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kimetsunoyaibawritings · 3 years

Text

Introspection

[AO3 Version] | [Original Request]

Rating: General

Summary: When a rainstorm threatens Tanjiro's travels through the countryside, he takes refuge in the home of a kind stranger. During his stay, he discovers that not only is his host of half-demon blood, but their mother had also been a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Tanjiro is nothing if not curious, and learns more about the multifaceted world of demonkind, hopefully growing ever closer to undoing the curse upon his sister.

Tanjiro could tell that something was off. From the moment that the man had entered into his physical perception he knew that something wasn't quite right. The man -- you -- weren't entirely human. Neither were you entirely demon, but he couldn't get much detail behind the simple fact of otherness that permeated the air around you with every shift of your body.

It wasn't a bad smell either. In fact, when you bowed in greeting, he found the gesture scented with honesty and friendliness instead of hidden malice or insincerity. He bowed in turn, and the two of you exchanged names. It didn't take long before you took note of his weapon, and much less after that to realize that the wooden case hefted against his back held something far less trivial than one would have assumed. Not something, but someone.

His nose was sharp -- for a human, at least. Yours was just as honed, though the ability came from your mixed blood than from a rare natural gift. It took but one breath with a defined focus to realize the young man you'd met was hardly a normal person.

Demon Slayer.

The words held some semblance of meaning. Nothing with coherent form; they were words passed down to you from your parents, spoken with such fearful vitriol that you had to wonder what kinds of people became such Slayers of Demons. Surely they would be bloodthirsty, heartless souls that would so willingly strike down such simple people without due thought or consideration to what their sins truly were -- assuming that existence itself wasn't a sin for a demon.

But as Tanjiro stood before your eyes, you had to reconsider the image that had built up behind the words. He did not look bloodthirsty. He didn't even seem aggressive. But he still carried the nichirin blade that you'd been warned of, and you had to wonder how many demons had been killed at the mercy of its sharpened edge.

So you, a half-demon standing before one so named a demon slayer, do the careful thing:

You invite Tanjiro to stay with you for the night.

Truthfully, Tanjiro isn’t in a position to reject the offer. he’d been traveling for several days through the rolling landscape between the mountains, and he could smell a thunderstorm coming in. For all that he couldn’t understand you or your strange scent, Tanjiro really had no reason not to trust in his kindness.

The house you called your own is humble, too far from the nearest village for anyone to randomly stumble upon you without incredible forewarning. Tanjiro is actually quite the rarity, one that you find some manner of joy in meeting — the last person you’d met was half as kind and barely a fraction as patient.

“Are you a demon slayer?” you find yourself asking barely a moment after the two of you have stepped into the narrow threshold of the front doorway. Beyond is a home consisting of a few rooms at most, minimally furnished but meticulously cared for.

Tanjiro barely has the chance to set his gear down, but he flashes an earnest smile in your direction.

“I am,” he says. There’s pride in his tone. “Though I’m a little surprised. Not a lot of people recognize us that quickly, unless…”

“No. I don’t have any connection,” you quickly dash his assumption aside. “But I recognize the uniform and weapon you’re carrying. Nichirin blade, correct?”

Tanjiro blinks, but the look of warmth never quite fades from his face even as he nods to affirm your suspicion. It sates your surface curiosity, but it doesn’t offer any sort of clue as to what is in the box he’d carried upon his back. For a moment you wonder if it would be rude to inquire about it, but shrug the notion off quickly when you remember how strange the box smells. Not weapons, not rations, but something softer.

“What’s in that box of yours?”

Tanjiro’s entire frame stiffens. In barely a breath’s worth of time, his demeanor tightens up and leaves the young man looking tense and unsure. With one hand gently laying upon the wooden surface of his cargo, he says, “Something… very important to me,” he then reaches his other hand up, fingers splayed open and shaking as if to ward off concern. “-but I promise it’s nothing dangerous.”

You can smell a soft trace of anxiety around him. While the unexpected reaction incites a spark of curiosity within your chest, it’s not without a resounding sense of restraint and mannered respect for Tanjiro’s privacy. If he doesn’t wish to share the nature of it’s contents with you — someone who is little more than a stranger to him, admittedly — then he is under no such obligation. Still, you purse your lips for a moment in disappointment before lightly gesturing for him to step further into the house with you.

“I’d been cooking food when you arrived,” you say gently. “Clean yourself up and I’ll serve us both something hot to eat.”

It doesn’t take very long before the two of you are sitting together, sipping at the brothy soup that had been bubbling away for the entirety of the earlier afternoon. Though the majority of the meal is somewhat silent, Tanjiro’s eyes move about the room, taking in every detail that raises above the floor and out from the walls. It doesn’t take a genius to realize how well he fits into the ideal of a Demon Slayer — Tanjiro is perceptive and foolhardy with at least some basic talent for the blade on his hip.

Beyond that, however, you’re not quite sure what is to be expected of him as a slayer. He’s very kind and respectful… but those are hardly the traits you’ve come to associate with the title. Everything about the young man demands curiosity, so much that you don’t realize how his gaze has settled onto one particular spot on the wall behind you. By the time you remember what is hanging openly, Tanjiro’s lips are already forming a question -

“Whose sword is that on your wall?”

You don’t even turn your eyes around to look at it. The object has taken a defined place within your memories — you can’t forget the shape of the blade, the texture of the hilt, or the soft smile of it’s previous owner even if you genuinely wanted to purge them from your thoughts.

A sigh escapes your lips after a few moments. “It belonged to my mother,” you explain after a moment. When Tanjiro’s rust-colored eyes light up, you decide to answer the question just behind his lips. “And yes, it’s what you think it is. She was a demon slayer herself.”

“Oh,” the syllable falls with a sense of understanding of was rather than is. A misjudged understanding, given the ambiguity of your answer, but a respectful one nonetheless. “I’m sorry.”

A moment passes.

“And… your father?” Tanjiro asks.

The speed at which you shake your head is almost comical. No. No. The visual image is a joke in itself, and Tanjiro doesn’t even realize why his question is so humorous to you.

“My father was not the kind of person for that line of work.” a gentle chuckle does manage to escape the poised line of your lips. “…I doubt he’d be able to wield a blade like that in the first place.”

It feels as if the conversation is going to continue out from there, a gentle rolling of waves upon the edge of a beach after the brief storm of near-realization to what was hiding just beneath the surface of half-dodged answers. But it doesn’t manage to get farther than another breath before a noise sharply echoes out from the wooden box set out near the doorway and shocks both of you into a gazing silence.

“Tanjiro,” your tone is careful and your eyes hone in on the item. Caution prickles in your fingertips and against your tongue as claws and fangs slowly emerge from behind a carefully-kept glamor. “what is in that-”

“What are your thoughts on demons?”

You blink, turning to face the man again with a look that does not hide an ounce of your confusion. It takes a few moments for some of the dots to connect to one another. The reason for him asking your opinion is hanging right above your head, a heavy reminder to half of your heritage — but it doesn’t quite match all of the points of confusion all but emanating from Tanjiro and the strange box he carried with him.

Still, his question deserves an answer. And even as your eyes settle carefully on the square shape across the room, you offer one.

“Asking my thoughts on demons is no different than asking my thoughts on humans,” you say, words careful and tone oddly tight. “Some are good, some are bad, and none-” a sharp breath passes over your lips. “-none are perfect.”

Tanjiro’s eyes linger on you for a long while, longer than what feels comfortable for the silence between you. For a few moments you wonder if his question was a test and your answer had failed it abysmally, but it didn’t change your feelings on the matter in the slightest. Nothing ever will.

Another sharp noise echoes from the direction of the box. Your eyes begin to dart towards it, but the motion of Tanjiro’s body commands your attention towards him instead, he as if ready at any moment to launch himself towards the box, but his eyes meeting yours openly and earnestly.

“So you’re saying you think some demons can be good, right?”

You watch him, but sense no malice in the young man’s gaze.

“Of course.”

Relief seems to flood across his expression. When another, more rhythmic sound comes from the box, he doesn’t so much jump towards it as he does shuffle to his feet and step across the room. Before he’s able to reach it, however, the door suddenly opens to reveal a shape of pink fabric spilling out from within. You blink and watch as the fabric moves, and ever so quickly does your mind realize that there is a person within it, wearing the kimono that reminds you of cherry blossoms in springtime.

By the time Tanjiro is at the side of the wooden box and holding out an outstretched hand, you’ve come to realize that it’s been a young girl inside of it the entire time.

A demon. The scent doesn’t escape your nose for a moment, though it lacks the underlying sharpness of iron you’d come to expect from others of her kind and yours alike.

And Tanjiro regards her with tolerance, nay, respect. It seems to take the young woman a few moments to orientate herself to her surroundings, but he smiles at her with all the same gentleness.

“It’s okay, Nezuko,” Tanjiro says brightly, pulling the woman onto her feet. “This is a safe place.”

Despite all the words that press up behind your tongue, you can’t help but stare at the young duo. Tanjiro smiles and gestures towards the young woman beside him, Nezuko.

“This is my… younger sister,” he says at last. The air settles around the room in a nonverbal confirmation of information that doesn’t take more than a heartbeat to confirm, but it leaves you equally confused and curious all the same.

“Tanjiro,” you murmur, words finally picking up a semblance of strength. “This may be a stupid question, but are you aware that your sister is currently a demon?”

Though it’s not clear what would have been more surprising of an answer, Tanjiro’s honest nod does seem to do plenty to throw you for a loop. A demon slayer traveling around with a demon at his side? The notion vexes you completely, even if the demon in question is a member of his familiy. Unless…

“Was she born a demon?”

Tanjiro and Nezuko both look at you, the former with a more defined look of confusion across his face.

“Born…?” he asks. “As in turned? Turned into a demon?”

“Ah,” you suddenly feel a bit silly and more than a little embarrassed as his confusion seems to be genuine. “I think I misunderstood a few things. I’ve got my answer in any case but, no, I did actually mean born as in physically birthed.”

While Nezuko loses interest in the conversation and begins to roam about the room, her brother slowly settles back onto his spot across from you — albeit shooting a glance to his young sister every once in a while which is admittedly endearing. The two of them seem barely old enough to be out on their own, and you’re not sure if the demon slayers even have a minimum age requirement to begin with as long as someone can hold a weapon and defend another.

“How could someone give birth to a demon?” Tanjiro finally asks. “I thought they were only created by… uh.” he pauses for a few moments, waiting as if to catch something in your eyes. Recognition perhaps? “…A man named Muzan Kibutsugi.”

He’s not bothering to conceal his befuddled expression as, behind his eyes, you can see the threads of thought and logic try desperately to put an answer together from the bits of information he already knows about demon-kind.

“Most are,” your words taste bittersweet on the tongue. “But not all of them. Some demons can create other demons if they’re strong enough.”

Tanjiro nods as the faces of both Lady Tamayo and Yushiro appear in his mind’s eye. Though she had been a demon created by Muzan, he recalled that Yushiro was created by her hand in the continuing search for a cure to turn someone human once more. It had been the only instance where he’d come across a demon not created by the demon king himself, but it’s a clear enough example that Tanjiro doesn’t need to stretch his mind very far to understand your words.

Seeing this recognition, your hand raises to gesture up towards your chest, fingertips barely skimming across the wash-worn fabric of your kimono.

“You asked before about some demons being ‘good’.”

Tanjiro nods. Even Nezuko has moved her attention towards you, though she stands solemnly in one of the darker corners of the room as her eyes glow like shimmering sakura blossoms.

Considering the nature of whom was sitting in front of you — the organization for which Tanjiro allied himself with — there was a part of you that wished to simply lie between your teeth and wait out the night until it would be socially acceptable to all but kick the young warrior out of your home. That part had good reasons to be cautious and fearful, but another part of you found something hopeful behind the young man’s eyes. You aren’t naïve enough to call it ‘trust’, but the emotion is certainly within the same pond.

“My father was a good man,” your hand lingers, stilled against your chest and all but faintly feeling the thrum of your own heartbeat. “An odd man, but a good one. Tended to the fields, took care of my mother when she fell ill, even managed to make friends with some folks of the local village. He respected everyone around him.”

Even as he remains politely silent, something starts to click in Tanjiro’s eyes, even before you finish the point of your words.

“…my father was also a demon created by Kibutsugi.”

Tanjiro blinks with wide surprise and shock stilling the words that otherwise press against the back of his lips. While there had been a growing hunch forming somewhere within his thoughts, he can’t help the suddenness of the question needed to confirm them when he finally can speak again.

“Does that mean that you are-”

“Half-demon, yes.”

"How does that even...happen...?"

You chuckle, "I'd imagine how most people go about having babies."

Tanjiro's cheeks turn a dark red, and he quickly drops that particular line of questions.

You try to offer the young man a comforting smile, but he continues to stare in a summation of awe and disbelief. He’d never even thought that a demon and human could have a child together. For the longest time since learning of their existence, Tanjiro simply thought that demons couldn’t have children at all — like an extension of the curse befallen upon them, leaving them wanting for human flesh and blood, feral and wild and-

It is then that Tanjiro’s thoughts click into place once more. No. He’s not without multiple examples to the contrary, strengthened each and every day by the knowledge that his own sister is of the same creation as many of the demons so easily vilified and hated. But, even then, it doesn’t change the fact that Nezuko is a rarity — her lack of bloodshed is, as far as he’d learned, a genuine oddity among other demons.

“… Have you killed anyone?” he finally asks. His eyes glance towards the floor, looking almost ashamed in having to speak the words.

You shake your head. The question is hardly a surprise — you actually would have been more caught off-guard if that hadn’t been the first thought on his mind. But oddly enough, the question is something of a comfort. It allows to you answer it honestly.

“I haven’t hurt or killed anyone before — since part of my blood itself is human, my diet is relatively lackluster.” with a sweep of your hand, you gesture out to the empty bowls in front of the two of you. “I can be out beneath the sun, but my skin is somewhat sensitive to it; just a short while in direct sunlight can leave me with a terrible burn.”

Tanjiro nods. He brings up a hand to his chin for a moment to ponder over the details and new information as what appears to be every thread of his thoughts devote to try and weave it all together with what he already knew. One detail into another, filling up the ever-growing sense of curiosity that he had for demons and those around them. If nothing else, it proved that there were still things that not even the Demon Slayer corps understood properly — or, if they did, they certainly didn’t admit to them. The Hashira’s response to Nezuko solidified that well enough.

After a few moments, Tanjiro’s attention flicks back up to your face.

“Your… mother was a demon slayer, right?”

You nod politely, though it doesn’t take more than a quick glance back up to the nichirin blade hanging above both of your heads on the wall behind you to be reminded of the fact.

Tanjiro’s gaze tilts ever so slightly with his head to one side. “How did your mother and father meet?”

You shrug. “I never learned much of the details, though I do know that he was at one time a demon she was sent out to kill.”

Tanjiro chuckles after a few moments.

“I think I can guess what came after that,” he says. “So was your father… around much after you were born?”

“Of course!” your expression all but beams at the gentle memories. “Just because he was a demon doesn’t mean by default he was a bad or neglectful father. Though I suppose he so often seemed sickly to others; not able to go outside during the day, having to hide himself when there was company… I admit there is a lot about my father I still don’t know.”

For but a flicker of a moment, you are absolutely certain that there is a sadness within Tanjiro’s eyes. A mutual bitterness, empathetic beyond words. But the look is gone ever so quick, so much that if your perception was but a moment slower it would have been missed entirely.

But what remains is yet a soft expression.

“Thank you,” he finally says. “I am trying to learn as much as I can about demons right now.”

“I assume as much, being a demon slayer.”

“No, no it’s-” the young man looks suddenly flushed. “I promise I’m-… I’m not going to tell anyone about you. I just, think that… there’s a lot that I don’t understand. But I would like to. You see, my sister and I-”

And so, Tanjiro tells you the story of how he and his sister began traveling together — the murder of his family, his sister being turned into a demon, his promise to himself and those he lost that he would try to right all of the wrongs that had been done to them. He explains how he joined the demon slayers, how he had met other demons who had been kind to him in much the same way that you had been. Though the names Tamayo and Yushiro held no recognition, they did bring a sense of warmth to your chest in the confirmation that being a demon didn’t truly mean one had to give up their sense of humanity and kindness.

One topic moved onto another as the night continued on and the rainstorms moved in. Through the soft pitter-patter of water against the roof, you did your best to answer as many of Tanjiro’s questions as you could despite the fact that your knowledge of Muzan went no farther than simply hearing it once or twice and having a basic understanding of his role in the origin of demons themselves. There is also something admittedly humorous in watching Tanjiro’s expression when your glamor falls just a little, revealing sharp claws at the tip of each finger and fangs barely hidden behind the press of your lips.

“Neither my father nor I had any semblance of combat ability, but they’re useful for hunting.” a moment passes. “Animals, I mean. Me and mother still had to eat something.”

Perhaps it’s the reminder of your mother, and her lack of presence in the house with you, that finally encourages the question forth, “How long have your parents been…?”

“Dead?” you don’t fear the sound of the word or the notion behind it. “It will be twenty years this coming spring.”

“Twenty years?” Tanjiro gawks. “H-how old are you then?”

“I was born in 1857, so…” you do the math in your head, giving Tanjiro several moments to try and come to terms with the fact that you barely look older than your mid twenties at most. “This year I will be fifty-five!”

Your bright, sharp grin is in hilarious contrast with the shock all but painted across the young man’s face. After giving him a breath to take in the information, you point out, “I am half-demon. Time doesn’t mean as much to my health as it does a normal demon.”

“I… see,” Tanjiro’s eyes return to normal, but there’s no hiding his lingering awe. “So will just a nichirin blade… kill you?”

You have to laugh at just how shy the question is for the severity of the words. “Trying to plan my demise already, demon slayer?”

Though Tanjiro immediately begins to shake his hand and try to babble out an apology and explanation alike, you aren’t cruel enough to let it linger for more than a moment before explaining, “A normal blade could behead me and I would die. I could drown in a lake or perish from a high enough fall. In all things but old age, I’m still very mortal, Tanjiro — for better or worse. I can’t speak for any other half-demon you may come across, but I know that much.”

A moment of silence passes between you. Tanjiro thankfully doesn’t ask about your parents or their passing. In fact, he seems rather satisfied by the amount of information he’s gotten already, so much that his mind constantly looks as if it’s rolling about within his skull, putting together a puzzle with far too many pieces missing for most people to even bother in the first place.

The rain continues to fall. It’s a gentle white noise, ceaseless, and punctured only by the dull rolling sounds of thunder as it moves across the edges of your perception. It doesn’t take long for you to realize the time either, knowing even without looking out the door or window that the moon is high into the night sky and that, furthermore, it was not hospitable of you to keep your guest from getting a good night’s rest.

“If you have no more questions, I think it would be a good idea to get some sleep.”

There were more questions — there is always more questions — but Tanjiro can’t ignore the fact that it’s late and, yes, he would need to be moving along to his next destination early in the morning. It doesn't’ take long to ready a place for him to sleep, and less so for Nezuko who seems content to simply be near her older brother. Though she doesn’t speak a single word to you, the look in her eyes seems soft and curious, perhaps even grateful.

It’s understandable why Tanjiro has such a moderate view of demons despite being among the Demon Slayer Corps himself.

That fact in itself is something of a comfort as much as it is a curiosity, one that lingers with you even when you see the young man off the next morning, so early that the sun has barely crested above the hills and mountains on the horizon.

And Tanjiro, as he leaves, finds himself renewed with energy and questions alike. Every time he thinks he has a strong grasp on the world around him, something new emerges that throws it further into perspective in an ever-growing map of knowledge. Though the edges continue to get blurrier, there’s something nice in familiarizing himself in it. To Tanjiro, it brings him further hope for the future of not only himself, but for the Demon Slayer Corps and the greater world around them.

Maybe, he hopes, he’ll run into you again one day.

And maybe then he’ll be able to introduce his sister to you as a human — or perhaps the world will have grown in such a way that, like the union of your parents and the makeup of your own blood, it won’t even matter in the first place.

#kny #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #fic #male!reader #sfw #sfw fic #writing #sfw writing #gen fic #gen writing #no ship writing #no ship fic #readerinsert #readershot #tanjiro #tanjiro kamado #request fill

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clean-bands-dirty-stories · 4 years

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Breathe ~ Doctor (part 4)

A/n: I will get to requests soon, I promise. I just want to get to Donna in this series, because I have PLANS it’s going to be great.

Word Count: 11,000+

MASTERLIST

"Shit!"

"Language please, we are still in a school." Y/n turned around to see the principle that still made him feel so incredibly uncomfortable to be around, and tried once again not to look as terrified of the man as he felt.

"Right sir, sorry." Y/n offered a small smile and the other man continued on his way. What a relief.

He was still wrapping his finger as he walked into the cafeteria. He had cut it on accident, and though it was small it was in such a place that it had bled quite a lot before finally calming down enough so he could plaster it. He got his food, passing Rose who was working as a lunch lady, and the two shared a look. Rose's was irritated, and Y/n's was amused. Next Y/n looked around the room to find the Doctor, making his way over to sit across. "How was Physics?" Y/n asked.

The Doctor's eyes fell to Y/n's finger. "How was mechanics?"

Y/n had applied for the mechanic job, same as Rose had gone for lunch lady and the Doctor had aimed for teacher. They'd all gotten it. Mickey and the Doctor had taught Y/n enough about how to fix things that mixed with that and his impressive ability to pick up on simple things pretty easily, he was actually quite good. Only two days in, even the weird staff members that gave Y/n the same vibe as the principal did called Y/n when they needed help with something, instead of the janitor like they had for years.

"You know there's more this gig than just tightening screws and helping the English teacher figure out how computers work. Mr. Bele, the janitor, has actually been teaching me some plumbing stuff. I think I'm properly working." He was rather proud, and it made the Doctor smile. Y/n caught movement in the corner of his eye and looked over to see Rose approaching. "Unlike some people."

She was at the table in a few seconds, pretending to wipe off the surface when she'd just passed four empty tables who needed it far more than this one did. Y/n held in a laugh for her sake - she seemed irritated. "Two day," she reminded. "We've been here for two days.

"Not everything is running from death and facing down mythical beasts," Y/n said casually. "Sometimes it's just scooping lunch and waiting for the right time."

Rose rolled her eyes. Unlike Y/n, the Doctor didn't seem hesitant to irritate her further as he motioned to a spot on the table with his plastic fork. "Sorry, could you just... there's a bit of gravy." She wiped at the wrong thing, and the Doctor pushed it even further. "No, no, just there." She glared a him and he grinned.

"Doctor." Despite her obvious irritation, she did find the right spot and wiped it up.

"Blame your boyfriend, he's the one who put us up to this," the Doctor reminded.

Y/n tried to hide his smile. The three of them were involved, that was obvious, but they hadn't ever made anything official or used labels. Since Rose was technically dating Mickey and hadn't officially broken up with him as well, the Doctor and Y/n had been teasing her about it occasionally. All in good fun, of course, but it still made her scoff every time.

"Have you seen anything to prove him right then?" Y/n asked, resting his chin in his palm as he popped a fry in his mouth.

"Yes actually. One of the kids in my class this morning, got know;edge way beyond planet Earth," the Doctor began.

"You eating those chips?" Rose asked.

Y/n rolled his eyes. "How can you think of food right now? There's a child with extraterrestrial knowledge, Rose."

The Doctor smiled at that, but allowed Rose to grab a few off of his plate anyway. Y/n smiled to himself at the way they so easily invaded each others' space. It wasn't a problem at all for them. "No worries," he dismissed. "I didn't want them anyway they're a bit... different."

"Oh but they're gorgeous." Her mouth was full but also curved in a smile and Y/n chuckled under his breath, shaking his head at her. God she was adorable. "I wish I'd had something like this in school."

A hum came from the Doctor. The kind that told them he wasn't fully paying attention. His mind was somewhere else. "It's quite well behaved, this place."

Y/n had noticed it too. "Yeah, every time I go into classes to fix something they all just sit there and... stare at me. It's not like they're threatening, just a bit unnerving. Just sitting there, patiently waiting for me to finish. I've heard stories about how kids use their phones and talk during lectures, let alone when there's nothing going on. I don't know Rose, is that the norm?"

She nodded, far used to Y/n asking questions about things that he should have experienced but never did. "Yeah one time the teacher needed help with something and two kids snogged in the back of the classroom the whole time. One kid used to throw pencils at the back of my head during class, until I moved seats."

"Yeah I thought they'd all be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBO's," the Doctor input. "Happy slapping hoodies with ASBO's and ringtones, yeah?" He seemed quite proud of himself. "Don't tell me I don't fit in."

Before Rose could tease him, the head lunchlady approached, her eyes on the blonde at the table. "You are not to leave your station during a sit in."

Rose stood. "I was just talking to this teacher, and his mechanic friend."

"Hello," the Doctor greeted as Y/n smiled, nodding politely rather than voicing something. It was pretty reflective of how they usually worked, with Y/n tending to sit back and blend in and the Doctor sticking out like a sore thumb and grabbing all the attention. It wasn't a bad thing, just what was normal. The whole thing with the wold had been rare. A nice rarity though.

"This professor here says he doesn't like the chips," Rose added, shaking her head. It seemed to be some attempt at a joke to break the tension. Something the other woman could relate to maybe.

It fell short. If anything, she seemed offended. "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now get back to work." And with that, she turned around and left.

Y/n blew air out of his mouth, eyes wide as he looked back to Rose. "See?" She said to him, shaking her head. "This is me." She began to leave, walking backward so she could motion to her apron and uniform. "Dinner lady," she added with a grumble as she turned her back to the two men, heading back to the kitchen.

"I'll have the crumble," the Doctor shot back.

The last thing they heard from her was, "I'm so gonna kill you." Y/n covered his laugh, trying to stay third party to their banter as usual. Sometimes he had his fun as well, but he tended to be laid back enough to play peacekeeper more than anything.

The Doctor leaned into him, snagging his attention. "What?" Y/n asked upon seeing an odd look in the Doctor's eyes.

The Timelord just smiled. "What do you think it would have been like, this? School and such?"

Y/n scoffed. "Terrible, from what I hear. Especially for me." He messed with his food, distracting himself as he always did when he had to be vulnerable. He only ever did it for Rose and the Doctor, but it was still hard - even for them. "I think I have anxiety." A short, bitter laugh. "I've never really had to face it of course, with being as apart from society as a human who lives on Earth can be. It kept me alive and made me really functional, living on the streets as a child. I learned to steal pretty quickly, motivated by my hunger and constant paranoia that I'd get caught. I didn't trust anyone, not even those I probably should have. Kept me alive though, I bet. Something like that, in a place like this? No. I would have crumbled for sure. Wouldn't have been able to read aloud or say the answer when I was called on or been able to make any friends. I probably would have sat in the corner every day, in every class, and prayed I wouldn't get noticed." His smile dropped. "Kids like that... they struggle in school. People are mean."

The Doctor reached over and took Y/n's hand. "Well, I'm lucky. You've got some very good survival skills. That instinct of yours has saved my life more times than I can count, I'm sure."

"Nah." Y/n chuckled to himself. "You'd have been fine without me. Figured something out, I'm sure."

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "Thanks to you I didn't have to, though." He smiled. "Lots of people have you to thank for saving their lives as well, Y/n. If nothing else, you do well in this life."

That did cheer Y/n up actually. "I hope it'll always be that way. I'd hate to slow you down."

At that, the Doctor actually laughed. It was low and quiet, unlike his usual laugh, but far more domestic. Calm. It was a laugh that didn't need to be showy - it was good enough to be familiar. "If ever comes the day I'm not trying to keep up with you, then I'll start to worry."

Out of the corner of Y/n's eye, there was movement. He looked over to see some of the kids looking between the two men and their hands. Y/n suddenly got rather bashful, attempting to pull his hand away. The Doctor only held on tighter. "You know, we're in public," Y/n noted.

"Yep," the Doctor agreed.

"Showing affection," Y/n added, nodding to their hands.

"Indeed." The Doctor smiled and Y/n thought the man odd, in a pleasant way. The way he wasn't afraid to be himself was rather refreshing - especially when the plan had been to be polite and pleasant, but otherwise act as strangers.

Y/n spent the rest of lunch enjoying the moment. Word would spread, but these kids didn't seem the type to prod, even though children of this age should be at peak curiosity, yet to develop a social censor. The perfect disaster for pushy, nosey kids asking questions they probably shouldn't be. Not at this school though. For now, they could enjoy the exchange and that was enough.

Then lunch was over and it was back to business.

A little bit later, Y/n was pushing his cart down the hallway to go around his usual round to check if anything was out of place that hadn't been noticed - this was used most for normal schools where kids pulled pranks, but at this school he could use the guise to get information wherever he could - when he was stopped by the Principal, who had a woman at his side. "Ah yes, Mr. Doe," the older man greeted. "Miss Smith, this is our handyman. He help the janitor quite a bit - had some training in more things than cleaning and basic plumbing. Helps with the cooling and heating, and when machines break down or are hard to understand. Since when did things get so advanced, am I right?" He chuckled softly, but didn't get a response.

The other two were too busy staring at each other. "Sarah Jane," Y/n whispered, eyes wide.

Sara, though she knew for a fact that she couldn't know this man in front of her, felt that... maybe she did, actually. There was something familiar in his eyes, aside from the raw and obvious recognition that he looked at her with.

The principal seemed surprised. "You two know each other?"

"I-" Y/n panicked. If he said yes, Sara would surely be confused. But if he said no... well obviously that was a lie. How could he explain that he knew her, but she didn't know him? "We met briefly. I have a fantastic memory, when it comes to faces. Like a steal trap. I'm sure you don't remember me, but I dare say I could never forget a face as pretty as yours." It was probably odd to flirt with her as she was quite a bit older than he was, but he couldn't help it. He had someone else's memories, and the feelings that came with them.

"That makes sense," Sara voiced. Her words seemed a little distant though, her eyes boring into Y/n's, as if searching.

A little panicked, Y/n looked away. "Nice to see you again, Miss Smith. I hope you won't think me rude, but I must be off. Got work to do." He nodded to the principal. "Good day." Then he left, feeling Sara Jane Smith's eyes on his back the whole way.

Things were about to get very interesting.

"Kenny?" Y/n was surprised to see the spikey haired boy looking so shaken. Y/n had a habit of making friends with people as he went, in a way that Rose and the Doctor didn't. They were friendly and formed attachments, of course, but Y/n had an aura about him that made those who were lost or scared or confused flock to him for protection and understanding. It just so happened that those who were in such states in the line of things the Doctor and his two companions did, often had the most information. Y/n's friends were often full of just the information he needed, and they trusted him so much that it wasn't very hard to get it out of them.

Like now.

"I think I'm going mad," the young boy squeaked.

Ah yes, the staple sentence that meant someone had seen something important. "Now why's that?"

Kenny seemed to debate for quite a while, until Y/n rested his hand on the young boy's shoulders, encouraging him to talk. "I heard something weird in one of the classes, so I went to investigate. And... well I looked under one of the desks and there was some sort of... gargoyle, or bat or-" He shook his head. "I spooked it I think. It stood up and it was one of the staff." Y/n's eyes went wide. "He told me to go. Am I losing it?"

Kneeling down, Y/n got very serious. "You've not lost anything, Kenny, do you hear me?" The boy hesitated, then nodded. "I believe you. I do." That seemed to make Kenny quite relieved. "Now go to class and leave it up to me. I'll figure this out, promise." He hesitated before adding, "And Kenny? Don't tell anyone else what you saw, or that you told anyone. Do you understand me?"

The boy seemed unsure, but nodded again. "Okay."

"Good boy." Y/n let out a breath of relief. "Run along now and get to class. I don't want you being late." Kenny did go off, and Y/n turned back to his cart, looking at it a second before continuing on.

Did this mean he had to admit Mickey was right? God he hoped not.

"He said... a bat?"

"Or a gargoyle," Y/n confirmed to the Doctor's question. "Anything come to mind?"

"No." He frowned at the door they were about to go into as Y/n took the lead, using his keys to unlock it so they could all get in. He seemed worried by his lack of knowledge. If they were all being honest, it made Rose and Y/n just as nervous to see it. The Doctor was rarely caught off unawares and when he was... Well it wasn't good.

Once inside, Rose found a good joke as always to lighten the mood. "Oh," she whispered, her words mixed with laughter. "It's so weird to be in a school at night. Kinda spooky." She giggled, nudging Y/n who smiled. "When I was a kid I used to think all the teachers slept in school."

"Alright team," The Doctor began, shifting focus back to what was important. "Oh-" he cut off, making an odd face. "I hate people who say 'team'. Uh- gang? Uh... comrades."

"Squad?" Y/n offered.

"No," the Doctor shot down. "Anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all maths teachers, check on the maths department. Y/n, look around to see if you can find any traces that could give us more clues on these bat or gargoyle creatures. Anything at all. I'm going to check out Finch's office. Meet back here in ten minutes." He took off, leaving the other three alone.

Rose hesitated around Mickey. Y/n didn't know where the two were at anymore, since Rose, Y/n and the Doctor had become... official? Weren't they? I guess they'd never said. It was quite confusing now that he was thinking about it. Rose still seemed to care about Mickey, so there was that. Even now, she checked in one him. "You going to be alright?"

"Me?" He brushed off far too eagerly, as if he'd been waiting to show that he was cool and capable. Something gave Y/n the idea that Mickey was doing so specifically to seem more cool and collected than the Doctor. Jokes on him, the Doctor was neither of those things and tended to actually be rather unhinged and chaotic. Y/n wasn't going to correct Mickey though - it was funny to see the man scramble and make a fool of himself. "Infiltration and investigation? I'm an expert at this." He began to walk off and Y/n was a bit impressed at how calm and confident he was being... until Mickey came back to ask, "Where's the maths department?" Rose pointed him in the direction as Y/n did a bad job at hiding his mocking chuckles.

When Mickey was gone, Rose rounded on Y/n. "What is your deal?"

"What do you mean, I've always been at odds with Mickey," Y/n pointed out.

"Not like that," Rose argued. "You're usually at least polite if nothing else. And you can't blame this on the Doctor, because you were the one who backed me up when Mickey called and the Doctor tried to dismiss it. You respect Mickey, deep down. And you care about him. The only time I've seen you act like this, lashing out by being petty, was when we were younger and you were upset but wouldn't tell me. So, Y/n, what's your deal?"

Y/n wasn't sure when she had gotten so perceptive of him. Perhaps she'd always been this way. He knew how they always worked though. She wouldn't press if he asked her not to, and he couldn't risk this coming out. He didn't even know it was bothering him as much as it apparently was, but it didn't matter. His current... condition had to stay a secret. "Nothing, really. We have to-"

But Rose had changed too, just as Y/n had, and the usual way she let things slide didn't seem to be what she was okay with anymore. "We haven't kept secrets in ages now. You can trust me Y/n. That's what partners do, right? They talk to each other? Communication and all."

Partners. Wait, what? "I thought... you and Mickey-"

Rose offered a shrug ad a sheepish smile. "We've loved each other for years, you and me, and now we also love the Doctor. That's... a bit chaotic, I'm not going to lie. It's going to be hard enough loving two men who are equally reckless, I can't deal with the drama of someone else too. I... adore Mickey, I really do. He was good to me for a long time. But I've seen what wasting time and waiting too long can do, and if you two are eventually going to have to say goodbye to me then I am going to soak up ever damn second I have until then. I'm tired of wasting time, Y/n. It only hurts more in the end."

"Oh." Y/n rubbed the back of his neck, smiling to himself. "Okay."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You're adorable, truly, but you're not going to distract me. I want answers."

A panic flashed through the man and he did the first thing he could think of. He grabbed Rose and kissed the living hell out of her. When he leaned away, she looked a little dazed which is what he was going for. "I'll tell you. I really will. Just... not right now, okay? I can't do this right now, especially because there's too much else going on. I'm sorry." Then he took off toward the halls, ready to look around to find something that would help them all out.

He did find something. He opened the door, revealing a sight that made his blood run cold. Then he heard a scream, and he booked it over, running in to see Mickey. Before the boy could explain his exclamation, the Doctor joined the scene a second later, Rose and Sara Jane on his heels.

Y/n froze. "Sara Jane." He cleared his throat, able to handle it much better the second time around - especially with eyes on him. It sounded less like someone greeting an old friend, and more someone just saying hello in general.

"James," she greeted back. "Mr. Doe, I mean. Sorry, I got your first name from the principal quite by accident. Since you used mine I figured-"

"No worries," Y/n rushed. "It's - uh - not James though. It's actually Y/n. I went by a fake name myself. The Doctor stole John though, so I went with James instead. Different enough that no one would call me out for the obviously fake name."

"Oh," Sara Jane realized. "John Doe." They both chuckled, but the sound was cut off by an irritated Rose, who seemed to be very much not enjoying the exchange between the two.

"Why did you scream, Mickey?" She demanded, turning attention back to the reason they were all there. Unfortunately, Y/n did not miss the odd way the Doctor looked at him, confused by the interaction between the two.

Mickey seemed suddenly wanting to disappear. "Sorry, I uh..." He moved aside to let everyone see in. "You told me to investigate, so I started looking through these cupboards and all these fell out on me."

"Oh my god they're rats," Rose realized. "Dozens of rats. Vacuum-packed rats." Y/n had to agree with her wonder at it all.

"And you decided to scream?" The Doctor stood, looking at Mickey with a raised eyebrow.

"It took me by surprise," Mickey defended.

"Like a little girl?"

"It was dark! I was covered in rats!"

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt."

"To be fair," Y/n piped in, feeling this wasn't fair on Mickey. "There's a lot of tension and people tend to die on these adventures of ours. I don't blame Mickey for being tense." Seeing Sara Jane had put him in a rather good mood if he did say so himself, even if he refused to admit it. It countered his anxieties about having the Doctor's memories and brought him back to normal.

"Can we focus?" Was the nest thing said, and that came from Rose. "Has anyone noticed anything strange about this? Rats in school?"

"Well obviously they used them in biology lessons. They dissect them," Sarah Jane pointed out. "Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"

That took Y/n off guard, but before he could play peacemaker Rose shot back with, "Excuse me no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are from, the Dark Ages?"

"Anyway!" The Doctor butt in, looking between the two women with confusion. Y/n seemed to be the only one who got it, what was happening. "Moving on. Everything started when Mr. Finch arrived. We should go check his office."

"Actually." This time it was Y/n. "I found something, before we all got here. Rather convenient if you ask me, I won't lie. Now we can all go back together."

"And you're only saying this now?" The Doctor demanded.

Y/n rolled his eyes. "You shut your mouth. Between the jealousy wafting off of all four of you at all times and trying to keep the peace between all of it, I think I deserved a moment of silence for myself." Then he turned away, storming off toward the teacher's lounge where he'd seen the thing before.

"Jealousy?" the Doctor scoffed, offended. "I'm not- Y/n wait up!"

Y/n lead the way, the other four following. The Doctor was right behind Y/n, Sara Jane and Rose on either side of him and then Mickey behind them. As they walked, he heard, "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?"

"Sara Jane Smith," she replied. "I used to travel with the Doctor."

"Oh!" Rose spoke with the voice that told Y/n she was getting pissed. The two women pushed ahead to be on either side of Y/n and even began to walk a little faster. Y/n didn't mind it, getting his kicks when they turned the wrong way at first and then had to catch up again. "Well, he's never mentioned you."

"That's it." Y/n stopped cold, the Doctor ramming into him. He ignored the man, facing the two women in the hallway. "You both listen to me. I'm not going to have you taking stabs at each other all night. Sara Jane, the Doctor didn't talk about you, but not because he doesn't care. He cares a lot, actually. Maybe two much. He's just got a lot on his plate at literally all times, and talking about his past hurts so he rarely does it - if ever. I already have to deal with the Doctor and Mickey, I won't tolerate this too. Sara Jane, you started this, and I want you to end it right now. Rose is just responding - neither which I condone by the way. Get your things in place." Then he turned back around and began walking again, leaving the other four to walk silently behind him for quite a stretch of time.

No one spoke again until they got to the teacher's lounge. "Maybe those rats were food," the Doctor thought aloud, actively trying to ignore the other two women and focus on Y/n, who seemed to be the only one with a level head tonight.

"Food for the gargoyle bats?" Y/n asked.

"Maybe, or-" but then the door opened and he looked around inside, and his voice died. "Rose, remember how you used to think all the teachers slept in school?" He began walking in, everyone filtering in after him. "Well, they do." Y/n was the only one who stayed out, already knowing what was inside.

Of those who went in, Mickey was the one who left first. He booked it out, causing everyone else to follow. He went right out the front doors, turning away from the school and catching his breath, hands on knees and eyes slammed close as he tried to shake the image of those things out of his head. "I am not going back in there," he stated firmly. "No way."

"Were those the teachers?" They were all out of breath, but Rose managed to look at the Doctor for more answers. He, however, was thinking it through, still trying to figure it out himself.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies, and a nurse - thirteen. Thirteen big bat people." He looked back at the school. "Come on."

"You've got to be kidding me," Mickey complained.

"I need the TARDIS," the Doctor explained. "I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen.

"I might be able to help you there," Sara Jane piped up. Rose rolled her eyes. "I've got something you should see." They all followed to her to her car, where she opened the trunk to reveal something covered in a blanket. The Doctor pulled it aside.

Two voices rang out at the same time. The first was the Doctor, which made sense. The second, unfortunately, was Y/n, who was yet again too caught off guard by surprise and too small a window of time to think clearly and stop himself. "K-9!"

Sarah Jane and the Doctor looked at Y/n, who was immediately struck with fear. God why did he have to have such a big mouth? By some mercy, Rose piped up before either of the two people now staring at Y/n with far too many question - none of which he was willing to answer - could begin asking. "Why does he look so... disco?"

That caught the Doctor's attention. "Oi!" He complained. "Listen, in the year 5000 this was cutting edge. What happened to him?"

Finally Sarah Jane looked away as well. "One day just... nothing," she answered.

"Didn't you try to get him repaired?" The Doctor sounded a little offended. It made Y/n smile to hear him whine like that.

"It's not like getting parts from a Mini Metro," Sara Jones pointed out, defending herself. "Besides, technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"

"Ooh." The Doctor's voice dropped, speaking to K-9 as if the dog was alive and could hear him. Like one would speak to a real dog. "What has the nasty lady done to you?" It made Y/n smile even wider. God, he was rather adorable too, wasn't he? The Doctor reached up and scratched the metal behind where K-9's ears were. It was only then Y/n realized Rose and Mickey were confused by the whole show, rather than endeared. Y/n also noticed Sarah Jane, who stood up from where she'd been bent over before, giving Rose a look like she'd won something.

Y/n was about ready to lose it on the woman. Why couldn't these two just stop for one second and let the Doctor enjoy something? He didn't get to far too often. Before he could say something, Rose did. "Okay, could you two just stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog, we're busy." With that, they all got into Sarah Jane's car and headed to a nearby diner that was still open to fix K-9 so he could analyze the oil. There, the Doctor and Sarah Jane got acquainted once again. Y/n was too scared to reminisce with them, so he stayed by Rose and Mickey. Turns out, that was an even bigger mistake.

"You know what's really impressive is that she's been here an hour and I still haven't said I told you so," Mickey mouthed off.

Y/n felt his anger boil. "Probably because you didn't tell anyone anything, and you're just being a dick."

Mickey glared. The pair had only gotten hostile a few times, but had always been calmed by Rose. Rose, it seemed, was not in the mood to play peacemaker. It had been Y/n's role for too long now. "I'm sorry, YOU look at them then. Tell me that they weren't just like Rose and the Doctor."

Y/n absolutely noticed how Mickey cut Y/n out of that equation. Had she not told him the specifics, or was he just being extra petty? "Okay yes, Sara Jane traveled with the Doctor just like me and Rose do now, and things... were between them. Sort of." He scoffed. "But that was ages ago. Neither of them feel that way anymore, they're just nostalgic. The Doctor disappeared on Sarah Jane one day and just never returned. She thought he was dead, and he's been carrying that unfinished business with him ever since. There's been no closure." He sighed. "Can you imagine, Rose? Nine hundred years he's been alive, and you want him to have spent the majority of that all by himself, after watching his entire planet be destroyed? Think about how he was before we came in his life. How lonely it had to be. When the Doctor gets left alone like that... he gets too much in his head. He gets too fixated on his power and potential and how in control he is. His species is like a god to most others, and he's the last. If he'd been alone all this time, it would have gone to hid head long ago and he wouldn't be the man we know and love. Not even a shadow of him."

Rose didn't seemed cheered by that like Y/n thought, though her body did relax and her expression changed. She was still rather grim, but rather than with jealousy toward Sarah Jane, it was... worry. Confusion. All toward Y/n. "Why do you say that like you know? Like... you were there?"

Y/n didn't have an answer for that. Not one he wanted to share. "I..." He looked away. His mind was blank and he didn't know what to say. In that moment, he began speaking. "Can you imagine what its like to watch your family die right in front of you?" The room was suddenly quite silent, other than the Doctor and Sarah Jane still chatting in the background. "He has the weight of universes on his shoulders. The weight of time and space as a whole. All that ever was and will be. What is, and what can never be. He has it all in his head, swirling around in there waiting to swallow him whole. Think about how incredibly smart he is. No one is that smart anymore. Everyone we've met whose that smart was... lost, in a way. Knowledge is power, but power unused is a waste. Remember the Daleks? Just as clever as him, unable to handle the weight of emotions that comes with it, so they stripped it all away to just survive. They got so arrogant and so obsessed with the power of their minds they stopped really living, labeled themselves as the superior species, and going around destroying worlds with billions of people on it as a past time, for fun, because they legitimately believe that anything other than them is inferior and therefore needs to be destroyed. Can you imagine if it was just one of them? Alone, for hundreds of years. No one can match his intelligence or capability. When he fails, everyone else panics because he's the one we depend on to always have the answers and get it all done. he leads and everyone follows. If they know his real power, they usually do so without question and they'd be right to. The Doctor's wrath is unmatched, and his power is limitless, and without someone there to check him he'd have been lost long ago. It's just fact, Rose, and not hard to piece together. Pain changes people, and no one has been through more than the Doctor. If he wanted to, he could destroy everyone. Everything. But he doesn't, because he has people around him to remind him what is important past just facts and figures. Past logic and fixed points in time. I think that's why he likes humans so much. We remind each other."

"Two quid, love." Three pairs of eyes snapped to the side as Rose remembered why she was at this counter. She took her food with one hand, paying with the other. The trio all gathered their thoughts before heading over to a table for three, sitting down so Rose could eat her chips.

"Do you think he's only into us because of that?" Rose asked softly. "Because we ground him?"

Y/n smiled to himself. "No, not at all. I understand him. He hasn't been understood by someone stable and sane for a long time. It's usually the worst people who know what he's been through, or the people who had so much potential but have tragic endings. It's... disheartening, to say the least." He looked at Rose. "He likes you because you're all the best humanity has to offer. You care, loudly, and you do everything with your heart and never your head. You... you're the opposite of him, I guess. You're so much good. All of the good, even. A little reckless and loud, with a bleeding heart and a determination that can never be put out even in the bleakest of scenarios." Rose blushed and Y/n cleared his throat, looking away. "You know, he probably misses how big his family used to be. So many people fit in the TARDIS. I think... even if she does stay longer-"

"You think he'll invite her to come along with us?" Rose asked.

A shrug was all she got for a few seconds. "She knows things already. They had good times, the two of them. You can tell from the way she smiles at her. He gives himself to everyone he travels with, even if its just a little because they're not around long. It's like coming home to an old friend from your childhood. One who was a beacon of light in a world of darkness. Like if you and I lost touch and didn't talk for years. When you saw me again, still on good terms and missing how things used to be between us. Wouldn't you want that to not end?"

Rose didn't like that answer. Y/n thought he'd probably spoken enough at this point and the trio sat in quiet as the Doctor fixed K-9 and Rose ate her chips.

The next thing they knew, the Doctor was jumping up from his table as the robotic dog whirred to life. "All right!" he exclaimed. "Now we're in business."

"Master," K-9 said, in an electronic voice that brought memories back to Y/n he shouldn't have.

"He recognizes me!" the Doctor crooned, grinning at Sarah Jane.

"Affirmative," K-9 spoke again.

"Rose." The Doctor turned around to face the three humans sat away from him and Sarah Jane. "Give us the oil." AT his call, the three rose and joined him so Rose could hand over the little jar she'd collected earlier from the school. He took it, opened it, and went to dip a finger in to scoop it out.

Rose stopped him. "I wouldn't touch it though, that dinner lady got all scorched."

"I'm no dinner lady," the Doctor declared in such a serious voice that Y/n almost laughed. "And I don't often say that," the man added, eyes taking in Y/n's amusement. He then dipped a finger in with no harm at all, smearing the oil onto K-9's censor. "Here we go," the Doctor encouraged as K-9 began to beep. "Come on boy here we go."

K-9 spoke again, his words stuttered. "Oil extract..." he began. He seemed to be struggling. "Analyzing."

"Listen to him man," Mickey chuckled. "That's a voice!"

"Careful," the Doctor warned. "That's my dog."

Y/n smiled to himself. For a second he imagined the Doctor in a life different than this. A life the Doctor wanted but would never be allowed to live. One he never let himself think about. A life in a house, a ring on his finger and a dog barking in the front lawn. Children... It would be a nice life. Y/n could see the man playing with that dog as he did K-9, but more. Just fun, rather than gaining knowledge and analyzing data and running into danger head first. He'd have so much fun with a real dog... That life though. Y/n tried to imagine the Doctor really in it. Settling down in a house of his own. Getting a job. It would be a happy life. A stable and safe life. It would not be a life that really fit him though. The Doctor is and always would be a traveler. It was a life he'd chosen for himself, on purpose. One that fit him.

He felt eyes on him and looked over, locking eyes with Sarah Jane. Her gaze widened as she saw that familiar thing in Y/n again. The thing, she now realized, she always saw when she looked at the Doctor. She recalled her surprise when the Doctor had revealed himself to not be Y/n, realizing that the first time they'd talked, she'd subconsciously thought Y/n and the Doctor the same man. She searched Y/n's should, trying to understand. Y/n saw a question that startled him.

Are you a Timelord?

She seemed to ask it silently, scanning Y/n's face for signs. But there wouldn't be, even if Y/n was. Of course he wasn't... and yet. The question was warranted. What made a man who changed faces and personalities and age and ethnicity every time he died? Who became a new man over and over again, over hundreds of years? Other than the obvious biology that kept him consistently a Timelord no matter what face he took, the thing that made the Doctor was his memories. His mind. The way he saw life and knew things that should be impossible. If that was what made Timelords special - what made the Doctor special - did Y/n having that knowledge somehow make him special too? No, he wasn't a Timelord, but he did have a very significant piece of one locked inside of him. He had a whole other person in his mind, with a life he never lived and people he never met.

So no, technically, Y/n was not a Timelord. Not biologically. But perhaps... perhaps just a little, in away, he was. What an interesting thought.

"Are you two coming?"

The pair looked over to see Mickey, and an even more surprising sight. The Doctor, looking between Y/n and Sarah Jane with the same look that Rose wore for Sarah Jane and the Doctor. With... jealousy? Well that made absolutely no sense.

"Yeah," Y/n responded, realizing everyone else was headed back out again. "Sorry, I missed that last bit. What's happening now?"

"We'll update you on the way," the Doctor dismissed, seeming suddenly rather far away. They all left the diner and piled in the car again. During the drive, the empty spaces in the missed conversation were filled in and everyone was caught up. First to be dropped off was Mickey, then the Rose, the Doctor, and Y/n, who always stayed at Rose's when they needed to. Jackie never minded.

The night was stretching on and Y/n couldn't sleep. There was a spare room that Mickey sometimes slept in, which the Doctor took now on Y/n's insistence. They'd agreed on switching off nights, and tonight was Y/n's turn on the couch. Perhaps that was what gave Rose the courage to come into the room and face Y/n. "I can't sleep."

Y/n sat up. "Neither can I. Want to watch a movie and drink something warm?"

The blond shook her head. "Can I just... lay with you? We don't have to sleep or stay awake. I just don't want to be alone." Y/n scooted, making room for her. He patted the spot next to him, where she settled. After a second she leaned into Y/n, and he let his arm wrap around her, pulling her into his side. "You know, I've been playing it off but... there really will be a time after me, for you two. You don't die, and he... he's lives hundreds of years, I'm sure he'll be here after I die. Do you think - I mean, he and her were close once too. Do you think he'll forget me like he did her? He doesn't even talk about her anymore. I just-"

Y/n held her tighter. "He doesn't forget anyone, Rose. Really he doesn't. It's just like I said before - it hurts him to talk about his past. If he lingers in what he misses, he drowns in the sadness of all he's lost. I- you're different, I think. If not for him definitely for me. Maybe I do have forever ahead of me, but there's nothing like your first love. You'll always be with me, Rose, I promise you." Y/n sighed. "I can't speak for him though. You should talk to him yourself, after all this is done."

Rose didn't respond. Wrapped in each other's arms and held together by a promise that Y/n meant with all of his being, they finally relaxed and fell asleep.

The next morning, they all had to go back to school. They weren't wasting time pretending to do their jobs this time though. They didn't know what was happening, or when it would get worse, and no cover was worth the life of another student if they took too long.

"Rose, Sarah, you two go to the maths room and crack open those computers. I need to see the hardware inside." He took out his sonic screwdriver, handing it to Rose. "Here, you might need this. Y/n, you keep an eye on the kids. I don't want anymore to go missing. Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked, confused.

"Here, take these." Sarah tossed Mickey her keys. "You can keep K-9 company."

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack," the Doctor called back as Mickey walked back to the car.

"What? He's metal!" Mickey threw back.

"I didn't mean for him!" the Doctor replied. He shot a smile at Y/n, but this time Y/n did not give one back. Making fun of Mickey was losing his touch. This whole thing was getting to Y/n and he couldn't find much amusing at the moment. He'd been thinking nonstop about what he would do if Rose- I guess, WHEN Rose left them. It was a terrible thought and he very much hated it, but he couldn't shake it either.

Rose cut in on his thoughts by asking the Doctor, "What are you going to do?"

The Doctor's smile dropped as he got serious. "It's time I had a word with Mr. Finch."

That was where they parted ways. Y/n drifted through the halls, hovering around the principal's office when the man wasn't around, and then heading outside when it was break time. The alarm went off for everyone to go inside far too early and Y/n hesitated, staying back, as the kids rushed back into the building again. He had a horrible feeling in his gut. What was about to happen?

A hand rested on Y/n's arm. He looked over to see Kenny, to his relief. "Sir..." the boy hesitated. "Have you gotten any closer to stopping the bat people?"

Y/n smiled, nodding in reassurance. "Much. I promise, we're just about to figure it out. Go to class Kenny, I swear we've got this handled."

"We?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah, me and some friends. Uh, you know the blonde lunch lady with lots of attitude, and the physics teacher?"

Kenny stepped back. "You're one of them."

"What?" Y/n stepped toward him, but the boy stumbled away even further. "No, Kenny, I'm-" but Kenny didn't wait for an explanation. He just turned and ran. Y/n wanted to go after him, but couldn't. It wouldn't help much, and he had to keep an eye on the children - especially now that things seemed about ready to hit the fan. So, instead, he counted his losses and jogged into the building to see all the kids filtering into classrooms with computers that light up with green screens. He couldn't go into any of them without crossing a teacher he knew was one of the bad guys though, so he headed on and on until he found the room with the others in it.

Rose was there to greet him. "You were right." He paused, unsure how to proceed after that. She did it for him. "Sarah and I talked. She's pretty cool actually. We decided to stop fighting."

Y/n did smile at that. "I'm glad to hear it." Rose took his hand, turning and walking toward the Doctor, pulling Y/n after her. She seemed to be hovering between helping him - which she really couldn't do - and watching the doorway to make sure no children came in, which is probably what she was told to do. None of them seemed to be making much headway in any direction.

Suddenly the screens light up with green light and words that none of them could understand. Well, none of them bu the Doctor surely, whose eyes seemed to scan the screen, taking up as much as he could as it all raced across the screen almost too quick to read.

"Well, you wanted the program," Sarah sighed. "There it is."

"Some sort of code," the Doctor whispered. After a second, he stepped forward. "No... No, they can't be."

"What is it?" Y/n asked gently.

"The Skasas Paradigm," the Doctor finally said aloud. "They're trying to crack the Skasas Paradigm."

"The Skasis what?" Sarah rightfully asked.

The Doctor struggled to explain. "The god-maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control over the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose asked, horrified.

"Yes." The Doctor seemed to not like the answer, but not just in a general way. None of them liked this, but the Doctor seemed to hate this. On a personal level. He suddenly turned away from it, not wanting to see it anymore. "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens, it works as a conducting agent, it makes the kids cleverer."

The other women turned to watch the Doctor pace, but Y/n watched the screen, as if transfixed. His mind felt a little far away. He felt that same thing he'd sensed in the Doctor. He didn't just not like this. He hated it. He loathed this entire thing. "But why?" It came out soft and quiet. Maybe even a little broken. He finally looked at the Doctor, finding confusion among all the anger surging through him. "That's not living, controlling everything. It's not experiencing or learning or anything. It's... creating a world for others to live in. What's the fun in knowing what's going to happen next and controlling everything to go your way? Makes it so much more fun to improvise. Makes it... better. Life is meant to be experienced, not... I mean, authors don't experience their stories, readers do. Characters. Why would anyone choose to be the author?"

The Doctor almost smiled. "Because life is hard and scary. Some people don't want to live through that fear and struggle. They forget the fun and the thrill and the adventure, and they destroy it in favor of getting rid of those hardships. That's what so many living beings forget. You can't have happiness without sadness. They create each other. It's no fun to be the smartest in the room. To know everything and having been everywhere. The fun is in the confusion. In the chaos. In the complete lack of control."

"Okay nice psychology and all," Rose interrupted, breaking the two men away from their locked eyes and racing minds as they connected yet again in a way she missed. "But that oil, I mean, that's been on the chips. Y/n and I have been eating them."

Immediately the Doctor faced her, shooting, "What's 59 times 35?"

Without hesitation, Rose replied with the exact sane tone, "2065." He tilted his head and she added, "Oh my god." Y/n found himself enjoying this. There was still that anger, but it wasn't affecting him negatively. It cleared his mind and got his heart racing. He felt his body speeding up, and his mind running faster than it ever had before.

Y/n's anger was only fueling him, and now he was smarter than ever. Nothing could stop him.

"But why use children?" Sarah asked. "Can't they use adults?"

"The god-maker needs imagination to crack it," Y/n answered without thinking. He had tapped into the Doctor's knowledge long ago, soaking in every detail running through the Doctor's head up until the day Rose Tyler and Bad Wolf and the Doctor's new regeneration. He'd been holding back so much, afraid of exposing himself, but now he was rushing on adrenaline and smarter than ever. Not only did he have the information, but he could understand it, and there was none of his usual and there was none of his usual anxieties stopping him. "Name one adult with imagination. Real imagination. Enough to create lives and worlds and universes - stories, or games. Enough to look at one thing and see something magical. Nearly impossible in adults. Much easier to get from children."

Y/n's energy made the Doctor pause. "Precisely," he affirmed softly. Sarah and Rose both seemed surprised as well. "They're not just using the childrens' brains to break the code..." He calmed significantly, turning to the other three with a grim expression. "They're using their souls."

That. That was what Y/n had been so angry about. It clicked as the Doctor said it.

Just in time, they had a visitor. "Let the lesson begin." Y/n swung around, coming face to face with the one person Y/n wanted to see the most. "Think of it, Doctor. With the paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"What a rubbish idea," Y/n sassed, rolling his eyes. "The universe isn't meant to be controlled."

"The whole of creation with the face of Mr. Finch," the Doctor agreed, scoffing. "Call me old fashioned, I like things the way they are."

Mr. Finch seemed annoyed by that. "You act like such a radical and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order."

"What's wrong with the old order?" Y/n demanded hotly.

Finally Mr. Finch looked at Y/n. He paused, his eyes roaming to the Doctor again and then back to Y/n. He seemed stunned a second. Only Y/n knew why. Just as Sarah had before, Mr. Finch saw the same look in Y/n's eyes as he saw in the Doctor's. The aged look of one who had been through too much for too long and was still trying to keep going. Keep going despite a small voice at the back of the mind that begged for peace and quiet. One that would never be listened to, because peace and quiet was too terrifying and too many people needed help.

When Mr. Finch spoke next, he spoke to Y/n and the Doctor both. "Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

Immediately the Doctor was ready with a snappy response. "What, by someone like you?" Y/n let out a sound that was halfway between a scoff and a laugh in agreement.

"No," was Mr. Finch's answer though, taking both of the other men slightly by surprise. "Someone like you." There was a split second of quiet so thick it was nearly suffocating. Mr. Finch cut it off rather quickly. "The paradigm gives us power but you could give us wisdom. Become a god, at my side." He took a step closer to the Doctor. Y/n did the same, but his movements were protective, rather than an attempt to convince. To break. "Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Ascinta - your own people, Doctor. Standing tall." The Timelords, reborn."

"That's not right." Y/n stood straight, that anger in him again even stronger, but this time because he knew how much this hurt the Doctor and he couldn't bear it. This wasn't fair, and Y/n was tired of the Doctor dealing with things that weren't fair. "Everything has its time. Everything ends eventually. The Timelords earned their ending the same as everyone does. How could you ask that of him? It would be chaos. There would be no balance. True chaos. Living forever is painful, and defying death is unnatural."

"Nature, reality, chaos, balance - this could all be ours to change. The rules can be different," Mr. Finch pointed out in response. "You could be anything you wanted to be. You could get those memories out of your head."

Y/n felt all his energy drain. He kept his eyes away from the Doctor, staring purposefully at Mr. Finch while the Doctor shot lasers at the side of Y/n's head. "There's so much you don't understand. You asked for wisdom, and you're ignoring it as its given to you. This isn't some kind of play pretend. This isn't a fantasy that you get to make into a paradise where you always win. You have to lose sometimes, because other people get to win sometimes too. Life's hard and complicated and long and it sucks, but only because we have to hurt in order to know the bliss of not hurting. There's balance. There's fairness. Not always, because sometimes even fairness has to be overruled by unfairness. But that's how it goes. Everyone gets their time, and its short because there's only so much time to give. If one person's time doesn't end, there will be no more time to give to anyone else - don't you understand?"

"I do understand," Mr. Finch sighed. His eyes moved to Sarah and Rose. "You four... clinging to each other, knowing you will eventually have to part ways. This way, it'll never have to happen. No aging or death or going away. No more goodbyes." He looked at the Doctor. "How lonely you must be, Doctor, after a lifetime of one goodbye after another. You can finally make it stop." He looked at Y/n. "You can stop the hurt, for all of them. You who speaks with wisdom you shouldn't have. Who relives over and over again pain and misery that isn't yours. You can make it go away. You can forget all of it. Erase it. Undo it. Make it never happen. Happy, forever. Join us."

"I could save everyone." Y/n looked away, closing his eyes as the Doctor spoke.

"Yes," Mr. Finch encouraged.

"I could stop the war." He grew quiet, thinking about that. Imagining Gallifrey. Seeing it in his memories, but... better. As he is now, Rose and Y/n by his side. His family and friends, returned. His home gloriously breathtaking once more. Y/n could see it too, and... he couldn't speak for the Doctor this time. He knew what he would do if the situations were reserved, and he'd already said his piece. This wasn't his to have an opinion on.

Sarah Jane disagreed. "No," she argued. "The universe has to keep moving forward. "Pain and loss, it defines us. Y/n was right - we need it. Just as much as happiness and love. Whether it's a world or a relationship. Everything will have an end when the time comes. Y/n... knows." She looked at Y/n then, and he turned away from her too. In those last two words was more than what seemed to be there at first. She was not speaking about him knowing loss as she did. She was saying that he knew loss as the Doctor did. Y/n was right, she seemed to beg them all to understand. He knew better than all of them.

Suddenly the Doctor picked up a chair, rushing forward and chucking it at the screen on the wall and shattering it. They all took off running, trying to get as far away from Finch as they could. They ran and ran until they met Mickey, who asked questions there was no time to answer as the others like Finch crawled the halls, screeching and taking off after the Doctor and his companions. So they turned and ran a new direction that took them to the lunchroom. The doors were locked, and right behind them were Finch and the others. This wasn't seeming to be going their way.

"Are those the teachers?" The question came from Kenny, who Y/n had missed joining the group with Mickey when they'd all been running.

"Yeah, sorry." That came from the Doctor. Kenny and Y/n locked eyes and smiled at another. Whatever had been complicated before had been cleared up now - it was obvious whose side Y/n was on.

"We need either the Doctor or the other man alive. Y/n. Just one." Finch looked right at both men as he said their names, and got back a glare in response from both. "As for the others... you can feast."

And so began the fight for their lives. Creature came swooping down from the sky as they all scattered, trying to avoid getting caught in the way of claws or teeth. The Doctor grabbed a chair. Y/n stole his sonic screwdriver and slid toward the door, trying to get it unlocked. It was a hard time as Y/n kept getting almost attacked. At one point, he wasn't fast enough. He turned his back and pressed the sonic screwdriver to the door, trying to work on it. He was too distracted to see the claws aimed for his back. Rose only had time to scream Y/n's name before there was a loud. high pitched sound and a shot of red from the corner of Y/n's eye. He spun around to see K-9. The dog had shot the thing from the sky, killing it, and saving Y/n's life.

Unfortunately, that only seemed to anger Finch more.

Abandoning the door, they took off in a different direction that was open now that K-9 had taken one of them out. They shot off and hesitated only a moment to collect their thoughts. They couldn't run forever - they needed a plan.

As always, it was the Doctor who thought of something. "It's the oil!" He realized. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed their physiology so much that even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchen?" He asked Rose in a rush.

"Barrels of it," she responded.

Just then, the Krillitanes made their presence known as they began to scratch and rip at the door separating Krillitane from human... and Doctor.

"We have to get into the kitchen," the Doctor began. "Mickey-"

Mickey had some sass of his own bottled up though. "What now?" he demanded. "Hold the coats?"

Y/n shot him a glare, and Mickey stuck his tongue out in response. The Doctor didn't waste time, instead ordering, "Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats. Bats, bats. How do we fight bats?" To that question, Kenny had an answer. Without saying anything, he hit the fire alarm. The Doctor looked around and then grinned, a laugh of victory coming from him. The rest of the group smiled as well.

With the enemy distracted, they all took off running past the door that had kept them from escaping, right past the Krillitane who were now all on the ground in pain. They ran and ran toward the kitchens. Along the way, K-9 joined them as well. The whole group was back together, and Y/n found his heart swelling as he took in the crowd. This was how it was supposed to be. A group, friends and partners, all there and caring for the Doctor and helping him save the world however many times it needed saving.

In the kitchens, they ran into a problem that quickly wiped away Y/n's good feelings. "They're all deadlock sealed, I can't open them," the Doctor told the others as he tried to use his screwdriver to open up the oil cans. "Finch must have done it."

K-9 had the answer this time. "The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing."

"Right," the Doctor picked up again. "Everyone out the back door. K-9, stay with me." Y/n hesitated, but Rose caught his arm and the Doctor shot him a direct look, as if knowing he would try and stay. So he turned and he ran and he hated every second of it.

They were outside now... which meant they were safe, but also that if the Doctor needed help they had no way of getting to him.

When the Doctor came outside, there was a wave of relief inside Y/n... until Sarah Jane asked a question that made his heart plummet. "Where's K-9?"

"We need to run," was the Doctor's response as he deadlocked the door behind them so none could go back.

"Where is he?" Sarah asked again. This time Y/n was needed to grab her hand and pull her away, knowing she didn't want to move and probably wouldn't without help. "What have you done?" she demanded as Y/n dragged her along on their dash for safety. Behind them, there was an explosion.

Y/n and Sarah both stopped short, eyes on the building and pain in their eyes. The Doctor turned to Sarah to comfort her. Y/n tried to get used to this feeling. Having feelings that should not belong to him. Experiencing loss for people he didn't know. No one turning to him to comfort him, because he shouldn't need comfort to begin with.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized to Sarah Jane.

"It's alright," she responded, standing tall. "He was just a daft metal dog - it's fine, really." Her voice broke with emotion and Y/n felt his heart fall. He turned away from the others to hide it. No matter what adrenaline he was on and how much he hated hiding things from the Doctor and Rose, hiding pain from others was still one of his core responses.

With the whole thing over, it was time to go. Y/n hated goodbyes. After today - after thinking about a world without them - Y/n had enough of them for now. He went further into the TARDIS into the room he'd claimed for when they eventually had to sleep. Where he kept his stuff and such. He stayed there until the sounds of the TARDIS started up and he knew they were taking off and headed for the next adventure.

Only one thing bothered him now: how long could he keep knowing the Doctor's past quiet now? After everything that had happened was beginning to add up... how long would it be before the Doctor put it together? Or someone else?

Y/n was running out of time.

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writemoment · 5 years

Text

Sort Things Out

Writer: Ellie-Mae (Pen Name)

Part: 1/1

Summary: Y/n's nervous about transferring to Hogwarts from Ilvermorny. What house will she be sorted into and will she make any friends? Soon she meets the Baudelaire siblings and things begin to sort themselves out.

Pairing: Ravenclaw Klaus Baudelaire x Ravenclaw!Reader

Warnings/Rated: WWoHP x ASOUE crossover, fluff and a little bit of anxiety. Overall wholesome fluff

Word Count: 3,128

A/N: Ah, It’s been such a long time!! Glad to be back and having internet! This is something I worked on eight (plus) months ago. Hope you enjoy! - Ellie-Mae

( Reader ) P.O.V.

Everything is so different.

Back at Ilvermorny, I at least knew people to help me settle my nerves. Now I'm on my own, searching the compartments on the Hogwarts Express for a spot to settle. It would be different if it were my first year, but it's my fourth. Not only that but I didn't even live on this continent until two months ago. I had been so upset at the prospect of halting my magical studies because of a big move. Then my professor mentioned Hogwarts and helped me transfer over. Though I know it's irrational, I'm still so shaken by the new experience of it all.

Finally finding an empty car, I sink down into the plush cushions with a sigh of relief. My nerves are still boiling beneath the surface, worries persistent. I push it to the back of my mind as I rummage through my book-bag to pull out the history of Hogwarts and read.

I must have gotten sucked into the material because I almost jump out of my skin when the door slides open. Clutching the hardback to my chest, as if that would protect my beating heart, I must look frantic and wide eyed.

"Sorry to startle you," the girl apologizes. Her hair is long and brown. I notice her locks are pushed back with a red and gold headband. Standing behind her is a boy with wire-rim glasses. His expression is of a curious gaze that I don't quite understand. I also spot his blue and silver tie, stripped in the same way as the girl's head accessory.

Shaking my head, I attempt to speak without stumbling. "No- don't be sorry! I just...wasn't paying attention." They both shuffle to the seats across from me after closing the door.

"I'm Violet Baudelaire," the girl introduces, "and this is my brother Klaus." The boy smiles at me shyly and I catch myself mirroring his actions. After introducing myself, Violet asks, "I haven't seen you around before. What house do you belong to?"

"I'm not sorted into a house at Hogwarts yet. I just moved here from America. Back at Ilvermorny I was a Pukwudgie, but I'm sure that doesn't mean anything here." I explain with a gentle, awkward smile. "What houses do you reside in?"

"violet is a Gryffindor and I'm a Ravenclaw," Klaus tells me, speaking up for the first time. "I've heard of Pukwudgies in my studies of magical creatures," he says with fascination. "They're said to be fiercely independent."

Nodding, I say, "That they are. The house best represents the hearts of wizards and witches. It also favors a lot of wonderful healers." The Baudelaire's seem intrigued by this. "What do your houses represent at Hogwarts?"

Klaus explains that Ravenclaw are eager to learn and expand their wisdom. Violet tells of daring, brave witches and wizards from Gryffindor filled with chivalry and bravery alike. There's also the loyal and kind Hufflepuff. "The last is Slytherin, the cunning lads they are." Klaus finishes.

The three of us speak and share a few laughs on our journey to the school. However, the closer we were to arriving, the quieter I became. "It's okay to be anxious, Y/n. You're going to fit in just fine, I can tell."

"I know you're right, Violet. I keep trying to remind myself that worrying means you suffer twice. It's always been a comforting thought." I tell them, inhaling deeply.

"Wise words from professor Scamander," Klaus says with admiration in his tone. It brings a smile to my face with an ease I was grateful for. "Besides, you've successfully made friends with us and we will help you through this."

There kindness relieves some of the pressure that has built up inside my stomach. As we pull up to the platform outside of Hogwarts, I say goodbye to my new friends as I join the first years- like instructed. I'm tall over their heads, which makes me stick out like sore thumb. There's a throb in my shoulder from a dull ache caused by being so tense. My lips are pulled taut as I force a smile at the younger curious eyes that linger on me.

Suddenly, a large man appears and gestures us to follow him on his way toward the castle. He says his name is Rubius Hagrid. His dark brown eyes peek at me through thick brows and he smiles kindly. With all first years gaze now focused on him, I no longer feel so different or alone.

The school grounds are extraordinary and it's difficult to take it all in. Finally, we are lead to the great hall where we patiently wait for Professor McGonagall to explain what's to come next. After the houses are explained, we crowed together as we await our names to be called from a long scroll of parchment.

One by one, all the first years get the sorting hat placed atop their heads before joining their proper tables. Then, last but not least, my turn arrives.

"We have a rarity with us tonight. A fourth year witch from America will now be sorted into her Hogwarts house." McGonagall's voice roams across the great hall, effectively silencing the whispers.

The professor steps forward, placing the old tattered hat upon my head. The sorting hat speaks through my different qualities, a simple voice in my head, as my eyes scan the tables of students. All eyes are watching me with anticipation...

Ah, you're a courageous one I see. Very good at standing up for what you believe to be right. You're also intelligent, very knowledgeable. Though, you do have a streak for mischief and adventure. Loyalty is a virtue that you seek in all you meet, indeed.

My eyes land on Klaus sitting in the middle-right of the Ravenclaw table. He watches me with bright eyes and a corner of his mouth is pulled in between his teeth as if he were nervous.

What a gift it is to find and observe. I know just where to put you....

"RAVENCLAW!"

Cheers erupt from the table as I make my way over. I sit a little ways away from Klaus as I'm greeted with smiles and congratulations. I look up at him and grin excitedly. I'm relieved to see him doing the same. This- yes, this is my new home.

*****

I didn't get much time to speak with Klaus after dinner. Violet came over to give me an excited squeeze before rushing away with her friends on their way to the Gryffindor common room. Then the prefect led the new students, which included me, to the astronomy tower. That's where the Ravenclaw common room resided.

After the anxious excitement of the day, I was more than happy to climb underneath the comforter and melt into the mattress. My eyes wandered over to my new school robes and blue/silver striped scarf at the end of my bed. I felt warm and content as I drifted to sleep.

The morning leaked through the windows as I dressed for the day. My clothes are accented with my house colors and my robes adorned with the Ravenclaw crest- matching the rest of my housemates. Some of the other students were already out of bed and roaming the common room while interacting with the other mates. With a final glance at my appearance, I descended the stairs.

The room is bursting with excited chatter and bustling students getting ready for the first day of classes. I scan the area and find Klaus entering from the boys staircase. "Good morning, Klaus!" I greet with enthusiasm.

"Morning, Y/n! How are you?" He asks, glancing at my new robes.

I tell him I'm doing just fine before launching into a discussion about classes. He tells me about the ones we share and says I even have a few in common with Violet. My excitement is basically bursting out of me at this point. How could it not be? Even as the day progresses and I make acquaintances with my fellow classmates, I remain with the Baudelaires. Though, in the end, Klaus and I spend the most time together.

I can't say for sure what it is but the interaction between us has become comfortable, although at times shy. It differs from our first encounter and I'm not quite certain as to why. The very idea of it makes my pulse race and my mind tick with curiosity. By the second week, I seem to catch myself seeking him out and finding relief at his witty smirks. As much as I adore my studies, I spend my free time letting Violet and Klaus entertain my interest with more knowledge about their lives. I especially love stories of their youngest sister, Sunny.

"I can tell she would like you, Y/n. As would our parents." Violet says with certainty. It fills my chest with an unexpected warmth, sending a toothy grin to stretch my cheeks. I was never really close to many, if anyone, at Ilvermorny. I never expected to feel such emotions or experience these things when coming to Hogwarts...

I glance up at Klaus and catch his gaze already trained on me. A light pink highlights his cheeks as he quickly adverts his eyes. All of this combined sends flutters through my abdomen and tingles across my skin. My involuntary reaction leaves my hands clammy and my mind racing.

Trust me, I've liked guys before but it was always a one-sided infatuation. An unrequited interest. I'm not sure how one would go about sharing that adoration, nevertheless if Klaus' behavior should be perceived as such. But if I can be certain of one thing it's that feelings change. They're unreliable and that, to be painfully honest, scares the life out of me.

I'm knocked back to reality as Hagrid approaches us with a greeting,"Hello there- Violet, Y/n and Klaus. What is it you're up to?" He towers over us and I've come to really adore the gatekeeper over the past weeks.

"Hello, Hagrid. We're just sharing memories and stories. And yourself?" I say, welcoming the interruption. Hopefully my thoughts don't leak out of me and plaster themselves across my face, tone or body language.

Hagrid bursts with a throaty chuckle, shrugging. "I was doing an errand for McGonagall when I spotted you lot. You all remind me of a group of three that used to roam these halls...Done a lot of good, they have."

His words have the feeling of dozens of memories flooding through them. Despite any explanation, I felt proud to be in the resemblance. By the way Violet straightens her back and Klaus pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, I can tell I'm not the only one.

"Say... I have some business to attend to in Diagon Alley this weekend, if you all would like to accompany me." Hagrid offers, seeming pleased with his idea.

Klaus and I accept but Violet declines. "I made other plans but you go enjoy yourselves." She says with a smile and a sly wink at her brother. I roll my eyes with a smirk before looking away, but not before I see a crimson blush dust Klaus' face. He's ridiculously cute when he's flustered. It's so different from his poised and logical side.

"Very well. I'll see you both at the front gates tomorrow." With our plans set and ready, Hagrid hurries away to finish his tasks. Left behind is our small gang of two flushed faces and a knowing look.

***

My fingers rake through the front of my hair, parting the strands to rest more on one side. The early rays of sun reflect off the mirror and illuminates my face, causing the corners of my eyes to wrinkle. Am I overthinking? I don't want to look like a fool. Maybe I'm trying too hard...

Shaking my head, I attempt to silence my sporadic thoughts. The Baudelaires have yet to see me in any casual clothing since we spend our days in uniforms. I want to be comfortable while looking nice. My pointless worries seem endless.

Finally deciding to just go with it, I make my way to the common room. Standing in the almost-vacant room is Klaus with a collared sweater and dark jeans. He must hear me approaching because his eyes snap to me before widening.

Klaus stands there for a moment, looking me over. His gaze leave goosebumps rising on my flesh and I shift at the sensation. I'm suddenly so very nervous and feeling self-conscious. "How do I look?" I ask, breaking the silence and his trance.

His mouth falls open and closed, struggling to find words. I've never seen him at a loss for conversation. "Different. Which is good. Not that you didn't look good before- I mean, you do! You did..." As his voice trails off and he nervously fidgets, I smile at him kindly.

"Thank you, Klaus."

Together we walk to meet Hagrid with an almost palpable nervousness between us. My feelings are pounding in my ears and I faintly recall trading a greeting with Hagrid before we're on our way to London. Once we arrive, things become a bit more relaxed as we wonder around with the gatekeeper. He and Klaus even begin an in-depth conversation on the studies of magical creatures. I watch the enthusiasm take over Klaus, animating his entire being. It makes me appreciate the raw form of him and I adore that.

Eventually, Hagrid has some strict Hogwarts matters to attend to and leaves after agreeing to meet up in a few hours. I smile at Klaus and he returns the gesture. "Do you want to, perhaps, grab some butterbeer?" Klaus asks.

Nodding in agreement, we weave our way through the crowds. However, the alley is thick with bodies rushing past and I lose my companion. "Klaus?" I call but I can't hear over the busy mixed with chatter. Panic starts to set in as I blindly push through with my arms out in front of me.

I don't know this area. I don't even know how to go about getting back to the castle if I were to lose them! Bodies slip past my fingers and I begin to feel sick. That's when I feel the warmth of another’s hand encasing mine. My instinct is to pull away but the grip is firm. Looking up, I see the familiar glasses protruding behind equally familiar ears. I tighten my fingers as I hold onto Klaus. He pulls me through and into the Leaky Cauldron.

The establishment isn't too crowded, which I'm immediately thankful for. Klaus is standing in front of me, hand still in my own and the other placed where my neck meets my shoulder. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" His voice is slightly high as I can hear the worry drenching every word. Seeing him here, in front of me, brings a wave of relief and I feel the emotions crash over me.

I shake my head because I can't breathe to use words. "Hey-come here," I lean into his embrace as he tells me to breathe. If the scare wasn't enough to trip the anxiety inside me, the embarrassment is what had pushed me over the edge. His warmth is soothing against my skin and I focus on the sound of his beating heart. "I'm here. You won't lose me."

My breathing slows to a steady pace but my heart continues to quickly thump in my chest. Once I've calmed, Klaus pulls back and looks at me. I feel awkward as I realize we're standing in the middle of the floor in an embrace. It must show on my face because I'm lead to an empty table. I remain quiet as he orders two butterbeers. All I can think about are his words and the fact that he continues to hold my hand, even now.

"I'm...I'm sorry for freaking out. I just got so overwhelmed- and I'm not quite familiar with these areas." I explain, feeling foolish for my behavior.

Klaus' brows furrow and he appears confused. "There is no reason to apologize. I understand and you were completely valid in your actions." I nod in a kind of thank-you motion before we fall silent.

We sit there in our own thoughts as two pints of creamy, brown liquid are placed between us. "Why are you so nice to me?" I blurt the question, completely baffled by his actions and what they may mean.

He seems to ponder this for a moment before looking into my eyes. With a deep inhale, he admits, "Because I like you, Y/n. A lot."

"Why?" I ask, astonished. I need to know what he saw in me.

Shaking his head with a smile, he says, "You're caring and smart. You accept what life has to offer. You throw your head back when you laugh and your nose crinkles when you smile. You tuck your bottom lip between your teeth when you're trying to hide how you're feeling...Above all, these things put together makes you who you are. I adore that person and it completely captivates me. It also puzzles me. There's so much to know about you and It's the greatest adventure I've come to learn."

I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until I released it. What he confessed, the way he's looking at me- everything. I realize that I feel the same. That I couldn't have said it more beautifully than he just has in that moment. "I like you, Klaus. I think I have for a while now." Admitting this feels as if I were filled with helium and I'm afraid I'll float away with this light feeling.

Klaus' eyes soften and a shy smile plays on his lips. Our butterbeer slowly dwindles as we speak of our lives in much more detail. It feels familiar and comfortable with added excitement of our new found emotions. It feels safe- like taking on the world with your best friend at your side. Because that's exactly what it is.

Before we know it, the time to meet back up with Hagid arrives. We pay for our drinks and stroll through the crowds. Our hands are intertwined and we exchange happy glances on the way, albeit shy. Hagrid comes into view and he flags us down. "You're a cheery bunch." He comments with a pointed look at our hands.

I feel my face flush but I'm not disappointed when I scan Klaus' features to see the light pink resting there. He squeezes my hand reassuringly and it washes a sense of calm over me. Underneath the pink of his face, he wears a proud and relaxed expression. It makes my stomach flip in a wonderful way.

There's so much that could happen as we head together, hand-in-hand, into the unknown future. Klaus promises that we will sort things out as they arise and I believe- I trust him. Hogwarts is my home in so many ways I hadn't known before. It will forever be the place where I found my family.

Me and the Baudelaires against the world.

Masterlist Here

A/N: Over a year ago I finished A Series Of Unfortunate Events and wrote these stories. I hope it’s not too bad...eh heh. Thank you to my 300+ followers that have remained during my absence! Xx - Ellie-Mae

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crazycatladyk · 5 years

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1. Interloper - (Hawke/Fenris’ child!Inquisitor)

So I had this headcanon that I couldn’t stop thinking about so I just had to write it out. What if Hawke and Fenris had a kid and (with some stretching of the timeline) she’s about 15 when Varric gets taken by Cassandra. So of course, this kid goes looking for her favorite dwarf and thanks to Hawke luck, ends up as the Inquisitor.

If she ever made it out of this alive, Varric was going to kill her. Although to be fair, it wasn’t her fault everything went completely to shit. It was just her fault that she was there in the first place. Maker, if Solea survived this nonsense with the Breach, and Varric’s anger, her parents were sure to be next in the line of things trying to kill her. She was so screwed.

Varric’s eyes were glinting with that look that said he was holding back a tide of words. Not normal for him, to hold back, but the reason for his reticence was also glaring at her. The Seeker’s face was full of a mix of suspicion and anger as she glared between Solea and Varric. Cassandra wasn’t sure what was going on, nothing new for anyone today, but she had clearly understood that something unsaid was passing between dwarf and elf.

Solea definitely deserved some of the Seeker’s ire; she hadn’t been very nice to her when they’d first met. Not that she cared, Solea wasn’t exactly the Seeker’s biggest fan, considering her kidnapping of Varric was the only reason she was here. The only person she cared about here was him; everyone else was just obstacles in her way. Plus, her first meeting with the Seeker hadn’t exactly been in the best of circumstances.

Waking up with cold iron shackles latched around her wrists in a musty prison cell had sent Solea straight into a panic, her mind spiraling away from logic at the restriction. Memories surged. It was too similar to before. Heart racing, eyes darting, only a lifetime of practice at controlling her facial expressions, and the realization that it wasn’t templars surrounding her, had kept her from losing control. That would not end well for anyone.

She’d kept her head bent and eyes shut resolutely until she caught her breath and was assured that her eyes weren’t glowing. Solea thanked all the gods that she was still in the clothes she’d worn to the Conclave and that they were intact enough to keep her covered. The lack of templars told her they didn’t know she was a mage and as Casandra began to interrogate her, Solea knew her life depended on that, along with everything else, remaining a secret. They already blamed her enough.

The events that passed after that were mostly a blur of changing scenery, an ocean of new faces, most of them condemning, and a startling sharp pain pulsing in her hand. The frigid iron snaking around her hands kept her on edge and reduced her ability to respond to the snarky comments of her self-defense mechanism. That part at least she could blame on Varric, the dwarf had always been a bad influence on her people skills. Of course, her father could take a fair share of that blame too.

Her biting wit didn’t do anything to endear her to her captor, and it wasn’t until she’d immediately volunteered to help at the first suggestion that the mark on her hand might be the solution that she’d made any progress. Cassandra’s sharp eyes had softened around the edges slightly, clearly approving of her willingness to help, regardless of her remaining questions and suspicions and she’d even She’d even relented to remove the shackles and Solea had thrown them away with no small amount of relief. Breathing deeply and feeling her heart calm for the first time since she’d woken as she ignored the Seeker’s curious look.

The curiosity had only grown as they’d fought their way up the mountain, Solea’s expert use of the two daggers she’d discovered in the rubble drawing the woman’s surprise. Dispatching demons was cathartic in a way for Solea’s growing sense of unease, although she didn’t appreciate the sensation of being appraised and evaluated with every move she made.

She was as unsure of Cassandra as the Seeker was of her. She wasn’t a templar but there was a similar aura about her, and it sent terror spiking down her spine. It kept her muscles tense and she made sure to keep the Seeker in her sights at all times. She wasn’t going to trust her just because she’d taken the handcuffs off. They could just as easily be put back on. As soon as she was done helping, Solea would take her first opportunity to escape.

The Seeker’s constant surprise at her skill felt a little insulting, she got that she was young but why people always assumed that meant she didn’t know how to fight never ceased to amaze her. It was a dangerous world out there, if you couldn’t fight than you died. Solea wished that she could use the full breath of her power. If Cassandra thought what she was doing now was impressive, she had another thing coming.

When they’d finally crested a rise in the path, they were greeted by a crackling green rift and a surrounding skirmish of demons and soldiers. The moment she spotted the familiar gleam of golden hair and heard the snapping melody of Bianca’s rapid firing, she’d almost burst into tears and run straight into a demon in her haste to reach him.

Months of worry and searching, wondering what was happening to him and he was finally here. Varric was okay. Only the screeching call of a wraith had interrupted her from sprinting to him right then. She’d waded into the battle with a vengeance, wielding her blades with a fury and slashing through demons as she moved swiftly through the battlefield.

The moment all the demons lay dead, a strange bald elf gripped her left hand and aimed it at the small tear in the sky. The slowly growing pain had suddenly peaked, and she’d felt an instinctual pull connecting the magic in her palm to that in the sky. Giving in, she’d used her own magic to foster the bond, sending energy along it and manifesting a physical pulsing green link between hand and rift.

A sound like a small Gaatlok explosion boomed out, and the rift was sealed in a burst of green tendrils that quickly disappeared. Solea withheld a grimace at the resulting throb, shaking her hand lightly as she clenched her eyes shut. A deep breath, she was still in control. Now was not the time to light up.

“Flicker?” Varric’s open disbelief drew her attention to his approach.

“Uncle Varric!” Relief at seeing him alive and unharmed flooded her and she threw herself into his arms desperately. He immediately embraced her. Despite being bigger than him, she fit comfortably into the hug. For a moment, her worries eased and the knot of anxiety that had been steadily building in the pit of her stomach unraveled. Here at least, she knew she was safe. She happily inhaled the comforting leathery scent of his coat.

“Uncle?” Cassandra’s utter incredulity startled Solea into laughter as she felt the woman’s eyes darting back and forth between her and Varric. Comparing Solea’s raven black hair to his golden locks, her piercing blue eyes to his warm hazel, her clearly elvish features to his dwarvish.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Varric drew back and like gathering storm clouds anger built in his eyes. “You shouldn’t be here. How did you- What- Why-” He was at a loss for words, another rarity for him and Solea had to bite back a smile at the thought. Varric caught her amusement though.

“Dammit, this is serious, Solea. You shouldn’t be anywhere near here!” He looked frantic. “Do your parents even know you’re here?”

Solea tensed, it was never good when Varric used her actual name. She was careful to betray nothing in her face. It was pointless though, Varric knew her far too well for her to ever successfully lie to him. Before she could even attempt to, he sighed heavily and leaned back against the crumbling remnants of a pillar, running his hands tiredly down his face.

“Shit kid, they’re going to kill me.” Varric seemed to want to say a lot more but his eyes darted over to where Cassandra was listening earnestly to their conversation and he remained quiet. He did shoot her a pointed glare that said they would be having a conversation later, in private.

“I came here to save you!” Solea explained desperately, wanting him to understand. “I wasn’t about to let you be captured and tortured without at least trying to rescue you.” She not a nasty glare over at the Seeker, who recoiled from the blazing fury in her gaze. Solea smirked, pleased by her reaction, before turning back to Varric.

“Regardless, it doesn’t matter now.” She held up her hand, and the glowing mark that blemished her palm. “I can’t leave now. I’m the only one that can help fix this. I have to do this.”

Varric’s shoulders dropped and she could see the fight leave him as he mumbled. “Dammit. This Hero complex thing has got to be genetic.”

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

Chapter 2

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #varric is the best uncle #hawke #fem!hawke #fenris #hawke x fenris #inquisitor #da:i #Varric Tethras #cassandra pentaghast #seeker #Solas

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lonelypond · 5 years

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Moonlight Becomes You: Moonlight Apocalypse Midnight Dance Party, Ch. 11

Love Live/Love Live Sunshine, NozoEli, NicoMaki, KanaMari, YoshiMaru, 1.9K, 11/?

Summary: Mari invades, Eli has a breakthrough, and the party is about to get lit.

HOW NOT TO PLAN A PARTY

Daunting. Maki Nishikino was daunting, a towering wave of disdain about to smash, You decided as she approached the tall redhead standing poised against the view of the Pacific. The house was like a movie set, all glass and gorgeous views, You was stuck in borrowed clothes that didn't fit, an exhausted Dia had been tucked into bed, Yoshiko's demand that You not leave Dia alone with her parents was getting harder and harder to square with polite behavior, and You really didn't like the food that Maki had ordered. She preferred home cooking. Her father had taught her to make something delicious out of nearly any combination. But the Nishikinos apparently didn't keep food in the house. Mari was the same, but Ohara On The Beach at least had room service with a diverse menu. Rich people were weird, You thought, not for the first time. And rude, she added as Maki looked over her shoulder and snorted at You's appearance.

You pulled up the sweats, put on her most confident grin, and stepped forward.

"Mari and Kanan are bringing me clothes."

Sharp eyes narrowed, "You invited them here?"

"No no, I didn't say anything." You waved open palms in a gesture she hoped read as 'imploring innocence,' "Kanan just texted me they were on their way."

Suspicion, "How do they know where…"

"Mari." You stated with 1000% certainty.

Nishikino sighed, brushed past You, and flopped down on the couch, staring into the fire.

You rolled her shoulders, "Sorry."

Maki made a vague wave and grunted, which You took as a hint to find somewhere else to hang out. Maybe she could convince Kanan to take a Dia sitting shift.

###

"No." Hanamaru's arms were crossed and she'd actually stepped over the threshold of her sanctuary, a rarity.

"But, if we bring the Lucifero to her victim, Yoshiko can calm the poor woman down and help You."

"Did you have to say victim?" Kanan murmured at her wife.

"No, zura." Hanamaru face twisted into a stubborn barrier, "Yoshiko passed out from exhaustion and no one is waking her up. She hasn't exerted herself this much in decades." "Ah, so with more practice, she'll keep people out of my swimming pool." Mari's tone nudged complaint.

Kanan wasn't certain that was a joke and Hanamaru nodded as if it were a serious request.

"All right, let's go, Mari, before Maki changes her mind and leaves You at the bottom of her driveway." Kanan pulled on Mari's arm, glad that for once her wife seemed disinclined to argue. She was probably saving up her spitfire responses for the upcoming joust with the Diamond Princess.

"Wait." Hanamaru turned and put her hand on the doorknob.

"You said Yoshiko was asleep." Kanan reminded the bookseller.

"But I'm not."

Kanan thought Malibu would probably be sounding stormy tonight.

###

They were taking an intermission break. Nico's phone pinged.

M: 〴⋋_⋌〵

N: ?

M: Ohara's invading. And I'm annoyed.

N: So you'd rather be lonely?

M: YES.

M: Well...no, but...uuuggghhh, why does she kee me!

N: Tell her N O !

N: Nico will tell her no for you ୧ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔ୨

Nico frowned, her fingers flying as more questions came to her.

N: Why is she invading?

M: ₍₍ ◝(•̀ㅂ•́)◟ ⁾⁾ Ohara wants everyone in LA in her branded merchandise.

M: It's annoying.

N: She's dressing you?

Nico was legitimately confused. Did Maki want them to match? Because Nico had already packed those clothes up to be donated. And Maki's outfit had been really cute.

M: Yeah. I'd say no, but none of my clothes fit her. I'm not cruel. And those shorts were awful.

Her? Oh, You. The third rescuer. Nico shook her head. This conversation was almost as annoying as those raggedy shorts.

N: They were truly awful.

M: If I can find them, I'm going to put them through a shredder.

N: You'd be doing her a favor.

M: Truth.

N: So you're having a party without Nico?

Nico watched a typing bubble linger for too many minutes.

M: Not voluntarily.

"Something wrong, Nico?" Eli asked, approaching the counter where Nico had been putting away leftovers before Maki's first text.

"Nah. Maki's just having a party without me."

"Is that the redhead you were with the first time we met?" Nozomi asked from the couch, where she was paging through Eli's scrapbook of headshots and show photos.

Nico quirked an eyebrow at Eli. She was pretty sure Eli wouldn't want her to discuss that morning.

"Where's that dog? You had a dog, right? I almost forgot about her. She was really pretty. With light fur." Nozomi put the scrapbook down and stood, "Is she outside?"

Eli had frozen again, mouth open, eyes panicked, caught between flight and flight responses. Nico had to save this.

"She's not mine." Not a complete lie. Nico scowled at Eli, "When she's here, Eli has to take pills."

"You have a timeshare pet?" Nozomi closed the scapbook, suddenly more interested in the conversation.

Nico snorted; Eli gave her a look that could only be described as desperate puppy dog eyes. Nico grabbed the chocolate cake and slid it away before Eli's finger stole a taste of icing. "Not for you."

Eli pouted.

"So your friend is having a party?" Nozomi decided to hover next to Eli.

Nico grimaced, "Not exactly. YOUR friend, Ohara, decided to drop off clothes for that cute lifeguard person."

"A Mari Party!" Nozomi squealed, startling Eli and triggering a frown from Nico, "Oh, Mari InstaParties are the best. We should go. They get so crazy. People talk about them for weeks."

Nico closed her eyes, trying to shake the sudden picture of Maki in the middle of a booming party with the same amount of girls hanging off her as one of her gigs, but much closer to her bedroom. "Ugh. Nico doesn't need to know these things."

With Nico not paying attention, Eli decided to be daring, sneaking a taste of cake, "I could use some crazy."

"It'll be so much fun, Eli." Nozomi also ran a quick finger through the frosting, winking at Eli as she licked. "Ummmm...yummy."

"I said no tasting." Nico's eyes snapped open and she glared at her suddenly amenable WEREWOLF best friend, "And really, Eli, going out now? Not worried you'll...you know...get a headache or something."

Eli shrugged. She could tell how excited Nozomi was about the party. Tone of voice, change in the air...Eli didn't want to think too much about how exactly she knew. But the moon was already up and this was turning into regular night. No pain, no pinching tension in her forehead, no urge to scratch off her own skin. And sitting around here, watching the second half of a movie she already knew the surprise twist to and listening to Nico grump about Mari and/or Maki just seemed like a recipe for a bad mix of anxiety and boredom. And Kanan, who had dealt with her whole transformation so calmly, wanted to talk to Eli. Kanan would surely be with Mari. Eli desperately wanted to keep her dance space a safe zone…while she worked out what Kanan meant...wait, Kanan kept talking about release and shedding skin and embracing the flow of change and freedom, and that one series of moves felt like if Eli could just let go and let her muscles slide into their own moment...did that mean...Eli suddenly bent at the knees, plie, slowly raising one leg, then bouncing up to curve into a jeté, falling into a crouch, bending, closing her body in on itself, arms wrapped protectively, tensed, balled up, twisted, but what if she leapt, without thinking, without...and then there was speed and height and freedom and the floor and Eli spun once and threw herself into the couch with a laugh. Relief. That was how she needed to feel. A breakthrough. She couldn't wait to show Kanan.

Eli didn't have to look up to realize she'd captivated an audience. Nico's attitude had changed to one of active attention and Nozomi, Eli shivered a little, Eli could FEEL Nozomi's eyes taking in every detail of her every move. Eli sensed Nozomi was holding herself back from sliding into the seat next to her. And then Nico's amused bark broke the tension, "Okay, that was great. You get cake."

Nozomi had started toward the couch, and Eli wanted to stay, to sit, to ignore Nico, to just...with a shake, Eli was on her feet, playfully dodging around Nozomi's approach. Not now. Eli wasn't ready for that now. Party. People. Cake. No rising tension Eli wasn't sure wouldn't explode.

Eli had both hands on the counter, her grin charming, her pony tail eager to bounce, "C'mon Nico, you want to go. I want cake. And Nozomi's game. Let's make some new friends."

Nico tapped her fingers, considering, but only briefly. "Fine. But only because Maki knows...you. And I want you two to get along."

Eli nodded. "We'll be best buds."

Nico snorted, "Don't go that far."

###

Ohara had swept though the second level, slid open every door that could be opened, picked up every single ceramic vase and replaced it just slightly to the left, messed with the bass levels on the house stereo system, and was now leaning her hip into the pool table, chalking a cue.

"We play straight pool," Ohara giggled so obnoxiously that Maki's teeth ground down several millimeters, "if I get a century first, you play a party at the venue of my choice."

Maki adjusted the fireplace, focusing on the clear blue barely visible as it licked through the orange flames. If Ohara was going to stay, at least Maki would have a continual distraction.

"Now, La Principessa Caratterino, you're supposed to say "And if I win…?" Mari tapped Maki on the shoulder with the pool cue. Maki wrapped her hand around it and yanked it away, which seemed to please her tormentor, "Now you're ready."

Maki tossed the cue back to the sofa. You and Kanan were speaking quietly on the balcony outside the glass separating the pool table from the night.

Maki would suspect Mari were trying to distract her from their conversation if the over bubbly heiress hadn't been this annoying on every occasion that they'd met.

Mari eased herself back into the couch, arms flung out wide, sliding the pool cue across her lap, citrine eyes narrowed, "You are very unfriendly for host. Not offering us food."

"You brought your own." Maki barely moved her jaw. Anger had set it so tightly it not a muscle twitched. She waved a dismissive hand at the array of bags on the counter and Hanamaru searching for something in them, "And I did not invite any of you."

Mari giggled.

"These are the best castagnole in a century." Hanamaru spoke seriously, then realized she'd spoken in the middle of a pastry. She continued after swallowing, "You should try one. It's from a tiny bakery off an alley that leads to Venice that no one really knows about."

"Venice Beach?" Maki asked, wondering what could be so special about what seemed to be small donut holes.

"Okay, zura." Hanamaru muttered with a shrug, and pulled out another castagnole

Mari leaned against the back of the couch, head turned to watch the two women on the balcony. Kanan, leaning forward, listened as You paced and gestured.

Maki decided now was an optimal time to escape downstairs and wait for Nico, before anyone engaged her in conversation again.

A/N: Short chapter but I'm trying to get back into a flow.

Suddenly cold here...and I still don't have a proper desk, but Let It Snow was a cute Christmas movie if you've got Netflix access.

Take care!

#Moonlight Becomes You #Apocalypse Midnight Dance #party #Ayase Eli #Tojo Nozomi #werewolf #Nishikino Maki #Yazawa Nico #NicoMaki #Ohara Mari #Matsuura Kanan #KanaMari #Kunikida Hanamaru

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colorofmymindposts · 5 years

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The Deviance of Two English Gentlemen Chapter Seven

Chapter Title: Comme Amis, Madame?

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Ritchie films)/Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Mary Morstan/John Watson Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mary Morstan Rating: Teen and Up Status: Incomplete Word Count: 1727 for this chapter, 9444 for the entire work thus far Summary: Set post Game of Shadows. When Sherlock Holmes is given a case by none other than Mrs. Watson, he has no idea that he cannot fix the unsolvable for the couple. Intimate truths are exposed in the process, leaving all three irrevocably changed. Tags: Case Fic, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Secrets, Bickering Notes: The entire work can be read here on ao3. You can also read chapter one here and chapter two here, chapter three here, chapter four here and chapter five here and chapter six here.

Story:

It was in a truly spinning, colored daze that Holmes managed to stumble up the stairs to his rooms, not once turning back to the door from where Watson had just departed. If he stole one glance, he thought he might run out into the street after the man, raving like a lunatic. It was better that he review the facts before jumping to conclusions at any rate.

Although, even solely as a detective, he could not wrap his head around what had transpired. Watson had kissed him. It was a gesture totally unexpected, at least at this point, when their more...amorous relationship had drawn its abrupt conclusion several years ago.

Of course, it could have been meant platonically. It was, after all, just on the cheek, a kiss much more innocent than previous ones they’d shared. The French were known to exchange kisses comme amis. Or perhaps Watson was just attempting to finally recognize their past together, just enough to acknowledge it, and could therefore move forward in his marriage.

Why would that be necessary, however? Surely after all this time, the old boy had gotten over Holmes. In fact, Holmes would have thought that all of Watson’s romantic feelings expired when he had packed up all things without a word to Holmes, rented out another flat, and had a girl on his arm within a month of leaving. If Watson had ever felt anything for him at all.

Those words...those parting words troubled his mind still. He turned them over, the three sentences, as though they were separate pages in a book. They danced in front of his eyes, and he burned them into his memory before they flared and faded in favor of another distraction. As if another distraction could successfully steer him away from Watson.

I’ve behaved remarkably badly.

Forgive me.

And thank you.

None of the parts added up to a cohesive whole, ultimately. Behaved badly to whom? Forgive Watson for what? Thank Holmes for what deed? The whole matter was quite puzzling, and Holmes was beginning to ascertain that Watson either had no idea what he himself meant when he imparted those words or intentionally belied Holmes into investigating them so he would not think too much over the...child conundrum.

Holmes growled in frustration at it all. Never had a case provided such obstacles in his typical methodology. The personal element involved made it all very difficult to process, categorize in his normal way. With Watson by his side, Holmes had never experienced such clarity in his work, having finally found the pathway to the solutions through all the noise and clutter of the rest of the world. Now that Watson was not at his side but at the centre of this case, it was becoming harder to distinguish fact versus theory.

It was more difficult than ever; any time Holmes tried to think, his fingers traced the ghost-like touch of Watson’s lips to his cheek in awe and wonder, a feeling he had locked away in the deep recesses of his mind.

When they had been lovers, Watson had always been gentle. His doctor’s training had controlled how his hands caressed, his abundant care and precision had been merely a luxurious extension of his bedside manner whenever Holmes had hit the ring too hard. Though he doubted that Watson called his patients “ungrateful bastards” as he sewed them back together. It was equally unlikely that he ever finished the job with an impassioned kiss on the lips and a plea to act more carefully. Perhaps if Holmes had followed through on that advice, he would never have awoken to a half-empty bed as he had for the last three years.

In those years of Watson’s absence, Irene had been particularly special. At first, Holmes had admired nothing more than her brilliant mind, able to keep up with his own, a rarity in a person of any sex. Eventually, even he had found he could appreciate her beauty for what it was: flawless. She had been flippant as the change of the tide, however; and though her antics were amusing, she would gladly leave Holmes penniless and beaten to a pulp if it ensured her own safety. In spite of this, Holmes had been willing to try something with Irene, something more real when he had finally accepted that Watson had deserted him, when she had died.

And here he was now. Alone. And more bewildered than ever.

Without warning, the door to the flat opened. Holmes scrambled up from his bed, where he had lain for hours if not days, and rushed to greet the man he’d been waiting for in great anticipation.

“Watson!” he cried out upon entering the parlor.

He halted where he stood on the bearskin rug when he realized he had mistaken the identity of his guest.

“I must say Mr. Holmes, I am amazed as ever by your deductive powers,” Mrs. Watson remarked a touch snidely, though not enough to seem outright rude. “Despite all of what John writes, he can never do your talents justice.”

“Yes, well he struggles with the quantitative details. Your husband is quite...the romantic—with his words,” Holmes replied, his voice slightly shrinking at the end. He coughed deliberately to compensate.

“I know he is. And I know you hadn’t been expecting to see me again quite so soon,” Mrs. Watson attested. “Truly neither had I. But I must speak with you about my husband.”

Holmes’ heart plunged into his stomach. Did she know? Had Watson confided his illicit action to his wife out of guilt? Oh Providence above, this could be the undoing of both of them alike.

“...must you?”

“It is not easy for me to say this, as I have been married to my John for some time now,” she began.

Holmes’ breath caught in his chest and could not escape. But the woman, surprisingly, looked at him pleadingly instead of in disgust.

She calmly continued, “But you have known John for nearly twenty years and I only for three. I can tell he has told you of our troubles, maybe more so than he has told me. I must ask for your advice on how to proceed.”

While she was more collected than her previous visit, the desperation was still very much present. The pads of her fingers were dry with the turning of pages, books, perhaps old letters as well, easily deduced from the tired lingering redness in her eyes that even she could not conceal. Gladstone had clearly seen it fit to comfort her if his hairs clinging to the hem of her dress were any indication.

He wandered over to his desk, not looking at her now, and rifled through some papers aimlessly in search of a more interesting task to occupy him.

“Mrs. Watson, I shall make this brief then for both our sakes. I advise you to speak with your husband,” he laid out rather plainly, proceeding to pop a macadamia nut from the bowl on the desk in his mouth. “These are delicious. Would you like one?”

“No, I have no appetite at present,” she replied with little disguise of her distaste.

He smirked rougely at the thought of his next barb. “Perhaps you should consult a doctor in that case.”

“You are trying to irritate me, draw me away. Did John tell you to do that?”

“Watson has tried to instruct me to do many things, and he has yet to be successful in any of his attempts,” he countered dismissively.

Damn the woman was persistent. He almost wished that Watson hadn’t told him anything of the matter.

“For your information, I have tried to talk to my husband all in vain. Last night, he chose his bed in favor of discussing anything with me. In every other instance, he has either been with you or in town,” said Mrs. Watson, her frustration and confusion evident in her speech. “I...it’s almost like he is suffering one of those black moods of yours that he described to me.”

“Hmph! Watson suffering a black mood! I would truly be worried if we ever saw that day,” he said through a mouthful of macadamia nuts.

Holmes crossed the room, going to face Mrs. Watson for the first time in this conversation. He stood right in front of her, leaving very little personal space between the two of them. Her eyes bulged somewhat in anxiety, and he purposefully tilted his head to one side to illustrate a more disturbing picture for the woman.

“I was hoping to be left alone to organize my thoughts, but I see that this...issue shall not leave my life unless I clarify it for you.”

“I would like nothing more than to leave you alone, Mr. Holmes,” she retorted, which almost made him laugh.

He turned from her, starting to pace toward the window overlooking Baker Street.

“Your husband, Mrs. Watson, suffers from an affliction that many men possess. He belongs to a crowd of men who desire the companionship of a woman but not her product, the thrill of a romance without its baggage. He is atypical in that he genuinely cares for you unlike most with those desires, but he cannot deviate from what he wants or rather what he does not want,” he explained. He swiveled back to address her. “Have I made myself clear?”

The woman’s face in that moment was astonishingly unreadable. Then she bit her lower lip, and he knew instantly he had struck a nerve.

“Do you consider yourself to be one of those men?” She asked, voice quavering.

“Not in the slightest. I do not desire the company of anyone.”

“Except for John,” Mrs. Watson rebutted, contemplative in her gaze. “And have you any other friends besides him?”

“I have found no other worthy as him, no. I dare say I never shall,” he answered honestly. “I feel we are drifting slightly from your initial point of inquiry.”

“No, no Mr. Holmes, you have provided me with more than enough answers to go off of,” she replied, bitterness very obviously sinking into her tone. She stormed out of his rooms without so much as a half-hearted farewell as though he had deeply offended her.

At the very least this time she hadn’t thrown a glass of wine in his face.

#holmes x watson #consulting husbands #sherlock holmes #mary morstan #my writing #rdj holmes #sherlock holmes movies #fanfiction

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megalony · 5 years

Text

All that matters

Another Ben x Reader x Roger imagine that is part of my Our girl series.

@rogertaylorsbitontheside

Our girl masterlist

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cracking his eye open a small sigh escaped Ben's lips, his arm pulling from the comfort and warmth of the cover pulled tightly over his frame. The bitter air of the room biting at his skin as he reached out in front of him, draping his arm over his little girl who was laid on her side next to him. His hand rubbing up and down her back as she coughed, a small crackling sound emanating from her chest as she breathed. Her eyes still closed as she was still seemingly asleep alongside him, a small dark blue blanket tucked around her to keep the chill from her bones. A smile pulled at his lips at the small yawn escaping her lips as she shuffled closer, resting her face to his arm as Ben closed his eyes once again, feeling sleep pulling at his mind. Just as his mind drifted back into a state of unconsciousness Ben opened his eyes once again at feeling the harsh pushes of air against his arm. The crackling cough ringing through his ears once again stopping him from gaining the sleep he so craved to have. Due to the new movie, he was working on he had been working away for the past two weeks and had only just got back home at four in the morning. His mind and body were craving some kind of rest but that wasn't happening. Lola had a rather bad chest infection and rather than having to walk up and down the corridor to give her medicine or hold her when she couldn't sleep Roger and (Y/n) had simply brought her in the bed with them. (Y/n) had gone back to work now that her maternity leave had just ended. Roger wasn't at the studio today but since Lola had been fast asleep when he got up and so had Ben, he left the pair of them to sleep knowing they both needed it. Moving his other arm that was trapped under his chest Ben held Lola's sides and gently sat her up, rubbing up and down her back as she woke up, watching him as she seemed to cough up her lungs. Pulling her blanket over her legs and middle Ben kept his arms around her before slowly closing his eyes, wondering if he could grab a few minutes sleep, somehow knowing Lola wasn't going to do the same just yet. A groan escaped his lips when the toddler flopped onto his shoulder, arms splayed over his shoulder trying to reach his back as she giggled, ending in a cough as her cheek rested against his shoulder too. "Alright, baby I'm awake." He mumbled, holding her as he moved to lay on his back, letting her rest against his bare chest as he looked down at her. Seeing how proud she looked at her achievement of keeping him awake when he had had only about five hours sleep since half past five this morning. Having had to dump all of his things about the house, grab something to eat and drink and quickly go to see Lily. Though she had been asleep he knew he wouldn't see her until after she had been to pre-school so he popped in to check on her. Then finding Lola in his spot in the bed and all having to move around to accommodate the four of them. His eyes closed as his lips pressed together when her small hand hit the side of his face, fingers skimming over his cheek as if stroking him as she clambered onto his chest and lower stomach fully laying on him though he didn't really mind. Opening his eyes when he was sure he wasn't going to get hit again he gently held her hand, rubbing her palm with his thumb for a while, enjoying the peacefulness of the morning which was a rarity. Mustering the little energy he had gotten from his minimal sleep Ben pushed himself up into a sitting position, holding Lola against his shoulder when she began coughing again. His teeth biting down on his bottom lip when she couldn't seem to stop. Her breaths turning quick as she sucked in air only to release it in a strangled cough, small whimpers tumbling from her rosy lips as if she wasn't sure whether to cry or not. Looking to the bedside table Ben felt relief swelling in his chest at seeing the small bottle of cough medicine sitting patiently waiting to be of use. "Poor baby, you're really not well are you?" Leaning up against the headboard Ben pulled his knees up so Lola could sit on his stomach and lean against his legs. Putting the pink strawberry medicine into the syringe Ben gently pressed it to her lips, watching as her nose crinkled at the medicine causing a smile to break out on his tired features. His hand reaching up to smooth down her ruffled ash blonde hair that looked like it had been charged with electricity overnight. Feathering his finger over her cheeks which were turning a blotchy red colour. "Think we can try to sleep now?" Pulling one of the pillows further down Ben gently laid Lola on her side, wrapping the blanket back around her and placing the stuffed rabbit toy from the end of the bed in front of her. Watching fondly as her arms wrapped around the toy, his fingers running through her hair to try and lull her back to sleep so he could do the same. Satisfied about ten minutes later that she was sleeping Ben laid on his side, burying himself under the covers again, draping an arm over his girl before closing his eyes. Unlike (Y/n) when Ben woke up like this he could almost always go back to sleep, whereas if she was waking suddenly like this she had to get up, not being able to fall back asleep so easily. Roger could sleep anywhere at any time, but that was usually because of the random work schedule that kept him up at all hours of the day. Glancing his eyes to his phone Roger pressed it to his ear, turning his attention back to the piece of paper in front of him which was half full of lyrics he wasn't so sure about just yet as it was still an early draft for his new song. He always kept a pen and some paper handy because the inspiration came from anywhere and everywhere and the ideas would disappear as quickly as they came if h didn't write them down quick enough. Both Ben and (Y/n) were used to the scattered pieces of paper here there and everywhere containing either lyrics or chords for the tune he played on repeat in his head so he didn't lose it. "Hello?" He questioned, already sounding only half interested as he silently mimicked the words, unsure if they would fit the beat he had in his mind. "Yes, that is me." Part of his mind was confused as he didn't recognise who it was calling but at the same time, he got a lot of phone calls like these. Producers managers and record companies liked to call and try and get him to sign with them or get some kind of statement or whatever else they pestered him for. Roger usually just repeated something along the lines of 'I can't hear you' or randomly started singing horribly down the line at them so they hung up because if they hung up then they wouldn't ring back. "Come get her, why what's happened?" Placing the pen in his hand down on the table Roger sat up straighter at being told that it was the receptionist of the pre-school Lily was currently at. He wasn't used to being called up and told to come and collect Lily, but it meant that either something had happened to her or she had done something wrong which he highly doubted. "Yep, yes okay I'll be ten minutes, thank you." Ending the call Roger jumped to his feet, slipping the phone in his back pocket as he turned and headed out of the study he was previously sitting in. Jogging down the hallway Roger rounded the stairs and climbed them two at a time, heading down to the room he shared with his two partners. A twinge of guilt hit him in the chest when he opened the door to a heartwarming sight in front of him. He didn't want to wake Ben up, knowing he could get rather grumpy and he had every right to be. He hadn't been home half a day yet and he had gotten a disrupted sleep and it was going to be disrupted even more now. Sitting on the bed behind Ben, Roger leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek before gently shaking his shoulder, looking to check Lola was still asleep so he knew if he needed to whisper. "Bugger off Rog." Ben mumbled, swatting his arm at the man sitting behind him before resting it back over Lola's frame, burying his face further into the pillow as a headache was beginning to form behind his eyes. He had driven all the way home last night in the early hours of the morning and all he wanted to do was go to sleep but no one seemed to think he needed or deserved it. "Babe I need to go pick Lily up and Lola will need feeding soon." Roger watched Ben's face scrunch up as he sighed, cracking open his eyes to look at his boyfriend sitting behind him, a sorry look on his face at having woken him. "Why, she okay?" "She's had an asthma attack and she's crying for us, I gotta go now." Ben nodded instantly, waking up quickly as Roger leaned down and kissed his lips before jumping off the bed and heading out of the room, not wanting to waste any more time. Lily was prone to asthma attacks and chest infections but she hadn't had an attack at school before. They would normally send children home in these situations but the way the lady put it she was crying for any of her three parents to come and get her and crying wouldn't do her much help. Roger didn't bother grabbing his car keys from the bowl, only his house keys since it was a five or so minute walk to the school which was rather handy for situations like these. He speed-walked down the street, his fingers tapping away on his jeans out of worry and anxiety. Calming down slightly as he mulled over the lyrics he had been thinking of earlier, trying to sort them out into logical order in his mind as he came up to the gates of the school. Walking through them he turned left, hurrying down to the reception and pressing the buzzer waiting impatiently for the doors to open. Turning another left Roger planted his hands down on the reception desk, trying to catch back the breath he lost along the way as the lady looked at him expectingly. "I'm here for Lily Taylor." He breathed, watching her eyes narrow as she looked to the computer in front of her before nodding. "Miss Jones is through there in the medical room." She didn't miss the way Roger rolled his eyes before turning around and walking across the hall, his knuckles rapping on the door. He hated when people did that, the other receptionist had acted the same when (Y/n) had come to collect Lily on another occasion. Her last name was double-barrelled, it was Taylor-Jones since she had two dads and Roger didn't have the time to rush both names out. One was enough but everyone assumed Jones was the only name and thought it their duty to correct him as if he didn't know his daughter's name. Roger had changed Lily's name and added Jones to Lily's last name when they had Lola so one girl wouldn't have both father's names and the other didn't. Opening the door Roger felt his heart sinking in his chest when his eyes locked on his eldest girl. She was sitting on the plastic chair, her black backpack with the Queen logo on the front sitting at her feet which he guessed was because it held her inhaler and medications. Tears were falling from her crystal blue eyes that matched his own as her face was rather red, her cheeks puffed out as she tried to breathe evenly but couldn't seem to manage it. Walking the minimal steps over to her Roger went down on his knees in front of her, watching the utter relief on her face when she saw one of her dads had come to get her. "Daddy." She sniffed, holding her arms out prompting him to hold her. He wrapped his arms around her middle, holding her to his chest before getting to his feet, slinging her backpack on his shoulder and turning to face the nurse sitting on the other chair at his side. She silently nodded, knowing he was here to take her home. Watching him leave the room, saying nothing as he passed the receptionist and pressed the button to open the door. "S'alright darling, I've got you." He hushed, leaning his head against her own as he walked down the street. Breathing in relief that she seemed to have recovered at least a little, not still suffering through another attack which he worried would have happened when he arrived. "Daddy?" Her voice was quiet and oddly soft, a tone he knew she used when she had a question to ask or something that was bugging her. Rubbing his hand up and down her back Roger hummed in response, waiting patiently for her to ask what she was wondering about. "Nicki said I can't have two daddies and a mama." Roger felt his heart stuttering in his chest as he forced himself to keep walking at the same pace, coming onto their street now. He knew this was bound to come up at some point. None of Lily's friends had two dads and a mother as well that were all in a relationship, she only had one friend who had two dads but even then they were told that they were adopted and that was fine with the other kids. Lily telling them she had a dad, a papa and a mama was fine with some and simply refused by others, even the teachers weren't okay with the topic. "Nicki only has one dad, she doesn't understand darling because you do have us both, don't you? That other girl Danny, she has two dads. Just because no one else has two dads and a mama doesn't mean you can't or that it isn't right. We all love each other, that's all that matters." Seemingly satisfied with the answer Lily tightened her arms around his neck, hugging him tighter causing a smile to come onto Roger's face as he kissed the top of her head. Reaching into his pocket to pull out his house keys, opening the door and kicking off his shoes. "I got a surprise for you." Roger stated as he began walking up the stairs, still holding Lily to his chest. Ben's car had been parked down the drive at the side of the house so when Lily left for school in the morning she hadn't seen his car parked at the house and naturally still thought that he was away. They had decided to keep it a secret until she came home so he could surprise her with his return after not seeing her for a little over two weeks. Reaching his room Roger opened the door before pressing his index finger to his lips signalling for her to be quiet to which she nodded. A small gasp leaving her lips when she saw Ben laid fast asleep in the middle of the bed, Lola beginning to wake up at his side. Walking over Roger gently set Lily down on the bed behind Ben, watching her scuttle over to sit in front of him when Roger picked Lola up not wanting to disturb Ben much more if Lola had had enough of sleeping. Setting Lily's bag down on the floor he got out her inhaler, showing it to her before setting it on the bedside table so she knew where it was before he left the room. Pushing Lola's toys and blanket to the end of the bed Lily crawled under the covers, desperately wanting to wake Ben up but at the same time seeing he was sleeping and looked rather tired out. So she opted for laying and waiting for him to wake up instead, staring intently at him as she did so. A sudden squeal leaving her lips when Ben turned so he was laying on his front, forcing his tired eyes open as he wrapped his arm tightly around Lily, pulling her into his side. Snuggling his head into the crook of her neck causing her to laugh as she clung to him like glue. "There's my other girl. You feeling alright princess?" He questioned, his voice laced with sleep as he closed his eyes again but made sure he was still awake to listen to her intently. "Better. I missed you papa." "I missed you too princess, so much." Ben pressed a kiss to her cheek, smiling as he felt his heart might explode when she gingerly brushed a few curls from falling in his eyes before she kissed his temple.

#roger taylor #roger taylor imagine #roger x ben x reader #ben hardy #ben hardy imagine

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gaiyofanfiction · 7 years

Text

Rare Blood (6)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 (Final)

Vampire Prince!Yoo Kihyun x Siren!Reader

Much angst, maybe fluff

Vampire world!AU

A/N: Hello everyone! thank you so much for all the love you have shown us! We are really happy that you all are liking our story! Here is the next chapter, it’s a little longer since the last one was so short. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This store is pure fiction. Yoo Kihyun and the rest of Monsta X are the sweetest creatures on this earth, we know they would never do anything to harm or manipulate anyone.

Trigger warning: Mentions of manipulation, abuse and blood for right now. Maybe something else in the future.

Mrs. Kim guides you to the next room. As you pass you notice there are more vampires then you have ever seen before. Your anxiety starts to raise making you quickly walk behind Mrs. Kim.

She stops so suddenly causing you bump right into her back. “Ah, I'm so sorry. I'm just not used to seeing so many vampires in one place.”

“There is nothing to worry dear. They are all here for the grand party.”

Mrs. Kim proceeds to open a big double door that revealed a massive room full of elegant dresses. Your eyes widen at the sight.

“Heh, you know… I'm not really a dressy kind of person.”

“But you are the Prince’s feeder. So you must look the part.”

She motions for you to stand on the small rotating stage that stood in front of a large mirror. She moved your arms and legs to get the measurements she needed to find you the right dress.

You watch her rummage through the various dresses. “Since you are a siren and your blood is rare, I figured your dress should be the same.”

She held before you a long, shimmering dress that was a rich dark maroon color. It was actually very beautiful that you didn't mind trying it on.

You shuffle around in the fitting room while Mrs. Kim waited on you. “Come on dear, let me see!”

You slowly exit the fitting room and her face lit up with a bright smile. “Am I good or what!? You look stunning.”

You walk up onto the stage and check out the dress. The feeling was unreal. You looked at your reflection in awe. The dark material flowed down your body, hugging every one of your curves.

“I believe the dress speaks for itself. And all eyes will be on you tonight. You are ready.”

You gulp and fiddle with the dress. The thought that there could be a hundred pairs of eyes staring at you made you feel incredibly uncomfortable.

“Now, for the final touches. I decided a couple Ruby pins in your hair and a bangle with varying sizes of Rubies would accent the dress just nicely.”

Suddenly you’re so nervous you don’t even want to attend the party at all. ‘At this point death seems easier to deal with than this ordeal.’

“Now, the party has already started, so we don’t have much time to waste. I will show you the way to the main room, but from there it’s all you. Don’t forget your training!”

Before you leave Mrs. Kim’s voice changed. “By the way, telling the prince he has a nice laugh with a dreamy look on your face was kind of bold."

"Why would you say that? It's just an innocent compliment," you mumble, fiddling with your fingers.

She eyes you. "Words like that can get you killed. You're just a feeder. Remember your place. I'm sure the Royal family wouldn't take too kindly to you being so smitten with the Prince."

Mrs. Kim walks away from you. You grumble and sigh. ‘She is right though…’

Inside the grand ballroom were hundreds of vampires from all over the land. Scattered were floating red, black, and gold globes with fancy streamers to match. There was even a full orchestral band playing classical music.

Prince Kihyun stood inside near the main stage talking to other higher up vampires. One of them was inquiring about a trade.

“Ah, Prince Kihyun! It’s a pleasure to see you my good friend.” One of the other Royals bows his head to the Prince.

Prince Kihyun nods in acknowledgement. “Jun! Time is just not on our side… How are you? And your ties with the SVT Clan?”

“It’s doing quite well. The Clan works closely with your family to ensure the Kingdom is in good standings. However, it means I haven’t had a chance to see you in so long.”

“I’m just glad to see you doing well.”

“Now, where is your feeder, Prince Kihyun? I have heard numerous rumors of her rarity.” Jun raises a brow, trying to hide his excitement.

“She should be arriving any minute.” Kihyun says wearily, narrowing his eyes at the vampire’s behavior.

An announcer clears his throat and loudly exclaims your presence. “May I present to you Prince Yoo Kihyun’s feeder: Ms. Y/N.”

You enter through the doors, walking through taking small and slow steps into the massive room. As you feared, Mrs. Kim was right. The room was in complete awe as you looked around. You notice one female vampire didn’t take kindly to your presence, but you ignored it.

Swallowing the lump in your throat you finally start to move towards Prince Kihyun at a faster pace. His eyes were glimmering as he watched you with every step.

Jun clapped his hands in delight. “My, my, Prince Kihyun! I believe I speak for most when I say that she is much more than we all were expecting.”

Those around them nodded and agreed.

Without Prince Kihyun’s eyes leaving you, he said in a low voice to himself, “she’s absolutely beautiful.”

You finally join Prince Kihyun’s side and bowed to the rest of the vampires. You stood there silent, but obedient.

Jun starts to eye you like a hungry animal, but you try to focus on Prince Kihyun.

“What a specimen. So this is the siren the whole Kingdom is talking about.” Jun gets closer to Prince Kihyun. “Have you ever considered selling her blood? You could sell it at a very high price. I know I’d buy it.”

Jun licks his lips and continues with his eyes locked on you, “I know rare blood when I see it. I could smell it from the moment she walked in. Pure, and gorgeous…”

The other vampires start to come around making bargains for your blood. Prince Kihyun quickly grabs you, pulling you closer to him. It felt as if he was claiming you in front of the rest of the vampires.

Prince Kihyun stood tall and eyes all the eager vampires, “her blood is not for sale.”

Jun notices this gesture and scoffs. “Hm, i know that look and tone of voice. It's a shame to see a vampire such as yourself become attached to their feeder. You call yourself a Royal?"

Though you see Prince Kihyun was bothered by this, he quickly de-escalated the situation. “It was good seeing you, Jun. I have to join the rest of my family now. Enjoy the party.” His hand wraps around your waist and he moves you to walk forward. This gesture makes you blush, but you try to stay composed.

You start to think about how surprising it was that he defended you. ‘What did Jun mean? Maybe he actually… cares about me?’

Prince Kihyun comes to a halt and faces you. “I apologize on behalf of my friend. I didn’t realize he would be so persistent and rude.”

Still blushing you say, “you handled it well. Better than what I would have done honestly.”

He shows a bit of a side smile and it lights a spark inside of you. But, Prince Kihyun remembers where he is and quickly brings it back.

He clears his throat and places his hand on your shoulder. “Anyway, this is where we separate for the time being. The Royal Family will be making an announcement. You may stand in the mezzanine while I am up on the stage with the rest of my family. I will regroup with you after the important announcement. Don’t worry. Mrs. Kim is nearby watching you and as long as that collar is on, things should be alright. No one should dare to try something while inside the Royal castle.”

You nod and he turns his back on you to walk up to the stage. ‘Is he starting to let down that big wall of his?’ The idea that the Prince was warming up to you made your heart flutter. Maybe you wouldn't mind living under him if he was a little easier to get along with.

You go to stand against the wall as you watch one of the members of the Royal Family’s court take the stage. He clears his throat, getting the attention of the entire room.

“Welcome, everyone! You are probably all wondering why we are gathered here today in the hall of the Yoo family.” The crowd around you murmurs in agreement.

'They don't know why they're here either?’

“I am happy to announce that this is a party to celebrate the engagement of Prince Kihyun of the Monsta Clan and Princess Soyou of the Star Clan!”

Your eyes widen and your breath hitches. You see Prince Kihyun standing next to the girl who gave you the nasty look earlier. Your stomach starts to churn and suddenly you feel like the room is closing in on you. Not being able to take it anymore, you turn to run out of the room and onto the balcony.

Prince Kihyun sees you run out, making him furrow his brows in concern. He was about to go after you but Soyou took his hand and gave him a sweet smile.

“Some of the people of my clan would like to congratulate us.”

He nods in understanding, however the only thing on his mind is you.

Once you reach the railing of the balcony, you lean over and immediately throw up. You empty your stomach, your whole body shaking. Once you can't throw up any more, you wipe away the tears cascading down your cheeks.

'What the hell is wrong with me? Why did I react this way? Who cares if he's engaged! It's not like I love him or anything.’

You wanted to believe the thoughts that we're running through your mind but you knew they were a lie. Gripping the rail of the balcony tightly, you look down and watch the forest floor below. Without thinking, you start singing. Your voice turns melodic, your eyes unconsciously flashing an ocean blue;

I knew from the beginning That there is no answer. That there is no exit But your face is so mysterious It’s shaking up my heart

Everybody everyone has fallen for you I can’t believe it, it’s unfair Not positive but not negative You keep saying weird things making a person go crazy

“Absolutely amazing. You should be careful with that voice of yours, lovely. It could get you in all sorts of trouble.”

You immediately stop singing when you hear a voice behind you. You slowly turn to see a tall, very attractive male vampire. ‘I swear to god, this better be the last one of them.’

“O-Oh, hello.” You squeak out, a little nervous.

The male vampire raises an eyebrow and chuckles. “Hello. My name is Hyungwon, a relative of Prince Kihyun’s. What’s yours?” He takes a step closer to you.

You grip the railing tighter in anxiousness. “I-I’m Y/N.”

Hyungwon gave you the once over and licks his lips. “Is that right? You’re the little siren that everyone keeps talking about?” He takes another step closer to you, causing you to start to panic. “I’ve heard so much about you. It seems my family has taken quite an interest in you.”

You were starting to wish you never ran out onto the balcony. You reach up to touch the collar to send Prince Kihyun a signal but something stopped you. You notice Hyungwon’s eyes flash yellow, causing you to halt your movements. ‘Oh no, what’s he going to do to me?!’

“Wow, Hyungwon, I never thought I’d see you out of bed for anything.”

The both of you turn to see Wonho had entered onto the balcony as well. He walks towards the two of you, putting himself between you and the hungry vampire.

“I wouldn’t go after her, Hyungwon. Seems the Prince has really taken a liking to this human. He has sworn to hurt anyone who dares lay a hand on her.”

Hyungwon tilts his head and stares at Wonho for a moment before shaking his head. “Of course, I shouldn’t have been so forward.” He looks around Wonho to look at you and bows his head in apology. “I apologize, miss. I’ll take my leave. Enjoy the rest of your night.

You watch as the thin male vampire walks back into the ballroom. Sighing with relief, you relax your shoulders slightly. Just then Wonho turns to you, causing you to stiffen again.

“Hey, it’s okay. I promise I’m not going to do anything to you,” he raises his hands in defense. “I just came out here to apologize for the other day.” He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “I just hadn't had the company of anyone who wasn’t part of the family for so long, I kind of lost my will for a moment when I saw you.”

You slowly nod your head, your body starting to relax at the apology. “I-I understand. Thank you for the apology.”

Wonho sighed with relief and smiles at you. He leans against the rail of the balcony next to you and looks out into the forest. For a moment, it’s just comfortable silence between the two of you, enjoying the cool air of the night. Then he speaks up.

“So, the Prince, huh?”

You glance to your right at the well-built male vampire. “What do you mean?”

He chuckles. “You’re in love with him.”

You choke on your breath, causing you to start coughing violently. Wonho pats your back as your cough tries to pass. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“Well, Ms. Y/N. It’s pretty obvious about your feelings for your Master.”

You shake your head. “N-No, I don’t have any feelings for him.”

Wonho raises an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Then why did you run out of the room when the engagement was announced? And why were you singing?”

“Wait, you noticed all that?” You whimper.

“Well, it was kind of hard not to. You’re half siren, dear. When you sing, it’s quite noticeable. It’s just a good thing Hyungwon stopped you when he did, otherwise the entire party would have been drawn to you.”

Your face turns bright red. You had forgotten what happens when you try singing. “I guess it’s that obvious, huh.”

Wonho pats your hand. “It’s alright. No one’s really noticed other than me most likely. Everyone else is too caught up in their own world.” He gives you a friendly smile. “You should tell him.”

Your eyes widen instantly. “What?! Absolutely not. I can’t do that. He has a fiance now! And it’s against the law! Besides, he hates humans.” You hiss.

Wonho rolls his eyes. “One, fuck his fiance. Pretty sure this marriage is arranged and he has no say in the matter.” He sighs, his features growing solem. “Kihyun didn't always hate humans. He actually never used to be like this…” He glances at you. “None of us were.”

You tilt your head. “What happened?”

Wonho gets a far away look in his eyes. “It's a long story that I think Kihyun himself should tell you. But it has to do with why our entire family has grown cold and hard.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “It also has to do with why the law exists.”

“The law? The law that states vampires and humans can't be together?”

He nods. “Yes. That stupid law. God I hate that law.” He growls and slams his fists against the rails, making you jump. He sends you an apologetic look. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.”

You gently lay a shaky hand on his. “Why do you hate that law so much? I thought all vampires agreed with it.”

He shakes his head. “Not at all. At least, I don't agree with it.” He gets a thoughtful look on his face. “I was in love once. A beautiful woman, Sumi. She was the most important thing in my life. And she was human.” He grips your hand tightly. “We planned to be married one summer. However, something happened that shook the Royal family to its core. Then the law passed and suddenly, she was in danger of being executed.” Tears well up in his eyes. “I had to send her away, to keep her safe. I haven't seen her for years, but every day she's on my mind.”

You gasp, your heart breaking with each word. You hold his hand tightly. Having to send the one you love away and never seeing them again? That's something you could never imagine. 'But what could have happened that caused the law to be in place?’

Suddenly, Wonho grabs both of your hands and looks you directly in the eyes. “Y/N, you need to be careful around here. You need to stay away from I.M and Minhyuk. They're up to something. I need you to stay safe. You're the only one that can fix this entire family, I know it. You can break down Kihyun's walls and turn everything back to how it used to be.”

You're shocked into silence by his words. You open your mouth to respond but nothing comes out. So much information hit you all at once, your mind is spinning.

“Excuse me, Wonho, but you need to let go of my human this instant.”

Both yours and Wonho’s head snap to the new voice coming from the doorway. You look to see Prince Kihyun, none too happy.

“Y/N, come here. Now.”

Wonho let's you go with one last pleading look. All you can do is nod and smile. You bow your head and hurry over to the Prince. Prince Kihyun looks down at you with a mixture of annoyance and concern.

“Y/N, go back to your room. You're to stay there for the rest of the night. I can't watch you and entertain at the same time. I'll be there in a few hours once the party is over.” He places a hand on your shoulder.

You nod in understanding and bow your head, taking your leave. Prince Kihyun watches you leave the room before turning back to Wonho.

“What was the meaning of this? Why was my feeder out here with you?”

Wonho rolls his eyes. “She just felt nervous in there by herself, so she came out here for some air. I saw Hyungwon come out after her and wanted to make sure she was okay.”

Prince Kihyun scoffs. “All of a sudden you want to make sure she's okay? Even after you tried to sleep with and feed from her?”

“It wasn't like that. I wasn't in my right mind and I apologized to her.” Wonho crosses his arms.

Prince Kihyun narrows his eyes. “Just because you're now a lonely, single male doesn't mean you get to sleep with any woman that passes you. How would Sumi feel about that?”

Wonho growls and glares. “Don't you dare bring Sumi up! It's not MY fault what YOUR best friend did! That stupid law did NOT need to be passed just because of one human!”

“How dare you talk to me like that! I'm the Prince!”

Wonho takes a threatening step towards the prince. “I can talk to you however I like. Not only am I also a Royal, I'm still older than you.” He jabs his finger into Prince Kihyun's shoulder. “Don't you dare hurt this girl. She doesn't deserve any of your hatred towards humans.”

Prince Kihyun knocks his hand away with a huff. “I can treat my own property however I like. She’s MINE.”

“Oh yeah? What would happen if she decided she didn't want to be here anymore? What if she decided she has had enough?” Wonho bares his fangs with a sneer. “Just because Min Yoongi decided to do what he did, doesn't mean you get to treat human beings like they're dirt! They aren't all the same!”

Prince Kihyun's hand shoots out to grab Wonho by the neck. “Don't you dare mention that name in my presence again. This conversation is over,” he warns in a dark voice.

He let's go of Wonho and turns to walk out. Wonho coughs, rubbing his neck. Before he exits the balcony, Wonho sends him one final message.

“You need to tell her what happened! She deserves to know why you have nothing but hatred towards her!”

[Masterlist]

#monsta x #monsta x vampire #monsta x reactions #monsta x fanfiction #monsta x scenarios #kihyun x reader #yoo kihyun x reader #kpop fanfiction #kpop scenarios #kpop reactions #kihyun angst #shownu #wonho #minhyuk #kihyun #hyungwon #jooheon #IM #gaiyo fanfiction

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yoongiandchiminie · 7 years

Text

P R E S S U R E { 8 }

;series;

{Part 1} {Part 7}

Pairing: Reader X Yoongi

Word Count: 6,181

Genre: Romance, Smut, Fluff

Warnings: Cursing, Smut

Summary: After dating for almost 3 years, the armys and Yoongi’s label have found out about your relationship. Now you have to deal with it in your extraordinarily normal life.

The vacation was a dream. That’s really all I could say about it. It flew by so quickly that I could barely even depict a memorable moment from the hundreds that probably happened. However, we ended up in the hotel for the second part of it as people had found out we were in Disney.

The fourth day there, we were mobbed by a bunch of people once they had spotted Yoongi’s mint green hair. We decided to cut ourselves off from social media for the time away and just to focus on the happier aspects of life with each other. The break was nice, but turning it back on to see warning messages made me highkey regret doing so.

Being cut off from reality for the second half really did wonders for us. We ended up talking a lot and uh- not talking. We swam a lot too. Having down time with just the two of us was a rarity, so I was kind of thankful we were pushed out of the park. We got our time in there and enjoyed it (Along with the cute as hell pictures we took). I was just- happy.

Instead of driving back up, Yoongi insisted we fly and he’d get some company or something to have my car there before we were even back in New York. I’d refused at first, but the amount of complaining he put in to not sit in a car for a straight day again was too immense to ignore. There was a point where he threatened to fly up alone and when I realized he was serious, I gave in.

We quickly ran through the airports once someone yelled, “Suga!” and it just freaked me out. Yes, it’d been called out before, but after a week away (Except for that terrible day) it felt strange. It was tough for me to accept that Yoongi was famous, as weird as that sounded. I handled it very well, but coming to the realization that so many people just wanted a smile from him was one I didn’t take too well.

The flight was boring enough as always when I ended up alone. He passed out within the first half hour once we were in the sky and suddenly I was lost in the silence about the future. I’d have to call that guy when I got back and take care of my future. I was finally at the point in my life where I was able to pursue happiness and this came along. It fit right into the picture but actually pushing myself off to get there was a leap my anxiety was holding me from.

It was once we were back home that everything truly set in. Once I was laying in my own bed alone that I realized what was happening. Yoongi had gone to shower and do whatever he needed to which left me just to my thoughts. It was late at night now and all I wanted to do was sleep, but I was just consumed inside the ifs and buts of whatever could happen. I hadn’t even texted my friends I was home when I decided to call the guy from Modest.

Within three rings he picked up and it was the most excited I’d every heard anyone from getting a phone call from me. He was so obnoxiously chipper and eager as we spoke. It almost reeked of desperation was he set up a meeting for us tomorrow. He said he’d had a conference room in his hotel on hold for the past week awaiting my call. After giving me the address I was quick to get off of the phone before he arranged my entire life for me.

Once the call was over, Yoongi came into the room completely drenched because he’d heard me on the phone and wanted to tell me how proud he was as soon as he could. I shot the Slow Burn group chat a text about what time I’d be picking them up tomorrow. It was followed by one of me regretting saying I’d drive and begging one of them to do it. Luke answered quickly and said he’d drive, answering my prayers in an instant.

“Do you wanna get takeout and stay in?” he had a coy smile towards me in this empty house, “Your mom is staying at a friends tonight, so we have free roam of this place.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I stood up and wrapped my arms around his neck, placing a well deserved kiss upon him. “All alone?” I whispered, peppering kisses around his jawline. “Then we can be as loud as we want.”

“You wanna fuck already?” he was blunt, as always. “I mean- sure, but I’m kinda hungry, babe.”

I couldn’t help but to laugh at him. I let go of him and moved around his body, throwing a towel that was discarded in front of my door. He caught it and I pulled the door shut to leave him to put on clothes. For some reason the only thing on my mind was making grilled cheese, despite everything I had to think about.

Even as I cooked he was attached to my hip and it was quite endearing. As I stood in front of the stove, he rested his head on his shoulder and his hair tickled the bottom of my face. He arms wrapped around my waist, delicately landing on the swing of my hips. I couldn’t help but to giggle at it, but everytime I looked at him his eyes were closed as he hummed a little tune to himself.

The moment the grilled cheese was done and on a plate, he was running across the room to sit at the small table my mom and I had set up in the living room. Now he was playing a little rhythm on the table, his mouth watering as I made my way over. It was pretty funny how quickly he ate the entire things and I wondered just how long he’d been this hungry.

Yoongi grabbed my empty plate and his own. Being the kind gentleman he was, he cleaned them both before jogging back over to me with a blank look on his face. Once I stood up he ran his fingers through my hair and his face changed into a small smile. “Now?” I laughed a little before looking up to him and wiping a crumb from his chin.

“Now I’m kind of sleepy.” I smirked at him and pulled from his grasp. “I’m gonna nap.” I heard a short breath escape his mouth as I left the room but it wasn’t until I was about to shut the door that I heard him jogging in too.

“I’m always down for a nap.” he shut the door and grabbed my hand, falling back onto the bed with me on top of him. I wiggled off of him and instead next to him, facing away. He lifted himself up and placed a kiss on my temple before snuggling in behind me.

Sadly when I woke up it was due to the bright sun shining in my opened window. Normally before I sleep I put the blinds down due to the light that came through. I woke up completely confused and managed to knock Yoongi’s lose arm off of my side where it had been. He was sprawled across the best and I grabbed for my almost dead phone to check the time. It was about 8 am the next day.

The meeting was in 2 hours and I knew I had to get ready now. I didn’t intend to dress up for the event but my anxiety was slowly getting to me. The entire shower I took was filled with thoughts of what could go wrong if I don’t dress nicely instead of like a bum. I rushed out of the shower and ran into my room. I patted myself down and my throwing of the towel in Yoongi’s direction was the thing to finally wake him up. He shook as the moisture hit his face and sat up with a gasp, probably worried I dropped water on his face again.

He got up and stretched, walking past me towards the kitchen. I could hear everything he did in the silent house. I knew my mom was asleep still, she probably got home late, but Yoongi for a quiet guy was being so damn loud. He was opening the fridge and pouring water and then opening every cabinet to find the non existent food.

He came back in a few minutes later with a bowl of cereal and a tired look on his cute little face. “The meetings in an hour and a halfish right? Who’s picking you up? Puke?” I sighed at his comment and nodded yes. “Are you sure I can’t come? I’m good at these business meetings and stuff, babe. I don’t want you to get fucked over.”

“You know I’m not dumb, Yoongs. I’ve been pushing this deal off for so long so if the slightest thing is wrong, you know I won’t do it.” I jumped into my skinny jeans and tightened the cuffs on my shirt. I grabbed my makeup bag next and sat in front of the full body mirror on the floor to get to work.

“You better not blow this away because you’re nervous. Just think of everything you’ve written and poured your soul into. The world deserves to hear it all. I know you never even factored in the idea that this could be a career, but it’s going to be amazing. Slow Burn plays some nice music in various garages, so now it’s time for an upgrade.” Yoongi seemed very smug after his little speech. He always got like this when he knew he did something right and I knew it was the absolute cutest thing. It got a bit annoying when we were in arguments, but right now I appreciate it. Every time he’d show me how much he cared about me made me go crazy, in a good way. I was so in love with him that it made my heart skip a beat during times like these.

As I continued to get ready, he had disappeared from the room. I ended up settling on a black peasant top with lace sleeves and blue jeans so my entire appearance wasn’t as emo as I used to be. Everyone had those phases, okay?

Yoongi came back a few minutes later with breakfast and I was thoroughly confused at how he hadn’t set off the smoke alarm. The damn thing went off anytime there was something on the stove, but he didn’t seem to have the issues I did. Must’ve been magic. I thanked him and he just waved me off. Yoongi placed a kiss on my temple before getting back into my bed and snuggling up with a blanket that was laying in my spot.

With almost comedic timing, a honk woke him from his daze. I waved goodbye and I knew he was already probably back to sleep. After triple checking I had my keys (And looks good, of course) I ran out to Luke’s silver car waiting in the middle of the street.

I jumped into the backseat and pushed Julianna into the middle. Everyone else was already in the car since I lived the farthest away after moving and they all looked tired to say the least. If it wasn’t obvious, none of my friends were exactly morning people. Anthony was completely passed out in the passenger seat and drool was slowly dribbling down his chin. Before it could get any lower I grabbed one of the napkins I’d stored in the back and tucked it into his shirt so he wouldn’t appear messier than he already did.

Luke snickered at me and nodded a hello instead of speaking. Alicia was sitting with her headphones on and Julianna was drifting in and out of sleep as he drove. The music was on low, but I could hear the sounds of The Used in the car. It was one of Luke’s favorite bands and normally the band he listened to when he was nervous.

It hadn’t really occurred to me before that I wasn’t the only one affected with this. Of course I thought about all of them, but I’d been so focused on my nerves and anxiety that thinking about how scared they were was out of it. My friends were risking everything as much as I was and maybe it was time I came to terms with that.

The drive was only a few towns over so we basically had to take the parkway to get to it. Everyone slowly was waking up for the day and one by one I could see their anxieties rising about the situation. Everyone had their own little ways of dealing with it and they were enacting them right now. Julianna was over prepping her looks and such, Luke was lowly singing along to his music, Alicia was just ramblings, and Anthony was attempting to order me around. Typical.

He was going on and on about how I needed to keep a level head during this meeting and not be a fuck up basically. I knew I’d be okay. As much as I bitched and bitched, I acted well under pressure. Being the mom friend tends to give you that talent.

I envied Luke’s perfect parking as we got out of the car. I took a deep breath before walking towards the back of it and calling my friends together around me one last time before this meeting.

“We’re gonna be okay.” Was the only thing I could manage while trying to calm myself down without anyone else realizing I was freaking out. I nodded towards them and led the group into the hotel. Winston was standing in the lobby waiting for us and the man had the biggest smile I’d ever seen on when he spotted us.

“Oh hello!” he cheered, his accent accentuating his o’s. “I can’t believe you all showed up!”

“We said we would, right?” Anthony half questioned me and I just shrugged.

“After my run in with Y/N a bit ago, I wasn’t too sure!” I awkwardly smiled and extended my hand. He shook it hard and internally I sighed. “Alright, well let’s get going! My boss is inside the meeting room via skype waiting for us!”

The way he spoke just made me- cringe. I knew my friends felt it too, but they wouldn’t comment on it. Hopefully fucking Anthony would hold his tongue during this meeting and let me make the deals before he got us kicked out. That was normally what he was good at. Pissing people off.

Winston led us through the hotel and all I could focus on was my friends chatter behind me. They were all whispering around me about hoping I could handle this and such. Instead of flipping out on them, I took the smarter path and completely ignored them. Yep.

The room was vacant of people but set up with three computer screens. Two were lit up with two different men and the other wasn’t on. Maybe he was late or ditched it all together. The feeling in my stomach was telling me I should have done the latter, but I know blowing this chance would be the only thing I’d hear about for months to come.

“Welcome!” the man on the middle screen exclaimed as a Winston directed us each to our seats around the rounded table. “My name is Eddie Evans and I’m the president of the sector of Modest that would love to sign you.” A flutter went through my chest once he spoke the word ‘sign’. “There’s just a few things we have to go over.”

The other man on the screen to Eddie’s left had a nice smile on his face and even through the screen I could feel his friendly aura. “My name is Chris Luna and if you chose to sign, I’ll become your manager. We’ll work out the details of our meeting later on.”

Then we talked. They went over what was expected of us and what we wanted from them. They needed us all to quit our jobs and school as well. We needed to first sign a non disclosure agreement and then contracts that we could be willing to go to London for meetings and possibly to record. A studio would be set up in New York and London for us to practice, write, and record in.

It was all overwhelming, but I knew this would right. I knew this would make me happy.

As the meeting came to a close once all of the contracts were signed, we all got up to leave but Winston asked me to stay behind for a moment. Everyone made jokes as they made their ways out, but I knew something weird was up.

“Take a seat again.” he spoke, shutting the door behind. “I was made aware of your pre-existing contracts with Big Hit Entertainment due to your “relationship” with Min Yoongi.” The moment he put air quotes around the words relationship I wanted to snap. I wanted to freak out right then and there, but I knew I would ruin everything. I just had to take it. “We have a representative with us to just work out a few of those details.”

Then on the third screen that remained dark the entire time was him. Nam Hyungsik was on the screen and I was pissed I couldn’t avoid him for any longer. He was one of the higher ones at Big Hit in the relationships department and was always very wary of me. To put it into better terms, he hated my guts just for making Yoongi happy.

“Hello Ms. Y/L/N. How are you?” The sarcasm in his voice was so annoying. “We just want to make sure that this whole thing with you doesn’t change your contract with us. You still aren’t allowed to speak of the same things and try to avoid speaking of him as much as possible. If he’s asked about by an interviewer, say something nice and change the subject.”

He went on for about ten minutes about my rules and regulations. He basically kept repeating the same things over and over. I kept in my sighs and sour faces, simply nodding along. A part of me felt like crying for some reason and maybe it was just the sensitivity that I possessed. Him shoving this contract in my face felt like another invasion of privacy and it was just hurting for no good reason. I’d get over it. I always did.

The meeting ended with me resigning the contract and storming out of the room. My friends were lounging around all smiley in the lobby and I simply grabbed Luke’s keys from his hands and told them to come on. As much as I enjoyed driving in general, I liked it when I was angry. My mind was removed from whatever was running through it and focused on the road in front of me.

They all paraded me with questions as they made plans for the dinner celebration that night. It was pretty obvious what it was about and when I told them the car was filled with a unanimous sigh.

“They’re such fucking assholes, I don’t get it.” I could see Alicia cross her arms in my rear view mirror and it made me laugh. “Don’t let this get to you, Y/N. We just got a fucking record deal and you’re caught up in this.”

“Yeah, shake it off bro.” Luke added, punching my shoulder. I pulled it in towards myself and made a sour face, to show the bit of pain he just provided me with. “Stop being so sensitive. Mentally and physically.” He was right, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing so.

“You know what?” I reached over and turned down the radio, putting the car in park at the red light. I grabbed Luke’s phone quickly and went into his library, playing our song Tonight and turning it up. “We just signed a fucking record deal!”

Then we all sang along and the only word I could use to describe it was amazing. This what Yoongi would say “daebak” to. Hearing our instruments flood the speakers and us all scream the lyrics we’d repeated for what felt like forever. Now they could be sang by whoever decided to listen and the truth of that made me want to cry. Music was fucking beautiful.

We made plans to all meet up later for dinner at a Hibachi restaurant a few towns over to celebrate. It was gonna be a small thing for us and our closest friends and family as a celebratory thing. I was dropped off first as I lived the farthest and Luke slid into the driver's seat, his long limbs floating over the console. I watched Ant climb over the back. The laziness they all possessed was somewhat alarming and would probably get them hurt one day, but what could I truly do about it? Right.

The front door was unlocked and my mother's car was nowhere to be seen. I slowly opened the door and spoke, “Hello?” only to find Yoongi on my laptop on the couch with the TV on full blast. “What a thing to walk into.” I said in a small tone, fully aware he couldn’t hear me.

“Did ya’ do it?” he called out while muting the TV and stretched his limbs, using his hand to beckon me over. I nodded and a soft smile appeared on his face. He used his other hand that wasn’t extended to pull out a small confetti cannon that I knew I’d be annoyed to clean up late at night after we both forgot about it.

After realized I wasn’t going to walk over to him, he jumped to his feet and ran at me. The moment he jumped onto me for a hug was the moment I thought I was really going to die. It wasn’t as if he was heavy, I was just so weak and we both knew it. It didn’t stop him from pushing me into the wall and keeping me in a tight lock for a good minute.

“I’m so proud of you.” he whispered into my hair, kissing the top of my head. “Ah, my girl did it!” With that he couldn’t contain his excitement and lifted me up, spinning me in a circle. Sadly we were right against the wall and his lack of thinking made me knock over a plant, but he didn’t seem to notice.

He put me on the ground and it always amazed me how he was never out of breath after all that movement. If it was me, I’d probably be dead. I knew I’d have to tell him about Big Hit reaching out for me because he’d eventually be informed of it and it’d start an argument I could avoid. He just- he looked so happy right now and I knew I was about to ruin it.

“There is uh- Something else I need to tell you.” I began to stutter as I got nervous and he easily picked up on it. He furrowed his eyebrows in my direction and made his way back to the couch, sensing this could be important. He turned off the TV as I took a seat as far as I could from him while being on the same couch and swiveled my body forwards instead of towards him. “After the meeting was over I was held back for a moment due to my contract with Big Hit. They kept me for a bit to re discuss and affirm my contract.”

As I spoke I watched his face get progressively more annoyed and it ended with it in his hands. “You- You still there?” I whispered and after another three minutes of silence, he let out a long sigh before jolting onto his feet. He started pacing around the small living room and he pulled out his phone, rapidly typing away. “Yoongi?” I called again.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. I’m just pissed off. That’s all.” he waved me off and went back to aggressively typing away on his phone. I kicked off my shoes and tucked my knees into my chest, sighing along with my new enclosure. I began to rock myself back and forth and take deep breaths to try to cut out the angry noises he was producing in this moment.

If I watched him I knew I’d probably get upset about the situation. It wasn’t too big of a deal, but it was definitely enough to get us both riled up. I could just hear him in the back of my pushed thoughts. He was on the phone now and yelling in Korean so I had no clue what he could possibly be saying. I just knew it was angry. “Hey.” I spoke as he hung up the phone and began dialing a new number. “Please calm down. I- I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

I could feel his eyes glance at me a few times during his next angry phone call, but I continued retreating into myself. I mumbled out a few more apologies and tried to still my breathing. It wasn’t like I was hyperventilating, but I could feel my chest building up to do so. I was crying by this point but it was so muffled I wouldn’t have noticed if I didn’t feel the sensation hitting my knees.

I wasn’t sure how much time was passing. I could just hear Yoongi yelling things I couldn’t understand. I was really only snapped back to reality when I felt his arms reach around me and untangle my limbs from being so close together. He maneuvered me around so that I was in his arms now. My face was in his chest and my arms dangled below my face.

“Ulji mala.” he kept repeating above me, which I could only recognize as “Don’t cry” in Korean. He spoke under his breath as he repeated it and rubbed my back. “Oh, baby, calm down.” he finally spoke in English. “I just overreacted, don’t-” he sighed and gave up on speaking to me.

In the moment I wasn’t too sure as to why I was freaking out the way I did. My emotions had been running so rampant lately and it was starting to piss me off. I never used to let my anxiety control me the way it had been and it seemed when everything was going right, something was still wrong. “Don’t get upset because I was yelling, I know I probably scared you or something.” I looked up at him and it seemed his anger had died down, turning into a pout now. “Smile or somethin’.” he whispered in my direction.

“Is it all okay?” I pondered out loud, making eye contact with him. His facial expression got a bit darker and I was fully aware he was ready to lie to me to make me feel better.

“They won’t let your contract go and I’m afraid that it’ll fuck things up for you now.” He was being blunt in this moment and I thoroughly appreciated it. There was no way I needed sugar coating in this moment.

“So-” I cleared my throat, fearing the words that were going to come out next. We both knew it was coming, but I knew he’d never address it. “Do you want to break up?”

Yoongi was taken back for a moment and squinted his eyes at me. He didn’t create any distance between our bodies and instead kept us close. “Do I what?” he questioned, probably hoping I wasn’t asking what he knew I was. “Is that a fucking joke?”

“I’m just in the way with contracts and-”

“What the fuck do contracts have on us? They have nothing on us.” he scoffed and now broke all physical contact with me to stand up and pace my living room. “You think that’ll fix all our problems? We couldn’t even do another secret relationship, especially now that you’re making music. We’re already fucking trapped, Y/N, you can’t let them get in your pretty little head. Giving in won’t solve our problems.”

“But it-”

“No but. Don’t even try to break up with me again.” He was rude with the way he cut me off and responded, but I knew that I’d truly pissed him off. I’d brought this up in the past before and he’d absolutely lost it. He was mad at me for hours for thinking it and each time I said it, I promised I’d never do it again. Except, then I’d do it again and he’d blow another fuse.

I knew he wasn’t being possesive or anything of that sort with how quickly he shut it down. He just knew I was suggesting it because I was afraid and for all of the wrong reasons. I knew if the situation ever arose where we didn’t want to be together came up, he’d let me go. Probably not without a fight, but he would want what’s best for me.

“I won’t…” I mumbled to him, standing up and grabbing his wrist. He stopped his pacing and turned towards me, his eyes focusing on my own.

“You know-” he grunted, for some reason getting caught up in his own feelings. “I love you so much. Right, Y/N?” I nodded and let go of him. In an instant he pulled me tight into his chest, running his hands through my hair. “Don’t- Don’t break my heart when it doesn’t need to be done.”

On the brighter side of the spectrum, it would probably always be him that was best for me. The amount of love and joy Yoongi fed into my life was insane. The amount that I loved him overwhelmed me every day and the real kicker was that he loved me back. I was just- lost sometimes, but thankfully so was he. For two people that really had their lives together, we were both a fucking mess.

I looked up to him and placed my hands around his neck, tiptoeing so our faces were level. “I never will.” I promised, kissing his lips softly. It was a simply kiss, lingering a little bit. His eyes met mine as soon as they were open and before I could land on the flats of my feet again, he pulled me in for another kiss.

It lingered again and he began to walk towards me, causing me to back up with his movements. He didn’t continue just one kiss and instead Yoongi kept pulling away, but coming back in for another one almost instantly after. The next one he stopped and pulled on my lip for a minute before pulling away. I opened my eyes and looked into his and they’d become hooded and darker.

“We should celebrate, yeah?” his voice was huskier as he backed me into my bedroom. My face was hot and so was- fuck. Fuck. Yoongi was also so fucking hot and fuck. “Right, baby girl? Celebrate? I know you can use your words. Come on~.” he teased me for having no response and kissed a line from my lips to my ear, “Speak to me.”

“Right, daddy.” I whispered to him as he continued to trail kisses down to my neck. He settled on a spot and slowly lowered me back, the level of my bed making it difficult to simply drop me onto it. He was being gentle even though I knew every bone in his body was fighting him on it.

“You’re just so- fuck.” Yoongi took the words straight out of my thoughts as he reached down and pulled my shirt over my head. I repeated the motion with him as he quickly undid my jeans before yanking those off as well. He let me go down on the bed and stood off, stepping out of his own sweatpants. He lowered himself again and hovered above me, his eyes scanning every inch of my being in the moment. He took a long inhale and completed it with the same exhale. “Fuck.” he repeated and leaned down to kiss me again.

This one was more passionate than the last, not breaking for even a moment. Our lips moved in sync as if they were performing like we’d both be soon in the future. Our tongues danced together, both fighting for dominance before his finally won. He moved from my lips down my chest, landing at my clothed breasts. He kissed around the lacey black material before snaking his hands around my back and undoing it. He slid the straps down my arms before removing it all together.

“So beautiful.” he whispered as his hand cupped around my breasts. He kissed down my stomach and stopped above the matching black panties I had on. His darkened eyes met with my half lidded ones and he just chuckled to himself. “You want it, baby?” I nodded and he wasn’t having any of that. “Just use your words and I can give you the world. You’re such a mess and I’ve barely touched you.”

“Y-Yes.” I stuttered, overwhelmed from the confidence that always wreaked from him during sex. He simply smirked and bit the top pulling my panties all the way around my ankles. He yanked them off completely and tossed them behind him, landing somewhere in the closet.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good, baby.” he muttered to me, as his hands grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to him. Before I could ask him to, his tongue met my entrance and began to explore each and every crevice of my being. Every movement was so precise as I got closer and closer to my breaking point.

“Yoongi- fuck-” I moaned. I could feel his lips regain his smirk as he became quicker with his actions. He brought his digits towards my entrance, two of them easily slipping inside. He curled them, easily making my body twist in pleasure. My eyes faded shut but I could feel his gaze on me. All at once he stopped and I knew he wanted my eyes to meet his. I succeeded to his will and he began to move his fingers again, even adding a third.

He could feel my getting close and pulled his fingers out, licking a line up my slit. “Fuck, you taste so good, Y/N.” he breathed hot air onto me and he licked his lips, chuckling again after. He sucked on his fingers for a moment, making sure to keep eye contact with me while doing so. He stood up from the bed for a moment and stretched, taking off his boxers right after.

“Are you ready?” he asked me, full well knowing the answer. I nodded, letting out a huff of air and he hovered me again, lining his cock with my entrance. He pushed into me all at once, causing a chill to be sent through my body. He paused for a moment, watching my face for my reaction. “You’re so cute…”

“Stop-” I began to say before I was interrupted by him moving. He moved at a fast pace, but seemed to be enjoying every moment of it. My mind felt like it was moving as fast as he was and I couldn’t help but to realize how lucky I was. Before I could even dwell on it for another second, I felt myself close and began to clench. The way he bit his lip made me knew he wanted to tease me, but the nod he gave me let me know it was okay.

He slowed down as I came, completely stopping at one point to catch his breath along with me. He leaned up and kissed my forehead before starting to fuck me again. This time it was more sensual as he fucked me until he hit his high. Without any words he came inside of me, his rested body pressed against mine but his flat palms keeping his weight from collapsing onto me.

He pulled out and I felt his cum dribble out of me, neither of us bothering to fix the mess it was about to cause. He rolled over me and onto my left side, pulling my body into his before pulling a sheet on top of us. “I love you.” he whispered against my hair, kissing at it after he spoke.

“I love you too.” I quickly responded, closing my eyes.

As complicated as our lives were, everything just seemed so simple when it came to Min Yoongi.

Author’s Note: Ah, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! I missed updating this haha

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