#//will likely work on all this alongside my other muses replies and asks n stuff. once im free from work...

[doomxdriven]

//as of writing this and tossing it into my queue, I've got a random burst of muse for amagai, so like this and I may make a small starter or send him into ur inbox whenever I get the chance!!

[bisexualcrowley]

Undercover

Pairing: Harry Hart x Fem! reader

Summary: While doing surveillance at a gala, Y/n and Harry's identities are threatened to be uncovered and they take to a rather intimate method of hiding their faces

Content/warnings: smutty themes? nsfw, fluffy stuff, cursing, suggestive themes, semi-public foreplay/teasing, making out, Merlin’s still alive bc i want him to be

Word count: 3,729

“A Gala. In the middle of winter, this means I might have to fight in heels, is this really necessary Merlin?” Y/n sighed, glancing out at the light drifting of snow that had begun to flutter down from the sky. Its not that she had anything against winter, the woman mused to herself, just that it makes this sort of work so much more difficult. 

The year had been tough enough already, having lost Harry to Valentine, getting Harry back, the whole issue with the Golden Circle, and the constant stress was getting to Y/n, the smallest thing now able to piss her off, and unfortunately for her, this latest mission seemed to be more than a small thing. “C’mon Y/n, i know we all could use some rest but this is important, the target is threatening to release catastrophic amounts of classified government information. I’m not asking you to be on the front line here, I just need you and Galahad on the sidelines, more as surveillance and backup than anything else.”

Y/n had been less than impressed with Merlin’s words, wanting to stay as far away as possible from field work until she had gotten a decent amount of sleep, but her ears perked up at the mention of her best friend and previous partner at Kingsman.

“You’re letting Harry in the field again?”

She asked, surprised at the man’s words. “I thought you said he wasn’t ready yet, after the problems he had while working alongside the American agents.

“Not fully, as i said, the two of you will just be keeping tabs on him from the crowd, not making contact unless absolutely necessary.” Merlin must have picked up on Y/n’s eagerness to work alongside Harry again and allowed himself a slight smile as he spoke, sliding the paperwork across the table to the younger agent. “This place is fancy, i mean really fancy, you’re gonna want to look your very best. Go over his papers today and be here dressed and ready at 20:30 tomorrow. And I mean it, y/n, be dressed to kill, in more than just the metaphoric sense”

Most of her annoyance having melted away at the mention of Harry, Y/n agreed, taking the papers and shaking Merlin’s hand before turning on her heel and jogging down the hall of the Kingsman offices, hoping to find her friend. Luckily Y/n didn’t need to search far, finding him in the actual tailor section of the building being fit for a tuxedo.

Y/n caught Harry’s eye in the mirror in front of him and she shot him a grin, leaning casually against the door frame. “Lookin’ good, Galahad. Excited to be headin’ back into it?” She asked, affection shining in her smile at the sight of Harry Hart suiting up for battle once again. 

It was no secret among many of the Kingsman agents that Y/n had fallen hard for the man, her feelings becoming clear to them when Harry was shot as she had broken down in tears at the news despite being one of Kingsman’s toughest agents, however she did manage to keep the secret from Harry himself, terrified of losing the relationship they already had by revealing her feelings only to find that they weren’t reciprocated. 

Eggsy and Merlin, of course, had required a fair amount of bribery to be convinced to keep their mouths shut, finding the whole situation more than amusing and wanting nothing more than to spill the beans to Harry, whom they were fully convinced shared y/n’s feelings. Y/n didn’t crack though, and eventually the men had settled on the childish teasing of Y/n and placing bets on who would make the first move. Eggsy had put 50 pounds on Y/n cracking first, but Merlin put his money on Harry, having said something about Eggsy underestimating the woman.

At the moment, despite her refusal to share her feelings with Harry, Y/n feared that Eggsy was going to be the one to win the wager as she felt her heart beat faster at the happy smile Harry had offered her in return.  “Looking forward to be working alongside you again, Y/n, it’s been lonely without my partner”

Y/n felt her face heat up at the compliment, but determined not to let her resolve fail she once again held back the words she wanted so badly to tell her friend, instead choosing to push herself off the doorframe and saunter over to Harry’s position in the center of the room.  “So... A gala. Haven’t done one of these together in ages, have we.”  Y/n’s hand came to rest on Harry’s shoulder, still not having broken their eye contact through the mirror. “It has been a while, although luckily, I never forgot how to dance”

Y/n’s confident exterior faltered at his words, tilting her head to the side and eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “We have to dance?” She asked, voice coming out far quieter than she had hoped. Harry let out a very ungentlemanly laugh at her shock, turning his gaze from the mirror to meet his friend’s eyes properly. “I’d assume Merlin didn’t tell you for this very reason, y/n” He chuckled. “We’d stick out too much, standing in the middle of a ballroom. To draw the least amount of attention to our position, we’re gonna have to dance”

Y/n froze for a moment, weighing her options. On one hand, she thought, I’m dancing with Harry. On the other hand, i’m dancing. In public. What a terrifying thought, i should just tell Merlin i won’t do it. But if i don’t do it, i don’t dance with Harry. 

She squinted slightly, fighting herself for which option was better, but in the end decided that the upside of pretending to be Harry’s date outweighed the negatives in the situation, and after another moment of hesitation, Y/n nodded, nervously drumming her fingers on the man’s shoulder.

“Alright then. If we’re gonna dance, we’re gonna do it right. I’m gonna go find a dress, i guess. See you tomorrow, Galahad” Y/n breathed, a hint of humor making it’s way into her words as she went on, which to her luck Harry picked up on, and replied with an exaggerated salute, earning him a giggle and smile from Y/n before she slung on a coat and took off again.

Lucky for her the London streets were nearly empty, most seeking cover from the bitter cold within the comfort of their homes, and the trip to her own home was quick for Y/n. Almost immediately upon arriving, she threw open the doors of her closet, flicking through hanger after hanger of clothes that Merlin would be less than happy about her wearing to such a prestigious event. It appeared that luck was still on her side, however, as Y/n paused, pulling out a dress previously hidden behind a thick winter coat.  It was beautiful, a slim gown of deep green velvet with a loose, plunging neckline and thin black straps with a shimmering gold woven throughout, and y/n smiled, knowing it would be perfect for the following night.

The next day passed quickly, Y/n having to study the target’s file, shower, do her hair and makeup, fit a variety of concealed weaponry on her person, and what felt to her like a million other things, and it felt like no time at all before she found herself outside the Kingsman Tailor shop, glittering heels clicking along the icy sidewalk leading up to the building. Y/n reached for the door handle, shivering slightly in the cold but was met with the door swinging open in her face, Merlin staring down at her with Eggsy, Tequila and Harry behind him. 

“Y/n, you’re late, c’mon, there’s a car waiting in the back, c’mon lets go” Merlin ushered her along, the group rounding the building to find a black towncar waiting in the alley. It took a bit of maneuvering to fit everyone into the vehicle, coats bunching up in the small space, but eventually the group situated themselves in a somewhat comfortable fashion, and they were off.

The drive was longer than Y/n had expected, but no time was spent relaxing, having found herself rather distracted by her body being pressed against a very well dressed Harry, the cramped space forcing her leg to shift up onto Harry’s so that she was sitting partially on his lap, a position that had the both of them blushing furiously and Tequila chuckling from Harry’s left. 

Hoping to distract from the uncomfortable and unfortunately mildly arousing way she was seated, Y/n leaned forward to peer past Harry and raised an eyebrow at the American agent, who in return mimicked her expression, which brought a mix of annoyance and amusement to the still blushing woman.  “Mind if i ask why Harry was forced into the middle seat? Last time i checked, i’d fit a fair bit better” Y/n asked, Harry humming in agreement with her statement.

“Why, you wanna sit on my lap instead?” Tequila smirked, earning a snort of laughter from Eggsy and Merlin in the front seat and a glare from Y/n, where Harry shifted uncomfortably and blushed harder.

Y/n’s snapped back, but her retort was cut short at the feeling of the car slowing to a stop and Merlin leaning over the drivers seat to run over the night’s details one last time. 

The plan went smoothly from then, Eggsy and Tequila positioning themselves near the main doorways and Merlin settling himself behind a computer, leaving Harry and Y/n to shed their coats and make their way further into the ballroom. A string quartet was set in the middle of the north wall, playing what y/n recognized immediately to be a slower rendition of the seal lullaby, and she fought the urge to twirl around a couple times, instead smoothing out her dress and holding out a hand to Harry.

“Well Mr. Hart, may i have this dance?” Y/n spoke calmly, careful to avoid appearing overly enthusiastic so as not to draw unnecessary attention to the pair, but the warmth shining in her eyes was undisguisable to Harry, who took her arm with a smile and led her to their position in the ballroom.

The image of the two Kingsman agents settling into a graceful mix of a waltz and a simple slow dance was reflected off the marble floors, creating what would have been a beautiful photo had there been a photographer near them and y/n relished in the moment, hand clasped with Harry’s, his hand pulling her waist to his as they swayed to the music.

Harry caught Y/n’s eye as he caught her after a spin, a grin breaking through his character that made her heart flutter. The song slowed to it’s end and the couple for the night paused, the taller figure dipping y/n and freezing, their faces inches apart. Y/n felt her breath hitch in her chest, heart pounding at the intimate position they had paused in.

Her eyes met Harry’s again, the latter panting slightly, his pupil dilated and face flushed red, and dear god it turned Y/n on. Biting her tongue to hold back what would have been a rather humiliating moan, she rested her weight into Harry’s arms, allowing herself a second to catch her breath. As the next song began, Harry shook himself out of whatever state he was in and pulled y/n back up against him, resuming the dance like nothing had happened. Y/n, still flustered, tried to distract herself by shooting a glance towards their target, who had moved from lingering by the side entrance to scanning the crowd from a nearby refreshment table.  As the song reached a peak Harry spun y/n around again, but this time around her heel caught on the seam of her dress and she stumbled, accidentally turning away from her partner. Quickly righting herself, Y/n returned to her previous stance, but not before making brief yet intense eye contact with the man they were watching.  “Shit... Merlin do you have eyes on the target? I might have just fucked us over” Y/n’s voice came out in a hoarse whisper, eyes blown wide with horror at the prospect of ruining Harry’s first real taste of action since the Golden Circle incident.

“Hang on, hang on, don’t abort mission yet” Merlin muttered through her earpiece, y/n hearing the clacking of keys as the older agent fussed with the security cameras

“Fuckin hell, Galahad, Y/n, he’s coming your way. Hold your position, we don’t blow your cover unless we’re 100% sure he knows who you are. Keep dancing, but don’t let him see your face” 

Merlin’s voice cut across the earpiece again, and by the way y/n felt Harry's shoulders tense she knew he heard the message too.

“Shit, what do we do?” she hissed back, watching her partner risk a glance to the left and finding the target moving smoothly through the crowd, eyes set on the couple.

“Keep dancing, stay inconspicuous for as long as possible, if we’re lucky he’ll just pass on by. Now i’ll say it again, don’t let him see your bloody faces.” Merlin’s voice was low, and Y/n couldn’t stop the nervous feeling they caused from setting in as she watched the man grow nearer out of the corner of her eye.

“Merlin i don’t know what you expect us to do here if it’s so imperative we don’t move from this spot, we can’t just-”

Y/n tuned out Harry’s urgent whispers as a solution came to mind, eyes widening at the ridiculousness her own mind had come up with, but not seeing a better solution she shushed him, placing a finger over his lips.

Harry looked confused but went along with it, cocking an eyebrow in silent questioning and giving her shoulder a soft squeeze as the man drew closer, nearly close enough to get a good look at the pair, and y/n knew she had to make her move.  With a quick whisper of “forgive me for this Harry”, Y/n brought her hands up to cup her friend’s face and pulled him into a kiss. Harry froze momentarily, his jaw tensing in shock before he followed her lead and returned the kiss, their lips moving against each others perfectly in sync and y/n couldn’t keep herself from sighing into the kiss, unconsciously pressing her body closer to his. 

Harry deepened the kiss, his hands moving to thread through her hair and a vague thought reminded Y/n he was just helping to conceal her face, but it was shoved quickly to the back of her mind with a particularly passionate movement from Harry which she met enthusiastically. Her hands inched upwards to tug at his perfectly styled hair, which earned Y/n a low moan against her lips, and she pressed closer again, unconsciously slipping her leg between Harry’s. She felt his cock twitch against her thigh and all thoughts of what they were there to do flew out the window, one hand clasping at the collar of his tuxedo’s jacket and the other cupping his cheek, pulling his face down to her own.

Feeling bold, Y/n made a move to nip at Harry’s lower lip but before she had the chance, they were interrupted by a more than amused Eggsy clearing his throat beside her.  The pair flinched in surprise and pulled quickly out of the heated embrace, leaving Y/n wiping speared lipstick from her face and fixing disheveled hair, Harry somewhat discretely adjusting his clothing to hide the now quite sizable bulge in his trousers with a deep blush across his cheeks and Eggsy watching from the side, eyes tearing up from the effort of holding in his laughter.

“Merlin says good thinkin’, Y/n. The two’ve you were a bit busy to notice but Tequila got the guy, he went down nice n’ quiet, we’re supposed to get to the car as soon as possible” Eggsy had a shit eating grin plastered across his face as he spoke, which only got wider when Y/n gave Harry an awkward smile, which he returned briefly before shoving his hands in his pockets and staring down at his shoes.

Snickering, Eggsy escorted the pair through the crowded room and through a series of side doors, which after a seemingly unnecessary number of hallways led to a back exit where the towncar that had brought them to the gala was waiting. Dreading what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation with Harry, y/n winced at the thought of how inappropriate her actions towards her friend were, and she moved to open the passenger side door but was stopped by Eggsy once again, who flung open the door and threw himself in next to Merlin, who quite to her displeasure shared Eggsy’s smirk. 

Y/n’s eyes locked with his, silently pleading to switch seats but her weak attempt proved to be in vain as Eggsy winked and pointed over his shoulder to the back of the car, where Harry was already seated.  Y/n glared at Merlin but didn’t argue, and took a deep breath before sliding into the car, which to her luck was no longer so cramped due to the third agent having stayed behind with the target. The space was still smaller than she would have wished, but the cover of darkness provided a touch of comfort that y/n was endlessly grateful for. 

Shadows crossed across her legs as the car rolled into gear, Merlin driving out of the alley and beginning the long journey back to the Kingsman headquarters. Y/n sighed, leaning her head against the window and closing her eyes, hoping the cold glass against her skin would help to drown out her racing thoughts.

Much to her dismay, however, they had been traveling for less than ten minutes when Eggsy turned around, leaning over his chair with the same wicked smile stretched across his face as he had worn before.

“So, you two had some fun t’night, didntcha?” Merlin let out a snort of laughter from beside him, Eggsy nodding his head suggestively between the pair in the backseat. Too tired to come up with a snarky reply, y/n simply rolled her eyes at Eggsy, and went back to working up the nerve to say something to the uncharacteristically silent figure seated beside her.

The realization that Harry was rarely this quiet around y/n outweighed her fear of confrontation, concern for her friend pulling her focus from Eggsy to the older man, and she turned to face him.  Harry was sitting stiffly, hands clasped in his lap and head straight forward, but he must have been watching y/n out of the corner of his eye, as he looked to the side to meet her eyes when she turned from her position by the window to look up at him. 

In that moment, the car was silent aside from the low rumble of the engine, the tension between the two growing from tolerable to an absolute peak, hanging thickly in the air between their bodies.  It was thick enough, apparently for Eggsy to pick up on it, and with a chuckle about “giving you two some privacy”, he pressed a button beside his seat that caused a black divider to come up behind him, separating the front from the back of the car and leaving Y/n and Harry in silence.

Both Harry and Y/n stayed frozen in place, faces turned to each other and her eyes locked on his. Hesitantly, y/n placed a hand on Harry’s knee, a motion that years of friendship had taught him meant she had a lot to say, but didn’t yet know how to say it, and Harry nodded, the silent exchange sharing more than words would be able to.

“...I... I’m sorry, Harry, i shouldn’t have...” Y/n’s voice was low, barely above a whisper as she spoke, trailing off as the words caught in her throat. 

"No, y/n, it was my mistake, i just...” Harry's voice faltered as well, fingers coming up to fuss nervously with the strap of his eyepatch, a habit y/n had noticed Harry picked up when he felt flustered.

Neither of them knew what had happened; one moment they were sitting in silence, y/n’s hand on his knee and tension high, and the next moment y/n found herself being pulled into Harry’s lap, her hands once again tugging at his hair as they met again in a heated kiss.  Her dress had hiked up to her hips at this point, allowing Y/n to straddle her lover properly, and this time she didn’t hesitate to grind down against him, Harry’s hands coming to grip her smooth hips as she rubbed her barely covered sex along the bulge in his trousers, both letting out groans of pleasure at the friction.

Harry’s fingers trailed down y/n’s body as they made out like horny teenagers in the backseat, moving from her hair down to cup her covered breast, and down further to trace along the slick fabric of her panties. Y/n whimpered at the touch and moved to return the favor, her own hand coming to palm at his cock through his pants, at which Harry gasped and yanked her down onto his lap once again, hips thrusting up to grind against y/n’s cunt.

She moaned against his mouth once again, pulling away for just long enough to strip off Harry’s coat and unbutton his shirt before returning to her position on his lap. The two were so caught up in the moment that they didn’t notice the car pulling up to the curb and stopping, however they did take notice to the door flying open and the flash of a camera, followed by Eggsy’s delighted voice and a deep laugh from Merlin.  Embarrassed, y/n quickly tugged her dress back into place and slid out of the car, holding out a hand for Harry to take as he climbed out, looking as red faced as y/n felt.

“Go on, buggers, we took you to Galahad’s place. I’ll find out who won the bet tomorrow, go have some fuckin’ fun.” Eggsy laughed at their dumbfounded expressions at his words, but chose not to respond, instead returning to his seat beside Merlin who drove off a few seconds later, leaving two very sexually frustrated agents on the sidewalk. 

“Well then... Wanna take this inside?”

[ghost-in-the-hella]

Could I get "39. holding hands in a museum to pull them to the next exhibition", Chasemarsh, Bless this Mess AU?

As you wish :) Same AU as Bless this Mess, but early days. (For those who haven't read Bless this Mess, it's an AU where Victoria and Kate didn't meet until they were adults and therefore Victoria had never bullied Kate) The museum in this ficlet is fictional but based on my own favorite museum, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

---

“This… is a museum?” The building before her has nothing of the grandeur that Victoria has come to expect from museums. It is neither cold nor imposing, just a modest one-story building with some whimsical decorative frills around the entrance. Bright colors show through the large windows. There are bronze statues scattered around the grounds, but they’re all of creatures that look like they’d be more at home in a fairytale than at a museum. Children run around the grounds, screaming and frolicking.

“Of course it is, silly!” Kate stands next to the entrance sign and Vanna Whites a hand across the bold letters. “The Leo and Diane Dillon Museum of Children’s Book Art. See? It says ‘museum’ right there.”

Part of Victoria wants to roll her eyes, curl her upper lip, and unleash a comment so scathing Kate will feel flayed to the bone for having the temerity to call this obvious travesty a ‘museum’. Fortunately, this is the part of Victoria that - with the help of her therapist and years of hard emotional labor - she’s gotten better at catching and overcoming before it can claw its vicious way to the surface. She searches for something nice or at least neutral to say instead. She likes Kate. If she didn’t like her, she would be home marathoning something on crunchyroll in her pajamas instead of getting dressed up on a Saturday morning to go out on this date with her. She doesn’t want to scare Kate off by being needlessly rude. “It’s… not quite what I’d pictured when you invited me to go to a museum with you.”

Kate’s smile doesn’t falter as Victoria had feared. Instead, it softens into a grin that does frankly criminal things to the state of Victoria’s heart. “I know what you mean,” she says so fondly that Victoria is both certain and relieved that Kate has taken her comment as a compliment instead of a barely masked insult. “The first time I came here, I couldn’t believe my eyes.” Her eyes - such warm, lovely eyes; Victoria can’t imagine a work of art that holds a candle to those eyes in any museum - sparkle. “It’s been my favorite museum since I first set foot inside. I come here at least once a month.” She sighs rapturously and Victoria’s heart gives an embarrassing squeeze. “We’re so lucky to have such a special place so close by.”

Victoria makes a noncommittal sound, not wanting to quash Kate’s enthusiasm. Kate smiles at her and beckons playfully for Victoria to follow her as she leads the way inside. They’ve only gone on a handful of dates so far, but already Victoria suspects she’d follow Kate just about anywhere.

The museum truly is unlike any that Victoria’s ever been in before. There are so many children, for one thing. The security guards just smile at them benignly, for another. The last time Victoria was in a museum, she watched someone get chewed out by a security guard for having the audacity to take notes with a pen instead of a pencil. Had a parent been foolish enough to bring a small child inside, they would’ve been stalked by security and stared at so ominously they would soon think better of their faux pas, and perhaps reconsider their decision to reproduce altogether.

But here… Here, the children are not only encouraged to run free, they’re allowed to touch things with their grubby little child hands. Encouraged to, even; there are kiosks set up all over the room they’re in with interactive exhibits, as well as cozy reading areas all around full of children’s books, where parents and children can sit together and paw through museum property with their bare and presumably unwashed hands.

“Isn’t this place amazing?” Kate asks, her voice as warm and gooey as melted chocolate. “You can practically press your nose up against the art and not get in trouble for it. I love it. I can really get in there and see how the artists used all their different materials. It’s so inspiring!”

“I’ve never seen a place like it,” Victoria replies neutrally. Honestly, the idea of children near artwork makes her break out in nervous sweats. She tries to imagine how her parents would react to children running loose at the Chase Space. They’d probably have a coronary each. She herself wasn’t allowed to set foot in the gallery until she was solidly in double digits, and even then she’d always been treated like a disaster waiting to happen, a ticking time bomb in Mary Janes.

Kate nods in satisfaction. “It’s really special.” She gestures at the room they’re in. “This gallery always has a show of Leo and Diane Dillon’s works, plus the interactive exhibits. The specific stuff changes periodically. The gallery across the hall has shows of different works by children’s book illustrators.” She smiles bashfully, a delicious pink tinge warming her cheekbones. “It’s one of my biggest dreams to be included in one of those shows.”

Victoria stops short and blinks rapidly, trying to process. “Here?” she asks, dumbfounded. Here, where children run amok? Where your artwork will never be hung alongside that of a truly great artist?? She remembers Kate mentioning minoring in illustration in undergrad, but somehow that had never really clicked in Victoria’s brain as something important. It’s not like she’d studied photography or even painting, something Victoria would be able to sustain a deep conversation about.

“Of course here!” Kate giggles. “I illustrate children’s books. Well,” she avers with a shy shrug, “a little bit, anyway. It’s only a side hustle right now, but someday I’d like it to be a bigger part of my career.” She looks around the room and sighs dreamily. “It would be such an honor to show here.”

“Here,” Victoria repeats, her brain still struggling to compute. She’s fully being rude now; she can hear it in her voice, a shift from merely confused to straight up condescending.

But Kate just giggles again and rolls her eyes, not looking remotely fazed by Victoria's attitude. “Not every artist needs to show at the Guggenheim, Tori. Some artists dream of being showcased in the Whitney Biennial, and some dream of showing in, well, the Leo and Diane Dillon Museum of Children’s Book Art.”

The nickname throws Victoria even more than Kate’s good natured response to her blatant rudeness does. It distracts her so much she almost doesn’t notice when Kate’s fingers suddenly thread into her own. “Come on,” Kate goes on, “I’m really excited about this month’s exhibit. Have you ever heard of Mary Blair?”

There’s a firm but gentle tug at Victoria’s hand leading her toward the doors separating exhibition rooms and Victoria’s awareness sparks to life. Kate’s holding her hand. Her heart dances a little two-step as she fumbles for words. “N-no, I haven’t.” Heat flushes her cheeks and she clears her throat self-consciously. “My art history degree didn’t cover children’s book art.”

Kate nods thoughtfully as she pushes the doors open and returns the security guard’s smile and wave. “She was actually more involved with animation and concept art, especially for Disney. Murals, too. But it’s true; art history classes tend to leave illustration out as a whole. It’s such a shame, really. There’s some fascinating history there.”

Victoria’s never given a shit about illustration - for children’s books or otherwise - before, but she’s pretty sure Kate could deliver a four hour lecture on the subject and she’d have Victoria’s undivided attention for every minute. “Photography gets the shaft, too, especially in survey courses,” she says. “Anything other than art history courses specifically oriented toward photography, really. It’s like if you’re not a white cishet male painter, you don’t matter.” She shakes her head in aggravation. “As though the advent of photography didn’t change the entire course of art history, and painting in particular. Such bullshit.”

Kate gives Victoria’s hand a little squeeze, and Victoria is floored once more by the realization that Kate is holding her hand. Still. She’s not even leading Victoria anywhere anymore; they’re just standing there, holding hands. It’s astonishing. “We should write a book,” Kate suggests. “Shed some light on the more underappreciated aspects of art history.” Her tone is light and teasing but Victoria finds herself considering it seriously.

“I could probably sell that pitch,” Victoria muses. “I have some contacts in publishing. You could cover illustration, I could cover photography, we could tap my friend Taylor to cover--” She’s snapped out of her brainstorming by the sensation of Kate’s thumb rubbing softly over her knuckles. “Uh, but we can work out those details later. If you want to. In the meantime, why don’t you tell me about…” She gestures with her free hand. “...whatever’s going on here?”

Kate grins and gives her a warm nod, not letting go of her hand as she leads her to the nearest artwork. “Don’t be scared to get up good and close,” Kate instructs her, tugging her closer. “We’re not at the Met, don’t forget.”

Victoria scoffs. “As if I could forget that.” She lets Kate pull her closer til she’s scant inches from the art and her shoulder is pressed firmly against Kate��s. “Close to the art… or to you?” she asks softly. She doesn’t know how to look at art this closely; it all blurs to abstraction as she waits for an answer.

“Both,” Kate replies seconds before a tender kiss presses bold and warm against Victoria’s cheek.

[doodles-arts]

Request: turtles reacting to crush

pairing?: All 2003 turtles x reader

Rating?: Pg

Warings?: loads of fluff

Request: 2003 turtles reaction to their crush, the turtles did the sweetest thing ever for them, talking loads of nice stuff about their crush, protecting crush or showing their nice/happy sides and crush waits until they are alone and crush says, crush has been good friends with the individual turtle, so they’ve never spoken like this before, “You know you’re really beautiful”? 

Summary: The boys all react a little differently to a super hawt crush! some boast, others turn hate into love

A/N: I did get carried away with my baby Donnie a little, if your interested in a one shot of a biker reader with a sarcastic Donnie, please reblog! I’d love to write it, but am working on other things for you guys, so if you’d like it let me know to make some time! @donatello-writes thought you might like the donatello part. Give it a heart if it were any good and read this lil note, love your work!

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

Leonardo:

Met you because you were being jumped.

Classic hero saving damsel in distress

Doesn’t trust you at first for the sake of his family

But he grows on you

2 sizes...

You're absolutely the sweetest!

You bake him things for free as a thank you for saving your life

He can’t help but eAT it AlL

Master splinter actually makes him run laps around the sewers because of how lagged he is.

He asks Donnie for a diet plan and is h e a r t b r o k e n when he’s told NO SUGARS

You make him keto and protein cookies for his weekly cheat meal

You apologized when you were told he couldn’t eat anymore because he had gotten bigger.

The boys tease him about his weight when you're around.

Even after he lost all the extra weight.

His calm demeanor eases all your anxieties

He loves the way you're just so kind to all his brothers and everyone you meet.  

One day when you were baking a cake for  Mikeys birthday and all other kinds of party favors for all the boys, Leonardo kept you company. You both talked and about things you were planning, you both were very close. And Leo was very obsessed with you and your baking apron. He probably followed your back end with googly eyes all afternoon.

You didn’t mind having him keep your company and hand you any ingredients you needed but you couldn’t help but notice how much more his muscles were showing off. He was RIPPED. You blushed and looked away when he caught your wandering eyes. He didn’t seem to mind, keeping the conversation going about your next hangout.  He watched you with adoration and when you couldn’t reach for something on a high shelf he chuckled and offered to get it for you. You didn’t want to seem helpless but he was willing.

“That would be great actually!” You smiled and stepped back, “coming to my rescue as per usual~”, he blushed but you couldn’t see it as he reached up to grab the barely used baking soda. As he stretched, time slowed. His usual strap that held his katana was resting as you both cooked. Without it, it brought much more focus on the flesh on his side that wasn’t covered by his plastron or shell. It was insane how his muscles on his sides stretched and rolled. You could have drooled right there. But there was more to your private show, the little potbelly he used to harbor thanks to your baking, was long gone! His arms were round and plump. The muscles warned anyone who tried to mess with the leader. A clear reminder that you were in love with a god. A GOD. He was magnificent, his body chiseled from stone by Donatello or Michelangelo, the sculptors. You sucked in a breath, trying to make the second longer, but all good things come with an end…

You couldn’t help how your cheeks flushed as your thoughts wandered and traveled. As did your eyes, embarrassing yourself even more as he turned sharply, his glutes flexing as he took a step forward, you just couldn’t believe it-

“-You know you’re beautiful, right?” Leonardo almost dropped the bottle of baking soda that slipped from his three-fingered hands when you had commented on this. Quickly catching it and trying to grab his cool back from slipping in between his fingers as well. You giggled, laughing at your own embarrassment to lessen it. You might have been a bit flustered, but you meant it. “Uh.. thanks?” Still flustered and taken aback, Leo handed you the bottle and sat back down.

The air was thick with an awkward feeling, it might have been you, but you did mean it, you could have meant it platonically or romantically, so you weren’t that worried if he didn’t feel that way. He was clearly the source of the feeling. Refusing to talk afterward. Growing with anticipation, you put too much baking soda in the bowl and groaned in annoyance, scooping the part of the batch that had too much and throwing it out. After it was fixed you took a spoonful and handed it to Leo, “I’m sorry if I said anything out of line, peace offering?”

You had been making an eggless cookie dough batch so that you could give Mikey some cookie dough to eat without getting sick. And as Leo looked at you with that tiny sweet smile, he knew he was cracking. He wasn’t offended, not at all! He was flattered! Honored! But how could he reveal his true feelings if you might not feel the same? He took the spoon with a smile, “accepted!”

When he was finished with the spoon and set it down, you jumped into his arms for a hug, “good! Now stop being so quiet! You're my favorite person, so be my taste tester!” He felt his control falling and before you could pull away he hugged you tighter, you giggled and hugged back. But it was when he wouldn’t let go that you felt something was off. And there was, Leo was freaking out about how to approach you about this. “I’m sorry, but let’s stay like this, I have something to tell you”, he whispered into your ear huskily. You couldn’t help the goosebumps on your arm that stood when his warm breath hit the side of your neck.

“Okay-yeah, okay”, you replied shakily, you weren’t scared, not in the slightest, you could feel a spring in the bottom of your stomach start to tighten. His close proximity had your head swimming. You breathed in his scent and swooned inwardly to the smell of metal oil, peppermint body wash, and the scent of his natural skin.

“I… I know how strange it might seem, but I like ya’. Something about you has me pulling towards you. You always make me happier. I don’t know how else to tell ya, but I want-” before he could answer, your breathless voice did,

“Yes, I like you too, silly.” He hugged you closer as he silently fist pumped the air behind you, “shell yes!”

“I can feel that Leo” You giggled.

Donatello:

Your Casey’s sister

He hates you once he gets to know you

Your blunt, straightforward and RUDE

You’re really smart tho

And slim thicc…

Every time you come he leaves to his lab

He can’t stand you Casey, and Raph roughhousing

He can’t stand watching you on some days either tho…

He hates the way you make him feel

He’ll never admit it but he’s in la-la-la-la-loveeee

The way your arms are beefed up

You’re not picky

You don’t complain

You confront him once, asking, ”what’s your problem!” and he lashes out that your blunt, straight forward and provocative

He didn’t mean that last part

You bluntly tell him you don’t care about what he thinks, you never did anything directly to him for him to always give you attitude

You ask for a truce, instead of being problematic and resorting to violence

From that moment Donnie feels different about you

guess you weren’t so problematic and dumb as he thought

You agreed to help out with his experiments as a peace offering. They’re boring and you hate them but you try for Donnie. Lately, he has been asking many experiments from you, asking to help him with tools and taking notes. He said your handwriting was ‘prettier, surprisingly’. You told him his face was surprising. You both threw jabs at each other constantly. But you grew to like it, he was quick on his feet and always knew what to say back or when to stop. Most people were too sissy to take your comebacks or too sensitive to throw jabs. As you got to know Donnie you noticed how much fun he actually could be. You certainly didn’t have to prove your strength around him or get bruises by the end of the day. With him, it was playful and calm, sure you still liked a bit of wrestling here or there, it had been hotwired into your system by then.

Donnie respected that and you respected that he didn't enjoy the roughhousing around his equipment or in his lab. The mutual respect was a different tune than the constant hating glares you'd send each other. As you sat on the table next to the bike he was fixing up you were humming a tune to yourself, waiting for Donatello to ask for another tool. It kinda reminded you about your dad…

You blew a raspberry and laid you back on the clear table, “I’m bored”, you huffed out. You were tired of just sitting around, looking at the wall, “Well, lucky you, I just finished” he responded dryly. You rolled your eyes and hopped off the table to help him off his shell, “for the tallest slimmest turtle of the bunch, you sure are heavy.” you snickered as he faked a laugh and rolled the bike through the back entrance. “Yea, now shut up and follow me.”

You huffed and walked alongside him, “Soooo, who’s the bike for. Do I get to ride it first? Only fair since I helped!” You mused, trying to convince him to let you ride the bike. You used to own a bike, and you loved that thing to death since it was the one your dad had made for you until Casey broke it.

~~~

You were furious, it was the last thing you had of your dads, and he totally wrecked it during the night with Raph. You tried your hardest to fix it, but you didn’t have the cash for the spare parts, so you ended up scrapping the beat-up engine and the seat, hoping to still find the memory of your dad in them. You kept it in your room. Inside your closet.

After that, it took Casey months to get back on your good side, you only held out that long because he refused to tell you how he broke it. After another month of torture and burnt eggs in the morning, Casey begged the turtles to tell you the truth. And he did, promising to explain what happened to the bike, but he had to show you something first. And that’s how you met the turtles and Donnie’s stuffy ass.

~~~

“It’s yours. So you can ride it wherever you want, genius.” Donnie had to look away, feeling flustered that he was doing this. But you stopped dead in your tracks. When Donnie noticed that you had stopped, and turned to look at you. You had this dumb look on your face as you starred at the bike. Taking small steps towards the seat and opening it, “what’s wrong with you?” He asked, hoping for you to say something back. Kinda creeped out by your silence and wide eyes. As you lifted the seat, ignoring his remark and noticed the little engraved signature of you and your dad. Your heart broke into tiny pieces and fell in the pit of your stomach, you fell to your knees, feeling yourself shaking. Looking at the familiar engine.

“Where did you get this-” he felt a little nervous at the tone of your voice. Deeply unwavering, you sounded half dead. Pissed.

“I thought you’d-”

“WHERE!” He gulped, you hadn’t even looked at him. He walked around the bike to your side, “I’m sorry, but I and Casey took the liberty to rebuild a junk bike with your seat, I fixed the engine and put it in too. If I knew it would bother you so much, I wouldn’t have invaded your privacy.” He still felt your cold demeanor and didn’t dare touch you. Your silence only fueled his anxiousness. Your shoulders were slumped and you tried your best not to break, but the pieces were all falling down. Remembering the night as a little girl that you both worked on the bike and engraved your names on the underside of the seat and rode it for a test drive.

The tears flowed down your cheeks before you could stop them, it was unusual for you to cry, but your bike. His bike, our bike. It was back and fixed, you had something to feel like he was still there, waiting for you to come home after riding. Donnie’s warmth was wafting towards you and you gave him a tight hug. He still stayed after you yelled and didn’t make fun of you when you cry. he really was sweet... huh.

“Thank you, Donnie. I never knew you were so soft.” You pulled away and gave him a soft punch on the arm. He chuckled, trying not to stare at your tear-stained face, it was strange to see you that way. “Nothing wrong with being a little soft, now get outta here and tell me how well the bike does,” he smiled.

You smirked, rising and pulling the turtle behind you, swinging a leg over the bike like second nature. Pulling him on too, “you’re coming with, nerd. We’re gonna have the ride of our lives.” You rev the bike and speed out the sewers, and he yelps. He quickly holds on to your waist for dear life as you ride about the sewer. A raise in the concrete sends you in the air a few feet and you laugh as you feel him hold on tighter, the drop back down sending your sunglasses down, covering your eyes from the wind as you drive faster. His buff arms were warm on your waist. They felt good, and it almost distracted you while you were driving, what would it be like to have them wrapped around you on different circumstances?

You made swift and tight turns that made it feel like your bike would fall on its side. But you were a better driver than Casey could ever dream to be! Donnie was in good hands. As you drove back to the lair, your hair wind-whipped, and all over the place, Donnie couldn’t help but feel both scared out of his mind and adrenaline rush!

As you both hopped off you smiled at the slacked jaw turtle, “she rides good, I’ll probably change her tires though. Maybe loosening the steering gear, makes the tight turns feel less death-defying.” You refered to the bike and giggled as you helped him off, having a new feeling of adoration for Don, even with that dumb look on his face. After he wiped the surprise of his face and laughed you noticed something about Donnie, he had a tendency to stare. That much you already knew, but with you, it was like he couldn’t look away or keep staring all at the same time.

‘Hmm… Oh.. OHHH… How could I have never noticed before?’ You smiled at him and grabbed him by the sides of the plastron and forced him to look at you. “He-Hey, what’s the big idea!” You kept smirking, watching his cues, of getting angry, huffing, and pushing you off as he did with his brothers. It never came. That’s all you needed to know, you tapped him softly on the snout and smirked. “Nothing, I’ll come back for my baby tomorrow, you just make sure to be in disguise, we're going for a joy ride tomorrow night.” Waving goodbye as you walked out you felt proud. You were gonna put this boy through a ride, “By the way, Don, your really cute, ya’ know that?” His jaw slacked as you walked out, he never thought you’d ever say that to him.

He kinda liked it tho...

Raphael:

Met you through April

Is infatuated with you from the startttt

You are a gymnast

100% a smart ass

100% has a great ass

Casey asks, “can I ask a stupid question?” and you’d respond before you can keep quiet, “better than anyone here”

He finds your flexibility hawt

The boys hate how much he tries to show off when your around

You don’t notice, you think it’s just Raph being Raph

He’s ALWAYS inviting you to workout

LEG DAY every day

You like working on them and Raph doesn’t mind teaching you

You put his flexibility to the test every time

You tried to get along with him

The boys are shook to how well behaved he is with you

April notices how well you take his flirting, if you even notice it

You like how dorky Raph is when you’re alone

That’s when you start having feelings for him

Your gymnasium was closed by the company it was under and you had nowhere to practice

You confessed this to Raph and he noticed you were sad about it

He finished hanging up the last high bar. He knew you were missing the gym you used to practice in. He hoped his brothers wouldn’t notice how much effort it really took him to put it all up, so they wouldn’t accuse him of going soft. He wasn’t going soft, he was just trying to impress you is all. There was no shame in that, right? You were cool and sexy, you didn’t even have to try to look beautiful, you just were. Something April and Raph agreed on multiple occasions.

As you walked into the sewers with a pair of leggings and a form-fitting sweater. Perfect. You walked over to hug your friend and held on tightly to his warm, and he was glad to return it. He led you deeper into the lair and showed you, “well, I know that you miss your old gym, and you can’t find any good ones around here. So I thought you could kick it here until then!”

He pointed towards the hanging bars and gym mats on a far corner of the lair. An old mirror hung a few inches off the ground. You could tell he did his best with what he had. He had even taken the liberty to make a walking bar, the current thing you were struggling on. He listened. He cared. You walked closer to the corner that held the mini gymnasium he had created for you. No one had ever done anything like this for you, how was it possible… that you hadn’t seen it before?

“Oh, Raph… I’m at a loss of words. I can’t believe it!” You basically jumped in his arms when you had turned around. You were unusually giddy at the moment and decided to use it to your advantage. Hugging him tightly, knocking the wind out of him, pulling back in a flash and zooming back in.

…

His eyes were wide open as your cute face and scrunched up nose, and kissed him! He couldn’t believe it! You were kissing him right now! On the exact second that he started kissing back, you pulled away bashfully. Smiling and looking back towards your own personal little gymnasium, “thanks again, Raph.”

He nodded and replied, sorta out of it, “yeah, that was one hell of a thank you for a weird looking fella like me-”

You whipped and around and gasped offendedly, “-don’t you say that Raph, you know you’re beautiful, right?” the last part of the question was asked softly. He shrugged and you laid a hand on his cheek to force him to look at you. “You are Raph, I like you, I have for some time now, don’t turn me away, please.” He looked back up at you incredibly and starred as you smiled at his wild look.

“Alright, I won’t, on one condition. I get another kiss?”, pulling him closer with a hand on his cheek, you pulled him in for another kiss. One that he was actually prepared for, this time.

Michelangelo:

You meet him at a skatepark

He thinks your hawt in biker shorts and retro t-shirts

He obsessed with showing off his moves, just like his older brother

He has a different approach tho

You end up impressing him more tho

He makes jokes and invites you to skating contests

You win a few, but it’s obvious that he knew a lot too

You actually enjoy his company

You find it strange you only see each other at night

You don’t mind it tho because you own a skate-shop

You too love having late-night snacks

He never sits too close to you

The first time he’s afraid of taking a chance at you being afraid of how he looks

You guys take turns bringing snacks

You always buy pizza

You know there’s something weird about his body, but you don’t judge because he’s the absolute sweetest

*SmaCK* Your falling for him

One day, Mikey can’t help but want to be closer, so he has to take that chance

“Awesome, Mikey! Check this out!” You rode towards a staircase hand bar, sliding down and as you jumped off, you flipped your board, landing perfectly on the ground and riding your way back over to him. As you stomped your board back up it snapped. Mikey gasped in pity, “oh no dudette, I’m so sorry.” You shrugged and smiled, “It was a prototype anyway, I’ve got more in my shop.”

You walked towards your beat-up car as you felt Mikey’s face drop, “wicked cool! You make boards?” You chuckled as you turned around and pointed to his board, “you do too, honey.” There was that nickname that drove Mikey through the moon, had him sighing like a lovesick puppy. He followed you to the car with goo-goo eyes.

“Wanna come see my shop?” He practically jumped in excitement, “Would I!” He hopped into the car without a second thought, too sweet to take into consideration that you could see his green skin in the closer proximity. The hunch under his trench coat, the strange shape of his feet, or that his chest and stomach were irregularly flat for a guy with such buffed up arms. As you drove, you turned on the music to make up for the lack of conversation. Not trying to seem awkward, just trying to wrap your head around the fact that Mikey wasn’t human.

He never hurt you before, or ever overstepped his boundaries, he wasn’t a creep, he was funny and cared about you. He cherished the time you spent together, he sent a text every night you were together when you got home to ensure you were safe. It was safe to say that you felt something for Michelangelo but was afraid to fall for a stranger. But was he really a stranger? It wasn’t like you met him yesterday! You had been hanging out for a few months.

You had nothing to fear and so when you walked out of the car you confidently invited him and turned the lights to let him gawk at your boards. “I custom make them, all ya gotta do is put in an order, I fix ‘em up too.” You leaned over your cashier post, admiring the obvious turtle in the light of your store. He was a big sweetheart, he’d never hurt you!

“Dollface, this is amazing! I didn’t know you could make surfboards, and the designs on them are wicked cool!” You agreed, very proud of your work as you walked over. Pressing a hand to his arm, “wanna make one together?” He nodded rapidly like a kid high off of candy. And you knew that his heart was too pure for this world, you laughed and pointed at his jacket.

“Maybe you should take this off and get comfortable!” For a split second, he almost agreed and shed off the oversized coat, but he didn’t want to lose you. You were so cool… “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, dollface.” You rolled your eyes and blew a raspberry, which surprised him. “Mikey, I don’t care what you look like, not like I couldn’t tell under the store lights anyway! You’re beautiful to me, you should know that!” You placed your hand on his chest pushing the coat off his shoulders softly with a smile.

Stunned but flattered he allowed it and leaned forward, feeling a moment creeping on, the coat fell on the floor. A few inches from your face and he was already closing his eyes and puckering out his lips at you, You felt the same energy, but…

You placed a finger on his lips, “You didn’t think it was going to be that easy did you?” He shrugged and grinned, “a guy’s gotta try don’t cha’ think?” You giggled and pecked his cheek. Leading him to the backroom to work on the new board together. Mikey wasn’t going to let you focus too much for too long though. He would get that kiss!

~~~~~~~~~

remember! if you really enjoed the donatello scenario, reblog for a oneshot!

[shintorikhazumi]

A Real Girl Chapter 2: Feelings 2.0

A/N: Just like my other story in LWA (that I can’t focus on huhuhu), I’m composing this update while in the hospital, watching over my dad. There isn’t any internet so I guess I can focus quite a bit haha. I feel like the pacing of this chapter is off, or awkward somehow? I should’ve extended the first chapter more. Welp, too late for that. I guess I’m trying to expand the background information on how this universe works? It’s quite close to canon-verse where Sayo used to not really get along with everyone, and slowly improving lately, but tailored to the Sayo of this story??? I’m braindead, I’m sorry hahaha.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

  A Real Girl Chapter 2: Feelings 2.0

  Sayo did not like having feelings.

It wasn’t that she hated all the mushy drama that came alongside it. It wasn’t that she particularly disliked the anxiety of having negative- and even positive- feelings. No, it wasn’t that at all.

She simply didn’t fancy the complications it brought to her practical lifestyle. She had yet to fathom such things, and more often than not, her system could not process the actions and reactions brought about by emotions. Moments when she did try only ended up in the usual overheating, and sometimes confusion and jumble of information running through her head, always rendering her unable to organize the sensory data she was receiving from her body.

She just couldn’t seem to handle all that. It was a system overload.  Something she couldn’t hope to control. And control was what she understood she needed; control over this life of hers. If she could not contain the wild horses that were feelings, she could not live her life to its realest, most authentic capacity. That was what she believed. And she believed that Sayo Hikawa was incapable of having feelings.

-//-//-//-//-

  The dinner that followed her regular meeting with her parents had been… fine, Sayo supposed. It wasn’t all that awkward. To her it wasn’t, at the very least. She tried to scan her other family members for any signs indicative of discomfort, and upon finding nothing unusual, she had released a small sigh of relief that did not go past her surprisingly perceptive sister.

Hina then asked her if anything was wrong, to which she would reply her usual assurances; that she was fine and there was nothing to worry about, offering a calm smile before proceeding to eat her food to hopefully signal to the younger twin that this particular conversation was over.

Hina understood and seemed willing to relent, dropping any plans of further interrogation. She instead turned to her parents, continuing one of her many ridiculous tales. This one happened to be of how she may or may not have tried to convince the school principal to go bungee jumping with her off the school’s highest building, which was probably what had been the cause of this week’s call to the office for her parents.

Sayo felt her facial muscles work to form a small smile outside her manual prompting. Something deep down inside told her it was because she was amused with her younger sister’s antics. Quite an uncommon occurrence as Hina’s antics were usually nothing short of headache-inducing.

“Feeling quite cheery, aren’t we Sayo?” Her father piped up, noticing the smile on his eldest daughter’s face. Albeit miniscule to some, to her family and friends, it was a clear indicator that Sayo was in a pleasant mood, and that made them happy as well.

For some reason, having her whole family’s attention on her made her feel warm. Warmer than “normal”. Oh, this was troublesome. Sayo had been having these heat flushes far too often lately, it truly was messing with her system.

“N-no? I… or, yes, I… I suppose I am not in a foul mood, Father.” She responded, rigid as ever, but with a stutter she inwardly cursed at. Was she experiencing lag?

Despite her words, her family had gotten used to her responses and translated it as a positive ‘yes’. That was good enough in their books.

The rest of dinner remained clear of any suspense, and each Hikawa was grateful for that.

Hina had volunteered to tidy up the kitchen afterwards as their parents were preparing to take their leave, so Sayo was left with the task of seeing the pair off by the door.

…

There were a few moments of tense silence as Sayo watched her parents. Her father avoided her gaze by leaning down to tie his shoelaces, the action taking a little too long compared to the average time; while her mother was the complete opposite, staring a little too intently back at her. She didn’t know what to make of this situation. Her sensors picked up body language cues that translated to them having something they still wanted to say before leaving, but the longer they took to make even a squeak, the more Sayo wondered if they were all just burning away the precious seconds that could have been spent on safe travel for her parents, and dedicated guitar practice for Sayo. She would have preferred spending her time wisely, even if it was a Saturday night. She had band practice tomorrow, after all.

“Sayo-“ Her father had finally began, reaching a hand up above the said girl’s head. Sayo felt her heartrate pick up, eyes glued to the motion, waiting, before her father retracted it back to his side. The action brought about a physical weight increase in Sayo’s chest area, and she almost asked her father about it; but the question died before even leaving her mouth, a different hand catching her off-guard.

Her mother had cupped her cold cheek with her warm hand, eyes glistening somewhat, searching for something Sayo could not figure out.

“Mother?”

A beat of silence.

“We really do love you.” The older woman whispered, still looking into Sayo’s eyes, still searching, not knowing if she’d find what she sought. “We really do.”

Sayo had no idea how to respond to the sudden affection, and simply nodded her head silently. What she did know was that what had previously weighed in her chest seemed lighter, though not completely gone-

That familiar large, calloused hand that belonged to her father- it now lay on her head, patting a few times before his thumb stroked the top of her head, then swept across her forehead, moving her fringe aside for a moment to clearly display her surprised face. The weight had completely dissipated, and Sayo would admit that she was slightly in awe, and curious as to if this was part of whatever update had taken place, and if her parents had a new manual for her to read so that she could better understand and control all these odd mishaps with her body as of late. They hadn’t really made those in recent developments, only verbally instructing and vaguely explaining to Sayo functions she could and could not perform.

Her musings were cut short by the words she was still getting used to.

“We love you and…” The man she labelled as her father started, “We’re sorry we’re late”. She felt her brows furrow, a wrinkle forming between her eyes.

“What do you-“ Before Sayo could even ask what those words had meant, Hina’s familiar singsong voice had interrupted the exchange.

“Huh? Why are you guys still here?” Seeing as she was now here, Sayo inferred that the Kitchen and dining room had been cleaned up, and that they had lingered by the doorway for far longer than she thought.

The ribboned girl looked between her parents and sister, confused at the atmosphere shrouding them.

“S-sorry, sweetheart. Just had a lot of things to remind your sister.” Mr. Hikawa smiled, moving forward to wrap his younger daughter in a hug. “You know, reminding her to take care of you, and not overwork herself.”

“Oh yeah, Onee-chan does that a lot.” Hina agreed, seemingly buying it. “I do try to tell her to have fun and stuff, but she never listens!”

“You never listen to the voice of common sense, either.” Sayo quipped. “And your idea of fun is fairly life-threatening.” She whispered the last part to herself.

“Anyway! We also had to talk the usual budget for you guys, and just… stuff.” Their father finished the little white lie fabulously.

“Right!” Hina nodded, believing every word… probably.

With a cough from their mother, Hina escaped her father’s hold and gave the eldest woman a gentle, but enthusiastic embrace.

Once over and done with Hina’s affectionate goodbye’s, the Hikawa couple bid their daughters a farewell, leaving hand in hand until their figures escaped Sayo’s line of sight.

Breaking out into a sigh, Sayo locked the door behind her as the twins headed for their respective rooms to retire for the night.

Sayo felt dissatisfaction stir within her. She had so many questions she wanted answered when she found that it was time for her parents’ regular visit, but now that they had left, she had even more than what she started with instead of less as she had planned.

Mumbling her goodnight to her sister, she closed the door to her room with a silent click.

Unlike her usual graceful manner of carefully sitting or laying down on her bed, Sayo had unceremoniously plopped face-first into the soft mattress, once more unknowing of the reasons as to why she performed this action.

Something was off with her lately. Even more-so after these last few updates. She seemed to be dancing to subconscious promptings, acting with less thought and calculation than she usually would- should, according to everything that was initially written in her learning manual.

She had thought her parents would spot these errors without her having to mention it, but somehow it seems things had only gotten worse.

The way the two were acting towards her lately only further supplemented her confusion. All these ‘we love you’s were not something she was used to, at all. She had only begun to get comfortable with Hina’s overbearing affection the past few months, and now her parents were being… odd.

Burrowing her face into a pillow, Sayo found herself thinking back to her past as a child. She had always known that there was a difference between her and Hina. There was a difference between how her parents addressed her, and how they fawned over her younger sister.

She recalled the stiff interactions, the formal instructions, the commands, the rare, but still awkward praises when she accomplished tasks she was supposed to better than expected, and the… times she would look on from afar as her sister received what she later on learned to be “hugs” from their parents.

Something she never had the pleasure of receiving as a small child. At least from them. Hina- bless her soul, Sayo would now say- was the only one willing to ‘teach’ her these things. Other kids at school never bothered to interact with her either. She was too expressionless, too scary, too serious, too-

Too Unhuman.

She would’ve laughed had it not been such a hurtfully accurate notion.

In comparison to her experiences, through clear lens, Sayo observed that Hina and their parents communicated with warmth; how the girl was guided with affection and encouragement, and lifted up due to her sheer genius.

In all honesty, Sayo had to admit she envied Hina then, that genius she had. She sometimes pondered the thought of being programmed to perfection, without flaw, weakness, or struggle. Would that have made her a genius too, at least in the eyes of normal men? Would that have earned her praise even if it wouldn’t matter to a freedom-less girl like her? -Was she even a girl at this point?

She might not be.

Still, she envied it quite a bit. Yes, the fact that Hina was a genius was what she was jealous of, nothing more.

She had read on it in an article once; how children could often feel jealous if attention and care were not distributed fairly by parents, leading to feelings of neglect and lack of relational connections. Had Sayo been a normal girl, maybe this would’ve been so; however, she believed that it would not apply to someone like her… someone like her… something like her…?

After all, there… was no reason for her to desire anything like love, adoration, or care, was there? Being able to perform as she was designed to, being able to do what she had to- those were what mattered in this “familial” relationship between her and her parents.

Right?

…

Rolling onto her belly, she stared up at her ceiling, body not up to the usual task of devoted guitar playing for tonight, it seemed.

She sighed.

Blinking once, twice, she noticed and remembered that up on her ceiling were glow-in-the-dark stars that Hina had insisted to put up in Sayo’s room, along with a lone crescent moon that paired with Hina’s sun in her own quarters. For some reason, she couldn’t help but compare that to their own social situations at the moment.

If people were stars, Hina belonged with the stars as the sun was still a star. It might be more prominent and more known to most inhabitants of the earth, just as Hina was someone popular to many, even to strangers; but still, she was one of them. Even if she had to shine alone in the morning sky, people still knew she was- and still grouped her as- one of the stars. She was most definitely a star too.

Sayo, however, could not relate. Hina had told her she was the moon, and even if it tries to shine alongside the stars, it will not- and never be- a star. And in the moon’s moments, where the city lights drown out all the stars, even the moon’s shine is dulled and it is truly alone; and though it is seen on the same stage, in the same night sky, no matter how much it would try to blend in with the crowd… it would never be a star.

Sayo would never be a star.

Another sigh. A toss. A turn.

Again, her line of thinking drifted to the changes she and her family seemed to be going through. Somehow, she found life somewhat easier back when everything had been so professional. It may have seemed like she was neglected and alone, but such negativities could be adapted to, could be grown out of. Sayo could simply get used to it, suck it up like the mature person she was, and move on. Or at least that’s how it was to the outside onlooker. To Sayo, it was just normal for there to be distance. She wasn’t really a part of their family.

She wouldn’t be able to understand it anyway.

So why did everything have to take a turn?

Actually… When did everything suddenly take a turn?

Was it when she had first met Yukina? Was it as Roselia progressed into a proper band? Or was it when they became friends, bound by music, never to be broken apart?

Was it when Lisa stepped up to help her with Hina after Sayo had gone too far with her distancing? The gentle hand on her back, drawing circles as the brunette listened intently to her confusion and woes, and taught her a little bit more about what relationships were? Was it that?

Sayo had no clue.

One day, everything just seemed to morph; her reality was changing. The improvement of her relationship with Hina may have marked the most significant wave of change. Sayo found herself able to decipher her constant home companion bit by bit. She could guess what the girl was up to, she could figure out her moods, and keep up with her whims (she hoped).

Then suddenly, her parents showed up more often than the usual check-ups. They listened intently during Sayo’s parent-teacher conferences, they no longer constantly reminded her of their expectations for her, they would actually send her messages outside the usual appointment updates, or information briefing, or requests. They would tell her how they saw a guitar model that Sayo might like; texted her that if she wanted anything for Christmas, she could tell them.

She would catch her mother’s stare many times, before the woman offered her a nervous, or kind smile. Her father would constantly ask her about her preferences for updates.

And what unnerved her most of all, was the fact that they had been offering her physical affection (sure they were limited to pats, touches, or handholds, but it was odd enough) and constant “we love you”s. Something they used to only do in public setting to show that the family was on good terms with one another.

-not saying that they weren’t, because Sayo deemed that her being alive was enough proof that they were on good terms.

…such a scary thought, she now realizes.

Anyhow, it just so happened that even in private, her parents were now actively performing those aforementioned acts towards Sayo. Were they trying to build rapport with her? Trying to get on her good side? She had no complaints about their relationship in the past, so why did they have to try to change it up now?

And of course, the thing that bothered her the most… feelings.

Suddenly, the “feelings” prompts in her mind were no longer just emptily flashed words of alert with instructions on how she should act. They now did all these odd reactions to her body, made her lose her control, put errors in her usual calculations.

She didn’t know whether she liked it or not.

There was something within her whispering that this was what she wanted. Because it made her real, or at least pretend to be…

But her practical mind told her it would only serve to continue to burden her. This, she truly believed.

If that were so, why couldn’t she have it removed? Whatever program in her that involved these dreaded feelings? Her parents had told her she could always express her desires when it came to her recent upgrading. She was told she could ask for anything. So why wouldn’t she ask for one simple removal? One that would solve all her current distress, and quite possibly benefit her by giving her the efficient life she wanted?

She didn’t know.

She didn’t know why she was trying to cling to fragments of a false reality, a world where she wasn’t what she was. A lie in which… she was a real girl.

She just didn’t know.

And to these thoughts, her world shut down.

  -//-//-//-//-//-//-

  It was the weekend; what most students considered their free time- time to waste, time to slack off. They simply had so much time, away from the usual school day. And simply having this much time was all the more reason for Roselia to spend it on practice instead.

Sayo arrived early. She always did. It was part of her internalized time-table. She had one for almost all occasions. For school, for weekends with student council work, and without. Today, her schedule consisted of waking up, preparing breakfast, washing up and getting dressed. Then she would eat, get on the seven-forty-five train, arrive at circle and ask for the reserved room, grab a sweetened coffee by the vending machine, down it in ten, and enter the practice area to tune her guitar and do warm-ups until everyone else arrived. Everything she did was performed on the dot, down to the very last second.

There were days where tiny deviations from her predicted happenings occurred, but nothing that would throw her off completely. They sometimes came in the form of any other member arriving earlier than her. In the case of Minato Yukina, she guessed it wouldn’t be all that odd. At the beginning, they would simply regard one another with a small nod before continuing onto their individual warm-ups. As Roselia’s relationship improved however, they often exchanged small talk, or opinions on the band and each other’s personal progress, seeking advice. If it were Ako who got there before Sayo, she would only pray that nothing was out of place, and that there were no soda spills on the carpets. She’d rather not have a repeat of one certain incident.

Rinko and Lisa were rarely the first people in the studio. Sayo dealt with is as it came. They would offer greetings and pleasantries, and focus on warm-ups, and that was it.

Or well, that was then.

It came little by little, but things were certainly different now. There were days when Sayo would come in just a few seconds before an Ako barreled right into her, apologizing, but not letting go without a quick hug around Sayo’s waist, and irresistible puppy eyes that almost always asked Sayo to pat her head before the younger girl would break out into a grin, satisfied, and ready to warm up. She really did remind Sayo of all the videos of dogs she’d watch out of some form of habit, possibly; filling up a personal database file all on their own.

Rinko, she-…

Well, she wasn’t as scared of Sayo anymore. That could be noted as some sort of improvement. It wasn’t as if they never got along before, but work in the student council felt just a tad bit more relaxing, and quite enjoyable lately, if Sayo were to be honest. Rinko was like a breath of fresh air amongst everyone else’s eccentricities- including those other band girls outside their own.

Then… there was a pair that had suddenly been throwing her for a loop.

Minato Yukina and Imai Lisa. One so cold and aloof, avoided like a harsh winter day; and the other heated and sociable, passionate in dance and music like the summer… At least, that was how Sayo saw them at the beginning.

It came as sudden as all the other surprises in Sayo’s present life. Sayo spotted a silver songstress on her knees in a hidden corner of the park, leaning down towards a tiny kitten in what she saw was a shared eskimo kiss. She felt a stall between the beats of her heart. And it became a memory she’d never forget, sometimes replaying itself in her moments of slumber. Sayo realized that Yukina wasn’t just the snow, she was also the spring that came in turn right after.

The bassist, on the other hand, proved to also be the fall. A beauty to behold, making you forget the coldness it actually had. Lisa had days where she would doubt herself; days where her silence would issue warning sirens in Sayo’s poor confused system, prompting her to offer gauche comfort- the only kind she could manage in her uncertainty.

It didn’t help that the girl wore the scent of cinnamon and pumpkin spice pie, and all the sweet little guilty pleasures hardwired into Sayo’s poor mind (It was a weakness she would never admit to- she wondered if her parents added such a detail in the blueprint for personal amusement); and the fact that she’d casually offer an embrace that caused those fragrances to overwhelm the stiff guitarist was an additional trigger, along with a Yukina who smelled of vanilla and cookies- though the latter was probably just due to the crumbs from Lisa’s treats that the unexpectedly clumsy leader of Roselia got all over herself.

She often tried to ignore the way Lisa would cling to her and Yukina’s arms as they walked to or from the studio, or to a gig; she would try to ignore the warmth that suddenly spread from the point of contact between them to her entire body. She would also ignore the jitters and “flutters” she would feel when her eyes would meet Yukina’s mid-song, and the tiniest of smiles would play on the singer’s lips and- was that a wink, Minato Yukina?!

It irked Sayo that almost everything she had gotten used to and inputted into her data bank of memories over the course of her seventeen- eighteen years of existence were slowly changing; herself and Hina, their parents, and now, even Roselia and the rest of their girls’ band peers. Heck- even the students at school had begun to greet Sayo as she monitored the halls (which was already quite the feat, as they usually screeched or shuffled their merry way out of hers), even when she wore her usual- as Lisa and Hina so fondly called- “resting bitch face”; stoic and devoid of emotion.

How could everything just be so confusing-

“..yo? Sayo! Sayo?”

Ah. This voice sounded plenty confused as well.

“Sayo, is something the matter?”

A hand on her shoulder, and another in a worried clasp around her bicep, pulling her to spin around, face-to-face with furrowed green eyes almost matching her own.

Had she been lost in thought?

“Imai…san.” Sayo regarded with a slow nod, each syllable carefully spoken.

A hand shot out to touch her forehead, accompanied by the concerned question of, “Are you sick?”.

Well, good morning to you as well, Imai-san.

Despite the lack of proper greetings from everyone, the guitarist decided to simply answer the question before things went for worse. Sayo shook her head no, the action allowing her eyes to notice that the room was complete with all of Roselia’s members staring at her, perplexed at the bizarre, unusual Sayo they had just stumbled upon, guitar slung over her shoulders, but staring at a blank wall for who-knows-how-long before the rest arrived.

“Are you sure?” Lisa pressed, though that wasn’t the only thing she was pressing apparently, as one of Sayo’s hands was clasped between both of Lisa’s and was currently held against her fairly mature che-

“Sayo, I believe we’ve had a talk about this before, but if you are sick, one must not overexert themselves as this would trouble our band in the long run.”

“Yes, thank you, Minato-san.” –‘for taking my mind away from somewhere I’d rather it not be in.’. Sayo completed the sentence silently, hoping no one suddenly developed the powers of mindreading. “But still, I am fine and most certainly healthy.”

“You are most welcome.” Yukina gave in reply. “But I also don’t believe you all that much, Sayo. Not with your history of overwork.” Stepping in closer, the shorter girl took Sayo’s other hand in her own, giving it a squeeze. “So do tell us if you need a break today, and you shall have it.”

Oh, it had started again. Those thumps and irregular skips in Sayo’s pulse, the desire to run to the comfort room with her coolant for just a bit, the shaky breaths.

“I- I truly appreciate your kindness, but I am certainly fine and I would love to never burden you with something like a missing member due to negligence with my health.” Sayo once more tried to convince them of the truth. It was difficult.

“Really?” Gold and green interrogated, moving the slightest bit too close into Sayo’s personal space and mental safety barrier. Did they really not trust her to regulate and discipline herself with her health, much more after her first blunder?

The answer seemed to be yes.

Even Rinko’s tiny whispers of, “Hikawa-san” relayed her sincere worry for Sayo’s well-being, along with Ako’s less-than-subtle fidgeting. And while she was grateful for their sincerity, it felt a bit overbearing.

Sayo sighed for… some numbered time now. She’d done that a lot lately.

“Really.”

That seemed to have worked as everyone visibly relaxed, Ako and Rinko continuing on with their set-up and warm-ups. Sayo would have hoped that this would influence the other two in front of her to do the same; and they did. They did get to that…

But not without a gentle squeeze on her hands, a pat from Yukina, and a blown kiss from Lisa that only made it feel much hotter.

And why this was?

She still could not fathom.

And she hated that fact.

-//-//-//-

  She would definitely have to apologize later.

Practice had gone nowhere. Sayo’s perfect, calculated playing, everything done with precision and a charm solely hers… it just wasn’t there. And all because of her damned updated mind that kept bringing up two pairs of warm hands, and faces that seemed to be glowing in her eyes. Then there was the matter of Lisa’s… upper… half…

“We stop here for today.” Yukina’s usual stoic voice commanded, though Sayo could hear the frustration oozing out. She clearly was not pleased, and that was all because of Sayo’s lackluster performance.

Everyone nodded in reluctant agreement, each moving to fix up their instruments, securing them in their cases.

As they were ready to leave, lights turned off and door open in wait for the guitarist to be the last member to step out, Sayo spoke, stopping under the shadow of the darkened room in a bow. “I apologize. I’ll do better next time. Today’s subpar performance was clearly due to my lack of concentration and I shall do my utmost in correcting my-“

“Sayo.”

Said girl looked up from her perfectly ninety-degree bow.

“It’s okay.”

Scanning each of her bandmates’ faces, their expressions all responded with the same thing.

It’s okay.

“Really, Sayo-san, you should tell us if you feel a little sick! You work so hard, taking a break shouldn’t be a problem for you!” Ako laughed, but it had this little nervous color to it that expressed her care for Sayo.

“Ako…chan… is right. Hikawa-san… you already… play so well. You’d never…fall behind even if… you missed one session.” Rinko gave one of her most comforting smiles, and Sayo felt the desire to smile back. And she did.

“Even if I held you all back?” Sayo asked.

“What nonsense. A member of Roselia would do no such thing!” Yukina stated with conviction. “And in the impossible case that you did,” She grabbed Sayo, pulling her out of the dark room, and into the light, in the bright hallway with everyone else. “-then we’d pull you right along. We’d do that for each other, for any comrade.”

“She’s right. We’d do it in a heartbeat.” Lisa latched on to her arm, resting her head slightly on Sayo’s shoulder, almost nuzzling the spot, which would have been bad for Sayo’s processors. “I’m sure we all feel that way.” The brunette added good-naturedly. But those words held a not-too-pleasant weight for Sayo.

‘We all feel that way.’

All.

Feel.

“Right. Of course.” Sayo nodded, covering up the sudden shakiness in her legs by taking a firm step forward, still attached to the two same-year best friends.

Like wild horses being held back that suddenly broke their fence, her thoughts ran. Roselia trusted her. As a teammate, a bandmate, a comrade… a friend. So how was she to tell them she wasn’t like all of them. That she didn’t know how to feel?  How was she to explain that their warm, heartfelt sentiments were things she could not return genuinely?

How could she explain that the so-called emotions she portrayed were automatic, programmed responses? How could she possibly tell them that even she did not know her own sincerity towards the band, how she no longer knew if what she was doing was out of necessity and a must for self-preservation- a “professional” type of relationship; or if it was because she harbored what they had in their own souls. A love for other people.

No. It couldn’t be that.

She knew what it was. But that was textbook knowledge. She could never apply that to her own understanding and utilization.

She wasn’t meant to be able to do that. It wasn’t in her manual. Feelings never were. No matter how many years had passed. She’d never get to understand it.

Humans smile because they are happy. They cry when they are sad, they get angry because of unpleasant things. These little facts were what she was introduced to as the basis for telling emotions.

But then Hina smiled even though Sayo hurt her; Lisa cried when they got her flowers she loved for her birthday, and celebrated with her. Yukina got angry when another presumptuous producer offered to take them to a world stage.

It didn’t make any sense. Their reactions brought about by feelings were nothing like the manual. They were nothing so simple. They were so complex.

Too complex for a non-genius… nonhuman, non-girl like Sayo to understand.

But how could she say that to people who trusted her? That she wanted to offer a genuine trust in return to, but couldn’t possibly do so.

Again, she was far too deep inside the caves of her mind, peripheral sensors crippled to the world causing her to misstep, lunging forward for a faceplant-

…that never came.

Two bright smiles, warm eyes, and soulful emotions.

They teased and taunted, made Sayo heat up, heart threatening to explode at the sheer speed it pumped, but the notions also enough reason for her blood to run cold with unjustified envy- one that should not be able to exist within the teal-haired girl either. Because why should they be able to feel the way they do and bask in the enlightenment feelings brought. Why couldn’t Sayo? But then again, why did she care when it shouldn’t have mattered to her in the first place?

Confusing. Vexing. Frustrating.

And as Yukina held one of her hands, and Lisa clung to the other just as they did hours earlier, Sayo only felt more disdain for the concept she labelled as “feelings”. They made her bitter deep down, not because of their good intent, but that she knew not what these meant. They just weren’t for her. Feelings would never be hers to attain, they would never let Sayo own them; understanding of them constantly slipping from her grasp.

So she ended up hating them. Hating having feelings. Hating feelings.

Feelings that could never be felt by Sayo’s cold Mechanical heart.

    A/N: And that’s a… wrap?? I honestly… was stuck. I guess I’d rather treat this as chap 1 and the other as the prologue haha. My brain is so dried out tbh. Um… reactions? Comments?

~Shintori Khazumi

[thefemalethatwrites]

Devil Within (Jason Todd/Red Hood x Reader)

Request: Nope.

Prompt: You were the second Batgirl alongside Jason’s Robin but when he did you left.

Relationships: Bruce Wayne/Batman x Reader, Dick Grayson/Robin/Nightwing x Reader, Jason Todd/Red Hood x Reader

Warnings: Cursing? Torture

Word Count: 2729

A/N: I’ve tried posting this multiple times in the past week but it hasn’t posted but now it has! I must say that this isn’t one of my best pieces. Enjoy anyways.

~~~

(Y/N)'s POV

"Hello everyone and welcome back to my YouTube channel. Today I was supposed to be met with a dear friend of mine, who've you met plenty of times before; Jason Todd, however he's bailed-" I was cut off by my phone, I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the Caller ID, 'Bruce', "Hello?" I answered,

"(Y/N), it's Jason" he said,

"What about him? What've you done?" I questioned as I stood up and began pacing,

"The Joker-"

"No! You're lying Bruce! Don't you dare say it!" I snapped cutting him off as tears appeared in my eyes,

"He's dead" He stated making the tears fall, I dropped my phone and fell to my knees letting out a painful scream and sobbed.

***

"Hello everyone and welcome back to my YouTube channel. After my 5 year break from it. As some of you may be wondering why I practically fell off the face of the Earth it's because someone extremely close to me died and I didn't feel like I could give you all my best when I definitely wasn't and I didn't want to put a facade for you. But I'm back and ready to get back to my schedule. I love you all so dearly. Until next time" I say into the camera before switching it off, I sighed as I quickly edited it and uploaded it to my channel, my phone began ringing, I glanced at the caller ID and growled, "What do you want Bruce?" I snapped,

"I need your help taking down Red Hood" he stated, I rolled my eyes

"And what made you think that I wanted to help?" I asked,

"Because he almost killed Tim" He retorted,

"Fine but I'm doing it so another Robin doesn't end up like Jason" I agreed reluctantly before hanging up, I left my recording room and headed into my bedroom, I glanced at my old Bat-girl suit scoffing in disgust before changing into a plain black top with a leather jacket and jeans, I tied my hair up and placed a simple black eye mask on before leaving through my window, I met up with Bruce and Dick,

"(Y/N)" Dick greeted with a smile, engulfing me into a hug, I rolled my eyes as he pulled away,

"Let's get this over with. I don't want to spend another second wasting my time with you" I sneered towards Bruce, he grunted in response before we searched the city for this 'Red Hood'.

Finally we found him, disposing of some drug dealers,

"It's about time you showed up. And you brought a new friend. Another replacement no doubt" Red spat,

"Replacement? I think not. How about I show you how much of a real deal I am" I threatened as I went to go for him but Bruce stopped me making me glare at him,

"This isn't your fight, (Y/N)" he whispered, I growled

"Then why the fuck did you ask for my help?!" I snapped slapping his arm away from me,

"Back up" he answered, which pissed me off even more,

"Back up?! Screw you!" I yelled and I punched him across the face, "Think twice before calling me for back-up again" I spat before going to walk away,

"It's Jason, (Y/N)" Bruce called over making me freeze momentarily as tears made their way to my eyes,

"So you finally figured it out" Red said as he removed his helmet, I slowly turned to see Jason stood there in the flesh, I sighed as I turned back around and headed home.

***

"It's worked. It actually worked" I mumbled as I paced my living room,

"Indeed. Now for you to hold up your end" A deep voice rumbled,

"Fine" I sighed stopping in place, I shiver crawled up my spine making me shake,

"We're now one" The voice announced within my head, I hummed in acknowledgement before turning to my window as Jason climb through it,

"And what can I do to help you?" I asked resting a hand on my hip,

"You look well" he commented, I rolled my eyes and folded my arms,

"What do you want?" I demanded,

"Ouch, that's the treatment your Bestie gets when you find out he's alive? I'm Hurt" he mused,

"Ex-bestie" I corrected,

"Wow...what happened to the happy YouTubing Bat-girl I knew?" He asked,

"She took your death hard, and as a warning that if she continued to wear that symbol on her chest she too would end up 6-feet-under" I answered, he hummed,

"You also stopped YouTube. Until recently" he stated,

"Your point? You were supposed to do a video with me before I got the news. I didn't want the memories to remind me of what I lost" I replied dropping my arms, he sighed,

"Do you still give the best hugs?" He asked, opening his arms awkwardly, a small smile pulled at my lips as I opened my own arms and he stepped into them and I wrapped them around his large frame and squeezed, "I missed you, so much" he whispered,

"I missed you too" I replied.

***

"Hello everyone and welcome back to my YouTube channel. Today, I'm joined by the one and only; Jason Todd!" I exclaimed as he sat in the chair next to me,

"Remind me again how I agreed to this?" He asked, I rolled my eyes

"Because you owe me. Plus, I'm your bestie" I beamed making him chuckle,

"Anyway, today I-we will be look at some of your fan-work; this includes art stuff, video edits and dare-I-say stories/imagines/head cannons" I explained,

"You're going to regret that last category" Jason commented making me slap his arm,

"Shush. Let's start with Tumblr art" I say as I searched my name and brought up several art pieces made by people,

"Hold up, is that us?" Jason said as he pointed to an artwork, it was of him and I younger, I was smiling/laughing and Jason had a bright smile on his face as he looked at me,

"Where did this come from?" I questioned as I looked through the progression shots then finally the source, "Oh my god. That was the second video we did together. It was a reading your comments" I stated.

***

I groaned as I made my way to my door, I opened it revealing Bruce,

"Nope" I say as I closed it but he stopped it with his hand,

"(Y/N), I need your help" He stated as he invited himself inside,

"The last time you needed my help I was only back-up" I retort, he sigh

"I know and it was wrong of me to do that to you but I really need you this time" He replied,

"You have plenty of other people to help you. Go get them. You can show yourself out" I snap as I began to head towards the kitchen

"Joker has them; Dick, Tim, Damian, Jason" He stated making me stop, "(Y/N) I'm begging you. Put on your cowl one last time for me. For Jason" he pleaded, I changed my course to my bedroom and pulled my batgirl costume out, I put it on and held the cowl in my hands as I exited my room,

"Still fits" I comment, a small smile appeared on his face as he nodded

"Thank you" He said before we headed out to his car.

We arrived at the Cave and was greeted by Alfred, Barbara, Kate, Stephanie and Cassandra,

"(Y/N)?" Barbara asked in disbelief,

"Yeah don't get too excited this is a one off" I replied folding my arms,

"The second batgirl was (Y/N) (L/N)! The famous YouTuber?!" Stephanie exclaimed,

"Yeah. Fan?" I asked, she nodded

"Only one of the biggest!" She answered making me chuckle before turning to Bruce who was now in his Batman suit, I put on my cowl,

"We work as a team. Our objective is to get the boys out" Bruce said, I rolled my eyes but nodded as did Kate, Stephanie and Cassandra,

"Shall we?" I asked as I headed over to the motorbikes.

***

We arrived at an abandoned toy factory,

"Stay alert. I don't want any corpses to drag out" I demanded before we entered the building,

"Do you really think this is a smart idea girl?" The demonic voice asked within my head, I hummed

"Spilt up, we'll cover more ground" I ordered,

"We'll be at a larger risk" Bruce retorted as he grabbed my arm,

"Do you want your sons or not?" I growled pulling my arm from his grip and squared up to him, he gave me his famous bat-glare which I didn't budge under, I only returned it,

"Fine we'll go in small groups, myself and Batgirl, and Batwoman, Spoiler and Black-bat" he ordered, I rolled my eyes and we separated down different corridors,

"Don't ignore me girl" the demonic voice snapped, I heard the psychotic clowns laughter making me spilt from Bruce, I looked through a window and saw each of the boys restrained to a metal chair and beaten, as Kate, Cassandra and Stephanie stood in the middle back to back, Bruce entered the room,

"Yey! Now the really fun can begin now Batsy's here!" Joker exclaimed before a swarm of his henchmen came out from any entrance possible, I sighed and climbed through the window on to the beams above, the four of them were easily overpowered and the Clown prince revealed himself, "I must say Batsy, I'm a little disappointed. Wait...where's Batgirl?" He questioned making me smirk,

"Who?" Bruce asked,

"You know Batgirl! She arrived here with you! I saw her!" Joker exclaimed,

"You must've been hallucinating Joker. No Batgirl arrived with us" Stephanie commented,

"She's right you know" I called out setting them all to look around, I wriggled out of the Batgirl suit revealing my pure black skin-tight bodysuit, I removed my cowl dropping it down below and moving from my position and placed on a simple black eye mask, "Batgirl never arrived with them, it was only little old..." I trailed off as I dropped from the beams on to a henchmen and snapped his neck, "...Me" I smirked before Bruce, Kate, Cassandra and Stephanie broke free and we began to take down the henchmen, Joker ran out of an exit making me growl, as I sliced a throat of one henchmen and drove my knife into a neck of another,

"(Y/N)! We don't kill! I thought you knew that!" Bruce scolded, I rolled my eyes and did a backward handspring avoiding the swings of a henchman before kicking the crowbar out of his hands and catching it before swinging it around his face,

"Get the boys out of here! I'll handle the rest!" I demanded,

"What So you can kill them all?" Bruce growled as he approached me as the last henchman fell, I glared at him

"No, so they can be treated. Now go!" I snapped as another swarm entered the room.

***

I groaned as I came conscious, one of the clowns managed to catch me by surprise with a crowbar to the back of the head,

"Ah finally, now how do you start a live stream Miss (L/N)?" A clown asked, I raised an eyebrow

"And why do you want to start a livestream?" I questioned earning a punch in the face, sending my head to the side,

"I don't. Joker does. Now tell me!" he snapped as he came to hit me but a gunshot echoed though the room and he fell backwards,

"Honestly, you can't find the men these days. I do apologise Miss (L/N) for his awful hospitality. Perhaps I'll be better. Now, let's start a livestream" Joker said as he approached a laptop that was hooked up to a camera, my eyes widened as it was on my channel, "Oh I hope you don't mind. Your channel does reach to a lot of people" he said before beginning the livestream, "See! We've only just started and we're closing up on 1million viewers. Our fans!" He cheered coming over to me,

"Go to hell!" I spat trying to get to him, he smacked me around the face with a crowbar making me yelp,

"Oh no we can't be having that. And to make sure that you don't die no one can cancel the stream or leave it" He chuckled before connecting the crowbar with my ribs causing another yelp,

"You can leave your streams on just leave your phone or computer or whatever you're watching this on" I demanded before getting another hit,

"So batsy, I know you're watching me along with all your bat-brats now you can either come save her or you could leave her in my hands. I promise I'll take the best care with her" Joker bargained making me chuckle,

"Of course you will" I commented earning another couple of hits, "B I know I've been off with you but if you or any of you other bats come save me I'll kick your ass myself. We all know I've been through worse. Since I was Batgirl" I smirked,

"What?! You were Batgirl?!" Joker exclaimed as he bent over in front of me, I narrowed my eyes at him

"Yes!" I growled as I kicked him in the manhood then head butted him.

***

"And we've hit the 72hours mark. Wow you can endure a lot" Joker stated,

"Come on girl. Kill him" The demonic voice commented,

"No" I grumbled,

"He's a monster" It continued,

"No" I repeated,

"Just like you" It stated,

"No!" I yelled gaining Jokers attention,

"No? No to what? Finally lost your mind?" Joker chuckled before skipping around the room,

"No. She didn't want to give up this fragile body to me" The demon spoke from me as I was locked into my mind.

Jason's POV

"No. She didn't want to give up this fragile body to me" (Y/N) said in a deeper, broken voice,

"Huh?" Joker asked as he stopped in his tracks, (Y/N) snapped free of the restraints kicking the Joker backwards into the camera, knocking it over,

"She fought so hard against me taking control and killing your pathetic self" (Y/N) spoke before the Joker let out multiple grunts, the camera was picked up revealing a bloody, bruised and beaten (Y/N) but her eyes were completely black, "I'm in control now. The girl you all once loved is gone and there's nothing you or she can do to stop me!" (Y/N) snapped before chuckling, dropping the camera that was aiming towards the Joker who was unconscious, "I must thank you 'Joker' if it wasn't for you, I would've never taken control of this body. Bye-bye now" (Y/N) cooed.

***

(Y/N)'s POV

"(Y/N)!" Jason yelled, I turned to face him,

"Oh it's you. The dead boy wonder. The reason she's in this predicament" The demon spoke,

"Shut up! He doesn't need to know this!" I snapped, the demon chuckled

"Oh but he does girl. You see Jason, (Y/N) was so torn up over your death that she went all over the world to find a way to bring you back. She eventually came across me and bargained her body as a host if I brought you back" The demon explained, I sighed

"But you didn't bring me back. Talia Al Ghul did" Jason retorted, 

"True but she doesn't know that. Or didn't" The demon chuckled,

"You lied to me!?" I exclaimed,

"You lied to her. Give her back!" Jason yelled as he came to attack, he was easily beaten and thrown on to his back,

"You want to know why she desperately wanted you back. Why she was so willing to give herself up?" The demon questioned as I circled Jason,

"You're probably going to tell me anyway" Jason grunted as I kicked him in the gut,

"She loved you. She still does. I know that her watching this is torture" the demon tainted as I withdrew a sword from thin air, "So why not let her watch you die" The demon said as I went to impale him,

"No!" I screamed and the sword stopped mid-way, 

"What the-?" The demon asked,

"You're not hurting anyone else" I growled making my eyes widened as I regained control over my body,

"No!" The demon yelled from inside my head, I smirked and threw the sword away,

"Didn't hurt you too bad did I?" I asked Jason as I helped him up, he engulfed me in hug,

"Not at all. I've missed you" He replied making me smile as I returned the hug,

"Me too. You best get me back to the Cave and locked up until Constantine arrives and removes this thing from me" I stated as I pulled away, he nodded,

"Just one last thing" He said before crashing his lips on to mine making my eyes widen in shock before easing into and returning it, we pulled apart and smiled at each other,

"I love you too. Since we were Robin and Batgirl, if I'm honest" He confessed, I chuckled giving him a quick peck,

"And I've loved you since then as well, Jason Peter Todd" I smiled.

[onceuponamirror]

For a prompt: who about some nice Archie/Betty platonic friendship? I think their friendship was the most screwed over by the writers (and the fandom) and I would like to see them as the best friend they’re supposed to be. Maybe a moment of mechanic- Betty helping Archie with that god awful car he bought? Maybe some nice Betty-Archie-Fred moment?

a/n: this is peak angsty betty; i intended to do more of their friendship (because i totally agree about how their friendship got screwed and loved this prompt) but my muse turned this into a post-canon angst-healing. well, semi-canon; i scrapped the archie’s arrest thing. i don’t feel like dealing with all of this plot nonsense

She’s been keeping an eye on the Andrews’ house for a couple of weeks now.

It started when Fred had stormed the crowd still gathering on their front steps, his arms outstretched, and demanded they all go home and stay home. Betty’d been trying that technique for days, but as the very public first victim of her father, Fred Andrews had a bit more credit to his name in this regard. 

She’d felt endeared by it, relieved by it, and ashamed by it all at once, though this would be a series of feelings that she’d become accustomed to in the months following her father’s arrest.

Still; Betty has always liked Fred. 

She still associates him with the warm, bubbly summers that she shared with Archie and Jughead before there words for the dynamic between the three of them, always saw him as some kind of vessel of paternally sage wisdom, untouchably moral and unshakable. 

But she’s seen him shake now, and it’s been months since her father was carted away—and it still feels like her fault. 

And so—Betty catches herself staring out of the window a lot lately. 

She remembers staring out of her bedroom window for a glimpse of Archie wandering across his room; she remembers the wistful, moonish sighs out into the Andrews backyard, and the disappointment she’d feel when it’d be Fred or Mary instead of the once object of her affections.

It’s different now, and not just because she understands the flutterings for Archie were for a concept of a relationship that paled in comparison to the one she ended up having—flutterings that feel so foolish in retrospect, but she still can’t quite fault them, because they paved the road to Jughead.

Now, though, when she stares out the window, it’s because she’s looking for a reminder. The mornings that follow nightmares, the moments where she still feels like she’s being watched, the days where a kind of phantom pain sits at the base of her spine and causes gooseflesh, sometimes the only cure is relief that can only come with seeing either of them out, about, alive—not untouched, not unharmed, but alive all the same.

And it’s on one of those days, where she’s sitting by the window and idly tapping her pencil against the homework that feels horribly banal now, that she sees the two Andrews, together wheeling out some kind of disfigured, scrap metal project gone awry into the driveway. 

She stares at it, realizing its got four wheels and the general concept of an engine, and it dawns on her that this…might be a car. Or it was, in a past life. 

Cracking open her window an inch to the makings of spring and carrying voices, it takes only a few minutes of eavesdropping to put together the picture; they’re trying to salvage this ghost of a car, somehow.

Over the course of the afternoon, Betty’s attention keeps darting down to the driveway, a small smile at her lips when the new tire Fred is attempting to put onto the frame rolls right out of his hands, and Archie chases it halfway down the block. It’s brevity out of a Sunday gag strip, and her chest aches for it, wondering if she’ll ever find that in her own house again.

Eventually, the window is opened all the way, as she’d been pushing it up a hair every half hour or so. But she fidgets there, homework long abandoned, spare texts floating between her and Jughead and then Veronica, watching the two of them attempt to work on this mobile junkyard of a car.

She wonders, if this had happened months ago, if she’d be doing there now, assisting them—or given their current speed, instructing them. Maybe her own father would be alongside her, once upon a time.

He was the one who taught her about cars, taught her everything she knows.

And it’s for that reason that she feels rooted to that window, unable to move, even to offer them advice on the best wrenches, to tell them they’re better off building a new engine than trying to clean the rust off the original one. 

Betty doesn’t notice her mother come in; whereas Alice used to bang open doors and click clack around the house in the heels of a happy housewife, she appears to now float from room to room, gliding in and out like the ghost of herself. And thus, when Betty hears her voice behind her, she nearly jumps right out of her skin.

“Good lord, is that supposed to be a car?” Alice muses aloud, leaning in over Betty’s shoulder to get a better view. It’s the first time she’s sounded quite like herself in a few weeks, and Betty cranes her neck up to rake her eyes over her mother’s sad, tired face. 

“I think so,” Betty says, trailing her attention back down across the yard. 

“Well, someone should go put it out of its misery,” she sighs.

“I think they’re going to end up doing that, whether or not they mean to,” Betty replies, tucking her fist under her chin. “I’ve been watching them. I don’t think they really know what they’re doing.”

Alice lobs a sharp eye onto her daughter, and seems to read between the lines. She exhales then, and straightens. “Come on,” she says, pushing off from the window ledge. She gets halfway to the door when she realizes Betty hasn’t moved, and pivots back around. “You should bring them some lemonade, Elizabeth,” she adds, and at first, Betty thinks it’s an attempt at her old steeliness, but seeing the lines shift across her mother’s face, she realizes it’s a plea.

Perhaps for something familiar. Still something apple pie, in spite of it all.

So Betty gets up, her knees aching from being tucked underneath her all day, and follows her mother downstairs.

And a few minutes later, she’s outside the house, closing the front door behind her, and although there’s no one clambering for a photo now, no stray reporter or sycophant left, her hands still tremble with the tray in her hands. The ice cubes in her pitcher of lemonade rattle louder than her heartbeat. 

Archie and Fred fall silent as they see her approaching; although Fred had been comfortingly forgiving after the fact, Archie has never seemed to fully relax around her since. She knows he doesn’t blame her the way she blames herself, but they fidget around each other in the same way, as if constantly on different ends of the same thought.

“Hi,” she says, unsurprised to hear her voice small. “Thought you guys might want some lemonade.”

“Betty, this is a nice surprise,” Fred says at once, striding forward to help her with the tray. He takes it and deftly deposits onto a rolling work cart, beaming at her in a way that brings both relief and shame, as she often feels. “Let me go get some glasses for us,” he says, and then he disappears back into his own house, leaving her and Archie alone for the first time in months.

“New car?” She asks, gesturing vaguely at the rusted red thing in front of them.

His lips lift, just barely. “Yeah. Traded for it at the junkyard. My dad and I are fixing it up together.” 

“I guessed,” she says, scrambling for something else to say and resisting the urge to apologize to him yet again. She thinks she could say it a thousand more times and feel no different. “That’s nice. I used to do that with my—” 

But she promptly falls silent, and Archie eyes her, knowing what she was going to say, and her face burns hot. His jaw clicks and unclicks, as his gaze turns to the ground, clearly thinking.

“You’ve always been good at this stuff,” he says eventually, and with an overly obvious attempt at diplomacy around the subject. “Got any pointers?”

He stares at her, the width of an olive branch between them.

She has several, glancing at the tool box they have out, and the supplies they’re sorely missing. But everything she knows on this subject, she will probably hear in her father’s instructive voice, and she doesn’t know if she can handle that.

Betty licks her lips, feeling like she understands her mother’s desire for the familiar all the more now. 

Truthfully, all she wants to do is pick up a wrench and take this car apart and put it back together again. Her hands twitch with the desire to fix something, anything.

And then she thinks: they have to take off the engine gasket first, and to her shock, doesn’t hear it in her father’s voice. 

She hears her own. 

Just then, Fred re-emerges from the house with a couple of glasses. She notices a third one for herself, and feels color. 

“Are you staying, Betty? We could use another set of hands,” he says amiably, offering her one of the cups. “Or advice, if you’ve got any,” he adds, with a light chuckle and grinning wryly. “I worked on a car with my old man, but that was longer ago than I might want to admit, and I’m rustier than I thought I’d be.”

Archie glances between her and his father, and then he smiles too. His posture droops, like he hadn’t realized how rigidly he’d been standing, and she thinks, for the first time—  

“Okay,” Betty says, voice rising back into its usual decibel. She smiles. “Okay.”

[fedorasaurus]

Here’s a short Final Fight fic elaborating on a headcanon that I had about “what if Sodom uses swords in FF but not so much in SF because he was... encouraged by Mad Gear to use deadlier weapons.” Somewhat dark, I know. I promise I’ll write some cute stuff about Sodom after this. After all, if you ask me, he’s almost entirely unproblematic, and deserves all the best.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15269049

(fic contains strong language, implications of violence, and Belger generally being a manipulative ass)

-

Management

Sodom entered Horace Belger's office shortly after midnight, wincing from the ache in his back as he bent below the doorframe. Horace could smell the sweat and blood on him immediately, that overpowering stench of combat. He wrinkled his nose, brushing his hands over the sleeves of his shirt as if to remove a filth that had settled there by the man's very presence.

"You're running late, Sodom," he spoke calmly, looking up at him with his best impression of concern, "everything all right?"

Sodom stopped before his desk, dipping into a low bow as he muttered an apology, "Very sorry, Belger-sama, I came here as soon as I could..."

Horace smirked at the theatrics. Sodom was quite a... unique member of Mad Gear, that was for sure. But at least he was strong, strong enough to make him good money from fights in the underground arena culture, facing off against young punks whose anxiety manifested as raw violence. An entirely valid survival tactic, as far as Metro City was concerned. Horace, of course, survived the city in his own way, a way that benefitted from the disorganized rage of the youth, and he took pride in that. It was the sort of advanced thinking that had brought human beings out of their animalistic past, to become the sophisticated creatures of the modern day. It was a shame that many humans still remained dumb brutes, but Horace couldn't complain about the lack of competition.

"That's all right, Sodom. I'm a patient man. How about your winnings?"

Sodom held out a wrinkled envelope, at which time Horace could see the dark purple bruises around his cracked knuckles. His fingernails, too, were a filthy reddish-brown. The blue metal of his gauntlets was dented and scratched, matching the damage to his helmet that left one corner of his face exposed. Not that he could make out much of his appearance, what with the grotesque swelling around his eye. A dirty job, but someone has to do it, Horace thought as he took the envelope with a nod. He made a show of peeking in at the neatly-folded bills, furrowing his bushy eyebrows and pursing his lips in a deep frown of disappointment. "Coming up a little short again, I see..."

Sodom once more lowered himself, his face nearly touching the surface of Horace's stout desk. "Forgive me, Belger-sama. Please, it's just... the fighters you've asked me to compete against are... quite skilled."

Horace shrugged, turning to glance out the broad window pane that overlooked the lights of the city below. "I'd allowed you the opportunity to join Mad Gear with status because I had confidence in your fighting abilities... If it's too difficult for you, I might be able to assign you to an alternate job to make up the difference..." he left this off with a long pause, allowing Sodom to apply a meaning to his words as he saw fit. The nervous tension was evident in his reply.

"N-No, I can do this, I just need some time to train..."

"The trouble is," Horace growled, turning back around to face him with a sharp hiss of his motorized chair, "'time' isn't exactly something that I have to spare. I'm a busy man, you know. While you dirty thugs are out there in the streets, I'm up here taking care of the business that keeps everything afloat!" He then let out a long sigh, his tone softening, "But like I said, I can be patient. It's hard out there, believe me, I get it! You know I'd be out there, nobly fighting alongside you if it weren't for... you know..." he accentuated his point by solemnly running a hand over the frame of his wheelchair. Sodom said nothing, but made the sound of a choked gulp. Lucky for Horace, it seemed that he was a sympathetic fool in addition to being a strong one.

"Now..." Horace mused, stroking his beard, "what could we do to help improve your success output? You don't happen to have any other fancy Japanese weapons, do you?"

Sodom glanced down at the jitte that hung loosely from his belt. "I... also have a pair of katana, but I'm not sure that wielding something so lethal against unarmed opponents is honorab--"

"You have swords?!" Horace laughed with exaggerated amusement, "That's incredible! My goodness, you must be quite the samurai!"

Sodom flushed where his skin was not already red from his wounds. His posture straightened, his expression relaxed. He chuckled in both relief and solidarity.

"Katanas!" Horace exclaimed, "I like this idea! You're brilliant, Sodom! Brilliant!"

"Thank you, sir!"

"In fact, let's set you up with some real fights. The real money-makers. You're going to do well for Mad Gear's reputation, you know that? No one's gonna screw around with a strong and brilliant sword-swinging samurai in my city."

Horace then reached into the envelope and removed a small wad of bills. "Here," he added, tossing the lump onto the desk, "buy yourself a hot date, or... some saké or something. Whatever it is you're into."

Sodom bowed again and accepted his cut of the money graciously. As he began to make his leave, Horace called back to him. "By the way, if you see Rolento, tell him that he's falling behind on his earnings as well. Don't hesitate to use those katanas of yours to get the point across, either."

"Yes, of course, Belger-sama!"

It wasn't until Sodom had thoroughly exited his office that Horace began to make a proper count of the money, his expression locked in a smug grin.

"Fucking idiot."

[banditchika]

I came across your really old kotohonoumi harry potter au headcanons and I'm super curious about how you'll sort the rest of muse! Can I just mention I absolutely love the tiny hufflepuff!eli detail you slid in because that's my headcanon for her house too ahshdhshsjsjs

HI SORRY FOR THE LATE REPLY the ask notification got buried under a lot of stuff :,D ill b rlly real here n admit that i had to reread these headcanons just bc its been so long since i wrote them LMAO life moves fast!! i think id end up sorting the other girls like this though: 

eli: hufflepuff. eli defies easy sorting, which is why i rlly love her!! she’s one of those characters where you could argue a p good case for her to be in any of the houses n there’ll b plenty of material to back you up. but my favorite house for her is hufflepuff bc she’s just.... such a dad... she belongs there among the badgers. i don’t consider eli particularly courageous in the way that gryff exemplifies bc she loves to dither over things and has Anxiety: Idol Fest, and for all that she’s a nerd i don’t think she’s much of a ravenclaw either. so tender-hearted, hardworking n upright eli for hufflepuff!! she might seem like a cool hardass on the outside but rlly, in her heart she’s always having a butterbeer and chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen alongside hanayo. eli, by the by, probably inherits the magic from her grandma and grows up treasuring the stories that her grandma passes on.

nico: slytherin. she’s,,,,, such a slytherin?? burning w ambition yeah n full of cunning ideas, but she’s also extremely loyal to those she considers her friends n family. she’s hardworking n has an unrelenting sense of personal values too!! good big sis nico yazawa whose also unashamed of wanting something beautiful for herself and owning her dreams.... i love HER!! she’s a muggleborn constantly punching up to make a space for herself in the wizarding world

nozomi: also slytherin. i feel like other ppl have written rlly lovely things ab nozomi being a slytherin kid n why it works so my ultimate breakdown would just be: im gay, i like it, n im not separating nozonico, now or ever!! i also don’t think that nozomi’s a pureblood, but like eli, she definitely has magic in her family--particularly a talent for divination. she befriended nico in their first year on the hogwarts express n was rlly shy n goofy n awkward, which nico thought was rlly charming. then they got sorted into the same house n became roommates, n then nico broke through personality proxy one n 2 to unlock the Deep Nozomi (tm). she complains that she regrets it every day, but she doesn’t. she doesn’t in the least. 

maki: ravenclaw. i don’t think i’m qualified enough to rlly go into why, but i don’t think i need to either. what a nerdy kid!! of course she’d be in ravenclaw. im rlly attached to the concept of her being the muggleborn heiress to a prestigious hospital n having to juggle between her love of muggle physical sciences and the bizarre scientific laws that govern the wizarding world. she can bond w kotori over being torn btw two worlds!! (edit: i just realized that maki’s all alone in ravenclaw, which actually suits me just fine?? maki kind of seems like the person to easily get lonely once she realizes that she has Friends n that they don’t share a lot of time together, so i think her being the only ravenclaw in muse could b the catalyst that eventually pushes her out of her shell n leads to her doing smth rlly out of character in her eyes n admitting that she loves n treasures her friends) she ends up being head girl in her last year n is so awkward about it

hanayo: hufflepuff. hanayo, like eli, has moments of courage n when push comes to shove will chase her dreams n ambitions against the odds, but the thing is that i don’t think she aspires to bravery?? the way i read her focus episodes in the anime was that she was stepping out of her comfort zone, but that she was glad to do it too and that she was proud of herself for it; it’s a quiet sort of drive and focus that suits hufflepuff more than gryffindor. i think it’d be cute if hanayo were ravenclaw so that she could hold maki’s hand in the library and stuff, but listen. listen. hufflepuff hanayo? is good. idk what hanayo’s backstory should be, bc the wizarding world doesn’t exactly have an equivalent for school idols and her backstory is constantly in flux depending on which love live medium you choose to consume. it’d be rlly hilarious if both she n nico were die hard quidditch fans tho 

rin: gryffindor. she’s a brave, brave girl!!! one moment that rlly cemented rin as a gryffindor for me was when she was ready to throw hands n fist fight maki, a complete stranger, just bc she thought that maki was intruding onto what rin considered to be hanayo’s decision in the s1 first year’s episode!! what a gryffindor mood?? i also think she’d rlly jive w hufflepuff, tho not enough for her to be considered for the house. she’s the second gryffindor chaser n becomes captain once umi graduates!! i put her as the seeker initially, but ultimately i don’t think rin would care to spend like, 90% of the game flying around doing nothing but squinting for some tiny golden ball. she wants to fly around and participate with the team!! im p set on her being a muggleborn; hanayo’s probably from a magic family n breaks rules to talk to rin ab magic, n when they were kids rin would listen to hanayo gushing ab all the stuff she loves ab the wizarding world while wishing that she could b w hanayo in that universe; well guess what rin!! ur a wizard!!

[prettyyoungtragedy]

Nothing like Home: part 5 (steve x reader/ Bucky x Reader)

Chapter 5 (Nothing Like Home)

Steve x Reader x (Angsty Steve Rogers!)

Bucky x Reader

Summary: Takes place a year after The Winter Soldier, before the emergence of Ultron. Steve is struggling with the notion of not being able to find Bucky. Reader tries to get Steve out of his depression and help him find Bucky. It doesn’t go well. Events of Ultron will feature.

 A/N: Feedback is welcomed! 😊

 Word Count: 1132

 Warnings: None

 Bucky took two long strides and in his small dark apartment was then standing right in front of you. You wanted to back away from him but you stood your ground, you could take him if you were lucky. But there was a shadow of doubt at the back of your mind when you looked at his hulking muscular arms,

“How do I know you aren’t still working for Hydra?” he questioned, distrust in his eyes.

“Because if I were working for Hydra, I probably would have already killed you Bucky,” you replied, “You know me, I fought alongside Steve, you shot me in the back” you lift your top and turned around so he can see the three-inch scar on your lower abdomen and your back where the bullet had sliced through. Bucky looked at the scar for a second then back at you,

“How the hell did you survive that?” Bucky said,

You shrug, “Just did.”

“That bullet was not meant for you,” Bucky said softly, “It was meant for Captain America, why did you shield him with your body?”

“Because that’s what you do for the people you love. Ever heard of the saying I’d take a bullet for you?” you reply with a small smile,

Bucky didn’t smile back, instead he turned around and placed his gun on the counter then went to sit on one of the chairs nearby. You were unsure on whether this meant you were a hostile or a friend to him yet but you didn’t move either way. Not wanting to scare him into attacking you.

“Sit.” He ordered.

You obliged and took a seat near him. You looked around at his apartment, it was dark and dingy, just a mattress on the floor, a couple of chairs and kitchen items and a bowl of ripe purple plums sat on the counter top. Bucky’s clothes were folded in a neat pile in the corner, along with a few knives and a few books.

“Do they know where you are?” Bucky asks,

You shook your head “No, no one knows yet.”

“Good, I’d like to keep it that way.”

“They can help you Bucky…” you start but he cuts you off by raising a hand,

“I don’t care, these people, they don’t know what was done to me. All they see is a monster that needs to be put down. I never asked for this life, it was thrust upon me.” He paused and sighed deeply, “Do you know what it’s like to come out of cryogenic stasis?”

You remained quiet and just let him do the talking, it was clear he needed to talk to someone about what happened to him.

“They made me the Winter Soldier, this stuff they put in my head, it’s all still there and just a few words can bring it out. I can’t be around people knowing that at any moment a switch could flip and I would hurt someone.”

“The team will understand, that wasn’t you” you said, but he wasn’t listening, he was so stuck in his own head he couldn’t seem to be reasoned with.

He suddenly looked at you, his pale blue eyes filled with emotion. “You won’t tell them I’m here, will you?” it was almost a plea, “I just need more time to figure everything out, give me more time”

You were quiet for a moment, then spoke. “I don’t know how much time I can buy you, Tony has to know by now where I am, I can stall them for as long as I can but I can’t make you any promises” you say, as much as you want Steve to know Bucky is okay, something connects you to Bucky’s distress. You feel like you have an obligation to help him, and if it meant lying to Steve and the rest of the team you would have to do it.

“Do you need anything?” you ask Bucky, looking around again at his sparse apartment,

He shook his head, “Just time, do the best you can to keep them away, Please.”

“What are you going to do if Hydra find you Bucky, you need protection.”

“I can protect myself, are you forgetting I am the Winter Soldier.” He responded.

You sigh exasperated, “Will you at least let me stay a few days?”, although you knew you being around here was a bad idea, in case anyone came sniffing out your trail it would lead them straight to Bucky.

But he answered your thoughts for you, “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You being here will attract unwanted eyes,”

You had to agree, as much as you didn’t want to leave you knew you had to. This was the only way to protect him. The two of you sat and talked a little while longer, and before you knew it the sun was rising. It was weird how easily you made conversation with one of the most wanted Hydra assassins in over a century. Bucky was simple, his conversations were easy and as much as he showed little emotion you found it easy to be open with him and sympathize with him. You knew most of the team wouldn’t agree but you couldn’t help it.

“I should go,” you said moving from your seat after what felt like a life time, Bucky stood up with you, his whole demeanor had changed, he seemed so relaxed and even cracked a smile a few times while they talked. You told him about Steve and the team and he tried to retrace bits and pieces of his memory with your help. You felt a genuine friendship blossoming.

“Thank you,” Bucky said, looking intently at you, “It’s been a really long time since I’ve had anyone to talk to so openly.”

You smiled at him, “Anytime you need me Bucky, I am a call away,” you said grabbing a random pen off the counter and taking his hand to write your number on it. “Don’t be a stranger, Sergeant Barnes”

“It’s been a long time since anyone has called me that” he mused,

“I mean it Bucky, I will help you as best I can,” you say solemnly then went towards him hesitating a little but then emboldening yourself you pulled Bucky in to an embrace. At first, he seemed stiff didn’t embrace you, but after a moment he relaxed and hugged you back. His hulking arms wrapping around your entire frame. You both lingered into the hug for a moment longer then stepped away from each other.

“Goodbye Bucky,” you say as you walk out of his dark apartment,

Bucky smiles, a weird sense of euphoria coming over him as he watches you leave the apartment, and shut the door behind you.

 Went a little different with this one, sorry if it’s so short. More chapters coming on Thursday!

Part  6- 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13- 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20

[natasha-cole]

Like the Heart Goes Chapter 4: Let go of the hurt inside

Pairing: Rob Benedict x Reader

Summary:Breaking up is hard. Especially when you are going through it publicly. Rob and Reader are doing just that; trying to navigate the difficulties of an emotional breakup while still trying to remain civil enough to work together, and adding inquisitive fans and over involved friends to the equation certainly isn’t helping.

Still reeling from an embarrassing night, Reader spends the next day avoiding Rob. Unfortunately, she can’t escape the fact that their friends and their fans are completely oblivious to their split.

Note: Just a quick chapter to move the story along. Chapter 5 will be some backstory and then we’ll get to the good stuff.

Word Count: 2738

Warnings: angst

Catch Up:  Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3

The next morning, you woke up with the worst headache you have ever had. Your head throbbed and your vision was blurry. You could taste the alcohol in your mouth still, along with other unpleasant tastes. You had a brief flashback of you definitely throwing up in the toilet in the middle of the night; hair being held back by the ever-thoughtful Rob. Even during a breakup that he had initiated, he managed to remain the good guy. You still hated him a little bit for that.

You felt a sudden wave of embarrassment now that you were awake and reliving the events from last night. You had made a fool of yourself; drinking yourself into stupidity and subsequently saying things to Rob that you didn’t want to say. Of course, most of the night was lost in your mind, but leave it to you to remember the cringe-worthy parts.

You willed yourself up, room still spinning as you realized that you just might still be drunk. Taking a moment to glance around the room, eyes adjusting to the daylight that peeked through the blinds, you noticed that Rob was already gone. You groaned in pain as you got up, knowing that you had a panel this morning with the guys. All you could do was force yourself to shower and get ready, hoping that the headache and dizziness would subside before then.

Once you had made your way to the green room, you laid on a couch, still in pain and still very drunk. You were only grateful for the fact that Rob wasn’t around. You honestly didn’t know if you could face him again after last night. You closed your eyes, determined to get a bit more rest before you had to go through with the panel.

“Y/N,” you heard a voice call for you, “I assume you’re feeling fantastic this morning.”

You pulled one eye open as Briana stepped into view. “Hey, Bri,” you said softly.

“Wild night?”

“You know it.”

“I have to say, I haven’t seen you like that in a really long time,” she mused, eyes studying you, “what the hell was that all about anyway?”

“I just felt the need to drink,” you replied, “unfortunately; I still can’t handle my liquor.”

“Probably didn’t help that you seemed pretty sad yesterday.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You try to brush it off, or hide it I think,” she explained, “but I could tell yesterday that you seemed sad about something. And when Rob came and got your drunk ass from the bar, you just seemed worse.”

“It’s nothing, Bri,” you lied, “it’s the usual with us. I just got a little too upset with him and made the stupid decision to drink about it.”

“I hope you’re feeling better today then.” She said, “I mean emotionally. I can’t do much for the hangover.”

“I’ll be fine,” you smiled warmly at her, trying not to show that you were in fact, not fine.

“Yeah, the two of you always are.”

You forced another smile, wishing that she was right this time.

You had managed to avoid Rob for most of the morning, or, maybe he had managed to avoid you. Either way, last night had been painfully humiliating for you and you really didn’t want to face him. You knew that eventually you would have to face him considering you had a panel with the guys today. For the time being, all you could do was exactly what Rob had asked of you; act as if everything were okay.

Your panel with the guys had started off smoothly. You were still trying to ease yourself out of your hangover, sipping on coffee and trying to not make it noticeable that your head ached each time the audience erupted into applause. Spending some time in the greenroom beforehand had proven to be useful as the girls worked out hangover cures for you. While you weren’t exactly okay before the panel, you thought you could handle it. At least the headache was dissipating by then and you didn’t feel like you wanted to throw up on your shoes anymore.

You were able to keep up with the joking and the banter, forgetting for a moment that you were in fact, in a lot of emotional pain upon seeing Rob. It was only when you’d glance over him that you would go right back into scorned ex-lover mode, maybe shooting him a few glares but quickly regaining your composure. It wasn’t until the questions directed at the two of you came up that made things a little difficult.

“You,” Rich said, pointing to a young lady off to the side.

“Hi, my question is for Rob and Y/N…” You felt your heart drop, but you kept a smile on regardless. You knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Shoot,” Rob encouraged her.

“I wanted to know, I think we all wanted to know, since you two have been together for some time now; do you ever think about working together? Like, we’ve yet to see Y/N on Kings of Con.”

Okay, that wasn’t so bad.

“Good question,” Rich said. He turned to Rob, “well, Robbie, any plans?”

“Actually, we wrote a part for her for season two,” Rob explained. It was true. Before everything between you and Rob turned to shit, he had asked you to be on the show, writing your character in as a love interest. You hadn’t thought about it much since they were still trying to find a home for the show, but at the time, the idea of him writing his girlfriend into the show as his love interest was really sweet. It was something that you had looked forward to at one point, actually being able to act alongside him.

“She’s going to be great on the show, I’m excited to work with her,” Matt chimed in.

“You only say that because you get to hit on her,” Rob said.

“Hey, I didn’t write it,” Matt chuckled.

“I might write in a make out scene for the two of you,” Rich said, motioning between you and Matt, “just to get back at Rob for kissing your wife.”

Matt threw his hands up, looking excited over the possibility, “I’m down for that.”

You looked at Rob, not really knowing why. This whole thing was awkward. You couldn’t be positive, but he seemed to look a bit hurt over the joke.

“Hey now,” he warned, “no one gets to kiss my girlfriend but me.”

You closed your eyes, trying hard not to react. Just the sound of him still calling you his girlfriend hurt beyond anything you had felt up to that point. Strange how one little word can cause so much pain.

“Not fair,” Matt argued.

“No, but it’s my show.”

“Over there,” Rich said, moving to the opposite side of the stage as he called on the next fan.

“Hello,” the girl mumbled nervously. You all waved to her, hoping to ease her nerves. “I also have a question for Rob and Y/N.”

Rob smiled at her, “okay.”

“I was wondering if you’ll be singing together at the concert on Saturday.”

“Of course,” Rob said, “we always sing together, we love it. We talked about a few different songs, but haven’t really decided yet.” Rob looked at you, waiting for you to join in on the answer. You realized you had been sitting there silently and uncomfortably for a long time.

“We haven’t actually talked about anything,” you started. You stopped yourself when you noticed how rude you sounded. In fact, you hadn’t discussed the concert at all. You and Rob always sang some sort of duet together. It was always a moment that you loved. You truly enjoyed performing with him. However, the idea of singing with him now really put you in a tough spot. “But, I’m sure Rob will pick something good.”

“Whatever they choose to do at the last minute, it will be amazing as always,” Rich said.

There were more questions; the usual… questions about pranks, funny stories, other projects you were each working on. Someone had asked about your reoccurring role on Supernatural and Rob and Rich each told their own sides to the bed story that had already been told many times before. Right near the end of the panel, you thought you had been able to dodge anything too uncomfortable. You breathed easier, knowing that you could get away without anyone catching on to anything.

“Last question,” Rich pointed to the side of the stage, “make it a good one.”

“This is for Rob and Y/N,” the girl began. Of course it was, it seemed as if you and Rob couldn’t even be singled out anymore. The fans had come to know you as a couple and they loved you as one. The panels were always filled with questions directed at both of you, you were used to it, but it was just really difficult today. “You’ve been together a long time. Will we ever see you get married?”

Well, that was a new one. You could honestly say that that one had never been asked. You felt nervous again, felt the tears welling up as you tried to remain calm. No way could you lose it on stage.

“Wow, we’ve never been asked that,” Rob mumbled into the microphone. He turned to you, his eyes pleading with you to help him with this one. It was obvious that might not be able to hold it together either. Again, you hated him for looking so heartbroken right now. How dare he?

“Well,” you began, trying to figure out how to answer the question without giving away too much, “I think that the both of us don’t really view marriage as something that is necessary. I guess, when you’re happy together…” you felt yourself choke up at your lies, “you just focus on staying happy. Honestly, marriage has never been something we’ve talked about.” That was a lie. “I mean, we’ve only been together a couple of years, there are couples who date for way longer and don’t get married ever.”

“So, you’re saying you’d never marry Rob?” Rich joked. You wanted to slap him, tell him that this wasn’t funny. You wanted people to know the truth if only to keep them from making this so awkward.

“I never said that, I’m just saying that marriage isn’t the most important part of a relationship. It doesn’t fix things; and if you’re truly happy together, it shouldn’t be something that needs to be rushed.”

“I think you’re pretty spot on Y/N,” Matt replied, “I mean, marriage isn’t for everyone. You don’t have to be married to have a great relationship.”

“Says the guy who’s married,” Rob cut in. He gave a fake laugh, trying to make it into a joke. You felt yourself tense up now, upset that he was possibly going there right now. You knew it was a touchy subject for him, and he wasn’t amused at all. Hell, he was probably pissed at your response to the question, but that didn’t really matter anymore.

Rob turned to the woman who had asked the question, “thank you,” he said, quickly trying to end the entire mess that was unfolding on stage.

Before you knew it, the band was playing as you and Matt exited the stage. Rob and Rich remained, getting ready to keep the show going. You sighed heavily now that you were out of sight and off that damn stage finally.

You didn’t bother to stick around for anything else. You knew you had some photo ops and autographs coming up later in the day, so you figured you would use your free time to go back to the room and try to sleep off the still present hangover.

You had managed to get a couple hours of sleep before it was back to work. Heading back down to the convention, you felt a lot better aside from the slight headache that you had. All you had to do was get through some autographs tonight and of course, photo ops. Photo ops were usually a breeze. People moved through the line quickly and they generally didn’t go on for long. Today, you would have to sit for a bit through Rob’s ops, moving into a trio op with you, Rob, and Osric; and ending with your solo ops. You only hoped that they went by as quickly as they usually did.

In the photo op room, Rob had already started his photos, so you sat at a chair on the side, head suddenly pounding from the sound of Chris’ too-loud music that always gave you a headache anyway. It helped the man work quickly, so you never complained. Sometimes, you’d even join in on the dancing that happened with the other actors. You sat quietly, watching Rob although you really didn’t want to. He just looked so happy, you could only hope that you could pretend to be that happy when it was your turn to take pictures. Osric joined you shortly after you sat down; leaning in to try to make conversation but you could barely hear yourself think. You decided to nod at him occasionally, acting as if you knew what he was saying.

Eventually, it was time to move on to the trio ops. You took your place next to Rob as you usually did, avoiding eye contact this time. You just wanted to get through it. The poses hadn’t been too severe. The worst of it was the fans who wanted group hugs, which in turn meant you had to be in close proximity to Rob. Each photo like this made your heart drop, made you miss him even more, made you that much more angry with him. The two of you never spoke, and you were sure there would be talk about the lack of flirting going on between you, as it was an almost expected thing when you were together anywhere. When group ops ended, Rob and Osric left the room quickly; Rob not even acknowledging you as he rushed out. At least now you could get through your photos without feeling too uncomfortable.

After panels were done for the day; you and the others got through autographs. Usually, you were friendly and excited to meet the fans. Today, you rushed through them, only wanting to be done for the day. You were exhausted from the emotional toll everything had taken on you and you were sure your hangover was coming back full-force. You tried your hardest to be polite, but you really didn’t take too much time to chat with anyone. You were sure you’d hear all about your crankiness later on social media.

You were the first one done, and you hurriedly left the room; noticing Rob, Rich, Matt, and some of the others getting close to finishing up. Your goal was to get back to the room before Rob did that night and hopefully be asleep before you even had to think about facing him again.

Once inside your shared room, you claimed the bed again. You crawled under the covers with only the thought of sleep on your mind. You really needed to get your rest before tomorrow since you would have another panel and more photo ops to do. You certainly didn’t want to feel like crap again. You also knew you had to attend the concert, although you had been thinking of ways to get out of it all day.

Before you could get too comfortable, your phone beeped with a notification, which you cautiously checked.

Rich: Karaoke? You’re not here?

You: Not tonight.

Rich: you never miss karaoke

You: there’s a first time for everything. I’m not feeling well.

Rich: who’s gonna wear the tiger costume?

You: you’ll find someone.

Rich: hangover still?

You: yup. Goodnight.

Rich: Robbie’s gonna be bummed.

“No, he’s not.” You thought to yourself. You hadn’t ever stopped to think about how it may have upset Rob in the past when you weren’t around for these things. Apparently, the idea bummed him out often enough. Little did your friends realize that this wasn’t the case anymore. You decided against even responding. Instead, you tossed your phone aside, finally making yourself comfortable as you quickly drifted off to sleep.

Tag List: @gabriels-trix  @waywardswain  @gabriels-tricks-blog  @winchestergirl-13  @soythedemonqueen  @laffytaffyhumor  @hunterpuff  @smoothdogsgirl  @reparo-live-soul  @riversong-sam 

[revwinchester]

Pride Parade

Summary: Officer Sam Winchester volunteered to work at his city’s Pride Parade.  Along the route he meets a bunch of men dressed in angel costumes and sparks fly with one of the attractive angels.

Pairing/Characters: Sam x Gabriel; Castiel, Balthazar, minor Lucifer, minor Michael, minor Dean

Word Count: 2606

Warnings: A little bit of language, mention of anti-gay protesters, mostly naked men, Sabriel fluff

A/N: This was based off of an idea I got from @nanika67 who was an amazing co-conspirator and beta throughout the writing of this piece.  It’s also my entry for the @gabriel-monthly-challenge this month and the dialogue prompt is in bold in the fic!  Enjoy some Sabriel fluff!

GMC Peeps: @archangel-with-a-shotgun @ashiewesker @lacqueluster

Read Pride Parade on AO3 here!

Pride Parade -

The morning was already hot.  The sun was beating down and a bead of sweat was dripping down Sam’s forehead.  Sam removed his cap to wipe the sweat away, regretting volunteering for this particular shift.  He had wanted to attend the parade, sure, but the weather forecast had called for some cloud cover and temperatures in the low 80s.  Here he was, though, walking the parade route in his full uniform on a 96 degree morning without a cloud in the sky.  At least he had remembered to put on sunscreen, he mused.  

Sam loved being a cop.  He had never entertained the thought of it when he was a kid - his dad was a cop and he hadn’t wanted to end up like his father, hard and harsh - but he had wanted to help people and the police academy was cheaper than law school and, now that he was in the life, he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  Even on days like today, where the uniform was more a physical burden than anything else, Sam wore it with pride.  

A group in the crowd was passing out water to the marchers and offered a cup to Sam, which he gratefully accepted.  He was slowly walking the parade route, making sure that none of the spectators were taking their revelry too far and laughing off the cat calls he was getting from a number of the parade’s marchers.  Sam knew he was attractive - he had to keep in great shape for his job - but he was here to work, not fraternize with the sometimes half naked participants, no matter how hot some of them were.

As group after group of marchers passed him, Sam would occasionally change his pace for a few moments to engage in a quick conversation, reminding the people to stay hydrated or pointing out a kid along the route who might appreciate a piece of the candy the marchers were tossing into the crowd.  Once he had to escort one of the parade’s participants from his group to the Pride Festival’s first aid tent before he returned to his place walking alongside the marchers.  

Another group of marchers was walking past Sam and another round of catcalls began.  He turned to wink at the group and paused, really taking them in.  They had one of the nicer floats he had seen in the parade; they’d obviously spent a lot of time working on it.  There were a number of men on the float, all of whom were wearing angel wings.  One was in a full on angel get-up, another was dressed in drag, completing his look with fishnet stockings, heels, and a headband with sparkling devil’s horns.  The devil was clearly antagonizing the angel and Sam had to laugh at that.  He turned back to the crowd for a moment but his attention was drawn to the parade once more when he felt hands on his shoulders.  One of the angels hopped up onto Sam’s back.

“Hey there, Officer Sexy,” the angel exclaimed.

Sam shook him off of his back, trying not to let the man fall too hard.  “Sir, you can’t do that,” Sam commanded, his voice stern.  When he turned to face the man, his voice softened, “I’m actually a cop,” Sam explained.  It wasn’t the first time that day a marcher had mistaken him for someone in a costume though none of the others had been quite as bold - or as attractive - as this man.  

“Oh, I know, Officer,” the man replied.  “That uniform covers way too much to be anything but standard issue.  I’m Gabriel, by the way.”

Gabriel was at least 6 inches shorter than Sam, if not a little more, with dark blonde hair and whisky colored eyes.  He wearing angel’s wings like his companions but, aside from that, he was mostly bare.  A rainbow patterned thong covered Gabriel’s groin but nothing else was left to the imagination.  

Sam chuckled at the man.  “Gabriel,” he tried the name out, “the name suits you, angel.” 

The comment made Gabriel smile up at Sam and the officer thought the man was gorgeous.  Sam couldn’t help but smile back at Gabriel.  

Gabriel snuck behind Sam and tried climbing up on his back again but Sam shook him off for a second time.

“Seriously, Gabriel, I can’t have you on my back while I’m working,” Sam scolded him.

Gabriel pouted up at Sam, hoping to garner sympathy points with the officer.  “But my feet hurt,” he tried.

“Well, you should have thought of that before you decided to march without shoes on,” Sam laughed and Gabriel just pouted harder.  He ran off to talk to one of his friends - this one had messy dark hair, beautiful blue eyes, and a gay pride flag tied around his neck like a cape that fluttered out over his wings - and Sam thought thought that the beautiful angel had tired of him but soon enough, Gabriel was back and attempting to climb Sam again.

“Gabriel, you can’t…” Sam began but the honey eyed man cut him off.

“I’m not going to be on your back, I swear!  You’ll have your hands free for whatever police stuff you need to get done,” Gabriel assured Sam, “and think about how many more people I can reach if I throw candy from way up here!”  Gabriel had basically scaled Sam’s body and was situating himself on the tall man’s shoulders.  

Sam shook his head, laughing to himself as he realized that he had lost this battle.  As long as he wasn’t creating trouble, the easiest thing to do was to give Gabriel the ride that he apparently so desperately desired.  Except sitting on Sam’s shoulders didn’t seem to be enough for the man.

“Officer Sexy is a good look but if you’re going to walk alongside my friends and I, you need to be a little more… festive,” Gabriel told Sam.

Sam wasn’t sure what he meant by that but he wasn’t all that worried about it.  What could Gabriel do from all the way up there, Sam figured.  One of Gabriel’s friends caught Sam’s attention when he shouted in his direction.

“Gabriel, no!” the blue eyed man cried out and Sam whipped his head over to him as he felt Gabriel steal his hat just as something began raining down on him. 

A few of the other angels looked over as well and snickered at their friend’s antics.  “We’re not bailing you out, little bro,” the one in fishnets and devil’s horns called over.  “Even if it means you end up missing the after party at The Elysian tonight.”

Sam turned his face upwards to see what Gabriel was doing that had his friends either amused or horrified.  Instead of seeing Gabriel, Sam was met with a face full of glitter as the man emptied a second small bag all over him.  “What the hell?” Sam asked, shaking his head to get the stuff out of his nose and off of his eyelids.  

“I told you, you needed to be more festive!” Gabriel’s response was simple enough and when Sam turned his face to look at the man again, he was wearing Sam’s hat.

“You did not just dump glitter on me, Gabriel,” Sam growled, gripping the man’s calves tightly as he fought against the smile that threatened to break out on his face.  The truth was, Sam hadn’t had this much fun in a long time.  Sure, he was going to catch shit from the rest of the guys back at the station for being covered in glitter when he got back but right now, Sam didn’t care about that.  The officers stationed along the parade route were encouraged to interact with the crowd and participants.  It was part of why he enjoyed working the event; he would be here anyway and this way, he got paid for it and got to see more than he would have if he were marching with the off-duty officers who were farther back in the lineup.  

One of Gabriel’s friends walked beside Sam.  “I’m so sorry, Officer,” the blue eyed man began.  “Gabriel can be a little, uh, feisty, especially at things like this.”

Gabriel was grinning from ear to ear from his perch atop Sam and the officer could do nothing but laugh at the smaller man’s antics.  He meant no harm, no one would be hurt by any of his actions, and, though he didn’t really know the man, Sam was sure that Gabriel would get down if Sam’s job ended up requiring him to intervene in something.  Besides, the angel’s smile was infectious and Sam found himself grinning, too, and laughing as he turned to Gabe’s friend.  “It’s alright.  As long as there’s not any disturbances along the rest of the route, he’s not hurting anyone by being up there,” Sam assured him.

“I’m Castiel,” the man told him, extending a hand to shake.

“Sa…”

“OFFICER SEXY!” Gabriel shouted down, interrupting Sam’s introduction.  “His name is Officer Sexy and I will not hear otherwise!”  

Castiel squinted up at the man on the officer’s shoulders.  “Gabriel, this man has a name and it would be respectful to use it.”  

Something, presumably something Gabriel did, had Castiel rolling his eyes at the man on Sam’s shoulders.  “Right now, Cas,” Gabriel called down, “all I know is one of us is right and the other one is you.  Oh! And I know that Officer Sexy has officially been touched by an angel.”  Gabriel wiggled his ass on Sam’s shoulders to emphasize his point.

Sam laughed again, turning back to Castiel.  “I’m Officer Sexy, apparently,” he told the man, before mouthing “My name is Sam.”

Castiel laughed too, giving in to Gabriel’s antics, and sauntered back over to the angel he had been walking with earlier.  The blond Cas was walking with gave Sam a deep, mock bow in greeting.  “Do us a favor and arrest him for something,” the blonde requested.  The man’s accent was beautiful and his words were dripping with sarcasm.  “He’ll be like putty in your hands if you promise to use your handcuffs.”  

“Balthazar...” Castiel admonished but the man, Balthazar apparently, waved him off.

“You’re always so serious, Cassie,” Sam heard Balthazar say.  “I’m just having a laugh and if the man can take Gabriel climbing onto his shoulders, dropping bags of glitter over his head, and spouting off terrible puns - all while being referred to as Officer Sexy - I’m positive he can handle my joke.”

Sam took in everything going on around him and he could feel the size of his grin in his facial muscles; he wasn’t sure when the last time he had smiled like this was.  Sam had known that today would probably be a fun shift but he had never imagined it turning out quite like this.  A bright flash of light caught his attention and Sam noticed a photographer in the crowd had taken a picture of him and Gabriel and he looked up toward the man on his shoulders fondly.  

They reached the parade’s designated ending point and Sam told Gabriel that he needed to climb down.  Sam’s shift wasn’t over until the parade was completely done so he needed to turn around and walk back down the route and make sure that everyone was being safe.  He dropped to one knee so Gabriel could climb down and, as he did, Gabe made sure to rub every inch of himself against Sam’s muscular back.   

Gabriel smacked Sam’s ass and darted around the man before he could get back to his feet.  “Thanks for the ride, Officer Sexy,” he smirked as he grasped Sam’s collar.  Gabriel bent down, leaning in for a kiss but something behind him caught Sam’s attention and he sprang up and radioed for backup as he ran towards the fight that had broken out between some of the revelers and a group of protestors.  He watched Sam work until other officers arrived on the scene.  Some jumped into the fray, separating the two groups, while others encouraged the people who had gathered to continue moving along.  Gabriel, still wearing Sam’s uniform hat, was swept up in the crowd and, though he looked for him throughout the afternoon, he didn’t see Officer Sexy again.

---

Sam finished his shift angry at the protestors for ruining what had been a nearly perfect morning.  He was grumpy when he arrived back at the station but when his brother called him over to his desk, Sam had to smile at the photo Dean had pulled up on his computer.  It was the picture of him and Gabriel that someone - apparently a photo journalist - had taken and it was part of a slideshow of photos from the event.  Sam was covered in glitter but he and Gabriel both looked joyful and excited as the angel rode Sam’s shoulders and wore his hat.  The photo was amazing and it would definitely be some good publicity for the police force.  Sam began the paperwork that accompanied the altercation he broke up with a sappy grin on his face, dealing with the occasional ribbing about the glitter that was still covering his head and shoulders and wishing that he hadn’t been pulled away from the honey eyed angel so abruptly.

---

Sam wasn’t sure what he was doing here.  The club scene had never really been his thing but he had overheard Gabriel and his friends talking about their plans to go to The Elysian tonight.  

Sam had gotten home after the parade and managed to wash most of the glitter off of himself and out of his hair but he had a feeling he’d be finding the metallic flecks for days, if not weeks.  After his shower, Sam had put on one of his favorite shirts, a navy blue v-neck with a particularly deep neckline.  It clung to him in all the right places, showed off his chest, and hinted at the tattoo he had over his heart; Sam knew he looked good when he wore this shirt.  He had paired it with his favorite pair of jeans and, apart from the nagging voice in the back of his head telling him this was a really dumb idea, he was feeling pretty confident.

He made his way through the crowd of people in the bar and ordered himself a drink.  Before Sam could turn around and scan the room, he felt the now familiar sensation of hands on his shoulders and someone scrambling up onto his back.  

“Officer Sexy! What are you doing here?” Gabriel spoke right into Sam’s ear from his perch on the taller man’s back.  

Sam spun so that he could deposit Gabriel onto a bar stool.  He turned to face him and stood between Gabriel’s legs, bending down so he could talk to the shorter man.  The music in the club was loud and he had to get close to Gabriel’s ear to be heard.  “I’m not on the clock, Sam is fine.  I might have heard one of your friends mention you would be here tonight,” Sam admitted, “and I wasn’t content with how we left things this morning.”  One of Sam’s hands landed on Gabriel’s thigh as he spoke and he could hear the stutter in the man’s breath when his thumb started rubbing circles into his leg.

“I had hoped you’d heard that; I’m glad you tracked me down, Sam,” Gabriel replied with a sexy smirk as he threaded his fingers through Sam’s hair and pulled the man in for the kiss they had been denied.

ALL THE TAGS! (forevers): @deathtonormalcy56 @supernaturalyobsessed @roxy-davenport @sumara62 @ginamsmith @gallifreyansass

Sabriel Tags from @mrswhozeewhatsis list: @mrswhozeewhatsis @theficlibrarium @sinceriouslyamellpadalecki @ferferelli @chrisatplay @faith-in-dean @mamaimpala @winchesters-princess @impossible-box @dr-dean @jelly-beans-and-gstrings @saving-things-hunting-family @lucibae-is-dancing-in-hell @justanothersaltandburn @mysaintsasinner @brothersonahotelbed @klaineaholic @hexparker

[ilirimaer]

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic (Chapter 5)

Summary: Taehyung is the model Hogwarts prefect. Boyishly good looks and brains – what more can you ask for? Well here’s a question: Why are you the only one who seems to question him and his trouble-making friends?

Genre: Crossover, Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Comedy, Friendship and Romance

Rating: K+; Mischief, some intense situations and undertones

A/N: Umm, yeah. I have no excuse for this long wait, other than sorry. I finished my MCAT and med school apps and then I just got lazy. But I’m back! 

Chapters: [ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ]

Chapter 5: Caught Pink-Handed

Word Count: 1,732

“Lads, a grave injustice has been committed against our persons,” Taehyung announces dramatically, holding up his blue-tinged arms for pronounced effect. “We must find this mysterious perpetrator and pay him back in full.”

“Her, you mean,” states Jungkook nonchalantly from his work station in the unused classroom they were occupying as their base of operations.

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. He knew of no female pranksters currently residing within Hogwarts. “Her?”

“Well, yeah. Obviously, it was [Y/N],” Jungkook replies bluntly. He resumes tinkering with his Zonko’s stash by waving his wand over a nose-biting teacup, which despite not having any distinctive features other than its teeth, appears to become irritated with Jungkook. As he moves his wand away from the straining reach of the teeth, he asks, “Hey Tae, how do you suppose this teacup works? Proximity? Pressure charms?”

Taehyung ignores Jungkook’s change of topic in favor of his previous comment. “What do you mean it was [Y/N]? She’s a huge stickler for rules.”

“I mean, it makes sense, doesn’t it?” Jimin pitches in as he stirs his cauldron containing the potion that would revert their skin color back to normal. “She has been heavily involved in our pranks against her will lately.”

Taehyung pauses to think, absentmindedly watching his shorter best friend stir the goopy grey potion. While you had been a victim of three of their pranks, though one purely by accident, he had not seen you around Hogsmeade until after their confrontation with McGonagall. Considering that the reactions to their color-change had occurred after their visit at The Three Broomsticks, he deduced that somebody must have slipped them a potion or shot their spells at them at that moment.

“She would have had to have been nearby while we were eating at The Three Broomsticks in order to have carried out her prank,” he muses carefully. “But I would have remembered seeing her around.”

He did not miss Jimin shooting a sly smirk over his cauldron toward Jungkook, who raises his eyebrow at Taehyung. “You would have, wouldn’t you?”

Taehyung’s arms cross tightly as his cheeks tinge slightly with red. “Well, she’s always looking out for opportunities to prove that I’m not the Golden Boy of Gryffindor. Just look at what happened with the dung bombs meant for the Slytherins.”

“She’s got it bad, too,” Jungkook smirks in response.

Taehyung bites his lip and furrows his eyebrow. “I think you’re being ridiculous.”

You and him? Taehyung is certain you only gave him the time of day because you were fellow prefects and he happens to have a talent for transfiguration.

“And done! We can finally say goodbye to our offensive coloring,” Jimin interrupts, wiping the condensation off of his forehead with the back of his hand. He quickly pours the potion into separate vials, which he hands to his two friends.

After Taehyung downs his potion, he observes the blue pigment being replaced with his normal skin pigment. He looks up to see his friends looking as un-Smurf-like as possible. Well… Jimin was still short.

“So either we are pranking her back or bringing her into our inner circle,” Jungkook stated slyly, flicking his wand to summon his Zonko’s products into his bag. “I say we mess with her first.”

Jimin giggled into the back of his hand. “Did you see her face after she realized you had charmed her hair platinum blonde? She was so ready to murder Taehyung.”

“As if I’d give away my dorm trespassing abilities to either of you lot,” the younger boy snickers. He ducks too late to avoid a backhanded smack against the back of his head from Taehyung.

“I had to avoid her because of you! She was threatening to hex me all day with those hell-freezing eyes!”

Jungkook rubs the back of his head sheepishly, “We all have to make sacrifices, hyung.”

Before Taehyung can smack the boy again, Jimin cuts in, “I think this idiot has a point, though.” – “Hey!” – “If she can prove she has what it takes to be a Rogue, then we may have some use for her. She certainly seems to have the ingenuity.”

Taehyung frowns. “Are you still on about [Y/N] being the culprit?”

“Just keep an eye on her, Tae.”

______________________________________________________

You stifle a yawn, crumbling the piece of toast in your hand. You place a piece in your mouth before surreptitiously glancing toward the other side of the Gryffindor table where the Golden Trio is seated.

“Chug, chug, chug!” chant Finnigan and Thomas, alongside the third and first years, Bill and Charlie Weasley. You can’t help but roll your eyes as you watch the three boys holding cauldrons to their lips as they gulp down pumpkin juice.

You shudder in revulsion after seeing a dribble of orange liquid drip from Jungkook’s mouth and turn back to face Irene and Joy. “Why are they so disgusting? Why would they drink out of a potions cauldron?”

Shaking your head in frustration, you stuff a piece of toast into your mouth and chew angrily at the thought of your fellow prefect’s lack of decorum. Irene elbows your side, ducking her face against your ear to whisper excitedly, “Boys will be boys, but Snape will be Snape.”

Your eyes widen as you swallow your toast and turn to face the Hogwarts staff table. The Hogwarts Potions Master, Professor Snape, thunders down the Great Hall, his billowing cloak trailing behind him like the robes of a dementor. His pale, sallow face is twisted into a sneer as his eyes are pinned to the Golden Trio chugging the contents of their cauldrons. Following closely behind him, a stony faced Minerva McGonagall quickly approaches their table.

“Messrs. Kim, Park, and Jeon! What is the meaning of this ridiculous and improper display?” she shouts before Professor Snape can speak. Your lips twist into a smirk as you realize that the perfect Golden Boy Taehyung was about to be eaten alive by the two scariest professors in the castle.

“Sorry, Professor,” Taehyung ducks his head deferentially after placing his cauldron on the table. He takes out his wand and waves it over the cauldron. “This is just a goblet transfigured to look like a cauldron.”

“Ten points from Gryffindor for your back-talk, Kim,” Professor Snape cuts in with a nasty sneer on his face.

Professor McGonagall waves her wand over the remaining two cauldrons on the table, silently returning them back to goblets. She purses her lips, her stony expression softening minutely. “In the future, I expect better conduct from you boys. Especially you, prefect Kim.”

“Of course. I apologize, Professor,” Taehyung ducks his head once more in apology. His other two goons duck their heads as well, mumbling apologies.

As the professors head back to the staff table, you catch the boys shooting each other smug looks. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion. Why would they be smug about being embarrassed in front of the entire Great Hall? You roll your eyes and reach toward your goblet. Surely you would never understand the way their immature brains worked.

After a refreshing sip of apple juice (definitely not pumpkin juice, thank you very much), you lick your lips and lift a spoonful of porridge from your bowl. After eating a few spoonfuls, you hear a gasp from across the table. Your spoon pauses during its ascent toward your mouth as you raise your eyebrow at Joy, who says nothing else, instead covering her mouth in silent surprise.

“Oh Merlin!” Irene exclaims beside you. She digs into her book bag and retrieves a small compact, which she opens and shoves into your face.

Your mouth drops along with your spoon, which splashes the porridge from your bowl into your lap. However, you cannot seem to find it in yourself to care at the moment, instead focusing on your image in the mirror.

“Why the hell am I pink?!”

______________________________________________________

Once you see the Gryffindor boys attempting to sneak away from the Great Hall, you thunder into the hallways after them.

“Halt! Detentions to all three of you morons!” you shriek indignantly. “And you are changing me back this very minute!”

The three Gryffindors stop and turn to face you, giving you looks with varying degrees of innocence.

Taehyung is the first to break the silence, stepping forward, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but as a fellow prefect, you cannot give me a detention.”

You grit your teeth and growl. “Fine. Jimin and Jungkook get double detention in your place.”

A chorus of indignant “Hey!”s protest your decision. You cross your arms and lift your chin smugly.

Jungkook then steps forward aggressively. “Prove it was us.”

You scoff, “Excuse me? As if there’s any doubt?”

Taehyung pats Jungkook back and faces you with an innocent expression on his face. “You know, I’m beginning to think you have something against the three of us, [Y/N].”

Snorting in disbelief, you grip your arms harder. “Just because the rest of the school hasn’t caught on to your little ‘Rogue’ group doesn’t mean I haven’t. I know your little resident Potions master has the capability to make this potion,” you bark, glaring at Jimin.

Instead of putting on a meek or sheepish demeanor, the slight boy raised an eyebrow with a calculating look. “So it was a potion.”

Your eyes widen a fraction before you grit your teeth, feeling affronted. “Was it not a potion that you slipped into my breakfast? Did you not make a scene in the Great Hall in order to perform a switching spell on my goblet?”

There was a moment of silence until twin smirks appeared on Jungkook and Jimin’s faces. Taehyung eyes you thoughtfully. You step back, eyeing them warily. “What the hell is wrong with you three?”

“Blimey, a switching spell,” Taehyung cocks his head, staring at you with an expression of wonder.

You grimace at his admiring expression, suddenly feeling the stuffy atmosphere of the castle. “That’s what I said. Need I repeat myself?”

“That’s as good as a confession in our eyes, ya know?” Jungkook flashes you a shit-eating grin.

You begin to sweat profusely, vaguely feeling as though you had somehow invited a trio of vampires into your home. “T-ten points from Gryffindor,” you stutter with significantly less vitriol.

The sound of swishing liquid captures your attention, bringing your eyes to a vial in Jimin’s hands. “Need an antidote, [Y/N]? Just made it last night.”

[a-little-bit-colorful]

This is for @devils-deeds-23 coraline au!! I had a blast writing this! 

- 

"So... can I go see john today?" 

"Not today, no." 

Luke stopped untangling his head phones, a task he chose to keep his mind off of the pretty blue eyed boy he befriended few days ago. "Aw come on! Why not?" He threw his hands and the tangled mess down on the table, shuffling some of the papers that seemed almost torn apart from being in a cabinet for so long.  

"It's raining, there's mud. And I don't want you to slip and hurt yourself." Luke's father, Evan, said with a look of disinterest. He was a strong man and could easily take you down in a heartbeat. But he was also a softie. He took an injury a few months ago because of his profession, he was a hockey player. Key word: was, past tense. Evan had their family move all the way to North Carolina. Both of Luke's fathers were pretty well off, so he didn't really have to worry about your normal 'my family is poor' stuff. Luke really did enjoy his life... except for the fact he can't keep a good friend for more then a month. He misses their old house, the neighbors were nice, it wasn't a 'bad' part of town. His fathers didn't enjoy it as much as their son did. THEY of corse wanted to be secluded and anonymous. 

 The 14 year old sighed, giving up on untangling the wires, putting the jack into his iPod. "I'll be careful! Come on... please?" Luke begged his father. With a sigh, Luke accepted defeat. Deciding that convincing Evan was a lost cause, he came up with another idea. Of course Evan was so engrossed into doing his taxes that he didn't even notice his son slip away, a small doll in his arms. 

Walking through the hall ways, Luke found his second fathers study after awhile of roaming around aimlessly. Dathi is an author, though his husband would call him the 'dork of all dorks'. The tall Irish man sat at his desk typing away on an old computer, bags under his eyes. He seemed hard at work, but Luke could care less as he knocked on the office door. His attempt to get his fathers attention was proving fruitless when he was given a half assed reply to everything Luke said. 

 "So... can I go to the orchard?" Luke finally mused. 

"What'd the big man say?" 

"He told me to ask you!" The fourteen year old replied with a hopeful smile. "Okay, that's a lie and we both know it. Evan would never let the fate of our son rest in my arms!" He chuckled. Dathi then proceeded to go back to his work. 

Luke, still bored as ever tapped his finger to a beat on the cardboard box beside him. That beat grew to a drum solo, Luke was jamming out in no time. No one, and I mean no one, can stop that little devil when he has music on the mind. Slaps and knocks on the boxes to tiny taps and silent beat boxing under his breath. Luke almost forgot where he was, bobbing his head to the artificial beat.

It was all cut short though when Dathi groaned. "Can't you just go n unpack your stuff? I gotta finish this chapter today, or boss'll have my head! I swear I'll help ye set up your computer later. Just go n explore the house!" Dathi rambled with a tired expression. Huffing in defeat once again, Luke goes to explore the hundred year old house as his father suggested. 

Of course it didn't help that his head phones would catch on every single door knob. Or that everything in the house was so dull you couldn't even tell if the old thing had color in the first place. It was all so... old. He tried to turn his music up to drown out the sight of how boring everything was. But it only made it worse. Luke's mind drifting from the old house back in Canada, then to Jon. 

He ran the memory of meeting him through his mind. Remembering every detail. He walked out of the house to explore the property while his parents got everything situated. Luke shoved his headphones on, blasting techno through his skull. It sounded almost like a shrill screech, he was surprised he even heard it through the music. It was a cat, it was sitting on the gate that lined the pink palace. The poor thing looked almost homeless, thin body, matted fur. Even a torn ear, from what he could tell, this cat meant business.

The cat seemed to smile when Luke went up to greet him. Luke was shocked to see how friendly this cat was. The cats eyes followed his hand as he proceeded to scratch the cat behind his ear; doing his best to not mess with the small white woolen hat that hung upon the cats head. 'Weird, but cool.' Luke thought to himself. The mysterious black cat jumped down from his perch, walking into the orchard. He looked back to see if Luke was following. Luke caught on quickly and ran up to the cat, walking alongside him. Dead apples littered the floor, leaves on the verge of falling off the trees. The orchard felt as it should be a horror movie setting.

 Luke hesitantly stopped walking all of a sudden when the cat slowed to a halt. He looked up at Luke with a look of expectancy. Luke not catching onto the cats plan looked around them. To their right was a tree stump, a pretty large stump at that. Almost platform like. On top of the stump was a person. Luke's eyes followed the lean legs up to see a hockey mask. The kid looked to be around Luke's age, he wore a ragged blue hoodie. Skinny jeans hugging the boys legs perfectly. In his hands were a baseball bat, a skateboard in the other. The stance the masked boy was in looked almost majestic. Stoic even. But, little Luke was so startled by the hooded figure, he tackled him to the ground. 

The two wrestled for a bit before Luke was finally able to snatch off the hockey mask. Underneath it was blue eyes and a smile so bright Luke thought he might have gone blind. Getting out of his trance, Luke pushed the boy away. Sticking his hand out for a hand shake, "That was a bit unnecessary, I'm Luke." He seemed almost excited to meet this blue eyed creature, but you couldn't tell, with his cool kid facade n all. 

"I'm Jon! Short for Jonathan, but call me what ever you like!" Luke resisted the urge to say 'guess I'll call you mine' and gave up on the handshake. 

"I see you've already met Marcel?" 

"Who?" 

"The cat! He has a name! And feelings," Jon stated, "he's wild but, still a really cool cat. He'll come to my window at night and bring me dead things! Like this one time-" Luke didn't bother to listen in to Jonathan's story, only focusing on how excited he seemed. Or how his voice sounded so... delirious? Yeah, let's go with that. 

The two kids talked for a bit, even going so far as to wrestle for a second time. After a bit they both mutually agreed they'd become friends. You could hear a bell ring and a mans voice following suit. 

 It's been five days since that whole ordeal happened. But each would meet by the same tree stump everyday. They'd talk and play like they've know each other for years rather then days. At least until that darn bell rings and a voice calls him home. Luke learned later that the voice belonged to Jons grandpa. He always seemed to call him home at the most inconvenient of times. Luke really liked Jon, platonically of course, why would he like Jon romantically? That'd be ridiculous! 

Luke was brought back to earth by a drop of water landing on his nose. Shaking off almost all thoughts about Jonathan, he gripped the doll in his hand tighter. Luke turned up his music a bit more before moving on to the next room of the apartment. 

 The living room was nicely decorated so far. A few paintings here and there, snow globes and four trophies lined the top of the fire place. Three of them to Evan, and the other to Dathi. Luke placed the mini doll on the table. 

It was weird, the doll was an almost complete copy of himself, besides the devil horns and tail. A complete copy. The thing looked professionally made, the stitchings were neat and even. The fabric was well kept, very clean. Luke wouldn't dare say it out loud, but he appreciated the craftsmen ship. He found it on his door step one day. Jonathan left the thing wrapped in newspaper for him. It had a note attached to the package. Luke read the note, smiling at the nickname Jon gave him a few days prior. 

 Hey Toonz! found this lil guy at my house. He reminds me of you! - Jon 

Confused at first, he started to pick at the stitching. It didn't work of course, but he still tried for some reason. The doll seemed to grow on him the more he carried it around the house. Luke even took it to dinner, got the doll its own chair. Sometimes Luke would stay up and just talk with the doll. Who knew how much of a bad thing that was. 

Back in the present, Luke picked up one of the pictures above the fire place, it was a picture of Evan. Right before his injury. He smiled, this photo was the only proof he has that his father did indeed smile. His father was in his team uniform, hockey stick in hand, smile on his face. He put the picture back on the mantle. He tried looking around the room for something else interesting, coming up with nothing. He went to go grab the doll he left on the table, Luke's hand came up empty. 

 Confused as ever, he searched around the table, to see if it fell off when he didn't notice. That's when he saw it. In the corner of his eye. It was the doll. The head facing him, half of its body stuck behind a shelf. Luke moved the shelf to the side. Gathering up the doll he saw an indent in the wall. He realized it was a door. Studying the supposed key hole, he thought about getting up to find the key that opens this tiny hidden door. 

He was to lazy to actually go all the way to the kitchen to find a simple key. So he called for his dad instead. "Hey dad! Think you could get the key to this door?" 

"What door?"

Luke didn't know how to explain his predicament, so he went with a simple answer, "Just come over here!" 

Evan walked through the living room archway, his eyes wandering from his son to the impression of a hatch on the wall. "You're not going to give up till I do this for you... Fine. Just don't bother me after this." 

Luke's father sighed in exasperation. After a minute or two Evan came back with a black old time-y key in hand. Luke watched in awe as his father cut the wallpaper and stuck the key in the keyhole. Turning the mysterious key.

It opened with a click. 

 - 

 And that was part one my friends!!! This was really fun to write so, if you want to see more of this let me know!! Have a good day!