#//He can do his part to further screw them over After Luc’s had his turn

[dutybcrne]

Can’t remember if I saw on TikTok or the Twitter, but on here it is v canon to me in my heart that regardless of how the man regards him, Kaeya can and WILL sic Diluc on any creeps he notices giving any gals in Mond trouble

[azozzoni]

restless & wreckless | VDS | 8/8

This is the last chapter, guys! Thanks for reading along.

*

“Hey! You escaped imprisonment!”

Lucas smiled as Kes’ face popped up on the laptop screen, eyeliner smudged and dark hair falling in his eyes, jostled around as Jayden shoved his face next to Kes’.

“Oh my God, Luc! We thought you were dead.”

Shifting on his stomach, Lucas rolled his eyes at his friends, shoving the laptop a little further away on the bed, glancing up at the pitter-pat of rain on his window.

“If anyone asks, I’m doing homework,” he said as Kes and Jayden laughed and Jayden peered through the screen.

“Wait? Is that a nose ring? Bro! I can’t believe you did it without us.”

“Well, you weren’t here.” Lucas didn’t mean for it to come out quite so harshly, and he knew it had when Kes frowned. “I don’t wanna talk about what’s happening here. How’ve you been surviving without me?”

Lucas turned at a noise at his door, but his dad didn’t barge in, so he must be safe for now. He still didn’t have his phone, and Lucas was half-tempted to just get a cheap burner phone so at least he could text Kes and Jayden. Without them, he didn’t have anyone to talk to. Especially since he’d effectively shoved Jens out of his life.

“We’ve been suffering,” Jayden said, clearly sarcastic, grinning when Kes shoved him and the screen shook. They were outside somewhere, but Lucas couldn’t see much beyond their faces.

“It sucks without you,” Kes said seriously, pouting through the screen. “Are you at least doing fun things there? Hanging out with anyone?”

Scowling, Lucas shook his head. “There’s no one worth hanging out with here.”

Except Jens.

Shaking away the thought, Lucas focused on the way Kes paused.

“I’m glad you’re not in a rush to replace us,” he said slowly. “But you’ve gotta talk to somebody or you’ll go crazy.”

Frowning, Lucas didn’t answer. There was Jens, but he’d pretty much screwed that up. Even if he wanted to fix it, he was pretty sure Jens wouldn’t want to talk to him again.

“What about guys?” Jayden butted in when Lucas didn’t reply. “We know how you go through ‘em. There’s gotta be some hot guy you want to bang.”

Lucas didn’t even sigh at Jayden’s total lack of tact.

“No,” he said finally, and Kes eyed him through the screen as Jayden’s eyebrows rose as high as they could go.

“That was a suspicious no,” Kes said, and Lucas scoffed.

“It was just a word.”

“Luc,” Kes said, and Lucas was reminded why he didn’t video chat with people. Kes could always read him, even through a screen.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, Lucas ran a hand through his hair as he glanced out the window. The sky had been grey all day, alternating between rain and a persistent mist.

“There was someone,” he admitted begrudgingly as Kes and Jayden stared at him. “But it was nothing. Just a hook up.”

“And you’re being all cryptic because…”

“I’m not.” Lucas scowled. “I don’t tell you about everyone I hook up with.”

“Since when?” Kes demanded, laughing. “You even told us about that guy who came on to you at a fry stand.”

Jens wasn’t any different than any of those guys. Except that he actually liked Lucas, had told him so, had been willing to come out to his friends so they could be more than just a hook-up.

“Luc?” Kes asked when Lucas didn’t reply, biting his lip. As much as he hated admitting it, he had to tell someone. And who better than his best friends?

“I panicked,” he muttered after a long pause, staring at his comforter instead of Kes and Jayden on the screen. “He told me he liked me and I… I didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s okay,” Kes said quietly, and Lucas chanced a glanced up. “We’ve all been there.” He paused. “Well, maybe not Jayden.”

“Hey!” Jayden objected.

“But if he likes you, you can still fix it.”

Lucas wouldn’t even know where to start, if he wanted to start. If he fixed things with Jens, where would that leave him? With a boyfriend? He’d never thought of himself as the type, had never had anyone who wanted to try, wouldn’t know what to do, how to act.

“Lucas! Are you done with your homework?” His dad’s voice grew louder as it came down the hall and Lucas grimaced.

“I gotta go,” he said quickly, ending the call and cutting off Kes and Jayden’s shouted goodbyes.

Not a second too soon as his door opened without a knock and his dad frowned at the internet window open on his laptop.

“If you’re not going to use it for homework, I’m taking it back.”

Lucas merely glared as he dad turned and left the room. He was sick of being cooped up here with only his mistakes to think about. At least with Jens, he’d had something to look forward to. Something he could count on. Maybe that was what it would be. Maybe it didn’t have to be movies and sharing straws at cafes. Maybe it wouldn’t be any of those things Lucas had come to assume came with relationships, those things he didn’t know how to do, if he’d be any good at it. The only thing he knew for sure was that he’d fucked up with Jens.

Sliding off his bed, Lucas pulled open his bedroom door, listening. The television was on in the living room, and when he reached the end of the hall, he could see his dad and Katelijn watching some nature documentary. There was a clear path to the front door, and his eyes fell on his dad’s keys hung up beside it.

Careful, Lucas sneaked behind the couch, moving quietly to the front hall where he slid the key from its hook and edged out the front door, shutting it slowly.

Down the stairs and out the front door, he took a deep breath, cold air chilling his lungs. Smirking to himself, he swung the keys in his fingers. He figured his dad owed him for keeping his phone so long.

The car sat on the pavement and Lucas slid in without even checking over his shoulder for his dad. As he pulled away, turned the corner, Lucas felt the unease growing, the second-thoughts creeping in. He had to do it, though. He had to at least clear the air or he’d never get over it.

At Jens’ house, Lucas sat in the car for a minute, debating whether or not this was actually a good idea. But he’d never been one to take his own advice, so he got out of the car and climbed up the tree to Jens’ window without letting himself rethink.

Jens’ curtains were parted, and Lucas could see him lying on his bed, typing something on his phone, and for a second, he hesitated. This could be a terrible idea.

Shaking himself, he knocked on the window, drawing Jens’ attention from his phone, seeing the crease in his brow as he slid off the bed and moved over to the window.

“What are you doing?” Jens asked as he got it open, and Lucas didn’t crawl inside, lingering on the roof.

“I stole my dad’s car,” he said, nodding his head at the green little car on the street. “Let’s go.”

Jens didn’t move, staring at him as though he’d lost it. “Why would I go anywhere with you?”

“Jens,” Lucas said instead, watching him, hoping he could understand without him having to say it, without him having to explain. It was going to be hard enough to get the rest out.

For a second, Jens didn’t react except to frown, eyes moving from Lucas to the car on the street and back.

“Fine. But I’m not climbing out my own window. I’ll be down in a minute.”

It was unexpected relief as Jens shut the window and Lucas took a second to take a breath before shimmying down the tree. One thing done.

*

Countryside rolled past the windows, grey sky making everything dark, green grass and cows. Lucas didn’t really know where they were, just that they weren’t in the city anymore.

“We are gonna stop before we get to France, right?” Jens asked, half a joke, watching him from the passenger seat.

Lucas didn’t reply, watching the streaks left behind by the windshield wipers. He hadn’t exactly had a plan, dragging Jens out here, wherever <i>here</i> was. He’d half expected Jens to say no to coming at all, but apparently Jens was just as reckless as he was.

He heard Jens’ sigh beside him, saw how he turned in his seat from the corner of his eye.

“Are you going to say anything?” he asked finally, eyebrows furrowed when Lucas glanced his way. Shaking his head, he bit his lip. “You show up at my house with your dad’s stolen car and ask me to come with you. And what? Now we’re just not gonna talk?”

Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Lucas frowned.

He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t good at explaining himself, talking about how he felt, even figuring out what he felt. He’d hoped they could just magically move on, move forward? He wasn’t really sure.

At another of Jens’ sighs, Lucas pulled the car off the side of the road, facing a pasture where a cow watched them for a moment before ambling on. Raindrops dotted the windshield as they sat there and Lucas took a breath.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say,” he said finally, avoiding Jens’ gaze. Long green grass rippled in the wind outside the car, and Lucas wished he could just get out and pretend he’d never thought this was a good idea.

“You could say you didn’t mean to freak out on me,” Jens offered, and Lucas frowned.

“But I did mean to. I mean—” Grimacing, he sighed at the steering wheel. It was frustrating, the feelings swelling inside him, what he knew he was supposed to say, how he was supposed to fix this, his inability to put any of it into words even as they sat there, completely alone with no one around to hear them. “I don’t know.”

“You know,” Jens said after a second, running a hand through his hair as he gazed out the window. “You have a hard exterior, but underneath, you’re soft and gooey like the rest of us.”

Lucas frowned instead of answering. What the hell did that mean?

Jens glanced at him. “I’m not expecting a declaration of love or something. I already told you I like you. You’re the one who broke it off. So if we’re out here for just a hook-up, I’d rather go home.”

Chewing on his cheek, Lucas paused. That wasn’t why they’d come out here. Why was it so hard to just tell Jens? Because everything would change. Everything would be different. He would be different. And he wasn’t sure he wanted that.

“Fuck you, I didn’t bring you out here for a hook-up,” he muttered finally, and maybe it came off too harsh as Jens’ eyebrows went up.

“Then why are we here?”

“I don’t know,” Lucas said, jerking his shoulders, more annoyed at himself than anything. “I thought maybe—” He huffed out a breath, knowing Jens was watching him. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

He glanced over as Jens sat back, licking his lip slowly, thoughtfully. Why couldn’t Jens just know? Why did Lucas have to say it?

“You want to know why I had to move here?” he asked finally, watching a light blink on the dash. He knew Jens was watching him, waiting for some kind of explanation. “I didn’t set anything on fire or get in a fight with a bunch of homophobes.” He hadn’t done any of those things, those rumors, that had floated around school about him. He swallowed, staring out the front window at the rain gathering on the glass. “My mom had a breakdown, and they had to send her to a clinic. I tried to… break in, see her, but I got caught. My dad was so pissed and since he was moving here anyway, he forced me to come with him, forced me to leave her.”

Lucas hadn’t talked about it, about his mom, not even really with Kes. It had been months and he hadn’t even gotten to see her. Visiting hours were so short and his dad didn’t seem to want to acknowledge it at all.

For a long minute, Jens didn’t say anything as Lucas sighed. He hadn’t planned on telling anyone the real reason, had planned on letting them make up their own increasingly wild theories about what had happened so they’d leave him alone. But Jens had come with him, jumped in the car with barely a second glance, deserved something to explain why Lucas did the things he did.

“Shit,” Jens said finally, and Lucas almost laughed. So succinct. So simple. Shit. “Is she okay? You know, Robbe’s mom was in a clinic for a while. She got out and she’s doing a lot better.”

Lucas didn’t care about Robbe’s mom. He didn’t care about whatever advice Jens might have on the subject. That wasn’t why he’d driven them all the way out there, to the middle of nowhere.

“I didn’t want to come here,” Lucas said instead. “I didn’t want to move here, make friends, try to fit in. I just want to get this year over with.”

Jens nodded slowly. “So then why the hell are we out here?”

Sighing, Lucas set his hands on the steering wheel, the windshield obscured by water droplets, reflecting the green field beyond the car. Jens wasn’t going to make this easy, and he didn’t deserve it to be easy.

“Because I like you,” Lucas said, blunt, feeling his heart crawling into his throat, an unbidden thud against his Adam’s apple, as though he was actually nervous. He didn’t think he’d ever said that to anyone before.

Jens didn’t react to that, chewing on his lip, tilting his head to the side, and Lucas cursed to himself as his blood pounded in his veins. “You like me,” he repeated after a second. “And do you want to be with me?”

Lucas frowned. He wasn’t sure how things like this were supposed to go. Most of the time, he didn’t have to say anything. People just understood. “Yes,” he said finally, “but—”

“No buts,” Jens interrupted, a smile growing on his face, and Lucas shot him a look.

“But,” he pushed on, “I don’t know what that means. I don’t know how to…” He shook his head. “I hate those gross couples who make everything about them. What exactly does together mean?”

Jens looked surprised at Lucas’ response. He didn’t see how it was so surprising. His only relationship role models were either his parents, who had lasted all of fifteen unhappy years together before imploding, or his friends, who went through girlfriends at a surprising speed.

“It’s different for everyone,” Jens said finally. “My last girlfriend, we spent most of our time making out or fighting. We don’t have to do what other couples do, or we can do all of it. There are no rules on how to be together.” He paused, watching Lucas. “Is that what freaks you out? Having to be like everyone else?”

“No.” Lucas scowled, although the thought had occurred to him.

Jens smiled, though, as if he knew Lucas wasn’t telling the truth. “Okay. Well, we’ve established that you like me, and you want to be with me, so I have a question for you.”

Unimpressed, Lucas looked back at Jens, the rain-streaked window behind him obscuring the field. How many more questions could he have? How much longer was he going to drag this out for? Lucas had admitted how he felt, what he wanted. Maybe he hadn’t acknowledged that he’d screwed up, but he thought it was pretty obvious.

“Are you gonna kiss me or do I have to do it?”

Rolling his eyes, Lucas didn’t hesitate this time, leaning over and pulling Jens to his mouth. It felt like nothing had changed as Jens smiled against his lips and dragged him closer, exhaling gently as their lips parted and met again. Warmth blossomed in his chest, an unusually good feeling accompanying the way he kissed Jens slowly.

“Is that a smile?” Jens teased when they parted, and Lucas shoved his shoulder.

“Shut up.”

Jens paused for a second, licking his lips, hand still on the back of Lucas’ neck, eyes sincere as he caught Lucas’. “I get this is not going to be anything resembling normal, but I’m okay with that.”

Lucas couldn’t stop the small smile at his lips as he let out a breath. This wasn’t how he’d expected moving here to go, that he’d ever meet someone like Jens—someone he actually liked, someone who wasn’t terrible in this stupid place, someone who rightfully called him out on his bullshit.

Lucas kissed Jens against instead of answering, hoping that might be enough to convey everything he was feeling, all the words he couldn’t say, and he felt Jens’ arms slide around his shoulders, warm and safe.

“So,” Jens said finally when their lips were sore, hands heavy, smiles easy. “Where are we going?”

“I have no idea,” Lucas replied. “And I still don’t have my phone, so we’ll have to find the way back ourselves.”

“We’ll be fine,” Jens assured him as Lucas started the car back up.

As they pulled onto the road, Lucas couldn’t help sighing, content. They would be fine.

“Do you even have a license?” Jens asked as they zoomed down the road, and Lucas smirked as he glanced over, placing an easy hand on Jens’ thigh.

“No.”

*

FIN.

[sparrow-flies-south]

Ten Things [3]

Fandom: Sanders Sides Pairings: Anxceit, Royality Intrulogical Summary: Ten Things I Hate About You AU When Roman Prince learns that Patton Foster isn’t allowed to date until his older brother, Virgil, is, Roman is crushed. Roman’s twin brother Remus, however, comes up with a plan: find someone who is willing to date Virgil. And who better to ask than Janus Verona, who according to rumours is willing to do anything for the right price? Taglist (ask to be added!) @glitchybina @imlikeaghostzombiejesus  @someone-idk-is-here @anxiety-ismy-name Notes: Apologies for being a day late. Hope you enjoy!

AO3 Link - Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six  

Virgil wanted nothing more than to go straight home, curl up on his bed, and blast MCR through his headphones until he couldn’t think. But he’d already agreed to take Patton to Right Round, his favourite record store, that afternoon, so he forced himself to turn left into town as opposed to right to their house when he left the school parking lot.

As soon as they got inside, Patton made a beeline to the vinyl records. Virgil let himself wander; he didn’t mind being there, even as keyed up as he was. The store was quiet and airy, and the music that played through the speakers was soothing. He headed to the guitars- not that he could afford any of them, but he still liked to look.

There, in the middle, as always, was his guitar. The one that he was saving up for. Remy had said that he could work in his shop other the summer to save up for it. Then he could take the guitar and go to college, could leave High School behind him, and not have to think about people like Mr Williams or Janus Verona again.

“Do you play?”

Virgil startled, and turned around. Speak of the devil; Janus was leaning against a shelf displaying sheet music. Virgil crossed his arms.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped. Had Janus followed him here? After his humiliation in English, and then being late to his next class because he’d been busy having a panic in the bathroom, Virgil really wasn’t in the mood for further mocking.

Janus raised an eyebrow. “In a store? Where they sell things? Gosh, Virgil, I don’t know, what could I be doing here?”

“Whatever.” Virgil scowled. He looked over at Patton, who was looking between two records, oblivious to what was going on. If he went over there, would Janus just follow him?

“I enjoyed your speech in English,” Janus said.

Okay, screw it. Virgil wasn’t going to stick around for this. “Glad I could entertain you,” he hissed, and began to walk away.

“It impressed me, actually.”

Virgil stopped, and gave Janus an incredulous look. Janus didn’t look amused, didn’t look anything but sincere, for that matter. Then again, according to Luc, Janus could look perfectly sincere while planning on stabbing you in the back.

“Mr Williams is a dick,” Janus continued. “But I liked your points.”

“Really,” Virgil said flatly.

“No, actually I’m being completely insincere,” Janus said drily. “Questioning the values an authority figure is trying to push on us isn’t something I’d enjoy at all.”

“Anyone ever tell you you’re a dick?”

“Not to my face,” Janus replied, mimicking inspecting his nails even though he was wearing gloves.

Virgil shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to… question authority or anything. That wasn’t my point.”

“Wasn’t it?” Janus asked.

Okay, maybe he had been. Not consciously, but… he’d been sick of Mr Williams’ scorn, of treating Virgil like he was stupid. So he’d shown Mr Williams that he could think for himself. But admitting that seemed too much like admitting common ground with him.

“I don’t hate Shakespeare,” Virgil said instead. “I just think that there are aspects of his plays that we don’t get to talk about.”

“Really.” Janus looked interested. “And what are the dark sides to the rest of the bards work?”

The smart thing to do would be to turn around and walk away, not give Janus any more ammunition for whatever scheme he was working on. But Virgil didn’t want to leave. He wanted to meet Janus’ challenge.

“Try me,” he answered.

Janus smiled. “Okay, let’s see. Romeo and Juliet is too easy: teen suicide.”

“Actually it’s that you should wait five minutes before making any major decisions. Or to not get married at thirteen.”

“Hamlet?”

“Check who you’re stabbing before you stab them.”

“Twelfth night?”

“There’s never a bad time to dress in drag.”

Janus laughed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then stopped, his attention caught on someone just behind at to the right of Virgil. Virgil turned to see what he was looking at just as Patton came up next to him.

“Hi Virgil,” Patton said. His tone was sweet, but his gaze was fixed firmly on Janus and his eyes were narrowed. “You’ve never introduced me to your friend.”

“We’re not friends,” Virgil replied. “We just have English together.”

Patton hummed and reached out a hand. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Patton.”

“Janus Verona,” Janus responded, shaking the hand.

“Oh,” Patton said, still smiling. “I know who you are.”

Virgil glanced between the two of them. Patton might be smiling, but his eyes were like flint. Janus just seemed amused.

“Uh, you get what you wanted, Pat?” Virgil asked.

“Yep!” Patton held up a paper bag, finally looking at Virgil. “Ready to go?”

“Sure.” Virgil glanced back at Janus. “See you in school.”

Janus nodded. If he wanted to say anything else, he didn’t get the chance before Patton grabbed Virgil by the arm and tugged him towards the exit. He didn’t release Virgil’s arm until they were at the car.

“What was that?” Virgil asked as soon as they were in their seats. “You usually like meeting new people.”

“Usually those people aren’t Janus Verona,” Patton shot back. “What did he want?”

“Beats me. We just talked about English.”

Patton still looked uncertain. “You’d tell me if something was wrong, right? Like, if he was bothering you?”

“He wasn’t bothering me,” Virgil said, because he didn’t make promises he wasn’t going to keep and the last thing he wanted was to drag Patton into his mess. “He’s just- weird, I guess.”

“Right,” Patton said sadly.

Virgil considered saying something else, to try and reassure him, but Patton just looked out the window. Virgil sighed, and turned the music up.

 ***

“We should have brought popcorn,” Roman said.

The four of them – Roman, Remus, Patton and Logan – were studying in the library. Or rather, Remus and Logan were studying, talking in Spanish, Logan occasionally flipping through his notes to find a particular vocab word. Roman and Patton were shamelessly spying from a nearby table.

“What are they saying?” Patton asked. So far, the only parts of the conversation he’d been able to understand was the occasional correction from Remus or question from Logan.

“Nothing interesting, alas.” Roman sounded disappointed. “Remus seems… well behaved.”

Patton hummed, doodling cats in his notebook. His mind kept wandering back to the record store yesterday, to the conversation in the car, to Virgil basically admitting that he would hide if anything was wrong.

“Perhaps we should take bets on how long until Remus gives up and does something widely inappropriate.”

“Sure,” Patton answered.

Roman nudged him. “Everything Gucci?”

Patton stirred. “Sorry, what?”

“You spaced out,” Roman said, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “I hope my presence isn’t that boring.”

Patton shook his head quickly. “No! It’s not. I’m sorry, I was just-.”

“Thinking?” Roman guessed. “It’s okay, I just- do you want to talk about it?”

Patton hesitated, rolling his pen between his fingers. Perhaps another perspective would help… “What do you know about Janus Verona?”

Roman froze. “Nothing! Who’s Janus Verona? I mean, uh,” he coughed. “Why do you ask?”

“He was talking to my brother yesterday,” Patton said. “What if he’s- blackmailing him or something?”

Roman shifted in his seat. “Well, did you ask him what was going on?”

“He said it was just about English.”

“Well, there you go! Nothing to worry about.”

Patton shook his head. “But that’s what Virgil would say if something was wrong.”

“It’s also what he’d say if they were talking about English,” Roman countered.

“But why would they be? Janus never talks to anyone unless he wants something, why talk to Virgil? And why now?”

“Well,” Roman offered, “Maybe he likes Virgil.”

It sounded impossible. But Janus had been smiling while Virgil had spoken, had even laughed, and Virgil didn’t seem too upset. Surely, Patton would have been able to tell if Virgil was worried about something.

Perhaps Patton should stop worrying about it for now.

“Speaking of liking someone,” Roman said, cutting through Patton’s thoughts. “Are you going to Brad’s party on Friday?”

Brad’s parties were a thing of legend at Padua High School. He threw one at least once a semester, and invited everyone who wanted to come. Patton had never been, but he’d heard enough stories of drunken hook ups to get an idea of what they were like.

“I wasn’t planning to,” he answered. “Why?”

“We should go together,” Roman said. “Not as a date! Just as friends. Logan can come, too.”

“What am I going to?” Logan asked. He and Remus must be finished with their session, because they were now taking seats at Roman and Patton’s table.

“Roman was inviting us to Brad’s party,” Patton answered.

“Oh, you have to go,” Remus said. “Brad’s parties are the best for getting wasted.”

Logan frowned. “Is that supposed to encourage me?”

“Oh, live a little, Pocket Protector,” Remus shot back. “Surely you can go one night without being so serious.”

“I’m always serious,” Logan answered. “And it wouldn’t be fair to Patton to go alone.”

“I’d like to go,” Patton said.

Logan stared at Patton as if he had never seen him before. “What about your father?”

Patton loved his father. But just once, he wanted to be a teenager.

“I’ll figure something out,” Patton said. “But I don’t want to go without my best friend.”

Logan hesitated, and the sighed and nodded. “Fine. I suppose I can go for a while.”

“Great,” Roman said, grinning. “This is going to be the best night ever.”

Remus rolled his eyes. “You said that last time.”

“And this time is going to be even better, because this time no one’s going to cause any property damage, and then give my name instead of theirs when they get caught which of course they believe because we look identical and then I have to pay hundreds of dollars for some ugly vase!”

Logan and Patton stared at Roman. “Uh, what?”

“Yeah, there’s no way that will happen,” Remus said. He smiled. “I’d never try the same trick twice.”

 ***

Going unnoticed in Mr Williams English class was a balancing act. Look too attentive, and Virgil was inviting Mr Williams to call on him. Don’t look attentive enough, and he’d be asked to prove that he was paying attention. The best way to get around it, Virgil had found, was to spend his time taking notes. It wasn’t a fool proof method, but at least it was something that Mr Williams couldn’t find a way to fault him for.

So Virgil kept his head down, focusing entirely on the notes he was taking as Mr Williams talked about the way marriage in the sixteenth century differed from today, and acted as though he couldn’t tell that Mr Williams was looking at him every five seconds as he spoke.

Mr Williams cut off suddenly, and Virgil looked up to see what had distracted him. He followed his classmates’ eyes to the side of the room, where Janus had raised his hand. For some reason, the sight made Virgil’s heart speed up.

“Yes?” Mr Williams asked.

“Actually,” Janus said, “I agree with Virgil’s point from yesterday.”

Several students looked Virgil’s way and he ducked his head, cheeks burning. What was Janus doing?

Mr Williams cleared his throat. “Well-.”

“In fact, the nature of Petruchio and Katherina’s relationship was likely a point of contention even among contemporary audiences.”

Virgil couldn’t look away as Janus argued, hands gesturing as he spoke. He’d come prepared, backed up with sources to show his points, and all the time, his smile was like a snare. This was Janus in his element, Janus doing exactly what he was meant to do. In this moment, Janus had all the power.

“That’s enough,” Mr Williams snapped, cutting off Janus’ point. Janus blinked, as if he’d forgotten he was still in the classroom. “There’s a time and place for this kind of discussion, and when I’m trying to teach isn’t it.”

“I’m sorry,” Janus said, almost sounding sincere. “I thought you’d welcome hearing a student’s interpretation of the text. Surely that’s what a good teacher would do, wouldn’t you agree?”

Mr Williams’ face turned red. “Get out.”

“Excuse me?” Janus asked, looking so taken aback it was almost funny. What had he expected to happen?

“I will not have my teaching insulted. If you don’t like how I run my classroom, you’re free to leave.”

Janus narrowed his eyes, and for a moment, the entire classroom seemed to hold their breath, watching.

“Fine,” he snapped at last, and stood up and marched out of the classroom, swinging his bag onto his shoulder in one fluid motion as he went.

The class remained silent even after the door slammed shut.

Mr Williams switched his attention to Virgil. “You, too.”

Virgil went still, heat rising up inside him and pushing on his lungs. “I didn’t do anything,” he managed to choke out.

“It’s clear that the two of you are in cahoots, and I won’t stand for it. Out.”

Virgil shoved his books into his bag, unable to look up and see everyone watching him. His eyes stung, and his chest felt tight. He hurried out of the classroom, hoping no one would see how he was blinking back tears.

Outside, Janus leaned against the wall of lockers opposite the classroom. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Virgil. “Did you walk out?”

“I got kicked out,” Virgil muttered, leaving against the wall and then sliding down it until he was on the ground. He wondered what they were talking about in the classroom, how much Virgil would miss and how long it would take him to catch up.

“Oh,” Janus said. “I should have known he’d take it out on you. I’m sorry.”

Virgil shook his head, barely even noticing that someone was actually apologising to him for something. He had to focus on keeping his breathing even instead, so he wouldn’t break down in the middle of the corridor.

In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Just like his therapist showed him.

“Are you alright?” Janus asked, sounding uncertain.

“Fine,” Virgil said, harsher than he’d meant to. He leaned his head back against the wall. His eyes had stopped stinging now, so it was probably safe for Janus to see his face. “Why’d you do that, anyway?”

“Sic semper tyrannis,” Janus replied smoothly.

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Like John Wilkes Booth?”

“I was referring to the assassination of Julius Caesar,” Janus snapped, looking huffy.

“Pretty sure you need a few more senators for that.”

“If you want a job done well, do it yourself.”

Virgil snorted, and then slapped a hand over his mouth to hide it. Damn it, he should not be finding Janus charming. “Seriously, though, what do you want?”

“Want?” Janus echoed.

“For standing up for me back there,” Virgil clarified.

Janus didn’t look any less confused. “I didn’t do it expecting payment.”

Virgil shook his head. “Then why? Why help, why talk to me?”

“Must I have an ulterior motive?”

“Everyone has an ulterior motive.”

Janus smiled, though there was no warmth to it. “How delightfully cynical of you.”

Virgil wasn’t going to give in that easily. He crossed his arms and glared. Eventually, Janus sighed.

“Come to Brad’s party with me,” he said.

Virgil almost choked. “What?”

“This Friday. You must have heard of it.”

“Of course I’ve heard of it. But why?”

Janus spread his hands, and Virgil was reminded of a magician. Nothing up my sleeves. “No strings, no schemes. I just want to spend time with you.”

Virgil gaped at him. His mind whirred to figure out what was happening, and then promptly crashed and needed rebooting. Was Janus asking him on a date? No, that wasn’t possible. There was no way Janus needed to settle for someone like him.

Janus was watching him, waiting for a reply, but he didn’t say anything. He was giving Virgil time to decide.

This probably was some kind of plot. Janus was trying to lure him somewhere so he could murder him or something. The idea was strangely calming compared to the alternative.

The bell cut through Virgil’s panic. Any second now, the hallways would be teeming with teenagers. This strange moment was going to end, and Virgil needed to answer.

He pushed himself to his feet, and met Janus’ eyes. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and then did the only thing he could do: he walked away.

“Is that a yes?” Janus called after him.

“No,” Virgil shot back over his shoulder, not slowing down his pace. Students were beginning to file out of their classrooms now, filling the corridor.

“Is it a no?”

Virgil froze, and students flowed around him. “… No,” he said at last, not even sure if Janus would be able to hear him.

He didn’t look back to check. He hurried towards his next class, cheeks burning.

 ***

Virgil spent the rest of that day and the next thinking – or rather overthinking – about the party. The smart thing, he knew, would be to not show up. It wasn’t like he’d promised Janus that he’d been there, after all, and he didn’t owe Janus anything.

He groaned and flopped back on his bed so he was staring at the ceiling. He still had most of tomorrow to decide – the party didn’t start until the evening, but he had a feeling he would just continue to worry about it.

Already, his mind was throwing out a billion scenarios. He went, and humiliated himself in front of Janus, so Janus never wanted to speak to him again. He went, and it turned out it was all a joke after all.

So then he’d decide that he definitely wasn’t going, but then what if Janus got pissed because he though Virgil had stood him up?

Virgil rubbed a hand over his face. He was no closer to figuring it out, and any energy that wasn’t being spent on worrying he’d spent dodging Janus in the halls. It wasn’t that he wanted to avoid him, it was just that he didn’t know what to do if he did see him.

A knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts, and Virgil sighed and sat up.

“Come in,” he called.

Patton pushed the door open and hopped onto Virgil’s bed. “What’s got you all gloomy?”

“Nothing,” Virgil replied, and when Patton frowned, he added, “Just thinking about something that happened at school.”

“Good something or bad something?” Patton asked.

“I have no idea,” Virgil admitted. “It might not even be a something at all. I’m probably worrying over nothing.”

“If you’re worrying about it then it’s not nothing,” Patton gently chided.

Virgil managed a smile. “Thanks, Pat.”

Patton leaned against Virgil. It was something they’d figured out years ago, to deal with times when Virgil was too keyed up for a hug, but still needed some kind of contact.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Patton asked quietly after a while.

Virgil shook his head. Going to his little brother for relationship advice felt like a whole new level of pathetic. Besides, Patton would just get excited and assume it was a date, even though that probably wasn’t what Janus had meant at all. Then Virgil would have to deal with the added humiliation of someone else knowing how wrong he was about the whole situation.

Best to not say anything.

“I just need to figure it out by myself,” Virgil said. He glanced over. “Anyway, did you want something? Or did you just come in to check on me?”

Patton shifted in his seat. “I was going to ask you something,” he said. “But it can wait until you’re feeling better.”

Virgil shook his head. “No, ask me. I need something to distract me.”

Patton hesitated, then shook his head. “No, that’s okay. It was silly anyway.”

“Patton,” Virgil said warningly.

Patton sighed. “Do you remember how dad said I wasn’t allowed to go to parties because he didn’t want me unsupervised around lots of drunk people?”

Virgil nodded warily.

“Well, I was thinking, it you went with me, it’d technically be supervision. But you don’t have to!” he added quickly. “I know you don’t like parties.”

Not liking them was an understatement. But then, Patton probably didn’t know just how disastrous his first and last party had been.

“I thought you weren’t interested in going to parties?”

Patton shrugged. “It just never seemed like a possibility. But a bunch of friends are going, and I thought it could be fun.”

Patton sounded wistful, and it made something tug at Virgil’s heart. “What friends?”

Patton hesitated. “Oh, just Logan and some other people.”

“Other people,” Virgil said flatly. A blush was starting to form on Patton’s face.

“A huh,” Patton said, picking at his trousers. “Just some people in my year.”

“Do those people include Roman Prince?” Virgil asked.

Patton froze, then nodded.

Virgil sighed. “Patton…”

“It’s not a date,” Patton said. “We’re just going together. But not together! You know?”

Virgil knew that it sounded like a recipe for disaster.

“Maybe you shouldn’t spend so much time together,” he said. “You’ll just end up getting hurt.”

“I don’t think I can get hurt while I’m in this house,” Patton said bitterly, and something twisted in Virgil’s chest.

“Dad just wants to keep you safe.” So do I, he didn’t add.

Patton deflated. “I know,” he said. “It’s just… how can I be safe if I never get to do anything for myself? I’m going to have to leave home eventually.”

It wasn’t something Virgil like to think about, thought that might just be the existential dread that came whenever he thought about the future for too long.

But Patton looked disheartened, and Virgil hated seeing him like that. It would just be one party. And it’s not like he’d be alone. Virgil could keep an eye on him.

“When’s the party?” he asked.

“This Friday,” Patton answered.

Yeah, Virgil probably should have figured that out by now.

“You mean Brad’s party?” Patton nodded. “Okay. Okay, I’ll go with you.”

Patton glanced over, surprised. “You don’t have to.”

Virgil shook his head. “No, it’s okay.” And then, because Patton wouldn’t be convinced by just that, “I was actually thinking of going anyway.”

“Really?” Patton asked. He narrowed his eyes. “Does this have something to do with the thing?”

Virgil looked away. “Maybe,” he admitted.

“You’re sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yes, Patton,” Virgil said. “It might be fun.”

“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” Patton said throwing his arms around Virgil.

“You don’t need to do anything, Pat,” Virgil said.

Patton pulled away, grinning. “I need to let everyone else know that I’m going!”

Patton hopped off Virgil’s bed and practically skipped to the doorway, where he stopped. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Virgil replied.

Patton left the room, leaving Virgil with his thoughts. He lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

So he was going to Brad’s party after all. And he’d probably see Janus there. And probably talk to Janus there.

Which was fine. If he did see Janus, that was. He might not. Which was also fine. Virgil didn’t care if he saw Janus or not. Why would he? Just because Janus had gone two conversations without insulting him, and stood up for him against Mr Williams, and looked very charming while doing so-

No. Virgil was not getting a crush on Janus Verona. That couldn’t happen.

It might be happening.

Crap.

Virgil buried his head in his pillow and screamed.

[bungoustraydogsbigbang]

We’ve come to the end of the Soukoku Big Bang 2019! Before we move on to the master post for 2019, we would like to express our sincerest thanks to all of you. It has been a wild ride and us mods couldn’t thank our participants enough for being such lovely people to work with. There’ll also be a feedback form the participants can fill in! The link will be distributed through email and shared in our discord server. We would like to know how you think about us and how you would like us to improve through our feedback form!

If you missed your chance this year, don’t worry, we’ll be back again in 2020! Do stay tuned for some exciting information on where this event will be going next year! We have some “big news” waiting for you!

Without further ado, here’s the masterpost for all entries of Soukoku Big Bang 2019! 

M A S T E R P O S T

It Was Worth Trying by MidnightLightHowlite | Art by Misa

Rating: General Audiences

Seeing Dazai float face down in a river was not all that unusual. True, it hadn't happened in four years, but the view was not exactly a foreign one. No, what was foreign was the fact that Dazai seemed to be shorter. And younger. And didn't remember him. In retrospect, Chuuya probably shouldn't have let the boy call Mori because that allowed his boss to put him on babysitting duty.

(Or Dazai gets deaged. No romance will happen till they are both the same age again.)

Bandaged Sheep by MidnightLightHowlite | Art by Abel

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

There had been something very weird, very off about the new recruit. He had popped up out of thin air a few months ago, wrapped from head to toe in bandages. Not a word of what he did before, saying he wanted to join the sheep. He wasn't strong or skilled, and truly, there was no logical reason for Chuuya to pay him any mind.

But then the Port Mafia put a huge bounty on his head and things started to get interesting

these days, you’re fine by AquarianTwin | Art by Nella

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Fifth-grade classmates Q and Aya are convinced that their older brothers would make a perfect pair if they’d just stop fighting for five minutes. Dazai and Chuuya, who have been dating for over a year, find this too funny to correct them.

Dazai takes in his younger sibling, Q, after they’re removed from their father’s home. Overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising of a child when he can barely keep himself alive some days, Dazai leans on his partner, Chuuya, to help lead him through. It’s a good thing Q gets along so well with Chuuya’s younger sister, but Dazai thinks he might die of laughter if the pair try to “secretly” set him up on another date with his own boyfriend.

Project Pinocchio by EKmisao | Art by Ginny

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

What kept the youngest mafia executive alive enough was a new file, on a newly-acquired powerful cyborg. It started as a project to keep a cyborg a boy. It became more than he expected.

Outrunning Fate by RocketJams | Art by Nanamin

Rating: Not Rated

Chuuya laid in the hospital bed, his consciousness slipping away slowly as he patiently awaited his demise. The doctors had assured him he wouldn't feel a thing but for some reason he couldn't shake this feeling his chest. An subtle pain which at this point had coaxed his stomach into a frenzy. Something was wrong but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

In Isolation He Thrived by Maddy | Art by Leo

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

All his life Dazai felt like a tool, a pawn that was just tossed aside when not needed. He was looked down on and felt useless, so slowly a fire ignited within him and turned him into a merciless person also well known as a "Soulless Demon".

He always believed he was destined to do wrong until one day when he finds Chuuya who proves him wrong.

S8 (TBA)

i step from here without you by fatimé | Art by eva

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

“I used Corruption because I trusted you,” Chuuya gasps out, and the words leave a hole the size of Yokohama in his chest. He punches Dazai right where that hole is and hopes it hurts him just as much as it hurts Chuuya.

Dazai smiles. He catches him when his vision finally goes dark and the next thing Chuuya wakes to is emptiness in his heart and a stack of neatly folded clothes.

In one universe, they’re partners-turned enemies, the former Double Black, the most fearsome duo in Port Mafia history. They’re Soukoku and they’re spiteful and they’re tangled up in one another more than they’d care to admit.

In another, they’re—

S10 (TBA)

In Blood we are Sealed by Chaosia | Art by RedZeverin

Dazai stared at his subordinate and the white tiger passed out on the ground, dismayed. It almost worked. This was the fourth person they've went to. There was one more person Dazai could take Atsushi to but he had enough reason to guess that it wouldn't work.

Dazai made a face.

There was one person Dazai knew who could do the job. He'd successfully commit suicide though before that gremlin ever found out he had such thoughts. The taste of metallic filled his mouth. He held in the urge to spit it out.

His ears rang as he imagined a shrieking voice yelling his name like it was the worst insult one could come up with and the mirage of fire that surrounded those blue eyes and foul mouth. Ugh, he was so annoying even in his imagination...and short.

Sticking a pinky into his ear to clear out the haunting voice, Dazai went about gathering up his apprentice and the tiger. Maybe fate would take pity on him and this next trip would solve their problem...

He could feel the cursed blood laughing at him all the way back to their hotel room.

Or a magical AU where Dazai inadvertently gets Atsushi cursed and they have to go to Chuuya, a powerful witch in his own right, to break it.

S14 (TBA)

Quatervois by TheWanderingTanteiThief | Art by King

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Quatervois (n.) a crossroads; a critical decision or turning point in one's life

Chuuya didn't expect to see a man hanging from a tree.

Chuuya didn't expect to meet the man again.

Chuuya certainly didn't expect the man to be the crown prince of the kingdom.

...or cardverse au where Dazai is an asshole and Chuuya just wants to have a peaceful life. Is that too much to ask?

flaws and all by alli | Art by phryn

The transition Dazai and Chuuya routinely make between their heated arguing and completely seamless teamwork is being disrupted by their changing relationship. Which is an issue, because the two of them have been assigned to what could possibly be the most important undercover mission of their careers. Will they be able to strengthen their partnership for the better, or will it crack under the ever growing pressure?

-

As much as he craved that, as easy as it would be to do, it terrified him.

So, he didn’t.

Mirror Mirror In My Eye by MidnightLightHowlite | Art by cchibikko

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Dazai didn't have much hope for the next few years of Hogwarts, but would have liked to wait at least a few till Arahabaki noticed him.

Never such luck for the resident mummy.

School year was already shitty as it was, but now he has a fiery angry redhead demanding answers he's not ready to give

School year was already shitty as it was, but now he has a fiery angry redhead demanding answers he's not ready to give

Fuck.

thy kingdom come by chubsthehamster | Art by Stella Rasu

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

In a bid to save their continent from destruction, the kingdoms of Ada and the Port Mafia must put aside their years of tension to form an uneasy alliance. An act of holy matrimony unites Princes Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya, marking the beginning of an infamous partnership.

The affair is strictly political, and perhaps for the better. The two hate each other from the beginning.

should we never meet again by setosdarkness | Art by phryn

Rating: Mature

Sixteen women have been killed by a vicious serial killer haunting Yokohama’s streets.

Dazai has been chosen to become a part of the elite Bloody Valentine Task Force, even if he personally thinks that it’d be a lot more fun to stay at home with his boyfriend. Especially since it took years to convince Chuuya to finally move in with him.

It’s just a coincidence that Chuuya’s agreed to move in with him the moment he’s been chosen to become a part of the Task Force, right?

Resolving the Matter in Spirit by ASentientSlug | Art by Tomomorey

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Dazai's boring, everyday life ends in an accidental double suicide, but instead of facing the sweet release of endless sleep, Dazai finds himself in the Spirit World, where nothing is familiar and dangerous, soul-eating spirits lurk behind every corner. To get out, Dazai must confront the ghosts of his past and the ghosts of his present when one very familiar and yet very dangerous spirit takes Dazai under his wing.

If We Ever Meet Again by Luc | Art by Saiel

Rating: Mature

It all started with diamonds.

Chuuya thinks he would've been just as attracted to it if it wasn't for the equally shiny police badge in his pocket.

It all ends with a silver bullet.

For someone as talented in the dance of crime, Dazai has developed quite a bias about the jewels that would catch anybody's fancy.

Diamonds? They're overrated. Old. Boring.

Rubies? Sapphires?

Now those—

—those are worth getting caught for.

keep your windows open by Maristella | Art by Einjjjj

Rating: General Audiences

Usually, whenever Chuuya jumped, he flew.

This was not one of those times.

(Or, alternatively, where Chuuya breaks into Dazai's mansion as a thief, and comes out as a kidnapper. Even though he's also sort of a kid. And it's also not kidnapping.)

(Not when the victim bribed the kidnapper to take him.)

“You do know that the treasure doesn’t exist, right?”

“The what?”

“The treasure. You know, the one in the rumours. It doesn’t exist.”

“…are you screwing with me?”

“No?”

“I’m not an idiot. If there’s no treasure, why else are you here then?”

“Um…this is my house?”

(Also featuring: Chuuya and the different types of falling.)

half of my half by keptein | Art by manwe.russingon

Rating: Mature

No one understands why Dazai’s dæmon looks like a boy more often than not.

Book One: Fire by chuuzuke | Art by wandiwoo

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Avatar The Last Airbender/Korra AU: The world has changed. Technology can meet nearly every need, to the point where bending is considered a relic of the past, and with it, the Avatar. In fact, no one has seen the Avatar for nearly 100 years, and most people prefer to keep it that way.

Nakahara Chuuya, Prince of the Fire Nation, more than understands what it's like to be considered a relic. After the Fire nation moved to a parliamentary system, the title of Fire Lord is a largely ceremonial one, and Chuuya struggles under the burden of an office that restricts his every move without giving him any actual power to enact change.

When he runs away, intent on finding his own path, it seems like fate when he runs into Dazai Osamu, a mysterious man who claims he has a way to cure the unexplained illness Chuuya has suffered from his whole life.

peace lily by intimatopia | Art by phryn

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

They say you don’t truly know a person until you live with them. Dazai and Chuuya would argue that they know more about each other than one ought to know about anyone else.

Or: Mori forces 15 year old Dazai and Chuuya to share a flat because he doesn’t trust them to be on their own, and he thinks it’ll be a good way for them to bond.

Dazai and Chuuya think he's a sadist.

Two rambunctious teen boys, left to their own devices in a multi-million dollar penthouse. What could possibly go wrong?

of flowers and verses by lua & lanipalmer | Art by Yahuri

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

For years, Nakahara Chuuya has been pining over the ex-mafioso himself, Dazai Osamu. So what better to vent than through poetry? Combined with his (frankly, alarming) knowledge of flower languages, this is a story about Chuuya and his frustrations and desires.

Still Worth Fighting For by Maru | Art by ewe

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

"In which Chuuya never joins the port mafia, stops using his ability for fighting out of guilt, and later becomes a hacker.

His life had been relatively peaceful until one day, Dazai appears again at his doorstep asking for his help to find information on ‘The Rats.’"

The Necromancer by Ru | Art by etsuki_haru

Rating: Mature

If you venture into the slums of Suribachi City, you’ll find the witch Dazai Osamu, known as the Necromancer, and his barely tamed beast, Arahabaki. If you bring to him the bones of someone, he will bring that person back to life - in exchange for some of your lifespan. But bringing a soul back from the dead turn a heart twisted. Did you get your wish, or dig your own grave? These are the grim tales of a witch and a creature, trying to figure out their humanity, overseeing the consequences of taking death too lightly.

S34 (TBA)

fire and calamity by Jasmine | Art by Zen

Arahabaki has left its vessel, leaving Chuuya in a comatose state. Dazai and the rest of the ADA now have to track the god down and capture it for two reasons. One, because Chuuya knows the whereabouts of the Book. Two, because if they don't, they lose him forever. (ADA!Chuuya, established!SKK)

S38 (TBA)

fight our way to heaven by kiwi | Art by chicchii

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

The redhead had a fire in him that made Dazai want to poke and prod until he could see the limits. Chuuya was so alive and for the first time since Dazai could remember, he wanted to taste and feel that fire.

What he didn’t account for was that the decision to follow Chuuya would lead him to discovering memories he didn’t know he had and it would make them a target for all ability organizations in Yokohama.

Or the one where we have teen skk against the world.

Everything Comes Back To You by Catsby | Art by Mai

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

In the period after the war for the Book, the Port Mafia finds itself in need of a Boss. The logical choice for that position would be Chuuya - except Chuuya has gone missing.

Après Un Rêve by manwe.russingon | Art by Sebby

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

"I wandered long, methought, alone

to the deep shadow where the dead dwell,

but ever a voice that I knew well,

like bells, like viols, like harps, like birds,

like music moving without words,

called me, called me through the night,

enchanted drew me back to the light!"

Nakahara Chuuya, the elven lord commander of the kingsguard of kingdom of Mirkwood, singing in the woods. With a sudden intervention from Dazai Osamu, a mysterious being that was caught in between his tunes, they became best friends afterwards. Or perhaps it is more than that?

Time to time, one story comes with another. The truth finally unveils, and the clock is ticking faster. What exactly is Dazai? Why does he act so familiarly to Chuuya? And perhaps the biggest question we need the answer is: What makes them always connected, even for thousands of years?

S42 by chuuzuke | Art by willofjokerXIX

Lost All Judgement by todxrxki | Art by Yahuri

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

“Uh, sorry, but unfortunately I already have a date to the dance.”

“Oh, really?” Tachihara says, sounding disappointed. He pauses for a second, clearly processing what Chuuya’s just told him, and then says, “Who is it?”

Chuuya certainly hadn’t budgeted for this.

Panicking, he tries to think of the people that he knows that are single, and before he knows it, the first name that comes to mind is slipping out of his mouth. “With Dazai.” / After a momentary lapse in judgment, high school student Chuuya ends up having to pretend to date his enemy Dazai to get Tachihara off of his back - and quickly finds it's nowhere as bad as he'd imagined.

Of Boxers and Bachelors by writingfromtheshadows | Art (1 & 2 & 3) by Angella

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

When Dazai Osamu gets cut off from the family's coffers in an attempt to regulate his behavior, he decides to find a way around his father's ultimatum. Faking an engagement with an underground boxer sounds like the perfect scandal...

Crimson Memoirs by Luneath & Abel | Art by lefterstein

Rating: Mature

By the power of great ancient magic, supernatural beings are aptly hidden just behind the eyelids of humans. Vampires, witches, weres, faeries – all of them live and exist out of the fairy tales books.

Humans' eyes are just shielded into not comprehending their true nature, their magic, and their trickery. To protect them, the Gods say. But Dazai has always known that he’s no ordinary human. From the gift of seeing beyond the magic veil to the peculiar dreams to the aching, hollow feeling hugging his chest in a tight embrace – he knows he’s different.

What Dazai doesn’t know is that this isn’t the start of his story and the stranger with glowing blue eyes that have always been the center of his recurring dreams. What Dazai doesn’t know is that this is not exactly his first life. Dazai doesn't know a lot of things. But with time, he will come to know that he doesn't mind dying the second time for Chuuya.

entanglement by Shinkirou | Art by Zevy

Rating: Mature

Not everyone has a destined partner. Theoretically, even Dazai and Chuuya aren't supposed to. Are being programmed not to, even.

But whether they're "meant" to be together or not is irrelevant. Dazai wants Chuuya to be his, and so Chuuya will be his.

... If only it were actually that simple.

pointless by Lua | Art by Behax

Rating: Explicit

It was an annoyance after everything that happened, and yet, Chuuya found himself on the doorsteps of a man that he had more than enough reasons to kill. He could come up with excuses, but he was not in the habit of lying to himself. At times, Chuuya would describe their relationship as an addiction he couldn't get rid of. This was ridiculous. Dazai was now a traitor and a coward; what did that make of Chuuya himself to know where to find him and keep that a secret?

Latent Identities by RocketJams | Art by Seiran

Rating: Explicit

He could deny it however many times he wanted to, but Dazai could see through it every time. The lies over his lips, the false smiles and misleading words. He could fool anyone else into believing he was who he said he was. Though whenever he smiled, Dazai could feel it. Something was wrong, he wasn't Chuuya.

N6 (TBA)

Before I Fall by hellosweetie17 | Art by Nanamin

Rating: Explicit

Chuuya’s oblivious to the circumstances surrounding their fragile world; Dazai’s made sure of it.

Mighty Long Fall by quinnlocke | Art by Xoinks

Rating: Mature

When Dazai betrays the ADA for the Port Mafia, he’s greeted as the prodigal son. That doesn’t mean he’s trusted, however, and now that he’s betrayed the Port Mafia and ADA alike, he has far more enemies than friends. As Dazai works to survive the heart of the viper’s nest, it quickly becomes clear that Chuuya will save him - or be the reason he fails.

Chuuya, meanwhile, knows Dazai too well to trust that his cards are on the table. But as he finds himself at Dazai’s mercy, and caught between loyalties, he realizes there’s no other option but to master the god that lives beneath his skin and hope he survives long enough to protect the organization to whom he’s sworn his life.

But first they both must realize that a mighty long fall awaits.

moonshine voyage by setosdarkness | Art by Behax

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Dazai's plan to stop Fyodor involves sacrificing his life. He should have known that even the best-made plans are useless when there’s someone like Chuuya out there, who just won’t stop saving him.

A journey of growing and growing old together.

[or: chuuya saves dazai's life by linking their souls & lifespans together]

Lifeline by Abel | Art (1 & 2 & 3) by phryn

Rating: Explicit

Nakahara Chuuya is a normal kid. He has two parents who loves him very much even though he's not really their son. He's a good student even though he's not on top. He's popular and has a lot of friends. Everything in his life is fine-- perfectly fine.

Until he bumps into another kid his age, bandages wrapped all over him. Dazai Osamu-- he said his name was, with a tone of amusement and yet tinged with longing.

Little did he know, that fated meeting will change his life forever.

Can’t Be Tamed by stargazerlilith | Art by Abel

Rating: Explicit

The boss of the Port Mafia is merciless against those who oppose him.

Well he was, until he resigned himself to the fate of the notorious dating app known as Tinder.

We hope you enjoy the masterpieces made by our talented participants! See you again next year!

[evdarcy]

An Unusual Hero C2S1

Okay, as I was late with this, I’ll post the scenes from Chapter 2 as well.

Please remember, this is unedited and unfinished, but will hopefully fill in the holes that were left and answer some questions without leaving too many others. HOWEVER I will answer all and any questions if you want to leave me a comment.

The private jet smoothly taxied off the runway as Elizabeth Sarah Whiston, the world’s best kept secret, stared in abject horror at her two handlers.

Commander Jack Cowley, top operative of MI6 and ex-head of the British SAS, stared back at her. As always, his dark eyes were scrutinising her every move as she turned her chair to face him and his American counter-part, Special Agent David Burton—it had never been discussed which agency he actually worked for.

‘Why are fuck are we in Las Vegas?’ she demanded loudly. If they were betraying her, she wasn’t going to go down quietly.

Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach for the gun at the small of her back… What she would do with it against two highly trained special forces officers, she had no idea. But if they were dirty, she was going to make it as difficult as she possibly could; make it impossible for anyone investigating—and there would be an investigation—to deduce anything other than the truth of what’d happened on the little aeroplane.

‘Hey, Sarah, relax,’ David said trying to reach out to her, but she snatched her hand back as she glared at him. ‘It’s not what you think. Tell her, Jack.’

The commander grunted before turning to look out the window, but Sarah knew his attention was still one hundred percent on her.

‘If you’ve sold me out…’ she whispered to the usually quiet MI6 operative.

The British man’s face hardened, his jaw clenching at the accusation, but it only made Sarah’s stomach sink further. Jack never showed emotion, no matter what she said—and she’d thrown some pretty horrid things at the man over the last year—what she did, or how badly she did it. His face was always impassive, always stoic. Even when she’d broken down and told him everything she’d witnessed that violent day last year, he’d been as emotional as a brick wall, which was exactly what she’d needed.

‘Sarah, if that wasn’t so funny, I’d be highly offended.’ David’s voice was soft, comforting, the kind he used when they lay together of a night after they’d screwed like rabbits and he wanted her to ask him to stay, just that once, even though he knew it was a futile desire.

Jack was her brick wall, David her stress ball. She didn’t care how awful that sounded to anyone else, it had worked well over the last year to keep her sane. To stop her running across the live-firing range or jumping from a cliff edge without an abseiling rope.

‘Look,’ David sighed. ‘What happens in Vegas at roughly this time every year? What have you dreamt of attending these last few years, but were never able to do?’

Sarah’s eyes went wide at that. Every year, after the cast and crew had finished the current season of Destiny, they attended the biggest TV convention in the world, Desti-Nation. Thousands of fans went to the event, clinging to their autograph books, posters, and DVDs in the hope of meeting their favourite stars of the TV show that had swept over the world and claiming their signatures.

Every year, Sarah watched the official convention website like a hawk, waiting for the date to be set and every year she was disappointed when it didn’t fall in the only time she had away from her job—the school holidays.

‘You’re not serious,’ she said, scoffing. There was no way he could be. ‘Desti-Nation starts on a Friday and finishes on the Monday, which is today. Any fan of the show knows that!’

And anyone not attending it was stuck to their internet feeds for the whole four days as she usually was. God, Jimmy had been so patient with her as she ignored him for that long weekend ever year, holed up in her tiny office watching the feeds, scouring Twitter, Tumblr, and her Facebook groups for news, updates, and photographs… The man was a saint bringing her food and drinks and—

Sarah quickly shook her head of the thoughts of her former fiancé.

‘Well, after what your sisters did last year’—Sarah narrowed her eyes at him daring him to disparage them—‘we couldn’t take you for the full weekend, but I was able to pull a few strings. I made a couple of calls last week set it all up.’

Jack shifted at David’s words, catching her attention again, making the knot in her chest tighten further. She glanced towards him, but his face was back to being as impassive as ever. He wasn’t happy about something, he was being forced to do this, and if Jack didn’t like something, she didn’t like it.

‘Set what up?’ she asked slowly as she turned back to face David. He sat there with a smug grin plastered to his face that Sarah was going to slap off if he didn’t spit it out. The bastard knew she hadn’t liked surprises before she’d found herself in the world’s most protective custody. Any thrust upon her now were likely to result in her death, and she was hoping to avoid that at all costs.

‘I managed to get you a private one-to-one with… Luc Truman!’ The man sat back in his seat, his hand tapping the table as he said the words. The smug smirk turned into a shit eating grin as Sarah’s mouth fell open and her eyes grew as wide.

‘No,’ Sarah said in disbelief. She knew she was gaping, knew her eyes were blinking far more then was needed, but she was having difficulties processing what he’d just said.

‘No way.’ She looked at Jack—who still refused to meet her gaze—and then back to David. The American nodded at her, his eyes wide and earnest, filled with amusement at her reaction.

It wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t a set up. He’d actually organised for her to meet her number one celebrity. The man she’d drooled over for more than ten years.

‘No fucking way!’

‘Yes fucking way!’ David laughed as she threw herself at him, her arms wrapped around his neck as she hugged him, sharing his laughter.

‘I’m meeting Luc Truman!’ she squealed before she kissed him happily.

Jack cleared his throat and Sarah broke the kiss, turning to gaze at the dour man. This was why he wasn’t happy. He felt the whole thing an unnecessary risk, and while she always backed Jack’s decisions, always chose his side over David—despite their intimate relationship—right now she was one-hundred percent on the American’s side.

Her cheek was pressed against David’s and she could feel his smile as the two of them stared at their silent companion who’d never approved of their sort-of-relationship. Not that she was supposed to know that.

While she hadn’t meant to, she had overheard them arguing about it plenty of times over the past year. As a result she kept their trysts behind closed doors and never allowed David to stay with her overnight. But no matter how hard she tried to hide their screwing, Jack always found out. However, right now she didn’t care.

Twelve months she’d been kept hidden away from the world. For a year she’d had no contact with anyone, hadn’t even had the chance to watch television. She’d missed the last season of Destiny and hadn’t even been allowed on a computer connected to the internet, so she had no clue what the hell had happened in her favourite show.

‘Yes, well,’ the British commander said gruffly to the grinning duo. ‘Let’s get it over with so we can get back on schedule.’

‘Thank you, Jack,’ she said with a laugh as she let go of David and leaned across the table to grab the British man’s hands. ‘Thank you for this. This means the world to me.’

The commander looked uncomfortable, his eyes shifted to his American counterpart before looking back at her. ‘Wasn’t my idea,’ he dismissed brushing off her hand before standing up and heading towards the cockpit. Sarah could hear him talking with the pilots, but she was too giddy to pay attention.

She slumped back into her seat, staring at nothing in wonder as she whispered, ‘Luc Truman?’

‘Just don’t run off with him,’ David laughed and Sarah batted at the man playfully with her foot across the aisle.

‘Oh, if only I had the chance…’

‘Would you take it?’ The seriousness of his words, a direct contrast to his tone two seconds ago immediately snapped Sarah back to attention. Her gaze met David’s and she was surprised by the earnest look in his brown eyes. ‘If you had the chance to run away from this with him, would you do it?’

Oh, the man had no idea what he was asking. Escape with Luc Truman? Hell, yeah she would! She’d grab the guy’s hand, run with all she had, and never look back.

While she’d dated, screwed around, and even settled down with other men, the only man she’d ever really fantasied about was the Destiny star. She found other men attractive, David was certainly handsome—and he knew what to do in the bedroom department—but there was just something about the celebrity that pushed her buttons the way no one else could. It had been that way since his breakout role back when she was barely twenty. He’d awakened something she’d never felt before—sexual desire.

Since then the man had starred in pretty much every sexual encounter she’d had—hell, she’d even lost her virginity with him in her mind! She had no idea what it was about the star, but he just drove her wild with want and need. Just the thought of him being close, having the chance to touch him, smell him… God!

If she had the chance to run away with him…

‘Don’t be stupid,’ she said, snapping out of the familiar fantasy of the star finding her so attractive that he declared his marriage over and ran off with her. She saw David frown slightly, and so she added, ‘I am one-hundred percent in this. I want justice for what that bastard did.’

David smiled at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Remember, any questions, please leave them in the comments!