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Addams Family Steddie Part 5

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

The fact that we're on part five is wild to me

Anyway, here's the wedding! It's probably the longest part so far lol

As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

Wedding planning was, unsurprisingly, a stressful process. Planning for a wedding only two weeks before the event was even more stressful. Thankfully, Steve wasn't planning alone; he was in charge of finalizing the guest list, sending invitations, and catering while Eddie was in charge of floral arrangements, music, and decorations for the ceremony.

Steve had felt the division of labor wasn't fair, but Eddie insisted he'd be able to do everything himself.

And Eddie had been right. He'd kept the cemetery just creepy enough to still feel right while decorating it with flowers and ribbons and surprisingly comfortable chairs considering they look like they're made of bones. Everything leads up to an altar right on their shared cemetery plot, where Eddie's Cousin Itt is standing in front of their tombstone to officiate the wedding.

It's all very nice, and Eddie did a wonderful job of setting everything up, but Steve can hardly appreciate it right now. He's too nervous. Not about marrying Eddie; no, he's excited and over the moon for that. He's nervous about meeting Eddie's family, his stomach upheaving over the idea that one of them may not like him.

"You're worrying over nothing," Eddie whispers, his lips brushing against Steve's earlobe before playfully tugging on it with his teeth. He wraps an arm around Steve's waist, the reassuring weight helping him feel grounded. "They're gonna love you."

"Your cousin has been glaring at me since she saw me," Steve whispers back, turning to look at Eddie and letting their noses brush.

"That's just Wednesday. She glares at everyone."

"Does she always glare at people like she's planning five ways to cook them for dinner?"

"Only the ones she likes."

Steve snorts, taking a deep breath and letting his head drop onto Eddie's shoulder. "What would she do if she didn't like me?" he asks, glancing down at the bouquet in his hands. The rose stems have been clipped of their flowers, leaving only the thorns and white lilies.

"She'd kill you," Eddie says bluntly.

"What, no torture?"

"She only tortures the people she loves."

"Oh," Steve says, glancing at the pale man next to Wednesday, "that's why her partner looks like that."

Before Eddie can start cracking up, the sun begins to set and El begins playing the piano, a low and haunting version of the wedding march. "You ready, sweetheart?" Eddie asks, his smile matching Steve's in love and joy and sheer excitement.

"Of course," Steve replies, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before letting Eddie lead him down the aisle. The left side of the aisle is filled with people who give off the exact same vibe as Eddie: mysterious, kooky, and altogether ooky. Wayne is standing on Eddie's side of the altar, looking two seconds away from tears of joy. On the right side of the aisle, Dustin (a black velvet pillow holding two rings in his lap) and his friends are filling the seats, along with Jonathan (an old friend from high school, sort of; it's complicated), his partner Argyle, and Nancy (Steve's ex-girlfriend from high school, part of the reason his friendship with Jonathan is complicated, and now making eyes at Robin). Robin is standing on Steve's side of the altar, practically buzzing in her dark green pantsuit.

When they get to the altar, standing almost perfectly centered on their plot, Eddie can barely put any distance between them. Steve is the one who has to smile at him reassuringly while taking a small step back, keeping a tight hold on Eddie's hand. Eddie squeezes tightly enough that Steve is almost worried about bone fractures, but Eddie wouldn't do anything so fun in front of others.

Steve glances at Cousin Itt when he starts speaking, his words unintelligible, high-pitched noises that Steve is somehow able to follow. They're the general officiant stuff: dearly beloved, marrying two men, joining them in unholy and downright sacrilegious matrimony. Honestly, Steve ends up blocking it out at some point, too busy getting lost in Eddie's eyes.

He looks handsome in his black suit with blood-red accents, his fingers uncharacteristically devoid of all rings except the engaged-to-be-engaged ring from Steve. When Steve had asked, Eddie grinned at him and said he didn't want anything to distract him from the ring Steve was about to give him. His hair is pushed out of his face, too, just barely tamed into something the humidity will destroy after about two more minutes. Strands are already falling back into his eyes. Steve likes it, though, and he reaches up to gently tuck one of the strands behind Eddie's ear.

Eddie catches his hand, bringing Steve's palm to his lips and playfully biting. "Stevie," he says, and Steve suddenly realizes they've somehow gotten to the vows when he wasn't paying attention, "I would kill for you. I would die for you. I would live for you. You haunt my dreams and bless my nightmares. Your voice is music to my ears, a symphony of love and passion to which my heart beats. Sweetheart, you will have my undying love for the rest of eternity and whatever may come after. Ask anything of me, and I will do it without question. I would wear pastels for you. I would dive into a rainbow ball pit. Darling, I would drive kids to scout meetings in a minivan for you. There is no truer happiness to me so long as you smile and say you love me."

Somehow, Eddie manages to go the entire time without a single tear shedding, but Steve isn't nearly as lucky. His eyes watered from the moment Eddie called him Stevie, and tears would be staining his collar if Eddie weren't wiping them away with his thumbs before they could fall. "You're so romantic," he mumbles, unable to help a short laugh at himself.

"What can I say? You're inspiring," Eddie replies, winking playfully.

Cousin Itt says something more and then looks up at Steve, bending forward slightly to indicate that it's his turn to recite vows. Steve takes a deep breath, steadying himself and gathering his thoughts. "When you first knocked on my door, I wasn't sure what to think of you, Eddie Munson," Steve says, reaching up and placing his hand over the one Eddie has on his cheek. "But you romanced me, completely swept me off my feet, and helped me feel more comfortable showing love in a way that feels right. Every time I look into your eyes, I fall in love all over again. When we're together, the entire world fades away. My love for you is as unwavering as the tides, as all-consuming as a black hole that would swallow the universe."

From the crowd, Steve can just barely hear a man's voice saying, "Tish, they're almost as romantic as us."

"Oh, Gomez, you always do love competition," a woman responds.

Steve has to keep himself from laughing, suddenly looking forward to meeting Gomez and Morticia.

Eddie notices his barely contained smile and nearly buzzes with the want to kiss it. He glances at Cousin Itt, jerking his head in Dustin's direction and raising his eyebrows. Cousin Itt garbles a response, something that sounds like a scolding but is quickly followed by a slight bow toward Dustin nonetheless.

Dustin jumps up and walks over to them, holding up the pillow. As Cousin Itt starts his version of exchanging the rings, Eddie picks one up. The band is an inky black with tiny, multi-colored gems scattered across the top like stars. Inside the band, Eddie's name is engraved in red. "Now, you'll always have me with you," Eddie says, grinning at Steve as he slips the ring onto his finger, nestling it against the engagement ring.

It's a snug fit, just tight enough for Steve to know it's there and wonder if it's impossible to take off. It's perfect.

Steve picks up the identical ring with his own name engraved on the inner band. "And you'll always have me with you, too," Steve replies, sliding the ring to rest against his engaged-to-be-engaged ring.

What follows is Dustin quickly retreating and Robin yanking away his bouquet while Cousin Itt bows slightly to the both of them and happily squeaks out one last sentence. Steve barely braces himself for Eddie pulling him close, spinning him into a dip, and kissing him breathless. Steve can't help laughing into the kiss as he wraps his arms around Eddie's neck, brushing his tongue along Eddie's lips and tasting cyanide punch still lingering behind his teeth.

Wolf whistles (Robin and a few of Eddie's cousins), cheers (Wayne and the rest of Eddie's family), and exaggerated exclamations of disgust (Dustin and his friends) surround them as Eddie bites his bottom lip before breaking the kiss. Steve grins at him, playfully tugging on a lock of Eddie's hair as he asks, "You gonna let me up, handsome?"

"You could poison me and I'd only hold you tighter, sweetheart," Eddie tells him.

"Promise?"

Eddie grins and pulls Steve out of the dip, keeping him close as he turns to the crowd with a happy smile. "Okay, everyone," he says, his hand dropping down to Steve's lower back, "the reception is over by the Sheffield Mausoleum. Stevie and I will be joining you shortly."

Steve reaches out for Eddie's left hand as the crowd rises and disperses towards a mausoleum behind the altar. The wedding ring pairs nicely with the engaged-to-be-engaged ring, and the gems on both reflect the last, soft rays of the setting sun and the lamps hung all around them so guests can still see in the dark.

The only one who hangs back is Dustin, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Eddie notices him and gently pulls his hand from Steve's so he can hold an arm out. Dustin lights up and barrels straight into them. "You're, like, my brother now!" Dustin says, looking up at Eddie with stars in his eyes.

"Gee, was I not doing a good enough job?" Steve asks.

Dustin snorts, poking Steve's ribs as he pulls away. "Sorry, man, you're just not as cool as Eddie."

"Woah, woah," Eddie says, maliciously ruffling Dustin's hair, "that's my husband you're talking about. I won't tolerate a single bad word about him."

"Oh, gross, you're gonna be even worse now," Dustin whines, slapping Eddie's hand away.

Steve can't help laughing, about to make a similar joke about brutalizing his husband only to be interrupted by a familiar and dreadful voice coming from his left.

"Steven?"

Every muscle in Steve stiffens, his entire body becoming straight as a board against his will, and he sees the exact same thing happen to Dustin. He doesn't want to, but Steve still forces himself to lean forward so he can see around Eddie.

There are two people standing right on the border between the green grass with clean tombstones and the stubborn weeds and vines climbing up worn stone. Both are middle-aged; the woman has blonde hair perfectly curled to frame her face and brown eyes, and the man has dark brown hair carefully styled with just barely too much gel and dull green eyes.

Steve feels his palms grow clammy as a spike of white-hot anxiety shoots up his spine. He glances at Dustin, reassuringly pats his shoulder, and pushes him closer to Eddie. His husband (he should be feeling much happier when referring to Eddie as such, and the fact that he doesn't fills him with anger and frustration equal to the anxiety caused by the man and woman) clearly has questions but doesn't say anything. Eddie just places a hand on Dustin's shoulder, the same spot Steve patted.

Steve takes a deep breath and turns, plastering on a smile so fake that it makes his stomach churn. "Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" he asks, walking over to the two but staying on the brown and ancient side of the grass.

His mother raises a single, perfect eyebrow at him. "We received news of the wedding from our secretary," she says.

"Honestly, Steven, what else are we supposed to do when our eldest son gets married?" his father asks. And for a brief moment, Steve thinks they'll be supportive. Maybe they'll pull out a small but thoughtful wedding gift and mingle with the rest of the guests. He's wrong, of course, but it was a nice delusion while it lasted. "Of course, we had to come and stop you from getting married to this Munson character."

His mother huffs softly, her fingers twitching like she's about to reach for a cigarette even though she claimed to stop smoking years ago. "It seems we're a little too late for that, though. No matter. We're friends with a judge, so come along, Steven, we'll get this marriage voided before morning."

Honestly, Steve is surprised Eddie managed to go so long without inserting himself. The moment his mother threatened to void the marriage, however, Eddie definitely isn't able to hold himself back any longer. He steps forward, wraps an arm around Steve's waist, and asks, "So sorry, but who are you, and why are you intruding on our wedding?"

The sheer offense on their faces almost makes Steve feel better as he places a hand on Eddie's chest right over his heart. And he says almost because the offense is quickly followed by his mother saying, "We are Steven's parents, and you are about two seconds from legal action."

Eddie actually laughs in her face, and Steve feels the tension drain from him at the sound. "Please, go ahead. We Munsons love a good court battle. They've yet to make any charges stick, you know," Eddie says, his grin nearly feral and sending a thrill from Steve's scalp down to his toes.

He grips Eddie's shirt, gaining his attention and flashing a suggestive smile. "Eds," Steve whispers, briefly forgetting about his parents and the rest of the world, "what charges?"

That feral grin somehow widens, bringing Steve's attention to the too-sharp canines that he wants to drag his tongue against until it bleeds. "Would you like the list in chronological or alphabetical order, sweetheart?" Eddie asks, leaning close until their lips are just barely touching.

Steve licks his lips, tongue brushing against Eddie's teasingly, and watches as Eddie's eyes darken into something hungry and insatiable and terrifying and thrilling.

"Oh, gross, seriously?!" Dustin cries from behind them, throwing his hands in the air. "Save it for the honeymoon."

That seems to break Steve's parents out of whatever stupor had overtaken them. "Steven!" his father warns, voice low and threatening and utterly laughable. "Step away from him this instant. Is this the kind of example you've been setting for Dustin? We promised his parents to raise him properly when we took him in."

Oh. That's the card they're going to pull now. Steve sighs, whispers, "Later," to Eddie, and turns to look at his parents. Eddie buries his head in Steve's neck, teeth playfully brushing against his skin despite the audience. "One, he's my husband," Steve says, raising a finger for each item that follows the first, "Two, any example I set will be far better than the one set by your absence. Three, I suggest you leave before you find yourself stuck in this cemetery indefinitely."

Eddie huffs softly against his neck, and Dustin moves closer to Steve's side, grabbing his sleeve tightly. "You haven't raised me at all," Dustin tells them, his voice prickly and indicative of the hackles that would be raised if he had any.

"That is enough," Steve's mother snaps, effectively shutting up her own husband as she takes a single step forward. It's the first one she's taken since they started speaking, but she still avoids stepping over the line made by the grass. "Steven, if you insist on this...mistake, we'll simply have no choice but to cut you off. We'll also have to take Dustin since you clearly aren't the good influence you promised to be."

Steve should probably be angry. In fact, he is, but that anger is overshadowed by the undeniable urge to laugh in her face. Which he does. Loudly. "I haven't used your money for myself in ages," Steve tells her, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the house, "In fact, it's all gone toward house payments and bills. So, sure, take the house. Eddie and I will get a new place with an even bigger room for Dustin who, by the way, is going fucking nowhere."

"Oh, I love it when you curse," Eddie murmurs, kissing a line up Steve's neck to just below his earlobe.

Despite himself, Steve grins a little. And then Dustin tugs on his sleeve, gaining his attention before saying, "I really don't want to go with them."

"You won't," Steve promises, continuing before either of his parents can say anything, "because you're sixteen. I'll make sure the custody case drags itself long enough for you to turn eighteen, and then they won't have any say over you."

"That would be very expensive, Steven," his father says, taking on a gentler tone like he's suddenly trying to play the good cop to his wife's bad cop. "I don't think you realize that supporting yourself won't be easy."

This, apparently, is what truly offends Eddie. He finally pulls away from Steve's neck, narrowing his eyes as a cold wind suddenly picks up. "Stevie won't have to support himself because I'll support him. You missed the beautiful and hauntingly romantic vows we just spoke, but Stevie won't be wanting for anything as long as I'm around. And that extends to the people he considers family."

As he speaks, the lamps around them seem to change, casting ghostly shadows over the cemetery. Something whispers in the wind, voice drawling and unintelligible but still threatening. An overbearing pressure begins to cast itself over the area, sparing Steve and Dustin but pressing down relentlessly on their parents. "Now," Eddie says, "unless you've suddenly become interested in the local real estate, I suggest you leave."

"Are you threatening us?" Steve's mother asks.

"Not at all," Eddie replies, his voice low and dark and that honeymoon can't start soon enough, actually. "I'm making a promise."

The wind shifts and howls, kicking up loose dirt and weeds and swirling around Steve's parents. Their faces drain, becoming increasingly pale, and Steve's mother looks ready to try speaking again only for his father to place a hand on her shoulder. At least he's smart enough to know when they've lost.

Steve watches them retreat, the wind following them until they've left the cemetery, and then turns to Eddie. "You look so beautiful when you threaten people," he says, grabbing Eddie's collar and yanking him down into a searing kiss that his husband happily returns.

It doesn't last long before Dustin interrupts, literally shoving himself between the two. "They won't come back, right?" he asks.

"Well, they might," Steve says, reassuringly messing up Dustin's hair, "but they won't be taking you anywhere."

"Yep, you're stuck with us," Eddie adds, picking up Dustin and throwing him over his left shoulder. He grins as Dustin squeaks. "Now, let's go party."

Steve snorts and grabs Eddie's right hand, leaving his left free to hold Dustin, as they walk towards the reception. Now that he's paying attention, he can hear the band playing and laughter-filled conversations filling the silence of the cemetery. He can also smell a whiff of something delicious, his stomach suddenly growling as he realizes how hungry he is.

Thankfully, a plate is shoved into his hand the moment they reach the outskirts of the crowd by a short man with greased-back hair, a wild glint in his eyes, and a cigar hanging from his lips. Next to him, a hand on his shoulder, is a tall and pale woman with blood-red lips and a knowing smile. "There you two are," the man says, removing the cigar as Eddie drops Dustin to the ground and shoves him towards the crowd. "Took you long enough."

Dustin sticks his tongue out at Eddie before running off, leaving them in the dust to join his friends. Steve shakes his head at the kid as Eddie smiles brightly at the two. "There was some trash to take care of," Eddie says, shrugging as he steals a roll from the plate in Steve's hand.

"I assume it's been properly disposed of?" the woman asks, an eyebrow rising slowly.

Eddie shrugs, holding the roll up to Steve's lips so he can take a bite. "For now. Might need to make good on a few promises, though," he says, biting off a piece after Steve.

The man laughs, clapping a hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Just let us know if you need any help, old man," he says, his grin wide and his eyes excited, "I always did love a good hunt."

Steve swallows the bread in his mouth and smiles at the two, finally getting an idea of who they are. "Gomez and Morticia, right?" he asks, his guess confirmed by Gomez's widening grin and Morticia's approving nod. "I've heard a lot about you. Thanks for the cutting from Cleopatra, by the way. Nix has been a great addition to the family."

Morticia straightens slightly (Steve didn't even realize that was possible). "You've named her Nix," she says, nodding once, "Fitting. How's her health?"

"She's gotten big enough to need three pounds of meat per week."

"How wonderful. She's almost matured. You've been taking very good care of her, then."

"Tish does love her plants," Gomez says, placing an arm around her waist and pulling her close in a familiar gesture. Maybe it runs in the family. "She grows the thorniest rose stems, you know."

Steve is about to respond when Eddie lights up, clearly seeing something that Steve doesn't. "Well, Stevie is haunting on the piano, not to mention how well he can swing a bat," he says, his chest puffing out slightly.

"Impressive! Tish is a killer at knitting and keeps her needles incredibly sharp."

"I remember she knit Pubert's onesies," Eddie says, and Steve swears he can hear a young man groan in the distance. "Stevie makes wonderful traps. I never see them coming until I'm hanging from the air and losing my breath."

Ah. Steve suddenly gets it. He looks at Morticia, silently asking if this is common, and her amused smile says it is. "Steve, walk with me while our husbands play together," she says, holding out her hand.

Steve nods and presses a quick kiss to Eddie's cheek before pulling away and offering Morticia his arm. She leads him around the crowd, staying on the outskirts. "I'd like to officially welcome you to the family," she says, his voice steady and reassuring and lingering. "You seem to fit in quite well."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Steve says, feeling that anxiety from before starting to churn in his stomach again. At least it distracts his stomach from the hunger. "This isn't, like, a threatening thing, right?"

"Would you like it to be?"

"Not particularly."

"Then, no. Not for now, at least. I don't see you requiring any threats, though. Everything I've heard about you tells me that you'll have no trouble adjusting to the Munson family and its Addams relatives. Just know that we watch out for our own, dear, and we gladly feast on those who would subdue us for we are always hungry."

Steve nods, finding that this aligns well with everything he's seen from Eddie, Wayne, and El. "I've always wanted a big family," he admits.

Morticia smiles at him, and it feels warm despite her initially cold demeanor. "And now you have one," she says, looking up and waving to someone in the crowd. "Speaking of, I'd like you to meet my children."

Three young adults slip out from the crowd, two boys and one girl. Steve already knows them, and he smiles, the expression only returned by the boys. "Wednesday, Pugsley, and Pubert, right? It's nice to meet you."

"We'll see about that," Wednesday replies, her voice dry and devoid of any inflection.

Pugsley, meanwhile, smiles brightly and claps Steve's shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Steve! Welcome to the family. How do you feel about explosives?"

"Good for some jobs, but lacking subtlety for others."

"I told you," Pubert says, shoving Pugsley aside to stand in front of Steve instead. "What about daggers?"

"Easy to hide but too subtle for some messages."

Pubert frowns slightly at this response but doesn't argue. Wednesday, meanwhile, stares at Steve for a few intense seconds before saying, "What are you afraid of?"

"Eddie being out of sight," Steve replies, not even needing to think of an answer. He glances over to where they left Eddie and Gomez, happy to see his husband is still there. Though, the two seem to have engaged in a sword fight at some point.

"How sickening," Wednesday says.

Steve looks back at her and grins. "Don't be jealous, Wednesday. I'm sure your partner feels the same," he says playfully.

She tenses slightly, seemingly unused to this kind of backtalk, but quickly relaxes. "You're interesting. I'll be keeping in touch." And with that, she turns on her heel and walks back into the crowd.

"Aw, man, she still has my kidney," Pubert says, quickly chasing after her. Pugsley shrugs, looking like he'd rather not be left out, and quickly follows Pubert after waving goodbye to Steve and Morticia.

"They like you," Morticia says, sounding pleased. "You should come visit us after your honeymoon. Where are you planning to go?"

"Paris and Rome. I want to see the catacombs in Paris, and Eddie wants to visit this museum in Rome where all the decorations are made with the bones of monks."

"Oh, how romantic," Morticia says, glancing to the side as the sound of swords crossing grows louder. She waits a few more seconds before saying, her voice staying the same volume as always, "Gomez."

The fight immediately stops, and Gomez seemingly materializes next to Morticia. He takes her hand, pressing kisses along her knuckles and up her arm. "Yes, cara mia?" he asks.

"How long has it been since we danced?"

"Hours," Gomez replies, grinning brightly as he pulls Morticia away and to the dancefloor.

Eddie appears next, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist from behind. "Stevie," he whispers, breath tickling the back of Steve's neck. "We haven't danced, either."

Steve snorts, places his plate on the nearest chair, and turns in Eddie's arms. "Well, lead the way."

With an excited glint in his eyes, Eddie drags Steve to the dancefloor as the band begins to play the waltz. A few other couples have begun dancing together, but they all make room as Eddie leads Steve to the very middle of the floor. He pulls Steve close, one hand on the small of his back and the other holding one of Steve's hands. Their fingers interlock, and Steve lets Eddie lead him around the dancefloor in graceful spins and flourishes.

"So," Eddie says, his voice quiet but immensely clear to Steve as the rest of the world fades away, "other than that brief interruption, how did you like the ceremony?"

"It was beautiful," Steve replies, sliding the hand on Eddie's shoulder to wrap around his neck and playfully tug on a lock of hair. "We should get married again."

"How does next month sound?"

"I was thinking of a wedding in Paris and one in Rome. Just for us, nobody else, with ancient bones as our witness."

"You say the most romantic things," Eddie says, his voice slightly dreamy. "I love you."

The waltz comes to an end as he says this, and Eddie leans down to kiss Steve as they continue dancing through the break in music. Steve smiles, letting his eyes slip shut and trusting Eddie to make sure he won't fall or trip on anything, and pushes his tongue past Eddie's lips.

"I love you, too," Steve whispers when the kiss breaks long enough to allow words. He's barely finished speaking when Eddie pulls him back in, drowning Steve in love and passion and promises of later.

Steve finds he doesn't mind the idea of never surfacing again so long as Eddie's lips never leave his own.

---

Tag List

(Tumblr has a limit, so I couldn't get everyone who's requested a tag, but I did try to get as many as I could)

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Clumsy Denial

 He is, in any way, not in love with Devina.  Over and over and over again he reminds himself as some sort of mystical mantra. In the course of 4 years that they have been friends – much to his amazement still, sometimes – Bede would never, ever, acknowledge the fact that his heart has been completed ensnared by the Galarian Champion.  She is annoying; he can confirm that. Not a day passed by that she would sometimes drop by Ballonlea and pay him a visit. At first, it irritated him. The boy was there to train, to become stronger. What was once against his will at first is now his life goal as Bede aimed to become the strongest gym leader in Galar – and succeeded when he turned 18.  He will always keep the image of a frustrated Raihan ingrained in his mind as sheer entertainment.  But that was it. That was supposed to be it. Fast forward to them being 17, Devina would so often stand by his front door, asking to hang out or battle together, anything really if it meant being by his side. It’s baffling, really. Bede found it absolutely ridiculous that she thought he would find the time or energy to be near her.  …In a way, she was correct about that part.

 Ugh… Left eye crinkles in discomfort at the memory. His skin shivers. Though violet eyes drill at nothing in particular, Bede feels irritated as if someone is laughing at the line of memories in his brain.  She is calm. Too calm. The first time he saw her, Bede briefly wondered if the girl could emote at all. Just a simple smile was seen when she won her battle against him.  Arceus, he hated that.  Her smile? The feeling of being a sore loser to the once stranger? The fact that her smile at that time was for her Raboot and not him? He couldn’t tell.  And he didn’t want to.  It doesn’t help that her calmness is the hammer that shatters his walls.  Ugh… One hand weakly slaps his face. He needs to get his shit together. Fingers separate a space of his opened right eye. He still remembers the first time she smiled for him, so bright and beautiful, so for him. It took her a while to flash such genuine happiness for him when they were kids. Bede couldn’t blame her. He was the one who broke Hop’s hopes and dreams for a while that, when he and Devina did meet again, the boy saw nothing but pure anger and scorn on her face.  The shivering worsens. Bede quickly realizes he never wants to see those expressions on her to him ever again.  Slap! Both hands smack his beet red cheeks. He rues having white hair and quite fair skin, for the blush on each cheek is a pretty spotlight that beckons the attention of many.  I’m not in love with her. I’m not in love with her! Over and over and over again he mentally chants. Holding a puff of air inside his lungs, Bede shakes his head furiously before walking out of the gym.  He needs to stop thinking about her. ---  He soon finds out that, in order to stop thinking about her, he needs to stop meeting her.  “Bede!” Her voice chirps so adorably like a baby Rookidee. Happily she runs towards him, one arm waving left and right in sheer excitement. Crimson eyes shine brilliantly under the roaring sun. Eyelashes flutter up and down, each a flicker of elegance from a brand of mascara she is sponsoring at the moment. The famous red jacket she always wore since she was 16 is snugged comfortably on her body.  Bede remains statuesque in his spot.  She stops in front of him. Dark hair bobs lightly at her single bounce. The bangs on her forehead is now a bit longer, Bede realizes, as Devina brushes it away from her beaming eyes.  Arceus, she takes his breath away.  A smile so bright it rivals the sun, Devina cups both hands together. “I’m here!” she beams. “I’m not late!” she laughs.  One hand is brought behind his back, shivering and clenched to a fist.  “You’re here.” He bluntly states. “You’re not late.” He blatantly repeats. His heart a frantic chaos, Bede holds a breath. “You know, I mean when I say I don’t mind your company.” He is not in love with her. “But any reason why you sound so ecstatic when you called us to meet today?” He is not in love with her sweet laugh.  She doesn’t reply immediately. Her smile remains, though.  This taunts the young man.  “Sonia and Hop just came back from a professor convention in Hoenn. And they brought a lot of cool Pokémon pictures!” Without waiting for a reply, she swings her knapsack to the side and rummages inside it. “I mean, obviously they got a lot of data along with the pictures,” she continues, crimson eyes now focus on searching for the contents, “but some of the photos are so cool and I saw some really beautiful fairy Pokémon I know you’ll be thrilled to know about!”  Ah, how his heart melts at the thought that she was thinking about him.  As quick as how his feelings soften for her, he immediately shakes his head in a vain attempt of denying the obvious.  I’m not in love with her. “What kind of Pokémon would possibly make me so thrilled to know about it?” He is curious, excited.  The brief glance and smile she gives him is an arrow that shoots through his mad heart.  “I think it’s called a Primarina?” Eyes squint slightly in annoyance when she realizes her hand can’t find the picture. Holding the bag right in front of her now, Devina brings her head lower. “Ugh, I know I put it in here somewhere…” White teeth carefully nibble the insides of her lower lip. Pink tongue subconsciously juts out in cute frustration.  Bede wonders what it’s like to put that tongue back into her mouth with his own—  He shakes his head even faster.  “AHA!”  Both jump at the voice. One in exaggerated satisfaction while other in nervous shock. “Found it!” Joy echoes in the magical town of Ballonlea. Right hand gripping the photo as if it was a gold coin, while her left hand gently pats her beating chest. Smile never gone from the Divine Champion, Devina slings her knapsack back to her shoulders. “Here it is, Bede. The beautiful water-fairy Pokémon!”  Stupor still leaves the man in a daze. It takes him a few heavy seconds, but the gym leader snaps back to reality once he sees her pretty smile.  “Oh.” He murmurs. “O-Oh…!” He stutters.  She was once a calm girl when they first met. But now…now…Bede is forever baffled at the range of emotions in this dazzling woman.  “Right—right!” Laughter chokes between such a foolish reply. Immediately he straightens his back. Immediately both arms are slapped by his sides. “Sorry. Your scream is sometimes so bloody loud, I almost mistook you for a Loudred.”  Those pretty pink lips pull a pretty pink pout.  “Shut up.” She sticks her tongue out.  I’m not in love—! I’m not in love—! “Just give it to me.” Curiosity tickles his fancy at the photo. But awe and raw nerves quickly overtake any emotion that resides within him—  Whoosh!  Just when his fingers were about to touch the photo, it instead got blown away by the simple breeze of the wind.  “Ah.” He dumbly responds.  “Ah!” She quickly exclaims.  While the two react in different ways, their bodies seem to move in exact unison. Both have their arms stretched up. Both start to move towards the direction of the hovering photo. Bede takes a few steps back. Back and back until his fingers manage to press together against the photo.  His capture has a price, however; his steps falter, and Bede can feel himself falling backwards.  Uh oh!  “Bede!”  Everything happens way too fast.  The first second, he felt his body falling backwards. He was ready to accept the painful result of his back hitting the concrete wall. For a split second, Bede actually hoped that his fluffy hair would break his fall.  But it didn’t.  Because in the next second, he feels something holding him in the air. He feels something – arms, he figures – wrapped around his back. He feels something – a hand, he feels – firmly yet gently holding his right shoulder.  He feels something – someone’s breathing – right on his face.  Violet eyes snap open – he didn’t even realize he had them closed. And the moment vision starts to sharpen around its surroundings, Bede feels all air has been shoved right out of his lungs.  “Are you okay…?”  Her voice. Calm and cool. Warm and soothing. Her smile is finally gone from such a pretty face, but now replaced with a fiery gaze that burns right through his soul. Her glasses stay in place, the lens further magnifying such assertive crimson irises. Her eyes are hooded slightly, yet Bede can see each pupil enlarge just the slightest. The dark bangs of her hair cascade forward, some strands are tucked behind her glasses while others brush his forehead.  Pink lips are close – so dangerously close – to his. Full lips are parted slightly, just as his own are too. Warm breath flows in, and out, and in, and out. Heavy. Then slow. Her breath caresses his opening mouth, tickling the twitching tongue inside. The tip of her nose is a mere inch away from his own. And if Devina were to tip her head slightly, she would definitely earn a cute whimper at the simple brush of skin against skin.  The hand that holds his shoulder slowly releases its grip, slowly moves to his back. Fingers brush the little ponytail at the back of his neck, dangerously tickling him into sheer submission.  And by the sun and stars and moon clouds, Bede truly feels his legs turning into jelly the moment Devina huskily murmurs, “Are you hurt…?”  Bloody hell… His face is now burning right to the tips of his ears. Bloody…fucking…hell! His breathing is now harsher than any ghastly sandstorm in the wild area.  He is, in every way, completely in love with Devina. END

a very belated birthday gift ! 02.06.1988 —— @lyricalrose​ . ♡

     shopping for him is always a difficult task, and a hurdle in which almost every woman faces — whether it be a birthday gift, a christmas gift, a valentine’s gift, or even just a gift for him in general. men are seemingly hard to please and it’s never easy, but for her favourite red-haired rocker from the sunshine state, elouise is adamant on pulling together one of the most perfect and elaborate birthday gifts she has EVER generated with her own two hands. after all, his birthday seems to be the most fitting occasion for her to express her unconditional appreciation for him — the thought of the singer having occupied her mind a lot more often than not over the past six or so months. with the amount of laughter and joy he has brought her through some of the simplest of conversations, he is well deserving of all the gifts he is about to receive as they sit at his apartment door.

     the process all began weeks in advance, back in early january in fact. elouise was attending a house party, sitting with her artist friend richard when quite randomly he pulled a blade from his jean pocket — one of his latest works. it was a pocket knife, ornate in just about every way. silvery and glimmering in the dull light, the metallic grip was engraved with the finest of details. a pile of fanged and beastly looking skulls, thorny and wilting roses amongst them whilst a thick chain coils and tangles around them. the very first thought that popped into her mind was; axl would love this ! the whole design reminiscent of his entire aesthetic, or at least she thought so. immediately she offered to buy the thing off him right then and there, and within minutes the blade was sold and stuffed into her purse at the discounted cost of a mere twenty. 

     however, the bargain didn’t end there. with elouise’s confession that the blade would be given as a gift to someone, a certain someone that richard was familiar with, the artist was more than happy to design a custom tee for the singer he had met once before. a halloween ago, now. it doesn’t take very long for the two to come up with a concept, and it’s only two and a half weeks later that richard is arriving at her apartment door with a black tee in hand. adorned in airbrushed imagery, the design is a caricature of axl — he’s a menacing skeleton in a leather jacket and matching leather pants, his features exaggerated in the way that his shoulders are broadened and the rest of his body tall and skinny, hunched over almost as a cigarette smoulders between bony fingers and a razor sharp grin resides upon the skull’s face. his exaggerated hair resembles actual flames, and beautifully compliments the burning leaves that fall from autumn trees in the background as well as the signature brooklyn brownstone building that towers over him from behind. the imagery is frightening, but insanely cool — and elouise can’t help but let out a shriek of sheer amazement and excitement and AWE when she sees that at the top of the design, ‘mr. brownstone’ is written in big grey letters in a graffiti sort of style. richard never fails to wow her, and he continues to prove that as he turns the tee around show that on the back he has painted a brownstone brick wall littered with graffiti and tagging, though most importantly, it writes; ‘ w. axl rose was here ’. it’s perfect, and it also happens to be the perfect reminder that axl’s birthday is just around the corner and is quickly creeping up on her.

     one late night after a long and tiring shift at the deli, elouise sits down on the floor of her studio apartment with a box and begins decorating it. using various different types and patterns of birthday gift wrap to line the inside of the box, she lays down some multi-coloured tissue paper and sprinkles the bottom of the box with metallic cut-outs of stars and zig-zags that come in green and purple — all purchased from the party store just around the block. carefully, she folds the shirt and wraps it in dainty blue tissue paper. the pocket knife, too — only for both bundles to be prettily tied with multi-coloured ribbons. she can’t help but smile at the job she’s done. loving the decorations and more so the thought of him seeing them for the first time, and then taking the time to open each gift individually. she honestly wishes that she could be there just to witness the opening of the gift, see the hopeful joy that it will bring him and see that darned smile of his. the thought brings about butterflies fluttering in the pit her stomach and she can’t pinpoint exactly why. it even has her blushing as she sits there, alone on cold and wooden floors as she thinks about a boy two and a half thousand miles away. rush’s closer to the heart playing softly on a nearby stereo. 

𝒚𝒐𝒖   𝒄𝒂𝒏   𝒃𝒆   𝒕𝒉𝒆   𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅   𝒊   𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍   𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘   𝒕𝒉𝒆   𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈   𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐   𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓   𝒕𝒐   𝒕𝒉𝒆   𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕

     that is when she has a lightbulb moment. a mixtape. what if she makes him a mixtape ? or two. pondering on it, it’s only a matter of seconds before bare hands and knees go crawling across hard floors to the cabinet on the wall. a storage place holding every record and every cassette tape she holds dear. her entire life story is tucked away on these shelves, written on various tracks and played through many differing instruments and riffs. suddenly, she feels the need to compact it all down onto one singular tape. a 60 minute run of her all time favourites. some songs that make her smile, some songs that move her to tears, and some songs that remind her of him. it’s a grand idea, but it’s one that she executes and executes well. after all, they are both virtuosos. they both live and breathe music, and she’s sure that axl will appreciate something such as this. especially given how dorky the end result is. a 60 minute tape of elouise, sitting on her apartment floor at nearly 5 in the morning, playing her all time favourites all whilst talking sappy in between songs. comments on how much she loves them, why she loves them, and how some of the said songs remind her of him. it’s a strange concoction of david bowie, the rolling stones, rush, led zeppelin, bob dylan, and last but most certainly not least — guns n’ roses. who happen to be the bearers of her number one, all time favourite song: DON’T CRY . 

     the final song begins to play and unlike the rest of the tracks, the quality of this one is by far the poorest. after all, it is a mere demo that he gave to her. a tape of a tape of a tape, and so on. but still — regardless of the quality — she believes it to be the greatest song that she has ever heard in her entire life, and makes sure to say so. a song that has miraculously got her through some of her darkest hours. moments of reflection, remembering those who let her down and those whom she let down. her mother, past lovers, friends that she no longer talks to anymore. and during the recording of this final song, elouise finds herself laying in the middle of the floor in her satin nightgown, her eyes gently shut — the tape recorder only inches from her head now as she slowly drives her fingers through her wild mane of auburn hair and hot tears form along the lines of her lashes. that guitar solo sending her to another planet, as it always does. her heart rate picks up entirely and by the end the solo, the singer is breaking out into a sweat upon axl’s sweet voice filling her ears again. it’s sonic therapy in it’s purest form, and it’s something she wants to thank him for — but now isn’t the time. she has to focus on finishing this tape, and ending it the way that she had planned to. so as the song comes to an end, the brunette is silent as she tries to pull herself together again. a deep breath audible in the recording before a whole lot of rustling and crackling can be heard, elouise rolling onto her stomach and leaning on her elbows, the tape recorder now in her shaky hands as she wishes the redhead a happy birthday, and then again through song. her voice sweet, soft — with lingering remnants of former sorrow albeit happiness as the gentle smile that sits upon her pretty lips can be FELT in the mere way that she delivers the hushed tune. 

❝ 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚   𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚   𝒕𝒐   𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚   𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚   𝒕𝒐   𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚   𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚   𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓   𝒂𝒙𝒍, 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚   𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚   𝒕𝒐   𝒚—— .  ❞

     suddenly, the tape cuts and that is all. an entire sixty minutes of jovial conversation and song. an entire hour of elouise pouring out her heart and soul through music and laughter. it’s unlike anything she’s ever done for anyone before, and for a few days she even reconsiders whether she should be sending the tape to him. is it too personal ? is it too dorky ? is it just outright WEIRD of her ? these thoughts bubble about in her head like water boiling in a pot, tormenting her until one night she receives a phone call — less than a week now until the big day. it’s axl himself. to hear his voice is like music to her ears, her face aches from grinning so much, and any reluctance is suddenly pelted from her third-storey window. she can’t wait for him to receive the shirt, pocket knife, the goofy ten-to-one tape she stayed up all night recording for him, and now all the new york related knick knacks she has purchased for him in the meantime. new york candies, new york koozies — even a silver statue of liberty fridge magnet that doubles as a bottle opener and a keyring that bears the image of her beloved brooklyn bridge. atop all the bric-a-brac wrapped in pretty tissue paper is a ornate envelope, signed beautifully in his name with a card sitting inside. once opened, the card transcripts: 

to axl,

wishing you the happiest of birthdays, my dear friend. i hope that it is filled with laughter and joy, and that the guys are treating you like the king you are —— because you deserve it !!! anyway, i’d love nothing more than to be there with you to celebrate your special day but this whole living on polar opposite sides of the country thing really sucks ! sucks ass major ass ! it’s fine though, have a drink on me tonight and i’ll make sure we celebrate your born-day the next time we happen to cross paths ! 

p.s. —— call me whenever you find the time, i’ll probably to be dying to know whether this made it to you or otherwise is currently being held in the hands of some stranger ! haha !

whole lotta love,

elle with the z from nyc ! ♡

     it isn’t much, and it isn’t anything too extravagant — she’s a small-time singer working on minimum wage, after all. she just hopes that this is enough, and that he doesn’t see it as being too tacky. especially when she’s just forked out sixty percent of last week’s earnings to pay for a courier to drop the gift off to him on his birthday exactly. a big spend for her that she sees worth it, and a cross-country expedition that has the brunette stressing the entire four days it takes for it to arrive at his doorstep. afraid that it might get lost or even worse, stolen, as was expressed in the card. 

     the courier arrives at his apartment door with the box in hand, a notepad and pen atop the mysterious parcel as he raises a hand to knock upon the door — each tap against the wood filled with reluctance as he wonders if he has the wrong place, the wrong apartment. though before he can fret too much, the door is opening and he is being met with a redheaded figure. “ are you w. axl rose, by any chance ?  this parcel has just come all the way from new york. ” the young courier asks with a scratch of his head, though his question is answered immediately as the stranger nods his head in affirmation. “ sweet. i’ll get you to sign here and then it’s all yours, buddy. ” 

The Edge of Acceptable

Hello friends! Previously I said I would try and post an article between then and my "Doctor Who: The Edge of Time," review. This was mostly due to my not knowing how long it would take me to finish playing the game. Well, intrepid reader, it appears I overestimated the game's length, as I have beaten it and I have many things to say. Before we begin, however, I would like to state that this review will be full of spoilers, so if you plan on playing "The Edge of Time," for yourself, you may want to hold off reading this. There, you've been warned. Let the spoilers commence!

The game begins in a laundrette somewhere in a dark corner of London. After some strange anomalies, a television kicks on, and the Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker can be seen on screen. Speaking directly to you, she tells you that you're the only person that can help her. Suddenly a shift in the lights (and possibly time) occurs and the laundrette is filled with a black sludge reminiscent of the purple gunk from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." Peering from the individual dryers along the wall are black sludge monsters with murky red eyes that stick to you. If you get close to them, they lunge and crack the glass.

After explaining to you that the universe is like a hard drive and that people and moments are like individual files, the Doctor informs you that someone has installed a sort of computer virus. Lost on the edge of time, she is unable to help you, but using a bit of her Doctory magic, she's going to help you help her, and by extension- save the universe. It's no small order, but you're raring to go!

It's during this point, however, that I did find myself slightly frustrated with the game design. As the Doctor begins speaking to you, she's oftentimes drowned out by the music, making it hard to hear what she's saying. When I went to the options menu, I was surprised to see that no option to lower the music volume was available. There was however a subtitles option, which I opted out of due to my feeling that seeing subtitles somewhat sullied the immersion. The next bit of frustration came from the following scene in the back office of the laundrette.

Another big source of frustration was the controls. While in the office, you're made to find the code to a safe, and then enter the code into its keypad. As excited as I was to be playing a new Doctor Who game, I almost rage quit due to the sheer difficulty of entering a simple four-digit code. Now, it's worth mentioning that at this point, I was still using my Playstation controller. After switching to the Playstation Move controllers, my experience improved exponentially. However, even with these Move controllers, performing minute actions felt a lot like trying to unwrap a lemon sherbet while wearing a pair of woolly mittens.

You learn a little bit about the late owner of the laundrette. He used to be a janitor at Coal Hill School, and he's now a pile of ash on a chair. The books strewn about the office show he was a man interested in strange phenomena dealing with time and space. The Doctor, using a bit of Time Lord magic, has stashed her sonic screwdriver away in the safe. After fishing it out, I took great glee pointing it at literally anything I could. Sadly, the sonic has very little actual interactivity with the surrounding world other than pre-scripted actions like opening doors that carry the story to the next stage.

Once outside, you get your first glimpse at a Dalek saucer, floating above the sky like something from the Dalek Invasion of Earth. It's a great little callback, and the alley conjures images of Totter's Lane. After building a signal booster with junk from the alley, you call the TARDIS to your location, where it materialises like the beautiful Ghost Monument we all love. Now, I'm not too proud to admit it, but as I walked into the TARDIS for the first time, I got a little misty-eyed. It really does feel like you're walking aboard the greatest ship in the universe. The people at Maze Theory did a fantastic job rendering the Thirteenth Doctor's TARDIS interior. And yes, the console does dispense custard creams. Trying to make my boyfriend laugh, I held the biscuit to my mouth and was pleasantly surprised when my virtual character actually ate it!

This joy was short-lived, however, because I was once again at the mercy of needing to perform exacting tasks with rather sloppy controls. What should have been a joy (piloting the TARDIS), was instead another rage quit moment. Really though, this is more of a problem native to virtual reality. You're only ever as good as your tools, and Move Controllers aren't hands. Controls are one of the game's biggest flaws, really. For instance- there is no duck or crouch function. Meaning that despite all of the wonderful little Easter eggs peppered throughout the game, the second you drop one on the floor, it's gone forever.

After being recruited by the Doctor, you're treated to a title sequence in full 3-D glory. Let me tell you, the time vortex has never looked cooler. I was like David Bowman entering the Star Gate. Moments like these are when the VR really shines. Afterwards, the first place you land is sort of a head-scratcher. You arrive on what looks like a planet, where you're being stalked by a creepy race of aliens known as Hydrorks. I was slightly sad that you never have to actually worry about them. They're mainly there to scurry about in the shadows. Despite the warnings of a woman you're speaking to over a holo-pad, they don't ever actually attack you. You can stop right in front of them and shine your torch at them and walk away unscathed.

If you recall from my Doctor Who and Video Games article, I complained that one of the biggest issues Doctor Who games have is puzzles. This chapter of the game has the most egregious of the puzzles and had me worried that it was about to devolve once more into a series of irritating puzzles, but they lessen as the game progresses, much to its benefit. I would like to mention though, that the game does take accessibility into consideration. Puzzles involving colours also incorporate shapes for those that are colour blind. You can also switch between hands with your sonic screwdriver, a fact that I, as a left-handed person, wish I would have discovered far earlier in the game.

After getting to the lift, you discover the planet you're on is a sort of space ship. The effect of leaving what seems like the outdoors only to find a giant window overlooking alien planets was like something David Lynch would do. I was reminded of episode three from "Twin Peaks the Return," when Dale Cooper exits a room in a building surrounded by a vast purple sea, only to find himself climbing out of a boxy spaceship surrounded by a network of stars. This kind of otherworldly experience is yet again another strength of VR. After a series of puzzles involving lasers, you meet Emer, the ship's computer that forgot it was a computer. Remember how I mentioned David Bowman earlier? Well, the "2001: A Space Odyssey," vibes don't stop there, as Emer's interface looks a lot like HAL 9000. It's a great little homage.

Before leaving the ship, you save Emer onto the sonic screwdriver and find yourself a time crystal. The time crystals are artefacts the Doctor needs you to collect to save the universe. It's a little vague in that "It's a video game, so just go get the thing," kind of manner. But it's a video game, so I'm not even bothered by it. After arriving back on the TARDIS, the Doctor uploads Emer into your brain. Emer's job is to help you along with little hints here and there. I was a little disappointed because the only reason I can imagine they did this is because they only had Jodie Whittaker for six hours on the day she recorded her dialogue. Having the Doctor speak to you like her closest friend is a rapturous bit of nerd joy, so replacing her for a bit is regrettable. But Emer is a likeable character so you don't really mind. The only time Emer really gets under your skin is when she's dropping hints repetitively. You may know exactly how to solve a puzzle, but the mechanics aren't as spelled out. Having her tell you what you already know, over and over again begins to grate on you.

The next place you visit is a very shabby looking Victorian London. You know right away that you've entered Weeping Angel territory. However, the classic Who fans will love the fact that part of this portion of the story incorporates Magnus Greel's time cabinet from "The Talons of Weng-Chiang!" I could tell the people at Maze Theory threw this in for the nerds out there. The Weeping Angels portion of this chapter is easily the creepiest moment in the game. There's a jump scare that had me jumping out of my skin. For full immersion, headphones are a requirement as the sound design is full of little creaks, groans, and stabs as the Angels make their way toward you. The incorporation of the cherubs (which you never see) and a baby pram only adds to the nightmare fuel.

This isn't to say that this sequence is without criticism. One of my chief complaints is that it's a very repetitive sequence. Once you do the first portion, you know exactly how to do the next portion. It then becomes a waiting game which is more tedious than tense. If they'd had varied up the gameplay in this section, I would have said it was the best part of the game. Instead, the Angels only play a minor part, and once you know how to beat them, their terror factor plummets. After a while, the worst part of getting caught by an Angel isn't the dying, it's the waiting for the level to reload. Even with my PS4 Pro, the loading times are egregious. Expect to spend a lot of time staring at the floating orange embers that are the loading screen. At least you can fiddle with the sonic screwdriver while you wait.

After receiving the next time crystal from Magnus Greel's time cabinet, it's time to move on to the next phase. The Doctor begins to tell you a little more about who is tearing apart reality- an entity known simply as The First... or the One. I honestly can't remember which, and the internet isn't much help. It's not a very memorable name, much like the title of the game itself. This "First One," is the very first form of consciousness in the universe that has awoken to find her creation of other forms of life is a disappointment to her. Our penchant for death and destruction has lead her to believe that the only course of action is to reboot the universe, hence the reality virus.

Our next stop is Metebelis...Four? I would be lying if I said I wasn't massively relieved to discover they weren't sending us to Metebelis III. That would have been cruel and unusual. When arriving at Metebelis IV, you're greeted with a gigantic temple structure. In VR, its size and design are really grand in scope. I was reminded of my visit to Durham Cathedral with its impressively high vaulted ceilings. After a quick time jump, you find yourself in a point in history where the Daleks have taken over the planet. I really enjoyed the music cues in this part, because you knew right away you were about to encounter Daleks. You can almost hear a digitised version of their voices in the score that really sets the tone.

This portion of the game was probably my favourite. A lot of it is sneaky stealth missions, which gradually increase in difficulty. The only problem with the stealth portion is you really need to bait the Daleks into following you at points. It goes against usual stealth mechanics which at this point are generally universal. When you accompany this with long load screens, and Emer repeatedly telling you what you already know, it gets to be a bit much. But getting to drive around as a Dalek later on in the level makes up for this in spades.

Much like the Weeping Angels portion of the game, the key to beating this section is patience. You can systematically work your way through the level by budgeting your time. If you take out drones and Daleks in the right order, it's a piece of cake. It becomes a memory game at that point. That being said, I still had a lot of fun. Dalek vision was especially cool. After tearing ass through various temples, you find yourself sort of outside of time. The reality virus has almost torn the universe apart but using memories of the places you've been, you're able to hold things together long enough to stop the First One. The Doctor congratulates you and tells you what a star you are. Emer is given human form for her efforts. The TARDIS drops you off back at the laundrette, seemingly to do it all over again, which leads to my biggest question about the game. Am I supposed to play it again, or was that just a meta-joke from the designers encouraging you to replay at your own leisure? Furthermore, is the Doctor not also now stuck in a time loop along with the player?

I've not done a second playthrough, so I can't rightly say if it adds more content to the game. I'm going to bet the answer is probably no. This is a shame because for a game that has been marketed for as long as it was, and had its release date pushed back almost two months, it's surprisingly sparse. At the very beginning in the Laundrette, the Doctor mentions both the Stenza and the Zygons, which made me expect to see at least one of them throughout the game. What turned the laundrette owner into a pile of soot? Hell, you don't even see the sludge monsters from the laundrette again. I expected them to be a far bigger problem than they were. The game is surprisingly devoid of other characters. Perhaps this is a symptom of VR, but disembodied voices, static Angels, skittering background aliens, and rail driving Daleks are the most interactivity you'll have with other characters.

Throughout its runtime, I couldn't shake the feeling that "The Edge of Time," was originally supposed to be a much bigger game. While I'm aware that most VR games are generally shorter in length, this feels truncated. Perhaps it was from budget issues or internal problems, I can't say. But is it twenty quid's worth of video game? I would say that maybe with DLC it would be, but as is, it feels incomplete. The ability to select chapters does increase replay value. I could see myself pulling up the Weeping Angels level for a group of friends. However, due to the lack of variety in said level, I don't see the novelty lasting long. If they were to release a couple extra levels that were more like survival horror where you were in a creepy mansion avoiding Angels, or maybe something with Cybermen or Zygons I could see the value increasing. I wouldn't want to pay more for these levels, mind.

Compare the price of this game to going to a movie with friends. These days £20 will buy you maybe two tickets to see a film. The game is basically a feature-length episode of Doctor Who. So if my boyfriend plays the game, and my wife and friends, then sure, it's paid for itself. But for people who might play this game alone, they may want to wait until the price drops a bit. I had a good time playing the game, myself, but I have to temper that response with the fact that I am a massive Whovian. Will it have the same appeal for casual fans of Doctor Who? That's really the big question, isn't it?

When the game was announced, my first reaction was to shake my head at the BBC's inability to make a proper Doctor Who game. As you may recall from my article on Doctor Who games, this stems from the fact that going with VR was pre-emptively cutting off a large portion of gamers. While there is a very real demand for Doctor Who video games, VR is still a niche market. Not everyone is going to buy VR just to play one game as I did. And even if they are, VR systems aren't cheap. I had to purchase mine on credit. The cost of admission is now much higher than the asking price of twenty pounds. That being said, the game manages to prove that Doctor Who video games can still try new things. The formula and gameplay are very close to what a lot of people have wanted for years. While I still don't feel like we've seen a truly great Doctor Who game, I had a lot of fun with this one.

Masamune Gets Lost in Costco

This is all based on a dream I had where I lost the sweet boy Masa inside of Costco and I thought Kojuro was going to kill me. Also just like to point out that I have never actually been to a Costco store before so my dream Costco is probably a lot more wild lol. Well anyway enjoy ~~~ @space-romantic @ikemenprincessnaga 

Double checking my list I made sure everything I had everything on it. Next week, thanks to Masamune and Kojuro's kind praise, I was going to be catering a wedding for nearly three hundred people. Apparently the bride was the daughter of a family friend. It was bigger than any event I had ever done before but I welcomed the challenge. I also needed to do my best since Masamune and Kojuro spoke so highly of my skill. In fact they had been nothing but helpful to me since I moved to the city. From giving me a job as Masamune's live in cook but also helping me get my catering business started. One my way out I decided to stop by Masamune's office and see if they would want anything while I was out. I knocked on the door and heard Masamune tell me to come in. When I walked in the room Masamune briefly looked up at me and smiled. "Sorry to interrupt but I'm heading to Costco. Do either of you need anything while I'm out?" Masamune leaned back in his chair and seemed to be thinking.

"What is Costco? You go there a lot. Is it some sort of catering store?" His innocent curiosity made me smile and I shrugged.

"It's basically just a huge grocery store that lets you buy things in bulk. So I guess in a way it is." His whole face seemed to light up at my explanation and I couldn't help but notice how cute he looked.

"Interesting. Would you mind if I went with you? I'd like so see what kind of store this is." His sudden request snapped me out of thoughts and I wasn't the only one surprised. Kojuro's eyes were wide and he straightened up.

"Are you sure that's ok? You look really busy." All of our eyes went to the papers spread out on the desk, but Masamune made quick work of cleaning them up.

"It's fine. We were just talking about taking a break anyway. Right Kojuro?" When Masamune looked at Kojuro I saw a soft smile come across his lips.

"That's right we were Sir." Masamune turned back to me and smiled. It made my heart flutter with happiness.

"There you have it. Let's go." I hurriedly nodded and just like that we left. As I drove to the super store I tried not to think about how close Masamune was to me in my car. It wasn't luxurious or spacious like any of his but if he minded then he didn't show it. After a while though Masamune finally spoke which was surprising. "So how have you been? I've been pretty busy with work to ask lately."

"I'm good. A little stressed with this wedding coming up, but good. My mom says hi by the way. I talked to her the other night." I saw a smile on Masamune's face out of the corner of my eye and felt my heart skip a beat. "Thank you, and Kojuro, again for helping me get this gig. I promise to do my best!"

"Oh I have no doubt about that. Just don't work yourself too hard." I rolled my eyes but smiled all the same.

"I should be telling you that. Mr. getting snacks from the kitchen at three am." His smile fell and I could see his cheeks turn pink with embarrassment. Pulling into the parking lot I turned the car off and smiled. "Well we're here." Once we were inside Masamune seemed amazed.

"It's bigger than I thought it would be. Some of the shelves are so high. What's on them?" I chuckled at his amusement but shrugged.

"I would assume extra inventory. Listen though Masamune." He turned his attention to me and got serious. "Just stay with me ok. This store can be a little overwhelming the first time and I don't want you to get lost."

"Alright. I'll follow your lead this time." We shared a smile and then I pulled out my list. Masamune stood next to me and looked at it. "That's a lot. Where do we start?" It was a good question. I really had to prioritize my list but thankfully I had already done that stuff in my head.

"Well I'm going to make the desserts first so let's start there." So our shopping trip started and it was actually really fun shopping with him. Masamune seemed amused by the sheer about you could get of things for one price. My favorite was when he saw a box of three thousand q-tips for ten dollars. He couldn't believe that someone would need that many but admitted the price was good. We were currently in one of the baking isles but the ingredients I needed were up higher than either of us could reach. "Damn. Stay here with the cart and I'll go find an employee." He nodded at me and I left to go find someone. By the time I found someone and I got back I noticed that Masamune was not where I left him. The worker got me what I needed but I had hardly been able to say thank you. Once they were gone I frantically looked around the isles for his tall head of black hair but he was nowhere to be seen. I even tried calling out his name but got no answer. Trying not to give into panic I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Masamune's number. However it was Kojuro's voice that answered. "Kojuro? Why do you have Masamune's phone?" In truth I already knew the answer but I could hope right. It wasn't too far fetched to believe that Kojuro had followed us here because he was worried about Masamune. However Kojuro's answer dashed all of my hopes.

"He left it at the house. Why were you calling him? Is everything alright? You sound out of breath." I should of known Kojuro would pick up on my problem. He was sharp even over the phone. I couldn't bring myself to lie even if I was afraid Kojuro would kill me. Plus I only lost Masamune inside of Costco. It was a grocery store, not a war torn city.

"Well, ok promise not to get mad, I kinda lost Masamune inside of Costco." I prepared for him to at least yell at me but felt a chill go up spine when he only laughed.

"I'm sorry. It sounded like you said you just lost Masamune. How could that even be possible?" I bit the inside of my cheek and sighed.

"I didn't do it on purpose. I went to get an employee and he didn't stay put like I told him too. Don't worry though I'm going to find him. Costco isn't that big. He's somewhere safe I'm sure." Kojuro sighed over the phone and I could tell he was concerned.

"Alright. Please let me know once you find him."

"Of course." I hung up the phone and began my search for Masamune. My first thought was to page him so he knew where to go but then it dawned on me that he wouldn't know where to go. So it was left up to me to scour the superstore and find my boss. Knowing Masamune he was probably trying to find his way back to where I left him but also chasing down things that caught his eye. So I put myself in his shoes and thought about where he might wonder to. I looked in various food isles, over by the books, and I finally wandered over to the pet section. There I saw a familiar worker with a long red ponytail feeding some rabbits. I walked up to him and prayed he could help me. " Hey Shingen." He smiled at me and waved.

"Hey what's up?" I wasted no time in telling him about my current problem.

"I was wondering you saw a man about this tall," I used my hands to gesture Masamune's height, "with blue eyes. He's got on a grey shirt and jeans." Shingen seemed to think about it and then his face seemed to light up.

"Yeah I saw him just a bit ago. He was looking at the puppies and then went that way.  Is he your boyfriend or something?" I was caught a little off guard by his question. It wasn't that I minded it just that Shingen almost never asked me about my personal life before now.

"No we're just friends but it's his first time here so I'm pretty sure he's lost." Shingen nodded but his smile never changed. "Speaking of I need to go. Thanks for your help."

"No problem. I'll see you around." The way he said it almost sounded like he was certain of it but rather than focus on it I went in search for Masamune. The direction Shingen had pointed me toward was swarming with people handing out food samples. I walked all over until I the sound of my name stopped me in my tracks. I looked and hoped that I wasn't imagining it. When I looked there I saw Masamune sitting on a giant teddy bear with a small bag of mini doughnuts. Joy and relief flowed through me as I ran up to him. Without even thinking I threw my arms around him.

"Masamune! I'm so glad I found you!"

"You were worried?" His voice was right by my ear and I pulled back embarrassed by my forwardness.

"Well yeah. I mean of course." I was sure that my cheeks were red and it was hard not to stutter. "It's just I know you tend to get anxious in crowds and try to avoid them. So I started looking for you right away. Sorry it took me so long." He smiled softly at me and I knew that meant he didn't blame me.

"It's alright. I should of stayed by the cart like you told me too. My plan was to call you but I must of left my phone at home."

"I know. I tried to call it but Kojuro answered it. He seemed pretty angry with me." I then remembered that I needed to message him and let him know I found Masamune. Hopefully that would calm him down before we got back to the house.

"He'll get over it. Kojuro worries far too much." I looked at Masamune and the softness on his face turned to excitement. "Speaking of look at what I found!" He pointed to the giant bear behind him with a boyish glee. "I want to buy two of these and give them to Kojuro and Shigezane. If I sneak them into their rooms they be completely surprised." I couldn't tell if he was doing this as a prank or out of love but he looked too excited for me to stop him. So after Masamune finished his doughnuts  he carried his bear up to the check out and told the employee that he needed another one. While we waited I felt someone tap my shoulder. I looked around and saw Shingen.

"Hey. I see you found your friend." I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks again for your help. It probably would of taken longer if you wouldn't of pointed me in the right direction." Shingen chuckled but then narrowed his eyes in almost and enticing manor.

"So about seeing you around. How about I see you while we have dinner tomorrow night? Six o'clock sound good?" Realizing he had just asked me out on a date I was at a loss for words. Dating was not something I was used to doing. My work alone kept me busy enough as is.

"That's really nice of you Shingen but," before I could actually give an answer the voice behind me did.

"She has plans with me that night." I whirled around and found Masamune standing behind me with his arms crossed behind his chest. Shingen didn't seem deterred by this at all though. In fact it seemed like he took it as a challenge

"I see. Well then how about next week?" Shingen's attention was back on me but this time I actually had a real answer but again Masamune answered for me.

"I don't think you understand. She has plans with me indefinitely." This time my cheeks turned red because that sounded an awful like like something a boyfriend would say. Shingen also finally seemed surprised but it soon turned into a chuckle.

"I see. Well apparently a lot has changed since she told me you were just a friend." Shingen laughed again but didn't seem angry. I continued to watch the whole exchange not sure what to say. "See you around." He turned on his heel and walked away and I still watched in shock. Shingen had asked me out and Masamune had gotten  jealous? When I tried to look at Masamune for answers it almost looked like he was blushing. Confused as I was we left the store in silence. Once in the car though I couldn't handle the silence.

"So what exactly are these indefinite  plans do I have with you?" I could tell that he was blushing but it was cute.

"You don't have to worry about it. I don't really know what came over me back there." Despite what he was saying I could tell that he was putting on a front. In the three years I've known Masamune I could tell when he was hiding his real feelings. Knowing this I decided to be just a little bit more bold.

"That's too bad." I took note of the shock on his face and continued. "I would definitely be ok with having indefinite plans you." We were at a stop light so I turned to look at him and couldn't help but smile. He looked surprised but he soon returned my smile.

"Well if that's the case then maybe we should talk about it over dinner tomorrow night." Now it was my turn to blush, but I nodded all the same.

"I'd really like that." Despite completely failing at the shopping I still felt happy. I'd have to go back to Costco tomorrow and I lost a day of prep. However it seemed like a small price to pay for a date with Masamune. Never imagined that it would take losing him inside of Costco for that to happen, but I was glad all the same.

The Almighty Pontheon Chapter 2: Check-In

“But, hey! Just “Almighty Vee” is perfectly fine, too!”

Hearing the name of her Almighty made Meden's eye glimmer with sheer joy. In fact, all eyes were on the Mighty Vee as her introduction got the attention of the few Patapons left to celebrate the occasion. At most, she spotted thirteen in the immediate area, not including Meden. How much had these guys been suffering while she was gone?

"Oh, Mighty Vee..." Meden swooned. "How long we have waited for you!" Meden's sweet words caught her attention. "A-aw! That's-" "Praise the Mighty Vee!" One of the Patapons in the crowd called, eliciting a chorus of praises from the Patapons attending the feast. "Welcome, Vee~!"

"Queen of all! Oh, Mighty Vee!"

"Vee rules!"

Once the praises and the Mighty One's growing blush died down, Meden vied for her attention again. "We're grateful that you've returned, except..." The woman's expression dropped, immediately going from being absolutely elated to sad puppy in a mater of moments. "Great Vee, we're starving! Oh please, give us food before we collapse and die!"

"Starving?" Vee cocked her head a bit. "But... Pata Plains, it's right there. Can't you hunt?" "Oh no, Mighty Vee, we can." Meden said. "But... I'm afraid we've encountered quite a few setbacks as of late." "Them being?" "You know the three Yaripons you helped Hatapon rescue earlier? Well... Forgive us, Mighty Vee, but they are all we have left of our army. There is only so much three wooden spears can do, especially without the drums..." "Not to mention our enemies." Hatapon, who had previously been shoveling the scraps that counted as a feast into his mouth, finally spoke up. "The Catotons encroach on our territory day by day. They are awfully aggressive as of late, for some reason. They know how weak we've become, so they think they can bully our hunting party around!"

The Almighty really didn't need any more convincing. The Patapons were weak and the Catotons were pushing them around because of it, got it. Meden, for some reason, thought her Goddess was still on the fence. The Priestess reached out and grasped Vee's hand before looking right at her with the look of a sad orphan on the verge of tears. "Oh merciful Mighty Vee! Please lend the Yaripons your power, bring us only a little meat, that's all we ask!"

"U-uhm..." No, Vee, keep it together. It's not very god-like to stammer. You're an Almighty, you got this. It was unnerving how helpless they were without an Almighty around. It made Vee wonder how many had perished due to Catoton attacks, disease, exposure, or just plain starvation. She couldn't imagine what would have happened had she arrived any later than she did.

"You guys... Really don't need to try and coax me into this." The Almighty smiled nervously, but it was still a smile nonetheless. "Yes, I'll go hunting with you-""You will!?" Meden quickly dropped her sad expression and soon found herself bounding with joy. "Yes, yes! Great Vee, please follow me! I'll show you our Obelisk! That's where you go to hunt and talk to your army and equip new gear and-"

Meden had snatched Vee's hand with the gentlest, most inescapable grip and began dragging her off to the Obelisk. Hatapon, along with the rest of the Patapons, simply watched the scene go on.

"Someone ought remind Meden that's our Almighty she's dragging by the wrist!" One of them half-shouted, half-laughed at the display. An overeager Priestess and her Goddess, taken right off guard by it all.

"Aw, let it happen." Hatapon cooed. "I don't think our Great One will pack up and leave just because Meden's a little excited. I don't blame her at all, really... I kinda forgot myself, too." One fellow in the trees narrowed his eye at Hatapon. "...What... What do you mean, Hata?" "I hugged her." He replied. "I hugged the Great One..." "...And?" The other Patapon lowered his voice to a whisper. "What did it feel like?" "Like a warm, fluffy cloud... Just like the Volipons were, but even softer..." ~~~ Seeing as the Patapons were feeling quite hungry after their sad excuse of a feast, Vee decided to take them hunting that night instead of waiting for daybreak. There was a lingering worry in the back of her mind that they would wake up to find one of them already starved to death. The hunt was a breeze- Two Kacheeks and even a Mochichi were their prizes that night. The group especially went wild over the bird, and raved about how good the flesh would be.

The walk home saw Vee getting a bit more familiar with her army. The spearmen were called Ton, Chin, and Kan, as she would find out. Ton was impressionable, very impressionable. It didn't take much for him to be convinced that something was the truth, and it didn't take that much to make him question thing either. He was also quite the defeatist, but still charming and an absolute sweetheart nonetheless. Chin had the tendency to show his affection and happiness though light physical contact, usually with light bumps or even the occasional hi-five. He seemed to like being in the spotlight and was quick to try and get some personal glory for himself, now more than even considering that the Almighty was physically here, watching him. Kan was energetic and peppy, always doing some trick with his spear or telling some weird joke with Hatapon. Vee could certainly sense a hint of mischievous tendencies hidden in him somewhere, perhaps he was keeping it subdued in the presence of a Goddess.

The delivery of the meat saw an uproarious applause from the rest of the tribe, Meden was even on the verge of bursting into tears. The fresh meat was handed off to a supposed apprentice of a lost Patapon Genius for preparation. "Ah, Mighty Vee!" Meden piped up. "We thank you for this sustenance!" She then turned to the hungry tribe, further raising her voice to get their collective attention. "Everyone! Please leave your offerings for Almighty Vee at the Altar-" "Offerings? Aren't you all starving to death, though?" Vee felt her tall ears lower slightly. She didn't want to be the reason these guys had to go hungry... What kind of an Almighty would she be if that was permitted?

"Oh no, Great Vee! Please don't fret, we don't need that much food to fill our bellies!" Meden responded. "Our offerings to your are only the best cuts of meat- A fine sacrifice for the Almighty responsible for saving our lives!" The Patapons began to praise Vee once more with a symphony of "Yes, Vee! You're the best!" With that, she relented, allowing their tradition to continue. "Oh, Great Vee, I would like to declare one more thing!" Meden proclaimed in the midst of their new and improved feast. "As you know, Mighty Vee, I am your devoted servant. I should hope that my appearance communicates that already, tee-hee!" It was true. One could tell just how devoted she was by those robes. The feathers mimicking her ears, the cream-colored furs and cape she wore, and the overall brown color scheme ensured everyone knew who her people worshiped. "I felt that... Well, Great Vee! Not only my appearance, but my name should also express my devotion to you! Everyone, please call me Veeden from now on!" Vee nearly spat out her drink in shock. Instead, she choked on it a little. "Y-you don't have to, really! All these radical things you're doing for me, you don't need to!" "But Great Vee, I insist!" Veeden whined. "I would be much happier if you allowed me to express my love for you in this way! Changing my name is one of the highest offers I can give you!" "Er... M-Veeden... You're...?" Veeden gave the Almighty a knowing nod, her eye's glimmer returning. And Vee relented. ~ While they were gone, a large tent had already been pitched for Vee. Compared to the tiny homes the other Patapons made do with, the Almighty had a luxury villa on her hands. Veeden had stocked the place up already with soft hides and some simple furnishings. As it would turn out, nights often got pretty cold out here, hence the furs her Priestess wore.

She fully expected to stumble into her new tent and collapse upon her bedding, Vee felt at least entitled to that. However, the moment she stepped through the threshold of the tent's opening, a sense of divine power flooded into her. It was the distinct aura of Gods stronger than herself, and it was enough to make her fur stand up on end.

Normally, this sort of feeling would have humbled even the strongest of Patapon warriors. However, it only made the Great Vee feel instantly annoyed. "Oh, honestly! What are you two doing here?" Sitting in her tent as if she owned the place was a medium-sized land dragon covered in shining blue scales. She was very distinct from other dragons the Ancients had tangled with in the past, as she almost appeared to be a hybrid of some kind- a cross between dragon, dog, and lion. Two curved horns on her head appear to have been the influence in the distinct features of the Gyaba line of Rarepons. Resting against this dragon was an ornate golden shield. A few scratches damaged its surface, but they only served to prove how worthy this gear was for battle. They were not simply just a dragon and a shield, though. No, Vee recognized them, they were just in disguise. Looks like older siblings Tierra, the Almighty of Love and Motherhood and Lehabim, Almighty of Fire and Armor had just dropped in for a visit.

"I thought I told you all I could handle myself out here!" The Fox Almighty hissed. "What's with you two?" "Hello to you too, Vee." The dragon spoke with a hint of snobbishness. "Goodness me, we only wanted to see how you were doing!"

"I'm doing-" The younger Almighty stepped on a unchecked stone that had not been cleared from the tent grounds, causing her to jump a bit. "Just fine!"

"If you say so, Vee." The shield spoke. "But we couldn't help but notice how jittery you were at first. Vee, you have to be careful about your nerves! If your people see you get too nervous, their faith will waver!”

The lecturing shield sighed. “Are you absolutely sure you're ready for this? Do you want one of us to take over and mess with this world’s memories so you can-" "No!" Vee shook her head at the proposal. "No, listen! I'm just fine, okay? I've been watching all of you guys do the exact same stuff in your worlds for a long time now! I just got a little excited at first, that's all! I-I can do this, I swear to you-" "Try to separate our worlds from yours, Vee." Lehabim interrupted. "The worlds Eternity gave to us run parallel to one another- and so everything in those worlds played out the same. This one, however... It's all sorts of different. We can't guarantee that you can expect what'll happen next, so you need to be cautious." "Mhmm, it never hurt anyone to be careful." Tierra agreed. "And don't be afraid to call on your family if you need help, Vee! We all love our little sister very much."

The smaller Almighty felt her ears droop down a bit as she looked away from the two. They knew her weakness, her entire family did. Their sincerity and caring nature towards her always ended up forcing her guard down no matter what happened. A simple "Your family will always love you" made her drop any hostility she may have had in an instant.

He must have been feeling particularly good that night, because Lehabim took advantage of the distracted Vee to hop into his Patapon disguise- that of a decorated Tatepon with a unique helm. He marched over to her and gently grabbed her ears.

"We know you have it in you, Vee. All 21 of us know you can figure this out... Just use these big ears Eternity gave you and lead your world to greatness..." She was trying to gently swat him away, but Lehabim must have been feeling extra sentimental and countered her bats with a hug. "...Ah, if only she could see you now. Our mother would be so proud of you, Vee..." "She certainly would." Tiera joined in- still in her dragon form- and gave them as good of a hug as she could muster in that shape. By now, though, Vee was starting to have enough of it.

"Leha! Tie! You can let go now, please!" "Nope!" The Shield Almighty teased, hugging her even tighter. "Gotta keep our precious sister close, right Tierra?" "Yes! And we'll slaughter any who so much as scrapes her!"

"Cut it oouuuttt!" ~~~ It was one of Hatapon's jobs to come to the Almighty each night and brief her on what their plans were for the next morning, as well as the general status of the tribe and its people. Tomorrow, they had agreed to hunt just a bit further than what they had initially covered that night. However, as he peered into the Great One's tent, he saw her being embraced by a dragon and an experienced Tatepon. Then, he quickly and quietly turned around and headed for his own tent. There was no doubt in his mind that this truly was the Almighty Vee now.

marks

More has changed over the past five months than Chizuru ever could have imagined, but even considering the misfortune that came with them, she wouldn’t change a thing.

She feels as though she should be more affected by the fact that Heisuke broke up with her a few weeks ago, but as it is, he actually cried more than she did. They loved each other deeply—they still do—but Chizuru could feel that he wanted more from her than she felt ready to give. And he chose to leave her rather than pressure her, or ask her to change.

On the whole, Chizuru understands that she was true to herself and honest with Heisuke from the beginning, and therefore that there is precious little to regret. After all, he deserves to be happy, and if she cannot make him so, then she has no business being selfish and keeping him. She has only to look forward to the day they can be friends again, the air fresh and clear between them.

Still, given the stubborn innocence that ultimately drove Heisuke away, it is undeniably ironic that someone like Souji is still in Chizuru’s life.

…Barely. He fell out of it entirely for a while, once he had to drop the only class they shared, and her fascination ebbed away as everyday life demanded her attention. It flared up again only once, when Souji showed up on campus and called Chizuru’s name just before she opened the classroom door. Even the brief and superficial conversation that followed made her physically weak for an hour afterwards, so that it was all she could do to focus on her studies.

Since then, however, Chizuru’s life has gone almost entirely back to normal, and her feelings have calmed down again—more decisively this time. Enough that she is comfortable with inviting Souji back to her house, now that he has finally found some free time too.

But Chizuru was determined to keep her expectations of such a visit as low as possible. Having spent more time away from Souji now than the amount of time they’d known one another in the first place, she assumed they’d have to start all over again, rebuilding their rapport from the ground up.

Let the bite marks on her neck and the scratches on her back stand as testament to how wrong she truly was.

It starts innocently enough, as always… if any kisses can be said to be innocent, the way Souji gives them. But at least he’s the one to make the first move this time, instead of waiting for her. She doesn’t even remember what started it, only that after an hour of catching up, they were suddenly kissing again for the sheer wild joy of it, as though they’d never been apart.

“I’m so glad you felt like doing that,” says Chizuru quietly, catching her breath after the first one, and hugs Souji close on top of her.

Souji rolls back onto his side and smiles, a little distantly. “I feel a little like I’m leading you on,” he confesses. “A friend stopped talking to me over this kind of thing.”

Chizuru frowns. “I would have to have expectations for you to be leading me on,” she says. Miraculously, they are more aware of where they stand than ever. “And I don’t, so you’re not. I don’t understand how anyone could possibly…”

“Well, I also fucked her,” says Souji conversationally, and Chizuru freezes for a moment as her mind recalibrates. “Three… no, four times. So there’s that.”

“There… is that,” agrees Chizuru helplessly—though privately, she still doesn’t understand how anyone could give up Souji over a simple misunderstanding, or demand more from him than he gave. (But then, he’s shown her that she is a little more flexible in the world of relationships than she thought.)

Whatever Chizuru’s thoughts are, they melt away in the wake of another string of kisses—some tender, some passionate. Making out feels just like she remembers, although oddly, Souji seems a little out-of-practice.

…Sort of. Lying half beside her, half beneath her, he moves his hand up to her throat, then hesitates and curves it to her cheek. And then breaks away. “Sorry,” mumbles Souji. “Reflex.”

“What are you apologizing for?” asks Chizuru, uncomprehending.

Souji pauses, eyeing her in some surprise. “Didn’t think you were into that,” he says. “I was going to choke you.”

There is a beat of silence before it really clicks, but Chizuru is far from repulsed. Instead, she feels only a strange, unforeseen curiosity. “I don’t know,” she says, words tumbling out of her mouth, and does not meet Souji’s eyes. “I-it’s not like I’ve ever had the chance to find out what I’m into.”

His only response is to grin, position himself over her, and lean down to kiss her again. Only this time, the space between Souji’s thumb and forefinger presses into her throat, tentative, half-gentle. And it doesn’t hurt. Her breathing doesn’t even feel constricted, only shallower, but all sound is muted in her ears, and her lips move more slowly as their kiss goes on.

As they catch their breath, he nestles his face into the side of Chizuru’s neck, but the motion is halting. And Souji can tell she has noticed. “Another reflex,” he mumbles into her, by way of explanation.

“What?”

Souji shifts himself up to look down at her. “I was going to bite you.”

“Oh,” says Chizuru, baring her neck. “Really?”

Taking the hint, Souji leans down again, and—true to his word—bites her. Not too hard, his teeth scraping along her skin, separating only slowly. Chizuru only realizes she’s stopped breathing once she exhales, as he withdraws.

“That was about 50% strength,” murmurs Souji, and their eyes lock. “Good?”

“A-ah,” says Chizuru, flushing. “Yes. But I think… 50% might be all I can handle.” Especially because Souji is now positioned snugly between her legs. And Chizuru has, somehow, never been more comfortable in her life.

Time loses all meaning as the afternoon drags on, kisses and the occasional bite interspersed with casual conversation, all natural as the summer sunlight spilling through the window. Now that her emotions have settled, Chizuru’s body has taken over more quickly than she anticipated. It is not like being unconscious; her inhibitions are simply lower.

Far lower.

Souji’s pressure on Chizuru’s throat is more insistent this time, closer to painful, but he moves his thumb when she taps on it to lessen the discomfort. He whispers something, but she cannot hear with the sound so muffled in her ears.

“Wha…?”

“Tap me three times and I’ll let go,” murmurs Souji, his words a vibration Chizuru feels more than hears, and barely understands. And in any case, the last thing she wants is for him to let go.

But he does, anyway, after some time.

“Enjoying yourself?” whispers Souji.

“Yes,” breathes Chizuru, once she can breathe again. (But it is decidedly not the suffocation that makes her lungs so airless.) “Are you?”

“Yeah,” says Souji, sitting back, and takes Chizuru by the shoulders as though to bring her with him. But the movement is unexpected, and she has no idea what his aim is, so she cannot help him. Lying down is well and good, but what can they possibly do sitting up?

“What do you want?” asks Chizuru, her speech clumsy and direct.

“You, on my lap,” says Souji, just as abruptly.

There is no time to question things. Sitting up to follow, Chizuru obediently straddles Souji, and their lips meet again, as hungrily as though they never broke apart. Communication is far less disruptive to this process than Chizuru might have imagined.

Outside, a car alarm distracts them, and Souji smiles into Chizuru’s mouth and breaks away. “It’s too hot for the car outside,” he mumbles, angling his head to bite her again. Harder this time, and Chizuru inhales sharply as pain flashes through her, but it is by no means an unpleasant experience.

“That was closer to 100%,” says Souji, his voice low in his throat. “Left some marks.” And, though Chizuru might ordinarily have protested, in the moment, that means nothing. (Her hair will cover them, if she keeps it in a low ponytail.)

Instead, she takes the opportunity to push Souji down. She has not mastered the technique required to exact retribution, but she can at least take the lead, tilting her head the other way and making known the irrepressible physicality of her affection. Now that she is no longer under his thumb, literally or figuratively, Chizuru is free to express her desire as she chooses.

Over the course of the next several minutes, Souji turns her over once to bite her again, to choke her again… to angle his thigh between both of hers. Through some magic Chizuru cannot fathom, he is able to tread the finest line of sensuality and sexuality, adding a layer of sensuous pleasure without pressuring her into more. This is simply a part of the dance.

Eventually, Souji rolls over and takes Chizuru with him so that she sits atop him, leaning over him as they catch their breath—her unbound hair falling in curtains on either side of her face. Yet she finds herself entirely at ease, and even a little excited for whatever he has in store next.

Chizuru finds out as Souji slips his hand beneath her shirt. His nails are still just a little too long, and Chizuru shivers. “Is that a yes or a no?” asks Souji, pausing.

“Yeah,” says Chizuru, distantly.

“I… don’t know what that means.”

“It means yes,” says Chizuru, and Souji reaches farther up her shirt, beneath her bra. As he scratches lightly up and down the length of her back, Chizuru curves away from the pressure instinctively, and an automatic smile tugs at her lips as she savors the sensation.

“Softer?” asks Souji quietly. “Harder?”

“I—I don’t know,” says Chizuru, unable even to think straight. Souji waits, but when no further consent comes, he quickly shifts his attention elsewhere.

Bringing his hand up to the back of her head, he knots his fingers in her hair and pushes her down into another kiss. And then jerks her aside to bring his teeth to the side of her neck again—a perfect puppeteer, twisting together two kinds of pain into unimaginable pleasure.

Chizuru gasps this time, her reactions becoming more vocal with every passing moment, and Souji lets her hair slip back through his fingers so she can recover. Which reminds the small part of her that can still think…

“D-do you want me to put my hair up?”

But Souji shakes his head, smirking. “Gotta get a good grip,” he says, weaving his fingers in her hair, and curls his hand into a fist pointedly. “Close to the root. It’s harder if it’s already in one place. And less fun.”

Another kiss, half forced, and Chizuru gives herself over to Souji’s careful control. Her body needs air, but she wants too badly to make the most of the time they have to stop now. They stand at a crossroads in their lives, and even just today, he will have to leave her house soon. Who knows how long it will be before they can do this again…?

By the time Chizuru comes back to herself, their time has run out, and Souji has rolled her over one last time to look down at her. “You’re an adorable sub, you know,” he says, gazing down at her, the emotion in his eyes sincere and as close to affection as it ever comes. “You’re so clueless.”

Chizuru isn’t sure ‘adorable sub’ is a title she ever sought, but now she feels that she will treasure it always, and giggle about it in secret. “Thanks?”

Souji only laughs, lying down next to Chizuru, and prods her onto her side so he can spoon her. “Aftercare is important,” he tells her, tangling his legs with hers, and she feels more than anything else that it is an excuse to stay longer.

Still, Chizuru does not question it. Gratified by Souji’s mere presence in her life, her only response is to interlace their fingers, and try to catch her breath. How many things has he taught her about herself, and how many things does she have yet to find out?

(It seems Chizuru learns something new every day Souji is at her side.)

How bout a Fake Engagement AU? Bucky pretends Tony is his fiance to get Steve, Natasha & Sam off his back, about settling down. Only it backfires, because they demanded he bring Tony to the next family event, to meet his future husband. Only one tiny ity bitty problem, Tony isn't his boyfriend let alone his fiance, just Bucky's favorite bartender down at The Avenger. Bucky may also be like half in love with him. Totally unrelated. Now Bucky has ask Tony to be his finance for a week. No pressure.

Plus One

Bucky took a deep breath and pushed open the door tohis favorite bar, instinctively relaxing when the familiar smells and soundswashed over him. It was still early and The Avenger only had a few patrons,most of them regulars who Bucky knew by face or, in rare cases, by name.

Tony lit up when he caught sight of Bucky, his grinwide enough to cause an excited flutter in Bucky's chest, as always.

"What's this? Is it Christmas already?" Tonycalled from behind the bar, looking delighted as Bucky made his way toward him."Two times in a week, Buckling? I am officially the luckiest guy in NewYork."

Atrocious as the nickname was, Bucky couldn't helpsmiling as he reached the bar and slid into his usual seat.

The first time Bucky had shuffled into The Avenger,he'd done so out of sheer necessity. He'd been cold and shivering, miserableafter having spent hours outside in the rain, walking aimlessly in an attemptto chase away the darkness that tended to creep up on him when he sat alone inhis shitty apartment for too long. The soft, warm lights of the bar had calledto him, promising a sanctuary Bucky had so desperately needed.

Once inside he'd been met with dark wood, soft music,and a subtle murmur of voices, so different from the loud bars and clubs he andhis friends usually visited. There had been enough dark corners that Buckycould easily have disappeared if he so wished, the atmosphere one of politeindifference. He'd known right away that no one would bother him here — no onewould care.

Bucky could still remember how the tension he'd beencarrying — the one that had chased him out onto the streets in the first place— had bled out of him within seconds.

"And why are you so lucky?" Bucky asked,even if he knew exactly where this was going.

"Because you spoil me, Buckling," Tonyreplied, tone playful. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"I just can't resist, doll," Bucky said. Hewas still surprised by how easy it was to banter with Tony. Ever since Buckyreturned from Afghanistan, most social interactions felt like pulling teeth andflirting had been entirely out of the question — until he met Tony. It wasalmost frighteningly easy to talk to Tony. "The thought of going one moreday without seein' your pretty face nearly broke my heart."

Tony laughed, bright and carefree, and Bucky couldbarely breathe for how beautiful Tonylooked in that moment.

(Mobile readers, watch out for the break.)

"I bet you say that to all the boys," Tonyteased.

Bucky rested his forearms against the counter and gaveTony a wink. "You're the only one for me, sweetheart. You know that."

Tony braced his hands against the bar, wide apart, andleaned closer. Bucky could smell a whiff of Tony's aftershave and see theflecks of gold in his brown eyes.

"Good," Tony said, voice low enough to senda subtle shiver down Bucky's spine. The playfulness in Tony's gaze said that hewas probably just joking, but Bucky soaked up the attention all the same."Keep it that way."

Bucky placed a hand over his heart. "You have myword."

He was rewarded with another laugh and Bucky knew he had to be grinning like alovesick idiot. He was so in over his head with this one.

It was strange to think that Bucky had only given Tonya cursory glance the first time he visited the bar. Sure, Tony had beenundeniably charming even back then, with his wide, inviting smile and sparklingeyes, but Bucky had been too preoccupied with his own misery to really care.He'd simply ordered a drink, found an empty booth, and proceeded to ignoreeveryone around him.

Bucky had sat in that booth for almost two hours, coldand wet, fingers loosely wrapped around the tumbler of whiskey and gaze staringblankly at the table in front of him. No one had bothered him or asked him ifhe was okay, and that had been fine by him.

He'd been able to breathe freely for the first time inmonths, which had been nothing short of a miracle.

It wasn't until he had gotten up to leave — asurprising but very welcome calm having settled over him sometime during thosetwo hours — that he had happened to catch Tony's gaze across the room. Onlythen had Bucky noticed how the lighting inside the bar made everything glow asoft and warm gold — including Tony.

His eyes had looked like gently burning embers,bright, mesmerizing, and breathtakingly beautiful.

After that, Bucky felt he couldn't be blamed forreturning to the bar a second time. And a third. And a fourth. He'd done sopartly because The Avenger — with its soft music and low, murmuring voices —helped put his whirring mind at ease, but mainly it was thanks to Tony. Buckywasn't sure why he found the place so soothing, but he wasn't going to complain,especially seeing how well it worked.

It wasn't until Bucky's fourth visit that he and Tonyhad started talking and — as Bucky became one of the regulars — it soon becamea habit.

They had exchanged words before, sure, when Bucky hadplaced his orders, but this was different. It was actual conversations withgently asked questions and equally careful answers. Bucky wasn't sure what itmeant — if anything at all — but he liked it. He liked talking to Tony. Theybecame friends, of sorts, even if it wasn't an entirely conventional relationship,given that Tony was working every time they met.

The fact that Bucky's feelings for Tony weren'tentirely platonic, well — Bucky kept that to himself.

"So, what can I do for you?" Tony asked,straightening a little, but not so much that he was actually out of Bucky'sreach. It was a heady feeling to have Tony that close. "You want theusual?"

And, just like that, Bucky was reminded of his reasonfor showing up at the bar. He'd actually managed to forget his currentpredicament, if only for a little while.

He cleared his throat, feeling his stomach twist fromnerves. "Uh, yeah. Sure," he croaked, almost wincing at how not smooth that response had been.

Tony did pause for a second — his concern easy to spotin the sudden sharpness of his gaze — but he clearly knew Bucky well enough totell that this wasn't one of his bad nights. Not like Bucky's first couple ofvisits to The Avenger, when he'd barely been able breathe through the panic andPTSD.

"Coming right up, Buckling," Tony repliedeasily.

Bucky could tell that Tony was giving him time togather his thoughts, but that he would eventually ask why Bucky seemed sonervous. That was one of Tony's best qualities — over the one and a half yearsthey had known each other, he'd learned when to wait Bucky out and when to pushfor answers.

Surprisingly, Bucky did most of the talking in theirrelationship. He wasn't sure how that had happened; not even Steve managed tocoax as many honest answers out of him as Tony did. Bucky wasn't the kind ofperson who liked to share — he kept his problems to himself — but every singletime that Tony tilted his head to the side and asked that one simple question,the words just came pouring out.

"Want to talkabout it?"

Bucky didwant to talk about it. He'd had no idea how much he wanted to talk about thingsuntil he met Tony. It was in that dimly lit bar, fingers holding on to a glassof booze he rarely ever finished, that he spoke freely for the first time inhis life. Bucky wasn't sure why — what Tony did to make Bucky trust him to thatdegree — but it was such a relief.

He told Tony about his anger over losing his arm,about the slow and agonizing recovery and the infernal prosthetic he wasexpected to wear, about his family, and about Steve, Sam, and Natasha. Buckytold Tony things he hadn't even told Steve, though those weren't many.

Occasionally, Tony shared anecdotes of his own. Hetold Bucky about his joy of tinkering, about the wild adventures he'd had withhis best friend while at MIT, and about small tidbits from his everyday lifethat Bucky treasured with embarrassing enthusiasm. Every piece of informationthat he was able to gather about Tony was precious to him and only served tomake Bucky like the man even more.

Bucky couldn't be blamed, he felt, for falling half inlove with Tony. Who wouldn't? The man was charming and kind, and listened to aone-armed veteran without a hint of impatience.

It was easy to fall for someone like that.

The fact that Bucky had managed to convince Steve,Sam, and Nat that the feeling was mutual, well — that was perhaps a bit of aproblem, on the other hand. He should never have told his friends that he had afiancé. Why on earth had he donethat?

Well, he knew why — because Bucky hated how theynagged about him needing to find someone to settle down with. He was in no moodfor dating and certainly not marriage,but that was, apparently, not a sufficient answer.

So he lied. He told them that he did, in fact, havesomeone — they were engaged, even.

Steve had been delighted, so desperate for Bucky tofind happiness, while Nat had been more skeptical. It was her questions thathad pushed Bucky to reveal more about this secret fiancé of his and, in amoment of absolute panic, he'd ended up describing the bartender at hisfavorite bar. It would have been wiser to just conjure up an imaginary person,but no, that was apparently too easy. Bucky had to go and pick someone he wasactually mooning over and then proceed to describe the man in such detail thathis friends demanded to meet him.

Bucky had done a lot of idiotic things in his life,but this might very take the cake.

He was so stupid.

A tumbler was placed in front of him and Bucky took adeep breath before looking up at Tony. "Thanks."

Tony smiled and mirrored Bucky's position with hisforearms braced against the bar between them. The light made Tony's hair glow awarm, dark gold, and he looked so effortlessly handsome that Bucky didn't knowwhether to look away or stare like a complete fool.

Bucky chose the latter, glancing down at his glass ofwhiskey when the warmth in Tony's gaze became too much.

After another couple of seconds, Tony spoke up."Are you going to make me ask?"

"Well, I dolove the sound of your voice." Bucky was just trying to buy himself time,but he was very pleased that it earned him a laugh from Tony.

"Flattery will get you everywhere."

When their gazes met, Bucky couldn't help grinning; thesmile on Tony's face made Bucky a little breathless. As nervous as he was abouthis purpose for visiting, seeing Tony never failed to make him happy.

Tony nudged Bucky's elbow with his own. "Butdon't think I didn't notice you trying to avoid the subject."

There was that wave of vague nausea again. Bucky stareddown at his tumbler of whiskey, absently rubbing his thumb against the rim ofthe glass. It was probably better to just get it over with.

He cleared his throat and forced his voice to remain steady."Can I... ask you a favor?"

"Sure. Shoot," Tony replied immediately — nohesitation or questions asked.

The trust Tony had in him was gratifying, but alsoserved to make Bucky even more nervous. This was a pretty huge favor, afterall, and he wasn't sure how Tony would react to it. Had it just been a matterof him coming along to Bucky's little sister's wedding then they might havebeen fine, but the fact that everyone there expected Bucky to bring his elusivefiancé, well — that made things difficult.

Bucky had actually refused when Steve, Nat, and Samhad tried to convince him that bringing Tony to the wedding would be a lovely idea. There were limits to howmany lies Bucky was willing to tell and he knew that he would be digginghimself into a far too deep hole with that one. If he wasn't able to get Tonyto come along, they'd know Bucky had been talking shit.

But then Becca had gotten involved, thanks to Nat'sscheming, no doubt.

While Bucky might be able to say no to his friends —even Steve, though it was embarrassingly difficult sometimes — he wasn't quiteprepared to deny his sister something she wanted for her wedding day. If onlythat thing hadn't been to meet Bucky's non-existent fiancé. Bucky couldn't evenfigure out if it would be worse to keep lying to her about said fiancé or justcome clean and admit that he was just as pathetically single as he had been forthe past two years.

Bucky only had himself to blame, he knew that, butthat didn't exactly make him feel better.

Fuck his life.

After much deliberation, Bucky had decided it wouldn'thurt to ask. The conversation wouldbe awkward, no doubt, but it probably wouldn't ruin his and Tony's friendshipentirely. If phrased correctly, Tony might even take it as a compliment.

"It's, uh... a big one. A huge one, actually." Bucky scratched his neck before lookingat Tony, already feeling like an idiot. Tony just kept smiling, patientlywaiting for Bucky to continue. Bucky cleared his throat — again — and managedto squeeze out the words: "Will you be my plus one for my little sister'swedding two months from now?"

Bucky desperately wanted to bang his head against thebar when he realized just how corny he'd made that sound. He behaved like ateenager asking his crush to the prom. Then again, that analogy wasn't entirelywithout merit, he supposed.

Tony blinked in surprise, looking quite stunned. Buckycouldn't blame him.

Bucky hurried to continue, not sure if he would havethe courage to explain the whole situation otherwise. "I know it's a strangerequest since we, well... we don't see each other outside of this bar. And itgets even weirder, too."

"Oh?" Tony seemed to have gotten over theinitial surprise, but his face remained carefully blank, as if he was waitingto show his reaction until Bucky had finished. Bucky had never seen Tony dothat before. Tony was usually very expressive, always smiling and open in hisbody language. Seeing him so contained was unnerving.

"I might have lied a little to my friends andfamily." Bucky swallowed, but forced himself to meet Tony's gaze. This wasdefinitely one of the most awkward conversations Bucky had ever had themisfortune of taking part in. "About, uh, my relationship status."

Within seconds, Tony's face broke into a wide grin.

"Ah. Ithink I know where this is going." The hesitation was gone, Tony's posturerelaxing yet again. Bucky hadn't even noticed it had tensed in the first place.

"You do?" Bucky asked incredulously. Sure,he knew that Tony was frighteningly intelligent — it hadn't taken Bucky morethan two conversations to figure that out — but this was a pretty bizarresituation.

"You lied and told them you were datingsomeone," Tony said, as if it was the most obvious and understandablething in the world, "and now they want you to bring this date of yours tothe wedding."

"Fiancé, actually," Bucky mumbled, not quitesure how to react. He'd expected to have to explain everything in detail, nothave Tony figure it out after just a couple of stumbling sentences.

"Fiancé? I like the way you think, Buckling — aimhigh, and all that." Tony tilted his head to the side, his smile almostdisturbingly excited. He was clearly enjoying this but Bucky couldn't quitetell if it was at his expense or not. "And I'm the lucky guy who gets toplay this fiancé of yours?"

To his horror, Bucky felt himself blush.

"Well, I—" He looked down at the bar andscratched his ear. "I guess? If you want to?"

"I would love to."

Bucky's gaze snapped up to look at Tony."Really?"

That was easy — a lot easier than Bucky thought itwould be.

"Yeah, sure." Tony shrugged, still smilinglike the conversation made complete sense and wasn't weird in the slightest.Bucky found himself wondering if anything could bring Tony out of balance."Who would pass up on a chance to see you all decked out in a nicesuit?"

"A lot of people," Bucky blurted out,wincing when he realized just how pathetic that made him sound. It was thetruth, though — one-armed veterans with PTSD weren't exactly in high demand.

"Their loss is my gain," Tony repliedeasily. While Tony wasn't one to give pep talks, there was something incrediblyreassuring in the way he firmly shot down Bucky's self-depreciating comments.Tony smiled and Bucky was so caught up in staring at him that he almostflinched when he felt a touch against his fingers. He glanced down to seeTony's hand gently settle over his.

"Bucky, sweetheart," Tony said, his gazedetermined, "I would be honored to be your fake fiancé at your sister'swedding."

Perhaps it was the serious tone Tony adopted or thegeneral ludicrousness of the situation, but Bucky burst out laughing. There wasa slightly manic hint to it that turned a couple of heads, sure, but Buckyignored the stares.

"There you are," Tony said with a pleasedgrin, squeezing Bucky's hand. "I like it better when you smile."

Bucky shook his head, still feeling the laughterbubble in his throat. He looked up at Tony, trying not to be distracted by theabsent little circles Tony's thumb were rubbing against the back of his hand.

"You're unbelievable," Bucky said.

"Why thank you."

When Tony pulled his hand back, Bucky tried his bestnot to miss its warmth.

"And you're takin' this surprisingly well."Not that Bucky was complaining — he just hadn't expected Tony to be soaccepting. "Have you been asked to be someone's fake date before?"

Tony grinned. "Nope. This is definitely a firstfor me. I'm just very good at adapting."

"I'd say." Bucky took a couple of deepbreaths, feeling his shoulders lower. He'd been so tense and nervous about thiswhole thing that he almost wanted to slump from relief. "You sure you'reup for it? It's a week-long thing. With family get-togethers and socializin'and a wedding reception and shit like that."

"Yes, Buckling," Tony replied patiently,"I'm sure. I'm flattered, actually. This means I must have done somethingright."

That was certainly true. There weren't many people Buckytrusted enough to ask, and few of those knew him as well as Tony did. There weresome details they still hadn't covered, sure — Bucky didn't know Tony'ssurname, now that he thought about it — but the foundation was there. Tony wasaware of the PTSD and Bucky's triggers, and hopefully remembered enough aboutBucky's family and friends not to walk in blind. Admittedly, Bucky knew lessabout Tony than the other way around, but still enough to call them friends.

Still enough to know that when it came down to it,there was no one else Bucky could or wanted to ask.

Bucky tried to swallow the lump of gratefulnessbuilding in his throat, with only marginal success. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure, Bucky."

"You might change your mind when faced with myfriends and family," Bucky warned, but he couldn't help the soft smilespreading on his lips. Tony had heard enough stories to know a lot about them,sure, but meeting someone in person was quite different, especially people likeNatasha or Steve. "They're a handful."

While Tony was exceedingly charming, Steve wouldn't befooled by a pretty face, and neither would Becca or Nat.

Tony, being who he was, winked, of all things. "Good. I like a challenge."

Bucky snorted on a laugh. "I think I regret thisalready."

"Are you breaking up with me, Buckling?"Tony teased, his eyes sparkling. "We didn't even make it to thewedding."

There was only one way Bucky could respond to that.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again,doll." He reached out and carefully laced their fingers together, giving agentle squeeze. "You're the only one for me."

For the first time since they had gotten to know eachother, Tony looked a little speechless. As much as the two of them flirted witheach other, they rarely touched. Bucky wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps it wasthe literal barrier of the bar between them or maybe Tony thought Bucky didn'tlike physical contact considering how rarely he initiated it.

While taking Tony's hand didn't seem all thatadventurous — Tony had touched him first, after all, just a couple of minutesago — Bucky had time to start wondering if he had crossed a line. Or maybe itwasn't the touching that had made Tony fall silent. Perhaps Bucky had saidthose words with a little too much conviction, unintentionally revealing thatthey weren't quite as fake as he pretended that they were.

An anxious knot started growing in Bucky chest and hewas just about to pull back and apologize when Tony smiled, warm and fond, likealways.

"And that's why I'm the luckiest guy in NewYork," Tony said, voice soft.

Bucky felt his heart squeeze, pleased when Tony seemedperfectly content to let their entwined hands continue to rest on top of thebar. They hadn't even started yet and Bucky could already tell that he was goingto be toeing a very dangerous line.Pretending to be engaged to Tony without making it obvious that Bucky was, infact, genuinely in love with the man was going to be tricky, but he was toorelieved to really care in that moment.

Bucky exhaled, squeezing Tony's fingers. "Thankyou. Again."

Tony smiled. "Anytime, Buckling."

There were a lot of technical details to take care ofinvolving the wedding — not to mention that he and Tony had to agree on variousdetails to make their story believable — but that could wait. They probablyshouldn't discuss those things in the middle of the bar anyway. In some weirdway, Bucky was actually beginning to look forward to the whole thing.

For one whole week, he'd get to pretend that Tony washis.

That probably made him all kinds of creepy, but Buckycouldn't help it. He had been in love with the man for so long and he wasembarrassingly eager to see what it would be like to be Tony's fiancé, even ifit was all pretend. Bucky would take whatever he could get.

In fact, a week was more than Bucky could ever havehoped for, and he would make sure to treasure it. For one whole week, Buckywould get to be Tony's fiancé.

Bucky couldn't believe his luck.

A/N: I would LOVE to continue this at some point and write the actual wedding, but because of deadlines and my semi-writer’s block I’m afraid this is all you’ll get this time around. Still, I hope you like it!

- Amethystina