#yeah perfect for this goddamn heatwave

[multi-fandom-imagine]

Heatwave || Cooper Howard ||

A/n: no one asked for this but I am wrote it anways

Fic includes a made-up aphrodisiac chem (called “Heatwave”) that intensifies sensitivity, arousal, and mutual need

The motel room was sweltering—desert heat clinging to every surface—but it wasn’t the broken fan or the dying fire making you sweat.

It was the Heatwave.

He’d found it earlier in the day—an unmarked vial stashed in the back of an old chem dealer’s fridge. You’d been curious, nervous, but Cooper had grinned, holding the glimmering red liquid up to the sun.

“Used to see this shit in Hollywood back before the bombs,” he’d said, voice low with dark amusement. “Synthetic stimulant. Heightened nerve sensitivity, massive endorphin spike, and, uh…” He leaned in, the rasp in his voice dropping to a growl. “A fuckin’ need to be touched.”

You’d split the dose with him. Half each. And now?

Now you were burning.

You were on your back, legs spread wide, fingers clutching the torn sheets beneath you as his tongue dragged up your inner thigh, your body twitching with every touch. He hadn’t even fucked you yet, and you’d already come twice—once from his mouth, once from his fingers. And you were still aching.

“Sensitive, huh?” he chuckled, lips slick from your release, voice thick with arousal. “That little chem’s workin’ real good.”

“C-Cooper,” you whimpered, thighs trembling around his shoulders. “I can’t— I need—”

“I know what you need,” he growled.

He rose up over you, every inch of him wild and hungry. His cock was thick and flushed dark, glistening at the tip with precum—already aching from holding back. He pressed the head against your dripping entrance and slid in slow, grunting as your tight heat sucked him in inch by inch.

You cried out. It was too much, not enough, perfect.

Your walls clenched hard, already fluttering around him as he bottomed out with a low, primal groan. The chem made everything sharper. The feel of his ridged skin, the stretch, the heat—every thrust dragged a wave of pleasure so intense it felt like your soul was leaving your body.

“Fuck, you feel like fire,” he snarled, slamming into you harder now. “So goddamn tight—grippin’ me like you own me.”

You couldn’t even answer. Your mouth hung open, eyes rolling back as he fucked you with reckless, desperate need. Every thrust sent another shiver through you, your pussy so soaked now you could hear the wet slap every time his hips met yours.

Then you felt it—again—your third orgasm already cresting.

“I—I’m gonna—” you gasped, your whole body locking up.

“Yeah you are. Cum for me, baby. Let it fuckin’ happen.”

You screamed his name as the climax ripped through you, legs kicking, tears leaking from the corners of your eyes. Your pussy clamped down so tight around his cock he cursed under his breath—and then he was following, growling through clenched teeth as he emptied inside you with hard, jerking thrusts.

“Take it—fuck—take all of it,” he hissed, hips twitching as ropes of cum flooded you. “I’m not stoppin’. Not ‘til that little pussy’s full.”

And he didn’t.He didn’t pull out. Couldn't....now when you felt like a fucking dream

You were still trembling when he started moving again, the overstimulation turning your next moan into a desperate sob. You were soaked—his cum dripping out around his cock, mixing with your own slick, making everything filthy and perfect.

“Look at you,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss the corner of your lips, your jaw, your throat. “All messy and cockdrunk already. We’re just gettin’ started, sweetheart.”

You lost count of how many times he made you cum after that.

Heatwave had you both insatiable—his stamina fueled by ghoul resilience, yours by sheer chemical lust. He fucked you against the wall, bent over the dresser, on your knees, riding him until you collapsed. He’d pull out just to cum on your stomach, your chest, your face—only to get hard again minutes later and push back into you with a snarl.

By the time dawn broke, you were wrecked—soaked, twitching, filled with his cum, your voice raw from screaming his name.

And even then… his fingers were trailing down again.

“Still sensitive, darlin’?” he rasped against your ear. “Let’s find out.”

[blindrapture]

Hi. The UK had a heatwave that brought my bedroom's temperature to Literally Hotter Than 99% Of The Earth, and I was already going through some bad sickness at the time. So I was out of commission for a while!!!

But look! Here I am, with vigor once more! The day after I recovered, mum took me to an HMV. I bought a Kirby plushie, a Link plushie, and an Eggman statue. And four out of the five seasons of Rick and Morty, on a haphazard mixture of dvd and blu-ray. (Hi, my name is Jordan, and I'm legitimately a Rick and Morty fan. "Hi, Jordan." I think it is, without controversy, on the pantheon of Greatest Television, with The Sopranos as an equal peer. The longer it goes on, the more it becomes DCA: For Normies. And I get quite giddy at saying that. American TV *needed* a mature fanfic author voice. Also The Ricklantis Mixup was the moment I realized the show was perfect. Rickmurai Jack was the moment *the show* realized it was perfect. Rickmurai Jack had scenes in it that felt like goddamn Homestuck flashes. We still have like five more seasons to go, guaranteed, and I am fully on board now.)

....but but yeah! Eggman! My beloved!!!!

[rosy-chimchim]

Sweet As Can Be

Genre: F L U F F, a little nsfw at points, lots of ice cream and smooches Word Count: 10k baby Summary: Summer jobs blow, but boy are you glad that the cute ice cream scoop decided to work this summer break (This whole idea came from me falling in love worth Scoops Ahoy and Steve Harrington in Stranger Things season 3, but it’s nothing like Stranger Things lol.)

it was hot out

Like REALLY HOT

You know that type of humid sticky hot that feels like the air is just suffocating you in it’s yucky blanket of heat

That type of hot

You could feel yourself melting with each step you took home,,,it was just nasty

Each owner of the little mom and pop shops you’d pass by would give you a sympathetic smile or wave as you struggled on your trek home,,,oOf they knew it was bad out there

It was horrible >:(

All you wanted was to be at home laying in front of an industrial fan, drinking some cold goddamn water

Maybe not an industrial fan that would be really aggressive,,,a moderately sized but still powerful fan

You had been planning on relaxing by the beach this afternoon 

You even packed a cute little beach bag with a sandwich, a juice box, a towel, sunscreen, and some books you were reading!!!

but you forgot to check the weather and weren’t expecting this ~𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓽𝔀𝓪𝓿𝓮~ to hit and hit HARD

You set out for your beach adventure all excited to finally get a relaxing afternoon to yourself and the wonderful ocean!

But as you continued your journey to the beach, the temperature began to increase, going from a temperate 80 degrees fahrenheit with a nice breeze here and there to a WHOPPING 96 degrees with intense humidity and literally no breeze

Like wtf

Halfway to the beach you decided to call it, it was way too hot and the thought of steaming like a lobster on the sand wasn’t very appealing anymore

Throughout your walk home you had eaten your sandwich and drank your juice box

It wasn’t even a big juice box it was like one of those stupid Motts Kids juice boxes that only contains like 5 sips of juice, anyway-

Your tummy was rumbling and you were slowly giving into the idea of getting food

You scanned the block you were walking for any place to grab something to eat

There was a flower shop, not an option

A salon, once again,,, thats a no go

Rows and rows of apartments, lucky bastards in their air conditioned homes

Your eyes fall on a yellow and pink building, it sticks out like a sore thumb around the chicer buildings in the area

Walking closer you read the shops sign 

‘Scoopies Frozen Treats: Authentic Ice Cream Parlor!’

PERFECT

Pushing the double doors open, you hear a little bell go off signifying the workers you were here

The…wor…kers??

There was nobody here 

No one was behind the counter or the rows and rows of ice cream tubs

ICE CREAM TUBS

With hesitant steps and a few more glances around the parlor you walked up to the glass window where the ice cream was held

The colors and flavors were mesmerizing, they all looked so delicious 

Of course you had your classics: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc.

But there were also some more interesting flavors: lemon poppyseed, honey pistachio, PB&J swirl, Sour Patch kids and more

Entranced by the varying flavors you never heard the back door being pushed open by a grumbling boy

Or the sound of his feet as he made his way over to you

“Hi welcome-“

“HOLY SHIT”

“-to Scoopies?”

You swear you jumped five feet in the air from being startled

Damn he got you good,,,real big spook

Composing yourself and trying to will away the flush of embarrassment you finally look up at the boy who just gave you the scare of your life

“Yes, h-hi, hello. Jesus you really startled me wOW.” You managed to cough out

Wow really articulate 

Your jumpy nerves did not settle when you focused on the employee in front of you

oh

Oh wow he’s really cute

Black fluffy hair, pale skin, cute eyes that were scrunched up to match the look of a somewhat grumpy concern on his face

And to top it all off,,,a Scoopies uniform

A light pink and white striped t shirt with a yellow apron which had a smiling ice cream cone on it 

The text underneath the cone said “I’m as sweet as our ice cream!” SNORT

The pout that he was wearing seemed to speak otherwise

“Soooo are you gonna get anything?”

Oh right you were here for ice cream

“Yeah! Could I please have two scoops of strawberry please?”

You totally didn’t flash your brightest smile at him in hopes that he would think you were as cute as you thought he was nope not at all

Giving you a nod, he pulled out his scooper and began to fill your order

And not to like,,, drool or anything but his hands be lookin NICE while he grips that ice cream scooper 

Making your way to the register you wait for the boy to finish scooping your order

“$3.50 is your total”

You hand over your money and he grabs it

Your eyes follow up his arm to look at his pretty face again

His hair was puffy and tousled, most likely from the humidity along with his slightly rosy cheeks,,, damn it must suck to be working right now 

You glance toward his chest, hoping to find a name tag

BINGO THERE IT IS

“Hi my name is Yoongi!”

Yoongi,,,,cute name

“Here’s your change, have a good afternoon.”

Grabbing both your change and ice cream you start to head out the door when you remember 

The smoldering heat that awaits outside

Gross, like mega gross

You really didn’t want to face that again, not after being in the cool ice cream parlor

You glanced around the shop, there were only three tables and part of you didn’t feel like sitting at a table alone,,,that felt a little sad 

The were pink stools and a counter next to the ice cream display and that seemed like a perfect place to sit your little butt down and enjoy your treat

You set your bag on the seat next to you and started to eat your ice cream and holy shit did it hit the spot

You almost moaned out loud about how good the cold creamy treat felt on your parched throat,,,it was delicious

Continuing to eat, you let your eyes wander in search for Yoongi, the cute ice cream boy

You really couldn’t help yourself

He was fiddling around with some equipment, you’re not really sure cause all you could focus on was his face tbh

He was very very pretty like one of the prettiest people you’d ever seen

Something about him just entrances you

He looked like the cute boy next door type that you dreamed about as a kid

Okay you gotta look away now this staring thing is getting kind of creepy 

You continued to eat your ice cream only occasionally glancing toward the cute boy

Again you really couldn’t help yourself!!!

It was quite the shock when you saw him starting to walk over to you 

This is your chance!!! Trying to talk to him is now your mission

Yoongi spritzed the glass display and began to clean it when he heard a voice cut through the silence of the parlor

“It must be hard working on such a hot day like this huh?” 

Oh you were still here, he thought you had left a while back

Okay that’s such a lie he knew you were still here but was just trying to ignore you so he wouldn’t get distracted while cleaning and possibly knock something over and make a fool of himself

You were sweet(and really cute but you didn’t hear that from him), the sweetest customer he had all day, it seemed you fit the Scoopies “sweet as ice cream” slogan better than any of the employees

He was used to dealing with middle aged mothers coming in and barking orders at him about how they want to try this or that or how they only want this flavor but they were sold out of it but they wanted it anyways and-

It was safe to say that you were a very needed change of pace

Lost in his own thoughts, Yoongi realized he forgot to respond to your question

Your smile drops as you only get a grunt in reply to your question

Dang, not very talkative 

You brace yourself and try and shoot your shot one more time

“Have you been very busy today? Ya know because of how warm it is?”

His eyes flicker up to yours and stare blankly for a second

Shit maybe you shouldn’t have pushed your luck and asked a second question 

Oh noooo now he thinks you’re weird for asking him so many questions when he was clearly just trying to do his job and clean 

In your head your beginning to formulate a plan of how to leave as quickly as possible without looking like a crazy person, oh god you can never walk on this block again in fear of him seeing you

“Honestly not as many as you’d think.”

OH 

OH WEVE GOT A HIT

WE’VE GOT A PROPERLY WORDED RESPONSE 

Your smile reaches your ears as you respond “it’s probably cause no one wants to leave their little air conditioned paradises and face the nasty heat.”

He gives you his own little smile in response 

“Yeah I think that’s it.”

That little gummy smile sent your way made yours grow even larger

The silence between you two comes back but not for long

“Soooo, why did you leave your ‘air conditioned paradise’ today?”

ALERT ALERT HE JUST INITIATED THE CONVERSATION WHICH TRANSLATES THAT HES NOT ANNOYED BY YOOOUUU

You go into your whole spiel of how you were going to the beach but didn’t think to check the weather and look you even made this cute bag and all!!!

And he watched you, trying not to smile too big at the animated way you moved as you talked

Your hands flew all over the place and your eyebrows furrowed and unfurrowed at different points in the story, depending on the intensity 

Once you finished the retelling of your day, you took a deep breathe

Talking about this heatwave got you really worked up

An understanding expression graced Yoongi’s features and he nodded

“That’s pretty rough. I missed my bus today and walked here in the heat too.”

“Isn’t just horrible out there?”

Yoongi was nice to talk to, there weren’t very many awkward pauses and your conversation kept him occupied while he cleaned

You had finished your ice cream a long time ago and now just sat at the counter, swiveling in your stool as you listened to Yoongi intently 

But still, you knew that you couldn’t stay in that ice cream parlor forever even though you wanted to, very much so :(

You got up and threw your empty cup in the trash and gathered your bag, making sure you were leaving with everything you came with

Yoongi has gone back to cleaning the display, a little sad that you were leaving so soon

Even though it wasn’t “so soon” and you had been there a solid 45 minutes 

As you were walking out the door you yelled “See you later!” over your shoulder and proceeded with your walk home

He muttered a soft “Bye” he doubts you heard but it’s the thought that counts

Yoongi stands back at the register twiddling his thumbs and replaying your conversation over in his head

Your conversation 

You

HE NEVER ASKED YOU FOR YOUR NAME

WHAT KIND OF DOOFUS DOESNT ASK THE PRETTY GIRL HES BEEN CHATTING WITH FOR HER NAME

A YOONGI KIND OF DOOFUS APPARENTLY 

He just prays that you come back to visit him so he can properly get to know you :(

You did say “see you later” so he hopes that’s a good sign

That later comes sooner than expected and you find yourself walking into Scoopies two days later

This time there’s a bit of a line but you wait, bouncing on your heels and hoping that time would move a little faster

You gotta see your cinnamon apple!!!!

Well not really YOUR cinnamon apple

He doesn’t really know you like that

Anyway the line finally shortens and your excited cause not only do you get to see Yoongi but you also get ice cream!!

You walk up to the register all confidently ready to woo Yoongi right then and there

Only to be greeted by a different employee

A shock of light pink hair and a nice smile

His name tag said “Hi my name is Jimin!” With a bunch of hearts and flowers doodle around it

“Hi there! What can I get for you today?”

“Oh um, could I please have two scoops of cookie dough please?”

Mission of woo cute ice cream scoop failed, target not in range and not serving you

But Jimin was very sweet to you and your pretty sure he gave you a little extra ice cream instead of just two scoops

You took a seat at the counter, peaking around equipment to see if Yoongi was hiding behind anything

He’s pretty small lol

Got ‘em

Anyway, no luck he wasn’t tucked in any crevice of the parlor

“Excuse me?”

Jimin turns toward you 

Oh shit no this probably isn’t a smart 

“Is-is he here?”

“Is who here?”

Again super articulate questioning you goof

“Um Yoongi! Is Yoongi here? Today?”

Jimin smiled, he likes your personality, you remind him of an over excited puppy always tripping over themselves

“No he isn’t in right now.”

You smile falters and you glance down 

Suddenly your feet dangling off the stool became very interesting 

“Okay, that’s fine.” You send him a small smile trying to mask your slight disappointment 

You barely knew this dude but you were upset you didn’t get to see him working? Jesus girl get a grip 

“Buuuut, he’ll be here in 15 minutes for his next shift!”

Your head shoots up from the ground

“Oh! Okay perfect!” 

You grin widens as Jimin laughs at your reaction

“How do you know Yoongi? Are you a friend of his?”

How do you explain your infatuation with Yoongi

“Well not friends exactly,,,I’d like to be his friend! He helped me yesterday and we just kind of hit it off ya know?” 

Jimin wiggles his eyebrows at you

“Ooooh hit it off huh?”

Your face immediately flushes pink 

“No no no not like hit it off in a romantic sense!! Like platonically!! Buddies! Pals! I mean I do think he’s cute but it’s just friendly conversation, we’re amigos even!”

“So you think he’s cute?”

“Yes but that’s not the point I’m trying to make right now!”

Jimin giggles at your panicked response

“It’s okay calm down I’m not trying to give you a heart attack.” He says through his laughter

Phew okay he doesn’t think it’s weird

“I’ll put in a good word with your so called ‘amigo’ about you.” 

He shoots you a wink and you give him a shy smile along with a quiet “Thank you”

You passed the time by eating your ice cream and scrolling through your phone

Something about Yoongi gave you butterflies in you stomach that you were currently trying to control

You continued to scroll on your phone trying to find interesting articles to pass the time

Oooh top ten smartest animals!

You quickly became engrossed with the article that ranged from poodles to dolphins, cooing at the cute pictures of animals

Meanwhile, Yoongi enters the parlor from the back entrance and changes into his apron

Tying it around his neck, he peeked through the little window on the break room door

Damn it looked busier than normal, his arms are gonna be so tired

He pouted a little, scanning the tables when his eyes landed on the counter

Holy shit

It was you!!!

You were sitting at the counter in all your glory!!

You’re wearing your hair different than last time, it’s cute uwu 

Okay Yoongi collect yourself, you need a plan to approach her calmly

Just go up to her and start talking like you did last time, the conversation flowed so naturally it can’t be that hard

Taking a deep breathe, he burst through the door 

…a little too enthusiastically causing you to glance up from your phone

Oh shit abort mission

You had the brightest most gorgeous eyes, so full of hope and wonder

Damn it now he’s just staring at you, speak Yoongi speak

“Hi.”

You blinked at him owlishly 

“Hello.”

“It’s you.”

“…it is me.” You blinked again.

He gulped a little

You made him so nervous!!

“…h-hi.”

You tried to suppress a small grin forming on your face as you watched him fumble for his words

Okay so you aren’t the only nervous one here

“I thought we had already gotten through our greetings?”

He smiled a little at your sarcastic comment

“That we did, you are correct.”

You smiled at him fully, and reached a hand out to him

“I never introduced myself, I’m y/n.”

He stared at your hand a bit before taking it in his own and giving it a little shake.

“I’m Yoongi.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

You pulled your hand away, which made him a little :(((, and pointed at his name tag

Oh

Duh

He fidgeted a little before asking, “Can I get you anything?”

You looked down at your ice cream, “Jimin helped me already.”

Oh yeah he wasn’t the only one working 

“But I would enjoy some company if you have the chance?”

Apparently you were feeling extra bold today

He glanced back at Jimin at the register and found him staring back at him

He winked and nodded his head, he could handle the shop alone for a bit

And if Yoongi had a possibility to get a girlfriend he would gladly run the shop alone whenever asked

Maybe Yoongi getting laid once in a while would make him less grumpy, Jimin chuckled to himself

Your conversation flowed, hopping from topic to topic with easy laughter mixed in

You showed him the article on the world’s smartest animals and showed him the video attached to it

It was Koko the gorilla you couldn’t NOT show him!

Yoongi spent most of his time watching your reactions to the video instead of watching it himself whoops

You talked for what felt like hours when in reality it was only 30 minutes

“Yoongi I hate to break it to you but it’s time for my lunch break so I need you to sling ice cream for a bit.”

Yoongi looked at you with a little disappointment 

You were having such a good conversation:((( he didn’t want to go back to slinging ice cream :(((

“Don’t worry I’ll still be here when your done.”

He smiled at that, perfectly content to do his job if you were waiting for him

You watched him as he works, smiling at the way he would talk to little kids when they came in with their parents 

He was so sweet to them, giving his little gummy smile and asking what they wanted

Your phone buzzes from your pocket 

A text message from your best friend

Girls night starting in 10, you coming?

Damn you completely forgot about girls night 

Yup! I’ll be there in five!

You catch Yoongi’s eye, frowning at him and telling him you have to leave, “Girls night awaits, can’t miss it.”

Yoongi nods, a tiny frown threatening to break out on his face

“I’ll be back, when do you work next.”

He looked back up at you, “tomorrow, 12:30-3:00.”

You smiled widely, “I’ll be there, see you tomorrow.”

You kept your promise, showing up to Scoopies only a little hungover from girls night 

And you continued to show up to Scoopies a few days out of the week

You restricted yourself to only three cause you did have other things to do and you’ve been wasting a lot of money on ice cream

Eventually you learned the cycle of workers and who worked what shifts

There was Jimin, who mainly worked the afternoon shifts with Yoongi

Jungkook, who worked mornings before Yoongi and Jimin got there, sometimes sticking around for an afternoon shift if they were really busy

And Namjoon and Hoseok, who took the night shift + closing

You really enjoyed your visits to Scoopies, everyone was kind and charming and it was cold in there giving you an escape from summer heat

But you were upset 

Your relationship with Yoongi wasn’t progressing outside of your little chats inside the parlor

You wanted more, to see him outside of his job

and also be outside the parlor so the temptation of buying ice cream almost every day wouldn’t be a problem

It was currently 2:15 and you were working up the nerve to ask Yoongi out

You even gave yourself a little pep talk on the way here to hype yourself up

It’s spooky, rejection is scary

Okay you just gotta do it, balls to the wall, all out boi

You cleared your throat

“Hey Yoongi, what time do you get off?”

He replied to you while he scooped ice cream, “Like in an hour, why?”

“Wanna walk me home when you’re done?”

Yoongi froze for a sec

You wanted him to walk you home??? Like just the two of you??? And you were willing to wait??

He furrowed his eyebrows, “an hours a pretty long time, are you sure you want to wait?”

“Of course! I brought some books to keep me entertained while I wait. And it’s much cooler here than it is at my apartment.”

“You brought books? Were you planning on waiting for me today?”

You flushed bright red 

He caught you red handed >:(

“Nonononono nothing like that I just bring them everywhere. You see I get really bored really easily so I bring them to keep my attention on something ya know it just a habit now like I put them in my bag when I go anywhere cause ya know I don’t want to annoy people around me when I get kind of bored cause like-“

Yoongi smirked as he listened to you ramble on

“Y/n, that was a joke. Don’t freak out on me.”

You open and close your mouth a few times

You probably looked like a fish

“Oh a joke. Ha ha okay that makes sense.” 

You scratch your head nervously and grab a book, opening to a random page so you could focus on something that wasn’t Yoongis teasing stare

Your nervous glancing around the page quickly morphed into fixated reading as you became more invested in the story line 

You always felt that reading was a very good way to pass time, getting lost in a world that wasn’t yours

You changed positions on your stool multiple times while reading: sitting cross legged, kneeling, crossing your legs, resting your head on the counter, it was a habit

Yoongi noticed every time you shifted, smiling to himself

When you read you were still energetic and responsive 

An hour passed by and Yoongi went into the back room to change

As he climbed the mountain, he heard the shrieks and groans of the creatures in the forest. He wasn’t alone out there, there were millions of-

A tap on your shoulder startles you

“Oops sorry, should’ve given you a warning. Ready to go?”

You pack your books and hop of the stool with a “yup!”

The two of you exit the parlor 

You walk a block in silence 

This is weird, neither of you are talking

“What are“ “What do you-“ both of you say at the same time.

You laugh a little, “you go first.”

He clears his throat, “What are some of your hobbies? Besides reading obviously.”

“Well, I like writing, um painting is pretty fun too! I like to go to the beach and people watch sometimes.”

 He chuckles, “why people watching?”

“It’s really interesting, when I people watch I realize ‘woah I’m not the only person in the world who has a life and good friends and aspirations and stuff’. It’s out of body and humbling. Oh it’s also really funny to watch people who buy soft pretzels get attacked by seagulls.”

Wow

You were philosophical AND cute

A total dreamboat if you ask Yoongi

“Yeah, I get what you mean. I do that at work sometimes.”

“So what do you do when you’re not scooping ice cream?”

Yoongi stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down, “oh I sometimes compose music. I really like playing the piano too.”

Your expression brightens, “You have to let me listen sometime! I mean, only if your comfortable sharing of course, I don’t wanna make you do anything you don’t want to.”

He glances at you threw his bangs, “I think that’s a pretty good idea, I’ve already had my friends listen to it a bunch so I need some new ears to test it on.”

In no time, you arrive at your apartment complex

“Can I-“ “Is it okay-“

You roll your eyes playfully, “we have got to stop doing that it’s so cheesy

Yoongi nods and smiles “I totally agree. I went first last time so it’s your turn now.”

Okay now here’s the true test of your bravery

You’ve been preparing yourself to do this almost everyday and here’s your shot

“Can I get your number, maybe?”

There it is, your shooting your shot once more

“Oh yeah, yeah for sure. Here, gimme your phone.”

You hand him your phone and he diligently types in the numbers

“I’ll see you soon y/n.”

SWOON YOU GOT YOONGI’S NUMBER

You shoot him a text as soon as you step inside your apartment, Hey this is y/n!

Oof was the exclamation point to much?

You place your phone on the kitchen counter, too nervous to hold onto it and wait for a reply

The fridge looks very tempting and you tummy rumbles for real food

You only had breakfast and ice cream today oops

Bending over, you glance at the assortment of food

Strawberries, peppers, leftover pizza, grilled chicken-

Buzz buzz

You launch yourself into a standing position

You also subsequently hit your head on the freezer section above your fridge 

Ouchy that one stings

Grabbing your phone you check the notification

Hey it’s Yoongi ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

Did you get a concussion from banging your head too hard? Cause Min Yoongi does not seem like the type of guy to send emotions 

Little did you know Yoongi was pacing his room wondering if the emoticon was a bad choice to send with his first text

You smile and type your reply

Hi there (〃￣ω￣〃)

To say the least, you two texted each other almost everyday, sometimes talking absolute nonsense that wouldn’t make sense to anyone else

Do you think dogs in different countries have different accents when they bark?

Y/n, go to sleep it’s 2:00 a.m

It’s a serious question （；へ：）

Or it was deep philosophical questions that neither of you really had the answer to

Is it worth understanding everything about our universe and planet if we don’t know why we were put on earth in the first place?

Holy shit y/n I don’t know, please go back to talking about dogs before I have an existential crisis 

You also continued your walks home together, it was nice cause Yoongi only lived a few blocks away from you

The two of you discovered different layers of the other’s personality 

Yoongi was goofy, like goofier than you expected

You’ve caught him dancing by himself in the parlors kitchen multiple and even when he sees you he doesn’t shy away, trying to drag you to dance with him

He was also a very sleepy boi, staying up too late to finish a song or practice piano :(((

And you’re always like get rest you goofball take care of yourself, but you secretly enjoy the little pout that takes over his face and half closed eyes when he’s close to drifting off during breaks

You also adoringly dubbed his break time as ‘nap time for the baby’

Yoongi already knew you were energetic but he didn’t know just how far your energy went

On the very rare night that Jimin and Yoongi would be stuck with closing, you’d stay around and help clean up

Loud music blasted in the parlor, thanks to your phone hooked up to the speakers and you were bouncing around the shop, cleaning fast with a big smile on your face

He thinks that’s the fastest Scoopies has ever been closed

And you were a deep thinker! Yoongi liked to listen to how you interpret different things and how you problem solved

Speaking of problems

It was Friday and you hadn’t been able to visit Scoopies 

Today was cleaning day and you had scrubbed your entire apartment top to bottom until it shined

Yoongi said the parlor was too busy anyway, you wouldn’t have had time to sit down and talk

Plus he went to a movie with Jimin and Jungkook after his shift so he couldn’t have walked you home either

You were currently in your pajamas (even though it was only like,,,6:45) and dancing around your kitchen while cooking up some dinner

Your music cut out slightly as your phone buzzed

Yoongi!

Hey, what are your plans for tomorrow? 

Besides showering, literally nothing

Wanna grab lunch and hang out at mine? Or something?

BROOOO

WAS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING 

Your fingers fidget to text a reply and your heart is pounding in your ears 

The sound of you thumbs tapping on the screen seem louder than usual

Yeah I would love to!

Yoongi gasps as he reads your response

Wow

He didn’t think this would actually work

Woah you actually said yes, this is incredible

His smile grows as he texts you back

Cool! How does 12:30 sound? ୧⍢⃝୨

Sounds perfect Yoongs ۹(˒௰˓)۶

You turned your music up louder and danced harder around your kitchen 

You ate quickly and watched a little tv, checking the time every now and then

Gotta get to bed early tonight so you actually wake up at a reasonable time to get ready tomorrow, oversleeping is a horrible habit 

It was a little difficult trying to sleep since you were practically vibrating with excitement but eventually drift off into dreamland

You wake up to your alarm going off and instinctively hit snooze

Close your eyes for three more minutes

….

They shoot back open and you practically bounce out of bed

It’s showtime baby!!!

Your music is bumping as you slide into the shower, singing and dancing while getting clean

Scrub a dub dub bitch

Styling you hair, you find yourself putting a little more effort in that usual

That goes for your makeup too

It feels like one of those montages from a 90s movie of a girl getting ready to go on a date with her dream guy

Except it was really happening to you!!!

You skip to your closet to pick out an outfit

That’s when you nerves decide to hit you right then and there 

Was this a date?

Was there like a certain dress code for where you were going?

Were any of your good shirts clean?

IS THIS A DATE?

You throw around multiple outfits, a cute top with jeans, a cute top with jean shorts, a romper, a dress

Was the dress too much?

The intercom buzzes and you rush to answer

TOO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR OUTFIT NOW YOU GOTTA GO

The elevator ride down seemed excruciatingly long for some reason and you basically bolt out of it when you reach the main floor

Yoongi is waiting outside the glass doors, scrolling through his phone

Woah

Where did your sweet little ice cream boy go?

He was in ripped jeans and a black tee, he had a few rings on his fingers, his hair wasn’t as tousled, it looked well styled and-

Are those earrings?

This is love, you’re in love

He spots you through the door and waves and you realize you’ve been standing there like an idiot for too long

“Hey you.”

Wow, your mind, such a great greeting

“Hi, cute dress.”

Nailed it on the outfit, mental high five for that

You guys walk to a small cafe a few blocks away

Lunch goes swimmingly and your meal is super yummy

Your feet keep bumping Yoongis under the table but he doesn’t seem to mind so you keep letting them brush up against his every once in a while

“So since when have you had your ears pierced?”

He rubs the back of his neck, “I got them when I was 16, but I’m not allowed to wear any earrings at work due to dress code policy. Why, do you not like them?”

“No I like them a lot actually, they make you look pretty handsome.”

Oh dang you got him blushing big time now 

Yoongi kicks you foot a little underneath the table in retaliation for making him flustered

You giggle and kick him back

This starts an all out kick war between the two of you, both trying to make the other surrender

Too bad you were wearing open toed shoes

“Ow ow ow okay I give in you win, you win Yoongi.”

He folds his arms with a smug look on his face while you pout 

“You’re mean Yoongi, you hurt me.” 

“You started it.”

“What? I gave you a compliment and you hit me! I want an apology.” :(

Your cheeks are all puffed out and you leaning against your hands and you’re so FREAKING CUTE HE HAS TO APOLOGIZE IMMEDIATELY

Literally the embodiment of (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑), he had to apologize 

Grabbing your hands away from your face, he takes them in his and gives them a squeeze 

“I’m sorry I hurt your precious little feet, will you ever forgive me?”

He presses your hands to his own cheeks

SKREEEEE

Your honestly frozen and don’t know how to react

HES USUALLY NOT THIS CUTE WHAT DO YOU DO

Clearing your throat a little you try and put together a sentence that would make some sort of sense

“I guess I can find it in my gracious heart to forgive this one time.”

Wow that was more put together than usual

He gave a little smile before patting your hands and telling you it’s time to go

GO TO HIS HUMBLE ABODE (∩╹□╹∩)

You were extremely excited to see what his house was like

Being in people’s homes reveals like thousands of more layers of themself and you were so happy that Yoongi trusted you enough to show you (｡･･｡)

Yoongi unlocks his door and ushers you inside

The main room is beautiful 

Large windows with white curtains, black sofa and armchair, a tv and the jewel herself

A beautiful black piano in the corner of the room

The whole aesthetic was very minimalist but very Yoongi

“Do you want anything to drink?”

“…do you have any juice?”

Once you get your glass of apple juice and Yoongi has his (boring) water, you two sit on the couch and just talk

It’s not often that you find someone that can speak to you so easily

It’s a nice kind of feeling not gonna lie

Your eyes keep wandering back to the piano 

“Can you play me something?”

He followed your eyes to the piano 

“Oh uh yeah sure, sure I can.” 

Why is he so nervous he’s been playing the piano since he was a little kid

This isn’t any different

He scooched over so you could sit next to him on the bench

While Yoongi played you were mesmerized 

His fingers drifted across the keys gently and played radiant luxurious melodies

You closed your eyes as you listened, the song making a world bloom in your mind

It was absolutely one of the most beautiful things you’ve heard 

His arms would brush up against yours and your stomach when he had to reach a key on the higher register

It gave you goosebumps and butterflies if you’re being honest

When the song finished, the room reverberated the last chord until it was silent again

“Wow.” 

You couldn’t put your feelings into words, it was incredible how the song moved you

Eyes peeling back open, you moved to look at Yoongi

Woah

He was a lot closer than you remember 

Your noses were almost touching and you could feel his breath on your cheeks 

He glanced from you eyes to your lips in a silent ask for permission 

You did the same

You were about to kiss Min Yoongi

YOU WERE ABOUT TO KISS MIN YOONGI

Ring ring! Ring ring! RING RING!

Your phone is incredibly loud in the quiet room 

Looking down at said phone in your hand, the caller idea flashes up at you angrily

Mom!

Shoot you really should take this, your mom barely calls so when she does she gets very upset when you don’t answer

You move out of the intimate position, mumbling “sorry it’s my mom I gotta answer”

“Oh yeah, um you can step outside if you want.”

“Thanks.”

Dang it dang it dang it dang it

You were so freaking close to getting a smooch

Apparently your mom wanted to come over to your apartment and have dinner

Meanwhile Yoongi has not left the piano bench since you got up

Your face was so close to his only moments ago and it replays in his head over and over

He tried to memorize every little feature of your face before he kissed you

More like tried to kiss you

“Yoongi?” Your head pops in the door

“Yeah what’s up?” 

You walk toward the bench and sit back down next to him

“My moms coming over for dinner so I have to go back home and get prepped.”

His shoulders drop and he caves in on himself a bit

“Oh okay, can I walk you home?”

“Actually I was wondering if you wanted to help me? If that’s okay?”

It is WAY more than okay with Yoongi

The air between you is a little thick with tension on the way to yours

Thicc

Thiqué

But the mood lightens when you ask Yoongi about his cooking skills

“I’m going to be completely honest with you, it’s definitely not my forte.”

“Alright I’m putting you on mincing and DJ duty, please be careful with the knife.”

The elevator ride was filled with laughter and snorts (Yoongi did it a few times but he swears it was you)

You decide to make black beans with peppers and rice

Yoongi does a really good job as DJ

As the water boils for the beans and rice, you two are running around your kitchen and dancing and singing with each other 

A dramatic rendition of Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross happens, naturally 

Half way through your duet, there’s a knock on the door

Shoooot, moms here and Yoongi is too

That means she’s going to want to meet him and ask him for his entire life story right then and there

The door swings open and there she is in all her glory

“My cutie!!!”

You greet her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek

“Hi mama, how are you?”

“Oh I’m just gr-“

She already spotted Yoongi standing behind you, his hands tucked in his pockets and shifting his weight nervously

“Y/n! You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend!”

“WHAT? Oh no no mom this is Yoongi, my friend from the ice cream shop remember!”

She looked him up and down

Yoongi literally shrunk under her stare

For someone smaller than him, she was wildly intimidating 

Also finally, there was someone smaller than him

Lol got ‘em again

She gave him one more once over before leaning over to you and saying

“You right he is a cutie pie, even cuter in person I think!”

“OKAY MOM SO GLAD YOU MET YOONGI I’M GONNA TAKE HIM DOWNSTAIRS AND SHOW HIM OUT!”

Yoongi’s laughter bounced off the walls as you all but pushed him out the door

“It was great meeting you Mrs. y/l/n! Hope to see you soon!”

“KEEP IT MOVING YOONGS.”

The elevator ride was silent

You kept staring at your shoes, moving you feet

Putting the right one forward and pulling it back

Moving the left one forward and then pulling it back

In a cycle

A black boot nudged your right foot before you had the chance to pull it back again

“You okay?”

You looked up at Yoongi, his eyebrows drawn in with genuine concern

Daw, he’s worried :(

A small smile finds its way into your face

“Yeah I am. Sorry about my mom back there, she’s pretty forward when it comes to…well everything.”

He laughed, “Yeah, I kinda picked up on that. But it’s okay, I liked her a lot.”

You snorted, “Of course you liked her, she complimented you and completely embarrassed me. That’s like two of your favorite things.”

“you know you’re not wrong about that.” And he nudges your shoulder with his

The contact sent a little shock of electricity through you but you’ll never admit it

Over your dead body >:(

You stick your tongue out at him and cross your arms

“I don’t deserve to be bullied by you and my own mother.”

The elevator was wrapped in comfortable silence for a while until Yoongi decided to break it with the most idiotic question

“Soooo, I’m cuter in person?”

Ding! The elevator reaches the main doors and you shove yoongi out of them

“Get out of here you dork!”

“What no goodbye hug?”

You step out after him

It’s time to be bold again y/n

Grabbing him by the shoulders, you plant a phat kiss on his cheek

Like not like a quick little peck, a pretty sizable kiss

Your pretty sure you can see a lip print on his cheek from what was left of your lipstick and gloss when you pull away

“Bye Yoongi.”

You walk into the elevator and the doors close behind you

And yoongi is just left there with this dopey look on his face as he places his hand over his cheek 

His face feels warm and he’s certain he is flushed bright red but can’t find it in himself to care

You kissed him!!

Well, not exactly KISSED him kissed him but your lips made contact with his skin

He stumbles out the door and all the way with a grin plastered on his face

All the while in the elevator, your pumping your fists up and down and celebrating your success

You kissed him and left him a big flustered mess without becoming one yourself until you got in the elevator 

You left him shook

And duh, you told your mom what happened during dinner and she gave you a high five

“So when’s the wedding?”

You choke on your food, “MOM.”

“What? It’s just a simple question!”

When Monday rolled around, you found yourself very nervous as you took your usual route to Scoopies 

You and Yoongi haven’t texted each other a bunch since you decided to send him home with a kiss on the cheek

Thinking about it makes you blush and your hands fidget in your shorts pockets with nervous energy 

You didn’t really know what you and Yoongi were???

You were obviously interested in him duh, and he seemed kinda interested in you too but you didn’t know if either of you had the balls to do anything about it

It was this weird kind of like being stuck in limbo

Oh yeah limbo reminds you that you should invite Yoongs over to watch Inception some time

Honestly an incredible movie

With Yoongi and a possible movie date on the brain, you walk into Scoopies 

Jimin greets you at the register with a blinding smile and you give one back

“Cookie dough or strawberry today?”

“Hmm good question. Let’s go with strawberry.”

He scoops your ice cream while you look around the shop for a certain boy

That’s weird??? Why is Jimin working alone?? Usually Yoongi and even sometimes Jungkook is with him

You reach for your wallet when Jimin stops you

“This one is on the house, and don’t try to change my mind.”

Narrowing your eyes at him, you question “what’s the occasion?”

“Just trying to make you as happy as you made ‘Yoongs’ this weekend.”

You blink a few times before smiling and grabbing your ice cream

“Thanks Jimin.”

The seat at the counter was now your acclaimed spot and you took a load off there

More customers came and went but there was still no sign of Yoongi

You didn’t want to bother Jimin while he was working so you decided to just wait and see if he shows up 

“Look, I know you’ve been wanting to ask me where he is for like, the past 30 minutes. Yoongi’s in the kitchen with Jungkook, feel free to go back there.” He nods over his shoulder at the break room door

You immediately perk up, “You’re the best Jimin, I’ll be right back.”

You walk through the door and were about to go into the kitchen when you heard Yoongi’s voice 

“I just don’t know what to do about y/n man.”

Uh oh, what

You peek through the little window and see Yoongi sitting on one of the counters while talking to Jungkook who’s leaning against the freezer door

Aww how cute Yoongi’s feet barely touch the ground

Wait not what you should be focusing on right now

“I’m just so confused, I took her to lunch on Saturday and I thought it was going well but when we got back to my house, I tried to kiss her but she left the room to take a call right before I could.”

He pouted

You also pouted

Did Yoongi take that as a sign of rejection?? 

You honestly really needed to answer your phone but you understand how that could look bad to someone who was trying to smooch you

“But didn’t she also kiss you on the cheek when you left? That’s a good sign, right?” 

“But does that mean she’s not comfortable with actually kissing me? Would she want to kiss me?”

Jungkook leaned against the freezer in thought 

He looked toward the door

And locked eyes with you

You froze completely, you were just caught spying

A plan hatched in Jungkook’s brain

“Why don’t you ask her now?”

“What?” Jungkook nodded toward the door

Yoongi’s eyes also locked with yours and you try to lamely duck down like he didn’t just catch you

Jungkooks work here is done 

He walks out the kitchen door, kicking you a little and urging you to walk in and talk to Yoongles

You stand up and try to gather yourself

Well as much as you could right now

Taking a deep breath, you pushed the door open

Yoongi hadn’t moved an inch from his position on the counter

…

…….

Neither of you talked for the first minute

“I’m so-“ “Did I-“

Oh how old habits die hard

You cough a little then say, “I went first last time so it’s your turn.”

He smiled a little at that and breathed in deep before beginning

“Did I-did I freak you out when I tried to kiss you? Cause that really wasn’t my intent, I just thought I was reading the situation right and that you were as into it as I was and when you didn’t text me over the weekend it kind of freaked me out. I thought that I had somehow messed it up. To be honest with you, this is the first time I’ve liked a girl like this in a pretty long time so I just don’t-“

His sentence is cut off by the feeling of your hands grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling his lips onto yours 

Oh

Oh this is nice

You slotted yourself in between his legs and slide your hand over to place it on his cheek

 But Yoongi isn’t really responding

in his shock he just kind of sits there unmoving

It isn’t until you start to pull away that he realizes that oh he can’t just sit there and be kissed, he has to kiss back

His hands cup your jaw as he leans down more, deepening the kiss

This is nice 

This is really nice

The nicest kiss he’s had in a long time

Yoongi thinks he could kiss you for hours if you’d let him

God he’s already addicted and it’s only your guys first kiss

You tasted like strawberries and he could smell your sweet perfume

His fingers thread through your hair at the back of your neck and you almost moan from the feeling

Your hands run down his chest and fall to his thighs, running them up and down

Okay this is getting a little too spicy for a work environment 

You pull away tentatively, eyes still closed as you catch your breath

“Does that answer your question?”

Yoongi takes a good look at you

out of breath with shiny red lips and half open eyes

Your pretty little eyes

“Yes it does, besides the texting thing, why didn’t you text me?”

“Hey I made the last move on our date, that was on you to follow up.”

He laughed, “you’re right you’re right” and leaned his forehead against yours

You two catch your breath for a bit, just drinking in the others appearance 

“So what does this mean for us?” Yoongi asks

“I was hoping it would mean that you’d be my boyfriend.”

Yoongi hums in fake contemplation before answering

“I think I like the sound of that, of course only if you’d be okay with being my girlfriend?”

“I guarantee, I am way more than okay with that.”

A bang on the door scares the hell out of you

“Hey lovebirds, I’m glad you two finally got together but the summer school rush is about to come in and we need all hands on deck, so wrap it up!”

Jimin gives you a thumbs up through the window as he walks away

Yoongi hops off the counter, “Sorry babe, duty calls.”

“Ooooh we’re already using pet names and haven’t even been dating for five minutes.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes, “I hate you sometimes.”

You gasp and follow him out of the kitchen

“How dare you say that to your ‘babe’. I am deeply wounded.”

“Oh my god y/n.”

“You know, I was always more of a ‘sweetheart’ or a ‘baby’ type of girl.”

“I already regret agreeing to be your boyfriend.”

“I’m even okay with the occasional ‘honey’ here and there.”

Yoongi stops causing you to collide with his back

Ouch that kinda hurt your nose

You glare at Yoongi as he turns back around and you’re about to yell at him when he places the softest little kith on your lips

“We can continue this conversation when I’m finished with work…honey.”

Oh yeah you liked that one a lot

Unsurprisingly, not much changes in the dynamic of your relationship with Yoongi

Besides the added bonus that you get to kiss him any time you really feel like it

But he’s still an annoying (yet sometimes really shy even though he denies it) dork

And you’re still the energetic, book loving, attention grabbing girl he met way way back

 Speaking of books

Yoongi isn’t a very jealous person

He trusts you 

He is very comfortable with your relationship dynamics 

He doesn’t mind when you give your attention to the other people cause you are a human being 

So when he finds himself pouting while sitting on your couch while you read, he’s a little upset

You’ve been reading for HOURS now and haven’t been talking with him 

And, call him selfish, he wants some attention and some kisses okay?

He baby

“Y/n.”

A few seconds pass by before you answer with an uninterested “hm?”

“…pay attention to me.”

“Hm?”

He groaned, “Pay attention to me, I need some affection and I’ve been deprived of it for hours.”

You glance toward him and see a prominent pout on Yoongi’s face and oh no

He’s using his puppy dog eyes

Literally no human alive can resist those

It’s scientifically impossible 

But you just got to a really good part in your book and don’t want to stop just yet

You extend a hand toward him

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Um,,,hold it??? You big dummy???”

He takes a hold of your hand

And subsequently YANKS you toward him with NO warning what so ever

No joke, he’s a lot stronger than you thought but that also kind of hurt 

He adjusts you so your back is leaning against his chest and he has his arms wrapped around your shoulder and you kind of flush pink cause even though he was a little AGGRESSIVE  getting you into this position 

It’s really cute and romantic 

“Can I get one kiss before you go back to reading?”

You give him a little smooch and then turn back to your book 

He occasionally plants a kiss on the top of your head and plays with your hair

And even though it’s a little distracting (because who wouldn’t be distracted by the most beautiful man in the world giving you love) and you have to reread the same paragraph like seven times,

You love the domestic feeling the entire situation gives you

It makes your chest warm and paints the biggest smile on your face

He pushes your hair to the side and places a kiss behind your ear

OKAY THAT’S IT

YOU IMMEDIATELY NEED TO KISS YOUR LOVELY BOYFRIEND 

You practically throw the book onto the opposite side of the couch and climb onto Yoongi’s lap

And he’s like ‘woah woah what is happening, I mean I’m not mad about it but what is happening.’

And your domestic reading session turns into a makeout session real fast 

After like,,,15 minutes you neck is littered with marks and you probably have little bruises on your hips from how tiGHT yoongi was gripping on

You pull away to catch your breath and just admire Yoongi

“Hi there.”

“Hi.” He smiles he’s CUTE ASS gummy smile

And you press your forehead against his and just twirl his hair in you fingers and it’s just a blissful moment

“Soooo, do you wanna keep making out?”

God he’s an idiot 

But you go back to making out anyway

You end up riding him on the couch and I oop-

You thought he couldn’t get any pretty but you were so wrong

He looks ethereal falling apart underneath you and small moans fall from his swollen lips and it’s just perfect 

“Fuck, I love you.”

Oh shit maybe you shouldn’t have said that

You stop all movement

“You love me?”

Oh god

He sounds so vulnerable and quivering 

Partly because he was just about to bust the fattest nut lol

But also you loved him back

“I mean yeah,,,I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 By the time you’re finished you swear you could pass out

Yoongi really had his way with you lol

On the occasional visit that you make to Yoongi’s house, you beg him to play the piano for you

Usually he’s persuaded by a few smooches and plays 

You sit on the armchair close to the piano and watch 

He always gets so into it, you can tell that music means a lot to him

When you know a song he’s playing you hum along to yourself, making sure he can’t hear

That doesn’t last for long 

Yoongi is in the middle of playing when he notices 

Are you??

Are you singing along??

His hands stop moving and he turns to look at you

“Are you singing the song I’m playing?”

“Psssh whaaat? No, who would do that? I think you’re hearing things.”

“No I definitely heard you.”

“Maybe you should schedule a doctors appointment, there might be something wrong with your ears.”

He sighs

Fine

Two can play at that game

“I’m not playing until you come over here and sing to me.”

Damn it

Damn it you didn’t want to sing but you really wanted him to play 

“Promise you won’t make fun of me?”

His eyes soften as he hears your meek little reply

“Of course not.”

You end up caving and standing next to the piano and singing

And Yoongi looks at you like you had created the universe, full of love 

Daw you’re blushing 

You’re not the only one in the relationship that appreciates the others talent

“Yoongi I already told you a thousand times, I mostly paint landscapes and not people. If I tried it would probably come out all wonky.”

“Pleaassee, can you just try? I promise I’ll love it even if it’s ugly.”

“HEY.”

“Which it won’t be!!” He pulls his chair so he’s sitting across from you

“Have at it Picasso, draw me like one of your French girls.”

You snort, “that was disgusting.”

You grab a mini canvas and some paint 

Here goes nothing

You can’t deny it, you liked staring at yoongi for an hour while you drew and painted

He was quite the looker

Damn you got lucky

And Yoongi liked watching you while you painted

Your brows furrow and your lips purse, you were so concentrated 

Ugh the cutest

After an hour you place you brushes down 

“Okay, it’s done.”

You slowly hand the painting over to him

It’s nerve wracking

You know he’ll say he loves it but will he actually???

A slightly cartoonish but beautiful version of himself stares up at him

It was amazing

Truly it was

“I love it.”

And you could tell he was being sincere about it

Of course you still visited Scoopies, honestly more often than you used to

You still sat at the same stool and kept casual conversation with Yoongi while he worked

But the break room

That’s where shit went down

It was kind of like your designated makeout spot

Since only two or three people worked at a time, no one’s breaks lined up so you had the room alone >:)))

Oh the sexual escapades that room has seen

You were currently sat on the table while Yoongi stood between your legs 

And his hands were slowly creeping in closer on your thighs

Oh ho hooo boi

It was getting hot in here 

Your hands roam his chest and find their way back into his hair

Giving it a little tug, Yoongi lets out a moan into your mouth

His hands run up your back and start to unclasp your bra

“You guys are literally feral oh my god try and keep it in your pants.”

You don’t see Jimin’s face but you see his hair bob into the kitchen and toward the freezer

Whoops

You start giggling and that sets Yoongi off too

You’re eventually crying with laughter and  leaning into Yoongi’s neck trying to calm down

Sometimes you think about the future

And it’s a terrifying thing

Summer can’t last forever you know that

Eventually you’ll have to go back to classes at uni

Even though your universities are only 20 minutes away, you afraid about how much time school will take up

With tests

And finals

And projects

And presentations and finding actual stable jobs for both of you

Yoongi grabs your hand without even looking away from the movie your watching

He chose Ratatouille

A man with taste

It’s like he read your mind 

He could practically feel the anxiety radiating off your body and he understood 

He pulls you in, tucking you underneath his arm and pressing a delicate kiss to your cheek

“Hey.” You glance up at him and respond, “Hi.”

“Did you know I love you?”

Your heart stutters every time you hear him say those simple words

“Yes I do. Did you know I love you back?”

He kisses your temple and whispers in your ear, “I do. Always remember that I love you okay?”

Scoopies feels like a second home now as you walk through the familiar double doors 

You wave at Jimin and he gives you a smile and a nod as he finishes cleaning the display

You plop down on your stool

Two scoops of strawberry ice cream slide in front of you

Yoongi smiles at you, “It cost two kisses, three of your feeling generous and want to tip.”

And you were definitely feeling generous 

Yoongi has to walk to the bathroom and wipe off the lipstick marks that covered his cheeks and neck

Oops ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[sigritandtheelves]

Drown

Rating: Teen/Mature Tags: Angst, Emily Arc, Per Manum

Stare into the void of season 5’s reproduction arc with me. Brought to you by cramps and seasonal depression in this miserable heatwave. This is for @kateyes224 who wanted me to share the pain. CW for all the reproductive traumas associated w/this arc (child death, miscarriage, infertility, etc.). Yikes.

_+_

There had only been the briefest of windows, and he had missed his chance, of that he was sure. At first there were waves of relief so strong he couldn’t feel the ground beneath his feet: she’ll live, she’ll live, she’ll live pulsing in his veins with each beat of his heart. It was enough; it would be enough; it should be enough, he told himself, and then he sobbed into a bloody photograph of the long-gone happiness of his childhood and realized that it wasn’t. There was always more more more he had to do, and now that she wouldn’t die, he’d have the strength to do it.

He watches her open to him. He watches her fill back up with life, with a joy he hasn’t seen since their early days, and he feels her press closer to him with that openness. Here is Life, and she is going to live it. Here is Scully’s love, and he turns away.

She brings him wine and cheese.

He runs.

She makes a sex joke and sings him to sleep, and the next day they drive home as if nothing has happened.

Later, he dreams about dancing with her at a Cher concert—in a bar, of all places. In the dream he pulls her body flush against his and he smiles at her with a depth of knowing and with the absurdity of their circumstances and most of all with love, while they hold hands to hearts in the smoky room. But when he wakes, he is sweating as if it were a nightmare. He is hard as a rock in his pajama bottoms.

She senses his rejection, after a while, and starts to pull back. Her feet touch the ground again, as his did too soon, and she remembers that although life is a gift, it is terribly, terribly hard.

They work; they smile; he flirts, but she stops flirting back. And then she goes to visit her family for Christmas and the window slams shut.

_+_

“I think I’d like to be alone,” she whispered, and he felt it happen, the snick of the door to her heart as it closed to him. She heard him step away and sighed in relief when he was gone. She would let herself have this, and nothing else. She would kiss the sweaty forehead of her dying daughter, hold the chubby hand that was the weight of everything she would never have, and send this baby, with all her others, into the darkness of unlife alone. Dana Scully felt rebuked for opening herself to even the merest possibility of motherhood, and to the possibility of love as well. She’d regained a chance at life: how dare she ask for more?

Just an hour after Emily slipped away, she got a call from her mother: Tara was in labor. Death for life, she supposed. Scully signed some papers, dialed Mulder’s number, and wandered to meet him with too-dry, salt-crusted eyes. She felt like the cold hand of the undead, brought back from the edge of the grave, but scooped empty of life, reeking of sterility and gunmetal and blood.

Mulder touched her arm, but she barely felt it.

“Will you take me back?” Her voice: flat.

“Yeah,” he said. “Scully, I—“

But he was stopped by the sharp look in her eyes: she would take no comfort now. He dropped her at her brother’s house and returned to his motel where he cried for her, the first time in this new year. Inside Bill’s living room, alone again, she stared at the Christmas tree lights until they blurred and became a white wall of fire. She wanted it to burn her, but instead she fell into cold sleep. When she woke she was an aunt, but no longer a mother.

---

He brought flowers and kind words to the funeral that Scully felt was something of a burden on her family. Perhaps they thought she was selfish for arranging it when they had so much to celebrate. Who was she, who had barely known this child and had given away her heart so quickly, to demand this ritual? They planned a christening; she planned a funeral. But Mulder, who mourned all lost little girls so fully and selflessly, understood. He may never forgive her for being so ready to leave him, but he understood her need to grieve. Scully wondered if this might be what a miscarriage felt like—to grasp so briefly, so fiercely, to a hope for the future, and then to have it ripped away. She would never have the chance to know, she thought, to confirm the comparison.

Back at her brother’s house, there were casseroles, brownies, a Jell-O mold. Scully thought, morbidly, that they should have had the christening on the same day and made it a twofer. She ate nothing, but knocked back enough of Bill’s good scotch that her stomach burned and she finally felt warm. Mulder hovered in the corner looking constipated. She sat on the couch getting drunker and accepting half-hearted declarations of sympathy until she couldn’t take it any more.

She stood too fast and the room spun, but Mulder was at her elbow in a second.

“I wanna go home, Mulder,” she said into his bicep, where her face had landed.

Into her ear, quietly, “Do you need to go up and lie down?”

She shook her head, red hair rubbing, static-clinging to the front of his suit. “No,” she said. “I want to go all the way home.”

“Can you pack your bags?”

“Already packed.”

“Okay. I’ll get them. Will you be okay here?”

She shrugged and tried to get ahold of herself. She combed fingers through her hair and watched the room dip and sway around her. Maggie’s eyes found hers across the room, and Scully looked away in half-shame.

“Dana, are you alright?” Her mother had somehow appeared at her side, looking concerned.

“I’m fine, mom. I just… I need to go.” Mulder descended the stairs with her bags and tucked them in the entryway before walking over to the two women.

“You’re not going to say goodbye to Bill and Tara?” Maggie asked.

As if remembering them suddenly, Scully looked around the room. But then the thought of their new-parent-tired faces and the soft skin of their perfect infant made her dizzy, slightly nauseated. “I can’t right now.”

She was spinning again, and Mulder reached out to hold her steady. Maggie glared at him. “You take care of her, Fox.”

He nodded. “I will.”

In the car, her head lolled and tears ran down her cheeks. He’d never seen her drunk before: not the stoic inebriation of her brother’s house, and certainly not this weepy version that spoke of her own fears and crushed his heart like glass under a boot-heel.

“It’s not me, Mulder. I’m not like them. It’s not for me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I can’t do it. I’m all wrong for it. My hands are for dead things, not for babies.”

“Scully…”

“You were right. You were right. It’s not mean to be. I can’t go to brunch and laugh at empty jokes and buy onesies and pretend I don’t know what a corpse smells like. I felt like a fucking monster in that house, Mulder. Like the goddamned angel of death,” and a sob slipped out after her last words.

His jaw clenched and unclenched as he drove. He had no idea what to say, so he let his hand rest on her black-clad knee. She was all the light he knew, but he had still tainted her with darkness like a bottle of spilled ink.

“Maybe I don’t deserve it,” she said, almost under her breath. He felt his stomach muscles clench, as if he’d been punched, and a rage flow through him at the world, at himself for the part he played, for making Dana Scully ever ever doubt herself. But he said nothing, just drove them back to the motel.

---

Scully threw up into a trashcan and then collapsed onto his motel bed. Mulder took the bin away and came back with a glass of water and a wet washcloth. He sat in the nook created by her bent knees and ran a hand over her back. She sat, dabbed her face and lips with cool terrycloth that felt rough and good. She drank all of the water, knowing how much she’d need it. After a minute, when the room had slowed its spin, she tucked herself up against the pillows again. Mulder pulled her shoes off and draped the bed’s throw blanket over her.

“Would you have quit?” he asked, not really expecting an answer, and for a moment, he thought she’d already fallen asleep.

But then she said, “If it meant I could get even one thing back that they’d taken from me? Yes. Wouldn’t you?”

He opened his mouth to agree, but then bit it back—it would have been a lie. He wasn’t sure there was much of anything that could make him quit.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. They never would have let me have her.” Her voice was tired, too exhausted for hope and for pointless speculation. Mulder took his things to the bathroom and changed out of his suit. He eyed the empty space on the bed, but took the armchair instead to work. Her voice startled him.

“You should have told me.”

“What?”

“You knew something. You knew what they’d done and why.”

The ova. The Crawford clones with red hair. Bodies in green tanks. They’re our mothers. Shame gripped at his guts. “No, not why. Not really,” he said.

“You said you knew there were children. My children. It’s my body they violated, Mulder. My future. My life they ruined.” He couldn’t see her face, but he could hear the tears in her words. And the quiet rage. “You didn’t have the right to keep that from me.”

He had that same terrible impulse he’d had after the Jerse case, to tell her that it was his life too, but he knew he’d lost any right to that claim. So he just said, “I know,” and waited for her to fall asleep. He swallowed back his further omission: the little vial in a Fairfax cold storage facility marked Scully, Dana Katherine. When her breathing slowed, he dialed the airline and booked their flight back to Washington.

_+_

Two weeks later, after they’ve rescued a pair of teenagers from the Michigan mud, he confesses everything into the basement elevator while she stares on, incredulous. She takes a vacation, and he’s sure it’s a dry-run for leaving him. He can’t help his desperate flirting, his selfish need to throw everything he can at the possibility of making her stay. But for her, each joke is like a swallowed needle, a stab wound from the inside. Two weeks after that, she invites him to lunch where he’s sure she’ll break the terrible news of her departure, but instead she does something different, but which amounts to roughly the same thing: she asks him to father her child. Her fingers tremble over a Cesar salad and she pretends there are other options, other possible donors, so she can swallow any bites at all. If she can’t have him, perhaps she can have his child. If she can’t have his child, she’ll have no child at all.

He’s so fucking selfish that he wants to say no. He wants to hold her to him like the deflating life raft of a drowning man; the harder he squeezes the more she slips away. But he remembers the tears in his rental car, her mumbled Maybe I don’t deserve it, and he hates himself into saying yes. A baby will split them apart, he thinks, but he jerks off into a plastic cup while remembering the sound of her “Oh God”s as she watched a genocidal inferno unfold in her stolen memory—and he hates himself more.

She listens to another woman call him Fox while she waits to learn if she’s carrying his child. Then she loses her last chance in a wash of blood, and the X-files burn.

They stand in dripping ruin, in the fumes of hot metal and sodium bicarbonate where her uterine walls clench violently in disgrace, and they are both of them suddenly futureless.

-end-

All I can say is… sorry? It feels like there could be more to this, though, so maybe I’ll make it better in a follow-up. Playing with tense shifts a little bit here—hope it worked out.

[honeyparker]

heatwave — t.h.

summary: of course, tom, an aspiring actor, who just happened to be just as broke as you, seemed to be your only friend. so, you two took the reasonable steps to save money — move in together. what a mess you’d gotten yourself into.

a/n: part three of my 2K au celebration. roommate!tom!! check out my masterlist for football!peter and soulmate!peter !!

masterlist

Being poor was, ironically, one of the best things to happen to you, weirdly enough.

You had just graduated university, a clean and fresh soul, ready to face the world and the hardships of life as an adult, all alone in the big city.

Alright, so maybe all alone was an exaggeration.

You still had Tom, although even more than before.

Of course, Tom, an aspiring actor, who just happened to be just as broke as you, seemed to be your only friend. So, you two took the reasonable steps to save money — move in together. What a mess you’d gotten yourself into.

“I swear to Jesus fucking Christ, Tom, turn the goddamn AC on!”

“It is on, Y/N/N!”

You pull the door to the freezer open. “This is what we get for staying in New York, huh?”

“Take what you get,” shrugs Tom. It amuses you how he could be so calm when you know how much he hates warm weather.

Tom’s never been one for heat, but then again, he’s never been one to live with a roommate, or in New York, for that matter. And Tom knows he wouldn’t still be here in the sweltering heat of the city if you didn’t convince him to stay, if you didn’t beg him.

You turn your head to the door as the bell rings obnoxiously. “Who is that?”

“Harrison. Said he’d bring a fan over,” he responds over his shoulder.

“Good,” you quip before closing the freezer door. “Maybe you’ll put a shirt on, then.”

“You love it, and you know it. Don’t lie to me.”

“Just because you have abs, doesn’t mean you can walk around our shared apartment half naked,” your voice comes out teasing and playful. You’d never admit that you really didn’t want him to put a shirt on, in truth. At least to Tom, you wouldn’t.

You’re not quite sure where you and Tom stand. You’ve been so many things to each other, so many different people and so many different roles.

Strangers.

“I’m sorry... do you have any idea where Glockson’s class is? British Literature?” A light tap on a stranger’s shoulder. A shy and tender voice.

And then the stranger turns around. Long lashes, sharp jaw, and soft brown eyes that put a puppy’s to shame. You try to keep yourself from melting on the spot.

And his voice completely foils your efforts. “I’m going there, too. Or at least, supposed to be. This campus is huge, huh?”

A small smile. Pink cheeks.

Friends.

“I cannot believe that you really thought it was a good idea to go out with Casey from the basketball team! Really, Y/N?” Tom teases.

You hug your pillow close to your chest. “I get it. I’m stupid and naive and thought that maybe the one boy that maybe have actually fucking liked me wasn’t an asshole!”

You’re not sure why you’re so mad. It’s not like you like a deep, emotional connection with the random boy from your mathematics class. And it’s not like he wasn’t just a distraction. It’s not like you loved him. You just wish you could’ve.

You lean your head on his shoulder. “Why can’t someone just love me, Tommy? Just this once?”

His hand moves up to your hair. “Someone will. And for now, well, I do.”

“You’re the best, Tommy.”

A grin takes over his face. “Yeah, I know.”

Colleagues.

“Are you kidding?” He asks as you walk into the room. “You too?” Tom points at your apron.

“Aw, look at us! Two broke ass college students, making it work!” You pinch his cheek.

Tom swats your hand away. “Y/N, we’re baristas. Am I a barista, too? Baristo? Whatever,” he shakes his hands in front of his face. “We’re minimum wage workers. We’re not exactly, making it work, per se.”

“Shut it, Tom. Stop being such a pessimist.”

“My bad.”

“Makin it work, Tommy!”

And now, roommates.

“Harrison, I swear,” he whispers when he walks into your apartment. “I’m literally going to pass out.”

“From the heat, or Y/N’s outfit?”

“Shut up, Harrison!”

It’s weird, the way Tom sees you now. He’s always seen you as a friend, as a classmate, and someone he could talk to about anything. About girls, about homework, about anything and everything he needed to. He’s always seen you as a confidant. Perhaps now he needs a new confidant, to talk about you. Harrison.

“How does she look so pretty eating a fucking popsicle? A popsicle!” He throws his hands in the air angrily. “Haz, how is this fair?”

“Hey, who knows? Maybe if you’re nice, she’ll let you lick her pop...” He winks.

“Shut up!”

He watches as you begin to sit up and walk over. “Fellas, what are you talking about?”

“Nothing!” Tom.

“Farming!” Harrison.

“Alright, so don’t tell me. Cool.” You move your hands to the side. “Scooch, Tom.”

“Yes ma’am.” He puts his hands up in surrender.

Harrison glances back at the clock. “Anyway, I gotta go. You can bring the fan by later, I got one at my place too. Bye, guys!”

The door shuts softly and it’s just the two of you and the sweltering heat, once again.

You’ve never really taken the time to truly take in Tom. You’ve seen him in glances, in steady conversations and midnight riots. Never in the heat, never this closely.

The curve of his lashes, how they’re darker than his hair. The slope of his nose, broken more than once, a little bumpy now. The angle of his jaw, sharp when he’s stressed. And the hair on his head — chocolate and messy. A perfect kind of messy.

And even with his heated breathing and sweaty forehead, even with every imperfection you can find on it, albeit, there’s not really that many, if any, you search and search but cannot find a reason not to be in love with Tom Holland.

And so, you do the only thing you know how to do. Tease.

“So, you wanna lick my pop, huh?”

[bo0fs]

Event Horizon

“Oh thank god you’re here.”

Michael’s mother pulled him through the doorway into a tight embrace.

“We kept calling but the phone are down… We didn’t know if you were coming or not.” She mumbled into the crook of his arm.

“I’m really glad to be here Mom,” he said, “It’s good to see you.” He pulled away and looked at the familiar apartment. It still smelled like cedar. Calming. He squinted, and a bead of sweat ran into his eye.

“Goddamn, it’s just as hot in here as it is out there.” The thermostat read a steady 86 degrees. Perfect beach weather, if it weren’t January in Chicago.

“No Lord’s name in my house, swear jar!” she yelled after him as he wandered into the living room, chaining the bolts behind them.

He pulled out his wallet and smiled. The dollar bills grinned at him as he emptied all seven into an old Hunt’s can atop the faux mantelpiece. Money didn’t really matter anymore. The world was ending.

—————————————————————

It had been happening for months now. Russian astrophysicists discovered Event Horizon in the summer, trolling through space at only half the speed of light. As large as our solar system, it was the greatest singular anomaly ever known.

Originally it was a brilliant discovery, the likes none had ever seen before. When it became apparent that Event Horizon was hurtling towards our cosmic alley, it became a danger. A month later it was confirmed that Event Horizon was on a direct path for collision with Mars, Venus, and Earth. Then it became the end.

----------------------------------------—

Michael ran his hand down the spine of the familiar couch. The only light in the dim room was the television set, snuggled between two bookcases. A news station scrolled a miserable headline, a lone reporter on set.

“Damn couch is red.” Matthew muttered.

His mother walked into the room after him, picking up the remote.

“It’s orange, and I’ll hold to that until the day I die. Stop cursing.”

“Sorry,” he apologized. “What’s that on the TV?”

“Only channel they have running, would you believe that? End of the world and nobody wants to show up to work!”

He considered the footer, a small red clock with less than an hour left to it.

“That’s not funny mom.”

Her palm rested on her temple, other hand flicking the remote’s power button.

“Right now I’d think just about anything is.”

----------------------------------------—

People tried to hold on once it became official; two months left. Leaders promised a future for mankind. The most intelligent, most dedicated, most brilliant minds sourced from across the world; at their disposal the limitless resources of humanity, acceptance of any level of sacrifice, and the full support of the world.

After two weeks of debating, theories, and data only two things were definite. Event Horizon could not be stopped, but it would not be our end. The heatwave would burn the entire world when it broke atmosphere, long before collision.

----------------------------------------—

The remains of an enormous dinner lay scattered on the table, surrounded by dirty cutlery and dishes.

“You guys went ahead and ate without me?” He called, lifting a fork and playing it on his fingers.

She answered from the kitchen doorway, closer than he had expected. Last time he was here there was a squeaky tile floor. Now, plush carpet.

“Well I told you we didn’t know if you were coming or not.”

She shook her head at the mess. “Look at what they did to my nice dishes, those men.”

He laughed, and searched the room, his eyes falling on the coat rack against the far wall. He recognized his older brother’s patchwork windbreaker next to his father’s blazer.

“Judging by how quiet things are, I’d say they already left?”

She pulled her arms closer around her, leaning there in the doorway. She didn’t seem as strong as he’d always remembered her. Smaller somehow.

“Yeah Mikey, they left.”

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

It wasn’t until the last three weeks that things truly went to hell. It suddenly struck, what was the point of it all? Working, living, maintaining, correcting? For the first time in history, all humanity was truly equal. Where was the meaning in anything when everyone shared the same ticking clock?

Violence flared as the world flew out of control. Governments toppled and nations collided, calls for stability and peace ignored. In a week, the world was unrecognizable. The streets of every city was debauchery, madness, evil. There was no order, no peace. Nothing mattered anymore, it was all finally over.

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

His mother didn’t follow as he crept towards the bedroom door, she turned and started gathering the used dishes in her arms.

Michael slid softly over the new carpet. He put his fingers slowly through the door’s small gap and pushed inwards, creeping into the room. The curtains were drawn, but the red hazy light still broke through to silhouette the three figures laying under the lace sheet.

At the sight he took a quick breath. This was stupid, being so tentative. They were already gone, she’d said so.

There under those sheets, two figures lay against one between them. His father, his brother, and his brother’s husband. He moved silently towards the bed, and placed a hand upon the closest one.

He rested it there, remembering the strength of the man who used to hold him. He prayed for a breath, a quick huff in greeting, even that old smoking cough he hated.

Nothing. They were all as silent as the three empty pill bottles on the bedside. Another sharp breath, and he felt tears well up like after a long yawn.

His father had forsaken his brother ever since he came home from college not with an Erica, but an Eric. It was all wrong, unnatural, he said. That’s not how they had raised their boys.

Even though Michael wasn’t so sure about everything, something in him knew his father was wrong when he told his brother to never come back until he could be normal. Or when he screamed as they left and smashed the family clock. Told Michael that if he came back from college like that, he’d be gone too.

His mother had just cried. She always said they’d make amends. Just one phone call. One visit. Both refused.

The floor felt warm as Michael knelt by the bed, careful not to disturb the sheets.

“I’m glad you guys made up” he whispered, outstretching his thumb to caress. A mocking tear wetted his eye.

There under the sheets they were just three people who had braved the darkness together. He didn’t feel angry that they’d gone ahead without him. Just a slight regret at not having been there to see the two lay down, whole again.

The sound of running water almost covered his mother’s voice.

“Come in here and help me with these dishes Mike.”

He stood up and walked to the door. Turning one last time upon the threshold, he breathed goodbye, then shut the door behind him.

—————————————————————

Ninety-one degrees.

The soapy water was warm against Michaels’s hands, turning them the same shade of cherry glow as the windows. When he’d come into the apartment complex everything had been a bright orange, and what looked like a second black moon hovered on the horizon. Now the air was nothing but burnt red as Event Horizon forced its image on a quarter of the sky.

“Now, how is Leila?” His mother said as she passed him a dish. She was always direct when it came to his love life, she’d known every girl he’d dated since high school. He turned a plate over, slowly drying the slippery china.

“We uhhh, sorta- we…”

“We -uh sorta- what Michael?”

“We uh aren’t seeing each other anymore, didn’t work out.” He mumbled. “Ya know, with everything going on.”

“Oh, love.” She shook her head admonishingly. “I thought that would happen… Love isn’t what it used to be.”

Another dish changed hands.

“Why aren’t you with yours?” One direct question for another.

She smiled and rinsed a crystal glass.

“I knew one of my boys was still on his way, I just had a feeling. Your father understood.”

He reached out to accept it from her, welcoming it into the drying rag. She loved these, more than anything else she owned. He had dropped one as a teen and could still remember the horrible, bitter feeling when she cried over it. They meant the world to her and he swore to himself it would never happen again. True to his word, they had survived many washes.

So when the glass fell from his palm, slipping its way through his grasp to the shattering floor, it shocked them both. Staring at the crystalline rift at his feet, he noticed a small prick of blood on her ankle. He looked up to her.

“Mom I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

She shook her head slowly, head hung to the glass.

“Oh dear.” Softly, slowly.

“Mom?”

“Oh dear...”

“Mom?”

She didn’t answer this time.

“MOM?”

“Yes?” She said, finally looking up to him.

“Why are we doing the dishes?”

“It’s just what we’re supposed to do.”

He almost smiled but the bitter feeling held him back.

She repeated, a tear in her eye.

“It’s just what we’re supposed to do.”

“Call me crazy, but I don’t think it really matters anymore” he spoke softly and rubbed her shoulder. “I’ll get you a bandaid.”

She nodded, her jaw firm as her head bobbed. She considered the offer for a moment, then gave it only that.

“Oh to hell with it.” She yelled as she swept a dried glass to the floor, sending the thin crystal crashing. He looked at her shocked and she only laughed and picked up another one. This one hit the wall, and before he had time to think, he joined in.

They laughed, like two best friends, as they hurled the china at the far wall, giggling like children as each one made a noise when it struck. A whirlwind of silverware volleyed the dinner table and cracked plates flew at the floor in piles. The room became a world of spinning saucers ricocheting above their heads, catching the red light and carrying their laughter. It took both of them reaching for more supply and finding none to realize it was over.

He grinned at her, but the laughter nearly died in his chest. The thermostat read ninety-five.

“What else is planned for us?”

“Lord only knows.” She said, carefully stepping over the glass and wandering to the balcony door. “Let’s sit outside, it’s so hot in here.”

“Yeah.” He followed.

—————————————————————

The pious traveled to synagogues and mosques, temples and churches. Millions seeking strength in their gods. The loving spent their moments with family, locked away with those they could meet the end with. The bloodthirsty rampaged through city streets. The lonely took the only option left to them. Event Horizon would claim them all, and soon there would be no record any of them ever existed.

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

105 Fahrenheit.

A wailing cacophony reached up to them, swelling as the wind took in a breath and dying as it exhaled. Michael sighed, it was getting unbearably hot and he fidgeted nervously. They sat on the old wooden bench his father had put together years ago, alone on the eighteenth story.

His mother laid a hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer. He leaned in and was surprised when she gently laid his shoulder on her lap. He couldn’t see her face anymore, his only focus was the ominous black taking half of the sky. But he still heard the smile in her voice.

“You’re never too old for this...” Her hands played through his hair, running up then down, back and forth. She paused for a moment.

“It’s a shame you and Leila didn’t work out, she seemed like such a nice girl.” It was spoken genuinely.

He nodded and said nothing.

“It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it? Still though, I think it’s going to be alright, everything turned out okay in the end didn’t it? You showed up.”

He nodded again.

“Don’t you pull that nodding business.”

He quietly smiled and spoke, “Yes Mom. I think it’s going to be alright.”

110 Fahrenheit.

He rolled, carefully to see her face. His shirt stuck to her, but she didn’t seem to mind as he settled in.

“Are you nervous?” she questioned, looking into his eyes.

“No.” he whispered.

She thought for a moment.

“There’s more pills in the cabinet. I won’t be mad if you go.”

He considered it for a moment. Could He do that, leave her sitting there to face the end of the world alone?

“No thanks mom. Let’s just rest here.”

115 Fahrenheit.

Michael trailed off and closed his eyes, pulling his arms to rest beneath his jawbone. His mother patted his sweaty hair down as the heavy wind whipped it up.

“Then that’s just fine Mikey. I love you.”

“I love you too mom.”

120 Fahrenheit.

Event Horizon filled the sky, a glorious trail burning the atmosphere, lights dancing miles above their heads as the air screamed in red rage.

They closed their eyes and squeezed palms.

“Mom, I lo-“

And then it was like they had never been at all.

[delkios]

(We’re Not the Same) That’s What Makes it Perfect (DCU)

ColdWave Week? More like ColdWave-featuring-titles-from-whatever-song-AJ-is-listening-to-because-they-can’t-think-up-titles-on-their-own Week. Title from Seal’s Every Time I’m With You. Playing very loosely with pre-52 comics timeline and lots of references to said comics. Title: (We're Not the Same) That's What Makes it Perfect Fandom: DCU Rating: PG-13 Word Count: 9905 In Responds to: ColdWave Week 2018: Opposites Attract Characters: Len, Mick, various appearances by Lisa, Jim Harper, Kon, Wally, Mark and James Summary: It can be a complicated business, heroes dating their rogues. In part due to a somewhat limited skill set and mostly by having spent a number of years using that same skill set to be a crook before switching sides, Cold was regulated to the lower tier heros. Which was fine by him. He didn’t care much for tangling with near-gods and cross-dimensional beings and the like. Didn’t mean he hadn’t dealt with them on occasion but he much preferred street-level crooks and organized crime to all of that. He and his sister had gotten quite good at it over the years. Even had some team-ups with other ground level heroes like Question and Argus, though the less said about that job with Detective Chimp, the better. Which was why he was surprised to get a call from Cadmus.

Despite having developed and built his cold gun- and the knowledge to utilize it to its full extent -Cold didn’t know much about science. Nor did he have any kind of connection to Supers, even a tangential one like Superboy. But he supposed he should at least see what they wanted and answered it. His initial thought upon seeing the gold helmet was Dr. Fate before the name Guardian came to him. As far as Cold knew, Guardian really didn’t leave Cadmus and there surely were other ice wielders closer to Hawaii than him. “You need something?” Cold asked, not bothering to hide reticence. “/You seem to have misplaced one of your Rogues,/” Harper said wryly. Cold blinked behind his visor. His rogues gallery wasn’t what one would call extensive and, in all honesty, most of what he had tended to be shared with Wally across the river in Central. “/Heatwave’s been showing up sporadically for almost two weeks now. None of us have been able to figure what he’s after, so I figured I should call you, see if you might have an idea./” Cold just barely held himself back from saying Heatwave’s name. His actual name. The name Cold hadn’t found out through arrest records but because Heatwave had told him with a grin that melted something in Cold’s bones just before slipping away. Fixing a scowl firmly in place, Cold said, “It’s not like I’ve got access to his day planner.” “/Considering no one in Cadmus has dealt with him before, I was hoping you’d give some insight as to his goals and general operation./” “He’s not a serial killer or anything. Probably just looking to steal something. Probably got hired by someone to do it.” Harper tried to hide his frustrated frown behind stoic professionalism. “/He’s been making himself rather visible and he’s known for working with others. Have you seen any of the other Rogues recently?/” “Yeah, they’re all accounted for.” Mostly. At least he knew the ones that had been in jail were still there. Who knew about that others. “Look, you’ll just have to figure out what he wants for yourself. That’s part of the heroing gig, ain’t it?” Harper started protesting but Cold just cut him off with, “Cold out,” before closing the line. He slouched in his seat for some time after, glaring at the blank screen. He’d been wondering why he hadn’t seen Mick around. He hadn’t called, hadn’t picked up Cold’s calls, hadn’t even left a note. And all the way in Hawaii? Something had to be up since, with McCulloch still locked up, Mick would’ve had to find other means of travel other than commercial. But what got Cold the most was that he hadn’t known about it. It wasn’t like he and Mick were connected at the hip- usually -but Mick always let him know when he was going out of state for extended periods of time. Not because Cold worried he just… liked knowing those kinds of things. “Whatever,” he eventually said to no one. “He’ll be back sooner or later.” ~*~*~*~ Cold may not be a speedster or be able to fly but his ice bridges still got him around pretty quickly and often times through means most criminals weren’t expecting. This particular crook, he saw as he came in through one of the upper windows of the bank, was bent over a number of lock boxes that had been melted open, tossing the contents into a bag. Cold groaned quietly to himself over the fact that an ass that fine was being wasted on crime. “Hands up,” he said, as if he weren’t admiring the flattering fit of a… he wasn’t entirely sure, actually. It was some sort of costume. “Play it cool until the cops get here and I won’t have to put you on ice.” The man- judging from the strong back and broad shoulders though considering he’d also met Barda Free, those really weren’t sure fire indicators -turned just enough to give Cold a sidelong look. “Captain Cold.” The voice was slightly muffled from some kind of respirator but was definitely a man’s. “Good guess,” he said sarcastically, “considering you’re robbing banks in my town.” The man sighed, turning around. Cold noted something like cables or hoses that attached from whatever was on the man’s back to some wrist mounted device and a gun holstered at his chest. “This is a disappointment.” “Yeah, getting busted usually is.” “I mean you,” he said, tone conversational but bored. “Giving up your freedom to be a lapdog for a bunch of capes.” He heard sirens and tires screeching. Good, they were right on time. “Buddy, if you knew anything about me you’d know the amount I care about your opinion is in the negatives.” The man huffed, eyes crinkling behind his goggles. “I do know one thing: you ain’t hot shit.” The man’s arm dropped, shooting something from his wrist but Cold was prepared, firing off a wide cold beam. Instead of freezing, losing momentum and dropping to the ground like he was expecting, though, a foam-like substance- regular fire suppression foam, he’d find out later -splattered against him, blinding him long enough for the man to run by. Instead of taking the time to wipe the foam off, Cold just pulled off his visor, just in time to see the man use his gun to send a jet of fire toward the ceiling, setting off the sprinklers, then turning that flamethrower toward the oncoming police in a wide, sweeping motion. More to get them out of his way than to hurt them. Firing a cold beam into the water ran the risk of injuring the officers with countless dagger-sharp icicles and Cold struggled with his childhood distaste for the police before he pointed his gun away and gave chase, cursing all the way. There was an explosion when he reached the doors that knocked him off his feet. One of the police cruiser engines was on fire, its bonnet rocking on the ground some twenty feet away. By the time Cold got back on his feet and bridged himself high enough to look over the gathering crowd, the man was gone. ~*~*~*~ Lisa was standing in the doorway, tapping her foot in irritation. “What?” Cold asked, bristling slightly. Not because she was annoyed at him but because he already knew what she was annoyed by and very much did not want to get into that conversation with her. “You’re being dumb,” she said simply. “About what?” “About the fact that Mick is in Hawaii.” “Is he? Didn’t know.” Cold wasn’t particularly good at lying, especially to Lisa, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. “Right. You just asked Linda if she heard of any supervillain activity going on in Hawaii where he just so happens to be right now.” She tilted her head to the side, hair slipping over her shoulder. “You haven’t been looking at your phone.” “I often don’t look at my phone. I’m not like Walker.” “It’s the way you haven’t been looking at it.” Cold shot her a look and Lisa rolled her eyes. “You’ve been looking like you want to pick it up but then force yourself not to. You’re very deliberately not looking at your phone.” She pressed her lips together, expression turning vaguely sympathetic. “Did you two get into another fight?” “No,” Cold said bitterly. Then, before he could stop himself, “That’s the entire damn problem! He’s giving me the cold shoulder and I don’t know why!” He jabbed a finger in Lisa’s direction. “Shut up, not every cold-related turn of phrase is a goddamn pun.” Deciding to be lenient, Lisa didn’t press her brother to put a coin in the pun jar- only applicable outside of superhero fights, she wasn’t a monster after all. “Have you thought of going to see him?” “Why?” He crossed his arms, slouching down and pretending to be enthralled in whatever was on the television. “He’ll be back whenever he’s done doing whatever he’s doing.” “Are you sure? Because he’s been there for three weeks now and no one’s heard of any activity on any of the islands.” She came over quietly, rubbing her hand over Cold’s shoulder. “Lenny, if he’s really mad enough to drop all contact with you for close to a month, he might not come back on his own.” Cold just sank down further until he was out from under Lisa’s touch. “Not my problem if he doesn’t want to talk about it.” She snorted at that. “Right. Because you’re so good about talking about feelings.” ~*~*~*~ Ever since Heatwave came onto the scene the fans and groupies very quickly pegged him as Cold’s rival, perfect opposites in all things, their fights talked about like some championship bout. Honestly Cold found it all rather annoying. On the other hand he had to agree that whenever he and Heatwave went head to head, it was pretty even odds for who would come out the victor. In just about every aspect they were either fairly equal or perfect opposites so that every strength was negated. The only real edge Cold had over Heatwave was the fact that he had Lisa on his side. Which, seeing as she was dodging boomerangs while Cold was fighting fire, looked like that may no longer be the case. Cold and Heatwave crashed across the office lobby, both using their weapons sparingly to keep the building from coming down on top of them- or their partners, wherever they may be. Didn’t stop the lobby from being filled with steam, ice patches and scorch marks peppering the place. Most people, due to the cold gun being a ranged or area of effect weapon depending on how Cold used it, didn’t think he was a capable hand to hand fighter. Sure, he wouldn’t be much of a warm up for any of the Birds of Prey but against someone that didn’t have ‘master martial artist’ in their wheelhouse, he was no pushover. Unfortunately the same could be said about Heatwave. Heatwave was the bigger of the two in terms of breadth and weight and he hit with the force of a sledgehammer. Cold, on the other hand, had maneuverability and endurance on his side. As they grappled together, Cold had no idea who would come out on top until the fight was over. They slammed into a wall, each with a grip on the other’s wrist that held their weapon of choice. With his options limited, Heatwave pressed against Cold’s chest, seemingly intent on crushing him between the wall and his own body. Despite the strain, Heatwave’s lips pulled back into a grin. “So much for stopping me cold.” Cold didn’t even try to keep from grinning back. “Not like you’re too hot for me to handle.” If he were honest, he liked fighting Heatwave most out of his Rogues if not just for the fact that the man would actually banter with him. Weather Wizard’s preference for storms made talking difficult, Kadabra was too pompous for Cold’s patience never minding the fact he was too dangerous to humor, the combination of Boomerang’s accent and colloquialisms made him difficult to understand and the new Mirror Master was even worse. The only other ones he could trade quips with were Trickster, who straddled the line between entertaining and annoying, and Piper, who was trying to go straight-ish. And, no matter how hard Lisa tried to convince him that puns were neither funny nor cool- he was convinced she was just jealous because her gimmick didn’t give her as many opportunities -Cold loved them. He grew up reading his grandfather’s pulp magazines, puns and wordplay were what people did back then. So he felt pretty justified in tossing them right back whenever Heatwave threw one out. “I dunno. The last two time we clashed, I managed to get away. Seems to me like I’m on a hot streak.” “We’ll see how you feel when you’re cooling your heels in Iron Heights again.” Heatwave’s grin grew into an outright smile and Cold had to slide his gaze away. Heatwave was unfairly hot and that wasn’t just for the pun. He was attractive and fun to banter with and was thoughtful and considerate on the rare occasions they actually had a conversation. It wasn’t at all helped that Cold had very few friends in or out of the hero business and even less opportunities to get as close to someone as he currently was with Heatwave. If he didn’t get out of this quick, Cold was going to be in a trouble other than mortal peril. Gathering his strength, Cold heaved, trying to find some kind of leverage and- -his foot slid back, letting his legs fall open a little wider and- -Heatwave reflexively moved into that space, pressing Cold harder into the wall and- Suddenly they were hip to hip, pressed tightly against each other and Cold’s breath caught in his throat and Heatwave growled low enough it reverberated through Cold’s body and suddenly all that tension just spilled over. Suddenly they were pressed flush together, panting against each other’s mouths, and one of Cold’s hands was wrapped around Heatwave’s back pulling him in tighter. He didn’t know how long they were like that, rutting mindlessly against each other but he didn’t want it to stop. This was- fuck, he’d been dreaming about this, as much as he wanted to deny it. It was perfect. It was beautiful. Cold let out a shaky, guttural moan and Heatwave answered in kind. Then, just as suddenly as it began, Heatwave pulled away, eyes wide and mortified. Before Cold could do anything, Heatwave pulled back a fist and clocked him across the face. He’d been hit harder in his life- he’d been hit harder by Heatwave -but the suddenness of it caught him off guard and Cold hit the ground hard. “Fuck, oh god.” Heatwave stumbled back a step or two, hesitating between running and staying. “Shit, that wasn’t- it isn’t because- I didn’t- I really like-” he scrubbed a hand over his head. “Fuck!” “Hey!” Cold recognized Lisa’s voice in a daze. “Crap. Uh, sorry. Just… sorry.” Heatwave sighed and just before he put up a wall of fire Cold heard him mutter, “Dammit, why did it have to happen like this?” The curtain went up thick and hot, far enough that Cold wasn’t in any danger from it but he could still feel the heat of it. The cold discs Cold had put in Lisa’s gloves, while powerful enough to make ice bridges so she wasn’t dependent on her brother to get around, wasn’t near strong enough to take on Heatwave’s flame so she slid to a halt next to Cold. Distantly he wondered how mad Rory would be when he remembered he left the loot behind. “Lenny, are you okay? What the hell happened?” Cold got himself on an elbow, rubbing a hand over his tender jaw. “I think he likes me,” he slurred. ~*~*~*~ Cold didn’t normally work outside of Keystone, not even Central unless he was asked to help first. He figured it was only fair given he didn’t like when other heroes popped over into his city unannounced, either. So when he saw the thick plumes of smoke rising up from across the river, he turned on the police scanner just to see if it was something he should consider intervening on. The voices over the radio confirmed it was a meta fight and that Flash was engaged and Cold decided to join in because… because… well, he didn’t have an excuse yet but he would before Lisa asked him. He'd rather not have the Captain "No Chill" Cold nickname reemerging again. As useful for getting around as his ice bridges were, it was too far a distance to get there in a reasonable amount of time. So instead, Cold went to a storage closet and opened up a false panel in the floor. There was a locked box in there, keyed to his and Lisa’s genetic signature. From the box he pulled out a dusty mirror gun, one he snagged from lock-up during Scudder’s time, back when everyone- including himself -still considered Cold more thief than hero. Despite having it in his possession Cold only used it in dire emergency, not wanting to accidentally run into someone in the mirror world. If the Rogues knew he had it, they’d either try to steal it back or find a way to lock him out. It took Cold some time to find a reflective surface in the correct area and when he stepped through, he created an ice bridge so he could get an aerial view without getting in range of the battle. The first thing he thought once he got up there was that things were a mess. There were fires, ice patches, low lying storm clouds and a couple whirlwinds trying to trap a streak of lightning. It wasn’t difficult to spot Mardon in it all given it was the one calm spot in a chaotic area and that the weather wand glowed. Cold looked around, trying to spot Mick before he realized… Mardon was the only Rogue there. He’d thought- he’d hoped- but it was just Mardon. Jaw clenching so tightly his teeth creaked, Cold shot out another ice bridge, angle steep so when he slid down it, barreling into Mardon from behind, it was like being hit by a freight train. From the force with which he hit the ground, Mardon was knocked out and Cold roughly cuffed him. The only reason he did that rather than beat the unconscious man to work out his anger and frustration was the fact that he probably wouldn’t be able to stop once he started. Lightning continued to zip around, taking care of the whirlwinds and larger fires and spiriting the wand away before Wally came to a stop before Cold. “Well, thanks, I guess.” He said, hands on his hip and head tilted slightly, utterly bewildered. “Uh, why exactly did you decide to help?” “Got bored,” he snapped. “You got bored so you decided to cannonball Mardon from fifteen stories up? That’s more Glider’s style of reckless than yours.” “Working on a new aggression therapy technique.” “Yeah, I know for a fact J’onn already talked to you about taking your aggression out on criminals.” At Cold’s feet, Mardon groaned painfully and Wally’s cowl twitched in that way it did when his eyebrows jumped. “Expected him to be out longer, I’m impressed. But seriously, Cold- I know how you feel about people butting into other people’s fights.” “So I’m a hypocrite, what a surprise.” “Uh-huh.” Unconvinced, Wally’s eyes wandered around the city, as if that might offer up some insight. There were a couple groups of firefighters taking care of straggling flames that weren't dangerous enough for Wally's immediate attention. His head swiveled back to Cold. “Wait, has Heatwave not come back yet?” Cold bristled, a scathing retort ready but was derailed when Mardon, still a little groggy, blurted out with wide eyes, “Still?” Cold didn’t even make it half a step closer before Wally was there, hand lightly blocking his way. “The hell do you know about this?” Mardon scoffed. “He’s a difficult guy to piss off. If you’ve managed to do that, you really must’ve crossed the line. Even taking into account how many times you two have broken up and got back together over the years.” At the look Cold gave him, Mardon just said with a kind of importance that was at odds with his current situation, “Yeah, we noticed. We just don’t make a big deal out of it because Mick’s one of ours. We know he has our backs.” When Cold went into a full-on growl, Wally said, “Okay, you know what?” In an instant he was gone and back, sweeping Mardon away in a whirl of lightning. “Don’t feel like dealing with that right now.” “You jacked another pen from CCPD.” “What?” Wally looked down to see a pen, still smoking slightly from speed-completing Mardon’s processing forms, in his hand. “Dammit.” Again he was gone and back, this time sans pen. “Every time.” Brushing that off, Wally stood next to Cold and said lowly, “Look, Snart-” A sharply jabbed finger to the chest cut him off. “Hell no. I am not getting relationship advice from the mouthy brat I’ve watched crash and burn 90% of the relationships he’s been in since he was a teenager.” Wally didn’t look nearly as bothered by that as Cold had hoped which meant that wasn’t enough to derail the conversation. “Then take it as advice from someone that doesn’t want to see their friend crash and burn the same ways they have.” Cold ignored the way his gut twisted, not entirely unpleasantly, at the fact Wally apparently considered him a friend. “I may not know Heatwave as well as you, but he’s always been the steadfast type. If he left, he did it for a reason that’s important to him and you’re not going to find out unless you talk to him. And even if he ends it, as cruel as it may sound, it’s better that you know. It’s better than you waiting, hoping he comes back.” Cold laughed bitterly, stomping over to a reflective surface and pulling out the mirror gun again. “You say that like I’m expecting him to come back.” ~*~*~*~ In hindsight, Cold supposed he should’ve left this new Dark Flash to the other speedsters to deal with. Not that he’d actually gone out looking for the guy, but he’d been running patrols through both Central and Keystone and after how badly he beat down on Boomerang, Cold wasn’t about to let the guy stomp around his city like he owned the place. So instead Cold was the one getting stomped on. Thankfully Lisa was out on some cruise with Fire, Jade and Argent. When she got back to find he’d picked a fight with a speedster on his own, whatever pieces Dark Flash left behind, she was going to crush underfoot. Sure, it had been years since he’d fought against one- not since Barry -but he shouldn’t have been this out of practice. The guy was everywhere at once and barely seemed bothered by even an absolute zero field by stealing the speed from nearby objects. Didn’t help that the guy seemed to have a real hate-on for him, either, barely gave Cold time to catch his breath between passes. A streak of dark red and silver lightning barreled straight at him and Cold braced himself, too disoriented from the last blow to move- The world erupted into light and heat and hands were grabbing him, forcibly dragging Cold away. When he was able to see again, Cold thought he saw a figure, transparent save for a gleam where the light hit and tendrils of orange energy coiling around its insides. “Cold? Jesus- are you alright?” “Mick?” Cold gasped. Wait- his eyes hadn’t cleared up entirely, he couldn’t see who else was around. “Heatwave? What’re you doing here?” “Saving your hide apparently.” Rory said, his hands strong and firm on Cold’s arms. They were in a pitch black space save for random rectangles that spilled out light. The mirror world. Cold had been stuffed in them enough times to know it in an instant. “What the hell did you do to piss that guy off?” “I dunno. Stole his lunch money in high school or I guess.” Cold eventually got his feet under him again, walking on his own though he didn’t move away from Rory. He wiped some blood from his face and gently probed his tongue around his mouth to figure out where that blood was coming from. Didn’t feel like any teeth were missing, must have cut the inside of his cheek. “Guy refused to believe I’m a hero for some reason.” Rory snorted. “Been there.” They walked in silence for a bit until they found a mirror a good distance away from where Cold had been tangling with the Dark Flash. They stepped out of the mirror world and Cold finally asked, “Who the hell was that?” “Replicant.” “Who?” “He’s, uh, new.” Rory looked a little sheepish. “It’s not like I can tell you who he actually is other than a Rogue. And Rogues look after our own.” So he was out for blood on Boomerang’s behalf. Cold could respect that. If the Rogues had been around before Cold switched sides, he might have chosen differently. “So why’d you guys save me?” “I don’t like people touching you.” Cold gave him a look and privately enjoyed the way Rory turned red. “Your our hero, alright? Some… random jackass can’t just come along and hurt you.” “Careful, Rory,” Cold said with amusement. “I might think you care.” Rory hesitated. His mouth suddenly crooked into rakish but nervous grin. “Ah hell. I’m a thief and I’m a selfish bastard, so.” He gripped Cold by the hood, pulling him into a rough kiss, their respective eye protection clattering against each other. It was quick and sloppy and Cold was momentarily stunned when Rory let him pull back. The grin was just a faded, barely there thing on Rory’s face. Hell, it looked more like he was about to be ill and Cold realized he was probably waiting for him to say something. Cold put on a scowl- not an actual one but the pretend scowl, the one he used when trying to take in Rory, no heat behind it, just a mask and it made Rory’s grin return just a bit. “Just ‘cause you saved me doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you go after stealing a kiss.” The grin turned into a full blown smile. Rory backed away and Cold let him. “Look forward to seeing what kind of payback’ll be in store.” Rory winked, turned and walked off. Not the most impressive exit but Cold enjoyed the view until Rory tucked around a corner. Then he grabbed the sides of his hood, pulling it forward as he turned and braced his head against the wall until his giddy school-girl-smile was under control. ~*~*~*~ “/Please tell me you’re not calling about Heatwave./” Being told that in lieu of a greeting, or even a joke, had Cold snarling into the receiver. In part because he was annoyed that he was apparently that predictable. “What are you talking about?” “/You’re not fooling anyone, Cold,/” Jesse said. There was a faint whirring sound over the line like he was playing with an RC helicopter. Can’t take the Trickster out of the g-man, Cold supposed. “/I’ve heard it from Hartley. And Lisa. And Linda. And even Wally./” “Fine, whatever. What do you know?” “/In case the name dropping didn’t make it obvious, I’ve already been grilled for information. Really, you think they’d call me just to gossip?/” There was a brief pause. “/Okay, so all of them but Wally do, but still. Everything I know, they’ve already passed on to you. And don’t bother with Oracle, I know for a fact both Lisa and Wally already asked her and I also know for a fact she’s far less patient with repeatedly giving the same information./” Disappointed as to the lack of news, and not knowing what his next step now was, Cold lapsed into a petulant silence. Eventually Jesse sighed, the whirring turning off. “/Snart, have you thought how much easier things would be for everyone if you just admitted how you feel about Rory? Everyone that knows you two already figured it out./” “I don't-” “/Know what I’m talking about? C’mon, Snart. Pull the other one, it’s got an egg-grenade-laying rubber chicken on it./” “You don’t know anything about it,” Cold groused. There was barely any heat in it. Between Lisa and Piper and Linda, he’d gotten tired of trying to justify his concern. “/I know that I’ve been on the receiving end of your cold gun enough to know when you’re holding back. And I’ve worked with Mick for years. Plenty of time to notice the way you two look at each other. Also, keep in mind that Wally can run every single street in the state in under five seconds, he has absolutely accidentally run across you two getting it on in some dark alley. Multiple times. And you know he can’t keep a secret unless he knows at least one other person knows. And given that Hart’s such a good friend of mine-/” Not wanting to hear how far that particular game of telephone went, Cold hung up the phone. ~*~*~*~ Mick was out of it by the time Cold saw him. Between Girder working him over, baby Trickster dosing him up with whatever random shit Jesse left in his gear and whatever illusions McCulloch threw at him, it wasn’t surprising that he was barely coherent. Cold cursed himself. He’d had heard the rumblings of something happening in the underground channels, something big that was rippling under the entire city. But, like an idiot who thought he was on top of things, Cold hadn’t paid it any mind. And as a result he hadn’t realized when Blacksmith did not take kindly to Mick rejecting her offer to join her version of the Rogues. While Cold had been helping Cyborg and Wally free Central from the Thinker, Piper had snuck into Blacksmith’s operations, found a half-dead Mick locked away and dragged him to Cold’s apartment. “Because,” he’d explained to Cold and Lisa, “if the Rogues really want to hurt Wally, they’ll target the helpless.” Meaning hospitals and those inside them. Piper had already gone to back Wally up as he faced off with Blacksmith’s Rogues by Van Buren Bridge. Cold and Lisa would be joining them once Lisa finished making sure their gear was in order. Cold… Cold didn’t want to leave Mick’s side. “I’m sorry,” he said, hand gentle over the bruises darkening Mick’s face. “I should’ve been there. I should’ve listened, checked things out.” Something was bubbling up in Cold’s throat, something important, something he’d never be able to take back once he said it. “Just rest up,” he said tightly. “I gotta go beat in the heads of some idiots thinking they could take over my city. But I’ll be back before you know it. You won’t be alone for long.” Mick’s eyelids fluttered, lips parting to take in a deep breath before saying softly, “Goldface…” Cold leaned in close. “What?” “Goldface,” each word sounded like it took effort to say. “He’s… unions…” Mick took in a deep breath. As deep as he could with his ribs in the state they were in anyway. “Was digging dirt on Blacksmith for him. Found out her time table ‘fore I got the ultimatum.” “Heh. I get it.” Keystone had always been a working class town and while the busters would come and go, the unions never really went away. Because Keystone always protected its own and it seemed like Goldface was making sure the unions would be ready to protect its city. Even against meta-powered criminals. Good thing they had meta-powered heroes on their side. There was a reason he loved this city. “You know,” Mick said, voice almost dreamy, “I put this costume on for you.” The non-sequitur made Cold pause. “What?” “This… thing.” Mick waved a hand at himself. “All of it. Was because of you.” He didn’t know what to make of it. Was it like that thing people said, that superheroes created villains just by existing? “Why?” “Wanted to work with you. Back when you were still a criminal.” He reached out and laced his fingers with Cold’s and Cold couldn’t bring himself to pull away. “I read about what you did, what your gun could do and I thought… I could do something like that. Something similar but different. Something,” he licked his lips, the medication obviously kicking in hard, “useful. ‘N then you’d keep me around…” Mick’s eyes fell closed, words trailing off to sleep. Cold stared down at him for a long moment before lifting their joined hands, kissing Mick’s knuckles softly. “Yeah. I’ll keep you around. You don’t have to worry about that.” ~*~*~*~ Cold came back from the ice rink- he hated running with a passion but give him some ice and blades and he could go for miles -only to be forcefully manhandled into the house. “Hey- what the hell?” “Ugh! I am sick and tired of you moping!” Lisa cried, pushing her brother from one room to another. “Just go get him already! And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve been driving everyone nuts! Go to Hawaii, find Mick, apologize for whatever you did and bring him back!” Cold dug his heels in but Lisa was both strong and determined. “What makes you think I did something wrong?” “Because between the two of you, you’re the one most likely to put your foot in your mouth!” While that was probably true, that didn’t mean Cold couldn’t take insult from it. “Lise-” “Seven weeks, Lenny,” she said, expression and tone brokering no interruption. “Don’t you dare try to tell me you don’t love him. Lie all you want to Piper or Linda or whoever, but don’t you dare with me. Not about this. Not now.” Cold’s mouth moved soundlessly, trying to form up some kind of defense without making Lisa explode at him. She stopped and turned him around, her eyes soft and sympathetic in a way she rarely allowed herself to be. “Lenny, everything Dad ever told us was bullshit. He’s a hateful, hurtful little man who could only be happy pushing around those smaller than him.” She ran her hand over Cold’s face, cupping his tense jaw. “But you took all his crap and still managed to make something of your life. And I know it’s not easy- even now it’s still not easy to forget everything he’s said to us, but that voice in your head right now, the one that’s telling you not to go after Mick, that you’d be better off just forgetting how you feel about him, that’s not you. That’s Dad. And like hell am I gonna let you listen to him.” Cold laughed, chest feeling a little tight. “You, uh,” he cleared his throat, “you think Mick’ll come back?” She smiled brightly, looking every bit as golden as her name said. “He will for you.” ~*~*~*~ Cold got back to his apartment exhausted, sore and with a migraine the size and shape of Grodd’s ugly mug. He stopped short in the doorway; Mick was lounging on the sofa in one of Cold’s t-shirts and sweats, flipping through a newspaper. Normally what would be enough for Cold to forget about his bad mood to focus on something a little more interesting except that, on the stand right below the wall-mounted tv, was a fucking jewel encrusted tiara, sitting on a museum-grade cushion. “Hey, Lenny,” Mick called out, barely looking up. “How was Gorilla City?” “What. The fuck.” “That bad?” “No. What,” Cold repeated, jabbing a finger in the tiara’s direction, “the fuck. Why did you bring that into my house?” Mick looked over at the tiara, then back at Cold like it should be self-explanatory. “Hit a couple snags on my heist and I needed to lay low for a bit.” “So you brought this shit to me?” Mick sat up, a scowl beginning to work its way onto his face. “Never bothered you before.” “The hell it didn’t! You know I hate when you take advantage of the fact you know when I’m not around!” It wasn’t a new argument, just like Mick hiding out in Cold’s place whenever the heat was on wasn’t new. Still aggravated the hell out of Cold because he was trying to keep some sort of distance between their personal and professional lives, given how they were on different sides professionally speaking. This time, though, Cold was just tired. He didn’t want to deal with bullshit but here was Mick, dumping it in the middle of his goddamn living room. “You told me I could come by whenever I needed to, even if you weren’t here.” “That doesn’t mean use my place to stash your stolen goods!” Mick bristled and stood. “Do you really think it makes things any better if you don’t have to see it? Like it makes what I do any more legal if you don’t know about it?” “Don’t start that shit up again,” Cold said, pulling off his gloves and throwing them in the direction of a table. He retreated toward his bathroom but Mick was right there, face dark. “So now the discussion you started is my fault, too? Well, surprise, Snart! I’m a thief! I do illegal shit all the time! None of that changed just because you get to stick your dick in my ass sometimes!” “What about you? Did you magically forget I’m a cape? I got the good grace to look the other way on occasion but that don’t mean you can walk all over me! The least you can do is not drag me into your shit!” Mick got real red in the face and Cold knew he’d just jabbed deep into one of Mick’s issues but, at that moment, he really didn’t care. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll leave you alone since I’m just dragging you down.” If he were a smarter man, Cold would have apologized. Were he as cold as his moniker suggested, he would have just let Mick go. Instead, when Mick picked up the tiara, Cold said, “Drop it, Rory.” Mick froze and when he turned his shoulders broadened, doing a very good job of appearing bigger than he was. “You really gonna do this, Snart?” Cold’s hand didn’t go to his gun still holstered at his thigh but the way he stood made it obvious that that was a conscious decision. “You’re not going anywhere with that thing.” Mick snarled and for a brief, heart clenching moment, Cold was certain Mick was going to test him on that. Instead, Mick half turned and threw the tiara out the open window. Cold watched it sail out, stunned, and Mick stalked to the door, roughly shouldering him aside. “Go get it, hero.” ~*~*~*~ When he materialized in Cadmus, Cold was glad to find the people there to meet him were human. At least to appearances. He didn’t know much about the place asides from its love of genetic experimentation but Cold had met a couple of what they called DNAliens and, call him a speciest, they kind of freaked him out. Harper was there to give him a curt nod and, “Captain Cold.” Cold bit back a sneer. “Guardian.” He’d told Harper to keep him updated on Mick’s activities under the guise of trying to figure out his plan. Ultimately all that happened was it proved what a damn masochist Cold was, hearing about how Mick was apparently making a life for himself half a hemisphere away. Mick only showed up in costume when Superboy was out with his team, Harper was certain Mick had managed to befriend the Kid under a civilian guise. Considering he hadn’t been created with an identity to keep secret, this didn’t surprise Cold. Superboy wasn’t stupid but he had all the awareness of any other teenager: if it didn’t personally affect him and wasn’t pointed out to him, he wasn’t aware of it. But the thing that got Cold the most was how Mick had been acting around Harper. Bantering. Puns. Letting Harper get in close when his heat gun worked best at a midrange. On the occasions Mick had been forced to abandon his objective, he still went off with a grin and a promise of seeing Harper again soon. He was flirting. He was being a goddamn tease and the knowledge it was being wasted on Harper who hadn’t even noticed drove Cold mad. Not Harper's fault, Cold told himself. As if he normally listened to his own logic. Not his fault. Though Cold couldn’t help noticing the way Harper was gradually becoming more fidgety. Like there was something he was trying to edge toward as he caught Cold up on recent happenings. Never one to beat around the bush, Cold snapped out, “What?” That seemed to startle Harper and, it was a little difficult to see due to the helmet, but Cold thought he was turning slightly red. “Ah, sorry. I was going to ask, it’s probably just misinterpretation on my part-” “Just say it.” “Does, uh, is Heatwave normally very… flirty? With you?” Cold sucked in a breath and willed his fist to stay at his side. It wasn’t Harper’s fault, he told himself. He didn’t know and it sounded like it was on Mick’s part only. For now. He caught a growl in his throat and, when he thought he could talk without biting Harper’s head off, he said, “No point in wasting time. Where is he?” ~*~*~*~ He’d barely materialized on the teleporter pad when someone shouted, “Len!” and suddenly arms were crushing the breath out of him. “You’re alright.” It took a moment for Cold’s exhausted brain to place the wavering voice as Mick’s. “Thank God, I thought… I didn’t know what to think.” He sniffed loudly and muffled quietly into Cold’s shoulder, “Fuck.” It took some doing to untangle his arms from Mick’s hold but Cold manage to cup Mick’s face, pulling him back just enough to look at him, relief sinking in bone deep. “Are you okay?” Mick laughed, tears in his eyes and gripping Cold like he might disappear. “You hero types are the ones that drop like flies during these kinds of things.” He went quiet again, pushing back Cold’s hood so he could rub soothingly at the base of his neck and Cold was so tired, emotionally and physically, that he was tempted to fall asleep just from that. “There was a list. I didn’t find your name on it but… I couldn’t be sure. Everything had gone crazy. It was like… like when Scudder died.” Cold’s grip on Mick tightened. “I heard you were in that tangle in Metropolis.” Cold closed his eyes, throat knotting. The thought that he could have lost Mick- and Lisa -without even knowing about it… it made something in Cold’s chest tighten painfully. “The two of us and Hart were helping evacuate civvies. We kept away from the worst of the fighting.” Cold jerked back to find Lisa, just as dirty and worn as Mick, lounging nearby, her skates carelessly tossed aside for once. “We’re fine, too, by the way.” There was more relief than tease in her grin. “Oh, uh.” Cold’s eyes darted between his sister and Mick, whose face was again tucked against Cold’s neck. “Just kiss the man,” Lisa said. She leaned over to grab her skates. “Not like I haven’t walked in on you two doing worse.” Still, just for his own pride, Cold waited until she sauntered- more of a limp, really -out before he did just as she said. Mick sighed against his lips. “C’mon,” Cold told him. “Let’s go to bed. We can clean up in the morning.” ~*~*~ Hawaii, he decided, was overrated. It was hot and humid and apparently rained at random times. He supposed it was pretty if you liked that sort of thing, but overall it looked like everywhere else. Trees and flowers and people and buildings, just like any other city, just with different detailing. Taking Harper’s advice, Cold headed off in the direction Kon had last been seen going. There was a path off the main road that looped around the side of Cadmus, leading to a small, rarely used clearing that had become overgrown with grass and brush. Kon liked going there sometimes, when he need some place quiet to get his thoughts in order. It wasn’t difficult to get to from any direction, Harper said, it just wasn’t popular with the locals. Cold- thankfully having the foresight to wear civvies -kept along the path, grumbling to himself because did there really have to be so much damn vegetation? Then he rounded a corner to find Kon lounging on his back a good six or so feet in the air and sitting on top of a worn picnic table, paint coming off it in curls, was Mick. Now Cold would deny to his dying day that he had anything resembling a romantic bone in his body but… it was so damn good just to see Mick again. He wore a light t-shirt, shorts and a ballcap, just chatting with Kon about whatever. But seeing that easy little grin on Mick’s lips, that spark of humor in his eyes, it made a tension knot that had been sitting unknowingly in Cold’s chest ease. He knew, then and there, he was going to bring Mick back somehow. “Kid,” Cold called out as he approached, “take a fly around.” Kon looked at him, thoroughly confused. “Cold? What are you doing here? And why should I listen to you?” Constantly challenging authority, Cold always liked that about Kon. “‘Cause he’s one of mine and I need to talk to him.” He pointed at Mick in confusion. “He’s- wait, what?” “Mick Rory. Heatwave.” He stopped a few feet from the bench, ignoring Mick’s glower. “He’s mine.” Kon’s expression ran the gamut of confused to betrayed to angrily ashamed of himself. “You said your name was Rory Calhoun. Oh my god. Guardian said you’ve been popping up while I wasn’t here and I still didn’t make that connection, I’m such an idiot.” “Kid, c’mon.” Mick reached over and patted Kon’s ankle, the only that was within reach. “No one’s expecting you to remember the real names of every single costumed criminal in the world." “Ugh, I need to go be embarrassed in private.” He peeked up at Cold between his fingers. “Don’t tell Rob.” Cold scoffed. “Like I’d voluntarily tell any of the Bats anything. Imp, on the other hand...” “No, don’t tell Impulse! Everyone will know about it, even the Lanterns on Oa!” Cold chuckled. “Relax, Kid. I just need to talk to Mick. Anything more than that, I don’t really care.” Kon narrowed his eyes at Cold, still not convinced until Mick said, “It's alright, Kon. Guess I’ve held it off long enough.” For a moment it looked like Kon was still going to argue but eventually he said, “Fine. But if he gives you any trouble, just call out my name. I’ll hear you.” Then, just before leaving, he gave Cold an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture. Cold went over to the picnic table, climbing up to sit on the top with Mick, leaving ample space between them. They both stared off into the distance until Cold broke the silence first. “You’re pretty good with the Kid.” Mick just shrugged, that even expression never leaving his face. “He’s a good kid in kind of a shitty situation. It’s like the people he lives with a half babysitter, half his boss. He doesn’t really have anyone to talk to that’s not one of his friends. Can’t really get an adult’s perspective when the only adults you know are co-workers.” “So you came all the way over here to play therapist for Superboy?” Mick turned, slowly, to give Cold a hard look. “Is that really what you came here to talk about?” “Ah… no.” Cold turned his eyes back to the ground. The silence stretched brittle between them. “You’ve been gone a while.” Mick just made a flat noise. “It’s not the same without you around,” he tried. “I, uh, I missed you.” To his surprise, Mick sneered. “Don’t know why. Not like you don’t have options.” Thrown by the sudden venom, Cold pulled back a little. “What does that mean?” The silence that fell between them this time was vibrating and on the verge of snapping. This time Mick was the one that broke it. “You said you’d date Wonder Woman.” The words were so low, so petulantly muttered that Cold was certain he didn’t hear right. “What?” “You said in an interview,” Mick said louder, seething between his teeth, “that you’d date Wonder Woman.” “So?” Mick threw his hands in the air. “Right. Of course. What was I thinking. Why would you care about a side piece, right? Fuck me for having emotions.” “Wait, stop- what are you talking about?” “I’m talking about how this- us -means nothing to you!” “Who the hell said that?” “You said you’d date Wonder Woman!” “Everyone has a thing for Wonder Woman. I know for a fact that you do, too!” Cold glared, leaning into Mick’s space. “You honestly gonna tell me that you wouldn’t jump at the chance if she asked you on a date.” “That… that’s not the point!” “I said her because she’s safe! Everyone in the League is a little bit in love with her, no one would blame me or think it actually means something that I say that.” Cold scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s not like I can tell the fucking press I’m involved with one of my damn Rogues, now can I?” Mick just looked away, lips folded together and jaw clenched tight. Cold reached over and palmed Mick’s shoulder and, when he didn’t flinch away, pulled him into a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were a side piece or that I don’t care about you. I wish… fuck, I wish things were easier. I wish you came to me instead of just running off.” His own words made Cold pause. “You usually handle this sort of stuff more maturely. Moreso than me, at least. Why’s this different?” Mick pulled away, just far enough that he could brace his elbows against his knees and forehead against his hands. “I’ve been thinking. About… what I do. The kind of person I am. And that maybe I could change that. Be something other than a crook with a flamethrower. Probably wouldn’t go as far as Piper did. Maybe more… Selena’s level. Going after people that deserve it, maybe helping the capes out when they need it. Not looking to be a hero but someone… someone you can actually tell people that you care about.” Cold’s breath caught in his throat, the hand he was rubbing over Mick’s back stilling. “Wait… you were… you were going to change alliance? For me? Mick… I...” “I want to be with you,” he said quietly. “Flirting and fighting and quickies in alleys are fun but… I want more than that.” He looked up at Cold, brown eyes dark and vulnerable in a way Cold had rarely seen them before. “I want to be by your side.” Cold slide his hand down to grabbing Mick’s tightly. “Mick… I had no idea…” That would be an incredible jump to make, one that would take a lot of work and faith- and then that stupid interview happened. “Look- that interview, I was just saying what they wanted to hear. You know that’s how those are.” “I know but…” Mick swallowed hard, hands tightening around Cold’s. “I’m not used to being happy. It’s like… every time I am, something goes wrong. Usually it’s me, the fire taking control and I can’t stop it. So when I read what you said I just… I thought that that was it. The universe decided that I’d been happy with you long enough it decided to take you away.” He laughed, eyes a little wet. “It hurt so bad I didn’t want to think about it. I just… ran.” Cold surged forward, catching Mick’s lips in a harsh, searing kiss that left them both breathless. “You haven’t lost me yet,” he growled. “And I’ll fight like hell every time the universe tries to break us apart.” He stared into Mick’s eyes, intense and defiant. “But you gotta fight, too. I want to be with you. I want to be happy with you and I want to make you happy, but I can’t do it alone. Promise me. Next time you think the universe or fate or whatever is trying to take that away, you’ll fight just as hard.” Mick laughed, pulling Cold in for a bone crushing hug. “Yeah. Promise.” He breathed in deeply and Cold nuzzled against his cheek. “Take me home?” “Damn right I will. I gotta ask, though,” Cold pulled back a bit. “Why Hawaii?” Mick shrugged. “Different location, different climate, different culture. About as far as I could get from Kansas without leaving the country.” “So, uh,” he cleared his throat. “It wasn’t because you like Guardian or something?” “Eh,” Mick shrugged. “He’s alright. Definitely nice to look at but that’s about it.” “So the flirting thing…?” “Trying to distract myself from you.” Cold was oddly flattered. “Did it work?” “Nah. It was like flirting with a brick wall. Guy’s got a stick wedged too far up his ass for anything fun. Or maybe he just hates crooks that much.” Mick gave him a sly, seductive smile that ratcheted Cold’s heart up a notch. “I prefer someone that’ll give as good as they can get.” “Sounds like my kind of guy. You find someone like that, introduce me.” Mick let out a little laugh, letting Cold lean in close. “I’ll think about it.” Cold chuckled, head tilted until they were forehead to forehead. “Ugh. If I had parents I imagine this is what it would feel like watching them flirt.” They both pulled back to glare at Kon, floating above their heads on this stomach, hands folded under his chin and heels kicking idly. He couldn’t look any more comfortable than if he were on a bed. “You mind?” Cold growled. Kon just shot that disgruntled look right back at him. “What? I went for a fly around and it sounded like you two were wrapping up your conversation. Remember, this is my island, not yours. Series of islands. Whatever.” “Fine,” Mick said lightly, pushing himself off the picnic table. He reached back for Cold’s hand, tugging him along. “Since we’re not wanted, we may as well head back to Keystone.” Kon abruptly sat up, looking slightly alarmed. “It’s not that you’re not wanted. Well, Rory at least. Don’t really have strong feelings about Cold either way. But, y’know. You can come over. If you want.” Kon shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about it. “I’m sure Guardian and Dubbilex will be okay with it if you let ‘em know first.” Mick’s lips quirked upward, undeniably charmed by the teen’s awkward offer. “Honestly, I think it’ll be easier on everyone if we do it the other way around.” “Mick-” “Really?” Kon blurted out. “You don’t mind?” “I mind!” Cold interrupted and Mick just looked at him coolly. “Good thing he won’t be visiting you, then.” Cold sighed dramatically. “Fine. But none of your youth justice group gets to tag along. I get Imp zipping through every other day because he doesn’t want to deal with Flash or that old guy.” “You’re such a bleeding heart,” Mick teased fondly. “Yeah, yeah, sure.” Kon finally touched down with a sigh and crossed arms. “I’m really annoyed that you guys are together, by the way. Now I owe Booster $20.” “Why would you bet with Booster?” Cold asked, somewhat aghast. “Did no one tell you never do that?” “But it seemed like such a random pick! How was I suppose to know?” “The more random it seems, the more likely he is to be right,” Cold drawled. “You know why everyone says never to bet with Booster? ‘Cause he’s a history major from the future.” “He’s what? Oh, that little sneak!” Mick leaned in close to ask, “Are you telling me our relationship is important enough to be recorded and taught in history books?” “Well, the alternative is that bimbo figured it out on his own.” He paused. “I’m not sure which is more unlikely.” “Same.” Cold- daringly for him -wrapped an arm around Mick’s waist and began ushering him back to the labs. “Well, lesson learned, Kid. But we got places to be, can’t hang around here all day.” “For the record, I’m glad you’re not dead anymore!” Mick called over his shoulder as Kon waved them on. He leaned over to Cold. “How is he not dead anymore?” “I don’t know, I’ve just stopped being surprised whenever a dead hero randomly shows up again.”

[missmeikakuna]

Chad and the Incel Chapter 9

Rated: M

Fandom: Original Fiction (but inspired by the Virgin vs Chad meme)

Relationship type: Male/Male with a bit of Female/Female (the lesbians are adorable, btw) and unrequited Male/Female (in other words, the guys are bisexual).

Description: Chad is, well, a Chad, or at least he looks like one. He’s got his sights set on the cool nerd Becky and enlists the help of her shy incel ex-friend Noah, offering to help him get the gorgeous girl (Stacy) he desperately wants. Noah is reluctant to help, believing that he will be stuck in inceldom forever, but Chad’s interest in his life gives him hope. When their plans go awry, they start turning their romantic attention towards each other.

Content Warning: Given the subject matter, you can guess that this story has dark themes in it, such as suicide and self-harm (plus the mental health issues that often cause them), sexism, slut-shaming homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. There is also swearing and some mentions of sex but nothing too explicit (hence the M rating as opposed to an Explicit rating).

9th Post: [Venting] She’s not my friend

Chad looked up the term ‘trap’ and, amongst the discussion on how hot these anime characters were, he found some YouTube videos on why the word was offensive.

He messaged Noah on his phone, using terms he wasn’t used to using and concepts he wasn’t used to tackling.

So is this ‘trap’ thing just for crossdressing guys? Apparently people call transgenders or whatever that word. The transgenders don’t seem to like it or something like that. Do you know about this?

Noah didn’t reply, focusing on writing more posts and comments on the forum. Chad read through each post as well as some by other users and sent Noah the occasional phone message, causing Noah’s eyebrows to twitch in anger.

A lot of people are posting stuff on that forum about killing themselves. They keep mentioning ‘suicide fuel’. You okay?

Woah, someone just posted about wanting a handy from his mom. The fuck? You’re not like that, right?

Why are girl incels banned? I feel like if a dude incel and a chick incel met they could be together and stop being incels. 

Hey, why didn’t you tell me I’m annoying? And I’m not a liar about being a virgin before we did it. I swear to God.

Noah sent Chad one message before exiting the forum.

If you don’t leave me the fuck alone I’m changing my username and never talking to you ever again. 

At school over the next few days, Noah ignored the talkative Chad.

In the morning Chad said, ‘So, I watched an episode of one of those anime and it was pretty good. It was Cowboy somethingarather. Some website recommended it. I was surprised that there was a black chick in it. I thought anime characters were all white or something. Have you seen this show?’

While lining up in the cafeteria, Chad admitted, ‘I’m a little confused about this blackpill-redpill-bluepill thing. What’s the difference?’

As they walked to their lockers, Chad whispered, ‘Who runs that forum? It seems like chaos in there. People say all sorts of crazy stuff. I mean, feminists can be annoying and shit but I don’t think they’re running some kind of conspiracy to prevent you from getting girls.’

As they reached Noah’s locker, Chad added, ‘And some guy said that it’s over for guys with glasses because of genetics or whatever.’ He looked around to see if anyone was watching. ‘He’s gotta be joking! Glasses on guys?’ He hooked his finger into the collar of his own shirt, pulled the collar like he was in the middle of a heatwave and whistled as he tossed his head back.

Noah had to scowl at him for that, taking off his glasses for a moment just to spite him.

When the two were alone before homeroom one day, Chad kept trying to grab Noah’s hand but Noah kept pulling it away. 

‘What’s wrong?’ Chad asked. ‘No one’s around. And we’ve done more than hold hands.’

Noah bit his lip and looked away. ‘I thought we weren’t going to talk about that.’

‘Sorry. But I don’t know if I really want to forget it. I’ve been thinking a lot about it, actually, how you expected it to be this perfect thing. Did someone on that forum say it’s supposed to be like that? I don’t know how they would be experts on that since they’re incels. But, I mean, it was still fun, right? You said it was okay and that’s better than bad.’

‘Has anyone told you that you talk too much?’

 Chad laughed. ‘Not really. It’s just… I find it easy talking to you. Every time we talk I learn something new and it’s kind of exciting, learning about this incel thing. It’s like I’ve discovered this hidden underground village or something. I don’t know what it is about you.’

‘So you like me because I’m an incel?’

The smile on Chad’s face withered and died. ‘No. Oh my god, no way. I could listen to you talk about anything and I’d be interested. Your looks and that make for a deadly combo.’ He chuckled. ‘I think God did a great job creating you overall.’ His eyes widened. ‘Wait, uh, was that too much?’

Noah looked down at his hands, which were curled up on his lap. His eyes were shiny as if holding back tears.

‘Can you stop with the flattery? I know you’re probably great at flirting and attracting people, but do you really need to keep shoving it in my face? I get it, you’re so much more successful than I am. You’re soooo hot and you could have any femoid you want. Stop bragging and talking down to me.’

‘Sorry about that, but I’m not brag-’

‘Of course you are! You keep bringing up the goddamn forum and how shitty you think the people are on there. Stop trying to act like a damn knight who’s here to rescue me from inceldom. It’s patronising as fuck. And that thing about God making me is stupid. Do you seriously think some magic bearded dude in space made me? Bullshit.’

‘Oh, right, you’re an atheist. Sorry. I kind of forgot. Not that I forget other things about you! I remember a lot.’ Chad paused to collect his thoughts before spouting anything he’d regret. ‘I guess I’m kind of a Christian, though I don’t really go to Church much.’

‘Christian, huh? That explains why you’re so stupid.’

Chad stood up, his chair making an ear-piercing squeak as it was pushed backwards.

‘Hey, that’s not fair!’ He leaned down until he and Noah were the length of a nose apart. ‘Didn’t you hear what I said? Yeah, I believe in some higher power but I’m not some Bible-thumping crazy or anything like that!’

‘Really? I bet when everyone comes through this door you’ll get out of my face and act like you’re not interested in me, like a good Christian boy.’

As soon as he said that, several students entered the classroom, prompting Chad to turn away and sit back down, keeping his hands to himself.

Noah smirked at him before returning to ignoring him.

At home, Noah posted onto the forum. He hadn’t originally planned on posting that day but he had to test something.

Rotcel2003- [Venting] She’s not my friend.

I thought I’d just made a female friend but it turns out she’s not my friend. You can’t trust femoids. You’re just a placeholder until a Chad comes along.

Noah put his watch into timer mode and waited twenty seconds until the message arrived.

Who’s the girl? :( Good for you, I guess. Well, except for her being untrustworthy and shit.

Noah furiously typed one word to Chad.

Creep

He placed his phone onto his desk and collapsed onto his bed. He remembered what someone said to him on Incels.me.

Gay men are just coping incels.

The word ‘coping’ stood out to him. He had heard other incels refer to many other things as a ‘cope’: video games, watching sports and drawing to name a few. Copes were a distraction from the truth, which was that an incel like him could never truly be happy.

It took him half an hour to get out of bed and pick up the laptop. He opened the closet and carefully placed it on the floor inside it. He wanted to just drop the laptop to the ground but, cope as it was, his gaming laptop was expensive. He stacked his physical games next to the laptop. He then looked down into the closet and sighed, remembering who had been in this exact place not long ago. He shook his head. He wasn’t done yet.

He made room in his drawers, an easy task given the lack of quantity his clothing collection had. He put his anime figurines, DVDs and manga in there. He ran out of space to put the model planes in there, so he put them under his bed. He then deleted the manga reader and anime streaming apps on his phone. 

He turned his mirror around until it faced him and the image of smoke clouded his mind. His hands curled into fists and he decided to use one of those fists. Soon the small crack spread to the rest of the mirror. He wiped the blood that seeped out of his hand.

As a final touch, he ripped the posters from the wall. As he reached the lone NFL poster, he bit his lip and blinked quickly. He wasn’t going to cry over some creep. He shoved them under his bed next to the planes.

He looked around the room and noticed how plain and empty it looked. He sat on the bed and smiled at the one piece of decoration left, the cat-themed quilt.

Cope, he thought. He pulled the quilt off the bed and pushed it under the bed. He turned off the lights, slipped between the sheets and lied there, trapped between walls blackened by night. He shivered without the quilt but persevered. There was no point in doing anything that made him happy. All he could do was, as the incels say, lay down and rot.

[hells-mansion]

So any games at e3 so far got you excited?

I actually haven’t seen that much, but what I HAVE seen has definitely caught my eye~* Dragon Ball fighterZ is just perfect right now! I’ve been a fan of Arc Sys for a long time and their fighting games are phenomenal~! So watching them take on another series, just like the did with Persona, is gonna be a lot of fun!* M E T R O I D  P R I M E  4 ! ! ! (ABOUT GODDAMN TIME!)* Shadow of the Colossus is getting a remake? HELL YEAH! I’M ALL OVER THAT!And that’s all I can really remember off the top of my head, heatwaves in the morning are brutal for me...

[robininthelabyrinth]

Summer in the City - Chapter 3

Fic: Summer in the City - Chapter 3 (AO3 Link) Fandom: The Flash Pairing: Mick Rory/Barry Allen

Summary: Barry Allen is a good CSI, but this whole stupid Heatwave serial killer thing is just killing him.

Or, you know, people around him.

Luckily for him, he’s always got Mick to complain to…

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"I'm starting to think you're cheating on me with another pizza place, you call so late," Mick chuckles.

Barry smiles, phone tucked into the crook of his neck. "My job keeps me busy," he replies. "I wasn't sure you'd still be open."

"For you, I stay open."

Barry snickers. "Send me something I'd like, then," he says, suddenly feeling spontaneous.

"Not the usual?"

"Nah. I trust you."

"You're a trusting type of guy - and also a jerk, since you've given me no time to prep anything."

"Sorry," Barry laughs. "I promise to order the same tomorrow, how's that? Tonight just get me something fast."

"I'm holding you to that. Delivery'll be in twenty."

"You're the best. No desserts this time!"

"You're too skinny."

"You've never even met me!"

"You sound too skinny. Are you telling me you're not skinny?"

"Well, no," Barry concedes. He's not underweight, but he is, admittedly, a little skinny. "I just wouldn't say too skinny..."

"I bet," Mick says smugly. "Dessert tomorrow, then."

"Something with fruit involved, at least?"

"Can do."

"Thanks, Mick," Barry says, then hesitates. On one hand, he doesn't want to make this weird. On the other, he's been thinking it for a while. Might as well. "Is it sad that talking to you is a highlight of my day?"

"Not any sadder than the fact that talking to you's a highlight of mine," Mick replies immediately. "We're both very sad; just accept it."

Barry smiles. Mick's the best. "Good to hear. I'd better hang up - I'm going to eat then go straight to sleep, since I've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, interviews. We're following up on some things with some of the big labs in the city: Palmer Tech in the morning, then STAR Labs in the afternoon. Ramon Foundation tomorrow unless something comes up. Can't give you details, of course..."

"Of course. Have fun on your busy day, Barry."

Barry really likes hearing Mick say his name.

The food that shows up ends up not even being pizza, which Barry fully expected, but a medium-cooked ribeye with béarnaise sauce and some asparagus. One of the stalks looks like it's been nibbled on, like Mick grabbed the steak off of someone else's plate, but that's silly. Barry's sure Mick just grabbed whatever was available.

Honestly, he hadn't even remembered that this place did non-pizza stuff. They must have transitioned over to regular Italian as well.

It's delicious, as usual, which he reports to Mick with a smile (he vaguely thinks he hears someone yowling about having their plate stolen out from under them because someone can't man up about their goddamn crush, but Mick assures him it’s just the radio), and he sleeps well but still manages to wake up to his fourth alarm, so he even makes it to the front door of Palmer Tech on time.

Barry's not sure how he feels about Palmer Tech. The guy in charge of it - Raymond Palmer - was a player in Starling City politics and business for a while, which made everyone wonder why he was opening a branch in Central. The more generous said it was a natural expansion, taking advantage of the generous state interest in funding laboratories and scientific development generally; the less generous whispered about the corruption of the business class in Starling - that awful earthquake - and the slender gap left in the Families' supply of good money laundering operations after Snart had started his little meta crusade against them.

From what Barry's seen of his interviews, Ray Palmer seems like a pretty decent, upstanding guy, but Barry's more cynical side points out that the guy thinks of himself as an inventor - even humanitarian - first, businessman second, and that doesn't tally with his business' recent ruthless rise in market share, so either Ray Palmer has a hidden cold streak or he's got a second in command that's the real head of the business, someone with a real killer instinct.

"Barry, you're on time," Joe says, smile firmly affixed onto his face and on Eddie's. "Great. We're just waiting to see Mr. Palmer himself."

"What, personally?" Barry asks, frowning. "He's coming all the way from Starling?"

"Already arrived. Be nice, okay? We'll talk with him a few minutes and move on to the serious questions once he's assured us he had no idea what was going on, there'll be serious inquiries, the usual crap."

"Got it," Barry says. "Morning, Eddie."

"Good morning," Eddie says, looking tired. Then again, he recently got moved high enough up that he gave the media announcement this morning - the regular update on the Heatwave case, i.e. “Nothing yet but we’re working on it” - and he looks like he's been savaged by a bunch of media wildcats. But Iris’ boyfriend still has time to smile warmly at Barry, because he's always been incredibly sympathetic to Barry's plight (once Barry indicated he was getting over it and after one punch-in-the-face incident which Barry totally gets).

Just at that minute, Ray Palmer himself, recognizable from the fact that he's as tall as Barry and from the broad white-toothed smile you could see on all the advertisements, comes through the door, flanked by two blonde women.

"Detectives West, Thawne," he says, hand outstretched, seeming actually pleased to see them, not like he's secretly annoyed by these people trampling all over his lab at all. "I heard you'd called. And this is..?"

"CSI Barry Allen," Barry says, shaking Palmer's hand. "I'm accompanying the detectives today."

Palmer brightens like Barry said something incredibly interesting. "Wow, it's really great to meet you!"

"...really?"

"He watches too many police procedurals," one of the blonde women cuts in smoothly. Her smile is just a bit wicked. "Welcome, all three of you."

"This is Sara Lance," Palmer says. "She's my VP of Operations. And this is Felicity Smoak; she runs our R&D/Tech side."

"You didn't have to bring all the big brass, Mr. Palmer," Joe says. "We told you, we're just following up on the theft that you experienced a few months back."

"Naturally," Palmer says. "And please, call me Ray! I just wanted you to know how seriously we've been taking this issue. Sara and I will be taking you on the tour ourselves."

Everyone's smile gets a little more fixed onto their faces, because that's...great. If by great you mean absolutely awful. It's a careful balance in Central City between investigating with the full power of the city and state behind you, and not pissing off the politicians who count on the political donations and economic stimulus that rich people like Palmer brought with them when they expanded into Central.

Palmer was the politician's second favorite type of rich guy: spends a lot of money in Central building his business, but mostly concerned about politics in Starling and therefore no threat to their positions.

(Their first favorite type of rich guy being the kind that is willing to give them personally a lot of money.)

"We're delighted to have you as guides," Eddie says, even managing to sound partially sincere. "Thank you for taking the time. Ms. Smoak, you won't be joining us?"

"No, I just came here to see - uh, the investigation. How the investigation was. Was going! I'm R&D, you know, so I care a lot about theft. I mean, about investigations! Investigations into theft. Also in general. " She covers her flushing cheeks and closes her eyes. "Please pretend that made sense."

"Perfect sense," Barry assures her. "I do it all the time."

She opens her eyes and grins at him. "You're nice!" she exclaims, sounding a bit surprised. "I wouldn't have thought."

"The cops aren't all bad," Barry says, suppressing a smile. "Don't believe everything you see on TV."

“I’m glad we got the nice cops,” Felicity says, grinning at him.

“You have the luck of coming first in the alphabet,” Barry says, giving up and returning her smile. “So you get to go before STAR Labs this afternoon.”

This was true except for the Ramon Foundation, which started in the phone book somewhere after ZZ.

“Thank you, alphabet,” Felicity says with a laugh.

"We’re very thankful indeed," the other woman - Sara Lance, Ray had called her - cuts in smoothly. "Shall we begin our tour?"

Barry can feel the exchange of glances behind his back at the neat, careful people management, and he concurs entirely. Sara's too young to be behind Palmer Tech’s initial rise to prominence, which was mostly based on the sheer creativity of Ray Palmer’s inventions, but Barry would bet dollars to donuts that they've just met the brain behind its recent cutthroat expansionism.

Despite their initial fears, Ray actually proves to know something about the tech side of his business and is able to answer questions, rather than regurgitating a set of talking points crafted by a set of lawyers in a dark room somewhere.

"This is our Dynamite lab," he says. "That's a little joke, you see -"

"Thermodynamics," Barry says with a grin. "That's funny."

"You sure you want to keep up with this CSI stuff?" Ray asks. "We're always looking for good science people."

"And I haven't even pulled out my mad skillz yet," Barry says.

"No one says that anymore," Sara says, looking amused. "Assuming they said it, ever."

"It's definitely a first for a police investigation," Joe says pointedly.

Barry zips it.

Well, he tries. Ray's actually really nice - sure, he gets distracted sometimes and goes on tangents involving the possible uses of a dwarf star alloy, but that's super interesting to Barry's mind.

Just - maybe not that relevant to the investigation.

"So where exactly did you say the - ah - 'heat gun alloy' was?" Joe finally says.

"Over here," Ray says, gesturing at a set of shelves.

"You just let it sit out there?" Eddie says, frowning. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"It was only a model," Ray says. "We had eventually intended to make it into a gun, but we hadn't gotten anywhere near that point yet. Honestly, it was really just a lump of metal and some plans to show how it could be shaped to deal with the heat. The design of the alloy was meant to let it go up to as close as humanity has yet reached to absolute hot - which is to say, very, very hot - in a logistical manner, assuming you could fashion some source of energy that could get you the power you'd need to get there. The designs were suggestions on how to strengthen the metal so that it wouldn't melt by itself."

"That’s why the dwarf star alloys!" Barry exclaims. "If you make metal in part out of stuff that's been exposed to stars -"

"There's nothing on earth that should be able to melt it," Ray says, beaming. "Exactly! Are you sure I can't offer you a job?"

"Quite sure," Barry laughs. "But thanks for the offer. Can I examine the area?"

"You're welcome to, but it's been cleaned. And, well, a lab..."

"Industrial strength cleaner," Barry says, nodding. He's not going to find anything. But he'll look.

"While Mr. Allen does that, can you take us to your security system?" Eddie asks. "We'd like to look at the logs of who might have been able to access the alloy over the last few months."

"Sure," Ray says, though he looks longingly over to where Barry is unpacking his kit. "Follow me."

Barry's working by himself when there's a noise from outside. A crash, then barely audible cursing.

It's totally none of Barry's business.

Besides, it's a lab. If he wants to look out a window, he'd have to stand on a table, and that would be super unprofessional.

Naturally, Barry finds himself on his tip-toes on one of the sturdier-looking tables in under a minute.

He'd get down and scrub it off before anyone notices.

There's a guy in the alley outside, big guy, bald, shoulders round with muscle that's apparent under his cloth jacket even from Barry's vantage point. He looks pretty hot, though Barry can't see his face.

He's talking to Felicity Smoak, who seems to have knocked over a trash can and is waving her hands emphatically and bouncing a little on her toes in excitement.

Maybe he's an employee?

But if that's the case, why are they talking in an alleyway instead of indoors? He wouldn't have pegged Felicity as a smoker.

Huh. Weird.

There's a noise from the door and Barry has to scramble to get down from his perch in time to play it casual by the right table.

The table next to the right table. Damnit!

"Oh, good, you're done," Ray says, beaming as he sweeps into the room, luckily not noticing Barry’s unusual placement. Joe looks tired of Ray's sunny optimism already and Eddie's got his thinking face firmly fixed on. "Any chance I can take you all out to eat? I know a great Italian place..."

"Sorry," Joe says, only barely managing sincere. "We can't be seen to be influenced by someone even peripherally involved in an investigation."

"Well, maybe when your investigation is done, then," Ray says.

"We'll review department policy," Joe says, meaning hell no.

Ray and Sara then proceed to bustle them out in a haze of overwhelming good cheer that explains why Joe is looking like he's on the verge of murder. There's nothing like someone being aggressively, cheerfully unhelpful when you've running on three cups of coffee and no sleep.

Felicity's in the lobby, waving goodbye, and as Barry passes her, he notices the faintest smell of smoke lingering on her clothing.

Guess she is a smoker after all.

Though, that mention of Italian has him craving dinner...