#it could hit or miss. I'll follow your lead :D

[inframundc]

@artificialperscn gets a starter

It had been a very odd couple of weeks. Now, it wasn't unheard of that a bodyguard caught feelings for their client, or that it seemed to be reciprocated. The novelty was probably the fact that his client was supposed to be a machine...

Not that Agustín's lips could tell the difference, because he had made sure to kiss Max countless of times whenever nobody was watching. For a loner with a broken heart, he surely fell for this Synthetic as if gravity was his best friend.

Their routine seemed even more fun now that they shared this secret, even on days like that when they had to stay late at the office. The sun had long set by the time they had finally made their way to the streets, keeping whatever kind of small talk seemed appropriate while he escorted Max home.

That's where things went a bit south.

"We're being followed," he warned, using his water bottle for a feint so nobody could tell he had caught on the man behind them. "Forget the alley, we take the park. Open spaces."

The instruction was clear, knowing Max would listen to his security advice. Taking shortcuts in that situation could be potentially dangerous. All his feelings aside, he knew how to do his job.

Which was probably what forced their enemies' hand. Halfway through their walk through the park, another man crossed their path. Clearly he had something in his pocket, and that was alarming enough. For someone to be that bold in a public place it meant they were either amateurs or truly unhinged.

But before he could really pull at Max to get him walking in another direction, it was already too late. A shot was fired, its roar echoing through the park.

[my-religion-greek-myth]

Freedom far away - M

I submitted my abstract for a conference. If my abstract is selected, I'll be going to Ireland for my first-ever conference!

My nurse friend said, "If anyone gets hit their solar plexus by you, they'll die." when I just asked if a person could faint if punching their solar plexus... What kind of image do you have of me?

Fem Reader X Agatha X Rio

Part A | Part B | Part C&D | Part E | Part F | Part G | Part H | Part I&J | Part K | Part L | Part M | Part N | Part O&P | Part Q | Part ? | Epilogue

Warning: Depictions of blood, violence, abuse, and may be disturbing to some readers

The bustling capital city was alive with noise and energy, an enticing distraction from the quieter life in the realm. You had hoped to wander the market with Agatha and Rio by your side, basking in their steadying presence, but the timing hadn’t worked in your favour. Both had been busy with pressing matters, leaving you to venture out alone.

Agatha needed to return to her homeland for specific magical ingredients, and her sharp tone left no room for negotiation. "I’ll be back by evening," she had promised, her blue eyes softening just a fraction as she brushed your cheek. "Be careful while we’re gone, doll."

Rio had been equally regretful but no less occupied. Dressed in foreign attire of flowing black fabric and a wide-brimmed hat, she had smirked, the transformation elegant and effortless. "Diplomatic business," she’d said with a playful wink, though her dark eyes held a trace of seriousness. "Keep yourself out of trouble, pretty lady. I’ll know if you don’t."

You had nodded, smiling faintly, already missing them.

The market was usually a place of discovery and joy, but it felt emptier without them. Still, you had decided to make the best of it. The thought of welcoming them home with small gifts had given you a purpose—a basket of sweets for Agatha, who loved them almost as much as she loved teasing you, and a collection of the reddest, ripest apples for Rio, who could never resist their rich flavour.

As you moved through the bustling stalls, your hooded robe concealed your face, the fabric heavy but necessary. The fear of being recognised, of your grandfather’s people spotting you, never fully left your mind. It was suffocating at times, but the safety the robe provided was worth it.

As you wandered through the market, the vibrant colours of fruits, spices, and sweets briefly distracted you from unease. You ran your fingers along baskets of candied treats, selecting a variety of Agatha’s favourites with a small, fond smile. The glistening, blood-red apples you found shortly after seemed to glow under the sunlight, and their vivid hue reminded you of Rio’s piercing gaze. You added them to your basket carefully, imagining her delighted expression when she saw them.

Despite the constant weight of vigilance, these small moments of normalcy gave you a sense of peace. The hood shielded you from wandering eyes, and the thought of returning home with tokens of your affection for them made it all worthwhile. For now, that was enough.

But the warmth of your plans turned icy when you noticed the unease in the market crowd. It started subtly—lingering glances, averted gazes—but soon grew impossible to ignore. The whispers followed low murmurs you couldn’t quite catch but could feel prickling the back of your neck.

Your steps slowed as you approached a noticeboard near the edge of the market. A small crowd had gathered around it, and despite the warning bells in your mind, you edged closer, curiosity overtaking caution.

Your breath caught as your eyes fell on the poster. There, staring back at you, was your own face—a precise portrait that left no doubt. Beneath it, bold text displayed your name, noble title, and the promise of a generous reward for information leading to your location.

Your heart dropped.

The world seemed to blur around you as panic set in, your thoughts racing. Every glance from a stranger felt sharper, every whisper louder. The gift basket in your arms felt like a foolish weight, but you clung to it as your only anchor.

Trying to steady your breathing, you looked down at your trembling hand, willing yourself to summon magic. Agatha’s lessons flickered in your mind, and you tried to channel the energy you had practised with her and Rio. But unlike Agatha’s vivid purple haze or Rio’s confident green glow, your hand only produced a faint blue mist that fizzled out almost instantly, leaving you feeling more helpless than before.

You couldn’t stay here. You pulled your hood tighter over your head and turned away from the noticeboard, your steps quickening as fear gripped your chest. Every sound and every movement in the market felt magnified, your eyes darting to catch any sign of recognition.

The ambassador’s office. You needed to get to the black gate. You needed Agatha and Rio.

Before you could return to the safety of the ambassador’s office, a rough hand clamped over your arm, yanking you into a dark, narrow alley. Panic surged as your body twisted instinctively, trying to see the face of your attacker, but the shadows obscured their features.

Before you could conjure even a flicker of magic in your trembling hands or summon the courage to cry out for help—be it from an animal or a passing stranger—a thick cloth was pressed against your mouth and nose. The overwhelming, sickly-sweet smell of the fabric invaded your senses, and you realised too late what it was.

Your heart pounded, every fibre of your being screaming to resist, to fight. You kicked out wildly, but their grip tightened, rough and unyielding.

"Tsk, what a troublesome young lady," a voice muttered, low and gruff, the words dripping with irritation. Before you could process their meaning, a sharp blow struck your solar plexus, the force so brutal it left you gasping. The air was knocked out of your lungs, and darkness crept into the edges of your vision.

The bags of food you had bought—the sweets and apples meant for Agatha and Rio—fell from your hands, tumbling to the ground in a messy scatter. The vibrant red apples rolled away, smudged with dirt, while the neatly wrapped sweets spilled out of their packaging. It was a small, heartbreaking detail that somehow made everything feel even more cruel.

Your limbs grew heavier with each passing second, your struggles fading into futile jerks. The last thing you remembered was the rough texture of the alley wall against your shoulder, the sight of the gifts you’d dropped lying abandoned in the dirt, and the unbearable weight of helplessness as your consciousness slipped away.

---RAR---

You stirred, your body aching and disoriented, feeling the rough, uneven floor beneath your side. Something coarse and thick was tied over your mouth, muffling your breathing, and your chest still throbbed faintly, a dull pain that flared when you shifted.

Your eyes fluttered open, squinting as dim light filtered into the space around you. Through the slivers of light squeezing in through the gaps, you could make out your surroundings: a building full of old, unused farm tools and scattered objects coated in dust, forgotten by time.

With effort, you inspected your body, noticing your legs were bound tightly and your hands were tied behind your back. You shifted, testing the restraints, and an unsettling familiarity crept over you. This place…you knew it. The rough walls, the faded wood, and the scent of earth and disuse—it was a storage building at your family’s estate. Memories flickered to life; you and your sister playing here as children, hiding among the old tools and giggling as you avoided chores.

The realisation made your stomach churn. They had brought you home.

You tried to sit up, wincing at the tightness in your limbs, the ropes digging into your skin. Crawling was a struggle, but you managed to inch toward the door where the faint light seeped through the cracks. As you neared it, the light was suddenly blocked, replaced by the sound of approaching footsteps. Panic gripped you, and you stilled, heart racing, desperately feigning unconsciousness.

But it was too late. The door creaked open, and blinding daylight flooded the room. You blinked rapidly, your eyes adjusting to the brightness, and then you heard it—a voice you knew too well.

"Finally," your grandfather’s low, gravelly voice growled, filled with a seething anger that made you tremble.

Your chest tightened as he stepped inside, his silhouette cutting an imposing figure against the light. He had been searching for you all this time, never giving up. You wanted to shrink under his gaze, but you forced yourself to look up, defiant. His cold, piercing eyes bore into you, and for a moment, his fury was a physical weight pressing down on you.

"You disgraceful child," he spat, his voice rising. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Running away like a coward, hiding like filth? And now…this!" His words hit like blows, but what made you freeze was what came next.

Your defiance faltered, confusion flashing across your face.

This?

Before you could ask, his words cut through the air like a blade.

"A child," he hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "An illegitimate bastard growing inside you! Staining the name of this household!"

The word hit you like a thunderclap. Pregnant. Your body froze, your mind spinning as you tried to comprehend. How could he know? Then it clicked—a doctor. He must have had a physician check you while you were unconscious.

A whirlwind of emotions quickly replaced the shock, disbelief, fear, and a strange, growing awareness deep within you. Pregnant. You didn’t even have time to fully process it before the first slap landed across your face, snapping your head to the side and sending you sprawling onto the hard floor. Your lip split under the impact, and you tasted the metallic taste of blood.

He towered over you, seething with rage. "Do you know what I’ve endured because of you?" he yelled. "The royal family humiliated me, and now I have to clean up this mess you created!"

He grabbed you roughly by your arm, dragging you upright, only to strike you again and hurled you down. Pain flared across your face, the stinging sensation overwhelming. But as his furious tirade continued, your focus shifted inward. You became acutely aware of your body, of the small life he claimed was growing inside you. The idea felt surreal, but your instincts kicked in before your thoughts could catch up.

With your hands bound tightly behind you, you desperately tried to retreat, your legs scraping against the rough floor as you struggled to crawl backward. The uneven surface bit into your skin, but you didn’t care—your only thought was to get away from him. Your trembling body moved inch by inch, instinct driving you to put as much distance between you and his looming figure as possible.

His voice followed you, dripping with venom. "Crawling away like the disgrace you’ve become? Do you think you can run from this?"

You didn’t answer, focusing entirely on escape, though your bound limbs made it a hopeless endeavour. The light spilling through the door flickered as his shadow grew larger, and before you could react, a sharp, searing pain erupted in your back. His boot connected squarely with your spine, the force knocking you flat onto the floor.

The impact drove the breath from your lungs, leaving you gasping as fresh pain radiated through your body. You whimpered, curling instinctively to shield your abdomen, your bindings biting into your wrists as you twisted in desperation. His scoff rang out above you, cold and unfeeling.

"Pitiful," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "And still, you protect that bastard child. As if that will save you." He leave you as and left the storage with rage.

The ache in your back spread, but it was nothing compared to the fire in your chest. You clenched your teeth, your trembling body staying curled over your abdomen, silently defying him despite the agony that consumed you.

In the darkness of your mind, one thought screamed louder than all the pain: I must protect my baby.

You stupidly thought it was over. But it was far from over. Your body trembled uncontrollably as you heard the heavy thud of approaching footsteps. A moment later, an angry yell cut through the air, halting the steps. "Father, that’s enough!" Your father’s voice rang out, loud and commanding in a way you had never heard before.

You squinted through the haze of pain, your blurred vision slowly adjusting to the sight of your father stepping into the doorway. His face was pale, his jaw clenched tightly, but his eyes burned with determination as he moved closer, placing himself between you and your grandfather.

"She’s your granddaughter," he said, his voice trembling with anger and desperation. "You’ve punished her enough."

Your breath hitched as your eyes fell on the large sword clutched tightly in your grandfather’s hand. The gleaming blade, though worn with age, still carried an unmistakable air of danger. It was then you realised, with chilling clarity, that the lord of the household had retreated not to collect himself but to arm himself.

He had retrieved the sword not to intimidate but to act—to maim, or worse, to kill you by his own hand.

The weight of that realisation sent a cold shiver down your spine, freezing you in place. Your body, already weakened, trembled with the effort to remain upright. The room seemed to shrink, the air thickening as your grandfather’s icy gaze met yours.

"She is no granddaughter of mine," he snarled, his voice filled with venom. He raised the sword slightly, the blade catching the dim light and reflecting it back like a cruel promise. "She’s a disgrace, and disgrace has no place in this family."

The weight of his words hung heavily in the air, pressing down on you as your trembling body struggled to retreat further. But your father didn’t move aside. He stood firm between you and your grandfather, his arms slightly raised in a protective gesture.

"Father, please!" your father shouted, his voice trembling with fury and desperation.

Your grandfather sneered, his grip tightening on the sword in his hand. "Do you intend to defy me?" he asked coldly, his voice quieter now but no less menacing. "You forget your place. I am the lord of this household. The spymaster to the king. Or has that title lost its meaning to you?"

You froze, his words cutting through the haze, clouding your mind. Spymaster. The realisation hit you like a blow. It explained everything—his calculated manner, his ruthless control, his pointed interest in "Lord Rio." He hadn’t entertained the foreign ambassador out of hospitality; he’d been assessing her, evaluating her for reasons far more serious than you had ever realised. The truth of his identity hitting you anew, your mind replaying every interaction and every calculated word he’d spoken in the past. This wasn’t just a man consumed by rage. This was a man who wielded the power of the crown’s secrets, a man accustomed to controlling everything—and everyone—around him.

"She had disgraced this family," your grandfather continued, addressing your father as though you weren’t even there. "Her actions jeopardise everything I have built. She has brought shame to our name, and I will not allow such betrayal to go unchecked."

Your father’s fists curled tightly at his sides. "Betrayal?" he repeated, his voice cracking with fury. "What betrayal? Falling in love? Running from a life she did not choose? You have treated her like a pawn her entire life—like we are all just tools for your ambition. But this—this is madness!"

Your grandfather's eyes narrowed, his cold expression sharpening. "You think you are righteous, do you not? Do you think your sentiments hold any weight here? Let me remind you, boy. Everything you have, everything this family is, is because of me. I built this legacy and will not watch it crumble because of her."

Your father didn’t back down. "Take it all, then," he said quietly, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "What does that title mean if it drives you to do this? To treat her as if she is not family—your own blood? I will not stand by and let you destroy her. You have already destroyed our family enough. "

"Family?" Your grandfather’s sneer deepened, his piercing eyes narrowing. "She has disgraced this family. Running off, pregnant with an illegitimate child, and flaunting her shame as though it is something to be proud of." He raised the sword slightly, his intent clear. "I’ll not have this stain tarnish what I have spent a lifetime creating."

The father and son glared at each other in heavy silence, the weight of unspoken defiance hanging thick in the air.

Lighter, faster footsteps broke the tense silence. Your sister appeared, her face pale with shock. "Grandfather, stop this!" she cried, rushing into the room to stand protectively in front of you. "You can’t hurt her anymore!"

"Move, girl," your grandfather ordered, his voice like ice. "This is not your place."

But your sister stood firm, her jaw set and her eyes burning with defiance. "It is my place," she shot back, her voice  unyielding. "She’s my sister, and I won’t let you hurt her again!"

Your grandfather’s expression darkened, the lines of his face deepening with rage. Your grandfather’s rage boiled over. He stepped forward with a furious growl, the sword in his hand gleaming menacingly as he raised it slightly. "Do not test me, child," he warned, his voice low and ice-cold. "Disobedience will not be tolerated."

Your father moved to intercept, his hand gripping your grandfather’s arm to stop him. "Father, stop!" he said, his voice strained but resolute. "You’ll destroy this family with your madness!"

Your grandfather wrenched his arm free by roughly shoving your father to the ground, his fury intensifying. "It is you and your failure as a father that have brought this disgrace upon us!" he spat, his venomous gaze flicking between you and your sister. "If you will not restore order, I will."

Your sister’s knees shook, but she refused to move, her determination unshaken even as the tension in the room reached its breaking point. For a moment, all you could hear was the sound of your own laboured breathing, the pain in your body overshadowed by the chaos unfolding around you.

Your grandfather raised the sword high, ready to strike. Your father lunged forward, but in the chaos, everything became unbalanced. And somehow, despite the searing pain in your body, you found the strength to move. Your legs, still bound, propelled you forward on instinct.

Your body screamed, dragging yourself between your sister and the descending blade. The world slowed as the sharp edge tore into your back. Your eyes locked with your sister's widened eyes. Pain, unlike anything you’d ever felt, exploded through you, radiating outward in a searing wave.

Your body crumpled to the ground as screams filled the air. The sharp metallic scent of blood overwhelmed your senses. Your sister’s wailing cry and your father’s panicked shout barely registered over the roar of pain. You felt the world dimming, your vision blurring as you curled instinctively to shield your abdomen.

The crash reverberated in your ears as the storage building groaned under the pressure of whatever had caused the disturbance. Shouts of alarm mingled with the eerie hum of magic that seemed to fill every corner of the building. You felt the vibrations through the floor, each a drumbeat pounding against your trembling body.

Then, they appeared.

Agatha’s silhouette emerged first, framed by a violet glow that cast long, jagged shadows against the walls. Her hair whipped around her face as if caught in a tempest, her blue eyes burning with an unnatural intensity—tendrils of purple magic crackled and twisted around her hands, hissing like serpents ready to strike.

Behind her, Rio strode in, her dark eyes blazing with fury. Her presence sucked the air, her steps deliberate, exuding power and danger. Her eyes scanned the storage, landing on you briefly before hardening as they returned to your grandfather. She didn’t speak, but her presence alone was a promise of retribution.

Rio moved swiftly, her sharp features softening as she knelt beside you. "I’ve got you, love," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly as her hands began to glow with a faint green light. She pressed them gently to your back, her magic surging into the wound in an attempt to heal it. But the damage was too severe. Her jaw tightened, frustration flickering across her face as the blood refused to stop, the warmth of your body slipping away with every passing moment.

"Stay with me," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please."

As Death, her healing magic was naturally weaker than others, a cruel irony that gnawed at her now. She cursed under her breath, her brown eyes darkening as she poured every ounce of strength into the effort. But the bleeding persisted, and your hand grew colder with each passing second.

"Enough," Agatha’s voice sliced the thick tension like a blade, cold and commanding. The power in her tone sent a shiver down your spine, and even your grandfather, who had been so sure of his control, hesitated. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of her. Agatha stepped forward, her boots crunching against the scattered debris on the floor. The purple glow surrounding her illuminated the room in flickering light, casting an almost ethereal quality to her presence. Her sharp gaze didn’t waver as she stared your grandfather down. "You’ve done enough damage," she said, her voice low but dripping with venom. "And now you will answer for it."

Your grandfather, ever defiant, straightened his posture despite the tension in his jaw. "Who are you to barge into my household and speak of damage?" he spat, his voice shaky yet laced with anger. "This is my family, my bloodline. She is mine to discipline."

Agatha laughed coldly. "Yours?" she echoed, her magic flaring brighter, sending sparks into the air. "She’s not yours. She never was. You’ve treated her as nothing but a pawn in your games of power, but that ends now."

Rio’s voice cut through, low and dripping with menace. "You think you can beat her, maim her, even kill her, and call it discipline?" Her darkened eyes glinted dangerously, but her touch was a stark contrast—gentle, almost reverent, as she caressed your cheek. Her magic pulsed faintly, flowing into your battered body like a soothing current, assuring you that, despite everything, you would survive. Her gaze flicked back to your grandfather, her tone darkening further. "That ends today."

Your father, caught between terror and awe, stammered, "Who—what are you?" His voice cracked as his gaze darted between Agatha’s purple fury and Rio’s emerald soothing energy.

Agatha turned her head slightly, her eyes flicking to him with disdain. "We are the ones who will undo the damage you allowed," she said, her words laced with judgment. "And if you truly care for your daughter, you will stay out of our way."

Agatha turned her full attention to your grandfather, her expression cold and merciless. The purple tendrils of her magic coiled tighter around him, constricting his throat. His bloodied sword slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground as the force of her magic lifted him into the air. He clawed desperately at the invisible grip, his face reddening as his breath grew shallow.

"You… monster!" he rasped, his voice barely audible through the choking force.

Agatha’s eyes narrowed, the glowing blue intensifying as her fury radiated through the building. "Monster?" she echoed. "You dare call me a monster? After what you’ve done? Look at yourself,"  her voice low and venomous, each word cutting like a blade.

Her magic crackled violently, the air around her heavy with unrelenting power. The walls seemed to shudder in response, the building groaning under the sheer weight of her rage. "You beat her and tried to kill her—and for what? Your pride? Your ego? Tell me, who is the real monster here?" Her words hung in the air, heavy and damning, as the tendrils tightened further, forcing a strangled gasp from his lips.

"Agatha," you croaked weakly, your voice trembling. Despite the overwhelming pain, you forced yourself to meet her gaze. "Please… don’t…"

Her magic flickered as her expression wavered. She looked at you, her hands trembling. "You don’t understand," she said, her voice cracking. "He doesn’t deserve to live."

"Agatha!" Rio’s voice cut through sharply, her tone laced with urgency. "She’s lost too much blood. We need to go—now!"

Agatha hesitated, torn between her rage and your plea. But your weak, teary gaze was enough to break through. The magic around your grandfather dissipated, and he crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. Agatha turned back to you, her expression a mix of guilt and anguish.

Agatha dropped to her knees beside Rio, her hands already glowing with purple light. Her rage was momentarily set aside as she focused on you, her touch surprisingly gentle as her magic intertwined with Rio’s green glow. The energy washed over your body, soothing some of the pain and stabilising you, though the amount of blood loss and the deep exhaustion remained.

"You’ll be fine," Agatha murmured, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Her fingers brushed your hair from your face as she worked, her sharp eyes narrowing with determination. "We’ve got you."

Rio, still kneeling, glanced up at your family, her expression cold and unreadable. "We’re taking her home," she announced sharply, her voice a chilling contrast to her tender hold on you. "If any of you even think about coming after her again, you’ll regret it."

Your grandfather, who had been gasping for breath moments ago, steadied himself. Despite the magic that had subdued him earlier, his rage burned hot and unrelenting. His lips curled into a sneer, his eyes darting between Rio and Agatha with venomous hatred. "You think you can take care of her?" your grandfather snarled, his voice trembling with fury. "A girl carrying an illegitimate bastard that isn’t your blood?"

The words echoed in the air like a curse, each syllable sinking heavily.

Agatha’s magic faltered for a heartbeat, the crackling tendrils of energy flickering as her sharp blue eyes snapped to your grandfather. Her hands froze mid-motion, the deadly rage in her expression giving way to something unreadable. "What did you say?" she asked, her voice dangerously quiet, a cold edge making it cut through the tension like a blade.

Rio’s entire body stiffened, her arms instinctively tightening around you as though to shield you from the weight of the revelation. Her dark brown eyes widened in shock, the fury momentarily replaced with stunned disbelief. "Pregnant?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the humming of residual magic in the air. She lowered her gaze to you, her expression softening as if searching your face for confirmation.

Yourr trembling hand moving to rest protectively over your abdomen. "I didn’t know…" you murmured, your voice cracking with emotion. "I only found out because of him."

Rio’s gaze flickered from your tear-streaked face to your grandfather, her shock quickly morphing back into a smouldering rage. Her lips curled into a snarl, and her grip on you tightened. "You knew she was pregnant," she growled, her voice low and venomous. "And you still hurt her?"

Agatha’s expression darkened, the flicker of hesitation vanishing as her magic roared back to life, more violent and volatile than before. The tendrils snapped and coiled like vipers, wrapping around your grandfather once more and dragging him higher off the ground. His gasps turned to choking wheezes as her power constricted his throat.

"You knew," Agatha said, her voice a deadly whisper that vibrated with barely contained fury. She took a step closer, the air around her crackling with energy. "You knew she was carrying a child—our child—and you still did this to her?" Her voice rose, each word sharper and more venomous than the last. "You are beyond redemption."

Rio shifted her focus back to you, her features softening as she caressed your cheek gently, her touch a stark contrast to the fury burning in her eyes. "We’re taking you home," she said firmly, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and protectiveness. "You’ll never have to face this bastard again."

Agatha, however, didn’t move. Her magic grew brighter, more intense, as her rage consumed her. "This ends here," she hissed, her voice filled with a dark finality. "He will never hurt you again. He will never hurt anyone again."

"Agatha," Rio called sharply, her voice cutting through the haze of power and fury surrounding her lover. "Not now. She needs us more than we need revenge."

Agatha hesitated at the mention of you, her glowing blue eyes flickering to you. Her expression softened for a fleeting moment as she saw the exhaustion and pain etched across your face. But then her gaze snapped back to your grandfather, and her fury reignited. "He doesn’t deserve to live after what he’s done," she growled.

"Agatha…" you croaked weakly, your voice barely a whisper but enough to draw her attention. Your tearful gaze locked with hers. "Please…. I just wanna go home."

Her magic faltered again, the tendrils loosening slightly as your words pierced through her anger. Agatha clenched her jaw, and the internal struggle was evident in how her hands trembled and her eyes flickered between you and your grandfather.

Finally, with a deep, shuddering breath, she let the magic dissipate. Your grandfather crumpled to the ground, coughing and gasping for air, his face pale and drenched with sweat.

"Your pitiful life has been spared—for now," Agatha spat, her voice laced with venom as she stepped back with disdain.

Rio adjusted her hold on you, her eyes blazing as she looked over your family. "This is the last time any of you will see her," she said coldly.

Your sister stood frozen in shock, her wide eyes flicking between you and your lovers, while your father looked torn, his mouth opening as if to speak but no words coming out.

As Agatha and Rio carried you out, you felt your strength slipping away, the world around you fading into a blur of light and shadow. The last thing you saw before darkness claimed you was the resolute determination on their faces—a silent promise that they would protect you, no matter the cost.

[tickly-trashcan]

The Wheeler Special {Nancy, Mike, and Will}

Commissioned Fic!

A/N: Ahhh thank you so so much for your patience with this one!! I really loved getting to write it, I don't think I've written a Stranger Things fic yet!! I missed these guys hehe~ This fic was commissioned anonymously and omggg it was such a fun prompt eee I hope you enjoy it! :D My commissions are still open if anyone else is interested in commissioning a fic from me! I'll link them right here :)

Summary: After coming back from the Upside Down, Will has been a bit distant. Mike notices, and he and Nancy figure out a way to help him feel better. (Takes place between S1 and S2!)

Word Count: 4.6k (under the cut!)

Will had been quiet lately. Well, he was always pretty quiet, but it was more noticeable right now. Mike had noticed it during one of their Dungeons & Dragons sessions, where Will had seemed a bit out of it as they played.

“I’m going to club him!” Dustin said, rolling his dice. “Shit… does a seven hit…?”

“What do you think?” Mike said with a laugh. “The goblin evades your hit and snarls at you. Okay, next up is… Will! What’s your move?”

Will, who had been spacing out, turned his attention back to the game. “Huh? Oh…! I’ll cast magic missile on the goblin.”

“Roll for damage.”

As Will rolled his dice, Dustin grumbled in his chair. “I still don’t get why magic missile is guaranteed to hit but my club is roll dependent.”

“I didn’t make the rules.” Mike said with a shrug. He turned his attention back to Will. “How much did you roll?”

“That’s… twelve damage.”

Mike grinned at Will and leaned across the board before knocking over the goblin figure. “Boom! Goblin down.”

Will cracked a small smile as Dustin whooped. “Ugh, that took forever! I don’t know what we’d do without magic missile.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow at Dustin. “Weren’t you just complaining about magic missile?”

Dustin waved off Lucas, who sighed.

As the group continued to play Dungeons & Dragons, it got later and later into the night. Eventually, Mike’s mom called down to the group with a reminder that they should get home before curfew.

“We’re almost done!” Mike hollered back.

Will shifted. “I should be getting back soon…”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “You guys just got to the magic door. Don’t you want to see what’s behind it?”

“I do!” Dustin whined.

Will looked hesitant and glanced between the game board and the small window that showed how it was getting darker outside. “I don’t want my mom to worry too much…”

Mike slowly put together why Will was nervous. It had been a little while since he had finally come back from the Upside Down, but this was exactly how he had ended up there in the first place: a Dungeons & Dragons session that went late, a bike ride home in the dark, ending up in an unfamiliar place…

“Okay, you guys are going to live in suspense for the week. We’ll open the next session by opening the magic door and finding out whatever lurks behind it… good, or bad,” Mike announced, making Dustin and Lucas groan in frustration before immediately protesting.

Will looked relieved at Mike’s decision and quickly began to clean up his dice and his character sheet. Dustin and Lucas begrudgingly followed his lead, and once they had packed up the table, they walked upstairs to bike home.

“Do we at least get a hint at what’s behind the door?” Lucas asked.

Mike shook his head. “Nope. You’ll find out next week.”

“If I guess it, can I have an inspiration point? Is it a treasure? Or more goblins? Is it a hag…? Please tell me it’s not a hag,” Dustin asked, his tone becoming more fearful as he thought of what could be behind the door.

Mike looked at Dustin with a grin. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

“I don’t like that look!!”

Mike laughed and turned to Will, who was nearly out the door as soon as he got his shoes on. He quickly turned back and grabbed his coat, then jogged to his bike on the lawn. Mike followed Will out onto the lawn while Dustin and Lucas bickered about what could be behind the door.

“Hey, want me to bike home with you tonight?” Mike asked, helping Will with his bike.

Will looked at Mike with wide eyes. “Oh, no, that’s okay. I just want to get back before curfew. You know how my mom is, and Jonathan, he–”

Mike put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Dude, it’s not a problem. Your house isn’t too far from here, I’d be back before my mom is done with dinner.”

“I appreciate it Mike, but really, I’m fine,” Will insisted as he stepped onto his bike. He offered Mike a small smile and shrugged. “I don’t want to worry anyone anymore…”

Mike frowned. “I just wanted to make sure you felt safe going home, Will.”

“I know… Thank you for that,” Will clicked on the light on his bike and turned to the street. “Same time next week?”

Mike nodded and forced a smile. “Same time next week.”

Will peddled off, slowly disappearing down the street. The sun had not quite set yet, but it would likely be dark by the time he got home.

With a sigh, Mike waved off Dustin and Lucas as the two of them biked home as well. He went back inside and was greeted with Nancy in the hallway, arms crossed and leaning against the wall.

“What do you want, Nance?” Mike groaned as he kicked off his shoes.

Nancy sighed and unfolded her arms. She peeked out the front door before shutting it and turning back to Mike. “Did Will go home by himself?”

Mike nodded. Nancy huffed in annoyance and folded her arms again, an apparent sign that she was annoyed. “Why didn’t you bike home with him? That’s how he disappeared last time. He’s probably nervous biking home by himself!”

“I asked and he said he was fine!” Mike protested, folding his arms to mock Nancy.

Nancy sighed and pinched her brow. “You’re his best friend, Mike. Do you really think he was fine?”

Mike hesitated. He knew that Will had not been fine. He had clearly been nervous during their entire Dungeons & Dragons session, but he had kept it as well hidden as he could. I don’t want to worry anyone anymore… That was what he had said to Mike before he biked home.

Nancy raised her eyebrow at Mike’s silence, which made Mike groan. He hated when Nancy was right, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

“I’ll bike home with him next week,” Mike said, walking out of the hallway. “Did mom cook a casserole for dinner again tonight?”

Nancy rolled her eyes and followed Mike into the dining room, where they sat down for a quiet dinner. Mike ignored all of the glances that Nancy sent him, pretending to be very hungry and very invested in the casserole.

After dinner, while Mike and Nancy helped clean up the dishes, Nancy brought up the topic again.

“Do you think he got home alright?”

“Yes.”

“Should we call Jonathan and make sure?”

“That sounds like an excuse for you to call Jonathan.”

“No, it’s to make sure that Will got home safe,” Nancy said, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink regardless. She nudged Mike aside from the sink as he dried a plate. “I’ll finish up here. You go call Will and make sure he got home okay.”

Mike groaned in annoyance at Nancy’s bossing, but set down the towel he was using to dry dishes anyway. He felt a bit of relief knowing that he was not the only one worried about Will’s wellbeing after everything that had happened, and even if Nancy had a much different approach than he did, he appreciated knowing that she was there for him and his friends.

Mike hesitated in the doorway and turned back to Nancy. “Should I ask if he wants to come over tomorrow? Maybe… Do you think it would help him if we talked about it?”

Nancy looked at Mike with furrowed eyebrows, then softened into a smile when she realized that Mike was genuine. “I think that’s a great idea. If a bribe helps, tell him that I’ll treat you guys to an ice cream cone.”

Mike nodded his head with a smile and left the kitchen to call Will. He dialed the number quickly on the phone and waited for a response.

“Hello! This is Joyce Byers, how may I help you?”

“This is, uhm… Mike. I’m calling to see if Will got home okay?”

“Oh, Mike! That’s very thoughtful of you! He just got back a little bit ago, he’s listening to music with Jonathan. Do you want to talk to him?”

“Yeah, I would. Thank you, Joyce.”

There was a short silence on the other line with the occasional blip of static. There was a hum of voices that Mike could not make out until he heard Will on the phone. “Hey, Mike, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to check in,” Mike said awkwardly, then remembered Nancy’s promise. “Also, do you want to come over tomorrow? Nance said that she’ll get us an ice cream cone!”

Mike could hear a quick murmur of an exchange between Will and his mom, and then Will’s voice returned. “My mom said that I can! What time should I come over?”

“Uhm…” Mike did not ask Nancy about this part. He knew she was not an early riser, especially on weekends. “Does two o’clock work?”

“Sure! I’ll see you then!”

Mike could hear a murmur of excitement before the phone clicked and the call ended. He smiled and walked back into the kitchen as Nancy finished up the dishes. She turned to him expectantly as she dried off the last plate.

Mike smirked. “You owe us an ice cream cone.”

Nancy sighed, but the smile on her face betrayed her. “I was afraid that might be the case.”

The next day, as Mike waited for Will to arrive at his house, he was surprisingly nervous. He sat on the couch and fidgeted until Nancy sat beside him, nudging him gently with her shoulder in a knowing way.

“What do I even say to him?”

Nancy raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“He ended up in an alternate dimension for a week, Nance. How am I supposed to make him feel better about that?!”

Nancy put a hand on her chin and pondered. She leaned back into the couch and shrugged. “Maybe you don’t need to say anything. He might just need some comfort from his friend. Someone he can just be normal around.”

“We’ve been normal… He’s upset and I feel like there’s nothing I can do about it…”

Nancy frowned. She thought for a minute and then put a hand on Mike’s shoulder, patting him softly. “You could try and take his mind off of it… We could give him the Wheeler Special.”

Mike narrowed his eyes at Nancy. “The what?”

Nancy grinned. “Remember when Lucas took your Dungeon Maestro notebook?”

“First of all, it’s Dungeon Master. Second of all, what does that have to do with me helping Will?” Mike asked, folding his arms.

“Do you remember how I helped you get it back from him? And how we made him swear to never touch your Dungeon Master notebook again?”

Mike thought hard and furrowed his eyebrows, then remembered what Nancy was talking about. He huffed out a laugh. “Since when were we calling that the Wheeler Special?”

Nancy shrugged her shoulders. “Since now. I think if you talk to him a little bit, we could take his mind off of it with that. Then we’ll get ice cream and you two can talk about your nerd stuff.”

Mike was about to protest the idea, but before he could, the doorbell rang. He looked to the door and then to Nancy, who only winked at him. “Just say what feels right.”

Mike groaned. He got up and opened the door just as the doorbell rang again and greeted Will with a grin.

“Impatient, much?”

“You were taking forever! I want ice cream!” Will said as he shoved Mike, making the two of them laugh.

“Come on in, Will! I’m just going to get my purse!” Nancy called from inside the house. The patter of footsteps up the staircase could be heard as Mike invited Will inside.

Mike and Will sat on the couch, waiting patiently for Nancy. Mike looked toward the staircase, but she was taking quite a while to find her purse.

“What kind of ice cream are you gonna get?” Mike asked, attempting to fill the silence.

Will hummed. “Cookies and cream. You?”

“Strawberry. Unless they have rocky road, then I’ll get that.”

“Blegh… Rocky road?” Will said with a chuckle.

Mike shoved Will lightly and they laughed. Mike then gave Will a gentler nudge with his shoulder and looked at him softly. “How are you doing? I know that it’s been—It’s been a lot. If there’s anything that I can do for you, I’m here…”

“I appreciate it, Mike… I don’t really know if there’s anything that you can do… It’s so surreal still,” Will opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. He forced a chuckle and then averted his gaze. “I think I just need to not think about it. Every time I do, I get so scared… Like I’m back there again.”

Mike listened to Will intently, nodding his head. He put a hand on Will’s shoulder and offered him a small smile when he looked at him. “Then we won’t think about it. We’ll get ice cream, and we’ll play Dungeons & Dragons, and we’ll keep you in the moment. And when you’re ready, we’ll face it together.”

Will smiled. “Thanks, Mike.”

There was a patter of footsteps down the stairs and Nancy appeared, purse in hand. Mike narrowed his eyes slightly at her, wondering if she had been waiting for them to finish their conversation before coming down the stairs. She grinned slyly in a way that pretty much confirmed his thought and Mike rolled his eyes.

Nancy sat down on the other side of the couch next to Will, who was now in the middle. She looked over to Mike and smiled before turning to Will. “Will, do you know about the Wheeler Special?”

Mike groaned. “We’re not calling it that, Nance!”

Will looked between Mike and Nancy with slightly wary eyes. “Uhm… Is the Wheeler Special a type of ice cream order, or…?”

Nancy laughed. “No, no, it’s not that.”

Will waited a moment to see if Nancy would explain, but she only smiled sweetly. Will turned to Mike expectantly and chuckled nervously. “Mike, what’s the Wheeler Special?”

“I didn’t decide on that name,” Mike grumbled. He then offered Will a small grin. “I think it’s better if we just show you what it is.”

Will raised an eyebrow and leaned back into the couch with a small chuckle. “Okay, show me then. The anticipation is killing me.”

“Don’t sound so excited,” Mike laughed. He looked at Nancy and she nodded her head, signalling for Mike to begin.

Will looked between the two of them once more as they shifted on the couch slightly, but was taken completely by surprise when Nancy and Mike actually pounced. Mike took Will’s arms and pulled them above his head, sitting his leg across his wrists to hold them there. Meanwhile, Nancy yanked his legs down the couch and sat down on his hips.

Will glanced up at them with wide eyes and squirmed, trying to tug his arms free and wiggle Nancy off of him. “Guys? What the heck is this about?”

“We’re gonna try and take your mind off of things for a little bit,” Mike said. He drummed his fingers lightly on Will’s forearms with a smirk. “You’re still ticklish, right?”

Will’s eyes widened and he shook his head, beginning to giggle nervously. “Maybe? You don’t really get less ticklish…” He looked at Mike and Nancy, who were grinning widely and he began to squirm again. “Wait, Mike! No, no—Nancy, please! Wait, wait, wait–!”

Mike looked at Nancy and smirked. “Go easy on him, Nance. He’s pretty ticklish.”

Nancy hummed and lowered her hands to Will’s belly, making him flinch. Mike began to skitter his fingers down Will’s arm, making him jump and giggle as he tried to pull his arms free of Mike.

“Three…” Nancy started a countdown.

“Guys, guys, guys! Nohoho–!” Will whined.

“Two…” Mike continued as Will wiggled for his life, giggling nervously as he pleaded with Nancy and Mike.

There was a small pause and Will’s giggles escalated. Nancy and Mike looked at each other one more time before looking down at Will.

“One!!” They said in unison.

Will shrieked when the tickling finally began. Nancy scribbled her fingers all over Will’s tummy, throwing in an occasional pinch that made him whine. Mike wiggled his fingers under Will’s arms, skittering them up his arms and then back down suddenly to make Will gasp.

“NOhohohOHO!! Thahat tickles! Guhuhuys!” Will wailed, throwing his head back as he laughed.

“That’s the point, Will,” Mike teased as he danced his fingers down to Will’s upper ribs.

Nancy chuckled. “You weren’t kidding, Mike. I think he’s more ticklish than you!”

Mike shot Nancy a small glare, but it went completely unnoticed by Will, who was laughing his head off as the two of them tickled him to bits. Mike scribbled his fingers up and down Will’s arms and then prodded at his upper ribs, making Will shriek and laugh.

“Wahahahait!! GAHahaha!!” Will laughed, squirming as much as he could under Mike and Nancy as they tickled him. “Not thehehehere!”

“Not where? Gotta be more specific,” Mike said with a smirk. He prodded at Will’s ribs and then scribbled his fingers under his arms. “Do you mean here? Or here? Or somewhere else?”

“Eheheheheverywhere!!” Will squealed as he tugged on his arms again.

Will’s nose was scrunched and his eyes were squeezed shut as he laughed, which made his cheeks dust pink. Nancy tweaked his hips and then skittered her fingers across his belly. Meanwhile, Mike pinched and poked at his ribs, honing in on his upper ribs when he got a bigger reaction from tickling there.

Mike chuckled as he watched Will squirm and laugh, then looked up at Nancy. “Hey, Nance, let’s switch spots.”

Nancy raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Mike smirked. “Just trust me.”

Nancy hummed curiously and nodded her head. She and Mike quickly switched spots, but Will tried to free himself during the transition. Nancy caught his arms and sat them under her knees and Mike squeezed Will’s sides as he settled himself on his hips. He tried once more to wriggle away, but he was still firmly stuck on the couch as Mike and Nancy loomed over him, grinning.

As Will continued to giggle, Mike lifted his shirt up to his lower ribs. Will’s eyes widened and he shook his head frantically at Mike, tugging on his arms again and trying his best to squirm away.

“Mike—Mike, wahahait!” Will giggled nervously as Mike only grinned in return. Will then looked up to Nancy as he tried to tug his arms free. “Nancy, plehehease!”

“Please what, Will?” Nancy teased, drumming her fingers in thought under Will’s arms. He whined and giggled from the ticklish sensation as Nancy looked between him and Mike. “Mike, I think the anticipation is getting to him.”

Mike laughed. “Oh, really? We should get back to tickling him then.”

Will opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, more giggles erupted from him as Nancy began to tickle Will’s ribs. As Will squirmed from Nancy’s tickling, he peeked open one eye to see Mike lowering his head to Will’s bare tummy. Will shrieked as he realized what was coming, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Will threw his head back and burst into frantic laughter as Mike began to blow raspberries all over his tummy. As he blew raspberry after raspberry, he also squeezed Will’s hips, driving him up the wall with the ticklish sensations.

Nancy chuckled at Will’s reactions and continued to tickle his ribs and underarms, gently skittering her nails up and down. Will tugged on his arms and squirmed, arching his back to try and escape Nancy’s hands, but then he fell back into the couch and tried to roll away as Mike kept blowing raspberries on his tummy.

“NOHOhoHO!! Guys, plehehease! I cahahahan’t—It tickles!” Will wheezed through his frantic laughter, his cheeks dusted a bright pink. “M-Mike! Nahahancy–!”

Mike finally took a break from giving Will raspberries and sat up, slightly out of breath. He continued to squeeze Will’s hips, making him buck, and Nancy looked at Mike with a small smile.

“What do you think, Mike? Has he had enough?” She asked, looking down at Will. He looked pretty tuckered out, and his laughter was beginning to get less shrieky and more wheezy.

Mike shrugged. “I suppose.”

Nancy rolled her eyes at Mike and then freed Will’s arms. She stayed sitting next to him as Mike got off of Will’s hips. The two of them laughed as Will sat up slowly, still giggly and wheezy as he wiped a small tear from his eye.

“Oh, mahan… That was—That was ehehevil! Not even Jonathan tickles me like that,” Will laughed.

“Nance used to tickle me all the time when we were younger, so I learned a few tricks from her,” Mike said, shooting a playful glare at Nancy.

“I didn’t know you were ticklish, Mike,” Will said with a small frown.

Nancy grinned at Will. “Oh, he’s very ticklish. Not as much as you, I don’t think, but he’s got a few spots that—”

“Nancy!” Mike hissed, reaching across Will to try and shove her. Nancy reached over Will to nudge Mike’s head with a laugh, making him grumble.

“Hey, Will,” Nancy said with a devious tone. “Do you want to give Mike a taste of his own medicine?”

“What?!” Mike exclaimed, jaw hanging open.

“Can we?” Will asked excitedly, looking between Nancy and Mike.

“No! Nope, no way. Nancy, I swear—”

“Well, this whole thing was Mike’s idea, so I think it’s only fair…” Nancy said with a smirk.

“It was not! Nance, stop lying!”

“C’mon, Mike! I never get to tickle anyone!” Will said with a wide grin. Mike shook his head frantically, but the looks on Will and Nancy’s faces told him all that he needed to know.

In an attempt to get away, Mike jumped up from the couch, but Nancy was faster and pulled him back, grabbing his wrists and holding them above his head. He wiggled and kicked, making Will and Nancy laugh.

Will nearly got a mouthful of Mike’s foot as Mike kicked his legs. Will finally managed to catch his ankles and sat on top of his shins, looking down at Mike with a wide grin. Mike struggled a little bit more, then sighed in resignation as he realized there was no getting out of this. If this helped Will feel better, then it might as well happen.

“You guys suck,” Mike grumbled.

“Mhm. We’re absolutely terrible,” Nancy nodded with a small grin. She turned away from Mike to look at Will. “He’s really ticklish on his feet, and his stomach is also pretty ticklish.”

“Nancy!!” Mike screeched, completely aghast. “You can’t tell him that! That’s not fair!”

Nancy shrugged. “Oops.”

Mike stared at Will with wide eyes and shook his head. “Will—Will, I swear, I’ll kill off your character, I’ll—WAHAhahaha!!”

“There will be no killing of anyone’s characters, Dungeon Maestro!” Nancy teased in a sing-song tone as she began to scribble her fingers under Mike’s arms, sending him into a quick fit of laughter.

“Thahahat’s not what it’s cahahahalled!! It’s—It’s Dungeon Mahahahaster!!” Mike shrieked, squirming under Will and Nancy.

“Whatever, nerdy pants,” Nancy chuckled. She nodded her head at Will in a gesture for him to start. “Oh, and his knees are also a good spot. Get under his knees.”

“Nohoho! Will, dohoHOHON’T!!” Mike hollered when Will squeezed his knees.

Will chuckled in amusement and kept squeezing his knees, making Mike shriek and laugh and squirm. He reached under his knees and skittered his fingers all over them as Mike threw his head back into Nancy’s lap and wailed.

“This is so mehehehean! I didn’t—I didn’t eheheheheven do ahahahanything!” Mike whined and hollered.

Will and Nancy laughed at that. Nancy began to poke at Mike’s ribs as she teased him. “Are you serious? This was your idea.”

“It wahahahas not!! Will, dohon’t listen to heheher!!” Mike laughed.

The Wheeler Special and tickling Will had all been Nancy’s idea, and now she was not only trying to pin it on Mike, but she was also using his best friend to tickle the hell out of him. Mike was about to swear vengeance on Nancy, but Will found his feet before he could, and all that came out was a dramatic screech.

“Will–! Will, dohohon’t you dahahare!!” Mike tried to wiggle his feet away, but with Will on his shins, he was not able to move his legs very much. He kicked his feet slightly, but there was nothing he could do to stop Will from scribbling his fingers all over them. “NohoHOHO!!”

Nancy kept encouraging Will as they tickled Mike, whose face was bright pink. “Try his heel, that’s a good spot too.”

Mike could only throw his head back and holler as Nancy and Will continued their torment. Will eventually moved on from his feet and shifted up towards Mike’s hips, giving them a few squeezes as he squirmed.

“Get his stomach,” Nancy mentioned again, poking Mike’s belly a few times to prove her point as he squealed and then jolted at every poke.

Mike shook his head and whined, tugging on his arms and trying to muster up a glare for Nancy, but it was hardly intimidating with his red cheeks and permanent smile. “I-I haHAHahate you!”

Nancy smiled and rolled her eyes. “Love you too, nerd.”

Before Mike could make another jeer at Nancy, he felt his shirt lifting up and he immediately redirected his attention to Will. “Will–! Please, dohohon’t!”

Will looked at Nancy hesitantly, and she gave him a small gesture. He turned back to Mike and shrugged. “I’ll only do ten.”

“Tehehehen?!” Mike shrieked. “No! No wahahay!”

“Fine, then I’ll do five. Nancy, will you count for me?”

Nancy nodded with a small grin, not stopping her own tickling as she began to count off for Will. Mike was shaking his head and almost begging Will not to, but all he could do was watch as Will lowered his head and blew the first raspberry.

Mike shrieked and threw his head back, trying to shake Will off of him as he squirmed and bucked.

“One… Two…” Nancy announced as Will blew the raspberries on Mike’s belly.

“NOHOhohoooo!! Please, no mohohore!!”

“Relax, Mike,” Nancy teased, poking at his ribs as she continued counting for Will. “Three… Four… Aaand…”

Will took in a deep breath and blew a raspberry right on Mike’s navel, making him absolutely shriek.

“Five!”

“THAHahaht’s it! That wahahas five! Now stahahahap!!”

“Okay, okay, fine,” Nancy said with a laugh as she ceased her tickling. She looked at Will as he sat up. “Ready for ice cream?”

Will nodded excitedly, then looked down at Mike with fake worry. “Do you think Mike will still be able to eat ice cream? His stomach probably hurts from laughing.”

“I-I cahan still eat ice creheam!” Mike insisted, sitting up when Will scooted off of his hips. Will and Nancy laughed at Mike and he grumbled, giving Will a playful shove. “I’ll get you back for that.”

“Okay, easy you two, or I’ll eat both of your ice creams,” Nancy interjected, standing up from the couch. She picked up her purse that she had set on the coffee table and turned to them with a small smile. “Are we ready to go?”

“Yes!” Will and Mike said in unison, jumping up.

Will and Mike yammered the whole way to the ice cream parlor, but Nancy had learned by now how to tune out the nerdy topics. The three of them ate their ice cream without a care in the world, which was exactly what Will had needed.

[nahoney22]

Some fluff/comfort with Crosshair? Where m!reader had a tough mission and was having an overall bad day? Also congrats on 4000!! :D

Certainty

M!Reader X Crosshair

word count: 1k

After a mission went sour, you’re left feeling deflated. So when Crosshair finds you training by yourself, he’s there to offer you a piece of advice.

warnings: fluff/comfort fic, can be read as romantic or platonic, reader has bad day, hugs, target practice, male reader.

authors note: sorry for the wait and thank you for the request! Enjoy 🩵

You gazed out into the endless expanse of hyperspace from the confines of the Marauder, the events of the mission replaying incessantly in your mind, particularly your own costly mistake. What should have been a routine shot spiraled into a domino of problems, turning what was supposed to be a simple mission into a desperate struggle. The weight of responsibility weighed heavily on you, and you couldn't shake the feeling of self-blame.

Already in a foul mood, the day had started with a spill of caf on your equipment, followed by Hunter's impatient reminders to hurry up cleaning your things as the rendezvous loomed closer.

“How long until we touch down?” you inquired, turning to Tech who manned the ship.

“I would estimate around 1 hour and 27 minutes. Why do you ask?” he replied, seemingly oblivious to your tense demeanor.

“Could you wake me when we're about to land? I need to focus on some training,” you requested, receiving a simple nod in response. With that, you made your way to your bunk, passing by Crosshair who stood against the ship's wall. Though he glanced up as you approached, you chose to bypass him without a word.

His frown followed you as you exited, prompting him to eventually make his way to Tech in the cockpit. “What's his issue?”

Tech turned to face his brother, a knowing expression etched on his features. “It seems he's frustrated with how today's mission unfolded. Your decision to let him take the shot likely added to his distress.”

Crosshair shrugged nonchalantly. “He wanted to. I trust his abilities. Besides, we've faced tougher challenges before.”

“True,” Tech agreed, recalling a particularly harrowing mission on Kashyyyk that ended in disaster before refocusing on the current issue. “But he has not been with us long enough to experience setbacks like this one.”

Crosshair sighed, crossing his arms. “I'll talk to him once we land.”

“That's a good plan, especially since he's planning on training,” Tech suggested, returning his attention to the ship's controls. With a deft press of a button, he guided the Marauder out of hyperspace. “Perhaps you should help him.”

As instructed, Tech had roused you from your brief nap, prompting you to gather your rifle, gear, and a few props before venturing out of the ship and into a remote area. Unbeknownst to you, someone trailed closely behind.

Upon reaching a clearing devoid of civilisation, you arranged some old canteens on a fallen log for target practice. After positioning yourself at what you deemed an optimal distance and crouching behind a sizable boulder for cover, you took aim and fired, only to miss. Frowning at the initial failure, you attempted another shot, only to repeat the same outcome. Your frustration mounted with each subsequent miss, leading to a barrage of shots that seemed to hit everything except the intended targets.

Cursing aloud, you impulsively kicked the boulder, immediately regretting the action as pain shot through your toes. "What did that boulder ever do to you?" remarked Crosshair, his familiar voice breaking the tense silence as he entered the clearing, observing your outburst and string of missed shots.

"Hi Crosshair," you grumbled, earning a low chuckle from him as you settled atop the boulder, nursing your injured toes.

Crosshair stood before you, tilting his head curiously as he watched your frustration. "How are your toes?" he inquired.

"Sore," you replied, wincing at the discomfort before meeting his gaze. "And my aim? Terrible. I don't understand. I'm usually a good shot. You've seen me shoot, but I've never missed this much before."

Crosshair remained silent for a moment before retrieving a toothpick from a pouch and casually placing it in his mouth. "Are you stressed?" he asked simply.

You pondered his question briefly before shaking your head. While it had been a rough day, you couldn't fathom how it would affect your performance to this extent. "Not that I'm aware of," you admitted, absently brushing dust off your knee. "Though today's mission was a disaster."

Crosshair shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not uncommon for missions to go awry. Your body can move and your brain is working so I’d consider that a win."

You chuckled softly, feeling a fondness for Crosshair as his presence always seemed to complement yours perfectly. "I guess. I just can't shake the feeling that I could've accidentally hurt someone."

"But you didn't," he countered, seizing your rifle. "So try again."

You blinked at the command in his gaze before reluctantly rising to your feet, bracing yourself for another potential failure.

As you lined up your shot, Crosshair subtly adjusted your position, his touch both unfamiliar and strangely comforting. "Relax. Only shoot when you're certain. Don't hesitate," he advised, his words echoing in your mind as you prepared to take aim once more.

Despite feeling the weight of his expertise bearing down on you, you focused on his guidance. But just as you were about to pull the trigger, Crosshair whispered in your ear, "Breathe," before stepping back and watching.

You blocked out the distractions, following his advice. Breathe. Relax. Wait for certainty. And when you finally took the shot, the satisfying clang of a canteen being hit filled the clearing.

"I did it!" you exclaimed triumphantly.

Crosshair smirked, twirling his toothpick between his fingers. "Told you so. You just need to shoot when you know it's right. Don't freeze up. Wait until you're certain."

His lesson resonated with you, and with newfound confidence, you lined up your shots again, hitting each target with precision.

Grinning, you leaned your rifle against the boulder and approached Crosshair. "Thank you, Crosshair."

"No need," he replied dismissively, but you couldn't resist wrapping your arms around his slender frame, surprising him momentarily before he reciprocated with a gentle hand on your back, offering a small smile. "If you ever need more practice, you know where to find me."

More Crosshair Works

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[thebettermccoy]

What is your favorite comics of dark beast? What was your first comic that made you love him, thus this blog exists?

He's quite an interesting character. More preferable than what recent beast (ben percy) is. He'd probably be back in the future, but I don't think I'm ready how new writers will handle dark beast now that he's a head in a jar.

These are fantastic questions with answers that twist and branch into different directions like the roots of a gnarled old tree, but I'll try to keep my response 'brief', otherwise you're getting a novel of a response.

Let's start with your second question, as I'd like to start at the beginning. What was the first comic that made you love [Henry]?

I could say that it was his first appearance in Age of Apocalypse because that would be kind of true, but it isn't the full answer.

Age of Apocalypse was my first introduction to the X-Men. I saw the completed collection (four books in total) on the shelves of the Borders bookstore in 2006, and 13-year-old me thought they looked interesting. I begged my dad to buy me the first one. Then, eventually, he bought the rest for me because I had to know what happened next. Dark Beast was fun in a hokey mad scientist way. I was a sucker for the trope (and as far as appearances, I was beginning to learn that I had a type.)

But the collection stops after AoA does, and I had to know the different place he was teleported to. Still, I couldn't find further books with my limited resources at the time (as Borders had a sporadic stock of X-Men material).

So, when people said X-Men, they were talking about 616, but I associated them with 295. 295 was my canon for several months until my dad explained that the X-Men storyline was much, much larger than AoA. Knowing next to nothing about comics in general , I said I wanted to start at the very beginning so that this time, I would know the whole story and not miss out on anything.

I spent an entire year reading X-Men comics published in the 1960s and 1970s, which was an experience, to say the least, and very much a product of its time — X-Men vs. Frankenstein's monster about did me in — but I digress. Over this time, I developed a strong fondness for the OG5 Beast, which was both distinct yet loosely tied to Dark Beast. (I could go into the personal reasons for this fondness, but I'll save that for another time if there is any interest.)

To put it simply, Beast was solidified as my favorite 616 character throughout all of my reading. Intelligent, kind, funny, and a bit weird, I followed Hank's journey through the Avengers. The 80s were truly his prime, in my humble opinion.

Eventually, I got into the 90s era of X-Men and found myself right back where I started, this time with a new perspective and a strong focus on Henry McCoy. And I will say that the second read-through hit differently.

Here was my favorite character, twisted into a dark version of himself, molded by a cruel, unforgiving world...and he loved it. A fuzzy weirdo who was unapologetically evil in the name of science. I LOVED that.

But which version of Henry McCoy did I love more?

In 2007, X-Men: Endangered Species was released. Both versions of my favorite character together in multiple issues? I skipped right over the rest of the early 2000s to dive right into that. Hank was struggling and desperate to try and save the mutant species, and Henry was an absolute asshat -- and I fucking adored it. By a single gray hair, Dark Beast won out as my favorite.

This leads into your send question: What is your favorite comic of Dark Beast?

Well, for a long while, it was Endangered Species. I read that book All. The. Fucking. Time.

Then, I got ahold of the Dark X-Men collection in 2014/2015. I was a few years late to the game, but I had graduated from high school and gone off to college — you know the song and dance of early adulthood, where you're too busy to do anything more than work/school? Yeah, that.

Have you ever wanted Dark Beast portrayed with a dash of mania reminiscent of Avengers Hank, yet still absolutely evil? Have you ever wanted to read a nice short story (5 issues) on dysfunctional and amoral characters trying to be public 'heroes'? Read it. Read it. Read it. Henry is in the main cast, and every moment he is there is a fucking terrible delight. Fraction and Dodson, I tip my hat to you.

As for the blog, well. I was very hesitant to ever make it. As a woman, could I accurately portray an evil male character? Despite him being my favorite character for literally more than half my life -- I felt like I wouldn't do him justice.

However, I took the plunge after the Krakoa era revealed that his character had been reduced to a head in a jar, while at the same time, goddamn Apocalypse and Sinister were allowed to run amok, and 616 Hank became evil (self-sabotaging, self-righteous, fascist, for-the-greater-good, boring evil). Why the fuck wasn't my dude getting his fair share? (Like, wouldn't it have been interesting if the tables were turned and members of Karkoa/The Quiet Counsel realized that they somehow trusted Dark Beast more than Hank at this point? Either a storyline where Dark Beast becomes the lesser of two evils or where Dark Beast does something so drastic that it pulls Hank's head out of his own ass and is pushed back over the hero line?) But Percy hates Beast, so fuck anything actually interesting happening.

Fuck all that. I knew I could do better than that.

(Also, a little reassurance from @positivelybeastly that I wouldn't be stepping on their toes also helped.)

So what's next?

I don't know. I haven't read any of the post- Krakoa stuff (though I just bought the first volume, which should arrive this weekend). I didn't even read Krakoa; I learned all I needed to through social media and Google images.

Maybe he will be restored Deus Ex Sinister. I'd like to see a minor character, whether idiotic, ignorant, or desperate, find his head and give him a body... that would at least be something on screen instead of the Dark Beast reappearing again with another case of "I got better".

Marvel, please let me into the writing room when you want to bring him back. I don't even want credit. I want results.

(Did I say that I wasn't going to give you a novel? I didn't: I gave you a novella.)

TLDR: AoA was technically the first comic that made me love to hate (and hate to love) Henry, but Endangered Species solidified it. The Dark X-Men is my favorite comic featuring him. His head-in-a-jar status on Krakoa was a terrible decision, but it gave me the confidence to create this blog. Marvel: Please let me write his re-introduction.

[short-black-diamond]

I really like hearing people talk about things they've noticed in something so it's so fun to read what you've notice in The Tomato Can 🫶

Bbg Vasily and Elijah

About the ocs, Mei and I guess Merida would be actually such an interesting new dynamic to see with Milana🤩🤩

- 🍰nom

aw, thanks love! Anyways, if you want to, I could continue...? I still have a lot to discover, and I can't believe that I actually overlooked a lot of things..

We love babygirl Vasily and Elijah

Yesssss, But if you want to, you can also request OC's to me if you'd like to! But I think I would rather call Merida Mary-Anne or something? Idk but I just---don't want her to the the name of a disney princess

Anyways, I'll post your other request, tged x male! reader in here. Also it's going to be angsty. Sorry not sorry, my sweet strawberry shortcake 🍰-nom. But don't worry, there will be a lil kith at the end.

Also I didn't proofread.

---

Who are you, Lloyd?

You knew that you shouldn't be here. But his parents asked you to. You knew that it would make your friendship with him all the more worse, if you even were friends in the first place.

But, for the sake of the baron's son, you had to ask a witch about Lloyd. She was a rather pretty woman, but she was a scaredy cat. So when she first saw you, she shrieked. I mean, who wouldn't, when your face was tinted red from the bear who just tried to eat you? Luckily, none of that blood outside your body belonged to you.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a question.", you said as you stepped into her humble home without asking, nor brushing your mudded boots, to which she grumbled under her breath.

"Make it quick. And also clean up your shoes."

"It's about the son of the baron I'm serving. Lloyd Frontera. He's uh...he's...not really himself?", you tried to explain, but you missed the words which woud suit for what you were wanting to say.

However, the witch was patient, and so, with you trying to form sentence upon sentence, did you finally manage to tell how from a Lloyd who was a drunkard and bad person became suddenly an estate developer and a businessman.

"And he just recruited a hundred and twenty Orcs for faster building? I don't even recognize the person I have to look over anymore...!", you finished, sipping on the sweet tea the witch brewed you while you were telling the story.

"Hm...to me, it sounds like a rare occurence of 'soul exchange'. Maybe, and I am talking on a very wild guess, it can be that the Lloyd you knew all your life until these past days has...well, died."

You flinched. "What?! D-don't you think that's a bit exaggerated??"

"There could be a chance, no? I mean, according to you, he was a drunk guy who was just utter trash. And maybe, he died at the same time another person died.", the witch's soft voice explained. Actually, she could be right.

If there could be Orcs, witches, monsters, dragons and elves in your world, why couldn't there be a new Lloyd?

"But...what should I do? I can't just tell him that he's not the same he once was!"

"Why don't you try getting to know the new Lloyd then?"

You blushed at that. 'Th-the knew Lloyd? Hmm...such a hassle. No, I'm going to confront him!'

...

"Ah, ____! There you are!", the baron's son exclaimed as he saw your approaching figure. 'Damn, the author really did describe ____ exactly how he looks in front of me. Tall, handsome, and nice. At least he's not like Javier. But still...he's beautiful...!'

He noticed your frown, a troubled expression on your face as you strutted uneasily towards him. "Mr. Frontera, I-I have a request!"

"Eh? A request? For me??", Lloyd asked with a confused smile as he followed you. You lead him to your home, and Lloyd blushed more.

'What is he trying to achieve...? I have work, but if ____ needs something, work can wait...What are your plans, ____?'

You led him to your table, with a freshly baked apple pie standing on it. You applied a little too much sugar, but you did it with the intention of him hitting you, but none of it. "Mm, your pie is good, but you applied a little too much sugar, ____. But is this the only thing you-Whoah!!"

Lloyd found himself pinned against your kitchen table, with your larger frame right on top of him. Lloyd couldn't miss the way you growled at him, demanding an explanation. However, Lloyd didn't know what for you could need an explanation for. All he could think about were your glowing eyes, your angry expression, how you were holding his hands in one of your larger ones and your other held his waist to the counter.

Yeah, Lloyd was turned on right now. "U-uhm, ____? D-do you mi-"

"You are not the Lloyd I know, so tell me who the hell you are!", you hissed as you glared at him angrily. But, Lloyd could see tears swelling in your eyes. Maybe out of frustration?

"____...I'm sorry. I've changed-" "Stop! Stop it!", you yelled as you puched him away from you and gripped your hair tightly. "I know that you are not Lloyd, but please, whoever you are, tell me where the old one is!"

There was a moment of silence, with you panting as you looked at 'Lloyd' with a look of hurt, betrayal, hope, and big sadness.

Suho Kim, who now possessed Lloyd's body, looked at you with guild. "____, I'll...explain everything to you. My actual name is Suho Kim, and I think I died in my previous life...? Anyway, now I'm in Lloyd's body, and, well, I tried to make the most out of it."

You only stared at him before leaning against the wall and sliding down while covering your face. (drama queen ig)

"Listen, I know that it was hard for you to endure this all, given the fact the Lloyd you knew before is no longer there, but I promise that I'll be better than him. I'd also like to get to know you better, ____."

Lloyd sat down next to you. "You know, at first, I thought that you'd be just like Javier, but you're not. You're so much sweeter, kinder, more emotional, and you tell me more. You're a good guy."

Suho slowly couldn't contain your silence anymore, and for a moment, he thought that you'd had fallen asleep. But you just raised your head to him. You looked depressed. "I don't like how you compare me to Javier, and I don't like how you talk about Lloyd as if he was a bad person.

Lloyd might have been trash, throwing tantrums, drinking the whole time and being horrible with women, but he was the one me and Javier had to dedicate our lives to. I don't know if Javier enjoys being your knight, but I'm glad that you, Suho Kim, could cure his sleeping problems. And as for me...", you trailed off, averting your eyes shyly.

Suho remembered that you were actually introduced as the love interest, but you died protecting Lloyd. Lloyd actually never liked you, but you just found something in Lloyd very alluring, and Suho didn't know what.

Suho felt bad. Bad that you lost the person you somehow fell in love with -he wanted to hit the author of the novel for putting sweet you together with somebody like Lloyd and the also having the audacity to give you a grotesque death scene- and even worse that you found out about it.

"...I don't know why, but I felt shy whenever I looked at him. Sure, he is not the best option to fancy, but I just...I felt a connection to him. And now he's gone..."

Suho sighed. "...____, could you try moving on? Forget about the old Lloyd...if it helps you in some way, uh, I c-could go on a few dates with you...!", the man sitting next to you advised, and you both blushed furiously at the thought.

You groaned. "Thanks, but...I don't know...I feel like everything's moving too fast? Yeah, that must be it...", you muttered, staring at the dust which was starting to form on your boot.

But, Suho didn't want to give up yet. You were sitting next to him, in all your vulnerability, and...he wanted you. All to himself.

"I'm the greediest man you know, right? All about money, coins, all that gold and silver and being rich. Well, I'm also another kind of greedy.", he whispered as he looked up to you.

"I'm greedy for your love, ____."

Your flustered expression couldn't have been cuter, and Suho smiled fondly at you. "I know this is a lot to take in, but please bear with me. You are one hell of a handsome knight, ____."

"W-wait! You can't just confess! We-we don't even know each other!"

"Ah, yes...but hey, at least you know that I like you. And I'll make you fall for me in no time!", was the last thing Suho said before he gave you a little kiss to the cheek and ran out of your house.

He left you sitting in your kitchen, with you hesitantly touching the place he put his lips on, and you sighed with a red face.

'Feelings are so hard...', you thought.

Meanwhile, Suho ran as fast as he could away from your house, and into the secure walls of his chamber. There, he panted as he jumped on his bed and kicked his feet.

'Oh my god, I can't believe I actually did it! It feels so right, but what if I can't make ____ fall for me?! I'm not even good with women! Why did I even say such a thing?! And his cheek, gosh, ____'s cheek! It's so soft!!!! AAAAARRGH! What should I do!??!', Lloyd thought as he giggled and whirled around in his bed.

Javier, and Lloyd's father exchanged concerned looks as they heard Lloyd's giggling.

[brick-a-doodle-do]

Heyooooooo!

Had another irl idea for the tiny workers au!

Was swimming in the pool and thought while a waterpark idea wouldn't work as well with tinies, a good old fashioned pool can still work!

You just add in toys or mini boats and you can still have some fun with the tinies to a degree😁 maybe the dnd part/club will use it for sea time related scenes.

Plus, while the park is probs kid oriented, the whole cast is almost adults, so add in a bar next to the pool for them, and you have a recipe for disaster when the tinies start getting into it😂

Also also, have you seen Wilburs new haircut? He looked like dora but also skrunkly like. I'll miss the long fringe but I'm more envious he makes every style look good, beanies never work for me lmao😂

GRACIIII YOU HIT JACKPOT HERE! THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE ACTUALLY PLANNED OUT!

aha no absolutely not it would not work FDJDFJSD

yes, we can have good-old-fashioned...but also, i propose: pools that are themed like bathtubs, sinks, etc. etc.

since the premise of the park isn't JUST to center around the tiny workers and is themed like you're in the eyes of a tiny, this seemed like the perfect addition-

but i also REALLY like your mini boats idea- what if like, continuing with the sized-up theme, any kind of raft or floatie or anything in that genre was likeee in the theme of a rubber duck, or, here me out, like a sponge? idk that's kinda reaching but STILL this is my park i can make it as extraordinary as i want LMFAO

OOO THE DND THING- SINCE I'M MAKING THE CAMPAIGN FOLLOW CANON, WE COULD USE THAT FOR LIKE...TOMMY TOWERING UP DURING EXILE- or also i could totally see different tinies—or humans just stealing water from the pools to use it later (i don't play dnd however a. i lovee the concept of it and want to start and b. i'm so invested in their game)

mmm i'd say the park is more aimed towards any age group, yeah a lot of the things are made to accompany adults but wilbur and dream, fully grown men (with the addition of sapnap, techno, phil and other people the two of them drag along + randos) definitely waste their time here more than anywhere else LMAO

GHFHSD the bar idea is amazing- and leading onto that last paragraph i can totally see wil ordering tiny drinks SDHFSJA

i have seen his new haircut! it's....interesting. yes skrunkly style :D but yeah it is insane how he pulls off beanies, i also cannot- my hair is really curly and if i brush it, it goes POOF so if i put a hat or a beanie on the top of my head goes flat and the rest of my hair is puffy- i hate it edshsd

[jboofan]

Chances 10

YN's about to find out that sometimes a gorgeous man can come up with a plan all his own, and it's a given that it'll mess hers up.

Jungkook x YN

Chapter 10 Bam & Mrs Jeon

"Pass the keys I'll drive," Jungkook extended his hand happy to take them home.

"You have one functioning eye," she grabbed Bam's lead as he grabbed the crate with his things. "Forgive me if I don't want to test out my car's airbags tonight."

Bam pushed ahead to her car as the rain began to fall, catching them unaware. Dog safely in the car, behaving himself as Jungkook pulled a seatbelt over the man sized canine; he got into the fast car.

"Bet it's the first time you've seen a dog in the back of a ferrari," Jungkook tried to make conversation as both YN and him buckled up.

"It's the first of many things this evening," she mumbled to herself, as Jungkook heard her quiet comment under her breath.

"I'm sorry babe," he told her, not realising his slip of the tongue, "but thank you for standing up for me, for letting Bam come with us."

"I guess he misses you, it's not like he can tell you," she watched the dog and its perky ears staring out the window as they rushed through traffic.

"YN, um, can we slow down please?" he clenched his teeth, hand reaching up for a handle to hold onto.

"Ferrari's don't have those handles," YN advised, as though able to read his mind.

"It's a 40 zone!" he gambled with his safety as he leaned over to see the speedometer, "Yah, YN please slow the car down! We don't need to be doing 80!" he screamed, frightened as her phone sounded. "D-don't you dare pick that up!"

YN glimpsed briefly at the name. Dad.

"Leave it," she grabbed his hand as he went to answer it. "Don't answer my phone," fast fingers rejected the call in seconds as they got to the complex.

"You ok?" he asked, she sure did reject that call quick. Ignoring the funny feeling in the pit of his stomach as nausea from the quick ride.

"Always," she answered coldly, parking up surprisingly quick and out the car before he could utter another word.

Fighting the urge to apologise again, he followed her to the elevator with dog and luggage in tow.

"Here, let me," balancing the crate on a knee, he punched in their code holding the heavy door open for her and Bam.

**

YN suddenly felt the tiredness of the day hit her, stumbling slightly as she pulled off her trainers and slipped into a pair of fluffy slippers. It was too late to eat, or drink; the need to sleep was priority over all else.

"I'm just gonna sort his things out," he called out to her as she neared him in the kitchen, watching her wash her hands delicately; handing her the soft hand towel to finish.

"That's fine," she looked over at the excited dog as he sniffed around his new surroundings. How long are they going to stay here? The question arose in her mind, but her mouth ignored it.

"YNah, about sleeping arrangements—" he'd debated bringing up the subject all the way home, but chickened out again and again.

"You'll need to stay in my room. The other bedroom isn't fit for purpose," she spoke as she walked away. Why was it okay to be doing this? This couldn't carry on for long.

Jungkook looked at her shook, how did, how did she do that? How does she answer before I ask?

Jungkook looked at her like she'd grown two heads. This time it was YN's turn to look at him shocked.

"What?"

"S-Stay in your room? With you? At the same time?"

YN looked down a moment, her screen flashing her father's name. "Don't worry Jeon Ssi," she looked up briefly, "you're not my type," she promised.

Jungkook wasn't sure if he was offended or not. He was JK. He was literally everyone's type.

Silently she continued towards her room, as Jungkook tried his best to place Bambam's things out the way. The last thing he wanted was to upset her, or her want to chuck the two of them out, because their things were everywhere.

He heard her answer her phone as the door closed silently.

"YN?" Jungkook heard a muffled voice, not able to place it.

"Appa," she sighed rubbing her face roughly.

"Are you still at Hybe?"

"No, just got home. Why?" she padded across the carpeted room to grab some PJ's. No way she was sleeping in her underwear after what happened last time. She shuddered remembering how he caught her in her briefs the last time he had been here.

"Lunch tomorrow, with your mother and I. I'll send you the details. Are you free at midday?"

Regardless of having a schedule or not, she hadn't seen her mother in a while. That and the combination of feeling drowsy had her defenses down, and eager to agree to anything as long as she could get him off the phone to then go shower.

"Ok. Look, I'm really tired today, I can't concentrate anymore."

Bang heard the stifled yawn, looking at his own watch before realising just how late it was.

"Sure," he heard before she hung up, throwing her phone to the bed and traipsing off to the bathroom.

**

Jungkook looked over in the direction of her bedroom for several minutes. He had knocked with trepidation only opening the door loudly, to alert her of his presence and heard the shower on in the bathroom. Exiting quietly, he'd waited for her to return so he could order them some food, taking out Bambam for a quick walk and final toilet break for the night.

Thankful Jungkook appreciated that he had managed to fill his stomach at the dorms before fists flew around at dessert time, but had she eaten? He would be telling porkies if he said he was beginning to understand her routine slowly slowly, grabbing hold of any scraps of her schedule he could to try and figure her out.

Jungkook walked with purpose to her room. It was gone midnight, surely she was done with her shower? He knocked, moving the door slightly ajar. Tiredness had her lying on her back, an arm hanging off the side of the bed closest to him.

Jungkook watched her, clearing his throat to alert her of his presence once again. YN's eyes didn't move like lasers, honing in on their target straightaway as she normally did. Her eyes didn't move to meet his, but eventually when they did they were tired.

Jungkook put down the paper shopping bag of ramen, bagels and eggs he had been holding too tightly and moved towards her slowly.

"Hey, you didn't come out to eat. Are you okay?" he said, unsure if he should sit at the foot of her bed, or sit on the empty side or drag a chair over to her. His feet however had other plans, and he was soon sitting at the end of her bed pulling the sheets around her neck up, turning the sides down and brushing rogue caramel strands of hair out her face.

YN always found it easier to be sarcastic. She was in and out of drowsiness, that strange place between being asleep and awoke as she was beginning to drift off.

"I was doing great until I saw your face," she fired back, before yawning heavily, the fight leaving her voice.

"How can something that looks so sweet spit fire?" he asked himself, not realising he had said it outloud, manoeuvring Bambam's kennel out the way, he turned his back to go check the locks one last time.

Jungkook couldn't understand the feeling of contentment he gained, simply from self appointing himself the checker of the gas stove, windows and locks. He returned to the bedroom, the lights were off except from a bedside lamp, and he could make out a lump in the bed snuggled deep beneath the quilted duvet.

He left his slippers next to hers by the foot of the bed, moving towards the bathroom as he stripped off the day's clothes and took a good look at his face, gently washing to avoid the bruises now already a yellowish brown colour. Dumping his laundry he walked back to the bed in his boxers ready for bed.

"No barking tonight Bam," he rubbed behind the doberman's ears. "Let's not wake your Eomma tonight. She's so tired she missed dinner because of us," he walked the dog over to the kennel. "Let's be on our best behaviour, cos it's nice to be here," he rubbed Bambam's back once more before pointing, "come on boy, home," he watched him get into the kennel and get comfortable.

**

Jungkook lay awake, hands apologetically held eachother as he stared at the ceiling listening to Bams quiet snores.

He squinted at his phone screen. 3am.

"YN..YN-ah are you okay?" he asked her but it fell on deaf ears when she was still asleep. The silence didn't last long.

In the pitch dark he felt her moving around. Breathing fast, laboured at times even she tossed Samson. He saw the slow dribble of sweat down her forehead and a sudden gasp.

Jungkook would never admit he had seen it. It didn't seem right to expose her vulnerability like that. Whatever it is she was dreaming of, he had heard it the first night he had stayed over on the sofa. Whatever it was, she had dreamed of it before, he told himself before he fell asleep again.

YN lived through the same dream every night lately. Never quite a nightmare, but always heading in that direction. She could see the eyes of the audience in the darkened arena, the heat of the lights on her skin, the throbbing of her eyes, the buzzing of a song in her ear piece, sweaty fingers gripping a purple microphone.

Sing sing! They chanted.

How can they let her sing?

She doesn't even remember the words!

That's Bang's daughter? No wonder he hid that fact from the world!

Jungkook woke for water again. The bed was so comfortable that he debated whether he should just go thirsty and lay comfortably or get up for a glass.

"I'm sorry."

Jungkook froze midstep, her words made his world turn black; the pleading in her voice painfully soft.

Fingers twisted in her sheets, she turned over pure anguish upon her face. YN couldn't feel the rapidness of her breath, or feel the bed dip slightly under his weight as he neared her.

"YNnie?"

He reached out to touch her fingertips, to let her know he was there but by the time he had picked up the courage to do so, her breathing stabilized and she was asleep again, the gentle rise of her chest with every breath.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" he murmured to himself, gulping water generously before getting back to sleep.

**

If he felt sympathy for her, he didn't know that she had felt it back for him.

The first night anyone but her had occupied her home, she listened to his whimpers from the sofa, calling out to her in his sleep.

A loud unexpected sneeze from the dog woke the both of them up just after sunrise. Awkwardly staring at eachother, Jungkook made the first move.

"Thank you," he was glad to not sleep on the sofa again.

"For what?"

"For letting us both sleep in your room," he said turning the lamp off.

"Don't get dramatic. Go back to sleep."

She couldn't see him in the new darkness having sidled as far away from his side of the bed as she could, but if she had she would have seen the bright bunny smile on his face.

"Babe?" he asked during the delicate dance of accidental touching and limbs falling asleep.

"Hmm," she turned the pillow over inspecting for the cooler part, trying to get comfortable and not look at his bare torso.

"If I snore, just tell me," he said politely.

Groaning she sat up in bed, the sheets fanning as they crumpled. "If you snore, I will wake you up."

"Thank you—"

"—And I will hit you with my bat."

"Again with that bat. You might be a snorer too y'know."

"No one has ever gotten close enough to know or tell me," she admitted quietly, and he felt something warm in his heart.

"Oh?" he tried to hide the surprise in his voice, not very well.

"I'd just batter you. Dead men can't talk."

She heard Jungkook tut and it made her smirk.

"You said something in your sleep," he yawned.

"Oh? I did?" she'd never realised. "Like you're any better."

He turned over to face her.

"Is this a regular thing? Keeping people up at night? Cos if this is gonna happen every night we are going to have problems."

"Sorry," he apologised, "it's just I've never slept with a woman before, in a bed," he bumbled, "sorry."

"Stop apologising, it makes you look weak."

"Looking into your pretty eyes makes me weak," he teased.

"I knew it."

"Knew what?" he plumped his pillow and then hers.

"You're a virgin, nothing wrong with that," she added.

"Why don't you be my first and last?" he chimed up, not admitting anything, as he settled down, making sure to give her enough space to not feel threatened by him. He knew how difficult she found it to be near to anyone physically.

"Go to sleep Jeon Ssi," her tired voice rang out.

"With you Mrs Jeon? How could I say no when you say it so sweetly."

She was sure he chuckled. Purposely she threw the duvets back and yanked him towards her by the elastic of his boxers.

"Sweetheart," she purred, "I'd break you in half if I let you fuck me."

Even in the dark, even with eyes closed she could see the streams of carmine red radiating off his voice as he replied.

"Fuck," he swallowed hard, his brain beginning to malfunction as she let go of him.

"Go to sleep before I kill you in your sleep."

**

Both were difficult sleepers. Jungkook, always had sore limbs from dance practice or gym. YN, a heavy mind running from her desires or towards dysfunction.

Tugging at pillows, kicking back duvets, heaped limbs and tussled hair the pair of insomniacs slept deep. The next few hours of sunlight brought the unlikely pair together. YN found herself cocooned up against his bare torso, his warmth keeping her warm in now cold morning air. Jungkook enjoyed the gentle lull of her heartbeat as she sleep soundly. If she stirred, unhappy in her dreams he rubbed circles into her lower back and it seemed to appease the ice maiden.

When YN woke to go to the bathroom, Jungkook's arms searched for her body, grumbling for feeling the cold spot she left, muttering to himself until she returned.

"Where you go?" he sleepily moaned.

"Too much water," she had her eyes closed, feeling for the bed in the dark, knocking her knee into a corner. "Ahh fuck," she grumbled.

"Shh, talky too much," he pulled the spread back and deposited it over her shoulders. "I big spoon," he sighed.

"No, I spoon you, my turn," she yawned back.

Even half asleep they bickered.

"I'm JK from BTS. Assume the position," he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her into him, nuzzling her neck.

"Sh-sh shut up or I'll get the bat" one big yawn and she wriggled her way into his chest and gentle sighs ensued.

**

YN never snoozed her alarm. That was because she was always awake ahead of schedule. But this morning she slept through it. Her phone rang three times and eventually she turned over to squint at the screen. Her parents had called several times, each time leaving no messages in typical Bang fashion.

Always too important to leave a message.

YN slid out of bed and straight to the bathroom, before sprinting to her wardrobe to find something to wear. Why hasn't she taken out something last night, and did she really sleep for that long??

This was all so unprecedented. Head fuzzy, but dressed, she rubbed Bambam's ears as he nuzzled up to her ankles searching for her keys.

"See you later Bam," she whispered and slipped out the door.

The eventual cold bed woke Jungkook.

Bambam nudged at him, relieved to finally have some company.

"Bambamy," he groaned, hair scattered. "You're awake?" he flipped back into bed to see the empty bed.

Instinctively making the bed, he blindly looked around the silent room. "How long did we sleep?"

"YNnie.."

When no one replied back he reached for his phone. "Where is she?" he blinked widely realising she wasn't there.

Messages pinged but he ignored them. Had she gone out, not even woken him to tell him where she was?

Jungkook's feelings of annoyance towards her disappeared as soon as he saw the group's messages.

"She's in a group chat with us now?" his groan turned into a giggle as he saw her writing in the chat.

Jungkook rubbed his face and took himself off to the bathroom, wanting to eat soon and hoping to see her.

"Why didn't she say where she is?" anxiously he repeated to himself until he couldn't stop himself from calling her.

**

Bang reached across to YN's phone, as it rattled next to her plate. He was going to ignore it and let her ring whoever when she returned from the bathroom, but seeing Jungkook's face flash up on her screen had him naturally answering.

Jungkook looked around the apartment one last time, checking he had everything.

"Mrs Jeon," he teased, not realising it wasn't the answer machine, "I'm heading to meet the others for lunch. Will you check on Bam when you get in? I've set his biscuits and water. Just check on him, I won't be long. I gotta go now, but call me when you're done with your plans. Bye bye," he hung up, flinging the phone into the passenger seat as he concentrated on driving.

YN returned to her steak, it was so soft she could have eaten it with a spoon. Both her parents stared at her as she ate not saying a word.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she finally replaced her fork, looking back at their rather unreadable expression. Her mother looked somewhat happy perhaps, but her father seemed irritated. "You were fine before I went to the bathroom."

"JK rang," Bang looked at her.

"Oh?" she commended herself for keeping her voice flat.

"Make sure you check on Bam when you get back."

Why the hell would he leave a message saying that?

"He must have thought it was your answer machine. He was driving, said he's meeting the others for lunch," her father was getting pissed off as he related the message.

"His dog is at mine at the moment," she suddenly felt the steak like a pebble stuck in her throat.

"So why did he call you Mrs Jeon?"

[corysmiles]

Could you believe I actually am back with some Runnaway Experiment WRITING??? :D

This takes place very early on in the story, and gives some more insight into Tommy's life before they escaped (in the comics). Enjoy :D

-------

The experiment was growing years after years, to everyone’s delight. It seemed the first laboratorial human had a decent enough lifespan so that it could be studied in the long run. And so, 14 years, it has been since T0M saw the light of day, and it acted in a similar fashion a 14 year old human would. .

Of course, the many researchers failed to take in consideration an alteration of the most cumbersome. T0M looked human, could understand the english language, followed orders and didn’t complain, asked some questions but the specimen…. was big.

Too big to fit in a human bed.

Too big to fit comfortably in a room.

It went in spurts, which was terrifying the first time. It kept on growing and growing, as scientists hoped it wouldn't take long for it to stop, otherwise, it might lead to a lot of problems. But for the past 2 years, no noticeable change really occurred, which was a relief when the thing was already 25 ft tall. It never seemed to be challenging personality wise, which was a relief, but they still needed to keep him in line.

Hopefully, the Doctor Soot, as well as Doctor Puff took part in daily check ups and made sure he didn’t rebel.

So, every 2 day, they took turns to visit T0M in the room accustomed to its needs.

And both’s reports were excellent! T0M learned more while being as obedient and compliant as ever. Phil couldn’t be more happy with those results.

However, as time went on…. Wilbur failed to mention another kind of teaching he had going on with the subject for the past months.

“And this is called ‘Sadness’.” He held an A3 size paper with a moody smiley drawn on it, the word being written below. “It’s that feeling when our sessions are over and I have to go and you say ‘oh noooo’ in that voice.”

T0M was sitting on his knees in front of him, paying the utmost attention to what Wilbur was showing and saying.

“I hate that one.” He pouted.

“I know,” Wilbur chuckled. “No one likes to feel sad. But it’s a part of life.”

A single hum. Wilbur’s smile turned more sympathetic.

“Do you remember the other ones?” He stood up from his place and put the sheet in one of the dark grey metallic drawers.

T0M nodded, excitedly. He took his hand and poked his fingers as he counted. “ there’s “Happiness”, it’s the good one. And “Disgust”, it’s when I have to eat the weird green stuff.”

“Brocoli”

“That. And then there’s excitement, it’s when I smile real big because you come early.”

Wilbur clapped “Wonderful!” T0M’s eyes were shining stars at every approval from Doctor Soot. Even though T0M’s enjoyment was very appreciated and contagious, but it could be a bit… much, to handle at times.

“Since you understand the basics, I think it’s time for us to start a whole new lesson.” He clapped.

T0M gasped and cheered from the top of his lungs “YEAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!”, throwing his arms in the air and effectively making the room shake from the sheer volume of his voice. When he looked back at the scientist, his eyebrows were pinched and the brunette was covering his ears and curled up, almost in pain.

“...Doctor?” He brought his head close to the man who, after making eye contact, scrambled back until he hit the same drawer he put the papers in earlier. T0M looked at him confused, face still too big in Wilbur’s peripheral.

“I… Tom, I appreciate your enthusiasm when we do our lessons, but if you could prevent yourself from screaming, it would be nice.” He tried in the most gentle voice he could muster without it shaking.

“What’s screaming?” T0M asked, crouched so his face was almost on the ground at eye level with him. He brought a hand closer to the doctor who was still breathing heavily. When his head shot to look at the hand, his body on alert, he froze before saying.

“... Is it a moment when I can’t touch you?”

Wilbur’s eyes were locked on the now frozen hand for a good second before returning to T0M, nodding. “Uh, yeah.”

“... Okay.”

The hand retracted in the following seconds, and soon, he was back in his initial position.

The doctor thanked before regaining his composure. He looked back at T0M, and his expression held remorse. A guilt twisted Wilbur's guts at the view. Thing is, as T0M grew up, people quickly realised he was the equivalent of clingy. He would constantly grab people into hugs and had a hard time keeping his voice down which resulted in a large noise blocker investment. And so they had a rule. T0M couldn’t make any sort of physical contact with anyone without being given explicit permission first. Obviously, most workers considered T0M as a test subject and therefore, wouldn’t give him that pleasure.

Wilbur, though, was not in the same vein. Once he realised how empathic and emotional and human T0M was, he started teaching him things a human teen should need, and started giving him a sort of affection a human teen should have. Which included some sort of physical affection.

When T0M was sad, he would sit next to him or pat his back. It quickly evolved as Wilbur accepted being held by the boy and brought to eye level as long as he was careful when doing so, and ever later, they would hug and wilbur would try to brush his hair at times.

Still, that didn’t make him immune to any of T0M’s carelessness which’s consequences were amplified ten fold due to his scale.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked pitifully.

“I- no, it’s not your fault. It can just be a bit overwhelming is all.” Wilbur explained.

“... what does that mean?”

“It means… when something is ‘too much’. Like when you want to bring Techno very close, but he keeps reminding you about the rule.”

“Oh.” T0M let his head fall. “... I don’t like that.” Wilbur scratched his head. “I want to be so close and show that I’m very happy and it’s all inside and I can’t let it out.”

“Well, here, it’s a bit more of the opposite. When outside, there is a lot and you’re incapable of letting it in.”

“... I’m sorry Wilbur” he mumbled.

“It’s okay, I’m not angry.” reassured the brunette. “I just have sensitive ears.”

“...Everyone has sensitive ears.”

“Well, when you’re a small guy like me, you’re sensitive on pretty much all fronts.”

“... It’s not fair.”

“What’s that?” Wilbur perked.

“When I stop getting big and strong, I want to hug you with all of my will. Like you do with me. It feels nice. I want you to feel nice just like that. I want you to be overwhelmed with happiness. I want to hug you so, so bad but I can't and it's shit. I don't want to be strong, I hurt you if I’m strong. I want to hug you."

Tommy vented, more to himself, and when he looked at Wilbur, his eyes shined, not with joy.

"Oh Tommy…."

It ached. It ached Wilbur to his core that something as simple as a hug was something he craved and still couldn't get. Because he knew. He knew all of the things T0M was missing out on. All the life he could have lived if he was granted freedom. How much he could live and appreciate. It kept him awake at night.

But he was here. Trapped. In a room barely tall enough to contain him, treated like a circus monster. And the worst thing was, T0M wasn't aware of it. Of all the life he wasn't living. How his life was no life and how he thinks this absence of everything is what life should be.

Plato would probably laugh in his grave.

"I promise you. One day, you will be able to do that. I promise you that I'll find a way for you to hug me just like you are a small man too. I promise you that I'll make you discover all of those joys of life, Tom. I Promise you. I will help you. And I'm sorry for not being able to provide it sooner. And I'll apologize for all the years it took for me to get it."

They stared at each other, and Tommy nodded, throat tight and eyes wet.

"And a promise makes sure that it's gonna happen." T0M croaked.

"Exactly, tom." Wilbur smiled. "You are going to live many more things."

The bell rang, and both faces fell a bit.

"I'll see you in 4 days, Tom. We're gonna have a little recap over the emotions you learned and then I'll teach you about relationships."

"Oohh, that sounds nice! What is it?"

As Wilbur packed his little bag, he looked at T0M and simply replied "it's all around you. But I'm not gonna spoil the next session. On that note, I wish you a nice week, Tom."

"Have a nice week, Wilbur! " T0M waved with a smile. "It's nice talking to you."

"It is my absolute pleasure, Tom."

And thus, they parted. As Wilbur walked down the immense corridor (just tall enough Tom could run through them.) He wore a satisfied smile. His small steps resonated, the only sound in the room, yet peaceful enough for his ears to listen to them as carefully as silence. Halfway through, the sound was doubled.

"Helloooo."

"Oh, hey techno! How are you?"

"Doing fine. You seem very happy."

"I am. I made some good progress with T-he subject. I feel like he's learning well. The next tests should have fabulous results."

"Ahh, wonderful. Let's make sure it doesn't learn too much though." He joked.

And at that, Wilbur chuckled, his hand on the man's shoulder. "Oh don't you worry about that, my friend. I can assure you that'll never happen"

"Amazing" techno replied, deadpan. Both nodded their conversation away and walked the rest of their ways.

As he got further away, the doctor's smile turned to an amused grin. His steps resonated, so much smaller than what could be, in a corridor in which the boy just next door should walk through.

"Don't you worry about a single thing."

MEL YES I ADORE THIS AU SO MUCH ITS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!

Poor Tommy but at least Wilbur is helping him :”]

[dreamersscape]

In Which I Attempt to Wreak Havoc Upon Panharmonium's Heart. Or Something.

Because I am an awesome friend, clearly, and possibly making people sad/verklempt is definitely an excellent way to (belatedly 😔 but I did start before the 15th!) celebrate Kakashi's birthday, right? ;)

I will admit up front that this is nowhere near as deftly structured and compiled as your Kakashi fanmix, @panharmonium, but that is precisely why I'm not even going to try to organize all these songs into individual playlists. Yet. Plus, I have a tendency to over-explain so this way I can better expound on why certain songs remind me of certain characters. Sorry that I sorta went a little... overboard?

Everything--except a few that aren't available on spotify, I'll link to them directly--can be listened to HERE.

What I'm Looking For - Brendan Benson | Kakashi → I may be a little biased with this one because it fits SO many of my favorite characters so well, somehow, but there's just something about the upbeat/tongue-in-cheek musical cues/delivery of lines such as 'I visit hell on a daily basis, and I see the sadness in all your faces' that just feels so Kakashi to me.

Happy Ending - MIKA | Kakashi → This is presumably a breakup song, but I enjoy it so much more in a non-romantic context (and the song itself isn't really boxed in with overtly romantic framing, so I appreciate that!). Anyway, some very important instructions IMO for listening to this with Kakashi in mind: everything before the bridge is about Kakashi up through his ANBU years, but when you get to the 'little bit of love' refrain, picture Kakashi meeting Tenzo, and then becoming Team 7's sensei, opening back up to Gai, adopting all the other leaf genin, assimilating Sai and Yamato into Team 7, and it keeps building with Kakashi gaining more and more loved ones to fill the hole in his heart, and then cry tears of joy with me! Just my personal suggestion. :D

Light - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi & Team 7 (/all his kids)

with every heartbeat I have left I will defend your every breath

→ I've seen this song used for ship vids and I'm all ????? about that because this is clearly a song about the love you have for your child! But I suppose if one of my favorite pastimes is aggressively re-interpreting love songs in non-romantic ways, I can't begrudge the opposite process... too much, lol.

Heroes - MIKA | Team Minato

your blood on me/and my blood on you/but to make you bleed/the only thing I wouldn't do/.../I wish there was a way/to give you a hand to hold/'cause you don't have to die in your glory/die, to never grow old

Long Lost Friends - Transit | Kakashi & Obito

how long/do you have to say that/this is not the person I used to know/you are not the person I used to know/.../because lately, you've been looking at me like you've seen a ghost/and isn't it obvious who's been missing who the most

→ What the heck! What the heck! What the heck! What the heck! What the heck!

Against the Voices - Switchfoot | Kakashi

'cause everybody knows/the hardest war to fight/is the fight to be yourself/when the voices try to turn you into someone else

Out of the Darkness - Matthew and the Atlas | Obito? Yamato? Kakashi? Itachi & Sasuke? Naruto & Kurama? → I'm a bit undecided about this one, or if I should just not worry about choosing one character and just let myself feel all the "inner darkness is not an innate characteristic, Danzo! They're just grieving/in a lot of pain, and they can find their way out of that dark place!" feels.

Save A Place - 1969 | Kakashi & Sasuke

so I'll keep away and save a place for you/and I'll only make the same mistakes as you/.../when all the blood all over your fingers is dried up/the pain will still linger

→ I'm not uber-confident in picking out really fitting Kakashi & Sasuke songs yet, but I hope this hits a lot of the right notes for you. :)

Thrive - Switchfoot | Kakashi

I'm always close, but I'm never enough/I'm always in line, but I'm never in love/I get so down, but I won't give up/I get so down, but I won't give up

→ See, it says right there that he's never in love! Not the crux of the song, and he's not always 'in line' either, but still! :)

Disarm - The Civil Wars | Kakashi & Obito

the years burn, burn, burn

→ I don't know how I keep collecting fictional relationships that work so well for this song, but literally every single line of this song hits so hard for these two?? Will never recover from this. (Also, I usually disregard when 'my love' pops up in the last line of the chorus, as the mood dictates. :) It's pretty incidental as is IMO.)

Renaissance - Paolo Buonvino & Skin | Sakumo & Obito & Kakashi & Naruto

let me show you one last time/let me show you one last sign/you can find it/I can't say that I can change the world/but if you let me, I can make another world for us/let me suffer all for you/make this vision all brand new/we can fight them/I can't say that I can win it all, [but] come with me and I will make my words stand tall

→ Okay, this is a very odd choice given that it's actually the theme song for a different show about the Italian renaissance (if you happen to see this, Mirjam, don't hate me!), but this could be IT! The "those who break the rules are scum, but those who would abandon their friends are worse than scum" anthem that's all about building a better world based on these principles! I really hope our sharing-a-brain talent translates to listening to this song in this way because I am feeling SOME KIND of way about this!

The Lament of Eustace Scrubb - The Oh Hellos | Kakashi → I really liked the song you chose from this album for your fanmix, so now I've feeling a tiny bit too on-the-nose with my choice, but I guess this is just a Kakashi album all around. 😆

Glass Heart Hymn - Paper Route | Kakashi(+ Obito) & Sasuke(+ Itachi)

memories as heavy as a stone/ I am empty, in my end you are my beginning

This Is Home - Switchfoot | Yamato & Kakashi (+ Team 7)

and now, after all my searching/after all my questions/I'm gonna call it home

→ All finding-where-you-belong songs are actually Yamato songs. True story!

Faust, Midas, & Myself - Switchfoot | Obito

you have one life left to leave/you have one life left to lead

→ Could this be any more perfect for Obito? It even has creepy-old-man!Madara!

Pluto - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi

Always Gold - Radical Face | Kakashi & Obito/Sasuke & Itachi/Naruto & Sasuke

all my life, I've never known where you've been/there were holes in you, the kind that I could not mend/and I heard you say, right when you left that day/does everything go away?/yeah, everything goes away/but I'm going to be here till forever/so just call when you're around

→ ...but mostly Kakashi & Obito because 'there were holes in you' 😭😭😭

Lemon Boy - Cavetown | Yamato & Kakashi → You already know the delights of this song of course, but I gots to be comprehensive. :)

Everywhere I Go - Lissie/cover by Sleeping At Last | Kakashi & Team Minato

danger will follow me now everywhere I go/angels will call on me and take me to my home/well, these tired eyes just want to remain closed

→ I chose the Sleeping At Last cover for maximum angst, 'cause sometimes it be like that.

Uneven Odds - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi

maybe your light is a seed, and the darkness the dirt, in spite of the uneven odds, beauty lifts from the earth

→ ...just like an earth style: mud wall :') Okay, okay, bad jokes aside, the seed metaphor of course makes me want to associate it with Tenzo, but this is clearly a Kakashi song!

Twenty-four - Switchfoot | Kakashi & Obito

life is not what I thought it was twenty-four hours ago/and I'm not who I thought I was twenty-four hours ago/still I'm singing spirit, take me up in arms with you/you're raising the dead in me/I wanna see miracles/to see the world change/wrestled the angel for more than a name/for more than a feeling, for more than a cause/I'm singing spirit, take me up in arms with you/and you're raising the dead in me

I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme) - John Rzeznik | Kakashi

and how can they say I never change?/they're the ones that stay the same/.../they can't tell me who to be/'cause I'm not what they see/.../and their words are just whispers/and lies that I'll never believe

→ Yeah, I might've accidentally imprinted on Treasure Planet as a 14 year old, and then someone made sure this song would forever live in my heart by making a fanvid of it with my favorite character from my robin hood show, but! He's still here!

See You Again - Wiz Khalifa (feat. Charlie Puth) | Kakashi & Obito/Team Minato

how can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?/everything I went through, you were standing there by my side/and now you gon' be with me for the last ride

→ I am being very unoriginal here, and there are in fact already fanvids made for these relationships set to this song (along with many others featuring different Naruto relationships), but I don't think I'll be able to rest until I translate the movie playing in my head whenever I hear this song now into an actually watchable format. After all, they have come a long way from where they began, and I intend to make that both as touching and ironically hilarious as possible!

Goodnight, Travel Well - The Killers | Kakashi → Admittedly, I got this idea from a magnificently crafted fanvid done for my robin hood show, but I genuinely think it would be really interesting to make something similar for Kakashi centered around the time he technically died but got better? I don't know how to explain it, but I think it fits quite well.

30 Lives - Imagine Dragons | Kakashi & all the people he's loved and lost → can be listened to here.

A Pound of Flesh - Radical Face | Kakashi

then today I wake up feeling easy/and find I'm on more familiar roads/I got a darkness wrapped inside me/but now it ain't so hard to let it go/so keep a candle burning in the window/I'm almost home

Hold Back The River - James Bay | Kakashi & life getting in the way of him being with his precious people (you may be sensing a pattern here) → @the road of life: Let! Kakashi! And his People! Hold! Each! Other!!! Also, 'tried to square not being there, but think that I should have been' is absolutely about Sasuke's defection and Kakashi adding it to his long list of undeserving self-recriminations.

The Fall - Imagine Dragons | Yamato & Kakashi → 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Shadowman - K's Choice | could work equally well for Kakashi or Obito, I think

any time tomorrow a part of me will die/and a new one will be born/any time tomorrow/I'll get sick of asking why/sick of all the darkness I have worn/any time tomorrow/I will try to do what's right/making sense of all I can/any time tomorrow I'll pretend to see the light/I just might/.../and doesn't it make you sad?/to see so much love denied/see nothing but a shadowman inside

Paint - The Paper Kites | Kakashi & Team 7

still there's a wound and I'm moving slow/though it don't show, though it don't show/I've got a hole where nothing grows,/how little you know, how little you know

→ A song for just how much Team 7 doesn't know about their sensei.

Always Find Me Here - Transit | Kakashi → ...most likely at the memorial stone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (why am I like this)

Taste - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi

it’s bittersweet, it’s poetry/a careful pruning of my dead leaves/it’s holy ground, a treasure chest/I'm on my knees and only scratch the surface/like fists unraveling, like glass unshattering/we’re breaking all the rules, we’re breaking bread again/we’re swallowing light ’til we’re fixed from the inside

Help - Hurts | Yamato & Kakashi

take my hand and lead the way/out of the darkness and into the light of the day/.../'cause I know what I've been missing/and I know that I should try/but there's hope in this admission/and there's freedom in your eyes/.../I can feel the darkness coming/and I'm afraid of myself/call my name and I'll come running/'cause I just need some help

→ NO ONE TOUCHE ME.

Your Soul - RHODES | A mish-mash of Kakashi & Tenzo and Rin & Obito & Kakashi and Gai & Kakashi vibes? → So like, 'oh you know when you're alone/I'm holding on and on and on and on/to your soul' reminded me of your 'when you're all alone...the only thing you really think about is dying' 'but when there are two of you...the only thing you can think about is surviving.' and now kakashi - who just saved his life - is asking him 'did you want to die' and yamato is saying 'no' there are two of them and yamato wants to SURVIVE. tags as well as Gai's steadfastness as a friend, and 'I just wanna hold your hand' made me think of Rin's "Well then, I'm just going to have to connect the two of you." while holding their hands, and the sunlight/'soul shine'/'your light' motif is just A Lot in this song!!

7 Years - Lukas Graham | Kakashi → Alright, yeah, there are already approximately a gazillion pre-existing Naruto AMVs for this song and even one or two focusing on Kakashi, but they don't capitalize on all the angst possibilities in many of the lyrics or reach the fluff potential of 'will I think the world is cold or will I have a lot of children who can warm me [when I'm old]' and I cannot abide that!

Putting The Dog To Sleep - The Antlers | Kakashi & Sasuke → Okay, on one hand, this song is One Big Oof. But I do like the (potentially odd) way I've conceptualized it for Kakashi & Sasuke? Like, the first half is Kakashi going through all the tragedies in his life and getting lost in ANBU, but then in the second half it transitions to him wanting to prevent Sasuke from having to be as alone as Kakashi once was and they can face life together? It makes me emotional!

Trust Me - The Fray | Kakashi & Obito

I found a friend, or should I say a foe?/said there's a few things you should know/we don't want you to see/we come, and we go/here today, gone tomorrow

→ There are a few lines that call Tenzo & Kakashi to mind, but mostly it's Obito & Kakashi.

The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?) - Snow Patrol | Kakashi → I had to, right? My mindscape is a little murky/scattered about what specifically I want to think about when I listen to this, but obviously it has to do with Kakashi in one way or another.

Kettering - The Antlers | Team Minato(???) → Honestly not sure if this will make any sense, but yeah, vague team minato vibes?

Swans - Unkle Bob | Kakashi & Obito/Rin/Minato/Kushina/Sakumo → They should be by his side always!!!

Looking Too Closely - Fink | Kakashi → I honestly feel rather ambivalent about this one too, but I can't deny 'truth is like blood underneath your fingernails/and you don't wanna hurt yourself, hurt yourself/looking too closely' always destroys me because... well, you know. I love suffering. :(

Souvenirs - Switchfoot | Kakashi & Obito & Rin

wolves - Switchfoot | Kakashi

snowfall for the battlefield/roses for the father's sons/see them red on the ground:/bleeding/when the revolution came/we were more than hungry men/we were hoping for more:/bleeding/end. begin again./all of my world is collision and spin/hope is a world that has yet to begin/awaken, oh sleeper/awaken, oh sleeper/a new day begins

→ I wanted a wolf-related song too. :)

PRODIGAL SOUL - Switchfoot | Obito, Itachi, & Sasuke; just all them wayward Uchiha boys

Coming Down - Dear Euphoria | kid!Kakashi & his relationships

the shell/that I wore/it wasn't for fun/it wasn't to make you/stick around/it was for survival/it was what I've learnt/it was for the sun/.../our love has grown/our love has flown

→ Another one I'm a little unsure of whether it makes sense outside of my head or not, but I like the vibes?

Ghosts That We Knew - Mumford & Sons | Kakashi & Yamato? → Hmm, can I maybe submit this as a Kakashi-&-Yamato-just-need-to-mske-it-through-this-war-so-they-can-have-a-bright-bright-future song?

All Is Well (It's Only Blood) - Radical Face | Kakashi → ...he said as he's bleeding out or after he's thrown himself in the line of fire protecting someone he thinks is a better person than himself...

Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons | Kakashi

when the hour is nigh/and hopelessness is sinking in/and the wolves all cry/to fill the night with hollering/when your eyes are red/and emptiness is all you know/with the darkness fed/I will be your scarecrow/you tell me to hold on/oh, you tell me to hold on/but innocence is gone/and what was right is wrong

→ In a similar vein to the previous song. But goodness gracious! Were they NOT straight up describing Kakashi here?

Amaryllis - Shinedown | Yamato & Kakashi → Just tossing this one out there, not sure if it will make sense or if it's a reach... but I like it?

lost 'cause - Switchfoot | Kakashi & Sasuke

are we a lost cause?/or are we just lost 'cause/we won't be the future we refuse to see?/and if I'm your lost cause/it'll be your lost 'cause/you won't see me as I am, the possibility/that I'm not the enemy

→ 214 feels. (And before and after that, but yeah.)

Through the Ghost - Shinedown | Kakashi & Obito

so many silent sorrows/you never hear from again/and now that you've lost tomorrow/is yesterday still a friend?/.../everything that mattered is just/a city of dust/covering both of us/did you hide yourself away?/I can't see you anymore/.../did you hide yourself away?/are you living through the ghost?/did you finally find a place/above the shadows so the world will never know?/the world will never know you like I do ... like I still do

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men | Kakashi → Just Kakashi having little chats with his ghosts, totally the most heartwarming way to conclude this section. 😅

Sleepyhead - Passion Pit | Kakashi → Just kidding! Here's a slightly less morbid song for the Most Tired Boy Of Them All.™ (Random aside: this was my customary song to listen to on my walks to 8AM organic chemistry classes; I found it strangely soothing! On a different occasion, after a particularly long day for her, one of my roommates didn't have the energy to make it to her bed but nevertheless requested a lullaby from us. So I obliged by playing this song for her, but she didn't seem to gain the same peace of mind from it as I did. 😄 I know it's not my place to propose anything like this, but it does amuse me to imagine bookends!Kakashi in these situations, even though it's not OChem classes he has to go to.)

General/Miscellaneous:

Rise Above It - Switchfoot | Ensemble

don't care what they're telling me/we can be what we want to be/.../just because it's law doesn't mean that it's fair/.../don't believe the system's on your side/.../the curse is spoken/the system's broken; rise above it

→ I mean, how could I not think about Naruto when this song also has the lines 'hear us sing tonight like the last night on earth/we will rise like the tide/like dead men coming back to life/we are rising, rising'? It's fun to be literal sometimes!

Doorways - Radical Face | Allllll the traumatized children → Someone has to put all those tragic childhood flashbacks to good use, after all.

Ghost Towns - Radical Face | take your pick of Itachi, Sasuke, or Post-Kannabi-Bridge!Obito

there's no comin' home/with a name like mine/I still think of you/but everyone knows/yeah everyone knows/if you care, let it go

Blinding Light - Switchfoot | Hey, Hiruzen? You may have coined the phrase, "children are the king" but I don't think you truly understand it... (insert Princess Bride joke here)

hey boy, don't believe them/we're the nation that eats our youth/.../still looking for the blinding light/still looking for the reason why/still looking for the sun to shine/all my life I've been living in the darkest night/still looking for the blinding light/to take me higher and higher

Brother's Blood - Kevin Devine | EVERYONE → ...but certainly so much you could do with Itachi & Sasuke, Obito & Kakashi, Shisui & Itachi, even Hashirama & Madara! Sakumo's teammates turning their backs on him and saying 'I don't know one thing about my brother's blood'?!?! There are SO MANY ideas I have for this song! It gives me chills and makes my brain scream.

We Need Each Other - Sanctus Real | Ensemble → Already mentioned this one to you, but I have to include it here for thoroughness' sake!

Whispering - Alex Clare | the Hidden Leaf's lost/ostracized children/orphans

who will care for the falling?/who will care for the falling leaves?

So this is probably a strange concept to come up with and apply to this song, but the 'whispering, whispering, whispering' parts brought Konaha's virulent gossiping/passing judgement about others and often kids they don't even know problem to mind, too, and yeah?

The World You Want - Switchfoot | Ensemble → If I were to make a fanvid set to this song, I would definitely keep a broad focus, but I can't deny that the lines 'you start to look like what you believe, you float through time like a stream, if the waters of time are made up by you and I, I could change the world for you, you change it for me' FOR SURE has strong Obito & Kakashi/Kakashi & Tenzo vibes.

Red Eyes - Switchfoot | Ensemble, but definitely many dashes of Uchihas 😄 → I would like to thank Masashi Kishimoto for creating a world where red eyes are a Thing of Importance so I can one day make a fanvid using this song in not just the tired or teary bloodshot-red eyes way, but in a very literal sense too.

TAKE MY FIRE - Switchfoot | The Will of Fire → 'Cause I think I'm sooooo clever. 😄

Above The Clouds Of Pompeii - Bear's Den | various parent & child relationships → This obviously derives from the not-caring-about-your-female-characters problem, but it always gets me that all the single parents in the Naruto universe are almost invariably the fathers! I guess sometimes you can safely guess that the mothers are still alive/exist, but either way we hardly ever get to see them. :/ The one exception I can think of right now is Kurenai, but maybe I'm forgetting another conspicuous single mother. Anyway, I don't know if this helps or hinders more a potential Naruto fanvid for this song, but regardless, it still gives me feelings?

Who We Are - Switchfoot | Ensemble → It just makes me inordinately happy that the chorus for this song starts with 'who we are (in the fever of our youth)', you know? :D

Brother - Kodaline | all the friendships we can stuff in here and then some → Quite a well known song I'm pretty sure, but I love how many dynamics one could showcase in a potential fanvid of this. And, not gonna lie, 'oh brother, we go deeper than the ink beneath the skin of our tattoos' deserves to be used in some sort of Tenzo 'n' Kakashi or Team Ro fan creation!

Special Bonus:

Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine | Kakashi & Obito → I'm not sure whether I would have realized how well this works for Kakashi & Obito on my own, funnily enough, but then I found this fanvid of it (containing only scenes you've seen naturally!) and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It's so well done!

[whattodowithkpop]

Like a ticking clock (Seongwha)

Title: Like a ticking clock

Paring: Reader x Seongwha (ATEEZ)

Genre: Fluff, spice, slight angst but with a happy ending.

Word count: 2267

Writer: Kpopmadness (Ju)

A/N: @junquisite requested this from a Soulmates prompt. Letter T (Timer) soulmate AU with Seongwha. :D

The bell rang, jolting Seongwha from his daydream. The sound of the bell making him stop tracing patterns on his wrist. He sighed with relief that the day was finally over and he could go home. As he was putting away his books for the day he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, making him glance to see who it was.

"You were rubbing your wrist again during class." His best friend said as she sat down in the chair opposite of him, Her long hair swooping over her shoulders and dancing along her backpack that she had placed on her lap as she stared intently at him.

Seongwha smiled shyly at her. Not sure what to say. "I can't help it. Ever since mine broke I have the weird feeling that I'm missing something. Even though I'm not really."

The thing that he was referring to was a small band about an inch wide with a small screen with dimly lit letters slayed across it. It wasn't a watch, it was nowhere near that simple. It was a countdown to meeting your soulmate.

It was something almost all young adults got by the time they were 13 years of age. Getting this soulmate watch, called Shadow, was the thing the world over agreed would lead to true happiness in people's love lives. Which did work, the divorce rates plummeted after Shadow was released. The cases of domestic abuse even went down. Because Shadow was designed to make people happy and find the one people were truly meant to be with.

Seongwha remembered going to the Shadow company with his parents when he was 13 to get his Shadow activated. Getting a Shadow was a choice made by all parents. But 95% of the worlds population had a Shadow. So his parents were one of those that decided to get him a Shadow. He didn't much care for knowing when he would meet his soulmate, but he went along for his parents. When it was placed on his wrist and the small screen glowed with life it read him his time.

9 years, 15 hours, 65 seconds

His mother glowed with excitement for him. He didn't quite know what to think of it. But he felt a small spark of joy light in his chest. That's why when he was 15 and he accidently broke his Shadow, he felt a strange sense of loss. His parents said they could replace it. But Seongwha didn't want to do that quite yet. Because he was unsure if he wanted to know if he even still had a soulmate now that he was in his last two months of high school. But ever since that day, he always rubbed his wrist. Reaching for the soft feel of the silicone band but never finding it there.

"You can just always get a new one, Seong." His best friend said softly, jolting him from his thoughts.

"I know I can." He said, standing up to throw his pack over his shoulder. "But you're one to talk about getting a Shadow, miss rebellious."

She smiled at his wit as they walked down the hall to the exit. "Some of us don't want a small device to tell us who we should be with."

Seongwha chuckled at her classic stubbornness. She was one of the few that never got a Shadow. Her parents had decided against it. And since it wasn't law that you were supposed to have a Shadow, she never had one. She swore she was happy without it. Which is something Seongwha admired about her a lot when they met when they were 11.

"Are we hanging out at my place later tonight?" She asked him, making him meet her eyes.

"Are we watching another horror film?" He whined, knowing how much she loved the classic horror movies. Especially the black and white films.

"No, its your turn to pick a movie tonight." She sassed back, playfully nudging his ribs with her elbow.

Seongwha let out a laugh. "I'll see you at 8 then?"

8:00 on Friday's being their stay up all night and watch movies routine since they were 16.

"See you then." She said cheerfully as they parted ways.

``````````

4 years later;

"Seongwha, we are not watching that movie again."

"Why not?" He argued. "It's a good movie."

She shoots him a glare as she slumps onto his couch in his studio apartment. "You have picked that movie nearly every time on Friday nights since High School."

"And you have an obsession with black and white horror films and insist on picking them every time its your turn to pick." Seongwha shoots back.

"It is not an obsession!" She says as she throws a pillow at him, making him laugh.

"Fine, we'll both pick a new movie this time." He said, caving into her wishes. There was no point in arguing over it now after they had kept up their movie night ritual for years.

She smiled at him as he sat down on the couch beside her. Both of them going through their options of new movies and shows to start. They finally settled on a newer romantic movie and settled in to watch it. Her head rested on his shoulder like it almost always did. Their physical closeness nothing new to either one of them. It was comforting to them. As the movie progressed, Seongwha felt his fingers trace the spot of where his Shadow used to be. He still kept a mental timer of when he was supposed to meet his soulmate. But this was the year it was supposed to happen, and the year was half over and nothing had happened to him. And he had no way of knowing who it was or when they would enter his life.

Seongwha let out a sigh and let his hand fall away from tracing his wrist. He forced his attention back on the characters playing out on the screen. As he scooted down further into the couch, her head remained on his shoulder. Making him rest his head against hers with a content sigh. Even if he didn't have a soulmate, he knew he could always rely on her to be there.

The movie hit its climax for the couple on the screen. Leading to a passionate kissing scene between the two. Seongwha felt her tense beside him, knowing she got uncomfortable with these types of scenes. But his heartbeat went up when he fingers traced his wrist where his Shadow used to be. Her touches felt different in that moment somehow.

Heat coursed through him as she lifted her head slowly to meet his eyes. Their gaze lasting much longer than normal. Seongwha's eyes darted from her eyes to her mouth, unsure what to do. He had always viewed them as just friends. But in that moment he felt very differently.

He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by her lips crashing against his. He froze beneath her touch, his lips unwilling to move. But then as if by second nature his lips enclosed hers and his eyes drifted shut, letting every touch soak in completely. His hands drifted until he found her thighs and brought her onto his lap. Her hands sliding from his chest up to weave through his hair.

Seongwha placed a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her even closer to him, suddenly unable to get her close enough to him. He let his tongue run against hers, making her sigh out into his mouth and a rush of adrenaline course through his veins like fire.

She pressed her body closer to his, her teeth biting his lower lip until he could feel it had swollen slightly. His hands shook slightly as they found their way under her shirt, making her tense to his tracings down her spine.

She pulled away from his mouth only slightly to whisper, ''Can we take this to your room?" She asked between labored breaths.

Seongwha felt the words form in his throat, he could feel his arms carry her back to his room. But the words never left his mouth and the actions never followed through.

"I… we can't." He whispered, pulling his hands out from under her shirt.

She met his eyes, hurt and confusion lacing them. "Why?"

"Because… what if we aren't soulmates?" He asked quietly.

You didn't have to listen to what Shadow said about meeting your soulmate. Some never met their soulmate due to them passing away. That left them with the choice of going with someone that wasn't your soulmate, or never trying to replace the love you dreamed of getting from the one that was supposed to be made for you.

But Seongwha had seen it happen before. He had seen where two people fell in love that weren't soulmates. And it might have worked for awhile or right at first. But nothing hurts worse than one day seeing your real soulmate on the street and having the burning thought that you could've made all the right memories with that one. And from their any founded relationship rarely lasts.

She slides off his lap, sitting beside him. Her lips swollen and her eyes brimming with tears. "So you're saying you can’t be with me because you don't think we're meant to be together?"

Seongwha shook his head, trying to take her hands in his but only to have her shrink away from him.

"No, no, no that isn't what I'm saying. I'm just saying that I remember this was supposed to be the year I found my soulmate. And I can't put you through the pain of getting attached to me only to see who was really meant to be with me walk into my life."

She shook her head, tears starting to streak down her cheeks. "You have obsessed over that stupid device since we were kids, Seongwha. And I have loved you since we were 15. But maybe you're right. If you're so obsessed over finding your soulmate then, fine. Maybe we just need to call this off right now."

She stood to leave, quickly going to the door to put on her shoes and coat. Seongwha quickly stood up, his own heart beginning to ache and throb.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it." He snapped. "I don't want to hurt you. A soulmate can be a close friend but it rarely ever works out that way. And I never knew a kiss could mean as much to me as yours just did but I just don't want to hurt you later."

She opened the door and sighed, looking at him through bleary eyes. "Just save it." She whispered brokenly before shutting the door behind her. Leaving Seongwha in the dark.

A few days passed and they did manage to talk things out some. But things were awkward and they couldn't get around it. That's why when she got a job offer on the other side of the world Seongwha felt it was wrong to stop her from going. Wrong to stop her from being happy.

``````

2 years later;

Seongwha walked through the park with a mass of butterflies swirling in his stomach. He placed his fingers on his right wrist again to feel the soft silicone pressed against his skin. He had bought a new Shadow a year ago. He expected not to have a soulmate anymore since the year he was supposed to have one came and went. But that wasn't the case. It ticked and ticked until it got to this day. A day he was anxious for.

But nothing could have prepared him for the person he saw in the park. Standing by the railings over looking the river was his first kiss, his best friend, and now, with how his Shadow was blinking rapidly with a red heart dancing on the screen and how she looked down at her watch to see it doing the same, he knew she was going to be a lot more than all those things in the future.

When their eyes met across the small space between them, their eyes filled with tears. And Seongwha didn't fight it when she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Her familiar scent filling his nose and soothing him.

"You got a Shadow after all." He lightly teased, his head still buried in her neck.

She let out a watery chuckle. "Because I got curious. And I always hoped it would be you on the other side of all this. Because I have missed you so much and I am so sorry about--"

Seongwha silenced her by taking her face in his hands and attaching his lips to hers. Joy sparking in his chest. She melted into his touch, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Slowly, Seongwha pulled away, smiling down at her as their noses brushed each other. "I missed you too." He whispered, making his smile up at him.

[snapdragon-mina]

Sunflowers and Snakes

Pairing: Dabi x Reader x Hawks

A/n: Written for the Bnha spring time event. Hi @amaamajiki , I'm your anon! I really hope you like this lmao.

Word Count: 2.25k

Warnings: Sorta spoilers for bnha, swearing, blood mention, Suggestive themes(Very very minor)

For the first time in about a month, You could go home on time. The restaurant you worked in constantly asked for you to work overtime. The only reason you continuously agreed was for that sweet sweet paycheck. Fortunately, everyone else was at work and did their jobs, so you were free to go home and cuddle the shit out of your dog. 

When you got home, all you could hear was the sound of paws on wood before your life flashed before your eyes. Seems your dog missed you a little too much because he pounced, knocking you off balance, and eagerly started licking your face. 

"Okay! Okay! Hey let's make a deal. If you get off of me, I'll give you a surprise?" You held your dog away from your face with one arm, while wiping off the sheer amount of dog slobber that was on your face with the other. The dog paused as if he were thinking before moving off of you and sitting down with a sharp bark. 

"That's a good boy." You smiled at him before turning on the TV for background noise. You walked into the kitchen to fix your dog's food. After pouring the food into the bowl, you stuck a lil treat in there. Boom! Recipe for a happy Schnauzer. The moment you sat the bowl down, he shot forwards and barely gave you back out of the way. 

Shaking your head, you walked back into your living room and sat on the couch. Moments of complete peace were hard to come by. After the fall of All Might, nobody was really safe. I mean, Endeavor doesn't give a shit about his fans, so why should you trust him to protect you? 

From what you gathered, the number two hero, Hawks has actually started searching for his soulmate. When asked to show off his tattoo, he refused. Something about "The thrill of the hunt". 

Tattoos are typically two of a kind. Only two people would have the same tattoo. Speaking of soulmate tattoos, Yours was a Snake winding around a single sunflower. It was actually huge, since it covered your entire left arm. It was a really cool design when you think about it.

A small whine managed to shake you out of your thoughts. You got up, grabbed the yellow leash, and hooked it to the matching yellow collar your dog wore. "Come on pretty pup, it's been awhile since I've had time to go on a walk, huh?"

He barked in response as his stubby little tail wagged rapidly. You opened the door and locked it behind you before letting yourself be led by your dog. Around five minutes into the walk, you felt your arm grow warm. Apparently your soulmate was close. It was like a game of hot and cold until you bumped into a guy with a black trenchcoat. Your arm felt extremely hot, so you looked at him. 

"You gonna apologize? You were the one that bumped into me." He had a relatively bored tone of voice. He was eerily calm for someone to be in this scenario. It felt like his eyes were staring deeply into your soul.

"Yeah uh, sorry… But-" You couldn't even finish your sentence, because he walked off with a dismissive wave. You wanted to follow after him, but your dear dog had decided he wanted to shit right then and there. You were forced to wait on him to finish. 

After cleaning up and disposing of the waste, you just decided to go back home to get some much deserved rest.

•••

Two weeks later, you had a day off and it was really nice outside, so why not go for a walk through the forest? You went through your typical morning routine and got dressed. You fed your dog and took him out for a bit. "Alright pup, I'll be back soon, okay?" You blew a lil air kiss and left the house. 

After roughly 15 minutes, you reached a clearing in the forest. It was peaceful and nothing seemed to be out of place. There was a river a few steps away from you, and all sorts of flowers blooming. The trees actually provided very nice shade. You wouldn't mind living out here or at least somewhere just as peaceful as it was out here.

You took a deep breath and sat on a nearby stump, just taking in nature. You didn't get to enjoy the peace for long, due to the sudden burn on your left arm. Your soulmate was quickly approaching your location. You glanced around, but didn't see anyone. Yet your arm was getting warmer and warmer. 

Suddenly, a voice spoke out. "You're the person from that night, right?"

You recognized that voice. You focused on where the sound came from and fixated on where he was standing. He was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. "Yeah, I am. Hey can I-"

"I'm not your soulmate." He interjected. You shot him a confused look. There was no way you were wrong about this. "Don't believe me? I don't even have a tattoo." He held up both of his scarred arms. 

This only served to confuse you more. "Yeah no, I'm right. There's no fucking way I'm wrong." You shot back. He raised an eyebrow at you. 

"Are you sure about that? People are born without soulmates, y'know." He said.

"Let's say you aren't my soulmate. Why the hell did you follow me here?" You sighed, already annoyed that he ruined your perfectly peaceful moment. 

"Because I know who is." 

"Why would you help me? You don't seem like the type to help someone just out of the kindness of your heart." You narrowed your eyes and he laughed. He laughed at you. 

"Oh trust me, I'll be getting a pretty little payment for this," His eyes shone with amusement. "Follow me."

He walked off. Bold of him to assume you were gonna follow him. You stayed put for a moment before ultimately realizing it was useless. You had to speed walk to catch up to him. He walked out of the forest and towards a building that was pretty much hidden from view. 

Your arm was still extremely warm, due to you being close to the strange man. Hold on. You don't even know his name and yet you followed him to some secluded building where he's probably gonna-

"Dabi." 

The statement broke you out of your train of thought. That was… weirdly coincidental. He suddenly announced his name just as your mind began to wander. "Yeah… I'm Y/l/n Y/n…" 

He just hummed in response, as he continued to lead you through the strange building. Eventually the two of you came to a stop. The both of you stood in front of a door that had been painted red. He didn't even bother knocking and simply opened the door, revealing none other than the number two hero. 

Hawks' head perked up at the sound of the door opening and grinned lazily. "Hey, thanks again for bringing her." He had a glint in his eyes. Like he knew something you didn't. 

"Mhm. I'm expecting my… you piece of shit." Dabi trailed off before there was suddenly emotion in his voice. It definitely wasn't a good one. Had something happened between the two of them? Should you leave? Yeah… you definitely should. Dabi seemed extremely hostile and you were getting bad vibes. You went to take a step back but paused when you felt a hand tightly grip your wrist. 

"Huh?"

"You aren't going anywhere" His eyes were still focused on Hawks. Nobody moved for a moment before suddenly, the hostility drained from the air. Dabi let go of your wrist and walked out of the room. 

"Hawks-"

"Call me Keigo."

"Okay, Keigo… can you explain to me why I'm here?" The past like 5 minutes was a trip from start to finish and you really wanted answers. Keigo patted the spot next to him, so you took a seat and waited for him to start. 

"Your arm still feels really warm despite Dabi no longer being in the room, right?" His feathers ruffled slightly as a breeze drifted through the window. You nodded, unsure of what to think before it hit you. His grin got wider and he removed his jacket. "Well, Y/n, we're soulmates." He held out his left arm for you to see. Low and behold, The exact same tattoo was covering it. 

You felt extremely happy that you'd found your soulmate, but still extremely confused. How did your tattoo still burn in Dabi's presence if Hawks was your soulmate? It didn't make sense. 

"I should probably explain Dabi since he won't do it himself, and you're probably hella confused. Dabi is also our soulmate." 

That… that actually makes sense. You nod as Hawks explains everything and suddenly he gets to a topic that you'd been curious about for a while now.

"Because of his scarring, he no longer has the tattoo. But nature had him covered because he developed a telepathic connection to both of us. Aka, he can very easily read our minds."

That made even more sense. But that doesn't explain why he refused you as a soulmate. You shook off that thought and decided to get to know Hawks a little better. Eventually the two of you came to an agreement. Since you liked to cook, and he liked eating, sometime this month, you'd bake or fry chicken for him. 

It was starting to get dark and your dog probably missed you, so you decided to try to find Dabi. 

Dabi did not want to be found. It took you 30 minutes to finally get to him, and when you did he ignored any small talk you tried to initiate. Eventually he grew tired of your shit. "Look, I'm not your soulmate. Leave me alone."

"Yeah? Bullshit. Hawks explained everything to me. Why are you brushing me off?" 

"I don't fucking need a soulmate. Certainly not someone like you or Hawks." He snarled, turning on his heels to walk away. 

"I don't care about what you think you need. You need us, you can't deny that!" You argued back. You were really starting to get sick of this.

"I can and I will." 

And with that, he walked away. You balled your hands into fists tightly. You would've stayed, but your dog needed someone to take care of him.

•••

Almost a month had gone by since that argument, between you and Dabi and you hadn't heard from him since. Hawks moved in and actively bothered the hell out of your dog. He would complain about him biting his feathers, but you would often catch him sleeping with y/d/n curled up at his side. 

You were in the middle of baking cookies when a crash could be heard from within the house. You grabbed a kitchen knife and went to investigate the sound. It couldn't have been the dog, he was asleep when the crash was heard. Silently walking into the room the sound was heard from, you were kinda shocked to see him. 

He had numerous cuts in various sizes on his body. All of them were bleeding. "I just need somewhere to lay low for a bit, I'll be gone by morning." 

"Dabi…" Your heart ached at the sight of him, but you refused to be someone he could walk all over. "Get out."

It seemed like he was too preoccupied to listen to your thoughts, because your words shocked him. "...Out? Y/n, it's me." 

"I know. But you said you didn't need us, yet here you are." You stood your ground and he stared up at you for a moment. He was analyzing you, seeming like he was studying you for a weakness he could exploit. 

He let out a sigh and spoke under his breath. You raised an eyebrow at this and he cleared his throat before speaking up. "...I'm sorry. I just… don't want the two of you dragged down with me."

"Elaborate." You demanded and he nodded. 

"I'm a villain, you're a civilian, and Hawks is the number two hero. Being associated with me is like killing your chances to actually do something with your life." He hissed out. Seemed like the pain from his wounds was getting to him. 

You helped him up and led him into the bathroom. There, you cleaned up and bandaged his wounds. He studied your face carefully and you worked. "No hard feelings?" 

"No hard feelings. But Keigo should be getting home soon, so you're gonna have to relay your little speech again." You snorted as you finished up. He stood up and walked out of the bathroom with you trailing behind him. 

The two of you walked into the kitchen. You pulled the cookies out of the oven and offered one up as a peace treaty. He rolled his eyes and pecked you on your lips as a peace treaty. 

A minute or so later, Hawks walked in. He noticed Dabi sitting on the counter with a chamomile flower crown on his head. How you managed to get him to wear that is unknown to humanity. 

"Yeah, I'm gonna live here from now on. And no, you won't be topping."

Hawks rolled his eyes as you laughed. "At least you're not being a pussy about soulmates anymore."

"Fuck you too."

[ohwereusingourmadeupnames]

I have so many prompts😭😬 my last one was "Peter works at a rescue, Tony comes to get a doggo because he’s a single man in his 50s starting to feel the emptiness of the penthouse more and more. He gets way more than that."👬🏻🐶 But if that's not your thing and you fancy having a look at the ones I think of + ones others have come up with and I thought were cute I'll leave you the link ( /tagged/pp%3A%20prompt ) 🌸🌸🌸 can't wait to read regardless of the prompt!! have a lovely day!!

Struck From A Great Height

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark (Starker) Rating: Teen (T) Notes: This was perfect! I love puppies and Tony with a puppy was a true treat to envision. Thanks for the prompt @puppypeter! I’ll take the next one please ;D Oh, & the picture Tony sends to Peter is this one!  Word Count: ~3.3k Warnings: There aren’t any - just cute puppies. Summary: 

Tony is lonely so he adopts a white lab named Zero. He meets another kind of puppy at the rescue and decides to keep him, too. 

do the thing, send in all the prompts 

Loneliness – a word that could easily be used to describe the feeling that steadily crept up on Tony Stark.

He couldn’t pinpoint when it became a thing. For most of his life, being alone was the goal – with no one around to want things from him, Tony was free to do whatever he wanted, when he wanted. Building a multi-billion-dollar company up from a structure that Tony didn’t want anything to do with took a lot of time and effort. Simple things like love and affection weren’t really anywhere near his scope.

When getting older started to become apparent, Tony ran from it. He hopped into bed with whatever man looked his way with the right sparkle in his eye. If these people found him to be desirable, did looming near 50 actually mean anything?

The longer he let himself stoop to the lowest of low, the more he realized that men who wanted nothing more than his body weren’t worth the effort it took to get dolled up, go out, entice them, and do the whole song and dance that inevitably led to something quick in the bathroom or a rough fumble in his bed. Waking up alone after that made the emptiness ache a little more.

It became pretty apparent that behavior like that didn’t particularly help, so he reverted back to the lab rat that he truly was and put all of his efforts into the creation of tech and furthering of the projects that were already in the works. If Tony could rely on anything to get him by, it was his brain and the depths that existed within it.

And while that was fulfilling in a professional sense, Tony craved something more. No matter how much he told himself he didn’t need anything or anyone else – the deepest part of his soul called out, his soft bits desperate to take care of another living thing. The grandness of his penthouse that used to bring him so much joy just seemed empty – the multitude of rooms wouldn’t make him happy, that much was for sure.

Rhodey brought up the idea of a pet one night over dinner – he’d been able to step away from his pregnant wife to spend a bit of time eating junk food and playing the latest COD update. Tony didn’t like to admit it, but this time with his best friend was the highlight of his month. The thought of that made his skin crawl slightly – he loved the hell out of Rhodey, he couldn’t deny that. Yet, being completely overjoyed by nothing other than his presence had that pit of loneliness opening up within him a little more.

Listening to him talk, Tony wasn’t put off by it – in fact, having a dog with floppy ears to make a mess around the place might actually be the cure to the melancholy that didn’t want to go away. Tony couldn’t take the blue feeling for much longer – to most people, his life was perfect. Trying to portray that constantly was exhausting and compounded the already shitty feelings that weren’t anywhere close to changing.

The very next day, Tony spent the first part of the day looking up rescues that were open for adoption. His heart started to beat a little faster when he started to scroll through the many adorable little faces of the dogs that were just waiting for someone to come along and take them home. A small white lab puppy caught his eye, the small dog making his decision pretty easy.

Tony took the rest of the day off – he wanted to see about the adoption process and if all things went well, get his new friend home and on the path to adjusting to the good life that he couldn’t wait to provide. Changing out of his suit into a pair of jeans, an old AC/DC shirt, and an open black and red flannel, Tony set out towards Happy Tails, his final destination.

A wave of nerves washed over him when he first walked through the door of the shelter. The smell of cleaner reminded him of the many hospital visits he had over the years, the memories almost enough to send him back through the doors and as far away as possible. Before that could happen, Tony was welcomed by a soft voice – a sense of calmness surrounded him almost immediately. Continuing on his original path, Tony clenched his fist tightly and walked towards the comforting voice.

“Welcome to Happy Tails!” Tony heard again when he got a little closer. Looking up, Tony had to stop himself from gasping – the man behind the counter was the most exquisite being he’d ever seen. Chestnut hair framed sharp cheekbones that were covered with a soft redness that probably sat there enticingly all day. There was the slightest touch of facial hair coating the man’s face, the chin strap he was working on still on the thin side. When they locked eyes, Tony felt himself blush, the wide smile on pink lips knowing and entirely too enticing to actually be real.

Raising a hand like the idiot he actually was, Tony waved at him – his stomach dropping at his stupidity almost instantly. “Uh, hi – “ Tony muttered, his brains attempt to fix the situation failing miserably. The hearty chuckle he was met with was just as sinful as the smile and eyes and cheeks that this man was graced with.

“Hi! Thanks for stopping in. I’m Peter – one of the resident puppy gurus. What can I help you with today?” The man – Peter, said with a wide smile and the most brilliant twinkle in his eye. Tony found himself returning the look without a second thought, his cheeks pinching uncomfortably after a few minutes of the beaming grin taking over his face.

“Puppy guru, huh? You may be exactly who I’m looking for, then. I saw this dog online,” Tony started as he walked closer to the desk Peter stood behind. He showed him the beautiful white lab, the fingers on his phone shaking slightly. “I want to adopt him, if he’s still available.”

“Oh, that’s Zero. He’s one of the newest fellas on the block and is very much available. He’s really chill and likes to sit around a lot for a dog his age. Labs are usually filled with energy. Not Zero – he’s just along for the ride.” Tony listened intently, Peter’s babbling about the dog absolutely adorable. Not to mention the fact that Zero sounded like the best companion – another entity in the house that just wanted to exist.

“Why don’t we got back and meet him? They just got fed, so he’ll be ready for a nice cuddle.” Peter gestured for him to step around the counter and opened the door leading into the kennels, following behind him closely. Tony looked around, his senses overwhelmed by all the sounds and smells that immediately hit him. There were a multitude of dogs in kennels, all shapes and sizes of them, each one looking at him with some sort of look in their eyes.

Peter put a hand on his lower back and pointed towards the end of the hall – “ the puppies have their own hallway.” The hand stayed where it was until Tony was out of the danger zone and in an area that was far less populated. Tony saw Zero before Peter could point him out, the small white lab sat in the middle of its kennel, looking at them curiously.

Tony felt his heart melt a little when Peter opened the kennel and Zero walked right over to him. Crouching down, he put his hand out to be smelt – the wet nose against his skin had him laughing, a huge smile slipping across his face. When the paw shot out to press against his wrist, Tony was a goner. He sat on the floor and let Zero walk into his lap – Tony wrapped his arms around the pup and scratched wholeheartedly up and down his back.

He saw Peter sit down beside him in his peripheral vision, his hands reaching out to run over Zero’s soft fur, too. Tony turned his head to look directly at him, the grin still alive and well on his face. “What do I need to do? I can’t leave here without him,” Tony admitted shamelessly, his chest light in so many ways for the first time in a while.

The smile he got from Peter in response to his question could only be described as breathtaking – the roundness of his cheeks made Tony want to reach out and touch; his entire being ached to see if his skin was really as soft as it looked. He watched Peter slip his tongue out and wet his lips, the other not missing the fact that Tony couldn’t look away. Peter let out a soft breath and kept staring at him.

“The process is pretty easy, honestly.”

And it was – Tony paid the fee and signed the paperwork while Peter ran through Zero’s latest vet visits and the ones that would be necessary in the future. Tony didn’t think to bring a leash, so Peter gave him one hanging behind the desk. “I teach a behavior class on Friday nights. You can bring the leash and Zero back later this week for it,” Peter said confidently, their fingers brushing when the leash exchanged hands.

Nodding, Tony held up the leash in salute. “Whatever you say, puppy guru. Do you happen to have a card? Just in case I have any questions, or anything.” Tony tried to sound innocent, but the smirk that pulled across his face gave him away. It’d been a long time since he tried to get someone’s number – he felt a little rusty.

Peter didn’t miss a beat, however – he pulled a drawer open and de-capped a pen, his hand flying over the card quickly. “That’s my personal. Just in case,” Peter shot back, his fingers pushing the card across the counter.

Tony picked it up before he knelt down to get the leash attached to Zero’s collar – the dog resting heavily against his leg while he did. Petting his head lightly, Tony stood back up and threw Peter one last grin. “Thanks for the help, Peter. We’ll see you Friday.” Tony couldn’t help but smile as Zero started to pull him forward, the dog’s paws slipping on the floor in his haste.

----

After letting Zero explore both the front and back seat of his car, Tony settled into the driver’s seat and set off towards the nearest pet store. He felt a little nervous bringing his brand-new friend into the store – they weren’t used to each other yet. Zero didn’t even bat an eye, though – he followed Tony around the aisles with a wagging tail and minimal barking. Tony held the different toys down for Zero to sniff every now and again, his dog just as indecisive as him.

In the end, they left the store with a whole lot more shit than Tony originally intended. The big bed looked hilarious in the backseat of the small Audi. Zero seemed to like it, though – he curled up on the thing the second Tony started the car. He figured he’d be dealing with an unruly puppy, or overexcited thing that couldn’t control itself. The reality of the situation was even better.

The night went surprisingly well – Tony let Zero take up whatever space he wanted in the penthouse. Peter assured him that he was potty trained, which proved to be correct pretty early on when the dog scratched his leg and looked longingly towards the balcony. He did it again early the next morning, his cold nose pressing against Tony’s cheek more than enough of a wakeup call to get him out of bed, stumbling towards the sliding glass door. The damn dog was too cute, it seemed impossible to hold anything against him.

Physically unable to part himself from Zero, Tony put the brand-new blue collar and tags they got the night before around his neck. The ‘bad to the bone’ leash clipped nicely to it – the whole look totally fitting for the badass little pooch. With Zero completely decked out and identifiable as Tony’s, he felt comfortable enough to leave with the pup for the day.

Tony’s caffeine headache had him pulling into the drive-thru of his favorite café, a smile coming to his face when he got to order a pupachino for the little dog that already owned all the pieces of his malfunctioned heart. Zero climbed up onto his shoulder while they waited in line, so Tony flipped the camera on his phone and took a picture of the two of them. Fumbling around the cupholder he put Peter’s card in, Tony sent the picture in a text – the happiness he felt needed to be shared.

Tony Stark: Look how cute we are. Thanks for hooking us up.

He got a few sips of his coffee in before his phone went off, the number he already typed in as Peter Parker lighting up his screen. Tony shook his head at the giddy feeling spreading through his chest, an old man like him shouldn’t feel as on edge about a cute guy texting him as he did in that moment.

Peter Parker: You two are quite the pair. Peter Parker: It was my pleasure! Glad to have made such a sweet connection.

The soft grin he already associated with Peter stayed on his lips the rest of his drive into the office and even further into the day as the two of them continued to text back and forth. Tony didn’t get much work done – between trying to be as charming as possible in his texts to Peter and loving the fuck out of Zero, there wasn’t much room for anything else.

Predictably, the rest of the week followed suit. Tony couldn’t get enough of the white fur-ball that got more and more comfortable with him as the days passed. Zero stayed by his feet while he was in the lab and followed him around the penthouse when Tony was finished for the night. The mutual appreciation of walks had them wandering around the little neighborhoods Tony never took the time to explore before.

By the time Friday rolled around, Tony was excited to show off his and Zero’s bond – a big part of him thought that Peter would be the most impressed by something like that. In their conversations throughout the week, Tony learned that Peter trained dogs professionally after studying behavior in college. He answered any of Tony’s questions and appreciated all the little anecdotes Tony shared about the short time he’d been enjoying the heck out of Zero.

Walking into the room he was directed to, Tony lit up when Peter noticed him. In a couple of long strides, Peter was right in front of him, his hand already reaching down to press against Zero’s head. “Hey you two! You guys are in luck – it’s a small class, so you’ll get lots of hands on stuff tonight,” Peter caught his eye as he spoke, the smirk on the younger man’s lips making Tony’s throat suddenly very dry.

He nodded his head listlessly, his hand tightening on Zero’s lead. The crush on Peter that he’d been fostering for the past few days doubled in size throughout the next hour. There was one other dog owner and their pup – another puppy adopted from the rescue. Not only was Peter attentive, he knew his shit and didn’t mind explaining things as he went. As someone that put information above almost everything else, Tony liked all things about that.

Zero seemed to like it, too – he showered Peter with affection when he stood talking to Tony at the end of the class. He nosed at Tony’s hand, then pressed against Peter’s leg and licked at his ankles. Tony couldn’t help but grin down at him – the antics already too much.

“I found a local brewery that has a patio that allows dogs – any interest in catching a drink with us?” Tony asked – the conversation had got to the point where they were just staring longingly at each other. It seemed like the perfect time to put himself out there. The grip on Zero’s lead tightened for just a second; he didn’t think he read their interactions wrong, but after so much time away from the dating game, he could never be too sure.

Peter reached out and laid a hand on his arm, the touch the slightest bit reassuring, “I would like that very much. I hope you’re talking about Landry’s – they have the best cheese curds.” He turned his body and started to gather his stuff up like he’d merely been waiting for Tony to buck up the courage to invite him out before getting his shit together. Maybe he was – the idea of that honestly not the worst thing. At least then, he was joined in the intensity of his feelings.

They split up for the few minutes it took them to drive their separate cars to the brewery and met back up at one of the picnic tables closest to the open grass space right next to the building. There were a couple of other dogs milling around the grass – Zero looked over at them curiously, but remained by Tony’s side, his body resting on his feet after a while.

Their view of the sunset was fantastic – they shared a couple orders of cheese curds and truffle fries; Tony liked the way Peter closed his eyes around the bites that were extra indulgent – the redness of his cheeks absolutely divine. The amount of times being caught looking at him probably should have been embarrassing. Yet, Peter simply smiled back and moved his hand a little closer to Tony’s on the table.

It took most of the night for their fingers to finally tangle together – Tony wanted to be sure and enjoyed the build-up to it once he was. Peter’s hands were just as soft as Tony imagined them – his long fingers fit perfectly between his own. They shared a shy smile and sat together until the sky started to rumble a little while later.

Big raindrops suddenly falling on them made the decision to pay the bill and huddle for warmth in Tony’s car easy – Peter climbed into the passenger seat without any restraint. It was obvious that neither man was ready for the night to end. 

In hopes of a few seconds to think his next move through, Tony started the car and made sure the vents were open so the car didn’t get too hot. He was startled by a cool hand on his own, Peter’s fingers around his wrist pulling his attention back to where they both wanted it to be.

“I had a really good time tonight,” Peter admitted, his body shifting in the seat. The Audi didn’t have too much space in it, so they were already close. The move of Peter’s shoulders brought them within breath sharing distance. “I like spending time with you.”

Tony didn’t bother trying to find the words to respond appropriately. Without any hesitation, he closed the space between them and pressed their lips together. His hands wandered to the front of Peter’s shirt; the fabric there warm from the heat of his body. A soft moan left Peter’s lips, the sound so encouraging – Peter’s response to it all exactly what Tony was hoping for.

Tilting his head, Tony was about to deepen the kiss when he felt a wet tongue on his cheek. Since his was currently tangled with Peter’s, it could only belong to none other than Zero. He pulled away with a sudden laugh – the excellence of the situation hitting him when Peter beamed at him.

“Better get used to him, Zero. I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” Tony murmured, one of his hands running softly over the puppy’s head.

Peter pulled Tony and Zero towards him, the group hug the sweetest thing Tony figured he’d ever been a part of. The press of lips against his forehead had Tony sighing, his body light for the first time in decades.

The start of something new felt pretty damn good.  

[bearpillowmonster]

Horizon Zero Dawn Review

The game that critics have been raving about for years and I just haven't played. I heard a lot of people say "this needs a movie" but they say that about any game that dares to be a little bit cinematic because I personally disagree.

That first part is rough, the story seems so in your face, predictable and bland but I think the problem is that it didn't know how to put in its exposition. I think it naturally builds up as it goes on, getting bigger and broader, it's just those first experiences that can be a slog because you're pretty much learning what style you're going to play in.

I got more or less everything I expected, crafting, a skill tree, various weapons. What I didn't expect though are dialogue options. You can choose normally up to four paths, an intelligent one, a compassionate one, and a straightforward one. You don't have to worry about the stress of trying to reach a specific ending because there's really only one, the only thing that affects it is the amount of people that are in it. So does that make the choices irrelevant? Yes and no because there are different dialogue options and like I said, which means that you can get certain characters to like you more given the option you choose but not in the same way that relationship points work and I definitely felt the draw to do that whenever I came across my first side-quest.

Side-quests are interesting, I love tracking things in games, though it's rare that you actually get the chance to do it and here you have a good amount of opportunities. Is that all though? Far from it. I actually found myself searching for side-quests because the first two were so satisfying. It really only began to show its hand a bit more after those quests. As I mentioned, there are a lot more RPG elements than I first imagined but it starts to send you on scavenger hunts, especially that Dreamwillow one, that one I actually laughed out loud at every time I was turned away. It also starts to gatekeep to where it recommends that you be a certain level which is...odd? I mean at face value it looks like you could rock basically any combat situation that isn't context sensitive. Leveling up gives you abilities but they're more like Deus Ex on that front, where it's just for preference and upgrading, not necessarily strength. The only thing you improve on offense wise basically boils down to having the right materials or units to buy weapons then a matter of finding modifications. Other than that, leveling up seems to just increase your health. It really just depends on the quest too because I'll play one above my level and be fine then play another that's actually under my level and feel stuck.

Now I only played it on normal mode so something like "Ultra Hard" is bound to be more demanding but as far as actual side quest content, I feel like they have potential but just need tweaked, give me more stuff for major characters that affects their standing with me. Rather than having each quest be contained in its own story, have it affect you later in the game, let your actions be shown, give it rewards and consequences. There are some really great side-quests but there are also some crappy ones, it doesn't pass that threshold that most RPGs fall under or anything. However, I did find myself doing side-quests at my own free will and the ones that I didn't like or couldn't do at the time, I just skipped and focused on something else, I felt a lot more freedom with this game, like I didn't feel forced to grind or do a certain number of side-quests or really do anything. It encourages you to explore and play the way you want to play and I respect the heck out of that. Maybe it's different for other players though.

Perhaps my favorite actual side thing was the Cauldrons for those who actually played this, you'll know why. For those who didn't, just know that it's cool and let it be a surprise for when you go to one. You might expect these big set-pieces and bosses like Uncharted or GoW, but it's not really like that. I genuinely think that this is more video-gamey than it lets on which certainly takes up its runtime. One addition to side-quests that I would like to see is one where you don't know it's happening. For example, in this game, you'll come across random hunters who are attacking or being attacked by machines but rather than just going on about your day and them going on about their's, I want to fight off the machine and the person say "You saved my life, my name's Jara, I live in the town nearby and want to repay you." so you go there and there's trouble so it starts up a side-quest. Now don't get me wrong, there are PLENTY of instances of people getting attacked actually being a mission but most of the time someone in town will just tell you "I haven't seen this person in a while, can you go check on them for me?" It's the art of subtlety and also just doing a good deed and getting rewarded for it. It's a conscious choice and split decision rather than just another checkmark on your list to complete.

Now I won't bother listing the characters and rating them but there's a certain aspect that has me really enthused So, Aloy is an outcast and a lot of these side missions and scenarios reflect her, you'll see the way she can relate with other characters, making it almost poetic in a subliminal kind of way. Then they add this tribal and futuristic setting to it where Aloy acts as the medium, there are parts of the game where she questions the tribe because they cut themselves off from technology and just don't know any better and we as a viewer know that but having the main character view things in 'our' lens is pretty genius. To top that off, they give her enough personality to be her own character while giving us enough power to influence her so that we ourselves can REFLECT WITH HER. It's not her character that I'm impressed with, it's the layout of the story.

So, how is the main story? It's kind of like the Flood scenario in Halo if I'm being honest. I'm not going to spoil anything but it's passable, like I said, it's not like an Uncharted and it's not like a movie. The visuals just look good at times (I took all the pictures in this review myself and so much more!). I'd call it a futuristic/tribal mix between Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Skyrim but I see elements of a lot of things. (Also since it's post apoctalypic, you find items that we see in modern day, like how they call keys, "chimes"! They think they're windchimes because there are no more cars! I love that!)

It actually does a pretty good job at being an open world considering that there are tons of things to do on your routes as well as collect but it's not so much so that it seems unfeasible, as I said, I found myself doing a good chunk of the side stuff just because it was fun to do and I'm not even close to a completionist for any game. If you mess up, healing plants will still be there. As long as you save, enemy parts will still be there. A place can be cleared out and conquered so that enemies don't come back. The actual towns are peaceful so you can't get mangled by any bots outside of scripted instances.

The graphics are pretty good but I can see some error here and there, nothing necessarily game breaking but the animations and AI are definitely janky at times. It's pretty obvious from the get-go but I'll do my best to specify and give constructive criticism on what I found wrong with certain aspects of the game. Rost is slow, like slower than walking speed but that's not to speak for all NPCs, some run, some you don't need to follow, it was really just him. I've had NPCs who fight but miss every single time on simple enemies (that might not be a bug, that might just be a funny bit that someone decided to add in). Sabretooths have jumped through walls (granted the walls were kinda broken but I'm not sure if those big boys can fit when they can barely find the entrance) I found myself jumping to a ledge or on a rope but not land it and just drop (it really boils down to loosening the hit box for that). Which to add on to that, I would like more places to climb and jump to in general (other than stupid mountains). I felt like there wasn't really enough that I could climb and the places that I could, could've been a bit more obvious that I could, maybe even make it viewable with your focus if you don't want it to be visually outstanding. There's a day and night cycle and while I like that, I found some of the contrast to be annoying because I could be staring a ladder right in the face and not even know it sometimes because it would be so dark. I'm not going to complain too much about it because I didn't turn my brightness up, I just left it at default and I would assume the PS5 version fixes some of those little things.

Now, this one is kind of a gray area: Hiking up mountains. Skyrim, Fallout, and Death Stranding went too far and gave little to no barriers. They had you looking for sweet spots that weren't there in order to cheese your way through an area either on or off a beaten path. But I would compare this to something like GTA where it's not as bad and does have its limits but might need tightened up some more because I can certainly get to places that lead to nowhere.

I've made headshots that don't make contact or damage while using precision. Part of that problem was that they could be high up in a tower (which have spikes sticking out) and I would hit ABOVE the logs, to make a headshot but since it was in that vicinity, it registered that as the spikes' hitbox so it wouldn't cause any damage and just alert the enemy (same if I was in the tower, looking down). Input lag where I hit up button on the D-Pad to regain health and I have to keep pressing it. If I had to guess, you have to meet the requirements of not taking damage, staying still, etc in order for it to actually work but it doesn't really have a reason to do that and it doesn't "tell" you that those are the requirements (as far as I know).

During the final boss, one of the enemies hit me into a rock wall, trapping me inside of it and the boss was already half health so I really didn't want to have to restart (I also didn't know how far back the checkpoint was) so I kept shooting stuff and eventually the boss destroyed the wall, allowing me to get out (timed section, by the way). There have been a few times where a tree or leaf or something is obstructing a cutscene and sometimes there will be a mech in the background screaming over the NPC talking, which I'm sure is due to the cutscenes being real-time which is still pretty impressive. Now are these errors all the time? No, not at all, I'm just pointing out that some times these things happened and that I felt it needed ironed out but I wouldn't call this half baked or an unfinished product or anything, it's nowhere near that level. I get that there are so many NPCs that it's hard to account for them all with facial animations but whenever they're talking, it seems pretty static and sometimes the lips don't line up. There's this one guy who says that he got lost in a sandstorm but he's standing in snow. Again, little nitpicks in an otherwise great game.

Now, I got this game for free as a Playstation promotion but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be great, I played a little bit of that Ratchet & Clank reboot that was offered and I wasn't impressed, I quit after the first few worlds and was glad I didn't buy it at launch, (despite being a classic PS2 R&C fan) but we're not here to review that. I also played Abzu and loved it but it was short so it was definitely worth a play but maybe not 60$ (I actually think it's 20$ at this point though). With this game, it's the whole complete edition with DLC and everything, it has the length, so it really just boils down to "Would I have spent money on it otherwise?"

I think I would've if I knew more about it because I think it just got better and better after that first part of the game. It's marketed a bit differently than what I ended up getting but I found myself pouring hours into this game and loving it for one reason or another. I actually bought Shadow of the Colossus along with it (which is considered a cult classic) but I liked Horizon so much better, definitely worth its full price in my opinion. (So your promotion worked on me Sony, congrats) It has its problems but the potential is there and I feel like a sequel would probably iron out a lot of my troubles with it, so it's definitely a franchise worth investing into.

If you're interested in what I thought of the DLC alone (if you didn't get the Ultimate edition and are wondering if the extra content is worth it) I have a separate post that goes into that here.

[babygirlkiki1016]

The Hunt Begins

When we got to Stanford Dean told me just to wait outside by the Impala. About twenty minutes later I hear voices coming from the building. I see Dean take a glance at me to see if I was still there. Sam was saying something but Dean just rolls his eyes.

"The weapon training, and melting the silver into bullets? Man, Dean, we were raised like warriors." I heard Sam say as they cross the parking lot to the Impala.

"So what are you gonna do? You're just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?" Dean growls.

"No. Not normal. Safe." 

"And that's why you ran away." Dean looks away.

"I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone. And that's what I'm doing."

"Yeah, well, Dad's in real trouble right now. If he's not dead already. I can feel it." Sam is silent.

"I can't do this alone."

"Yes you can." I joke, making both of the boys look at me. 

"Yeah, well, as Y/n pointed out earlier which you weren't here for, I don't want to."

"Wait, that's Y/n? Y/D/N's kid?" Sam asked surprised. "You brought his kid here?! Do you know what he's going to do to us when he realizes she's missing!?"

"Uh I believe he already knows." I interrupt.

"Look, she wanted to come so I didn't stop her besides she's eighteen." Dean points out. Sam sighs and looks down, thinking, then up.

"What was he hunting?" Sam asked as Dean opens the trunk of the Impala, then the spare-tire compartment, it's an arsenal.

"Holy crap this is cool!" I exclaimed as Dean props the compartment open with a shotgun and digs through the clutter.

"I know right? All right, let's see, where the hell did I put that thing?"

"So when Dad left, why didn't you go with him?" Sam asks.

"I was working my own gig. This, uh, voodoo thing, down in New Orleans."

"Dad let you go on a hunting trip by yourself?" Dean looks over at Sam.

"I'm twenty-six, dude."

"And then you went to Y/D/N for help?"

"That's about right, she offered to help cause her father wouldn't." Dean pulls some papers out of a folder. "All right, here we go. So Dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop just outside of Jericho, California. About a month ago, this guy." Dean hands one of the papers to Sam, I look over his shoulder to see. "They found his car, but he vanished. Completely MIA. The paper is a printout of an article from the Jericho Herald, headlined Centennial Highway Disappearance and dated Sept. 19th 2005; it has a man's picture, captioned Andrew Carey MISSING." Sam reads it and glances up.

"So maybe he was kidnapped."

"Yeah. Well, here's another one in April." Dean hands me a Jericho Herald article for each date he mentions. "Another one in December 'oh-four, 'oh-three, 'ninety-eight, 'ninety-two, ten of them over the past twenty years." Dean takes the article's back from us and picks up the rest of the stack, putting them back in the folder. "All men, all the Same five-mile stretch of road." Dean pulls a bag out of another part of the arsenal. "It started happening more and more, so Dad went to go dig around. That was about three weeks ago. I hadn't heard from him since, which is bad enough." He grabs a handheld tape recorder. "Then I get this voicemail yesterday." He presses play, the recording is staticky and the signal was clearly breaking up.

"Dean...something big is starting to happen...I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may... Be very careful, Dean. We're all in danger...and if you can...Y/D/N's kid." Dean presses stop.

"Wait...he mentioned me." I say silently.

"What does dad want with Y/n?" Sam asks.

"I don't know that's why I went to your dad. So whatever is going on, obviously your part of it."

"Well other than the creepy message involving me, you know there's EVP on that?" I said.

"Not bad, Y/n. Kinda like riding a bike, isn't it?" Sam shakes his head. "All right. I slowed the message down, I ran it through a gold wave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got." He presses play again.

"I can never go home..." Was the voice that was heard, Dean presses stop.

"Never go home." Sam comments, trying to think what it could mean. Dean drops the recorder, puts down the shotgun, stands straight, and shuts the trunk, then leans on it. "You know, in almost two years I've never bothered you, never asked you for a thing." Sam looks away and sighs, then looks back. "All right. I'll go. I'll help you find him." Sam submits, Dean nods. "But I have to get back first thing Monday. Just wait here." Sam turns to go back to the apartment but turns back when Dean speaks.

"What's first thing Monday?" 

"I have this...I have an interview."

"What, a job interview? Skip it."

"It's a law school interview, and it's my whole future on a plate."

"Law school?" Dean smirks.

"So we got a deal or not?" Dean says nothing, Sam turns back around and heads back into the building.

"Your brother is certainly...not happy." I look over at Dean who shrugs.

"Eh he'll get over it." Dean smirks and gets back in the car, Dean maybe be smiling but I have a bad feeling about this.

~

Dean comes out of the convenience mart carrying junk food. Sam is sitting in the shotgun seat with the door open, rifling through a box of tapes as I was sitting in the back with the window down. I don't know what he's looking for but it must be important.

"Hey!" Dean says with a smile on his face. Sam leans out and looks at him. "You want breakfast?"

"No, thanks."

"Y/n? I got you coffee, along with some biscuits." He hands me the food.

"Thanks...." I say and take the food from him. "So how'd you pay for that stuff?" Sam  asks. "You and Dad still running credit card scams?" 

"Yeah, well, hunting ain't exactly a pro ball career." Dean puts the nozzle that he left running while he went inside back on the pump. "Besides, all we do is apply. It's not our fault they send us the cards."

"Yeah? And what names did you write on the application this time?" Sam swings his legs back inside the car and closes the door.

"Uh, Burt Aframian." Dean gets into the driver seat and puts his soda and chips down.

"And his son Hector. Scored two cards out of the deal."

"That's pretty smart, man I wish I thought of that. Then I wouldn't have had to get a job." I joke as Dean closes the door, Sam looks back at me then at Dean.

"Only a few days and your already a bad influence on her." Sam chuckles. "I swear, man, you've gotta update your cassette tape collection." From what I could see there are at least a dozen cassettes in the box on Sam's lap; some have album art, others are hand-labeled.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"Well, for one, they're cassette tapes. And two." Sam holds up a tape for every band he names. "Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica?" Dean takes the box labeled Metallica from Sam. "It's the greatest hits of mullet rock."

"And that's probably why he has them." I interrupt while sipping my coffee.

"Well, house rules, Sammy." Dean pops the tape in the player. "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole." Dean drops the Metallica box back in the box of tapes and starts the engine.

"Wait." Sammy looks back at me as Dean drives off. "Why does she get coffee?"

"Well I asked her what she wanted and she told me."

"You didn't ask me...."

"Suck it up Sammy." Sam made a pouty face, I look down at my coffee then back at him. I reach forward and politely offer him some which Dean notices.

"Aw look at that she's willing to share."

"Shut up." Sam said with a blush on his face as he slowly took my cup.

~

   Sam is talking on his cell phone. "Thank you." He says then closes his phone. "All right. So, there's no one matching Dad at the hospital or morgue."

"Well at least we know he's ok." I said, making Sam nod in agreement.

"That's something, I guess." Dean glances over at us, then back at the road. At a bridge ahead of them, there are two police cars and several officers. 

"Woah, I wonder what happened." I wondered as Sam leans forward for a closer look, Dean pulls over. We take a long look before Dean turns off the engine. Dean opens the glove compartment and pulls out a box full of ID cards with his and John's faces. Visible ones include FBI and DEA. He picks one out and grins at Sam, who stares.

"Let's go."  Dean gets out of the car and me and Sam follow pursuit. On the bridge, the lead Deputy, leans over the railing to yell down to two men in wetsuits who were poking around the river.

"You guys find anything?" He yells.

"No! Nothing!" The other man who was below us replied. The deputy turns back to the car in the middle of the bridge. Another Deputy, is at the driver's side looking around inside the car. The three of us walk into the crime scene, I felt out of place but the brothers acted like they belong there.

"You fellas had another one like this just last month, didn't you?" Dean asks as the first Deputy looks up when he starts talking and straightens up to talk to him.

"And who are you?" Dean flashes his badge. "Federal marshals."

"You three are a little young for marshals, aren't you? Especially the girl." Dean laughs. "Thanks, that's awfully kind of you." Dean goes over to the car. "You did have another one just like this, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right. About a mile up the road. There've been others before that."

"So, this victim, you knew him?" Sam questioned, Jaffe, as it says on his name tag, nods.

"Town like this, everybody knows everybody." Dean circles the car, looking around.

"...And that is why I hate small towns." I state. "Any connection between the victims, besides that they're all men?"

"Uh N-No. Not so far as we can uh tell."

"So what's the theory? I'm thinking insane hitchhiker." Sam goes over to Dean as I keep the deputy busy.

"Honestly, we don't know. Serial murder? Kidnapping ring?"

"Well, that is exactly the kind of crack police work I'd expect out of you guys." Dean insults, Sam stomps on his foot.

"Thank you for your time." I say and the three of us head back to the Impala. Jaffe watches us go but I could the two talking.

"She's a pretty one ain't she?" Jaffe mentions, I ignored him, pervert I thought. Dean smacks Sam on the head, catching my attention.

"Ow! What was that for?" Sam grumbled.

"Why'd you have to step on my foot?"

"Why do you have to talk to the police like that?" Dean looks at Sam and moves in front of him, forcing Sam to stop walking.

"Come on. They don't really know what's going on. We're all alone on this. I mean, if we're going to find Dad we've got to get to the bottom of this thing ourselves." Sam clears his throat and looks over Dean's shoulder. Dean turns to see a Sheriff and two FBI agents.

"Can I help you boys?" The sheriff asks.

"No, sir, we were just leaving." I smile at them, giving them some reassurance and walk past the three men. Dean and Sam head past the Sheriff, who turns to watch us go.

~

Later we decided to go talk to this young woman, the second deputy's daughter I believe. As we walk up the street the marquee on the Highland Movie Theater reads in big bold letters: EMERGENCY TOWN HALL MEETING SUNDAY 8 PM BE SAFE OUT THERE. Below that a young woman is tacking up posters with Troy, the missing boy's face and the caption "Missing Troy Squire". The three of us approach.

"I'll bet you that's her." Dean says

"Well no shit sherlock, if course it's her." I joke, the boys turn towards me.

"Listen sweetheart you may be helping us, but that doesn't give you the right to curse."

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say shit, fuck, crap. Sorry!" I giggle, making Sam smirk. Dean ignores me and walks up to the young woman.

"You must be Amy." Dean points out.

"Yeah." She says as she looks towards us. "Yeah, Troy told us about you. We're his uncles. I'm Dean, this is Sammy and that's-" Dean was saying, trying to think on what I should be. "-my girlfriend Y/n." I give him a weird look and so does Sam, girlfriend? I thought. He couldn't have gone with sister or something?

"He never mentioned you to me." Amy walks away as the three of us tag along.

"Well, that's Troy, I guess. We're not around much, we're up in Modesto."

"We never really talk to Troy much, teenager's these days. Never wanna hang out with the adults." I chimes in as another young woman, comes up to Amy and puts a hand on her arm.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asks, while eyeing the three of us.

"Yeah." Amy replies.

"Do you mind if we ask you a couple questions?" I asked. "You probably know my nephew to be better then I do."

"Woah trying to get married already babe" Dean jokes as he puts an arm around my shoulder. "I thought the man asks the woman?"

"Well, 'darling' technically I am the one who is the man in this relationship." Sam and the two girls try not to giggle.

~

The five of us are sitting in a booth, Dean and Sam opposite Amy and Rachel while I'm sitting at the end of the table with a normal chair. The chair was turned away from the table as I was facing the four if them.

"So...Amy." I start. "What happened the night Troy disappeared?"

"I was on the phone with Troy. He was driving home. He said he would call me right back, and...he never did."

"He didn't say anything strange?" Sam asks, Amy shakes her head.

"No. Nothing I can remember."

"I like your necklace." I state, Amy holds the pendant she's wearing, a pentagram in a circle, and looks down at it.

"Troy gave it to me. Mostly to scare my parents-" Amy laughs. "-with all that devil stuff.

"Do you know where he got it?"

"Um...no actually."

Sam laughs a little and looks down, then up.

"Actually, it means just the opposite. A pentagram is protection against evil. Really powerful. I mean, if you believe in that kind of thing." Sam says.

"Okay. Thank you, Unsolved Mysteries."

Dean jokes, takes his arm off the back of Sam's seat and leans forward. "Here's the deal, ladies. The way Troy disappeared, something's not right. So if you've heard anything..." Amy and Rachel look at each other. "What is it?"

"Well, it's just... I mean, with all these guys going missing, people talk." Rachel, the other girl says. Dean and Sam speak in chorus. "What do they talk about?"

"It's kind of this local legend. This one girl? She got murdered out on Centennial, like decades ago." Dean looks at Sam, who watches Rachel attentively, nodding. "Well, supposedly she's still out there. She hitchhikes, and whoever picks her up? Well, they disappear forever."

"So let me guess you believe in this so called legend?" I ask.

"It's a possibility, you never know." Sam and Dean look at each other.

Considering that Rachel mentioned this legend, we made a trip to the library. Dean was in the computer with a web browser open to the archive search page for the Jericho Herald. The words "Female Murder Hitchhiking" are typed into the search box. Dean clicks go; the screen tells him there are "(0) Result". Dean replaces "Hitchhiking" with "Centennial Highway" with the same response.

"Your not gonna find anything in the internet. You gotta go old school." I point out.

Sam sighs, who is sitting next to him, watching.

"Let me try." He offered, Dean smacks Sam's hand.

"I got it." Sam shoves Dean's chair out of the way and takes over. "Dude!" Dean hits Sam in the shoulder. "You're such a control freak."

"You two are definitely brothers." I giggle, the boys just shake there heads. I push both of them out of the way "If you want to find a spirit, you gotta go dark. Angry spirits are born out of violent death, right?"

"Yeah." Dean agrees.

"Well, it's not murder." I replace "Murder" with "Suicide" and find an article entitled "Suicide on Centennial". Both if the boys seemed surprised. I open the article, dated April 25, 1981, I read what the article had to say. "A local woman's drowning death was ruled a suicide, the county Sheriff's Department said earlier today. Constance Welch, 24, of 4636 Breckenridge Road, leapt off Sylvania Bridge, at mile 33 of Centennial Highway, and subsequently drowned last night. Deputy J. Pierce told reporters that, hours before her death, Ms. Welch logged a call with 911 emergency services. In a panicked tone, Ms. Welch described how she found her two young children, 5 and 6, in the bathtub, after leaving them alone for several minutes. I continued to skim the article. " Here this is what the husband said, What happened to my children was a terrible accident. And it must have been too much for my wife. Our babies were gone, and Constance just couldn't bear it. Now I ask that you all please respect my privacy during this trying time."

"So she committed suicide." Sam says. "Good job Y/n."

"Quiet there's more. At the time of the children's death and Ms. Welch's subsequent suicide, Mr. Welch was at the Frontier auto salvage yard, where he works the graveyard shift as associate manager. Connie might have been quiet, but she was the sweetest, most caring girl I ever knew, said Deanna Kripke, a neighbor. She just doted on those children."

Dean raises his eyebrows.

"Hm. The bridge look familiar to you?" Dean asks.

~

The three of us walk along the bridge, then stop to lean on the railing and look down at the river.

"So this is where Constance took the swan dive." Dean states.

"So you think Dad would have been here?" Sam asks.

"If your dad was here then he would've stopped the spirit right?" I wondered.

"Well, he's chasing the same story and we're chasing him."

"Okay, so now what?"

"Now we keep digging until we find him. Might take a while." Sam stops and looks at Dean.

"Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by Monday-" Dean turns around.

"Monday. Right. The interview."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I forgot. You're really serious about this, aren't you? You think you're just going to become some Lawyer? Marry your girl?"

"Maybe. Why not?"

"Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?" Sam steps closer, I could tell a fight was about to break out.

"No, and she's not ever going to know."

"Well, that's healthy. You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are."

Dean turns around and keeps walking, Sam follows.

"Guys c'mon we got more important things to do." I state.

"Stay out of this Y/n!" Both of them say at the same time.

"Who am I really Dean?" Sam says.

"You're one of us." Sam hurries to get in front of Dean.

"No. I'm not like you. This is not going to be my life."

"You have a responsibility to-"

"To Dad? And his crusade? If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what Mom looks like. And what difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back." Dean grabs Sam by the collar and shoves him up against the railing of the bridge. Instantly I push Dean back, he begins to protest.

"Y/n-"

"No enough out of both of you. Focus, look if San wants out if this life then so be it. You can't change that, I may not know much about what you guys do for a living but I know damn well I wouldn't want to be hunting monsters all the time."

"What do you mean don't know much about what we do?" Sam questioned, clearly aggravated. "You brought her into this!"

"She decided this not me! I gave her the offer to walk away!"

"That wasn't her decision to make! If Y/D/N kept her out if this then you shouldn't have brought her with you!"

"She's eighteen! She can do whatever the hell she wants!"

"No Dean she's not eighteen! She's seventeen! She doesn't turn eighteen till (your birthday)." Dean looks at me, clearly surprised that I lied. However I wasn't paying attention, the spirit of Constance was standing at the edge of the bridge.

"Uh guys." The boys forget there argument and stand infront of me, like I'm something to be protected. Consance looks over at them, then steps forward off the edge. We run to the railing and look over.

"Where'd she go?" I asked.

"I don't know." Sam said, then behind us, the Impala's engine starts and its headlights come on, catching our attention.

"What the-who the fuck is driving your car!?" Dean pulls the keys out of his pocket and jingles them. The car jerks into motion, heading straight for them.

"Run!" I yell. The car is moving faster than we are, when it gets too close, the boys dive over the railing but it was to late for me.

The New Hunter Masterlist

[ayu-shiridara]

Fall pt.3 (George Weasley X Reader)

Hello, so I just hope you like it. If you're interested to read part 1 and part 2

Summer holidays are the best. But this summer you're not staying at the burrow because Fleur and Bill are staying there. And Fred and George are in their shop. You're currently staying with Lupin and Tonks. You can't go to Diagon Alley because you're on the Animagus process. You don't leave your room for a month and haven't seen George. You missed him so much. But you don't want to repeat the process of being an Animagus process again. Plus you're doing it illegally with the help of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Even George doesn't know about this. A month having a leaf of mandrake on your mouth. Today is you're all expecting for an electrical storm. You're reciting a chant of incantation for millions of times with the tip of your wand placed over your heart. Thankfully you didn't fall to recite it. Finally, the storm came and the last lighting struck you are placed in a large secure room and recited the chant incantation.

"Amato Animo Animato Animagus, " you said and drank the potion.

And you transformed into a bird. A Eurasian magpie. You suddenly recall George's Patronus. You flew around the room and transform back into witch form.

"Well done (Y/N), " Remus said happily

"We're so proud of you, " Tonks said

"Thank you, I wouldn't accomplish it without your help, " You said

"You have to stay for a week to train your new achievement, " Remus said

You're euphoric right now. Happiness can't be described in words. After a week of training, Remus sent you to Leaky Cauldron to enjoy your remaining days of summer vacation. After dinner, you receive an owl from a close friend of yours.

(Y/N) I'm going to Joke Shop tomorrow wanna come with me? Going to check the twins Mrs Weasley asked me to, and I have news to announce. If you will come, meet me at Ollivanders.

Levi Kreisten

Finally, you will be able to see George again. You were so excited about tomorrow. The next day you went down to have your breakfast and change to comfortable dress. You went to Ollivanders and saw a familiar figure, a girl with different eye colours, wearing a blouse skirt and coat. You can see her usual emotionless face.

"Let's go, " she said calmly.

You nodded and both of you walked to Weasley Wizard Wheezes. You entered the shop and saw a lot of products placed neatly on the shelves. A lot of costumers are examining the products.

"Ladies, what can I do for you?" You heard a voice from behind said.

"Freddie, I missed you, " you said and hugged him.

"Oh, it's you two, I missed you too (Y/N), " Fred said and hugged you back.

"Georgie, look who we have here, special shoppers, " Fred yelled.

Suddenly another redhead appeared out of nowhere. It's George your boyfriend. You longed his presence for months. You excitedly hugged him. And snog him in front of Fred and Levi. You don't care anymore you missed him so much. You longed for his touch.

"Children cover your eyes, " Fred yelled.

You rolled your eyes and smiled at George.

"Where have you been? I haven't heard anything from you for a month, " He said.

"Sorry Georgie I will explain it to you later," you said.

"What brings you here?" George asked Levi raising an eyebrow.

"In the one who invited (Y/N) to come with me here to see you and you're going to ask me what brings me here with that kind of gaze, you ungrateful swine," Levi said and glared at George.

You're not really planning to visit George today because you're tired. Levi is right she's the reason why you're here at the Joke Shop.

"Calm down woman, " Fred said.

"Sorry and thanks, " George said and smiled at her.

"Why don't you go upstairs and spend some time together, but don't ever think about having -, " Fred said but Levi hit him hard not finishing his sentence.

You already knew what he means. Of course, you know that you're too young to do such a thing.

"He's right, don't worry about the shop I'll fill your duty with this git for today, " Levi said.

You nodded and George leads you upstairs to their flat.

"This is amazing, " you said in astonishment.

"I know right. It's because of your brilliant boyfriend, " George said proudly.

"It's more believable if you said 'because of your brilliant boyfriend's twin, " you said teasingly.

He rolled his eyes playfully and you hit him lightly. You two sat on the settee while your head is resting on his chest and his arms on your waist.

"Where have you been?" George asked.

"With Lupin and Tonks, " you replied shortly.

"And what did you do there?" George asked curiously.

"Animagus, I'm an unregistered animagus, " you whispered to his ear.

"Did you really?" George asked.

"Yes, love, " you said and grinned at him.

"Breaking one of the wizarding rule eh?" George said.

You didn't say a word and move closer to him. The tip of your nose is touching. George lay down the couch and now you're at the top of him. You move closer and pressed your lips into his. You crave for his lips. His touch everything about him. He moves his lips to your neck and placed kisses on it. You switched places now he's on top of you. Suddenly the door swung open revealing Levi and Fred. You accidentally pushed George making him fell on the floor because you're shocked.

"Blimey, I told you not to make any funny business, " Fred yelled.

He helped George get up.

"You're overreacting Freddie, " George said.

"We're not going to do that stuff, " you said.

"Fix yourselves were going out for lunch, " Levi said.

"Lunch?" George asked.

"Yes? Do you reckon we're going to wait downstairs and starve ourselves?" Levi said.

"We have groceries on the refrigerator, let's just cook something for lunch, " George suggested.

"Do you know how to cook?" You asked George.

"Of course I can cook, " George said proudly.

"Oh really, " Levi said and went to the kitchen limping.

"Why are you limping?" Fred asked and followed her.

"Come on love, " Georgie said.

You extended your arms and George carried you to the kitchen placing you down on one of the dining chairs.

"I'm going to help, " you said.

But you don't know how to cook. Fred was helping Levi. Minutes passed both Levi and George looked disgruntled. Because you and Fred burnt the meat.

"What a terrible cook you are, " Levi and George both said.

You and Fred laughed at those two. You decided to just sit down and watch them.

"George, fix that burnt meat, " Levi said.

After an hour the lunch is finally served. While eating your lunch George whispered something to your ear.

"We're going to leave a love potion on the counter let's find out the secret of this two, " George whispered to your ear.

Fred noticed that George is saying something to you so he kicked George's leg. George did the same but he kicked the wrong leg. Levi winced in pain.

"Ouch, that's my leg, " Levi said.

"What's wrong with you? You're limping and you look a bit peaky." You said.

"It's nothing, " Levi replied.

"You said you're going to tell us something, " you said.

"Ah! I'm going to train as an Auror next month, " she said.

"Are you sure you can?" George asked teasingly.

"Of course I can, " Levi said glaring at George.

You noticed that Fred's face suddenly change. He looked unhappy.

"What's with that face?" You asked Fred.

"Aren't you happy for her?" George said.

"I am! I'm delighted that she will achieve her dreams someday, " Fred said and faked a smiled.

After lunch, Fred and Levi are cleaning the table, you and George went downstairs and opened a love potion in one of the shelves near the counter. You grabbed an extendable ear and went upstairs.

"We're going downstairs to assist the costumers, have fun lovers, " Fred said.

Levi and Fred left the room and closed the door. You and George went to the stairs and used the extendable ears.

"I bet Levi will notice it before Fred does, "You said.

"No, my Freddie will notice it first, " George said.

"You owe me 10 galleons of Levi noticed it first, " You said.

"And you owe me 10 galleons if Freddie noticed it first, " George said

You opened the extendable ears and listen to the noise downstairs.

"Why does this shop smells weird did you spill your perfume all over the place?" Levi asked Fred.

"You owe me 10 galleons, darling, " you whispered to George's ear.

"Did not, you're the one who spills your perfume all over the shop, " Fred complained.

"Definitely not!" Levi told him.

You and George are laughing hard silently. It's confirmed that those two fancies each other.

"Wait is that a love potion?" Levi said pointing the love potion you opened on the shelf near the counter.

Levi looked upstairs and noticed the extendable ears. She saw both of you and George laughing. Then she grabbed the daily prophet on the counter and rolled it. You and George immediately pulled the extendable ears and run inside the flat and closed the door.

"I'm going to kill you, gits, " Levi said.

"Georgie how could you set us up, " Fred said.

After a few minutes, you heard silence. You and George went downstairs and saw Levi and Fred busy assisting and entertaining the costumers. Cracking jokes sharing laughter with the children and teenagers. You and George joined them. Enjoying every moment the day finally ends and George asked you to stay in their flat for the night because Fred is going to the Burrow.

"Once again no funny business okay, " Fred said and left the store with Levi.

You and George went upstairs and rested on the couch.

"D'you reckon we should close the shop for now?" George asked.

"I don't think so, maybe when the students go back to Hogwarts, this shop is amazing, remember what Professor Dumbledore said 'Happiness can be found even in the darkest of time if one only remembers to turn on the light' this shop is one of the lights in the dark and you turned it on that's why people, children, teens they love your shop because it's their happiness, does that make sense?" You said.

George smiled at you.

"Thanks, love, " He said and buried his face on your shoulder. Both of you stayed like this until you fell asleep.

The following day Fred went back to the shop early. Before you went back to the Leaky Cauldron you help them fix some stuff.

"Fred I will go with (Y/N), I'll come back before the shop opens, " George yelled.

"Sure, " Fred replied.

Both you and George went to the Leaky Cauldron. The owner said that the Leaky Cauldron will be temporarily closed. Because they are afraid that the Dark Lord might come and take their lives.

"Where will I stay?" You asked yourself.

"That's not a problem love, you can stay at our flat, " George said.

"But-" before you finish you words George cut you off.

"No buts, come on let's pack your things, " George said and grabbed your hand.

He helped you pack your things and you walked back to the Joke Shop.

"You're back!" Fred said.

"Yeah, the Leaky Cauldron kicked everyone out, " George sighed.

"So you're staying here? That's fine you can stay in my room, " Fred said.

"Pardon?" You said.

"You can stay at Freddie's room, he'll be leaving tonight and stay at the Burrow, " George said.

"What about the shop?" You asked.

"I'm sure you two can handle it, and before you go back to Hogwarts we will close it until the war ends, " Fred said.

"Yeah, we will stay at the Burrow on your last week, " George said.

"The others will visit the shop tomorrow, " Fred said.

"Come on darling let's fix your stuff upstairs," George said.

You nodded and head upstairs. The following day the Weasleys arrive the shop with Harry and Hermione.

"When did you get here?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"Yesterday, the Leaky Cauldron kicked everyone out for a good reason, " you said.

"Why don't you stay at the Burrow?" Ginny asked.

"I'm doing fine staying with the Twins, " You said.

"(Y/N)!" Hermione exclaimed giving you a hug.

You hugged her back and give Harry and Ron a hug too.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked.

"I live with Professor Lupin and Tonks for a month, " You said.

You noticed that George and Fred disappear from the crowded store. You're wondering where he went.

--

The following week you and George arrive at the Burrow. You placed your belongings in Ginny's room. It's nightfall and everyone was outside. Only Mr and Mrs Weasley are inside. You want go out but Mrs Weasley told you not to. You can hear Levi's voice scolding the twins. While the others are laughing. You want to go outside badly.

"(Y/N) dear, change your clothes and wait for someone to go and fetch you upstairs okay, " Mrs Weasley said and handed you a dress.

What are these clothes for? You were confused at this moment. You don't know what's going on. A minute after changing your clothes someone entered the room. It's Ginny, Hermione, Fleur and Levi.

"Ready?" Ginny asked.

"Ready for what?" You replied curiously.

Levi blindfolded you and they lead you downstairs.

When you removed the blindfold you're at the forest where you and George used to walk every morning.

"How did I get here?" You asked yourself.

No one was there except for a Crookshanks. You followed him and he leads you to a tree. A glowing tree. Suddenly George appeared out of nowhere. Handing you a rose.

"My Lady, " he said.

Romantic music played and he grabbed your hands and placed on his shoulder while placing his hands on your waist. You two started to dance.

"What is this for?" You asked him.

"I planned this for months, " he said grinning at you.

After the romantic dance, he knelt in front of you pulling a small box from his pocket.

"(Y/N)(L/N) you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I fell for you since the day you literally fall on me. I know we're still young for this but I want the world to know that you're mine, " he said.

You're speechless and don't know what to say.

"(Y/N) I love you so much, can't even imagine my life without you. I want to do this before the war. Will you marry me?" He said and opened the box revealing a ring.

Tears of joy stream down your face. Seeing the man you love in front of you proposing is the best thing that happened to your life.

"Yes, " you said.

He placed the ring in your finger and kissed you. After the proposal, you and George head back to the burrow. You can see the busy Weasleys with Potter, Granger and Kreisten setting the table.

"We're back!" George announced.

"So?" Mrs Weasley said.

"I said yes!" You said happily.

Everyone cheered. Everyone was happy.

"You're officially a member of Weasley family, " Mrs Weasley said.

Fred who was opening a fire whiskey was scolded by Mrs Weasley.

"Frederick Weasley put that down, underage wizards can't drink that, " Mrs Weasley yelled.

"But mum we're not underage, " Fred said.

"No, no liquor for tonight, " Mrs Weasley said.

You and George laughed at him.

"Welcome to the family sister in law, " Fred said and winked at you.

You all settled down and have your dinner. This was the best night ever.