#he then proceeded to chew them out for not paying attention enough to catch the ball in time

[mobonmain]

Dad Reigen Week 2019 Day 3: Sports/Lessons

"Do we have to wear these ugly matching shirts?"

"The printing place was having a sale, just- just put it on."

[fruitoftheweek]

Little Cherry Book:

Chapter 5: Matching Memories

Chapter 1 Here / Chapter 2 Here / Chapter 3 Here / Chapter 4

Hey guys! Again sorry for the wait! Both my computer and my work schedule have been ass and every time I thought I was going to have free time, I absolutely did not. I was really looking forward to writing this chapter after all the appreciation I got from the last chapter and I am so excited to enduldge you with this 7,356 word chapter. I am also working on a fluffier oneshot that should come out in the next couple days which I am so excited to write! I hope you guys really like this chapter! Love you guys and thank you for 120 Followers!

Pairing: Spencer Reid X reader

Chapter Plot: After the previous nights' escapades, you and Spencer decide to talk about boundaries as your team questions your budding relationship

Series TW: 18+, smut, degradation, piercing, choking, knife play, mommy/daddy kinks, spanking, exhibitionism, Will update as time goes on

Chapter TW: smut, mommy kink, having body piercings, choking, slapping, Oral Sex (male and female receiving), Handjob, fingering, pleading, spanking, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, aftercare, language, non-intentional self-harm (hard to explain), PDA, degradation, smut smut smut.

Word Count: 7,356

Spencer loved to match everything but his socks. You found that out the morning after your late-night escapades. You weren't sure if your alarm hadn't gone off or if you two had just slept through it but you two were running late and the plane was leaving in 40 minutes with a 30-minute drive to the airport. The actual thing that had woken you up was Morgan banging on the door, notifying you that he had dropped off Spencers go-bag.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" he shouted as he bumped his elbow on the table, hurriedly trying to get his socks on. You peeked around the door frame of the bathroom, checking on him to make sure he was ok as you shoved your toiletries into your bag. You watched, curiously as he stopped what he was doing and purposefully banged his other elbow on the same table. You made a mental note to ask him about it later, but right now, you had to go.

Along the way, you had noticed small habits that Spencer had to keep himself "matching." Once you saw it once, you couldn't help noticing it. How he brushed his teeth the same number of times on each side of his mouth. How he had to eat at least two peanuts at a time so that he could match the chewing on either side of his mouth. These were all harmless, but you worried when he bumped his right temple on the window of the cab as it went over a pothole, and you watched as he proceeded to turn his head and bump the other side. Most of the morning had been held in comfortable silence as you reveled in the afterglow of the previous night. So when you silently reached up to his head and brought it down to your shoulder, Spencer didn't mind. You made sure to gently rub his temple to apply even pressure to make sure his sides matched, a caring gesture that did not go unnoticed.

Luckily you two had made it to the jet on time, only catching a couple of questioning glances from Morgan and Elle as you rushed on, red-faced. You hurriedly sat next to each other as the plane took off, Spencer shoving both of your go-bags in the upper compartment as you held his book. He had brought Graziella, and had already read it 4 times; you, unfortunately, had brought nothing as it was your first trial case. He sat down, and you handed him his book, his fingers tentatively brushed yours in a silent question. Neither of you had fully discussed your relationship this morning in the rush and you could tell he was nervous to talk to you about it. As he pulled away, you captured his wrist before he could go too far, gently drawing a small heart into the inside of his wrist with your finger as you looked up into his eyes. He smiled slightly, understanding that you would talk about it when you had reached home.

This small gesture hadn't gone unnoticed as Morgan watched you from the other side of the jet. He stocked his way up to you with a shark grin on his lips as he smelled blood in the water. "So, You two woke up late huh? How come you never made it back to our room last night, pretty boy?" He mused, enjoying the light pink tinge resting on Spencer's cheeks. "You were the one who took both of our room keys and wouldn't let me in! And- and she was nice enough to let me sleep in her room even though it was a one-person room." He retorted, knowing Morgan's implications. "Woah, chill, Reid. I was just asking some questions." Morgan replied, feigning innocence. "Yeah, I took Reid's virginity last night. How could you tell?" You stated matter of factly, earning a shocked squeak from Reid, and spluttered out laughter from Morgan. "That's what you want to hear right? C'mon Spencer, he’s just giving us a hard time because he wasn't invited to our movie marathon last night." You lied, shooting a joking wink to Spencer, hoping he would get the drift and go along with the story. "Hey, we didn't- yEAh he wouldn't get the nuance of 'Une Femme est Une Femme' and the directorial skills of Jean-Luc Godard." He said, catching on when you pinched the soft spot under his ribs. Morgan just rolled his eyes, frustrated at not getting what he wanted before sulking back to his seat.

You smiled up at Spencer before saying, "Good boy," just loud enough for only the two of you to hear. It was the first time you had alluded to your escapades that yestereve and you both felt a breath of fresh air as the slight tension was lifted off of your backs. Spencer was flustered in multiple ways; he loved the way you praised him, and he now believed you felt regrets about your exchange.

He felt electricity crackling in every gentle secret touch of yours that he had the luxury of experiencing that day; all he could think about was how you had touched him and how your skin felt on his. You had him wrapped all-around your finger, and he couldn't be happier. All he wanted to do was service you and please you, even in non-sexual ways, which he was happy to indulge in as he watched you staring out the window. Your fingers were discreetly tracing small drawings on his knee cap as you watched the clouds pass by. The motion caused him a great distraction from his book, and all he could do was watch your finger. Even though you weren't paying any attention to the motion of your fingers, Spencer could still envision the lines you created carving into his skin. Sometimes a little face, sometimes an abstract geometric rhombus, and his favorite, a heart with puffy humps and a pointy end. Every time you drew it, he became hyper-aware of the gentle flush coloring your cheeks as you looked out the window, sending him a secret message.

He quietly cleared his throat, as to not disturb the others; most of which had chosen to indulge in a little extra sleep to make up for their early morning. It had broken you from your entranced gaze out the window and you looked over at him smiling. "D-Did you bring anything to do on the plane?" Spencer asked as you continued your drawings on his leg. "Surprisingly, that was the one thing I forgot. I was so worried about making sure I was well briefed on the case that I forgot all about the flight." You said, smiling sleepily. He couldn't help but think about how beautiful you were at that moment. The gentle sunrise behind you in the window illuminated the apples of your cheeks and the highlights in your hair, which was still messy from sleeping so soon after your shower. Your eyes were puffy except for the sockets, which were slightly sunken in from lack of sleep, and you were fresh-faced, small blemishes now in the open, but all Spencer could think was that you reminded him of the fresh air of spring in the morning after a storm. He shook himself from his trance as you began to turn back towards the window. "You know, if you would like, I can read to you." He said shyly. "I know you read faster in your head, don't feel like you have to read to me because I was silly and forgot to bring a book." You said, smiling at his gesture. "N-No, I want to read to you. My mom always used to read out loud to me when I was little when she would wake up early." He said, adding waveringly, "And... and I would like to read to you, not because you didn't bring anything, but because I think you would like this book." You smiled up at him, lifting the fingers you had been swirling on his leg to your lips before gently kissing them, pressing them to his cheekbone, and returning them to their reserved spot on his leg. He took that as a green light to read aloud.

You watched as he closed the page he had been reading to flip to the beginning. You knew he remembered what page he was on but his choice to start you from the beginning melted your heart. He really wanted you to appreciate this story so you were going to give 110% of your attention to the words flowing out of his mouth.

"Ok, this book is Graziella by Alphonse de Lamartine. I arrived at Naples on the first of April. A few days later, I was joined by a young man of about my own age, to whom I had attached myself at college with the friendship of a brother." He began as you listened intently, enjoying the gentle atmosphere created by the soft hum of the jet and snores of your colleagues. Spencer continued reading aloud to you on autopilot as he focused on the drawings of your fingers, now all turned to hearts.

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The problem with taking a morning jet home was that you would have to go straight to the office to finish your paperwork before finally being able to rest in your own bed. You all trudged out of the car and into the office in varying states of awakeness, dreading the hours of work to come.

"Welcome back, you guys!" Garcia said, miscalculating the tone in the room, earning her a couple nods and grunts in response.

"Hey, I'm going to my friend's apartment tonight, and she lives by you. Since you take the train home and I'm going that way, do you want a ride?" You said to Spencer, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible. For a Genius and a Profiler, he sure was bad at picking up clues and hints. You weren't really going to see your friend, you just wanted some alone time with him to straighten things out, but he obviously didn't understand. "I mean if it's on the way, that would be nice. Thank you Y/L- Agent Y/L/N." He said, nearly forgetting to call you Agent in front of the others. You smiled and headed back to your seat begrudgingly, seeing the mountains of paperwork.

It was kind of sweet how oblivious he was. You were trying to be discreet at work, and you could tell he was trying too. Keyword: trying, as he was failing miserably. You could tell he was trying to be sneaky, but there was nothing sneaky about him following you to the coffee machine every time you needed a refill. He told you it was because he wanted to match and you couldn't help but indulge him. He wanted to match coffee, unfortunately finding out that you did not, in fact, like as much sugar in your coffee as him. You settled for a little bit too sweet and him not enough for the sake of matching. He came to your desk, trying to trick you by asking to borrow a pen, even though you could see his usual green pen in his shirtfront pocket. He was just so cute and just so obvious so you caved, but it was only because you wanted to see the beam on his face knowing there was yet another way you two could match. His boldest move yet was to match sweaters. If you had yours on, he had his on; when you took yours off, he would follow suit. Even though it was very cute, he was being far too bold so after a while, you decided to just keep it on.

Finally, after hours of handwriting reports and witness statements, your cramped hand said a thank you as you signed off your last sheet. You stretched languidly, looking over to Spencer's desk. He had been done for a while but was pretending to be busy so he could wait for you without subliminally pressuring you to hurry. You pulled your go bag and satchel together, getting ready to leave as you watched Spencer hold his bag, waiting for you to make the first move. You clicked your tongue at him as if you were calling a cat, "Let's get going, I don't want to be late to see my friend!" You called over to him as he shot up, padding quickly to catch up to you. "Goodnight guys! Sleep well!" You called to Morgan, Elle, and Garcia, the only ones left in the bullpen. "Ok, now something definitely has to be going on," Elle said as they watched you two leave, Spencer tripping over himself as he got in the elevator behind you.

You two shoved your bags in the back seat and got in the car. As you turned the car, your music started blaring out of the speakers. "Woah! Sorry! I like to drive with the windows down so my music is usually pretty loud." You said as you slammed on the pause button. Spencer was startled but he didn’t mind as he'd just learned new things about you. 1. You like loud music 2. You like the windows down when you drive. 3. You have great taste in music. "That's ok. Just make sure you turn down the volume sometimes, 17% of adults aged 20–69 years have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from noise-induced hearing loss. And that was... certainly loud enough to cause some noise-induced loss. Make sure to take care of yourself." He said and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. His naive sweetness and caring nature had been gnawing at you all day. All you had wanted to do while you were trying to focus on work was kiss him.

You leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Even though you came in slow, you surprised him. Here you were in the Quantico parking lot, boldly kissing him when any of your coworkers could have seen. "Why-why did you do that?" he asked as you pulled away. "I can't?" you asked, pouting slightly, teasing him. "N-No, You can you can, we're just so out in the open, and we haven't talked about anything, so I didn't know how you felt, and you were ignoring me all day." He rushed out as you let out a little laugh at him. "Let's drive, cutie." You said, turning your music back on, this time to a lower volume, as you pulled out of the parking lot and down the street. "First of all sweetness, I wasn't ignoring you all day, I didn't want Morgan to tease you again. You were busy with paperwork and I knew you didn't need him being an asshole to you to make it worse. Second, did you see all the paperwork they had left? There was no way any of them would have been out in the parking lot yet." You said as you smoothly merged onto the highway towards your house.

You were wondering when he was going to notice that he was going in the opposite direction of his house but he was too wrapped up in his thoughts. You glanced over at him before returning your eyes to the road. You cursed yourself for not having an eidetic memory because you would have kept a snapshot of him like that in your mind forever. His hair, once slicked back, now slightly disheveled from running his hands through it as he did his paperwork and the wind from your open windows. The cool summer wind that rosied his cheeks and the tip of his nose as he gazed out the streetlights overhead. Blue, red, green, purple yellow, white; the blinking lights of the city married the sunset hues that danced across his face. Illuminating his beautifully arched nose and his prominent cheekbones, it felt as if the sun was setting just for him and the city was awakening his beauty.

You smiled to yourself as you switched the cd in the cd player for one of your classics. "Hey! You listen to these guys?! You know I was going to see them last year but then we had this case out of town and I had to miss it. That was when they were still playing at that bar by the Speedway that burnt down." Spencer said excitedly. "Really!? You like them too? I haven't seen them yet but I've been listening to them since college. I never had that much money to be spending on tickets for shows beyond small house shows. I can't believe you like them, I always thought you were more of a Debussy or Chopin person." You replied, excited to have something to share. "Yeah I mean I like pretty much every genre but I've been really into their old stuff lately and, surprisingly, also french 70s music." He said matter-of-factly.

Contrarily, he was fibbing. He knew exactly why he had been listening to it. The previous night he had dreamed of the two of you off the shore, in the south of France in spring, reading books across from each other, legs tangled together, on a chez lounge. Jacqueline Taieb played on the radio as you pulled him up to dance. He removed the thoughts from his mind as he realized his predicament. He didn't know if he was allowed to think about you like that. You had been so sweet and caring towards him last night, and you kissed him so sweetly, but he was still unsure of where you stood. He was still lost in thought as you pulled up to your apartment and parked.

"Hey, this isn't my apartment. Is this your friend's place?" He asked, surprised. "No, Sweetheart. I didn't want Morgan to bother us as we were leaving so I made up some excuse. And this is my apartment. If you want to talk about what happened last night, you can come in. Well, I guess you can come in if you don't want to either, but that's beside the point. If you don't want to talk about it or if you just want me to take you home, I can do that right now. It's up to you baby." You said, gently taking his hand in yours. "I-I want to talk about it." He said shyly. "Alright then, my partner in crime. I will welcome you into my abode. We can order some dinner and talk about it. I'm thinking curry, what about you?" you said.

You could sense his nervousness and tried to lighten the mood even though deep down you were pissing yourself. You had never really done this either. You had a couple of one-night stands and short-term relationships, but nothing that lasted that long, and something in you wanted this time to be different. The young doctor was so endearing, and he was the first person who seemed to be interested in making you happy in the relationship, unlike most of your past suitors. You were terrified that you would push him too far or something would change, and that's why it was so important you had a talk and had trust and communication. You held his hand all the way up the stairs and to your apartment, not letting go when you went to open your door. You told yourself it was to make him feel better but you knew it was because you needed to do something with your hands to get them to stop shaking.

"Sorry, it's not the cleanest space ever. I wasn't expecting guests" you said as you began to tidy up random things around the room, mostly mason jars full of water or a stray empty mug. Spencer took note of his surroundings, drinking everything in. He couldn’t remember what he assumed your apartment would look like because as soon as he entered, he couldn't imagine you living anywhere else. It was all the parts of you that he knew and all of the parts he had yet to learn. He knew that you loved reading, so the bookshelves made sense. He knew that you loved music, so the cd player with piles of CDs next to it made sense. He knew you loved movies, so the VHS player and tv with a built-in DVD player and even more stacks of media made sense. But his favorite part was the giant easel positioned by the window with a large canvas on it. "Wow, Y/N! You paint?" he asked as you continued to clean up. "Oh, don't mind that! Sorry I didn't have time to put it away before we left! I'll get it out of your way!" You said, already carrying a basket full of god knows what in your arms. "No, No! Please leave it out. It's beautiful." He said, looking at your brush strokes. "Suit yourself. Let me know if it gets in your way," you said, finishing your cleaning by fluffing the pillows on your couch.

You finished bustling around your apartment and sat down on your couch across from the TV. He slowly made his way over to you, sitting at the opposite end from you, still unsure of your boundaries. You could spot his nerves from a mile away, so you swung your legs up onto the couch and poked him in his side with your feet. "Why are you sitting so far away, Sweety," you said as he looked over at you. You looked just as you did in his dream, soft and comfy in slouchy clothes. He hadn't noticed that you had changed into some comfy pajama pants and a loose pajama top, and now he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that you changed at some point when he was in the room. He knew it was silly. He had already seen you naked, but it all felt like a dream." I'll call and order, and you think about what you want to eat and what you want from me for a bit, ok? I know this great place a couple blocks from here." You said as you pulled out your landline, and dialed the number that you had scrawled on a notepad on your coffee table.

Then, Spencer saw the notepads, notebooks, sticky notes, and other odds and ends that you had all over the house. One on the fridge, one by the easel, one on the tv stand, two on the coffee table. They were all decorated differently for each task, of which he could see two, one titled 'Yummy restaurants' and the other titled 'movies to watch.' He tried to stop his distracting thoughts of how comfortably he fit in your space and how every item embodied you perfectly, all in different ways. When he was finally able to focus, he felt you start absentmindedly kneading your feet on his thigh that was closest to you. He could barely look over at you, finding you unbelievably erotic. He sucked in a breath as your pajama shirt was only buttoned up so much, enticingly drawing his eyes to the swell of your breast that he could see above the collar of your shirt.

You hooked your foot up under his thighs and brought his legs up onto the couch as you continued to order. You tangled your legs together, lifting your right foot to his chest, gently tapping out a rhythm absentmindedly as you talked. You broke through Spencer's entrancement, asking "What do you want to eat?" "Um... Whatever you're getting." He responded, as he still hadn't even begun to look at the menu. "Yeah! Then for the second order, can I get the same thing but make it mild." You said, poking your tongue out at him teasingly before finishing your order.

You two walked to pick up your food, talking about nothing in particular. You didn't want to talk about the elephant in the room until you got back, so you filled the space with meaningless conversation that instantly stopped as you entered the house. It was silent as you got forks ready, spying Spencer sitting rigidly straight on the couch, waiting for you.

"You know, you were so bold in the office today that I didn't expect you to be this shy when we got here. We don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to, sweet-" "I do, I really do." He said, cutting you off. "Ok! That's great. Well, I'm going to start off by saying that any relationship like this, whatever you want that to be, depends on strong trust and communication. That goes beyond the bedroom. Being on the team I trust you with my life. I know I'm new so I understand if you don't trust me yet but I just wanted to set that baseline with you. I'm going to be 1000% truthful with you and I'm going to start by saying this. I don't regret anything that we did last night. I loved what we did last night and I really like doing this with you. I want to explore with you if you would be so gracious as to let me. I find you very interesting, and I would like to be friends or more depending on what you want as we continue our rendezvous." You said as you grasped his hands, willing him to look into your eyes. He let out a sigh of relief. "I really liked what we did yesterday too. I was kind of worried that you regretted it or something. I'm really really new to everything, but I feel comfortable exploring if it's you. You made me feel really safe last night and I appreciate that a lot. I find you really beautiful and sexy and intriguing and I would like to be friends and maybe more with you now. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this... but I want to." He said, gaining some confidence. "You are allowed to say whatever you want, baby. That's why we have open communication. Everything is to make sure you are feeling as good and safe as possible," you said, rubbing his hand. " You should feel safe and good too. I know you are more experienced than me, but you deserve to be safe too." He said gently before continuing. "I was wondering if... if I could request that this be monogamous. I get really upset thinking about you with someone else." He said, and you could feel the shaking in his hands as he anticipated your reply. "Of course, sweetheart. I was hoping you would ask. Maybe I'm a little selfish, but I don't like to share my things. They're mine for a reason." You said before planting a gentle kiss on his cheek, earning a smile from him. "But I think, for now, I would like to be friends and see how it goes from there while we... explore," Spencer said. You nod and smile in agreement.

"Alright, so Spencer, tell me what you're interested in, sexually. What do you think about when you jerk off? What did you think about when you read my book?" You asked nonchalantly, as you picked up your curry and rice, taking a bite as if you'd just asked him about the weather. "w-well, I think about a lot of things." He sputtered out. "Just give me a little list I can work off." You said in between bites. "Um, I like seeing you naked. I like it when we match because it feels like we have a deep connection. I like h-how you touched me yesterday. I want you to touch me more." He said shyly, hiding his face behind his cup of water. "And the other two questions?" You prodded, watching as the bulge grew in his pants. "Um, what do I think of when I jerk off? Oh my god, I can't believe I'm saying this," He blushed before continuing. "I think about how it would feel to have your mouth wrapped around my cock. I think about you calling me a naughty boy. I think about you praising me. I think about your book and how there's so much more that I have to read. I think about you not wearing panties at work. And I think even more about pulling you into the storage closet, lifting up your skirt, and fucking you while everyone is working. I think about your piercings, and I think about your piercing chapter."

"What did you think of that chapter by the way? You ran off to the bathroom pretty quick. What were you thinking of doing to me, naughty boy?" you said, setting your food down on the table, leaning towards him, hands planted on his thighs. "Tell the truth, I can sniff out a liar from a mile away," You said, squeezing into his thighs. He bucked up towards you, searching for friction in any way he could." f-fuck. I read the chapter when I was touching myself. I thought about how you had pointed at my boner, and I thought about how I wanted you to make fun of me, and smack me, and punish me for being naughty." he said hurriedly, hoping his answer would satiate you. "Nuh-uh! Come on, tell me the whole truth," you said and smacked his thigh. He yelped as your hand came down, leaving him with a dull sting. "Ok! But it's embarrassing so don't laugh... I thought about you cockwarming me while I pierced your tongue, and how you would drool, and how you would squeeze around me. I thought about how I wanted to mark you and make you mine." He said, covering his eyes, hiding from his shame and how it made his cock stir in his pants. "You naughty, naughty boy, Spencer Reid. I thought you were innocent but here you are with your hand on your cock, at work, thinking about my pussy and my tongue and my spit, and it made you cum. What a rascal!" you said, watching for a reaction in his pants.

You pried his arm from his eyes, so he was forced to look at your smirk. His face and neck were a deep pink, and his lips were as pillowy and soft as a rose petal from biting his them. You couldn't help yourself as you pounced on him. You knew this was supposed to be just a talk about boundaries, but there was an undeniable electricity in the air that had been lingering from the moment you had woken up. He looked so fucked out, even though you hadn’t touched him yet and part of you wanted to absolutely ruin him that night. "Remember your colors, baby. What are you feeling?" You said, now perched in his lap. "Green, green. P-Please touch me." As he said it, you ground down on him. While you were in your comfortable clothes, he was still in his tight corduroys and button-down, sweater long gone somewhere else in the apartment. "Have you ever heard of something called edging?" You asked, and he nodded excitedly. "What about overstimulation?" You said, and he nodded quickly again. "What do you think about them?" He nodded, and you smacked him, not as hard as you would usually go, but enough to leave a sting. "Use your words, naughty boy." You said, capturing his jaw and tilting his face up to meet yours. "Yes, please. I'm so green. I have been wanting you to do this, please." He shot out through squished cheeks, looking at you with the most hungry eyes you have ever seen. His warm hazel eyes, now shiny and black with desire.

You got up off of him, and he whined, missing the warmth of your body on his. You grabbed him by the back of his neck like he was a naughty kitten, and pulled him down the hall and into your bedroom. Before he could take in your room, you pushed him back on the bed. "Strip." You commanded, and your scent overwhelmed him. Your daily aroma that intoxicated him was ten times weaker than the pure pheromones that blanketed your room. Spencer mused that your room must have been built to have sex in. Your bedside tables were adorned with candles, incense, your daily jewelry, and a pair of your panties. You had a red canopy on your four-poster bed that draped your room in a soft red glow.

Your figure was obscured by the canopy as you moved some items around your room. Spencer was lost in your scent, the idea of finally being in your room, and possibly a little lost staring at the panties on your table, making him move too slow for your liking. You parted the fabric and crawled up the bed to him. "Spencer Walter Reid, if you don't strip now, you're going to get a spanking. You have been such a naughty boy today. I thought you were going to be a good boy for mommy but I guess you want to get punished." You said as you slinked back off the bed. "I'm going to count down from 10 and if you aren't naked by the time I reach 0, you are getting spanked. Understood?" You said, and he squeaked out and "Understood!" "10... " Who knew it took so long to unbutton a dress shirt? "9... " Now, his hands were stuck in his sleeves. "8..." Shirt off. "7..." Is his belt broken, or is he shaking too much? "6..." Belt undone but not off. "5..." Pants, ok. "4..." Fuck, his shoes are stuck on. "3... 2... 1... 0. STOP NOW"

You parted the curtain, smirking down at him. "I think I said naked, not underwear on." You said, looking down at him. "You didn't give me enough time!" He whined but you were already flipping him onto your lap with his ass perched in the air. "Color?" You asked, earning his eager response of "Green, so green." You pulled his underwear off and hung it on the corner of your side table, right next to your own panties. The sight was oddly domestic, making him even harder as he tried to rut into your leg. Your hand came down hard on his ass and he bucked into you moaning in shock. "You naughty boy, pathetically rubbing on me. Does my thigh feel good baby?" you asked, and he nodded. Your hand came down hard on his other cheek "How many times do I have to tell you? Use. Your. Words." Punctuating your last three words with three more smacks to his ass, gently rubbing the red skin as he cried out. "Yes, mommy! Your thigh feels so good! Thank you so much!" he said as he ground himself down on you pitifully. "Why is mommy punishing you, sweetheart?" you said, sweetening your tone. " Because I didn't get dressed?" He asked. "Hm, if you were really sorry, you would know what you were sorry for. What are you being punished for? One more chance." You said, smoothing over the plains of his ass. "For being a naughty boy who doesn't listen and rubs his cock on mommy too much." He said. "So close, baby!" You said as you brought down one last smack to his ass as his cock leaked precum all over your legs. "You were getting punished because you don't listen and because you were being really naughty at work, sweetheart. But you took punishment so well, so you deserve a treat." You said as you flipped him over, making sure he was laying in a comfortable place on the bed.

"C-can we match?" He said, pulling on your sweater. You smiled down at him sweetly as you stripped, taking your time to let him gaze over the planes of your body. When you returned, you sat high up on his stomach, making sure he couldn't get any friction against you as you kissed him softly. He was still a little clunky when it came to kissing but when you took it slow, it helped him warm up to your motions until you two were completely in sync.

"Alright, so I'm going to do some new things. Let me know at any time if you aren't comfortable or you want me to stop." You said, and you turned so you were sitting on his chest, looking down at his cock, as he got a wonderful view of your ass and the dimples in your back as your muscles flexed. You collected some spit in your mouth and let it drip down slowly onto the head of his already overly excited cock. He hissed as your finger swirled in the spit that pooled at the base of his cock as you wet your hand before grasping his length. Even though he had felt this exact same thing yesterday, he could never get over the sensation of your hand squeezing around him, circling his cock, and playing with the tip with your thumb. You spit into your other hand and wrapped both hands around his length, working them up and down his shaft, gently twisting and squeezing. The best part was that he couldn’t see anything you were doing. It was like he was blindfolded, stomach muscles tensing in anticipation of your touch.

"Fuck baby I'm close." And that was when you stopped. right as he was about to cum, you squeezed down hard at the base of his cock. "You don't cum until I do." You said, scooting your core back so that it was a couple tantalizing inches away from his face. "Really? You'll let me eat you out? For real?" He asked, mind blown at the idea of eating you out. "I was hoping you would." You replied, waiting for him to make a decision. He hooked your arms around your thighs and pulled you into him so hard, you were worried he broke his nose at first. 'I need a man who eats pussy like it's the only way to quench his thirst' rung out in his head. That's what you had written in your journal titled "Male needs" and he wanted to be a Male that you needed, so that's what he did. He flattened his tongue as he licked a long stripe up your folds, and back down to your clit, latching on hungrily, alternating between sucking hard and twirling his tongue on it. "H-Holy shit Spencer." You moaned, and you knew you wouldn't last long. Even though you wouldn’t admit it, you were soaking wet just from teasing and punishing him. That, coupled with how sweet his tongue was on your core, and you were done for. You certainly had never had a man eat you out like this, much less a virgin. "Shit baby, you're so good? How did you get so good?" You asked incredulously, as he reached his hand back around and inserted a finger between your folds, giving his mouth a short break. "I read the literature and from what I saw, the g spot should be about here." He said before curling his fingers inside of you, brushing against the sensitive bundle of nerves, causing you to moan deeply. His smirking mouth found its way back to your clit as he added another finger, working your g spot with feverish strokes.

"Fuck, baby! I'm cumming!" You shouted and right as you were reaching your peak, he stopped everything. "What the fuck are you doing!?" You yelped at him, your mounting peak now decrescendoing before ever hitting the climax. "I thought we were matching. You're edging me, I'm edging you." He said innocently, but you could hear his smirk tinging his words. "You just want to be punished huh?" You said and squeezed down on his base as you kissed the tip of his cock. "Naughty boys don't get proper head. When you make me cum, then I'll actually suck your cock. Got it?" You asked as he bucked his hips"Yes." He replied fervently.

This was his first-ever experience getting head, so of course, you were going to give him a good time. He would just have to wait. You held down at the base of his aching cock as you lazily sucked and licked the head. Not even close to the usual effort you would put in, but it was enough to make his legs shake and finger you faster. His mouth was too busy panting and whining to eat you out but you were fine with that because the way he was curling his fingers was creating a knot in your stomach and you could feel your impending release. "Fuck baby I'm cumming. Let me cum this time." You said and he reattached his mouth to your clit, sucking hard as he used all of his willpower to keep himself from cumming. And just like that, you're cumming all down his face and fingers as you shake but he keeps going, this time with more enthusiasm, riding you through your orgasm and overstimulating you. You eagerly take him into your mouth all the way, sucking hard, lathering his length with your spit, and in two seconds he is cumming hard down your throat. "Mommy I'm cumming" He said a little too late as you had already swallowed around him.

You were both so caught in the afterglow that you just kept going. Aftershock spurts of cum kept shooting down your throat but you kept sucking. You wanted him needy and wrecked under you. "Oh my god! ah! AH!" He said, shaking as you keep sucking him down. He keeps finger fucking you as if he is possessed. You are both riding your highs and are so overstimulated that in no more than a minute you are both cumming all over again as sobs wrack your bodies.

You flop down next to Spencer and kiss his cheek tentatively, knowing most men don't kiss after head. Spencer leans up, kissing you passionately, tangling his tongue in yours, tasting your release on each other's tongues. "Flip over baby," You said as he rolled over. You pulled out your lotion from your bedside table, gently warming up a small amount in your hands before spreading it on his butt. "I don't know about you, but I'm way too tired to take a shower tonight. I'm just going to put our leftovers in the fridge and brush my teeth. I have some spare toothbrushes if you would like to borrow one, and some pajamas." You said to a very sleepy Spencer. He didn’t even say anything, he just grumbled and got up, leaning on you.

He helped you clean up, both still naked, enjoying the domesticity of just walking around completely vulnerable together. You needed to brush his teeth for him as he sat on the toilet lid and you couldn’t help but think he looked like a little baby, barely clinging to the little energy it had before a nap. You got him up and back in bed, looking down at his naked form, now noticing the gentle matching bruises on either side of his body. “I know you like to match but take care of yourself. Don’t bang yourself up so much. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” You said as you picked his clothes off of the floor. You reached down for your pajamas but before you could get them back on or pull him into his, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you down on top of him."I’ll try to stop. Only for you, and only because you asked so nicely. Right now, I’m too sleepy, let's sleep naked. Night night." He mumbled into the crook of your neck. Warmth enveloped your body at his words, “only for you.” Somehow that was all it took to finally give in to sleep's welcoming grasp, reveling in the warmth shared between your skin.

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Chapter 1 Here / Chapter 2 Here / Chapter 3 Here / Chapter 4

And there we go, that's chapter five! Make sure to give me any comments, criticisms, or ways to better the plot. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I tried to balance out the sweet and spicy aspects of this one. I hope you guys have a great night!

Tag List: @spencer-reids-slut @ya-triedit @reidstoychest @flipperpenguins @thatsonezesty13 @jbbarnes-loki @big-galaxy-chaos @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange @spencersmagic @uhuhuh @living-for-romance @aharvey979 @xoxo-jnh-xoxo @marrymespencerrei @crypticcorvidinacottage , @ladydragoneye , @stjoaninthewildwest

[whitexwingedxdoves]

Foxtails and Rabbit trails | Part 2

A/N: This is part 2 to my collab with @starlessea​ i’ve had such a fun time working on this with Yaz and I hope you all love it as much as we do   🐰 Read Part One Here  Summary:  Daryl Dixon was a good hunter, but there were still some things that he struggled to find. Such as the patience to deal with you. You wore a rabbit’s foot keyring, but Daryl thought you were the furthest thing from lucky. After all, you ended up stuck with him, too.

-  Lying back on the grass, staring up at the cloudless sky, you thought that the world had never looked so pretty. 

The foxtails tickled your cheeks, and you could feel the fresh dew on the leaves as they gathered up beneath your fingers. You tried to focus on their texture, and how you could hear them crunch brittley before they scattered to the ground like autumn confetti.  

You really did try to focus on the good.

But the pain was blinding. 

“Hol’ still, ‘m gonna get ya outta there,” Daryl whispered, but you picked up on the way his voice stuttered over the words.

He got to work on disabling the trap, every little movement translating into a jolt of searing pain which made you cry out for him to stop. Though, the look in his eyes was no better. Even through your tears, you could understand that this was hurting him just as much as it hurt you - maybe even more.

If only you hadn’t been so fucking careless.

You reached out your hand for your satchel, fumbling in the grass until your fingertips brushed up against the soft fur of your rabbit’s foot. It was supposed to be lucky.

What a joke, you laughed, and grit your teeth through the pain.

Daryl disarmed the trap, making you whimper hoarsely once more as the metal jaws dislodged from your ankle. Your knuckles had turned white over that rabbit’s foot - almost matching its snowy pelt.

The man retrieved the rag from his back pocket - that same one you’d joked about not so long ago - and used it to bind your leg to stop the bleeding. 

Maybe that ratty cloth was handy, after all.

You tried to look down to catch a glimpse of the injury, and assess the damage. Except, Daryl didn’t let you.

“Eyes on me,” he instructed, gesturing to himself with his free hand.

You nodded, before letting your head fall back onto the damp grass. You glanced off to the side, noticing the mounds of dirt that crumbled near you.

“Hey, Daryl,” you murmured, “look at all of the burrows.”

The man didn’t look up from what he was doing - tending to you - but he still nodded his head anyway.

“Yeah,” he replied, tightening the makeshift bandage, “see if ya can spot any rabbits.”

And with that, Daryl carried you back to Alexandria - quickly and carefully, looking down at his feet the entire time.

Once you reached the infirmary, the man placed you on one of the beds whilst Denise got to work. She tried her hardest to be gentle with you, but even the softest touch made your skin crawl. Painkillers were given - only dulling the sensation ever so slightly - but they seemed to be enough for the doctor to stitch up your wounds, and replace Daryl’s old red rag with a clean bandage.

“I thought you hunters were supposed to be mindful of your surroundings,” Denise quipped, sending one of her sneaky looks your way as she finished her work. 

You rolled her eyes and shuffled ever so slightly in the bed, trying to get a glimpse.

“Yeah well, it was pretty well hidden,” you hit back. 

Daryl cleared his throat from the corner of the room; he’d been so quiet that you almost forgot he was there.

“Nah, ya got too distracted by the damn rabbits,” he grumbled.

More like too distracted by damn Daryl Dixon.

A glare was exchanged between you and the archer, but your smile got wider the longer you stared.

“Either way, it got you pretty good. You need to stay off that leg.” 

With a stern tone, Denise broke your gaze.

You shook your head. “That doesn’t work for me,” you argued, “I’ve got people to feed!” 

In response, you tried to shuffle off the bed - but a searing pain clambered up your leg and stunted your movements.

“I’m sure Daryl wouldn’t mind taking over for a while. Just until you’re better,” Denise reassured you.

The young doctor peered over her glasses at the archer, only for him to reply with a grunt.

“Now rest,” she told you, pressing your shoulder back down into the mattress. “Doctor’s orders!” 

That first night at the clinic had been quiet - far too quiet. It made you mull over your mistake until it was old in your mind, and heavy on your conscience. 

That is, until Daryl returned to bring you dandelions.

Denise had insisted that you stay where she could keep an eye on you, until the morning at least. But, you missed the comforts of your own room - where it was familiar. The walls of the infirmary were too white and barren, as opposed to your house which was decorated with pressed flowers and furs and much too many books. 

Your foot twitched occasionally, and every time you closed your eyes you could hear the snapping of those metal jaws as they clamped shut.

Sleep would probably elude you tonight.

Your nerves were made even worse when you were startled by knuckles rapping on the window. Reaching for the lamp, you illuminated the figure behind the glass - who also seemed spooked at having been caught.

Daryl stood there, motioning for you to open the latch on the window. 

You did, and the man lifted the pane, letting in the cool night’s breeze. 

“You’re not supposed to be in here,” you whispered, peering around the infirmary.

Daryl scowled, and muttered something below his breath that you couldn’t quite make out. The lampshade cast long shadows on his face, and you could only see the whites of his eyes poking out from between the strands of hair hanging over them.

“I ain’t,” he rasped back, gesturing to where he stood. “Technically.”

You raised an eyebrow at the man, not expecting that dry humour to come from him. He shook you off, and continued.

“Not stoppin’ long,” he dismissed, lifting up his backpack and fumbling around in it. “Went back out there an’ couldn’t see no more traps.” 

He smirked - faint and dim in the artificial light. But you still caught it.

“Ya must’ve sprung the only fuckin’ one.”

You laughed a little too loudly.

“Just my luck,” you shot back.

Daryl pulled something out from his bag - something you immediately recognised. It was a pelt blanket of soft, tawny fur. You’d made it yourself.

“Olivia tol’ me to give ya this,” he explained, feeding the material through the open window until you could reach it. “She went to get it from yer room.”

The feeling between your fingers instantly brought you comfort, and you ran the blanket along your cheek absentmindedly. 

Before you could reply, Daryl fished something else out from the rucksack and placed it on the windowsill. 

It was a glass bottle of dandelions.

It was a soda bottle, to be exact - probably snuck out of the pantry when no one was looking. You also recognised the flowers; you’d seen them out hunting once and noted just how much you liked the colour.

They looked like sunshine.

“Those from Olivia, too?” you whispered, gently stroking over the petals with your fingertips.

Daryl zipped up his bag and shook his head.

“Nah,” he mumbled, gesturing for you to close the window behind him. “These are from me.”

That was when you realised that perhaps Daryl Dixon wasn’t such a hard ass after all.

Though, your favourite memory from back then had to be the time he brought you bluebells. You’d practically chewed his ear off on one of your earlier trips, telling him all about how pretty they were - but you never thought he was listening.

You’d been sitting in your front room, pressing the previous bunch of flowers between one of your bigger books, when Daryl entered your home that day. Denise still hadn’t given you the all clear to go back out and hunt, and your movements were still pretty limited.

Hence, the constant appearances by the other hunter.

At this point, it had just become a part of the routine. Daryl would visit the house, walk straight to the empty vase on your bedside, and fill it with a new set of flowers. 

Though, today was a little different. 

Usually, he’d drop off some of the meat he’d managed to catch, and then leave. But, today he took a seat on the sofa opposite yours and fumbled with a tangled up cord.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” you giggled, sitting further back into your cushion.

“Been trying to fix ya stupid traps out there. Can’t get the knot right,” he mumbled, his patience wearing as thin as that rope in his hands. 

You couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh at his words. 

The irony tasted so sweet. 

Daryl shot you a look which instantly made you cover your mouth. “Come here, I’ll help you,” you managed to say, whilst beckoning him over.

He did as instructed, but not without grumbling.

You took the cord from his hands and effortlessly untangled it. Daryl muttered something under his breath - but instead of prying, you took the victory and proceeded with your demonstration.

“Loop the rope around your hand like this and tie it.” 

Before finishing the action, you handed it over to Daryl so that he could do it by himself. 

“Then you fold the loop over to make ears, just like a rabbit!” you announced proudly, leaning over the man to show him exactly how it should look.

He scoffed. “What is it with you and the damn rabbits?” 

You rolled your eyes at the archer, and nudged him in the side for not paying attention - to which he carried on following your directions. 

“Then you thread the rope through,” you instructed, your hand hovering over his as you watched for any mistakes.

You hadn’t realised how close you were to him until he had finished the knot. You pulled away, and cleared your throat before refocusing on the cord - not daring to dwell on the tension.

“Then you add this end to the spring and leave the other end hanging.”

Daryl nodded silently, inspecting your work like he was trying to recreate it in his mind.

“Thanks,” he eventually whispered, chewing at the corner of his lip.

It didn’t take the man long to spring to his feet and murmur a goodbye before leaving. 

Thinking back on it, you could only laugh at how naive you both had been. 

Those bluebells were the last flowers ever left in that glass vase, but they hadn’t been the last you’d seen during your time at Alexandria. To this day, you still had an old, leather-bound book tucked away somewhere on a shelf - containing all of those pressed flowers with their dried up petals and stems. But, they weren’t the most memorable.

No. The ones you could remember the best, despite not having them laid flat atop a page, were the foxtail lilies.

“You good?” the man asked, guiding you through the long grass.

You followed him slowly, weaving through the wildflowers - being careful not to trod on them. 

Your leg had mostly healed, but your confidence still hadn’t made a full recovery. It was your first time hunting since the accident, and you couldn’t help but keep your eyes locked on your feet the entire time - despite Daryl having reassured you that he’d checked the area three times over.

“Yeah, just feels weird,” you replied, rolling your ankle. “But it’s good to be out again, thanks for taking over for me.”

Despite being out of commission for a few weeks, the people of Alexandria definitely hadn’t starved - that’s for damn sure.

Daryl shook his head, and continued to step through the foxtail lilies. He was leading you back to that new area - to explore it properly this time.

“Nah, ain’t nothin’,” he shrugged, not even sparing you a backwards glance.

You followed his trail, where his boots had flattened the grass and made it easier for you to navigate.

You sighed. “Can’t just say ‘you’re welcome’, can you?”

Something sprung in the distance, and you immediately flinched. It took you a few seconds to figure it out - but you soon realised that you recognised that sound.

You turned to the other hunter, only to find that he was already looking at you.

“Daryl Dixon,” you breathed, a smile already wide on your face. “Did you set a twitch-up snare?”

The man shook his head, before pointing into the distance - at the dozens of burrows you hadn’t gotten the chance to show him that day.

“Not jus’ one,” he announced, as you glanced around the field, counting the traps.

No wonder Alexandria hadn’t gone hungry.

Another one sprung, and made you jump. You couldn’t help it, you slapped Daryl over the back and laughed too loudly - probably making the remaining rabbits scurry back into their burrows.

“Be still my beating heart!” you joked. “I knew you’d come around.”

The lilies tickled your legs as they blew in the breeze, and made you laugh even more. But for once, the man didn’t scold you for scaring away the game.

“Yer welcome,” he replied, and smirked straight back.

Daryl thought of that memory, as he and Judith made their way through the darkened forest, back to the house. 

You had definitely changed him since then - in more ways than how he set up his traps.

Daryl hung behind the young girl, watching her feet as she navigated the thick overgrowth, and stepped over tree roots - her fox tail charm swinging from her jeans. 

It had been his, once. He’d caught that red fox himself in the dead of winter, and kept the brush just like you’d told him to do. Though, Judith Grimes had taken a liking to it as a baby - always reaching for the soft fur with her small hands, and sneezing when Daryl used it to tickle her nose.

It was hers now; it had been since that day.

As if feeling his stare, Judith turned back and called out to Daryl for him to hurry up - unless he wanted dinner to be cold. He let out a grunt and picked up the pace.

He was too damn old for this.

The two of them returned to the cabin before the sun had set, but Daryl could already smell the scent of cooked meat from the pathway, a few minutes back. The lights were on inside, flickering warmly behind the glass windows - as though calling the both of them home.

Judith reached the door first, and rapped on the wood, tapping out their signature knock. As soon as it creaked open, the young girl burst through - nearly knocking you over as she trudged through the house with a wide smile and muddy boots.

 Then, you disappeared behind the frame after her - yelling something about how animals were meant to be on a plate, and not seated at the dinner table.

Daryl couldn’t help but laugh at that one; you always did have a good sense of humour.

But for that reason, the hunter made sure to wash his hands as soon as he stepped through the door - before even attempting to put them on you, and pull you in close.

But once he did, you beckoned him over.

Daryl felt the warmth of your skin as you pressed your forehead to his.

“‘M home,” he murmured, offering out the bunch of wildflowers he’d picked for you on the way back.

They were slightly crushed from his grip - the stalks bent and the petals flaking off - but you still smiled at him in such a way that it made his breath catch.

Yeah, he thought, you hadn’t changed one bit.

“My favourites,” you replied, and placed those foxtails in fresh water at the centre of the dinner table.

-

tags:  @browneyes528​ @phoenixblack89​ @srhxpci​ @jodiereedus22​ @witch-of-letters​ @deadthewalking​

[when-he-writes-stuff]

-

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

That’s what Derek would like to say.

Fucking Stiles Stilinski and his stupid face, his stupid smile, and the stupid way that Derek would always see him in the hallways and that bright look in his eyes always made him stumble. Fucking Stiles Stilinski and the way that Derek couldn’t get him out of his head for some reason.

For some stupid, unbelievable reason.

Cora thought it was hilarious. Derek thought it was the most annoying thing ever.

Stiles was the most annoying thing ever.

“Hale!”

Derek nearly stumbled over his own feet at Coach’s shout, turning around to see a basketball sailing right toward his face. Eyes rounding, he barely had the chance to duck as laughter filled the air and he glared across the gym— where all the cheerleaders stood in their little group, Stiles right splat in the middle.

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

“I said, Hale!”

Growling, Derek turned back around as Coach stalked toward him. Derek’s older sister used to tell him that Coach’s bite was worse than his bark, but Derek had come to realize that was utter bull. If there was one thing BHHS’s basketball coach was good at, it was yelling.

“Where the hell is your head, Hale?” Coach shouted, jabbing him on the forehead. Derek swallowed another growl and let the man poke away, knowing better than to ever avidly seek out Coach’s wrath. “You’re living in a daydream today!”

“Sorry, Coach,” Derek mumbled, dropping his gaze. The sound of laughter was still in the air, though, and his eyes snapped back up unconsciously, over Coach’s shoulder as he took in Stiles’s bright and grinning face.

He was always grinning and that bothered Derek like nothing else. The way his eyes would dance, his laughter would make Derek’s heart skip a beat, and— and—

“Hale!”

Derek blinked at the shout right in his ear, feeling like he’d just been dunked into cold water. Coach was scowling now and Derek felt his face turn redder, wishing he could be anywhere else but practice at the moment. “Uh, right. Sorry, Coach.”

“Yeah, kid, you’ve said that already. Are you feeling alright today?”

“I’m fine,” Derek said, forcing himself not to look back over at where Stiles was. “Really.”

“Good,” Coach said. “Because if you miss the game this week, I’m taking you off the starting lineup for the rest of the season.”

Derek looked back at the man in alarm, but Coach just raised his hands, turning away.

“Don’t force my hand, Hale.”

Derek watched him walk away and then despite himself, despite everything, glanced over his shoulder. Most of the cheerleaders had lost interest at this point— except for Stiles. Stiles, who was still staring at him, that crooked smile still hanging on his lips. And the moment his eyes met Derek’s, something in his expression changed. He grinned wider, raised a hand, and Derek quickly turned back around.

He wasn’t doing this. He wasn’t… ugh. 

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

-

“I don’t know why, man,” Stiles said, slamming his locker shut. “But the guy hates me. You should’ve seen him at practice yesterday.”

“I don’t think he hates you,” Scott said, shrugging on his backpack. Stiles shot him a disbelieving look and the boy shrugged, starting down the hall with Stiles at his side. “I just don’t think he knows you. I mean, you guys never even talk, right?”

Stiles glowered. “I was his chemistry partner last semester and I’ve been on the cheerleading team since I was a freshman. He should know me well enough to at least smile back when I wave hi.”

“He just ignored you?”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “I dunno, dude. He gets all weird, clams up, and then pretends like I don’t exist.”

Scott gave him a curious look, but Stiles wasn’t paying his friend any attention anymore. Speaking of the devil, he eyed Derek as they passed him and a few of his buddies gathered around their lockers. And for a moment— one brief, making Stiles’s stomach clench moment— grey-green eyes met his own. 

But then Hale’s face tightened, his eyes snapped away, and he slammed his locker so hard, all of his buddies jumped.

Stiles rolled his eyes, walking faster past. “See what I mean?”

Scott was still giving him a strange look. But Stiles only half-noticed it, forcing himself not to glance over his shoulder as the sounds of the jocks' voices faded. Glaring down at the floor, he wondered what the hell was so wrong with him. Or maybe what the hell was so wrong with Derek Hale.

So Stiles might have been crushing on him for three years now. So what? It wasn’t like it actually mattered judging by the fact that Hale had never even really acknowledged his existence anyway.

“Whatever,” Stiles said. “Screw Derek Hale.”

“Sure, man,” Scott said, shaking his head. And honestly, Stiles thought he was holding something back. But did he care? Absolutely not. Stiles had no cares in the world.

Especially not about Derek Hale.

-

“I’m just saying,” Erica said, readjusting her uniform and dabbing at her glossed lips. “If you like him so much, you should consider talking to him once in a while.”

Derek pulled a face, making Boyd snort at the girl’s side, one arm wrapped around her waist. The rest of the cafeteria was far too loud around them and he was trying to concentrate on the chemistry homework that he had definitely not done. Back when Stiles had been his partner, Derek had actually been driven to get it done, if only to impress the boy. Not like it’d ever worked, he didn’t think.

He didn’t really know how the hell to impress Stiles Stilinski.

“I don’t like him,” Derek growled, ignoring Isaac’s disbelieving scoff. “I just think he has no right being so loud and what the hell is up with the outfit?”

Erica shot him an obvious look, gesturing down at her own, and Derek rolled his eyes. 

“That’s different.”

“Is it?” Isaac asked mildly, attention fixed on the orange he was trying and failing to peel. “Or is it because whenever you catch the sight of Stilinski in a crop top on the court, you trip over your own feet and lose the ball?”

Derek shot him an annoyed look. Isaac wasn’t even paying attention.

“He’s right,” Erica said, smirking wickedly. “But if you’d like, Der, I can put in a good word. Stiles is my Batman and he sure could use his own Clark Kent.”

“Shut up.”

“Okay, whatever,” the girl shrugged. “Just tell me if you change your mind.”

Derek glowered even more, gaze still drifting across the cafeteria. Totally not toward the table where Stiles sat surrounded by his friends, Scott’s arm slung over his shoulders in a way that definitely didn’t make Derek frown. 

“Whipped,” Erica snorted across from him. Derek turned the weight of his glare toward her, trying to wipe at least some of that knowing smirk from her lips.

It didn’t work.

-

If Stiles was sure of one thing, it was that Mr. Harris hated him.

It wasn’t like chemistry was his least favorite class or anything— or at least, it didn’t use to be. But he was pretty sure Mr. Harris hated him with all his heart and soul, and that had kind of soured the class for Stiles as the year went on.

Which was why when the man stuck them with some lame-ass book assignment and proceeded to get on his phone, acting like none of his students existed, Stiles shot Scott a grin and held out his hand, making a grabby gesture.

“How much money would you give me to flip this table, right here, right now, in the middle of class?”

Scott gave him a wide-eyed look, which only made Stiles grin wider. 

“Cause I swear, I’ll do it.”

“Don’t,” Scott said, eyes darting nervously to where Harris sat. “He’ll have you in detention for the rest of the year.”

“It’s almost over anyway,” Stiles said, still grinning. “And he can’t give me detention if I accidentally ‘fall’ now can he? Twenty bucks and I’ll make him forget all about this stupid time filler assignment, easy peasy.”

“Stiles—”

“I’ll take you up on that.”

Stiles turned around, blinking in surprise at Erica Reyes. She smirked, nodding toward Harris.

“But you have to do it so hard, he falls out of his chair.”

Stiles looked at her for a long moment, debating. At the desk beside her, Boyd shifted a little nervously, but didn’t say anything to talk his girlfriend down. Chewing on his lower lip, Stiles thought for one more moment, then grinned brightly, holding out his hand.

“Deal.”

“Money after,” Erica said, eyes glinting. “But he has to be out of his chair, Stilinski.”

Scott was still giving him a pleading look, but Stiles pretended like he didn’t see it as he turned back around. Harris was still fixated on his phone, feet propped up on his desk. Stiles studied the man, tilted his head, and then shoved himself up so fast, his chair went tipping and he caught the underside of the table, taking it with him as everything went spilling to the floor.

There was a shout, a yelp. Stiles watched in absolute glee as Harris jerked so hard, he kicked his coffee cup off his desk and his chair tumbled backward, taking the man and the cord of his laptop, wrapped around his foot, with him.

For a moment, the classroom was silent. Stiles glanced back at Erica, who looked like she was just barely containing a fit of laughter.

Then, “Stilinski!”

Stiles winced, shooting Erica one last look. Her face was bright red now. “Twenty bucks, Reyes.”

“Derek will cover me,” Erica said, jerking her head to the table across the room. Stiles looked over, startled, to see Hale looking at him with wide green eyes, face a little pale.

Stiles offered a weak smile, raising a hand in a small wave. And then the boy was looking sharply away.

Stiles didn’t even have a chance to feel insulted before Harris had grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him from the room. 

-

Stiles did, after all, get Friday afternoon detention for the next month, despite his protests that the whole ‘table flipping accident’ was really an accident. He supposed it was worth it though; twenty bucks was a two or three milkshakes at his favorite diner if he didn’t get fries.

“I can’t believe you, dude,” Scott said, elbowing him in the side. “That was so stupid.”

“That was so genius,” Stiles said, elbowing him back. “Harris completely forgot about the assignment and I’m up twenty bucks.”

The boy just grilled his eyes. “From Derek?”

The grin slipped off of Stiles’s lips. In all of the excitement, he'd completely forgotten about Erica absolutely screwing him over. Catching his expression, Scott barked a laugh, patting him on the back and starting away.

“Best of luck with that, man.”

“Hey, wait! Scotty? Scott!”

The thing about Derek Hale is that Stiles wasn’t really intimidated by him, per-say. Sure, the guy was a year older, constantly gave him the cold shoulder, and was always surrounded by his ‘too cool for school’ jock buddies. But Stiles was also pretty sure Derek was a bit of a nerd. Even if it was just secretly so.

He’d probably been the best chemistry partner Stiles had ever had. Even if he’d pretended like Stiles didn’t exist the entire time.

He sought him out before the game, heart thudding against his chest in a way that Stiles didn’t really understand. It was hard enough separating Derek Hale from his buddies, but his sister also stuck to his side— and she was intimidating. 

Cora was Stiles’s grade and, like him, a few classes ahead. She also scared the crap out of Stiles whenever those eyes lit up with anything close to mischief.

“Good afternoon, Stilinski,” she said as Stiles approached, arms folded across her chest. “Nice top.”

Stiles glanced down at himself and then rolled his eyes, glancing at Derek. For some reason, the boy looked a little constipated and his face was bright red. “Erica owes me twenty bucks.”

Cora raised an eyebrow, glancing over at her brother. Derek just stared.

Stiles sighed. “She said you’d cover her.”

“She— what?”

“Twenty bucks, dude,” Stiles said, sticking out his hand. “Pay up.”

Cora made a scoffing noise and clapped Derek on the shoulder before giving Stiles an amused look. “And that’s my cue to leave. Go easy on him, Stiles. Derek gets a little tongue-tied when he can see skin.”

Stiles blinked, unsure what to do with any part of that sentence. But Derek’s face was red all the way to his ears now and before Stiles could say a word, he was turning away too, starting toward the locker room.

Stiles blinked again, rooted to the spot for a moment. Then, shaking his head, he started after the boy.

“Hey, dude, wait!”

Derek did not, in fact, wait. 

Stiles followed him into the locker room, stumbling over his own feet as he tried to catch up. Derek went straight for his locker and started to tug off his shirt, making Stiles yelp and avert his eyes.

Which was stupid, right? Yeah, that was stupid. It’s not like he’d never seen another dude change in the literal locker room before.

“I don’t have your money,” Derek said, sounding like he was grinding his teeth together. Stiles licked his lips nervously, turning to face the boy again.

He was still shirtless.

“Uh, right,” Stiles said, shaking his head. Silently, he willed Derek to pull on his jersey or maybe just stop stripping altogether. His mind was blank for the entire time that Derek finally pulled his basketball jersey over his head, raising an eyebrow afterward as if he didn’t know why Stiles was still within spitting distance of him.

“Well?”

Stiles opened his mouth, closed it, and then frowned. “Okay, dude, what the hell is your problem?”

Derek paused with the jersey half pulled down his torso. Stiles tried not to blush.

“You’ve literally only spoken to me like twice,” Stiles said. “And still hate me for some reason. Have I ever done something to offend you? Are you offended by all that is—” he gestured to himself up and down— “This?”

Hale looked taken aback. Stiles’s throat tightened.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I don’t…” Derek shook his head and pulled his jersey all the way down. “You’re fine.”

“I’m fine?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess.”

Stiles stared at him. He couldn’t see much of the boy’s face in the darkness, but he was pretty sure he was still lying about something. Derek grabbed his bag, starting to brush past, but Stiles caught his arm before he could go anywhere.

Derek made a noise of surprise, spinning back around. And Stiles quickly let go, retreating a step back, and promptly got his feet caught in his own bag, a noise of surprise leaving his mouth before he started to topple over.

He definitely wasn’t going to be fine after this, some part of his brain supplied helpfully.

Only, Stiles didn’t brain himself. Suddenly, there was a hand around his forearm and seconds before Stiles hit the lockers, Derek hauled him back up, grunting slightly.

Except, just because Stiles excelled at making bad things even worse, he found himself lurching forward with the momentum, slamming right into his so-called “you’re fine, I guess” savior.

This time, it was Derek’s turn to go toppling. And the only help Stiles provided was him falling right after the boy.

In all the ways he could die, Stiles never thought it would be death by angry-jock-who-just-got-tackled. Underneath him, Derek’s eyes were wide, face pale, and Stiles stared back, pretty sure his heart had stopped beating in his chest.

For a moment, he was almost terrified to breathe. Then, slowly, he realized he wasn’t dead yet.

“Um,” Stiles said, face turning hot. “Sorry.”

He half-expected Derek to shove him off or maybe give him a good punch in the face first. But instead, the boy just stayed there, frozen, eyes wide and pupils dilated. Stiles felt his throat close, carefully starting to push himself up.

“Stiles,” Derek said croakily. Stile abruptly froze.

“Oh my god, dude, I’m so sorry. Did I break something? Please tell me I didn’t break anything.”

Derek was still staring at him. And Stiles didn’t mean to drop his gaze to the other boy’s lips, he really didn’t. It wasn’t like he’d never imagined what it would be like if Derek one day kissed him. Possibly after he realized Stiles actually existed, possibly after he realized how damn hot Stiles was.

Because he was, thank you very much.

“Stiles,” Derek said again. And Stiles realized he’d been staring for much too long.

Shit.

In a second, Stiles was pushing himself up. He half dragged Derek with him, swaying a little as his heart thudded against his chest. The silence in the locker room was almost too loud as Derek stared at him for a long moment, chest rising and falling a little too fast.

“So,” Stiles said, running a hand through his hair awkwardly. “About that twenty dollars—”

He was cut off by the action of Derek kissing him.

Derek Hale. Derek Hale was kissing him and Stiles was pretty sure he hadn’t just hit his head too hard when they both fell or something. For a moment, he was too surprised to do anything but make a startled noise at the back of his throat, and then Derek was crowding him against the lockers, one hand carding through his hair as Stiles came snapping back to himself like a rubber band stretched too far.

Derek Hale was kissing him. And dammit if Stiles didn’t kiss him back the moment Stiles exe. was working again.

If he found out later that he had just hit his head too hard or maybe Derek had actually killed him, Stiles supposed he’d be fine. He’d be fine because yeah, he’d probably thought about this a thousand times, but he’d never actually seen it happening.

He also kinda hadn’t ever done anything like this before, so he really hoped Derek wasn’t about to call him the worst kisser ever or something.

Stiles let Derek take the lead as the boy tightened his grip in Stiles’s hair. And yeah, he was so glad he’d decided to let it grow out Sophomore year. Because this? This was every one of his fantasies.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a buzzer from outside. 

Stiles jerked so hard, he slammed his head against the lockers, groaning in pain as the kiss broke. He felt a little dazed, a lot shocked, and the moment he opened his eyes, Derek was looking at him with that ‘caught in headlights’ expression again.

Buzzer, some part of Stiles’s brain offered. 

The game.

“Oh, shit,” Stiles said, snapping back to reality. If he was the reason that the star player of the basketball team was late to the game, Lydia was totally going to kick him off the cheer squad. Derek was starting to look a little more grounded too, thankfully, and even in the dim light, Stiles could tell his face was bright red.

“Um…”

“Yeah.”

“That was—”

“Mm-hm.”

Derek snapped his mouth shut, eyes flitting from Stiles’s face, to his lips, and then back up. And that was Stiles’s move, wasn’t it? “Was that bad?”

Stiles blinked. Once more, Stiles exe. logged off for a second and then he shook his head, staring. “No? No, definitely not. No.”

“I, uh, don’t hate you,” Derek said. A small, almost shocked laugh built up in Stiles’s throat.

“I could tell.”

Derek looked down at himself, his uniform, and then toward the door. When he looked back, his expression was almost hesitant, and Stiles was almost surprised he’d never seen a look like that before. “I have a game.”

“Yeah,” Stiles said, finally cracking a small smile. Because his heart had stopped thudding against his chest now and he just felt a little warm. A little tingly. Which, if this was all real, was actually quite pleasant. “Yeah, dude, I’m usually there too.”

Derek’s ears turned red. “Oh, yeah.”

Stiles looked at the boy, hesitated for a moment, and then leaned forward, pecking him on the cheek. Derek immediately went statue-still again and Stiles snorted despite himself, patting the boy on the shoulder as he slipped by. “That’s for good luck, Hale. I’ll see you out there?”

Derek was still wide-eyes and speechless when he turned around. Still grinning, Stiles offered him a wink and salute, before all but stumbling toward the door.

He could feel Derek staring after him. But the boy didn’t say another word.

Stiles had never seen himself the one to break Derek Hale.

-

Derek stayed after the brown-haired, amber-eyed boy in silence, his thoughts moving slowly. For a moment, he felt dazed. Then winded. Like he’d already played the game, won, and had maybe been declared MVP or something.

But then Stiles was gone, Derek was left in the silence, and he finally snapped out of his trance.

A trance, yeah. That’s what he could call it.

Because he had just kissed Stiles. He had just kissed Stiles Stilinski.

Derek blinked, then reached up, touching his lips. And fuck, Stiles had tasted like cinnamon and spices. And somehow, it had all been better than Derek might have ever always wondered.

He had just kissed Stiles.

“Oh,” Derek said, as the sound of the scoreboard buzzer went off outside the locker room again. Game— starting— right.

Oh. 

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

-

Oh gosh, so I've never actually written a Sterek High School fic, so I apologize if it's a bit rough around the edges. I couldn’t figure out to work the jumper part in, but I hope crop-tops were a okay substitute @wolfile​! Thank you so much for the prompt <3

(if you enjoy my writing, consider sending a coffee? You can also request a prompt if you’d like!). https://ko-fi.com/rh27writer

[pogokitten]

Lost and Found

By @pogokitten for @lost-lunar-wolf

Rating: Teen (for swears)

Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark

Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, Ben Parker, May Parker

Summary: People lose things all the time, keys, toys, favorite socks. It happens, it’s just a part of life. But sometimes these lost items make their way to soulmates. It’s phenomena as old as civilization itself. You lose your favorite hair tie and poof, it just appears near your soulmate for them to find and eventually return. Romantic or Platonic, it’s expected that everyone stumbles over some of their soulmates' lost items here and there. Some people just end up waiting longer than others.  

Or: The platonic soulmate AU where Tony and Peter find and hold onto a lot of each other’s stuff over the years.

Tony is speed walking through his mansion the first time it happens. He’s not paying attention, tie barely on straight and coffee almost sloshing out of his cup as he rushes for the door. He’s late for a meeting and usually he wouldn’t care, but Obie has been up his ass about this one. Something about a grouchy general that thinks Stark Industries weapons are overpriced and overhyped needing convincing.

So when Tony stumbles on something caught under his dress shoes, he finds himself cursing colorfully as splashes of coffee dot the marble floor. He glares down at the offending object when he has his footing, fully expecting it to be a tool or something that migrated out of the workshop.

The engineer stops short and stares however, when he takes in the soft blue baby binky on his floor.

Tony is no stranger to having strange things in his house, being an eccentric billionaire and all, but he has absolutely no clue how a pacifier of all things has ended up on his floor.  

Tony scoops the binkie off the floor examining it, completely baffled.

It looks new if the bright color and barely chewed appearance is anything to go by. Tony wracks his brain for any possible reason a pacifier could have made its way into his home. This wasn’t a week for the cleaners so it wouldn’t be something of theirs, and the only other people who have been in his house since yesterday were Happy and Pepper.

The engineer knows Happy himself is allergic to children, but doesn’t he have a sister or something? Does she have a kid? Maybe it got mixed up in Happy’s things? It’s not the most plausible explanation.

As for Pepper, Tony’s pretty fucking sure she doesn’t have a kid. He knows from her comments that she doesn’t have much in the way of family anymore and that she’s single. Maybe one of her college friends has kids? Could one of their kid’s binkies have ended up in her purse during a visit or something?

The theory’s not great, but that’s at least more believable than Happy being the culprit, and for the life of him, Tony doesn’t know where else the thing would have come from.

Tony stuffs the pacifier into his pocket and continues out the door resolving to ask Pepper about it later.

---

Tony never ends up asking Pepper about the binky.

He came home from an extremely long day at the office spent schmoozing the stuffy general and tossed the thing out of his pocket along with his keys onto a cluttered table in the workshop. He then proceeded to drink the night away to dull the built up tension. When JARVIS wakes him up the next morning, the pacifier is a distant memory due to his ragging hangover and Obie calling to talk business.

It’s not until a few months later that the binky even crosses Tony’s mind again.

It’s another typical day in the life of a party addicted billionaire genius, when Pepper pages him through JARVIS to help her into the house. Tony finally emerges from his lab for the first time that day, muttering equations under his breath. He’s lost in his own head, still focused on the designs he’s been hammering out downstairs.

So Tony nearly falls on his ass when he steps onto something that slides under his feet in the entryway. The engineer is quick to catch himself, heart still racing from the near drop, and looks around irritably for damn banana peel or whatever it was that almost killed him.

He quickly spots what looks like a scrap of fabric nearby. Grumbling, Tony snatches it off the floor and realizes it's not a pocket square or a tie like he thought.

No, it’s a lovey.

He gapes at the toy with wide eyes.

The blanket bit of the toy is a soft yellow fabric, the stuffed animal portion a smiling dog with floppy ears. It’s a bit love worn and could probably use a wash, but it doesn’t seem especially old.

It also absolutely shouldn’t be here.

No one else has been in the mansion for the last two days except for him, and Tony knows the lovey wasn’t there this morning.

“JARVIS, did someone break into the house to leave baby toys for me to trip on, and you just neglected to tell me?” Tony asks.

“Of course not, sir,” the AI says, sounding almost offended, “No one has been inside of the mansion aside from yourself and I would have alerted you to a perimeter breach.”

“Then how is this here?” Tony questions, holding the toy up to the nearest camera.

“It simply appeared in the foyer, sir,” JARVIS tells him.

“That’s impossible, things don’t just appear.”  

“It is possible, sir. I thought it would be obvious,” the AI refutes, a hint of a smirk in his tone.  

Tony rolls his eyes. “Not in the mood right now, J.”

“I believe that your soulmate has lost both the toy in your hand and the pacifier you found approximately three months ago,” JARVIS explains.

Any sort of snappy retort dies in Tony’s throat and he snaps his gaze back to the lovey he’s holding.

Soulmates were not something that Tony Stark had thought about often in the past two decades of his life.

Growing up he’d been as intrigued by soulmates as any child his age, waiting to find mysterious clothes or toys like many of his peers. He’d waited and hoped and looked for years, anything to ease the loneliness of the Stark Mansion. Only to find himself at the age of fifteen without a single lost and found object to his name. That had been when he started to doubt, when he stopped looking for items that weren’t his and steered away from conversations about soulmates.

It’s not unheard of to not have a soulmate until adolescence and beyond, but after he hit twenty-one, Tony had concluded that the cosmos hadn’t bothered to give him one. That, or his soulmate had died before they’d had anything to lose besides their life.

He is well past the age where he would have gotten a romantic soulmate bond, but a platonic or familial one…

It’s pretty common knowledge that a lot of parents and children share a familial soulmate bond, and it’s not like Tony is the most...celibate...person in the world. He’s been careful about his fun, but could it have happened? Or was this some random kid who had gotten stuck with Tony Stark as their ‘shared soul’ by the misfortune of fate?

Tony stares at the lovey in shock while his thoughts race for a long enough amount of time that Pepper irritably rings the doorbell again. Still practically in a trance, Tony opens the door for her on autopilot.

Pepper bustles into the mansion carrying several packages of mail and one of his freshly dry cleaned suits, strands of her vibrant hair escaping the usually tidy bun they’re usually pinned up in.

“Finally! I’ve been standing out there holding all these boxes for ages! Really, Mr. Stark what in the world did you order that’s so-?”

“Pep…” Tony manages to choke out, the nickname and his tone catching her attention.

His PA puts the mail and dry cleaning on a side table and turns back to him, concern on her face.

“Mr. Stark?” she asks.

With a slightly trembling hand he holds the lovey out to her. “I… I found this. And a binky a while ago. I’ve got… I’ve got a soulmate.”

“Oh… Mr. Stark-” Pepper’s mouth opens in shock as she takes in the toy, before her eyes crinkle in a smile, “Tony, that’s wonderful.”

“God look at this thing,” Tony chuckles, and to his slight horror, it’s a bit of a wet sound, “Between this and the binky, the kid can’t be more than half a year, huh?”

“I’d say so.” Pepper says smiling down at the little plush toy.

Tony swallows. “Do you think he’s mine?”

His PA looks back up at him, eyebrow raised slightly. “He?”

“Just a feeling.”

“A feeling, huh?” Pepper smiles, “Well he is yours. Your soulmate. It doesn’t matter if this child is yours biologically, because you’re going to care about them either way right?”

Tony nods, unable to voice any of his vulnerable thoughts. Too many emotions are still swirling inside, crowding his mind.

“Besides I don’t think he’s blood related to you,” Pepper tells him.

“How do you know?” Tony asks.

She gives him a bit of smirk. “Just a feeling.”

Tony gives a little laugh, giving her a grin in return. But eventually he looks back at the toy in his hands and feels it slip off his face. In his bones, he already knows that the bond he and his soulmate will have is going to be a familial extension of a platonic soulmate bond. Or more accurately, a paternal one. And that absolutely scares the shit out of Tony.

“What’s wrong?” Pepper questions, peering down at his whitening knuckles.

“Even if he’s not mine by blood, I don’t want to be like my dad,” Tony confesses in a rush, “I can’t keep the cycle going… I-”

“You won’t,” Pepper cuts him off, “The fact that you’re worried about that at all is proof enough that you care, and that you want to be better than Howard. So you will be.”  

Tony doesn’t say anything to that, gaze dropping back to the lovey in his hands. He wants to be better than his father, but can he be? He’s been following in Howard Stark’s promiscuous alcoholic shadow for a long time now. But he owes it to this kid, and Pepper, and hell, even himself to try and be better.

Pepper eventually clears her throat. “Will that be all Mr. Stark?”

Tony gives her a genuine smile, the kind that is reserved only for the few people he trusts and cares for. “That will be all Ms.Potts.”

***

Peter sits on the couch in his aunt and uncle’s apartment pouting. The adults are standing near the doorway, talking. Sure he loves Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but he loves his Mommy and Daddy more, and they’ve been going on trips so much lately. They just went on a trip a few weeks ago and now they’re going on another one. And this one is so far away.

“We should probably head out. Thanks so much for looking after Pete this week,” Peter hears his dad say.

“Of course, we love having Peter,” May tells him.

“Don’t go!” Peter jumps up from the couch and tackles his mom’s leg.

“It’s not for long sweetheart,” she soothes, brushing his hair back, “Daddy and I have to go to a few boring meetings. You’ll have more fun here with Uncle Ben and Aunt May.”

“But I’ll miss you!” Peter whines.

“And we’ll miss you kiddo, but we’ll be back before you know it,” his dad says, kneeling down to hug him.

Then his dad picks him up so his mom can hug them too. Peter likes it when they all hug like that, it makes him feel warm and super safe.

“Love you. Bye-bye,” Peter mumbles into the embrace sadly.  

He knows by now that no amount of begging will get them to stay, but that doesn’t stop him from trying at least a little bit every time.

His mom kisses his forehead. “And we love you Peter.”

Peter’s parents set him down and hug his aunt and uncle before they step out of the apartment and are gone. Peter’s eyes feel hot, but he doesn’t want to cry. He’s six, so he’s almost big now. Mommy said it was okay to cry no matter how old you are, but most of the other boys at school just make fun of Peter for it.

Aunt May cards her fingers through his hair. “Why don’t you go get settled, sweetie. Then we’ll all go to the park so you can play and feed the birds?”

Peter nods, subdued, and shuffles to the small guest room with his backpack and suitcase.

He sniffs back tears while he makes quick work of his suitcase, throwing his clothes haphazardly into the dresser, but takes much more care with his backpack.

Peter unzips it, double checking that all of his prized possessions are there. His dumb inhaler that he has to carry everywhere, check. His GameBoy and the handful of games he has, check. Toebeans, his stuffed snow leopard, check. His three favorite action figures at the moment, check. And… Peter panics for a moment before he feels his hand close around cold metal.

With a sigh of relief, Peter pulls the tool from his bag.

The screwdriver is small, the perfect size for Peter’s little hands. It’s old and its red handle is worn. Uncle Ben told him it’s for putting together small delicate things since it’s way too small for normal sized screws. Daddy said the screwdriver had turned up in Peter’s crib when he was just a few weeks old. He had explained that it belonged to Peter’s soulmate and that they must have lost it.

Peter’s soulmate must usually be good about not losing things though, since Peter hasn’t found that much stuff. So far it’s just been things like nuts and bolts or a couple of pretty neckties. Peter’s pretty sure his soulmate must be a grown up, since they never seem to lose fun stuff, like toys. Ned’s soulmate always loses toys, like My Little Pony dolls and plastic dinosaurs.  

Still Peter keeps all the things he finds, even if they’re usually kinda boring. Uncle Ben and Daddy always say it’s important to return lost items, and there’s no way Peter would ever be mean to his soulmate. Especially when holding his soulmate's screwdriver makes him feel better whenever he’s sad. It’s familiar and it makes him feel safe, like his parents’ hugs.

Staring down at the screwdriver, Peter wonders what lost stuff his soulmate has from him.

...Maybe they’ve got that bouncy ball he lost two weeks ago? It was a really good one. He hopes they have fun with it.

Still Peter can’t wait to meet his soulmate, even if they are old. Mommy told him to be patient, but Peter’s never really been the best at that. Daddy said they would meet when the time was right and he and his soulmate needed each other most. Whatever that means.

“Peter! Come on, let’s hit the park!” His uncle calls.

The boy quickly puts the screwdriver back and zips his bag closed, swinging it onto his shoulders. “Coming, Uncle Ben!”

His aunt and uncle lead him from the apartment, his little hand clasped in his uncle’s calloused one.

Uncle Ben gives his hand a squeeze and a gentle smile when Peter looks up at him. “Buck up champ, your parents will be back before you know it.”

“Yeah,” Peter smiles and never once that week did he think Uncle Ben would be wrong.

***

They’ve just finished a meager dinner of mostly tasteless stew, and Tony wants nothing more than to collapse after another day of hard labor. He’s lost track of how many days he’s been in this godforsaken cave, no longer having any concept of time after being hidden away underground. Since that first week, most days have been the same. Tony and Yinsen desperately trying to craft the instrument of their escape without being caught, all while making their captors believe they’re cooperating.

It's a terrifyingly fine tightrope they’re walking.  

At least he’s finally getting used to the constant pain of the reactor in his chest, something he’s very likely to live with for the rest of his life. However long that may be.

Tony has just stood and turned away from the fire, intending to finally sleep, when he stumbles over something in his exhausted state. He glances down half-heartedly, expecting a rock or a divet in the cave floor only to freeze when he sees it.

It’s an action figure of some sort. Clearly a superhero of some kind, his outfit is red and white with a helmet that hides his face. Tony thinks he’s flicked passed this show on TV once or twice. Power...Something. Power Riders..? No that’s not quite it.

Tony picks the toy up, feeling his lip quirk slightly despite himself.

“Stark?” Yinsen questions, coming over to look at what he’s holding.

“My kid...my soulmate,” Tony explains with a sad little huff of laughter at the other man’s raised eyebrow, “They must have lost this.”

“My children are the same, always misplacing their things,” Yinsen tells him with a nostalgic smile, “What are they like?”

“Well…” Tony heaves out a breath, blinking away the sudden urge to cry, “He’s a little boy if I had to guess, probably around seven or eight since that’s how long I’ve been tripping over his toys. He likes action figures and Legos, considering how many he loses, but I don’t...really know. I… I never got to meet him.”

And it’s true, he hasn’t. And god it feels like everything’s been a waste. He never even got to meet the little kid who’s stuff he’s been stumbling over for years. And now Tony’s in a cave held captive by terrorists with shrapnel near his heart, the only thing keeping him alive being the electromagnet in his chest and the knowledge of a missile his captives want him to build.

Yinsen puts a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You have not gotten to meet him yet.”

The engineer nods then, his jaw set. “Not yet.”

After that, Tony makes sure to keep the action figure close during his time in the cave with Yinsen. It’s almost obsessive how many times he checks that it’s still in the same place. But it’s like a little spark of hope in their dark cavern, a tangible reminder that there’s a life out there for him to return to, if he can just escape this hell.

Tony’s got to make sure he’s there to give all those toys back to the kid someday, after all.

***

Peter blinks awake sluggishly when May shakes his shoulder. “Come on. Get dressed sweetheart, breakfast is almost done. I know you don’t want to, but the two weeks the school let us have is up.”

Right. He’d been trying so hard not to think about it, he nearly forgot.

“Yeah,” he mumbles.

Peter pulls his aching body, sore from tossing and turning, out of bed while rubbing sleep from his eyes. Last night was definitely one of the worst nights he’s had these past two weeks. The teen had spent the first half of it shifting restlessly, unable to sleep, then he’d cried for at least an hour or two before finally succumbing to his exhaustion.

The boy shuffles into his clothes, not even bothering to check what he’s wearing. Moving to the bathroom, Peter cringes at his reflection after he finishes brushing his wild curls. He’s pale as a ghost, but his eyes are red and watery. Dark shadows sit under them, marks of the past two weeks of mostly sleepless nights.

He looks horrible. Like he’s a zombie or is deathly ill. There’s no way people won’t notice. The teen is really not looking forward to all the pitying looks and whispers he’s going to get just from the news he’s sure has gotten around, let alone how he looks like a ghost. Peter really doesn’t want to go back to school today...or well ever. Going back to “normal” after Ben… Well, it just doesn’t seem possible.

Unbidden more tears spring to his eyes.

Peter sighs, dropping his gaze back to the sink.

To his surprise an unfamiliar pair of sunglasses are sitting on the porcelain edge. Peter picks them up examining them, already aware that they don’t belong to May...or Ben. They’re a nice pair of sunglasses from what he can tell. The lenses are a deep red so dark it looks black, the frames a dark burnished metal. Clearly some really expensive name brand that probably costs near the apartment’s monthly rent.

Impulsively, Peter slips them on and checks out his reflection in the mirror. To his relief, they do a great job of hiding his red rimmed eyes and the dark shadows underneath them, perfect for his first day back to school. And he can admit, although they’re a smidge big, he does look pretty cool in them.

Peter slides them off and slips them into his hoodie pocket so that May doesn’t see. She probably wouldn’t approve of him trying to wear them all day. But hopefully his teachers will give him some leeway since they’ve probably all heard what happened.

Worst comes to worst, he can just lie and say he has a migraine or something.

He eats a solemn and slightly charred breakfast with May, sharing a long and tight hug with her before he forces himself to head out. As soon as he’s clear of their building, Peter slips the sunglasses back onto his face.

On the streets, no one gives him a second glance, but it is New York after all and that’s just the norm. The real test starts when he finally makes it to the front steps of his school. There are some kids milling around outside chatting about their weekends in the few minutes before the first bell. He slips past them easily enough, with only a few brief glances thrown his way.

In the hallway some of the students and teachers do give him lingering looks, but he keeps the glasses on and his head down and the whispers are minimal. When Peter finally makes it to his locker, he breaths out a sigh of relief. The sunglasses do attract a few lingering looks, but no one has commented on his distressed state.

He keeps them on for the rest of the day, sighting a migraine when asked. None of the teachers seem keen to try and force him to take them off, as expected. Peter’s pretty sure it’s just because none of them want to be responsible for making him cry or have a breakdown.

He ends up wearing the sunglasses a few more days that week, on the mornings after rough nights. The sunglasses almost feel like a shield, protecting him from prying eyes. It feels a bit like his soulmate is there, letting Peter hide behind them. They make him feel safe, and like he’s not an open book for the first time since that fatal gunshot rang out.

Eventually, after the rubbed raw pain of Ben’s death has faded a bit, the glasses end up tucked away with the little red screwdriver in the box that holds his most precious items.

***

Tony really wants a drink, despite all his promises to Pepper. He really has been trying to lay off since they finally got back together after such a long break. Not to mention he’d gotten black out drunk so many times in the first few weeks after Siberia that the few people left in his life had come together and begged him to stop before he killed himself. Tony’s a lot older than he was when he went out drinking every night after his parents were killed, and the drinking isn’t nearly as gratifying as it was then.

He hates that it’s still a struggle to not seek alcohol out on his own.

Now more than ever, especially after Ultron and the media dubbed “Civil War”, Tony wonders if he’s even managed to do any good in the world as Iron Man. More and more it seems like he just makes bigger messes than the ones he tries to clean up. Sure, he’s had his good moments, but they feel like they pale in comparison to all his missteps.

Not to mention how even when it’s a group failure, most of the world is content in letting just him take the fall. Everyone else seems to get off scot-free while Tony and his loved ones are left in the blast radius of the aftermath.  

The engineer sighs, heading back to his lab after taking a stressful SI call in his office upstairs. FRIDAY opens the door for him without comment and he heads towards the single worktable he’s managed to set up so far in the compound. But then Tony blinks at the backpack that’s now sitting on top of the letter and dinosaur tech Rogers mailed him.

The bag is dark blue and little worn, something inexpensive that’s easily bought at big box stores. Feeling a bit excited, almost like he’s opening a present, Tony pulls the first zipper open. This isn’t the first backpack his kid’s lost, but it is weird that it’s happened at least four times this year alone.

Inside he finds a handful of pens and pencils, a mostly blank notebook with some pretty high level physics in it, an advanced calculus textbook that’s seen better days, and a change of clothes. There’s no name of course, because the universe hates to “ruin the surprise” as the saying goes, but it still tells Tony a bit more about the type of person his kid is.

Obviously the kid is incredibly smart, although Tony already knew that from finding the kid’s advanced biochem notebook in the first lost backpack and seeing the sort of stuff he was working on (Some of which seemed to be of the kid’s own initiative and was complex enough that Tony himself had needed to brush up on the subject to decode it).

He also knows that the kid must not come from a super wealthy household going by the cheap bag and worn clothes. Of course he already knew that too. Most of the stuff that the kid’s lost is generally well taken care of, but always inexpensive. That knowledge had certainly gotten Tony to fund a lot more scholarships for advanced school programs around New York City. Not that he knows where the kid is other than somewhere in America, but it still made Tony happy funding the future.

Smiling slightly, Tony puts everything back in the bag and is about to take it to store with the rest of the kid’s stuff when he catches sight of the pin buttons decorating the front. One is a Star Wars one with some nerdy meme on it, but the other one has the Iron Man mask on it. He lets out a surprised and almost wet laugh. Even after all these years he's still the kid’s favorite.

Tony will never forget the first Iron Man drawing he’d found that the kid had done, or the first action figure of himself he’d tripped over in the lab. Tony remembers preening like a peacock and showing the toy off to Pepper, Rhodey, and even Happy for the next week.

Somehow, despite all the shit he’s done, Tony must have done something right to end up as his kid’s hero. Becoming a superhero might not be why he originally set out to be Iron Man, but somewhere along the way he learned that he couldn’t just stand by and let people get hurt. Tony may not be as much as a pure hearted superhero as the spider kid, but it’s nice to have a reminder that he’s still got people to live up to.

Speaking of the kid, Peter is eager for sure. He’s smart as a whip and has a good heart despite all the times the universe has shit on him. And young as he is, the spiderling is using his superpowers with a maturity that most kids his age wouldn’t have. That and he did really well in Germany.

Tony looks back at the backpack frowning. Iron Man won’t be around forever, as much as Tony hates to admit it, he is getting old. And with almost all of the Avengers in the wind, he needs to make sure there are still heroes, real heroes, for the world to believe in.  

Tony nods to himself and pulls up the design for the Iron Spider suit.

***

Peter pulls himself out from under the rubble of the collapsed warehouse, gasping for breath, limbs still shaking. Behind him the rubble shifts and tumbles further and the teen is quick to scramble away from it, coughing at the dust it kicks up. For a moment he just stands there trying to catch his breath and still his shaking.

Holy shit, that just happened. The Vulture dropped an entire building on him and left him to die. Peter can feel the embers of his panic trying to crawl up his throat and reignite. He already knows this incident is gonna be nightmare fuel to rival the ones he has about Ben’s death. Just like that night, Peter feels like he lost something of himself, only this time it was lost under the rubble and not in a puddle of blood.

But he thankfully doesn’t have time to dwell on it.

There’s no telling how far Toomes has gotten while he was trapped under the warehouse. Peter needs to move now if he wants to stop the villain from stealing dangerous Avengers tech. If that stuff gets out on the streets no one in New York City, or maybe even the country would be safe. The thought of what kinds of people Toomes could sell those weapons to is horrifying.  

People are in danger, and even if Peter messes up or disappoints Mr. Stark again, he can’t let anyone get hurt when he has the power to stop it.

So, still trembling slightly, Peter raises his arm and shoots off a web, swinging into the night after the Vulture.

He doesn’t give a single thought to his Spider-Man mask, lost and left behind in the debris.

***

Tony is in the Avengers Compound again when he finds it.

Moving all the old Avengers tech to the compound has proven to be a nightmare. He’s still got the government up his ass after the “Civil War” debacle. Not to mention the modified alien weapons on the streets that both the DODC and FBI have been too incompetent to get a handle on, or even find the source of. But he’s still so busy with SI, the Accords, and the move upstate that he doesn’t have the time to track the guy properly at the moment.

And this Vulture guy really is below the Avengers’ pay grade like he told Peter. They were never really in the business of taking down arms dealers, not even high tech ones.

Tony sighs. He is starting to feel bad about taking back the kid’s suit. Sure, Peter was being reckless in it, but hadn’t Tony done the same in his? And Peter had the excuse of being an actual child. Not to mention sooner or later, the kid is going to remember that his powers don’t come from the suit. He’s going to run into a crime he can’t ignore and he won’t have the one thing that keeps him safe.

Tony had been telling the spiderling he didn’t want to be like his old man before the ferry shitshow, and what had he done as soon as Peter slipped up? Screamed at him, taken away the suit, and basically told the kid he didn’t want to have to deal with him anymore. And before that he had barely interacted with Peter after the whole thing in Germany, and yeah, Tony had some good excuses for that, but it was all still the exact same shit Howard would have done.

As much as Tony doesn’t do feelings, maybe he should call the kid up and apologize soon. It’s already been a few weeks.

Tony has just collapsed onto his desk chair in his workshop and started massaging at the tension headache sitting at the front of his skull when it catches his eye. A strange flash of red on his work table that wasn’t there just a moment before. Tony already knows it’s not something of his considering how little he’s been using this lab up until now.

His lip is already twitching up fondly as he reaches for it, wondering what the kid lost this time. He grabs the fabric object and pulls it out from under the stack of blueprints it’s ended up under.

For a moment nothing makes sense.

He’s holding Spider-Man’s mask.

The first one, from the kid’s onesie suit with the googly-eyed goggles sewn in. It’s soaking wet and covered in concrete dust. There are also a few smears of darker red that take a moment to register as blood to the engineer. All he can do is stare at it in utter confusion for a few seconds.

Then it suddenly makes so much fucking sense and Tony is so damn stupid. Of course It’s Peter, of course it’s always been the kid. Of fucking course his soulmate is the superpowered genius orphan with a guilt complex as big as his own. Of course it's the kid who agreed to help fight when Tony needed him the most. It was right in front of his face and he’s an idiot for not realizing that he found his soulmate nearly six months ago.

A soulmate who he’s been foisting off on Happy and refused to grow close to out of paranoid fear. A soulmate who’s looked up to Tony his whole life despite how shitty of a person Tony is. A soulmate who has obviously gone out in his homemade onesie of a suit and has obviously been wounded recently, if the fresh blood on the mask is anything to go by.

“FRIDAY, call the Forehead of Security,” Tony orders, vaguely realizing that his hands have started to tremble.  

As soon as the line connects, Tony is speaking before his friend can get a word in. “Happy, where’s the kid?”

“Tony- what?” Happy asks, sounding baffled, “Who? Parker?”

“Yes. What other kid do we both know? Where is he?” Tony questions.

“Why are you asking me? I don’t know. You have his number don’t you? Or just call his-” Happy cuts himself off, and for a moment Tony thinks the connection dropped until he hears Happy swearing, “Shit! Shit!”

“What?” the engineer demands.

There's a long moment of silence and Tony thinks he might actually hear Happy gulp. “The plane. It just went down.”

“Oh God, that’s what he’s doing,” Tony breathes out, heart clenching, “Peter’s there, Happy! He’s trying to stop it and he’s going to get himself killed!”

“What? How do you know? Besides I thought you took his suit?”

“I did! But I found his old Spider-Man mask covered in dirt and blood!” Tony practically shouts into the phone, the fear he feels coming out easier as anger.

Happy is silent for a moment, maybe stunned at the outburst. “Tony what are you talking about? You’re upstate-”

“You aren’t getting it,” Tony cuts him off, feeling panic starting to win over anger, “I just found it in the lab! The lab that Peter has never set foot in! On my work table that was clear about five minutes ago!”

“What..? But that means...” there’s a sharp intake of breath from the other end of the line, “Oh God. Shit- Okay. Coney Island that’s where-”

“I’m on my way,” Tony says, shoving Peter’s mask into his pocket and stepping into a suit, hoping with everything he has that the kid, his kid, is okay.

Then he’s blasting out of the lab’s launchpad, streaking through the sky towards the glowing beacon of New York City in the far distance as fast as the suit can take him. He tries to call Peter from his HUD but it goes straight to voicemail and Tony tries not to lose it completely.

---

When Tony finds Peter, bleeding, battered, and unconscious on top of the Cyclone coaster he greys out. FRIDAY is feeding him info on the kid’s condition and giving him instructions, but even as Tony’s body moves to follow her recommendations, it’s like he’s not even there. Or maybe he is but only in flashes, like his brain is skipping.  

One moment Tony’s picking the kid up as if he’s made of porcelain and the next he’s shooting off into the air, streaking back towards the compound since he stupidly moved upstate and left Peter without support in the city. It feels like Tony blinks and he’s landing again and Helen and her team are taking Peter’s limp blood covered body from Tony’s arms. He thinks Pepper calls him, and then Happy.

He has no idea what he says to either of them.

And then, what must be hours later, it feels like Tony finally wakes up in the compound’s medby, sitting at Peter’s bedside. The kid’s old mask is still bulging out of his pocket. He pulls it out and stares at it for a bit before looking back at his kid, his soulmate, laid out in the narrow bed.

Peter in his hospital scrubs is smaller and paler than Tony has ever seen him against the crisp white sheets. Not that he’s seen much of the kid, a dark part of his thoughts remind him. The kid’s broken ribs and head wound are bandaged, and he’s got an air cast for a wrist fracture. Helen’s got him hooked up to a complicated IV drip of some sort and FRIDAY is keeping careful track of the spiderling’s vitals on a nearby monitor.

Tony doesn’t remember too much of what Helen said about Peter’s injuries, other than they were somewhat severe and he’d lost a good bit of blood, but they thankfully hadn’t had to operate. Although he remembers there had been a fair amount of stitches needing to be done on the kid’s torso. That and something about having to give him an insane amount of pain meds to even touch his metabolism.

Peter shivers in his sleep and Tony hesitates for a moment before pulling the blankets up higher and tucking the teen in. After a few minutes the shivering stops, and tentatively Tony takes one of Peter’s hands in his. The kid’s hand is cold and a bit clammy in his, but Tony doesn’t mind. His curls are adorably wild and the engineer has to resist the urge to brush them out of Peter’s face.  

Tony doesn’t know how long he sits there holding his soulmate's hand, going over in his head again and again what he could possibly say to the kid, before he feels Peter grip his hand back weakly.

“Finally back with us, Pete?” Tony asks with a softness he didn’t know he possessed when the spider kid’s eyes start to slit open.

“Mis’r S’ark?” the teen slurs still half asleep.

Tony manages a weak grin. “The one and only.”

“Wha’ are you doin’ here?” Peter mumbles squinting his eyes open a bit more.

Tony squeezes the kid’s hand. “Didn’t want you to wake up alone and freak out.”

The physical contact and words seem to get through some of Peter’s drowsiness and confusion because he blinks rapidly then snatches his hand out of Tony’s own. The engineer tries not to feel stung by the action.

“Oh my god, your plane! Toomes! Is he okay, is anyone hurt?!” the teen asks frantically.

Tony is quick to stop the spiderling from trying to sit up. “The only one hurt was you, kid.”

Peter slumps back against the pillows. “That’s good.”

“It’s really not. Peter, you could have-” Tony cuts himself off and breathes out a long sigh, not wanting to lecture the kid while he’s still recovering.

The kid is giving him a wary look, like he’s waiting for Tony to lose it on him again. It makes him feel like even more of a piece of shit. So he does the only thing he can think of and holds the Spider-Man mask out to the kid.

“I found this,” Tony says abruptly.

“Oh. At the old warehouse?” Peter asks, taking it from him without meeting his eyes.  

“No. In my lab.”

The spider kid’s head pops up at that, confused. “But, Mr. Stark, I’ve never been to your lab. And I had it for part of the fight with Toomes.”

Tony nods and clears his throat. Well, now or never. “I know. But you did lose it.”

Peter’s brow furrows in confusion. Tony sees it dawn on the kid after a few seconds, his eyes going wide and shooting up to stare at the engineer.  

“You… So you’re…” the kid stutters.

“Yeah, kid. I’m your soulmate and I’ve got several boxes full of old toys, clothes, and backpacks that I’ve been holding onto for a long time,” Tony tells the boy feeling a little choked up.

Peter doesn’t say anything, he’s still staring at Tony looking completely gobsmacked. When the silence continues to stretch on, the engineer feels his insides squirm with insecurity. After everything that’s happened, maybe Peter doesn’t want to deal with such a shitty soulmate. Tony’s not sure he’d be too forgiving after the last few months of no contact and a near deathmatch with a supervillain that probably could have been avoided.  

When Peter still doesn’t manage to get a word out, Tony lets himself deflate. “I don’t blame you if you don’t want anything to do with me anymore. I know I’m not anyone’s first choice of well…anything generally, and you deserve a better soulmate and mentor... But give me another chance, Pete. It won’t be perfect at first but let me try and fix-”

“That’s-!” Peter bursts in suddenly, cutting him off, “That’s not true Mr. Stark. The whole ‘not anyone’s first choice’ crap, I mean. You were...one of my first heroes and- and you still are. Both in a science and superhero sense. And yeah you, uh, do really suck at the whole…emotional availability thing, but you just need practice. Probably.”

Tony finds his mouth twitching up, especially when Peter’s ears go red at the last bit. The kid is endearingly honest and awkward.

“What I mean is, that I’ve been trying to follow your footsteps for a long time now. And I forgive you for the whole…ghosting me thing, and I don’t blame you for taking the suit after the ferry. And I want to be your soulmate if you’ll still have me after I crashed your plan, and-” Peter cuts off his own rambling and looks down, still flushed with embarrassment, “Sorry, I’m totally still freaking out that it’s you.”

“You and me both kid, I don’t know what I did to deserve compassionate, responsible, superhero Peter Parker as my soulmate,” Tony tells the kid, and immediately shoots for a joke to cut away from the vulnerability of that statement,  “Even if you’re a little shit that gives me grey hair, especially with all the all the times I’ve nearly broken my neck tripping on your stuff over the years.”

“Well, I don’t know what I did to deserve Tony freaking Stark as my soulmate, even if he only loses boring crap like ties and metal scraps. Seriously, Ned’s soulmate lost Nintendo DS games and all I had to show from mine were socks or nuts and bolts. You made me so lame, Mr. Stark,” Peter whines dramatically, a spark of mischief in his eyes.

“Oh yeah, and it doesn’t ruin my very polished image as Tony Stark, billionaire genius, to trip over your Legos while out in public?” the engineer teases back, ruffling the kid’s hair.

Peter gives him a big innocent grin in response like the smartass he is and Tony just rolls his eyes.

The engineer leans forward and opens his arms in invitation. “C’mere spiderling.”

Peter lights up and gingerly leans into the embrace, careful of his injured ribs. He lets out a soft sigh of contentment and Tony won’t admit to anyone that the sound makes him melt a bit.

“Is this actually a hug this time, since there’s no door to get?” Peter questions with false innocence after a few moments.

Tony snorts. “Yes, you little shit it’s a hug.”

Peter’s laughter in his ear is the best thing he’s heard in months.

“So, when do we get to return each other’s stuff? Can we do it now?” the spider kid asks when they break apart, excitement shining in his eyes even as they began to droop with fatigue.

“Not till you’re healed, first of all. And we’ll have to take a day to do it. It’s a lot to go through. You’ve lost a lot of stuff over the years, kiddo,” Tony tells him, helping to settle the drowsy kid back under the bedsheets.

“We’ve got time,” Peter yawns, “Besides, if I didn’t lose anything, then how would you ever know to come find me and give it back Mr. Stark?”

Smiling fondly Tony finally gives in and starts combing his fingers through Peter’s hair. “I’ll always come find you, Pete.”

The spiderling gives a happy sleepy murmur in response before he slips back into sleep.

***

A few weeks later, after May had found out about everything, superhero alter egos and soulmates included, Peter is finally ungrounded enough to be allowed to go to the compound one weekend. May and Tony had talked a lot in the last few weeks and she had come to terms with everything. Well, after a lot of yelling at least. But now she was glad that Peter had another adult to care for him and watch over him.

Peter wasn’t just teasing about his not losing much over the years. He’s only brought over about three cardboard boxes worth of forgotten items. It’s a stark contrast to the eight or so big plastic bins that Mr. Stark keeps Peter’s things in. To be fair, he knows Mr. Stark has an eidetic memory which makes it pretty easy to keep track of most of his things, while Peter seems to be a bit more of a disorganized genius.

Mr. Stark starts in on his collection first, cooing over Peter’s baby toys and books while the teen sputters in embarrassment. In retaliation Peter just shoves the entire box of screws, nuts, bolts, and other assorted metal bits of various sizes at his mentor with a huff. Even Mr. Stark admits that it would be pretty boring stuff for a kid to find. Although Peter does confess to using a few spare parts in his refurbishing of tech he’d found in the trash.  

“Oh wow, I always wondered what happened to my red Power Ranger!” Peter exclaims when he spots the bright flash of red and white in the box of toys Mr. Stark has just opened, “I was so sure one of the other kids at school had stolen it.”

“I found that guy when I was in Afghanistan,” his mentor divulges quietly.

Peter freezes half way through grabbing the toy. “What?”

“When… When I was kidnapped, I tripped over it in the cave the Ten Rings kept us in. I carried him around with me the whole time after that. That little dude went through the ringer with me then,” Mr. Stark explains ruefully, his eyes locked on the battered action figure.

The expression on Mr. Stark’s face is hard to decipher. It’s sad and haunted, but there’s also some deep fondness as he looks at the plastic Power Ranger. Obviously there are a lot of heavy memories tied to the toy, good and bad.

“You should keep it, Mr. Stark,” Peter says firmly, gently pushing the action figure back into his mentor’s hand.  

Surprised, Mr. Stark seems to shake himself out of whatever stupor he’d fallen into. “You sure, kid?”

“Yeah.”

Mr. Stark doesn’t have to say anything, but Peter can tell. His Red Ranger means a lot to his mentor. It’s not something Peter wants to take away from him. Mr. Stark gives him a warm smile, his genuine one that he saves only for a select few people, and sits the toy on his work desk in a place of honor.

“Are you good to keep going?” Peter asks uncertainly.

He’s still not sure where the lines are with his mentor yet. They’ve slowly been getting closer over video calls and texts while Peter was grounded, but they’re both still waffling in that awkward phase when you first start actually getting to know someone.

Mr. Stark gives him a soft smile. “Yeah, kid. I’m fine.”

A bit later, after they’ve gone through and reminisced over all Peter’s baby stuff, Tony pulls a big binder out of one of the bins.

“I loved finding your drawings,” his mentor admits, “Rhodey, well you’d know him as War Machine, hung some up on the fridge as a joke when I showed them to him. And then, before I knew it, I was putting them up there myself.”

“You did what?!” Peter gapped, “Mr. Stark!”

“Oh come on kid, your artwork was adorable. Especially after the Battle of New York and I started finding a lot more Iron Man drawings. I even had a few of them framed,” his mentor grins.

Peter gives him a flat look. “You did not.”

In response, Mr. Stark  just raises an eyebrow and pulls a framed colored pencil drawing of Iron Man out of one of the bins. It’s not a bad likeness, done on lined notebook paper depicting Iron Man blasting a giant monster out of the sky. Peter vaguely remembers having drawn the thing when he was bored during math class a few years ago. The teacher confiscated it when she saw he wasn’t paying attention and Peter never did get it back.

The teen hides his red face behind his hands. “Oh my God.”

Iron Man literally put Peter’s childhood artwork up on his fridge like a proud dad. He doesn’t know if he wants to preen or hide from knowing that.  

Mr. Stark just laughs and claps him on the shoulder. “Don’t be like that, kid. Come on, I can’t not be proud of my kid’s artwork.”

Peter feels himself turning an even deeper shade of red. His kid.

Stuttering out something incomprehensible, Peter reaches for one of his boxes of Mr. Stark’s lost items. Still chuckling, his mentor leans over his shoulder to see what he’s digging through. He makes a surprised noise and reaches down to extract something from the collection.

It’s a very familiar small red screwdriver.

“Well, what do you know? That’s my favorite screwdriver from when I was in MIT. I put DUM-E’s circuit board together with that.”

“Seriously? That’s so cool, Mr. Stark. My parents told me they found it in my crib when I was just a few months old. I used to take it everywhere with me when I was little,” Peter recounts with a small smile.

Mr. Stark’s eyes crinkle, a subtle upward quirk to his lips. “I can see you took good care of it.”

“I’m glad I could finally bring it back to you,” Peter tells him earnestly.

He’ll miss the screwdriver a lot more than he wants to admit, but it’s something so important to Mr. Stark. This is the tool his mentor but his first AI together with. He deserves to finally have it back.

“Keep it, Pete,” Mr. Stark places the tool in Peter’s hand and fold’s the teens fingers over it, “You’ve obviously given it a good home.”

Peter looks up at him. “Are you sure?”

“It couldn’t be in safer hands, kid,” his mentor affirms.

Peter beams in response. He’d been so impatient to meet his soulmate when he was a kid, but now he knows it was well worth the wait. And there’s no one he’d want more as his mentor, father figure, or soulmate than Tony Stark.

@friendly-neighborhood-exchange

[sandwichrin]

A Little into You (Junkyu x Reader) (Ch. 13)

Chapter 13 - Who is he?

Word count: 4.6k words

Genre: Fanfiction, PG13, Comedy, Romance.

A/N: Jajjan! Chapter 13 is here! Hope you all enjoy this one~ Also! Happy Eid Mubarak to my readers who are celebrating it! Talk to you all soon ^^ 🧡

You looked back at Chani who was still waiting for an answer from the three of you. Well, to be precise, he was waiting on you and Junkyu since Jihoon’s mouth was still covered by his friend.

“I…uh, yeah. I sort of know them,” you said, a little unsure if what you said was right.

“O…kay…”

Jihoon released himself from Junkyu’s grip, now that he was convinced that it really was you standing in front of him.

Jihoon walked up towards you and cupped your face in his hands, his eyes staring directly into yours for a few seconds.

Junkyu and Chani just stared at the both of you, faces close enough to make other people think that you both are probably staring into each other’s eyes out of love, that is, until you grabbed Jihoon’s hands and pulled them away from your face.

Your eyes still boring into his, you furrowed your eyebrows at him and said, “Park Jihoon! What the hell got into you?!”

Jihoon straightened his posture that was slightly slouched earlier since you were shorter than him obviously. He looked away…

…and started laughing out loud.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAA! Oh, y/n! It really is you! I thought that I was seeing a ghost!” he said before continuing his loud laugh.

You looked at him, dumbfounded at what he said. He thought you were a ghost??? Just…how??

You glanced over to look at the other two guys near you, and you saw Chani looking as confused as ever, which you felt sorry for especially since you both have just literally met each other today and he had to witness your (not so new) dramatic antics with your friends.

You looked over at Junkyu who wasn’t far behind Jihoon and there he was, staring at you with that cold gaze again.

You took a step back from where you were standing and shook your head. “This is a lot to handle in a day,” you muttered to yourself.

Chani, noticing your tired expression, hurriedly went over towards you.

“Hey, hey. Come, let’s continue eating. You need the energy for the tour later,” he said as he led you back to your table earlier.

You looked back at your two friends before heading back at your table, only to find Jihoon dragging Junkyu by his arm once you have taken your seat.

Jihoon, with his grin on his face, said to you and Chani, “I guess it’s okay if we join you guys, right?”

Before you could answer him, Chani hurriedly stood up and exclaimed excitedly, “OF COURSE, HYUNG! We would LOVE to have you both join us!” He quickly pushed his tray to the side and pulled both his hyungs to sit next to him.

“Ahh, no, no. We shouldn’t be taking your seat, Chani! We can sit on y/n’s side too,” Jihoon said, referring to the empty seats beside you.

Chani smiled and bowed slightly at his hyung, showing the seat that was opposite you, “It’s okay, hyung! Sit here, I don’t mind,”

“Aw, if you say so,” Jihoon smiled at him.

With that, Jihoon pushed Junkyu down to sit onto the chair that was opposite you, and the both of you accidentally locked eyes with each other.

Junkyu, being flustered with the sudden eye contact with you, hurriedly diverted his eyes upwards, looking up at the roof of the balcony.

You noticed him avoiding your gaze so you looked elsewhere as well, a little confused as to why he’s behaving that way towards you again.

Suddenly, you saw a tray of food being placed beside you.  

You raised your head to see Jihoon pulling the chair beside you and sitting himself there. He lifted the food from the tray and set it in front of Junkyu before setting another bowl for himself in front him.

Jihoon turned to you and smiled, his warm smile at you.

This made you smile back at him.

You admit, Jihoon had always been dramatic around you but then again, you knew that this particular friend of yours is also able to warm your heart up whenever you felt tired or at loss.

“Alright, let’s eat up!” Jihoon announced before he started eating his food.

You nodded at this and continued eating your sandwich in front of you.

Chani sipped on his drink before proceeding to ask, “So, you’re friends with Treasure too, huh?” he directed the question to you.

You lift your eyes to look at him and simply nodded since your mouth was busy chewing on your sandwich again.

“Aigoo, we’re all very close, aren’t we, y/n?” Jihoon, beside you said, his teasing grin forming on his face.

You shot him a weird look. You felt like you knew that look on his face.

And as if he read what’s on your mind, he spoke up again, “Aigoo, don’t look at me like that! Hey, Chani, did y/n tell you how she met us?”

Chani shook his head. His eyes lit up as he leaned close towards you and Jihoon to hear more. “No! How??”

“Well, she first met Hyunsuk through this funny incident,”

Oh no. Not this story. Not this embarrassing story.

Jihoon chuckled to himself, as he fixed himself on his seat, “So one day Hyunsuk was walking to the building that one fine day, and he met y/n while she was feeding a cat. And then—”

Before Jihoon could continue, your hand was already covering his mouth.

Junkyu and Chani watched you with their eyes wide.

You looked at them and you stuttered, “E-enough about that! You should try my sandwich Jihoon!” You hurriedly remove your hand from his mouth and pushed your sandwich to his face, forcing him to take a bite.

Jihoon chuckles out loud and bit on your sandwich, holding in his laugh as he chewed on the sandwich after you took it away from him.

“Hey, that’s not fair! You didn’t even offer me your sandwich just now,” Chani whined.

At this point you were just glad that both him and Junkyu didn’t ask further about what happened between you, Hyunsuk and the cat on that particular day.

You forced a smile at Chani and pushed your sandwich at him. “Here, here. Just take it all. It’s good.”

“Oh? You’re done eating?”

You smiled and nodded at him, a forced one that is. Though Chani thought that you were really giving him the sandwich because you didn’t want it.

You shot Jihoon a glare, showing him that you weren’t happy with him trying to expose your embarrassing first encounter with Hyunsuk.

Jihoon continued eating his rice and grinned happily at you, obviously happy that he got to tease you.

You rolled your eyes at him and turned your focus on your drink. You sipped on your straw and let yourself get lost in your thoughts.

Junkyu had his head low as he ate his food quietly, but his eyes would look at you once in a while, watching you as you stared into space, your lips sipping on your straw.

Junkyu couldn’t explain it nor does he understood what he was feeling at the moment—No, he couldn’t understand what he feels whenever he sees you.

He gets agitated and irritated every time he sees you lately, he realises this, yes. But then, when he sees you being all quiet to yourself and not paying attention to anyone or anything around you, he feels his heart beat a strange tempo.

                                                                  *

 Junkyu was finishing the bowl of rice in front of him when he suddenly heard a familiar voice approaching, and singing.

“Eating by the rooftop~ Eating in the balcony~ Eating with my beloved members in harmony~” Jaehyuk’s voice appeared before himself as Junkyu sees him entering the balcony, a paper bag in hand.

Junkyu snickered to himself. Jaehyuk must have invented that song on his own on the way up here, he thought to himself.

“Oh? Hyung! We got some desserts for all of us!” Jaehyuk said happily as soon as he saw Junkyu from afar.

His voice made you turn your head to see who it was, and this made Jaehyuk stop in his tracks when he saw your face.

“Eh??” Jaehyuk exclaimed loudly.

“Whoa, oh my god, Jaehyuk-aa why’d you stop in the middle of the way!” Hyunsuk said as he almost bumped into Jaehyuk, his hands also bringing a paper bag.

His head turned to see the direction Jaehyuk was looking as well and he lets out a gasp.

“Yo! What??” he exclaimed out loud, his feet stopping in his tracks as well.

Mashiho entered the balcony and frowned at both the boys who were blocking his way.

“Okay, okay! Move, move, let’s not waste time standing here,” he said as he tried to push them aside so he could walk over to your table.

“Mashi! Here, here!” Junkyu called out to him.

Mashiho, oblivious to you being there, happily marched up towards the table and placed his hand on Junkyu’s shoulder.

He smiled at everyone at the table and then his eyes landed on you.

“Eh? Y/n?” he asked.

You gave him a small smile.

Hyunsuk and Jaehyuk rushed over towards the table and placed the paper bags onto the table.

“We’re gonna need to pull more tables and join them together if we want everyone to fit here,” Mashiho said.

Jihoon got up from his seat beside you and nodded to Mashiho’s request. Him and Mashi immediately started lifting tables from the other side to join together with your table.

“Oh?! But y/n, what are you doing here??” Hyunsuk asked, still confused as to why you’re at their company’s building.

You blinked at him, amused with the question he was asking. At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if all of their members ask you the same question.

Chani finished his last bite on your sandwich and raised his hand, wanting to catch his hyung’s attention as well.

“Hyung! Hiiii! I’m here too!” he said, his mouth muffled slightly.

“Ahhh Chani! You’re here too! Aigoo, what a cutie!” Hyunsuk cooed, his eye smile forming.

“Y/n, if I knew you were here, I would’ve bought extra ice cream for you too,” Jaehyuk said to you, feeling bad.

“What? N-no! It’s fine, Jaehyuk. Besides, no one knew I was here anyways,” you smiled at him, trying to assure him that it was indeed no biggie for you.

“B-but, why are you here?” Hyunsuk asked again, not being able to let go of the question that was bothering him.

You tilt your head slightly at him. A smirk formed on your lips, “Let me guess, you thought I was a ghost too?”

                                                                  *

 Not long after, Yedam and Yoshi had also joined you all at the balcony, all of you chatting and eating lunch together.

Jaehyuk pulled out an ice cream sandwich from one of the paper bags brought by him and Hyunsuk earlier and tore the wrapping, revealing a square-sized ice cream sandwich, the size of his palm.

Your eyes glanced over at him, since the sound of him tearing the wrapper off caught your attention.

“Oh? Did you buy that from the convenience store downstairs, hyung?” Chani asked, also interested in the ice cream Jaehyuk was holding.

Jaehyuk smiled and nodded at him.

Chani looked at you and he noticed your eyes still staring at the ice cream sandwich in Jaehyuk’s hands.

“Oh? Y/n? Do you want one? I can go and buy some for us too,” he said to you.

You snapped out of your trance and turned your attention to him, who was sitting beside Junkyu.

“What?” You asked, since you weren’t really paying attention to what he asked earlier.

“Ice cream? You want some?”

“Oh,” you smiled and shook your head at him. “It’s fine, no thanks,”

Jihoon was taking out his ice cream from the paper bag and he proceeded to hand one over to you.

You unconsciously received it into your hands and started tearing the packet open.

Once it was opened, you passed the ice cream to Jihoon back whom was sitting beside you as before.

Jihoon looked at you weirdly. “What’s this?”

You looked down at the teared-up packet in your hands. “Oh? You gave it to me? Wasn’t it because you wanted me to help you open it?”

Jihoon smirked at you.

You raised your eyebrows at him, questioning his expression towards you right now.

“Aww y/n, oh no. You did something without permission too, tsk tsk,” he clicked his tongue, emphasising the fact that you somehow did something wrong now.

You frowned at him, the ice cream feeling less cold in your hand now.

“Okay, what is it, Jihoon?”

“Oh? That ice cream in your hands,” he pointed at your hands, “is Kim Junkyu’s,” he said this, his smirk never leaving his face.

Your eyes widened hearing this. You turned your head to look at Junkyu who was sitting opposite you, his face just as surprised as you are.

“W-what? You’re kidding, right?” You asked Jihoon, although you had a feeling he wasn’t.

“No, I’m not. I handed it over to you because I wanted you to pass it over to Junkyu, but you immediately tore the packet open without even letting me say anything so…”

Your jaw fell. You hurriedly pulled Junkyu’s hands and placed the slowly melting ice cream sandwich into his hands. You held his hands in yours and stared straight into his eyes, “Oh my god Junyku, I had no idea! I am so so sorry!”

Junkyu was too stunned to respond to you because first- he was surprised to receive the cold dessert into his hands, and secondly, your hands were holding his hands, right this very second.

Noticing that Junyku was just staring at you blankly, you let go of his hands and started packing up your phone into your bag.

“Y/n? What are you doing? Are you going somewhere?” Hyunsuk asked, noticing you were all flustered and packing up.

“Huh? I, uh, I’m gonna go get a new ice cream sandwich from the store downstairs,”

Hearing this, Jihoon and Junkyu both stood up at the same time.

This made you stop what you were doing. You looked at the both of them, confused.

“W-what? What’s with you both?” You asked, your arms hugging your bag close to your chest. You felt small right now, since you were still in your seat and these two tall guys stood up in all of a sudden.

Everyone else at the table stopped chatting and focused on the three of you now.

“What? I stood up because I spilt some of the ice cream on my pants, see?” Jihoon showed the white patch of vanilla ice cream on his pants.

Everyone, including you, nodded at this and turned to face Junkyu who looked all panicky now.

“I…uh, I uh,” he swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling nervous now that everyone is staring at him. “I uh, y/n!”

“Y-yes!” You said in response to him when he said your name.

“D-don’t buy me a new one, this is fine,” he said, his voice shaking a bit.

“O-okay,” you said.

Both Jihoon and Junkyu sat back in their chairs at the same time, and Yoshi couldn’t help but laugh seeing the three of you being awkward for a second there.

Hyunsuk shook his head, also giggling with what happened, “I don’t know if you guys realise this but- Junkyu, Y/n and Jihoon always have the most awkward interactions together,”

Everyone at the table laughed at this, except for you and Junkyu. What was weird was that Jihoon was laughing as well.

“Yeah but I feel like Junkyu has the most awkward moments with y/n,” he said in between his laughs.

“Pfft remember when Junkyu spit out that cola drink at y/n??” Yedam added. “CLASSIC!”

You looked at them and smiled timidly, noticing that Junkyu was pouting while he ate up the melted ice cream in his hands.

You were about to take a sip off your glass again when you felt your phone buzzing from your bag.

Taking your phone out, you answered the call.

“Yes? Ahuh. Yup, sure, I can go now,” you said in response to the person talking to you on the other side of the line. “Okay, see you!”

You ended the call and kept it back into your bag.

“Who was it, y/n?” Jaehyuk asked you.

“Oh, that was my team leader. She said that she wanted me to accompany her back to the meeting room,”

“Oh? But lunch isn’t over in 15 minutes?” Chani added.

“Yeah well, I know Soomin. She likes to go through some materials before we start anything. So, she probably wants to run us through the guidelines of the tour before we start roaming around, you know?”

“Ahh I see,” Chani said with a nod.

“Well, I guess I’ll be going off first. Enjoy your lunch—and desserts!” you said to your friends as you stood up, fixing your bag on your shoulder.

The rest of the boys smiled and waved their hands at you, some saying goodbye to you and telling you to take care.

You were leaving the table when a voice stopped you.

“Wait, y/n!”

You turned around to see Chani hurrying over towards you.

“I’ll go with you!”

“Oh? You don’t have to, really. You can just stay and hang with your friends here if you want to,”

“Nah, I have to go for the tour with the rest of yous anyways,”

You shrugged at him. “Okay, sure,” With that, you proceeded walking towards the door to enter the cafeteria again, with Chani tagging closely behind you.

You were entering the cafeteria from the balcony when you passed by the maknae line of Treasure.

They had just got back from school and was immediately sent to the YG Building of course, and given that Jaehyuk had texted them to head to the balcony once they’ve arrived, they were all on their way to meet their hyungs when they crossed paths with you.

“And then he said to me that pastel highlighters don’t necessarily work in helping you memorise your notes because the colours are just for aesthetic purposes,” Junghwan said to Jeongwoo who was walking alongside him.

Now the kids didn’t notice it was you passing them by until Chani greeted them.

“Doyoung! Hey!” Chani called out to Doyoung who was walking alone right behind Jeongwoo and Junghwan.

“Oh hey, hyung! You’re having lunch quite early today,” Doyoung stopped to talk to him.

“Yeah, I’m just accompanying my friend since I joined her team’s course this month,”

“Ahh, I see. Oh? You were from the balcony? Are the rest over there as well?” Doyoung asked, referring to his hyungs.

“Yeah, we had lunch together,” Chani replied happily. “Oh wait,” he continued since he noticed you walking further ahead from him already by now.

“Y/n! Wait up!” Chani called out to you, making you turn around again this time, to see Doyoung, Jeongwoo and Junghwan all staring at you with surprised looks on their faces.

“W-wait—” Jeongwoo said, him and Junghwan both ending their conversation abruptly the moment they heard Chani calling out your name.

And surely enough, when they all turned around to see if it really was the y/n they know, it indeed was you.

“Chani, I really need to go, I’m so sorry,” you said to him, your face expressing an apologetic look. “You can stay here and chat with them, okay? I’ll meet you in the meeting room later!” you said as you hurriedly left since you didn’t want to keep Soomin waiting for you.

“Ah, shucks, I should go. I don’t want to miss any pre-tour briefings too,” Chani said to the three of them. He bowed slightly and smiled as he waved his hands at them, “Bye y’all! I’ll catch up with you all next time!”

And by the time Chani had left their side, the three boys exchanged looks with each other.

“That…was y/n, wasn’t it?” Doyoung asked, in case he was the only one who saw you earlier.

“It looked like y/n-noona…” Junghwan said, his tone unsure as well.

“Oh! Ruto-aa!” Jeongwoo waved to their friend when he saw him entering the cafeteria door.

Haruto ran towards them. “Sorry for making you all wait, my Korean language class ended a bit late today,” he said as soon as he reached the spot they were all standing at.

“Nah it’s fine,” Jeongwoo said.

“Why are you all standing here, though? I thought we were all supposed to meet up outside?”

“Oh, right! The hyungs must be waiting for us,” Doyoung said as he led them all towards the balcony doors.

                                                                   *

 The hyung line watched as Chani followed you out of the balcony.

“Huh, I wonder how in the world did Chani became friends with y/n,” Yedam wondered aloud, making all his hyungs pay attention to him.

“What? I’m just wondering,” Yedam stated, when he noticed his hyungs looking at him.

“No, no, Yedam has a point there,” Jihoon said.

“Right? They seem…quite close? I mean, if y/n has been friends with Chani for some time, she probably would’ve mentioned it to us since Chani is from our company as well,” Yedam explained.

The rest nodded hearing this from him.

“Huh, that’s true though…”

“I guess it only makes sense for Chani to be friends with y/n though. I mean, even when Hyunsuk first met y/n, he was so smittened by her he kept talking about her for days,” Jihoon said as he munched on his ice cream sandwich.

“H-hey! I wasn’t smittened by her!”

“Pfft, please hyung, you keep whining about how packed our schedules were and you never got her name and contact number,” Jihoon rolled his eyes as he said this.

“Hey, she was a really nice person, okay! I can’t help but feel attracted in being friends with someone like her,” Hyunsuk said, slightly pouting now.

Jaehyuk, who was beside Hyunsuk, pat his hyung’s head gently and smiled as he said, “It’s okay hyung, you can say she’s nice and pretty, which is why you feel like she’s an attractive person to be friends with,”

The rest of them laughed seeing how Hyunsuk turned red from being teased by both Jihoon and Jaehyuk.

Junkyu listened to their conversation but his head was somewhere else at the moment.

He kept thinking about how he felt your hands holding his earlier. His heart started pounding fast, thinking about you always gets him all uncomfortable, in his opinion. Like, he could just look at you from afar, and he would feel uneasiness in his chest. He wasn’t sure what this feeling was, and although it made him uncomfortable, he realised that he doesn’t entirely hate that feeling.

“Hyung?”

Mashiho’s voice pulled Junkyu back to reality.

“Yes, Mashi?”

“You okay? You seem…quiet,”

Junkyu shook his head and flashed an assuring smile towards his friend, “Nothing, I was just thinking about some stuff,”

“Okay,” Mashiho grinned at him, making Junyku smile even wider seeing his friend’s cute expression.

And just as the rest of them were talking about something else, the maknae line entered the balcony, Junghwan and Jeongwoo in front of the rest, as they were still talking about how Junghwan’s classmate kept telling him how pastel-coloured highlighters aren’t as effective as neon-coloured ones.

“He said that neon-coloured ones leave a stronger impact on our brains, which makes it easier to memorise notes!” Junghwan explained to his hyung, as he pulled the chair opposite Junkyu, settling himself there.

Jeongwoo on the other hand, placed his bag on the chair beside Junkyu, where Chani was seated before this. “Aigoo, Junghwan-aa. You don’t really believe that, do you? Did you read a scientific research on that matter?”

“No…”

“There you go, then it’s okay for you to keep using your pastel-coloured highlighters for your notes, okay?”

“Okay hyung…”

Seeing that all his dongsaengs are already seated in their seats, Yoshi started distributing the packed foods they bought for the younger ones from the convenience store earlier.

“Thank you hyung,” Haruto said as he unwrapped the kimbap he received from Yoshi.

“Eat up~” Yoshi said with his gentle smile.

“Oh, hyung!” Doyoung said as he took his bite off his toasted tuna sub that his hyungs bought for him.

“What is it, Doyoung?” Yoshi asked, wondering if there was something wrong with his dongsaeng’s sandwich.

“Ahh, we saw y/n on the way here. Did you all have lunch with her and Chani-hyung just now?”

Your name made Junyku paid attention to Doyoung who was on the other end of the table.

“Ah, yeah! Y/n’s company sent her team here to brief our staff on a course. Although I’m not sure how Chani was linked to her in any ways,” Jihoon answered.

“Ahh, I see. Oh, I think Chani mentioned something along the lines of him taking the course with y/n?” Doyoung said, though he was a little unsure if what he said was right.

“Eh? Y/n was here?” Haruto asked, since he was the only who didn’t get to see you just now.

Jeongwoo, who was beside Junkyu, nodded in response to Haruto’s question. “That’s right. I heard him say he’s taking the course with y/n,”

“Oh? That’s weird. Why would Chani take a course from PEWA?” Mashiho asked.

“Come to think of it, it is weird to have Chani joining a course from PEWA. I thought I saw the notice the other day that the course was only for the permanent staffs who have worked here for over two years,” Jaehyuk said.

“Wait—Y/n works under PEWA??” Haruto asked, feeling that he was a little behind on the topic his hyungs are discussing on.

Hyunsuk simply nodded at Haruto’s question.

The rest of the table kept quiet for a while, trying to process what was really going on.

“Hmm. I guess, Chani-hyung joined the course because he felt like it would benefit him for his internship?” Doyoung guessed.

This made most of his hyungs scoff at him, including Junkyu.

“Come on, Doyoungie. You don’t really think that, do you?” Hyunsuk asked him, an eyebrow raised on his face.

Doyoung shrugged at this. “Hey, we should always be positive, no?” he bit off his sandwich again as he waits for his hyungs’ answers.

“Pfft, what internship? He’s practically a reserved employee here,” Jihoon muttered to himself.

“Then…do you all think…y/n knows who Chani really is?” Yoshi asked, a little concerned now.

This earned a sigh from almost everyone at the table.

“It’s not Chani I’m worried about to be honest. It’s his other half that I’m worried about, you know? He’s always trying to bring Chani down. And if he finds out Chani having a close friend here, don’t you think he’ll do something about it?” Yedam stated matter-of-factly.

“Ahh, you’re talking about that case last year?” Jaehyuk asked.

Yedam hummed at him.

“Oh? But we’re close with Chani, and he did nothing to us?” Junkyu spoke up, finally.

“Nah, he can’t do anything to us and any of the artists here, you know that. That’s why every artists here are on Chani’s side, especially since last year’s case,”

“I mean, I feel sorry for Chani but at the same time, having y/n close to him right now…might be risky…” Hyunsuk added.

The rest of them stopped eating, drinking and whatever they were doing and exchanged glances with each other, a worried look on their faces.

 To be continued…

[satsurikusajira]

Needles 05

words: 3905

reverse harem (OC x everyone)

chapter 01

Rin raised her fist to knock on the door before her, only to hear a familiar voice call:

"Enter."

She swallowed her surprise and slid the door open. She saw Captain Hitsugaya sitting at a desk, a pile of papers in front of him, and Lieutenant Matsumoto lying on a couch.

"Ah, Rin-chan, you made it!" The busty woman sat up and stretched.

"Um...I thought you said you had the day off?" Rin glanced at the vein popping on the captain's forehead.

"You did, did you?" His low voice sent chills through Rin, but Lieutenant Matsumoto seemed immune to it.

"I need to get her ready for her trip to the world of the living! Since I won't be going, I need her at her best to enjoy enough for the both of us!" She kept going about how unfair it was that she wasn't the presiding lieutenant, even though she specifically requested to take the students this year.

"Captain, I can come back later if this is a bad time." Rin murmured to the shorter Shinigami.

"She won't be doing any work in this state. might as well get her off my hair." The vein was still pulsing on his face. "Leave, already, Matsumoto. You're too noisy, and I have work."

"Ah. Thank you, Captain!" Rin managed to catch him waving dismissively at them as the excited lieutenant dragged her away. "Rangiku, you shouldn't rile Captain Hitsugaya up like tha-oomph!"

"Rin-chan, you finally called me by my name!"

Rin struggled to pull out of the suffocating embrace. She panted and held Rangiku at arm's length. She was barely given any time to breathe as she was pulled into the bathhouse.

This time of day, the baths were a bit fuller, but they didn't have to wait. Rin smiled politely at the fourth division member who handed them towels and they scrubbed before sinking into the warm pool. Rin sighed at the warmth and rubbed the arm Ikkaku had used as leverage to throw her into the wall yesterday.

"So, if you're not going, who is?" Rin finally asked. She didn't want to admit she was pouting a little.

"Ninth Division Lieutenant, Hsagi Shuuhei." Rangiku was at her usual spot at the edge of the pool, with her head resting against a folded towel. Rin lazily walked backwards until her toes barely touched the floor, then stayed at that depth, frowning at her reflection.

"What's he like? Is he taking us to the museum?" Rin mumbled into the water surface.

"You'll like Hisagi-kun. He's really into music." Rangiku assured her. "I heard you were going to a club...or a bar...or both, I don't remember." Rangiku watched Rin scowl at the water until she came to terms with the situation. They lazed a little bit more before leaving to dry off and walk to Rangiku's quarters.

Rangiku had laid a variety of clothes out for her, but Rin was more concerned about the limp body thrown on a chair.

"What." She pointed. "Is that?"

"Oh, that's your gigai." Rangiku barely glanced at it. "This isn't just a random graduation party. It's your first test to see if you adapt to your gigai. So you can go on missions in the world of the living later on." She explained. Rin made an 'oh' with her mouth and nodded.

"How do I...put it on?" She grabbed the wrist of the beige gigai and inspected it. It had no distinguishing features. "How do we make it look like me?"

"Just pull it on as if it were clothing. Slip into it." Rangiku guided her into the creepy doll and after a bright flash, she was feeling as if she were wearing a too tight one-piece.

"It's too tight!" Rin moved around to try and loosen the thing containing her soul.

"They're always too tight." Rangiku nodded.

"Where's my sword?!" Rin patted her back and shoulders, looking for the long blade.

"It disappears when you're in your gigai. Calm down, Rin!"

"What if I need it? What if a Hollow appears?"

"There's going to be a lieutenant there. and you'll receive a soul candy for emergencies." Rangiku forcefully turned her around. "You're getting worked up over nothing. Come, let's get you dressed, we don't have much time." Rin looked down and noticed she was naked. Blushing, she pulled a robe from Rangiku's closet and wrapped herself in it, before paying attention to the clothes the strawberry blonde had laid out for her.

Rangiku had thought of a whole outfit for her. Rin eyed the lacy underwear sceptically, but it was surprisingly comfortable, making sure she could dance to her heart's content. Then, she slipped on black jeans. The pair was a bit old, it was a hand-me-down, with a rip behind the left knee and another on the right thigh, but it was soft and stretchy. The high waist felt really comfortable, and Rin marvelled at the illusion of an even thinner waist. She shed the robe to turn and look at herself in the wall mirror, her eyes widening at the upside-down heart her bottom resembled. Rangiku smiled gleefully at how her choices were so well received.

Next, came a silver top. Rin smiled at the style. It covered her breasts, stomach and lower back, but left her shoulders and upper back bare, just two crossed straps to offer support. This allowed her tattoo of a realistic black widow spider to be visible on her left shoulder, one of its long legs reaching up her neck. She threw her hair to the right to make it even more visible. Trying out some movements, she was happy no nipples would be popping out any time soon. Rangiku was ecstatic to find out she had a rich bosom, though not nearly as hefty as hers, and proceeded to fondle Rin until the latter threatened to leave without any makeup.

Rangiku sat her down to do her makeup and begrudgingly acquiesced to not overdo it. Rin didn't need much anyway. She knew she was beautiful (of course she was, she was Yumichika's sister), and needed little to stand out. Her hair, the same colour as her brother's, was uncharacteristically left alone to hang in waves, similar to Rangiku's, down to her elbows. Her lilac eyes were also like her brother's, and the colour popped with the black applied all around it in a smoky style. Rin wasn't fond of lipstick, so Rangiku just smeared a little chapstick on to disguise her nervous habit of chewing the corner of her lip.

It had taken longer than she hoped, and the sun was already setting. Rangiku finally declared her ready after handing her a worn black leather jacket and a pair of platform stiletto ankle boots.

"What's taking you so damn long?" Ikkaku hammered at the door. Rangiku opened the door and ushered Rin out. Her brother's friend was wearing a gigai and human clothes as well and was apparently ready to leave.

"Have fun!" She waved and watched them go.

The air was a little chilly, but Rin didn't mind. She shrugged on her new jacket, but left it open. Finally looking to Ikkaku, she noticed he looked rather nice in a black button-up shirt tucked into dark blue jeans, held up by a simple belt. They were both barefoot as they walked to the edge of the balcony where Ikkaku's black dress shoes were. He slipped into them and turned as Rin spoke.

"You clean up nicely, Ikkaku." She smiled as her hand held on to his shoulder to balance herself as she lifted a foot to slip it into her new (used) boots. After putting on both heels, she was still a head shorter than Ikkaku, who looked appreciatively down at her.

"So do you." He paused, frowning as a thought hit him. "You're gonna be a pain to keep track of, aren't you?"

"You can bet on it." Rin smirked flirtatiously and sashayed away. Ikkaku groaned partly at his task at 'keeping an eye on her' and at the way her hips swayed to compensate for her walking in those death traps she called shoes.

The Senkaimon was open and a few students were passing through, all in gigais and human clothes fit for 'clubbing'. Rin and Ikkaku passed and arrived at a secluded street, following the other students around a corner to a line, where they waited for a while, until Rin sighed in exasperation. Ikkaku was leaning against the wall, watching her get impatient. Rin spotted a large man who was permitting and blocking the entrance into the bar they were trying to enter. Rin caught his eye and shifted her weight to her left leg, cocking her hip and smiling at him. He immediately waved her over, unclasping the royal blue rope between her and the door. Rin took long strides, smiling brilliantly at the man. She rested her hand on his chest and thanked him, slipping inside, all the while ignoring Ikkaku's yells of protest.

The air was close, humid and warm inside the club, and Rin immediately slipped off her jacket, handing it to a girl with green hair and facial piercings behind a counter. The girl gave her a plastic square with a number on it, which Rin pocketed. Finally opening her senses to listen to the music, she was surprised it wasn't electronic, but what she had learned to be a genre of music called 'grunge', or 'metal', or a mixture of both, she couldn't quite place it. She spotted Nakashima's tall frame at the bar and approached him.

"Damn!" He greeted her.

"Damn yourself, slowpoke!" Rin appraised her academy rival. He was tall and lanky, with enough muscle to make the white long-sleeved shirt stretch enticingly across his chest and shoulders.

He laughed and held up two fingers to the barman, who gave him two green glass bottles. Nakashima handed her one and kept another. They toasted, held up their bottles in greeting to the inconspicuous figures watching them and drank deeply.

"Onmitsukido watching you too, huh?" He turned and rested his elbows on the bar behind him.

"Yep. Looks like we're stuck together." Rin hoisted herself up on the barstool.

"I thought Ikkaku was supposed to escort you here. Where is he?" Rin pretended not to hear him over the loud music and pointed to her ear, shaking her head. Nakashima rolled his eyes and turned back to people watch on the dance floor. They spotted a few of their academy friends, but most were mortals. Rin turned her eyes to the stage, where a set of drums with a shaggy blonde behind it, hammering away at the instrument was pushed back to make space for three other people. A bass player, brown hair all over his face and down to his elbows swayed to the music on the right side of the stage. On the left, a beautiful redhead with tits barely contained in her shredded tank top was so far gone into her solo, her booted foot on one of the soundboxes on the edge of the stage. Her long legs were in red checkered trousers, she was the embodiment of sexy. Or so Rin thought, until she turned her eyes to the vocalist, who was nodding his head silently to the guitar solo.

He was tall, slender, and muscular, similar to Nakashima, but he obviously had more training than her colleague. His bare arms and the triangle of skin under his long neck glistened with sweat, his black shirt sticking to his toned chest and a white leather biker vest hanging on his microphone stand. His long fingers were tucked in the pockets of his dark blue jeans, ripped at the knees, and steel-toed boots were tapping to the beat. but what most called attention to him were the tattoos on his face.

"Quit undressing the man with your eyes, Ayasegawa!" Nakashima scoffed.

"You're right, I should do it with my teeth…" Rin slid from her barstool and made her way to the dance floor. The song was just ending, but a new one started soon enough. Rin didn't mind the many hands trailing her body, she herself let her hands roam until she found a nice, curvy girl, shorter than she was, who smelled like strawberries and vanilla. Rin snapped her eyes to the short beauty in front of her and started dancing to the music.

"You are in pain

Take your life, take your life with cocaine

But I am who I am

So I do what I can, when I can

But I can't really do a damn thing!"

Rin was more attracted to the vocalist, and since the tiny minx in her arms danced with her eyes closed, she let her own roam to the stage. Her silver top caught the light as she danced, so she was a reflecting beacon of flashing colours as she moved with the body flush against her side. The vocalist had spotted her.

"So fine this day

All your problems has gone away

But tomorrow, when you wake up

All your problems are back to stay

Your life, a game

Turn it up, turn it up with cocaine

And everytime that you live is a time when you feel

And the only time you heal

Tell me what it is

And it would never be like this

A problem that we have in common

Baby tell me what it is

It probably doesn't mean a piss

Yeah rip my heart apart"

Rin watched the man's lips as he sang.

"Now it's too late, too late to live

Only heaven loves you now

So love it back for once

Just once"

When she noticed him staring at her, she slowly guided her dance partner closer to the stage, roaming her hands over soft curves and allowing the girl to roll her hips against her thigh while resting her wrists on Rin's bare shoulders.

"Now it's too late, too late to live

And my conscience's killing me

So am I alive

But I'm not free

And for all of you that can relate to this too

And for all of you that can relate to this too"

Rin decided to enjoy the small body against her and lowered her head to bury her face in the crook of the minx's neck, but her perfume was way too sweet for Rin's nose. Instead, she turned her head to kiss a shoulder while she pulled the supple hips flush against her.

"White snow

I know

You're on a place where I just can't go

But I hope you do remember

Your snow doesn't warm you in December"

She was made aware of the attention she and her partner were attracting from other dancers by the vocalist snapping his eyes behind her, and decided to edge even closer to the stage.

"You are in pain

Take your life, take your life with cocaine

But I am who I am

So I do what I can, when I can

But I can't really do a damn thing"

The guitarist was really beautiful up close, and Rin couldn't help but throw her a wink.

"Now it's too late, too late to live

Only heaven loves you now

So love it back for once

Just once

Now it's too late, too late to live

And my conscience's killing me

So am I alive

But I'm not free

And for all of you that can relate to this too

And for all of you that can relate to this too"

Rin felt a warm chest touch her back and turned her head to see a man, bolder than the ones around them, sandwich her between himself and her minx, who didn't seem to mind the extra pair of hands on her. She reached back and put her hand on the man's nape, pulling him and the girl in front of her closer to her neck. At the last second, she slipped away and turned to see the two kissing. Rin turned back to the stage to see the vocalist grinning. She was finally close enough to rest her hands on the edge of the stage and prop her weight forward, just as the vocalist put his booted foot next to her hand and knelt down, Rin almost leaning into the space between his legs. He bent forward until their faces were a hand width apart, the microphone between them in his fist, but Rin kept quiet as he continued singing, tilting his head as he openly leered at her.

"Tell me what it is

And it would never be like this

A problem that we have in common

Baby tell me what it is

It probably doesn't mean a piss

Yeah rip my heart apart"

Rin was too far gone into the music and the musky smell of that man in front of her to control her actions, so she twirled surprisingly steadily on her heels to sway along to the refrain.

"You are in pain

Take your life, take your life with cocaine

But I am who I am

So I do what I can, when I can

But I can't really do a damn thing"

She threw her arm up and bobbed her head to the drums. A stranger latched his front to her back and roamed his hands over her body, but she kept her eyes on the vocalist and stepped away from the body and back to the edge of the stage.

"Now it's too late, too late to live

Only heaven loves you now

So love it back for once

Just once"

The vocalist turned his eyebrows up in a pleading manner as he sang, raising his index finger.

"Now it's too late, too late to live

And my conscience's killing me

So am I alive

But I'm not free

And for all of you that can relate to this too

And for all of you that can relate to this too"

The vocalist snatched his vest from the microphone stand, putting the equipment back in its place as the base and guitar players sang:

"Now it's too late...Now it's too late...Now it's too late..."

The tall man walked to the edge of the stage, making Rin step back and watch him drop down in front of her. She shifted her eyes to the stage, but a new band was getting ready behind the one currently playing, waiting for them to finish up. Looking back up at the face leaning over her, she smiled lasciviously and slid her hands up his chest and rested her wrists on his shoulders. She didn't mind the sweat drenching his shirt, even going so far as hooking her finger in his ripped v-neck and pulling it a few centimetres away from his neck to blow air down his chest. He closed his eyes in bliss and threw his head back, and Rin naturally took the chance to run her fingers across the choker on his neck, trailing her fingers down the tendons.

They started swaying to the music the new band was playing, and Rin was enjoying the style much more than she expected, but the man holding on to her waist was faltering. He lowered his head to whisper loudly in her ear over the music.

"Let's go get a drink."

Rin smiled apologetically at him. She figured he'd be dehydrated and overheated after performing on a stage under spotlights, so she grabbed his hand and led him to the bar. She spotted Nakashima sitting with Ikkaku on the far end of the bar and winked at them. She didn't want to deal with their judgemental looks, so she hopped on a barstool and turned her back to them, choosing to cross her legs, but rest her calf on the vocalist's hip as he leaned on the bar and talked to the barman.

Receiving another beer and watching the man cracking open a water bottle, Rin thought about what she was going to do. Well, she knew she wanted that vocalist's face between her thighs, but she had Nakashima, Ikkaku, and two Onmitsukido members to deal with. Her resolve weakened considerably as she watched the man's throat flex as he gulped down the cold water. Some of it drizzled down his throat, making Rin's hand move on its own to grab a napkin and pat him dry. She used the wet napkin to pat his forehead too, receiving a thankful smile.

"Do you need to get some air?" Rin leaned towards his shoulder and spoke loudly to be heard over the music. The man nodded, his eyebrows turned up apologetically. He led her through a side door to a smoking area, sighing in relief at the crisp night air and turning back to Rin, who was digging in her pockets. She fished out a pack of cigarettes and held them up. "You mind?" she asked politely.

"Not if you give me one." he smirked. Rin handed him one and held the lighter as he puffed. Rin pulled a cigarette out for herself, but pocketed the lighter. Instead, she grabbed the man's vest and pulled him closer, so she could light her cigarette on his. He smiled around his smoke, locking gazes with her. "What's your name?" he asked as he watched her exhale to the side.

"Rin."

"Just Rin?" he raised his eyebrows as she smirked.

"I like your voice." Rin changed the subject.

"Yeah? I always thought it was just screaming in tune." He laughed and puffed from between his fingers.

"I'm not saying it's not." Rin laughed at his expression. "But you can pull it off." Rin turned her head to take a drag from her cigarette and rest her head on the wall behind her. She saw him move from the corner of her eyes and felt his lips on her neck. Humming appreciatively, Rin rested the hand that wasn't holding a cigarette on the back of his head and tilted her neck to give him better access.

"I like your tattoo." He mumbled with his lips against the spider on her left shoulder. His lips trailed up the spider's leg towards her ear. "I like your piercings." Rin laughed and turned her head to look at him.

"But you haven't seen them all…" Rin smirked openly and ran her tongue stud over her bottom lip. After a brief moment of slack-jawed surprise, the man leaned closer and whispered against her lips:

"You are so hot." They joined in an open-mouthed kiss, their tongues tangling and their pants mixing with the cigarette smoke outside. After a few moments, they separated and just alternatively breathed in the fresh air and puffed at their cigarettes. His hands were on her waist and hers in his hair. They were barely keeping their cigarettes from burning each other.

Rin settled against the wall while he towered over her, his feet on either side of hers. They finished smoking rather quickly, Rin eager to return inside to dance a little more. She noticed the man looking at her left breast, where she was willing to bet the crisp night air had made her nipple hard enough to show her piercing through the fabric.

"If you play your cards right, you might see that one too." Rin smirked and pulled him back inside the club.

[remywrites5]

For @casualmaraudering who is having a bad day. Have some artist!Remus schmoop. 

***

           Remus sat with his legs crossed in the center of his art studio, an unknown streak of blue paint on his cheek. He scratched his cheek with the back of his paintbrush, unsure why it was itchy to begin with. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he smudged his thumb over one of the lines to soften it slightly.

           The sounds of a motorbike pulled his attention from his canvas just as it always did at 5:15 pm when Sirius Black returned from work. Remus glanced out the slightly ajar window, his head just barely poking over the sill from his place on the floor. Sirius was whistling what appeared to be Another One Bites the Dust as he made his way up the driveway to his front door.

           Feeling inspired, Remus grabbed his phone and pulled up Spotify, letting a playlist of Queen fill the room. He lost himself back in his art for a while until what sounded like hail on his window made him jump. He found a few small pebbles by his feet and went to the window to find Sirius Black standing underneath it.

           Remus put his hands up the bottom of the window and yanked it upwards. Sticking his head out, he found Sirius beaming up at him from his front yard. “Care for a walk?” Sirius asked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

           Remus blinked a few times in surprise. Never mind that Sirius Black was unfairly attractive but they had never spoken more then ten words to each other despite being neighbors for the past two years.

           “Why?”

           Sirius shrugged in response. “You coming or not?”

           Remus considered for a moment and then spent another few moments wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Gorgeous blokes didn’t show up at your window every night for moonlit strolls.

           “Be right down!”

           Remus turned the music off on his phone and shoved it into his pocket. By the front door he crammed his feet into his sneakers before grabbing his wallet and keys. When he opened his front door, Sirius was standing on his front stoop waiting for him.

           “Overalls?” Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement. “Really?”

           “Shut up,” Remus said, rolling his eyes. He stepped outside and made sure his front door was locked. “They’re comfortable and I don’t care if I get paint on them.”

           Sirius walked backwards down the steps in a manner so smooth Remus would have thought it had been rehearsed, however he doubted Sirius Black was practicing on Remus’ front porch. He looked up at Remus expectantly from the few steps the separated them. Remus chewed his bottom lip for a moment and then joined Sirius on the sidewalk.

           “So…” Remus said, breaking the silence as they fell into step with each other.

           “So,” Sirius echoed, grinning mischievously. “Hi. I’m Sirius.”

           “I know that,” Remus said, playing with one of his longer curls by his temple. He really needed to get a haircut. “Is there a point to this?”

           “Does there have to be?”

           “Two years of pleasant greetings and suddenly you want to go for a walk.” Remus sighed and kicked as a rock. “Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”

           Sirius turned and stepped in front of Remus, blocking his path. “Would you ever consider painting me?”

           Remus managed to keep his jaw from dropping but it was a near thing. “If that sentence ends with like one of your French girls I will hit you.”

           Sirius snorted. “I am actually French but we don’t have to go full nude on the first portrait.”

           “Oh you imagine there will be many, do you?” Remus sidestepped Sirius and continued walking. It felt a bit like running away from the handsome man who had just offered to pose nude for him.

           “Don’t you want to know why I want my portrait done?” Sirius asked, following after Remus.

           “Probably so the portrait can grow old for you and you can stay youthful for the rest of time?” Remus quipped over his shoulder.

           “You know,” Sirius said, catching up to Remus. “Oscar Wilde believed art showed more about the artist than the subject. What would you reveal, Remus?”

           Remus swallowed thickly and picked up the pace of his walking. “I want a milkshake,” he said, changing the subject entirely. “Would you like a milkshake?”

           “Remus!” Sirius called out, hurrying to keep up with him. “What’s the rush?”

           Remus didn’t slow down until they’d reached the little diner on the corner. Remus sat down at the counter, as sitting in a booth across from Sirius felt too intimate. Sirius sat backwards on the rotating stool next to him, his elbows on the counter as he lounged back, his legs crossed at the ankles.

           Remus ordered a chocolate milkshake for himself while Sirius got a strawberry one and a plate of chips.

           “You’re a strange one, Remus,” Sirius said as they waited for their order.

           “Am I?” Remus asked, pulling a napkin from the holder and beginning to doodle on it. Before he knew it he’d drawn Sirius’ mouth. He quickly sketched his eyes and nose so it wouldn’t be quite so weird. He always doodled when he was nervous.

           “You know you’ve got paint on your cheek,” Sirius said, grinning that same wicked grin. Remus found himself pulling out another napkin so he could attempt to capture it. “And it hasn’t bothered you in the twenty minutes we’ve been together. Not once.”

           “Shit,” Remus said, licking his palm and attempting to clean his cheek. “Hazard of the trade, unfortunately.”

           “Let me,” Sirius said softly. He dipped a napkin into his glass of water and gently began to rub at Remus’ cheek. “May I tell you why I want my picture done now?”

           Remus nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

           “When I was little my mother had our portraits done, it was a family tradition. Your portrait went on this wall that formed a family tree. Well when I was sixteen I came out to my parents and my mother proceeded to take my portrait off the wall and throw it into the fireplace. Symbolic gesture, right?”

           “Sirius –“

           “Last year my brother went into rehab and guess what? His portrait also ended up in the fire. She’s got high standards, that mother of mine, and unfortunately neither of her sons quite lived up to them. He’s getting out soon and he’s going to come stay with me until he feels like he can be on his own. I thought I would start a new tree, you know? Turn a negative into a positive. Start with my portrait and then his, if you’d be up for it. Then maybe my best friend Jamie, his wife Lily and my godson Harry. New family, new life, you know?”

           “Sirius,” Remus said, wrapping his fingers around Sirius’ wrist to still his hand. He didn’t know if the blue was off his face but he didn’t care. “Fuck, of course. I’d be honored.”

           “Really?” Sirius asked, his smile so bright and wide it made Remus’ heart clench. “It’s not a whim, by the way, although it might seem like it to you. I’ve been trying to gather up the courage to ask you for months.”

           “Why?” Remus asked, shaking his head in confusion. “I’m not exactly intimidating.” Remus gestured with his free hand to his paint splattered overalls.

           Sirius huffed out a laugh and broke eye contact. It was only at that moment Remus realized they had been staring at each other quite intently. “You know when you first moved into the neighborhood I was going to make you a cobbler. It was Jamie’s mum’s recipe and I tried so hard to get it right because it reminded me of home. But it was rubbish. I went wrong somewhere, I’m not sure where but I’m not great at baking. All that measuring, bleh.”

           “You were going to make me a cobbler…” Remus said, his brow furrowing in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

           “I wanted you to feel at home,” Sirius said, tucking his hair behind his ear. “I wanted you to stay, I wanted…”

           “Sirius?” Remus said softly, barely audible even to his own ears as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest.

           “I wanted to be your home, eventually. You were so cute and fuck I’m so gay and I left it too long. It got to the point where I didn’t even know how to say hi to you without getting fucking lost in my feelings.”

           Remus opened his mouth to respond but the waitress interrupted them by bringing their order. Sirius let his hand drop and quickly spun around to face the counter, his head ducked down as if embarrassed. He shoveled a handful of chips into his mouth as if he was trying to get himself to stop talking.

           Remus watched him for a moment with a bemused smile on his face. Sirius Black, the unattainable gorgeous bloke that liked to cut his lawn shirtless had been…pining for Remus all this time. “So what kind of cobbler was it?”

           Sirius began to choke in surprise at the question, thumping his fist against his chest. Eventually he managed to swallow, bypassing the straw to take a large gulp from his milkshake. “Blueberry.”

           “Maybe you should try again,” Remus said, playing with his own straw, dipping it in and out of his milkshake.

           “I did,” Sirius said grumpily. “They never came out right.”

           Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing. “So there were several cobblers.”

           Sirius made a funny noise in the back of his throat and then mumbled something that Remus couldn’t understand.

           “What was that?”

           “I said eleven!” Sirius snapped, biting a chip roughly. “I drew the line at an even dozen.”

           Remus turned to the side so he could look at Sirius. He rested his cheek in his hand and just stared at him in a mix of flattered and bewildered. “You made eleven cobblers that all turned out wrong?”

           Sirius shot him a look and then drained half his milkshake in one go, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “They weren’t good enough, okay? Sure they were edible but when has that ever impressed anybody? When Mrs. Potter made them they were amazing. I never quite got to amazing.”

           Remus took a chip and dunked it into his milkshake before popping it into his mouth. “What did you end up doing with eleven edible cobblers?”

           “I’d take them up with me whenever I visited my brother Reg,” Sirius confessed, taking a napkin and beginning to shred it with his fingers. “Do me a favor and let me wallow here for a while alone in how pathetic I am. I’ll pay for this.”

           “I don’t think you’re pathetic.”

           Sirius gave Remus a wary glance. “You don’t?”

           “A little misguided, perhaps,” Remus said, taking a pensive sip of his milkshake. “Maybe you just need a little help, not that I’m that good at baking myself, but two heads and all that.”

           Sirius stared at him in awe. “You want to come back to my place?”

           “For cobbler.” Remus said sternly, poking Sirius in the chest. “Don’t get any funny ideas.”

           “Of course,” Sirius said, slipping off his stool and going to the register to pay for them. Remus finished off his milkshake and went to the door to wait for Sirius. A few moments later, Sirius joined him, bounding over like an excited puppy. “Ready to be amazed?”

           Remus considered it for a moment and then laced his fingers through Sirius’. His face broke out into a wide smile matching Sirius’ own. “I’m ready.”

[robinskey]

The Hair (Steve Harrington x Henderson! Reader)

When Steve “The Hair” Harrington started hanging around your little brother, you were skeptical, to say the least. Steve was always a jerk to you in high school. Like, always. He rarely spoke to you, but when he did, it was to make some comment about your wacky shoes or frizzy hair, which you could never keep under control. You’d seen the way he treated girls. It was the exact opposite of the way you wanted Dustin to act when he started dating. But you figured you had time to counteract Steve’s influence on your baby brother. After all, Dustin hadn’t ever really expressed a whole lot of interest in the opposite sex. Thus, it came as a big surprise when he returned home from summer camp, talking nonstop about his new girlfriend.

“Her name is Suzie,” Dustin told you the next morning at breakfast, shoveling a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. “She’s Mormon, so her parents wouldn’t really approve of me-on account of the fact that I’m not Mormon and all. But she’s hotter than Phoebe Cate, and so nice, and, like, the smartest girl ever-ouch!”

Your mother eyed you suspiciously from behind her huge round glasses, but she didn’t question whether or not you had just delivered a sharp kick to your brother’s knee under the table.

“Hey, look, you’re smart, sis, but Suzie is, like, a genius.”

“Right,” you said, rolling your eyes. “She’s as beautiful as Cindy Crawford, smarter than Einstein, and as real as my college acceptance letter.”

Dustin glared at you, his thick eyebrows furrowed into a unibrow. “I thought you got a rejection letter.”

“Exactly.”

It was your turn to receive a painful jab in the leg. He angrily stabbed the last piece of sausage on his plate and shoved it into his mouth. 

“She’s real,” he said with a mouthful of half-chewed food.

“I believe you, Dusty,” your mother piped up, reaching over to pat your brother’s arm.

“I don’t.”

With that, Dustin stood. His wooden dining chair protested with a screech against the dining room tile. Under his breath, he mumbled something about how Harvard would probably be knocking on Suzie’s door when she turned eighteen. Then, he stomped down the hall, slamming his door shut. Rock music started blaring almost immediately. 

“Real mature, Dusty!” you called after him.

As soon as you returned to your food, you felt your mother’s tear-filled eyes on you. 

“What, Mom? We both know she’s not real,” you said.

Your mother removed her glasses, setting them on the tablecloth in front of her. She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin, then reached across the table for your hand. Her palms were calloused, wrinkly, and oily from excessive amounts of lotion. As it drifted up to your nostrils, the scent of sweet pea mixed with the odor of bacon grease.

“I know the last month has been tough for you, sweetie, but it’s been a rough year for Dustin. I haven’t seen him this happy in a while,” she said. Mom lowered her voice before adding, “Even if this girl is just imaginary, if she’s making Dusty smile again, isn’t that all that really matters?”

Jeez. Your mother knew exactly what to say to make you feel guilty.

That’s how, less than ten minutes later, you ended up at the door to your brother’s room, practically begging for forgiveness.

“Go away!” he screamed over the booming music.

“No. Not while you’re still mad at me,” you yelled back.

“Well, then you’re going to be standing there for a while.” Behind the door, you heard a few footsteps, and for a split second, you thought he might actually unlock the door. But then the already-eardrum-splitting volume of the music increased.

“Come on, Dustin,” you whined. “I didn’t mean it.” 

The lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody was the only response.

“Please, Dusty. You just got home. I don’t want to be fighting with you already,” you said, pressing your hand to the door. It vibrated with the beat under your palm. “I’ll take you to the mall if you want. We can get ice cream.”

Faint footsteps, then a slight decrease in the music’s volume.

“Can we go to Scoops Ahoy?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s the only ice cream joint in Starcourt Mall, so yeah.”

The door swung open so fast that your balanced faltered, and you nearly fell forward. Your little brother beamed up at you with his not-so-toothy grin.

“Go get your wallet, loser.”

***

Thirty minutes later, Dustin held open the glass door to the little ice cream joint in the mall. You had already started rifling through your purse for change. Dustin could eat a lot, and he certainly wouldn’t worry about making a dent in your babysitting money. You were honestly just hoping you could make it out of there with enough to pay for the bus fare home.

As you entered the shop, the sound of children giggling mixed with the chime of the bell above your head. Though the nautical theme was a little obnoxious, the store had a cute aesthetic. Blue and white stripes lined the walls behind the backs of red booths. Once you walked in, it was a straight shot to the cash register. An off-white sign announcing all the ice cream flavors hung above a faux window. Two familiar faces were situated behind the tiled counter. The first was Robin, a freckle-faced girl and one of your fellow band geeks. She was chatting with a lanky boy in a hideous blue sailor’s shirt and a dorky white cap that smashed his infamous shiny locks. Even in such an out-of-character outfit, he was instantly recognizable. His eyes lit up when he saw your little brother.

“Henderson? Do my eyes deceive me, or is that you?”

“Steve!”

Your little brother completely forgot his manners and let the door go. You leaped forward, nearly avoiding getting hit as it swung shut. Dustin sprinted toward the counter, his blonde curls bouncing underneath his baseball cap. Steve practically leapt over the counter to greet him.

As you watched, they proceeded to perform the dorkiest handshake in the world, then indulged in a bro-hug. 

“How have you been, man? I’ve missed you,” Steve said, his hands still resting on Dustin’s shoulders. He turned to his coworker. “Robin, get this kid a sundae, will you?” 

“I didn’t know your legs were broken, dingus,” Robin said, but she complied with his request, anyway.

“We have so much to catch up on,” Dustin said. He slid into the booth nearest to the cash register. 

“Yeah, we do,” Steve agreed, taking his place across from Dustin. “Did you have a good time at camp?”

“It was sick, dude. I ate so many s’mores while I was there…”

You walked up to the counter. You didn’t really know Robin well, but you certainly weren’t going to join Steve and Dustin.

“Welcome to Scoops Ahoy,” Robin droned, her back to you as she poured hot fudge over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”

You hummed in response. Behind you, Dustin had launched into his Suzie speech-about how she was Mormon, a genius, and hotter than Phoebe Cate. Steve, who you’d never seen with his mouth shut for more than thirty seconds at a time, appeared to be listening intently. He mumbled a few comments, and you strained your eardrums trying to catch them. What was “King” Steve saying to your baby brother?

Robin turned around a few seconds later, clutching a styrofoam cup. The sudden movement startled you so badly that you visibly jumped. Luckily, Robin was too preoccupied to notice. It took a great deal of focus to balance an overfilled ice cream cup.

“Hey, Y/N. What’s up?” She set the ice cream on the counter.

“You know, just buying my brother’s love. The usual.”

Robin chuckled and called, “Order’s up!” Steve’s fluffy mane sprung into motion as he turned his head to face his coworker.

“What, you’re not going to deliver to our table?”

“They don’t pay me enough for that,” Robin said. Her bright blue eyes twinkled with mischief. She turned back to you, a faint grin still dancing on her lips. “Sixty cents, please.”

You returned to the depths of your bag to search for loose change. You managed to scrounge up a few pennies before raising your head once more. 

Steve studied you with a curious gaze. He scrunched up his face in what could have just as easily have been confusion or disgust. Then, a visible “lightbulb” moment clicked in his head.

“You’re Dustin’s sister, aren’t you? Y/N Henderson?”

“That would be me,” you said. 

Your heart beat heavily against your ribcage. Did intense hatred upset the cardiac rhythm? You didn’t think so-but then again, you never paid much attention in Biology. Steve was partially to blame for that. It’s really hard to pay attention to Mr. Wilson lecture about the functions of the sympathetic nervous system when Steve “The Hair” Harrington sits in the desk right in front of yours, and all you can think about is running your fingers through those thick, shiny curls. Regardless of its owner’s personality, hair like that is impossible to avoid fantasizing about.

“Can I have my ice cream now?” your brother piped up, jolting you from your thoughts.

As you opened your purse, Steve pulled out his wallet. Your lips parted in protest. However, before you could say a word, he passed three dollar bills to the girl behind the counter.

“This should cover the kid’s,” Steve said, “and, of course, whatever the lady wants.”

“No, you don’t need to-”

“You’re Henderson’s sister. I want to,” he said. “Does a vanilla milkshake sound okay?”

You couldn’t conceal the smile that tugged at the corners of your mouth. 

“I prefer chocolate,” you said.

“Smart girl,” he said with a wink. “Make that two chocolate milkshakes, please, Robin. I’m going to take my break now so I can catch up with Henderson, okay?”

“I thought you’ve been on a break for the last ten minutes,” Robin said with a roll of her eyes. The cash register popped open, and she inserted the cash. She held the change in her palm for a few extra moments, studying it. “I could probably cover for you a little longer, though, if you let me keep this as a tip. I’ll even deliver to your table.”

“Deal,” Steve said. Robin tucked the coins into her pocket.

Steve grabbed Dustin’s sundae and returned to their booth; the Suzie conversation automatically resumed. Robin ducked into the back room to use the malt machine, and you watched as the translucent door swung shut behind her. You hoped she would return promptly to save you from the awkwardness of lingering around your little brother and his newfound mentor.

“Hey, Y/N, aren’t you going to come sit with us?” a voice asked behind you. 

Steve had swiveled around in the booth. His lips were curled upwards into a sweet, unexpectedly shy smile. Your heart skipped a beat, and your feet carried you to the table before your head could tell them to stop. You barely noticed your brother roll his eyes. 

“Scoot over, dork,” you ordered.

Dustin swirled his spoon around the cup, turning the pure white ice cream topped with dark chocolate into a light brown mixture. He was clearly unhappy with you infringing on his “guy time,” but he would get over it. Your brother huffed in protest before sliding to one side of the booth to make room for you.

“Anyway,” he sighed, once you were all settled, “before we were so rudely interrupted, where was I?”

“I think you were talking about how she was the most beautiful girl you’d ever seen, and you couldn’t believe you didn’t notice her sooner,” Steve said, chocolate eyes still trained on you.

“Oh, right. So, it’s funny. There were so many campers there, and we were in different groups, so a week actually went by before I talked to Suzie for the first time…”

Dustin’s voice faded into the background. You were too busy thinking about how maybe, just maybe, Steve Harrington didn’t suck quite as much as you once thought.

[rnr-guitarist]

Through Thick and Thin - Jae

Leanna’s POV

Leanna sits in her music theory class, waiting for her best friend who still hadn’t shown up. She’s flipping through her notebook when someone plops down beside her, dropping a notebook on the desk. 

“Took you long enough.” She turns to her best friend, who looks dead on his feet. 

“Lemme guess you worked all day on the only day you don’t have classes then came home did a bunch of homework then proceeded to playing video games until you passed out at 6 am.” she raises an eyebrow at him as he grins tiredly at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Le.” Brian replies as he lays his head down on the desk. “Don’t lie to me, Bri. Just take a nap and I’ll take notes.” she grumbles and he giggles causing her to roll her eyes. “Thanks, babe. You’re the best.” he mumbles already halfway to dreamland. “You are the reason why I can never get a boyfriend, Brian.” she sighs as she thinks about how much she does for the dork sleeping beside her. 

They had been friends since they were in diapers and had been inseparable since. They went through all the awkward phases of middle school and high school together, tried to do the dating each other thing but realized the first time they kissed that they were definitely better as friends. They were now in their last year of university, majoring in music, living together in an apartment off campus. 

They had made friends along the way too, there was Mark, who they had met their junior year of high school and with him came Jackson. Her and Brian had teased Jackson mercilessly when he would hit on her and she’d turn him down but then the summer after their senior year Mark had told her that he and Jackson were together. She’d hugged Mark and told Jackson that she’d called it to which Jackson replied with the middle finger before kissing Mark’s cheek. 

Then their first year of college they had met Sungjin, their resident rich kid, whose father owned an entertainment company, and Dowoon, who all of them referred to as their little drummer boy. When Brian and Dowoon had taken a job at Sungjin’s company, she had taken a job at a coffee shop a few blocks away from their apartment where she met Wonpil, who fit so naturally in with the others that it was like he had been there the whole time. She smiles as she thinks of her friends before paying attention to the professor, diligently taking notes like she’d told Brian she would. She would be lying if she said that being the only girl in the friend group was easy but she loved all of her boys to death. 

She hides Brian’s video games when she gets home that night and makes him sleep instead. A few weeks go by and she’s cooking dinner on their one day without classes when Brian comes bouncing into the kitchen, having already shed his blazer and shoes at the door. She turns to say hello and he grabs her by the waist, spins her around and sits her on the counter before finishing dinner. “Excuse me rude ass. Who the hell gave you the giggle juice?” she asks, placing her hands on the counter on either side of her thighs. “Well I have something I want to talk to you about and you can’t say no.” he throws her a grin over his shoulder as she raises an eyebrow. 

“Tell me what it is, Bri. I’m sure I can say no.” she replies with a teasing smirk as he plates the stir fry she had made for dinner. “So Jae has an idea for a project.” he starts as she slips off the counter and opens the fridge, pulling out two beers. “That’s great. Who the hell is Jae?'' She sets the beers on the table as he stares at her incredulously. “My boss? Sungjin’s older brother?” he replies and realization dawns on her. “Oh right. The infamous boss who hates suits. Sorry I barely pay attention when you and Jinnie talk anymore.” she giggles at his offended expression before gesturing for him to continue as she sits down at the table. “Anyway, Jae has an idea for a project and we have almost everything we need for it but we need a keyboardist and a female vocalist.” he finishes by giving her his best puppy eyes to which she responds by rolling her own. 

“No.” she replies before shoving veggies in her mouth. “Please, Le. Please.” Brian pouts at her and she shakes her head continuing to chew. “Please, baby girl. I’ll do all the laundry for three months and cook dinner.” she shakes her head again and he continues to pout. “Please, please, please.” she swallows her food and finally gives in knowing he’s about to get down on his knees to beg at her feet. “Fine, I’ll do it but only if Wonpil says he will too.” she grins at him before taking another bite of her stir fry. “Great.” he says, giving her a big smile which she finds suspicious. “Wonpil already said he’d do it.” he finishes as she swallows her food. “Fuck.” she replies and he laughs almost hysterically. “I’ve known you for how long, Le? Did you really think that I would ask without having everything already in the works?” she just flips him off and finishes her dinner. 

That is how she finds herself walking into Park Entertainment sandwiched between an overly excited Wonpil and Brian. “Wow. I never thought I’d get to see the inside of this building.” Wonpil murmurs to Leanna, who raises her eyebrow at him. “I guess it was a good thing I became friends with you.” he finishes causing them to laugh as they walk into the practice room. “What’s so funny?” Sungjin’s voice causes Leanna to look up just before launching herself at the guitarist. “Sungjinnie! I missed you! It’s been so long!” she exclaims, wrapping her arms and legs around Sungjin, who laughs and wraps his arms around her waist. “We had class together literally two days ago, Le.” he replies, still laughing. “Shhhh. It’s been so long.” she rubs her hand from the top of his head, down his cheek to his chin. “Get off me, weirdo.” Sungjin sets her on her feet as she hears grumbling from her right. “I see how it is. Sungjin gets all the love.” Dowoon mumbles just loud enough to be heard. 

“Awww Dowoonie.” she says before launching herself at the drummer, who isn’t completely expecting it and stumbles slightly at the added weight. “How is my little drummer boy?” she asks, petting Dowoon’s hair. “I’m fine. Get off.” he mumbles, his ears turning red as she drops to her feet again and turns to find a man she doesn’t know watching the scene with his arms crossed and look of amusement. She freezes for a split second because this man is beautiful with his honey colored hair, full lips and gold rimmed glasses. “You must be Leanna.” he states in a voice like velvet. 

“Let’s see. Flannel, ripped jeans, glasses. You must be Jae. Brianna talks about you a lot.” she watches as his amused expression turns to one of confusion. “Brianna?” he asks and all the boys point to Brian as the mentioned man raised his hand. “Sorry. I’ve known Brian since we all thought he was a girl.” she apologizes causing Dowoon and Sungjin to snort and Brian to go ‘hey’ in an offended tone. She walks over to Brian and cups his cheeks before saying. “Aww Bri you know I love you no matter what gender you decide to be.” she pinches his cheeks before continuing. “But if you leave your underwear on the bathroom floor again, I’ll kill you. I almost died this morning.” she lets go as he whines and Jae bursts out laughing. “Anyway, Bri said you wanted us for a project?” Leanna prompts Jae as she shoves her hands into the pockets of her leather vest. “Yes. I know that these guys can play. I got the idea when I caught Dowoon in one of the practice rooms going at it with the drums.” Jae starts and Leanna spins around to face Dowoon. 

“What did I tell you about doing weird stuff with the drums, Dowoonie?” she asks and watches his whole face turn red before he starts stuttering. “No, that’s not-” he gets out before giving up and throwing a drumstick at her which she catches then points at him “No.” she says sternly before turning back around to face Jae and shoving the drumstick in her back pocket. She finds Jae laughing again but doesn’t notice the weirded out look on Sungjin’s face. 

“Anyway I don’t know about the two of you.” he gestures to her and Wonpil causing her to glance at Wonpil and share a sly smirk with him. “Is there a keyboard in here?” she asks, turning back to face the CEO, who nods and gestures behind her. “May I?” Wonpil asks politely and Jae gestures again. As Wonpil rushes to set up the keyboard, Leanna watches Brian rush to his spot across the room and pick up his bass. “Pick a song.” she says, looking Jae directly in the eye. “Uhhh…” he says, mind obviously going blank at being put on the spot. “You’re taking too long.” she says, taking Jae by surprise as she turns to the boys and says. “Rock Show by Halestorm.” she grins as the music starts and she closes her eyes to sing. 

Once the music ends, she looks back at Jae with the biggest grin on her face. “You got a song yet?” she asks, causing him to look to Sungjin. “Jinnie, what was the song that you were working on the other night?” Leanna turns to Sungjin, who looks confused for a second. “Well Done Again My Friend?” he asks and Jae nods vigorously, his hair flopping around. “How did you even know about that?” Sungjin asks and Jae chuckles. “Well if you don’t want me to know what weird things you’re doing in your room then maybe you should close the door.” Leanna laughs at Sungjin’s bright red face before turning to Brian. “I wonder when he walked past Jin’s room because weren’t we on the phone with him to work on that?” Brian nods and she turns to Wonpil. 

“Pil, is there a chair over there?” he looks around and nods before bringing her the chair. “Thanks, love. Who’s guitar is that?” She points to the guitar behind Brian and Jae points to himself. “May I?” she asks and he nods, this time she doesn’t miss the look on Sungjin’s face as she pulls a pick out of her inside pocket, shoving it between her teeth while on her way to grab the guitar. She plops down in the chair and sets the guitar on her knees before turning to nod at Dowoon. She grins at the look of shock that plants itself on Jae’s face when Dowoon starts singing the opening verse. She watches his eyes flit to every member of her little band when they sing their parts of the song with Wonpil finishing it. 

“You can sing?” Jae directs the question to Dowoon, who grins sheepishly and points to Leanna. “Only with her.” Leanna giggles at the giant smile on Brian’s face, both extremely proud of their little drummer. “It’s been so long since I sang. Jeez. We need to do this more often.” Wonpil says to Leanna, who nods enthusiastically as Jae turns to look at them in shock. “I only sing-” Brian starts but is cut off by Leanna. “Don’t even lie, Kang. You sing all the time, in the shower, while cooking, while you’re taking a shit. You sing the weirdest things in the bathroom.” She takes pride in the shade of red her best friend’s face takes on. “Le, no one needed to know that.” he whines as Sungjin doubles over in laughter. “He’s right, Le. Absolutely no one needed to know that. Especially me. I’m innocent.” Dowoon whines shortly after Brian shuts up. 

“Anyway, did we give you enough of a show to convince you of our skills or do we need to sing more?” Leanna asks Jae as she replaces his guitar on it’s stand. “No, that was plenty. You guys play so well together.” he glances around at everyone before Leanna starts laughing. “Did Jinnie not tell you that this isn’t the first time we’ve played together?” she asks glancing from Jae, who is shaking his head, to Sungjin, who is rolling his eyes. “I have told him, Le, but like you he doesn’t listen to me.” Sungjin replies causing Jae to chuckle as Dowoon mumbles. “I didn’t like how you phrased that, Le. You made us sound like little kids.” she turns to him with a wicked grin. “I could have said that this isn’t the first time we’ve played with each other, Do. Which do you prefer?” she wiggles her eyebrows at him as him, Sungjin and Brian choke on air. “Jeez you guys really are children.” she mumbles, turning back to Jae. 

“What is this project anyway?” she crosses her arms over her chest to indicate that she is all ears. “So every year or so a couple of the entertainment companies get together and have a battle of the bands type of thing. Some of them put their current artists out or maybe their artists about to debut but sometimes they pull something new out of the blue, which is what I want to do with this.” Jae finishes with a grin and Leanna’s eyes widen just a fraction. 

“Even though we advised against it.” Brian mumbles and Jae turns to him with a slight glare. “Shut up, Brian. This is the first one I’ve been involved in.” he sighs a little and Leanna has to almost physically restrain herself from laughing. She glances around at the boys behind her with a raised eyebrow, once she receives a nod from each of them she turns back to Jae with a grin. “We’re in.” 

Over the next month, not only does she juggle school and work but also the project for Jae. She still barely sees Brian, Dowoon and Sungjin except for classes, practice or at lunch. Sometimes they would come into the coffee shop to study a little or get coffee when they looked like they needed it. She starts to notice little things about the boys as well, cuts or bruising on their faces, Brian came home one night with a bandage around his arm and when she asked what happened, he told her that he caught some jagged part of the wall. 

She brushed it off, figuring he’d tell her what really happened when he wanted to. It wasn’t until halfway through the second month of the project that Leanna found out what was really going on. They had finished practice and she had stayed to clean up after her idiots and also maybe just maybe to hang out with Jae, who she had developed a slight crush on. As they walk out of the building, Jae’s phone rings and he steps away to answer it, telling her to wait a second. When he comes back, he’s in a rush, apologizing profusely about offering her a ride then having to bail but something really important came up and he really had to go. 

She told him not to worry about it and that she would take a taxi home. She never made it home that night. Almost as soon as Jae’s car is out of sight a black van pulls up in front of her and a rag is placed over her mouth and nose. She wakes up who knows how long later in an unfamiliar room, tied to a chair. “What the actual fuck? This is not my apartment. Where the fuck am I?” she mumbles, slightly freaking out when the door in the room opens and a man walks in. “Do you know why you’re here?” the man asks and she gives him a deadpan look. 

“If I knew why I was here then I wouldn’t be freaking out now would I? Why don’t you enlighten me?” she replies snidely and the man looks taken aback for a second before he puts up a calm facade. “We know you work for them.” he says and her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “The coffee shop?” she asks and the man looks surprised for a second. “No. For Jaehyung Park.” he replies and that just confuses Leanna more. “Jae? I’m doing a project with him and he’s my friend’s brother but I don’t really know him that well. Why would I be working for him?” she asks as the door opens again and a second man walks in. 

“Oh she’s awake? Why didn’t you say anything?” he asks the first man, who glances at his accomplice before looking back to Leanna. “I’m debating whether to knock her out again because she won’t stop talking or to torture her for information.” he replies, not expecting the reply he receives from the girl in front of him. “Oh oh! Torture me. That one sounds more fun.” 

Brian’s POV

Leanna has been gone for a week now and Brian is starting to panic. He wasn’t necessarily surprised that Leanna wasn’t home when he had come home late after meeting with Jae that night but she hadn’t been home in a week and he was worried. He had called her mom to find out if she had heard from Leanna to which she had told him that she hadn’t and that Leanna had probably run off with a boyfriend again. Brian knew it had happened before but this time felt different, which is how he ended up pacing the length of Jae’s office. 

“I don’t know, Jae. I don’t even know who the last person to see her that night was.” Brian says, continuing his pacing as Jae realizes that it was him that had seen Leanna last that night. “It was me that last saw her that night, Bri.” Jae says quietly causing Brian to freeze before turning to his boss. “ What do you mean?” Brian asks, on the verge of tears. “She stayed late after practice and I offered to take her home but then Jarred called and you know all about that fucking fiasco. She assured me that she’d be fine and that she’d call a taxi.” Jae explains and watches a tear roll down Brian’s face. 

“Let’s go see if Dowoon can access the CCTV footage from that night then see if she’s contacted Wonpil.” Jae suggests, standing from behind his desk as Brian wipes his tears and nods. “You seem to care about her a lot.” Jae remarks as they walk down the halls of the building. “Well yeah. She’s my best friend and my roommate.” Brian replies quietly, worrying greatly for his missing best friend. “She’s just your friend? I thought the two of you were together.” Jae says in surprise which causes Brian to chuckle. “Nah, we tried once in high school but the one and only time we kissed, we both gagged. It was like kissing my sister.” 

Brian smiles at the memories from high school as Jae remains silent, thinking over this new piece of information. When they walk into the tech room, they find Sungjin inside with Dowoon having lunch. “Hey, boss, Brian. What’s up?” Dowoon says when he notices the two enter the room. “Do, can you find the video footage from last Wednesday for the front of the building?” Jae asks causing Dowoon and Sungjin to give him a confused look. 

“I mean sure but why?” Dowoon asks, already working on the request from his boss. “Leanna has been missing for a week now and she was last seen in front of the building that night by me.” Jae replies causing Dowoon and Sungjin’s heads to snap up in concern. “It’s gonna take me a bit but I’ll call you when I have it.” Dowoon says in a serious tone as Jae and Brian nod. “Thanks, Do. We’re gonna go see if Pil has heard from her.” Brian says before turning and following Jae out the door. 

Wonpil beckons them to the counter when he sees them walk in. “Where the fuck is Le?” Wonpil asks Brian as soon as he gets close enough. “I take it that you haven’t heard from her either.” Jae sighs and Wonpil shakes his head. “I haven’t but she’s lucky I’ve been covering for her. She would have lost her damn job by now.” Wonpil says before noticing the look on Brian’s face. “Oh shit. She’s missing isn’t she?” Brian just nods and Wonpil places a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Bri. She’s strong.” Brian smiles slightly at his friend’s reassurance. “Thanks, Pil. We’ll let you know if we find anything.” Brian says and Wonpil nods before stepping away to take the next customer in line. 

Jae’s POV

“Let’s go see what Dowoon’s found.” Jae says leading Brian out of the coffee shop. Not much could be seen from the footage other than that Leanna was chloroformed and stuffed into a van. Jae has Dowoon set up a trace on his phone after he sends Brian home to sleep but it’s another four days before anything happens. Jae watches Brian pace his office, a habit that would usually annoy Jae to no end but he knows that Brian is worried about Leanna just as he is, when Jae’s phone suddenly rings. 

“Jaehyung Park. What can I do for you?” he answers and Brian continues pacing. “We have your girlfriend.” the man on the other line says and Jae freezes. “I have a girlfriend?” he replies causing Brian to freeze mid step and turn to him. “Yes, don’t play dumb with us. We took her from right in front of your building after watching you leave.” the man replies in a snide tone. “Wait is she kind of short, long brown hair and her favorite word is fuck?” Jae asks and Brian raises his eyebrows at him. 

“Yes. Stop running weapons in the south side of the city or we’ll kill her.” the man says somewhat impatiently and Jae chuckles quietly. “You have her and you’re still alive. That’s good on you.” he says and Brian’s eyes widen in shock. “She can’t do anything, she’s tied to a chair. Now stop running weapons in the south side of the city or we’ll kill her.” the man replies causing Jae to snort loudly. “No. Go ahead and try to kill her. See how well that works.” Jae replies and Brian’s eyes widen even more. “What?” the man says in confusion and Jae laughs. “Thanks for the warning but I politely decline.” Jae says just before hanging up. 

“Jae, what the fuck did you just do? Now they’re gonna kill her!” Brian exclaims, on the verge of tears as Dowoon walks into the room with Sungjin. “Brian, calm your titties. I had Do set up a trace on my phone after you went home a couple of days ago. He knows where she is.” Jae replies but as Brian opens his mouth to say something the door opens and Wonpil walks in. “Let’s go get her then.” Wonpil says, placing a gun on Jae’s desk with a grin. “What the fuck, Wonpil?” Brian says in surprise as the smaller man turns to grin wickedly at him. “Everyone has their secrets, Brian. Just be glad you didn’t know me in high school.” Brian exchanges a glance with Jae, who shrugs and they head out. 

Brian’s POV

The warehouse that Dowoon’s directions lead them to is small compared to the other ones and Brian is thankful for that. It doesn’t take them that long to get inside, thanks to Wonpil who surprisingly knows the warehouse pretty well. There are two guards on the main floor that Sungjin takes out pretty easily before he and Dowoon take the stairs to the upper level. Brian and Wonpil take the basement level where they find another three guards and Wonpil surprises Brian again by taking them out quickly. They bust the door open to find Leanna coherent but bloody. 

Leanna’s POV

“Hey. You did the dishes right?” she asks when she sees Brian and he chuckles in spite of the situation. “Nope. I left them all for you.” he replies with a grin as he looks at his best friend fondly. “You know if I wasn’t tied to this damn chair then I would smack the crap out of you, Bri.” Leanna remarks which makes Brian’s eyes widen in realization. “Oh right.” he says as he rushes forward to cut the ropes securing her wrists. 

“Wonpil, what are you doing here?” She looks at the man with wide eyes as he grins at her while brandishing the gun. “Saving your ass, Le. This is nothing compared to high school. Let’s go.” he turns and heads back to the door with Leanna following. “Now I want to know what you did in high school.” she tells Wonpil as they make their way up the stairs. “And you!” she spins on Brian who jumps at the sudden attention. “Why didn’t you tell me you joined the mafia?” she glares at her best friend standing at the top of the stairs. “Jae asked us not to.” It's Dowoon who speaks instead of Brian. 

“Well I have half a mind to kick his ass too but for now I want to go home, shower and nap forever.” she says making her way to the door of the warehouse. “We can only give two out of the three of those things.” Sungjin says with a chuckle and she turns her glare on him as they step out into the sunshine. “You can go home and shower but we can’t let you nap yet. Jae wants to see you.” Wonpil says from behind her and she groans. “Great. I can kick his ass first then nap.” she grumbles causing Sungjin and Dowoon to laugh. 

They arrived at her apartment about twenty minutes later after an argument between Dowoon and Brian about who got to sit beside Leanna until she put her foot down that neither one got to sit by her and took the passenger seat beside Sungjin. She takes forty-five minutes in the shower, trying to wash all the blood from her hair as well as trying to relax her sore shoulders. 

“Did you use all the hot water in there?” Dowoon asks from her couch when she walks out and she flips him off. “I was trying to get the blood and dirt out of my hair, Do. I haven’t been able to shower in close to two weeks.” she replies heading to the kitchen in search of food. “Come on, woman. The boss is waiting.” Brian says from the hallway coming from his room. “He said he’s buying lunch too.” Sungjin says from the kitchen doorway before grabbing her arm and pulling her to the door. She groans again as Sungjin shoves her into the car gently and Dowoon laughs. “Haven’t I been shoved into a vehicle enough recently?” she grumbles causing Dowoon, Wonpil and Sungjin to laugh and Brian to get misty eyed. 

“Don’t start, Brian. If I hadn't been chloroformed I wouldn’t have been taken and you know it.” Leanna catches her best friend’s eye and grins at him in the rearview mirror. “I know but you were gone for two weeks and I didn’t know what happened, I thought you were dead, Le.” his voice becoming thick with unshed tears. She reaches back and takes his hand, giving it a squeeze in reassurance. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. Now save your breakdown for when we get home. I don’t wanna be crying when I beat up your boss.” she grins at him and he gives her a watery laugh. 

“You’re really gonna beat him up?” Dowoon asks and she grins at him with a nod. “Fuck yeah. He’s the reason I got kidnapped in the first place! Plus he told you guys not to tell me something important.” she rants as Sungjin pulls up outside the company building. She gets out quickly, immediately storming into the building leaving the boys to rush after her. “Jaehyung Park!” She bursts into his office, making him jump and toss his phone across the room. “Jesus, Le! You scared the shit out of me!” he exclaims, standing up to come around his desk and meet her halfway. Jae isn’t sure what he was expecting but it certainly was not Leanna’s fist connecting with the side of his jaw. 

“You little motherfucker!” she exclaims as she punches him again. “Did you think I wouldn’t be involved if you didn’t tell me?” She aims a kick at his side which he barely dodges, still in shock over being hit in the first place. “Did you think that having the boys hide it from me would keep me out of it?” the next time she swings it doesn’t connect because Dowoon has grabbed her by the waist and is pulling her back. “She really fucking hit him.” Sungjin mumbles to Brian and Wonpil and Brian nods as they watch Dowoon hold Leanna back while she continues yelling at their boss. 

“Are you calm now?” Dowoon asks when Leanna takes a deep breath and she nods. “Yes, I’m fine now.” Dowoon lets her go and she lunges for Jae again only to have him wrap his arms around her, dropping his head to her shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry I had them keep it from you. I’m sorry that this happened to you. No more secrets I promise. Now will you stop hitting me?” he mumbles and she pulls her arm back to lightly punch him in the ribs. “Now I’m done.” she pulls away from him and heads over to the couch he has in his office. “I’m taking a nap and when I wake up we’ll talk. All of us.” her eyes land on Wonpil who nods before backing away from the door. 

She flops down on her stomach on the couch and falls asleep pretty quickly. Jae keeps glancing over at her while trying to focus on the papers stacked on his desk, until he gives up. He rubs the bruise that bloomed on his jaw as he watches her sleep on his couch, wondering what had happened to her in that basement. She starts to stir and he tears his eyes away from her, making himself look busy. “Where are the boys?” she asks, sitting up and running her hand through her hair in an attempt to tame it. “Practice room.” he replies, still looking at the paper on his desk, not really seeing it. “Well let’s go then. We need to talk.” She stands from the couch, stretching before heading for the door, followed shortly by Jae. 

“Hey! You’re up.” Wonpil says when they walk into the practice room and Dowoon shoots up from his spot behind his drums. “Le!” he wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her neck. “I was so scared.” he mumbles as she wraps her arms around him. “I’m fine, Dowoonie. I will always be fine. I promise.” she rubs his back as Brian stands and joins the hug, before she knows it, Leanna has all five boys hugging her. “Alright. I can’t breathe.” she starts wiggling until they let her go. 

She ends up being pulled into Brian’s lap which causes her to roll her eyes at his clinginess. “What happened while I was gone?” she asks, glancing around at her friend’s waiting for someone to answer. “Brian paced my office a lot.” Jae finally says and she laughs as Brian whines behind her. “He does that when he’s stressed, always has. What else?” she asks, patting Brian’s hands in reassurance. “You almost lost your job but I covered for you.” Wonpil grins at her when she shrugs. “Fuck it. I hate that job anyways. I only stay for you.” She returns Wonpil’s grin and he laughs as he nods in agreement. “I called your mom.” Brian says quietly and Leanna bursts out laughing, almost falling from Brian’s lap. “Lemme guess she told you that I probably ran off with a boyfriend right? That’s what my dad thought I was doing when you and I moved in together.” She laughs harder at Brian’s shocked face as Sungjin and Dowoon look at her confused. 

“Wait, you like boys?” Dowoon asks in surprise causing Wonpil, Brian, Jae and Leanna to look at him. “Yes, I like boys. What kind of question is that?” Leanna asks with a raised eyebrow and Dowoon’s face turns red. “I mean he’s right though, Le. I thought you liked girls.” Sungjin says, looking confused when Leanna covers her mouth clearly laughing and Brian snorts ratherly loudly behind her. “I mean I do like girls, Jinnie. I like both. Why are we talking about this right now?” Leanna asks, glancing between the two boys, who both shrug. “We just always thought you were into girls.” Sungjin mumbles as his ears start to turn red and Leanna laughs a little. “I am into girls but I’m also into boys. Like Dowoon.” she grins when the youngest’s head snaps up to look at her with wide eyes. 

“How did you know that?” Dowoon asks, voice edged with panic. “I’m not blind, babe.” she winks at him before turning to Sungjin. “Anything else happen while I was away?” she asks and he shrugs before a sly grin takes over his face. “We all got to see Brian cry.” Sungjin laughs when Brian flips him off and buries his face in Leanna’s back. “What happened to you while you were away?” Jae speaks for the first time in a while. “Hmmm…” she taps her finger against her chin as if in thought. “Got beat up for information I didn’t have, found out almost all of my friends are in the mafia and got called your girlfriend more than once. I also missed a bunch of work, class and practice for the battle of the bands.” she grins at Jae mischievously as he frowns at her attitude towards her kidnapping. 

“Don’t give me that look, Park. I’m not some weak little girl. The only reason they got me is because they snuck up on me. I did however find out that it’s a weapons dealer who wants to take the south side from you. They also want to attack the battle of the bands.” She stares at Jae unwaveringly and he frowns as he takes in the information. “We’ll have to put extra security because we won’t have Dowoon to man the cameras as he’ll be performing. All of you will be.” Jae sighs, losing himself in thought for a second trying to figure out a way for them to pull this off without getting anyone hurt. “You could always call Soorin to man the cameras. She’s the one who taught me.” Dowoon says suddenly and Jae frowns at him. 

“You’re right. I could but I don’t wanna. She annoys me so much. No offense, Do.” Jae says and Dowoon nods, waving him off. “None taken. She annoys me too.” Leanna is silent taking in the information and the situation they have found themselves in before patting Brian’s hands to get him to let go. “Let go, Bri. I have to smack Jae again.” Instead of letting go, Brian’s arms tighten around her waist as the other boys look at her in surprise. “Why do I need to get hit again?” Jae asks surprise lacing his voice as he stares at the girl in front of him. 

“You need to be hit because it doesn’t fucking matter how you feel about Dowoon’s sister if she can keep someone, anyone from being hurt because of these assholes then you need to call her.” Leanna snaps at the man before huffing and leaning back against Brian’s chest, still glaring at Jae. “I didn’t get kidnapped and not escape so you could be stupid because someone annoys you.” Sungjin is staring wide eyed at his friend before his eyes widen further at the sight of his brother hanging his head. “You’re right, Le. Dowoon, call your sister.” Jae turns to the younger boy as Wonpil chuckles quietly. “I love you, Le. You know that right?” Wonpil asks his friend in amusement causing her to nod before she turns to Brian. 

“Do you still have the keys to your dad’s gym?” she asks curiously and he nods looking somewhat surprised. “Good. I need to go.” she replies quietly and Brian knows the look on her face so he tightens his grip on her before whispering in her ear. “You are good enough, Leanna. They surprised you and because you didn’t know anything about the situation beforehand they had the upper hand. It’s our fault not yours.” she shakes her head at him before pulling back completely to look him in the eyes. “I need to go, Bri. Now if possible.” she says sternly, raising her eyebrow at him to question if he’ll argue with her. “Fine but at least one of us is going with you.” he sighs in defeat while the other boys look at the two of them in confusion. “I have somewhere I have to go. I’m fine with going alone.” She stands from Brian’s lap and makes her way to the door only to realize that all five boys have followed her. 

She rolls her eyes but continues out of the building and onto the street. The walk to the gym isn’t a long one but it’s completely silent as most of the boys don’t know what’s going on and Brian is frustrated. When she reaches the door, Leanna turns to Brian with her hand extended and he places the key from his wallet in her hand. She smiles at him before turning back to the door and unlocking it. The six of them wander in and Leanna turns on the lights before wandering over to the punching bag. She sighs as she trails her hand over the faded fabric and it invokes memories of her childhood that make her smile. 

Jae’s POV

The boys watch her disappear into the changing room and they hear Brian sigh before he does the same. 

When the two of them come back out, they’re both wearing plain white clothes and smiling at each other. Jae notices that both of their belts are black before watching Leanna throw a high kick at the punching bag that Brian is holding. He watches her alternate between kicks, jabs and punches, knowing that it’s more than one martial art. “Are you ready?” Jae hears Leanna ask Brian, who just nods before walking to the center of the room with Leanna following. “What are they doing?” Dowoon asks no one in particular as he watches his two friends bow to each other. “They’re sparring.” comes Wonpil’s answer as Brian goes on the offensive and begins attacking Leanna. 

The four boys remain silent as they watch Leanna flip Brian over and over again for almost two hours. The sparring match he’s watching seems wrong to Jae but it takes him a while to realize why: Brian never goes on the defensive. “Are you done with your pity party, Leanna?’ Jae hears Brian ask suddenly, just realizing that the match has stopped. “It’s not a pity party, Brian. I wasn’t strong enough which led to me being kidnapped and tortured for information I didn’t have.” Leanna replies with a fierce look in her eyes which makes Brian sigh heavily. “I already told you that it had nothing to do with that and I’m pretty sure you know it too. So what is this really about, Le?” he stares at her with very much the same look. 

It happens quickly, almost too fast for Jae to see, Leanna is standing there glaring at Brian then she’s on the floor sobbing suddenly. Brian is at her side in seconds followed closely by Wonpil, Dowoon and Sungjin. Jae sits in shock because of not only witnessing Leanna’s breakdown but also how easily his younger brother, who avoids skinship like the plague, hugs the girl along with his friends. “It was so easy for them to get me, Bri. I was powerless.” she sobs into her best friend’s shirt as he rubs her back soothingly. “I know, babygirl, I know. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” Brian replies continuing to rub her back as the other boys hug the two of them tightly. “None of us will let anything happen to you, Le. We all love you.” Sungjin says suddenly and Jae is shocked by how true his brother’s words are for him as well as the other boys. 

Leanna’s POV

Soon Leanna’s sobs turn into sniffles and Brian pulls back to look down at her softly. “Better now, Le?” he asks when she meets his eyes as she nods her head slightly. “Yeah. Sorry, Bri. I didn’t mean to have a breakdown.” she replies quietly and Brian chuckles at her as he pulls her into a hug yet again. “And you said I couldn’t break down until we got home.” Brian teases her to which she starts laughing loudly. “I’m sorry that I deprived you of your breakdown, Bri. I really tried to prevent mine from happening. It’s why I wanted to come here in the first place.” she mumbles against Brian’s shoulder and he nods slowly. “I know, babe.” Brian replies seconds before Wonpil whacks the back of her head. 

“Leanna Narie Holmes!” he doesn’t have to say anything else when she looks up at him and nods. “I know, Pil. I’m sorry, guys.'' She hangs her head and Brian and Dowoon smack her. “What the hell?” she asks Dowoon, who has a stern look on his face that surprises her. “Leanna, why are you apologizing? Breaking down after a traumatic experience is normal and shows that you are human and not some freaky alien. All Pil and Bri were doing was reassuring you that we are here for you. All five of us.” Dowoon tells her before pulling her into a hug and resting his cheek on top of her head. 

“We all care about you and don’t want to see you hurt yourself because of something you had no control over.” he continues when no one says anything, all too in shock over the youngest’s outburst. “Thank you, Do. I really appreciate it.” Leanna says as her stomach growls loud enough for Jae to hear it across the room. “Alright, let’s go eat. I promised lunch but it’s too late for that now so dinner it is.” Jae says loud enough to be heard as he leans against the wall by the door to wait. 

The six of them go out to dinner and not much is actually said just idle chatter about the battle of the bands. The next morning finds the six of them sitting in Jae’s office awaiting the arrival of Dowoon’s sister, Soorin. They hear Flight of the Valkyrie just before the door bursts open to reveal a woman, maybe a year or two older than Leanna, standing there with her arm above her head in a crop top with a flamingo in sunglasses on it and ripped skinny jeans. “Where is the music coming from?” Sungjin asks with a deadpan look on his face to which Soorin pulls her phone out of her back pocket and taps the screen. Leanna chuckles quietly as the music stops but the shit eating grin never leaves Soorin’s face as the woman’s eyes roam the room. 

“Dowoonie!” she exclaims when her eyes land on her younger brother just before she takes a running leap at him. “I missed you, baby bro.” she says when he catches her without stumbling. “I missed you too. Get off me.” Dowoon replies in an annoyed tone and Soorin climbs off of her brother. “Why with the music, Soorin?” Jae asks tiredly as he watches the woman grin. “I needed a theme song since I was coming to save the day, babe.” her grin widens as Jae rolls his eyes. “Don’t call me that.” he replies, sounding completely done with the woman in front of him. “Oh come on, Jae. You know that the only person in this room that I would date..” she pauses as her gaze settles on Brian before she smirks and turns away. 

“Is Sungjin.” she grins at the man, who rolls his eyes. “No, just no.” Sungjin says pointing his index finger at her causing her to laugh. “Come on, Sungjinnie, I’ve seen everyone in this room naked at least once. Well except for you two.” her gaze finds Leanna and Wonpil, who both raise their eyebrows at the others. “It was a weird day.” Sungjin mumbles as Soorin keeps her gaze on Leanna. “Hi there, cutie. I haven’t caught your name.” Soorin smiles sweetly at Leanna, who returns it. “I’m Leanna and you’re not so bad yourself, love.” Leanna replies with a wink which causes Soorin to turn to Jae with a wide grin. “Leanna, no.” Brian and Dowoon say at the same time after witnessing the two women flirting. “Leanna, yes.” she replies grinning at the two boys, who both roll their eyes. “Leanna, no.” Jae sighs, sounding almost frustrated. “Leanna, yes. Don’t tell me what to do, you’re not my real mom.” Leanna replies sticking her tongue out at the man behind the desk causing Soorin to laugh loudly. 

“I like this one, Jae. Keep her.” Soorin says which causes Jae’s face to turn a bright red. “For now, tell me why I’m here instead of in the US like I’m supposed to be.” Soorin’s smile drops and she seats herself in Leanna’s lap on the couch. Leanna chuckles at the looks on her friend’s faces as she wraps her arms securely around Dowoon’s sister’s waist. They start to explain the situation to Soorin, who listens intently, nodding every now and then. When Jae has Leanna explain about being kidnapped and what she had overheard, Soorin wraps her arms around Leanna’s head, cooing. 

“You always have the best stories, Jae. You never cease to amuse me. I’ll do it of course.” Soorin smiles softly at the CEO, who has moved to lean against his desk. “Thank you, Soo. It means a lot.” Jae thanks the woman still in Leanna’s lap causing her to nod. “Of course, Jae. Not only does it ensure that I get to see my baby brother perform but it keeps all of you safe.” she grins at Dowoon, who rolls his eyes in annoyance. “Speaking of the battle of the bands, I missed two practices in that basement so we need to do that.” Leanna stresses, the boys nodding along with what she says. 

“What songs is he having you do?” Soorin asks, standing to allow Leanna to get up. “We’re doing Bad Boy by Big Bang, Middle of the Night by Monsta X, one that Brian and I wrote and California by The Rose.” Leanna replies as she leads the way to the practice room, followed closely by everyone else. “He fucking loves that damn song.” Soorin mumbles and Leanna turns to her with a raised eyebrow. “Which one?” she asks quietly so she isn’t heard by the boys a few paces behind them. “Bad Boy.” Soorin replies causing Leanna to snort loudly. “Figures. He seems like the type but then again he’s an idiot so who knows.” Soorin laughs at Leanna’s comment before glancing back at the boys, who are now watching them interact. 

“I meant to ask earlier but I got distracted. Who got the best of you, Jae?” Soorin turns to face the boys now, walking backwards. “Ah. That would be me.” Leanna says, opening the door to the practice room and rushing immediately to her guitar while Soorin’s incredulous gaze follows her before flicking to Jae. “She bruised you?” Soorin asks Jae, her voice an octave higher in surprise. When Jae nods his head, Soorin rushes over to Leanna, picks her up by her waist and spins her around twice. “You are beautiful and the next you hit Jae, someone has to film it for me.” Soorin tells Leanna as she sets her down and Leanna laughs while shaking her head. 

Jae’s POV

Over the next two weeks, Leanna is swamped with all the homework she missed out on and daily practices for the battle of the bands. Three days before the competition, Jae and Soorin find Leanna slumped over a chair in the practice room with dark circles under her eyes and music theory homework under her head. “She’s working too hard for this, Jae.” Soorin tells the man beside her, who nods his agreement. “I know but none of us can get her to stop. The homework is one thing but her and the guys have already perfected the songs. She insists on being here even though she doesn’t have to be.” Jae replies, worried for the girl in front of him. 

“Have any of you stopped to think that maybe I just don’t want to be alone in that damn apartment all the time?” Leanna’s voice startles the two people standing in the doorway as she sits up, cracks her neck and turns to look at them. “Why haven’t you said anything then, love? You could’ve hung out with any of us?” Soorin says, approaching the girl still sitting on the floor in front of the chair. “You all have been working and I don’t want to be a nuisance. So I do my homework here until I can’t focus on it anymore then I run through the songs again before going back to my homework.” Leanna stands from the floor with Soorin’s help but keeps her eyes down. 

“Leanna?” Jae calls carefully and watches her head turn his way but she never looks him in the eye. “You’re not a nuisance and you never will be. Even if you just want to sit in my office to do your homework so you have some company. You are welcome to do that.” he tells her and she nods, still not looking him in the eye.  “Soorin, can we have a moment please?” Jae asks, eyes never leaving Leanna, who continues to stare at the ground. “Of course.” Soorin smiles at him before mouthing ‘tell her’ to which Jae just shakes his head. “Not the time.” he mumbles as Soorin passes by him on her way out the door, which she closes behind her. 

“Le, are you sure you’re okay?” Jae asks, taking a careful step towards the girl that he can’t get out of his head lately. “I’m fine, Jae. Why wouldn’t I be?” she asks as she turns to the chair, beginning to gather her homework into a neat pile. “Well how about the fact that you won’t look me in the eye? Or that you haven’t been sleeping except for the small naps you take here when your body finally gives out?” he asks rhetorically which she answers with a sigh but continues what she’s doing. 

“Hey.” he places a hand on her shoulder, slowly turning her to face him. “Talk to me, Le. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.” Leanna keeps her head down when she speaks. “I can’t sleep for longer than a few minutes without having a nightmare. I haven’t been able to eat a lot because I’m so sleep deprived.” her voice gets thicker as she speaks and she stops when the first sob wracks her body. Jae pulls her into a hug which causes her to grip the back of his shirt and sob into his chest. “Does Brian know?” he feels her shake her head in answer to his question. “He’s almost never home nowadays because he’s helping Do or Jinnie. I haven’t actually seen him in almost a week.” she mumbles into his shirt but he hears her anyway. 

“Come on.” he pulls away from the hug but takes her hand and drags her out of the practice room to his office. “What are we doing?” Leanna asks finally meeting Jae’s eye, confusion written all over her face. “You are going to lay on that couch over there and go to sleep while I finish up some of this damn paperwork for the battle of the bands.” he smiles at her when her eyes widen. “Jae..” she starts but he cuts her off with a shake of his head. “Go to sleep, Leanna.” he says somewhat sternly and she complies, grumbling about bossy men as she goes. Jae chuckles when she finally lays and sits behind his desk to finish the papers he’s been putting off. 

He’s about halfway through the papers when she whimpers the first time, he almost doesn’t hear it. She flops over and he glances up to see her face contorted in what can only be described as fear. She whimpers again as he stands from his desk and makes his way to her. “Le, honey, come on.” he gently shakes her shoulder but she’s still firmly asleep and starting to thrash. “Leanna, it’s just a dream. Come on.” he shakes her shoulder harder and this time she wakes up with a start, shooting upright. “Fuck.” she mumbles and goes to get up but Jae pushes her shoulder back. “What were you dreaming about?” he asks and she looks away to the floor. “It always starts with us up on stage but then they attack and I have to watch all of you die.” she mumbles and Jae hugs her for the second time in as many hours. 

“That won’t happen, Le. I promise.” Jae says against her hair and she shakes her head before pulling away. “I know but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t terrify me, Jae. I love all of you to pieces and it would literally kill me if you guys got hurt.” Leanna sighs before standing up and stretching. “I need some food and Brian.” She heads for the door and Jae follows her but she blocks his way. “What do you think you’re doing, mister? You need to stay here and finish your damn paperwork.” 

Jae laughs at her demanding tone before mock saluting her. “Yes, boss.” he says as he turns to head back to his desk and she kicks him right in the ass “Ow! What the fuck, Le?” he spins around to stare at her but can’t stay mad when she’s wearing a grin he hasn’t seen in weeks on her face. “I figured I’d kick your ass into motion.” she chuckles before leaving his office in search of food and her best friend while Jae just shakes his head. Jae finds Leanna sleeping in his office multiple times over the next couple of days, he doesn’t mind because she looks better. 

The day of the battle of the bands hits and everyone is excited, they’ve made sure that there are cameras literally everywhere at the venue and Soorin surprises them all by handing each of them a gun. “I know that at least most of you know how to use it. Just in case anything happens.” She smiles at them as they look at her skeptically and she pulls Leanna to the side to show her how to use it. Sungjin bumps Jae’s arm with his shoulder to get his attention. “Have you told her yet?” Sungjin asks his brother, who shakes his head causing Sungjin to scoff in disbelief. “I haven’t had the time. I’m planning on telling her tonight, Jin. I promise.” Jae says not taking his eyes off the two women in front of them. “You know that she’ll be more of a target if she feels the same.” Brian says bitterly and Jae turns to the younger man with his eyebrow raised. “Because she’s not already a target now? She’s not a target living with you or spending a majority of her time at the company building?” Jae asks seriously and Brian backs down instantly, knowing his boss is right. 

Leanna’s POV

“Five minutes.” someone calls into the waiting room they are in and Jae calls out a thank you as Soorin and Leanna approach the group of boys. “You ready, boss?” Jae asks Leanna with a grin causing her to roll her eyes and everyone to look at him in shock. “Definitely but Bri seems booty tickled about something.” she stares at her best friend as he tries to rearrange his features into something other than a frown. “I’m fine, babygirl. I promise.” Brian reassures his best friend, who gives him a playful glare. “You better be, bass boy, cause if you fuck up I’ll kill you.” she grins when she sees a genuine smile take over Brian’s face. “Ooooh daddy promise?” he replies only to be smacked by Dowoon, who almost shouts ‘no’ which causes the rest to laugh. “Maybe later, BriBri.” Leanna replies causing Dowoon to groan and Sungjin to snort. 

“Le, please, I’m innocent.” Dowoon whines which causes Wonpil to snort loudly. “Are you, Do?” Wonpil asks in a teasing tone while poking Dowoon’s neck causing the youngest to flush a bright red. Soorin and Leanna share a look before they high five and Leanna turns to Brian, who is frowning deeply again. “You owe me fifty bucks, bitch.” Leanna sticks her hand out to her best friend, who pulls his wallet out and puts the money in her hand. “You bet on us?!” Wonpil asks in shock as Leanna counts the bills Brian had placed in her hand. “Of course we did, Pil.” she replies glancing up at him with a grin. “Ready, guys?” Sungjin asks and everyone nods before heading out on stage. 

They make it through Starlight, the song Brian and Leanna wrote, California and Middle of the Night without a problem, but halfway through Bad Boy they hear multiple windows shatter. The five on stage freeze for a split second before about twenty men come rushing in and everything happens rather quickly after that. Brian is the first to draw his gun and gets two shots off before getting hit in the shoulder and going down. “Fuck, Bri.” Leanna pulls her gun from her waistband and takes out three guys on her way to Brian. “Why are you so stupid?” she asks as she crouches by her best friend and grabs his uninjured arm. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Le.” Brian replies, pain lacing his voice as Leanna drags him off the stage. 

“Don’t move. I’ll be back in a bit.” Leanna tells her best friend as she heads back to the stage, picking up Brian’s gun on the way. “Le? What are you doing? Get out of here.” Sungjin tells her as she re-emerges from back stage. “Fuck off, Sungjin.” she replies as she takes out the guy trying to sneak up on Sungjin from the left. “I am more than capable of taking care of myself.” she continues with a smirk as he stares at her in shock. It seems like their ambush was unexpected and the ones that weren’t dead or injured fled when they realized they were losing. 

“What are we gonna do with the bodies?” Leanna asks as she walks through the now empty auditorium kicking random body parts out of her way. “We’ll dispose of them.” Sungjin says as the others stare at her in shock. “What?” she asks upon looking up to find everyone’s eyes on her. “Are you okay, Le? You don’t seem too torn up about just shooting multiple people.” Soorin says when the boys can’t seem to find the words. Leanna chuckles as she looks at the dumbfounded expressions of her friends. “These people kidnapped me, tortured me and were most certainly going to kill me if the guys hadn’t come for me. This one right here…” she kicks a man’s head to turn his face toward the others before continuing. “Is the one who hit me the first time.” she finishes and looks from the man’s face to the shocked looks on her friend’s faces. 

“They had every intention of killing at least one of us when they showed up here tonight so pardon me if I feel nothing about ending their lives.” Leanna walks back stage to check on Brian. “How is he?” she asks the doctor Jae had called when it was over. “It was a clean shot. The bullet exited through his back so all I had to do was stitch him up and bandage it.” comes the reply and Leanna nods as she gazes at her best friend, who is staring at her intently. “How are you doing?” Brian asks when she approaches where he’s sitting with his arm in a sling. “I’m fine. Why is everyone so worried about how I’m doing?” she grumbles the last part causing Brian to scoff. “Maybe because you killed like six people tonight and you weren’t a part of any of this to begin with.” She turns to look at him while he’s talking and raises her eyebrow. “Are you finished?” she asks when he stops talking and he nods. 

“Great my turn. You’re an idiot if you think that I haven’t been involved in this since the damn day I was kidnapped, Brian. Whether it’s been officially stated or not I’m just as much a part of this as you are now and like I told the others not even five minutes ago. Those men came here with the intent to kill us so I have no remorse for the lives I took.” he stares at her for a long minute before his features soften and he sighs deeply. “You’re right.” she rolls her eyes at him before grinning widely. “When am I not.” There’s a laugh from behind her and she turns to see Soorin walking toward them. “You were definitely wrong, handsome. She’s totally cut out for this line of work.” Soorin tells Brian and Leanna looks at her best friend in time to see red spread across his face. “I know. I just didn’t want her to be.” Brian replies to Soorin, avoiding Leanna’s judging look until she leans in to whisper in his ear. 

“If you don’t tell her then I will.” Leanna pulls away as Brian starts stuttering and turning even more red. “I will when you do.” he finally replies and she grins widely at him again. “Deal. Hey, Soo, have you seen Jae?'' She turns from her best friend to the woman she knows holds Brian’s heart. “Last time I saw him he was stepping outside.” Soorin replies with a confused look on her face and Brian mutters ‘fuck’ beside Leanna as she stands. “Thanks, Soo. I’ll be back in a bit.” she makes her way back on stage only to jump right off and head out the door. 

She finds Jae leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and she stops for a second to admire his side profile. “Glad it’s finally over?” she asks after a minute causing Jae to jump violently and almost fall over. “Jesus woman! Why do you make it a habit to scared the shit out of me?” Jae asks with his hand over his heart. “I find it’s the best way to get someone’s heart rate up.” she replies sarcastically and Jae chuckles while shaking his head. “Well, you’ve succeeded in doing that. What’s up, Le?” Jae asks watching her glance around the street before her eyes land back on his. “Well I made a deal with Brian to get him to confess to Soorin.” she starts and Jae raises his eyebrows in disbelief. “What was the deal?” he asks as she takes a step toward him with a grin. Instead of answering him, she grabs his face and pulls him in for a kiss. Jae is shocked to say the least but kisses her back eventually. 

“The deal was that I would confess to you if he confessed to her.” she says when she breaks the kiss, resting her forehead against his for a second before pulling away completely. She starts to fidget when all Jae does is stare at her for what feels like forever. “Sorry.” she mumbles as she starts to turn back to the door but he grabs her wrist. He turns her back around and pulls her in for another kiss much to her surprise. “How did you beat me to it, Le?” he whispers against her lips before kissing her again. She pulls back after a minute to breathe and he grins at her. “What do you mean?” she asks after catching her breath and Jae rubs the back of his neck. “Soorin and Sungjin have been trying to get me to confess for a while now but I couldn’t ever find the right time. Plus Brian was against it because he didn’t want you to become more of a target if you felt the same way which now confuses me because I have a feeling that he knew how you felt the whole time.” he glances at her for confirmation which she gives in the form of a nod and he sighs. 

“That’s what the two of you were arguing about before we went on stage earlier wasn’t it?” she asks sounding a little frustrated as he nods and she turns to the door. “Where are you going?” Jae asks as she heads back inside the auditorium and he follows her. “I would like to have words with my oh so lovely best friend.” she replies quickly as she vaults herself up onto the stage, followed closely by Jae. “Brian Kang!” she calls out when she gets back stage and Brian’s head shoots up from where he was talking to Soorin. “What’s up, Le?” he asks starting to smile until he saw the look on her face. “You are an idiot.” she says, smacking the back of his head when she gets to his side. “Ow! Why am I an idiot now?” he asks, rubbing the spot she’d smacked him with his uninjured arm. “You didn’t want me to become more of a target?’ she asks and realization dawns across his face as the other boys gather to watch. 

“As if living with you and spending as much time at the company doesn’t make me a target already or did you forget that I was kidnapped just because I was at the company?” she raises her eyebrow at her fidgeting best friend. “I’m sorry, Le. I just wanted to protect you.” he says in a quiet tone and she huffs as he continues. “I almost lost you, Leanna. I didn’t want to go through that again.” he finishes with his head hanging low and she sighs heavily before dropping to her knees to look him in the eyes. “Hey. I’m still here and always will be. Did you forget our promise? Through thick and thin, ride or die, Bri. Nothing and no one will ever change that right?” she grips her best friend’s hand as he nods his head and looks up into her eyes. “I think that applies to everyone in this room now, don’t you, Le?” he asks and they both look up at the other boys. 

“I think you’re right, BriBri.” she says as she takes in the sight of Sungjin, with his arms crossed over his chest and a soft smile, of Dowoon with his arm around Wonpil’s waist, pulling him tightly to his side, of Soorin beside Brian with her hand on his knee both as a show of affection and comfort, and finally of Jae standing off to the side also with his arms crossed, watching the scene before him unfold just like he was the first time Leanna had met him. She extends her free hand to him and he takes it without hesitation, helping her stand before wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her into his side. 

“I agree.” Sungjin says after a few minutes of silence as he glances from his brother to his friends. “I know this is out of nowhere, well kind of, but Sungjin you owe me fifty bucks, bro.” Dowoon says with a mischievous grin on his face that widens when Jae’s jaw drops in shock. “You bet on us?” he asks in disbelief as Sungjin hands Dowoon the money. “Why are you surprised that we bet on you but not that Le and Bri bet on us?” Wonpil asks with a chuckle and Jae turns to him, eyes still wide. “Well because I knew about it and also the fact that my own brother bet on my love life.” Leanna buries her face in Jae’s chest to hide her laughter as Sungjin snorts. “It’s not the first time, Jae.” Sungjin tells his brother, who makes a noise of disbelief in the back of his throat. 

“Oh my god. I’m gonna die I swear.” Leanna says, still laughing at her boyfriend, who turns to her in concern. “Why? Are you hurt?” he starts to pull away and she just laughs harder as she pulls him back. “Nope. Just hungry all of a sudden.” she replies with a big grin still on her face. “Well where do you wanna eat then, boss?” Jae asks with a grin as Sungjin rolls his eyes and mumbles ‘yay she’s the boss now.’ Leanna turns to him with a raised eyebrow and Sungjin puts his hands up in surrender causing everyone to laugh.  

[cap-cavern]

Title: Under the Summer Night Sky

Fandom: Phineas and Ferb

Summary: Five friends sitting around a campfire. All were recollecting the times they spent as kids, for they hardly do it nowadays.

AO3, FFN

Commission done for @thephantomwithin7! Thank you so much for the commission! My commissions are still open so, yeah! DM me if you’re interested!

The sky was dark. It was like a painted canvas that was splattered with dark, blue paint with glitters thrown at every inch. Every glitter twinkled with such bright light, as if there was life in it. The breeze was slightly crisp for the summer season, but the people around the campfire didn't seem to mind it.

The campfire wasn't as massive as one expected from a huge campsite, but it was warm enough for a toasted marshmallow party. Five friends composed of four boys and one girl were all sitting on two separate logs placed on either side—the two dark-haired boys on the left, while the three were on the right. The fire in the wood was burning slowly. Its crisp noise was relaxing as it got mixed along with the sounds the forest was providing.

The redhead took a deep breath, throwing his head back. He looked at the sky, before moving his marshmallow slowly into the fire. He watched it slowly roast in the flames. He smiled, his eyes darting around his brother, his girlfriend and his friends.

It had been a while since they were all together like this. Ever since they started college, they hardly have time to catch up with each other. All of them, besides him and Isabella, went to different universities across the country, and being apart from them felt like there was a huge hole in his heart. He felt empty throughout the year, for he hardly see them and if he had time, it was just a quick chat; something he wasn't used to since they used to spend a lot of time together in their childhood.

He sighed, pulling his marshmallow off the campfire. He blew the fire from the sweet dessert and put it back in the blazing inferno. He chuckled at the thought.

'Blazing Inferno' sounded cool. It could be a possible name of an invention! He made a mental note to discuss that with Ferb later or tomorrow. After all, even if they go to different universities, they are still brothers.

"So," his girlfriend said, snapping him out of his trance. She blew the fire off from the marshmallow. "I realized something—" she kept on cooling her toasted marshmallow.

Phineas chuckled, his lips curving into a smile. He couldn't help to notice how cute she looked whenever she puffed air out of her mouth. "What is it?"

Ferb rose an eyebrow and chewed his own toasted treat while Baljeet furrowed his own. Buford, on the other hand, opened his mouth, forming an 'o'. All eyes were focused on her.

The girl sighed then smiled, before replying, "We've never been together like this for a while."

"Oh," Buford replied, ruining the mood with his nonchalant tone.

"Buford," Baljeet scoffed. The bully's eyebrows creased.

"What?"

"You sound rude," the Indian boy berated, while his frenemy shrugged, punching his arm like it was nothing. Baljeet let out a pained 'ow' but proceeded to grab another marshmallow from the pack with his uninjured hand.

"Well, what do you want me to reply?"

This caused Baljeet to roll his eyes. "Oh, I do not know. Maybe say something nice! I—"

"Guys," Isabella called the two, stopping their little argument. The two stopped to look at her, only to see her giggle. She sighed dreamily. "You two never change."

Baljeet's shoulders drooped along with his lips. He rubbed his cheek. "Well, you are right about that."

"The only difference is we're older and taking care of young Fireside girls," Ferb added while chewing his marshmallow.

Phineas laughed. "We became babysitters, basically."

"But with a price!" Buford laughed along while Isabella rolled her eyes.

The only reason why the five friends were together was all because they volunteered to help Isabella watch over the new Fireside recruits. Now, Fireside girls are independent ladies, but the only reason why they were here was the fact that these girls were around five to seven years old. They are young and needed guidance from their seniors, which happened to be her.

Isabella grabbed her now cold roasted marshmallow and popped it in her mouth. The toasted yet sweet flavour of the dessert lingered in it, and it was enough to lift her mood.

"Excuse me," a meek girl said, getting their attention. The boys stopped laughing while Isabella blinked. They all looked at the child with a curious expression.

"Oh," she bit her lip. "Umm, Sarah, right?"

The blonde nodded, twirling her fingers.

Isabella paused. She suddenly forgot that some of these girls were first-timers, and being in a troop was new to them. She sighed. "Do you need anything?"

"I…"

"Go on," Isabella encouraged.

"I-I need to go potty," she responded shyly.

There was a short pause until Buford stood up and offered his hand at the little girl. The little girl blinked. "Come on, short stuff. Me and my friend will accompany you."

Baljeet blinked, registering what his best friend and enemy stated. Did he want him to go with them? Could he just do it on his own?

"Come on, nerd," Buford hollered and Baljeet was left with no choice. Hopping off from his seat, he followed Buford and the little girl to the restrooms.

Moments passed since the three left, Ferb stood up from his seat. He breathed. "I'll try and make a call."

"You're calling Vanessa at a time like this?" Phineas asked his brother, while Ferb just nodded. The triangle-headed boy, being the oblivious lad he is, just shrugged. And now he was left alone with his girlfriend.

It took him a minute—or maybe more—when he realized that he was only accompanied by Isabella. He blinked and swallowed the lump in his throat. His eyes widened.

Did those three plan this? How come he was still wasn't aware in the first place?! He really needed to start paying more attention to things for once!

He sighed, rubbing his head. Well, there was no point in complaining now that it's happening. He could hear a giggle, and it was more than enough to wash away his distress. Jerking to his left, he looked at his girlfriend who had a huge smile on her face while roasting another marshmallow. He could only guess that she liked that there was no one around but them.

"What's so funny?"

Isabella stopped giggling. She elbowed his chest. "You oblivious goofball! Those three left us on purpose!"

Phineas just laughed. "I guess you noticed it first, huh?"

"No duh. You really need to pay attention to some details."

Phineas continued laughing. "I'm trying. I'm trying."

The two looked at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter. Their chuckling died and Phineas suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"I guess I can do this, then," he quipped, pressing his soft lips on her right temple. Isabella giggled once again.

"Hey, stop, that tickles!"

Phineas smirked. "Oh, really?"

He kissed her temple once again, causing Isabella to laugh. She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away from her, but Phineas was too stubborn. Instead, he leaned his forehead on hers. He was in awe at how beautiful her eyes were. His heart raced wildly in his chest at that, as his breath hitch.

She is truly gorgeous.

He suddenly realized that they too, hardly spend time together. And now was his chance.

Taking a deep breath, his eyes went to her stick and grabbed it. He doused the flames off with his breath and ate the roasted marshmallow like a madman.

"Hey!" Isabella squealed. "No fair! That's mine!"

Phineas chortled. "Come and geth it, then!"

Isabella pouted. How could she get it if it's in his mouth?! To her surprise, Phineas smacked his lips on hers. She could taste his saliva and the toasted treat exploding through their kiss. She could get used to this.

A cough interrupted them, making the couple break from their kiss.

"Oh, hey, Ferb!" Phineas said, smiling at his brother despite the blush on his cheeks. His eyes went round as he saw Baljeet and Buford behind him. "Uh...hey, guys!"

Buford chuckled, folding his arms across his chest while Baljeet and Ferb were smirking. "Look, what you did was cute, but get your own room, for Pete's sake."

"Dude! We are surrounded by children!" Baljeet intervened and the three just laughed. They watched the best friends slash enemies bicker like there was no tomorrow.

Phineas eyed his friends; from his brother to his girlfriend to Buford and Baljeet, he realized that he was very thankful for this night. They were together, just like the old times. Nothing could ever beat the happiness he could feel every summer.

[midorree]

Gay Minds Think Alike

@paperhatcollection co-wrote this with me, they are so fucking talented, and I had a blast writing this with her! Give her as much love as humanly possible, and we hope you enjoy this wreck of a fic! 

Love is a funny thing. It’s hard to define, harder to understand, sometimes changing with the winds and other times a sturdy rock in an otherwise turbulent river. Sometimes it’s like a recurring idea or a thought you can’t shake from your head, or as much a part of your like as your voice or the way your heart skips a beat when you see you one and only soulmate. Sometimes it's slow, built up over a thousand small moments, other times you trip and crash headfirst into a crush.

Sometimes it’s like tripping on the top step of a staircase and tumbling your way to the bottom, where you land at the feet of your crush.

Which is exactly the situation Anti found himself in, laying on his back at the foot of the stairs, his gay dumbass gaze locked onto the face of Chase Brody standing above him.

The first thing Anti was aware of was the way his breath was knocked from his lungs, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the fall or from the way that Chase was looking down at him. Anti found himself captivated by the gaze, his breath caught in his throat by the way Chase batted his eyelashes, or maybe he was just blinking, but Anti didn’t care. He wasn’t sure of the angle did something, or if he’d gotten a mild concussion, but Chase was so pretty. It was as if the gates of heaven glanced upon his pitiful existence just to give a taste of what it all felt like. When Chase opened his mouth to speak, it was as if a chorus of angels backed his words, the light about them nearly forming a halo around Chase.

“Woah, dude, did it hurt?”

Anti felt himself grin, a look he imagined to be sly but in reality, looked rather dopey. “You mean when I fell from heaven?” he asked, almost certain it would end in his favor.

“In what world would you fall from-” Chase frown, shaking his head ever so slightly and sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Never mind. No- when you fell down the stairs, are you okay? That looked like it hurt, dude. And now you’re just kinda… staring off into space, I think?” He added a small wave of his hand back and forth over Anti’s field of vision, checking if his eyes moved along with the movement. Anti blinked. Once, twice, then refocused on Chase, the vacant look finally falling from his face.

“Oh.” Anti tried to ignore the way the lump in his throat turned into a rock in the pit of his gut. “Um… yeah. I’m uh, I’m fine. Yeah. No problemo here.”

Chase shrugged. “Alright man, if you say so. Need a hand up?” he offered, holding out his hand to Anti. Anti’s mouth went completely dry as he looked anxiously at Chase’s outstretched hand; endless possibilities flashing through his mind.

He could grab Chase’s hand and try to play it off coolly, standing to his feet in a smooth motion that would allow him to regain some of his composure. He’d pull Chase’s hand closer, planting a kiss on the back of his palm and wink to him, and totally embarrass himself because he’s got Clumsy Bitch Disease and it’s fatal, so he’d definitely mess up somehow.

Maybe his own hands would clam up and he’d gross Chase out, and then he’d never speak to him again and he’d die alone with fifty cats as his only company. The saddest part being, one of the cats would definitely be named Chase. Maybe even Marvin if he were up for it. One day once he was old and alone he’d wake up to find out Chase the cat had passed away peacefully in its sleep, and he’d mourn the last link he had to his lost love while gazing sadly out his window. It would be raining.

Maybe he’d trip over his big fucking feet again and pull Chase down with him, and then Chase’s weight would be pressed against him, their lips inches apart, their eyes meeting-

Anti made a low whine in the back of his throat, acutely aware of the clock ticking faster and faster as he left Chase hanging for a response.

“No, I- fuck you.” Anti blurted out.

Even before the words had fully left his throat, Anti could feel his internal narration freeze in panic, then go into maximum overdrive. Before Chase had a chance to register what dumbass sentence just came out Anti’s mouth, and before Anti could see the look on his face when he did, Anti had glitched out of the current plane of existence, hoping his useless gay soul would just hang on a string and he would die a quick painless death.

Chase blinked then shrugged, sighing inwardly to himself. Geez, some people.

-----

In the quiet of dawn, when the world was just beginning to wake from its gentle slumber, and the first rays of morning’s light snuck through the thin gap between closed curtains when Chase shot upright in bed with the sudden realization that Anti wasn’t delusional, he’d been trying to court his dumb butt.

If it hadn’t been six in the goddamn morning, Chase probably would have screamed bloody murder. “Oh my god,” Chase whispered-screamed to himself, shoving the blankets aside and nearly tumbling out of bed in his hurry to stand. “Oh my fucking god, oh man, I’m so dense, what the fuck-” his efforts to stand did ultimately end in him tripping and hitting the floor with a loud THUD, but Chase was up the next moment, too absorbed in his breakthrough to notice the collateral damage. “Okay Chase, calm down. Maybe Anti didn’t realize what he was saying- he probably got a concussion falling down the stairs or something, you know how egotistical that glitch is,” He gulped. “I hope.”

“I mean, not that… I… well it has been awhile since I’ve been with someone, but…” Chase paused and gave himself a light slap on the side of his face. “No, bad Chase, you’re projecting. But what if I’m not- I mean, it wouldn’t be so bad, would it? Anti’s not that bad a guy once you get to know him, and he’s got those fucking eyes, that shitty laugh of his that’s always so much louder than everything else in the room like he’s trying to make sure everyone pays attention to him.” And it fucking works, by the way. Chase couldn’t count the number of times he’s felt his gaze pull towards the glitch, his attention stolen in a moment, left breathless as he watches the way Anti effortlessly manipulates the room with a word or a gesture. Chase felt himself shiver just thinking about it, picturing the gleam in his eyes, the smirk tugging his lips up.

“Oh, fuck,” Chase whispers to himself, shoulders slumping downwards. “I’ve got it bad.”

He shook his head, staring blankly at a wall, before returning to his bed. He sat on the edge, letting his head fall into his hands, taking a deep breath as a shudder ran through his body. The worst part was, this could still all be in his head. He didn’t actually know for sure if… oh fuck, this was just like him too, wasn’t it? Chase didn't exactly have a history of… successful relationships, to put it bluntly.

Love isn't fun. Sometimes it’s hard, harder still once you’ve lost at its game. Sometimes love is the thing that fuels you, that keeps you going on during cold nights, while other times it’s the thing that takes half of your soul and throws it into the void. Sometimes it’s like a dream, blissful and sweet, while other times it’s a melancholy memory, bittersweet in the moments you know you’ll never have again. And sometimes… sometimes it feels like your only source of air, like something you could never live without, no matter how many times it chews you up and spits you out.

Yeah, Chase Brody was a dead man.

-----

Maybe, Chase thinks, a bus will run me over and my problems won’t matter anymore.

No such luck was waiting for him, it seems, as he made his way downtown. Maybe the recording studio would be on fire, and they’d have to cancel recordings for today. Wouldn’t be the first time, although Marvin had sworn to Ireland and back that he’d be more careful with his magic from that point on. Or maybe Anti was too busy editing footage for everyone's videos, and he wouldn’t leave his editing room for the entire day, and Chase wouldn’t have a chance to talk to him.

Too bad as soon as he walked into the office, he was smacked in the face by reality, and left breathless by the smug grin Anti was sending his way. Somehow, he seemed to radiate a confidence Chase could only wish he had, even when casually standing by the water cooler and flipping through a script for someone’s video. Chase faltered to a stop, catching Anti’s eye from across the room and giving a weak wave in response. He was almost sure the beating of his heart was audible to those around him.

In reality, Anti was baring the dopiest smile a gay man could bear, staring at his favorite person head-on. Soon enough, he had the thought that Chase may be weirded out by his staring and proceeded to pretend he was doing something important. Such as flip through a finalized script that was already good enough to be on camera, and ‘scan it for errors’. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Chase halt midway across the room, glancing back over in time for Chase to flash him a grin and wave. Anti nearly short-circuited, causing him to drop the papers, which fluttered to the ground and fanned out into a heap around him.

Cursing under his breath, Anti knelt down to recollect them, trying to hide his apparent blush from embarrassing himself in front of his crush two days in a row. From across the room, Chase gasps in surprise when Anti drops his papers, rushing over to help. He wasn’t even sure if Anti noticed him right away, at least not until they reached for the same paper. Their hands brushed, Chase’s resting on top of Anti’s, a slight spark leaping between their connected hands.

Than Chase panicked, jerking back and somehow managing to hit Anti square on the nose.

“Ow! What the hell?!” Anti snapped.

“Fuck- shit, I’m sorry!” Chase blurted out, dropping what few papers he’s managed to collect back onto the floor. He reached out towards Anti, unsure what he’d really be able to do but wanting to make sure he was okay, only for Anti to jerk away and glare at him. Chase flinched and pulled his hand closer to his body, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Uh, um, I thought you might need uh, you might want a hand?”

“I’m fine,” Anti grumbled, gathering the remaining papers together in a pile and straightening them out. They weren't in any way shape or form in the correct order, but Anti didn’t care right now. No, instead he was just focused on the annoyance bubbling in the back of his head, cause that was better than focusing on the bubbly feeling he got when he looked at Chase’s cute, apologetic face. He started to reach out before catching himself, wanting to comfort him, but he knew if he started to do that he’d end up a stuttering, nervous wreck before the minute was over.

“I… I have to go. Gotta, um, reorder these.” Anti awkwardly stammered out, standing and almost dropping the papers again, before catching them against his chest and turning to leave. As he did so, his jacket caught in the air, flaring out and fanning around him like a cape. It was somehow an even more dramatic flair than what Marvin was able to manage, and that guy wore an actual cloak.

“I like your jacket.” Chase blurted out, standing quickly. He coughed into his fist, his throat suddenly remarkably dry, and he nonchalantly edged closer to the water cooler. “I mean uh,” Chase paused to lick his lips, which suddenly felt as dry as his throat did. “That’s a really nice jacket, Anti. It suits you.” He licked his lips again, mostly because his saliva was depleting rapidly from his mouth. He grabbed one of the paper cups from the cooler and finally got himself a drink, drowning it in a single gulp but somehow still just as thirsty as he’d been before. When he looked back up from his cup, he realized Anti had ceased storming off, and was staring at Chase with an unreadable expression. Oh- Oh fuck. Chase had assumed he’d already left. Instead, he’s watched as Chase stopped and gulped down an entire cup of water, in the middle of a fucking statement.  “Uh, I, um. You… jacket, uh, looking good?”

Anti, oblivious to what Chase’s message to him was, stated, “No, you can’t have my leather jacket, you already stole Jackie’s.” and turned around and left.

It was an hour later, after Anti had reordered the script and begun editing footage for Jackie’s latest ‘parkour’ video (it was actually just him on patrol, but no one needed to know that) that Anti removed his headphones, stared off at a blank wall, and realized Chase had been complimenting him.

“FU-

----

“Henrik, I fucked up!” Chase yelled, bursting through the door to Henrik’s makeshift clinic.

Henrik sighed, putting down his clipboard. He didn’t look surprised in the least, just tired. “I knew it. Where did he stab you?”

“Uh… what?” Chase asked, confused.

“You tried to steal Anti’s new jacket, didn’t you?” Henrik paused, sighing. “Oh, I’m sorry, ‘borrow’ his jacket, just like you’ve ‘borrowed’ clothes from the rest of us. I still want my sweater back, by the way.” Chase was pretty sure that sweater was currently folded up in one of his dressers, right next to one of JJ’s spare bowties and one of Jackie’s jackets. But now wasn’t the time for that.

“What? No! I just… had a realization…” Chase began, faltering and adjusting the brim of his hat, glancing around the room as if expected someone to leap out at any moment.

Henrik looked puzzled for a good second before his expression cracked, an assuming smile turning the corners of his lips. “That have certain feelings for Anti?”

“How the fuck did you know that?”

A small smirk teased on Henrik’s oh so smug face. “A little birdie told me.”

And by birdie, he was referring to the fact that he’d listened to Anti rambling on about his crush for hours over the course of his visits to Henrik’s clinic, during which Anti had managed to compare Chase to everything from the sun to a Greek god. The amount of giddiness Anti radiating from Anti could power the entire goddamn planet, and Henrik found watching his half-assed attempts at catching Chase’s eye akin to watching a morning soap-opera you kinda hoped would turn into a trainwreck of gay feelings.

“I mean… Hen, I’ve been out of it so long, what if he doesn’t like me back?” Chase asked, his voice raising several pitches from his panic. “What if he rejects my attempts? What if I try and bring him some coffee to flirt with him, but I spill it all over his shirt and he hates me forever? And the tension in the office raises a lot? And what if because of that, the others start to hate me? And then I have to move out of the country, change my name to Scooter Bronan, and become a drug dealer on the lonely streets of LA!”  

Henrik almost felt bad for laughing, but not by a lot. A drug dealer? Preposterous, Chase wouldn’t be able to sell water, a legal substance, without a license.

“Henrik!” Chase whined. “Stop laughing, I’m serious!”

“Chase, would you do me a small favor for me?” Henrik asked, as he stood up from his desk and walked towards a storage closet. “Get in the closet.”

“Is that a metaphor? I’m openly gay-” Chase began, only for Henrik to cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“I’m aware, get in the closet, please.” He opened the door, smiling welcomingly, yet Chase was getting mixed signals from the whole ‘get in the closet’ thing. Reluctantly, he stepped into the closet, letting the door shut behind him. Chase settled down on an upside-down bucket, listening to Henrik move around the clinic from the other side of the door. After a moment, he heard Henrik speak up again. “And Chase? Please be quiet for a moment, if you would.”

“Alright…?”

Nodding to himself, Henrik set his plan in motion. First things first: alerting the other disaster gay. One text later, and Anti was coming any moment now, not aware that Chase was in the closet. Literally speaking, of course, everyone knew that Chase swung both ways, and Anti had been over the moon the first time he’d found out about it.

Glitching into existence already sitting on the examination bed, Anti was holding a five-hour energy bottle that he threw back into his mouth and downed it all in one go. “Henrik, you’re not going to believe this shit.”

“Let me guess, you have a crush on Chase?” Henrik asked, grinning to himself as he set about changing the bandages around Anti’s neck. He’s done this so many times, he could probably manage it with his eyes closed.

“Oh, haha,” Anti said with a roll of his eyes. “The usual, anyways,” he tossed the now-empty bottle behind him, where it landing it the trash with ease.

“Show off, how many times did you practice that at home?” Henrik asked.

“Moving right along,” Anti replied without missing a beat. “So you know how eye contact is something important for every humanoid should have a grasp on?”

“Yes?”

“I forgot how to maintain eye contact when Chase was looking at me, and I dropped a bunch of papers in front of him like an absolute clutz,” Anti explained, sighing dramatically. “Now Chase probably thinks I’m the biggest doof in the whole office! And he punched me! I’m never washing my face again, by the way.”

“Yes you are, your I’m forcing you to take a shower.” Henrik cut in. “A crush is no reason to abstain from basic hygiene.” Normally, he’d already been halfway done by now, but Henrik was going slower than usual. “Anyways, I’m sure he doesn't think that. And what really happened?”

“Oh- um, he tried to help me pick up the papers, you know, cause he’s a perfect fucking angel, but then our hands touched and I think maybe I’m not so dead inside? Maybe this man is the cure to fucking cancer?” he sighed dreamingly. “There was a spark between us, I just know it. Or, you know, maybe it was my glitchy electrical powers zapping him, cause he ended up yanking back and smacked me on accident.” Anti paused than shook his head. “It was an accident, so I’m not really upset at him.

“Anti,” Henrik began. “We all know Chase could stab you and you’d be on your knees thanking him for breathing in your direction.”

“Cause he’s fucking perfect, that’s why.” Anti snapped. “Have you seen that guy? He’s so sweet and caring, he puts others well being in front of his own, and just- have you seen the way he looks when he helps someone? That pure smile on his face, I don’t know how he does it, but somehow he manages to make me think that maybe the world isn’t so doomed after all? And when he laughs just makes the room brighter, it makes my entire day when I can make him laugh, I’d do anything for it.”

Anti paused and chuckled. “And I swear every time I hear it my heart’s gonna beat out of my chest. I don’t know how much longer I can take this without bursting at the seams from all these stupid feelings, but I can’t just make a move, what if he doesn’t like me back? I would die alone with fifty cats, one of which is named Marvin, and I have to spend the rest of my life referring to Marvin as human Marvin, and I never speak to Chase again because he’s allergic to cats and he won’t ever come near me. I’ll have to quit and get a new job and move towns and call myself Connor and become a shell of former self.”

Henrik hummed knowingly, glancing at the closet. “What exactly do you feel for Chase?”

“I… I kinda…” Anti began, then muttered under his breath.

“You kind of what, Anti?”

“I kind of love him?” Anti whispered, grinning sheepishly.

“I can’t hear you,” Henrik said, tilting his head and leaning back. “Could you speak up, please?”

“I said I fucking love him?! Okay?! Henrik?! I love him!” Anti screamed,  face turning a light shade of red.

Nodding to himself, Henrik finished applying Anti’s clean bandages and smoothed them out, double checking his work before backing away and dusting off his hands. He spun on a heel, crossing to the closest door, and opening it while stepping aside to reveal a very shocked and very blushy Chase Brody.

“Alright, was that straight enough for you?” Henrik asked than caught himself and chuckled. “Ah- my bad, I should wait for you to come out of the closet, shouldn’t I?”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, I’m not-” Chase stammered, not prepared for the fuckery that Henrik has laid down in front of them.

“Nonsense!” Henrik cut in, grabbing him by the arm and leading him out of the closet. “We were just talking about you, actually! Weren't we, Anti?”

Anti opened and closed his mouth without saying anything, looking from Chase to Henrik and back to Chase again. “Henrik! You set me up, you son of a whore!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, you were talking about Chase on your own account, weren’t you?” Henrik asked, unable to stop himself from smiling right in Anti’s face. “Why, I couldn’t have stopped you if I’d tried!”

“You could have! You could have stopped me right there!” Anti screamed, pointing at the now empty closet. “Chase was in the fucking closet the entire time, and you didn’t have the human decency to stop me from being gay!”

“It’s called doctor-patient confidentiality,” Henrik explained. “If Chase didn’t want to come out of the closet, I had no right to force him.”

“I didn’t even know what I was saying, I don’t even like Chase! I was just exaggerating to be funny! You like drama, so I gave it to you!" Anti protested.

“You… you were?” Chase asked, his voice soft, broken, and his expression crestfallen. He sniffed, scrubbing at the corner of his eye as he looked off, trying not to appear too heartbroken and failing spectacularly. “I… oh. Well, I hope you had fun, Anti. It’s not like some of us actually care about our feelings.”

“No! Chase, I didn’t mean to- please- I don’t- what- Henrik! See what you did?” Anti asked, turning back to the doctor and unable to keep the desperation from his voice.

“Me?” Henrik asked, putting an arm around Chase’s shoulder and bringing him closer, comforting him. “I didn’t do anything, except listen when my friends came into my clinic of their own accord and start gushing to me about their crushes.”

“I should go.” Chase blurted out before anyone could say anything else. “Anti you… you enjoy your game, just leave my heart out of it.” he pulled out of Henrik’s arms, heading towards the door with a slow, dragging pace.

“No, you’re not going anywhere, we need to set some things in order,” Anti said, sliding between Chase and the door, placing his hands on Chase’s chest. “I… I didn’t mean it,” he admitted, fidgeting in place. “I… Chase look, I’m really fucking dumb sometimes, and I don’t work well under pressure, and I’m pretty sure Henrik has been stealing my brain cells during my visits-”

“Actually, I’ve been trying to replenish them you disaster child.” Henrik cut in.

Anti glared at him than softened his expression when he returned it to Chase. “Chase, the truth is I… I um, I … Feel… good when I’m near you I… you… we… have something? Please? That we don’t have with the others? You… I… love… I love you.”

Chase sniffed, rubbing his face with one hand than looking up at Anti with a sly grin, all traces of his sadness gone. “Is that so?” Chase asked, leaning closer and grinning. “Cause, I think I love you too,” he admitted, planting his lips on Antis in a quick, stolen kiss.

“I… uh, holy shit, what, hands, do, I, um, fuck, Chase-”

“Chase, you broke him, his last brain cell was a gift to you.” Henrik gasped, placing a hand over his heart. That dramatic bitch.

Lifting one of Anti’s hands in his, Chase interlocked their fingers together, smiling at his new boyfriend. Anti still having yet to form a coherent sentence, managed to stammer out something that vaguely sounded like ‘You… smile… good’. Chase giggled and planted another kiss, on his cheek this time, tugging him towards the door. “Common, let’s go break the news to everyone else before you crash completely.”

Maybe love wasn't so bad after all.

[charlottesdanger]

Study Dates

Chenry oneshot

A/N: I don't watch the show, so if anything is inaccurate, oops. lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ And this might be poorly written and cheesy and gross but whatever. 

Summary: (Established Chenry) Henry is failing math and Charlotte tries to tutor him (Keyword: "tries")

Rating: T

Word Count: 1k

"I don't understand what I'm doing, Char." Henry groaned, pushing his chewed-up pencil and math notebook onto her lap as he slouched down against the back cushion of the couch, proceeding to cross his arms in a petulant manner. At the sudden movement, a wavy strand of blond hair fell in front of the tips of his eyelashes, irking him in the slightest degree. He huffed the strand out of his vision. Usually his hair was neatly gelled back like he'd prefer, but since he was grounded restricted (it sounded less juvenile) from leaving the house, he had no reason to pamper it.

It was Saturday, and upon his mother's order, he wasn't to leave the house until he finished his studies. (God, he felt like a child.) Apparently his mother received an email from his teacher voicing her (false) concern over his failing math grade (Mrs. Stafford never liked him, and the feeling was eminently mutual). Although most would think otherwise, he wasn't failing the class because the lessons were too difficult for him to comprehend. Rather, it was largely due to his impromptu nap sessions during the lectures, and, as a result, he was missing the material he should know for the assignments and tests.

Why the naps? Well, maybe he had been too busy this past month saving a multitude of lives to have time for a decent rest. Crime had been at its peak lately, and he (nor Ray) could not catch a break. You're welcome, Swellview! (He should get paid for this.) But, of course, he couldn't reveal this to his mother, and to appease her, he had to settle for a tutor:

Charlotte, i.e., his girlfriend.

Which wasn't the best idea considering the amount of times she would distract him from work. Alright, it was probably the other way around, but could you blame him? Charlotte was so . . . Charlotte. Her entire existence practically implored him to notice her, to bug her; her presence seemed to demand his attention, as if she were a burst of light in a cave of absolute darkness—his eyes would follow her and he couldn't help but feel inextricably drawn to her. And now that they were together, he felt this gravitation intensify whenever she was next to him, and he had this constant, irrepressible desire to wrap her in his arms and cuddle, as silly as that sounded.

Charlotte cringed as she reluctantly picked up his pencil, bite marks blemishing it. "Okay." She nodded lightly, eyeing it weirdly. She turned to face him. "Let's start with the basics, refresh your memory a bit." She smiled, relieving his slight pout. It was the casual one that ignited a warm, fluttery sensation within him, the kind that made his heart skip a beat. She twirled the pencil around her fingers and went on and on about variables and bivariate data and honestly, he wasn't paying attention to any of it.

Not when her curly dark hair was up in a bun and her shorts were riding up too high and her exposed legs were a bit . . . distracting, to say the least. He subtly bit his bottom lip, cheeks lightly tinged red. (Why, why did she have to look so cute today?)

Feeling a little touch starved, his hand discreetly met with her free one as she rambled, and he intertwined their fingers, loving how perfectly they fit together. Like them. (It was an admittedly saccharine thought but completely genuine.) A small smile on his face, his thumb slowly drew circles on the back of her hand, observing how his pale tone juxtaposed her darker one and how his size enveloped the dainty thing.

"—Which is contingent on—Are you even listening to me?" She furrowed her eyebrows, glancing at their clasped hands for a hot second but not questioning it.

Sitting up straight, Henry looked up and absentmindedly hummed in response, now focusing on her mouth instead, still unaware of what she was talking about. Was she wearing a little gloss? Or was it simply chapstick? Whatever it was, it made her lips look really nice. (Had he lathered enough lip balm himself?)

It wasn't that he didn't want to pay attention to the content of her words, Charlotte just happened to be way more endearing than statistics. Or anything else, really. (See?! She's distracting!)

Charlotte scribbled some words onto the paper. "Looking through your past assignments, I've broken down the areas you've been struggling with into three parts." She showed him the paper, pointing at the three bullets. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with merriment. "What do you want to do first? I'm down for whatever."

A playful, knowing grin slowly crept onto his face, and he pretended to think, tilting his head to the side. He then swooped down to her eye level, catching her by surprise. "You," Henry teased, brushing their noses together, eyes bright.

She lightly pushed him away, scrunching her face, a smile threatening to break through her (pretty) features. "That was unbearably corny."

He chuckled, advancing towards her once more, this time landing a small peck on her lips.

Although she tried to suppress it, the corners of her mouth lifted. "As much as I like this, for your own good, you need to focus, Hen."

Being his usual stubborn self, he ignored her, picking up the books from her lap and moving them over to the coffee table in front of them. Wearing a mischievous look on his face, he leaned even closer to her, burying his nose in her neck. "And what if I don't want to?" he murmured, purposefully planting a kiss there, knowing its effect. He noticed her heartbeat quickening. Getting in the mood, his hand snaked around her thigh and brought her leg around his waist, using his other arm to pull her closer from the low of her back.

"Then maybe . . . we can . . . take a short break?" She struggled to talk as he began to slowly trail kisses down her neck, messing with her thought process and coaxing her to gradually lie down on the couch.

He smiled against her skin. "I've been waiting for you to say that."

A/N: *cue piper walking in on them* 

Happy belated Valentine's Day! 

[sl-walker]

Preview

The air was still a little chilly as the city shook off night and headed into daylight, but despite not being dressed for it, Tally didn't really feel it.

"Mountain medicine?" he asked, incredulously. "Surgeon trained in the best medical schools in the galaxy and you used mountain medicine?"

Dawn was breaking over Aldera in pastel blues and golds; somehow, they had ended up out in the Royal Gardens surrounding the palace, pacing the tended paths and surrounded by the late spring flowers.  Before the pre-dawn glow had even come into the sky, Zan had taken him to an early-opening caf-and-tea shop called Turn Another Leaf on the boulevard that led to said palace, and had bought him a cup of herbal tea (citing that caffeine was the last thing he needed after his stim-overdosing) and the conversation hadn't paused but for that.

Now, Zan wagged a finger, grinning sheepishly. "I didn't use mountain medicine, Frayus did.  I just had it two-day shipped from my family on Talus and explained it to him once he asked me what I would suggest; we keep a stock there, imported from Iridonia.  I figured that your lieutenant probably hadn't been exposed to it, and he wouldn't have built up any tolerance to it, so it might do what it was originally used for."

The first thing they had done was circle each other in conversation, revealing bits and pieces back and forth.  Zan had apparently been a surgeon on Drongar, assigned to an RMSU, a pilot program that was quickly discontinued when the cost of maintaining the mobile surgical units and provisioning them became higher than just letting clone medics do what they could in the hopes of them eventually making it to a medical center.

Because, in the cold calculus of war, it turned out it was cheaper to let badly wounded clones die and be replaced than maintain dedicated on-planet facilities to keeping them alive.

Before that had happened, though, he'd had his hands inside the bodies of hundreds of Tally's brothers, while the GAR tried to protect the very expensive 'medical miracle' called bota.  Tally remembered some talk about it; it had been a cure-all, until a retrovirus introduced by someone -- no one even knew which side or if it was an outside group, everyone disclaimed responsibility -- had altered its genetic structure, making it permanently unusable and nothing more than a prolific weed.  Having no monetary investment to protect anymore, both sides abandoned Drongar.

"Someone reported me for using it on patients, back when it still worked -- troops and natural born soldiers -- and it turned into a mess," had been Zan's explanation, when it was still dark and they'd only just gotten started, and while that wasn't enough to win Tally's trust fully, his estimation of the zabrak went up several fold anyway.  Because bota was so expensive and coveted that of course it was for the rich and powerful civilians and not the people dying and bleeding to protect it; that Zan went against that (and paid for it) definitely was enough to catch Tally's attention and tentative admiration.  "I come from a wealthy, powerful family; they would have made an example of me if I hadn't.  Still, I was disgraced; I escaped criminal charges of treason and theft, but I was thrown out of the army and stripped of my accreditation in the civilian sector.  I had to pay back my wages, lousy as those were."  He had shaken his head there, heaving out a heavy-sounding sigh. "I'm good enough with a quetarra to live well, but--"

"Do you miss it?" Tally had asked, pointedly.

"I didn't think I would, but yeah."  Zan had held out his hands, fingers splayed, looking down at them. "At first, I was just relieved to get away without a criminal record, and to get away from the blood and gore and misery of the front lines, but-- yeah, I miss it.  Not war, but being a doctor.  Medicine.  Surgery."

In between all but interrogating Zan, Tally revealed little bits and pieces of how he knew what he did; it wasn't until they had been talking for awhile that he realized Zan was letting him get away with not ponying up an equal amount of information, and while that made him wary, he was kind of grateful for it, too.

Now, most of Zan's history was out in the open and the talk had turned to current medicine; in this case, a mountain flower native to Iridonia called rasash.  Because it was the first time Tally had ever had a doctor and a zabrak to prod for information and there was only so far that medical texts could take him.

"How'd you know that it would work on a hybrid?" he asked, plunking himself down to sit on a bench and finishing the dregs of his herbal tea; he'd gotten rid of the headache, but he could still feel his own exhaustion.

"I didn't, but even if it didn't work, it wouldn't have hurt him any.  Humans occasionally gain a taste for it; it doesn't have any medicinal effect on them, though."  Zan shrugged and lowered himself down to sit at the other end of the bench. "It was known to work on inflammation in zabraks long before we kept records of those things, old clan remedies.  Over the past tens of thousands of years, it became a common thing in most family pantries; everyone stocks it, drinks it, and it doesn't really do anything for anyone these days because it's so commonplace everyone's built up a tolerance.  It's tradition, it tastes good and reminds them of home or family.  But since he was isolated, I thought he probably hadn't been exposed to it and that it was worth a try as the most gentle way to get his immune response under control."

Tally had stolen Zan's datapad, which was networked to the palace's medical wing, and had called up Maul's stats.  And they were improved; it wasn't a cure-all, he was still a mess, but he was a mess whose status was under control and who was actually resting properly for the time being.  Slow-wave sleep, something Maul desperately needed at this point.  "How'd you know he was isolated?" Tally asked, bluntly.

Zan's usual reaction to his prodding, especially when it was sharper, seemed to be either amusement or sheepishness.  Now, he sucked a breath in through his teeth and rolled his shoulders in the warm morning light. "That's another long story.  Are you sure you want it now?  You look like you should probably go back to bed for awhile."

"I'm sure."  Tally smiled, just a hint of sharpness in it. "Because I might just be a medic--" And there, Zan snorted at him. "--and you might just be a quetarra player now, but let's not pretend there's no deeper reason why you're here to 'consult' with."

"I can't go into that part," Zan answered, raising his brows again. "Not yet.  That, you'll have to take up with Viceroy Organa."

"I intend to."

"As to the rest--"  The zabrak took a deep breath and let it out, then leaned back against the bench and tipped his head back, sprawling there.  "He approached me after I was back on Talus for a little while, feeling wretched.  He invited me to meet with him.  Then he proceeded to grill me to within a centimeter of my life.  You've talked with him-- he's a gentleman, but he's certainly not lacking any speed.  He had apparently been vetting me before I even knew his name, and he asked me enough questions to make it clear that he knew a lot more about me than any public records might show.  Then, just as I was feeling like I was either being recruited as a spy or about to be buried in an unmarked grave, he offered me a place in Aldera here, and an audition with the Orchestra."

Tally chewed on that for a few moments.  Long enough to feel a little shiver in his spine; a thrill of fear.  Or maybe hope.  Or maybe some tangled up combination of the two, a hint of something much bigger than expected on the horizon.

"And just in case you ever need to know, I'm working on Maul's situation too."

Tally knew his brain wasn't up to speed right now, but he was starting to get the sense of just how far Organa had been going since he'd told Tally that on Corellia.  He had thought the man was trying to find some legal loophole, but now -- presented with a compassionate, principled, disgraced zabrak surgeon who had apparently been maneuvered into this, if kindly -- he was starting to suspect that it was a hell of a lot more direct action in nature.  "He wants to know if those cybernetics can be cracked without killing Maul in the process, doesn't he?"

Zan reached over and swatted him on a shoulder. "Come on, don't push.  I'm sure he'll bring it to you before long.  He made it incredibly clear how much he respects you and how nothing gets done without your involvement."

Tally's eyes wanted to close without his permission (again), but his eyebrows went all the way up at that. And completely outwith himself, he felt a sharp rush of affection for the Senator from Alderaan.  His crush had died on Corellia, but the respect he had for Organa hadn't, and now here was another reminder of why: For Bail's faith in him, for the fact the man was working on exactly what he had said he would, but--

But also, for loving Maul that much.

For the first time since before Felucia, Tally could almost feel hope again.  The loss of Rabbit still was digging a hole in his heart, but he felt a little like he could breathe past it easier than he had been.

[shaezerburn]

This one-shot AU is inspired by a song. I’m trying out a weird writing style for myself. Or something like that. I just hope it makes sense in the end. Bare with me. 

Freezerburn! 

Beware: 5k words. Everyone in this “one-shot” is cheeky and a smart-ass. They’re teenagers, obvi. (except for god tier dad tai.) I would’ve expanded on this whole entire thing if it weren’t for me claiming it to be a one-shot. FDGKJDSG.

It’s from a Yang PoV / Almost an introspective/journalistic and basically a journey into discovering herself and what she likes. (Plot twist: It’s Weiss)

September 13th, 20[xx]

“Yang, seriously? Senior year, and you still haven’t had a crush on anyone?” Jaune poked at her, questioningly. Nora and Ren sighed.

Pyrrha lightly smacked Jaune on the shoulder, “Don’t question her with silly things like that.” she smirked mischievously “Are you sure you don’t find any guy attractive?” they were playing with her.

Yang leaned forward, her head resting on her elbow as she idly chewed her corn dog, only to look down at it and frown. “No? It’s high school. I’m focused on..Go-” her go to response when she didn’t feel like playing along.

“Good grades. Good morals. And most of all my sister!” everyone at the lunch table seemed to repeat, in a cultist chant like manner.

Yang leaned back and rolled her eyes, “I’m heading to class.” she starting packing up her things. Her appetite had suddenly disappeared. You guys are lucky that you’ve been my friends since middle-school. Or else, I don’t know how I would deal with you lot.

“Oh, come on you guys - don’t tease her like that.” Nora scolded the two.

Yang waved off, “It’s fine. I’m just going to study a bit before class.” she had thrown her things away and made a beeline towards the exit.

What’s the big deal about having a boyfriend anyways? It wasn’t fair that Yang had to eat lunch with not one, but two pairs of couples, while her other friends had different lunch scheduling. But it wasn’t their fault it ended up like that.

There’s nothing wrong with not having a crush! I mean, it’s not like I know what it feels like to have one anyways. Well, it’s not that I’ve considered it. Dating, that is. Yang eyes wandered around the hallways. A boy with gorgeous green eyes and black hair passed by her. He’s attractive. Would he be my type?

Yet, Yang only seemed to eye the boys she had passed by and found them... as she would normally find guys. Normal. Maybe...girls? A redness took over her face. Did she like girls? Wasn’t it the norm to have a boyfriend? Surely, her friends made it look that way.

Yang headed into class and as usual there was that one girl, with ivory colored hair that stood out to the rest of the world. The girl didn’t seem to budge or make a movement - as this was how it usually was. Yang took her place a few seats diagonal from the girl and pulled out her papers and notes.

This is so bothersome! What’s the big deal about being in love anyways? Tcch.. She let out an audible sigh.

“That’s how I feel about question sixteen.” The voice from behind her commented as she tapped her pencil.

Yang shook herself out of her thoughts, trying to catch what the girl said. She turned her head and pretended as if she had heard - “Yeah, haha. It sucks.” she returned in a half-assed response. Her eyes gazed over the girl, noticing the tiny detail of a scar running over her left eye - she seemed to return a smile and nod and returned back to looking over her own notes while Yang turned and did the same thing.

Four weeks in this class and almost four years in this school and you’d think I’d know everybody by now. She rubbed her forehead, she really wasn’t doing a good job at looking over her notes... Come to think of it. I don’t think I’ve seen her face around the school at all.

Her eyes squinted over the paper in front of her and then she turned around, “Hey, uhm...I don’t think I caught your name.” Yang said to the girl.

She seemed to raise an eyebrow at the girl, “We’ve been in this class for how long, doing attendance and you still don’t know my name?” the girls seemed to be dead serious - her tone shifting completely.

“Ahh...” Yang seemed caught off guard. Shit, well - she’s not wrong. I just really don’t pay attention to the people in my class! It’s not like that matters. I’m not here to make friends anymore. Should I apologize? Play it -

“Whoa, whoa. Relax. You look like you’re about to explode” she teased, “I’m Weiss. I’m pretty much new to this school.” she flashed a quick smile.

Yang seemed to hide her face for a moment. That was embarrassing. I didn’t think she’d be so chill about it.

“And you’re Yang Xiao Long, aren’t you?”

“Ahhh...” Yang froze up once again. She knows me, I don’t know her. This is definitely awkward. Here I am proving that I am a grade-A asshole.

“For someone that looks as tough as you, I definitely wouldn’t have taken you for the shy type.” Weiss commented, twirling her pencil in between her long slender fingers.

“For someone that looks as icy as you, I never would’ve considered you for the cheeky type.” Yang retaliated in a joking manner.

Weiss chuckled, “I’d say more a defiant type. Defying the odds, but...” she shrugged and merely smiled.

“Never judge a book by it’s cover?”

“Exactly that.”

October 18th, 20[xx],

Parts of me still don’t understand the feel for love. Recently, Blake entered into a relationship with Sun. I’m a little bit jealous. Jaune and Pyrrha. Ren and Nora. Sun and Blake. I mean, everything is still the same with them - it’s just that they have each other. I still have them. Just not in ‘that way’. Whatever that is.

I want to feel what love is. But how will I know when I meet the right person?

“Yang, now is not the time to be daydreaming.” Weiss shook her awake from her thoughts. “We’ve got work to do.”

“Oh, right.” Yang had handed Weiss the decorations - a group of them had been preparing for the upcoming festivities. The two had joined one of the school committee clubs and were now overseeing the decorations for the school in its entirety. Today they had decided to stay a little bit after school and now; it was safe to say at this point that Yang and Weiss were friends due to how much time they had spent together over these last five weeks.

Yang looked up at Weiss, holding the ladder steady as Weiss proceeded to hang up some spooky bats in the hallways. “Vance! I swear - if you don’t straighten out that poster - it’s going to be the death of me.” Weiss yelled from atop the ladder.

Meeting the right person at this time and place just seems... silly. If it were meant to be then it would’ve happened already. It seemed as if Yang had returned to daydreaming, nearly drowning everything out around her. I don’t even know what you’re supposed to do when you fall in love. Everyone around me usually acts like themselves. But what about in private...No, nope. She openly shook her head at her own thought. Still lost in them.

Don’t want to think about that. Do I want to be alone forever? No, not really. Am I, Yang Xiao Long - brave enough to venture into the territory of falling in love? Even if I do where would I find it?  

“Jeez, you’re on a ladder and over 5 feet tall and suddenly you have power?” Vance, one of the committee students retorted.

It’s honestly not like someone is going to fall right into my arms and then we’ll fall madly in love through some weird happenstances.

Weiss glared intently and stepped down, only to miss a rung on the ladder as Yang’s grip had lightened on the ladder itself, not holding it as steadily “Sh-” the ladder toppled over as did Weiss.

Within almost an instant Weiss landed on top of Yang, safely. While the ladder slid to the left. Yang, however was the not-so-lucky participant of these unwanted chain of events.Yang had landed straight on her ass, bruising her tailbone with Weiss comfortably sitting her lap.

Ow, ow, ow!!! God, what are you playing at?

Vance ran up to the two, “Whoa, are you two okay?”

Weiss stood up, “Yeah, we’d be fine if you hadn’t made such a comment.” she wiped herself off and helped Yang up.

“What? You’re the one who started talking to me first. You didn’t have to be so rude about it.”

Yang seemed to watch the two squabble as she patted her own backside. That would definitely bruise.

“I was only doing my job, Vance. That’s what I’m here for.” she glared.

Wait. Shit. This is my fault. Weiss wouldn’t have fell if my grip hadn’t been so weak. Might also be the schools fault since this ladder is older than the school itself. I guess I’ll do something about it.

“Hey! Nobody’s at fault here.” Yang interjected, “First off - this ladder is old as shit. Definitely isn’t sturdy to begin with. Second off - I may or may not have been daydreaming. Again. So my grip may have been... weak.” she sheepishly grinned. “Third off - my ass really hurts so can we just get this over with?”

Weiss let out a sigh while Vance just smirked, “Yang, you’re really losing you’re cool kid rep.” Vance commented.

“Coming from the guy who sounds like an old man. Got it gramps.” she sarcastically responded.

Weiss let out a chuckle her, hand covering her mouth, “Alright, alright. Vance, get back to work. I have things to talk about with Ms. Xiao Long here.”

“Professor Peach, is that you?” Yang looked at Weiss with a playful look about her, her hand resting on her chin in a mock-perplexion.

Weiss groaned and pulled Yang away to where none of the rest of the committee were.

“Yang, are you okay?” Weiss seemed to ask.

“Well, like I said my butt really hurts so…”

“No, no. Not about that it just seems like you’ve got something on your mind.” Weiss questioned.

Oh shit. Have I been that obvious? My thoughts aren’t even really that important - it’s just that...now it’s become an obsession. With my feelings. With all of this. I want to figure it out. I don’t think I can ask Weiss what love really feels like - she probably knows as much as me considering all she’s told us at lunch… which frankly hasn’t been much. We’re nearly the same in that aspect. Clueless and loveless.

“Yang, Remnant to Yang.” Weiss snapped her fingers in front of Yang’s face.

“Ahhh…” Yang’s focus was brought back in as she looked up at Weiss who seemed a little bit more than concerned. “I do have things on my mind, I just...I don’t think I can talk about it with you. Sorry if I caused problems today. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Weiss sighed and nodded, “Alright. Well, Yang… if you ever have anything you want to talk about just know that I’m here for you.” she grabbed Yang’s hand and shared a soft smile. She gently squeezed it and let go. Weiss walked away, back towards the group going back on her controlling rampage of spooky decor.

What was that?

For a split second Yang had felt a feeling in her gut as Weiss had grabbed her hand. She didn’t have the time to respond. But it had overwhelmed her in just a short second. She looked down at her hand, feeling the sensation burn and then leave her all the same. Once more, she looked over at Weiss and watched her harass the second years over the placement of some webbing.

Weird.

She clutched at her chest.

Very weird.

November 1st, 20[xx]

Yang couldn’t imagine what those feelings were. Or where they had come from. It’s not like they had been constant. When Yang was on her own, her mind would usually wander to the usual. Like work and what she needed to do. However, on occasion - her mind would wander onto Weiss, her friend.

It’s a Friday, I wonder if she has any plans. Don’t know what we’d do though. She looked real pretty in those leggings today. Her make-up was on point too. And the way she smiled when I told her that was the best part in it all.

She felt the bubbling in her stomach once more. She rubbed her stomach, “Gahhh.” she muttered. Her heart, seemed to be doing some weird tricks too.

“Hungry, sport?” Tai called from the kitchen, as if he had a sixth sense for these things.

Yang shot up from her spot on the couch and turned towards her father's voice. 

“Hell yeah!”

“Language!”

“Fuck yeah!”

“Yang, just get your butt in here.”

Yang scurried her way to the kitchen and started to peel the potatoes that her father had left on the counter. A silence filled the air until Yang had decided to break it.

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you and mom fall in love?” She asked nonchalantly.

Tai seemed to sputter on the spot, “Are you talking about Raven or Summer?”

“Both, I guess.” Yang shrugged.

“Well, that’s a loaded question in itself. Raven and I fell in love in college and had you. I met Summer after college, through old friends and we just happened to fall in love and connect and had your sister, Ruby.”

Yang sighed, “You like, completely missed the point of my question.”

“What?”

“I want to know how you fell in love, what it feels like, looks like, how do you know they’re the one?” Yang had finished peeling in a record time and turned towards Tai who seemed taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions.

“Why the sudden twenty questions?” he seemed to stop in his own actions.

“Do I need a reason?”

“Well, you’ve never shown interest in this stuff before… so there’s definitely something or someone on your mind.”

Yang sputtered, her mind instantly going to Weiss… but why her? Yang didn’t like her… not like that.

“No, no! I’m just…” she let out a sigh “all of my friends, except me are dating. I’m tired of not knowing what the big deal is.”

Tai chuckled, “Well, Yang...that’s up to you on whether or not it’s a big deal. Finding love is different for everyone and just because you have it now - doesn’t mean it’s always going to last. So, I’m going to tell you this. Falling in love is different for everyone, but the feelings are usually the same. My take on it, is that it’s finding happiness that you can share with another person. Happiness that isn’t forced, but just is. Being or even thinking of that person can make your heart at ease or maybe overly joyed. There’s no right or wrong way to feel about the way you love someone, as long as you know they aren’t being harmed by it. If anything, your heart is the one to tell you if they’re the one. It’s something you have to listen carefully for. Not with just your heart, but with your mind too.”

Yang fell silent.

This is… a lot more than I expected.

“Yang, you’re my daughter but we’re still two completely different people. Love has its ways. And yours will find its way to you too. Don’t fear to question it. To challenge it. To accept it. But remember, loving someone doesn’t solely involve you… and they’re not an object of your affection to be won. But an actual human being to be respected - whether or not they like you back too. Share in your experiences, thrive through your mistakes and make the outcome better than what you had before.”

I don’t think I really understand any better. Or am I just that dense when it comes to love? Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to ask dad, but I don’t know if either of my mom’s would know how to answer that.

Guess I’ll have to figure this out by myself.

December 15th, 20[xx]

“No one?!” Yang’s eyes widened.

“Yeah, the all seemed to cancel at the last minute.” Weiss replied as the two now stood at the entrance of the ice skating rink.

Ahh shoot, I guess that’s what we get for planning near the break.

“So just the two of us then?” Yang held the door open for Weiss.

It’s not like that had actually mattered to Yang, the two of them had grown closer as friends. They had eaten lunch together, studied together, and sometimes casually hung out. Yet, Yang couldn’t get rid of this nagging feeling inside of her. It pulled her along whenever she was with Weiss.

Not a big deal. It’s the usual protocol… She scrunched her face as she followed Weiss through the building. Protocol? What am I, some military commander? Sheesh, Colonel Xiao Long lighten up. The nagging feeling had returned. Yang couldn’t place her finger on it.

The two had gotten their skates, with Weiss having brought her own and Yang having to rent some out.

“I forgot to ask, you know how to skate right?” Weiss finished tying up her skates and stood up.

Yang shook her head “Nope.”

Weiss held her hand over her mouth in a small chuckle, “Oh, this’ll be fun.” a mischievous look grew about her.

Yang could feel herself light up at the look of Weiss. She was with her best friend! Of course she was happy about being with her best friend. But… she still couldn’t shake this feeling. She wanted to enjoy herself with Weiss and she was, but this… this was entirely different.

Ignore it. You’re here for her. No, wait. You’re here with her. That’s right.

Yang stood up, finishing her own lacing and followed Weiss onto the ice. Only to quickly flail about and grab for the sides. She breathed out, watching her own breath fill the air. Vale’s winters weren’t exactly the coldest, but weren’t the warmest either. Even inside the rink they had to wear a decent amount of warm clothing to stay warmed and contented. And they made sure not to dally about outside.

Weiss once again covered her mouth in a giggle as she glided along the ice with such grace and ease.

“All right there, Ms. Ice Queen why don’t you come help a newbie out?” Yang seemed to cry out.

She makes it look all too easy. The way her legs help her glide along the ice and the way her hair sways… it really must help her form!

Weiss held her hand out for Yang to grab onto.

For a second her heart began to jumpstart.

This shit again?! I’m just with Weiss so why am I like this? It doesn’t feel bad at all but every time Weiss and I are alone I just can’t seem to fight whatever this is.

Yang held onto Weiss’s hand, nearly stumbling as she let go of the side railing.

“Take it easy there, you big brute. Try moving your legs in this sort of gliding motion.” Weiss seemed to playfully tease as she helped Yang slide along the ice. They were lucky that it wasn’t a packed rink as a few others seemed to also glide around them with ease. The two had seemed to pick up speed without Yang even noticing.

“Everyone’s a show off, huh.” Yang gave off a light-hearted grin towards Weiss who grinned at her in return.

Another sensation hit Yang.

Shit. When did it get so warm in here? And why do my hands feel so clammy? I should let go of Weiss.

With that thought Yang had accidentally entered into another daydream like-state. Her mind immediately taking the thought into consideration and letting go of Weiss who’s momentum had already taken her forward near the outer edge.

“Yang?!” Weiss sped a little forward and turned around only to see Yang snap out of it and wildly flail her arms towards Weiss.

OH SHIT.

With her arms in front of her, she seemed to wave about wildly wanting to catch the wall that Weiss happened to be in the way of. “How do I stop?!”

It was a little too late as Yang’s lengthy arms caught the wall, but now Weiss was trapped in between Yang and the wall - Yang who had come at a surprisingly fast speed had managed to not crush Weiss too badly.

But now the situation had turned, what Yang considered, awry.

She was chest to chest with Weiss, she could feel Weiss’s breath tickling her collarbones. Yang looked down at Weiss, who seemed to be caught off guard. The look that Weiss had given her has they stood so intimately close was one that would be ingrained into the mind of Yang Xiao Long for the rest of her life. One, that Yang couldn’t really be sure if she was seeing things correctly.

Weiss, are you blushing?

“W-Weiss...I’m so sorry.” Yang’s voice suddenly trembled. This wasn’t a life-threatening situation, but it was for Yang.

Her heart was burning.

Weiss once again rose her hand to cover her mouth in a laugh. But for some reason Yang lightly grabbed her hand to hold it down.

“Don’t hide it. It’s beautiful.” Yang blurted out.

Weiss’s eyes went wide with a very visible blush. Or maybe it was the coldness hitting her cheeks.

Shit. Why did I say that? Why did it feel so good? Why does she look like that?! What’s going on?!

“Have to pee. Be right back.” Yang babbled out. She seemed to awkwardly inch her way off of Weiss and and quickly shuffled herself along the railing, leaving a stunned and bewildered Weiss to her own devices.

I don’t have to pee. That was a lie. That last thing about Weiss’s laugh being beautiful WASN’T a lie. It balances it out, right?

Yang untied her skates and put on her shoes and ran off to the restroom.

Why won’t these feelings go away?

She had entered the restroom and stood in front of the sink, staring at herself in the mirror.

Gah, mom if you were here what would you do? What do I do?

Turning on the sink, she splashed her face with water and sighed as she dried it off. The burning sensation within herself only seemed to diminish slightly.

It really feels like I’m walking with my heart on fire.

Her mind raced with the thought of Weiss and her pressed up against one another. Yang remembered the way Weiss’s lips looked, how she seemed to tremble under the pressure of Yang - a blush filling the image of not only Weiss but Yang as she seemed to stare at her own reflection.

W-What are these thoughts?

And why do I like them so much?!

February 14th, 20[xx]

The break had passed as had the beginning of the second semester. Weiss and Yang were as close as ever. But Yang couldn’t help but notice these growing feelings within her. Feelings that she couldn’t avoid, but why would she want to when they made her feel so good.

Every day she woke up with the intention of seeing Weiss. But parts of her still didn’t know what that meant. She herself, couldn’t see that she was in denial.

To make matters more complicated it was Valentines day. This day was all about love and Yang had the urge to learn a little bit more.

But today, Yang felt compelled to look for a good source of advice and who better to give advice than none other than Blake Belladonna? Her long time best friend and basically second sister.

“Blake, I need some advice.”

“At 7 am? Did you have some weird prophetic dream again?”

Yang furrowed her brows, “What, no. Just listen...this is the most important question I’ll ever ask you.”

Blake looked at her suspiciously, the two were sitting the cafeteria waiting for classes to start - everyone else seemed to be groggily walking along on this love-filled day.

“Okay, so for context let’s just say that during certain times I get these feelings that I can’t really explain. It’s with this one specific person and I can’t make heads or tails of it. You know, it feels really good and I just can’t stop thinking about them and I just want to be with them -”

“Yang, get to the point. It’s too early in the morning for my attention span to be fully here.”

“Oh, right. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is I really like these feelings and I don’t want them to go away with this person but I just don’t have a name for it yet.” Yang seemed to look over her own hands, she seemed to be fiddling a lot more than she had remembered.

Blake seemed to look at Yang as if she was the dumbest person to walk the planet.

“Uh, Blake?”

Blake smirked, “Holy shit, Yang. You’re in love!”

“What?!”

No, what? That can’t be right. But my heart says otherwise. Ack! Brain, what are you doing to me?

“Oh my gosh, is it Weiss? You’re in love with Weiss, aren’t you?” Blake seemed to be on the edge of her seat leaning over the table now wide-awake.

Yang’s heart seemed to beat a mile per second. A burning sensation filling her entire being. “A-aah… keep your voice down!”

Huh? No. Yes. Wait. Weiss? Oh gosh. She’s not...Blake isn’t wrong. I really do like Weiss...and I like liking Weiss! Is that wrong? But am I also that obvious? Does Weiss know?

Blake smirked, “Well, that’s interesting.” she returned to being her usual calm and collected self “I’m glad you’ve found something other than your studies and sister you can focus on.” she eyed Yang with a devilish look about her.

“T-that’s not bad, is it? Liking girls, I mean?”

Everything I thought I knew about me is turned upside down. But honestly, I love finding out new things about me. All these sensations and feelings are starting to make sense.

“No, not at all. Though, I know not everyone will agree. Especially…” Blake trailed off her face contorting into one of concern, “Weiss.”

Yang’s shoulders now slacked as she looked down at the empty seat next her.

That’s right. Love has to be reciprocated. I don’t even know if Weiss is interested in me like that. How does she feel? About me? About us? This could change the entire dynamic between us if I tell her. Do I do this right away? Can I really go up to someone and say “Hey! I like you a lot!” all of a sudden with no warning?

“Hey, Yang. I say go for it. The best case scenario is that you find yourself with a girlfriend. Worst case is, is that you two never really speak again.”

Yang glared, “That’s not helpful at all. Thanks.”

With a sigh Blake began again “Okay, that sounded really terrible but what I mean is if you two can’t remain friends even after a confession like that then is the friendship really worth it? Besides, I know you’re not the kind of person to go shoving your feelings and wants into everyone’s faces.”

“Blake. Every friendship is worth it. That’s it. I’ve decided, it’s Valentines Day and I’m going to ask her out.” Yang stood up banging her hands on the table, managing to startle several sleepy students.

Yang knew Weiss’s schedule only because Weiss had shared it with her. She’s be in the band room right now, practicing piano. Yang usually wasn’t the one to venture towards that area simply because she didn’t really have any classes towards that hall but she had a mission.

A mission that involved feelings that could not wait. To her it was like ripping a band-aid off and getting it over with.

But as she entered the hallway, she heard Weiss’s voice. Yang froze and made sure to not show her face. Her heart suddenly pounding and wanting to burst out of her chest.

Not now love monster! We do this her way or no way!

“A date? I mean…” Weiss’s voice could be heard saying these words, but Yang wanted none of it and turned heel to leave.

She could feel the pain of rejection already hitting her.

She’s Weiss Schnee. The prettiest girl in all of Beacon. Of course she’d be getting asked out. Why wouldn’t she? So, this is what love feels like? I love it and hate it. All of these new emotions - sometimes it’s just too much!

But there’s no way that I’m turning these feelings off.

March 1st, 20[xx]

Yang liked to pretend everything had been the same ever since. She never really delved into the ‘date’ Weiss had, in fact - Yang had practically begun to shut herself down without really ever meaning to. She didn’t want her feelings to impose on Weiss’s.

But Weiss was a lot sharper than she let off.

“Yang Xiao Long. Freeze.” Weiss had followed Yang to the nearly empty school parking lot.

Yang froze, just as she was told to do. It was hard not to resist such a demanding yet lovely voice.

“Turn around, you oaf.” Weiss now told her.

Yang turned like a puppy on command and sheepishly smiled at her, “You need something Weiss?”

“Yeah, I think I do.” she paused “I need an explanation of why you’ve been so distant with me these past few weeks.” her gorgeous eyes seemed to pierce Yang’s very soul.

I guess there’s no time like the present.

“I...I think I realized something about myself. With you.” Yang began “And, I don’t think it’s fair of me to put my feelings on you but I like you, Weiss Schnee. And not like friendship like, I mean like ‘I want to date you’ like.”

“Ya-”

“Wait, please let me finish.” Yang had shut her eyes not wanting to see Weiss’s reaction as she gathered her thoughts “I know you got asked out on Valentine's Day. I guess you could say I got jealous. But I didn’t want to inadvertently get mad or possessive of you so I decided to distance myself from you.”

Leaving my feelings out in the open is scary. But sometimes, it’s for the best.

“Are you done?” Weiss coldly asked.

Yang felt another sharp pierce through her heart. She lowered her head.

“You didn’t even consider to think how I felt about you? If you had of asked me that day, you would’ve known that I rejected him. You wouldn’t even let me mention it because you kept changing the topic!”

“What, why would you reject him?” Her head lifted up.

Weiss’s face seemed to redden as she turned away to look away from Yang. “..e..snt...o..”

“Huh?”

“HE WASN’T YOU. YOU OAF.”

Yang looked a little confused, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Yang Xiao Long, are you really that dense?”

As if calculations were forming next to her mind, her eyes widened in an almost crazy revelation.

With a finger pointed outstretched and in an accusatory manner Yang loudly proclaimed “YOU LIKE ME?!”

Yang felt her heart pound and then settle. A huge grin overtaking her face.

Is this real?

Weiss buried her face in her hands. “And this is why I like you…” she muttered.

That’s right, I’m forgetting one last thing.

“Hey Weiss?”

Weiss popped her head up, still red in the face.

“You want to go out on a date with me?”

She chuckled, “Of course I do.”

[wxldchxld]

a rant about something none of you likely care about but i have no one to scream at so.

“Natural” horsemanship comes wrapped up in a brightly colored package. Videos or lectures start out singing the praises of the things they’ve taught their horses to do, and people who are either frustrated with the horse they own or simply not very knowledgeable fall into this trap because of the pretty veneer of what these finished horses can do. And no one questions what’s going on because the person their watching is so confidently regurgitating the shit they’ve heard from these big names.

The problem is that more and more, especially with how fucking popular natural horsemanship has become, I see inexperienced/young riders making very dangerous mistakes or just talking absolute nonsense. 

I watched a video years ago (back before I had a decent trainer and enough experience to stop drinking the “natural” koolaid) with Linda Parelli circling a horse who was very unfocused, traveling with his head up in the sky, and just not moving to the best of his ability. I listened to her brag about how long it had taken her to get the horse to this point, because at first, “because he’d been lunged in side reins so much” that he would only put his head down and trot collected circles. She stood there and bragged about undoing a horse’s training and encouraging him to move in a way that was less balanced, and she called this “expressing” himself.

A few weeks ago I watched a man get on a horse without a bridle, in a rope halter, and attempt to ride his horse around a round pen. The horse, who clearly had no idea what this man wanted, eventually started to head toss.

Last week I helped a young girl with her horse who had a lot of “attitude.” She brought him to the arena in a rope halter that was far too loose, and the knot was not pulled taught, and then proceeded to repeatedly allow this rope to drop to the ground. She demonstrated several behaviors that she slapped labels onto like “snotty” and “aggressive.” When in reality all she had was a three year old quarter horse doing lunge circles on a rope that was too short and just didn’t have his balance. His response, as a very dominant young horse, was to nip when pressure was applied.

And now we have the TIP challenges and extreme mustang makeover horses flooding my youtube feed and I’m watching countless people rush wild horses into accepting things they aren’t ready for in a way that they call “natural.” But there’s nothing natural about leaving drag ropes on horses and letting them get tangle up in long lines so they “learn to have something around their legs.” They sacrifice understanding for speed and because horses are herd animals, they eventually bond with these humans, who may put them under extreme duress, but are all they have.

I’m not saying if you’ve ever used natural horsemanship you’re a horrible person or a horrible rider. I’m just---fucking tired of listening to snide, overly confident people try and tell me that they’re doing what’s best for the horse when they very clearly are not.

So here are some Real Facts.

Rope halters suck. There you go. They put way too much pressure on the horse’s face. If you can’t teach your horse in a nylon halter, then you need pain to motivate them. You can damage a horse’s poll with a rope halter. They do not break. If you tie a horse in a rope halter and anything happens, and with horses anything happens a LOT, the animal can very easily break their necks. Again, if you are applying enough pressure to a horse that he feels he has to break a halter and escape you, then you aren’t doing something right. And I’d rather have my horse break a halter and me have to catch him than my horse pull away from me with a rope and go running with a rope halter tied on. It’s extremely dangerous.

Licking and chewing doesn’t mean horses are “thinking.” Well, not technically. Horses lick and chew their lips as a way of releasing stress. Not all stress is bad. Learning new things and focusing hard on how to find the correct answer is often stressful for horses, just like it is for people. When they begin to relax they will lick and chew.

Hyper-flexion to the side of the horse is no different than hyper-flexion to the chest. I’m not a giant fan of using hyper flexion for anything unless it’s brief, on the ground sessions with a horse teaching it to yield to pressure or to stretch them out and build some strength in that muscle (and you still have to do it carefully). I see a lot of people try to hyper-flex their horse’s head while the animal is in motion and that’s both uncomfortable (setting your horse up to fail) and dangerous, as they could easily trip because they can’t see where they’re going.

Side reins are not the devil, they are not the hallmark of bad horsemanship, and they are not used to keep a horse from being expressive. In fact I’d argue that it’s unkind to your horse to start them under saddle without the use of side reins. All tools can be used incorrectly but the point of side reins is to teach a horse to move in a strong, balanced stance and yield to the pressure of the reins. That’s it. Having saddles and riders on their backs is scary, and moving in tight, repetitive circles (lunging) isn’t a normal, natural behavior for horses. Side reins, in conjunction with other correct training tools, help a horse build a strong top line, which will make them more comfortable when they take a rider. They keep the horse in a position where he’s paying attention and balanced in the circle. They aren’t immediate. Just like saddle training and halter training, teaching a horse to respond correctly to side reins is a slow process that takes time, patience, and a trainer that knows what they’re doing.

So... there you have it. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. The world is a nightmare.