I saw this to marvelous pice of clothing in a quick succession on Pinterest and I just thought about my two lovely gay idiots stuck in a computer

Okay buddy. I need a snippet of Leong. Please 🤣🤣🤣

Ohhohohohohoho

Get ready friends because it’s actually not at all what you’re thinking:

—

You grimaced at the security footage, watching as a figure missing too many limbs tackled a man in a dark suit jacket. Through the grainy footage, it was still easy to spot a sharp gleam in the attackers eyes, and the splotches of red and rot that decorated its face.

“When was this?”

“Yesterday evening,” Bailey replied, her eyes still trained on the screen. “Mr. Bidel was brought into the station after a call from his wife claimed he was threatening her with a knife. Four hours later… this.”

You sighed, glancing back to the screen as the video looped again, replaying the officer’s untimely death over again. No matter how long you’d been doing this, it still sent a wave of grief and sickness through you.

“So clearly it’s some sort of virus,” you started. It was obvious in the rotted flesh, the visceral, hungry attacks, so much like every other BOW you’d encountered before. “But who’s got their hands on it this time?”

Bailey turned to the computer screen, clicking the mouse a few times and projecting varied articles and photographs up to the large display screen. Your eyes flashers over the photo of a suburban neighbourhood. A factory. The words NEW RC plastered on a large sign.

“All directions point towards an Umbrella Copycat.”

Your heart felt like it was in your throat. You hadn’t been there in the initial Raccoon City incident. The fall of the first Umbrella. But you didn’t need to - you’d heard the stories, it was the literal reason you had this job. So this couldn’t be a coincidence - finding the RC initials and the word “Umbrella” within the same sentence. But…

“How did no one see this before?” you demanded. “It’s so obvious! Like - you see those initials right?” Wasn’t it the departments entire job to watch out for this kind of thing? Prevent those horrors from ever occurring again?

“Because this is likely one of the most secluded townships in the United States. It’s literally underground. It was sheer luck that the Bidels were on vacation when this occurred, and the processing went through a “public” station record system.” She sighed between the words, reaching to massage her temples. There was a strange sort of defeat from her posture, something you hadn’t seen before. It didn’t sit right with you.

“So what’s the plan then?”

Bailey met your gaze. There was something still unsaid there, something you found yourself suddenly afraid to hear.

“Mrs. Bidel hasn’t been heard from since the incident,” she sighed. “Her husband worked at the factory, and her interview indicated that they weren’t planning on returning home. We’re incredibly low on intel, but underground sources have managed an in. You’re going undercover as the Bidel’s… successor. You’re going to gather intel so we can put a lid on this before it erupts.”

Ohhhhhh there was a lot in those few sentences. Undercover. In the suburbs. Cut off from the rest of the country, to gain information about a nameless company that turns people into zombies and makes them disappear.

Sometimes you wondered why you kept this job.

“Something on your face tells me that’s not all,” you groaned, leaning back into your chair as she fixed you with a concerning sympathetic look. She shook her head, and suddenly your heart was in your throat again.

“The neighbourhood seems to maintain a particular… niche.” She trailed off, her nose scrunching with distaste. Another picture fluttered past the screen. A collection of happy looking couples, in full PDA mode all cuddled together with big smiles.

Oh god.

“You’re going in with a partner, to play the roles and properly fit in.”

When she didn’t continue, you cleared your throat.

“Who’s the partner?”

After a moment, she let out a long breath, uttering two words that struck an intimidated sort of fear into your heart.

“Leon Kennedy.”

Jill Valentine: What the Future Holds

For @openheartfanfics Meet My MC Event ☺💕

Career

After her residency ends, Jill takes over the Diagnostics Team, after the three other team members vote for her.

When Ethan steps down, Jill immediately jumps into action and starts interviewing possible candidates to fill the fourth spot of the team.

Finally, she decides to appoint Jackie. She’s proved herself time and time again, and she’s an exceptional doctor, so it made sense. And Jackie fits right in with their dynamics.

The team, and the hospital with it, thrives under Jill’s lead. They help a lot of people and earn a lot of worldwide renown.

The team was already known because of Naveen and Ethan, but there were doubts flying around when Ethan stepped down to become Chief of Medicine. Those doubts were quickly put to rest.

Jill is stubborn and determinate, and she works her hardest to make her team succeed. And the team succeeds more than ever because of her idea to work along with other departments at the hospital, creating a huge teamwork effort.

Harper is often busy, so Bryce and Ivy are her surgeons on call, and both of them give Harper a second and third opinion, so they consider every possibility out there. Rafael is the one she consults when physical therapy is on the table. Elijah, Baz and Zaid also help from time to time when they contemplate experimental treatments or when they need to research a new alternative, and Baz’s input is invaluable when it comes to immunology. Sienna is her pediatrician of choice. Even Esme and Gary come in handy from time to time. And even in retirement, Naveen is more than happy to help and give his input when the team hits a particularly hard slope. That applies for Ethan too; though, as much as he loves diagnostics, he tries to get involved the minimum, instead he lets Jill do her thing, and she’s damn good at it.

Jill’s management of the team also meant a new project she had been working on with Aurora. As soon as Aurora takes over Mass Kenmore’s Diagnostics Team, the two of them collaborate on projects and cases. And even if Kenmore’s renown isn’t as big as Edenbrook’s team, each group has something to contribute. They even collaborate on publishing articles and case studies. They work as well on their own as they do together. They help twice the amount of patients working alongside instead of competing with each other.

With Ethan as Chief of Medicine, she works perfectly with administration. They constantly help each other. He has the power to approve her projects and budget requests, but he only does it after hearing her pitch, just like other doctor, and he recognizes the true potential she shows.

She implements a program that gives third-year residents the opportunity to work with the diagnostics team. They are assessed and evaluated since their intern year, and when their third year comes by, Jill picks the two best residents. They’re not a part of the team per se, but they do a two-month internship with the team, work with them and learn from the experience.

Jill also dedicates part of her time to researching and working on zoonotic diseases. With her family of veterinarians, she’s more than qualified to do this, and after the maitotoxin incident, she knows there’s a lot of work to be done in that area.

Jill quickly becomes one of the most respected doctors and earned world-renown. She even becomes a published author.

Her books: “From Animals to Humans: Understanding Zoonotic Diseases”; “Diagnostics: A Comprehensive Science”; “The Challenges of Diagnosing”; “Solving Medical Mysteries: A Team Effort” (co-written with Aurora Emery) & “A Guide to Zoonoses” (co-written with Lucas Valentine).

A few years later, when Tobias decides to move to New York to marry Katherine, and inevitably has to leave the team, Jill is once again left with the task of looking at prospects for team member.

When that happens, Ethan is more than ready to step down as Chief of Medicine, after his fair share of working with administration, and he presents his curriculum to Jill, as if he was any other doctor.

Of course, Jill doesn’t have to think twice. She knows the kind of diagnostician he is, and she’s missed working with his brilliant mind.

Jill doesn’t just accept him into the team. She announces they’re both gonna be Co-Heads of the Diagnostics Team. After all, they’re better together than apart. Ethan tries to fight it at first but, well, he has never been particularly adept at denying Jill, and that was a matter she wasn’t willing to change her mind.

Though, as years working well with administration, both Ethan and Jill have earned other administratives favors, and working with them goes without a hitch as well. There are no more problems with the board like there were when Jill was a resident, and Ethan has learned to work with them, so the fights are almost non-existent.

Still, Tobias quickly earns his place as diagnostician in New York Presbyterian Hospital, and he continues to work along with Jill and Ethan.

Relationship with Ethan

Since confessing his love for Jill, Ethan was completely sure that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

The idea of proposing hadn’t made it to his mind yet, but he knew he was ready for them to move in together.

Even if the question had been at the tip of his tongue every time they were together, Ethan held back. Jill was already trying to adjust to the transition from resident to attending, and to Head of the Diagnostics Team. He didn’t want to add to it by having her move to his place.

But he had his mind made up, and he would ask her to move in with him as soon as things settled back. He wasn’t going to be deterred.

Except he hadn’t contemplated something, and that something made him stop in his tracks and reconsider asking her.

Because Jill, as Head of the Diagnostics Team, had a new salary. And with that new salary, the first thing Jill had done was get a puppy.

And no, not a little Yorkie or a Chihuahua. No. It was a damn Bernese Mountain Dog, that was going to grow into a seriously large dog.

Ethan already had Jenner, and even Jenner spent more than half of the time at his dad’s place in Providence. He didn’t think his penthouse could take a hyperactive Bernese Mountain puppy.

But he also knew his girlfriend. Coming from a family of veterinarians, Jill wasn’t going to leave the damn dog behind. From the moment she got him (“Satchmo”), Ethan knew they were a package deal. If he wanted to live with Jill, he also had to live with the dog.

He didn’t know how that could work with Jenner and in his penthouse, but he was willing to risk it. He knew he wanted to wake up every day by her side and go to sleep with her.

So, in September, just a couple of months after settling in their new positions, Ethan and Jill moved in together. Unsurprisingly, Jill knew how to handle the transition for both dogs, and made the move easy for all of them.

And just a few months after moving together, in December, Ethan popped the question. Jill cried through his whole proposal speech and couldn’t say yes, but she nodded fiercely and kissed him.

They had a relatively long engagement, until finally, they got married the following year, on October 16th, 2022.

The reception was huge, hundreds of people invited (because of the Valentine’s connections), though neither of them seemed to mind too much. They were just happy to be marrying each other. According to the media and tabloids, it was the wedding of the century.

Naveen was Ethan’s best man, and Luke (Jill’s older brother) and Tobias were his groomsmen, while Sienna was Jill’s maid of honor, and Kat and Ivy (her two sisters) were her bridesmaids.

About six months into their marriage, they decided to move to an actual house, and started looking.

Funnily enough, Jill’s childhood best friend, Hunter, told them he was currently working on a few construction and design projects in the area of Boston. He was the one who hooked them with a house and was their architect, helping them design their dream house.

A few months later, they were moving into a bigger house in suburban Boston, along with Jenner, Satchmo and Vienna (the roomies figured Jill had more space than them and could take care of the fennec fox better than them).

Starting their own family

It was about a year after their wedding that they sat down and talked about having children. Ethan had already worked through his trauma, and his past with Louise no longer held him back. Jill stopped her birth-control, and they started trying to get pregnant.

It took Jill a couple of months, and deep down she was terrified to let Ethan down and not be able to give him children, now that he had decided he wanted them. Ethan obviously eased her worries and told her the only thing he needed in life was her; children would be nice, but he really only needed her.

Still, Jill anxiously took a fertility test, and once it came out that she could have children, she tried to brush it off as stress, but still worried inside.

A few months later, Ethan surprised Jill by taking her on vacation, to ease her worrying and stress. He took her to a wolf sanctuary in Alaska she had mentioned she wanted to visit a few times.

Jill and Ethan found out Jill was pregnant by accident, and it definitely took them by surprise, but the news were very welcomed. At the wolf sanctuary, the wolves changed their whole demeanor and body language around Jill, and the keeper congratulated Jill on her pregnancy. Turns out, wolves are excellent at telling when a woman is pregnant even if she doesn’t know it yet; the animals get all odd and careful around the pregnant woman and take defensive postures around her. It was definitely a reveal worth telling.

Her first pregnancy, thankfully went without a hitch, and soon, their first-born came into the world, through natural birth.

Their son, Nicholas Jonah Ramsey, was born on August 24th, 2024.

Everyone was enamored with the little baby, with his dark hair and intense blue eyes, the spitting image of his father.

Ethan and Jill decided to appoint Rafael and Jackie as Nick’s godparents.

Six years later, their second child came along, also through natural birth.

Their daughter, Brooklyn Marie Ramsey, was born on November 8th, 2030.

She has her mother’s distinctive ginger-bronze hair color, but her father’s blue eyes.

Brooke’s godparents are Hunter and Sienna.

After little Brooklyn was born, though, Jill was informed that a third pregnancy could be fatal for her, that her body wouldn’t be able to sustain another pregnancy. And, after much deliberation and talking it out as spouses, Jill went under a hysterectomy procedure, which meant no more children for them, but they were beyond happy with their two little blessings.

Family and Friends

The gang remained tight-knit close, to the point where their children called the others aunts and uncles.

Even when they no longer lived together, they promised to hang out constantly and see each other. It also helped that they kept working together.

Eventually, Elijah and Phoebe eloped, and Sienna moved in with Raf. Bryce and Ivy already lived together. Aurora and Jackie were the last remaining ones, and they got a smaller apartment for the two of them for a while.

Then Aurora moved in with Hunter (once he fully moved to Boston) and Jackie got a place for herself and her new boyfriend, which she keeps a secret from the roomies until she’s completely sure the relationship is the real deal, because it’s the least expected pairing in the world. (Spoiler alert: it’s Baz 😂)

Even paired off and building their own lives, the gang kept up some of their traditions and kept in touch.

They even celebrate a few milestones and holidays together.

It tends to get a bit chaotic, given that it’s double the people, counting the spouses, but they all get along great and enjoy spending time together.

Tobias moved to New York once he married Katherine, but both of them still visit from time to time.

After traveling the world, Kyra moved to New York as well, where she met and married Jill’s older brother, Luke. Just like Tobias and Kat, they visit constantly.

Jill remains close with her family. She’s always been close with her siblings, and even more when they married some of their friends. And she grew closer to her parents once her own kids were born. Haley and Matthew Valentine definitely spoil their grandchildren rotten.

Jill and Ethan, along with Ivy and Bryce, make the trip to New York once every other month, to visit Jill’s parents, Kat and Tobias, and Luke and Kyra.

And once every other month, alternating with them, Kat and Tobias, and Luke and Kyra make the trip to Boston.

Jill and Ethan also drive down to Providence to visit Alan every few weeks.

All in all, they’re a big, happy, messy and extended family.

Tags: @jamespotterthefirst, @takeharryandgo, @aestheticartsx, @choicesfanaf, @fireycookie, @liaromancewriter, @trappedinfanfiction, @tsrookie, @genevievemd, @lucy-268, @writinghereandthere, @queencarb, @gryffindordaughterofathena, @ohchoices, @anntoldst0ries, @bluebellot, @schnitzelbutterfingers, @mysticaurathings, @iemcpbchoices, @itsjustamesshonestly, @shanzay44, @lsvdw-blog, @heauxplesslydevoted, @starryeyedrookie, @casey-v​, @mercury84choices, @chaoticchopshopheart, @quixoticdreamer16, @a-crepusculo, @peonierose

Dolphin Kisses

a/n: This fic is based/inspired from my experience at this boat ride thing I went on some time ago and I just klance-ified it lol. Anyways this whole fic is just some super cheesy stuff my brain barfed up and yeah, I have nothing else to say besides enjoy <33 -Klance Day

☆°☆°☆° ☆

Lance wanted to go on a date with Keith; but not just any date. The perfect date. So Lance finds himself in front of the wheel, driving Keith to the oceanfront. It was a really pleasant day outside. The scent of the salty sea grew stronger as the scenery changed from suburban family homes to tourist attraction stops and stores. Radio songs hummed in the background and filtered out from the open car windows. Lance peeks at his right to Keith, just to make sure that he was having a good time. “‘You excited to be on a boat, mullet?” he asks cheerfully. “For the last time, Lance, I don’t know. It’s my first time.” “I know, I know. You’re worried about getting seasick,” Lance nonchalantly waves off. “But not to worry, babe. If you feel the slightest weakness, don’t be hesitant to fall into my arms.“ Keith scoffs at his dramatics. “Sure.” ☆°☆°☆° They finally reach The White Lion boat ride dock, and Lance parks the car on the old, cracking concrete below it. The two walk out and start heading towards the ticket and tour center, but to be honest, the “center” was more of a big shack with dull yellow and pink paint peeling right off of it. Lance pulls out his phone and shows the lady at the front desk his reservation time. She nods wordlessly and hands him two white tickets. Lance smiles and runs back to Keith, waving the paper slips in the air. “Let’s go!” He points towards the line on the dock to the boats. A few boats line the edge of the water. Lance motions his hand to the purple one with waves. “That’s the boat we’re getting on." Keith grins and scoots a little closer to Lance as more people fill up the wooden platform. Lance plants a light kiss on his head. A few minutes later, a bulky man walks by the clustered line. "The 4:30PM White Lion’s Roar boat tour has been canceled due to an engine malfunction,” he starts. Lance’s heart drops to his shoes and frowns. He glances at Keith, who wears a similar expression. “You can get refunds at the ticket center and come back another day, or book for a another boat at a later time,” the man finishes. “We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Have a good evening.” As soon as the man walks away, dissapointed murmers ripple throughout the crowd. They all start to disperse and head towards the ticket desk. “I’m sorry,” Lance sighs. So much for a perfect date, he thinks. “It’s okay,” Keith comforts. “We can just go on another boat.” He grabs Lance’s arm and tugs as they walk back to get new tickets. This time, Keith is at the desk, and Lance stays back. He blows out a puff of air, slightly smiling at his boyfriend. Sometimes, he still can’t believe that they’ve been dating for almost four months now. Keith reaches back to Lance to show off their new tickets. He starts to explain, “I got another boat tour for five o'clock. Don’t worry it’s the same price and we got refunded from the first tickets. It’s a slower boat, but it goes farther, and it garuntees dolphin sightings.” Lance smirks. “That’s my Keith,” he responds. ☆°☆°☆° Twenty minutes later, a new line has fully formed for the new, bigger boat. Two kids and a grandma are chattering beside Lance and Keith. “Look, there’s a Poké-Spot on the boat!” one of the kids cheers. “Quit your Pokémon Go-ing,” the grandma snaps. Lance chuckles and turns his attention back to Keith. Soon, people began boarding. Right before they stepped on the boat, a young lady with a White Lion t-shirt stops the two boys. “Excuse me sirs,” she raises her camera. “But we are offering pictures for the boat ride that you can purchase at the end of the ride. Would you like to take a picture?” “Sure,” Lance replies as he wraps his arm around Keith and makes a peace sign with his free hand. “Smile!” The lady clicks her camera. “Thank you for choosing The White Lion boat tours,” she welcomes. ☆°☆°☆° Lance and Keith both decided beforehand that they wanted to go to the second floor of the boat, so they scurry quickly up the stairs in hopes to get a good spot. Thankfully, they manage to grab spots at the front. Lance sits down on the bench and Keith plops right beside him. As soon as the boat starts humming, a voice comes to the speakers. “Hello, and welcome to The White Lion’s Pounce boat tour,” a supposedly Australian man cheers. “My name is Coran, and I will be your guide on this trip. Firstly, let’s go over some safety rules.” The man goes on to explain where the life jackets are, what to do if you feel seasick, and other various things to know when on a boat. Lance can tell the Keith’s attention has already wandered from the peppy voice’s informative talks. Right now, Keith is staring out onto the long stretch of water before them, and Lance couldn’t help but smile. “But Lance! I don’t even like the beach!” He could still hear Keith’s complaints from a couple days ago. “It will be fun, babe! New experiences and all,” Lance persuaded. “Besides, I already bought the tickets, so we have to go.” Lance’s pleading worked, of course. It’s just his natural charming boyfriend skills. ☆°☆°☆° The boat finally made its way out of the dock and through the mouth of the small river into the ocean. People fishing on the edge of the big rocks and stones waved as the boat went by. Eventually, Lance stands up to the railing, and looks out. The boat was gently gliding on the water, rocking slightly with the dips and peaks of the waves. Keith joins him in a little bit, placing his hand over Lance’s, which was already on the rail. Now, the scene was different. The boat is gliding at a steady pace parallel to the boardwalk. From the distance, the people, umbrellas, towels, and small tents looked like blended spots dotting the long stretch of beach. Behind them stood hotels and restaurants varying in size, color, and shape. Lance spots a Marriot, a Hilton, and a Holiday Inn as they pass by. The Marriot looked the newest with its glassy, black exterior. Soon, the long and busy boardwalk mellowed down to the more open, lesser used beach. Hotels turned into private rental houses, and the crowds faded. Lance pointed to a small lilac house. “'You wanna stay there someday for a vacation?” he jokingly asks Keith. The other boy scoffs in response. “As if. More than a day at this sandy giver of salt and sunburns and I will actually die.” Lance giggles. “Okay, you vampire.” Keith glances away as his mouth turns upwards in a slight grin. ☆°☆°☆° A few more minutes pass when the boat halts to an even slower turtle’s pace. The speakers crackle as Coran begins to speak. “We are approaching our dolphin sight-seeing spot, folks!” he says with almost too much enthusiasm. “While you keep your eyes peeled for them, take a moment to look again in front of you to our very own Seagull’s Peak Lighthouse! Originally built in…” Lance’s ears blocks out the rest because his eyes are busy darting around for any signs of dolphins. Finally, a gray fin popped up from the water. “Dolphin!” Lance yells. Keith turns his head around to where Lance’s eyes were staring. “'Looks like we spotted our first dolphins! Ladies and gentlemen, look out for more.” The crowd oohed and ahhed as more and more dolphins appear splash around the boat. Coran continues, talking more about the dolphins. Lance spots Keith grinning excitedly at the intermittent dolphins. He smiles to himself, content with the fact that his boyfriend was enjoying this too. ☆°☆°☆° Eventually, the boat turned around and they were heading back the way they came. Keith had prompted that both of them go downstairs for a change, and Lance happily agreed. The boat was shaking and rocking back and forth as it made its way through the water, so it was hard to balance when walking. Fortunately, Keith and Lance had each other’ hands to hold on to, so they walk to and down the stairs and towards the front much easier. “Woah,” Keith gasps when he sees rests his hands on the railing, looking on to the ocean from a much closer view. “Yeah. This thing’s going pretty fast, isn’t it?” Keith opens his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a random child squealing. “Mommy! Look it’s a rainbow!” Keith and Lance look up to see a faded, but visible arch of colors that the girl was pointing too. Other families took notice and began to stare in awe. “That’s kinda gay,” Lance jokes, lightheartedly jabbing Keith’s side with his elbow. Keith snickers along. He smirks, arching an eyebrow. “You think?” ☆°☆°☆° “And that concludes our boat ride! Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for choosing the White Lion! Photos are available for purchase at the docking point of the boat. Have a wonderful evening.” The speakers crackle again after the announcement before playing random pop songs as it did at the beginning of the tour. Soon, the air fills with sounds chatting and talking as the passengers filed out of the boat onto the dock. Lance and Keith were among one of the last people to go out, so it was less crowded when they finally step onto the platform. The lady from before handed them their photo from the start of the trip, and soon, the two were back in the car. This time, Keith was in the driver’s seat. “So,” Lance starts. “How did you like it?” he asks in a sing song voice. “It was good,” Keith responds, putting on his seat belt. He should have been happy, but Lance deflates from how monotone Keith sounded. “That’s all?" Keith must have taken notice of Lance’s grimace because he quickly rushed to add a supposedly forced, "It was great! The dolphins and rainbow were very cool!” “I thought you were enjoying it,” Lance reprimands, his lips pursed and brows tight. “I guess not.” “No, Lance, it’s not like that,” Keith trails. “I had a really good time.” “You don’t have to lie about it.” Keith pouts in response, but doesn’t press any further. He plugs the key into the car, and they leave the parking lot in silence. ☆°☆°☆° Lance stares out the window, taking in the busy streets of the oceanfront. He expects that in a few minutes, the sight would be gone as they leave the area, but as more time passes, it seems that they were going deeper in. “Hey, are you sure we’re going the right way?” Lance asks, not even moving his head to face Keith. “Yes.” He hears in response. “But it looks like we’re heading towards the beach,” Lance counters, finally turning his attention to his boyfriend. “It almost seems like that’s the point,” Keith replies, voice sarcastically high. “Are you taking us…?” Lance doesn’t finish his sentence, and Keith doesn’t bother to fill it in. ☆°☆°☆° The car comes to a halt on a sandy parking lot. A couple of children chase and run around eachother as adults pop open their trunks to take out various beach toys and towels. Keith’s seat belt clicks open, and opens the door to come out. He motions his hands for Lance to come out as well, but Lance was still trying to process what they might even be doing here. “Come on,” Keith drags. “We don’t have all day.” “Okay..” Lance tags the word with suspicion. He steps out and joins Keith. The two walk down the sandy ramp to the actually beach. They walk wordlessly, until finally, they reach the water. Keith plops down on the semi wet sand, and pats down next to him for Lance to follow. He sits down. Now, Lance was throughly confused. “What are we doing here?” He finally asks. “You, like, hate the beach.” “Yeah, but you love it.” Lance’s face flushes when he sees Keith give a small smile. “I thought that I could make it up to you if I brought you here. I’m sorry for not being enthusiastic enough,” Keith mumbles. Lance perks up, and he waves his arms. “No, Keith! I’m sorry. I should have trusted you when you said you were having a good time,” he huffs. “I was just expecting a little more response than a ‘It was good.’ But it’s okay, I know you meant well.” He slowly wraps an arm around Keith and pulls him closer. “Thanks for bringing us here,” Lance whispers into Keith’s hair. “I appreciate it.” The Sun dips behind them, creating a soft blend of blues, oranges, and pinks all around the beach. Waves peacefully crash up and down, creating one of the only noises on the lesser crowded beach. Lance pretends nobody else is there but him and Keith as he leans forward to kiss him. One kiss turned to two, to three, to more than he could keep track of. Soon enough, they were both smiling so hard, none of them could continue. The giggle and hug; Lance only occasionally pressing his lips against Keith’s forehead. “Hey, you,” Lance sighs contently. “Hey.” “'Wanna know a secret?” The other boy smirks. “Yeah.” Lance leans to Keith’s ear before whispering, “I love you.” Keith stifles a laugh. “That wasn’t a secret, idiot.” “But it still made your heart race, didn’t it?” Lance light heartedly retorts. Instead of giving a proper response, Keith pulls Lance in for another kiss. “'Love you too,” he finally says with a barely audible voice. Sometimes Lance wonders what he did to deserve someone as wonderful as Keith. He doesn’t know, and probably never will. That doesn’t stop him from loving Keith, though. He’ll never stop loving Keith.

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Evan’s 6✩ Inspiration: Umbrae Secrets [繁荫秘语] Date Translation (Prologue)

“I saw Mr. Lu in the elevator just now! He was acting different from his usual self and the look on his face was absolutely frigid…”

*Light and Night Master-list | Evan’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *This 6✩ Inspiration has 8 Endings!! *Evan’s tag will be #For Night, For Revolution

It was an ordinary day of work. I’d just gotten to the office when Li Man’man opened the door and entered the room.

Li Man'man: No way, no way! You’ll never believe it! I’m doing all of you a favour by reminding you to behave today.

Brother Mao: Huh? What’s gotten you into such a tizzy?

Li Man’man rubbed the goosebumps that had arisen on her arms, shivering as she recalled what she’d seen.

Li Man'man: I saw Mr. Lu in the elevator just now! He was acting different from his usual self and the look on his face was absolutely frigid…

Li Man'man: I thought I’d turn into a block of ice in no time flat the moment our gazes met!

MC: What?

Hearing her recollection, I couldn’t help but to suddenly think back to what happened yesterday during lunch hour.

❖☆———————————★❖

At noon, I’d compiled a set of documents related to jewellery designs, just as Evan had requested and brought it up to his office.

A voice sounded from within when I knocked on the door of his office. It sounded unusually indifferent.

Evan: Come in.

❖☆———————————★❖

Pushing the door open, I saw Evan leaning against his chair, his brows were furrowed, hanging low, and there seemed to be thick storm clouds brewing in his eyes.

He was still staring blankly out the window in a daze when I went up to his desk.

Evan: Just leave it there.

MC: Okay.

Hearing me, he turned. The dark look on his face instantly lightened up.

Evan: Hm? Oh, it's you.

Evan: Sorry, I was just thinking about something.

Recalling the unusual look he had on his face when I entered, I couldn’t help but step on eggshells around him.

MC: Don't worry about it. Here are the documents you requested. Are you… okay?

Before he could reply, however, the landline on his desk suddenly rang, interrupting our conversation.

MC: I'll leave you to it!

Evan nodded apologetically at me and I took my leave from his office.

❖☆———————————★❖

Did something happen to make him unhappy…?

With his personality, he wouldn’t tell anyone about his troubles even if something WAS troubling him, no doubt.

❖☆———————————★❖

When I got home at night, I switched on the TV. It was coincidentally broadcasting a camping-related program.

The lush green forest, the joyous chirruping of birds and their songs… Everything there was powered by Mother Nature’s power of healing, capable of washing away all exhaustion in one’s body and mind.

I didn't know why I thought of Evan again, but I did.

MC: There’s a gigantic forest at the outskirts of Guangqi City and it’s clear weather out all the time now.

MC: Maybe he might feel better if I can somehow get him out to the forest for a walk...

An idea popped into my head and I scrambled to fetch my phone, searching for the familiar name in my contacts.

I was just about to hit the call button when I suddenly thought of a plausible issue.

MC: I don’t think he’ll reject me regardless if he wants to go or not if I invite him directly like that.

MC: Maybe I should feel around for his thoughts about it so that I don’t unknowingly coerce him into anything.

After pondering it for a while, I hit the dial button.

❖☆———————————★❖

Evan: (Y/n)? What's the matter?

MC: … Evan, I… err, have gotten interested in coffee lately.

Evan: Really? What flavour of coffee do you like? I'll be glad to recommend you things.

MC: Oh… I haven't decided yet.

MC: Ahem, have you ever seen a coffee tree? I've never seen it myself with my own two eyes! I really want to go see one~

Evan: About that…

He sounded hesitant, there was no doubt about it. I awkwardly scratched my head. 

Did I come off too strange by bringing up that question out of the blue!?

Evan: Coffee trees have strict requirements when it comes to the environment they’re grown in. And as far as I’m aware, the PH levels of the soil and the amount of rainfall here in Guangqi City do not fit their criteria.

Evan: So, I'm afraid it'll be hard for you to spot one in Guangqi City.

Evan: But we can go see one together in Africa during your next vacation if you'd like.

MC: Eh? Africa? No need then.

MC: Ahaha… then, how about...

When there’s a will, there’s a way. I saw a glimmer of light at the end of the dark path in my mind.

MC: Then, what about a bamboo pith?

MC: I had some bamboo piths while eating hotpot a couple of days ago! I find that it’s a very amazing fungus! I really want to see one growing for myself!

Evan: It is. Although information is now widely accessible, it still hits different when you see it with your own eyes.

Evan: When are you free? We can go check it out together.

MC: Brilliant!

That's what I've been waiting for you to say!

MC: Are you free next weekend?

Evan: Yes, my weekends are open.

Evan: You… Are you this happy just to go to the forest for a walk?

MC: Hahaha, yeah! Super happy!

Evan: I'll come fetch you in my car next Saturday at 10 AM. Will that be alright?

MC: Sure! We're all set then!

Evan: Then, have you ever hiked or camped out before?

MC: No… but don't worry!

MC: I’ve watched lots of videos about camping on the internet! I’ll prepare all the equipment we’ll need this time!

Evan: Alright. I'll be leaving it all to you then.

❖☆———————————★❖

Soon, the appointed day arrived.

When I came downstairs lugging along a rucksack that towered about half a person tall, Evan, who was waiting by his car, looked slightly taken aback.

Evan: You…

I found myself blanking out as I stared at Evan, standing not too far away,

This was my first time seeing Evan dressed in such a casual manner.  The soft and form-fitting material of his clothes made his shoulders appear wider and him, much more reliable. It was reassuring, to say so in the least.

MC: Haha, did I bring one too many things? Actually, I think so too.

MC: In case we don't find a bamboo pith today, we can still camp overnight in the forest with this.

MC: Don't you think?

He smiled as he approached, taking the heavy bag off my shoulders.

Evan: Sounds good.

Evan: You must have fun and enjoy your first camping trip, if anything.

The tenderness in his countenance was the same as always. Where was that coldness to him that a certain someone had mentioned?

I secretly felt a wave of relief wash over me.

MC: Let's head out then!

❖☆———————————★❖

After driving on the suburban roads for nearly an hour, we finally reached an area near the forest on the outskirts of the City.

Evan gently took my bag out of the trunk, slinging it over his shoulder.

MC: That's pretty heavy. How about you let me carry it myself?

Evan: Since we're going to be travelling together anyway, how about we both give it our best?

MC: Alright then. Thanks!

❖☆———————————★❖

Stepping into the forest, lush green foliage surrounded us all around.

The ubiquitous noise and lights were all isolated from here, creating a secluded and serene atmosphere.

The air was warm, humid, and carried the sweet refreshing scent of vegetation. Relaxation was literally oozing out of my pores.

I turned around to look back at Evan. He was standing ramrod straight as usual with a blank expression on his face.

MC: Evan, we're here to relax!

Evan: Thank you. I am very relaxed.

MC: You can afford to be more relaxed. Here, follow me. Open your arms like this, take a deep breath, and go "Ahh…"

He smiled helplessly at me. Just when I thought he was going to refuse, he mimicked my stance, opening his arms wide.

Evan: Ahh…

MC: Hahaha. Yup, just like that.

I took out a map and a compass from the bag.

MC: I will be the leader for today! I’ve already marked all the routes we can take. Let’s see… let’s go this way first!

Evan: Alright. As you say, leader.

We proceeded through the forest according to the directions shown on the map.

We chatted about the animals and plants that we saw as we walked. Or more accurately, Evan was the one introducing them all to me.

Evan: Sorry. It must be boring hearing me talk about all these.

MC: Nope. I’m actually even more interested after hearing you talk about them.

MC: Also, your expression changes into something a little different from what I’m used to whenever you talk about something you like.

Evan: Something that I like? I’m not really sure if it constitutes as me liking it, but I think I’ll like it if you do.

He smiled in a manner as if he didn’t mind it at all, stopping as he took out some tissues and a bottle of water from his bag.

Evan: Here. Wipe your sweat and hydrate yourself.

MC: Thanks.

The soft bubbling of running water entered our ears as we stopped to rest.

MC: Looks like there's a small rover up ahead, just like how it's drawn in the map!

Evan: Looks like the leader's leading well.

❖☆———————————★❖

Following the sound of running water, we soon found the river.

The clear stream rushed across the pebbles, the crystalline liquid glittering under the golden light of the sun. The wind that blew past the waters was very cool and very refreshing. It felt great on my slightly worn-out body.

MC: The cool breeze here by the river’s really nice! And the sound of dripping water’s also very calming.

Evan: Looks like there’s a flat rock over there where we can sit.

Evan: Do you want to rest for a bit?

I want to…

After pondering for a while, I finally decided to…

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

✥ Choose your Ending:

END 1 | Choice: Do Nothing [都不做]

END 2 +3 + 4 | Choice: Call Out [呼唤] ⊹Speak⊹

END 4 + 6 | Choice: Approach [亲近] ⊹Touch⊹

END 7 + 8 | Choice: Heart-throb [心动] ☆Light & Night★

❖☆————— ⊹ For Night, For Revolution⊹ —————★❖

Title: Christmas Eve

Summary: Toru goes out at midnight in the dead of winter to experience her first white Christmas and Kyo gets a little worried. 

Part one of my present to @hizashi-yamadas for the Animanga Secret Santa 2020

Link to cross-postings: AO3

Other One Shots:

December 25: Christmas Day (Haru x Rin)

December 26: The Day after Christmas (Arisa x Kureno)

Note: Merry Christmas Elisha and I hope you enjoy! Keep your eyes out for the next installment :D

"You didn't have to stay in, you know."

Toru jumped, once again becoming aware of her surroundings. She had to look back at the clock by the mantle to see how long she had been staring out the window.

"No, I'm happy to stay in!" Toru hoped that saying it out loud would be enough to quell that knot of disappointment in her stomach which only tightened as she looked back at Kyo who was curled up under the kotatsu.

She looked down at Kyo right next to her who was looking more like a cat as he was curled up into a ball under two blankets of the kotatsu. Toru only had to hover her hand lightly over his forehead to feel warmth radiating from it. What alarmed Toru more though was how indifferent he was to her touch.

"Maybe we should see a doctor."

"It's just… really cold…" Kyo answered in between shivers.

Of course it's cold. They were in the northernmost region of Japan in the middle of winter.

It was Momiji who had suggested they spend Christmas in Hokkaido. He first gushed about it one lunch time in late fall and how he hadn't seen one since the last time he'd been to Germany for winter almost a decade ago. When the young blond pitched the plan when he visited their house a week after, Shigure was quick to approve.

Christmases in Tokyo are cold. The trees are bare. The sky is almost always dark, the atmosphere grim. The only things which made the scenery any better were the giant Christmas trees in malls and the Christmas lights that lined the streets.

Tokyo was too near the ocean though to get any snow so early in winter. Having spent every single Christmas in Tokyo, Toru had never experienced a white Christmas in her life. Snow usually came in January or February in Tokyo if they ever got any. They rarely piled up enough though to classify as a white landscape, similar to those she had seen in the figurines at Christmas shops.

Hokkaido was different. The snow piled up by the foot. They were like added decoration, complementing the Christmas lights which shine much brighter against the pure white landscape.

While she kept Kyo company, she entertained herself by watching the colors dance on the roofs, shining for a split second longer than what her eyes had gotten used to watching the Christmas lights on the streets of Tokyo as a child.

Yellow. Green. Red. Blue.

It alternated between the four colors. By the third time, she should have known what to expect. The contrast of the bright lights against the white landscape and the dark night, had only made the colors stand out more. The flashes were brighter and at times, Toru could pick out the small moments where the flashes of red would mix with those of green that had yet to fade.

"I'm sorry for doing something stupid like that, getting sick…" Kyo held the blanket tighter over his mouth. “And now you’re stuck here with me.

Toru noticed a slight blush and wondered if it was from embarrassment at losing to Yuki or the fever that followed being buried in the snow after their fight.

"No! I don't have to be outside every Christmas. Besides it's warm here and if we watch some Christmas specials, we could still get into the atmosphere of Christmas." Toru turned on the television.

“We are now at Odori Park for the Christmas market!”

That’s where Yuki and the others went. Toru thought to herself. She entertained herself by turning her watching TV into a game, challenging herself to maybe find Yuki, Momiji, Shigure or Hatori among the crowd. Do I get bonus points if I find them? Toru thought to herself playfully.

“Looks like a lot of people visiting are couples! Christmas is a time for couples to spread the love after all!” The host walked deeper into the crowd. “Excuse me, may I ask a few questions?”

“Sure!” A girl who looked to be college age answered. Next to her, was a slightly taller, college aged boy.

“Are you locals?”

The girl shook her head. “No, we’re from Chiba.”

“Wow that’s cool! What brings you to Hokkaido?”

The girl looked at the boy next to her and blushed. “It was a surprise actually.”

“It’s our five year anniversary.” The boy chimed in. “And Yuka has never experienced a white christmas.”

“How’s your first white Christmas then?” The reporter turned to Yuka.

“It’s a dream come true.”

The girl’s cheeks turned a little redder, maybe from the biting cold or the questions. As her eyes glimmered when she spoke, Toru guessed it was the latter.

It’s a dream come true. The wonder in her eyes and the words that followed only reminded Toru of herself and another dream she had had decades ago.   

                                   Christmas Eve                                                      

Along Hibiya park, there was an old man who sold figurine parts of a Christmas town, all displayed on a table for everyone to see. Every year since before she could even comprehend the commute to the center of Tokyo, Toru had always rushed to that small shop on the corner of the market with a frazzled Kyoko trailing behind.

At the start of the morning, it was saturated — or rather to Toru, it was complete. A complete replica of the bustling Christmas market in her daydreams and the fairy tales her mother told her about.

The frozen lake with people gliding on top, the children engaging in snowball fights with snow forts twice their size and to the right of it a miniature version of the Christmas market, a more rustic version at least and a snowier version.

It was only a few years after she started to visit the small shop did she start to go back multiple times a day. First, the shoe shop disappeared, then the bakery then the rink.  For a six year old, it was oddly depressing to see the town dwindle into just a few figurines of people walking through. Toru would find herself crying on the way home that night.

Frosty the snowman is gone!

There are no more children playing in the sleds.

How will Santa give the gifts!

It must have been just unintelligible babble to her mother then. On their way home though from the market, as they stepped out of the train and out into the dark streets of their small suburban neighborhood, her mother hugged her tight.

Frosty is fine.

Santa is fine.

Children will still be playing on the sled next year.

Somehow, the conversation had evolved into a little planning. “Let’s go see a Christmas Market like that together Toru! With the frozen like and the snow forts and the sleds.”

They would go through pictures and videos of the towns in Finland, Germany, France, and even in nearby Hokkaido.

“I’ll make sure to save some funds. Maybe we can try for Hokkaido next year?”

Next year never came. There was always something more important than a winter vacation to spend on — electricity, textbooks, hospital bills, house repairs. As Toru grew older she had to forget that dream herself as the reality dawned on her that a single mother and high school dropout was in no position to ever dream of a profound of an experience as travel.

That same dream Toru had forgotten so many years ago made itself known again, manifesting as an ache in her chest and a small tear as she looked out the window the eve of December 24th.

I’ve never had a White Christmas myself. Her mother had mentioned then, as they looked through albums of winter landscapes and Christmas Markets.

Even for just a second. I have to do it. When would she be able to do it again? Life had disappointed her multiple times already. At that moment, it was right in front of her already and Toru was determined to make it come true then.

“Kyo, I’m going to go out for a while if that’s okay?” She went for her coat. “I just need to see something for my mother.”

“Your mother?” Kyo shifted his gaze from the television to her.

“I wanna experience a White Christmas for her.”

“Hey, I’ll come with you.” Kyo offered as he pushed himself out of his comfortable position under the kotatsu.

“You don’t have a coat though,” Toru said looking pointedly at the coat that was still hanging next to the heater to dry. Kyo had soiled his only coat, having been buried in the snow after his fight with Toru.  

“Yeah...” Kyo grimaced

Toru took a peek at her phone while she readied her boots

11:00

“I’ll be back in an hour.” She assured Kyo. Just one white christmas. The next few words were for herself.

Momiji had picked a strategic place to rent a house in Sapporo. The Christmas Market was only a ten minute walk away.

Koibito Park. Lover’s Park. Toru had made sure to google the place before going there. It had a bustling market, not as busy as Odori but enough for Toru to be able to appreciate the festive mood.

As she took in the snow lined roofs, the Christmas lights and the crowds of people bundled up in their own coats, Toru was starting to feel like one of the figurines walking through the Christmas Market in that winter wonderland she’d play with as a kid. Just like what she had imagined, there was a skating rink to the side, a bakery stall,  a cart selling chestnuts and a small German stall selling sausages and spiced wine.

Toru did not need to buy anything, completely satisfied already by the variety of scents — a mixture of cinnamon, apples and bread — wafting through the air. She had closed her eyes for a second as she focused all her senses on that small yet comforting sign that Christmas was nearing.

People were starting to talk about it too. As Toru made her way through the crowds she could hear conversations of Christmas wishes.

What’s your Christmas wish?

Kiss me under the mistletoe? A joke referencing a familiar song Kyoko had sung to her before.

I love you.

Somehow that was what made Toru freeze on the spot. Koibito Park, Lovers Park. Toru found herself looking at the crowd around her.

I’m used to this. I’ve spent new years alone already. This shouldn’t be a big thing. It could have been from instinct but Toru ended up navigating more quickly out of the crowds and into a less saturated part of the market. And to the corner was a little market with a few tiny figurines, all arranged in a little Christmas market.

The six year old in Toru was crying again.

It had been more than a decade since then but Toru found herself walking away farther and farther and into the almost empty back entrance of the market. She quickly wiped away the tears that she had formed and mustered up the biggest smile.

Why am I crying? The atmosphere around the Christmas town is not something you see everyday! You have to enjoy it! Toru scolded herself. As she peeked back around the corner and back at the park, she could not help but put a hand over her stomach, placating the knot that had built up there. Most of the couples were still walking around, some families were carrying sleeping children on their backs --- a sign that it was pretty late already.  

She had spent the past few Christmases in the Soma household over home cooked dinners she had prepared. Years before that, she had spent it with her mother over take out from the nearest fast food chain and Christmas specials.

That was the first time she was counting down alone. She had her white Christmas and she was alone.

From Toru's position behind the park, she could still see some of the Christmas decorations bright across the white landscape. The houses that lined the street had roofs decorated with actual snow.

Just like in the Christmas market figurines she and her mother would admire. Just like in the fairytales her mother would share. Just like in the pictures she and her would look through.  

"Merry Christmas mom," Toru whispered to herself. Admiring the view at least, she remembered why she had decided to make that journey in the first place. "It's a White Christmas."

Toru found herself smiling like she always did, overcompensating for that little something that was missing. Like how the Christmas market wouldn't have even the Christmas market without the people, the view in front of her was not a view without someone to share it with.

Toru looked back at her phone. Ten minutes until midnight. So it wasn't even Christmas yet. Toru made sure to circle around the outskirts of the Christmas market on the way back. She had told herself it was so she wouldn't have a bother to anyone. Deep inside her though, she knew that walking through there would probably make her feel lonelier than she would have been walking along an almost empty street.

The path less taken turned out to be the better choice.

As she made a turn towards the entrance of the park, she made eye contact with those orange eyes she had come to know so well.

"Kyo!"

Kyo was bundled up in a scarf, a beanie and a buttoned down coat that Toru was sure he did not own.

"Merry christmas."

Kyo's scarf was covering much of his lower face. Toru could see though with the way his cheeks rose, the pink in them becoming a little more distinct that he could possibly be smiling.

Either way, she was committed to return his smile with one ten times wider. "Merry Christmas.

As if by magic, the melancholic atmosphere of a while ago dissipated. Toru was finally able to realize the festive mood she had been willing herself to enjoy the past hour.

"Let's go through the market?"

"You're sick though?" Toru put her hand to his forehead.

"It's a cold. I've had worse." Kyo took her hand from its place on his forehead and pulled her into the park. "Besides, it's not everyday you get a white Christmas."

Somehow, the Christmas market started to have a little more color. The lights were a little brighter and being guided through the crowds of people was more exciting than perplexing.

"You want anything to eat?" Kyo asked as soon as they had arrived towards the end of the main path.

Toru's mind was elsewhere. The corner with the stall which sold christmas figurines was almost empty. A few stalls, a few stores and the only human figurines left were a couple on a bench.

Oddly enough, Toru was not fighting back tears. She wasn't lonely. She wasn't empathizing with figurines in an empty Christmas village.

They aren't alone.

"Last one left," The stall owner said.

It was only then did Toru realize she had brought her hand out to touch the figurine. As she looked closer she realized that the boy and the girl were one figurine, molded together and onto the bench below it. "This is so cute!" Toru chimed excitedly, as she ran her hand through the simple yet well placed patterns that made up the lovers on the bench.

"Good thing I prepared a lot of these. It's popular with couples. Christmas is your favorite time after all."

"Our favorite time?" Toru repeated.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Kyo answered the question.

The stall owner grinned. "I hope you're able to have a fun one then. Christmas is a day for lovers."

It had dawned on Toru then, the implications of his statement. She could feel the blood rush to her face, she looked away, completely torn between hiding the truth, consequently lying and correcting him, risking embarrassing him in the process.

"Hey let's go."

Toru realized then that she had spent more than a few minutes pondering that thought a few feet away from the stall.

Kyo guided her back out of the park and as she looked back, she could see the stall owner grinning and waving goodbye.

"Merry Christmas." Kyo pressed the handle of a Christmas bag on her open hand as they made their way out of the park.

Toru peeked inside to see the last remaining Christmas figurine from the stall inside. "This is for me?"

"Who else?"

“You didn’t have to… Really…” Toru tapped at her coat pockets, trying to remember where she had placed her wallet. She started to scramble after a while, her movements a little more chaotic. She dug towards one of the jacket pockets only for it to fall out as she pulled out her hand.

Kyo bent down to get it even before she could move from her spot. “You didn’t have to stay behind either but you did.” He pressed the wallet on her palm. “Besides, you had this goofy smile when you were staring at it. I’d feel bad if I didn’t.”

“I don’t even have a gift yet.” Toru looked away in embarrassment. In fact, she did have the gifts, she had just completely forgotten to take it with her when they were preparing for their trip.

“Just take care of it.” Kyo pulled the scarf further up his face and dug his hands into the coat pocket. “Let’s get back home.” Kyo started to walk a little faster.

Toru found herself trailing behind him. The coat Kyo was wearing started to become a little more recognizable as they reached a part of the streets dotted with more street lights. A blue buttoned down coat that fell too neatly towards the ground, uncharacteristic of Kyo. Toru was aware as well that only one person among them packed an extra winter coat for a two night trip.

“Are you wearing Yuki’s extra coat?”

Kyo didn't look back. “It was the only one I could find at short notice.”

certain evermore songs as how the stories look to me

willow: the aftermath of a fight, she’s in a pale green room writing this song for him on an acoustic guitar, he can just barely hear her from the other room, but he does hear her. they make up after she finishes it and are so disgustingly in love for the rest of their lives

champagne problems: couple takes vacation to the bf’s hometown for the holidays in suburban virginia, when he proposes to her two days before christmas in a gazebo at night with fairy lights strung up around them, his family is surrounding them and there’s chocolate strawberries and she hates him and also she’s wearing a really pretty beige coat that probably cost like $2000

gold rush: a group of twenty year olds hanging out in a loft in la, a boy is looking at his best friend longingly across the room as he tells a story, and he reminisces on their friendship and remembering how in love with the other boy he is, especially in the mornings, when he’s made the coffee and the other one is tired and wearing the eagles shirt, padding across the wooden floors

‘tis the damn season: childhood best friends to lovers to strangers to lovers but for like four days only, making out behind the local high school and getting a rainbow loom bracelet from his kind of gf’s kid sister who she used to babysit, a giant argument over her leaving to go to la, does not end in an happy ending, she goes back to la, she goes to rhode island and they’re only barely facebook friends

tolerate it: growing up with the best single father ever, and yeah he’s an workaholic but she lives in a big house and she has good friends and gets good grades and he’s proud of her until she’s fifteen and gay and then they’re arguing in the middle of trader joe’s and she suffers three more years of that and finally moves out and dyes her hair and gets the most amazing gf but she still misses the man who would take her out for ice cream after her soccer match

dorothea: the other side to ‘tis the damn season, going to the local movie theater in rhode island and seeing his ex’s face plastered on the posters, going home and seeing her parents swinging their younger daughter, who’s the spitting image of her sister, around, going to la and seeing her everywhere but physically in front of him. writing out a super long text to her telling her he’s still in love with him but he never ends up sending it.

ivy: she’s a queen and married, she’s her best friend and hopelessly in love with her. the queen holds her hand while kissing her husband’s cheek. she puts flowers in the queen’s hair, while the queen tells her they are her husband’s favorite flowers. she kisses her queen, but tastes the king.

long story short: sitting on a pedestal, looking down at the crowd below her, but specifically him. the crowd sings the words back but she’s only looking at him and he’s looking at her and she jumps off the pedestal at the last moment and makes her way through the crowd and finally kisses him. the crowd cheers. everybody moved. she reads alice in wonderland to their children years later.

marjorie: laying a singular white rose on her grandmother’s still chest. turning around and not seeing her. pain. she goes home. her sword hangs above her bed. her perfume is on her dresser. her heart is with her. swimming pools and trader joe’s in the fall and temper tantrums and hugs. grocery store receipts and pain, lots of pain.

Lost Night

Switch AU

Everything’s been peaceful for a while. Well, relatively. That’s all about to change here. Something happens, and let’s just say Anti freaks out a bit. And then something else entirely different happens, and he freaks out again. And the story is very long. I dunno, it’s late and I don’t know how to provide accurate summary without spoilers rn. It also gets kind of intense at some points when Anti breaks down. Anyway, hope you guys like it :)

More of this AU found here

“Hey Dad, I think I see their car.”

Anti looked down at Will pulling on the hem of his jacket, then looked back up again, following Will’s pointed finger down the road. It was about four in the afternoon, which meant there weren’t a lot of cars driving in the area, which made the familiar blue car stand out a lot more. “Yep, I think that’s them,” he said, waving.

The car pulled over to the side of the road, and the backdoor opened. “Will!” Michelle burst out, tackling her friend in a hug.

“Ack!” Will stumbled back from the force of it. “Dad, she’s strangling me!”

“No she’s not, Will,” Anti said, smiling a bit.

“I’m so glad to see you!” Michelle was happily oblivious to any trouble she might’ve caused.

“I just saw you yesterday!” Will said, dumbfounded.

The driver’s side window rolled down, and Rama stuck their head out. “Hey kids, why not talk in the car? We still need to drop you off before we head out.” They nodded in Anti’s direction. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Anti said back. “Yeah, c’mon, get inside. We’re already kinda late.”

The two kids climbed into the back, and Anti walked around to get into the passenger side. As they headed out, Michelle piped up. “Why can’t we come too?” she asked, whining a bit.

Rama sighed gently. “We told you, it’s for grown-ups.”

“But it’s a birthday party, isn’t it? I want to go to a birthday party.”

“You just had a birthday party yesterday,” Rama said teasingly. “And you won’t be getting presents at this one.”

“Oh! That reminds me!” Michelle suddenly leaned across the middle seat and stuck a stuffed animal in Will’s face. “Look what Ren and Dad got me! After the party ended and you left and everything.”

“Oh!” Will leaned back, getting a better look at the stuffed animal. “Is that...one of those Beanie Baby bears that are kinda hard to get?”

“My teacher has one in her room, and ever since I saw it, I really really liked it,” Michelle chattered. “So I kept asking and asking and Ren and Dad got me one!”

Anti chuckled a bit, glancing over at Rama. “So. How much did that cost?”

“Not that much,” Rama said defensively.

“Alright, Little Mx. Money to Spare,” Anti laughed, settling back in the car seat. “Hey, how’s Jackie doing?”

Rama paused. “Better. Still living with Henrik, we’ll meet the two of them there. But we talk almost every day online, and Michelle seems to understand.”

“Good.” Anti nodded. He wasn’t exactly sure about it, but he thought that maintaining contact was a good way to keep up a romantic relationship. Just like a friendship. Even though he did have a bad habit of suddenly going silent in his own friendships...but he’d been doing much better at it. Case in point, actually going to this ‘party’ even if he wasn’t too much a fan of what they had planned. It would be much better with other people.

After dropping the kids off with the babysitter, it was a short drive over to the restaurant. Surprisingly, it was still fairly crowded at four o’clock, though not nearly as crowded as it would be even an hour later. Though perhaps part of the reason it looked crowded was because of the six people in the small waiting area, most of whom immediately stood up and walked over the moment Anti and Rama walked into the building.

“Anti! You made it!” JJ rushed over, pausing a moment before getting any closer. When Anti nodded, JJ closed the distance, giving him a quick hug. “We were starting to get worried about you two.”

“Yeah, well...you’ll have to talk to Rama about that, ‘cause they were late in the first place to pick me up,” Anti said jokingly.

JJ raised an eyebrow. “I see.” He turned to Rama, but then froze. “Well. Seems like they’re busy,” he chuckled.

Anti looked over as well. And he made a face. It seemed Rama and Jackie were talking...and more than that, actually. “Get a room, you two,” he said.

Jackie glanced over at him and smiled a bit, pulling away from his spouse. “Give us a break, Anti,” he said. Anti rolled his eyes, but secretly he was glad to see that Jackie was indeed doing better. Physically, he hadn’t changed much; he was still wearing the red hoodie that he hadn’t once taken off since his return, with its sleeves pulled far down, and his hair was just as short. But behind his glasses, his eyes were somehow...lighter. Apparently he started to see a therapist, and it must’ve been working really well.

Schneep appeared next to Anti. “You should see the two of them on the video chat,” he muttered. “It is almost insufferable. Too sweet.”

“Aw, Schneep’s just jealous,” Jackie teased. “I know you want a partner, zappy boy.”

“Oh, as if,” Schneep scoffed. “They would have to be able to keep up with me, and I know that is impossible, so unless I find someone who can—ow!” Anti had punched Schneep in the arm. “Ah, always so violent,” he muttered.

“Oh, you haven’t seen me being violent,” Anti promised.

“Hey, there will be none of this,” JJ said sternly. “It’s my birthday.”

“Your birthday was like, four days ago,” Anti pointed out.

“Yes, well, there were no good shows playing on a Wednesday and a holiday,” JJ said, folding his arms in an almost sulky way. “And this place closed early.”

Anti rolled his eyes. “Well. Happy birthday, Jackson. I’d give you your present but the stupid online shipping is taking forever.” Taking a step back, Anti looked around the waiting area. “Where’s Marvin?”

“I’m righ’ here.”

Anti turned back around. Marvin was sitting in a chair right next to the restaurant’s entrance, easy to miss when coming in. He was wearing his nice jacket, and also... “Are you wearing headphones?” Anti asked, surprised.

Marvin grinned. “Yea.” He tapped the side of the heavy black headphones. “Noise cancellin’. T’ese places get very loud an’ bright, y’know. I mean, not t’at they didn’, back...where I’m from, but we didn’ have headphones then, and jesus, they make it all more bearable.”

“I see.” A bit odd, but honestly, Anti didn’t really care. If Marvin wanted to wear headphones in a restaurant, that was fine, not like it was disturbing anyone. And it was then that Anti noticed the other two people sitting nearby. He vaguely recognized one as JJ’s stage manager—what was her name? Started with a D—which made sense, of course JJ would invite her. But the other one...Anti narrowed his eyes. “What’re you doing here?”

Stacy Davidson looked away from her conversation, expression immediately dropping once she noticed Anti. Before she could say anything, JJ stepped in between her and Anti. “I invited her,” he said calmly.

“What?! Why?”

“Well, because we’re friendly,” JJ explained.

Anti stared at him. “Since when?!”

“For about a month, now? Of course, she started by talking to Rama and Jackie, but over time she’s met all the rest of us, too, except for you, apparently.” JJ lowered his voice. “I don’t know why you’re acting like this, when from what I’ve heard, you’ve only met her once, and that’s not nearly long enough to build up resentment. Besides, the dinner’s only going to be an hour, and from there we’ll all be quiet in the theatre, so you won’t even have to talk to her if you don’t want. Understand?”

Anti was silent for a moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Stacy—it was that he didn’t trust her. To be fair, he didn’t trust most people. But there was something about her specifically that felt a little weird. Some American woman, taking a personal vacation for almost two months now? Who has the time and money for that? And why here? Why vacation in this random city that wasn’t even that much of a tourist destination? But Anti sighed. “Fine.”

One of the restaurant hosts came into the waiting area. “Jackson, party of eight?”

“That’s us!” Jameson said, cheerfully waving the host down. “Come on, everyone.”

The whole party followed the host to the table, chatting happily among each other. Except for Anti, who trailed behind, mood suddenly a bit darker.

———————

Hours later, Rama and Anti found themselves back in the car with each other, heading to pick up the kids. Anti looked out the window at the night sky and yawned. It really hadn’t been that bad. Dinner had been spoiled a little bit, with the presence of that Stacy lady. He’d spent a bit too much mental energy trying to forget she was there. But the theatre had been alright. It probably helped that the play they’d seen was a Halloween special, and Anti grudgingly had to admit it was pretty good, even if he didn’t enjoy sitting in a dark, uncomfortable audience seat with a couple constantly whispering to each other behind him.

“Here we are,” Rama said, pulling to the side of the road in front of a regular suburban house. “Let’s go get the kids.”

“You go ahead, I’ll stay here,” Anti said, already pulling out his phone and opening up a game.

Rama sighed gently, then said, “Of course,” and opened the car door to leave.

Anti watched them walk up the path and wait at the door. He made sure the old lady who owned the house (and frequently worked as a babysitter, apparently) had opened the door before going back to his game. A few turns later, he realized that it was taking a while for Rama to return with the kids. Grumbling, Anti glanced back towards the house, expecting to see Rama chatting with the lady. And they were. But something was...off. Sitting up straight, Anti watched Rama’s expression. They seemed...upset. Curious, Anti climbed out of the car and walked up to the door.

“See, he can tell you himself!” The old lady said, gesturing at Anti as he approached.

“Uh, tell them what?” Anti asked.

“Margaret says that you already picked up the kids,” Rama explained.

“What?” Anti looked between the two of them, searching for any hint of amusement, like this might be a joke. “Uh...well, I haven’t. So you can go get them now.”

The old lady, Margaret, paused, as if also waiting for a punchline. When nothing came, she looked confused. “But...”

“See?! That’s what I was trying to say!” Rama said, throwing their hands in the air. Behind the obvious exasperation, their eyes were wide, their voice shaking a bit as they continued, “Margaret, this has been all fun and games, but it’s late, and the kids need to get home.”

Margaret shook her head slowly. “I—I’m sorry, but...they’re not here.”

Anti froze. Then immediately started to laugh. “Alright, real funny. But we really need to get home.” He leaned past Margaret, looking into the house behind her. “Will! Michelle! C’mon, the joke’s up!”

“Anti...” Rama said in a low voice. “I-I think—”

“Oh dear, it’s all my fault!” Margaret suddenly gasped. “I’m so sorry, I could’ve sworn it was you. You showed up about half an hour ago, said you were going to take them home. You had a car—”

“All good, except I can’t fucking drive!” Anti suddenly snapped.

“Anti!” Rama snapped right back. “Margaret doesn’t know that! Don’t blame her for this!”

Anti took a few steps back, saying nothing. The ice cold realization was starting to sink in, and he was starting to physically shiver, as though he’d actually been hit with a bucket of water.

“What did this guy look like?” Rama asked, turning back to Margaret. “You said you thought it was Anti, but was there anything different, that stood out?”

Margaret shook her head. “I may be old, but my memory is clear as ever, and I am positive he looked just like Mr. McLoughlin here. And the kids seemed alright with it, too...” She trailed off, suddenly looking puzzled. “Which is a bit odd, innit? I’m sure that Will, at least, would know his dad couldn’t drive.”

Rama swore under their breath. “We have to—Anti?”

Anti was walking back down the path, pulling out his phone and hurriedly dialing a number. He paced along the sidewalk as he listened to it ringing on the other end. It was quickly picked up.

“Hel—”

“Did you pick up the kids?” Anti asked.

There was a slight pause on the other end. “Uh...I’m sorry, I-I don’t understand,” Jackie said.

“The kids. When you and Volt were driving back to your apartment, did you stop by to pick them up?” Anti insisted.

“Um...no,” Jackie said hesitantly. “Why? What’s wr—”

Anti hung up before he was even finished asking that question, already dialing a second number. This one took a while more to connect. “Did you pick up the kids?” he asked again.

“Anit?” JJ said. “What’s this about?”

“It’s about the kids, I thought that’d be clear. Did you and Marvin pick them up when you were heading home?”

“Why would we pick up Michelle and Will?” JJ was clearly confused. “Oh, I suppose that’s not an answer. Well, no, we didn’t. Weren’t you and Rama going to do that?” He paused. “Anti? Are you still there?”

Anti wasn’t hearing anything beyond the sudden rush of panicking white noise in his head. Now very pale, he hung up without another word.

Rama suddenly appeared next to him. “Anti? What’s wrong?”

Suddenly furious, Anti whirled on them. “My fucking son is missing, that’s what’s wrong!” He shouted.

Rama’s eyes flashed. “Yes, well, my fucking daughter is missing! So maybe you should listen to me when I try to tell you that we should call the police, like I’ve been trying to tell you for the past five minutes!”

Anti suddenly laughed. “Oh yes, let’s do that, why don’t we? Cause they did such a good job when Jackie disappeared! Fucking grand, go ahead!”

“Well it’s better than doing nothing!” Rama closed their eyes, pressing a hand to their chest as they took several deep breaths. “Look, how about I drive us to my house first? This could all be some kind of misunderstanding. Maybe they walked home, it’s only a couple blocks.”

“They didn’t walk home,” Anti said bitterly.

Rama blinked. “Well, you sound sure, don’t you?”

“Because sure, a six—sorry, seven year old might think that’s a good idea,” Anti said, folding his arms. “But a ten year old has enough common sense to not go walking out when it’s pitch ass black outside! Or, y’know, at least Will does. And you know he’d stop Michelle if she decided to do that!” Anti balled his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “You go home and check, I’m going back to my home so I can blast Skillet through my headphones to calm down.” He scowled at Rama as they started to stay something else, then started to leave.

“Anti!” Rama called.

He didn’t look back. He had to get to a bus station and back home. Because right now, he was very conscious of the fact that he had a handgun in a hidden holster under his jacket. And that was something that he didn’t want to think about.

———————

It was almost nine o’clock when Anti arrived back at his apartment, after taking an almost-empty bus halfway across the city. Once inside, he elected to use the stairs instead of the elevator, not wanting to stay still for any longer than absolutely necessary. It took a moment for him to find the key to his apartment. And once he did, he found that unlocking his door was pointless: it was already unlocked.

Alarm bells went off in his head—no, more than that, it was a warning siren, the type of which you’d hear during a state of immediate citywide crisis. He never left his door unlocked, not even when he was inside the apartment. And with Will...with him having disappeared not too long ago...

Anti reached inside his jacket to grab his handgun, but then immediately let go; he wasn’t sure what he’d do if he found someone inside and had a gun in his hand. So instead, he threw open the door, hand feeling the wall for the light switch. “Whoever the fuck is in here—”

The lights flipped on.

Anti froze.

The inside of the apartment was ruined. The cupboards of the kitchenette were thrown open, their contents strewn about the counters, the sofa and chairs had their cushions and pillows pulled off and hurled about, and any available drawers had been yanked out of their places. But that was only a little alarming compared to everything else. The coffee table had been stabbed. Anti recognized all the knives from his collection, as well as plain kitchen knives, all driven point-down into the wooden surface. And the walls...someone had been drawing on the walls. They were covered in rough drawings of smiley faces. Some of the faces had their eyes X’d out, some of them had wide, gaping smiles, but they all were drawn in a red-brown liquid that, judging from the trails, had been dripping for a while and only recently started to congeal.

Anti stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. His eyes slowly trailed across the walls, tracing the drawn-on smiles. He approached the coffee table, bending down to touch the ruined surface. Who would do this?

Immediately, he knew. He was actually amazed he hadn’t realized sooner. Who would possibly have a motive for taking Will and Michelle? Maybe someone who’d taken people before. Who would draw smiles all over the walls? Maybe someone who’d never once stopped smiling as long as Anti and the others had known him.

“Oh my god...” Anti whispered. “You took Will.” His vision started to blur, and his chest rose and fell quickly, overcome with a sudden rise of sharp, burning, painful emotion. He grabbed the nearest knife, wrenching it from the surface of the table. And in one quick motion, he threw it at the wall. The point embedded itself in the eye of one of the smiley faces. “You took my son, you fucking bastard!”

He pulled another knife free, throwing it at the wall as well. He didn’t care that it merely bounced off the surface, he was already grabbing another and throwing it as well. “Fuck you!” He yelled. “Fuck you fuck you!” Words were not enough. He merely screamed as he yanked out another one of the knives. This one didn’t go into the wall. It went back into the table, stabbing it, again and again and again. His throat started to burn from how much he screamed, but he kept going. He grabbed a pillow nearby and slashed at it, feathers flying, again and again and again. He couldn’t clearly see what he was doing as the tears started to fall from his eyes, smearing his sight into mere colors. He turned back to the table, and down the knife went, again and again and again and again and agai—

Anti cried out, pulling back. The knife clattered to the wooden table surface. A bit of crimson stained its edge. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced down at his arm. The knife had sliced through his jacket, near his wrist. Blood was leaking from a cut. Anti’s eyes went wide, and he threw himself backwards, scrambling against the floor until his back hit a wall. His hand flew to his throat, rubbing a line across a specific part, hidden by the choker he usually wore.

“F...fuck...” Anti shook his head. He couldn’t be here. He couldn’t be here right now, or he might do something he’ll regret. Pushing himself to his feet, he reached inside his jacket and pulled his gun out of its holster, throwing it across the room, as far away from him as possible.

There was a small ding! sound from his pocket. Before he even realized what he was doing, Anti grabbed his phone and threw that as well. He winced as it cracked against the opposite wall. Fine. Whatever. He’d deal with that later. He couldn’t be here right now. Spinning around, Anti flung the door to his apartment open and ran outside, slamming the door behind him.

———————

He didn’t know where he was going. It was nine o’clock—no, it was about nine forty now, when had so much time passed?—at night, and he didn’t want to be around people. He’d probably just end up snapping at anyone who saw him.

Actually, there was no ‘probably’ about it. He found himself back on another bus, heading...somewhere. He was sitting on a bench, arms folded around himself, shaking slightly. And there was a woman sitting on the bench across from him. Staring. He flinched, and growled, “Why don’t you just fucking murder me already?!” The woman jumped, and looked away. He got off on the next stop.

After that, he got on the next bus that appeared, not caring where it took him. He stayed there until it pulled into a small station, and the driver looked back at him and said, “Hey. Buses stopping for the night, buddy. If you need to get somewhere, the train station’s right here.” Anti stared at her, then stood up and walked off silently.

The city had a train system, though not a big or extensive one. There were only three major stops, and it appeared as though he’d arrived at the one in the center of the city. This station doubled as a hub for the buses. It should have been fairly busy, even this late at night, but there was no one there. It seemed all the bus drivers had clocked out, and there were no passengers waiting for the train. Anti walked up onto the station platform, looking up at the round lamps giving off an orange-yellow glow. After a moment, he walked over to the nearest bench and sat down.

It was never truly quiet in a city, but this is as close as it got. The small amount of traffic was just a distant noise. And there didn’t seem to be a train coming anytime soon. Anti stared at the tracks. What if he just jumped onto them? And then a train appeared? What would happen? Anti stopped himself before he could go any farther down that path. He knew exactly what would happen, and it wasn’t something he wanted. He didn’t even want to think about it.

Of course, that didn’t stop that thought from coming back into his mind barely a minute later. This time, Anti was already thinking about who would be around to clean up the mess before he managed to catch himself. “F...fuck...” he said, physically flinching. He curled his hands into fists, digging his nails into his palms. “Stop it,” he muttered. “You were doing so good with...these.”

Time passed. How much, he wasn’t exactly sure. He was too deep in his own head, trying not to think about the train coming, trying not to think about what might be happening to Will and Michelle, trying not to think about...a lot of things. 

Something was flickering in the corner of his vision.

Anti blinked, looking over in that direction. There was a large trashcan in the middle of the train station. And something was glowing inside it. Anti frowned, watching it. Had someone thrown away a glow stick or something? But then, what was the movement, and why was he just noticing it now?

Sighing, Anti stood up and walked over to the trashcan. Maybe it was a discarded toy or something that had just found a second wind in its batteries. Leaning over, he peered inside the can.

It was definitely not a glow stick or a toy.

Puzzled, Anti stared at it a while longer. And then it suddenly moved, and he yelled, stumbling back. “Wh—I’m—fuck—am I—?” He couldn’t even find the right exclamation to use. With wide eyes, he kept staring at the trash can, the glow still coming from inside.

There was a rumbling sound, and Anti looked over to see a train approaching the station. Quickly, he scrambled over to the platform, stopping just behind the yellow line that marked the safest distance to stand at. The train slowed to a halt, and as soon as the doors opened Anti jumped inside the artificial white light of the train car, grabbing the nearest pole for standing room. As the train pulled away, he kept staring at the platform while it faded into the distance.

———————

He was in the north part of the city now, and he had no idea what time it was. But judging by the emptiness of the streets and the fact that most of the businesses were closed, it was pretty closed. Anti walked for a while, taking random turns at crossroads, sometimes walking across the street whenever he felt like it. Eventually, he saw a building that was lit up, a tiny little corner diner with a neon sign outside advertising twenty-four hour service. He ducked inside, and it was only when he was hit with a blast of warm air that he realized how cold he’d been.

Strained pop music was playing in the air. The diner was fairly clean, most of the furniture made of wood—or at least plastic meant to resemble wood. A teenage boy was loitering behind the counter with earbuds in, though he snapped to attention when he saw Anti walk in. “Uh...hi, welcome to the Cup and Platter,” he said.

Anti didn’t even acknowledge him, walking over to the nearest booth and sitting down, immediately burying his head in his folded arms. 

After a moment, footsteps approached the booth, and Anti looked up again to see the teenager hovering nearby, holding a pen and a notebook. “Uh, sir, is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yeah, why don’t you get some fucking better music in here?” Anti snapped. 

The teenager blinked. “Um...well I can’t do anything about that. But I can get you a menu? And talk to my manager about the music?”

Anti huffed, and slammed his head into the table hard enough to rattle the salt and pepper shakers.

“Whoa!” The teenager jumped. “I—sir, if it’s really bothering you—”

“Just shut up,” Anti growled. “Just...” He sighed. “A menu, fine. You do that, I’ll...yeah.”

The teenager hesitated, then nodded and backed up. He grabbed a laminated menu from behind the counter and walked back over to drop it off before going back around the counter.

Anti glanced over the menu. Mostly breakfast foods and sandwiches. Sighing again, he dropped it and set his head back down on the table. He didn’t want to eat right now. But maybe they’d kick him out if he didn’t order anything...fine, he’d get something small. In a minute.

Before he could...well, he didn’t know exactly what he was planning to do, other than space out. But before he could properly space out, the teenager once again walked up to the booth. “Are...you ready to order, sir?” he asked.

“Fucking...fine, can I have a black coffee and a plate of chips?” Anti asked. He instinctively looked across the booth to ask Will what he wanted, only to get a hot knife in the chest as he remembered.

“Got it.” The teenager didn’t even bother to write that down. “I’ll be right back, sir.”

It didn’t take long for the coffee and fries to arrive. Anti immediately grabbed the coffee cup and downed it. The bitter liquid was scalding hot, burning his throat, but he finished the whole thing in one go anyway, then slammed his head down on the table again. “Fuck everything,” he muttered. He folded his arms around his head, blocking out all light. Only a few minutes later, despite the caffeine in his system, he managed to fall asleep.

———————

“Oh my god oh my god oh my goooood.” Anti paced the room, folding and unfolding his arms. “Oh my fucking god this is the worst idea! Who let me do this?”

Jackie watched from the chair where he was sitting with some amusement. “You’re really nervous, aren’t you?”

“Oh, fucking understatement of the year!” Anti whirled on him. “I can’t fucking believe I thought this was a good idea! Why didn’t you stop me?!”

“Well, you really want to, don’t you?” Jackie reasoned.

Anti laughed. “Of course I do. But sometimes I also want to go skydiving without a parachute, that doesn’t mean I should. Fuck!” He buried his face in his hands. “Oh my god, I’m gonna fuck up. I’m gonna fucking...I-I’ll have to call CPS on myself, I’m done, I—”

“You’re not gonna have to do that,” Jackie said, standing up and walking over. He placed a hand on Anti’s shoulder, then quickly withdrew it when Anti flinched. “You’re very good with Michelle, why would this be any different?”

“Because Michelle’s three,” Anti explained. “And I’m not her dad. All I have to do is make sure she eats and doesn’t break anything. With a kid of my own I-I have to—to help him with school, make sure he stays out of trouble, make sure he never feels like I’m not listening to him, I gotta set a good example—I am the worst person to look to as a good example! Fuck!”

“Anti. Stop.” Jackie’s voice turned firm. “You are totally capable of all of that, no matter what you think. Clearly, you already know what to do. And you have the skills to pull it off.” He smiled a bit. “Y’know, you’re kinda like a hedgehog.”

That was strange enough to snap Anti out of his spiraling thoughts. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Cause you’re all pointy, but you can also be soft,” Jackie said teasingly.

Anti rolled his eyes. “I’m not soft.”

“But you can be. I’ve seen it,” Jackie said, smile widening. “Look, what matters most is that you love your kid, and you listen to him. And of course, there’s all the material providing for him, but the agency wouldn’t have let you through unless you could do that.” Jackie shook his head. “I’m getting off topic. Love and listening. Those are things you can do, and do well.”

Anti looked at him, saying nothing, but his expression obviously distressed.

“It might be a little...awkward at first,” Jackie said. “But if you’re open with him, and talk to him, then it’ll all turn out okay. Plus, you can always ask me and Rama for advice if you need to.”

“I just...fuck.” Anti pressed a hand to his throat, feeling his breath pass in and out. “What if I don’t do enough? What if he ends up lighting a fire behind the school dumpster? Or breaking a shop window and threatening people with the cut glass? Or messing with a computer until it sends emails to half the adults in town that is just a bunch of insults and swearing? Or—”

Jackie laughed. “Those are some ridiculous, and oddly specific scenarios.”

Anti glared at him. “I am literally naming events from my childhood, Jackie.”

“I...oh.” Jackie seemed momentarily taken aback by that.

“Yeah, I was a little shit and my mom did nothing about it, how am I supposed to know what to do?!”

“Well, I suppose that’s where you can ask for advice,” Jackie said slowly. “Also, if you really care about this kid, and show that you care, and teach and explain everything to him, you’ll never have to worry about him acting out, cause he won’t have reason to.”

Anti closed his eyes, breathing deeply. “Fuck.”

“Y’know that’s starting to not sound like a word.”

That caused a bout of laughter. “Yeah,” Anti muttered. He paused, rubbing his upper arms. “I...I guess I have some idea what to do...”

“And you’ll be great at it!” Jackie said encouragingly. “Say it. Tell me you’ll be great at it.”

“I...I’ll be great at it.”

Jackie paused, then put his hand on Anti’s shoulder again. “You can do this, Anti. Just know you can.”

———————

Anti woke up, and the first thing he noticed was that his back hurt. He groaned, and straightened, causing a sudden flare of pain as he shifted position. The second thing he noticed was that his eyes were wet, and he hurriedly wiped them and looked around. The diner looked almost the same, except now the teenage boy was gone, replaced by an older woman, who was currently shaking his shoulder. “Sir, you’ve been here for far too long,” she said.

“How long?” Anti asked.

“A couple hours. We’ve been patient, but you simply must leave now.”

Anti sighed. He looked out the window—

No. There was no way. He must be seeing things.

“Uh, yeah.” Anti dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, handing the woman a twenty, more than enough to cover what he ordered. “Keep the change, I’ll...go.” And he stood up and left, heading outside. He had to get a closer look at this.

It was across the street. His eyes locked on it. This had to be a trick, right? Maybe it was Distorter, he could cause illusions. “This isn’t funny!” He shouted. “Just come out and tell you what you want!” He barely noticed that the woman inside the diner was giving him several odd looks.

It moved.

Anti immediately jumped, and ran in the opposite direction.

———————

The run eventually slowed to a walk once Anti realized he’d outrun it. Though he kept walking. What the hell was it? Was he just losing his mind? “About time,” he muttered, laughing darkly. But though he joked, the thing was actually kind of scaring him. He didn’t want to start seeing things. He had enough problems as it was.

He walked through the city, heading vaguely south but not really caring how winding the path he took was. After a while, he ended up at the park. Which caused him to pause. He hadn’t walked that far, had he? Come to think of it, the sky was significantly lighter than it had been when he left the diner.

Well, he was here now. He sat down on the nearest bench, and once he did, he realized how much his feet and legs were actually hurting. “It’s always like this,” he mumbled. “Hey, body, why don’t you fucking, uh...let me know when shit’s happening to me? Isn’t that your job?” He fell silent for a moment. Then he shifted, laying down on the bench. He closed his eyes for a moment...

———————

Anti woke up to sunlight, red through his closed eyelids. Immediately, he realized he fell asleep, and he groaned. It had been years since he fell asleep on a park bench.

And there was something on his chest. Something rather light, but heavy enough to be noticeable, and clearly not a leaf or anything. He opened his eyes—

“What the fuck?!” He shouted, flailing and tumbling off the bench. The thing flew into the air, and stayed there. Anti scrambled to his feet and broke into a run again. What was this thing?! Why had he seen it three times so far?! What was he supposed to do about it?!

Well, either he was seeing things, or some magic shit was going on. And though he wasn’t much experienced in either of those matters, he knew people who did. Anti reached for his pocket, but then remembered how he’d thrown his phone, back in his apartment. He sighed. Guess he’ll have to head back.

———————

He ended up walking back to his apartment, because...well why not? Luckily, he hadn’t lost he key while he was out. Standing outside the apartment door, he hesitated, but took a deep breath and headed inside.

Nothing had changed. The room was still a mess, the table was still bristling with knives, and the smiles were still drawn on the walls. Anti tried to not look at any of this, eyes locking onto his phone on the floor as he navigated around the mess. He picked up the phone, examining it for damage. The screen was cracked, but it seemed alright otherwise. Relieved, Anti opened the door to his recording room and walked inside, not closing it behind him.

The phone was on low battery, so he rummaged around for a charger and plugged it in. While he waited, he slowly went about taking the knives out of the table and putting them back on the shelf where they were supposed to be. It seemed their glass case had been opened, but the lock still worked. Once all the knives, even the kitchen ones, were inside the case, Anti picked up his handgun and put it in there as well, closing the case and locking it. Quickly, he put the key all the way into one of the kitchenette cabinets.

Then he turned his head slightly and saw it.

Anti gasped, pressing against the wall, his eyes locked on it. “What the fuck do you want?!” He shouted. It didn’t respond.

Quickly, he rushed back to the recording room, unplugging his phone and turning it on. He glanced up and saw it in the doorway of the room. “No,” he said warily, backing up until he was against the opposite wall. When it didn’t move further, he sank down to sit on the floor, and opened up the group chat he had with the others.

The group chat was a fairly recent development. All of them were still getting used to using it, but it appeared as though there had been a string of new messages since he last used it. Not bothering to read them, Anti typed out, Hey anyone here?

Immediately, there were two responses: JJ sent ANTI??? and Schneep sent Anti?!?! 

Oh good you are, Anti typed.

Where the FUCK have you been?! Schneep asked.

Nevermind that, Anti replied.

Anti, I’m sorry, but you’ve been gone for THE WHOLE NIGHT, JJ stressed. What happened? Are you alright?

The whole night? Anti checked the time on his phone and—holy shit, it was a little after noon. Anti sighed. Well, it wasn’t the first time he’d disappeared. Though it had been a while...he couldn’t believe he did it again; he thought he’d fixed that. Long story, more important things, Anti said. How can you tell if youre hallucinating?

Schneep replied immediately. If you look at it in a mirror or cell phone and it’s not there, then it’s a hallucination. Or you can take a picture and ask someone else if it’s there.

Anti looked up at the thing in the doorway. Slowly, he raised his phone and snapped a picture, sending it to the chat. Is there a thing there?

The others took a while to reply, and then Schneep sent: Is this a prank? It is in very poor taste if it is, Anti.

What?? No! Just tell me if its there!

Yes, theres a floating green eyeball in the picture, JJ sent.

Anti looked up again. The eyeball was about the size of a baseball, and it was looking right at him as it hovered. It was also glowing slightly. As Anti stared at it, its iris squished a bit, and the optic nerve coming from it swished a bit. Well then what the fuck is it??? Anti asked. Jackson youre the magic man, what is it?!

I don’t know, JJ replied. I’ve never seen or even heard of anything like that before.

WAIT I THOUGHT THAT WAS PHOTO SHOPPED, YOU ARE SERIOUS?! Schneep asked.

The eyeball moved closer, and Anti let out an embarrassing shriek. It immediately stopped. “What do you want?!” He repeated.

After a quiet moment, the eyeball dropped down to the ground, bouncing a bit where it landed. It waved its optic nerve in the air. Staring, Anti started to take a video, then sent it to the chat as well. DOES THIS LOOK FUCKING FAKE, VOLT?!

I DO NOT KNOW, YOU ARE VERY SKILLED WITH TECHNOLOGY! Schneep replied.

Anti looked over at the eyeball again. “Can...can you say something?” he asked.

The eyeball wiggled side to side, like someone shaking their head.

“Was that a no?”

Another wiggle.

“Can you give me a yes?”

The eyeball bounced up and down.

Anti considered this. Knowing it could at least understand him made him a little less freaked out, though his heart was still pounding with the leftover adrenaline of thinking he was finally losing it. “Are...are you here...” He swallowed nervously. “...cause of what happened with Will? And Michelle?”

The eyeball tilted, then wiggled in another ‘No.’

“Oh...” Anti fell quiet. “What...are you doing here, then?” The eyeball didn’t respond, but instead rose into the air and inched closer. “Uh...not a yes or no, I-I get it. Uh...can you at least tell me if you’re here to hurt me? Are you here to somehow, like...I-I dunno, kill me or fuck with me?”

The eyeball stopped, pupil widening in an almost shocked way. It hurriedly wiggled a ‘No.’

“Okay...” Anti wasn’t sure where to go with this.

His phone started ringing. Anti looked down at the Caller ID, then picked it up.

“Anti?!” Jackie’s voice was breathless, as if he’d just run a marathon. “Anti are you okay?! What happened?! Are you alright?”

“‘M fine, Jackie,” Anti said.

“Are you sure?” Jackie asked.

Well, in actuality, ‘alright’ was subjective. Anti was tired, he had a cut on his arm that wasn’t covered, his body was aching in several places, and his heart was hurting, crying out. But was he in immediate danger? No. “Yeah, I’m sure,” Anti said.

“Jesus fuck!” Jackie shouted. “Y-you can’t just—I-I thought you were—we all thought you were—right after Michelle and Will, they—it was Distorter, I know it, he likes kids, I mean, not in a creepy way, or at least not in a way that’s creepier than he already is—fuck! Anti, we—Anti, I—h-he took—we thought he got you too, and I-I couldn’t—” A short sob interrupted the halting flow of words. “I couldn’t d-deal with...Michelle is gone, a-and you just—you were gone—”

“Hey, hey, Jackie, it’s okay,” Anti said, trying to sound reassuring. It was a bit difficult, but he tried. “I’m okay. And we’re going to get the kids back.”

On the other end, he could hear Jackie crying softly. “Not...give me a moment, Anti, I-I can’t do both these at once. Just...fuck, don’t do that again.”

“I won’t,” Anti said. He almost smiled. It was ironic, wasn’t it? Before he met Jackie and the others, he disappeared all the time. And nobody ever freaked out about him vanishing for a night or a day or even a few of them. If only Jackie knew. “I’m okay, I promise.”

There was another voice on the other end. Even from the distance, he recognized the accent. “Volt, I’m fine,” Jackie said, voice a bit quieter as if he was backing away from the phone. “I’m fi—well, no, but...just not that right now, I-I can’t do it.”

“Are you okay?” Anti asked softly.

“Not as not okay as I was a while ago,” Jackie said, returning to the phone. “You’re sure you’re alright? Volt says you thought you were hallucinating?”

Anti laughed. “I thought, yeah. But turns out it’s just...” He stared at the eyeball. It was closer now, just a meter away from him. “It’s just some weird magic shit. If it sticks around, we should call a meeting about it, but...I have to deal with this right now.”

“Oh. Okay. Sh-should I hang up?”

“If you want to.” Anti paused. “But...thanks for calling.”

“No problem,” Jackie said quietly. And he hung up.

Anti stared at the eyeball more intensely. “Is...is there any way you could tell me what you want?” he asked.

The eyeball swished its nerve. Then suddenly, it leaped forward. Anti jolted, trying to back up before remembering he was against the wall. The eyeball landed on his lap, then jumped up onto his shoulder, and...and stopped. It started to rub against his neck, like a dog or a cat nuzzling against its owner. Anti remained tense for a while, but when nothing happened, he slowly relaxed. “Uh...do you just want...to hang out?”

The eyeball appeared in front of his face. Its tail moved in a motion that could almost be considered a ‘so-so’ gesture.

“Oh...” Anti didn’t know how to respond from there. “Well...uh, feel free to.”

The eyeball bounced, and went back to sitting on his shoulder.

Anti stayed there, staring through the room’s open door to the ruined living room and kitchenette beyond. In just one night...it had all gone downhill. His son was gone, along with his best friend’s daughter. And he’d just...lost it. In a way he hadn’t in a while.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. Tears started to leak from his eyes. And his shoulders started to shake. And with the strange eyeball doing its best to cuddle against him, Anti started to cry.

Well, even though I’m already getting ready for Xmas, we can’t ignore thanksgiving. How bout a piece on Tom meeting the whole family on this day but it’s a chaotic mess because holidays can just bring out the best or worst in us. Maybe that’s just my family. Anyways, happy writing! 🦃

Thanks for the request babes :-) I hope this is what you had in mind (I vaguely say aunts, siblings, cousins, so the reader is able to imagine however many they have) enjoy!! ❤️

Word count: 2,145

✭♡✭♡✭♡✭

Even though you had been dating Tom for eight months, the two of you had never spent the holidays together. You had met at the most imperfect time, in late February.

Though you didn’t want to admit it, what unfolded tonight at your family’s Thanksgiving dinner would determine how you would continue on with your relationship. Your family was incredibly Important to you, and their opinion on your boyfriend was just as significant.

Despite the pressure that weighed on you and Tom’s shoulders, you were calm and collected. You were almost positive that they were going to love him as much as you had grown to.

Tom though, understandably, was a nervous wreck.

“Ughhh they’re gonna hate me.” He whispered, crossing his arms in a childish manner, mimicking one in a way that was intended to make you laugh. You chuckled loudly from the driver’s seat, trying to not keep your eyes off the road for more than a second.

“I think the fact that you have a British accent is enough to make my family like you.” You teased, reaching across the armrest and setting a comforting hand on his thigh. He relaxed immediately as you continued.

“We’ve talked about my past relationships before. But I’ve brought worse boys home, you being a decent human being is most definitely enough.”

“I know I know.” He mumbled, setting his hand over yours. “I just want it to be more than that. I’m here to prove myself whether you feel like that’s what’s gonna happen.”

“Yeah, totally.” You quipped, a bit flattered that he was so anxious to meet your parents and siblings. A guy had never shown this much interest in you before, yet alone your family.

“I can see you trying not to smile.” He teased.

Breaking into a smile, you shook your head, purposefully turning farther to the opposite side. Tom always did this, and you smiled every single time.

“Shush up and let me focus on the road”

Whatever your boyfriend said next faded into the background, and he soon turned his attention to his cell phone.

It had been months since you’d been to your hometown, and you were anxious to see it again. You were a well known actor like Tom, and that had kept you in many unfamiliar places surrounded by unfamiliar people. Coming back to your roots on such an important family holiday was what you had been waiting for. To see the people you loved again, and to introduce someone special to them.

Though your hometown was smaller, and not entirely significant, you were proud to be from the area. It was lively and decorated, the landscape stretching on for miles with rolling hills and hundreds of trees.

Your house was placed in a tight knit family friendly area. And as you drove closer, the aspects of your beloved neighborhood and town had become distinct, even the familiar layouts of the back roads put a smile on your face.

You breathed a sigh of relief. Nostalgia was a killer, and you were excited to show Tom around the town you held so close to your heart.

“Here we are.” You turned onto the block, and pulled into the driveway.

Tom tucked his phone away and focused his attention on what lay before him. “It’s lovely.” He smiled, pointing to a window on the second floor. “I bet that used to be your room.”

“Correct.” You tried not to giggle like the little girl you used to be. Unbuckling, you leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek.

As you pulled away, Tom was staring intensely. One look at you, and his nerves seemed to fade. You were so happy to bring him back. He loved to see you fulfilled, and loved that he was part of that reason.

Without another word, the two of you gathered your bags and made your way up to the front porch. The smell of holiday scented candles was the first thing you noticed when you opened the door. You could hear the afternoon football game playing from the living room loudly, and the bustling of your mother in the kitchen.

But before you stepped over the threshold into your warmly lit home, you leaned over and purred into Tom’s ear. “If you behave, you’re in for treat tonight.”

Tom snorted, nudging you away. “Shut up, I haffta focus.”

You kissed him again, but this time it was fully on the lips. You winked before screaming, “IM HOME!”

Then it was madness. Your family flooded to the front door, taking your bags so they could embrace you for the first time in months. It felt so good to be back, it was almost as if you had never moved out. Everything was the same, everything was familiar.

Introductions ensued. Cooing from your mother, going on and on about how handsome he was, though you had already shown her pictures. (She had seen all his movies already, but she would never admit that.)

A brooding stare from your father- which soon turned into a firm handshake. Your father didn’t really care who walked through the door, as long as they would watch sports with him. Tom definitely had some homework.

And your younger siblings of course, they had been waiting to meet Spider-Man since the moment you told them you were dating a superhero. They poked and prodded him, asking if he could play with them later and give they battle strategy tips.

It was all coming together, and thank God you arrived over an hour earlier than you had intended, so you could find some peace before the storm. Tom was unprepared for the mayhem that was about to ensue when suburban women had to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner.

Though you weren’t prepared for it, you were grateful. You were happy, watching him smile, his eyes twinkle, the corners of his eyes crinkling when your mother showed genuine interest in his career and experiences.

You were sentimental, wishing you could have spent a portion of your childhood with Tom, something that could have developed into an epic love story, one that stretched across decades. Your families would have already been close, before the fame. But when you thought harder about it, you were satisfied with what you had. You were incredibly smitten with Tom, and by the effort he was putting forth, he was equally smitten with you.

Tom had never been to the suburbs, so this trip was equivalent to a vacation for him. Which you found strange, given the fact that it was the fucking suburbs– but you didnt want to ruin his fun.

And ruined it was, or so that’s what it seemed like as your mother screamed at the top of her lungs for your younger siblings to leave the kitchen. You were by her side, also in an apron, trying to carve the turkey as best as you could while your mother mashed potatoes like she had never mashed them before.

“When are the aunties coming?” You squirmed and ripped another chunk of meat off the turkey bones, tossing them into a glass bowl.

“On their way.” Your mom said breathlessly, finishing the mashed potatoes and focusing on stirring the gravy. She then ordered you to crack open a few cans of cranberry sauce.

“Will we be done in time?” You glanced to the oven that had biscuits baking in it.

“Yes. Your grandmother is bringing doubled eggs and relish plates. Your aunt is bringing…” she trailed off as her attention was turned to the stuffing that had yet to be loaded into a plate. Unfortunately, your mom had fallen behind schedule this year and had to cook everything in the last couple hours. Part of that reason was because she was distracted with your arrival. It was a mess, but it was all coming together. With your help of course.

“Is there anything I can help with, Mrs. L/N?” Tom peaked his head around the corner at the commotion. You knew he had been distracted with a long friendly lecture from your father.

Your mother didn’t seem to hear him, as her train of thought was interrupted by the oven beeping. The biscuits were done.

She breathed a sigh of relief, and turned the oven off. Everything was finally cooked, and still piping hot for all the family to enjoy. Yet your mother still seemed anxious. But that was just how she was, every single year.

“You’re the guest, Tom.” You smiled. “And everything is done.”

He gave you two thumbs up, flashing a cheshire grin. Surprisingly, he seemed over the moon, probably excited for the food that was lying in front of him. It was aromatic, and your stomach started to grumble.

“Can I at least help set up?” He asked, guilt flashing across his face. Tom was one of those people that hated to sit around and watch everyone else take part in activities, even if it was as simple as setting up the dinner table. ‘Let me do something’ He mouthed, practically pleading with his eyes.

Your father made his way into the room, but before he could say anything, your mother piped up, back still turned away from the three of you.

Your mother chuckled. “Oh sweetie, guests don’t help set the table.” She walked past him, picking up the carved turkey and setting it gracefully in the center of the elongated wooden table.

“Guests?” You father chortled, clapping Tom on the back. “He’s practically family now.”

Your father’s eyes met your for a moment, and you were pleased to find his statement was genuine. Your heart fluttered, forever grateful that your parents seemed to approve of him. That was a first.

“Oops!” Your mother laughed. “You’re right, honey.” She walked past Tom and guestered for him to follow. “Grab whatever you’d like and bring it over then.” Normally, she would have made a joke, but you could tell she was tired, and wanted to eat.

Snorting, you shook your head. You knew she was trying extra hard to impress Tom. Like you, she had been waiting for another man in the family to spoil. Nodding towards the biscuits, Tom gained the hint that you wanted him to snatch something else to help set up.

That was the calm before the storm. The hustling and bustling of dishes signaled to your siblings and cousins that it was time to eat. They practically ran into the kitchen, a whirlwind of thank you’s in their paths. Taking advantage of that opportunity, your mother started handing them dishes to set on the table.

And before you and Tom knew it, there was nothing left to place on the table.

Setting the biscuits sheepishly on the edge of the table, and handing a few to your cousins at the kiddie bench, he rounded back to your side.

“I feel worthless.” He whispered in your ear, knowing it was a light-hearted joke.

“It’s fine babe, next time.” You left a light kiss on his cheek.

The two of you started to make your way to the table, unable to ignore the grumbling in your stomachs. You had purposefully told Tom not to eat a single thing before the gigantic meal. You had also advised that it was more than welcomed to take seconds, thirds, and even fourths.

And then, as if on cue, the front door violently swung open, and in hurried your aunts and grandparents. “Oofta, traffic was a killer.” You heard you grandmother’s voice complain loudly from the front entrance. A chilling breeze followed, refreshing in the warmly lit atmosphere.

You turned and saw your grandfather balancing at least four pumpkin pies in his hands. Tom rushes forward to help, and you followed suit.

“OH MY GOSH IT’S Y/N’S BOYFRIEND!” Your rambunctious aunt seemed to yell at the top of her lungs when she spotted the stranger.

Tom’s eyebrows raised in amusement.

“Be prepared for kisses.” You warned, smiling from ear to ear, knowing he had already been warned of their excessive amounts of affection.

It was going to be an incredibly wild night. One that you and Tom would remember for years to come.

1035

survey by tickticktmr

Do people spell your name wrong very often? LOL, of course. When your name is the less-common variant, expect it to be misspelled all the time. Only like 2 out of 10 times do people ask me if my name is spelled with an i or y, but it’s them I appreciate the most.

Who will your next phone call be with? I’m not expecting any phone call for a while.

Would you rather be taken or single? Ugh, taken. I love being in a relationship; I always enjoyed looking after someone else and doing things to make them happy. Being independent has its perks too, but I always feel lonely at the end of the day.

Do you plan to move any time soon? Nope, I’m taking it slow.

Would you rather have pink or green hair? I’d go with green but only if it’s a dark shade, like the color of seaweed. I wouldn’t appreciate neon green on my hair.

Do you miss anyone's smile right now? I saw it again yesterday, so I’m good.

Do you want kids? I used to, but now I’m back to the drawing board when it comes to kids.

Do you know who sings 'Let it rock'? It’s not ringing a bell, and honestly the first thing I remembered was the Goofy Goober Rock song from the Spongebob Movie HAHAHA. Sorry to disappoint.

Do you think stargazing is a romantic thing to do with someone? Sure, but I think it also works platonically. Stargazing is generally a nice and relaxing thing to do whether you’re alone, with an SO, with a friend, or with a bunch of friends.

Do you want to tell someone something right now? Yes, but I can’t.

What's your opinion on sex before marriage? It’s whatever. People can do what they want, and the only things they should watch out for are consent and being safe.

Do you own a car? I don’t own it, i.e. I didn’t pay for it, but it was given to me so I can have a car to drive myself when I need to go to places.

What is something that is always in your kitchen cupboards? Rice.

The last person you spoke to: have you ever lied to them? For sure. Growing up with strict parents taught me how to lie convincingly.

Have you ever made out with them? That person is my mother. No.

What woke you up today? I did so naturally.

Have you ever had a pet rock? No. People do that? How do rocks become pets?

Have you ever been lost? LOL like the lost-in-life kind of lost? Sure. I’m going through it at present because life threw a shit ton of curveballs at me over the course of two months.

How long is it until your sibling)s) birthday? My brother’s birthday is in 5 months; my sister’s is in 10 as she celebrated her birthday just last September.

Are you lazy? I can be if I want to. But I’m not always, of course.

Do you read the newspaper? No.

Have you ever heard of the song 'Teeth the size of piano keys'? No.

Who was your last thought about? You got me thinking about my sister because of the earlier question about her birthday.

What made you in the mood you are in right now? I’m relaxed at the moment and that’s thanks to the fact that it’s Sunday, I’ve recently gotten into a new hobby and a show I can dive into, and tomorrow’s a holiday so no work for me :) Gonna make the most out of this evening for sure.

Have you ever told someone to go to Hell? I’ve most likely done so, but only as a joke.

Do you know anyone named Jos? As in, pronounced ‘Jaws’? No. That’s one of the more unique names I’ve heard.

What's your font on MSN/AIM? I don’t use either. I never used either, either.

What's more important to you: books or music? Music.

Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Nah. Even when I still collected magazines, I preferred physically going to magazine stands and buying new issues. It was more exciting that way.

Has someone ever really hurt you without even realizing? Yeah.

What do you sleep in? A bed, most often. Sometimes I’ll pass out on the couch but that doesn’t happen too much anymore.

Have you changed in the past six months? Yes, both naturally and forcibly. It’s been... quite a year for me, even if we put Covid aside.

Do you bite your nails? When I’m anxious. I haven’t had to do this for a while though, and I mostly did when I was in school awaiting a presentation I had to make.

Do you like the name Natasha? I used to like it when I was younger, but it slipped out of my favorites for no real reason at some point; it just did.

What's a food that starts with the last letter of your first name? Naan.

Does your house have a white picket fence? It used to, but we had them removed after a string of typhoons increasingly deteriorated their quality over the years.

Have you ever been given flowers? Sure.

Do you have a YouTube account? How many videos have you watched on it? I do. Is the second one a real question lol? I’ve watched thousands, as I’m sure most people who use YouTube have done as well. This is like asking how many tweets in total I’ve read on Twitter since I first signed up.

Do you know anyone who is really, really conceited? My mom can be one. She likes to act as if she can do no wrong.

Who’s the last person you told off? My manager at work. I did something she asked me to do and followed the instructions down to a T...and then she said I shouldn’t have done it? That kind of thing happens at work every now and then and it’s fucking exhausting. It’s like every move I make has its own script and the script changes every five minutes. 

Are you optimistic? Sure, but not always.

How do you get to school/your job? I work from home, but under normal circumstances I would’ve been driving myself to the workplace.

Love or lust? Love.

Do you smoke cigarettes? Yeah, but I keep my use of it at an extreme minimum. I’ve only done it socially and I’ve only asked for cigarettes from my friends who have their own packs (and were willing to give me a couple of sticks, of course).

Have you ever been so mad at someone you hurt them? Like, physically? Yes, but it’s only because I was hit first.

Have you ever met someone you met online in person? This is on surveys a lot...yes. I’ve met several online friends who were once in the wrestling circle with me; and one time I bought a product from someone online so we had to meet up for that, too.

Have you ever not studied for a test and gotten 100%? Probably not a 100%, but close. I never studied for my Language exams in middle school because it was just literal English grammar, which I was already good at by that point.

Where is your boyfriend/girlfriend right now? I don’t have any.

Have you ever won a contest for public speaking? No, but I’ve joined one. I got a little frazzled by the middle of my speech (it was impromptu and I didn’t know my question until I got on stage) so in the end that cost me first place.

Are there any woods near where you live? Nah, it’s a private village so it’s super suburban and no hidden woods or forests anywhere.

What did you do today? So far I’ve watched 3/4 of an episode of Start Up, cried, washed my face, washed the glass that I drank soju from last night, and sat up in bed and continued this survey.

Have you ever considered suicide? Yes.

Do you have a lot of myspace friends? No. I never really used my account.

What was your favorite subject in grade six? Science was fun then. Partly because I could tell the teacher liked me, and partly because her method of teaching was big on memorization of terms and processes which was always more my speed.

Hot chocolate or coffee? I could go for coffee right now. Hot chocolate is best when I’m on vacation and having breakfast at a fancy hotel.

Do you like your neighbours? I don’t dislike them, that’s for sure.

Did you do something stupid today? Not yet. 

Name a five letter word that starts with the same letter as your first name. Ripen.

What time did you go to sleep last night? Around midnight. That soju/Yakult combo knocked me out.

Did you have fun yesterday? It was an okay day, sure. I got productive and even drank for a bit last night just because.

How many people are online on your MSN/AIM right now?

Would you like to/did you drop out of school? No, that was never a part of my plans.

What was your favorite book as a child? If we’re talking kids’ books, I never got tired of rereading Corduroy and The Giving Tree. I also had a book of poems and nursery rhymes and I remember taking a liking for The Owl and the Pussycat because it was the longest poem in the book and it helped me train my English.

How far away does your best friend live from you? Both live around 20-30 minutes away, just in different directions.

Do you think you could write a book? A memoir, yes. Anything fictional, no.

Is it hard to tell someone you like them? Yes.

How many bedrooms does your house have? 4.

Do you know anyone who can't speak French? Nearly everyone I know.

When's the last time you brushed your teeth? Last night.

Are you the same religion as your parents? Legally. But I disowned Catholicism/Christianity a long time ago.

Would you do anything for a certain person? Yes, I would.

Do you know anyone in your science class? The last science class I took was a course on chemistry, and I only knew one person in that class.

Describe your room: Cozy, starting to get a little cluttered, big enough for one person.

Do you still write letters to Santa, even when you know he's not real? No, and I never wrote letters addressed to a Santa.

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Nope.

Have you ever been lied to by a girlfriend/boyfriend? I’m sure she did.

Where is your dad right now? I can’t tell whose turn it is to make breakfast today, so he’s either in the kitchen cooking or in their bedroom watching TV.

Are any of your relatives pregnant? As far as I know, no. But I also haven’t been on Facebook in a while, so I’m poorly updated on what my relatives have been up to.

How many garabe buckets are in your house? I have no idea what this is talking about.

Would you want the truth if you asked if your pants made you look horrible? If I asked that then yeah, I obviously would want to hear the truth.

Mx. Shoggoth, I Presume? Pt 4

Warning! Sexual humor and heavy swearing ahead.

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

It's Showtime!

You two stood there, shuffling your feet for what seemed like hours. You'd never been proposed to before, even if it was fake. What came next? You had an old ring you had picked up the day before. The etched silver band reminded you of him, the carvings almost matching his signature stripes. You supposed you ought to give it to him now.

"Ah, by the way doll." Beetlejuice cut through your thoughts, "I uh… well since we need this gaggle of breather kids to see me it'd be best if…" he trailed off, barely audible as he mumbled "I'd like it if you'd summon me."

"Pardon? Sorry, I didn't catch that."

He raked his hands through his violently pink hair, "Just read this, dammit." He handed you a business card.

"... A matchmaker? Beej I don't think I need this right--"

"TURN IT OVER."

You did so. "Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice…"

He had to lean against the side of the house to steady himself. He was way too happy with the way his name sounded coming from you.

"Beetlejuice." You finished. A familiar cloud of green smoke formed around the two of you as the demon launched himself into the air. He did a flip and summoned up some fireworks, sending a wink in your direction. What a showoff.

"It's showtime, baby!" Being summoned, let alone by such an exceptional human, gave him the high he needed to get past the last few awkward minutes. He glided down to you, grabbing your hand to give you a quick twirl before pulling you off of your feet and dipping you backwards. "Thanks for callin' on me, tootse. What can I do ya for?"

"What just happened?"

"Well," he pulled you back up to your feet and swung you through a few dance steps while he explained, "I haven't really felt like I could ask Lyds to summon me after what happened last time, so I've only been here in SPIRIT, you might say." He chuckled at the pun. "You can only see me because you're a bit strange and unusual, like her. For normal folks to see me, and for me to be physically here, I gotta be summoned - and guess who just summoned their first demon!"

"... I did?"

"You did!" He nearly leapt around you as he continued flinging you about. Where had this man learned to dance? Was the instructor on cocaine?

Flustered by trying to keep up with his quickening dance moves (and, admittedly, by all of the physical contact with your attractive demonic friend), your thoughts went back to the ring burning a hole in your pocket. "Ah, here." He (thankfully) stopped dancing as you pulled the ring unceremoniously from your pocket, thrusting it towards him. "Gotta have the matching set, right?"

Gosh. You were just so smooth. Cool was your middle name. The demon across from you definitely didn't notice your palms sweating, right?

"Ah… yeah. Yeah I guess so…" His earlier bravado fled from him like a frightened bird. He picked up the ring and fiddled with it for several moments, avoiding eye contact like one look could strike him re-dead.

"Y/N! Beej! C'mon! We're gonna be late!" Lydia shouted from the driveway, pulling you two from your stupor.

"Shit, right. Uh… let's go wrangle some children?" Beetlejuice said, attempting to sound suave and totally unbothered (and failing).

"Yes, let's shall!" You two were going to set a record for the smoothest not-couple in New England.

Lydia, itching to test out her provisional license, insisted on driving the three of you to the school where you would be meeting the other students. Saving you from making any further cool-headed and completely normal conversation, she took the liberty of walking you and Beetlejuice through the rules on the drive. "Beej, I'm going to need you to shapeshift. Can you make yourself look, you know, alive?"

He slapped his cheeks, turning his skin marginally pinker and wiggling his eyebrows at you as if he'd just built the Eiffel Tower in front of your very eyes.

"Can you put in about 1% effort, at least?" Lydia deadpanned.

He huffed and shook himself, emitting a puff of green smoke. The man who emerged looked like your demon friend, but cleaner and a bit… suburban. His hair was a muted brown with emerald green streaks at his temples, the moss and soil that usually clung to every crevice was gone (though the earthy scent remained). He even swapped out his signature striped suit for a casual black button up and dark wash jeans. He looked… well he still looked really damn attractive, especially when he used your staring at his new appearance to give you that cocky grin of his.

"Like what you see, tootse?" He said, running his left hand through his hair. Your eyes snapped to the ring, your ring, on his finger.

"Yeah, life suits you." You smiled sincerely. "Could do without the grave smell, though."

"Hey, that's my natural musk you're talking about. Drives my lovers crazy, if you know what I mean." He leaned towards you, craning his neck to give you a good angle to take a whiff.

You fought the urge to take an exploratory inhale. You were failing. Thankfully, Lydia literally snapped you out of it, before you could embarrass yourself a third time today, by clicking her fingers in agitation. "Let's focus, lovebirds. We're almost there. Y/N, you remember the backstory I gave you?"

"Yup! I moved here one year ago looking for a quiet place to write my book, (and God, do I wish the quiet part were true) and met BJ while I was working on my laptop in the diner on 7th. He told me he'd help me through some dialogue I was stuck on if I took him to dinner. The rest, as they say, is falsified history" At least the reason you moved to New England had been true, though you hadn't exactly found much quiet time for writing in the last few months.

"We snuck out and fucked in the alley behind the diner, right next to that graffiti of those two cartoon cats. It was hella romantic." Beetlejuice slung an arm around you, "you told me right then and there you couldn't live without me or my amazing penis. Of course, I have standards, so I made you wait a few months before I popped the question, but--"

"Beej." Lydia warned.

"What? You didn't give ME a rundown on OUR backstory, so I've gotta improvise."

"I gave you the notes three days ago, it's not my fault you drew dicks all over them, Just let your lovely, responsible spouse do the explaining, ok?" She said, pulling into a parking space in the back of the school. There was a bus waiting there to take them all to the airport, already full of kids. She quickly jogged up to the doors, taking a seat with two kids in the back that you assumed must be her friends. You wasted no time in hauling your luggage inside and addressing the crowd.

"Hi! I'm Mx. Shoggoth, call me Y/N. I'll be your guide--"

"That's my bit!" A disgruntled Beetlejuice complained, pushing you aside. "Hey kids, who's ready to party it up in the Big Easy? Maybe get your voodoo on?"

"We're here to make sure they DON'T get into trouble, BJ."

"Ugh, lame."

"Right. Anyway, this is my husband, Lawrence. You can call him BJ" You gestured to your partner in crime, whose cheeks were tinged with that familiar pink you were used to in his hair. "We're here to make sure y'all don't get mixed up in any voodoo or, you know, die in any fashion."

"Booooo." A teen moaned from the back of the bus. You could hear Lydia chuckling, as well.

"See? You're lame, the kid agrees." Beetlejuice smirked, shoving you aside and taking a seat at the front of the bus. He patted the seat next to him, glancing at you as you finished up your safety spiel.

"... and we'll be meeting your music teacher at the airport, so til then I've been told you should be looking through your sheet music." You ended your speech, taking your seat next to Beetlejuice.

"So professional. Keep that up and I may lose my libido forever." He snickered.

"Yeah well, your sex life isn't any of my concern." You hissed.

"Oh, isn't it? Is that any way to talk to your loving husband?" He grabbed your hand, grazing your knuckles with his lips for good measure. It seemed, once there was an audience, Beetlejuice transformed back into his needy perverted self with no issue.

You, on the other hand, were still easily flustered. Perhaps, you noted as you felt your cheeks practically light on fire and your breath catch in your throat, even more so with an audience. You contemplated jumping through the bus doors just as they closed, sealing you into your fate.

https://insomni-snacc.tumblr.com/post/189284584571/mx-shoggoth-i-presume-pt-3

( DEWANDA WISE. THIRTY FOUR. FEMALE. SHE/HER. ) in texas, SELENA MARTEL is known to most as LENA. they’ve been living in stratford for 6 YEARS and currently CON ARTIST/GYM OWNER (ATLAS). some say they are EXTRAVAGANT & VINDICTIVE but i’m more inclined to believe those that say they’re LOQUACIOUS & INSIGHTFUL. if you walk by their house, you can sometimes hear TEAR YOU APART by SHE WANTS REVENGE playing from their window. ( haphazardly strewn passports lining the bottoms of drawers, the telling clicks of a stubborn safe lock, half signed adoption records, broken compasses. )

basics

Full Name: Selena Martel

Nickname(s): Lena

Age: 34

Date of Birth: November 10

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas

Nationality: American

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual with a preference for women

Romantic Orientation: Homoromantic

Religion: Practicing Bhuddist, but no formal religion

Occupation: Gym Owner; Atlas

Language(s) Spoken: English, Spanish, French, Romanian, Porteguese 

physical appearance

Face Claim: DeWanda Wise 

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Height: 5’6 or 167 cm

Weight: 128 lbs or 56 kg

personality

Positive Traits: Loquacious, Insightful, Determined, Crafty

Negative Traits: Extravagant, Vindictive, Dishonest, Self Serving

Goals/Desires: Selena is trying to raise her daughter away from all of the chaos she left in her wake. Having conned many influential and dangerous people, she knows their lives are always in danger.

Fears: Someone getting the best of her, losing her daughter, Grasshoppers

Hobbies: Yoga, Kickboxing, Martial Arts

Quirks: Never, ever remembers to throw the milk carton away when it’s empty

Biography

Winifred Banks was born to a relatively normal family on the outskirts of Dallas. She had two sisters and two parents who seemingly adored each other, and from the outside looking in, the public was able to see a family living the American Dream in vivid color. That, of course, wasn't’ the whole truth, so help anyone’s god. Winnie’s mother, Yara, only married her father because she thought she was hitting the jackpot. Ricky Banks was a popular investor, a result from a fluke of a windfall, and Yara was just tenacious enough to make him fall for her so she could pull herself from the gutters. Things were good for a while. The couple married, had their three girls, and they lived in a nice suburban home in the nice part of the city. Yara participated in PTA meetings and gushed over her perfect life right up until federal agents showed up at her door with a warrant to search the entire house. As it turned out, Ricky had been dabbling in touching things that did not belong to him, and after an intensive trial, he ended up spending a little less than five years in a federal lock up. 

Yara and the girls had to move in with her sister’s family a few hours away, and though Winnie and her sisters were relatively taken care of, their mother didn’t leave bed for months. They pieced together enough of what had happened through news outlets and overheard conversations, and though her sister’s were scared, Winnie decided then and there she would never be desperate enough to ruin her family like her father had. In fact, Winnie decided that she would only be taking care of herself from that point on. Her father was released around the time she was starting high school, which meant moving again. As if nothing had happened, the family fell right back into the pattern of keeping up with the Jones’. Yara was back to being the stepford mother and her sisters seemed content to have their lives back. It was only Winnie who questioned it all, and when the cops came knocking again, this time months later, she realized her parents would always be so reckless and desperate in their lives. 

Ricky was in prison again when she graduated, and though she told her mother she was leaving for college, Winnie had other plans. Freshly eighteen and full of a hunger to do more than what she’d been exposed to, she drove west, hitting the highlights and lowlights of each state she passed through, and as the days wound on, she realized her parents hadn’t left her with nothing to go on. The gift of playing a persona to cover her own ass was as easy and natural as breathing, and so in each new place she became a new version of herself. Every lie was gobbled up thanks to her infectious smiles and absolute conviction, and with each story she told, the rewards of her actions grew tenfold, until finally she hit the big jackpot. In a bar fifty miles from the coast the persona that was Winifred Banks officially died to give way to the first opportunity to be someone completely different. She managed to swipe not only his cash and cards, she also managed to pilfer the keys and title to a very sleek sports car that she sold for ten grand less than two hours later. 

And that was how the lies began. 

She began playing on the gullibility each human owned, crafting entire lives catered to a certain job in order to deliver the most damage when she struck. A web of contacts, invaluable wit, and a tenacity hardly matched allowed the nameless woman to get close to people in order to take the very things they valued most. All she had to do was drop the dead weight of a family who did nothing but disappoint her, and with each passing year her abilities grew exponentially. Eventually she grew adept enough to go international, hitting various countries for long enough to do small jobs before she returned home on her falsified documents. She began to think she was unstoppable, an unmovable force to be reckoned with, but as with all things, life had a curveball that stopped her dead in her tracks. Vacationing in the middle americas, she met what she would later refer to as her kryptonite. Though the stakes were higher than they had ever been, it began as any other job. She collected information and crafted the persona of Selena Martel, and with that persona, she seduced her way into the inner folds of a cartel family. 

Though this job started off as any other, one thing was instantly and very obviously different. Selena found herself attracted to the target in more ways than just how big her bank account was, and without even noticing, she found herself growing comfortable in the life she was pretending to built there. Months in she realized she was in over her head, but it was already too late. She loved the other, and the plans they had made became more important than nearly anything else, so when she heard herself suggest they adopt, suggest they start a family, there wasn’t any shock to be had. Only unbridled happiness. 

That, of course, came to a screeching halt months before the adoption was to be finalized. An atrocious act hit too close to home, killing many and injuring even more, and in that moment Selena felt a pang of fear for the family she was building. Just like her parents, her own desperation was putting a child in the way of her own dreams, and though it killed her to leave, leaving was the only option she could think of. So Selena bribed the courts to push the adoption through without the other mother’s signature, and when the baby was placed in her arms, she cleaned out her mark (as was always the plan) and left without looking back. Selena moved back to Texas, finding a small, out of the way town, and with the money she stole, she opened her own business. Though she was smart enough not to put the gym in her current alias, she kept Selena as a name because it was what she signed the adoption papers as and she didn’t want to slip up and lose her daughter. For the most part she’d finished with her con life for now because she’s trying to be a good enough mom to make up for her past, but she can’t help herself from slipping into routine every now and then. 

Tidbits

Selena has been in Newton for 7 years with her daughter.  Her daughter’s name is Mireya (which means miricle), but Selena calls her Mimi Is stinking wealthy bc she stole it all from her ex/last mark She teaches various classes at her gym (yoga, kickboxing, martial arts). Told her daughter and the general public that her partner died.  Loves collecting art. When stressed she eats sweets like crazy.

sleepy. (leedo/xion)

Prompt from here.

One shot. Domestic fluff. Established relationship.

After a 9-hour drive, Dongju found an exhausted Geonhak falling asleep on the living room's couch. There was no way Dongju would leave him sleeping in such an uncomfortable position, but... Geonhak was really tall AND heavy, and, well, Dongju has little to no actual muscles.

If you liked the fic, consider giving the Ao3 post some kudos!

As though sensing that Geonhak’s car had died down, Dongju’s eyes fluttered open. Immediately his hand travelled up to his glabella, applying mild pressure on it with eyebrows furrowed in pain. It felt like a hammer was constantly banging against his brain. His stiff legs weren’t necessarily helping either.

“What time is it…?” Dongju asked as he began to process his surroundings. The dimly lit street before him along with the familiar suburban houses just across his view sparked a sense of familiarity. Oh, we’ve arrived.

“One.”

Dongju frowned, his face conspicuous of displeasure as he faced his boyfriend in the driver seat. “You drove for 5 hours straight?”

Geonhak didn’t reply. He merely sighed, unbuckled his seat belt and pulled the key out of the lock cylinder. He then let his whole body loose against the backrest of the seat and slumped his shoulders. His pallor appeared so weak and sickly—something that Dongju could not stand looking at. The dark circles that were beginning to form underneath his eyes also weren’t something that Dongju could miss and set aside.

“Geonhak…”

“I’m sorry,” Geonhak said.

For some reason, his apology elicited a sense of guilt within the younger man. However, this did not stop Dongju to continue chiding his boyfriend, as he began to go on a tangent, “We told each other that we’d take turns driving for every two hours. It was a 9-hour drive, Geonhak! And we both know that the both of us are tired from all our activities for these past 5 days! You should’ve rested instead of driving all the way here. I could’ve driven while you were resting…”

“I know, I know.” Geonhak massaged his temples, as if throbbing in pain from hearing Dongju’s naggings. “I just… didn’t want to wake you up.”

Dongju, who had previously intended to resume his naggings, went silent. The older man took this as his cue to continue. “You just seemed so tired, I didn’t dare to wake you up and force you to drive. Well, maybe not force you, that’s not the right word—but you get what I mean.”

The suffocating guilt from before grew even more intense within the younger man the moment his boyfriend finished his spiel. He dropped his head, the frown still etched upon his lips. “Sorry…” he mumbled. “I should’ve known.”

Geonhak ruffled his boyfriend’s brown locks. “It’s fine. Besides, it was my fault. Thought I could be the ideal selfless boyfriend, y’know?” he said softly with his distinctive low voice. Sometimes Dongju wondered how Geonhak could emit such a low, guttural voice, yet is still able to sound soft at the same time. He could never find out the answer. 

“Okay, okay, I get it. But you’re still in the wrong, okay! Our original agreement of taking turns driving is still valid,” Dongju pouted and crossed his arms, feigning annoyance.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever makes you happy,” Geonhak rolled his eyes, though the corners of his mouth were lifted upwards. “Anyways, let’s just get off and take all these baggage inside, yeah? I’m so tired that I’m already longing for our bed…”

Dongju shrugged. “Okay, yeah, fair. Let’s get this over with."

With that, the two of them stepped out of Geonhak’s navy hatchback and with all what was left of their energy, began unloading their baggage from the rear seat. It was just a couple of backpacks at the beginning of their trip, but after five days, it'd seemed like those backpacks had multiplied and perhaps made four children of their own. Well, Dongju supposed vacation does that to you. 

Grunts and groans escaped both men's mouth as their already rigid limbs struggled to bring the bags and goods up to the door. The moment they were there, their grips slacked and their baggage plopped to the floor. Dongju’s whole arms ached almost immediately, from the muscles of his shoulders down to the joints of his knuckles, to which he’d stretched in order to ease them. Geonhak, too, was doing the same thing.

“The house key’s on you, right?” 

Dongju perked up at the older’s question. “Oh, yeah, sure.”

It didn’t take long for him to fish out the key to their house from the smallest pocket in his duffel bag, and, before they knew it, they already found themselves dragging their bags against the creaking hard-wood floor towards the living room. 

Their living room was clean and meticulous just a few seconds ago, but now it was similar to that of a shipwreck, with all of their belongings strewn all over the floor in such a disorderly manner. The two couldn’t care less about the mess they’d made, as long as they get their well-deserved sleep after hours and hours of being in a small, enclosed space like Geonhak’s car, they wouldn’t mind cleaning such a mess the next morning. The trip was fun—more than fun, even. It was exhilarating, especially with how Dongju’s previous week was one of the most draining work weeks he’d ever gone through. He still could remember how his back felt as though it could snap at any given moment from slouching too much in front of his desk. The fact that Geonhak was there with him, too, was something Dongju treasured. Nonetheless, everyone knows that post-vacation blues is a real thing, and the 9-hour drive did not help either.

Dongju just got back from locking the door again—considering it was already 1:15 AM—when his attention was caught by the figure of Geonhak lying down on his stomach on their worn out couch. A small smile grew across his lips. His boyfriend must’ve been exhausted after driving for hours. Not to mention it was for him. It was for him that Geonhak decided to push himself to the limits, even though he didn’t really have to. He had always been like this, the selfless Geonhak. He thought he could please other people by sacrificing his own wants and needs. But in reality, that’s not always the case.

Still, though, Dongju could never ask for a better partner. It was that soft part of him that caused Dongju to initially fall in love with him.

“Hak?” The younger man called out as he tiptoed closer to the other. No response.

Dongju raised his eyebrows. There was no way he could fall asleep so quickly like that, he thought. He could swear his boyfriend was still awake just less than five minutes ago, when they were unloading their luggages all over the floor. Dongju dragged himself to the side of the couch, closer to Geonhak, craning his neck just a little bit so that he could see his boyfriend’s face.

“Love?” Dongju called out again, but this time, there was a response—a snore.

“Oh.” A small laugh escaped Dongju’s mouth. His hand reached out to Geonhak’s head, running his fingers through his boyfriend’s silver locks. This was something Dongju would not dare do if Geonhak was conscious, as his embarrassment would definitely get the better of him. Displaying pure affection has never been his forte, with the exception of when the affection is mixed with a little bit of mischief. But this—he would never do it when Geonhak’s awake.

“Hey, Haaak. Don’t sleep here. Move to the bed.”

That drew no response from the older man, but Dongju wasn’t upset or anything. On the contrary, he was amused. Not giving up, Dongju sat down beside the couch, his head now on the same level as the sleeping man, and began to gently shake him awake. As he did so, he whispered, “Haaak, wake up. It’s comfier on the bed, y’know? You know the couch’s too hard.”

Geonhak, on the other hand, merely let out a soft “hhhmhhmm…” as a response.

“Oh, come on now…” Dongju sighed. He couldn’t let his boyfriend sleep in such an uncomfortable position and wake up, possibly, with sore muscles all over his body. One way or another, he had to move Geonhak to their bedroom, but how exactly he should do that was still a debate that his mind was currently disputing about. Sure, he could let Geonhak be here all night and wait for him to move all by himself, but like he previously thought, he couldn’t let that happen. He knew firsthand just how horrible it is to wake up with throbbing muscles and thews after hours of sleeping in an uncomfortable position. He also could continue trying to wake him up until he’s fully awake, but he didn’t dare to. Geonhak is one of those people who has a hard time falling asleep, therefore if Dongju wakes him up, it’d take a while for the older man to fall asleep again.

With those two possibilities set aside, Dongju was certain this next idea had to be the last resort. If he were to be honest, though, he did not know how his logic came up with it. Perhaps it was the drowsiness kicking in. Yeah, that was probably it—Dongu also just took a notice of this, but his eyelids had become progressively heavy since they first entered the house. Yeah—that must be it, because there was no way his right mind would come up with the idea to carry his boyfriend, who is considerably much bigger and heavier than himself, to the bedroom.

Standing up, Dongju brought himself to the side of the couch. He coiled his arms around the other’s shoulders and, after mustering what he thought to be enough strength, attempted to lift the older man up.

“Come on…!” Dongju groaned, heaving his boyfriend up closer to his chest. 

This did not last long, however, as the both of them slid effortlessly down to the couch, weighed down by Geonhak’s body mass. Head now propped against Geonhak’s back and feet hanging at the edge of the couch along with Geonhak’s, Dongju exhaled slowly. His eyelids were starting to become steadily heavier compared to before, and his consciousness was ebbing away. It was as if his brain knew he was lying down, promptly ordering him to sleep, thinking that he was already in bed.

Dongju closed his eyes then. He thought that he might as well just sleep on top of Geonhak, if the latter wasn’t going to cooperate and move to the bed. Might as well wake up with a sore body, so that Geonhak would have a friend that suffers the same problem. The most important thing, though, was that he might as well just sleep then and there, as he had no more energy or motivation to bring himself up once again.

And so, without having any further thoughts, and with his body on top lying weakly on top of Geonhak, Dongju’s consciousness wafted away.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Never in his whole life had Geonhak woken up to an immense weight pressing him down against his back. As he tried to fully gather his consciousness back, he craned his neck to see what in the world was squashing him down against the couch. When he found out what it was, though, he was caught immediately off guard.

“Dongju—?”

Sure enough, the source of the weight was a sleeping Dongju. His head rested against Geonhak’s shoulder and his arms were hanging limply on both sides of their body. With his eyes shut and chest heaving, Geonhak could notice his boyfriend’s beautiful long lashes even in such an awkward position. His lips, too—which were slightly chapped from probably the dry air of their car from earlier—were slightly apart, giving access for him to breathe more easily. Geonhak smiled—what an angel, he thought.

The clock on the wall just a few feet in front of him conveyed that it was currently around half past four, most likely in the morning. At the back of his mind, images of him and Dongju in the car appeared, followed suit by them carrying their bags and goods into the house, and soon of him toppling down onto the couch with what he could recall as such vivid fatigue and exhaustion.

Oh. Right. That happened.

Did Dongju also just shut down all of a sudden like him? Geonhak didn’t know, but he assumed that was what happened. Though, why didn’t he just sleep in a more comfortable place like, say, their bedroom?

Bedroom sounded nice. Geonhak planned to migrate both himself and Dongju to the bedroom as it’d be much more comfortable there, however his boyfriend’s body was quite literally constricting his plan to move.

Thus, Geonhak shook his head, removing all unnecessary thoughts and proceeded to  carefully turn around on the couch as best as he could. The fact that Dongju was also squishing him against the couch didn’t help much either. He grunted, one hand gently gripping the other’s arm to prevent the latter from falling. As he watched Dongju’s every movement lest he wakes up, Geonhak shifted bit by bit, his mind on edge over not wanting his boyfriend to wake up. But then——

“Hak…?”

Geonhak froze. With him now facing Dongju, Geonhak’s eyes wandered up to the other’s. Lids half open, brown optics looked straight back into him in feeble wonder.

“Oh, did I wake you up?” Geonhak whispered.

Soon the older man became bewildered, though, and for a good reason too. Dongju had subsequently closed his eyes then and only snuggled further against Geonhak’s chest, inducing a flutter of something within his stomachs.

Adorable, he thought.

After a few pokes on the younger one’s cheek, making sure that he wasn’t really awake, Geonhak slowly lifted himself up. Dongju did not weigh much, especially to him who regularly does weights, but his stiff joints and sore muscles made maneuvering his boyfriend much more of an endeavor than it should be. Not to mention that he also had to do it as gently as possible, as he didn’t want to wake the younger one up.

The joints across his arms crackled plenty as Geonhak carefully positioned his sleeping boyfriend on his lap. At this point he was just carrying him, basically.

Stationing his grasps against Dongju’s bottom, Geonhak then stood up. He wobbled at first, not used to the weight of his boyfriend—especially in this early morning. Nonetheless, it didn’t take long for him to regain his balance. With Dongju propped against his chest and on his arms, Geonhak strode toward their room.

Navigating through the faintly lit corridor was rather difficult with a person in his arms. However, Geonhak eventually found the door handle to the bedroom, and after struggling quite a while to maintain his grasp on Dongju while simultaneously opening the door, soon he found himself already in the room. 

Despite the lights being off, Geonhak easily trudged toward the bed. He then laid Dongju on the mattress as gently as possible, who was still sleeping peacefully with soft, regular breathing. If Geonhak were to be in his situation, a simple movement would be enough to wake him up. He’s such a light sleeper compared to Dongju.

Geonhak pulled the sheets up to Dongju’s chin, tucking the latter in. The kiss he pecked on his boyfriend's forehead was almost automatic, as though the mere presence of a peacefully asleep Dongju itself was enough to spark him to do so. If he could, Geonhak would appreciate the view before him for more, but his brain was already sending him signals that he still needed sleep, so he gave in.

The last thing he felt was the emanating warmth of Dongju—comfortable and soothing—as he snuggled closer against his boyfriend. Then, Geonhak fell asleep.

Medusa Complex - 1

Many people in my hometown believed that the house next to my parents’ place was destined to be empty for as long as it stood its ground. Built in 1929, the Victorian palace sat on top of the hill that cast its shadow upon the entire valley.

We think the royals lived in it before the world wars begun, where dynasties collapsed, and common people revolutionized the lands. It could have been torn down ages ago but after years of standing tall, the town has pretty much left it alone. It’s like a totem protecting Foxwood from disaster; we hadn’t had any devastation in a long time. Everybody knew about the house and its lonely reputation, so you can imagine my surprise when a black SUV pulled into its driveway one day as I returned from the grocery store, carrying a realtor and a pair of young house hunters.

“And here, as you can see, is by far the oldest house in the neighborhood,” the realtor said as he exited the car, “I figure this relic might not be ​exactly​ what you’re looking for, but if you’re going to move to Foxwood, this is a nice part of its history–”

“Well, we’re open to buying any property at this point, Mr. Lorem,” a middle-aged man said, climbing out of the back seat, his voice loud and deep. His skin fair, he sported long, ginger hair with a trimmed beard, and dressed nicely. He rounded the vehicle as the realtor waited by the cobblestone stairs, and opened the door for who I assumed to be his wife.

The first thing I noticed were her black pumps and silk tights as she climbed out of the car. I tried to keep my eyes on what I was doing as I gathered bags from the back of Waylen’s sedan, but despite myself, I looked again as soon as I heard the door close.

The woman, tanned and lean, wore white-framed sunglasses and a matching summer dress. Her hair was dirty blonde and she carried herself confidently beside her husband while he led her by the arm. The action struck me as odd, and I wondered if she was older than I originally thought; I couldn’t see her face too well, but the body she had was almost criminal.

My eyes traveled over her as the three of them walked into the building, and I nearly lost my grip on one of the bags on my way up the driveway.

As soon as they disappeared, I sighed and shook my head.

“Jessie,” my brother called from inside, “You good?”

“Yeah,” I replied back, throat feeling a bit dry, “Give me a sec.”

After the last of the bags, I shut the trunk and locked it up. Our parents had tasked us to fix their house up while they went away for a bit. Its birch wood structure and wide, open backyard was definitely a sight to see; it was exactly the same as I’d remembered it to be.

I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Sitting on the couch, my brother squinted his eyes as he watched a soccer game play out.

“Hey, do you know if the house next door is for sale?” I asked him as I unscrewed the cap.

Waylen made a confused face. “The castle-looking one?” I nodded. “Uh, not that I know of. Why?”

I took a few swigs and played with the hem of my tank top. “Some couple is looking at it right now. I don’t even think the guy showing it is from around here.”

Waylen scoffed and turned to look at me. “How does that even...? So it’s not someone from the local place?”

“No. The dude kinda looks like Willy Wonka.” I thought for a second. “With glasses.”

“Heh,” Waylen chuckled, “Maybe they’re from the next town over? Darton, or something?”

“Dunbarton,” I corrected. “Maybe. Or Cozy Lake.”

My brother shook his head and turned back to the game. “We’re surrounded by rich people out here,” he grumbled. “Not gonna lie, I’m happy to get away from everything, but I think I’ll be happier when the rents get back. You can only be out here in the boonies for so long before it just... gets to you.”

I put my drink down and looked out the living room window, watching the wind tickle the flowerbeds outside. “Yeah. I just hope mom and dad find what they’re looking for on their trip,” I mumbled.

“True.” Waylen threw his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. “They deserve it, right?”

“Mhm,” I nodded and glanced towards the stairs. “Hey, I’m gonna hop in the shower. When is Laurie coming over again? Sunday?”

Laurie was his fiancée. She’d offered to help with the job since we’d first gotten out here a few days ago. “Eh... I’ll call her. She said sometime this weekend,” he confirmed, his focus torn between the TV and our conversation.

I didn’t wait for him to elaborate. The floorboards creaked as I ascended the stairs and got ready for my shower.

What I knew about this entire expedition was that we had about two months to finish it. To celebrate their anniversary, my parents bought themselves a 6-week long vacation to rekindle what had been lost while they both worked and sent us away to college.

Waylen graduated with a degree in business management and I barely finished with a degree in traditional arts this past May. All I knew heading into school was that I was good with my hands, and I liked to create things. As far as I was concerned, maybe I’d be lucky enough to be in a gallery one day.

Part of the reason I decided to come out to Foxwood again was to take a break before finding a job, and to spend time with Waylen before he went back to his suburban life outside the city. Our parents’ place was still in good condition but definitely needed some touch-ups, as the wood was stained and matted from constant weathering, and my mother was having none of it.

“Just give it a facelift, honey,” ​she’d said to me over the phone not too long ago. ​“We’ve already asked your brother to come too. Think of it as a small vacation; you’ll be there until the end of November... you don’t have to pay us anything. We just want to see what you can do with it.”

“You’re asking the twins of​ terror,”​ I said dramatically, “to give your house a makeover while you travel the country with dad?”

“Yes, thank you, Jessie. You’re a sweetheart for agreeing to do this.” I​ hadn’t— not yet, at least. ​“We love you very much.”

I didn’t seem to have much of a choice in the matter, anyway. “Love you too, mom.”

Over dinner later that night, after the pizza guy came, the two of us started spitballing ideas for any serious reparations during the next few weeks.

“So here’s what I’m thinking—” I started, twirling some spaghetti with my fork, “We start with the outside first and work our way in. It’s gonna be cold by the end of October and I really don’t wanna be out in the woods with the temperature below 30.”

“True,” Waylen agreed.

“So outside first. We can figure out colors when the sun’s up.” A flicker of light caught my eye and I turned to the living room window, watching as the people from earlier wandered outside on the Victorian house’s balcony.

“Ooo,” I hummed as I pointed. “Look. Told ya.”

My brother looked at me quizzically before catching the scene outside. He stood and walked over to the kitchen window to get a better angle. “Huh. Yeah, they’ve gotta be from Dunbarton,” he mused, taking another bite of his pizza. “Imagine if they end up buying the place? That’d upset the town for sure. Watch them knock it down and build a park over it.”

I shook my head. “No way, dude. It’s held up since the beginning of time. They’d need a ton of lawyers for all that.”

Waylen scoffed. “Well, from the looks of it, I don’t think money would be a huge problem for them...” He paused. “Do you see that guy’s wife? She’s wearing sunglasses and it’s like 6 o’clock at night.”

Furrowing my brows, I leaned forward to get a better look. Sure enough, she hadn’t taken them off, and the sun had definitely gone down since they arrived. My curiosity grew

when the woman stalked back inside, her husband still supporting her with his arm, and the realtor shuffled through a bunch of papers in his hands as he followed them.

“You think the rents would be psyched if they came back here with new neighbors?” Waylen said, wiggling his eyebrows. “Living in that house, no less.”

“Funny.”

“I mean, the dude’s got the paperwork right there,” he pointed out. He probably had a better view than I did. “Yeah, wow, I think they’re shaking hands.”

I was still highly skeptical, no matter what it looked like.

Waylen moved back into the living room and joined me on the couch. “If anything,” he said, grabbing the remote, “you’ll have some good eye candy for these next two months, right?”

“Shut up.”

Anywhere But Here (Boo Seungkwan)

I hope the Joshua one wasn’t too terrible! Unto Seungkwan! (I own nothing except the words.) -Bee

Masterlist

Seungkwan remembered when he was a teenager, he read a book by some American author about a guy who was looking for a girl, but he didn’t actually know who she was or where she lived, but he found her by chance and he remembered thinking how that was the stupidest thing a person could ever do. But it wasn’t how it conveniently played out that made him think that. It was the fact that the guy walked the whole way to her. Granted, if his curiosity wasn’t as great as it was, he’d be on his couch back in Jeju and not walking in the forest in the middle of the night following the red string that was visible only to him. (He did however, vow not to critique any other fictional character since he now knew their struggles.)

This endeavor might have been his most challenging feat by far. He could recall being younger and following the string coming out of his pinkie to see where it’d lead him but he would make it to the end of the block before one of his family members would come out and take him back inside. Of course as he grew up, he ventured a little more just to see where it ended, often growing frustrated because the end never arrived. (On one occasion he ended up somewhere in Taiwan, and another between the North and South Korean border when he was supposed to be on vacation.) 

Many times he found himself holding a pair of scissors ready to cut the accursed thing, only to be scolded by his mom not to be doing that because it was dangerous. However, the one time he did manage to do it, he ended up breaking the scissors and he didn’t even know why that happened. His dreams plagued him on what was on the other end from finding the lost city of Atlantis to picking up the lottery ticket off the floor that could earn him millions and once he even found the famous Michelle Obama at a comic convention. The final straw for him was when the end led him to a spaceship that took him to a different planet and the people there made him their king. He tried to ignore it, but when that left him restless, he sold his safe house (probably not his best idea if he was being honest) and with that money, hit the road with nothing but his backpack with necessities and the skin on his back. He supposed he could’ve used that money to drive to the destination, but he figured that would’ve been anticlimactic and what could he say to friends back home if he didn’t go above and beyond? Well, if he had friends that’s what he’d tell him, at least.

By day, he roamed where the red string led him, sometimes through the woods, other times through a suburban neighborhood, and by night, found a hotel that would meet his standards so he could shower and wash his clothes. In one instance, he rented his own boat to cross the water that led him to a dock that led to nowhere where he walked and walked until he ended up in Busan. Sometimes he felt like giving up and when he wanted to turn around, he’d feel a light tug as if pulling him closer to where he needed to be. He backtracked maybe once or twice but pursued nonetheless. He ran out of cash a lot sooner than he expected and instead of withdrawing from his bank account, he resorted to busking in the streets and relying on his voice to keep him going. Nature was his constant companion and he didn’t know how he ended up enjoying the quiet, but he realized that once he did, he couldn’t get enough of it. He eventually bought a blanket to carry around with him when the days were cooler but even then he came down with a cold, which made him stay indoors a lot longer than he liked, like now. At one point, it got so bad, he was bedridden for a couple days, and right before his fever broke, he felt like something was pulling towards him, but because of his lack of strength, he couldn’t do anything except moan and groan that he couldn’t. He could feel the physical force of the something pulling at the thread and if he wasn’t so weak, he would’ve gone up and searched for the culprit. By the time he recovered a bit, all he could see was the string he was supposed to follow.

*

“Thanks for the help DK!” You exclaimed, stepping back to admire your newest painting that had been delivered. You might’ve been fond of art, but when it came down to the flowers and trees and everything that Mother Nature created, there was only one person who could capture its beauty and that was Chinese painter The8. You’d had your eye on one of his works that would continuously sell out but had finally been able to snag it albeit you had to go through different cities all over South Korea (and sometimes leaving it!) to find it. You handed him his paycheck once you were back at one of the counters before he clocked out for the evening and he gave you the day’s sales from his deliveries plus loose change and tips despite the fact that he was alone for a few days. He chatted away of the day’s events, filling you in on the events from how one of the people at the retirement homes was looking more and more like the undead and how one of his friends at the thrift shop was consuming an unhealthy amount of coffee and the neighbor’s dog Aji chewed on his welcome mat while he was on lunch break.

“Aren’t you pissed about that?” You asked him. “If that was me, I would’ve...never mind, I wouldn’t.”

“Nah, she was just hungry. Usually I leave her snacks since Mingyu is okay with it, but how you left early and I had to open, I didn’t have time, so I guess there’s that.” He glanced up at your painting. “I still can’t believe you went all the way to Jeju for that. Where’d you sleep anyways?”

“At a hotel somewhere in Busan…”

“That’s...quite a tourist move.”

You didn’t tell Seokmin about your time in Busan. It’s not like he wouldn’t have understood, but there was something there that kept you from leaving. Your curiosity had gotten the best of you and used part of your free time to see how you far you could get following the string around your finger. It led you to a hotel on the other side of town and that’s where the fear set in, mentally using the excuse of being needed for orders at Smile Flower and keeping things in order even if you were short handed. (You hated to admit that you went up to the door and deliberated whether or not to knock, and opting to pull the string.) You scratched your pinkie finger, digging your thumb nail into the soft material of the red thread that wouldn’t be seen by the boy you were conversing with and opted for a shrug. “A change is good sometimes.” A fake yawn. “Well, I think we should we head out now. I have a long list of orders for this weekend and please remind me to put up a help wanted sign in case we stop being able to handle it. Good night.”

*

At precisely 4:47 the next afternoon, you delivered the bundles of flowers to Adequate Eternity, the coffee place next door with the help of Dino, one of their workers. He was a colorblind boy who often asked you about the colors you picked and you were always happy to answer. The reason was because of the eccentric old lady who owned the place. You figured Yoon Jihye must’ve been alive during the Great Depression (maybe longer!) but she had the youth of a child. She liked telling tall tales of soulmates and how some people were born with one (like you, she once said but you’d laughed nervously at that.) She was also one of the few people who could see your red string even without the help of the full moon so you trusted her judgment, even if she sounded a bit far fetched at times. She claimed she had a gift and that wasn’t a doubt you had for a second.

Auntie Jihye usually had Jeonghan, her great (you weren’t sure how many greats he was if you were being honest) grandson and caretaker call in an order weekly to place on the tables so the guests could have something good to smell and different types to see. You bid a good day to Wonwoo who was sans Jihoon (probably in class or something. Wonwoo himself didn’t go to university until dark from what he’s told you when you bumped into him out in the streets) but working quietly on an assignment. Seungcheol had your check ready along with the small order Seokmin had placed beforehand.

“Lovely day isn’t it?” Seungcheol commented, using his permanent marker to draw a happy face on your coworker's cup of chocolate milk. “It feels like Christmas is upon us.” He stopped long enough to assess your reaction, knowing that you had no rest.

You plucked a chrysanthemum from the bouquet and handed it to him. “I love it but not that I’m not ready for overtime.”

“Ahh my young soul. Your impatience is that of a toddler. Yah, Chan! I told you to open it now!”

“Oh, I’m impatient?” You had to snicker. “I just don’t wanna feel like I’m wasting my life away to make sure everyone’s arrangements are perfect.”

“Why not make a post on FaceTwit or however you youngsters get your news out nowadays?” He looked out the window a little too dramatically. “In my days, why, I think we had only a newspaper.”

“Seungcheol? I’m pretty sure we’re about the same age.”

“Don’t mind him; full moons make him nervous,” Jihye interrupted the conversation. She had a bright smile on her face, arms wide open, expecting you to give her a hug, which you did because who wouldn’t wanna hug an elderly woman that loves you to bits? “Look at you, looking prettier everyday.”

“Good day Auntie. Where are you headed at this hour?” You waved at Jeonghan who had just appeared behind her. He smiled at you politely, busy chewing on his granola bar to answer. Your eyes widened. “Oh! Is it Saturday already?”

“Just some errands; we’re all in for an exciting remainder of the day...things to do and people to meet, words to explain. Not me, of course, but rather to guide them. Full moons mean I have a lot to do,” she mumbled more to herself. “Let’s see candles, wax figures, oh and can you get some roses ready for me too? Any color will do.” She grabbed your hand without warning. “My, my. Is it me or is your string looking...better? Ah yes, you’re in for some changes. I can tell by the look in your eyes.”

“Come on Grandma...let’s leave Y/N alone, shall we? We have a full day ahead of us. Ow!”

“You rapscallion. I wasn’t talking to you, or are you in a hurry to get somewhere?” She waggled her finger at him. “We’ll get there when we get there. But you’re right. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back. It’d be rude to keep my guests waiting. And you have plans with the dream boy. What was his name? Joshua. ” She turned her attention back to you. “Now, if you don’t want an angry customer, I’ll expect my roses tonight.”

“Yes Auntie!” You saluted her. You picked up your drinks, bid them a good rest of the day and went straight back to Smile Flower, sighing when you realized the rest of the work ahead of you and then the phone rang an hour or so later. When Seokmin came in a few minutes later, you were rushing out the door, with only a vague explanation of you leaving for an auction in China and finding help for the time being. You heard him laugh at your enthusiasm but promised to keep to the place standing. By the time you turned and waved at him, a handmade help wanted sign already on the front window for passerby to see and you waved to Jeonghan who was coming back from the presumable dinner with his friend. In an instant, there was chaos but you were already running late to see for yourself. You cursed The8 for being an artist with too much talent. The only thing you had caught was Jeonghan kneeling on the floor and struggling to pick something up.

*

It was a little after dusk when Seungkwan finally set foot in Seoul and he cursed under his breath when he saw that his string was leading him the same way he showed up. He put his foot down though and decided to settle in Seoul for a time because he didn’t leave Jeju just to probably go back. He walked around aimlessly, looking at the department stores, thrift shops, a few malls, a couple of chains that sold international products, recording studios, too many coffee shops to keep track of and even a flower shop sporting a help wanted sign. The door opened not much later and out came a boy carrying a rather large bouquet of flowers in a vase. He set them on the floor and locked up when he noticed Seungkwan. “I’m sorry, did you need something? I’ll be back in like five minutes.” He picked them up. “I just need to take these next door.”

“I uh, couldn’t help but notice you were hiring.” He decided to walk with the boy. There wasn’t harm in asking a few questions.

“Yeah my manager is currently on the way to China and I need someone to deliver while I stay there….HI EVERYONE!” Not being used to having eyes on him (it has been awhile since he had attention) he picked nervously at his string. The barista at the register acknowledged him with a greeting and he deemed it rude to not respond, so he ordered a hot tea and a cake pop, waiting for the boy he was walking with to finish his run so he could discuss the possibility of a job. He sat at a table where no one would question being alone, feeling at home despite the fact that he was an outcast. There was people despite the hour, two boys chatting amongst themselves at their own table near the door, a couple of actors with killer makeup skills that gave them an undead look, and a guy with his grandma, looking expectantly around them. She would say something to him and he’d nod in response. The only other worker was asking about the colors of the flowers and Seungkwan almost snorted at him for not being able to differentiate the red from the purple.

“I was starting to think I wasn’t going to meet you.” The old lady startled his people watching and he stared at her confused. “The red string,” she elaborated. The boy escorting her pulled a seat out for her and she sat across from him while his just jaw dropped. The boy then called for a Hansol who had emerged from another door, while they bugged the zombie looking actors. He only caught the name Joshua, but the other slipped his mind, remembering someone claimed his attention.

“I don’t-” She sighed, took his pinkie and yanked at the thread and his hand involuntarily shot forward. “How’d you know about that?”

“I don’t need a full moon to see it,” she laughed fondly. “And I can tell you we’ve been waiting for sometime to meet you. How rude of me! What’s your name young man?”

“S-Seungkwan.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean we, Auntie?”

“Goodness, look at the time! Everyone out. I must get this done by midnight.” She looked at the analog clock on top of the entrance doors. “Anyone who dares contradict me is more than welcome to help me get this ready. I am old and frail after all. Seokmin! Get this boy a job with you! Lord knows you and Y/N need the help. He will be a very good asset to the business.”

“Uhh, yes Auntie!” The boy named Seokmin pulled on Seungkwan’s arm. “Come on, I guess you’re hired. Let’s go get you a form filled out and you can get started tomorrow!”

*

Seungkwan surprised himself by staying a lot longer than intended in Seoul. He got the hang of making his deliveries in maybe one week. Granted, he had to learn the lay of the land first, but once he did, he realized how different life was here and he wasn’t complaining. He liked the rush of feeling like he was living in the fast lane. Seokmin turned out to be a really great coworker as well as friend. (He hated to admit he was slightly afraid of him though because of the “ghost girl” as he called her that followed him everywhere. DK swore though that she never tried to harm him, but he didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t see what he looked like.) They went to a lot of places together, from the thrift store they regularly delivered to an aquarium on the coast near the outskirts of Seoul. He had a friend who worked there regularly and despite the minor clashes, Seungkwan liked him right away. He also befriended the boy named Hansol, a boy who was literally cold to the touch, only because his roommate started spending more time with a boy she’d met, as he had learned his friends weren’t actors, just heavily sleep deprived. 

He became an everyday customer at the Adequate Eternity, learning the names of Wonwoo and Jihoon who both seemed rough on the edges but melted that exterior rather quickly as well as Seungcheol who had a funny way of talking and Chan who he learned couldn’t see colors (and that made him bad for judging the boy when he first saw him. He made it up to him by trying to explain what they looked like though.) 

He learned to confide in Jeonghan about his doubts and any worries. Seungkwan knew that he knew about the string (he figured it was Auntie Jihye who told him since they spent so much time together. Jeonghan simply adored her even though she was very sarcastic and tended to hit him playfully. He also learned it was part of the relationship) but he never brought it up in conversation or even hinted if the string even had an endpoint. 

He spent many years accepting the fact that it was the mathematical vocabulary word ray; it had a starting point but the string could go on forever. Jeonghan would simply shrug and pull out the pendant he wore around his neck. “It’s like this,” he explained one day when it changed color. “My grandma said it changes according to moods, but it’s not my mood, but rather someone else’s. Some things just don’t have an explanation, and sometimes it’s up to us to find them. That’s why you’re here, right? You didn’t come all this way to get away from home. You want to see where it leads you. I don’t blame you though. I’d be curious too. But regardless, I’m glad it led you here.”

“Hey hyung, what do you think it could be? Why is it us?”

He paused, toying with the object. “Soulmates,” he finally admitted. Some things are much too powerful to be anything else.”

Seungkwan nodded, feeling oddly satisfied with the answer. It was the first time he thought a person could be on the other end and it seemed more probable. He didn’t grow up scorning the idea that someone was out there just for him and he thanked his family for being as open minded as they were about it.

However, he supposed a lot of his nervousness came from the fact that he didn’t know who his manager was, despite the fact said manager phoned in a few times a day. Seokmin often filled her in on the day’s events and assuring her that Seungkwan was being a lot more helpful than he thought, spoiling the fact that he was hired on Auntie’s recommendations. He did speak to Y/N once though and he floored by knowing how friendly she seemed. She shortly explained that she left often because she was a fan of The8’s works and his art popped up all over Asia but she was thankful for him helping out. She was due at the end of the month though and he was excited for that notion.

*

You were gone a lot longer than you thought and you felt guilty that you hadn’t paid either of your employees but were grateful that they were understanding. You were bummed that you couldn’t get The8′s newest work but it wasn’t a complete loss since you managed to buy one of his books, so it was a small victory. The growling of your stomach made you stop with Yoon Jihye, despite the fact that that it was a little passed closing. Okay it was almost midnight but still. You knocked on the door, and Jeonghan opened the door, giving you your welcome back hug. “Here I was thinking you skipped town and moved to America,” he joked. His pendant was clear that night, but still illuminating the dark place. “Shouldn’t you be home, or on your way there?”

“I was hungry and I needed to check next door first. My priority is to pay whatever damage DK and his friend caused and them too for being good sports. Hi Auntie.”

“Welcome back dearie. We missed you. How was your trip? Unfortunately Seungcheol burned our last batch of zucchini bread so I can’t offer you anything. Poor boy must’ve had a bad day.”

“That’s okay. I guess I can just stop by one of the stores still open. But I guess I’ll see how my business is. Good night.” Luckily for you, Seokmin had started the filing the receipts that needed to be sent out as well as stamping the checks that could be sent out for depositing and you saw several orders with upcoming deadlines as well as rough outlines of how to bunch them together. The place was spic and span, albeit a few stems strewn about. You texted him and told him you’d be closed tomorrow so he could have a couple of days off (which were gonna be paid as a thank you for taking over with no complaints) but you told him to let the new coworker meet you at the coffee place so you could decide if you really wanted him or not. Based on your conversations with Seokmin, he was new to the area but was rather efficient so keeping him definitely seemed likely.

Your growling stomach didn’t let you do much else so before heading home, you did a quick shopping trip just so you could have something in your system because ordering out took too long and it was too late to get pizza delivered. You deliberated with yourself the whole way there. Instant noodles seemed like a really tempting option but you really didn’t want to be hungry again after an hour but a home cooked meal would take too long to prepare and you were sure you’d fall asleep before it finished. You weren’t really a fan of microwaveable food either, so frozen was definitely out of the question as well. So your best option was to have what teenagers ate for lunch: chips and an energy drink. It’d keep you full until morning but you’d switch that for water for the simple reason that you wanted sleep. 

You waved to a few of the workers, chatting idly before getting back the mission at hand. You finally found the aisle you were looking for, craving salty and going to the other end of the aisle until you can across the specific brand you were looking for and it seemed like your luck ended there because there wasn’t anymore, or so you thought. You crouched to the bottom row and there was one more left. You didn’t even have to stretch far to get it but you didn’t notice that someone else had their eye on it because they grasped it at the same time you did. “Hey, that’s mine,” you grumbled, ready to fight. You looked at the chips in your hand, and almost dropped them in surprise. The red string on your finger was tied to the other person who was looking just as dumbfounded as you. You stared open mouthed at each other for sometime, the food in question already on the floor. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, extended his hand out in a greeting, which scared you a little but otherwise shook it, disregarding the fact that the custom in South Korea was to bow.

Behind you, a trio of old ladies giggled at the sight which made both of you whip your attention towards them. They said nothing but looking satisfied at how the situation turned out. “Congratulations,” you heard one of them whisper and they disappeared almost as quickly as you noticed them. “Two down.”

“It was you I’ve been looking for,” he murmured in awe. Tentatively, he reached for your hand again, both of you watching the string grow in length when he pulled away and shrinking when he came close.

You broke out into a smile and you were sure you could’ve cried if you weren’t in public. You weren’t weird after all. And then it hit you. Against your better judgment, because hello you just met him, you asked him a single question. “Can you come with me?”

*

As it turned out, Jeonghan and the old lady were long gone by the time you reached them. Not that it mattered because you had gone back alone because he declined saying he to get ready for work the next day and you respected and admired him for that. He left you his phone number in case he finished early and he suggested Adequate Eternity which was more than convenient for you. You had more than enough time to spare to get to know Seungkwan so you decided to grab him a cup of hot cocoa before you finally met him. Saturday mornings for some reason were busier but that was beyond your control, not that you were in a rush or anything. You took your time starting an order for a grand reopening of an art museum you were so fond of and and giving the place an overall cleaning Since you had finished earlier than planned, you decided to go for the coffee run, locking up just as slowly, well once you were sure someone had your small order ready. The only thing out of the ordinary was quite literally bumping into a girl who seemed more focused on her watch, and before you could open the door for her, she gasped. “My card!” She exclaimed and turned around just as quickly. “I’m sorry!”

Inside, you heard a cry of frustration, followed by the sight of an annoyed Jihoon running out of the bathroom, a bit of toilet paper stuck on his shoe. “Damn it, not again,” he groaned. He resumed his spot next to Wonwoo, and they continued writing down some notes. (At least that’s what it looked like to you.) They argued quietly and it never ceased to make you think they’d end up being those friends who grew old together but instead of spending their days in the park, it’d be here.

Chan waved at you and continued his window cleaning with a newspaper and some kinda drinking alcohol while Seungcheol read his copy out loud. And the people you were looking for were were looking for some keys. “Grandma, where did you leave them?”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t ask you to look for them, right?”

“Good morning Auntie. Hey Jeonghan. Auntie, guess what happened last night?”

“From the light in your eyes, I can assume something good.” She pushed Jeonghan slightly. “Isn’t Y/N glowing?”

“Radiant Grandma. Ow! Hey, that wasn’t sarcasm! I meant that.”

“Oh hush, it’s rude to interrupt when someone is talking. Find the keys. Joshua said Babylon’s shipment is a can’t miss! You were saying, my dear?”

“I think-” you snickered at Jeonghan’s face and composed yourself, “I saw someone on the other end of the strand. What does that mean?”

“That I will explain when Jeonghan and I come back. Poor soul didn’t know where he left my keys. I think he’s the one with bad memory.” She winked at you. “Have you met the young man that’s been helping around?”

“Not yet. I told him to meet me here at noon. Um, this is kinda embarrassing, but do you know what he looks like?”

“He’s already waiting for you.” She pointed in the direction of where Seungkwan was sitting, eyeing the red string connecting you both and smiling smugly to herself when she saw the look of surprise on your face. “By the way, you’re soulmates. Jeonghan, let’s move! I have them right here!”

To say the least, you were nervous as you walked up to him. But then again, actually no, there was no then again. How the hell did something like that happen. Soulmates were extinct, weren’t they? There hasn’t been any evidence of them in years, so why now?

“Some things don’t require explanations though, right?”

“Holy shit, can you read my mind too?”

He smiled at you. “No. I was really surprised too but it makes sense. Hannie hyung helped me to understand that.” He pulled at the string and it brought your hand to his. “I guess what we decide to do with the knowledge is up to us. I know I came a long way to find you so I know I’m staying here for the time being. If you’ll have me as an employee and friend, that is.”

“Seungkwan, it would be a privilege to have you here as long as you’d like.” You returned his smile. “It’s officially nice to finally meet you by the way.”

“The honor is mine Y/N.”

*

A few days later, he took you out to the aquarium his friend worked, casually linking pinkies as you walked along, seeing the marine life, watching them swim in circles and come up for air. “Hey Hansol-ah!” He waved at someone you recognized, but he looked like he was on a date with a girl you noticed as someone from the museum you frequently visited and you smiled shyly at her. “What brings you here?”

“Enjoying the beach vibes my friend.” He waved excitedly at you like you were good friends and you returned the gesture. Anyone Seungkwan was fond of, you adored, especially him because of how well they got along and how there was no secrets between them. “Are you on a date too?”

“Yeah, this is my soulmate Y/N.”

“Nice to meet you. Well, we better get going but it was great to see you Kwannie.”

“You know, I hope he’s as lucky as I am and has a soulmate too. Do you think it could be her?”

You shrugged. You’d found out from Jeonghan that they came back in this century but only a rather near nonexistent percentage. “I’m not sure. It’d be nice if he did too, but if he doesn’t, well, I hope he ends up with someone that could be like one.” You agreed that not everyone was lucky enough to have an other half though. He threw his arm around you as the wind blew and he kissed your hair, messing it up that much more.

AU where Queequeg doesn't die?

(I’m so sorry but he does technically die in this, but later and of natural causes.)

1.

Scully’s father taught her how to swim and how to find the North Star. He quizzed her on the 50 state capitals (Scully, flushed with exhaustion after a late-night stakeout, once recited them all for Mulder in an empty diner, a decibel too loud, her hands so expressive she almost knocked over her coffee) and sailing knots (she laced up Mulder’s boots when his arm was in a sling and he lost feeling in his toes). Her father showed her how to drive a boat, which she really is a natural at, she swears, alligators aside.

There’s water pooling between Mulder’s toes when they get back to their motel, one $500 deposit later, to find Scully’s indignant Pomeranian chewing through a throw pillow. Mulder remembers what else she said her father taught her: Respect nature because it has no respect for you.

Scully, remembering the same, just sighs and takes a shower.

Later, with wet hair and a dry sweatshirt, she takes the dog into the yard to do his business before the long drive, and Mulder leans on the door frame and imagines a whole new natural order. He imagines Scully on vacation, driving the Blue Ridge Parkway with the windows down and never shivering with him on a rock in the dead of night. He shouldn’t have joked about cannibalism. He’s already consuming her, a little more every day.

Out in the clearing, Queequeg yelps, and with one swift tug he pulls free of Scully’s grasp and sprints toward the tree line, his leash dangling behind him. Scully takes off running after her blurry pet, and Mulder takes off running after her, all three of them disappearing into the woods like a children’s book.

They catch up to each other at the edge of the lake, Queequeg yapping at the waves. Scully scoops her pet into her arms.

“What were you thinking?” she asks her dog, in a tone Mulder knows well. He puts his hand on her shoulder.

They’re turning away from the shore when something splashes behind them. Mulder glances back at the water, grabs Scully’s arm, and squeezes tight.

“Scully, look.”

They spin around in tandem, just in time to see a long neck rising out of the waves.

Queequeg makes the drive back to D.C. on Mulder’s lap, like a conquering hero.

2.

After that, Mulder keeps a bag of treats in his glove compartment, pocketing one or two every time he shows up at her door. But when he comes knocking late one Friday night with his hair in his eyes and a bottle of wine in his hand, there are no treats and no Kleenex in his pocket, and Queequeg growls, nipping at his heels.

The cops are already taking him away when Mulder, the real Mulder, shows up, out of breath. His palms are black and blue.

“How did you know?” he asks Scully, kneeling before her on the couch. She clasps her hands around her shins, hugging them closer.

“You were terrible to Queequeg,” she says, and surprises even herself when she laughs.

He sits with her for hours, her on the couch and him on the floor, coaxing her dog out of the corner with treats to win him back as Scully gradually uncoils. It’s after midnight when, sleepy and reclined, she reaches out to brush her fingertips against his shoulder.

“Mulder, you’ll take care of him, right? When I’m gone?”

He almost chokes. Her eyes are closed and her arm flops over the edge of the couch, easy and trusting. She looks so comfortable, healthy. If he prayed, he’d be down on his knees begging for a way to turn shape-shifting inward: not to make himself look like someone else, but to make reality line up with how it already looks. To be the kind of man who comes over to see her on Friday after work just because.

He squeezes her hand. When he weaves her fingers into his, he can’t feel his own bruises.

3.

She lives, and lives again. They get the X-Files back only to wind up packing Lacoste polos and pearl earrings for a trip to the suburbs. He waits for his life to stop feeling like an illusion.

“We should take Queequeg,” Scully says, her hair curling around her ears. “Help us look the part.”

Mulder agrees. He’d say yes to anything she asks for right now, with the keys to the basement in his pocket and a matching set in hers. Nothing about this case seems like an X-File anyway, so the dog shouldn’t be in any danger.

(There’s also this: He likes the idea that even one part of their real life makes them look like a happy couple.)  

It occurs to them both too late that nice suburban couples don’t have dogs named after Melville characters. They explain his namesake, and explain it again. Queequeg, their perfect alibi, hates Scruffy and yaps at him all through dinner. They don’t get much information out of the Schroeders.

Still, when they trade off late-night walks, or when he brings her coffee in the morning and Queequeg jumps on the bed, Mulder sees them from a distance, like he’s watching someone else’s home videos on the camcorder: Scully and Mulder and their wet-nosed pet, the picture of domesticity.

He remembers her a year ago speaking low and sweet to her daughter, asking if she liked dogs.

4.

In truth, they don’t know how old Queequeg is and are both privately surprised he makes it this long. He goes grey around the snout and catches less air during games of fetch, but he remains otherwise as stubborn as ever.

A week after Scully kisses Mulder on the couch with his arm in a sling, she comes back to his place with her overnight bag under one arm and her dog under the other, and she doesn’t leave all weekend. He remembers the old wisdom about dogs and their owners. He loves her relentlessness fiercely; he never dreamed it would look like this, like her hand clutching a fistful of his sheets as she sleeps.

Maybe it was always this simple. Maybe they never had to make their lives look like anything else.

Warm and worn out, they stay in bed so late on Saturday morning that Queequeg whines in the doorway. Mulder regards the dog with a finger over his lips as he fumbles for his jeans.

Scully stirs and pushes herself up on one elbow. The sheet slips from her shoulders; she is perfect, perfect. He leans over to brush the hair out of her eyes.

“Don’t move a muscle,” Mulder tells her, tapping her cheek. “Don’t ever move.

“I’ll be right back.”

5.

There are still scars on his cheeks, three on each, like cold fingers grabbed his face and pulled. Queequeg rarely leaves his dog bed anymore and hasn’t begged for treats since Mulder’s return. The truth is there are none in his pocket.

Scully calls, her voice measured, and asks him to come right away. When he asks if she’s hurt, if it’s the baby, she says no, she’s fine, but he does need to hurry.

He finds her on the couch with Queequeg beside her, stroking the dog’s head and whispering something soothing.

“Scully, what’s wrong?”

“It’s time, Mulder,” she says, not looking up. “I’ve called the vet.”

“Queequeg?”

“I can bring him in anytime today. I thought—” She catches her breath. “I thought you’d want to say goodbye.”

She can’t stop herself from crying any longer, and Mulder, who until now has been hovering a few feet inside the door, finally comes over to kneel before her, offering a tissue like a white flag. She takes it and forces a wobbly smile.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffs.  

“Scully, what are you sorry for, honey?” He puts his hand on her knee.

“You just got back,” Scully cries, wiping her eyes. “You shouldn’t have to be around death right now. Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“No, Scully, no.” He shakes his head and fumbles for understanding. He was dead and now she’s pregnant and her dog is dying, and he can’t seem to stop saying her name. “Scully… I would never want you to go through this alone.”

He remembers too late that she already went through this alone with him. With his body.

He reaches out to pat Queequeg behind the ears.

“He’s been sick for a while, Mulder. I did what I could.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he says. He’s looking at the dog. Scully shivers.

He drives her to the vet with her dog in her lap. He drives her home and holds her hand.

Later, he sits beside her on the couch, the air unstable between them. Her fingers and his are wrapped around separate mugs of hot tea, and Scully closes her eyes and inhales the steam. Her place is quiet, shadowy.

“He was a good dog, Scully,” Mulder says. “I mean, aside from that time he ate his owner.”

Scully breathes out a half laugh, eyes still closed. “That wasn’t his fault, Mulder.”

“Still. I’m glad he never ate you.”

“I’m touched.” She opens her eyes.

“Remember,” he sets down his mug and rubs his hands together, “when he found Big Blue for me?”

“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell anyone,” she says. “After all that.”

She reaches to place her drink beside his, straining over her belly.

“Scully.” He almost gasps. It’s the most obvious thing in the world; how can she not know? “I didn’t have to tell anyone. You were there.”

He takes the mug from her hands, gently, and puts it on the table. Scully starts to smile and suddenly she’s crying, hot and silent.

“Hey,” he leans over, wiping his thumb across her cheek. “Hey, Scully.” She shudders at his touch, then buries her wet nose on his shoulder and whispers things he can’t yet understand. He repeats her name into her hair, over and over.

Her father taught her that everything dies. Her mother taught her to believe in resurrection.