#I had to lightheartedly rotate them for a while

[neversetyoufree]

I know this would never happen in canon for several reasons, but can you imagine being some random gossipy vampire who somehow finds out about Domi and Noé's whole Deal? Like.

"A noblewoman has been low-key letting her platonic friend drink her blood, and even sometimes drinking his."

Seemingly acceptable in vampire society, if maybe a little saucy. Even if we swap in the equivalent human "canoodling" (to use Vanitas's word), they're not the only ones in high society doing some casual messing around.

"The friend she's letting drink her blood is her grandfather's non-noble ward."

Potentially adds some scandal for those that care about class, but it's not too much crazier for the time and place.

"The noblewoman has been secretly in love with her friend since childhood, but the man sees their intimacy as purely platonic and physical."

Oh honey.

"The friend genuinely doesn't seem to realize that chewing on each other's necks could have any implications other than platonic."

We've entered weird territory. Does this guy live under a rock??? Has his friend encouraged this??

"The friend seems like he might be gay, or at least actively falling in love with and physically attracted to a man, despite his ongoing physical involvement with the noblewoman."

So is this guy using her? Is he an idiot? This poor woman has to be in some level of denial not to realize this is a doomed entanglement, right?

"The friend was in love with and used to drink the blood of the noblewoman's dead identical brother. He thinks about him when he bites her"

Girl run.

[maxdreavus]

When the Moon Fell in Love With the Sun | Ch. 6

March x F!Farmer

Rating: Mature/Explicit (eventual smut)

Chapter Summary: Olric and the farmer hang out!

Author’s Note: Sorry in advance to Olric enjoyers but god damn, the idea of Lady Who Works With Heavy Things x Himbo Who Likes Lifting Heavy Things is GOLDEN to me.

Also! Now that the game's first major update has been announced (!!!!!!), I wanna make it known for readers of the future that the entirety of this fic was written during the earlier months of the game's early access release!! The max number of hearts you can reach with anyone is 4 at the moment :3

Table of Contents + Work Summary

Check it out on ao3!

Prev | Next

After Elsie caught December and March canoodling in the bath house, word of their closeness spread like wildfire. They hadn’t “officially” begun a relationship yet, but nobody would believe their denial, so they’d stopped bothering to correct it.

It wasn’t like it was a bad thing. It was just tedious. They wanted to move at their own pace — both of them feeling nervous, on top of being out of practice — but they suddenly felt the pressure of everyone in Mistria doing their best to speed things up. As much as they both adored their small town, they were less than enthused to be the center of its gossip.

Luckily, the hype died down and they stopped having to avoid being seen too close to each other in public after only about two weeks, Juniper and Valen once again taking precedence. Nobody knew what they had going on, but nobody could deny that there was something there, and it was fascinating enough to make its way into the town’s entertainment rotation on a regular basis. 

Elsie adored a good rivals to lovers arc, so on more than one occasion she’d watch from across the bar or upon the inn’s balcony as the two bickered over wine just centimeters from each other’s faces. 

“Do you think they’ll kiss this time?” Reina, who was taking a break from the kitchen, asked one day from the second floor. 

“I can only dream of it,” Elsie sighed on her left. 

December nodded her agreement to Reina’s right, took a sip of her own wine, and pursed her lips for a moment. “I just know they wanna make out sloppy style.“

“Ha! Ew!” the chef reacted in tandem with December’s goofy, tipsy smile. Elsie nodded in concurrence with the farmer. 

Olric had made his way into the watch party that night, and poked fun at December with a (surprisingly) light nudge to her shoulder, “That’s basically what you and March looked like for the longest time!”

She groaned while he and the ladies giggled, and as if he had a sixth sense for this, March magically appeared to whisk her away and save her from their prying eyes.

The duo still lightheartedly argued plenty, and they still shot the shit daily. December was a pro at that, after all, utilizing her goofiness to diffuse just about any situation she found herself in. But they settled into a habit of merely holding hands and linking arms in public while kissing, hugging and cuddling in private. It was lovely.

Another week passed, and March and December were perusing the market hand in hand, a hot chocolate and an iced coffee in their respective opposing grasps.

March noted as they neared Vera’s booth a second time, “My roots are growing in… I should probably go see her.”

December gave his hand one last squeeze and saluted him, encouraging him to go for it (and earning a flick to the forehead for being a dork) before heading off to browse more of the market on her own. 

“December!”

She halted in place, looking around for the source of her name until she landed on Olric waving her over from the furniture stall. As she made her way towards him, he said bye to Merri, gave her a sweet peck, and jogged to meet December halfway. Before turning to walk with him, she and the merchant shared a quick wave. 

December liked Merri. She was friendly, witty, and she was always more than willing to share tips with her when it came to decorating or building her own pieces. Ryis did the same plenty, but he was much less focused on aesthetics, making Merri’s advice one of a kind. It was a shame the saleswoman could only come to town every so often — especially considering how smitten Olric was, December thought. 

“You two are adorable, you know.”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. His grin was wide and proud, his cheeks dusted with pink while he responded, “Aw, thanks!” December finished her coffee and tossed its empty vessel into the bin near Darcy’s set-up. “Any good finds?” Olric asked, noticing and nodding to the paper shopping bag in her hand.

December shrugged, “Louis finagled me into buying a dress I’ll probably never wear.”

“I can’t imagine you in a dress.”

“Neither can I!”

“He’s dangerous.”

“I can’t even call him a fraud to cope,” she lamented. She knew he was amazing at his job. “What about you?”

“Nah, I’ve just been hanging out with Merri all morning.”

“Did you lug any furniture for her?”

“Of course! I am a gentleman, thank you,” Olric bowed slightly, putting a hand on his heart as if to prove the point. December laughed at the gesture. “Oh, so you might like this: I was talking to Errol this morning, and he was describing, like, the sickest rock ever.”

Nodding along, December proceeded to listen as Olric gushed about said rock. While this went on, they stopped by the farm so she could drop off her shopping bag at home before wandering around town.

This rock Olric was talking about was round. Really round, in fact. He fawned over it even more when she told him that she was the one who donated it to the museum. She promised to save one for him if she found any more, and they made plans for him to actually come mining with her one of these days before they wrapped back around to the market square. 

They noticed near the fountain that the Dragonguard — as well as Reina and Celine, who were supervising their shenanigans — had matching streaks in their hair: a single sliver of purple on the right side. Since Luc’s hair was so short, he received a small butterfly-shaped plot of dye instead.

“They’re so cute, bro.” Olric then wondered, “I wonder if March would ever go purple.”

December snorted at the thought. “Have you ever thought of trying to match with him?”

“Ha! I’ve thought about it, yeah. I don’t think he would like that very much though.” Then, inspecting the top of December’s head, he asked, “Has your hair always been white?” 

”Mhm,” she nodded, “It’s genetic.” 

“Maybe you should change it up!” Olric beamed. “It’s not like it’s permanent.” 

“I don’t even know what I’d do with it.”

She tried to think: The last time she dyed it was for a fundraising event with her old sponsor, and before that…

She reminisced about her younger self leaning over the bathroom sink, the potent and chemically stench of box-dye filling the room while its color stained the porcelain below her. On more than one occasion, she found herself doing her best to put some messy streaks of various colors into her hair before coating what little remained of her white tresses in black. It was a disaster, but it was fitting for a little punk who wanted to defy authority.

So, she concluded to herself, it had to be back when she was a teenager.

“Why not let Vera choose the color?” December’s eyes widened as she shot her friend a look. He laughed before reassuring her, “You can trust her! She dyes everyone’s hair around here.”

”Well, yeah, but—“ She stopped mid-sentence, changing her mind. Maybe she needed some extra spice in her life. “Hm.” She sighed. “I’ll think about it.“

“There ya go!” Olric patted December on the shoulder — accidentally moving her, as usual.

___

Just a few days later, December and Olric acted on those plans to go mining together. March was less than enthused to stay back and man the shop, but knew he needed to without Olric around. He’d be damned if he ever closed it down for a day.

December loved adrenaline. Going mining was a perfect way to fulfill her yearn for it in the otherwise relatively calm life she’d now cultivated for herself. It was one of her favorite pastimes in Mistria, maybe aside from just hanging out with all the cute animals on her farm, Goose included, of course; and while she enjoyed just throwing on some music, wrecking shit, and kicking little gooey monsters underground for a few hours, it was exciting to have a companion for a change. 

“I haven’t been down there in ages,” Olric mentioned as they entered the mines, gesturing towards the shaft. “I never thought I’d need a sword for it.”

“You’d be surprised,” December mumbled. As they approached the makeshift elevator, she took his weapon from its sheath, inspecting it. While it was only iron, it was — unsurprisingly, given his family’s long bloodline of smiths — extremely well-made. “This should be fine.”

“Well, yeah. How bad can those guys be?”

She answered nonchalantly, handing his sword back and lowering them down, “Some of them will projectile vomit rocks at you.”

Olric was horrified. 

December figured the deep earth would be a good section to focus on. It shouldn’t have been too hard to manage, given the farmer’s experience in the area, combined with Olric’s mining prowess and almost absurd musculature.  

Plus, it was pretty.

Being agile from her snowboarding days, the farmer had no trouble dodging attacks from monsters and was light enough on her feet to fight right back at a moment’s notice. She had to handle it that way. Sure, she adorned a protective vest and padded leggings beneath her clothes, but she was still fragile after all. 

Olric was in awe. He knew he shouldn’t be, given December’s past as an athlete and adventurer, but it was still a sight to behold. He struggled keeping up — plus, taking a few hits from the aforementioned rock creatures and stepping on what he aptly named A Spiky Dude deterred him from combat — so they decided to split up the work. December focused purely on fighting while Olric gathered stone, ore, and whatever other materials he stumbled upon within her protection.

To his absolute delight, he found his very own, very round, perfect little rock. It was at that moment that they decided to call it a day.

After stopping at the museum to drop off a few donations, Olric offered December a seat at the dinner table. He and March made it a point to have at least a few home cooked meals together per week outside of going to the inn or getting takeout.

Olric liked to do it for the sake of brotherly bonding. March did it to ensure Olric would eat his fucking vegetables.

December took up the offer, and the next thing she knew, she was pestering March while Olric made them all some curry to share.

The farmer sat on the desk in the smithy while March sketched beside her.

“If you could be any forgeable item, what would you be?” she asked.

“What kind of question is that?”

“The fun kind.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Alright, have fun being a nail, then.”

March scowled at her. “Why a nail?”

He fell right into the trap! “So you can screw yourself.” Holt would have been so proud of her for that one. She just knew it. “And also ’cause you’re boring,” she rapidly tacked onto the end.

While December flashed him a shit-eating grin and mentally patted herself on the back, March contemplated why he fell for her of all people.

“I hate you…”

“Sure you do.”

The queen of dad jokes began skimming through some of the most stunning blueprints for weapons and armor she’d ever seen, all of which March hadn’t had a chance to craft yet.

“Speaking of, you ever think about making something cooler than nails?” she teased. The comment earned her a firm elbow to her hip. “Ow,” she laughed under her breath.

“You ever think about leaving me the hell alone?”

“You see, that doesn’t work anymore. You like being around me.”

“Is it too late to take that back?” he grumped.

”Depends,” December shrugged, answering with her own question, “How badly do you wanna kiss me right now?”

March looked up from his work to chance a glimpse at her mischievously curved lips, and her focused, sparkly gaze on his drawings in her lap. 

Truthfully, he wanted to so incredibly badly. Instead, he responded with a silent glare that she could only see in her peripherals. 

“Alright, it’s ready!” Olric called from the kitchen. 

March stood, offering a hand to December as she hopped down from her perch. He felt a sudden impulse to be cute and acted on it before he could even think, giving her a quick twirl while their fingers were still clasped together. 

He was almost annoyed with himself. Her laughter paired with the way she beamed a smile up at him like he was the most precious thing in the world to her made it worthwhile.

[spkyscry]

"Oh, you two are so sweet for taking care of your dear Gram-Gram's kids." It's said as fingers go to pinch a cheek of either of their faces, Ln'eta and Estir ceasing their glaring at one another. Only to lightheartedly give her arms a good few defiant pats so she'd release them, anyways, but at least they weren't paying attention to one another now.

"So, you have everything you need to handle them for the night? I should only be asleep for a few 'hours', as it were."

"Mhm! We've got all their favorite foods (even if some of this isn't food), I brought games and even some movies if they want entertainment!" Ln'eta affirmed, clearly sure that spawnsitting will go off without a hitch.

"Handling a swarm of brats is my specialty, after all!" Estir replied, getting somewhat in front of Ln'eta. Much to her sister's chagrin. "You don't have to worry about anything while I'm here."

The bickering between the two came fast and as expected, making Rhok'zan sigh as she rubbed at her temple. These two were nearly inseparable when they were growing up, but now putting them in the same room starts a fit. Rhok'zan wanted to complain, though she does have vague memories of her and Nyanlathotep having their hostile moments when they were younger, too. (Granted, they'd sunk a whole nation when they argued, but that's besides the point).

"Well, if you're sure you two can handle this. You'll have to work together, or you're liable to have some issues." Rhok'zan reaffirmed, pulling a bound scroll from her bosom to pass off to Estir.

The golden girl blinked her one prominent eye, beginning to unfurl the list of instructions. Watching as rotating the bejeweled center simply found more and more parchment to fall lower. So much so Ln'eta had to reach around her sister's puffy dress to procure it before it can reach the forest ground. Helping keep it off the ground as it only seemed to grow and grow.

"These, uh, these are a lot..." The priestess murmured, Ln'eta glancing down as the parchment inevitably touched the ground and continued spilling outward despite her efforts.

"Oh, not really. A lot of them are just the expected. Don't let them spill out into the material realm, nor the library realm, as they get fussy when anything there ends up with teeth marks." Rhok'zan explained, her ever-present smile shifting somewhat as she felt the shadows in the trees around their glade grew more solid.

"It should be manageable," Estir murmured, sounding far less sure of herself suddenly. "Ah, how many of your spawn are we sitting for tonight, anyways?"

"Oh, all of them." Rhok'zan stated, matter-of-fact.

The way both of them froze brought her attention back to the two, blinking as they both seemed pale (which for the both of them was an accomplishment). The two grandchildren glanced to one another again, some unspoken prayer to nothing in particular being exchanged before their attention returned to Rhok'zan.

"All of them all of them?" Ln'eta asked, sounding hopeful that Rhok'zan had just misspoken.

"Well, besides the ones old enough to take care of themself," Rhok'zan affirmed. "I'm not going to make you sit for ones that can take care of themselves, after all."

It didn't seem to calm them down too much, which certainly surprised the Great Old One.

"What about Amontillado?" Estir brought up, hopeful. "Surely she can take care of some of the spawn tonight, no?"

"No," Rhok'zan replied. "She has some sort of... 'tournament' happening in one of her silly videogames, but she had scheduled this months in advance, so I wasn't going to pry her away."

Rhok'zan watched the glitzy girl deflate, all four eyes rolling before she could stop herself.

"Besides, the walls here are rather thin. She'd barely be able to do much without falling through and disappearing again," she said, waving a hand in dismissal of the whole idea. "I don't particularly want my home cursed by one of you pulling her out." A beat. "I don't actually think you two can, even, and I don't want to find out either way."

"I still have a few hours to help you acclimate," Rhok'zan assured, giving them both a good pat on the shoulder. "So why don't you get introduced to all your siblings, hm?"

The question would be left unanswered, as Estir let out a quiet shriek as the shadows themselves seemed to grasp one of her tentacles beneath her dress, tugging with such force it brought her falling forward. The cursing at getting her dress dirty interrupted all the more as sharp teeth glinting in the many moons' light had sunk into the fleshy gold of her tentacle; pulling her into the dark of the woods with a scream of surprise.

Ln'eta watched all the while, barely suppressing her amusement, before large talons grasped onto her shoulders and she let out a curse in the native tongue just before she was swept up airborne and screaming herself at the dark spawn carrying her off.

"Ah, I believe it's playtime, then." Rhok'zan mused, watching the two be carried off away from the idyllic home in the glade and rather into the dark forest.

Well, this will be an eventful few hours before the party...

[heart-like-a-haunted-house]

A Roleplay Post From My Previous Blog.

Negan gave the heavy cell door a tentative shove with the back of his hand, the metal cold and unevenly pitted against his skin. He paused near the now unblocked entrance, shock rendering all movement hesitant. After all this time, years stacked atop each other, could freedom really be so blatantly offered by way of a careless mistake?

Knowing stillness would promote no progress, he crept across the invisible line that held him in that sickeningly familiar cage. And with that simplistic motion, Negan was free. The ground seemed steadier, firmer beneath his feet as he stood in front of the bars instead of behind them.

With eyes trained on the worn tennis ball that triggered the uncertainty of his current unshackled position, a plan sparked.

Vicky and Alyssa. Both women had managed to talk their way back into Alexandria after his imprisonment, employing a falsified recount of joy regarding their 'ruthless' husband's capture. This guise persisted under their efforts to aid in his escape.

Plucking the neon object from the ground, memories of their secret visitations to his cell came in reinvigorated flashes.

Vicky with Alyssa in her arms, both sets of teary eyes glued to him, each with a hand outstretched to touch his face through the rusted grate.

"No matter how long it takes, we're gonna get you out of here," Alyssa had vehemently assured, hand and voice adorned with the stiff tremble of intensity.

"And until that's possible, we'll be here with you. Surprisingly enough, nobody suspects us." Vicky had added with equal vigor and uneasy laughter.

Their dedication never wavered. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year... His remaining wives would surely appear, often under the shroud of night, like hazy, angelic dreams. The anticipation of said interaction, of reignited hope was often the only thing keeping him afloat within a seemingly unchanging future. And as Negan was now faced with freedom, he knew he wouldn't have survived without Vicky and Alyssa, their tug of unyielding hope. Both had kept their promise; they had gotten him through, and now he was beyond confinement.

Tossing the ball into the air, more aged occurrences resurfaced.

"There's a guardpost shift change at 12:30 in the morning, every day, without fail. The back gates are usually left unwatched for about fifteen minutes in the rotation," Vicky had informed him, not long ago. "Scouting vehicles are left near the exit."

As the ball fell back into his grasp, he eyed the thickened fog that could be observed from a lone, windowed door to his right. The final barrier to the outside. Alyssa's voice came tumbling to the forefront of his mind next.

"Rick put us in the same house we lived in before, the one you picked us up from. It was the only workable option, seeing as it's the only floorplan with a bedroom on the first floor. At least I have a pretty view of that tree out front." She had tried to lightheartedly laugh at this minimal benefit, but fell somber instead.

That was it, the answer to reuniting and absconding with his wives. While it may draw unwanted attention if he were to knock on the front door, in hopes of waking Vicky from her sleep on the second floor, breaking in through Alyssa's bedroom window would be rather discreet if done carefully. Knowing his night owl of a wife, he could effortlessly envision her bundled in blankets, hunched over a book in bed well into the morning. In addition, she wasn't one to rest when stressed. And as shown by the frequent sleepless shadows beneath her eyes during visits, it was likely he was getting more consistent recuperation than she was.

Negan considered some options of garnering her attention from outside, without startling her too severely in the dead of night. Once inside the house, he planned to wake Vicky, and hit the road reunited. Possibly, Lucille could be found, and The Sanctuary could be reclaimed. But before such detail could be solidified, he had to step out into the air.

Throwing the once treasured sports implement causally over his shoulder, he was distantly cognizant of the echoing thud emitted as it bounced across the cement floor.

Negan had to pay a long-awaited visit to a couple of beloved faces, and he had no intention of withholding it for another second.

[maxrev]

For ME relationship week by @cactuarkitty

Day 1 - first impressions

Less Than Stellar

Studying the dossiers of each crew member, Knox paused on one of them - Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, marine detail. What specifically caught his eye was where the LT was born. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 

So, he was a fellow Canadian.

He better not expect to share stories of 'you don't sound very Canadian' with him. Fellow soldiers expected them to talk a certain way, to be polite and considerate, which most thought Canadians were down to their core. 

Those things didn't exist in Knox's vocabulary...or lifestyle. He preferred to be left alone unless it was regarding missions or standard day-to-day affairs like rotations and personnel changes. 

Stashing his rucksack away and leaving the crew quarters, Knox began a self-tour of the ship. Anderson had planned on accompanying him, pointing out key elements of the ship's design, but had been called away at the last minute before they took flight. Something to do with the Council. 

He could certainly find his way around the ship on his own without his CO's guidance. Would have been nice, though, to find out if Anderson could impart exactly what this deployment was going to entail. In the end, he was very good at being patient. 

As he walked the ship, deck by deck, he heard talk stop abruptly when he passed other crew members having conversations. Knox knew well what others thought of him. He was the Butcher of Torfan after all, even earning a medal, the Star of Terra, for his heroism during the mission. 

A medal for getting nearly his whole squad killed while trying to save a colony - is what most thought. No one knew what it had been like. The only thing anyone remembered was he'd killed his fellow soldiers. 

He's a cold, ruthless, calculating son of a bitch. If he had a chit for every time he’d heard it said to his face or whispered as he walked by, he could rival Cerberus in funds. Long ago, before he’d even joined the Alliance, he’d learned not to let the opinion of others bother him or sway him from completing a mission. He knew he was the Alliance’s rabid dog; he’d heard those words more than once as well. 

They big brass came to him when they wanted something done without bloodying their own hands or sending in their precious golden boys. And golden boy made him think of Alenko. The perfect definition if Knox had ever seen one with exemplary commendations from past COs, the consideration of fellow soldiers and adherence to Alliance standards. All of this despite being a biotic. 

Something Knox knew all too well about. He’d experienced it himself but unlike the LT, who always seemed to play it safe, Knox used what he'd learned in the Reds to get the job done. Just barely crossing the line so as to not get kicked out of the military. Though, if he did, it didn't truly matter. He'd survive no matter what; he had before. Being in three Alliance just meant a higher, and steadier, paycheck. 

What intrigued him about the biotic was the mention of BaAT in the dossier. Alenko hadn’t graduated, which wasn’t a surprise, considering his age. He would have been there when the school was shut down. But...what more did the biotic know? 

The news reports had been vague. And since joining the Alliance, not a biotic among them hadn’t heard or speculated as to what happened and knew it was all hush-hush, as there was nothing to be found anywhere - other than the school had existed and had eventually shut down. Rather abruptly. 

He pushed his thoughts away for now. 

Besides the initial meet and greet of the immediate crew when he'd come on board, he’d not had a chance to talk to any of them at length. It was a part of the job he distinctly didn’t care for. Yet, he knew it was to his advantage to know the strengths and weaknesses they had. So, to that end, he’d seek them out, one by one, to learn any details he could beyond what he found in their dossiers. After that, he’d leave them the hell alone unless they sought him out specifically for anything required of him to take care of. Socialization was not something he sought out or cared for.

Avoiding the crew quarters unless it was down time was going to be an issue on this small of a ship. Had to be somewhere dark and quiet he could find time to himself. He'd find out soon enough. 

After a couple of hours touring every level, his stomach growled, a reminder he hadn’t eaten in awhile. While his biotics were useful in battle, he found it annoying having to recharge his energy so regularly. Constantly consuming calories when he could be doing something so much more productive. 

With a newly stocked ship, he hoped it meant the provisions would be decent, at least until they’d been underway awhile. Bracing himself to encounter a full mess, he headed there.

Taking the elevator up from his last stop in the docking bay, Knox stepped off to hear several voices coming from behind the wall where the mess was located. Nearing dinner time for the morning shift, those soldiers would all be ready for chow and then downtime before sleeping. Not usually following the hours he was assigned, he required less sleep than most. After eating, he planned on grabbing a book and making his way to the starboard lounge. Provided Anderson didn’t need him. 

Not having heard from him the whole time he was walking the ship, Knox surmised he was still speaking with the Council. 

He walked around the wall to find Alenko and Jenkins in a spirited conversation. The LT’s words were a bit short towards the young Marine who was a bit overzealous in Knox’s opinion.

Apparently, Alenko shared his views. 

“Don’t be wishing for action so soon, Jenkins. It’ll come in time and won't be what you expected. The battlefield isn't glamorous. Learn to relax and enjoy your downtime.” 

Jenkins deflated like a kicked puppy, taking his tray and going to sit next to some fellow soldiers who laughed at the exchange lightheartedly.

Approaching the line for food,  Knox grabbed a tray and followed behind the LT. Might as well start his getting-to-know-them routine now. 

“La recrue apprendra assez tôt, n'est-ce pas?” Knox inquired quietly as he grabbed some chow. 

The dark-haired man started, glancing over at him with a surprised look. After several awkward seconds, he responded with a hesitant “Oui.” 

He then turned and found a table to sit and eat. Knox felt ill at ease after the encounter, not something he was familiar with at all. At least, not since a young kid in the Reds. Feeling as if he’d somehow been chastised without the biotic ever saying a word, Knox took his own tray and sat down in an unoccupied corner. 

Eating slowly, prolonging the time in the mess in order to hopefully find a few quiet minutes to himself, Knox heard the soft but unmistakable sound of boot steps coming his way. Despite not looking up, he could tell when they stopped next to his table. Frustrated at someone already  wanting to bother him, he looked up...into the dark brown eyes of the LT. 

Thick black brows furrowed in the beginnings of a frown, Knox waited for him to speak, not about to start a conversation himself after the earlier fiasco. He waited. 

Clearly nervous, the LT rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looked away, looked back again. Knox's impatience level was rising rapidly.  If Alenko didn’t spit out what was bothering him soon, he was getting up and leaving. Good relations be damned. 

Apparently, his impatience level was already tapped out as he barked, “Spit it out, Lieutenant.” 

The biotic winced, “S-sorry....,” he took a breath, steadied himself, “Sorry about earlier, sir. I...um...I don’t speak French very well. Took me several seconds to realize you were speaking to me and then I had to try and sort it out. Figured all of it out while I was eating.” 

Knox had momentarily forgotten the province of Vancouver was more English speaking than Toronto, where he’d grown up.

Now he felt like a jackass. Something else he wasn't well acquainted with.

Standing up and grabbing his tray, he paused to look at the LT. A blush had bloomed across his cheeks in embarrassment. Disgusted, Knox hoped he was better on the battlefield than this. He might have to leave him behind, seasoned soldier or not. Maybe Jenkins would be a better fit, even with too much enthusiasm and no experience. 

“My mistake. Won’t happen again.” Nodding to the biotic, Knox took care of his tray and left the mess. 

He didn’t see Alenko standing there awkwardly, thinking he’d already pissed off his new XO before they'd even left dry dock. 

“La recrue apprendra assez tôt, n'est-ce pas?” = The recruit will learn soon enough, won’t he?

[yeehawyoongles]

Vine Drabble 2- An Empty Bottle of Milk and A Fidget Spinner.

Request:  Can I request 14 and 27 btsxreader crack please?? Thank u :)

14. “Why can’t you just take the freakin’ compliment”

27. “Don’t fuck with me.”

Warnings: Mentions of milk.

Word count- 1.5k

-This is such a mess, idk what I just wrote.  I think I lost my mind?? I hope you enjoy anyways!

After an exhausting day of running around doing shit that isn’t worthwhile, you finally came home. You didn’t know what year it is, let alone the day or time.  You’d never wanted to get into bed so sadly, so you took off your shoes and headed straight to your bedroom.  Your bed looked euphoric, welcoming you home with the warm embrace that was your duvet.  Dramatically, you collapsed onto it, blindly searching for your pillow.  Once you were comfortable, you shut your eyes, enjoying the refreshing sound of silence for a few moments.

“Bruh where are we,” A soft whisper sliced through said silence, it hurt your ears. 

“For fucks sake not this again,” Another voice said in a low whine. “All we do is mind our business and we suddenly end up in the bedroom of a stranger. Why isn’t this the first time that this has happened? This isn’t normal…”

A loud laugh from another individual echoed in the room. “This guy… he deadass only complains I swear.  Look at this as an adventure!”

“Hoseok shut the fuck up, they’re trying to sleep.”

“I’m already awake” You intercepted, talking in a sleepy voice. You brandished your hand around in a sloppy attempt to find a light switch, but end up punching someone in the crotch.

“Ouch! Don’t fuck with me!” a man, who you assume is the same person you just made infertile, cried.  You eventually find the switch and turned on the lamp, only to be met with seven pairs of eyes staring at you.

“Who are you and why the fuck are you in my house watching me sleep?” You asked bluntly. 

“It’s not like that, I promise,” One of them, the shortest, pleaded with wide eyes. “Uh, the truth is that, uh-”

“We don’t know.” A more familiar voice said.  He was also short.

“????” you asked with your face.

“Basically right,” A new voice, a boy with bright blue hair begins to explain. “We end up in random ass places with no explanation as to how.  Last time, we were in a farm while we were rehearsing for a show, and Namjoon, the uh tall guy at the back there with the dimples, managed to trip over a horse, and then fall over while he was already on the ground.  But yeah, we don’t know where we are.  We didn’t break in, we just… appeared here.  The horse was grey by the way.”  While the blue-haired guy, who by the way, looked ethereal, as they all did but it took you a while to wake up and see that there were seven beautiful men in your room, was explaining the situation, the so-called ‘Namjoon’ along with another one of them, were doing the shoot dance and mumbling a song to each other.

“The farm was fun,” The other guy dancing claimed. “I like the countryside.  Do you have any milk?”

“In the door of the fridge.  Help yourself.” You replied.  The boy left, returning a few moments later with the bottle of milk and a metal straw.  At least he was trying to save the environment.

“It’s 2am.  Why are you awake?” The infertile one asked you.

“Fucked up day.” You respond.

“You! Deserve better! Love yourself bitch!!” The loud guy with the big smile encourages you, placing his hands on your shoulders and shaking them, making you roll your eyes. His happy face abruptly contorted into one of anger and upset at your expression, his skin becoming bright red.  “Why can’t you take the freaking compliment?!!!!!” 

“You are unable to love yourself because capitalism is exploiting your emotions in order to increase production and ultimately profit to the bourgeoisie.  Down with capitalism, love yourself!” The second shortest guy demands.

“Yeah, who needs money when you have milk. Fuck vegans!!” The shoot dancer exclaims.

Out of nowhere, a nasally-sounding instrument sounded, piercing through the room.  An accordion? 

(Sorry to break the fourth wall, but wtf am I writing at this point lmaooo)

“This shit gets weirder every time I swear to God…” The guy with the broad shoulders giggled.

“That’s my neighbour.  She likes to play obscure instruments late at night.  She was playing the melodica yesterday” You explained monotonously, probably out of exhaustion.

“Melodica?” The loud guy mumbled, to your surprise.

“What are your names, anyway? I only know that dimple shoot dancer guy is Namjoon, what’s good?” You asked

“Hi, I’m handsome, but you can call me Seokjin, that’s my government name.” Shoulder guy said.

“My name is Jimin!” The short guy said, blushing and covering his smile with his tiny hand.

“Min Yoongi,” The slightly less short guy nodded, placing his hands on the back of his neck and looking at the ground. “Nice to meet you.”

“I am Jungkook and I like milk.” Needless to explain who that was, sipping that white shit straight out of the bottle like it was soda.

“I’m Taehyung.” The blue haired one offers you a beautiful boxy smile.

“I’m your hooooooooo(p)eeeeeee Hoseok.” The loud guy sings, he too has cute dimples.

“Chill,” You reacted, slumping back against your headboard and processing the events of the night. “What happens now?” Your question was followed by silence and awkward shuffling, the sound of Jungkook slurping the last of your milk, and then choking on it.

“Dude what the fuck,” Taehyung stares at Jungkook while he struggles for air.  “Can’t you do something normal for one second? You deadass just choked on milk.”

“I’d do anything for milk, man,” Jungkook looks hurt by Taehyung’s reaction. “Hey, do you have some cheese?”

You shrugged your shoulders, carefree. “No, ate it all.” 

Jungkook frowned at your lack of cheese. “Wig, okay.”

“So what do you do?” Namjoon asked you, his eyes going wide.

“I get shouted at by other people who are more important than me, basically.”

“Not gunna lie that sounds familiar…” Yoongi looked around at the other boys, only to find their heads looking at your laminated floor.

“Maybe you should get a puppy!” Tae suggested, a bright look in his eyes.  “I have a dog, and it changed my life.  It’s so cute and fluffy and makes me so happy, love that for me, and I’d love that for you too”

“We get it, Tae, you have a fucking dog.” Seokjin bickered with Taehyung, though lightheartedly.

“I have an idea!” Hoseok flung his arms in the air and spun around, you swear you saw glitter sparkle around him. “You should get one of these!” He reaches for his pocket, struggling to get the object out.  After a few moments, he pulled the item out.

A fidget spinner.

He laughed maniacally as he spins the object between his finger and thumb.

“This gag became dead a long time ago, Hobi.” Namjoon stares at Hoseok in shame while the latter still stares at the toy spinning in his hand as if he’d never seen it before.

“No no no, just give it a try, please,” Hoseok walked towards you, holding out the fidget spinner.  His eyes were so full of happiness that you can’t say no to him.  You took the fidget spinner, which was red, and started spinning it.  It was liberating.  You burst into laughter, while Hoseok laughs with you, and the others just watched you uncomfortably.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Jungkook asked, leaning towards Jimin.

Jimin turned to the younger boy. “Breakfast?? Fuck if I know.”

You felt euphoric.  You felt free of all responsibility, as if nothing mattered but the rotating plastic in your hand.

“You know what Yoongi, you were right.  Down with capitalism! Down with the government!” You yell, a smile was slapped across your face, up to your eyes, you looked pretty scary to be honest.  Hoseok’s laughing grew louder and louder as the two of you watched the fidget spinner spin.

“Should we call the police?” Taehyung asks, with genuine concern on his face.  “Or a doctor?  Did they get high? Are fidget spinners addictive?” but the fidget spinner kept on spinning. You kept watching, your eyes going blurry as there were suddenly three toys as a result of some sort of fidget spinner mitosis.  This didn’t phase you.  You kept watching.  You didn’t take your eyes off of it, the other boys looking at each other in complete confusion as the room suddenly became colder and darker, the accordion intensifying as if the sound wasn’t terrifying enough as it was.  You vision had become so blurred that you had blacked out completely, you could feel the floor shaking and could still hear the accordion.

You sat up in your bed.  A cold sweat coated your whole body and your breathing was laboured, however your room was empty.  You had to ask yourself, ?????. Was it all just a dream? You looked around the room, trying to find any sign of life, that someone was there.  You looked at the floor, and there it was.

An empty bottle of milk and a fidget spinner.

If you would like to request, the prompts and rules are here!

[downeystarkjr]

Pepperony SS

Hi there @dammit-stark !! I am so so so sorry for how late I am but finally my gift for you for the Pepperony gift exchange is here! I hope you’re well and having a great start to the new year! And I really hope you like the story ❤️❤️

Together (A Pepperony Fan Fic)

"Where are you off to Stark?" Natasha quirked a brow having followed her billionaire as he attempted to sneak away unnoticed. "It's not like you to shy from a celebration," she remarked, genuinely curious about how Tony intended to spend the evening if not with the rest of the team. The Avengers had just succeeded with another mission and were taking the time to mark their achievements at the insistence of Thor.

"Have you succumbed to stalking me now Romanoff?" Tony rolled his eyes, stopping mid-step and turned on his heel in the direction of the woman's voice. "Sorry to disappoint, but there's another red head who's waiting for me at home," he explained with a shrug, putting on one of his many signature sunglasses as he prepared to leave. Noticing the impressed smirk on Natasha's expression.

"Well, well, look who's becoming domesticated," the spy quipped in manner that convinced Tony she was congratulating him on his decision not to join the festivities.

The billionaire sighed and couldn't help the small smile that graced his handsome features as his mind was filled with thoughts about his fiancée. He deemed himself the luckiest man alive that Pepper was soon to be his wife and he her husband. There was no one like Pepper in Tony's life and he didn't want anyone else but her. She was the light and happiness in his oh so complicated life.

It's always been her.

However, like a lot of things in Tony's life, their love story wasn't without it's problems. "I suppose, but that's not a bad thing," he chuckled as he left to his car outside. Pepper was worth it. Tony would do anything for the love of his life, he had proven just that many times. Like getting rid of all his suits - albeit for a period of time - and signing the Accords. The only reason he signed was to try and make things right with Pepper. It had broken him when they split up, like a knife to the gut.

But now wasn't the time to think about what happened. It was in the past and the couple were in a better place now, heck they were about to get married in a matter of months after deciding that a summer wedding would be perfect.

It took about an hour for Tony to drive home to the Malibu mansion he made sure to get rebuilt  after the incident with the Mandarin. "Pep?" he called, wearing a sweet smile on his expression when he spotted the love of his life asleep on the couch. It was a moment that didn't happen often which made it all the more sweeter.

'She's so adorable when she's asleep'

Tony gently ran his fingers through Pepper's gorgeous strawberry blonde hair, his hand lightly brushing against her cheek as he crouched down beside the couch. Admiring her. At his touch to her cheek, Pepper's blue eyes fluttered open, her soft gaze meeting the caramel eyes she grew to love. The eyes of the man she hoped to spend the rest of her life with. "Hmm.. you're late," she greeted, placing a soft but loving kiss to Tony's lips.

"Sorry honey, I got caught up at work," Tony replied with a silent chuckle. "But tonight I'm all yours, and I intend to make it up to you," he whispered near Pepper's lips.

"I don't doubt it," she laughed, leaning her head onto Tony's, lightly letting out a giggle when he nuzzled his nose against hers. "But first.. we need to talk, it's important," she pointed, nervously biting her bottom lip in anticipation.

The billionaire's puppy dog gaze lit up with curiosity. A small pout of disappointment in response to Pepper's words. "I've learnt Whenever a woman says that I'm rarely in for a good time," he added jokingly, tilting his head as he searched for answers. What could she want to talk about that made her come across as nervous?

"What if I said this time it's going to be different?" Pepper offered, quirking a brow. She always did enjoy the loving banter the two shared.

"In which case, all I can say to that is, surprise me," Tony smirked lightheartedly, still crouched down by the couch. His fingers getting lost in his fiancée's locks. "What is it Pep?" he asked, trying to encourage Pepper to open up. Needing to know what she was planning to tell him.

Pepper knew life was never going to be normal being in a relationship with Tony. But they were deeply in love, and anyway, what exactly was normal? She loved Tony and quite frankly life wouldn't be so eventful if he was any different. But how would he react to the news? "Well I'm sure there's certainly a way we can surprise you," she replied in the hope that the genius would pick up on her choice of words. Her heart quickening as she waited for his reaction. Especially after how often Tony had been talking about them having a family of their own recently and she wanted him to be the first person she told. As the father, he deserved that.

"Oh really? What did you have-.." Tony began, letting his words trail off in realisation and looked at Pepper as he deduced what she was trying to say. He was both shocked and undeniably amazed. "Are you.. Pepper.. are we going to have a baby?"

She didn't need even need to say a word for Tony to read the answer from Pepper's wide smile and teary eyes of elation, a reflection of his own expression as he leaned forward, closing the gap between them with a searing kiss. For years, after losing his parents, Tony had been alone, going from women to women in nothing more than one night stands. Until he fell in love with Pepper. He had no other family and never thought he ever would, but now Pepper was giving him love and a family of their own. "I love you, Miss Potts," Tony whispered breathlessly when the two needed to break the kiss for air. His hand moving down to stroke Pepper's flat stomach.

"I love you too Mr Stark," she added coyly, kissing him again. "We're going to be a mother and father to little kid.."

Tony couldn't help at that moment but to lower his gaze as a wave of insecurity wash over him. What if he wasn't cut out to be father? What if he let his son or daughter down? Especially since Howard was the only example he had to follow off from about how to be a father. That wasn't the sort of life Tony wanted to be for his child. "Pep I want this, truly I do," he began, knowing he could always open up to Pepper. She was the only he could. She was honestly the only one to understand him and see the real Tony Stark, the side of him behind the front he put on. The side that no one else saw. "I'm just scared.. Scared that I won't be a good father, or even worse that I'll end up like my dad.."

"Anthony Edward Stark, it's okay to be nervous, don't you think I am? We're going to be parents for the first time, it's rather daunting," Pepper cupped Tony's cheeks, getting him to look at her again. She understood his concerns, given his childhood. But she needed him to know she believed in him. In them. "And you won't have to worry about following in your father's footsteps, because you're not like him at all."

"Well you're the only one who thinks that," Tony sighed with a downcast look, he may have been an armoured superhero but what if he failed the kid? His own flesh and blood?

"That means my opinion should be the only one that matters to you," Pepper offered, kissing Tony's cheek. "And I know you'll be a great father, because you can deny it all you want but you are kind, caring, loyal to the ones you loves and not to mention you'll do anything to protect everyone all around the world, you're a brilliant role model. And I love you." Truthfully, Pepper couldn't ask for a better father for her child than the man who stole her heart.

"We're going to do this together alright..?" Tony whispered, a hand sliding back down to Pepper's stomach. "You, me...and the baby.." He exhaled deeply, the nerves threatening to take over him.

"Our baby," Pepper corrected sweetly.

As the months went by, Tony had been eager to start work on making the nursery for their little Baby Stark. That day, Pepper was just over twenty weeks pregnant and her bump was very much showing, much to the happiness of the proud expectant parents. They had recently discovered the gender of baby which only made Tony and Pepper more excited for the arrival of their darling Tori Maria Stark.

After being invited by Tony, Peter Parker was staying over at the mansion with May in tow for the weekend. While the older Parker was partaking in a sightseeing tour while the teenager and Tony worked on repairing an old car and it’s engine together. To someone who didn’t know any better, one would think without a doubt that the pair were father and son.

“Pete, can you pass me the wrench?” He called to Peter, sliding out from beneath the car where he had been trying to fix an oil leak and wiped his forehead which only made the oil smudge across it worse. Not that Tony cared right now as he and his ‘protégée’ tinkered on a new project together.

“Of course Mr Stark,” Peter nodded and handed Tony the tool he needed before quickly getting back to the repair he was almost finished on. “The cylinders don’t seem to be blocked anymore sir, I’m just going to make sure they’re well lubricated,” he explained, using the car lubricant onto the the cylinder walls and piston-pin bearings by the rotating crankshaft of the engine.

“That sounds like a plan kid, and once I’ve finished up on this remaining leak, what do you say we test the fruits of our labours?” Tony suggested, taking the wrench before he went back underneath the car to continue the repair. He always enjoyed working like this with the kid and Tony couldn’t help but wonder what it was going to be like with his daughter. Just because Tori was a girl didn’t mean he wasn’t going to teach her everything he knew when she was older and figured Pepper wouldn’t mind.

Soon the duo had completed all the required tasks for the car and it was time to test whether the engine would run. “We did it Mr Stark, we fixed it, this is so cool!” Peter cheered, he couldn’t wait to tell his aunt of his and Tony’s achievement when she returned later that day.

“Don’t be so surprised kid, after all, we make a great team,” Tony smiled with pride akin to that of a father as he patted Peter on the back which made the teenager beam happily. The boy really was like a son to Tony. “You and I should next work on a new suit for you, I think you’re ready,” the genius nodded as if already having decided their next project and Peter couldn’t be more excited for it. To have the chance to work on making his own Spider-Man suit with Tony Stark.

“Y-yeah.. er, wow, Mr Stark that would be great,” Peter mentally scolded himself for stammering when he was taken by surprise at hearing his role model’s offer. “Thank you so much!”

Neither of the two noticed how Pepper had joined Tony and Peter in the workshop. Watching them by the door as they worked. She smiled fondly at how they interacted with one another and closed her eyes for a moment. Picturing in her mind’s eye Tony and Tori in the workshop together in the years to come. The very thought bought a heartwarming smile to her face. “The two of you look like you’re having fun,” she spoke out, deciding to finally announce her presence.

“Oh Pep hey, Pete and I have just finished repairing the car,” Tony grinned and held his arm out for Pepper, nothing but admiration for her in his expression.

“Really? And you managed to get it to work?” She teased lightheartedly and stepped closer to the man she loved unconditionally, letting him hug her as she leaned into him.

“Of course, we were going to take it out for a test drive later,” Tony confirmed, quickly picking up on Pepper’s teasing tone. “I’m never wrong when it comes to things like this,” he winked.

Peter looked between the two, not wanting to intrude in the moment. “I’m just going to go call Ned, he’s going to want to know about the car,” he suggested with his usual teenage awkwardness and went upstairs, taking out his phone once Tony assured him he’ll come up and check on Peter shortly.

“You’re great with him Tony,” Pepper complimented, resting her head onto his shoulder. Smiling softly at his touch to her baby bump. “Peter really looks up to you.”

“Like I told you before he’s a good kid,” Tony replied with a content sigh and was about to say something else before feeling their little girl kick against Pepper’s stomach. “Oh hey there, is our little girl awake?” He asked in a sincerely sweet tone and knelt down to speak to the baby and smiled more when Tori kicked again. “Yes, your mommy is amazing isn’t she? And I know for a fact you’re going to be just as amazing.” he continued, having a conversation with the unborn baby. Tony truly loved Pepper and had no doubt Tori would be just as perfect. His love for their baby was unconditional and always growing and it was clear for anyone to see.

It made Pepper’s heart swell as she heard Tony talk to their child and the baby kicking to his voice. This was more than what she could have ever dreamed of or wanted. After all the ups and downs they had been through together, it was all worth it for them to be in the perfect situation they now had. Seeing Tony with Peter earlier and now how he treated the baby, she had no doubt that he would be a great father and it only made her love for him grow tenfold. One thing was for sure, their future was truly looking bright for the three of them.

[th-emptyhearse]

COC Day 12: Side characters. This is the leaving ceremony and leaver’s ball from Fiona, Rhys and Keris’s point of view. It was fun doing side characters, and I might do some more side character stuff in the future- there’s so much opportunity!

Fiona

Baz has that sad look in his eyes when he’s giving his speech. He keeps up a relatively calm, indifferent front, bless him, but I can see that he’s feeling a whole lot more than he’s letting on. I can feel tears falling down my cheeks as Basilton finishes up his cheeks. The way he talks about Natasha, and pays homage to her speech brings a lot of fond memories of Natasha to the surface. I remember my Watford days, with her as Headmaster, and the passion she had for the school. She wouldn’t hold back in telling me off just because I was her sister, caring more about the integrity of the school. She cared greatly for tradition, and I know that she did all that she could to make Watford the best place for the students. But another part of why I am crying is the realisation that I have come to over these years that I didn’t appreciate her enough back then. I have always loved my sister, and she is cherished in my memories, but back then I spent much more time rebelling against her authority than enjoying her presence and being appreciative of her. She always kept my best interests in heart and I just wished that I had really showed her how much I love her while I still had the chance. So I let the tears roll down my cheeks, clapping Basilton on the back and telling how great his speech was. I’m proud of him, and I can see how hard that was for him, so I offer to take him out for a drink, a little light-hearted fun with his Aunt. He refuses though. “Leavers ball tonight,” he says, “I told the headmistress I’d be there.” He looks lonely and distant, and I know that he’s not looking forward to that ball without any of his loved ones there. It’s merely a formality to him. I decide on a little light teasing to cheer the boy up.

“Can’t pass up a chance to see yourself in a suit can you.”

“I suppose not,” he replies. He’s smiling a little now, which is a vast improvement. I tell him we’ll go drinking tomorrow instead. I do still want to spend time with him.

“Watch out for numpties,” I tell him with a chuckle as I head off. He just rolls his eyes.

Rhys

I see Simon walking in through the archway and raise my eyebrows at Gareth and tell him to come with me to see Simon. I wheel over to his side and greet him with a cheerful, “Hiya, Simon!” He pivots slightly from where he was hovering by a table, gazing over to the other side of the food and seating area.

“Oh, hey Rhys,” he says, smiling. “Hi, Gareth.”

“How’re you doing,” Gareth asks, grinning. “It’s good to see you.”

“Yeah, you too. I haven’t seen you guys in too long. How’s school been?”

“Oh, you know,” I say, “there’s been a few change ups but it’s still school isn’t? Still getting up early for classes and drudging our way through homework,” I laugh.

“Yeah, it’s been alright,” Gareth agrees.

“So,” I enquire, “what’re you doing here. I didn’t expect to see you since you’d, y’know… left.” Simon gets a slightly wistful look, but then replies, smiling slightly once more.

“I actually came here for Baz.” My eyebrows knit. “Baz?” Gareth and I say simultaneously, a confused look on Gareth’s face as well.

“Oh, you guys don’t know?” He looks a bit perplexed.

“Know what?” I prompt.

“Well,” he replies, “since a while ago, Baz and I have been dating. Um, we’re a couple now.” I can’t say I’m not surprised by this, and Gareth says what both of us must be thinking.

“Well,” Gareth says lightheartedly, “I didn’t see that one coming.” We all chuckle a bit when Simon replies.

“Me neither,” Simon confesses, “but I’m surprised the news hasn’t traveled the school by now.”

“Maybe it has,” I laugh, “Gareth and I historically been a bit out of the loop.”

“You know,” Simon says sincerely, “I’m really glad Baz is my boyfriend now, it’s good to have him in my life.”

“Well then,” I say, “Good for you, Simon. I’m glad all those years of antagonism have come to something good, even if it is surprising!”

“Me too,” he looks over at the food table, where Baz looks to be chatting with Professor Bunce, “but I better get going. I’m actually trying to surprise Baz. He didn’t think I’d want to come, but I knew he’d be a bit lonely here.”

“Good luck,” Gareth and I say, raising our eyebrows at each other at our unison. “Bye, Simon. It’s been good to see you.”

“You too, guys. Thanks.” And with that Simon grins at us, and walks towards the other side of the room.”

“It makes sense, you know,” Gareth mutters to me as we watch Simon surprise Baz, then talk and laugh, from the other side of the room.

“You reckon?”

“Well, they always were obsessed with each other.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Keris

I lift my head off Trixie’s shoulder as we dance, still keeping my face close to hers, though, so she can hear me. As we were swaying to Nick Cave’s ‘Into My Arms’, holding each other close, I saw a new couple drift onto the dance floor. Simon Snow and Baz Pitch. They’re as close as Trixie and I, Simon’s hand on Baz’s shoulder, and Baz’s arm around Simon’s waist. Trixie smiles and gives me a light kiss when I lift my head from her shoulder. I smile back and squeeze her hand- I sure am lucky to have a girlfriend as sweet, loving, dedicated and beautiful as her. I turn slowly as we dance, rotating so that she can see Simon and Baz.

“Do you see that, Trix?” I ask her.

“We’re not the only ones anymore,” she replies, “and we were so right about them.” Trixie and I have been the only same-gender at Watford for years. We secure in our identities and happy together, but it made us feel a little apart from everyone else. We knew we couldn’t be the only Queer students, so sometimes, just for fun, we would try and guess who else at school was Queer, and if they were crushing on another student. We both agreed on the notion that Simon and Baz’s obsession with each other went a bit further than antagonism.

“You know,” I say to her, as we continue to sway, “it’s really good to see another same-gender couple here. I wonder how they’re doing.” I see Trixie’s eyebrows knit a little and face darken as I say this.

“Did I say something wrong?” “No,” she replies, not meeting my eyes, continuing to gaze over my shoulder. “It just looks like they’re arguing.”

“Want to drift a little closer and find out?” I say.

“Can’t hurt.” We continue to sway together to the music, but subtly move a little closer to Simon and Baz as we do so.

“Snow,” I hear Baz say forcefully. I meet Trixie’s eyes. We continue to drift near them, listening.

“I was bad at magic because I wasn’t supposed to have any!” Simon’s face looks pained. “The gates wouldn’t even open for me tonight. Penny had to let me in.” I make a worried, but not uninterested face at Trixie, and she returns a similar one, but just then Baz turns his head slightly and sneers at us. We drift away. We aren’t setting out to make anyone uncomfortable, after all. We just care about the only other same-gender couple here. Having another couple like us here is no small thing.

“Yikes,” Trixie says, when we’re a significant difference away from them. “That didn’t sound too good.”

“Agreed.” They still look like they’re arguing. “I hope they’re okay, especially after what happened.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe Simon lost his magic.” She makes a bit of a worried face, and then I pull her closer to me.

“I’m so glad we didn’t get caught up in that, Trix. I couldn’t bear to lose you, or see you go through anything like that.” Her face softens, and she puts her hand around my neck and kisses me. I return the kiss this time, but break away shortly. Trixie and I don’t mind being publicly affectionate, but after all we’ve endured unwillingly seeing straight couples make-out, we’ve decided to keep our public kisses to a respectful, non-makeout, length. That greatly changes when we’re in one of our rooms, though. We take advantage of the one privilege being the only same-gender couple here gives us.

“I love you,” she says when we break, stroking my cheek.

“I love you, too,” I tell her. I think I always will love her, she’s so important to me, and we’ve been together a long time. She’s been the best part of Watford for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love magic, and I love learning, but she truly is the best thing here. I love being in her company, and she always cheers me up when I’m sad, calms me down when I’m angry and is so incredibly important to me. I love being around her, and since Penelope left, I can stay with her at night, too. Some people probably wonder how we don’t get sick of each other, and I think it’s just that we don’t ask too much of each other. We don’t always have to be talking or having fun. Sometimes we just sit and hold hands quietly and that’s enough.

I’m saving our last moments at Watford together, and I’ll never forget how beautiful she looks tonight, with the fairy lights making her fluffy hair shimmer, and her green eyes bright and full of life.

After a while with my eyes closed as I rest my head on Trixie’s shoulder as we dance, I open my eyes again to see what’s going on, as there seems to be a significant lack of speech in the room. When I look across the room, I see Simon Snow with his lips on Baz’s, faces pressed together, kissing urgently. I turn my face to Trixie’s again.

“Well,” I say, “They look like they’re alright.”

“Looks like one hell of a kiss.”

“Everyone’s silence seems to agree with you.”

“I’m glad their relationship seems to be intact, but also- we were so, so right about them.” She grins at me.

“Hell yeah,” I reply. “Team Kixie strikes again.”

[belltrigger]

For If The Stars Could See

Chapter 10 Words: 1624 Camp NaNoWriMo 2015

While Clive had wanted to eat at the nice cafe in the town, he felt that it was safer to get their food to go. Joshua shrugged, said he didn't care where they ate, and so they agreed to buy enough food to eat a full lunch with enough to spill over into the evening hours and dinner. The cafe staff had to fill an entire large brown paper bag with their containers of food, and Joshua protectively held it the entire drive back to Clive's apartment. He only let go of it once they had to gather all of their shopping to bring inside.

Clive watched as Joshua squirreled most of the bags away in his room, and then returned to perch himself on the couch with the one from the cafe. He began to pull different items out of the bag after he placed it on the coffee table. All the little plastic containers got systematically sorted between his food, Clive's food, and items for them to share. They weren't stacked neatly or anything, but Joshua made certain that every single item was separated to his satisfaction.

There was no reason to not let him do it, so Clive just gathered up utensils for each of them. Joshua hadn't expressed any interest in drinks, even when they were at the cafe, so Clive called out to him. “What would you like to drink?”

“Water.” It was short, distracted, and almost seemed like an instinctive response.

“You sure? I have lots of different things.”

“Water is fine.” Again, the words were distracted, probably because Joshua was so focused on the food containers. Clive shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, tucked it under his arm, and grabbed himself a bottle of soda. By the time he got back to the living room, Joshua had finished his organization. A muttered word of thanks was uttered when Clive placed his water on the table on front of him.

They each popped open a container, though Joshua watched Clive dig in first before he began to eat. It felt a bit suspicious, but Joshua wouldn't have done something to the food, right? Clive stopped eating for a moment, and only resumed when Joshua lifted a brow in confusion at him. No, of course not. Joshua seemed perfectly capable of disabling him if he tried without any kind of need to do something to their food. Clive scoffed mentally at himself for starting to be as suspicious of things as Joshua was.

“So, you wanted to ask me stuff, right?” Joshua said around a mouthful of food. He grabbed a napkin and dabbed at his mouth before he put the container he was eating from back on the table. “I'm ready, let the questions flow.”

“Hm?” It was Clive's turn to make a sound with his mouth full. He swallowed first before he continued. “Oh, right. I thought we were gonna eat first.”

Joshua laughed, and Clive wished he could laugh like that more often. It wasn't mocking, like he usually laughed. Clive already recognized it from the few times he'd heard it as a genuine sound of amusement, with a bit of fondness in it. “We can talk and eat at the same time, it's not that hard. If you join me on the run, you're gonna have to learn some essential skills.”

Despite what Joshua was saying, Clive rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, but he couldn't stop the little smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth and his eyes twinkled lightheartedly. “I'm not gonna join you 'on the run,' Joshua. We're gonna stay here in my nice apartment.” If Joshua was going to talk about their apparent future together, he was certainly not going to get to make all the decisions. A scoff was his answer.

“You'll change your mind.”

“I'm sure,” Clive said as he took another bite of his food. Thankfully, he didn't set Joshua off on another of his panicked rants about the people he thought were coming for him. “But, I guess you're right. No reason for us to not talk while we're eating. And since we're in my apartment, we can talk about whatever we want without fear of people overhearing us.”

Joshua's expression turned sly, and he leaned to the side towards Clive. “Oh, what sort of sordid questions are you going to be asking me? Things that can't be overheard, how daring!”

Clive flushed in embarrassment at Joshua's apparent assumptions. “What do you think I'm going to be asking you?” He thought Joshua's first guess would be about the things he said he saw, but instead he jumped on impropriety? “I just don't want people nosing in on our conversations. I figured you would feel more comfortable talking freely in a more secure place.”

After he had crossed his arms, it occurred to him that Joshua had just messed with him as usual. He didn't need to chastise himself over it; he had only known Joshua for a short time. Of course he still got misdirected by him. Perhaps he was even trying to get Clive to drop talking to him all together.

But no, that didn't make sense. Joshua himself openly said he was ready to answer questions. Would he seriously try to sabotage something he himself brought up? It would be a good way to throw Clive off, to make him get distracted.

“You okay?” Joshua adjusted his sitting position, and faced Clive directly on the couch, legs crossed under him. He leaned forward with curiosity, head dipped slightly to try and catch Clive's gaze. “You're zoning out on me, fading into your thoughts. Not good to do, you'll forget what you were doing.”

“Yeah, I'm okay. I was just thinking of what I wanted to ask you.” An obvious lie, and he suspected Joshua could tell right away that he'd not been thinking of a question at all. To be honest, there were loads of things he wanted to ask Joshua, but all of them seemed too forward, too sudden for how little they knew each other. He wanted to jump right to questions about Jeremy. As he thought for real, Joshua wiggled his eyebrows at him, and he was unable to avoid cracking a smile at the absurdity. “Knock that off,” he said, any annoyance removed by the lilt of amusement in his voice.

“I see you thinking up all sorts of embarrassing things to ask me. Better ask them fast before you lose your nerve.” Joshua leaned forward a bit more, chest practically touching his ankles. So, in addition to being fast, he was also very flexible. Even without questions being asked, Clive still managed to learn new things about Joshua. But then again, since he knew almost nothing about Joshua, every bit of information he could learn felt significant.

“I still don't know what kind of things you're expecting me to ask you. I was mostly thinking of simple stuff, so that I could get to know you better. It feels awkward just stumbling around, finding things out as I go.”

That straightened Joshua back up, and he tilted his head to the side as he glanced up to the right. “Ask anything you want. I already said I'd answer it, nothing to hide after all.” He then leaned back, propped up with his arms straight out behind him. “Go ahead.”

“Well, okay, I guess. Uh.” He still hadn't decided on how to ease into asking questions about his brother. All sorts of things involving him rotated in his mind, even completely mundane questions, though he knew he couldn't just jump in. “What did you do before you got put into Sanctuary?” Joshua watched him quietly for a beat or two, and it occurred to Clive that maybe it was too vague a question. “Job wise, I mean. Like, what did you do?”

Joshua expression crinkled, and he raised an eyebrow. “Your brother and I were partners... I thought you knew that, you were pretending to be him. Didn't they prep you on stuff like that?” Well, yeah, they did, but he'd never been privy to the details of his brother's job. Come to think of it, even when he'd agreed, they hadn't updated him on what Jeremy did. Had they thought Joshua too far gone to remember the details of their work? He knew that Joshua and his brother were partners, but doing what?

“Actually, no, I still don't really know what Jeremy did.”

“Man, none of this plan was thought through, was it?” Joshua scrubbed a hand through his hair, voice frustrated.

“Sorry.” He wasn't sure why he apologized. Shouldn't Joshua be happy that the plan to fool him had been so haphazard? “Are you able to tell me anything about it? What you guys did?”

While his head had turned away, Joshua's gaze slid back onto Clive. “Jeremy didn't tell you, huh? He sure knew how to keep quiet about stuff, never sharing with outsiders, never wanting to share with anyone.” Clive wasn't sure, but Joshua seemed like he was deep in the middle of consideration, as though the act of telling Clive might have been considered a betrayal of his brother.

“Outsiders?”

“I guess I can tell you, just a little bit, a little wouldn't hurt. Already screwed up telling less important people more important things. No harm, can't hurt,” Joshua muttered to himself, his gaze having slid back away from Clive. There seemed to be a bit of an argument in his mind. He didn't even seem to hear Clive's question. After a few moments, his eyes regained focus, and he looked back at Clive. “Jeremy and I investigated unexplained phenomena.”