#sorry for the vent but that really bummed me out. she never really takes the time to listen to me about things | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

superfreakerz · 3 years

Text

IJR 3

“It’s Just Research”

Rated M for smut.

Summary: AU. After having her smut-filled story criticized for being amateurish, Lucy decides once and for all it’s time to gain some experience in the world of sex. Her best friend, Natsu, agrees to help her with her research. Together, the two explore each other’s bodies, all the while denying their feelings for each other and insisting that they are just doing research.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 3

The Art of Seduction

“And then I told him to leave me alone. I mean seriously, Lu-chan, why are boys so infuriating? It’s like, I love Gajeel and all, but he can seriously get on my nerves!”

“Mhmm.”

“Like, how hard is it to say something nice every once in a while instead of making fun of me?”

“Mhmm.”

“Lu-chan? Are you even listening to me?”

“Mhmm.”

Lucy jumped in her seat as Levy’s hand waved in front of her face. With an apologetic grin, the blonde rubbed the back of her head.

“Sorry, Levy-chan. What were you saying?” she asked.

Levy arched a brow at her. “Okay, what’s on your mind, Lu-chan? You’ve been zoning out this whole time. You haven’t even taken a sip of your smoothie yet!”

Lucy sighed, dragging her fingertip across the side of her plastic cup. Sure enough, the drink was no longer cold as she had been too busy daydreaming.

She and Levy had agreed to grab smoothies at their favorite shop after the latter got into an argument with her boyfriend. Grabbing smoothies was their go-to ritual whenever they had to vent about someone, wanted to catch up, or just needed a dose of fruity deliciousness. Needless to say, they were there at least once a week.

“I’ve just been a little distracted lately,” Lucy answered, taking a long sip of her smoothie. Her face scrunched in disgust as the flavors no longer popped and the foam from the now old smoothie was all that came through the straw.

“Oh yeah, how’s that guy you’ve been seeing?” Levy asked, leaning forward in interest. “By the way, are you ever going to tell me who he is?”

Lucy’s cheeks pinked, her eyes darting away from her curious friend. “Sorry, can’t tell you. It’s confidential information.”

Levy squinted her eyes at the girl, giving her a look the blonde couldn’t read.

Sighing, Levy replied, “Fine. Well how are things going between you guys? You said you would be willing to…” She looked around before leaning closer and whispering, “Have sex again. Did you ever do it?”

Lucy puffed out her cheeks in a pout. “That’s the thing! I talked to him about it and he agreed! But since then, we never brought it up again. Things aren’t awkward between us or anything, but I don’t know how to initiate it. It’s too embarrassing to just ask for it!”

“Well when are you seeing him again?”

“Later tonight. We’re supposed to watch a movie together.”

“That’s easy!”

Lucy tilted her head to the side, her brows raised. “What do you mean?”

Levy grinned. “All you have to do is make him make the first move!”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“It’ll be so easy, Lu-chan, I promise. All you have to do is show off your body a little more and maybe run your hand over his bicep. That should do the trick.”

“I don’t think so,” Lucy said skeptically. “He’s a little dense. I don’t think he would pick up on that.”

Levy stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Well in that case, we’ll pull every trick out of the book!”

“Trick?”

Levy gave a mischievous grin, one that was rare to see on her face if you weren’t close with her. “Okay, here’s what you’re going to do…”

Lucy stared at herself in the mirror, a skeptical frown on her face as she glanced over her outfit. Her black pleated skirt was incredibly short, sure to show off her bum with a gust of wind. The red shirt she wore was tight around her body, especially around her chest. Its neckline wasn’t particularly as low as some of the other shirts she owned, but it still showed off a good amount of cleavage.

Pulling some thigh-high socks out of her dresser, she heaved them on before sliding her feet into some heeled boots. Standing back in front of the mirror, she tousled her hair a bit, just as Levy had instructed her to.

Lucy wondered if this outfit would be good enough to seduce Natsu with. Her skirt wasn’t the shortest she owned, and she had plenty of other shirts to choose from that showed off her chest more, one pink shirt immediately coming to mind. But according to Levy, she should wear red. Apparently red put people in the mood. She didn’t know where Levy got that information from, but she trusted her enough to go with it.

Glancing at the clock, Lucy quickly grabbed her purse. Natsu should be barging through her window at any moment, and she needed to make sure she had everything Levy instructed her to bring. She grabbed a lollipop from the Halloween candy she bought and with rosy cheeks, stuffed it into her purse. She hoped it wouldn’t come down to using that. That was just embarrassing.

A gust of wind washed over Lucy’s back. She didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Natsu breaking in as always. Her heart started to beat faster, electricity jolting through her veins as she readied herself for tonight’s plan. Swallowing thickly, the girl turned to face him with a smile.

“Hi, Natsu!” she greeted. Levy’s advice played in her head.

“You should discreetly show off your body.”

Lucy nervously ran a hand through her hair before clasping her hands together at her thighs, causing her arms to squish her breasts together.

“L-Lets go get dinner!” she exclaimed, hoping that her actions weren’t too transparent.

Natsu didn’t seem to notice the action- or her outfit- at all, which admittedly stung. “Okay! You’re buying!”

Lucy groaned before leading the way out of her apartment.

They went to a local Italian bistro, which was close enough to Lucy’s apartment that they could walk- which was a good thing since Natsu’s motion sickness would’ve turned them both off. They were quickly led to a table and left with menus. After having a moment to look over the menus, they ordered their food.

Once it arrived, Lucy looked down at her plate of seafood Alfredo and gulped. It was time for phase two of her plan.

“Go out to dinner and moan while you eat. It’ll definitely get him in the mood!”

As Natsu practically inhaled his food like a wild beast, Lucy twirled some noodles on her fork before putting it in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she moaned, all the while trying to snuff out any embarrassment she felt. When she opened her eyes, she found Natsu staring at her.

“Is it working?” she wondered, excitement bundling in her stomach. She watched Natsu open his mouth to say something, then close it.

“What is it?” Lucy asked, hoping she didn’t sound too eager. “Say it.”

“Well okay,” Natsu replied, rubbing the back of his head. Pointing to her food, he asked, “Can I have some?”

Lucy deadpanned. “What?”

“Can I have some?” Natsu repeated, his lips curling into a grin. “You made it sound like it was really good! I wanna try!”

Frustrated, Lucy pulled her plate closer to her with a huff. “Eat your own damn food!”

After dinner, Lucy was starting to feel deflated. Not only did her outfit not catch his attention, but her provocative movements and sultry moans didn’t work either. But she wasn’t done yet! She still had plenty of tricks up her sleeve thanks to Levy! And it was time to put her next plan to action.

This plan luckily had two parts, so that if the first one failed, she had another one lined up. Reaching into her purse, Lucy pulled out the lollipop she packed earlier. Glancing towards Natsu to make sure he wasn’t watching, she pretended to drop it onto the ground.

“Wear a short dress or skirt, then drop something. When you go to pick it up, he’ll stare at your butt. That should turn him on!”

The two stopped walking, Natsu arching a brow at the girl.

“Oops,” Lucy said. “Let me just pick that up real quick!”

Making sure to arch her back as she bent down, she picked up the lollipop. She moved slowly, giving him more time to stare at her bum. Sure that she had it in the bag, she stood back up and turned to face him.

Natsu stared at her, crossing his arms behind his head.

Then he gave her a grin.

“You’re clumsy, Luce!” he exclaimed with a laugh.

Lucy huffed to herself, glancing at the lollipop. She didn’t want to have to resort to this part of the plan, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

As the two continued their walk home, Lucy unwrapped the lollipop.

“If none of that works, lick the lollipop and make it look sexy!”

Lucy slowly dragged her tongue over the lollipop before sucking on it. Releasing it with a pop, she began to twist her tongue over the candy. Seeing as how Natsu’s expression didn’t change, she added in her tactic from earlier. As embarrassing as it was, she moaned while licking the damn lollipop.

And yet, nothing.

Natsu’s face was a blank slate.

When they arrived at Lucy’s apartment, she went straight into the bedroom with a huff. Angrily changing into some short pajama shirts and a loose, spaghetti strap tank top, she met Natsu back in the living room. He was setting up a movie on the couch.

“What kinda movie do ya wanna watch? It’s your turn to choose,” Natsu said.

“Horror!” Lucy replied immediately.

“When you guys watch a movie, make sure it’s a scary one. That way when you’re scared, you can throw your arms around him and get closer to him! And make sure to sit close to him! And keep scooting your butt on him! There’s no way in hell he can resist that!”

Natsu eyed her. “Horror? You never choose horror. You always wanna watch those sappy movies.”

“It’s called romance,” Lucy replied, sitting next to him on the couch. She made sure to sit so close to him that their thighs were flushed together and her bum was slightly on him. “Now, just choose one already.”

This was Lucy’s last plan, and she’d be damned if she failed.

As the movie started playing, Lucy squirmed in her seat, pretending that she was trying to get comfortable while rubbing her bum on his thigh. She peeked at Natsu in the corner of her eye to see if it was working, but he was engrossed in the movie.

When a scary part of the movie popped up, Lucy squealed and latched onto Natsu, squeezing his arm between her breasts.

And still, nothing.

That was it. She was all out of tricks.

Huffing, Lucy pulled her arms off of him. She couldn’t believe that after all that, she couldn’t even get him to look at her. Was she not appealing at all? Was the sex not good enough last time to make him interested? Had he changed his mind since they last talked about it?

With a sigh, Lucy went to move away from him when his arm wrapped around her waist, warm hand gripping her side. She stilled, heat traveling through her body from the simple touch.

“Hey, Lucy,” Natsu started, his eyes still locked to the TV, “I don’t know if you still wanna do this whole friends with benefits thing, but I would be down to help you do some research right now.”

Lucy blushed, her stomach coiling with excitement. “O-Oh?”

“Yeah. I’ve been wanting to all day, but I didn’t know if you still wanted to or not.”

“I do!” She nearly face-palmed with how desperate she sounded.

Natsu finally turned to face her. It was then that Lucy saw the lust that glinted in his dark orbs.

Lucy’s heart leapt up into her throat as Natsu scooted closer to her, his face just centimeters away from hers. She watched as his eyes began to droop closed. He cupped the back of her head, slowly bringing her close.

A knot grew in her stomach as Natsu’s lips grazed hers. Her body felt like it was being sent over the edge, every sense heightened.

As Natsu deepened the kiss, Lucy wasted no time in repositioning herself on his lap. Thanks to the thin, silk shorts she was wearing, it wasn’t hard to feel the bulge beneath her. Her body moved on its own, hips grinding to create glorious friction. He gripped her hips while tugging on her lower lip with his teeth. A soft growl resonated in his throat.

“Let’s take this to your bed,” he whispered.

Lucy ignored him, sinking her lips over his neck as he carried her towards the bedroom. He plopped her on the bed before tearing his clothes off. She went to take off her tank top when his hand grabbed hers.

“I wanna do it,” he said with an eager grin.

Lucy nodded. “Alright just hurry.”

Natsu chuckled. “Someone’s a little impatient, huh?”

“Natsu, if you don’t put your hands on me in the next second, I’m going to-!”

Before she could even finish her threat, Natsu tore her tank top off in a flash.

“There, happy now?” he asked with a smirk.

Lucy snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. “Very. Now let’s do this thing already.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice!”

He caged her beneath him, washing his lips over her neck. His hand slid over her breast, kneading the flesh. He teased her nipple, having learned last time that the nubs were sensitive.

Lucy arched her back into his touch. She could feel the knot in her stomach grow as each second passed.

He lowered himself onto her, his hot shaft sliding between her folds. As he pushed himself inside, she wrapped her legs around her torso and brought him in deeper.

Natsu let out a shaky breath. He clenched tightly onto the bed sheets, trying to rein in his body's urges. He moved slowly at first to warm up, moving around in circles. As he tried to pull out, her walls clung tightly to his shaft, tugging on the sensitive skin.

Lucy’s breath picked up as he started to go pound into her. Gripping his biceps, she tried to keep herself in place as he thrusted harder and harder. Her stomach coiled, the pleasure building up. She could feel herself nearing climax.

“N-Natsu,” she breathed out, weakly tapping his arm.

He pulled his head back to look at her but kept pushing inside of her. “What? Does it not feel good?”

“It’s not that, it f-feels amazing.” A moan slipped past her lips as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. “I-It’s just that I want to try something new.”

Natsu slowed his movements, moving in slow circles. Lucy gnawed on her lower lip. She didn’t know that moving slowly was just as good as moving fast.

“I-I want to be on top,” she said, her voice breathy.

Natsu finally stopped, which Lucy was part thankful and part disappointed for.

“Okay,” he replied, getting off of her. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he eagerly laid on the bed, watching Lucy position herself on top of him.

Lucy inhaled sharply as his shaft sank deep inside of her as she lowered herself over him. Once it was as deep as she could get it, she slowly rocked herself back and forth.

Natsu groaned, his hands gripping her thighs. It was hard to keep his eyes open while the pleasure began to skyrocket, but he just had to get a good look at Lucy. Her hair was messy, her eyes squeezed shut. Her head hung back as she grinded against him, her mouth hanging open. He moved his eyes down to her breasts. They bounced with each rock against him.

One thing he knew for sure, he loved watching Lucy ride him.

Meanwhile, Lucy was in pure ecstasy. This new position allowed his cock to reach deeper than before. Moving her body in a circular motion, she could feel herself edging closer to climax. Wanting to experiment on herself a bit, she brought her hands up to her breasts and began to message herself.

Natsu’s gut coiled as he watched Lucy fondle herself. Unable to help himself, he moved his hands onto her hips and moved her roughly over him. A breathy moan escaped Lucy’s lips and before she knew it, she was shaking with pleasure, his name slipping out of her mouth. Seeing her finish while riding him was enough for Natsu to break. He moaned, clenching onto her silky hips while pleasure shot out of him. When they could no longer move, Lucy collapsed beside him in pants.

“Oh wow,” she breathed out. “That was even better than last time.”

Natsu nodded, still trying to catch his breath. As he laid there, he wondered how he got so lucky to be able to be the only person to see Lucy this way. To see her face flushed with heat, sweat glistening on her body. To hear her scream his name. He must’ve done something right in his past life to be able to have earned this privilege.

“Alright, I’m going to go take a shower now,” Lucy said, bringing him out of his thoughts and walking towards the bathroom.

“Oh, I’ll join you.”

The girl stopped in her tracks, whirling around to face him. “Umm, what?”

Natsu shrugged, giving her a look as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What?”

Lucy blushed madly. “Y-You can’t shower with me, idiot!”

“Luce, hate to break it to ya, but what we just did together is a hell of a lot more intimate than taking a shower.”

“No it isn’t!”

Natsu rolled his eyes. “Fine, then I’ll take one after you. I don’t wanna walk home like this.”

Lucy nodded. “That’s fine. I’ll make it quick.”

He plopped on the bed. “Uh-huh, sure you will.” He frowned when he heard the door click behind her. If that wasn’t enough to remind him that she didn’t feel the same as him, he didn’t know what was.

After Lucy’s shower- which was quite long despite her promise of keeping it quick- he headed in right after her. The water pelted his back as he thought long and hard about the situation he was in. On the one hand, it was great to be able to have sex with Lucy. Glorious. On the other, it only made his feelings for her stronger. He wasn’t sure how he would hold up when she eventually decided to end things. Would he truly be able to bounce back? Would he go back to playing the role of best friend?

He was always there to listen to her vent after her failed dates. He was there for her whenever she had crushes on other boys. He listened and waited, hoping that one day she would look at him in such light. Now was his only chance to change her perception of him. He didn’t want to just be her friend anymore. He wanted to be the one to take her on dates. He wanted to be the one that she gushed about to her friends. He wanted all of her.

After finishing his shower, Natsu turned off the faucet and quickly dried off. Having spent many nights at Lucy’s apartment, the boy already had spare clothes to change into. Heading back to the bedroom, he found Lucy laying in bed, scrolling on her phone. He jumped into bed beside her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, giving him a pointed stare.

Natsu gave her a cheeky grin. “Eh, walking home now would be a pain in the ass. C’mon, let me stay here.”

Lucy rolled her eyes but didn’t protest, which was usually how that conversation went. Once Natsu decided he was sleeping over, there was no changing his mind. Besides, she liked the company.

“Whatcha watching?” Natsu asked, scooting closer to the phone.

Lucy lifted her head and rested it on his arm. She knew it might’ve been perceived as intimate by others, but this was just how she and Natsu were.

“Just a new dance trend going around.”

He laughed. “You should do that!”

“Why? So you can make fun of me?”

“Yep!”

She nudged him before playing the next video. Over time, her eyes grew heavy. She placed her phone on the nightstand and turned towards him, her head still resting on his arm.

“I’m going to bed now,” Lucy said with a yawn.

Natsu brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. “Alright. Night, Lucy.”

“Goodnight, Natsu.”

And together they slept in their usual position, more than friends but less than lovers.

#fairy tail #nalu #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #nalu fanfiction #ftfanfiction #ijr #its just research #super writes

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kuvvydraws · 3 years

Note

Life for me has been utter shit - stuck with godawful lessons and a lot of tests, all the while having to worry about this group of mean girls who I offended a couple month ago and now have to constantly think about what I do because all it takes is one mistep and they go all snarky and stir up trouble by making baseless accusations - cause all it takes is one mistake to turn your best friends into utter bitches ((sorry for the language)) who constantly make it out to be that I’m always going out of my way to wind them up and harass them

And now I’m worried that if any of my other past mistakes come up that they’re going to make it out to be a big thing, and if they make it out to be a big thing then I just know it’s gonna reach the teachers who’re gonna make it reach home and then I’ll have to deal with the usual disappointment I get when I make even the smallest mistake, because everyone expects me to be this perfect little thing that cant make a single mistake, and if that happens I honestly don’t know how I’m gonna deal with it - especially if I lose my phone, as it’s like my only comfort source and tether to the things that actually make me happy.

And no I don’t mean that in terms of social media, I mainly mean that in terms of stuff like access to tumblr and my fanfiction - because as sad as it sounds they’re the only thing keeping my happy and keeping me going

I should probably talk about some of this with my counsellor, but then she’s gonna have to mention it to her superiors who’ll most likely make her tell my parents and I just don’t have the energy or will power to deal with that

So here I am, using anon on tumblr to rant at someone as sweet as you who’s probably just gonna get either super bummed out or kinda concerned which you shouldn’t be as I honestly don’t deserve anyone’s care or concern. I’m already a waste of physical space, no need to be a waste of someone’s emotional and mental energy as well.

Sorry. - 🦋anon🦋

((just to add a little bit of recognition in case I want to/need to rant again. Granted that’s good with you of course))

Alright so that's a lot, so I think I'm going to answer this under a read more and hopefully I can bring you some sort of comfort, as little as that may be

Before that tho, I know I'm not a rant/venting blog, but you guys can come do so in asks or DMS even if we never talk again. I rather lend an ear that have you with a heavy weight on your shoulders if I can help carry it.

ALSO

This is a self-deprecation free blog! Y'all are a fucking delight, and gorgeous inside and out and I'll frigging fight you if I must in order to seal that idea in your funky little brains! 🔪🔪🔪

School problems sound like a lot of stress rn (I'm guessing you're not in college yet, I don't have the facts tho), and those come in the source of social and study issues. To the later, I can only say that they will pass, they're temporary and they don't really matter that much as long as you manage the bare minimum to go on with your life plans (which is a ridiculous thing to say because I myself am 23 and I still don't know jack shit about anything, much less about life).

Your "friends", and this is the last time I call them that, are clearly not deserving of you, not only if they treat you that way but also because if you're so sure they're willing to use mistakes from the past against you, that means you kind of subconsciously understood they weren't that good to start with. To that I can only say that kind of gut feeling comes with age (I'm full of hateful advice tonight, sorry), and that those mistakes they'll make you face were things you did in the past you made being younger and less informed and "matured", and you should look at them with that gaze instead of beating yourself over them or letting them get to you (this is not easy, but you can do it 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻)

Idk how you school (again, guessing) works, but sure there is a tutor or someone you can talk with from the staff, a therapist they hire from time to time or, and I know you won't like this option, the counselor. Think of your mental health for a moment, please.

You're not a machine.

You are not a perfect thing.

You're human, and you're fallible, and weak, and you get tired, and you make mistakes. And that's okay.

And people around you have to understand that. They can't make you a puppet to satisfy their expectations because that's going to end up either burning you out or tearing you apart.

From here, and I clearly don't know all the details so please consider that too, I think you should sacrifice some of that untouchable image others have assigned on you that you use like a shield and show vulnerability, let an "authority" inform your parents that you do very much have a breaking point and you're reaching it and you need to breathe and exist for a second.

I myself got lost, quite purposefully, in reading and writing and art -and I still do- and consuming media as a source of comfort and familiarity that was, and still is, always reliable and endless.

I don't think there's a problem with that, so long as you keep it reasonable and don't get too lost in it. As we say in my country, "lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno" (I'll let you investigate that on your own 😉)

The main thing I get, and what I do all the time because it works for me like a clock, is a red balloon, meaning, hobbies. I like creating things -I like reading the most, honestly, but it's never as engaging as making your own stuff. Write something, draw something, it doesn't matter if you don't think it's good, or bad, or anything or everything in between. You get a distraction, you invest in something that brings you joy such as interacting (or not, that's up to your comfort level and/or want to do so) with fandoms and Tumblr, and one day, when you're feeling under the weather or in need of a break, you can look back and see the things that you have done and be proud of them despite all their little imperfections because you made them and you had a good time while doing so and they helped you get your mind off things.

Exhaustion is a thing, and a terrible one at that, and we end up feeling numb at best, and tired, and just like you can't keep going, you can't even take that infamous baby step that's just enough for some people, and you fear that if you don't make what's barely enough then how...?

That's bullshit. It real, and valid, and it's heavy as fuck and it gets to you, nests inside your very bones and drags you.

I'm not a very cheery person despite what my internet persona might suggest, quite the opposite, and I use that to keep me going.

You can't keep up or find a reason to take that baby step? Do it out of spite.

That's my answer against life itself, when everything is just too much and I cant- I can, out of spite.

NGL buddy, it ain't healthy, but it keeps you on the move until those bad days are over and suddenly you'll find yourself fighting back, standing straight (that's the only straight thing I do), and charging forward like a bull.

Don't give up, I promise time fixes everything sooner or later and good days are on your way. That's a threat.

#kuvvytalks #🦋

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tanzaniiite · 4 years

Note

hi i hope ur doing okay🥺!! Can I request a fluff scenario where older kuroo and his s/o are cuddling and he's rubbing his palm against her belly which seems bigger than usual and thinks that shes pregnant since they haven't been careful lately (he's excited about being a dad so he's :D!!) but turns out that she just ate too much for diner and she suggests rlly trying to have a baby after seeing kuroo so enthusiastic? Thank you so much :(💗✨

JUST A THOUGHT • KUROO T.

requests: OPEN

warnings: none!

word count: 1.5k

a/n: omg yes anon we’re on the same wavelength, i live for this shit. thank you so much for the request! 😊

part two

send me more shit like this, 🅱️lease

“Hey princess! I’m home!”

You looked up from your work as the door closed gently. You watched as your boyfriend took off his shoes and tossed his gym bag on the couch. "Excuse me sir, get your smelly gym clothes off my couch" You teased, getting up to greet him. Kuroo feigned a wounded expression, "Uhh babe, my clothes do not smell" He retorted, his hands grabbing your waist and pulling you closer.

You smiled and leaned up to peck his lips, "Your body odor begs to differ" You say, scrunching up your nose and turning on your heel. You hear Kuroo gasp dramatically and you giggle to yourself. "Ugh, you're so mean to me Y/n. What's for dinner?" He asks, hugging you from behind. You roll your eyes playfully, knowing exactly what your horny boyfriend was trying to do. "Hm, let's see.. how about a shower?" You ask rhetorically, turning around to face him.

"What? Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously. I just cleaned these counters Testu"

He groaned as he went towards the bathroom like a grumpy child who didn’t want to take a bath. You shake your head and turn back around to get dinner ready. Moments later Kuroo pops his head out, "At least join me?" He pleads. "Testuro." You say, without even turning around. "Okay okay, I got it" He mutters before returning inside the bathroom.

"Oh? Did you actually comb your hair this time?"

Kuroo fake laughed as he dried his hair, "Ha ha ha, you're hilarious babe" He mocked. You smiled widely at him, "I know right? Maybe I should quit my job and do stand up" You replied, washing your hands in the sink. Testu rolled his eyes and kissed your cheek. "Dinner looks great, are your parents coming over or something?" He inquired, reaching for the gyoza.

You smacked his hand, "No, I just don't feel like cooking every day this week. Whatever we don't eat will be leftovers. Wash your hands" You explained. "Ah well, I'll have you know I have a big appetite," Kuroo said, nipping at your neck. You let out an annoyed sigh, "Testu, your hands. Wash them" You stated, putting down the plates. "Ugh, you're no fun" He whined, going to the sink.

You and Kuroo laid in bed, watching some show on your TV. It seemed like you would be able to go to sleep without any of your boyfriend's traditional before bed antics. But even you knew that was stretch, especially when he burped in your ear. "Ew Testu, you're disgusting" You cringed, turning away from him. "Aw come on, I know you love it," He said, turning you back over to face him.

"I don't like your burps babe, it's gross"

Kuroo scoffed, "It's the circle of life, especially when your girlfriend makes a kick-ass dinner" he complimented. "Flattery won't get you in my pants" You laughed, as Testuro feigned a hurt look. "Do you think that all I think about is sex? I'm wounded princess" He claimed. You rolled your eyes, "No I don't think that but I know it takes up a good chunk of your thoughts" You say, tapping his forehead lightly.

Your boyfriend's fingers ran up and down your forearm, "Since we're on the topic of sex, you okay? We haven't y'know.. done it in a while" He asked. You shake your head, "I'm fine babe, my sex drive just isn't as high as yours. But if you behave, we can do something tomorrow" You promised, placing a kiss on his lips. Kuroo smirked, "Oh yeah? I look forward to it" He replied as his hand starting trailing down to your stomach and rubbing it gently.

"Testu.. are you trying to make me fart?"

Kuroo let out a loud laugh, "Maybe. I can't be the only gross one in this relationship" He said. "Ugh, whatever man" You retorted, closing your eyes. Testuro looked at your stomach with piqued curiosity, was it just him or did your stomach look bigger? Feel bigger? He didn't want to get his hopes up but maybe–

"What're you all smiley about?" You asked, peeking at your boyfriend with one eye open. "Nothin'" He hummed, continuing to rub your stomach. Maybe you were pregnant and you didn't know? Or maybe you did know and was waiting to surprise him? Oh, what if– "Okay babe, talk to me. You're never quiet unless you're asleep, what going on?" You ask, turning on your side and looking at him with concerned eyes. "I'm alright... random question: when was the last time you got your period?" He asked, looking you in the eyes.

You laughed thinking he was joking but when you saw his face you stopped, "You serious?" You asked. Kuroo nodded, waiting for an answer. "Uhh, about two days ago, why?" You answered. Testuro's face dropped a bit, he knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. They were crushed before they even festered. You placed a hand on his cheek, "Hey.. what's up? You're acting weird all of sudden" You whispered. Kuroo just sighed, "It's nothing, just a silly thought" He mumbled. You must've looked unconvinced cause Kuroo kissed your forehead and dismissed the conversation.

"Let's get some sleep, ‘kay?"

This has been gnawing on your mind for the past week. You knew your boyfriend and you knew he wasn't telling you something. He was fine earlier in that evening, cracking jokes and being his usual stupid self. But when you guys started cuddling he got all weird and even asked you about your period. What the hell was that about anyway?

"Y/n!"

Your head snapped up, "Oh. Sorry" You apologized. Kiyoko just smiled slightly, "You seem to have a lot on your mind. Penny for your thoughts?" She asked. You chuckled breathlessly, "I don't even know what's going on, Testu's acting weird" You claim. Kiyoko raised an eyebrow, "More than usual?". You laughed, "Yeah something like that. Enough about me, so you and Tanaka huh?" You asked, holding her hand to admire the engagement ring that adorned her ring finger perfectly.

Kiyoko chuckled, "Yup, he finally wore me out" She stated. "Lucky you, I don't when Testu is gonna purpose. But probably no time soon since he bought this expensive ass promise ring last year" You vent, looking at the ring on your finger. "Yeah.. but you never know. I didn't even know Ryu had money in savings, let alone the money for an engagement ring" She explained.

"But back to you, Kuroo is acting weird. How exactly?"

You explained what happened last week to her. Kiyoko hummed and sipped her tea silently. "It sounds like he thought you were pregnant" She stated, placing her cup down gingerly. You almost choked on your coffee, "Huh?!" You exclaimed. "Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't come to that conclusion on your own. He asked you about your period" She said. You placed your face in your hand, "Okay.. but why on earth would he think that?" You asked rhetorically.

"Well you said he was rubbing your stomach, maybe you gained weight and he figured it was baby weight?" Kiyoko guessed. You blushed slightly, "We literally just finished eating, I was bloated," You say defensively. "Hmm, have you guys been using protection lately?" She asked. "Well, not really" You answered, sipping your coffee. "Ah, that's why. You haven't been using protection and you were bloated. He probably thought he put two and two together" Kiyoko shrugged.

"Ugh boys are so stupid"

"You said it"

"I'm home!"

You turned to the door from your spot on the couch, "Hey baby, how was work?" You asked. Kuroo shrugged, "It was alright" He replied plainly. You grit your teeth slightly, before getting up and standing in front of your boyfriend. "Okay, enough of this. Tell me what's wrong or we're going to sit here until I guess correctly" You state, crossing your arms over your chest. Kuroo sighed, clearly tired.

"Princess I already told you, I'm–"

"You thought I was pregnant"

Testuro looked at you with a shocked expression, "What?" He asked. "Last week. When your whole weirdness thing started, you thought I was pregnant. Right?" You pressed. Kuroo tried avoiding your gaze but you weren't having any on it. "Testu." You warn. "Okay fine! Yeah, I did, it was a stupid thought" He sighed. "I– the thought of being a father really excited me and when you said you got your period, I don't know.. it kinda bummed me out" Your boyfriend explained, looking anywhere but your face.

You grabbed his face gently, positioning it to look at you. "Hey. That's not a stupid thought. Do you know how many times I think about having kids with you? Too many times. I'm glad we're on the same wavelength when it comes to that. Not too many guys are keen on kids when they're still in their twenties y'know?" You replied, resting your forehead on his. Kuroo let out a relieved sigh, "Yeah, good thing I'm not like most guys, huh?". You giggled, "Yeah you're really one of a kind, your pull out game is on point. Most guys can't do that" You jest. Testuro rolled his eyes but looked at you with complete love and admiration, "Well, what would you say if I wanted you to put a baby in me right now?" You asked.

Kuroo pursed his lips in fake thought before grinning widely,

"I would say: let's fucking go"

497 notes · View notes

razorblade180 · 3 years

Text

Twin snowflakes part 24: Date Night.

Part 23 here! <-

Still exhausted, Veronica flopped back onto her bed with the help of Nick. The girl let the mattress steal all tension from her body, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. “Aaahhhh! That’s the stuff. Appreciate the help.”

“Don’t mention it. Especially after what you just did. Frankly I had no plan to get Summer to cooperate.”

Veronica chuckled the best she could. “Hehe, not often Nicholas Schnee doesn’t have a plan. I guess you owe me then? Lucky for you I take words of affirmation as payment all the time.”

Nick smiled. It was nice to see Veronica joking. Encountering Shiva always put a dread over him, but she seemed to not care much. That’s Veronica alright, refusing to take crap from anybody. “I could praise you, or how about I praise you over a nice dinner?” Nick quickly responded.

All the neurons in Veronica’s brain suddenly came to a screeching halt. Her body immediately came flinging forward to sit upright to stare at the smiling boy. “What…?” She asked, still processing the question.

“Let me take you dinner.” He said again, “I have a reservation at this place in Atlas tonight. I was gonna cancel but we could just have a night out together. You still haven’t tried much food from here right? Plus I know you still have to be hungry. This works out.”

Veronica couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Did Nick just ask her out on a dinner date? That didn’t sound right, even if it was a thank you gift. As quickly as her eyes lit up, they began to squint at him with skepticism. “What happened with Valerie?”

Now his eyes got big. He wasn’t expecting that response. “Uhhhh what?” His voice gave away his nervousness and Veronica could clearly tell.

“Don’t play dumb with me Nick. I’m not gonna call you a liar or anything, but I know you, and you know me; as well as my feelings.” She said that last part sheepishly. “You aren’t the kind of person to play with my emotions or offer a dinner date when you’re crushing on Val, so what’s up? Be straight with me”

It was becoming clear to Nick that he apparently could be read like a book. This is the third person within twenty four hours to look at him and automatically knew to ask about Valerie. This was ridiculous! His life had many things that made him bummed out. How are people guessing right on the first try!?”

“Uhhhhh” he scratched the back of his head and sighed. No point tip toeing around it. Not like it was a secret or anything, yet his stomach felt queasy all the same. “I ran into her yesterday. She was pretty upset that I didn’t tell her I got sick. I apologized and tried to smooth our recent bickering over with dinner. It was going okay, but then…Val immediately started to brush me off. I got upset, she started deflecting, people started staring, then she really started saying some things that really got me upset; kinda made a little scene out of it before walking off. Nor really princely, huh?” He tried smiling at the self jab, but failed. “Anyways, next time we meet per her request more a less will be at the tournament. We currently aren’t on speaking terms. Something she should be fine with since distance was what she wanted in the first place.”

Veronica could hear a little venom in those words. Val really did have Nick upset. He’s never this openly bitter. Though maybe it was being behind closed doors that allowed him to drop the facade of being consistently pleasant. Frankly, that made Veronica a little happy for him, in an odd way. However… “I see. So I assume that this dinner reservation was for you and her?” An answer wasn’t needed. Nick’s moment of sulking was replaced with a guilt ridden look on his face the moment she asked. “You know, kinda shitty you’re asking me to a dinner meant for another girl that turned you down. Not a fan of being someone’s second choice.”

Nick closed his eyes and let in a sharp breath like he had just been hit. “Oooo yeah, yeah that was pretty messed up for me.”

“Mhmm, big time. No girl wants to hear that you know?”

“I didn’t mean- I wasn’t trying to...sorry. That was tasteless and selfish of me.” He looked down, shamefully and with genuine guilt. It was only when Veronica’s hand lifted his head by his chin did he see the girl stare at him with an observing gaze and lips pouting to the side. She then crossed her arms and looked away from him, ears tucked and a tinge of red visible on her.

“You’re lucky you’re a good person and I am hungry. I…guess you could apologize with a good dinner?” Veronica knew he wasn’t trying to be insensitive. Still, she was more than a little ticked off at herself for letting him off easy. Darn his good qualities! Being mad towards him for long was never gonna happen. Not to mention having a calm outing together is a golden opportunity. No way she wasn’t gonna capitalize off of Valerie’s mistakes. Her eyes shifted towards Nick to see a relieved smile that only made staying upset harder.

“This place better be good! Also I’m gonna order every expensive thing possible!” Veronica declared, attempting to save face.

“Hehe, thank you, and go right ahead and order anything you want. It’s not until around nine so please, get some rest.”

“I should be saying that to you. Isn’t going out at night in the cold while moody only gonna give you more sniffles?”

“Pfft, I’m sick anymore. Just focus on healing and rest. Not that I have to tell you this, but you gotta dress nice for where we’re eating.”

Veronica smirked, pointing at a closet of designed outfits. “Careful. I may not be worth billions but I’ll make you look like a pocket change if you don’t wear you best.”

The boy let out a cocky chuckle before walking to the door. “For your information, I’m two billion.” He said puffing out his chest playfully, leaving on that note. He could hear her gentle laughter behind the door. At least he could lift one girl’s spirit. As for the other, Nick looked at his sister’s locked door. He couldn’t help himself. He wasn’t going to knock, but he had to at least walk to it. Come to think of it, Nick had a hard time remembering when this door remained open. Most days it kept either the warmth in, while shutting others out. Slowly he rested his hand against it. The wood, cool to the touch.

“Tell me what you need.” He thought, “I’m not a mind reader…” Nick could only sigh. He removed his hand and stepped back. As he began to walk, the door moved. As if something was pressed against it from the other side.

“I know you’re there.” Summer said from the other side. Nick quickly walked back to it. Somehow he could imagine how she was on the other side. One leg extended while the other was bent as she pressed her back to the door. Nick took a seat himself, mimicking the pose he envisioned.

“You okay?”

“Far from it, but that’s par for course…” Summer looked over her shoulder as if she was actually resting against her brother’s back. “Honestly I feel so fucked up some days that therapy feels like a joke. I think I need a break.”

“What kind of break?”

“The usual…” Summer let her words draw out lazily. The back of her head rhythmically tapped the door. “Care to join me?”

Nick tugged at the carpet fibers, mulling it over. “Mmmm sorry, I’m not in the mood for that kind of relief. Besides, I already have plans. I’ll cover for you though. I think venting could do some real good for ya. Just don’t stay out too long. Leave around… half past nine.”

“Will do, thanks Nick.” Even though a door separated them, Summer could feel the care from the other side. Veronica’s words back in the forest about Nick and how Summer treats their relationship struck an all too sensitive cord. “I promise not to worry you. Have fun with whatever you’re doing tonight. I’ll keep you updated and everything.”

“Don’t stress about it. I believe in you. Anyways, I gotta get going. I think I’ll do a bit of distressing in my own way.” Nick stands up. “Better go while there’s daylight.”

“Gonna pay respects?”

“Yep. Enjoy your outing. I’ll see ya tomorrow if I don’t see ya tonight before I leave. Love ya.” He walked away after that, not expecting a response. Didn’t need one. After all, Summer coming to the door said enough.

All in all, things felt okay. Life felt okay. By no means was it perfect, but Nick was thankful he had blessings to count. He’d feel better after the tournament. What should’ve been an exciting time was getting more troublesome. Training, performing, fighting Darren in the duos, and now a not so friendly rematch with Valerie. At least Eliza still had a sportsmanship attitude. He still needed to ask her favor as well. By the end of this she would certainly be sick of him. Nick was surprised she didn't block his number yet. That would royally suck.

His slow walk took down the stairs and back to the front of the manor. He heard dishes clanking from the door to the far left while he grabbed his dark blue winter coat off the rack. “That you dad?” The kitchen door swung open to show Jaune drying a cup and Yang waving in the background as she held a slice in her mouth while talking to Blake. How they managed to swipe pizza out of Veronica’s room was beyond Nick.

“What’s up?” Jaune said, noticing his son put his jacket on. “Heading out? Your mom and aunts should be back soon. Pretty sure they’d want-”

“Veronica and I are going on a dinner date later.” Nick interjected. As planned, his father was derailed. Stammering footsteps came plopping out of the kitchen in the form of a very wide eyed blonde, and a shocked ninja. Blake’s ears even did the little twitch Nick as seen Veronica do whenever she’s caught off guard. “Yeah I thought you all should now. I’d say don’t bug her about it and let her rest, but considering Yang’s feet are already pointed towards the stairs…”

Yang looked down. “Huh...how about that?” She said, walking up the stairs with Blake trying to stop her.”

“Let her rest Yang!”

“But I wanna say stuff~” she whined, “I guarantee you she’s listening to us right now.”

Yang was right on the money. Veronica was currently judging how much strength it would take to lock the door. Her odds were bad. “Okay I don’t care how cute he is. This was cruel!” Veronica thought loudly to herself.

Jaune watched Blake slowly get dragged up the stairs by trying to stop Yang. Without looking, he leaned forward and reached out to grab Nick’s shoulder, who was trying to slowly back up to the door. He faced forward and smiled. “Good attempt, but you’d need a better distraction than that.”

“Eh it was worth a shot…” Nick sighed. He was pulled forward and fell into a surprise hug. He stood silently for a minute before wrapping his arms around his dad. “You needed a hug?”

“Not really, but you looked like you did.” Jaune said, squeezing tired. “You know you’re growing up into a fine young man. Better than me by a long shot at your age. I hope you know your entire family is proud of you.”

“I know dad…” Nick said, his voice getting stuck in his throat a little.

“I know I can’t relate to some of the pressures you feel. Honestly being a part of a household with this much attention and expectation still gets me anxious from time to time. So don’t hesitate to vent to me. You’re a young adult yeah, but I’m still my son and sixteen. Weiss and I would much rather see you yell at an annoying cameraman or get scrappy with a bully than see you try to hold it in for the sake of family image. Remember that.”

How did he do it? It was unfair, downright cheating almost in Nick’s eyes. How could so many people easily call him out? “What’s the point of enduring if everyone I wanna reassure sees right through the act? So much for a brave face.” He muttered. Jaune finally let go of him. The compassionate father poked Nick right where his heart was.

“Enduring an ordeal for the sake of others is pretty brave in my book, but who said you couldn’t endure hardships and still be open to those who matter? Have you meant your friends and family? Besides your sister I don’t think there’s a soul close to you who isn’t an expert of seeing past masks. Val and Vee live with bleeding hearts and the rest have had to put up with me!” He chuckled, “Just like I’m sure you know when someone is upset.”

Nick had his doubts. “Mmmmm, starting to think I might not know them as well as I think. Val is...ugh, I don’t know she is. Learned about Vee’s traits recently for the first time, and Summer-”

“Okay, I see your point. But! Learning new things about them and knowing there’s things you don’t know, doesn’t erase what you did. Y’all are teens. There’s a bunch of things to sort through. At the end of the day though, you know them where it counts. Does that make sense?”

“....Yeah, I think I do.” Nick nodded, thanks dad. Seriously. It’s kinda scary how good at talking you are.”

“Comes with practice, specifically learning to listen and just watch closely. You may not realize it but you do this plenty. It’s a big reason people gravitate towards you. Well… people who are just money hungry anyways, but that’s more of a rich person policy than a Nick-ism. I digress! You better get going before your mother comes back and give you her own talk.” Jaune said. He opened up the door for Nick to leave. “From the way you’ve been acting I assume you’re heading to pay your respects?”

Nick nodded, “I’ll try not to be terribly long. Don’t tell mom unless she asks. You know how she gets?” Nick walked through the door, fist bumping his dad on the way out.

Jaune closed the door and went back to the kitchen. Somewhere above him he could hear giggles and a few squealing. “Hopefully nothing catches on fire up there.”

“You are starting a fire!” Blake yelled, trying to contain Yang’s excitement so the blonde’s hair would stop flaring up. “Use your words.” Blake laughed.

“Please…” Veronica groaned. This level of energy was higher than usual. “You’re more excited than me. It’s just a dinner date. Barely even that. More like a thank you gift I suppose.” That being said the blush coming to her face clearly sung a different tune. “Can we please talk about anything else? I mean mom, you’re here!”

Blake crossed her arms. “So I heard you got into a fight? Let’s talk about that.”

“Ummm, so this date, any suggestions on what to wear?” Veronica poorly deflected. Blake didn’t even respond and Yang was smart enough not to. There was no choice but to talk about it unfortunately. “Sigh….I know okay? Ma told me I should’ve eaten and I didn’t listen. I should’ve, or learn to walk away from-”

“I’ll stop you right there. Don’t think for a second I wasn’t okay with a person getting hit when they were clearing harassing you.” Blake took a seat on the bed. “Expecting you to balance instinct, emotions, and logic here in Atlas was never in the cards, because frankly we don’t know what that balance is. Not to say I assumed you’d fight here. All I wanted was for you to try and...take a break from the norm.”

“If that’s the case then school should’ve been removed right off the back. It doesn’t matter the location, people act the same. Different faces, same insufferability. Only difference is these bozos are rich and human.”

“You make it sound like you aren’t crushing on a rich human whose parents are allowing you to stay in their manor.” Yang deadpanned. “Not making you go to school would only leave you bored and gods know what you’ll do with too much time on your hands. Then again you managed to stir things up already by stealing a spot on the cheer team.”

Blake did a double take. That wasn’t mentioned earlier. “Cheer team? How did that happen?”

“A girl got cocky with me so I out performed her. Honestly I was more than a little surprised by it all. Holding pom-poms, doing flips on mats, and even the couch blowing the whistle, kinda forgot what those things were like until I was in the moment.”

“See? That’s a change from norm.”

“Pretty sure that counts as a return to form.” Veronica countered. “It’s whatever though. Just a temporary thing. Although I’ll admit that Eliza chick, Marigold’s kid, she’s pretty decent.”

Blake wasn’t expecting that easier. “Oh? Well that’s nice. Sounds like that could be not so temporary?”

“Eh, whatever happens, happens.” It was a nice thought. Veronica couldn’t deny that. “Any other thing you wanted to discuss with me? I’d like to lay down for a bit longer.”

“How’s it feel to discuss all this genetic stuff with Nick and Summer? Call it what you want, but telling them was no different from a therapy session if it made you feel better.” Blake stated.

Veronica frowned. “Not how I see it. I’m pretty indifferent for the most part I’d say. Haven’t thought deeply about it. Veronica plopped her head on the pillows and turned away.

Blake and Yang took their scrappy daughter’s hint to leave. Blake got off the bed and was more than fine revisiting the discussion later. Yang briefly bent over Veronica’s covered face and kissed her head.

“Muah! By the way, I’m pretty sure Nick would love to see you in his colors. No heels though. He’s a little touchy about his height.” Yang left after that, closing the door gently. Veronica could only lay there pondering the advice.

“Hmmmm that could work.”

xxxx

While the youth finally got some rest, Adults were hard at work trying to piece together all that’s happened. Ruby and Weiss scoped out the undisturbed frozen lake along with Winter, Nora, and Penny most importantly. Though there wasn’t much to go on. Just crushed rocks, claw marks from ferocious grimm, and a mix of blue and red blood that made Weiss particularly uncomfortable. Ruby sensed that uneasiness and quickly began rubbing her partner’s back.

“Your daughter’s fine.” Ruby reassured. “If what she said is accurate then she never actually lost control.”

“Yeah but the blue dyed snow before us means she just barely held on. That’s too close for comfort.” Weiss held her hands together gently. “It feels like things are getting worse.”

“Because you’re in the thick of it.” Nora spoke, projecting her voice to get their attention. The strong and prideful woman made her way over to them. “Every day you’re worried for her and wake up knowing your daughter is a few rooms away upset. A parent is only as happy as their saddest child, and seeing Summer so distant makes it difficult to see the good stuff. This situation is trying, yes, but Summer still fought back. Your daughter fought Shiva off and killed grimm to protect someone. Determination like that is a sign Summer isn’t done fighting by a long shot, so that means you shouldn’t mope. I mean she gets all that strength to defy assholes from you.”

Ruby gave a big smile. She couldn’t have said it better herself. “Yeah! Nora’s right. We’ll turn this around.”

“....Geez, you two ever stop being helpful?” Weiss said, smiling gently. She was happy to have them here. “Thank you, especially you Nora.”

“Considerate my way of apologizing if Valerie really upset Nick. I told her she needed to call him, especially after him having the decency to call me so I could keep her in the loop about this. Apparently she wasn’t very pleased that he was ill and didn’t mention it. She’s….a lot sometimes.”

“Hey, so were we. I’m sure she means well and I’m not oblivious to the fact Nick can be...a lot as well. I’m partly to blame. I enable some of his actions towards her from time to time. I think I’m projecting a bit. Maybe I should tell him to move on?” Weiss sighed. Perhaps she played matchmaker too much and misread things.

Nora could only chuckle. “Hehe, I wouldn’t. Believe me when I tell you Valerie doesn’t hate having Nick look her way. A little forwardness is the only way she’ll acknowledge problems she doesn’t want to deal with. I can’t say for certainty what those problems are but I don’t pin any of it Nick. Val has a way of wanting her cake and eating it too. She’s gotta learn hard ways that’s not how life goes. I just hope Nick finds it in himself to not hate her because of this.”

“Pfft, I don’t think hate truly exists in his vocabulary.” Weiss laughed. She could count on her hand how many times Nick truly despised a person. “He’ll be petty about it I’m sure, but that’ll go away. Space between them might be good. At the end of the day I at least want them to still be close. Val has a way of motivating him that I like. He actually has fun.”

“Yeah, my Little Thunderhead excels at moving people, that’s for sure. Her semblance would be pretty mediocre otherwise if she wasn’t.”

The three continued talking lightly until Penny eventually walked up with Winter. “Okay, so I’ve finished running some tests of the area and the deposit of Diamond Dust. I have….unique results.” Penny said, a bit baffled.

Ruby wasn’t a fan of that statement. “Ummm that doesn’t sound great coming from a person who reads books written in binary. What did you find?”

“This dust is less volatile than the samples in my lab, even though it’s been untouched for longer. By all means it should be more refined.”

“Well isn’t it a good thing that it isn’t?” Weiss asked. “We barely handle what we have.”

“True, but it’s strange. There’s a couple possibilities that may explain this. Summer may have used up some unintentionally, or maybe Shiva herself was syphoning it.”

Winter folded her arms, “Not a fan of that second option. Based on the story though, what if it wasn’t touched at all?”

“Panic attack.” Penny said immediately. “She hasn’t been here since the accident, right? It’s entirely plausible that Summer’s mind and body remembered the trauma. Repressed memories or outright fear and anxiety could be the basis for this entire event. I tried contacting Oscar if he’s noticed anything different in Summer’s behavior, but I can’t get in contact with him. The seas have been rather violent lately due to weather changes.”

“So what you're basically saying is we're as lost as usual?” Weiss said, falling backwards into the snow. “Juuuuuust great. I’m going to assume the pain attack option then. That’s something I can work on with her. If Shiva is by any chance stronger now then the only thing we can do is what we always do. Brace ourselves.”

Ruby looked down at Weiss. “And option one actually means we have less dust to deal with. That’s a plus!” She knew it was a small amount of positivity but every bit helped. Weiss smiled at her and sat up.

“Here’s hoping for option one as well I suppose. We should probably head back. This place creeps me out a bit.”

Ruby helped Weiss up and everyone began leaving. Penny kept staring at the data she collected and trying to call Oscar. Unfortunately the man wasn’t answering. Her displeased sigh was heard by Winter, who rubbed the girl’s back.

“Not to be insensitive, but your son and Qrow wouldn’t do anything too crazy out a sea would they?”

Winter laughed nervously. “Hehehe….I’m sorry.”

“That doesn’t inspire confidence!” Penny yelped. Now she was only going to think about them being stranded by the gods or in a storm. Hopefully she would hear from him soon. “I guess a deeper study will have to wait. Ruby, can I stay at your place with Whitley for a bit? I don’t wanna go home yet. Too lonely.

“Sure thing! Door is always open. Though I bet you’ll have a livelier time at the manor these days.”

Penny tried her best to act like that would be a good idea. “Tempting, but a certain blonde teenage girl wouldn’t like that much, considering her parents so desperately want my husband to be her therapist. Summer also sees me enough as is. Nick would be happy I was there.” She said in a happier tune.

“He’s not home if I know him well enough.” Weiss frowned. “Times like these, I’m sure he’ll visit the graveyards.”

Truly, her son was easy to read.

xxxx

Right now the boy in question walked through an alley of tombstones and snow, his and covered in pollen. Atlas’s central graveyard had become a place for Nick over the years. The wide space and solitude became a welcoming barrier that blocked out most strangers from approaching him. Even the paparazzi had enough tact to not disturb a person here. His feet carried him down multiple lanes towards an old tree barren of any leaves looming over a grave with no actual tombstone. Standing before it was Eliza, wearing a dark blue winter coat and deep in thought. He wasn’t expecting to see her today.

Nick kept approaching until he stood beside her silently. A cool breeze went by them as the air itself felt still. Eliza eventually shifted her gaze to him, completely aware he was there. She looked down at his dusty yellow hands before speaking. “Talking to your grandma again?”

“Yeah. She says I should eat more sandwiches. Afraid I’m a little too then.”

“Heh, always witty. Visited your gramps yet?”

Nick shook his head, “No that’s halfway across Atlas from here and further from my home. It’s the next stop. What about you? Didn’t expect you to be here today.”

“Haven’t been in awhile.” Eliza waved her hand to cause a brief gust that blew away the snow from the grave and several others. “It needed cleaning and I was in the area. So what brings you here specifically? You only visit here on anniversaries, holidays, and when you’re moody. Last time I checked this is a random day, soooo”

“Eh don’t worry about it. Everything is alright now. Just decompressing.”

“Fair enough.” Eliza put her hands in her pocket and went back to thinking, until she realized Nick was looking at her again. “Uhh can I help you?” She said a little confrontational.

Nick got a little defensive and spoke quickly. “No, just surprised you’re not pressing me to open up.”

“Why? Your business is your business unless you make it my business. Something you’ll do if your attitude negatively affects the preparation for the tournament.”

“Ouch...well if that’s the case then the favor I’m about to ask you shouldn’t refuse.”

That peaked her interest. Eliza actually turned around fully. “You’ve been asking a lot of favors of me lately.”

“I’ve asked like two favors, and you’re the one telling me to directly involve you if-”

Eliza covered his mouth, irritated by him being right. “I know what I said! Sigh… what’s up?”

Nick looked down at the hand on his mouth, getting Eliza to remove it. “You’re lucky I didn’t lick it.”

“You’re lucky I don’t beat you up on hollow ground.”

Nick smirked. “Oh, so you think you can finally take me?”

Eliza squinted at him as her face got a little red. Why the hell did he have to be like this sometimes!? “The next words you speak better be your favor, or I’m walking away.”

“Well I wouldn’t exactly call it a favor but if you’re training by the harbor tonight, I’d appreciate it if you swooped by the seventh dock. The one with the huge building they rarely put cargo in. Summer is going to be there blowing off some steam. I don’t think anything will go wrong but you know, if you got the time…?”

“Hmmm I guess that’s not unreasonable. Wait, how do you know I train by the harbor!?”

“Did you forget my cousin literally owns a ship? If I’m correct, one time he said his sail caught on fire when a random bolt of lightning came down one day.”

“......” Eliza put her hand back in her pocket and began walking. “You’re really annoying Nick.”

“I’ve done nothing! Also I’m not done talking! I actually do have a real favor I’ve been mulling over for about a day!” Eliza kept walking away from him. “Hey! Don’t just- Can you train me!?” He shouted, hoping to gain her interest again.

It worked wonderfully. Eliza stopped mid-step and pivoted around. “Excuse me?”

“Training, yeah uh there’s this thing Schnee’s do called the candle test. Helps with our glyphs. Long story short, I’m ass at it hehe. Summer has stuff going on and it’s not really clicking with my mom or aunt. Since your magic is sorta like what I have to do, I thought maybe-”

“We are in a contest against each other, Nicholas.” She said firmly. “You are my opponent! One of two people currently in my way from reaching the top. Why on Remnant would I help you?”

Nick’s eyes avoided contact with hers. He began to scratch the back of his head as if he’d been caught red handed in a lie. “Because… you value sportsmanship?” He looked at her to receive an unamused blank stare that was colder than the snow. “Uh, and also you helping me in any capacity will let you in on a proposition that you’d find very intriguing. But I’ll only tell you when we’re training.”

“Tsk, I would think a Schnee would know better how to do business negotiations. Why would I make a deal when I don’t know if I even care about it? You tell me now or not at all.”

“I can’t say it now! I gotta smooth out details.”

“Then I guess we’re done here.”

“Fine, then I guess you don’t want a shot at gold with a sure fire way of at least getting silver!” He boasted, catching Eliza off guard. Nick slicked his hair back and crossed his arms to intimate his uncle’s calm yet assertive demeanor. “Yeah that’s right. I’m saying I have an idea crazy enough to benefit you and I. Everyone wants gold of course. However, you got a little more riding on this, don’t you?”

Eliza remained silent. Nick began walking a little closer to refrain from speaking too loud. “Last year was your real debut to the public eye and it was pretty good one at that. Third place is nothing to snuff at in the singles bracket. However...trust me when I say I know third is the worst seat in the house. That’s where the pressure and stress is. One mistake and you're off the podium and that feels terrible when people finally start looking your way.”

Eliza began tapping her foot. He wasn’t wrong. Not by a long shot. Confident as she was, Eliza was aware of her only two options. Do better, or hit the same bar. Winning was the goal but no one was gonna give her shit for losing to the top two contests. Nick and Valerie have been dominating for about three years now, and here he was saying he can get her to second. “Get to the point.”

Nick unfolded his arms. Time to be gentle again. “I cannot get into specifics at this time, but if you wanna show up at the manor anytime this week to help me, we can talk. I can get you second at minimum in King of the Hill.

His eyes burned with eagerness. Eliza had so many questions but obviously he wouldn’t answer them. This plan clearly had to be in his favor to get first, which neither of them had earned before. However, Valerie was first. How did she fit into this? What was going through his head!? Eliza had to know what regardless if she’d actually be okay with it. Her eyes narrowed at him. “Tsk, I take back what I said. Guess you are a Schnee. I will see when I can come over and help. Now, any other obnoxious request before I get driven away from this conversation?”

“Well……” Nick could feel just how dangerous this situation was. “It’s quite a walk to the other cemetery from here….hehe.” Laughing was hard when someone’s nostrils were flaring at you in frustration. Getting closer might’ve been a terrible decision.

Eliza closed her eyes briefly, then turned around to walk away. She went a few steps before briefly stopping. “Knock the snow off your shoes before you step in.”

Nick lit up like a Christmas tree. “You’re the best!!!”

“Why did he get more votes than me!?” Eliza internally screamed.

xxxxx

The day seemed to drag on. It had taken some time for Weiss to return home with the company of her sister and Ruby. Nora had departed earlier to check in on her family. Penny had opted to head towards Ruby’s home before her. They would’ve gone together but Ruby did want to see her niece and Blake. Penny had yet to properly see her friends. Though she wanted to, she thought it best to hold off for now.

The trio walked into the house and were assaulted by the strong scent of what had to be Jaune’s amazing cooking. They could practically see the aroma of spices dance in the air. One spice in particular hit Ruby. It was subtle but sharp at the same time. The kind of spice that sent a zing through your nose and hit your tastebuds. A mouth watering smile spread on her face and her stomach growled.

“Mmmmmm” Ruby hummed, “Somebody brought spices with them from Menagerie.” She sang. Ruby and Weiss wasted no time heading to the kitchen. Inside was an apron-wearing knight stirring a pot of stew, and their favorite faunus in the whole wide world in an apron cutting vegetables.

Blake didn’t even need to turn around to know what giggling pair just entered the kitchen. She put the knife down all the same and turned around with her arms wide open. “Well-” she couldn’t even say her boastful introduction before her two cheecky smile teammates dove in for a hug. All three of them just became a choir of happy laughter as they embraced one another.

Weiss finally let her friend go to get a good look at her. “Look at you! Traveled all this way and you’re helping make dinner!? I don’t deserve you!”

“Well I saw Jaune breakout a pot and I figured he’d enjoy some help without fear of something burning.” Blake jabbed. Ruby immediately tucked her lips to stop herself from snickering at the diss.

Weiss’s jaw dropped. She still smiled however, crossing her arms. “Oh ha ha, I’ll have you know my cooking is leagues better than what you remember since last time you had it. I can cook amazing meals all by myself!”

“As long as it doesn’t involve a fryer.” Jaune added, walking over to kiss his wife’s cheek really quick.

Weiss’s face got a little flushed. “Grease is bothersome.” She mumbled. Blake could only chuckle at the remark while walking to the pot and dumping the vegetables inside. The smell of the stew intensified and reminded Weiss she is still very much the weakest in her friend group when cooking was involved. “How are you going to outdo me in my own home? Why’d you bring spices in the first place!?”

“Don’t question it!” Ruby shouted. Her body went on autopilot to grab the plates and cups for the dinner.

“Ruby, aren’t gonna make dinner at home?” The room said, thinking about Whitley.

Ruby then proceeded to grab one of Jaune’s tupperware containers. Apparently they were now feeding Whitley as well. Ruby knew they wouldn’t mind, so she felt no remorse when filling it. Her boldness knew no bonds.

“Ruby, how do you know they aren’t making enough food for the people in this house?”

“Because this household would crumble anytime Jaune did a mission and didn’t make enough food for weeks.”

“I can cook!!!!” Weiss yelled.

Jaune playfully rolled his eyes and patted Weiss’s back. “Ruby isn’t completely wrong. Anyways she can take as much as she wants. Nick and Veronica have a dinner date tonight so they won’t be joining us for dinner. Then I don’t if Summer-”

“Nick and Veronica have a date!?” Weiss and Ruby shouted.

“Oh yeah… that happened while you left.” Jaune tried to reach for the ladle for the stew but Weiss swatted his hand before turning his head back to her. Fortunately Blake swooped in to continue stirring. “Yeah so they’re going on a date tonight. I don’t know details.”

Weiss turned to Blake who shrugged. “I didn’t press Veronica too much about it. Yang should be upstairs with her trying on dresses.

“Behold! A beautiful sunflower in the snow!” Yang cried out from outside the kitchen unexpectedly.

“Or I guess she’s downstairs now.” Blake turned off the burner on the stove and moved the pot before following her friends out to the main hall. Outside was Yang standing proudly with her hands on her hips and staring up the stairs proudly. Jaune and Weiss’s eyes went wide while Winter seemed….impressed? As much as she could be. Her feelings towards Veronica in general were mixed. The girl was definitely beautiful though. That was just a fact.

Blake looked up to see her daughter all dressed up at the top of the steps. She wore a white, thin strapped dress that had a light blue sash around her waist. The skirt portion went down to about knee level and the flats she wore were also white. The bottom of the skirt brought more color in by being an intense light blue that faded to white half way up; lace snowflakes were intricately etched on to that portion to break the color up. Gloves that went just passed her elbows followed a similar scheme but started white at the hands before transitioning to blue. To top it all off, a pretty little light blue ribbon formed a bow on top of her head. It was that accessory that made Blake notice that not only wet her ears gone from sight, but so was her tail.

Veronica’s face was stricken with a decent shade of red. Her feet shuffling in place a little as she rubbed her left arm. “So….ummm thoughts?” She said anxiously. “This is just one of several ideas so no need to hold back.”

“Several? What, did you make these in a couple hours?” Winter asked.

“No. I’ve been working on a Fire and Ice collection recently. This dress in particular was already put together for the most part. Although the snowflakes at the bottom was a last minute decision I made half an hour ago.” Veronica swayed to make the skirt flow side to side. “Normally I’d say adding flames or snowflakes is a bit heavy handed since the colors of the outfit already speak fire and ice, but I don’t know. Felt appropriate. Especially since the white lace is on the blue. I even have them on the upper rim of the gloves. Made sleeve versions too.” Veronica inspected the stitching to make sure it was okay. “Hmm not my best work, but I kinda like it.”

“I kinda love it!” Yang proudly said. “Oh it takes me back to the Beacon dance a little. Back then another Schnee was outdone by a Xiao Long wearing white.”

“Ha, no! Your dress didn’t even look done!” Weiss shot back, refusing to take such slander. “This dress is ten times better than what you wore.”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah sis, your dress was pretty plain. Didn’t even have a bow.”

“I couldn’t find one!” Yang defended.

Judging by the banter, Veronica was getting positive vibes from the dress. She looked at Winter since the woman was there. Surprisingly, a thumbs up was given. “Well that was more positive than I expected from her.” Veronica thought. The only person who remained silent was Blake. Veronica turned to see her mother assessing what her daughter had on. The silence she gave made Veronica a little concerned. “What’s up mom? Not a fan of how thin the straps are? It’s not a low cut anywhere.”

“No, all that is fine. I just have to ask, why-” before Blake finished, the front door opened once again with Nick coming through it this time. Everyone froze in place by his sudden entrance. Including him!

“Uhhh why is everyone just standing in the front of the house?” Nick questioned. It was only when he looked up the left staircase did he get his answer. “Oh, that’s why. You look...wow.” He said, rather clumsily. “I didn’t think you’d get ready three hours ahead of schedule. I still gotta wash up from the grav- I mean my walk. Yeah, walk, around town. With no real location stopped at.” He had no idea why he kept saying things. The deadpanned look on Winter and Weiss’s face clearly showed they knew where he was.

Weiss gave a reassuring smile and poked his forehead. “No need to lie, especially so poorly. If talking to them brought you some form of clarity then by all means have at it.”

“Yeah it’s not my business either.” Winter added, ruffling his hair.

Veronica wasn’t exactly sure what they were discussing, but it looked like things were going well. Nick even looked like he was in a better mood then when he left. His eyes went back to Veronica and made her fidget a little. The gaze he gave her was focused, deliberate even.She didn’t know how to feel about it until Nick began to look a tad displeased. “I-Is something wrong?” Veronica asked hesitantly.

“Not wrong, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cover your ears. Tail yeah, since it can get in the way a bit, but why the bow?” He asked, pointing at it from afar. Everyone looked towards her for an answer, especially Blake. Nick had beaten her to the question.

Veronica looked down at her feet for a moment before looking at her family, crush, others. She never really knew what to call Weiss or her siblings. “Well normally I wouldn’t cover them, but while you were gone I kept thinking about this date…and how I wanted it to be a simple night out.” Heat began to rush to her cheeks. “So you know, people will stare and judge less if I’m like this. Not that their opinions matter, but I’d like to keep things peaceful as much as possible tonight. That’s all.” She looked at Blake who was looking right back at her. The answer didn’t seem to upset or surprise the mother. Veronica played with her a bit. “Is...that okay?”

“Hmm? You’re asking permission? It caught me off guard seeing it. Whether it be for aesthetic or personal reasons, I won’t dictate how you wanna design your clothes as long as it’s appropriate. After all, ribbons and I have a history. Couldn’t judge you if I wanted.”

That was a relief to hear. Veronica had completely forgotten her mother wasn’t a stranger to trying to blend in. “Well if that’s settled-”

“Hold on.” Nick softly said, his calm footsteps walking up the stairs to meet her. Everyone fell speechless as they watched him. Veronica for some reason felt as if the mood had changed. The room was quieter, air completely still. The face of the boy in front of her began to look more earnest than it has ever been as it got closer, stifling her breath. Nick extended his hand out slowly till his fingers clasped a corner of the bow, then unraveled it.

The ribbon flowed slowly into his palm and then was brought down towards Veronica’s. “If a calm night means you have to hide, then is it really a calm worth having? Like you said, those people don’t matter. Besides, I like your ears.”

Burst, Veronica felt like her heart could’ve burst. The blush on her cheeks deepened greatly and her eyes went wide from the shocking words. She had barely remembered to breathe. If she paid attention to the audience below then she would’ve been embarrassed by the grins that went ear to ear but no. Veronica only noticed Nick and his gentle smile that matched his words. Her mind finally caught up with itself and Veronica grasped the ribbon ever so slowly.

“O-Okay…” she said without thinking. Anybody else may have gotten more of a debate on it. Not him though. Not after words like those. “I’ll...make a few adjustments then.” She said, flattered and flustered as she walked back to her room without any more words.

“Take your time. You still have about three hours like I said, plus I gotta wash up.” He reminded her, not realizing just how sweet his words were. He turned back around to see smug faces and contained laughter. “What?”

“Nick…” Winter said, smiling with her hands on her hips. “And you wonder why girls flock to you obsessively. You’re too much.”

“I’ll say.” Blake said, admiring the boy. “But you know what? There’s something perfect about that. Nicholas, thank you.”

He wasn’t entirely sure what he did but he got embarrassed all the same, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. At least things finally felt relaxed in this house. “Umm you’re welcome?”

With teasing done and the mood lightened, everyone went back to doing their respective things. Jaune and Blake went back to prepping food. Weiss went with Ruby to set tables and properly catch up, while Yang decided to keep Winter company since both her son and Qrow were off adventuring. The chatter filled the hallways and even reached upstairs to not only Veronica, but Summer, who finally managed to fall asleep peacefully. Even Nick found a bit of proper rest in the bath. The soothing warm water filled with epsom salt was more than enough to make him doze off. Time steadily went forward and the adults began winding down. However, the kids were just getting ready for the night.

xxxxx

Dusk finally came. Winter leaned up against the main door waiting until she saw Nick coming walking down the stairs looking dashing. His crisp white suit, ice blue tie and handkerchief were perfectly in place along with his slick back hair.

“Hey Whitley jr.”

He groaned, “Please don’t. This is why I do nothing with my hair. One minute I look like dad, then the next I’m uncle.”

“Grow it out more then.” Winter suggested.

He shook his head. “That’s a slippery slope. Too long and I’ll be compared to you, mom, and sis. I guess my face is just too great.”

“Pfft, you just know you can’t compete with all this.” Winter sassed, turning her head to sway her hair. Nick would have objected if she wasn’t right.

“Whatever hehe. Anyways, everybody still here?”

“No, Ruby eventually headed home, but everyone else is strung about. I’m heading out myself but I figured I could drop you and Veronica off for your date.”

Nick gave her aunt a huge smile. “Awww, auntie!”

“Oh hush, don’t make it a big deal. It’s convenient, that’s all.”

“Well I appreciate it nonetheless. Veronica will too.”

Winter mumbled,“She better show it by not getting you or sister into trouble.”

“I heard that.” Veronica called from up the staircase. Winter and Nick looked in that direction to see her walking down. Nick wasn’t prepared.

Veronica had switched the gloves out for detachable sleeves that still exposed her shoulders. They also followed the same white to blue pattern. What really changed was she used the ribbon to make a high ponytail and now dawning jewelry. A pearl white necklace rested around her neck and complemented the pearl earrings she wore. Slowly she approached Nick with her hands holding each other in front of her. Veronica’s face was still a healthy shade of red. This close, Nick couldn’t help but smell of peach nectar. An interesting and oddly refreshing choice for perfume.

“Well...ummm...you weren’t kidding when you said you would out dress me.” Nick said, captivated. “I’d say you’re one billion, easily.”

Veronica chuckled nervously. “Hehe,th...thanks. I wouldn’t go that far, but I appreciate it.” Looking at him was harder than usual. Men’s dress shoes had a bit of heel, so Nick actually was a bit taller then her now since she chose flats. It could only be by an inch or two but it made a hell of a difference to her. “I had a little help near the end. These are actually your sister’s pearls.”

“Really? Oh, that’s right! I think the only reason she got them was so this other rude girl couldn’t. I don’t remember the specifics.”

“Wow. You two are….extremely petty at times.” Veronica said. Yeah pettiness was nothing new to her, but she’d never bought something to spite someone else. That’s the lifestyle in Atlas she supposed. “Anyways, if you’re ready to go then I am too. I’d really like to avoid-”

Click! The sound of a camera cut her off. The two teens looked back to see their parents all taking photos. Trying to stop them would be impossible. The only thing they could do is quietly wait for the clicking to stop, which was thankfully over in seconds.

“Gee I didn’t realize I lived with paparazzi.” Nick quipped. Another flash came from up above the second floor. Summer and her bed head leaned against the railing. “Summer!? You too!?”

“I came down to eat and saw we were embarrassing you. How could I not?” She took one more photo and then made her way down to the kitchen. “Have fun. I’m gonna eat and go right back to bed.”

Nick knew she was lying of course. That was the real reason she came down now, to announce she’d be sleeping in her room so nobody would disturb her. Summer, never missing an opening, also collected everything she needed from upstairs without anyone noticing. It was scary how far she’d plan ahead sometimes.

Winter finally decided to open the front door and head out. “Let’s move people. Rich or not, it’s rude to be late for reservations.”

“So strict. Almost think that you’re about to go drill instructor on me.” Veronica jokes, walking out the door.

“Don’t think I won’t make you drop and give me twenty just because you’re in a dress.” Winter shot back, closing the door as Nick walked out.

“The sad thing is she isn’t kidding…” Weiss nervously said. “That’s gonna be a long car ride.”

Summer came out of the kitchen with a bowl of stew and an evil look in her eye. “Why are there less left overs than usual? Who had seconds?”

“Ruby took some for Whitley. As well as had seconds…”

Summer squinted as if Ruby was there to actually receive the grumpy look before putts spoonful in her mouth and walking back upstairs.

“Ma’am, the table. Not your room.” Weiss said, using her mom voice.

Summer did a heel turn to the dining room. “Who made this stew!?” She said annoyed. Jaune and Blake both raised their hands. “It’s fantastic!” Was all she said as she continued walking.

Blake and Yang looked at each other confused before looking at their friends.

“Hangry.” Was all Jaune said.

“Ah…” the couple said together.

The moment Summer was out of sight from everyone she put the bowl down and searched around the living room quickly until she found her guitar case. Quickly, she grabbed it and opened a window towards the side of the estate and tossed it on a set of glyphs that hopefully propelled it right into her open room window. She then ran back to the dining room to sit down and eat comfortably.

“Phew! That was the last thing. And now I wait.” She took another bite of the stew happily. Nothing tastes better than an escape plan coming together.

#rwby #rwby au #rwby twin snowflakes #jaune arc #ruby rose #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #nora valkyrie #nicholas schnee #summer schnee #val valkyrie #winter schnee #penny polendina #veronica belladonna #rwby whiteknight

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herohotline · 4 years

Text

Wet Clay (P.5)

Shouta Aizawa x Reader

Summary: You’ve got your own handful of problems- being a counselor doesn’t mean you can’t also have anxiety or feel overwhelmed by it all.

A/N: it’s finally here!! thank god!! and thank you everyone who was so patient waiting for the new part. i honestly had a lot of fun making this new chapter- i wanted it to be a bit longer as a Thank You for the long wait. I hope you all enjoy it, and look forward to the next chapter!

Word Count: 5,500+

Tag List: @babayaga67, @cosmichorse95, @sugacookiies, @howthe-f-didigethere, @rintomoj, @missadorable96

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Technically-not-but-still-technically House Arrest is finally over, much to your relief.

You, Bakugo, and Midoriya were finally freed from Aizawa’s punishment and proceeded with your regular schedules. And while Bakugo and Midoriya have a lot of catching up to do, the same goes for you.

Which you weren’t expecting at all, but you’re pleasantly surprised by a few students standing at your office on your first day back greeting you and asking for a scheduled meeting.

Slowly but surely, word of you and your practice has been moving around the school, which is exactly what you were hoping for. Especially since it got out that you were able to have a successful session with Bakugo, of all people, the students seem to suddenly have a newfound interest in trying therapy that wasn’t there before. It’s the progress you’ve been waiting for to report to Nezu, letting him know that students even outside of the hero course were asking about therapy.

Due to your agreement, you couldn’t give them a session. Your time was pointed strictly at the hero classes for the time being, but it wouldn’t always be that way. You had the interested students fill out a simple questionnaire once the idea popped in your head, which helped you immensely for your reports to Nezu.

They were simple questions, not asking anything too personal, of course. Things like, ‘why does therapy interest you?’, ‘what problems would you like to talk about?’, and ‘what are some of the things that stress you daily?’

The answers you received confirmed that you were right from the beginning- U.A needed a proper counseling team hired, and it would be best if it was sooner rather than later.

And on top of all that good news (though kids needing therapy admittedly wasn’t the best news, but at least it was being assessed instead of being ignored), Nezu agreed with you! After hearing and reading your reports on the students, he agreed to start working with you to begin making after-school programs and looking for professionals to hire. It would take a few weeks, if not more, but the beginning of your dream for U.A was finally taking big steps, and it was overwhelmingly exciting.

You haven’t been able to fill anybody in on your news quite yet, but your change in attitude was noticeable by the staff and the students. It’s especially noticeable to the staff when you come in one morning, cups of coffee and tea hot and ready that you had bought for them when they came into the Teacher’s Lounge before class.

Yamada enters with Kayama, whistling low as he quickly walks over and inspects the cups. “Ho-hey!” He exclaims. “What’s all this?”

“Good morning, Yamada,” you smile at him and nudge a cup his way, which he takes with a gleeful hum. “I was just feeling good this morning and I’m really thankful to how much everyone has helped me settle in, so I figured I could buy everyone a drink.” Kayama walks up as well, grabbing one of the teas, surprising you with her choice.

She notices, a deep frown on her lips. “You tempt me, honey, but I have to watch my figure!” She gestures to her body, which is on full display at all hours. Not that you’re a prude, but it makes you wonder how the pubescent boys and girls feel while in her presence. You’re not envious of them. “But I appreciate you very much, thank you.”

“It’s no problem, I’ll make sure to try and get something better for you next time,”

“Oh, don’t worry! A little tea won’t hurt me.” Kayama quickly waves off your concerns and she sits on one of the chairs available in the admittedly small room. “So? Why’re you so happy?” She raises an eyebrow, and before she can ask-

“Nothing that you’re assuming, I’m sure,” you tell her quickly. “Truthfully, it’s because my work is going well. My tenure here might actually be useful- Nezu and I are talking specifics on hiring other counselors, now.”

Yamada cheers, as loud as ever, “really?! Good job!” He wraps an arm around you and shakes you- if the coffee hadn’t woken you up before, you were surely awake now with his energy! “Does that mean you’ll be staying?” Kayama perks up from her seat.

“Oh, does it? It would be so nice to keep you around longer!”

“I’m not sure about that,” you laugh uneasily, “what the students really need is someone that can be fully devoted to them and their needs, you know? I can’t give that to them while I’m still working as a counselor on the side, and I’m really not sure if I can give up that job.”

“Aw,” Yamada frowns, keeping his arm secure around your shoulder as he looks down at you. The man was freakishly tall, honestly. “Shouta will be so bummed. Do you know how long your tenure lasts?”

“I sort of hoped you were giving up on that,” you deflate. “But, no, I’m not very sure. But it’s probably not for much longer. A month more, maybe two at most. Then I’ll be leaving.”

“Leaving?”

You and Yamada turn your head towards the door, and you get a face full of his hair, making you sputter and sneeze as he laughs at you and apologizes (but it doesn’t sound like he’s sorry). You shove him away so you can actually look at Yagi, dressed in his usual baggy, bright yellow suit.

“Morning, Yagi,” you greet him tiredly. If you said before that you were energized by Yamada’s behavior, you take it back now. He’s actually exhausting. “Yes, eventually. I’m not officially hired, you know.”

“I must have forgotten,” Yagi mumbles under his breath, looking equally tired but thankful as you nudge a cup of tea his way and he takes a long sip. You remember him telling you that coffee was one of the things on his long, long list that his stomach couldn’t handle. “I’m getting too old, probably.”

“How old are you, anyway?” Kayama asks from her seat and Yagi smiles.

“That’s a good question,” he says, and then looks to you. “You’re leaving in a month or so, though? That’s unfortunate, Shouta will miss you.”

“That’s what I said!”

“Nice job avoiding the question, pro-hero,”

“I swear the two of you never quit it!”

The three of you talk over one another at the same time, and after a moment’s silence, burst into laughter together. Despite everything, these people had quickly become your friends, and chatting with them like this every morning was a part of what made the extra stress and work all worth it. “I’ll miss all of you when I have to leave, I mean it,” you tell them once the laughter subsides, and Kayama coos.

“We’ll miss you, too. I’m sure the students will as well, you’ve grown on them.”

“That’s true… I don’t feel good about the whole making-a-relationship-and-bowing-out thing. It takes a long time for a child to feel comfortable talking to you about their issues, and I finally have that! And now that I'd have to leave…” You sigh heavily as you rest against one of the tables, crossing your arms at your chest.

“Give it some more thought, then,” Kayama suggests. “Everyone would be happy to keep you around, including Nezu. Think about all your options before you make any decisions.”

It’s good advice, but the truth is, you’ve already done that.

The time you’ve spent at U.A has been amazing, yes, but you’ve never been more overworked in your life. The stress of keeping up your two professional jobs has you tossing and turning at night, and the burden of feeling like you’re going to let everyone down isn’t good for your mental state, either. For your own health, you can’t keep working the way you are now.

You’re going to have to choose. And it hurts you more than anything.

Despite all of that, you smile at Kayama. “You’re right,” you say, and you try not to sound as tired as you feel, “I’ll think about it.”

—-

The first thing you have to do with your new duties from Nezu is put together after-school affairs. He doesn’t give you a lot to go off of- he just wants you to put together some sort of event or club that the students can go to after hours that will be good for them. Nezu is nice, but he gives you too much freedom. It’s hard to create ideas all on your own and be the judge on if they’re worth the school’s time and money or not.

You’ve thought of several things. The thing you’re trying to do is create an original idea that isn’t purely formed around therapy , per se, but a way for students to vent their problems in a healthy and calm environment. Your best idea has been a little something you called ‘food for thought’, a baking club students can go to where they can learn to bake and cook a variety of simple dishes, and while they bake, everyone gets a turn talking about something that’s bothered them or that they’re working through, no judgment. It can be a bit therapeutic to cook in general for some people, and if you gave students the chance to vent during that time, you think it might be something healthy and fun. And then they could all eat snacks afterward.

...But you doubt yourself again and think about scrapping the idea. There’s too many variables- some students might not like the idea of group therapy like that, and some students might abuse the club by coming only for treats and ruin it for everyone else. Plus, not everyone likes to cook.

You groan and deflate in your seat, laying face-down on your desk. This is too hard…!

Out of nowhere, your phone vibrates. It makes you reluctantly pull your head up, grasping for the device and wincing at the bright screen when it turns on.

It’s one of your clients asking for an appointment.

You take a deep, tired breath in, and let it out slowly. Slowly you sit up in your chair and open one of your desk drawers, fumbling around for your planner and slapping it down on the desk as you open the text and start to ask for details.

Your schedule is crammed, a lot more than it used to be. You end up feeling guilty not being able to see your patient soon enough and give up some of your free time in order to see them. Not that they know that- they thank you and tell you they’ll see you soon, and the conversation is ended.

Somehow, you’re even more tired than before.

Eyes wander over to your plush, comfortable couch. It’s a tempting idea, but… the scattered papers full of drafts of ideas for an after school activity are staring at you, so you shake your head at the idea and try to focus on the papers instead. You can’t afford to nap right now, even though it sounds so, so nice right now.

Your eyes droop, but you can’t sleep. Absolutely not. Your shoulders sag.

You fall asleep slouched over your desk before you can even realize it.

—-

Waking up is surprising, because you didn’t remember falling asleep. It’s always odd when that happens- opening your eyes and forgetting you even closed them, so it has you sitting there like, wait, what ? For a few moments.

You’re not even at your desk like you remember being. Instead, you’re laying on your couch- something you very much remember wanting to do, but you hadn’t. You’re alone in your office too, which is even more odd. You don’t think you sleepwalk.

As you slowly sit up and stretch your tired limbs, you look at the clock on your wall and see that it reads 3:20- school is just about to end.

Drat. You were hoping to get more done before now…

You suppose that’s fine- you can always work more at home and email Nezu if you come up with a great idea by the end of the night, but you sort of doubt that will happen. You go back to your desk to start gathering your things, but from the corner of your eye, a bit of yellow catches your attention.

There’s a sticky note on your ‘food for thought’ paper. Your eyebrows spring up in curiosity as you lean forward to read it.

It’s not much. It just says ‘good idea’ and then there’s, strangely enough, a doodle of a cat giving a thumbs up. It’s not the best drawing you’ve ever seen, but it’s cute.

Kind of strange though. A cat? Who even wrote this, anyway? Who was in your office when you were asleep?

You doubt it was a student. You’re not really bothered, but… the sticky note says it was a good idea. You were doubtful about it, but the second opinion makes you rethink your decision.

Maybe it wasn’t that bad of an idea? According to the mysterious cat-doodler.

Hm. You pocket the sticky note, and then put the paper with details of your idea in your bag as you continue to pack up. Maybe if you run into one of the teachers on your way out, you can ask them what they think. You should have thought about that earlier, to be honest.

Quickly you pack up and lock your office. You’re going to miss the train home if you don’t hurry, after all, and you want to get out of the building before the bell rings and the students crowd the halls.

Fortunately, though, you spot Cementoss- Ishiyama- at the front doors, and you wave to catch his attention.

“Ishiyama! You're heading out, too?”

The cement-like man looks toward you, and he walks through the doors, holding it open for you. “Mm. I need to make it to an appointment,” he says simply.

“I see. You wouldn’t mind if I ran an idea by you really quick? It’s for the kids.”

He shakes his head. “Not at all, I just needed to get out before the children did.” You grin and tell him you were doing the same- and then you tell him about your after-school baking idea.

By the time you finish telling him the small details, you’ve walked to the school’s parking lot and Ishiyama looks interested in what you have to say. “I don’t think that’s a bad idea at all. It’s creative, and I think the students would like having something to do besides sitting in a circle and talking.”

“Right!” You animatedly burst for a second- and then bashfully smile at your outburst. “That’s what I was trying to do. I’m glad to hear that it might be worth it. For hires, we could maybe hire a cook, and then the therapist who’d be willing to lead the conversation. That’s where my worry comes in- we’d be paying two people at most, along with spending money on ingredients…”

“Ah, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” Ishiyama says, and he slowly comes to a stop in front of what is probably his car. It’s a big, heavy looking vehicle- which kind of makes sense. The guy probably weighs a lot and needs something he won’t crush into the ground. “We have plenty of ingredients and food left over from lunch time, and Lunchrush would be willing to chip in. It could be something that’s held once a week, maybe.”

“Ah, you’re right. I guess I just didn’t want to assume anything on his part, since he already does so much.”

Ishiyama laughs. “You’re very considerate, but don’t let that get in the way of exploring your ideas. And don’t let Nezu scare you- he’ll let you know if it works or not. If it doesn’t, that’s fine. You’re not wasting his time.”

The words are, quite frankly, reassuring. You didn’t realize how much you needed to hear that, and your body naturally relaxes a bit. “Yeah,” you smile at him, “you’re right. Thanks a lot, Ishiyama. I’ll let you go now- good luck with your appointment!” You wave at the cement-man as he enters his car, but right before he closes the door, you suddenly remember something as you light up. “Oh! I had one more question?”

He looks up at you as he keeps his door open.

“Do you know anyone that likes cats?”

The question is an odd one, and his cemented eyebrows raise in surprise, but you don’t really have a proper explanation. Ishiyama thinks about it, and then he says, “the only person I know who actively likes cats is Aizawa.”

It’s your turn to be surprised. Really? You had no idea.

“Huh,” you say aloud. “Well- anyway, thanks a lot for your input! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

You wave off Ishiyama as he drives off, and once he’s gone, you pull out the sticky note still in your pocket. Aizawa likes cats, huh…? He might have been the person who looked over your paper, then, and he probably moved you over to the couch when you fell asleep at your desk.

The thought makes your chest warm. That was certainly nice of him, if that’s the case. But- ah!

The school bell rings, and you jolt into action. If you’re not quick, you’re going to miss your train home!

—-

Your phone had died on the train ride home.

It was tragic, honestly, because that meant you didn’t have anything to distract yourself with as you swayed in the crowded cart during your long ride home. No music, no texts, no articles… you busted yourself by reading the ads on the ceiling of the train, but there was only so much to read, honestly.

By the time you got home, you quickly plugged in your phone and started to make yourself some dinner. It wasn’t until after your dinner, which was just some quick and easy curry and rice from a package, that you were able to look at your phone again.

There’s several text messages waiting for you.

Some of them are from Yamada, and then there’s a few from a client of yours. But there’s an odd contact among them that you never saw in your messages.

Who knew Shouta actually texted people? He seems like the call-only type.

You click on his messages first. There’s three of them, all sent at different times during the day.

Shouta (7:43am): Thank you for the drinks. Glad to hear your work is going well.

You wonder who told him, but you figure it was probably Yamada.

Shouta (1:30pm): If you keep sleeping during work hours, you’re going to want to get a sleeping bag.

So it was him who was in your office! You should have known he’d be a cocky bastard about it, too.

Shouta (4:10pm): Bakugo only yelled five times today?

The last one was kind of funny. Without thinking, you reply back to him.

You (6:45pm): Thanks for the sleeping bag idea, but I’ll pass for now. It was sweet of you to move me to the couch, but next time you’ll need to wake me up instead!

You (6:45pm): Did you see Bakugo go anywhere after class?

Surprisingly, you don’t have to wait at all for his reply.

Shouta (6:45pm): You looked like you needed it.

Shouta (6:46pm): He didn't go to his dorm, but he stayed on campus. Why?

Hmm. You wiggle on your bed, plugging your phone out of its charger so you can relax in a comfortable position as your fingers tap on the screen.

You (6:47pm): I guess if anyone’s a good judge of someone’s need for sleep, it’s Mr.Baggy Eyes, huh? Go figure

You (6:47pm): also, that’s confidential. But I think he deserves a lollipop at this point. Bakugo cares a lot more than he likes to show, but the fact he’s actually thinking about our session and considering some new methods says a lot about his character. Thanks for telling me.

Shouta doesn’t say anything after that, at least not right away, so you move on and look at your other messages. Yamada’s are a bunch of absurd internet pictures, so nothing too important, and your other client who texted you is asking for a reschedule.

It takes a bit of back and forth with your client until you eventually decide on a new date where both of you have time- thankfully, it didn’t require you taking time out of your weekend more than you already have. By the time you’re done, you have one new message from Shouta.

Shouta (6:56pm): You’re right about that. Bakugo is difficult, but with some help, he’ll be able to do a lot for society. Hopefully you’ll be around enough to see him change. His trust doesn’t come easy.

The words make a heavy feeling in your stomach drop. Without meaning to, Shouta has stabbed you in the gut with guilt, and you’re feeling even more about your decision to leave U.A.

How could you leave, really? The students need you- but so do your clients.

Stress builds up in your shoulders again, and staring down at Shouta’s message, your head swarms with bad thoughts.

Anxiety and discomfort rolls over you in waves.

And you don’t really have anyone to confide in. Part of you feels like talking to Shouta- but you’re not really that close to each other yet. You doubt he wants to hear your complaints about work.

Shouldn’t you be grateful for your opportunity?

You blink as you barely make a reply, and then you toss your phone to the side once you turn it off. Your eyes look at the ceiling of your room, and despite the exhaustion deep in your bones, you’re suddenly wide awake.

You feel like you won’t be going to sleep tonight, as much as you would like to.

You (7:08pm): You’re right. I’ll try my best.

——

Coming into work the next morning is dreadful. The only thing keeping you awake and mildly aware of your surroundings is the caffeine that’s running through you- you’ve drank so much coffee and energy drinks that you wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a part of your bloodstream at this point. You look like a mess, but there’s work to be done.

It’s Friday, which is usually nice, because Saturday is your only day off. But you sacrificed your Saturday for a session tomorrow, so there’s no promise of a break for you for at least another week.

Overnight, due to your lack of sleep, you thought of three other ideas for after-school activities the students might like, and you sent all of them over to Nezu once the sun began to rise and you decided it was an appropriate hour to message him. He hasn’t gotten back to you yet, but that’s unsurprising.

With nothing else to do, you got on the train early enough that it's not even that crowded. You still can’t find a seat, but that’s fine. You’re afraid if you sit down and relax for more than a moment, you might fall apart.

Hence why you’re heading to work several hours early. Hopefully you’ll be able to pull yourself together before work starts.

You stumble a bit each time the cart shakes when it comes to a stop, but eventually you get off and walk to U.A. It’s practically empty, which is also unsurprising, but the doors are open for you, so that’s good. You were a bit worried it might all be locked down.

As you head to your office, it’s eerily quiet in the building. Beside the sound of your shoes tapping on the floor, there’s nothing. It’s a bit unsettling.

Maybe that’s just because you haven’t slept at all recently and your anxiety is through the roof at the moment. Who knows? Regardless, you make it to your office with no issues. But when you open the- unlocked- door, you jump.

And then you slam the door shut with a surprised scream.

“Oh my god!” You yell at the door, and you can hear the people scrambling from inside your office. “What’re you doing?! On my couch?!”

Kayama speaks up, her voice just a lilt higher than it usually is. “Would you believe me if I said it was nothing??”

“No! No I wouldn’t!” You yell back, and you rub your eyes with the heel of your palms. “I will never be able to wash my eyes from what I just saw, Jesus-“

“We’re sorry!! You’re really early!”

“Do you always do this shit on my couch?! I have students sit on that thing- oh my GOD, I was laying on it yesterday!”

“No- we swear-“

And then suddenly, as if from nowhere, Shouta is coming from around the corner with his face twisted up in confusion. “What’s going on?” He asks as he walks up to you, and you gesture angrily toward your closed door.

“Yamada and Kayama were fucking on my couch!”

“No we weren’t!!” Yamada’s screechy, way too loud voice denies.

“Yeah, tell me that again as if you’re not scrambling to put clothes on right now.” You huff, and Shouta’s eyebrows have successfully disappeared beyond his hairline. “Did you have any idea about this?” You look toward him, a hateful look in your eye- but he quickly shakes his head.

“I just got here. I was actually- well.” He looks toward your office. “I was going to nap.”

“ Lord - does everyone use my office as they so please? Do the keys I own mean nothing?”

Yamada wails, “we’re sorry- “

“Shut! Shut it!” You snap.

This is the worst. You have had no sleep, no food. You’re overworked and stressed enough as is- this was just the last straw.

“Clean up my office. Get rid of all your ridiculous germs- the door, my desk, the couch- anywhere the two of you touched needs to be squeaky clean or else.”

You’ve never been the type to really get mad, especially at your friends. Especially at friends who you haven’t even been friends with for less than a year. You try to keep your cool. This was just… bad timing.

“Yes, right. We promise,” Kayama says from beyond the door.

“And you-“ you point at Shouta, who is more than a bit surprised at your tone, and his face shows it. “You haven’t had sex in my office, have you?”

“Never.”

“Good.” You let out a frustrated breath. “Then you’re invited to get breakfast with me so I can cool down while those two put themselves together.”

He doesn’t really need much more convincing. He’s already walking by your side as you turn around, walking much faster than you normally do as you head for the front doors.

Shouta walks a bit faster and opens the door for you, too, which you barely mumble a thanks for.

It’s quiet as you walk down the sidewalk in the early morning, but eventually Shouta speaks up, keeping up with your pace easily. “Do you know where you’re going?”

You stop in your tracks.

“No.” You bite your lip as you frown, and you truthfully can’t even look at him. Instead, you keep your eyes on the ground, at the pebbles on the ground. “Do you know anywhere to go?”

“...Yeah. Follow me,” his voice is surprisingly soft as he reaches forward and nudges your arm his direction, and you both turn around as he takes the lead. You don’t walk for long, crossing a few streets and making a few turns, until you’re at the same place that Shouta brought you to last time.

The familiarity as you enter the restaurant makes you relax just a little bit.

“So,” Shouta starts once the two of you sit at a booth. A waiter handed you both a menu, but you haven’t opened it yet. “You’re not usually so tense.”

Shouta doesn’t make meaningless observations, you know that much about him. He’s inviting you to talk about why you’re acting strangely, and you’re tired enough that you take the bait.

You vent. You vent and vent and vent about everything you’ve been feeling lately- stressed from two jobs, guilty for having to leave, not wanting to leave, tired, upset you have to give up your free time, upset you can’t talk to anybody about your feelings, anxious that you’re not good enough- all of it.

You’re a therapist, so you know how important it is to communicate your feelings, but you haven’t been doing it for yourself. You should know better, but it’s hard. You tell all of that to him too, even though he didn’t ask for any of it.

He gave you an opportunity to speak, so you did. All of it.

And by the time you’re done, your food (which you don’t even remember ordering, so Shouta must have done it when you were busy ranting) is sitting hot in front of you and ready to be eaten. You feel like a hot pile of blubber by the time you’re done, releasing a big sigh full of all the ghosts that have haunted you the past few days. And then you stab your fork into your food, and it feels oddly gratifying.

“...Sorry.”

Shouta just barely moves his head as he closes his eyes- a fairly weak version of shaking his head as a way to deny your apology. “I’d be on my last wire if I saw Nemuri and Hizashi fucking, too.”

Despite yourself, you snort.

“I know you haven’t worked at U.A for long, but if you wanted to ask for a day off, I think Nezu would be willing.” You barely open your mouth before he’s already shutting down your argument, “you want to help the students, and I understand that. But how much are you going to help them in this state? You can’t do anything if you’re doubting yourself and you’re sleep deprived on top of it all.”

Brutally honest, but they’re words you needed to hear. You sink into your seat and nibble on your food instead of arguing with him, which Shouta snorts amusedly at as he eats his food too.

Once again, he pays for the meal, but you don’t really try to argue about that, either. You appreciate how considerate he’s being right now.

“You’re right, and you know it too, so I don’t really have to say it. But you’re right.” Shouta smiles as you play with your fork, food now finished. “I haven’t had a day off in so long, I guess I forgot they existed. I don’t even know what I’d do, besides sleeping a lot.”

“Sleeping is always nice,” He comments and you roll your eyes, because of course he’d say that.

“What do you do on your days off?” Shouta gives you a look and you click your tongue. “Right.” Sleeping.

“Could always go out of town. Have a day trip.”

“I suppose, but I’m not really sure where I’d go,” you hum thoughtfully. “I’m not really sure what I even like to do… I know I like spending time with you. But I guess you have even less time than I do to really go anywhere, huh?”

You’re too out of it to really think about what you just admitted, and you’re looking out the window so you don’t see how Shouta’s face shifts at your little confession. “If you’re fine with me being on patrol, we could go somewhere. That’s probably the best I can do.”

And you’re also not aware of how foreign it feels for him to offer his time up like that for another person. You really have no idea- you just smile at him and light up. “Yeah, that’d be fine! Just having a day out, walking around and all that sounds nice. Aw man, it’s kind of exciting now,” you laugh, your eyes squeezing shut as your nose scrunches up.

Shouta discreetly looks away.

“I’m not very exciting, but whatever you say.”

“Well, that’s true,” ow, “you’re relaxing. And I think I need to relax more than I need excitement, really.” Oh.

He just hums in response.

“Well, anyway. Thanks a lot for letting me say all that. It was really nice of you,” you move the subject along, rummaging through your things until you find your phone and click it on. “It’s still awhile until class starts, but we should head back and check on the two love birds.”

“Hopefully they’re decent by now.” Shouta rolls his eyes, scooting out of the booth with you, and with the food already paid for, you both walk out of the diner together.

“I really can’t believe those two to begin with. Did you have any idea they were together?” You look up at him as you walk.

“Honestly? No. And that’s on purpose. I don’t want to know.”

You laugh. “That’s fair.”

Shouta hums again in response, and the two of you chat some more as you head back to U.A together. It’s nice that you can feel a bit lighter than before, now.

But it’s not fair. It’s not fair that now you’re feeling better, a bit more energized than before, you completely miss the way that Shouta looks at you. The way he’s been looking at you ever since you were exploding with anger at his two best friends.

A look that’s a bit too akin to attraction.

161 notes · View notes

upamongthestarss · 4 years

Text

Perfect Timing//Bill Denbrough x fem reader

Please be kind! This is only my second time publishing on tumblr, so I’m not really sure what I’m doing, but here we are!

Warnings: smut, brief mention of fem oral receiving, swearing, mild angst, underage drinking

Spring break came way too slowly, especially for Y/n. Freshman year of college is said to be one of the best years of your life, but it’s definitely the worst. Her high school was entirely too easy for her, probably because her teachers were just idiots. Then college hit, and the workload was unbearable. Not to mention, she grew homesick for her parents and her best friends and even a tiny bit for Bill.

Oh, how she hated Bill back home.

Well, okay, she didn’t hate him, it was more of just a mutual tension that sometimes led to the Losers separating them at all costs.

They went on a few dates freshman year, and even kissed once, but it all ended when popular Autumn asked Bill to “help her with English” at lunch one day. He completely forgot to tell Y/n, but didn’t think much of the whole affair anyway. When Y/n walked out of the lunch line, she smiled at her newly official boyfriend. He was hunched over a piece of paper, diligently writing with ginger hair falling into his eyes. When Autumn saw her coming over, she tapped Bill on the shoulder, and kissed him full on the mouth when he turned to her.

Y/n’s hands went slack, causing her tray to clatter to the ground. Tomato soup splattered all over her new white Keds. She obviously looked down to see the damage, and missed Bill pushing Autumn off of him. He went over to check on her and help her clean up, but she stormed off to the bathrooms.

From then on out, there’s been so much tension between them. Even though Bill explained what happened countless times, she’s absolutely refused to listen. She’s had trust issues after her biological father cheated on her mother when she was little, and this, well, this basically made them inflate like the economy. She wasn’t on speaking terms with him until the end of the school year, and even then their friendship was rocky.

But there was also a sexual tension. Bill and Y/n still had blatantly obvious feelings for each other, whether they wanted to admit or not. In fact, they even went to senior prom together, but it ended in disaster. There was a dramatic exit from Y/n when he mentioned how he was on good terms with Autumn now, and she was really sorry for what happened.

“Why the hell would you bring that up now?” Y/n rose from her seat.

“B-b-because she t-told me she w-wanted us to-”

“Can’t we just completely forget what happened back then? It was so long ago.”

Bill flushed. “Well, it r-r-really seems l-like you’ve n-n-never forgotten ab-about it these past th-three years.”

She threw her napkin on the table and left after saying, “You’re a dick.”

That night she vented to Eddie and ultimately admitted to having feelings for him, but he knew that all along anyway.

That night was the last time they talked until it was time for Bill to leave for NYU.

“Good luck,” she told him, bouncing on the balls of her feet nervously.

“Th-thank you, Y/n, y-you too!” he was so excited that day that he even pulled her into a hug, much to her surprise (and delight).

And now, here she is, on the plane to Palm Springs. It’s a long flight from Marywood, so Y/n uses her time to finish her homework. She’s majorly jetlagged by the time she lands at Palm Springs International. Luckily, the cab ride isn’t ridiculously long. When she gets to Richie’s beach house, he’s on the porch with his feet up and a daiquiri in hand.

“Y/N!!!!” he shouts, putting his drink to the side and running down the stairs.

“RICHIE!!!!” she yells back, dropping her bags to run and hug him.

“Oh, it’s been so long!”

“I know!! And holy shit, your house is gorgeous!”

“I’m telling you, Y/n, I lucked out so much by scoring that audition. Can you believe it? Rich Records Tozier, the nation’s youngest beloved DJ.”

“Hardly,” she chuckles. “So how is the life of fame treating you?”

“Oh, brilliant. Come on in, I’ll give you a tour,” he scoops up her bag and leads her to the door. It’s an incredible house, with a beautiful kitchen and even a movie theater.

“And here’s your room,” he gestures to the first door upstairs.

“May I?” she asks, hand on the doorknob.

“Be my guest.”

She swings it open to a redheaded girl on one of the two beds. She looks up from her magazine, smirking. “Hey, roomie!”

“Bev!” Y/n shrieks as her best friend runs to her and practically knocks her over.

“When did you get here?!”

“About an hour ago. Stan’s here too, but he’s taking a nap.”

“Well, we’ll have to fix that, won’t we?” Y/n grins mischievously.

“Everyone else is supposed to get here tomorrow morning, except for Mike. He’s coming tonight.”

“Oh, thank God. No Bill for a half day more.”

“Oh, Y/n, don’t be so close-minded,” Bev giggles and they sit down on the same bed, bursting with so much to catch up on. Richie doesn’t know if he should sit down with them or just go back to his daiquiri, but the doorbell rings.

“Saved by the bell,” he says, getting the side eye in response.

The girls talk for hours until they decide to say hello to Mike. Y/n stops at the bathroom first, and it takes her a while to find the kitchen after that. She has to follow the voices and Richie’s booming laugh.

“Sorry, I got lost,” she says, turning in the kitchen. “Hi, Mi-”

The third person talking to Richie and Beverly is not Mike.

It’s Bill. And she looks like a total bum in her old sundress and messy ponytail. She isn’t wearing a drop of makeup, either.

“Y/n.”

“Bill. Good to see you,” she holds out her hand professionally. He shakes it.

Is it good to see him? Looking at his cerulean eyes certainly sends butterflies through her stomach and through… other parts of her body.

“Y-you too.”

That immaculate stutter. She sits down at a barstool and crosses her legs together tightly. Richie and Beverly are quick to notice it, but restrain from commenting.

“I thought you were coming in tomorrow morning?”

She doesn’t sound rude or accusatory, just curious.

“M-my flight got c-c-cancelled.”

“Okay, gotcha.”

She drums her fingertips on the counter restlessly, not really knowing what else to say.

Luckily, Richie has a plan in case things get awkward between these two- and he’s already having to use it.

“Anyone want a drink?”

************************

“Nursing school is so insane. In anatomy, our teacher dissected a literal human body, and we had to examine it.”

“Eddie, please. We’re eating,” Y/n coughs.

“It was disgusting, but it was also fascinating,” he defends himself.

“Whatever floats your boat,” Ben shrugs.

“Y/n, tell us more about Marywood,” Eddie says, but she’s way too busy watching Bill talk to Richie’s cute next door neighbor while holding her little sister.

“You’re so good with her!” she simpers, tossing her shiny brown hair.

“Y/n? Earth to Y/n?”

“What?”

“How’s Marywood?”

“Oh, it’s… fine.”

“Just fine? Did you pick a major yet?”

She shakes her head.

“What about that guy? Are you still with him?”

“David? No, we were together for a while, but I guess the spark just kinda died. I mean, he initiated the breakup, but it was all mutual.”

Eddie squirts a dollop of sunscreen the size of a clementine in his hand. “That sucks. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be,” Y/n shrugs, averting her gaze back to Bill. She’s very glad that she's wearing sunglasses, to hide her stares.

The cute girl was right, he is good with that little girl. Her heart would be melted, but Bill keeps flirting with the older sister. It’s disgusting.

And then, that girl has the audacity to drop the rattle she shook in the baby’s face. Y/n is close enough to hear the conversation, or at least read lips.

“Oh, l-l-l-let m-me get that.”

“Don’t worry, I got it,” she smiles, bending over so stealthily so that her breasts are all but out of that bikini.

“Ugh,” Y/n rolls her eyes.

“What’s up?” Ben asks.

“Nothing. I’m just going to go to the bathroom,” she stands up and walks almost catatonically to the door.

Instead of going to the bathroom, she finds a glass and slams it on the table.

“D-damn, Y/n. That’s n-n-not a napkin, you kn-know.”

She jumps at Bill’s voice. He obviously followed her in, and she’s not too thrilled about it.

“Funny,” she replies, searching the cabinets. “Do you want anything?”

“I-I was ac-actually getting d-drinks.”

“Oh, for you and your new girlfriend? Hey, let me know when the wedding is. That is, if I even get on the guest list.”

“What’s your p-p-problem?”

“I don’t have a problem.”

Y/n finds a bottle of straight vodka and pours it right in the glass.

“Hey, its eh-eh-eleven AM,” Bill warns her, reaching for the glass. Unfortunately, their hands grab for it at the same time and it goes crashing to the ground.

“Great, thanks,” she says.

“I didn’t w-want you to be w-w-wasted all d-day.”

“Listen, Bill,” she takes a deep breath. “I really appreciate your concern. I do. But it’s my life, and if I want to get wasted this early, then no one should stop me.”

He doesn’t answer. They both grab rags and start to clean up around their feet.

“Th-this kind of r-r-reminds me of a certain sit-situation involving t-tomato soup,” Bill risks saying.

It was a terrible idea.

“Are you kidding me? I thought we moved on from that!”

“Yeah, so w-w-we can j-joke about it now!”

She’s silent for a minute, a blend of wrath and sadness.

“Just,” Y/n says, “Just go back out with your girlfriend.”

“I-I-I h-hardly know- o-okay, what the hell is y-y-your problem? We’re n-not together an-anymore!!! You sh-sh-shouldn’t c-care about my l-l-love life.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” she stands up, vodka dripping from the rag to her toes. “I don’t care that I shouldn’t care. I do care! I’ve always cared!”

Bill is speechless, and she honestly doesn’t blame him. Y/n assumes he doesn’t feel the same about her. After all, they haven’t dated since freshman year. Sighing, she puts the rag in the sink and walks back outside.

She’s opening up her book and lying on her stomach to get a tan when Y/n hears an obnoxious “Excuse me?”

She looks up to the girl, who could literally be a bikini model.She looks at Y/n like she’s a piece of dirt, and Y/n just wants to smack her. She could never hurt anyone, though.

“Um, do you know when Bill will be back with the drinks?”

“Not a clue.”

******

Bill absolutely could not stop thinking of Y/n all day. He never really can, ever, but his thoughts have been out of control all damn day. They range from wild fantasies to regrets from way back when to just simply: She still likes me, she still likes me, she still likes me!!!!

He wants more than anything to talk to her and confess he’s been in love with her since high school, maybe even before that. But some small voice in Bill’s head tells him that even if she does have feelings, she won’t want to act on them. After all, he’s been nothing but an asshole to her.

Then again, so has she.

It’s really ironic that they’re so abrasive towards each other. Y/n is so kind and friendly to everyone she meets; that’s why Bill fell for her. And everyone tells him that he’s nothing but a sweetheart. And he’s always treated his every girlfriend like a princess.

But it’s Y/n he wants as a girlfriend, and it always has been.

Y/n comes running down the stairs, using the bansiters to prop herself up and skip the last couple steps. She’s been strangely lighthearted after she made that confession to Bill. It had been a weight on shoulders for the longest time, after all. And now that it’s out of the bag, she feels as if she can finally move on.

Holy shit, she’s so cute, Bill says to himself. She has this youthful energy, but the looks of a gorgeous young woman. Not to mention her outfit- a pastel yellow halter top, short jean shorts, and a sky blue scrunchie- looks magnificent.

“Okay, I’m ready to go!” she grins widely. “Sorry for the holdup!”

“You’re good,” Richie replies. “We were just figuring out transportation, considering I can only take five of us in my car.”

“I don’t mind taking the trunk,” Y/n shrugs. “Anyone else?”

“I will,” Beverly volunteers.

“Okay, great, and five of you can squish in the backseat. Mike claimed shotgun earlier.”

Everyone else groans while he flashes a smile and gives them finger guns.

“So charming,” Bev laughs and grabs Y/n’s hand. They run out to the car and squish in the trunk.

“Bev, I have to tell you something,” Y/n whispers.

“What?”

“I’m still not over Bill.”

“Thank you, Y/n,” she responds sarcastically.

“How did you know that? I only told Eddie!”

“It was just a little obvious,” she laughs. “And the good news is that we all think he feels the same way!”

“I don’t think he does, Bev,” Y/n shakes her head.

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, I told him today-”

“You what?”

“Shush!” she scolds as the boys get in the car. Luckily they’re all talking and can’t hear the girls if they whisper. “It just sort of... slipped out. But he didn’t even say anything. He just kind of… froze? It was so awkward.”

“You know he’s a little awkward around girls that he likes.”

“Is he, though?”

“Sure he is!”

“I don’t know, Bev. He stood there for a full thirty seconds without saying anything, and he just let me leave,” Y/n explains. “I think if he really liked me, he would have told me by now.”

Beverly gets quiet. “I’m so sorry, Y/n.”

“Hey, it’s okay! The timing was never right, and that- that happens. And it’s better I know now so I’m not hung up on him for the rest of my life.”

The rest of the drive is mostly just Beverly telling Y/n that there’s someone out there for her, and to keep her eyes open at the restaurant.

It’s a bright restaurant, very tropical and very flamboyant. A lush plant, obviously made of silicon, is the centerpiece of every table.

Good, it can hide me from Bill and spare my embarrassment, Y/n thinks as she sits opposite him. Unfortunately, Ben asks the hostess to take it away so he can see everyone. Y/n is mortified. Being directly across from her, he can watch and judge the girl the entire dinner.

She tries her hardest the whole meal not to pay Bill any mind, but it gets difficult when he starts getting tipsy. And drunk Bill can be wild. Singing and dancing on the tables wild. Luckily he isn’t at that point yet.

She doesn’t even know how he was able to buy drinks here; he’s only nineteen. The waitress must have a crush on him or something. Maybe she and Richie’s neighbor could start a Bill fanclub.

Y/n has a feeling the waitress would ask for her ID, though, so she sticks to soda. And three Shirley Temples is never good on anyone’s bladder.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” she announces. “Anyone else?”

Everyone shakes their heads. Everyone except…

“Me! M-m-me!” Bill waves his hand around like a hyper child.

“Great, I’m a babysitter now,” Y/n murmurs.

She starts walking to the bathroom, Bill hot on her heels. Surprisingly enough, when she finishes peeing, he’s actually waiting for her.

“F-f-finally. G-g-girls take so long in the buh-buh-bathroom.”

She ignores him.

“Y/nnnnn,” he slurs. “I’ve been m-m-meaning to t-t-tell you, your a-a-ass looks fantastic in th-those shorts.”

“Because that’s not a rude thing to say at all,” she replies, feeling her face burn up.

“I’m n-n-not trying to be r-rudeeee,” Bill grabs her waist and pulls her in. Y/n can smell all the alcohol on his breath, and it’s disgusting. He kisses her full on the mouth.

She shoves him off, embarrassed by his behavior. “You’re drunk.”

“If b-b-being drunk makes me w-w-want to m-make out with you, I-I-I never want t-to be so-sober.”

That hits Y/n hard. Bill Denbrough wants her. But only when he’s drunk.

He doesn’t love her in his right mind. This is all she has, and she can’t even fathom just taking advantage of him when he’s drunk. Using someone would hurt her in such an inexplicable way, and not to mention it would tear whatever small bond she had with Bill into shreds.

She plops back down in her seat, barely touching the rest of her food or speaking for the rest of the night.

When she gets to her shared room with Bev, Y/n takes a shower. She’s always loved showers because they’re a place where you can cry without risk of anyone hearing over the water running.

And that’s exactly what Y/n does. She lets the tears stream down her face, washed away by the showerhead’s water.

*******

Bill knows he got plastered last night, so it’s no surprise when he wakes up with a pounding headache. But he isn’t sure why Y/n is so quiet, especially around him. Usually she has a remark or at least a glare for him, but she seems almost meek today.

He pulls Beverly aside at one point, and asks if he did anything to her last night.

“I don’t know, Bill. You guys went to the bathroom at the same time, and when you came back, Y/n seemed really upset.”

“L-l-like angry, or s-sad?”

“Sad. But she didn’t tell me anything that happened. I’m sorry, Bill.”

“It’s o-o-okay. Th-Thanks, Bev.”

He spends the rest of the day trying to remember something- anything- from last night. Bathrooms. Bathrooms.

There are some vignettes. Y/n across from him, in that pretty top. Watching her ass as she walked to the bathrooms.

Oh, shit. Bill made some sort of comments about those shorts. What happened after that? He kissed her, didn’t he? But why would that make her sad?

When evening rolls around, Bill still doesn’t remember anything new. He’s the only one in the living room, not even paying attention to the TV. His friends come bounding down the stairs, all wearing sneakers and athletic outfits.

“A-a-are you g-guys going somewhere?”

“Yeah, to the new rope climbing place,” Stan replies.

“Where’s Y/n?”

“She has vertigo, and wanted to stay here. We thought you could stay here so she’s not alone all night.”

“You d-d-didn’t th-think about asking me f-first?”

“We drew names out of a hat,” Beverly steps in. “You just weren’t around when we did it.”

“Isn’t that a l-l-little ruh-rude to Y-Y/n? One of us is g-g-going to st-stay with her instead of h-having fun?”

“No, Bill, it was the opposite!” Richie tries to save the group, much to their chagrin. “We were voting on who didn’t get to stay home with Y/n. And you won! You get to!”

“Wh-what i-if I want to donate m-my win?”

“Doesn’t work like that. Wins are final.”

It’s all BS, and Bill knows it. There never was a hat draw, everyone knows that Bill and Y/n have a lot to work out, and they don’t want the two to go back from spring break with even more animosity for each other.

Also, they know that the two have feelings that have been expressed so wrongly over the years. Maybe now it’s time to work them out.

“So we’re going to head out now; have fun with Y/n!” Eddie waves, and they run out excitedly.

Bill sighs, not knowing what he’s going to do with Y/n all night. Maybe she’ll just be antisocial and hide in her room all night, but he personally hopes she won’t. He decides to hang out by the pool for a while, and changes into his swim trunks.

By the time he gets outside, though, Y/n is already there. She’s hugging her knees to her chest and watching the little waterfall intently.

“Hey,” Bill says, making her jump.

“Hey.”

“C-c-can I join you?”

She nods.

“Why aren’t you with the others?”

“B-because I w-w-won their ‘contest,’”

“Contest?” she shakes her head, not understanding.

“To b-b-babysit you, ap-apparently.”

“Ah. Sounds legitimate.”

He doesn’t know how to respond to that, so he just lets the sounds of the waterfall and the faint grasshoppers fill the silence. He’s sure Y/n doesn’t mind, though. When everyone else complained about the summer grasshoppers as kids, she would always dote on how they’re melodious and comforting.

Bill can’t hold himself back any longer.

“Y/n, what d-d-did I do l-last night?”

She turns to him. “You really don’t remember?”

“I re-remember making a com-comment, which I-I’m sorry about b-by the way, th-that was an a-asshole move. And I-I remember kissing y-you. But then what?”

Taking a deep breath, Y/n continues. “Well, then I pushed you off and told you that you were drunk.”

She pauses.

“And th-then?”

“Then you said, ‘If I want to make out with you when I’m drunk, then I don’t ever want to be sober.’”

That’s it? Bill thinks. He’s not stupid enough to voice his thoughts, luckily.

“Oh, Y-Y-Y/n, I w-w-was drunk. I d-didn’t know what I w-w-was saying.”

“Listen, Bill. I know you remember what I told you yesterday in the kitchen. And what you told me at the restaurant really hurt, okay?”

“Why? I-I wanted to k-k-kiss you,” he asks, genuinely confused.

“You’re such an idiot sometimes!” Y/n laughs incredulously. “You wanted to kiss me when you were drunk, not in your right mind!”

“I al-always want to k-k-kiss you in my right mind!”

“What?!”

“I-I think I love you, Y/n.”

She’s frozen. Could he actually mean that? Has he been drinking again? Hearing that from Bill Denbrough has been her dream since… forever.

“I think I love you too, Bill.”

He jumps up from his lounge chair, and leans over Y/n. He tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and kisses her tenderly, gently. Her lips are just as soft as he remembers them to be all those years ago, softer than any other girl he’s kissed.

“Wow,” she beams as they pull apart. “I guess I knew this, but you’re a much better kisser than my ex.”

He laughs. “W-why, thank you. You’re n-n-not so bad y-yourself.”

“Thanks,” she giggles. “I just… I can’t believe this is happening. I feel like doing something crazy now, something outrageous.”

“L-like what?”

“Hm…” she thinks for a minute. “Do you want to go skinny dipping?”

“Okay, sure,” Bill chuckles.

Grinning, she begins to peel off her one piece. She slips the straps off, and the rest slowly slides off her body. Her breasts are exposed first, then her stomach, then everything. Her skin is smooth and glorious.

Bill pulls off his swim trunks and throws them behind him. Y/n wants to tease him about his erection, but she’s way too shocked at his size.

They bask in the beauty of each other for a moment before they dive into the water, crisp and cool on their bare bodies. Y/n splashes Bill right in his face.

He pushes wet strands of hair from his ocean eyes. “H-how dare you?”

“What are you going to do about it?” she taunts.

“This,” Bill says, throwing Y/n over his shoulder and taking her outside the water. She’s both screaming and laughing her head off at this point. He carries her all the way to the deep end and tosses her in.

When she surfaces, Y/n makes sure to flip him off.

“So r-r-rude.”

He cannonballs in, and they swim around, and eventually go under the waterfall. They end up making out and gasping for air.

“D-d-do you want to tuh-take this inside?” Bill whispers.

She nods, and they get out. As Y/n shivers, Bill gets them fluffy towels from a bin by the chairs.

Grabbing his hand, she pulls him through the sliding glass doors. They run around the house in nothing but towels, giggling and kissing and dripping pool water everywhere. The two finally make it to Bill’s room and go directly to the bed (after locking the door).

“Spruh-spread your legs,” Bill breathes in her ear, sending goosebumps up and down her body.

She obeys and lets him kiss her knees, her thighs, and eventually her core. He pleases Y/n in a way her old boyfriend never did.

When she finishes, Bill holds her for a minute so she can catch her breath. Then, when he turns around to put on a condom, she moves against the wall.

“Oh, s-s-so you w-want wall sex n-now?” Bill raises his eyebrows.

“Maybe,” she shrugs. “If you’re comfortable with it.”

Instead of using words, Bill throws Y/n up against the wall and kisses her roughly. Their tongues clash, and she loves every second of it. Then he goes in. He starts slow at first, but begins to pick up the pace with her approval.

“D-damn, you’re so t-t-tight,” he whispers while she keeps muttering his name.

“Probably because I wasn’t with someone as big as you before.”

Hearing that makes him turn redder than his hair. “Really?”

“Really,” she sighs. “Can you go a little slower?”

He listens to her, and almost screams in pleasure when she starts to suck on his neck.

They both finish in a couple minutes, and are pretty burned out- Y/n especially because she’s never made such rough love before.

She lies in his arms, back on the bed, and traces the love mark forming on his neck.

“I think I love you,” Y/n says for the second time tonight.

“I-I th-think I love you t-too.”

They can’t help smiling for the umpteenth time in the past hour. Their stars had never aligned until now, and it couldn’t be a more perfect exchange of love. The wait was unbearable, but incredibly worth it.

Y/n and Bill make each other feel whole, like there was a sort of void within each other, unfilled until now.

“Hey,” Y/n’s voice is soft and gentle. “I’m so sorry about these past years. You know I have trust issues, but I took them too far and didn’t treat you right. And I’m so sorry.”

“I’m s-sorry, too. I’ve been an ass-asshole to y-y-you, a-and it’s m-m-my fault we broke uh-up in the f-first place.”

“Don’t say that,” Y/n frowns. “It was Evil Autumn’s fault.”

They chuckle.

Resting her head on Bill’s chest, Y/n asks the dreaded question.

“So what’s going to become of us? After spring break.”

Bill thinks for a minute, stroking her hair, and admits, “I don’t w-w-want us to c-c-cut each other off again.”

“Neither do I.”

“I think our sc-sc-schools are like t-t-two hours ap-apart; that’s n-not terrible.”

“It’s not,” Y/n agrees. “Maybe we could take turns driving every weekend, and find a halfway point or something.”

“A-an ex-exact halfway point,” Bill adds.

“An exact halfway point.”

They can make it work, they’ve got to. Both Bill and Y/n are extremely optimistic about the future ahead, now that every feeling has been sorted out between them. And even in the unfavorable event where things don’t work out, there will always be Palm Springs.

Bill presses a kiss to her forehead. There’s not a chance that they won’t make it. The timing is finally, after all these years, perfect.

#bill denbrough #bill denbrough x reader #bill denbrough smut #stephen king IT #the losers club #mild angst #some smut

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vicegrips-fr · 3 years

Photo

Into the Black

Azizi divulges his upbringing and the horrors that came with it.

-------------------- I’ve debated sharing this on here because to be completely honest it’s very personal and not for everyone. I’ve decided to open up and share it anyway with the appropriate warnings. It’s no secret that I vent through my own ocs to explore the intense abuse I survived and this is one of those lore posts that delves into that. Hopefully some of you will take the time to read it and if not I completely understand. It’s a long one and difficult to read in many ways I’m sure.

Gustav belongs to my boyfriend @wyvernrising!

Warnings: language, themes of parental abuse, drug/alcohol abuse mentions, and unpleasantness abound.

Pings: @fusefr @kattafr @stimmy-dragons -------------------

They’re together for the night. Himself, Gogo, and the Sub Rosa sent to protect them which includes his boyfriend Gustav. There’s an injury to his hand which isn’t self-inflicted but the product of his past come back to bite him in the ass today. Since then they’ve been sharing their stories to pass the time and ease the tension, getting to know each other better and well, now it’s his turn.

“You don’t have to share,” Gogo peeps up sympathetically, scooting closer so that their thighs are pressed together.

He already knows the truth, knows how hard this will be for Azizi to talk about.

Azizi waves a dismissive hand in the air, happily allowing Gus to take hold of the injured one and press a kiss to the knuckles. Some small part of him does care what they’ll think but it’s drowned out by the stubborn I don’t give a shit what you think of me attitude he’s spent a lot of time cultivating for himself. “We’ll see about that,” he says, pouring himself a glass of wine.

He pauses, bottle in hand as his eyes land on Gustav’s glass. There’s still wine inside but he fills it back up to the top for him anyway. Whether he chooses to drink it or not is irrelevant. Maybe he doesn’t want him to; more wine for him.

Their previous compliments earlier in the night did not fall on deaf ears and bring a smile to his face when he remembers them. “Ha! I am a pleasure to be around, aren’t I?” he chuckles, licking his teeth, “If I were a bore then I wouldn’t be netting as much dick as I am on the daily.”

It’s crude but true. He’s popular for a reason and part of it is his bombastic, nasty personality. Truth is sunshine and rainbows have no place in a brothel, no matter how hard Gogo tries to change that fact.

“But you’re right about what you all said,” he sighs, “It’s an ugly story, just like the rest of you have.”

For a solid few seconds he lapses into silence, picking through the pieces of his life inside his head like dusting off an old photo album. None of the pictures inside are things he wants to see, they’re kept in a box for a reason, after all.

“Where to begin?” he muses to himself, swirling the wine in his glass around, transfixed by the dark red liquid sloshing around the sides.

“Like Gustav and Gogo I was born in Neo Necropolis. The slummy part, obviously. My mother’s name was Tiwa but she went by Candy. If that doesn’t tip you off she was a stripper. A popular one, I was told.”

He stops to sip his drink, the mere mention of his mother’s name enough to elicit that response. Jesus. How long has it been since he said her name out loud?

“My father’s name was Ayoola but everyone called him Ayo,” Azizi continues, the wine burning all the way down his throat, “And his biggest claim to fame was his appetite for men and women. He frequented just about every brothel and strip club in a fifteen mile radius.” Azizi looks up, eyes passing over everyone’s faces in favor of focusing on anything but.

“You can all put two and two together and figure out how my parents met,” he laughs without joy, “They were never married, of course, but they lived together and it wasn’t long before I was born. Not like they were kind of people to use protection, but I sort of wish they had.”

It’s a terribly dark thing to say and painfully true. Plenty of people in a bad situation have the same thought- I wish I was never born!- and he can’t count how many times he cursed the world for being forced into it. “They fought all the time,” he says, recalling the first time he was old enough to understand the words they were yelling.

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

”Get off of your ass and do something for once!” Tiwa screams at the top of her lungs, “I work my ass off on the pole every night and you can’t even get off the couch to get Zizi his breakfast? Pathetic!” It's early. Early enough that the sun is only just coming up, bright light streaming in through the dingy window in his bedroom despite the tall buildings that surround their home. It’s not the first time he’s been woken up this early from his parents fighting. His mama is gone all night, returning every morning and sleeping most of the day away, but not before their daily fight. Tail between his legs Azizi tiptoes quietly to the end of the short hallway, his little hands gripping the corner of the wall as he peeks out from behind it to see what’s going on. ”Oh, I’m pathetic?” Ayoola shouts back, “That’s rich coming from a pole crawler who calls herself Candy! The pipsqueak isn’t even up yet so fuck off to bed already and quit your yapping.” Azizi can’t see them from where he’s standing so he lets go of the wall and steps into the living room, ducking back into the hallway as quietly as possible when he catches a glimpse of his father laid out on the sofa, beer bottle in hand. ”No Ayo YOU fuck off,” Tiwa says loudly from the kitchen, bone tired and her tail lashing behind her in anger. “I’m not dealing with this mess when I’ve been up all fucking night, do you hear me? I’m not your mother, I’m your girlfriend and I need your help. We’re barely getting by, for fuck sake. Just… try to be responsible for once in your miserable life. Please.” ”Jesus fucking christ Candy, get a grip,” Ayoola snorts nonchalantly, rolling over so that his face is pressed into the cushions of the couch, “I’ll do the dishes and get the brat his breakfast, alright? Will that shut you up?” Tears in his eyes, Azizi shuffles off back to his bedroom and curls up on the small mattress laid on the floor of his tiny bedroom, pulling the blanket over his head. The shouting continues but it’s muffled through his hands over his ears and, after a little while, he falls back asleep.

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

“It was really annoying,” he scoffs, “How they’d fight over just about everything. It was like they couldn’t help themselves. No matter how small the affront they would manage to find a way to turn it into something more.”

He’s getting off track. Blinking away the memory like it’s nothing, Azizi drinks deeply from his glass and marches forward. “Anyway,” he mutters, taking another small sip, “I was, hm, about eight or nine years old when my mother up and left. I can’t blame her, really. My father was a bum and an addict who brought other men and women home when she wasn’t around. More than once she walked in on him cheating on her and I guess that plus his allergy to contributing anything to the ‘family’ was enough to put the final nail in the coffin. We all have our breaking point.”

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

”Where’s mama?” Azizi asks, tugging lightly on his father’s pant leg. It’s midday and she hasn’t come home yet. Ayoola is passed out on the couch, his dirty hair sticking up in different directions, spit and booze drying in a crust at the corners of his mouth. He doesn’t respond right away. It takes Azizi asking the same question a few times before he’s finally roused awake. ”Huh?” he mumbles, cracking an eye open, “Oh. That.” Ayoola doesn’t seem particularly worried about Tiwa’s absence, just slightly annoyed to have been woken up. ”She left,” he sneers, grunting with effort as he pushes himself up and grabs a crumpled piece of paper that had been wadded up underneath him. “Don’t worry, she’ll come crawling back eventually. Until then how about you go play or something. Daddy is trying to sleep off a cold.”

It would only be a couple more years before Azizi would realize that these frequent ‘colds’ were actually hangovers of varying degrees. A week turns into a month, a few months turn into a year and Tiwa still hasn’t come back. Around the six month mark was when Azizi realized he would never see his mother again. In another three months he would grow angry and resentful, pounding his little fists into the floor because she left him behind. She left him alone with HIM. ”That selfish bitch!” Ayo yells, putting another hole in the wall with his fist, blood seeping from between his fingers, “Leaving me to take care of you by my fucking self! How the hell am I supposed to do that, huh?! Tell me how! Where’s the money going to come from?! I’m sinking here! Do you know how many people I owe money to?” Azizi sobs into his hands, tiny body curled up into a ball on the sofa as his father paces back and forth like a caged animal, ranting like a lunatic at the top of his lungs. ”I… I don’t know!” Azizi cries, far too young to understand all of the things his father is saying, “I’m sorry dad! I’m sorry!” -------------------

“After Candy split the house chores fell to me,” Azizi murmurs darkly, setting his drink down to reach for another cigarette instead, “The cooking, cleaning… Him. Ayoola was a full time job. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I had to clean him up after a blackout. Put him on his side and make sure he wouldn’t throw up and drown in his own vomit.”

Azizi pauses, takes a drag from his cigarette and sighs.

“He drank and shot up so much that the floor was littered all over with the aftermath,” Azizi chuckles bitterly, “I’d have to wade through the filth being careful not to stab myself with a used needle, turn him over and check his pulse. Clean the puke off of him with a rag and then pick it all up.”

Gogo sniffles, rubbing his eyes dry on the back of his hand. It’s at this point that he wants to interrupt, to tell Azizi that he doesn’t have to go on if he doesn’t want to. But as if reading his mind, Azizi looks over at him and smiles sadly.

“It’s okay, Gogo,” he says as soothingly as he can manage, “I’m fine.”

Another pause as he tries to collect his thoughts, memories he wishes didn’t belong to him. “As I got older we started to fight more and more,” Azizi murmurs, “At that point I really had replaced my mother in almost every way.”

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

”Zi! That you?”

”Yeah, it’s me dad,” Azizi replies a little flippantly, “Who the fuck else would it be? One of your booty calls?”

Ayoola snorts with laughter, looking up at him as he walks into the room with bloodshot eyes. ”Have I ever told you that you look like your mother?”

Azizi rolls his eyes, arms crossed over his chest as he leans in the doorway.

”Yeah,” he answers flatly, “Like, fifty times this week.” Ayoola nods sadly, head rolling to the side as he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep again. Frowning, Azizi goes to his room.

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

I won’t cry, Azizi thinks, he doesn’t deserve my tears. “Eventually I ran away,” he informs them, unable to bring himself to give them the gorier details of his life, “And I went out with a bang.” Chuckling softly at his own wording, Azizi brings the glass to his lips again. “That makes it sound like I shot him dead,” he hums, “Sadly, I didn’t. We got into a fight, another bad one where he didn’t just use his words to berate me but his fists. I shoved him backwards, he shoved me harder, I slapped him, and he told me to get the fuck out of his house- I happily obliged.”

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

”You!” Ayoola screams, following Azizi around the house as he does his best to get away from him, “Where do you think you’re going?! I’m talking to you! Where the fuck were you?! You knew you had a client coming over! You knew and you went out anyway- hey!” His hand lashes out violently, grabbing Azizi by the arm and yanking him back. ”I’m not playing with you Zi!” Ayoola says, spittle flying and his teeth grinding together as he gets up in Azizi’s face, “You’re in big fucking trouble. If you’re going to live under this roof-” ”I don’t want to live under this roof!” Azizi screams back, slapping Ayoola in the face in an attempt to get him to let go, “I want to be as far away from you as humanly possible! You’re a fucking monster!” Ayoola doesn’t hesitate to backhand him, the force of it throwing Azizi to the floor where he sits shocked and rubbing tenderly at his freshly bruised cheek. ”Then get the fuck out!” he shouts, jabbing a finger in Azizi’s face as he looms over him, “Leave! Just like your mother did! I’ve taken care of us for how long and you’re acting out like this because I ask you to do your part?! All you have to do is put out! Easiest fucking job on the planet!” Azizi stares at him, dead behind the eyes as he’s yanked back up onto his feet and shoved hard against the kitchen wall, a hand around his throat. ”You hearin’ me? Answer me-” Azizi screams, shoving his father back so hard that he trips over his own feet and falls backwards. ”Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!” he wails, shoving past Ayoola and out the front door. Ayoola gives chase, pausing in the open doorway to yell after him. ”Then go! Die on the street for all I care!”

He does not follow.

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

“To make an already long story short,” he says, glancing over at Gustav and then quickly averting his eyes, “I spent a long time, years, on the street just like Gogo. I did what I knew how to do best. Eventually I ran into Chaka.”

At the mere mention of his name his blood runs cold, the events of his sad life replaying all over again. He handles it though, shoving it deep deep down inside himself where it belongs. “He took me in off the streets you know. Well, for the most part anyway,” he admits, “There were plenty of times he’d leave me on a corner. To teach me a lesson, he’d say. I mean, I do have a reckless mouth so is that any surprise to you guys?” He laughs humorlessly, eyes finding Gogo’s. “But I met Gogo because of that,” he adds very fondly, “So hey. Silver-linings.” Sighing deeply, Azizi downs the rest of his drink in one go.

“I’ll save the stuff with Chaka for another time,” he murmurs, “If I go into that right now we’ll be here all night. Needless to say I didn’t go down the best path after leaving that hellhole, but if I’m being honest I don’t regret it. Dealing with Chaka’s bullshit was a hell of a lot better than dealing with my old man’s.” Despite his best efforts there’s a wet shine to his eyes now, but the tears don’t fall. Not even when the memories are threatening to choke the air out of his lungs. “So, that’s part one of my story,” he says faux cheerfully, “Now you know I come from trash. Do with it what you will.”

End.

#flight rising lore #fr lore #lore: the velvet fang #azizi #my lore #sorry for any typos #this was a pain to format on here

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theliterateape · 3 years

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A Look at Today’s Approach to Mental Health through the Mind of Hollywood’s Most Convoluted Antihero

By Brett Dworski

About forty-six minutes into Martin Scorsese’s 1976 neo noir thriller, Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle asks his fellow cabbie, Wizard, if he can talk to him about something. Standing outside a diner on break during their usual graveyard shifts, Travis tenses up, hesitant to speak his mind. But then the camera zooms in on Travis, and he vents.

“I just want to go out and really, really do something.” ”Taxi life, you mean?” “No… I don’t know. I just want to go out… I really… I’ve got some bad ideas in my head.”

Even after forty-five years since its release, Taxi Driver remains one of the most ambiguous films of our time. Some believe it’s a gritty, optimistic story of a bum-turned-hero, while others see a volatile loner whose dark urges get the best of him—a ticking time bomb of sorts. Both make sense, with this moment between Travis and Wizard bridging the two. But all opinions aside, there’s an undeniable certainty to Taxi Driver: That Travis—a Vietnam War veteran—is very troubled, and whether his intentions are good or bad, he takes a manic turn, resulting in one of Hollywood’s most convoluted antihero stories. While some of his actions are concrete, most require abstract interpretation, leaving questions that have plagued us for nearly five decades: What does Travis’s journey mean, and what is Scorsese trying to tell us through it?

Set in a decaying and corrupt post-Vietnam New York City, Travis—played by a stunningly grim Robert De Niro—dreams of ridding the city of the filth and perversion he witnesses during his overnight shifts as a cabbie. The more Travis drives, the more he questions his purpose in life and grows deranged, ultimately leading down a path of violence, hatred, and even redemption. De Niro went all out to prepare for the role of Travis: Besides getting a taxi license and driving the streets of New York City in his spare time, he lost thirty-five pounds and listened repeatedly to a taped reading of the diaries of Arthur Bremer, the man who attempted to assassinate U.S. presidential candidate George Wallace in 1972.

Upon meeting the lonely and depressed Travis, we feel sorry for him. But the more people he encounters, the more he becomes detached from reality, and his actions leave us questioning his morals—as well as what’s real and what’s not.

It all starts with Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a beautiful campaign volunteer for presidential candidate Charles Palantine. After watching Betsy from afar, Travis musters the courage to ask her out. Betsy thinks he’s weird, but she’s into it. They set a date. Earlier in the film, Travis frequents a pornographic movie theater—whether out of sexual thrill or a longing for something deeper is up to us to decide—and he takes Betsy there. Unsurprisingly, she leaves in disgust. This is Scorsese’s first test for viewers: Did Travis really lack the judgement in taking Betsy to a porno on their first date, or was it all a maddening trick? Is he a perverted freak despite loathing the sexual activity he sees in the streets, or is he simply ignorant?

Creating empathy for antiheros is a constant challenge for filmmakers, but when Travis calls Betsy to apologize, Scorsese masters it.

“Would you like to have dinner with me in the next few days or something? … Well how about just a cup of coffee? … Did you get my flowers in the ...? I sent some flowers … Can I call you again? Tomorrow or the next day?”

At first, we’re drawn to De Niro’s masterful, cringey acting. We see and feel Travis’s angst and pain. But while he’s talking, the camera shifts right and pauses in an empty hallway—a tracking shot that speaks a thousand words: That in this moment, Travis’s life is too agonizing to watch. Later, Travis storms into Betsy’s workplace and berates her in front of her colleagues, saying she’s going to hell and is "just like the others.” But who is he referring to?

Another woman who attracts Travis’s attention is Iris (Jodie Foster), a child prostitute. But unlike with Betsy, Travis views himself as a fatherly figure to the 12-year-old, as he constantly dreams of rescuing her from exploitation. He tells Iris to leave New York and find her family, to be a kid again. It’s here that we even start rooting for Travis, if only briefly. He tells her he may be going away for a bit, hinting that he’s planning something—a “bad idea” of sorts. While Iris entertains the idea, she’s later convinced to stay by her manipulative pimp, Sport, in what is by far the most sickening moment of the film.

Needing to do something powerful, Travis goes full throttle: He buys some guns, shaves his head into a mohawk, and unsuccessfully attempts to assassinate Palantine at a rally. In his eyes, he’s doing a societal service—becoming the force needed to clean New York’s filth and corruption—but has gone insane while doing so. Travis’s journey reaches its apex when he ventures to Iris’s brothel and murders Sport, Iris’s client, and the bouncer.

The ending is especially ambivalent. Despite murdering three people in cold blood, Travis is deemed a hero. Newspaper clippings of his courageousness are hung around his apartment, as is a letter from Iris’s parents thanking him for saving their daughter. When he’s back on the job, Travis picks up a passenger, Betsy, who acknowledges his heroics. In this moment, everything is perfect. Travis has gotten the girl of his dreams, and he’s allowed another to achieve dreams of her own. He’s won. But here’s where Scorsese really screws with us: Upon dropping Betsy off, Travis adjusts his rearview mirror and does a double-take as if he’s seen something alarming, just as a piercing sound hits our ears. We see Travis’s attentive eyes through the windshield before the credits roll to the streetlights.

This is Scorsese’s final test: Was Travis really the hero, or was it all a figment of his imagination?

The great Roger Ebert once said that despite their flaws, Scorsese’s characters “want to be forgiven and admired.” This is surely true of Travis Bickle, and his psychotic twist and apparent redemption represents his greater struggle to relate to the world and find inner peace. Whether or not Travis becoming a hero and regaining the admiration of Betsy is reality or fantasy, the final shot indicates he’s running on a hamster wheel, always one moment away from another maniacal tailspin.

In his confinement to Wizard, Travis confesses his emotional struggle for the first and only time of the film, but Wizard provides no support, instead telling him to “go get laid.” Travis opened up and wasn’t taken seriously. In 2021, an era where mental health is more discussed and normalized than ever before, Travis is an extreme and somber expression of what can happen to people who need help but never receive it.

#Travis opened up and wasn’t taken seriously. In 2021 an era where mental health is more discussed and normalized than ever before Travis is #Taxi Driver #Robert De Niro #Martin Scorsese #Jodie Foster #Mental Health #Mental Illness #heroic

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izzy-b-hands · 4 years

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Let All Be Quiet In Your Head

A snapshot fic, part of the You Send Me AU with our trans reader x Freddie. Set a few years in the future from that original fic, to the 1980 The Game North American tour. Didn’t choose an exact tour date, just somewhere in there lol.

I’ll admit, because it would be wrong of me not to, what you’re going to read about the reader’s father is just...my father. My history with my dad, all the things he’s done, parts of his life. Part of me knows this is a bit much, but you know what? He hurt me again at his last visit a day ago, after I opened myself up to giving him yet another chance to be a good or at least decent bare-minimum dad.

So he fucking deserves to be used in a fic like this.

tw: misgendering (including use of wrong pronouns and deadname, though in the fic it’s just [deadname] of course since this is reader fic), a lot of arguing, and what I can only best say are descriptions of emotional neglect/abuse (that’s what my therapist defines it as, so that’s what I’m labeling it with here!)

Title comes from the lyrics of Never Quite Free by The Mountain Goats. I’m also adding the link to info about the song on Genius, because the explanation of it there, about it having to do with trauma never quite letting you go, but finding a way to move on from it, is important in this fic, and part of why I used some of the lyrics for the title.

My love to all who read/like/reblog.

“I’m sorry, who the fuck are you?” Michael, a member of the security team had his entire body blocking the doorway to the back of the venue.

“I know someone on the crew,” a voice said, and your heart stopped beating for a moment.

You had been assisting in readying a few things for the concert (little things that might need replacing mid-show, like strings, or drum pads, etc) but now you bolted down the hall, dodging past your fellow crew members to find Freddie.

“We need to go,” you gasped as you skidded to a stop in the dressing room.

Freddie, shirtless, with one leg out of the trousers he’d worn to the venue, paused. “Right this moment?”

You nodded. “We are not dealing with this. Gather the lads, I’m going to find someone else on the security team so they can tell Michael how to deal with this.”

“Is something wrong with the venue?” he asked, slipping his trousers back on and zipping them, the button of them left undone as he walked after you down the hall. “Is someone hurt? We can’t just go without knowing why.”

“You’ve met my mum, and her side of the family,” you said. “And you know my history with my dad.”

You gave him a look, and waited a second until the light bulb dinged on.

“Really? Here? I thought you said he rarely contacts you.”

“He rarely does,” you said. “But, we’re in his town, and god I know I told Mum not to tell him I was with you, and working for you guys, but she must have. He’s probably been following the tour schedule and was just waiting for us to get here.”

“Is he here now?” Freddie asked.

“Yeah, Michael is dealing with-where are you going?”

Freddie had wheeled around, and headed for the door where Michael still stood, his voice and the voice of your father getting increasingly angrier and louder.

“Hello,” he chirped as he walked up to them, with you running on his heels. “Can we help you?”

“My kid works for you,” your father said, still trying to peer past Freddie and Michael to see into the venue’s back hall. “I was hoping to see her.”

“Ah,” Freddie said, wincing at your father’s use of the wrong pronoun. “Did you call ahead? And what is their name?”

Your father balked. You knew he didn’t like using your true/new first name, but didn’t often use your deadname either. In fact, you couldn’t recall if he had ever called you anything other than ‘hey...you’ in the few times he had seen you since you’d begun transitioning.

“Well, it should be [deadname],” he finally replied.

Freddie shook his head. “Sorry, no one by that name here. Maybe you’ve got the wrong band. Michael, is anyone else playing in town tonight?”

Michael shrugged. “I only pay attention to the band I work for.”

“Good man,” Freddie nodded. “I’m sorry you’ve been given incorrect information, but we do need to get back to preparing for the show. Have you bought a ticket? Perhaps we’ll see you in the crowd.”

It was the same fast patter he gave anyone that he didn’t want to talk to, and usually it worked like a charm.

Until your father saw you, hiding behind Freddie and Michael, as best you could.

“[Deadname]!” he cried, then paused. “I mean, hey...sweetheart. Your mom’s friend told me you were working for the band, and I thought, since you’re in town-”

You gently tapped Michael’s shoulder, and he stepped aside just enough to let you lean in to join them in the doorway. “This would be a good time to see me.”

“Yeah!” your dad nodded. “So? Are you free?”

“Not really,” you admitted. “The show is in a couple of hours, and I’m crew so...I need to help everyone get ready.”

“Could I maybe just bum around with you, while you work? I won’t get in the way; I’ll listen to instructions,” your father said. “I’m a Marine, so I can take instructions. Though I’m high up enough that I give them now.”

You could feel Michael and Freddie bristle, and you looked to them for your answer.

“I...for a bit, perhaps,” Freddie said stiltedly. “Though if we ask you to stay put in a spot, we’ll need you to listen. It can get quite hectic.”

Michael nodded. “And if we say stay out of an area, you don’t go there. Got it?”

Your father nodded, giving them a look as if they were mad for having anything other than absolute confidence in him. “As I said, I know how to listen. I’m not an idiot.”

You winced, but stepped aside along with Michael and Freddie to let your father inside. It was a small mercy that he hadn’t shown up in uniform, as he had during the few other times he had bothered to come see you over the years.

“I’m going to go change,” Freddie said. “But if you need anything. And I mean, anything, Y/N. Come and get me.”

He looked worried as he walked away, and you had a feeling he feared to leave you alone with your father. He knew every little detail of it all, from the years of seeing your father maybe five times over the course of your childhood as he hadn’t fought for custody of you (he’d been busy with the woman he’d begun dating while your mum had been pregnant with you, and with the child that resulted from that union and eventual marriage that had, unsurprisingly, ended in another divorce for him), to the painful conversations you’d had over the years with your father in trying to achieve something like either A. a decent father-child relationship or B. no contact closure.

Instead of those things, you had this.

“So, what is it you do exactly?” your father asked as you both watched Michael resume his post at the door.

“Little bit of everything,” you replied, and motioned for him to follow you down the hall. “I started as more of an apprentice than anything else, and I’m learning in all different areas of what needs to be done for a show. I’ve got some knowledge about working with the guitar techs, drum tech, bass tech, and some of the sound work. I’d love to learn more about the lighting rigs too, but I’ve been needed elsewhere. And of course, I help out in assisting the boys, getting them things they need, being an ear to vent to, things like that.”

You paused. “And...I mean...I am dating Freddie as well, so that’s a thing of its own! But it’s all professional when it’s showtime!”

Your father’s smile fell slightly, and you could feel the tension. He had made it clear at the start of your transition that he wasn’t comfortable with you doing it, but had told you “you’re still my child, and that counts for something.” You had never fully come out to him as gay in addition to being transgender, and evidently hearing it now like this was not going over well.

But he only made an uncomfortable clear of his throat, and followed as you went about finishing the rest of your tasks.

It wasn’t the worst, in that moment. It was even oddly nice, seeing him take some interest in what you were doing.

But then he spoke.

“Are you sure that should go there?” he asked, pointing to the strings you were setting aside near Brian’s wing of the stage.

“I am,” you replied confidently. “Best to have them right here, so if he breaks a string, we’re ready to fix it for him.”

“Seems like they might be in the way,” your father said. “Wouldn’t want anyone to ruin them by bumping against that crate.”

“Might seem that way,” you said, although you did not see it that way at all, and didn’t know of anyone else on the crew who would agree with him. “But it’s the tried and true method for us, you know?”

His smile was tight, but you ignored it, and led on to the next wing to help set up things for John.

“I don’t mean to overstep,” your father started again, and you bit back a frustrated sigh. “But there’s a lot of stuff in the way here, isn’t there? You can’t just leave that for someone else to trip on.”

“It won’t be,” you said. “But I’m not the one in charge of that; the folks that are using those crates and what’s in them will move them before show time.”

“You’re here right now, aren’t you?”

You stared down into the crate you were digging through, and fought back at what you wanted to say to him. “I am. But as I said, I might cause issues for everyone else if I move the things they’re using or working on right now. Best to stick to what I’ve been assigned, that’s how we work like a well-oiled machine.”

You were echoing what you’d been told during some of your first days on the crew, to help you acclimate to working with the team. It had proven to be some of the best advice you’d gotten. It didn’t mean you couldn’t be a safety net for each other to ensure everything got done, but it also meant you trusted each other to do your jobs, and to ask for help when needed, not to let a problem get out of control.

However, the only problem for this night was following you, and huffing more and more at everything you did that you could tell he felt was done ‘wrong.’

On your next pass down the main hall, you nearly ran into Brian.

“Sorry,” he smiled. “Who is this?”

“I’m [deadname]’s father,” your father said, pushing past you to reach a hand out to Brian.

“You mean Y/N?” Brian asked, a brow raised. The crew and band, over the years of getting close and comfortable with them, now knew most things about you and your transition, including your deadname. However, they also knew the importance of that name not being used for you and were protective over making sure no one else ever used it for you.

Your father’s smile didn’t falter, but he didn’t reply.

Brian gave you a curious look, but shook your father’s hand. “Well then. Pleased to meet you. I’m Brian. I take it Y/N is giving you the backstage tour, all the little secrets?”

“Well, she’s obviously still learning,” your father replied. “I mean, I tried to let her know what could be done better, but I’m sure the crew will get on her, right? A little tough love goes a long way!”

Brian looked peeved now, and all but jerked his hand out of your father’s. “He knows his job very well, actually. He’s sort of our jack-of-all-trades, can go almost wherever we need him. Except the lighting rigs, but we’re going to get him up there someday when there’s time for teaching all that, right, Y/N?”

You nodded. “I’m looking forward to that day!”

Your father nodded, and didn’t turn to look for your reaction. “So, I’m not really a fan-”

“Okay,” Brian chuckled.

“But I do play guitar on the side some, and I wanted to talk technique with you.”

You could see the ESCAPE NOW sign flashing in Brian’s brain, but he nodded instead of bolting from the hall, as you would not have blamed him for doing if he had done. “I don’t know how much advice I can give-”

“I think I’ve got some good advice for you, actually,” your father interrupted. “You play well, but there’s always room for improvement, right?”

“There is,” Brian said slowly. You knew he didn’t consider himself some godly player, but he also knew his level of skill and worth with the guitar. And it was certainly well above your father’s occasional slapping at an acoustic.

“That’s my man!” your father said, and slapped Brian on the back.

He was seeing red now, his mouth pursed, but you had to give Brian kudos for not immediately smacking your father across the face as you could tell he likely wanted to.

“Perhaps we can speak on that if you’re here after the show,” Brian said shortly. “I’m afraid I’ve forgotten something in one of the other rooms, excuse me.”

He moved past you gently, giving your upper arm a soft squeeze as he did. It felt like an apology, for leaving you with your father.

“Kind of rude,” your father remarked as you led him on down the hall. Your next task was to ensure the lads didn’t need anything or any help in getting ready; they almost never did, but it would always be a part of the pre-show ritual, just in case.

“Everyone gets a little short around this time,” you defended. “They’ve got to focus in on their jobs. We all do.”

“You certainly have walking around and messing with things down to an art,” he snipped.

You stopped, and turned to him. “Yeah, I do.”

You continued on, ignoring the scoff from him as you did. Any time before, you wouldn’t have had time for his shit simply on principle. But now, you really truly did not have time to deal with his bullshit.

You had a band to help get on-stage, in only another hour.

“Good evening, boys,” you greeted Roger, Freddie, and John. Brian had yet to return, you figured waiting until he didn’t hear your father’s voice anywhere near by before he would dare to enter the hallway again.

“Y/N!” Roger grinned. “Freddie says you’ve got a guest!”

You nodded. “This is my dad. He actually lives here, and he knew we were in town-”

“So here I am!” your father interrupted, and went round to shake hands with all of them, even Freddie, who shot you a puzzled look at that.

“Anyone need anything? Usual checklist, food, water, clothing repairs, human sacrifice, you know,” you said, and smiled as the boys giggled.

“We’re alright,” John said. “Don’t know about the others, but I’ve barely seen you all day. Nice to have the moment to check in with you.”

“What do you do in the band?” your father asked John, stepping back and nearly in front of you.

“Bass,” John replied.

“Cool! You know, I play guitar,” your father said. “Which is pretty similar to the bass, I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

John was giving him a look that could kill, but it didn’t seem to phase your father one bit.

“And I was actually trying to talk to the guitarist earlier, Brennan, I think?” your father continued.

“Brian,” Freddie corrected, the disgust in his voice only barely hidden. To anyone who knew him decently well, however, it was obvious in his tone.

“Sure,” your father said, not even looking over to Freddie. “I wanted to give him some tips that I’ve picked up, but he brushed me off. Maybe you could use them?”

“No thanks,” John replied, as politely as you knew he could manage with the frustration brewing, evident from the wrinkles in his brow.

“Come on,” your father pushed. “Consider it fatherly advice.”

You had also shared your history with your father with the rest of the band. They were all less than pleased with it, to put it gently, and were sympathetic to you, but John in particular had been upset about it all. Maybe it had to do with him having three kids of his own, maybe it was just because you were good friends with the whole band now, or maybe there was some other factor in his life that you didn’t yet know that made him more sensitive to it all.

But he was openly angry now.

“I’m sorry, but what I know of you does not designate you as much of a father,” John said sternly.

“Sorry?” your father scoffed. “You don’t know me, so I don’t know how you could say anything like that.”

“I know about you,” John said. “Y/N has told us everything, from his childhood up until now. And if I ever behaved as you have with him? I would not only expect my children to not want to be around me or to contact me, but I would encourage them not to, because I would have obviously lost my manners, common sense, and ability to parent.”

The room was painfully tense. Roger and Freddie were watching with held breath, same as you, and you moved to stand near where Freddie was sat.

“You have children? You look like a boot, fresh into Camp Pendleton,” your father chuckled. “Noodley arms and all.”

“I have three,” John replied sharply. “All with one woman, my Ronnie, and not strewn across the countryside.”

“You’re a saint,” your father spat sarcastically. “Do you look down on every man who happens to have had more than one spouse, and kids with each of them? Or just me?”

“Just you, actually,” John said. “Because you don’t care about your son, that’s evident to me. You care about having things to show off, and that includes your children. That’s not what children are for.”

Your father opened his mouth to protest, but John raised a finger to show he wasn’t done.

“Not that you would know. From what I’ve been told, you were only there to help raise the last two you had, with your current wife,” John said. “And do I ever pity her. What a quandary: to stay with you and deal with you when you surely must be even more insufferable at home, or to leave, and hope she can manage the children alone, while you bounce to the next woman and drop a few new ones in her.”

“That’s enough,” your father said harshly.

“I’m not fucking finished,” John spat. “I know Y/N has a lot of this he’s wanted to say, but he hasn’t gotten the chance. And I’ll be happy to cede the floor to him in a moment, so he can take over and say his lot. But I’ve been fuming over this since he told us everything about you, and you’re going to shut up and listen. I know you aren’t much good at that, per Y/N’s time with you, but I also know you like to talk about yourself and no one else. So this should be satisfactorily masturbatory for you.”

For once, your father was shocked into silence.

“How can you treat your own child that way? In every conversation Y/N has recalled to us, you cut him off, don’t listen to him, don’t seem to care about what he has to say. You ask, sure, but that’s purely to perform what you think you’re meant to do with a child, isn’t it? You tick that box, and then you can move on to boast about your work with the military, or your other children, and you expect Y/N to smile and congratulate you. But have you ever done the same for him, aside from the most basic ‘oh good?’ Don’t answer, I know you haven’t,” John continued. “I know that no parent can know exactly what their child feels. I wouldn’t expect you to mind read, and Y/N doesn’t either-”

You nodded.

“But you could have considered how he feels. With never seeing you-”

“I’ve come to see her, and had to fight to get her to agree to it,” your father interrupted.

“I barely know you as a person!” you shouted. It was too hard to hold back anymore. “And when I was little? I knew even less! I knew your name, I knew that you were a Marine, I knew that you found someone else before I was born which is why you and Mum divorced, and that’s why my first half-sister is so close in age to me. But aside from that? I didn’t know how act around you, how you might be as a person. I was a shy kid to begin with; it was all the more difficult to go with you anywhere all of the five times you came to see me before I turned eighteen because I...”

You faltered. “I didn’t know you. And you didn’t know me, and you didn’t make the effort to get to know me, even when I did the same for you. I was able to tell the boys not just what all that was like, but about the things you love. Your favorite foods, hobbies, color, activities that you do with my half-siblings. Could you tell them any of that about me?”

The room was deathly quiet.

“I don’t have to put up with this,” your father said coldly. “I did you a favor by coming here to see you; I didn’t have to do that.”

“No, you didn’t,” Roger said, standing from his chair to come over and wrap an arm around you, while Freddie held tight to one of your hands. “And from the sounds of it, you shouldn’t have done it at all. I think you need to leave.”

“I thought Y/N had something more to say to me?” your father asked mockingly, glaring back at John.

The tears had welled up past the point of hiding them, but you nodded. “Why? Why are like this with me? Because you feel I didn’t ‘make enough effort’ as a kid to somehow get to know you in five visits, most of them barely an hour long? Everyone I’ve talked to, my therapist included, says the onus should have been on you to get to know me, and the relationship could have developed from there. Did you ever want to have one with me? Did you ever want to really be my dad? Did you even want kids, or were we just accidents you had to pay child support for?”

He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t come here to listen to you whine.”

“And what about me now?” you continued, ignoring his comment. “I know you don’t like that I’m transgender; you may not have said it out loud but it’s there. In your tone, that look you give me whenever I talk about anything in relation to it, like you’re humoring me by listening to me. The last time we saw each other, you could barely spend an hour with me, you winced when we hugged, which I only did because you wanted the damned hug anyway! You told me I was still your child and that counted for something, but I don’t think you fucking meant it. I think you said it because you felt like you were obligated to say something like that”

You wiped at the tears with your free hand. “You clearly aren’t a fan of my relationship either. Don’t think I didn’t see the look on your face when I mentioned it. For someone who lies about everything from his achievements to whether he’ll be in town to see his kid or not, you’re a horrible fucking liar.”

His eyes flashed, and you knew you were in for it. But it was cathartic all the same, to finally say so much of what had been in your head for years, whenever he was brought up, the few times he had come to visit you (and when he was in town, it was never just for you; there was always some bigger, more interesting thing for him like hunting or seeing his old friends. You were an afterthought, a ‘since I’m here, I may as well.’)

“I’ve tried, since becoming an adult, to give you more chances. To see if we could make it work. But it’s like trying to build a house with someone with no foundation, and the other person won’t even try to help set one up,” you said softly. “I need closure. I can’t do this anymore, and I think if you were honest, you’d admit you don’t want to either. Hell, one of Mum’s friends told me that you were telling their old high school friends that you were disowning me. That was two years ago! Yet here you are. So what is it? Is this over, and I’m disowned, and we don’t talk again, or do you want to try and make equal effort with me, and be my dad properly, for the first time in your life?”

He stared at you. At Roger, who was holding you close. At Freddie, who was squeezing your hand in the pattern of threes he always did when you were nervous or upset. At John, who was glaring him down with a frightening ferocity.

You looked, and realized Brian was in the doorway. You had no idea how long he’d been there, but he was glaring down your father as well, so it had to have been for awhile.

Your father looked at you, shook his head, and left.

He pushed past Brian, past every crew member in the hall who had gathered to try and see what all the shouting was about, and you crowded out in the hall among them with the boys.

And watched him walk out of the venue, without another word.

---

The show went on as planned. There wasn’t much time to finish getting ready, but you pushed everyone to hurry. You could see in everyone’s eyes, from the lads to your fellow crew members, that they wanted to talk to you about what had happened.

But there wasn’t time for that, not with fans waiting.

It was only after, with everyone settled in the hotel room you shared with Freddie, that the dam finally broke.

“I should have hit him,” Brian mused. “I’m not a violent man. But he deserved it.”

“I would have liked to have had a turn as well,” John said. “I’m still absolutely furious with him. To hear all of that, if he listened at all, and then to just...go. If I ever act like that towards my own children or Veronica, you all have my permission to slap some sense back into me.”

Roger nodded. “Think I could have done with a smack to him. Freddie used to box, that would have been the real show.”

Freddie chuckled and shook his head. “Agreed, but all the same, I’m glad it didn’t come to that. It was terrible enough as it was. Are you alright, Y/N? As alright as you can be, I mean.”

You nodded slowly. “I think so. I will be, at least. If nothing else, I finally got him to hear everything I’ve had in my mind. And thank you, John, for your part in saying it. I needed the help to get going; you said it all as I would have.”

John reached over and gave your hand a squeeze. “Glad I could help. It was really satisfying, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” you replied. “I just wish it had ended differently. I thought...I always try to give him a chance, you know? I thought maybe he would have surprised me, and said that he wanted to try and work on a relationship with me. But if he isn’t willing, then I hope he just leaves me alone from now on. It just would have been nice if he had wanted to try...I mean, I’ve never really had a dad. A grandfather, yes, and an uncle, and some men I looked up to as father figures but never really knew. But that’s not the same.”

They piled on top of you, and you barely had enough time to set aside your drink onto the nearest end table before they did.

“I know you don’t see us that way,” Roger said. “And I’m glad you don’t, it would be weird if you did, all things considered. But if you’d like, we can play at it sometimes. I’ll yell at you to clean your room.”

“I can teach you how to ride a bike, or something,” John added.

“You don’t have homework anymore, since you aren’t in school,” Brian said. “But I could give you homework, about space or something about it, and then I could get on you about finishing it. I’d make it fun, I promise.”

“And all three of them can have a talk with me about making sure I’m good enough for you, and that I’d best not break your heart,” Freddie said. He was closest pressed to you, and gave you a quick kiss. “Not that anyone need worry about that.”

“I know my heart is safe with you,” you said. “And thank you, all of you. I’m sorry you had to deal with him in any capacity tonight.”

From under Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John’s arms, you could hear the crew’s words of assurance, and it made everything feel so much better. Despite how your father had been, no one hated you for this actions. An irrational thing you knew, but even so, it was nice to have the worry assuaged.

“God help me, if he comes back again, I’m physically tossing him away,” Michael said, and the mood of the room lifted even more as everyone laughed.

The boys clambered back off of you, and Freddie found his bottle of beer again, only to raise it. “A toast: to the promise that if any of us should see him trying to come around again before we leave town, we will physically toss him as far away as we can!”

You raised your glass of water while everyone else raised their drinks, and it was perhaps the most fulfilling drink of water you’d ever had as the toast concluded. There was nothing that could erase what had happened with your father, in the past and now, but there was a future to look forward to. One likely without him, but with more love and care from the boys and crew than you could ever have gotten from your father.

#text post #LeeH writes #queen band fic #freddie mercury x male reader #freddie mercury x reader

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artificialqueens · 4 years

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Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, 6 (Branjie) (and background everyone) - Ortega

a/n: hi hello hey. how did this happen? I actually wrote this way quicker than I expected. thank u so much for ur patience during the rewrites fam, hopefully i won’t have to do any more!!!! so so so hope u like the new chapter :)))))

fic summary: Strictly Come Dancing enters its 18th series and its producers, after being goaded by a rival dance show on its inclusivity, commission it to be an all-female cast. Unlike Akeria who’s just here to bone her potential dance partner, dancer Vanessa is ready to act like a professional.

And then TV presenter Brooke Lynn walks into the rehearsal room.

***

11th October 2020

As it turns out, Vanessa meets Monique and Akeria for lunch earlier than she’d expected. Okay, it’s at her flat instead of a cafe and it’s dinner instead of lunch, the three of them all easily agreeing to go back to Vanessa’s after the pro dance rehearsal on Sunday evening. Akeria had wanted to go to The Ivy but Vanessa had decided to make pernil in the slow cooker that morning after a facetime with her Tia had made her particularly homesick, and there was enough for the three of them anyway. Monique had been glad of the fact that they would be safe from any rogue journalists at Vanessa’s, and Vanessa had laughed and objected to the idea that any journalists would be interested in what was going on in their lives anyway.

Then again, that hadn’t appeared to be the case last year when everything kicked off with-

“V!” Akeria shouts over to her and interrupts her from the dreamlike state in which she’s fluffing up the rice. “You got any more wine?”

Vanessa laughs at her friend as she tips the pan over three bowls consecutively. “You’re rehearsin’ tomorrow morning, calm the fuck down.”

“Aw, let a bitch live! I did good last night, I deserve to celebrate.”

Vanessa thinks about how Akeria ended up fourth on the leaderboard with Asia and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, rub it in, girl. It’s fourth place, not Vicks.”

“Stop bein’ salty,” Akeria scolds her as Vanessa carries their dinner over to the huge sofa they’ve chosen to sit on instead of her tiny dining table. “You had a couple bum weeks, so what? This week’ll be the one.”

Vanessa wants to point out that it was really only one bum week and the other she was undermarked for, but she doesn’t. She lets it drop and instead turns her attention to Monique. “Right, bitch, let’s break bread and spill tea. What’s goin’ on?”

As Monique lets out a heavy sigh while she stabs at her food, Akeria claps her hands together and threatens to spill her dinner. “Yes! Thank God you said it, ‘cause I didn’t want to seem rude, but that’s the reason we’re all here, right?”

“God, I beg you both shut up,” Monique groans. “Okay so…me and Monet. You know we did that Waltz, right? And it was very…romantic, very intense.”

Vanessa and Akeria bob their heads like nodding dogs in response. Monique gives another heavy sigh and Vanessa is on the edge of her seat. “Well, it was like…our last full run before we finished up on Thursday. An’ we were both very much like…well, final run, let’s just give it all our energy. And it just got so intense, like, all the eye contact and the moments where we were all like…close, the bit where she picks me up and spins me-”

“Oh my God…did you kiss?” Akeria blurts out excitedly. Monique rubs both her temples with her hands.

“Akeria,” she raises her eyebrows. “We had sex.”

Vanessa lets out a scream. Akeria almost spills the entire bowl of pernil over herself as she reacts, waving her arms about so much Vanessa thinks she might give herself whiplash. “Sorry, sorry, sorry…WHAT?!”

“You cannot tell a single fucking soul on God’s green earth!” Monique groans, and Vanessa still isn’t sure if she’s over the information she’s just been given.

“HOW?!” Vanessa screeches out, ignoring Monique’s plea but promising her internally.

“It was my own damn fault-”

“FAULT?! How is this in any way a negative situation?” Akeria teases her friend with a shit-eating grin on her face.

Monique pouts in self-pity as she carries on with her sentence. “I kissed her. At the very end. I just got so caught up in everything, Jesus, I don’t know.”

“Tell me it was like the musical where there’s all the fuckin’ horn section and everything goin’ off in the background,” Vanessa butts in, remembering when she saw The Bodyguard on the West End last year. Monique knows the exact bit in I Have Nothing she’s talking about, because she nods her head.

“It was exactly that part.”

Vanessa lets out a cry identical to Akeria’s. She’s picturing the scene in her head and it sounds like the most romantic kiss that’s ever happened to anyone outside of a fictional setting. “M’nique, that’s adorable, oh my God.”

“What happened after? Well, she obviously liked it,” Akeria shrugs, and Vanessa splutters a laugh. Monique looks vaguely like a babysitter that has to deal with a pair of five year old twins.

“She just kissed me back before I could even break away out of fuckin’ embarrassment. She was just holding me and kissing me for what seemed like ages…and then when I had to get air I was panicking and apologising and she…oh my God. She asked me if she could take me home.”

Akeria raises her eyebrows. “Damn. I have got flutters.”

“So you went back to hers? OH my God. You’ve been to Monet X Change’s house,” Vanessa gasps, impressed. Akeria gives a snort of disbelief, turns to look at her.

“She’s been inside her fuckin’ pussy, never mind her house!!”

They both howl, and Monique rolls her eyes before apparently admitting to herself that what Akeria had said was funny after all and giggling.

Akeria leans forward with intrigue. “And did you…have a nice time?”

Monique now can’t wipe the smile off her face as she puts both hands to her cheeks, an attempt to cover her blush. “Yes. We both did. It was a very nice time.”

“So what’s the problem?” Akeria asks her, blasé and black and white as ever. Monique gives a sigh of exasperation.

“Because we’ve not…spoken about it, we’ve not addressed it!”

“It didn’t seem awkward last night, you did a great job!” Vanessa frowns, spearing a chunk of pulled pork. Monique lets out a tiny helpless whine.

“Yeah, that’s because…” she begins, then trails off. Vanessa knows what she’s going to say already, but Monique finishes her sentence before she can properly connect the dots. “We did it two more times before the actual dance.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ!” Akeria shouts through a mouthful of dinner. “This ain’t fair! How come a God-fearing, good lil’ Christian girl like you can get laid three times in the space of three days an’ I get nothing?”

“Jeez Keeks that’s so far off the mark. Christian? Uh-huh. Good? No way,” Vanessa teases. Monique, for perhaps the twelfth time this evening, looks as if she’s severely regretting telling her friends anything at all, so Vanessa decides to be helpful. “When’d you bang again, then? Thursday night was the first. You stay over?”

“Yeah. We did it again the next morning and then in the studio on Friday.”

“IN the studio!” Akeria screeches. Vanessa wonders if she should apologise to her neighbours the next day. She, herself, has had sex quieter than Akeria’s screeching. “You are nasty as fuck!”

Monique has the good grace to attempt to look embarrassed before a proud smile takes over. “It was Monet’s idea. She told me she couldn’t keep her hands off me.”

“Well she’s nasty too. Y’all are well suited,” Akeria shrugs, and the three of them laugh.

“So why’re you pressed?” Vanessa asks her friend. She draws from her own experience as she follows up. “You in your feelings?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know!” Monique gives an anguished cry, dramatic as ever. “I just want to get to know her a lil’ more. I don’t want her to think I just wanna sleep with her because she’s Monet X Change, y’know? Like sure, I have a crush on her, but it’s not like I ever had sleep-with-my-dream-girl on my bucket list.”

“Maybe on your fuck-it list,” Akeria supplies unhelpfully.

“Why don’t you ask her out?” Vanessa shrugs. It seems so simple when she’s giving it as advice but if anyone had suggested that as a solution to her feelings for Brooke she would’ve laughed them all the way to Oxford Circus.

Monique gives Vanessa a long-suffering stare. “We both know it ain’t that simple, V.”

“Well, why don’t you tell her what you’ve just told us?”

This time Monique pulls a face. “Well, maybe. I don’t know. Monet don’t seem like the type to catch feelings, though.”

“You don’t seem like the type to catch feelings. Shit, you don’t catch feelings,” Akeria reminds her, Vanessa giving a laugh as she remembers every time Monique has had to pry girls off of her at a bar.

“Shut up. To be honest I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’m glad to have vented about it,” Monique shrugs in resignation, takes a sip of her wine. “Anyway Kiki, what’s the story with Miss Asia? Thought you were gonna sweep her off her feet an’ show her your Hitachi or whatever line usually works for you.”

Vanessa snorts as Akeria gives a smirk. “I wish. Nah, we get along great but we’re honestly just better as friends. It’s almost like all the hours spent rehearsing with our bodies pressed up against each other kinda ruined the magic a lil’. She’s great though. Could set her up with you, though, Vanj?”

In any other context, Vanessa would have a smart remark. However, the thought of being set up with someone else when Brooke Lynn seems to fill her every waking thought these days isn’t a desirable one, so she opens her mouth. “Well, uh…I mean, obviously Asia’s cute, but I’m not really…y’know-”

“Oh my God,” Monique cuts in, trying and failing to suppress a laugh. “You’re crushin’ on Brooke Lynn. You are! Oh my God, Kiki, look at that blush.”

Vanessa frantically shakes her head, willing the blood to flow away from her face. “No! No, it ain’t a crush. Shut up.”

“You’ve gone so red. Jeez. I’d hate to see the colour you go when you are in your feelings, then,” Akeria laughs.

“She is so in her feelings! C’mon, deny it, bitch. Try an’ deny it.”

“Jesus Christ will you both shut up!” Vanessa exhales with exasperation, now highly regretting the amount she’d wound Monique up. “Fine! Fine…it’s not a crush, but I just find the girl attractive, an’ it’s nice gettin’ to know her, is all.”

“That’s literally a crush,” Akeria stares incredulously at her. Vanessa rolls her eyes to the ceiling and aquiesces.

“…fine, maybe it’s a crush, god damn.”

The two girls opposite her explode. Vanessa stuffs more pernil and rice into her mouth with a feeling of resignation.

“Don’t tell me you two’ve been bangin’ mid-rehearsals as well?”

Vanessa breathes a laugh. “Stop it. No, just a couple hugs in the corridor after our dances. We went out for lunch together last week.”

Monique gasps. “You went on a date?”

“That’s not a date, Mo, shut up.”

“It is a date! You took a girl you like out for lunch, how’s that not a date?”

“Because she wasn’t aware it was a date. And neither was I! It was honestly the furthest thing from a date. It was a fuckin’…raisin.”

The three girls giggle, and in the conversational lull something occurs to Vanessa. “The only other thing is, uh…well, both weeks we did our dance for the judges, after we finished, she, uh…she kissed me.”

There’s another bomb of screaming from the girls that detonates in Vanessa’s living room. World War Two hasn’t got shit on Akeria and Monique.

“What?!”

Vanessa shrugs. “I mean it ain’t a massive fuckin’ makeout sesh, obviously! It’s just a lil’ cheek kiss, top-of-the-head kiss, that sorta thing. You can see her doin’ it, the camera got it both times.”

(There’s a fan account on Instagram dedicated to her and Brooke’s Strictly journey, and it’s posted the footage of the kiss Brooke gave her last night. Vanessa will not admit to the girls that she has watched it too many times for it to be explained away as normal.)

“So she likes you back,” Akeria states, as if it’s a fact and not something Vanessa’s been wondering about at random intervals throughout the day every day for the past week or so.

“We don’t know that.”

Akeria’s face turns scheming. She’s clearly got an idea. “Well, why don’t you choreograph a big sexy rhumba or something where you gotta grind up on her an’ get all nasty an’ shit? That’ll speed things along.”

Monique points her fork at Akeria in agreement. “Yes! ‘Cuz Jan and Jackie did that in, like, week 1, and they’re already fuckin’.”

Vanessa screws her face up. “Jan and Jackie ain’t sleeping with each other, shut up.”

“Oh my God, girl, I beg you buy a pair of glasses,” Akeria rolls her eyes, causing Monique to let out a laugh.

“Yeah, they absolutely are.”

Vanessa shoves another mouthful of dinner in. She’s hungry, and it doesn’t help when she’s trying to talk and eat. “Well, Strictly curse aside, it’s our Jive week this week, so that’s operation sexy dance out the window for at least another seven days.”

“Ugh. That’s annoyin’,” Akeria consoles her. After that, talk immediately turns to movie week and dances, and the conversation has moved on.

But it’s nice now that she’s admitted her crush on Brooke Lynn to Akeria and Monique. She’s got her girls to vent to when Brooke gives her a smile that comes with an extra added twinkle in her eye that sets Vanessa’s insides on fire, or to squeal to when Brooke brings her a coffee from the cafe they’d visited for brunch last week “just because”. She can’t take her eye off the prize too much though, even in the excitement of movie week. They’re doing their Jive to Runaway Baby from the Madagascar franchise (Brooke insists it’s niche and Vanessa insists it’s not) where they’re dressed as animals breaking out of huge cage props and “running away”. It’s not going to be as iconic as Plastique and Scarlet’s Dirty Dancing-themed Salsa, nor will it be as hot as Crystal and Gigi’s Rhumba (to License to Kill, no less), but it’s theirs, and it’s fun, and it’s hilarious watching Brooke get to grips with the insane amount of kicks needed for a Jive to be a Jive.

“My feet feel like they’re going to fall off,” she groans, lying flat on the floor after a particularly intense Wednesday rehearsal. Vanessa hides a laugh behind her hands, sneakily pulls out her phone to film her.

“What?”

“I said my feet feel like they’re about to fall off,” Brooke repeats louder, for the unknown benefit of the camera.

“You ain’t much of a soldier, are you?” Vanessa scoffs affectionately. Brooke sits up on her elbows, noticing Vanessa’s phone.

“Are you filming this? You’re filming this,” Brooke asks and then confirms without Vanessa even having to say anything. “Well to anyone that follows Vanessa, I’d just like to say that this is human exploitation and you should not be supporting this.”

Vanessa howls with laughter, tries to ignore how good her name sounds in Brooke’s mouth. “She loves me really.”

“I love her really,” Brooke rolls her eyes, and Vanessa’s heart jumps at the words even though they’re part of a joke.

She stops filming, posts the video to her feed and leaves it as they keep practising. When they stop for lunch and they’re sitting scrolling, Vanessa’s eyes widen at the comment Monique has left, her friend taking her stirring to new levels:

moheart: you two are so cute omg branjie 5 ever xxxxx

As Vanessa’s contemplating using the cables that line the floors of Elstree Studios as garotting wire when she sees Monique at the show on Saturday, she taps on the comment’s likes (it’s got 85 so far). Her heart stops when she sees the familiar blue tick of bhytes at the top of the list. Vanessa darts her eyes Brooke’s way as if her face gives anything away, and of course it doesn’t. Brooke’s scrolling casually as if she hadn’t liked a thing, and it manages to mess even more with Vanessa’s head. Vanessa enjoys the feeling though, this experience of having a crush on a cute girl again. She is so used to healing (she’s had to do it for the best part of a year now), and it’s nice to have butterflies in her stomach instead of an endless churning ocean.

Her feelings for Brooke aren’t helped by Cheryl and her ridiculous quiz on It Takes Two on Thursday night after their rehearsal. Okay, Vanessa supposes- every couple has done one, so it’s not exactly as if they’re being singled out. But when they finish their usual interview (how they felt regarding last week’s comments, how rehearsals are going, how they feel about the week ahead) and Cheryl pulls out two sets of glittery pink paddles (one saying me and the other saying her) with an excited grin on her face, Vanessa does a bad job of masking her horror.

“Oh my God. Cheryl, what is this?”

“Welcome to…Mrs and Mrs!” Cheryl announces with a small flourish, and the film crew give a cheer. Brooke snorts beside her, just as dumbfounded. Cheryl continues. “Okay, Brooke and Vanessa, I’m going to ask you both a series of questions and you’ll need to hold up your paddle to show me who you think is the best fit as the answer- you, or your partner. Every time you both give me the same answer, you get a point. For example, if I asked you…who sweats the most in rehearsals?”

Vanessa rushes to hold up the paddle that says her and as soon as she’s done it she cranes her neck to look at the one Brooke’s held up. She squeals when she sees me staring back at her, a blush appearing on Brooke’s face as she giggles.

“I sweat! I’m very sweaty! I never wear grey in rehearsals!” Brooke pouts in anguish, and Vanessa gives a laugh. She leans into her in a show of sympathy, trying to ignore the way her pulse races as she catches the scent of her perfume. It’s not the Flash that she wears at the weekends, but it’s still just as intoxicating.

“Not sure we needed that much detail, love, but you get the idea! You’d get a point, because you both said Brooke,” Cheryl pokes fun at Brooke, before her gaze snaps back to the camera, all charisma and TV-presenter-smile. “Okay, your score to beat is five, that was set by Gigi and Crystal on Monday’s show and none of the other girls have beaten it so far! Ladies- are you ready?”

Vanessa raises her eyebrows, tries not to look at Brooke who she knows will be smiling like an idiot. “As I’ll ever be, I guess.”

“Okay. Let’s play…Mrs and Mrs!” Cheryl announces dramatically, and immediately holds up a set of glittery cards that the questions are written on. “Question one- who’s the most patient?”

Vanessa laughs and she can feel Brooke being set off beside her. She’s held up her, and Vanessa’s held up me.

“She’s so laid-back she’s horizontal!” Brooke laughs, and Vanessa swats her. She melts a little as Brooke’s gaze turns affectionate. “It’s why she’s such a good teacher. I’ve said it before, but I’m really lucky.”

Cheryl moves on before Vanessa can react to the compliment. “Who’s the best dancer?”

Vanessa hears Brooke scoff. Sure enough, Brooke has once again held up the her paddle, and Vanessa has voted for herself too. Brooke laughs as she looks at Vanessa’s paddles. “Of course it’s her! Has any celebrity voted for themself?!”

“Willam and Yvie both did!” Cheryl giggles, and Brooke rolls her eyes so much that her body tilts back with them. “Okay, next question- who is the better cook?”

Vanessa holds up me, and Brooke’s held up her. It definitely shouldn’t make Vanessa feel as good as it does.

“Brooke is like the kinda person who would struggle to keep a cactus alive, never mind her own damn self,” Vanessa laughs, and Brooke laughs along, agreeing rather than being offended.

“And Vanessa should go on Celebrity Masterchef one year. I swear to God.”

Vanessa looks at Brooke and smiles, happy for the compliment. She’s sure she’s not imagining that Brooke leans into her a tiny bit.

“Three points so far ladies, you’re on a roll!” Cheryl comments, impressed. “Who is more of a perfectionist?”

Vanessa fumbles with the paddles in her haste to hold up her. Brooke has indeed also voted for herself.

“She will make, like, one mistake and she’ll make us run the entire thing through until she gets it right,” Vanessa explains, Brooke giggling beside her in embarrassment. “I thought it was meant to be me that worked her hard, not the other way!”

Cheryl laughs from her interviewer’s chair. She reaches the next card and her eyebrows fly up her face. “Ooh, one for your massive egos here- who’s the most attractive?”

Vanessa’s heart gives a little jump and her brain thinks almost a hundred thoughts at once. She could play things off and vote for herself (because ultimately, she’s well aware of the fact she’s cute, she’s got a mirror), but part of her wants to see how Brooke will react to the compliment. Deciding all this in the space of about two seconds, Vanessa holds up the her paddle. To her surprise and poorly-concealed joy, Brooke is also holding up the her paddle. Vanessa’s trying to hide her smile and Brooke’s expression suggests she’s doing the same.

“I mean, I’m not gonna be big-headed,” Vanessa plays it off. Cheryl is looking at the both of them with a little scheming smile on her face.

“Well, nice to see that the first time you drop a point is because you’re both just too busy trying to compliment each other, in’t that sweet!” she grins. Vanessa wishes she had one of Cheryl’s cards to fan the blush away from her face. As Cheryl moves on to her next card, her mouth drops open. “Oh, right, this one’s a good ‘un. Who is most likely to have a crush on someone in the cast?”

Fuck. Vanessa can feel Brooke giving similar amounts of hesitation beside her, and the two of them share an awkward glance and a laugh. Without really knowing what she’s doing, Vanessa slowly holds up the paddle that says me. She’s almost scared to look at Brooke’s, but she leans forward anyway. Staring back at her from the paddle is the exact same word as the one she herself had held up- Brooke has also said me.

Cheryl gives a reaction much as if she’s reporting on breaking world news. “Ooh, now that’s interesting! You’ve both said yourselves. Any reason? Do we actually have any crushes flying around the studio?”

Vanessa holds a tight, awkward grimace on her face, hoping she can avoid the question. She almost feels her soul leave her body when Brooke crosses her legs and sits straight. “You might think that, I couldn’t possibly comment.”

As Cheryl appears to stave off an aneurism, Vanessa cuts in with the best way of diffusing the situation she could manage. “Aw, you know I gotta crush on you, Cheryl, stop pretendin’ like you don’t know!”

Cheryl howls with laughter, turns to the camera and appeals to her wife who’s presumably sitting at home. “Blu, babe, don’t listen to her!”

Vanessa joins in with the laughter, suddenly willing the interview to be over.

“Okay Brooke and Vanessa, at the end of Mrs and Mrs, you have scored…four!”

The production team claps them, and Brooke turns to Vanessa to hi-five her. Vanessa accepts with a laugh. Cheryl shuffles her cards and turns to the camera.

“Well they might not’ve won Mrs and Mrs but they’re still gonna be dancing on Saturday- Brooke and Vanessa, everybody!”

There’s another clap, and their interview is finished. Thank God.

It’s only when they’re walking back outside afterwards after a little bit of small-talk about their plans for the rest of the evening that Brooke quirks a bashful smile at her. “So, uh…you think you’re more likely to get a crush on someone in the cast than me? Does this mean you’ve got one on somebody?”

Vanessa suddenly feels as if she might vomit up her own heart. She plays it off, narrows her eyes at Brooke. “Alright, Cheryl, damn! I thought the interview was over. Jeez.”

Brooke gives a small laugh. They’re walking close, and every time Brooke’s body brushes against hers Vanessa swears she sees sparks flying off them both. “Just asking. I said myself, remember?”

Vanessa already feels ever so slightly giddy, so she takes the risk. She cocks her head at Brooke as she walks. “Alright, since you wanna talk about crushes so much. Who’ve you gotta crush on?”

“I asked first,” Brooke shrugs easily, stopping as they both reach the doors to the exit. Vanessa lets out an exasperated laugh.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, we are full-grown adult women.”

Brooke splutters a giggle as she leans on the door and opens it, the freezing cold air smacking Vanessa across the face. They both leave the building and Brooke stands still, her face wearing a hopeful expression. The wind is whipping her long blonde hair over her shoulders.

Damn, she looks so beautiful.

“So you’re not telling, then?” Brooke smirks. Vanessa thinks about it. She thinks about what Brooke’s honest to God reaction would be if she actually turned around and said yeah, I’ve got a crush on you. The thought of doing so almost makes her laugh.

“Well I’m not a fifteen year old high schooler, so no. Sorry to disappoint,” Vanessa smirks back at her. Maybe this is flirting. She’s not even mad about it. Thinking again, she cocks her head curiously as she shoves her hands in the pockets of her huge hoodie that she’s pulled over her interview outfit. “You gonna tell me?”

Brooke’s smile is still there, still cheeky. “No.”

“But you’ve got one.”

“I never said that,” Brooke shrugs easily. For a moment they’re both standing biting back smiles at each other, and Vanessa feels as if she’s caught in some form of stalemate. It’s Brooke that breaks it first, because of course it is, and she brushes some hair out of her face as she shrugs at Vanessa again. “Well, have a good night, anyway! See you tomorrow, bright and early.”

“Yeah, you too. Get home safe,” Vanessa says, the two of them sharing the usual friendly wave that comes with their goodbye. In spite of herself, Vanessa watches Brooke turn on her heel and walk in the opposite direction to her. Just as she’s about to start making her own way home, Brooke pauses, turning to look back over her shoulder.

The pair of them share one last bashful smile before they make their way back home and it feels as if Vanessa floats home on a cloud.

Saturday rolls around quickly, and Brooke has managed to transform herself from having feet made of concrete blocks to someone with featherlight ankles, so Vanessa is confident that they’ll score well tonight. She’s not really got scoring or the judges at the front of her mind, though, because movie week is entirely too much fun. It feels as if she’s at Universal studios as she walks through costume and hair and makeup, everyone dressed up in variations of movie characters. The best by far, though, is Jaida and Yvie’s. Any part of Jaida that isn’t clad in a grey leotard and skirt is painted entirely in grey body paint, with her hands in black gloves. Her hair has been expertly twirled into two long “ears” on the top of her head, and makeup has painted a blotted white stripe down the centre of her face. Yvie is wearing an orange and black striped morph suit, on top of which costume have given her a little red and white striped waistcoat with a buckle, a red cape, and, of course, a pair of boots to dance in.

And her face is painted like a cat.

“I’m going to see that in my nightmares this week,” Scarlet pipes up from across the green room, looking every inch the iconic Baby in her pink dress and glittery silver heels.

“More like your dreams,” Yvie winks at her, and Scarlet laughs, presumably to offset the pink blush on her cheeks.

“Yeah Scarlet, don’t you want her pussy?” Willam joins in from where she’s getting her hair swept into a low ponytail. Her costume is nowhere near as extravagant, but it’s classy nonetheless- a fitted tuxedo suit for her stint as a spy as part of her and Phi Phi’s dance to 4 Minutes. Courtney laughs from her position sitting on the dressing table beside her. Even though she and Blair were voted out last week, Courtney’s role as a pro means she’s still part of the show’s group dances. It’s something that Vanessa thinks Willam is particularly grateful for (she’s seen the hand-holding when they think no one is looking). Courtney starts singing Livin’ La Vida Loca under her breath absent-mindedly.

“Hey, listen, at least neither of us are Shrek,” Jaida consoles Yvie, who doesn’t look as if she needs much consoling.

“You guys, Courtney’s right there,” Willam pipes up again, the girls laughing as Courtney swipes at her playfully. Willam flinches in her chair, much to the irritation of the hair stylist.

The costumes aren’t all ridiculous, though. There’s a murmur of admiration when Gigi and Crystal emerge from wardrobe in skin-tight floor-length velvet gowns (one red, one black), each with a huge slit up the side. Akeria whispers something to Vanessa about Crystal stealing her idea of a big sexy rhumba, and Vanessa tries to laugh from her current position in the hairstylist’s chair but the two thick plaits they’re weaving her mane of brown locks into makes it difficult. She can’t help but let out a gasp when Jan and Jackie emerge from their costume fitting, though, and neither can the rest of the girls: Jackie is dressed in black leggings and a red waistcoat and tails, covered in shining gold brocade and black detailing. It’s Jan, though, who takes Vanessa’s breath away. She looks like a muted version of Lily James’ Cinderella in a gorgeous, floaty powder blue dress which hits her calves, little dimantés and tiny butterflies stitched into the light fabric.

“Janet, holy hell! It’s Strictly, this ain’t fashion week!” Jaida cries, sticking her tongue out at the end to let her friend know she’s joking. Jan gives a shy laugh, sweeps her immaculately curled blonde hair over her shoulders.

“Yeah, all you’re missing is a tiara,” Scarlet agrees enthusiastically.

“Hey, I thought we were meant to be showing off our celebrities!” Akeria pipes up with a raised eyebrow. Before Jan can reply, Jackie takes her hand and smiles.

“I’m happy to let this one steal the show for this week. She looks gorgeous, she deserves to be in the spotlight,” she shrugs. Vanessa doesn’t miss the look Jan gives her partner or the way she squeezes Jackie’s hand. She thinks back to what Monique had said at dinner on Sunday. Maybe something is happening between those two after all.

“Vanessa! You’re up please, fitting,” one of the costume girls calls out for her, and Vanessa obediently dashes towards the room in question. Brooke’s been squirrelled away in her own dressing room having to do some prep work for her filming the next morning, so when Vanessa sees her in her own costume, it’s not what she expects. She can’t find the words to describe how Brooke looks.

“Don’t…say…anything,” Brooke warns her, but it’s too late- the laugh is already coming out of Vanessa’s body before she can stop it, and it turns into a howl when Brooke grabs her tail- her stripy, white and black tail- and gives a twirl. She is dressed entirely as a lemur.

It’s not long until Brooke is spluttering a laugh herself. “Don’t tell me this isn’t the hottest you’ve ever seen me look.”

Vanessa’s cheeks hurt from laughing. “I don’t think I can keep my hands off you, boo, I’m gonna be honest.”

“Well luckily you’ll be wearing the exact same thing in about five minutes,” Brooke quips back at her, and Vanessa pouts and groans. She doesn’t really mind though. Mad, extravagant costumes are a staple of Strictly movie week, and she’s just happy she gets to experience it with a partner this year.

Soon enough the show is starting, and Vanessa watches the first dance from the Divinatorium with her hand entwined in Brooke’s. Neither of them mention the contact- it’s apparently just another secret. That and both of their crushes. Willam and Phi Phi are first and it seems as if Willam’s technique is a little better after her somewhat dismal scores in the weeks prior. Monique’s told Vanessa she’s seen Willam getting extra lessons from Courtney during her lunch breaks, so she suspects that’s what is making the difference. It seems to have paid off, and they get a score of twenty five altogether. After they see that dance, they can’t stay to watch Aja and Farrah as they’re on third, so while Farrah lives her Disney princess fantasy waltzing to Someday My Prince Will Come, Vanessa is marking the steps with Brooke backstage.

“This is gonna be a good week. I can feel it,” Brooke smiles at her, and Vanessa believes it. They’ve coped way better with the Jive than they did with the Paso, so she’s eager to show the judges what they can really do. Farrah and Aja get their critiques and their scores (a disappointing 17), and just like that, Brooke and Vanessa’s VT is playing and their massive cages are being rolled out onto the stage. There’s a distance between them in their two separate props, but Vanessa knows that Brooke’s feeling confident and so, in turn, does she.

“Dancing the Jive…Brooke Lynn Hytes and Vanessa Mateo!”

The electric guitar slices through the quiet of the room and with it sends an electric shock through Vanessa’s veins as she starts to dance. Her eyes are focussed on the audience, ever the professional, but she hopes Brooke is coping as well as she’s done in rehearsals. As soon as it comes to the part of the music where they “break down” the door of their cages and land into hold with each other, Vanessa can’t help it when the fake performance smile on her face turns into a real one as she faces Brooke (whose face, like hers, is painted like a lemur, complete with bright yellow eyeshadow). Brooke’s face is concentrating hard, and Vanessa knows she’s nailing all the steps as they reach the section where they figure-eight their ankles then change and do the same with their other foot.

“See I ain’t try’na hurt you, baby, no, no, no, I just wanna work you, baby…”

There’s not a whole lot of the dance spent in hold as it’s essentially a test of their synchronicity, Vanessa doing the rightfootflick, leftfootflick, flick, flick, flick, PIVOT and hoping Brooke’s doing the same beside her. But it’s fast and it’s fun and she knows her choreo is good and fuck it, they’re both dressed as lemurs, so they’ve got a fighting chance of doing a decent job this week. Brooke takes her hand and spins her round all while doing the most complex footwork Vanessa’s taught anyone before, and her face is showing it. Vanessa knows she’ll get pulled up for letting her concentration show, but everything else, technically, has gone really well so far, which is just as well as Laganja is standing up to take in every single inch of the footwork.

“Your poor little heart will end up alone, ‘cause God knows I’m a rolling stone, so you better run, run, runaway, runaway baby…”

On cue, Brooke slides herself down on the floor then jumps up, and Vanessa puts her hand on her shoulder right on the final beat. The audience erupts, the clapping envelops them, and Vanessa can’t help but freak out a little. This is the first dance they’ve done where she really feels they completely nailed every single part of it, and she’s punching the air as Brooke picks her up by her waist, spinning her round and round on the ballroom floor. When she puts her down, Brooke pulls her into another hug, and Vanessa can feel the kiss she plants on the top of her head. It’s strong and insistent and Vanessa wishes it had been pressed to her lips, but she supposes she can’t wish for everything all at once.

Vanessa barely even takes in Michelle’s interview with Brooke, she’s simply too happy. As Michelle asks the judges what they thought, Vanessa hopes and prays their comments will reflect the dance they completed.

And they do.

Vanessa listens to them all in a happy haze- the words “immaculate footwork”, “light and precise”, “turned a corner”, and “breakthrough” all pop like fireworks in her head, and she can’t help but squeeze Brooke’s hand every time the judges give them a new compliment.

“Just one very little thing,” Shangela says at the end of her critiques. “You were concentrating so hard on that, and rightly so because it’s hard! But I’d love to see more of the chemistry you have with Vanessa, because you’ve got about two minutes to tell a story out there, and to see you both connecting with each other would be lovely!”

Vanessa tries to suppress a smile at her comments, and Brooke nods affirmingly at Shangela’s words. The incredible feedback is ringing in her ears so much that she hardly knows what she even says to Divina when they both run up to the Divinatorium after their dance is done, and when it pans to the judges for their scores Vanessa can feel her own hand unbearably sweaty in Brooke’s.

“Will the judges please reveal their scores. Bianca Del Rio.”

Vanessa sees the paddle that she holds up and screams. “Seven!”

She’s so busy squealing and hugging Brooke in her delight that she almost misses the next few scores.

“Kennedy Davenport.”

“Eight!”

Vanessa’s jaw drops so far open she’s momentarily scared she’s dislocated it. This changes everything. This is night and day to the scores they’ve had previously.

“Shangela Wadely.”

“Seven!”

“Laganja Estranja.”

“Eight!”

Vanessa can hear the other couples cheering and clapping for them both and she can feel a bunch of hands patting her on the back, but all she can focus on is Brooke’s heartbeat through her chest. She is euphoric. There’s no feeling like it.

“That’s a score of thirty!” Divina tells them, and when Vanessa pulls away she can see that Brooke is crying happy tears. The sight almost makes her want to start crying too. Divina pulls a sympathetic face. “Brooke, you’re clearly happy!”

“I am! I’ve just said from the start that I don’t want to let Vanessa down, and finally we’ve done really really well!” she sniffs, and Vanessa pouts and squeezes her waist. Thirty. Their score was thirty. Thirty out of forty. They’ve only dropped ten marks and it’s week three.

This is good.

As Divina carries on interviewing them both, Vanessa feels her concentration drift away. She’s remembering Shangela’s comments about chemistry. Next week is their Salsa week. Vanessa remembers her conversation with Akeria, and operation sexy dance, and in that moment she decides to make it her mission for the week to show the judges just how much chemistry she and Brooke have.

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ick25 · 4 years

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Rockman.EXE Axess Episode 1 Review.

Presenting Rockman’s new Style... Change.

I can’t promise that I am gonna review the rest of the episodes of Axess nor will I make it very long since I have already stated that this is my least favorite season, but this Corona Virus situation is already driving me crazy so I might as well vent my frustrations here.

Fun fact:

This season never aired in Latin America so I had no idea that there were more seasons beyond the virus buster episode. I watched it in English thinking that it was an episode from the first two seasons that I missed, it started with the same made up intro from the last season, but to my surprise the episode opens in Net City, something I don’t remember ever seeing in previous episodes, and then I saw Megaman’s art style and my confusion became excitement right before I heard the English dub the made me cringed so hard that it almost ruined the show for me, until the writing did that later on. (But I like Rockman’s english voice, it’s kinda hot n.n)

Episode tittle: Cross Fusion!

The episode opens with Rockman fighting two Navis at once in the Net Coliseum, and I’m already loving the art style and how they don’t show his face during the battle until Netto’s voice tells him that he already got their battle pattern. It was like they were saying, “ It’s him! it’s the Rockman you know and love after so long! And he looks slightly shinier too”!

BTW, I’m watching this with Spanish subs, that were sadly not made by yours truly.

Anyway, Netto sends the long Sword and the Yo-yo chips that appear with a new cybernetic themed background and... WOAH WOAH WOAH! TWO DIFFERENT ART STYLES IN THE SAME EPISODE?!

You thought I wouldn’t notice?

Not even five minutes in and this episode is already hitting me with inconsistent art to save in animation, which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t noticeable.

Rockman defeats the two Navis and returns to Netto who gives us but a glimpse of the new PET design before the tittle card appears.

But worry not, for the next scene shows us what the Advanced PET model looks like with this short and kinda lame commercial.

“Believe in the heart of the chips”, it’s the vibe I’m getting here.

And I also never thought it would be possible for the Spanish subs to write something dumber than “Plug-in your heart”. (It’s roughly saying, “Do plug-in into your heart”)

We then join Netto skating with Meiru on her scooter who is basically shaming him for acting weak in his battle until the end, and do you see something wrong with this image?

That’s right, good ol’ Rush is there on Meiru’s scooter for no reason, except to remind me that Rockman will never materialize in the real world like him.

Then they bump into Chisao, yes, Chisao, who wastes no time in telling the audience that Dekao is in Jawaii for some reason.

What little Mr. exposition forgot to tell us is why is he there instead of Dekao.

Netto and Meiru invite Chisao to go with them to Scilab, which is now gonna be a very recurrent place, to deliver a bag to Netto’s dad who is in Japan working on something, and once he’s done he’ll go back to abandoning his family to travel the world.

He is working on a top secret experiment, so everyone is of course invited to watch it.

These are Officer Mizaki and his Navi Prismman, who are not gonna be important until very later in the season where they’re affected by this show’s equivalent of drugs, but right now they are gonna remind us of the dangers of human trials.

Eguchi Meijin makes a comeback, since the last time we saw him he was making a late advertisement for Battle Network 3 in episode 51. He tells Netto and the others that the experiment is called Cross Fusion and that it is the next step after the Virus Buster episode where Dr. Hikari brought a bunch of cyber data into the real world, which is bringing a Net Navi into the real World through its operator’s body? That was already possible without the human body!

What is the purpose of Cross Fusion then? Other than to turn the series into a superhero kind of show for western audiences.

There is no real explanation of why they want to do this or why Cross Fusion is the only way to achieve this purpose. Why not simply materialized the Navis like in the last episode? You can’t really argue that it was the viruses intervention that made this possible, because a “good” scientist would try to reproduce this result without risking the life of a human being, there certainly must be other ways to do so.

It seems that the only excuse they have is that Netto’s dad was not aware that this event happened because he was asleep during the entire episode, and if Netto never mentioned it even once.

“I wanna risk my life too since that experiment reminded me how cool it was when Rockman materialized back in Jawaii when your Dimensional Core program was corrupted by viruses, so I would most definitely die just to see that happen again.”

Dr. Hikari: O_O

Yuichiro obviously denies his son’s suicidal request but just then, viruses take over Scilab, and the room they are in is locked down with the ventilation system sucking in the air giving them 15 minutes before they run out of oxygen.

We cut to a commercial break where we see a spoiler of Netto getting his wish right after his dad said no.

It’s just Rockman with a different outfit design and brown hair and eyes.

As per the norm, Netto and Meiru plug-in their Navis with new animations that are gonna be recycled since they changed the art style once again.

Rockman and Roll are sent into the computer via infrared beams and we see that the computer is full of Mettools and Spikey viruses, while showing us Roll’s bum for some reason.

I feel robbed, I want my Rockman butt shot!

Time to change the art again.

Here is something new that I like, they are now showing how the Mettool viruses can block shots.

This probably means that these are high level Mettools since those are the ones that block attacks in the games.

I also like how they get creative with the chips they use like the Aqua Sword.

Even Roll’s Aqua Tower looks more powerful.

You almost feel sorry for those viruses.

They even make the Black Hole, a chip I find pretty useless in the games, look epic.

Or maybe I’m just not using it right.

They keep running out of air, and once again Meiru has to show that she is the weakest of them all by fainting right before Roll is attacked by a Fire Dragon virus. Netto’s dad catches Meiru and manages to plug-out Roll just in time so... Oh, hmm, that doesn’t look right.

It would be fine if she was his daughter, but that isn’t the case so it just looks wrong. Adult men shouldn’t be holding little girls like that! O~O

Rockman then avenges Roll with another cool Aqua Sword animation.

https://66.media.tumblr.com/0ee15af9e77ae94c845bcdf6895629db/tumblr_n3ipukz8hC1rzkxhio8_250.gifv

Sometimes screen shots can’t do a scene justice.

More Spikey viruses appear and the culprit is then revealed, a new Navi named Savageman AKA Beastman.

Stop holding her like that, it’s weird!

Rockman attacks him with his cool Aqua Sword move, but he only deletes the Spikey viruses around him. Then he uses his Rock Buster and starts shooting at Beastman who isn’t affected by any of them.

I’m sorry? What Beastman is saying here is that to him, Rockman is just a puppet being controlled by a human, showing us that the anime is once again differing from the games, but I’ll talk about that later.

Netto hears that they only have 3 minutes left of air and decides to destroy what we learned from the first season by suddenly making him an expert on Program Advances without the help of the Aqua Custom Style, this time it’s the Z- Cannon or Zetta Cannon.

I honestly like the new animation for the Program Advance, every time Netto inserts more than one chip they appear as little blocks piling under each other until the third chip comes in and pushes the first block up. This easily shows how the chip programs are compatible with one another since that is how a Program Advance is activated.

The Program Advance seems to be effective as Beastman logs out, the computer is back to normal, the room opens up again, and the day is saved... Or so we thought!

This is were the episode starts to feel a little rushed. Right after this we get another mysterious figure who clearly isn’t the Navi we saw watching Beastman’s performance just a couple of minutes ago.

First episode and we already have two more bad guys introduced? And to make things worse, this second villain shoots some type of missiles from outer space that surround Scilab and traps it inside a Dimensional Area.

Yeap, that’s right, the Dimensional Area Netto’s dad is still working on has somehow ended up in the wrong hands, and they made it even better! Because get this, not only does it allow viruses to materialize in the real world, but Navis as well! Cross Fusion has already become pointless! However, the show doesn’t see it that way.

The Mettool and Spikey viruses, along with Spark Bees this time, begin destroying Scilab. Since they are all inside a Dimensional Area, Netto remembers what Meijin said before and decides to go try his luck with Cross Fusion to save everybody, and runs downstairs to get a Synchro Chip.

Considering that Cross Fusion is still being tested, would this be considered something brave or very stupid?

Netto encounters the Mystery Navi from before who is stealing all the Synchro Chips, and tries to Ash Ketchum his way into stopping him.

Seriously, what is it with young shonen protagonists and trying to attack a powerful non human antagonist face on?

After that failed attempt, Shademan calls Beastman who also materializes to destroy what remains of Scilab while he runs away with the Synchro Chips, except for two chips that he clumsily drops when grabbing them all with one hand. Netto sees the chips and decides to use them to fight Beastman, and what surprises me here is that Rockman doesn’t really object to this despite knowing that it could be dangerous, and he has always been seen as the smart one.

Obviously, Cross Fusion is a success as we get the typical anime transformation sequence, but to be honest, I’ve seen better.

No, the first statement is more accurate. This is a fusion.

And this one too.

Two different characters that merge together to create an entirely new being that shares traits from both predecessors.

No, in fact, It is not Netto turning into Rockman, it’s just Netto in Rockman’s clothing. The only difference here is that Netto fights more aggressively than Rockman.

Except for that time Rockman stabbed Stoneman in the eye, he never really maims anybody.

After this, Netto tries to use a Battle Chip but forgets that you need a PET for that, a PET that disappears somewhere after Cross Fusion. So he decides to use the Rock Buster, but since they’re in the real world, the buster gets a super boost that sends Netto flying, with the shot leaving a hole not only on the building, but on Beastman himself.

So... I love seeing shots of Rockman’s muscular body, but when you give it to Netto it just doesn’t work for me because you know his body doesn’t look like that, making this feel out of nowhere.

Also, “Flipante”? I’m pretty sure these subs are from Spain because they use a lot of words that I’ve never heard before.

Since Beastman was maimed and mortally wounded, he runs away, the Dimensional area disappears an the episode ends with Netto back to normal with his PET reappearing again, him fainting, Rockman calling out to him worried that he might be dead, and an aerial shot of a partially destroyed Scilab.

What do I think?

Well, if you read my previous post, “The problem with Megaman NT Warrior Axess”, you already know my main issues with this season, starting with how different it was from the first one.

Like I mentioned before, Axess never aired in Latin America so it took a while for me to realized that there was another season. I got used to watching reruns of the first season over and over again because of how much I loved it, and after I watch this episode for the first time, in English, I was very, very confused at the end. I immediately felt that something was wrong, that the show was gonna be different and I wasn’t sure if it was gonna be a bad thing or a good thing. It turned out to be both because the writers couldn't settle on a tone for this new season, so I was ambivalent from beginning to end.

I’m just gonna mention the good things. The general animation is way better that the majority of the episodes in the first season, the new visuals give it a more cybernetic feel to it which goes perfectly with the theme of the show. Roll and Meiru do more in battle, even though Meiru is still the weak girl character that needs to be saved by a big strong man, ew. The new PET design and the infrared beams they use to send the Navis into the Cyberworld is much more futuristic than the cords from the previous season that are vulnerable to being cut, which, again, is very fitting to the theme, as well as the animations when inserting chips and activating P.As.

The idea of Viruses and Navis materializing in the real world is revolutionary, I just don’t like how it is set up.

The Advance PET was introduced in Battle Network 4, while Beastman appeared in Battle Network 3 as a World Three Navi and having an operator named Inukai. Here, however, Beastman is a solo Navi that is called a Darkloid, and instead of being man-made, Darkloids are portrayed as A.I beings that were spontaneously created from...Bug frags, I think? Yeah, that’s another thing I don’t buy from Axess.

The mystery Navi is Shademan who was introduced in Battle Network 4 and is in fact a solo Navi, but he was created by Dr. Regal, the other mystery character that appeared, but Shademan is also a Darkloid here.

Say what you want about Forte and Gospel, but their origins are purely man-made and make sense, and even if viruses and bug frags are also man-made, having something instantly created out of Virus remains doesn’t make sense unless a higher power is involved, which hasn’t really been specified in Axess.

If you are one of the few people who read my posts, I appreciate your support and are free to share your opinions too.

#MegaMan NT Warrior #rockman.exe axess #megaman battle network #anime #dub vs sub #spanish sub #my review #ick25

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meganshinsou-tm · 5 years

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Shared Walls. (m)

↳ chapter one: the vent

❧ genre: pro-hero shouto, coworkers to lovers, happy ending

❧ chapter warnings: none

[multi-chap masterlist] [next chapter]

"Well fuck,” you hissed when all your groceries found their way to the floor. "Cheap fucking bags, why does this place hate me so much!"

It hadn’t been long since you moved to Japan from America, it was a big leap for a person such as yourself. You were somewhat introverted and didn't like to tread too far from what was familiar to you, so why were you now countries away?

Well - it was a shitty and scary situation you were in, having to completely uproot your life over a psycho ex-boyfriend.

A few months before moving, you witnessed something you weren't supposed to at the hands of the man you spent the last 3 years with. Apparently in those three years this man didn't find the time to tell you he was part of one of Americas biggest villain groups. He used your love for him to make you feel guilty about it yourself, drilling it into your head that if you were to even think about going to the police he would take you with him 'dead or alive'.

You had completely cut off your family for this guy and now you were left with no one, no one to run to, no home to go to, just him.

Little did he know, you had your own secrets, like a massive amount of money saved up in a bank from your father passing away and even though you were cut off from your family they couldn't do a thing about cutting off the money that was yours legally. Your ex had no idea about this and also didn't know you were secretly planning to escape from his clutches, far away to a place he'd never even think to find you. Far away to a place full of heroes that could possibly protect you. And you took that chance a week ago, able to slip out in the middle of the night while he was 'doing a job' and ran for your life, running towards a new life.

So yeah, that how you ended up in Japan.

You were able to find a decent apartment located close to a police station, so you felt safe. Only being here for a few days you had yet to met any of the building tenants. Whoever lived next to you was either really quiet or wasn't home that often. It bummed you out to be honest.

You had this vision of becoming close friends with whoever shared a wall with you at least, but you weren't going to take that step in knocking on their door and introducing yourself, that was way out of your comfort zone. If they came to you, that was another story!

After staring at the strangers door, you finally picked up all the groceries that fell from your bags and proceeded to enter your new home.

"I really need to look for a job," you scolded yourself, emptying the bags onto the counter and putting the items up.

You couldn't live off of that saved up money for the rest of your life, it was time for you to grow up and put yourself out there. Like it or not, Japan was going to make an adult out of you!

After changing into some more comfortable clothes you went back to the kitchen to grab the box of Pocky you bought but growled in frustration as you weren't able to locate them, "I know I bought some, didn't I?"

Shrugging your shoulders you opted for some chips and grabbed your laptop and sat on the couch.

For a few minutes you sat there and thought, trying to figure out what kind of job would suit you and your skills. Like anyone else you were good with computers, familiar with different business programs and could type well.

A desk job. Simple and easy.

Typing in your job search multiple options appeared, apparently this place was popping with employment opportunities but one of the tabs caught your eye. 'Endeavor Hero Agency: Seeking Helper'.

"Hero agency huh? Sounds ... safe. I wonder if I need a quirk though."

You clicked on the link and read over the duties and requirements. The job seemed simple, normal clerical duties such a paper and computer work, scheduling appearances for the various heroes, getting them whatever they needed like running their costumes back and forth for repairs or replacements or getting them food, keeping the place clean, just pretty much a helping hand. And to top if off, having a quirk wasn't a requirement.

You smiled and for once had a glimmer of hope for this new country, so you submitted your resume and continued to look and apply for other jobs, crossing your fingers you'd get a call back from any of them. After a few more minutes of that and surfing the web you decided to take a bath.

Closing your laptop, you stripped your clothes on the walk to the bathroom and talked to yourself, "Maybe I should get a dog since I can't seem to make friends!"

"Huh?"

As Shouto walked up the stairs to his apartment he spotted a box of Pocky on the corner of one of the steps. He picked it up and shrugged his shoulders, unlocked his door and walked into his home. The hero sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he dropped the treat onto his counter before proceeding towards his bathroom and stripped down as he turned on his tub. Looking in the mirror he could see a few new bruises he acquired from a villain that day.

"Sorry bastard, caught me off guard," he mumbled to himself and lowered down into the tub.

His head laid on the cold stone, eyes fluttering shut and body stretching out the length of the tub as much as it could, his knees poking out of the warm water.

Finally he sighed, tired muscles relaxing and soaking in the heat.

"Nobody does it better, makes me feel sad for the rest. Nobody does it half as good as you, baby, you're the best."

Shouto's eyes opened, neck craning to looked around the room for the soft voice that was singing and filling the air.

"I wasn't lookin' but somehow you found me, it tried to hide from your love light. But like heaven above me, the spy who loved me is keepin' all my secrets safe tonight."

The voice kept singing, it sounded so close but he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. His two-toned eyes then looked up and saw a vent high on the wall behind the tub, garnering more interest, Shouto listened closer and could hear water moving as well.

The hero wondered why he heard water before realizing that the layouts of the apartments must be perfectly mirrored, meaning his and his neighbors bathrooms and bedrooms were right on the other side of the wall. Todoroki was aware someone finally moved into the apartment next to him but with his work schedule, he had yet to met the new tenant.

It wasn't like he was trying to avoid the person, he truly was just never home during the day unless he was off and the past week he had been working more hours than usual since his father was out of town, leaving him to take over the agency until his return. From the sound of the voice, obviously there was a girl on the other side of the wall taking a bath at the same time as him, it made him blush the tiniest bit but it passed quickly. He was more enamored by her voice that was escaping into his bathroom. It was so soft and sweet, making him curious as to what the girl looked like and who she was.

Most people would probably be annoyed with this situation but he wasn't, Todoroki actually enjoyed it and wouldn't be mad if it kept happening. Leaning back into the position he was in before, he closed his eyes again and smiled as the voice lulled him.

"The way that you hold me, whenever you hold me, there's some kind of magic inside you that keeps me from runnin' but just keep it comin'. How'd you learn to do the things you do?"

Morning came and with it a loud, obnoxious ringing.

"Why," you groaned from under your covers, hand searching the bed for the phone.

"Hello?" your groggy voice answered.

"Good morning, is this (Y/N L/N)," a stoic and monotone voice asked, the voice was extremely attractive and made your thoughts a little hazy.

You confirmed what they asked with little to no interest but immediately shot up into a seated position as they continued.

"Oh uh – of course, yes! Yes sir I'm free today, what time? That sounds great, thank you very much, I'll see you then!"

You hung up the phone and starred at it, a smile plastered on your face.

The Endeavor Agency had just contacted you and asked for an interview that day at one in the afternoon, making you beyond psyched. Head turning, you looked around your room and at the clock, it was only eleven.

"I should probably see how far away this place is!"

Pulling up the address and the maps app, your eyes widened and your body flew from the bed.

"Fuck me, this place is almost thirty minutes away, not counting the time it's gonna take me to catch a train in this godforsaken city and I'm not even dressed yet!"

Wasting no more time, you bolted from bed and ran to the bathroom to violently brush your teeth as you brushed your hair and put on the smallest amount of makeup. Meanwhile your mind raced, trying to figure out what to wear.

Searching through the few clothes you had, you finally found something and rushed to get dressed. After a few minutes you looked in the mirror and smiled, wearing a thin white long-sleeved button up blouse that showed a decent amount of cleavage tucked into a navy blue high-waisted skirt and some matching flats, the only jewelry you wore was a single necklace with a jeweled pendant.

Feeling a surge of confidence, you smiled wide at yourself and hummed.

"Man, I'm cute as fuck! This Todoroki dude is bound to hire me!"

#shouto todoroki #shouto todoroki x reader #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha x reader #mha x reader #fanfiction #bnha fanfic #mha fanfic #shared walls

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gukptune · 5 years

Text

— SOFTY (m)

↛ seokjin x reader

a freshman and senior seemingly despise each other, one says the other acts older than they are and one says the other acts like a child, a feud brewing within the estranged pair.

↛ genre: gb n’ bg series, uni!au, good boy!seokjin, smut, fluff

↛ warnings: explicit language, slight age gap, unprotected sex, little bit of masturbation, vanilla sex

↛ words: 7.5k

↛ note: like mentioned above the sex is vanilla cuz he’s old yah know, it fits the concept okaaay

Lacklustre, was the kindest thing you could say about this party. The music was absolute crap, the drinks weren’t even getting you relatively drunk and the people here could barely get a few words out from how fucking timid they were. You didn’t plan on partying, but Jisoo wanted to come see her boyfriend and begged you to come with. But of course as soon as her eyes caught sight of her man she left you with the dust.

You were fumbling in the kitchen of the host’s house, seemed like the host lived with their parents due to the sheer amount of adult utensils, what kind of college kid would have multiple toasters.

You were also sure from the family pictures all over the walls, kind of cute, most party hosts would hide that stuff.

The cabinets were filled with healthy cereals, nuts and dried fruits. A family like this should have some sort of hard liquor hidden, you know your own parents even had their own wine cellar. As you peaked into the fridge there wasn’t anything interesting but a cola, you picked up the can with a huff before you could hear a few people step foot inside the kitchen.

“I can’t help you much with psychology Namjoon,” An unfamiliar voice clearly, they didn’t take note of you or couldn’t see you from your position.

The boy who was probably Namjoon groans with frustration, “I don’t even know why I chose to study this.”

“Because you like knowing how people feel without asking them?” The other boy teases as he steps closer to where you were currently, crouching.

With that you jumped up from your crouch, revealing yourself to them from the other side of the island. A shriek left both their lips as if you had frightened them beyond their heart could take, the shorter one holding onto his chest and heaving.

“You—holy shit, what—how,” He asked, trying to catch his breath.

His buddy holds onto the poor dude chuckling.

“He meant, how didn’t we notice you,” Namjoon asked.

You shrugged taking a sip of your cola, “Dunno, maybe you’re both blind.”

As if they’ve never heard someone say something like that they looked at you with such shock, you cocked your head taking a look at them. What you could say was that they exuded the most nerd energy you’ve never fucking seen.

The Namjoon boy sported a dress shirt tucked into his slim fit trousers. Whilst the other, visibly more attractive to you, wore a navy sweater with a black turtle neck peaking from the base of his neck. But of the way they carried themselves told you enough about them.

“Well, see you around.” You began making your way out of the kitchen, hearing a sound come out of the other boy’s mouth but not bothering to look back. You weaved into the crowd as the music seemingly got louder, making you want to find a whole to hide in at this point.

He bothered you, a lot. You were mostly bothered by him, he didn’t do anything to you but he kept looking your way as if you were some sort of freak. It was also extremely noticeable how he’d constantly find himself in the same area as you, and no it was not a coincidence anymore.

Finally, you found Jisoo again and dragged her away from her boyfriend who didn’t seem to mind at all.

“What’s his name?” You nodded towards the brunette who tries to blend in by looking at some pictures on the wall. Currently you were situated near the front of the house, not that the house was large it all but it was cozy and maze like enough to hide in some corners easily. You leaned against the rail of the staircase that you dragged her on, not going up all the way.

Jisoo looked in the direction of your head nod and visibly perks up, “Ah! It’s Kim Seokjin!”

You raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. “He’s in my biology class, he’s a senior I think. Did you know he’s like super smart, he’s majoring in bio-chemistry, just like Spider-Man—“

You interrupted her with a overly loud yawn, pointing out, “Why are you telling me all this, I only asked for his name.”

Jisoo who can’t seem to lie or keep a straight face grins like a child in a candy shop, she weaves her fingers together as she rolls on her heels, “Well, I think he’s got a crush on you.”

Your face stretches into a disgusted scowl, “Uh, gross.”

“Oh come on! He’s cute—“

“And old!”

Jisoo smacks you in the arm causing you to let out a gasp, “He’s my age!”

“My point exactly—”

You ducked before she could hit you again, laughing as you turned around walking backwards up the stairs with a hand holding Jisoo away from you at an arm’s length.

“We both know we’re only friends because you like treating me like a little sister right.”

Jisoo’s eyebrows stitched together, “Doesn’t mean I’m old!”

“Well, if we think statistically, you’re a millennial and I’m a gen z which makes us very different. If that’s not enough, we like very different things, talk very differently and well, see the world differently.” You tried to explain to a grumpy Jisoo.

“Still doesn’t mean I’m old!”

Before you could retort and spit out another factor, a very clumsy person rushed past you before you could see them. You turned with a huff, about to yell as you see it was Seokjin who was running towards the bathroom. Slipping past you were who you assumed were his friends.

“Aw, look, you made him cry!”

You whipped your head around looking at Jisoo, stomping your foot childishly, “He didn’t go running to the bathroom because I made him cry, gosh, why do you say shit like that.”

You dropped off the steps, getting around Jisoo. She stops you with an arm blocking your path looking you right in the eye, you sighed in frustration as you rubbed your face with your hands, “I say shit like that to make your life more interesting, you should probably check if he’s actually crying or not.”

She turns you around and pushes you up the stairs, “He’s not crying though!”

“You don’t know that.” You could practically hear the grin on her face.

You grunted your entire way towards the bathroom upstairs, you knew exactly where it was mainly because you nearly spent your entire time in there during the lame party.

You could see the crowd of boys murmuring to themselves around the agape bathroom door, you pushed past them towards your focus. Seeing Seokjin coming into view with his face all red and blotchy.

“Aye! Park Jimin, fuck off. You find your volleyball girlfriend somewhere and leave me alone!”

“Hyung! I’m trying to help you please just direct that vomit to the toilet,” Jimin groans, “Can you also stop crying please, it’s making me sad too, hyung.”

Seokjin pushes Jimin until he fell onto his bum, you stood in the frame of the door with the rest of the boys leaving the scene as you appeared. You rolled your eyes hoping this wasn’t going to be going in the direction you think it will.

You could see Seokjin planted on his butt with his head leaning against the sink counter as he vents to himself.“That’s the first time I’ve seen her that close, I couldn’t even say anything!”

“Hyung, it’s okay, you’ll see her again,” the poor younger boy did try his best.

Seokjin sniffled, turning away from Jimin with his eyes shut, “See her again? For her to say what, that I’m old! Like I said, she’s too good for me.”

Alright, at this point it was very clear he was talking about you. You didn’t know whether you should be flattered. You didn’t feel bad though, it was kind of funny that he took a joke this far.

Seokjin, fumbled with his top before he looks up, right at the door frame where you stood to pretty much have his eyeballs pop out of their sockets, “She’s here!”

Jimin whips his head around to see you looking right back him with your eyebrows stitched together as if you were confused and concerned. He stood up, brushing off his trousers as he nods at you, “Hey! Could you please help with him, thank you so much y/n!”

Park Jimin had the guts to weave past you and shut the door, pushing you into the small bathroom with a man-child sprawled all over the floor like an omelette someone had dropped. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the imagery.

“So now you’re just going to laugh at me?” He whines, acting very hurt, at least he managed to say something.

You rolled your eyes as you dropped on your knees in front of him, staring at him dead on.

“What are you doing,” You said, “Look at yourself, you’re acting like a kid.”

Seokjin frowned, his eyes dropping to the floor like you’d just told him off, “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

Seokjin sighs, looking up to meet your eyes, “I said I’m sorry.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because I put you in this situation, you probably hate it, and me.”

Oh god, now he’s really sad. The lack of sympathy you had for most people seemingly disappeared, you actually felt kind of bad, maybe because he looked really cute all huddled up hugging himself.

Maybe it was weird since he had tears running down his face and his lips were swollen, his very plump large lips were—

Shit, what were you thinking.

He had been staring at you too, he had to had noticed how you lost your words and just stared at his most prominent feature and very attractive prominent feature that you’d love to—

“I don’t hate you, stupid.”

Seokjin finally releases himself from his own hug, seemingly opening up to let you in figuratively.

“Really?”

You shrugged, “Yea, as long as you don’t cry anymore like a little bitch.”

After that you had managed to get him out of the bathroom, having him trail behind you like a lost puppy for nearly the entire night. He also resorted back into a snail hiding in his shell. You concluded that his friends made him nervous, they kept looking over your way and well they were pretty happy for him, anyone would be if you saw your friend finally talking to their crush.

If only they knew Seokjin kept his lips shut the entire night, if only he could’ve gained some sort of confidence and well put those lips to good work, you would’ve enjoyed your night much more.

After that party came the rest of the week, of which you had only gotten a glimpse of him every now and then. You had the urge to ask him what’s with that, you had thought he would at least try something, after all you did befriend him.

“You keep looking his way,” Jisoo said with her mouth full of her yogurt, “Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush, y/n, I can’t believe you’re falling for a nerd!”

She sounded happy for some reason, as if she was relieved by the idea, that was still an idea and nothing more. You grunt, shaking your head aggressively, “Don’t—”

“He’s really nice, kind, he’ll treat you right. His family is wealthy and look at him—”

“You know if you actually think of him so highly you could date him,” You interrupted, eyeing her now that the party had gone south for her.

With that being brought up, Jisoo pouts as she dug at the bottom of her plastic cup. It was rather out of nowhere, that after only a few weeks together, she was dumped.

“He’s a prick,” She said, referring to her now ex-boyfriend.

You nod your head in agreement, “Told ya.”

“He literally had sex with me once!” She whined, “And then he told me I was shit!”

You let out a deep sigh, pursing your lips. God, some guys could truly be brutal. By all means, she did decide to date the biggest fuckboy in school and she was hot.

“Shit at what? exactly” You asked.

Jisoo leaned in from across the table, whispering “Doggy style.”

Which immediately made you groan and squeeze the centre of your forehead with your fingers, “He’s a fucking noob, oh my god, seriously I can’t believe you thought you were bad. Jisoo, in a position like that he’s the only one fucking you, we can’t do shit from being held down like that.”

Her eyes widened in realisation, “Thats why I felt so useless.”

“All we could do is push our butt against them, this is stupid, he’s so stupid.” You managed to make her feel better.

“So he’s the shit one at sex,” She wiggled her eyebrows with pride.

“Duh,” You replied.

She did truly believe him, as if he was to blame her for the shitty sex. He was probably the worst guy to ever hook up with, from your friends elsewhere they said he only cared for himself during sex and cared little for his partners. A dick pretty much.

“Oh! He’s looking at you.”

You heard Jisoo quip as your eyes met with Seokjins from across the cafeteria. He seemed to jump when you noticed him. Pulling up one of his friends to hide his standing form, which didn’t work since he was much taller than the friend.

Even a tiny look and he was already blushing head to toe, as if your ego couldn’t get any bigger. You waved a hand at him and gave him a smile.

Seeing the boy, blink back at you as if he couldn’t believe it before he waves back enthusiastically.

“Awe, young love.” Jisoo sighed euphorically, leaning on her hand.

You cocked your head at her, “Say that again and your yogurt won’t make it’s way to your mouth.”

At the end of the day, and the end of the week you had finished your final class of the semester and was ready to party yourself to death. A party finally hosted by someone you could stand and well, had a whole lot of money to drop on booze.

As you began walking home you could see a very specific boy standing on the sidewalk as he seemingly looked like he was waiting for a ride. Your heart beats faster within an instant as you approached him.

“Hey,” You said, watching as he turns his head to see you right next to him.

His eyes widened as he takes out his earphones, clearly flexing with those earpods, before responding, “Hi, y/n.”

He looked great today, a simple gray sweater and dark jeans. His hair done messily, probably from his whole day in lab.

“How are you?” You started the conversation on something you hoped he could answer easily, of which he did.

“Great, I managed to finish my project in class and left early. I felt bad leaving the others back in class but they didn’t mind, I also have a family dinner apparently. I was definitely not aware of that until a few minutes ago but—” He pauses for a second as he looks into your eyes, he lets out a cough, “Sorry, how was your day.”

He must’ve stopped himself thinking he was rambling on about something you didn’t care much for, honestly it was fun hearing him finally speak his mind and well speak to you. Just a tiny progress.

“Nothing too interesting, had my last class today so I’m free until school starts up again after Christmas,” You explained, taking a look around for a second before continuing, “Do you not live at home?”

“No, my parents think it’s better for me to have my own responsibilities and have my own space for things I want to do... but I do live with some of my friends,” He trails off.

A little part of yourself wanted to imagine if the boy brought girls to his place, you bet it was nice seeing as his parents were extremely well off. You could think of many things he could be doing in a flat, all for himself with anyone.

“Are you having dinner with your parents?” You asked.

You realised how bright he was, excited to talk about his family, he must love them. He took a second to respond though, seemingly just staring back at you. Before he shakes his head a little, nodding with a big smile on his face.

“Yes, and well my siblings. Think of it as a monthly update on our lives,” He explains, rolling the airpods in his hands as he did.

You nod biting your lips as you looked down, playfully hitting his feet with your own, “Is the dinner tonight?”

He nods, his eyebrows raised as if he was wondering why you kept asking of it.

You pursed your lips, “All night?”

“I’m not sure about that yet, uhm, why are you asking?” He watches as your hand came up to tangle in his hoodie strings.

“Well, there’s this party. You could come—after the dinner,” You suggested, “I really want you there.”

There was no lie in that, you wondered if he would actually agree. A family dinner wouldn’t drag into the night would it? Then again, his family probably talked about his extremely difficult course, their future, shit that actually dragged on.

He took a moment to look at you with the most confused face you’ve ever seen on a person, “Me? You—you’re inviting me to a party...because you want me there?”

He must’ve thought he was dreaming, the boy was literally pinching himself. You nodded, trying to convince him, “Yes, I want you there, Jin, you can bring your friends too—if you want.”

“My friends? Would that be okay with the—uh—the—”

“The host? Of course, if he has a problem with it. I’ll deal with it.” With that he was convinced, you thought, nodding to himself as he probably thinks of how to get his friends there.

“I’ll—uhm, try to leave my family’s place at nine then?” He asked, looking at his phone at the time with his face scrunched.

You laughed, shaking your head at how early the boy thought he had to be there, “The party would start at eleven, you can come at midnight or something like that.”

“Oh...that’s very late.”

You shrugged, tying up his hoodie strings together, he gulps slightly at how close your hand was to touching his very nice chest, “It’s a normal time, just call me.”

You took his phone out of his hand to see that he didn’t have a lock on his phone, what a weirdo. Typing in your number quickly you handed it back to his shaky hands.

“Wear something, hot?” You smiled, tapping his shoulder as you walked past him to leave.

Giving him no time to think or stop you, clearly you wanted to leave him wanting more. You could hear him mutter loudly as he looks down at his top. Venting about how you tangled up his top to the point that could choke him.

You just couldn’t wait for that party now, huh.

As the time was well past midnight you stumbled around the house wondering where he was, you couldn’t see none of his nerdy friends though the place was very crowded, much more crowded than the last party you got yourself into.

Jisoo was over on the couch trying her best to play spin the bottle without chickening out, as if you’d ever play a game like that, you’re just asking yourself for herpes at that point. You didn’t stop her, she wanted to do it, after all her ex-boyfriend was watching every move she made.

You managed to get yourself into a secluded area of the house, where one person sat with his hands on a piano, playing nothing.

“Yoongi?”

He turns around, seeing you talk towards him. He flashes you a smile as he notices you’ve lost your shoes, “Are you here to ask for where your shoes are?”

“Psh, no. I’m here to ask if you’ve seen some nerdy looking boys,” You leaned against the piano, asking him in a playful tone.

Min Yoongi, was a good boy. He only looked bad on the exterior, and god, he looked extremely hot in his black getup and mellow attitude. Never the less you were here asking for another.

Yoongi raises an eyebrow at you, “Nerdy looking boys? Sorry to say, I haven’t seen them.”

You hissed, turning to lean your back against the piano with frustration.

“If you’re looking for someone, can’t you call that someone?” He adds, immediately beginning to play the keys before you could say something back. He was right, you could call him, or was your ego too big to allow yourself to do such a thing—

It kept ringing with an answer, fuck, you managed to swallow for pride for what. To be stood up, now you felt pathetic.

Kim Seokjin, stood you up. How could someone like him, drop the opportunity to be here with you. That didn’t even anger you as much as knowing that you invited him yet, he wasn’t here to ease you of your boredom. Even the split second you had with him on the street was the most thrilling moment of your month, somehow a prissy nerd managed to get you whipped.

You thought about leaving, going home to sleep, something Yoongi would do. Unless of course, the tides changed and you suddenly get a buzz in your pocket that made you jump.

You pulled out your phone to see it be him, Seokjin, you sneered wondering if he was calling to make an excuse, you took the chance and answered, immediately your ear being filled with the sound of his voice.

“Hi! Hey, y/n! Shit, I’m so sorry, fuck, I had to go pick up the guys. Are you mad at me? Please don’t be,” Seokjin continued to ramble on as the words went in one ear and out the other.

Seokjin swearing was truly a strange feeling, somehow kind of kinky to hear such a preppy boy spit such vile. You let him go on until he had stopped for you to respond, and of course you couldn’t really stay mad knowing how awful he felt, “I’m not mad, but could you get here faster, I’m dying.”

“You’re—you’re dying? What happened!” He pretty much yells in panic, which resulted in you hearing his friends start to panic too.

You scrambled to calm him down, “No! Not actually dying, I’m figuratively dying... of boredom?”

You could hear a very loud sigh of relief, as if he just dropped his entire chest, “Thank god, I thought, wow.”

Now you held in your laugh, it was funny to say the least. Only a few years in age difference and here he was acting like he’s never heard a joke in his life. Yet, you’ve heard him pull dad jokes as if he was forty.

It took him only a couple of minutes after you ended the call to get here, you had opened the door for them knowing they may have been too scared to ring it themselves or just walked in like everyone else. Whilst, his friends scattered around the party you managed to keep Seokjin attached to you for most of the night.

“Did you have a good dinner?” You asked, getting him a drink from one of the icebox in the kitchen. You shook the little ice off of it as you handled it to him, his hand brushing over yours without him flinching for once. You leaned your side against the counter, looking right at him as he looks down.

“It was—alright.”

You cocked your head, raising your eyebrows, “Something happen?”

“No...not really, just the same ole stuff,” He hobbles around, popping open the drink as he took a sip as if it was way for him to not talk about it anymore.

You thought about asking him about it more, it seemed like something he didn’t really want to talk about so you let it go. Giving him a grin you saw him blink at you strangely, “What?”

He blinks again, as if he couldn’t come up with the right words, “I—just, you’re—you look really...hot.”

You perked up, letting out a small ‘oh’ as you pushed yourself off the counter. Clearly it was a good choice to wear an almost off the shoulder top that had a fat tank strap on one side, a choice you made just to show more skin. That and you just wore a tartan skirt that flowed slightly, definitely adding to the plumpness of your bottom. You were glad he noticed and said something.

“And you,” You replied, “Not that you don’t look great everyday, just today you look hot not just cute.”

That must’ve been something for him to take as he blushes, holding up the can higher as if it would hide his pretty face at all. You chuckled, leaning towards him.

You grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from his face, he was tall, you craned your neck a little to look up at him. There he was looking right at where you were, you then dropped your gaze towards that of his lips, twitching slightly at how your breath was brushing past it.

“Jin—”

“Yes?”

You swallowed, biting onto your lips as you pushed his wrist towards the table making him drop the drink onto it. You breathed out heavily, hoping he’d take the hint, at this point most guys would take the leap but knowing him, he was too much of a good boy to do it on a whim.

“I want you.”

He raised his eyebrows, “You want me to what?”

You could roll your fucking eyes right now, he was so oblivious, that or he was in-denial. You were hoping it was the latter, you were obvious, occasionally trying to brush your ass up against him whilst you walked around. Even brushing your hand against his thigh whenever you’d sit down.

You sighed, tilting your head, “Really? You really want me to spell it out?”

“Spell? I don’t—”

“Kim Seokjin, you stupid nerd, I want you,” You tried your best to explain to him with the tone of your voice, at this point you were sure he was just denying it. You pushed his wrist onto the small of your back and pushed yourself against him. His breath hitching as he fumbles with that hand.

You leaned in, lips brushing against his, “Do you get what I mean?”

“I—I think so,” He stuttered, his eyes moving around behind you as if he was worried someone would see, “Do you really want to though? You’re—”

“Not too good for you—”

With that you pressed your lips against his, tilting into his lips as you held onto the back of his neck pulling him into you. His lips didn’t move with you at first, must’ve been the shock, he then realised that you weren’t in for just a peck.

His hand tightening on the side of your waist as his empty hand pulled you in at the hip, your stomach now flat to his pelvis, feeling the rather friendly thing he was hiding in his pants.

Your lips moved together roughly, more rough that you thought he could handle. Of course, you lead the pace, knowing him he wouldn’t try to. He only tilts his head in the same direction you did, allowing him to pretty much swallow you. You let out a whimper at the tightness of his palm, holding onto your waist as if he was going to lose it somehow.

He must’ve liked it, his crotch acting on its own.

You unlatched yourself from his lips, with a pop. A whine leaving your lips as you opened your eyes to those shut of Seokjin’s with his lips redden and full. You moaned, pressing your hips into his cock, feeling it twitch within it’s confinement.

“Y/n...”

“Yea?” You replied, running your hands up his nape, lacing his hair between your fingers as you pulled. His eyes would shut in pleasure, with a grunt like sigh leaving his lips. At least he was relatively vocal.

“We—we can’t do this here,” He said, allowing you some space to look around. He mustn’t have been to a party like this where either everyone was too high or too drunk to think. Of course, no one was looking your way, but at least he was a gentlemen.

You agreed, pulling at the collar of his sweater, “Does that mean we can do this elsewhere?”

He had suggested taking it to his house, which was great, you just couldn’t wait. He had left the car with one of his friends, one of the boys that lived with him. You didn’t mind, here you were walking to his place with your arms linked with his. Ever so often you could sense him staring at you, probably in disbelief.

You were in disbelief, were you really about to take him home…to fuck him?

There wasn’t much time to think through it as you’ve arrived, apparently, he takes you into his condo. Passing through a very fancy looking lobby which made you wonder if his parents had paid for it or did he and his friends manage to, never the less you walked into the elevator along with him and made way to his door.

At his door, he pressed his thumb against the keypad which lit up with a passcode for him to press in but instead he just swipes his keycard against it and the door unlocks, fancy.

He pushed the door open for you, allowing you to walk in first. You took in the place, very well kept for a bunch of university kids living together. He must’ve noticed your pleasantly surprised expression.

“I—uh, I try to keep the place together,” He said.

You chuckled, “You? Just you?”

He shyly laughs as well, brushing up his hair as he watched you wonder around his place, “They others aren’t as keen on, wasting their time on this stuff I guess. I just dislike mess.”

“You’re pretty much their caretaker at this point, Jin,” You looked to him, seeing his lips twitch as you said his name.

His very visibly still red lips, messed up by your lipstick previously and his hair, that he had tried to tame still tousled on his head. You sunk into having a way too creative mind again, seeing his broad shoulders right at eye level. Him leaning so casually against his kitchen table, you could imagine just dropping on your knees and taking his thick cock right in your—

“Would you like to see my room?”

With that you nodded, sort of over eagerly. He smiles, leading the way to his bedroom.

As you entered the room, you could see his personality all over his room. His walls were the plain gray colour, yet the wooden floor had a few carpets sprawled around the room adding some sort of coziness to it. His bed was relatively large for one person, with dark navy sheets. In one corner was his set up, his computer probably for gaming, laptop and a whole load of posters of space, robots and all things he liked. He also had random, blue prints and computer parts littered on his desk, in a mess, strangely enough, he also noticed you staring right at his desk, making him jump and run over to it trying to put it in place.

Not that it bothered you at all but it was kind of cute how he was trying to make his place look presentable for you, even though it already surpassed expectations.

Your eyes fell onto something that kind of made you step back of a second, maybe you seeing things. You stepped closer to the strange thing ahead, on his nightstand.

“Jin...” You called out, proceeding to point at it, “Is that a lizard?”

As you began to move away mainly out of fear the damned thing starts moving, “Jin! There’s a fucking lizard on your nightstand and it’s chasing me!”

You jump on his bed to get away from the culprit, seemingly a terrifying bearded dragon that you weren’t very keen on. The owner of said demon’s eyes widen as he realises your absolute fear, picking up the thing and putting it in a glass enclosure. As he moves towards you with guilt, his eyes sad and lips pouted, you sat back and looked at the lizard staring back at you.

You held up a hand to stop him coming towards your laid body, pointing behind him, “You better cover that up and wash your hand if you’re thinking of fucking me today.”

He splutters with his eyes blown out, “Fuck—fuck you?”

You shrugged, beginning to unlace your shoes, “Unless you want me to fuck you?”

“Uh—I, ah—”

“I’m kidding,” You teased, before winking, “For now.”

Within an instant the flustered cute nerd jumps off his feet and finds something to cover up his lizard from seeing whatever sinful shit was about to happen. Rushing himself to the bathroom leaving the doorway ajar, allowing you to see inside the pretty bathroom.

Kicking off your shoes, you pushed your socks off pushing your feet up against the blanket. Other than that you’d hope he wouldn’t have trouble taking any thing else off. Stretching out before your next exercise you turned back to the nightstand that his pet was at, looking at his strangely fascinating clock, in the shape of a constellation. This boy really loved space and science, huh.

Before you know it you felt a heat behind you, the bed sank down from a fresh weight. With your braided hair to the side you felt an oddly confident pair of familiar lips running down your neck. He breathed against your nape before sinking a deep open mouthed kiss on your shoulder, sucking on it.

You let out a long awaited moan, feeling his hand run up your sides as he pushes himself against your back.

“Didn’t know you were this bold,” You moaned.

Jin, breathes out a shy laugh, “Are—are you okay with that?”

You turned your head towards him, looking him in the eye, “Of course, do what you want, fucking use me.”

As if he’s never heard such a thing, the boy had a stitched on expression of shock, but you could tell it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe for the first time a girl like you was finally giving him the time of day. You were willing to give him your everything.

With a nod, he proceed. His lips immediately attaching against yours taking the breath out of you. He was pretty much sucking you try, it was rough, wet and hot. Your hand lazily strung over his broad shoulders as he tightly holds onto your waist.

He turns his head sideways to better access you, his tongue slipping through you easily as you whimpered submissively. Feeling slightly lightheaded from how intense this was becoming, fuck, a nerd was literally fucking his tongue into your mouth and you were just accepting it.

You wanted more, fuck, you wanted so much more.

You pushed away from his lips with a pop, breathily whining at him, “Jin, take it off, please~.”

Jin grunts, swallowing hard as you can see his adam’s apple bop up and down, “Take what off, y/n.”

Oh fuck, hearing him say your name with such lust in him was making you so wet. The look he was giving you, like he wanted to eat you like wild animal.

“Everything, Jin, everything,” You pushed his top to exposed his stomach to you. His very toned, and ripped stomach to your surprised. He doesn’t argue knowing it was damn well what he wanted as well.

He rips off his top without a sliver of shyness, standing on his knees whilst his eyes never lose contact with your own. Your hands beginning to pet at his sides and sliding down his bottom, squeezing his tight ass in your hands causing his breath to hitch, not out of dismay but of pleasure.

He unbuckles his belt in a way you could already imagine him using those veiny pretty hands and fingers to fuck you.

As he takes care of the rest of his clothes you wanted to him so bad, it was getting rough, you slick dripping self was trapped inside an extremely tight pair of pants and underwear. As he pushes his clothes off the edge of the bed, you pushed yourself back against the headboard, running your fingers down your slit before you lifted your bottom to slip the constrictors off.

Your bare pussy now visible to his keen eyes, you pushed apart your thighs to show him your glistening needy cunt. Jin’s hungry eyes forced himself closer, his bare body closer.

You took his time to notice his package, his very red, thick cock just dangling right in front of you. It was enough to make you cream but of course you didn’t, you couldn’t let the nerd come before you.

You rubbed your fingers against your folds, opening up yourself to him, “You want this?”

“Yes,” He breathes, his hands brushed up over your ankles towards your thigh.

You pouted, dipping your finger inside of you, “What is ‘this’, that you want, Jin?”

He swallows again, taking deep breathes as he watches your finger ease in and out of you, “I want you, I want to fuck you. I want to cum inside of you.”

The last part made you raise your eyebrows, you shivered a little from the thought, shit, you wanted it as much as him.

“Then come here,” You whimpered, tightening around your finger as he reaches you fully. His bottom half only lifted over you slightly. His face right up against you, his heavy breathing would’ve been audible from the damn bathroom.

You used your free hand to brush up against your clothed breast, his eyes trailing towards them. He gets what you wanted as he engulfs your throat with a deep kiss as his hands pushed up your top, fully over your head allowing your barely covered breasts to bless his eyes.

Jin sighs euphorically, his eyes asking you for permission of which you granted with all your pleasure. He takes them in his hands as he rolls your nipples through your very thin bra.

“Can I take this off?”

At this point you realised that you’ve willingly taken nearly everything off yourself. For the last piece of course you let him. His soft and gentle hands wrapping behind you to ease the clips off and the whole thing.

Stars festered in his eyes as he was met with your entire bare body, as if he had just gotten a candy he was never allowed to have. He latches himself onto your neck licking, sucking and biting on it as his hands caressed you with such lust.

You moaned and choked up, the boy hasn’t even touched your most sensitive parts and here he was already making you tear up. Your fingers weren’t finished, still set inside of you.

“Jin, help me out will you,” You batted your eyes, “Baby, I need you so bad.”

He looks down at the fingers leaving your core, drenched and hot, he nearly drolls from the sight. Pushing himself off of you as he begins to stroke himself. You were guessing he wasn’t a virgin, by the looks of it he might’ve just had some plane vanilla sex all his life, it was fine for you to do it that way—to start.

He closes his eyes as he wet himself with his cum, pulling his thick cock between his hand as the other keeps him half upright over you. You got up on your elbows, to allow yourself to be closer to him and help him as well.

“Jin, come on, you know you want to feel how fucking wet you made me,” You kissed his cheek, running your lips against it, “All of this—”

You slipped your hand between the two of you and smeared your own arousal on his dick, making him groan. “—I’m this wet just because of you, Jin.”

“Fuck!” Jin swears, for the second you hear him curse subconsciously. His face stitched with overhearing pleasure, from jerking off and having a visible human being, a fucking hot, needy, naked one right in front of him. Rubbing against him, licking him—not to mention a human being he’s been wanting for the longest time but never dared.

You leaned into his ear, biting it a little as you whispered, “Come on, you’re ready. Just fuck me already.”

Like a command, he guides himself towards you, stopping himself right before the entry, “Don’t we need a condom?”

“Uhm, no? Unless you’re not clean...” You paused.

Jin nods his head for a second, as if he was contemplating he looks over at his nightstand making you turn that way as well—

But in fact, he tricked you. With you distracted he pushes himself inside of you, making you moan out in an out of nowhere sense of pleasure. His thick, head heavy cock penetrating you with so much brute it hurt but in a good way, fuck, you liked it when a guy can stretch you out this much.

“Fuck—y/n, you’re so tight, shit,” He finally whimpers, the first time you’ve heard a guy do that, “And—fuck, I haven’t fucked anyone in nearly a year, I got checked last month.”

What a fucking tease, the look on his face of cockiness as he’s fooled you was sort of cute. He for once got the better of you and well here he was fully inside of you as your cunt squeezes the brains out of him.

He was a spluttering mess, he couldn’t even make a proper sentence after the second thrust. With a mighty cock like that, he knew where to put it, how to fuck hard and how to be a cutie about it.

“Do you feel good?” He asked, his voice pitched up like hell.

You laughed, “Fuck yes I feel good, holy shit—I feel so fucking good.”

It was sort of a fuel for him, hearing you praise him, knowing that he’s fucking you good. He begins to slack after a while, at least he lasted quite long in your opinion.

You pushed his shoulders back, non-verbally telling you to lay down. You pushed him down onto the bed sheet, pushing yourself on top of him as your bottom half swallowed him whole.

“Shit—y/n, uh, I don’t want to cum yet,” He whines, his eyes looking at you in panic.

You smiled at him, riding him without listening. Your hand on his chest keeping yourself upright, the other petting the side of his face as he leans into it with his eyes now shut trying to hold himself back from busting.

“It’s okay Jin, come on, just cum for me,” You told him, seeing him physically twitch as you did.

“But I—I don’t want it to be over yet,” He said.

As cute as that was you knew he was just worried he wasn’t going to be doing this ever again, “Shush—If you cum right now, I promise I’ll fuck you again, okay?”

His eyes widened as his face lit up, “Really?”

“Yes, really. I like you, Jin.” You explained, he really doubted it that much.

“You really like me? Like, like like or just like?”

You rolled your eyes, considerably done with him holding himself back by talking, you clenched as he begins to cum out of pure pressure, “Fuck!”

“I like you, like I want to date you like you.”

Finally he gets it, nodding as he lets himself go. With that you did the same, knowing how to get yourself off in his position better than most. He manages to get down off his high at the same time as you. His hand tightly squeezing your hips to keep you on him as you both could feel his hot cum leaking out between the two of you.

The grin on his face was the most fucked out expression you’ve never seen, that or he was genuinely happy. Probably the second.

“y/n, I’ve liked you for the longest time—”

“I know, I see the way you look at me,” You cut him off.

Jin smiles wholesomely, “Thank you.”

“For what.”

“Excepting my love,” He says in the most cheesy way possible.

You rolled your eyes, trying to get off him as he holds you down with his hands.

“Let me go, I’m—”

“No, please baby.”

You shook your head, looking away from him as he kept blabbering like the old man he is. As you laugh at his best efforts to make you stay, you managed to get sight of something you didn’t want to.

“Jin! Your lizard is on the bed! Why is it on the bed!”

“I don’t know, shit—what if he was here the entire time!”

“Then he must’ve enjoyed himself.”

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

#bts #jin #seokjin #kim seokjin #bts smut #seokjin smut #jin smut

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letsbenditlikebennett · 4 years

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Moonlight Chats || Ariana & Sammy

TIMING: Tonight PARTIES: @letsbenditlikebennett and Sammy (aka Ace) via @inspirationdivine SUMMARY: Ariana and Sammy sneak back out to their spot in the woods to see each other. They take a stroll over to the cliffs overlooking the beach and chat for a bit. Ariana sneakily follows him back home.

Ariana had been surprised she had been able to slip out of Ulfric’s without being questioned on where she was going. Celeste had been in the shower and Ulf was outside keeping watch, but she did her best to be extra quiet as she slipped out the door. She’d packed her backpack with some snacks and a blanket so they could keep it low key. The last thing she needed was someone recognizing her from her description. She jogged lightly through the woods, looking for the spot she ran into Ace the night they had met. She’d been bummed she missed him the last time he had been looking for her. Every part of her was hoping he’d be there tonight. With everything going on, getting to spend time with a friend would be nice and a very welcomed distraction. She hoped he was doing okay. Something had been off and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Maybe if she saw him tonight, she could sneakily follow him back home to maybe find some answers. It was a beautiful, clear night out with the stars peeking through the trees, and she leaned against the same tree she left a note for him on. The note wasn’t there anymore which means he’d probably gotten it. The thought made her smile as she kept an ear out for footsteps. She heard a crunch of leaves and called out, “Ace, is that you?”

This whole sneaking out thing was getting easier, even if Sammy was trying to avoid so many people to minimise risks. Sneaking in and out of Al’s Diner and trying to find the wood working place Ari had mentioned had all failed, so it was back to the woods. This time with a small flashlight, so he could see where he was going. He wandered around kind of aimlessly, enjoying the freeing feeling of just being outside, right next to the ache of not having seen Lydia since this morning. He’d almost started flicking the flashlight from hand to hand, when - shit. “Ari! Yes. Are you okay? That note had me worried!”

Ariana’s face lit up when she heard the response. She’d been hopeful she’d find him again and it was good to hear his voice. She hadn’t meant to worry him with that note, but she’d been in a panicked state when she had written. “Sorry,” she said, “ I hadn’t meant to worry you. I’m not like okay okay, but we’re figuring things out. Have you been alright?” She wished she had a better answer, but anything else would be untrue. “I’m glad I found you though. Think we could maybe skip the trip to town this time? I’m trying to keep a low profile.”

“You’re figuring things out, but something happened that meant you had to change your appearance? Or was that, like, metaphorical?” Sammy asked, looking over at her. “Uh, I don’t know how to answer that without lying, so I’m not gonna. Things are gonna suck extra extra hard in the next few weeks. But like, same as last time, so.” He’d seen the words scribbled out, too. It wasn’t like she didn’t have anything to worry about. “Yep yep yep, gotcha. Oh, speaking of! Here’s what I owe you.” Stolen fresh from Lydia’s wallet, but he’d done that before the previous time he’d snuck out, and she hadn’t noticed yet, had she? It was totally fine. “Maybe we can try the beach? Or, uh, the lake? Get a scenery change. By the way, like the hair! Bangs suit you.”

“Yeah, I know it sounds kinda cryptic and I guess it is? I don’t know, it’s like this whole thing. It’s kind of a lot and I don’t want to, like, totally freak you our or anything,” Ariana responded as she tried to attempt a laugh. It came out more nervous sounding than anything which totally didn’t live up to the badass persona she was trying to maintain. “I kind of figured as much, but it never hurts to ask. I’m sorry things are going to be sucky. If there’s anything I can do, let me know,” It was becoming more and more clear that Ace couldn’t answer that question even if he wanted to. She’d definitely be trying to figure that one out. He was a nice person, if she could help she wanted to. She was surprised that he was handing her money. She took it hesitantly and said, “Oh, thanks. I wasn’t really worried about that.” At the mention of the lake, Ariana’s eyes widened and she immediately exclaimed, “No, not the lake!” She hadn’t meant for it to come out quite like that, but she really didn’t feel like taking on a giant squid monster. “Sorry,” she said, more calmly this time, “We can walk to the beach. The lake is just currently home to a giant squid monster and I’d rather we not become its dinner.”

“Yeah, that’s like fair. But consider this: I can’t tell anyone else about this either. So like, space to vent if you want it, or whatever.” Sammy looked at her with a soft little smile, frowning just as much. She was so young, and woah, yeah, that thought made him feel old, even though it was barely a few years between them. “Yeah. Well. I was. I don’t want to be… indebted.” To anyone other than Lydia, anyway. At her exclamation, Sammy startled, jumping back. “Wait. The lake is what to a what now?!” Sammy stopped short, looking around wide now. “Is that like… a new thing? Weird that they don’t have that on the welcome sign. Beach it is. Cool. Cool cool cool.”

Ariana looked down at her hands briefly and she nervously fidgeted with her fingers. She hated this whole situation, but venting usually helped. “Well, long story short, there’s a hunter in town who knows about the bounty Celeste’s parents have on me. We made it look like we left town so hopefully we bought ourselves some extra time to figure things out. They’ve wanted me dead since I was like a kid kid.” It still brought a fair amount of stress, but it felt a little better to not have yet another secret hanging between them, She was definitely going to be following him back tonight, she needed to know he was safe. She slipped the cash into her bag and shrugged, “If you say so.” Ariana laughed softly at Ace’s reaction. Clearly a giant squid monster was a lot to take in. “I said what I said. There’s a giant squid that we should probably stay away from. So yep, beach it is. It’s over this way.” She pointed and led them toward the beach. “If you see any coins on the beach, don’t pick them up. They’re like cursed or something. Pretty sure that was taken care of though, but just to be safe.”

“That’s so fucked. I mean, like, no kid is dangerous, no matter their species. Hunters like that, which are so black and white in their thinking are the worst. I’m so sorry. You managing to keep safe, though, yeah?” Sammy asked, touching her shoulder briefly. Sammy followed her until the forest gave way to cliffs, and the soil turned to rocks. “Great. So no cursed coins, no giant squid. Anything else I should remember to avoid? I kinda figured I would only have to worry about the woods.” You wouldn’t get five miles. No shit Lydia moved them to such a dangerous place. Somewhere to hide from hunters. Sammy thought about Annie, and swallowed. Nowhere to go but die, and still he wanted to return to Lydia in the morning.

“You’re telling me. I don’t know, the whole thing just has me feeling off. Like before I felt determined to fight for my right to have roots somewhere and now just…” Ariana trailed off, unsure of how to explain what she was feeling, “I guess I just have a lot more to lose now, you know?” She welcomed the gesture of a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled weakly in return. She took in a deep breath as they reached the rocks, appreciating the smell of the ocean breeze. “Well, if you’re in the woods, watch for hedgehounds and spinach deers. Don’t touch the spinach deers, they look spooky and have red heads. That doesn’t sound promising, huh?” It was becoming more apparent that White Crest was pretty dangerous, but she could handle herself. She worried more about Ace sneaking around in the night. “Hopefully you haven’t come across anything crazy yourself… well, at least not crazier than a werewolf.”

“You should! You should be able to live wherever you want without fear of consequence. Fuck letting some assholes control your life,” Sammy said, a little too vigorously. Little too much like it was something he related to. “Are there people you can talk to? Like an anti-hunter committee or something, to keep you safe?” As soon as he said it, he knew it was an absurd suggestion. They would know if there was anti-hunter committees. “I’m sorry. Do you, uh, want a hug or something?” As Ariana described the creatures of the woods, Sammy couldn’t help but snicker. “Hedgehounds and spinach deers? The most dangerous things out here are plants? No, I know there’s some wacky stuff out here.” He clambered onto a nearby boulder, his sneakers definitely not made for this. “No. There was a mime, the other night, but it kinda left me alone. I mean, he, probably, but he was walking on his toes and fingers and just looked real weird. I’ve heard some of them aren’t human? Maybe? No, I don’t think the most dangerous stuff it out here.”

Normally, Ariana would have found herself having Ace’s kind of energy. It was what she had said only weeks ago. She wanted to fight for her right to live here. But now, with Celeste’s parents arriving seeming like a much more likely possibility, she couldn’t help but feel worried someone she cared for would get hurt because of her. Still, she did deserve the right to have a home and friends just like any other teenager. “You’re not wrong. It’s not something I should have to fight for, but here we are.” She was slightly stunned at the idea of an anti-hunter committee. That would be an awesome thing, but then again, there were hunters like Celeste who chose to judge people on their actions rather than their species. “It’s okay, I wish something like that existed. I wouldn’t say no to a hug.” She carefully made her way over the boulder looking slightly concerned at Ace’s lack of footing. “Slow and steady is the best way over these things. Also, they’re not plants. They’re like giant animals, though the hedgehounds look like moving plants. Much more vicious though.” Ariana giggled as she jumped up another rock. “Mime sightings aren’t rare in White Crest. Think I know the one you’re talking about. Pretty sure it eats cats. Still wouldn’t get too close. Couldn’t resist the mime restaurant, huh,” she said, playfully nudging him once he was steady on the rock beside her.

“Yeah, here you are. Doesn’t mean you have to feel okay with it.” Sammy agreed, watching her carefully. Once they were on the boulder together - and her balance was so much better than his, but Sammy had trained with hunters even if he would have been a shitty one even with the right genetics - he wrapped his arms around her tightly, and tucked his chin against her head. God, it was the only hug he’d had in months, and he squeezed her gently. “Yeah, slow and steady.” He let her go after a moment, and after a moment took a big step onto the next boulder. “That’s what I don’t like in this town. Why is a weird mime never just a weird mime? Why does it have to eat cats? Yeah, you know, big fan of…. Mime food? Is it striped?” He playfully nudged her back, and sat to stare across the ocean. “Do you know what’s weird? It feels like when I’m out here my head starts to clear a little. Like, uh, removing cotton whool or something. I bet this beach is real pretty in the daytime.”

“I’m not okay with it. Still gotta figure out how to live with it or make it stop,” Ariana responded somewhat defeatedly. Eventually, they’d have to face Celeste’s parents and this would be over with. Until then, the whole thing was stressful and she was pissed off about it. She relaxed a bit as Ace wrapped his arms around her and rested her head against his chest as she hugged him back. It brought a certain level of comfort with it. The sound of his heartbeat drummed in her ears and she found it to be soothing. Something about hugs were a nice reminder that you weren’t alone in the world. Now more than ever, she had actual friends and hope of surviving this whole mess. “Thanks,” she said softly as he let go, “That did make me feel a little better.” She looked over the ocean and marveled how it also sparkled under the moonlight. A laugh escaped her lips at Ace’s rant on mimes not just being mimes. “It’s part of the White Crest charm, nothing’s what it seems. Pretty sure there’s something magical about the mimes. I’ll keep you posted on that one though.” She took a seat down on a larger rock overlooking the water and patted the space next to her, indicating she wanted him to join. “Weirdly, I haven’t been in the daytime yet. It was like night time here for like nearly a month thought. I kind of prefer the beach at night anyway. I love the way the moonlight reflects in the water. I know, stereotypical werewolf loves the moon. Tonight it’s in the Waxing Gibbous phase so it looks almost full. If you’re ever able to come during the day though, I’d join.”

“That’s the aim of the game!” The moment Sammy said it, he flushed bright red. Why… why did he have to say stuff like that? Cheering her up, like, totally not a game. When she sat, Sammy slowly clambered to his feet, and stepped over carefully to join her. When he sat, his foot slipped, and Sammy winced as he landed on his ass hard. “Whoops!” Sammy looked at the scrape on his hand, his pulse starting to rate. Nope, nope, he had to stay calm. Totally calm. Or it would wake Lydia. Not that she’d find out about it in the morning anyway. “I’m okay,” he said quickly, looking back over to Ariana. “But, I uh, probably won’t ever come during the day. Very Cinderella like that. Might turn into a pumpkin.” He swung his arm around Ari’s shoulder, not like in some goofy teen movie, but to give her another quick hugging squeeze. “Hey, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love the moon. It wild, to think a rock a million miles away has an effect on the oceans, and magic and people, too.”

Ariana let out a weak laugh at Ace’s joke. She could tell it left him a bit flustered after she said it, so she tilted her head and smiled at him to indicate it was totally okay. He’d still made her feel better than she had been feeling all day. She was slightly startled by him slipping as he sat down. She tried to reach a hand out to help, but it was too late. “Can I take a look,” she asked as she reached for his hand. It had a scrape on it so she went digging into the backpack she set down. “I’ve got a hiking first aid kit in here somewhere, and oh, I brought snacks, too. You feeling sweet or salty?” She took his hand and warned, “This might sting a little bit.” She took the sanitizing wipe to his scrap before applying a bandaid to it. “There you go. Just gotta be careful getting back down from here.” A frown crossed Ariana’s face as he mentioned he’d probably never get to come during the day. It only affirmed every suspicion she had that he was in a bad situation. She’d definitely have to sneak follow him back to wherever he was staying if she had any chance of helping him. For right now, she enjoyed another gentle hug and made an effort to lighten the mood. “Cinderella, huh? Does that make me Prince Charming? Are you going to leave behind a shoe so I can search the town for you? You know, it’s the carriage that turns back into a pumpkin, not Cinderella herself, right?” She nudged him gently with a laugh, hoping it brought a little light back to the situation. “Yeah, I don’t know if it’s a wolf thing, but I’ve always been captivated by it. My physical strength is also influenced by the lunar cycle, so there’s that. It’s also just… beautiful, you know?”

Sammy curled his hand into a fist, before sighing and unfurling it, holding it out in front of Ariana. “You’re a modern scout, aren’t you.” He winced anyway, despite her warning as the alcohol stung his palm. “Sweet, please.” He flexed his hand, watching the bandage curl over it, and knew he’d rip it off before he got back in the house. “Thanks, Ariana. I’ll, uh, try to be less clumsy.” He gave another squeeze to her shoulder. “Hell yeah it does! Except, kinda need my shoes, so you’ll have to find me some other way.” He chuckled. “Yes, of course I do! But it would be so much cooler to turn into a pumpkin, don’t you think?” He nudged her back, staring over the water. The sky was beginning to lighten. “Yeah, it’s so cool. Do you get, like, physically stronger near the full moon?”

Ariana knew alcohol on a fresh scrape stung like hell, but it was better to clean it than let it possibly get infected. “I was never actually a girl scout, but I’m sure I have more camping and hiking skills than most.” At the request of something sweet, Ariana pulled a thing of Double Stuf Oreos out of her backpack and a couple of bottles of water. “Hope you like Oreos then.” She smiled and handed him the package so he could enjoy some cookies. She munched on one before she jokingly said, “I hope this doesn’t sound totally creepy, but I could always sniff you out. Weirdest re-telling of Cinderella ever. That’s gonna be a no from me. I like you just as you are. Plus, I’d have to keep people from trying to like turn you into a pie or something and it sounds exhausting.” She smirked and let out a breath as he nudged her. This really was kind of perfect. The view of the sky over the water and knowing they were both safe, at least for this moment. No hunters or no whatever clearly had some sort of hold on Ace. “Yeah, I get stronger as it gets closer to the full moon. Further away from it, I’m closer to human strength. Given being an athlete and training in carpentry, I’m way stronger than you’d expect a girl who’s 5’1” to be.”

“I’d be a great pie! But yeah, just a tiny bit creepy. But hey, I know how to track- certain… types of people?” Hitting the boundary of those promises mid sentence, it was. Great. Sammy hoped she was joking, but not enough to ask whether she was joking. Something deep in his chest stopped him from asking her not to track him. God, he could practically hear Chloe already, scolding him for letting anyone even close enough to joke about it. Sammy scratched the back of his head, before accepting an oreo and pointedly ignoring his head-Chloe, to listen to Ariana. “I mean yeah, I’m not surprised you’re so much stronger, anyway, but it’s so cool that it changes. Like, do your muscles physically grow over the course of the month?” Sammy looked up at the sky, and held up his oreo so it briefly covered the moon. “Speaking of being Cinderella, I probably have to bounce soon. Not right yet, though. You doing anything nice at the moment, while hiding from hunters?”

“I know being a snack is a compliment, but being an actual pie is not what they meant. My bad, super wolf sense of smell. Kinda the main way I navigate the world. Certain types of… okay? I’m guessing you can’t finish that thought,” Ariana said with a small frown. The bright side was he didn’t explicitly tell her not to sniff him out, so her plan of following him back without him knowing was still ago. She needed to know he was safe and if he would be for much longer. The whole situation with him was very cryptic, but he was so sweet and she enjoyed his company. She felt inclined to try and get him out of whatever trouble he was in. “Thanks, I like that me being strong isn’t a surprise,” she said with a small laugh, “No, they don’t physically get like bigger or anything, but I can feel a big difference. Having the extra strength makes me feel a little faster, too.” It was getting late, even without looking at her watch, she could tell by the sky. She knew the whole house was probably wondering where she was. It has hard to sneak away in a house full of wolves and a hunter. Still, she gave him a pout, “Fiiiiine,” she said dramatically, “But really, that’s cool. I do have school in the morning unfortunately. Outside the hunter thing, yeah, things are pretty nice. Prom’s coming up, so gotta find a dress for that and graduation. Apprenticeship is going nicely, too. I’ve actually been working on a pretty dope coffee table as a birthday gift for a friend.”

“Hey, I’m a snack and I still stand by being a great pie. I’d be the most delicious pumpkin pie in town!” Sammy grinned, “Yup, definitely can’t finish that thought. Oh well. It would be easier if I could tell you what I can’t tell you but I’m not even able to tell you that.” He swallowed, unwilling to let the darkness creep back into the conversation, so he barrelled on into the rest of the conversation. “So like the Kanye song, then. Sick.” School in the morning. Despite the hunters, despite the hiding and the hair, she still had school, normality and friends. (Was it a tiny bit weird hanging out with a high schooler? Yes. Was Sammy feeling picky? Absolutely not.) He stood up slowly, sliding down the rock and gesturing for her to walk with him back to the road. “What kinda dress are you thinking? I bet your friend will love the table too.”

“Alright, alright. You can be a pumpkin pie when you turn back into a pumpkin. It is my favorite pie,” Ariana agreed with a laugh that was quickly cut off at the mention of things he couldn’t say. It would be nice if he was able to tell her what he can and can’t talk about. Something like that would make it easier for her to figure out what had a hold on him. “Right, that’s okay.” It seemed Ace didn’t want to dwell on it too much which she could understand. She nodded and looked back out at the water sparkling under the night sky. “Something like that.” A quiet laugh escaped her lips and she focused on enjoying the rest of their time together. It seemed like they both had plenty to worry about. “I’m not too sure about the dress. Going shopping with a friend soon. Nothing too poofy. The table is coming along beautifully, I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“Next time we meet you’ll have to show me what you chose,” Sammy said, with way way way too much enthusiasm. They reached the road, and Sammy looked down to fiddle with a tiny corner of the band-aid. “Right, so I’ll see you around, yeah? Best of luck getting that table finished and stuff. I’ll try not to miss you, either. Just watch out for the bat signal.” He nudged her teasingly, giving her a short wave before jogging off. As soon as she was out of sight, he ripped the bandaid off his palm, rubbing the scab idly. He’d start with the clay work early tomorrow, it would be fine. The bridge to Harris island wasn’t far, and Sammy had learned that it was one of the few places you were unlikely to run into anyone - anyone who lived on the island would be driving along the bridge, not walking. Then it wasn’t far to a small grove of trees, covered in ivy or some other dangly plant, Sammy had no idea. What he did know was that when you moved them out of the way, it lead to a a bunker style tunnel, that led right into Lydia’s home. Rather, it led out - Chloe had found an emergency bunker in the basement, for whatever reason someone in a town like this might have needed it.

“You got it, there will be plenty of picture updates on the prom experience,” Ariana said with a wide smile. Having some semblance of a normal high school experience was something she was looking forward to. The brief excitement faded when Ace said he had to head back home. “Yeah, yeah,” she said, “I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for bat signals. Stay safe out there, Ace.” She gave him a quick hug and was mindful of his scent, committing it to memory. With a wave, she began walking in the opposite direction to let him believe she was going back home. Once he was out of sight, she began following his trail. The smell of him was still fresh in the air and she found herself quietly sneaking through the trees. She noticed his bandaid on the ground and furrowed her brows. Why would he need to take that off? She supposed if he was sneaking around behind someone’s back, the band aid would make it obvious. She shook her head and kept following his scent until she reached the bridge. Ace was up ahead, just nearly all the way across. She ducked down so he couldn’t see her and waited until he was out of sight again before crossing the bridge and following his trail into a grove of trees. This was odd, but she kept tracking him. She was shocked to find a tunnel. His scent was still fresh, he must have gone into the tunnel and she went into it herself. With every step, Ariana was mindful to make sure she was being near silent. When she reached the house, she decided it was best to turn around. She could probably find the front of it without the tunnel, but it was getting late. She would take the not tunnel route when she came back, earlier in the evening one of these nights soon. The whole tunnel thing definitely confirmed her suspicion that Ace was being held against his will, likely by something magical since he physically couldn’t tell her certain things. Her stomach felt like it was twisting. Whatever situation Ace was in, she knew she had to get him out of it.

#ace #sammy #lydia #moonlight chats #wickedswriting #inspirationdivine

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