younger, but now, she was happily clinging into the arms of Sai.

Sakura avoided glancing at her husband, not knowing how to react. They were all right anyway, but throughout her years with Sasuke, she has learned about the fact that he's not fond of showing sweetness publicly. Sasuke has his own ways of expressing tenderness when they are alone. But recently, after returning from his long journey that took him away from his family for how many years, it was almost like they were back to square one in terms of their intimacy. She sometimes almost felt like a teenager trying to figure out if her crush has a crush on her too.

As Sasuke's wife, she never lost the faith that he treasures both her and Sarada deeply, and that their feelings are connected, regardless if Sasuke shows it or not. Yet, no matter how much she denied it, it was true that she terribly missed how affectionate he used to be. And the sight of the couples around them did not fail to give her a tinge of envy.

On the other hand, Sasuke was just listening to the words of their friends, considering every statement that he knew was given for the purpose of both suggesting and teasing. And when he turned and saw his wife staring at the floor with a very shy demeanor, he just couldn't help but remember the young Sakura he first fell in love with – that woman who was very bold, but at the same time quite sheepish as she often blushed big time only because of him. He then smirked as everyone began to cheer his name, expecting whatever sweet stuff the great Uchiha would do to his wife.

He realized that they were right. He really lacked in showing feelings for his family publicly, and recently, even privately. He always believed that feelings should not get in the way of missions, but was his family just a part of one of his missions as a shinobi, too? He mentally shook his head to his own question.

So what if their friends were watching?

Smiling to himself, he sighed in satisfaction with his resolve and then gently cupped Sakura's face with his lone hand. His wife's widened eyes earned a softened expression from him, an assurance that he was not doing this to please their friends because he wanted to do it too and he wanted to make her feel special.

The chanting of his name came to a halt when everyone saw him leaning in and giving his wife a chaste and passionate kiss on the lips. The scene caused their friends to have a mixture of surprise, amusement, and awe painted on their faces.

After all, it was a once in a blue moon experience to witness the Uchiha Sasuke resolving to Public Display of Affection.

And oh, Sakura was stunned. Even Sarada who was in the living room had a shocked expression on her face when she saw her dad initiated the romantic gesture.

Have you ever kissed dad? She remembered asking her mom during that time she hadn't seen her dad after a long time yet. And now, she was witnessing the answer to her question in front of her very eyes. She couldn't help but beam widely although some of her friends were partly amused and partly grossed out. With her peripheral vision, she even noticed a flustered Boruto covering the eyes of young Himawari with his two hands. But she didn't care, this scene was so significant to her that it completely drove out all her past doubts about the complex relationship of her parents.

Everyone in the room cheered once again, genuinely happy for their friends whom they've missed seeing together.

Sakura's eyes started brimming with tears, causing Sasuke to instantly pull away.

He then whispered, "Hey...did I do it bad? I'm sorry, it's been so long."

Sakura chuckled slightly and shook her head. "Shannaro!" She muttered as she playfully hit him on the chest.

Sasuke’s lips curved upwards. At least he did not disappoint his wife. There was a momentary worry that he might have hurt Sakura once again when he saw her tear-filled eyes. Yet, witnessing her emerald orbs sparkling with joy made all the previous awkwardness so worth it. Staring at her, it dawned on him how much he had missed her all this time. He then briefly pulled her into a hug as the people started dancing again and focusing on their own stuff. He made a mental note to continue their alone time at home.

 Their children went ahead, maybe they were still gonna lurk around to play some games or get some midnight snack from Thunder Burger. After saying their goodbyes, the couples parted ways towards their own homes, including Sasuke and Sakura who were quite behind everyone else on the street.

Sasuke focused his gaze at his wife.

She deserved better. He has known that all this time. But it softened his heart time and time again that she has chosen to stay with him all along. He would never understand what made her love him since they were younger, even when he turned his back from her and everyone else.

There was something about her love that always reminded him that he has a home to return to. And even after not being around for majority of their daughter's years due to his important outside missions to protect the whole village, that love did not even diminish. If anything, he could feel that it grew even stronger than before.

He nodded to himself. He was done taking advantage of his wife's love for him. He was done making his daughter have failed expectations from him. He came to a conclusion that it was time to start anew and make them feel all the love that they deserve, even though he didn't really know how exactly to begin.

Sakura was yet again astounded when Sasuke grabbed her hand as they walked towards their house. Her gaze fell on their intertwined fingers. The feeling of his hand on hers never failed to make her heart race because she wasn’t used to an intimate Sasuke.

And then Sasuke stopped walking. "Sakura."

Her eyes met his. His eyes may have different forms due to his Sharingan and Rinnegan but she has always loved those eyes. She would always be grateful that she has the privilege of seeing them up close while gazing at her in such a tender way. "Yes, Sasuke?"

"I'm sorry." Sasuke looked down. "I know I even asked Naruto to give you this same message when I was away, but maybe, I...I never really knew how I could make it up to you. All I know so far is to apologize." He then shifted his eyes to Sakura whose face was filled with surprise.

In the past few times that he returned, they never really talked about their relationship. Their conversations were just either about their jobs or about Sarada. But now that Sasuke was bringing this up, astonishment was just written all over her face.

Was this really her husband or was she just trapped in a genjutsu? She almost thought it was more of the latter.

"You know I've always been bad with expressing anything. And I'm grateful you accept me nevertheless." He gave her a small smile. And with an intent gaze, he asked, "But Sakura, can...we start again?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I want to be a better husband to you and a better father to Sarada. Will you give me a chance?" He uttered almost pleadingly.

Sakura burst into tears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maybe this was what his time away from them did to him, it matured his heart and his mind a lot. And maybe her waiting was truly not in vain, it might have taken some time, but Sasuke finally got to forgive himself from everything he has been carrying since he was a child and from those things he had done in the past.

Her lips then formed a smile, she was just so proud of her husband after everything. With happy tears still falling down her cheeks, she slowly nodded at him, earning a rare wide smile from Sasuke. “Always, Anata.”

After tonight, she just knew, everything would be positively different with her husband. And the idea made her absolutely excited to witness a very affectionate Uchiha Sasuke in the long run.

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© September 2018 AriannJS

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Please don't hesitate to comment your views and feels on this. :D My other SS fics could be found here! :) Also, I'm encouraging y'all to check out my other book of short stories called Journal of Hearts. It's a compilation of original short stories (not fan-fictions) and it would show a different side of my writing.

After a long time of not writing, I'm still exploring once again in terms of constructing plots and improving my writing style. So eventually, I see myself returning to writing original one-shots other than fanfics! Hope you could continue to support me and let me know what you think about my few stories in that book too! Thanks & God bless!

Like what I do? Please consider supporting me on ko-fi as I continue to write fictions and make song covers! A cup of coffee would be a big encouragement! :)

- A

War of the Spark is an interesting set. But did you know that there are connections to other sets and Planes within this pile of cards? Here’s a non-complete look at the references to other Planes and sets of Magic found within War of the Spark.

Karn, the Great Creator – Dominaria (Weatherlight)

While the first static ability mimics the ability almost completely (except for the one-sidedness), Null Rod is part of the Legacy Collection, and so is Karn. What other parts of the Legacy Collection will we see next? I can’t wait for Juju Bubble to be on the next Karn card.

Ugin, the Ineffable – Zendikar (Worldwake) and Tarkir (Fate Reforged)

While the colorless spells don’t have to be Eldrazi with the new Ugin, it is close enough to the Worldwake card especially since it’s his eye. But his +1 ability is pretty much Manifest, but you still get the card if it creature dies. Makes sense since Ugin first had his card in Fate Reforged.

Grateful Apparition – Mirrodin (Scars of Mirrodin)

While I’m not going to touch on each Proliferate card since they’re using the mechanic in the set, but this is just a straight color shifted Thrummingbird with the Planeswalker damage rider as well.

Makeshift Battalion – Ravnica (Gatecrash)

And this is where the first of the named mechanics are part of a card name. Since mechanics like Battalion are ability words, they don’t have any extra rules text attached to the word. So things like this can happen even though they aren’t “true” Battalion cards (but they are).

Narset’s Reversal – Ravnica (Ravnica: Guilds of Ravnica)

A Fork effect is common enough that it’s not really a reference, but it’s the returning to the hand that’s a clear reference to the first time we visited Ravnica. You get a copy of the spell instead of drawing a card, which is pretty okay trade-off.

Teferi’s Time Twist – Kamigawa (Betrayers of Kamigawa)

Another almost straight reprint. Here’s your link to Kamigawa here for those that want a return to that plane.

Bolas’s Citadel – Dominaria (Onslaught)/ and Ravnica (Ravnica: City of Guilds)

Bolas is from(?) Dominaria so of course he would use the amazing enchantment that’s also a set name. He also believes in Greatness at any cost, so really this should read Bob’s Citadel.

Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage – Ravnica (Guilds of Ravnica)

I don’t know where Davriel is from but this enchantment is much closer to the Planeswalker’s static ability than The Rack, so it gets the nod here.

Deliver Unto Evil – Kamigawa (Champions of Kamigawa)

Two references to Kamigawa in one set? How the God-Pharaoh looks down upon you and smiles. Doubt he’ll make that same mistake again.

Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted – Dominaria (Legends)

I don’t know if there’s any relation of Ob Nixilis to Dominaria. But I do know there was some outcry from the players when Underworld was reprinted in 8th Edition saying it was “Too good”. It was also the set that Serra Angel was a Rare, so that that as you will.

Bolt Bend – Tarkir (Khans of Tarkir)

The first of several that are “Ferocious” cards in this set. Ironically, there was no Blue “Ferocious” card even though this was the Temur mechanic.

Triumph cycle – Amonkhet (Hour of Devastation)

The Triumph Cycle and the Finale cycle will fit here (Chandra’s was the one alphabetically first). Both of the cycles obviously reference the cycles in Hour of Devastation with the Gatewatch’s previous fight with Bolas.

Devouring Hellion – Jund (Shards of Alara)

Devouring comes from Devour, the Jund mechanic from Alara. Bonus: Ajani is from Naya but visited Jund when he first Planeswalked. Neat!

Spellgorger Weird – Tarkir (Khans of Tarkir)

While not really Prowess, it’s a modified one as Prowess most likely won’t be coming back. Plus, it’s a weird card.

Turret Ogre – Tarkir (Khans of Tarkir)

Fun fact: Red now has six cards with Reach, the first two in Planar Chaos. Neat!

Arlinn, Voice of the Pack – Innistrad (Innistrad)

I mean, this one was kind of a given, right?

Awakening of Vitu-Ghazi – Zendikar (Battle for Zendikar)

Awakening is the connection here. It’s very flavorful and makes sense here. I wish Awaken was an okay mechanic and it got more love.

Evolution Sage – Zendikar (Zendikar)

Everyone says this is Landfall – Proliferate. And they’re right.

Finale of Devastation – Mirrodin (Mirrodin Besieged))

The only Finale that’s really almost a direct reference to another card in a high profile cycle. You can search your library or graveyard for any color with an additional mana, but you lose the ability to shuffle it in. You decide if it’s worth it.

Kronch Wrangler – Tarkir (Khans of Tarkir)

Could this mechanic find a way into more sets? Sure, but I would like to open it up beyond 4 power, but it seems like a good, known value.

Elite Guardmage – Kaladesh (Kaladesh)

Gain a life, lose a card draw, but lose a mana and gain a toughness. Was Cloudblazer too good? Clearly the most broken card in its set.

Huatli’s Raptor – Ixalan (Ixalan)

When I was little there was a VHS tape I would watch over and over called DinoRiders. It was the pilot episode and I’ve only seen that one, but I watched it like a 100 times. If you know where I can find the other episodes, wait a minute they’re on YouTube. I know what I’m doing tonight.

Living Twister – Rath (Exodus) and Ravnica (Guildpact)

I mean, clearly the returning to land ability references the lands from the original Ravnica block and not the Moonfolk from Kamigawa since they were all Blue and the fact that I’ve written Kamigawa more in this piece that actual articles in the last year means something’s wrong.

Solar Blaze – Mercadia (Mercadian Masques)

It’s it cute how wording changes in 20 years. Yes, Mercadian Masques is 20 years old. Pro Tip: If you’re going to make a card multi-colored, you can drop a mana in its cost (most of the time).

Teferi, Time Raveler – Dominaria (Time Spiral)

Tenth District Legionnaire – Theros (Theros)

If you change the color you can add a new ability, such as haste. Surprised that Hero wasn’t referenced anywhere on here. Complete fail of a set.

Ashiok, Dream Render – Ravnica (Ravnica: City of Guilds)

Is Ashiok a shadow? I would like to think so, but if I’m in a court of law, I’m not as sure as a

Huatli, the Sun’s Heart – Lorwyn (Lorwyn)

Sure, I could’ve chosen Assault Formation, but Lorywn was part of the most complicated limited format ever. And for that, I have to give it up to the OG Tree.

Guild Globe – Ravnica (Ravnica: City of Guilds)

That’s right Karn, harder to break than a snow globe. Those are impenetrable. (Ha, not Citizen Kane!)

Emergence Zone – Dominaria (Weatherlight)

There might be some talk of Alchemist’s Refuge here, but I decided to do with the OC Flash Land, since it clearly makes sense that Winding Canyons would allow creatures to be cast as an Instant.

I’m sure this isn’t the complete list, but it does give you a nice place to start. This is one of the few times outside of a Core Set that there has been this many references to older cards and places since Time Spiral block.

Until next time, which hopefully will be much sooner than before.

New MTGColorPie Post: War of the Spark's "Hey, Remember That?" I take a look at cards in #MTGWAR that have connections to other planes. Don't know if anyone has done this before, but here you go. War of the Spark is an interesting set. But did you know that there are connections to other sets and Planes within this pile of cards?

Grace & Janis

Grace: are you EVER coming home or can I officially have your room? Janis: You measuring up already, yeah? Janis: Diego probably a better housemate than the rest, true Grace: his filming set up is 🔥 sooo Janis: 😂 Janis: hauls are defs what he wants his equipment used for Grace: ugh have you seen the bag I was using last time you saw me? I CANNOT find it Janis: Grace, as if I was paying any attention to your bag Janis: left it in Common Grounds maybe? Janis: 2nd time's a charm 😜 Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 SO unhelpful babes Grace: OMG no for who? that other one Grace: EW Janis: Gonna say, if you were aiming for Jim he weren't in today so 💔 Grace: I saw the pics I'm aware Janis: Tah for the #engagement then babes 👍 Grace: oh please Grace: like you need it Grace: so the IT couple now 🙄🙄 Janis: You know it Janis: 'til whoever hooks up with whoever's man at the next big party and it's the scandal of the century Grace: obvs Grace: he is a good photographer tho Janis: Yeah I didn't know Janis: he does it at School too Grace: DUH Grace: the teacher loves him Grace: you think you're the only one 😍😍😍 honey Grace: rude awakening Janis: I know I ain't Janis: bitches be blatant 😏 Grace: If that's a dig at me Grace: HOW RUDE Janis: 😂 Janis: Not strictly you but you know you have the subtlety of a brick to the face Grace: OMG Grace: I'm being nice bitch Janis: So am I, bitch Janis: calm down Grace: I told you I cannot Grace: not until I find this bag Grace: 😱😱😱 Janis: Surely you've not left it out out, it'll be at one of your friends if not somewhere amongst all your crap Grace: Duh Grace: but if it's at Mia's I'm not going Janis: No? Grace: Ugh Grace: I'm gonna have to change my ENTIRE outfit Janis: Sure she'll send it back in it's own car Janis: might take a dump in it first Grace: CAN YOU NOT Grace: I'm not trying to have a stress skin breakout thank you Janis: Where are you even going if you ain't going somewhere with her Grace: excuse you Grace: I go places Grace: I know you think it's just you now babe Janis: Not on your own you don't, it's too early for a party, too late for shopping 'cos you'd have gone at the crack of dawn Grace: I have a date if ANY of my wardrobe cooperates Janis: Ah Janis: okay Janis: don't you usually get them all 'round to wax your mustache and fry your hair though Grace: OMG do you not listen Grace: I'm not going to get that bitch here to sabotage me Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 Janis: Now why ever would she do that Janis: not our Mia Grace: 'Cause she HATES me rn Grace: duh Janis: You'll kiss and make up tomorrow what's new Grace: You actually do not listen Grace: poor barista boy Janis: You've not said anything??? Grace: I told you before! Janis: You're gonna need to be more specific Grace: She's being a shady bitch about you & this boy Grace: I'm over it Janis: 🙄 Janis: She wanna pipe me or what Janis: she'll get some dick of her own and be over it soon Grace: OMG DO YOU HAVE TO Grace: she has a man, it's stupid Grace: & so is how often I have to defend you Grace: not the life I want thank you Janis: but seriously Janis: what is her actual problem Janis: you must know Grace: I don't Grace: I thought it was cos she thought you took him from me but it's not that deep Grace: It's not like barista boy is the love of my life sorry Janis: She just likes being a bitch Janis: sorry but it's true Grace: UM but the things she's saying are sooooooo out of order Grace: Like no Grace: It's horrible Janis: It ain't news to me Janis: she's always been like it, you know that Grace: not about you to me Grace: this highkey Janis: Guess she's over being sly with it Janis: probably thought you'd be # more about it idk Grace: You know I wouldn't Grace: Yeah? Janis: It's whatever, I don't care Janis: thought that's what y'all already did so Grace: Bitch I care! Grace: I can say what I want Grace: she can't Janis: Try and tell her that Janis: not exactly how it's been though so not surprised she don't care either Grace: Hello!? that's what I'm saying Grace: I have Grace: You can date all the hot boys you want Grace: it's not her business Janis: Makes everything her business that's her M.O Janis: depriving her of potential victims, like Grace: Oh please Grace: she's never get him Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 Janis: Why you think she's so mad Janis: take it up with him it's him that won't fuck her like Janis: though no tah, also Grace: no cos its not about HIM it's about you Grace: that's why I'm SO mad Grace: he's obvs into you for whatever reason so Grace: she doesn't get to say he shouldn't be Grace: idk whatever Janis: She's a control freak Janis: we all been knew before her bones started sticking out so much Janis: I don't care, ignore her 'til she misses you enough to get over it Grace: she's a lot of things, hun but not the relationship police, we can all date who we want, sorry about it Grace: she thinks she can tell me who to go out with too now Grace: excuse you no Janis: Just 'cos she can't stop me and Jim, sh reckons you'll be easier Grace: Ugh I don't even want to go looking like this Grace: but she doesn't want me to so obvs will Janis: You look fine, you're just stressing Grace: You don't know Grace: You're not here Janis: Unless you've disfigured your face I can take a wild guess, babe Janis: and unless your catfishing this lad, he's gonna know what you look like too so Grace: Please, he knows what I look like when I'm a 10 Grace: today is NOT that Janis: 🙄 Janis: idk can't you call one of the ones that ain't her Grace: sure if I wanna kms Grace: wherever she is, they are Janis: Come on Janis: you have to show her up Grace: Help me Janis: Now I'm fashionable is it? Janis: What can I do, like Grace: idk Grace: you're not freaking out Grace: & you have a boyfriend Grace: ask him Janis: ask him what? like do you want outfit opinions or conversation starters here Janis: you've met him, yeah? 😂 Grace: obvs it only matters what I look like duh Grace: Mia's not coming on the date Janis: He's making dinner right now Janis: You could come over or just send me snaps of what you're planning Grace: CUTE Grace: I won't gatecrash Grace: anyways I don't even know where he lives, I didn't get that far 😂 Janis: 👌 Janis: I'm glad to know you stopped yourself before being that creepy, babe Grace: You stop! I am not Grace: it's not my fault we never get any new hotties around here Janis: 😂 Janis: who's this lad then, anyone I know? Grace: someone Mia does so probably cos you're so obsessed with each other 🙄🙄 Grace: jk tho obvs Grace: 😘 Janis: no doubt Janis: with her now, like Janis: all a giant ruse and conspiracy against you Grace: OMG don't even Grace: if I see screenshots of this anywhere I'll kill you Janis: 😂 Janis: [snaps Jimmy] Janis: not a threesome Grace: ugh he has no business looking like that tho Grace: for a white boy Grace: outrageous Janis: I know Janis: You LOVE white boys though don't lie 😏 Grace: I can't help that there's more of them in Dublin Janis: Okay babe Grace: OMG stop Grace: I don't only date white boys Grace: you literally CAN'T say that Janis: 👌 Janis: I'm not keeping track Janis: vague memories of one not entirely pasty one Grace: Well I am, and it's like a 60/30 split so Grace: I can do some maths, bitch FYI Grace: OMG this boy isn't?! Is that why Mia doesn't want me to date him?! 😱😱😱 Janis: 😂 Where are we putting the other 10% Janis: I know you ain't dated no Asians, facts Janis: she tryna keep your numbers down? considerate of her Grace: In my #regrets pile shhhh Grace: or she wants him for herself Grace: to compete with your interracial coupling Janis: She wants every lad for herself, told you Janis: the more #desirable to others the better Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 Grace: she wants yours, she's plotting Grace: be careful Janis: Like I said, he ain't arsed Grace: Obvs but still warn him Grace: she's a LOT Janis: Yeah Janis: actual maneater Janis: 🐍 Grace: 😂 Grace: she wishes Grace: she doesn't even do blowjobs Janis: Calories, init Grace: she did one once & it went so tragically she's never Grace: but you didn't hear that from me Grace: why I was trying to help YOU duh Grace: so shaming Janis: Heard that from the lad she disappointed anyway Janis: boys talk too, you know Janis: give yourself a second chance and a better rep, Mia Janis: she's just easy, not rated Grace: Duh Grace: I just don't wanna know what they say about me Janis: Good 'cos I don't wanna chat about that either Grace: OMG is it that bad? Janis: Nah I'm saying I don't listen when they chat about any of you Grace: 👌 thank god Grace: I put in the work Janis: 🙄 Janis: Disgusting Grace: Oh please Grace: Like you don't Janis: We don't need to chat about it do we Grace: I'm just saying! 🙄 Grace: It was a sincere offer of help before Grace: You can talk to me Janis: I don't need help Grace: 👌👌👌 babes Grace: no shade Grace: I just know what it's like Grace: at first Janis: It's good Janis: I keep telling you it's not my first time like Grace: Babes, come on Grace: If you don't wanna tell me, fine, but you don't need to lie Janis: 🙄 This is why we don't talk Janis: if you ain't gonna listen or believe me what's the point Grace: I am listening Grace: but we both know he's the first boy you ever went that far with Janis: so? Janis: #virginityisasocialconstruct is it not Janis: don't mean I don't know what I'm doing Grace: Oh my god Grace: I literally never said it does Grace: I'm only trying to help Grace: sometimes it's good to talk, Janis Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 Janis: Yeah you did Janis: There's nothing to talk about don't be weird Grace: whatever Grace: excuse me for trying to be nice Janis: It ain't nice it's nosy Grace: It's nice if you want someone to talk to & you don't have it! Grace: you're so rude Janis: well I don't so youre fine Grace: I heard you Janis: 👍 Grace: Are you coming home this week at ANY point? Janis: I'm sure I will Janis: can't stay forever can I Grace: I'm sure he'd allow it Grace: shame he has no friends or brothers who aren't kids Janis: Not everyone's parents are such pushovers though Janis: 😂 behave Grace: 😇 obvs Grace: I just don't want to go Janis: he's a munter Janis: I understand Grace: OMG shut up Grace: It's about how I look not him Janis: The more you think on it the less fun you're gonna be and have Janis: you're fine Grace: You don't understand Grace: so excuse me if I don't wanna hear it Janis: What don't I understand Grace: anything Grace: you don't care Grace: you don't have to Janis: Bit rude Grace: Well it's true! Grace: Some of us don't just get a hot boyfriend & amazing sex life, you know Grace: some of us have to try Janis: Let's calm down, it's just roll of the dice ain't it Janis: not like I've had a million hot boyfriends in a row like Grace: cos YOU didn't want to Grace: Like I said, you don't understand Grace: so don't tell me to calm down Janis: I ain't saying it for my health Janis: but okay Grace: You're saying it cos you want me to shut up Grace: so 👌 Janis: No I'm not Janis: but getting in a flap ain't gonna lead to a good date and then you'll feel even worse but you're just confirming your own bias Janis: everyone feels like shit sometimes but don't let that dictate what kinda time you're gonna have Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 Grace: whatever I'm having a GREAT time if my feed says I am so Janis: how does that matter when you ain't Grace: Duh, only doing this so Mia won't win Grace: remember? Janis: 🙄 Janis: She wins automatically because you give a shit and she don't Grace: I know you'd LOVE for me to give up, babes but I can't join you in the ranks of not caring Janis: No shit Janis: she's a terrible friend Janis: who do you think you're doing any favours Janis: not yourself Grace: I'll just be alone then? Love that Janis: Get new ones Janis: you aren't bound for life Grace: Sure Grace: cos it's sooo easy Janis: Easier for you than it is me Janis: there's plenty of other girls who like the shit you like that aren't shitty people with it Janis: not entirely shitty, anyway, better Grace: & I'll just step into their friendship group & belong Grace: you have no idea Grace: You've never been friends with a group of girls before Janis: For good reason Janis: clearly Janis: it ain't that deep Janis: it doesn't have to be, you aren't 12 Grace: I wish I were Grace: It's easier then Grace: you can be friends with whoever Janis: You still can Janis: no one is forcing you but them Grace: no one else wants me Janis: sure they do Janis: just don't be so full on with it Janis: it ain't gonna be sleepovers every weekend or whatever at this age Janis: not at first especially Grace: I'll just change my entire personality 👌 Janis: You can Grace: You're so mean Janis: I'm not Janis: if you're sick of it then do something about it Grace: You are Grace: You want me to be a different person Janis: It's nothing to do with me, I don't care who you are Janis: You're bringing problems, I'm offering solutions Janis: also bit rich don't you think Grace: You're literally just saying everything's not that deep Grace: that's not a solution Grace: & I just want you to be A person, so no Janis: Because it isn't Janis: only your friends act like this, it's insanity Janis: and I am a person, whether you like it or not Grace: It isn't to you cos you don't know what it's like to be me Grace: and you know what I mean Grace: since she died you just pushed everyone away Janis: This has nothing to do with that Grace: Come on Grace: everything does, babes Janis: Nah Janis: Can try and use it as a copout but people stopped buying it a while back so I wouldn't bother Grace: That's not Grace: ugh why do you have to make everything so difficult? Janis: Me? Janis: You're the one that's got all the #problems tonight Janis: I'm chilling Grace: whatever Grace: I can't Janis: Have you tried? Grace: stop being such a bitch to me Grace: OMG Grace: I'm just gonna go Janis: Alright then Janis: have fun Grace: sure Janis: 🙄 for God's sake Janis: just send me the outfits Grace: I don't need the shotgun to my confidence thanks Janis: Don't be stupid Janis: I'm just going to tell you which is best Grace: No you wouldn't Grace: so like I said, no thanks Grace: I don't need it Janis: Yeah, fine Janis: you caught me Janis: just needed a laugh Janis: Laters then Grace: 👋 Janis: 🙄 Grace: maybe I'll see you when you bother to come back Grace: baited breath, like Janis: Why do you care Grace: obvs care too much about EVERYTHING so Grace: why not the only sister that's left Janis: Dramatic Janis: the other two aren't dead Grace: they don't answer their phones Grace: you still do even if you are a bitch Janis: More fool me, obviously Grace: yeah obvs Janis: Don't you have getting ready to do? Grace: I have cancelling to do Grace: it's one text Janis: Really Janis: What happened to not letting her win Grace: what happened to she already has? Janis: 'cos you let her Janis: and are going to this time too, cool Grace: no, 'cos I care & she doesn't Grace: you said it, you can't have forgotten it this fast Grace: literally can't win if we're going by that Janis: What sort of solution is to sit at Home and mope regardless Grace: what sort of solution is letting a boy see me like this? Please Grace: like it isn't cringe enough that I have to ask you to help me Janis: Cheers Janis: go fuck yourself then, like Grace: it's a better plan Grace: at least I know what I'm doing Grace: can't guarantee he does Janis: Don't be gross Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 Grace: got the look, I'm just trying to match it 👌 Janis: Shut up Janis: You're so stupid Janis: what, you've got a few spots, yeah? your hair won't go right? Janis: who fucking cares Grace: You're stupid Grace: You literally don't know what you're talking about Janis: Because some lad ain't gonna shag you 'cos you don't look like your filtered selfies Janis: yeah and I'm clueless Janis: they don't care, you could be a different girl and they wouldn't notice Grace: cos I don't want to leave here if I don't! Janis: Then don't Janis: let that stop you and become a shut in Janis: sounds fun Grace: I hate you Janis: Nah Janis: we know who you hate Grace: Leave me alone Janis: Fine Grace: Good Grace: go annoy the barista Janis: Be more fun for me that's for sure Grace: I hope so or you really were lying Janis: 😂 you wish, babe Grace: I don't actually Grace: he seems nice Janis: 😏 Nice? Janis: You've got the wrong one or that was the world's most forced compliment Grace: 🙄🙄 Grace: I meant like he's not a fuckboy or whatever Grace: it'd be a shame if it was just for the 'gram Janis: Yeah, I'm such hot property everyone wants that brag on lock Grace: Ugh Grace: I'm just saying I do hope he likes you Grace: Forget it Janis: Yeah, I get it Janis: Don't worry about me, I'm fine Grace: I wasn't Grace: I was thinking how much it'd annoy Mia if you two get married or something Janis: Right well if I'm marrying someone to piss her off you can go on one measly date 👌 Grace: Well I already cancelled, so it's all up to you now, sorry Janis: 😑 Cheers Janis: get the invites out now Grace: she can have mine Janis: so dramatic Janis: as if you're turning down a wedding, no matter who's it is Grace: such a bad listener Grace: I just did Janis: 😂 Janis: ooh burn Janis: my imaginary guest list is shaking Grace: your guest list is nonexistent Grace: imaginary or not Grace: but the rest will make up the numbers so 👌 Janis: 💔 Grace: sure Grace: seriously, don't you have food to eat by now? Janis: I'm multitasking Janis: don't use my tongue to type Grace: he'll be 💔 if you keep ignoring him Grace: don't YOU let Mia win, babes Janis: Obvs Janis: ain't that what you recommend Janis: treat 'em mean keep 'em keen Grace: depends on the boy Grace: he wouldn't like it Grace: he's obvs too highkey Janis: You reckon? 😂 how many convos have you actually had with him, babe Grace: Duh Grace: I don't need to, I saw your little display, remember? Grace: & his artwork Grace: so 😍😍😍 Janis: Whatever you say Grace: whatever you say, he's YOUR boyfriend Grace: 🙄 Janis: Let's not get crazy though Grace: yeah so crazy that you like each other Janis: Gross 😉 Grace: 🙄🙄🙄 Janis: if you don't need anything I'm off for real then Grace: 👋

Selfishly With You

Fandom: Harry Potter Word Count: 3657 Summary: Harry tries to understand what's so appealing about romance that he's losing all of his closest friends to it, and find the perfect confidant in one Luna Lovegood. Note: Posted in honor of #AggressivelyArospecWeek 2018. Based on these headcanons I posted last year.

Also available on AO3.

The shift came gradually, then crystallized in an uncomfortably sudden way.

He started seeing it happening during his fourth year. Most people had finally gotten used to him being Harry Potter, the Chosen One or whatever they called him. He had thought that from this point onwards he would be able to live his normal life as a normal teenager, and not be hero-worshipped for something he hadn't even actively participated in. He had thought he would be able to show others who he was as a person. That his personality wasn't only contained by his achievements.

And then the thing with the Goblet of Fire happened. His name was spat out, and suddenly he was the youngest contestant in the Triwizard Tournament, and nobody cared about him as a person anymore. People started asking for autographs again, treating him like a living historical figure and not just a fellow student.

And then there were the girls. Well, mostly girls. And the girls were the only ones who dared to say it upfront.

Of the few who didn't hate his guts for cheating or lessening Cedric Diggory's chances, there was a group that looked at him with stars and hearts in their eyes. One actually confessed she had a crush on him. Harry didn't feel comfortable pointing out that he didn't even know her name, and just said sorry and ran away.

Then Rita Skeeter started spreading rumors that he and Hermione somehow had a secret love affair. Harry couldn't figure out the logic behind it, considering there was absolutely no reason for them to keep it secret, had such an affair been going on.

And then, then, came the Yule ball.

All in all, his fourth year was when Harry Potter really started noticing how obessed with romance the world around him was.

It wasn't that he didn't think about it at all. Just that it confused him a whole lot. He was told that he had to find a partner for the ball, but he had no idea who he was supposed to invite.

“Well, usually people go with the people they're dating. Or they ask someone they have a crush on, see if they say yes. I guess some people also go with their friends? Just as a way to hang out?”

The answers he received were vague. He felt as if it was all organised into some kind of hierarchy. If you're not dating anyone, you ask one of your crushes. If your crushes say no, you ask a friend. In practice, he saw students ask people they barely knew to the dance over picking their closest friends. Harry figured he would have a lot more fun spending the night with someone he already got along with than a complete stranger but well... He was trying to be a normal teenager.

When people asked about his crushes, he thought about Cho Chang. About thinking she was pretty when they had played a Quidditch match against each other. Pretty and strong, and warm in a discreet way. They had talked a bit before, always about Quidditch, as fellow players more than as friends. But Harry had liked those conversations, and he felt curious about Cho, so he assumed that must be a crush.

So he asked Cho out. And she said no. And he went with Parvati Patil instead, althoug he didn't know Parvati at all and they didn't have much in common. And then there was Hermione, beautiful in her blue dress, dancing with Victor Krum instead of spending the night with her two best friends. At least she seemed to be enjoying herself, unlike Ron and Harry. He might not understand why, but he could appreciate that fact.

So it was during his fourth year that Harry realised he wasn't sure if he understood what other students meant when they said they had a crush on someone. There were those people he was interested in, wanted to know more about. Those people he wanted to  be friends with, or maybe close to in some other way, though he wasn't sure what that other way was. Of course, there was wanting to kiss someone, wanting to have sex with them. But if he was honest with himself he wasn't against the idea of kissing most of his friends. And there were some people he thought he might like to kiss without really knowing whether he wanted to date them or not.

It was confusing, but most of the time he could just ignore it. He was a wizard, learning magic in a magical school, after all. And then there was the fact that an someone evil had killed his parents, tried to kill him on several occasions, killed a fellow students in front of him and was trying to take over the world. That was a rather big distraction from his confused sentiments about romance.

But after his fourth year came the fifth, and after the fifth came the sixth.

Sixth year was the year of love, at least for everyone else. All of his friends started talking about their various crushes. People bought love potions at Fred and George's shop. And still, Harry stood there, confused.

When Ron started fixating on Lavender Brown, Harry tried to be a supportive friend. He didn't complain about the fact that he barely saw Ron at all except for classes and their dorm room. He didn't complain about having to do his homework alone because Hermione said he had to do it himself if he wanted to learn and Ron just wasn't there anymore. Ron said that Lavender made him happy, so Harry tried to be happy for him.

And then he noticed. He noticed that Hermione was colder than usual. He noticed how hurt she looked whenever Ron ignored her because Lavender claimed his attention. And Harry tried to be supportive of her, too. He tried to find a way to comfort her without putting all of the blame on his best friend. He tried to convince her – and himself – that Ron still cared about them, after all, that it was all fine, it wasn't that important.

Hermione accepted to go to Slughorn's party with Cormac, and Harry thought for a second that taking a walk near the whomping willow sounded like a much better idea than staying here. When his friends enquired who he would take to the party instead, however, he didn't have to think about it for long.

Luna Lovegood was the obvious choice. Luna, who he had befriended the previous year in somewhat creepy circumstances. Luna, with all of her quirks and all the stares she attracted. Luna, who seemed to keep herself outside of the turmoil that was the romantic adventures of Hogwarts students.

She accepted his invitation with pleasure and an easy smile. With her at his side, Harry actually felt able to brave Slughorn's party. Between the professor's ambiguous attentions, Hermione's panicked state at the idea of having to stay close to Cormac for a whole evening, and a general distate for the politics that motivated party, Harry thought of Luna as a refuge.

The girl would make remarks about what other students were doing, and they would have been snarky said by anyone else. In her case, though, they were delivered with perfect innocence. Harry found himself containing his laughter more than once, even in front of Slughorn. The professor seemed to find Harry's choice of partner quite distateful, though he couldn't say so in as many words, risking to breach his own code of conduct.

Harry had to leave Luna for a moment, needing to speak to Slughorn some more, as well as help Hermione escape the grasp of her evening partner. He was surprised at having to deal with Draco playing gatecrasher on top of it all, and was tightly wound up when things started to wind down and he couldn't find Luna in the room.

He looked around once more, avoiding anyone who tried to talk to him, and finally stepped outside. Sure enough, Luna was sitting on a step a bit further down the hallway, swaying a little bit as if she was humming a melody to herself.

Harry wondered, for a moment, at how calming even just her presence could feel to him. She was different from everyone else. Different in a way that made you feel encouraged to become the truest version of yourself you could be, when with her. Luna didn't look at him like a hero or the Chosen One. She didn't look at him like a rare collectibe or a tool to be used. She saw him as a person, and her very attitude invited him to come to terms with that person. It was always an invitation. Never a forceful gesture.

“Are you okay?” Harry asked. She didn't seem distressed in any way but, if he was honest with himself, Harry wasn't sure he would recognize what distress looked like on the girl's features.

She looked up at him, not having noticed his arrival. The startledness was immediately replaced by one of the soft smiles that were her trademark. “Yes, of course,” she replied in a melodic voice. “I was just a bit overwhelmed. And scared that the Smergls would get to me. Although I don't think they would work on me. But you're never too sure.”

Harry walked towards her and she moved to the side, leaving him space to sit. “Smergls?”

“Oh, yes. Haven't you noticed the infestation?”

Harry shook his head. “What are they?”

“A kind of creature. They're very hard to see. Wizards actually aren't sure under which circumstances they reveal themselves. They feed off human energy, and attach themselves to people's heads, drawing them into a state of emotional excitability. They mostly affect younger people too. I'm not exactly sure, but I think there's been a breakout in our year.”

“Emotional excitability? So you mean the way all everyone's been talking about recently is who they want to date?”

Luna nodded. “This is one of the most noticeable side-effects of Smergls, yes. There are others.”

Harry smiled. Luna's strange ideas about the world often seemed far-fetched and confusing, but there was a simplicity and honesty to them that he appreciated. He settled more comfortably against the cold steps of the stairs.

“And you think you're immune to them?”

“Well, possibly. I'm aromantic, you see.”

This was one more term that was apparently part of the witch's everyday vocabulary but that Harry was unfamiliar with. He was very happy that Luna usually wasn't opposed to his incessant questioning.

“What does aromantic mean?”

“Oh,” Luna said with a tilt of her head, as if she was surprised that he didn't know. “It means I don't experience romantic attraction. That I don't feel the urge to date anyone.”

This was a much less magical answer than the one he had been expecting. It didn't sound like something she had read in The Quibbler.

“That's... How does that work?”

“Well, in much the same way romantic attraction works, I suppose. Except the opposite.”

“And it's not... Don't you...” Harry faltered. This felt much more personal and invasive than his usual inquiries.

Luna swayed her head two more times. “Don't I wish I was different?” She asked, as if it wasn't a loaded thing to say. Harry nodded. “I don't. I don't see why I would. It's not as if I could miss it, since I don't experience it. And I don't think it's something that important really. People are all made of different parts, and this is just a part of me.”

“That seems really wise. I'm not sure I would be able to think about it in that way.”

“Did you enjoy the party?”

She didn't give him any warning before changing the subject, but Harry was fairly used to that being another quirk of hers. He shook his head, then shrugged.

“Not really. I'm not... it's not really the kind of gathering I enjoy. Nobody is actually there to have a good time. They're just trying to gain things from each other. There's no... There's no warmth to it.”

“Mmh-mmh. I thought you weren't enjoying yourself. I'm sorry if I wasn't the best person to bring.”

“No, no.” He put a hand on Luna's shoulder. “You were actually the perfect person. Thank you for coming. This doesn't seem like your kind of party either.”

“It was interesting,” she said.

They both turned their heads as a student stumbled through the hallway in their direction. “Hey, Potter,” the boy shouted. “What you doing with the Loony-bin?”

Harry felt anger rise through his body. He started standing up. Luna tugged on his robe to stop him. “It's okay Harry.”

Still fuming, he turned towards the other student, who had already started walking in the other direction. “I'm having a good time with a good friend, is what I'm doing.” Harry shouted after him. “Asshole!”

He wasn't sure if the boy understood a word he had said, considering the way he was zig-zagging through the hall in a drunken stumble.

“Come on, Luna. Party's winding down anyway, I don't think they need us in there anymore.”

That particular party marked a turning point in their friendship. Harry hadn't really had the occasion to spend a lot of time alone with Luna before that, but he quickly discovered how much he actually appreciated her company. With Ron still engrossed in his relationship with Lavender and Hermione still angry about it all, he became more and more relient on moments alone with the blonde witch to relax. After arriving at Hogwarts, Harry had discovered how social a person he was. Summers were usually hell, with no one around to talk to. Spending time with friends what was gave him the energy to go through the day.

And that was what Luna was. A friend. Somebody he could look forward to seeing whenever they agreed to meet each other in the library or the Room of Requirements.

He didn't tell Ron and Hermione about his new friendship, which was slightly weird. At the same time, he felt like his best friends would only deserve the right to know when they regained enough of their wits to realise that the trio was slowly drifting apart.

And it felt nice to have this for himself. He didn't think of Luna as a secret – that would feel too much like she was something he was ashamed of and hiding. It was more that he enjoyed their friendship not being under scrutiny. He enjoyed being able to define who they were to each other without the pressure of external gazes.

When that thought crossed his mind, it made Harry stop. Was that a crush? Was he looking at Luna as something more than a friend?

The expression felt wrong. “More than.” His relationship to Ron and Hermione was going through hard times, but he still couldn't say that he felt closer to Luna than them. It was just that their relationship was different.

He tried again to think of what a crush was supposed to be. Butterflies in the stomach, a desire to kiss the person. Well, he did sometimes feel tingly with excitement knowing that he would be able to spend time with the witch. He found himself relaxing in her presence. As for kissing... Harry frowned. He guessed it would be enjoyable? He wasn't really sure.

All in all, he felt like all of his interrogations stayed inconclusive. He might or might not like Luna differently than he liked his other friends. He might or might not like to kiss her, depending on the situation and whether she would be interested or not and also depending on whether other things were supposed to be included after the kiss.

But anyway. Nothing would happen. Nothing could happen, right? Because she was aromantic. So it didn't matter. Harry would just be imposing himself on her and that was bad.

Luna looked up from the issue of The Quibbler that she was reading, lounged across a beanbag.

“Are you okay, Harry? You seem distracted.”

Harry put down the quill he had been holding. He hadn't written a word in possibly two minutes, and the ink had started to dry on the tip. He sighed, stood up from the desk he was seated at, and sat down on the floor next to Luna instead.

She smiled at him, and he found himself playing with a strand of her long blond hair that almost touched the ground.

Playing with her hair was probably not something he should be doing considering what was on his mind. He kept doing it anyway. It felt nice, intimate. And Luna didn't seem to mind.

Harry sighed. “I guess I am distracted. Sorry.”

“It's okay. You can tell me what's on your mind, if you want.”

He looked up at her. He didn't feel the urge to do anything with her. To kiss, or have sex, or whatever. He just felt comfortable. Really comfortable. And he wanted to cherish that.

“Are we friends?” He asked, and he immediately knew it wasn't the correct way to phrase the question.

“Of course we are, Harry.”

“No, I mean... I know we are. I know you're my friend. I just... I'm not friends with you like I am with Ron and Hermione.”

“I think everyone is different. And because of that, every relationship is unique. It is what makes meeting new people interesting.”

He let go of her hair, frustrated at his inability to express himself. “I know, I know. What I mean is... I don't know if I think of you as just a friend, or if I have a crush on you. I'm not gonna... I know you don't get crushes, and that's fine. I'm not gonna do anything. But I didn't want... I didn't know if it would make you uncomfortable, but I also just wanted you to know.”

Harry looked down at his hands. He wondered why he still hadn't learned to cast a spell that would create a hole in the earth he could fall into. Why weren't there spells for all the actually useful things?

When he finally looked up after a moment of weighty silence, Luna was slightly swaying from side to side, that movement she did that made it seem like she was always singing under her breath. She didn't look mad or hurt, Harry noted with relief. More like she was considering things.

She held his gaze for a while, still silent. It was finally Harry who spoke, needing to relieve his pent-up energy.

“Are we okay?”

Luna stopped moving and nodded. “Yes. I'm just thinking. I don't think I care, about how you feel about me. I don't think you need to care either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I told you that I don't want to date, and as long as you respect that and know that I don't feel romantically attracted to you, I don't see how the type of your feelings actually matters. I think we tend to associate certain forms of relationship with the type of feeling they entail, but there isn't any written rule about it. As long as we respect each other's boundaries and just enjoy each other's company, does it matter what type of relationship or feelings are involved?”

“I don't... I've never...”

“That's just the way I think, of course. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable, Harry. If you feel like you have to take your distance, that's perfectly understandable. I don't want you to feel pressured into-”

“Luna. Luna. Stop. I'm not leaving. That would be... That doesn't make sense. I love spending time with you. You make me discover so many new things, and I feel like I can be truly myself around you, because you don't... You don't judge. You don't expect things from people. Sometimes I feel like you're the only person in this school who makes any kind of sense, because at least you're always yourself. And I... this is a very selfish way to say it, but I want to keep that. I'd like to be your friend, Luna. As long as you want me to.”

She smiled a little at that, which caused sparks to erupt inside his stomach. He smiled back. They were nice sparks.

Love potions, it turned out. This whole mess had been caused by love potions. Harry had spent all this time trying to be supportive of his friend's unexplained crush, and actually it hadn't even been a real crush at all. Not all was lost, though, since Ron and Hermione seemed to have realised that they potentially felt something other than friendship for each other, but Harry still felt he had a right to his frustration.

The good thing was, he finally had his best friends back. And in the middle of Dumbledore's machinations, he needed them. They were hanging out in the Gryffindor common room when Ron finally asked the question.

“So, like... I feel like I've seen you a lot less than before in the past few weeks. You keep disappearing on your own... Do you have a secret you're keeping to yourself?”

Ron punctuated his question with a mischievous smile, which made Harry shudder. “I'm not hiding a romantic partner if that's what you're asking. Also, please, never ask that again. Considering what I had to deal with with you and Lavender for the past month, I feel like you owe me that.”

Ron's cheeks quickly turned bright red.

“It's okay if you don't want to tell us, Harry,” Hermione interevened. “Ron and I were just curious.”

Harry nodded. “I know. And it's not really a secret I'm hiding. It's just... I think I prefer to keep it to myself for now. That's a selfish way to say it but... yeah.”