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sunlight-moonrise · 4 years

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The Law of Attraction (Reid Imagine)

Summary: Reader cannot understand how Spencer is in a relationship with someone who is his complete opposite.

A/N: Hello Everyone!!! Here’s another story from the secret-fic-swap in the Discord server. I tried my hand at a new genre and I like how it came out. A big thank you to @imagining-in-the-margins for helping me make this real nice for y’all (this story was also written to her). Enjoy!

Category: Hurt/Comfort

Content Warnings: If you’re a fan of Max or Maxcer, this may not be the story for you. Sacrifices needed to be made for this story to be told.

Word Count: 4.2K

Masterlist

The thought that the concept of ‘opposites attract’ was only true when it comes to physics. After all, the comparison of people to magnets doesn’t make any sense. If two people are together, there should be some similarities to build an established relationship, right? Without that foundation, the structure will surely crumble back into the fragmented pieces that created it, leaving them cracked and weaker for it.

Compatibility is necessary, yet there is none whenever I look at them. This is the fourth function that he has brought her to, and with each event, I find it harder to look their way. But when I do find them among the crowd, I can’t look away. Like a car crash or thunderstorm ripping tree roots from the ground.

It doesn’t make sense to me, why on earth would Spencer Reid be with a girl like her.

“If you keep staring at her, she might drop dead,” said a sarcastic voice, breaking me out of my reverie. I turned to see Tara with an amused smile occupying her face.

“I just don’t get it,” I mumbled, focusing my attention on the drink in my hand.

“What’s not to get?” she asked, glancing over at the couple in question. “They seem cute together.”

“They have nothing in common. He might as well be talking to some random person in this bar.”

I chugged the remainder of my beverage with desperate hope that the alcohol will somehow make things better in this situation. It didn’t.

“You sound bitter.”

“I am not bitter,” I bit back.

“I didn’t say you were, I said you sound.”

I didn’t respond to her because deep down I knew she was right. I just fiddled with the straw in my now empty glass as Tara continued, “Look, they both like coffee and going to the park, that’s something.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped my throat at the thought.

“So do half the people on the administration floor, he might as well have a harem if those are the main qualifications.”

“So what type of person should Spencer Reid have?” she asked, an eyebrow arching up as she focused her attention on me.

“I don’t know. Someone who is family-oriented and loves kids. Someone who doesn’t judge him for his idiosyncrasies. Someone who listens to his rambles and actually responds to them. Someone who he can escape to when things get too tough. Someone who understands when to give him space but will continue to support him unconditionally. Someone who can challenge him and make each day exciting and interesting. Someone who can ke—”

“Whoa there, I didn’t think you were going to give me a whole novel.” If she thought that was a novel, then the rest of what I wanted to say would be considered an encyclopedia. The only one that Spencer would never read.

“I just want him to be happy,” I relented.

It was the simple truth. Everyone deserves some sort of contentment in their life, but with everything that Spencer has gone through in the past, his happiness should be at the forefront. He always put others before himself. It was time that someone prioritizes his wants and needs for a change.

“And she doesn’t make him happy?”

Not in the slightest.

But I didn’t want to say that. I was sure half of the team already thought, or knew, that I was infatuated with him. But I didn’t need to give them the satisfaction of a confirmation by talking about this any further. The looks that Tara had been giving me the past few minutes validated my belief that I didn’t need to dig myself into a deeper hole.

“Maybe,” I said, hoping to put an end to the topic.

But just then, I heard a laugh despite how noisy the place was. I knew without a doubt that was Spencer’s laugh – it was the only sound that would demand my attention that quickly. It was the one he used when he felt uncomfortable.

“Excuse me, Tara.”

I didn’t give her a chance to reply before I hopped off the barstool and made my way to where Spencer and his girl were as casually as possible. Jennifer and Penelope were also with them, and it seems as if the three ladies were doing most of the talking.

“….like kids someday?” I heard Pen say. I didn’t need to hear the beginning of the sentence to know what it was about.

“Ehh, certainly not. My nephew is a handful as is, I don’t think I need any more than that one in my life,” she laughed. She, of course, being the ever loving, ever annoying, Max. A quick glance at Spencer's face confirmed that he was bothered by the subject being discussed. If the rest of the ladies were a bit more sober, they’d probably have seen it too.

“Hey guys,” I interrupted, taking my previous seat next to JJ, “I ordered some water for us and some appetizers. Tara is going to bring it over when it is ready.”

Cheers and thank you were shouted across the small table, but there was only one face I cared to pay attention to. Spencer’s mouth was quirked in a sad smile that was meant to hide the discomfort that had already taken root in his heart like an invasive vine.

“Did you place my fries order?” Max asked, garnering my attention. As much as I wanted to ignore her, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t openly be a bitch to her, no matter how much she irked me. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Other than stealing the affections of a man I’d never actually pursued, that is. But I couldn’t really blame her for that one, right? I should’ve jumped on the opportunity before. It was my fault.

“Yup,” I answered quickly with a small fake smile before focusing on the wooden décor of the bar.

“So any plans for Halloween? Assuming we don’t get called in for a case of course,” JJ asked the table.

“There is this pop-up haunted house coming that weekend.” Spencer said, his voice laced with that childlike excitement that made my heart race, “It is near the annual fair, so I’m going to try and do both.”

“Awww, that’s a cute date idea.”

The table was silent for a moment before Max announced, “I probably won’t go. I am not a big fan of anything spooky or… horror. I’ll leave all of that to this guy.”

The table shared an awkward laugh in a poor attempt to lighten the mood.

“Anyway,” I coughed out, attempting to save this poor conversation, “you guys need to hear this terrible joke the bartender told me. So basically, this screwdriver walks into a bar….” and just like that, the topic had been changed.

Tara joined us shortly after and the conversation remained lighthearted for the remainder of the evening. We later said our farewells and readied ourselves to go back home. While I should’ve been sad to leave him, I couldn’t help but feel a bitter joy from the fact that Spencer and Max didn’t talk directly to each other for the rest of the night.

●●●

It’s been a couple of weeks since the last team outing. Rossi must’ve missed us, because he decided to host a dinner at his place to celebrate the ending of a long and tough case. No one was going to pass up the opportunity of free food and wine, especially after dealing with a bunch of cops and detectives with entire tree trunks up their asses.

I was the last to arrive, which was not surprising since I live the furthest away from Rossi. Krystall welcomed and settled me in while informing me where everyone was. What I assumed was a team gathering turned out to be a whole party. There were definitely more than two dozen people occupying the space.

Good god.

“What’s all this?” I asked as I greeted Rossi in the, thankfully, empty kitchen. Because, of course, Rossi wouldn’t be Rossi if he didn’t take care of all the hors d'oeuvres himself.

“Krystall wanted to celebrate our anniversary,” he sighed, as if this ordeal was somehow troublesome. I had to roll my eyes; he wasn’t fooling anyone. We all knew that Rossi would move mountains for his wife.

Their love was pure and genuine, a perfect example of two people meeting again at the right time and sharing something wonderful with one another. As I reminisced on their beautiful wedding day, a thought came to my head.

“Isn’t your first anniversary coming up in a few months?”

“That’s for our second marriage, this is for the first.” Rossi simply stated with a proud smirk, as if it was standard to celebrate any and all anniversaries in life. I supposed that for him, it was.

“Why do I get the feeling that this was more your idea than Krystall’s?”

“Guilty.”

Classic. Well, I wasn’t going to tell a man what he should celebrate nor how to do so. I wasn’t going to ruin any opportunities to eat some fresh crostini.

Once I made my way back out into the main room, I was able to find my team within seconds. My eyes instantly landed on Spencer’s tall and lanky form. And I would’ve been excited for that, if it weren’t for the familiar woman standing beside him.

Max was there. Hooray.

Usually, I was able to properly prepare myself for seeing her. It actually, unfortunately, took a lot of effort to not be openly hostile to someone I dislike. It wasn’t something I was proud of, but it was true. Typically in a situation like this, I’d avoid the person all night. However, I wasn’t going to allow her presence to influence the night, much less stop me from spending time with one of my closest friends.

“Hey guys.”

“Ahh, you’re finally here,” squealed Penelope, “I already grabbed your favorite drink!” She stepped aside to make room for me in the small gathered circle before handing me the glass.

“So what did I miss?”

They all caught me up on the harmless gossip circulating around the office and the new happenings emerging in everyone’s lives. Everything was going well until I heard the next words from Max, words that felt like a bucket of ice water and lead being poured over my head.

“Well, Spencer and I are moving in together.”

Time slowed down, I was sure it had. Because I was able to gauge everything in a matter of seconds. Tara’s concerning glance my way, her hand reaching out and retreating as if to hold me. Penelope’s joyful appearance over the news, her arms rising quickly causing her wine to slightly spill on Rossi’s floor. Matt expressing congratulations as he roughly patted Spencer on the back.

And Spencer….

Spencer looked like he rather be anywhere but here. His lips were drawn in a too tight smile that I knew was far from authentic. He was tapping his heel against the floor and wringing his hands together.

If this was merry news from the two of them, why did he look like he swallowed a spiked fruit?

The loud clanging of metal against glass brought everyone’s attention to the noisy source. Time returned back to its normal pace at Rossi’s call, thanking everyone for joining in on the celebration and announcing that the food was ready in the dining room.

While everyone cheered and made their way towards the ornate display, I headed to the balcony. It was too hot, too stuffy, too loud inside the house. There was one too many people there.

As soon as I passed through the double doors, I took a deep breath of cool, refreshing air. Everything around me felt muffled. Like I had stumbled into a small pocket universe that only differed from ours by a few notches on the volume knob.

I was thinking too many things, and none of them adding up or making sense in my head. How do you move in with someone you’ve only known for such a short amount of time? What was he going to do with his apartment? With his personal belongings that were scattered and settled on crowded shelves? Why did he look so uncomfortable when she announced it? Did he not want us to know? Did he want to say it himself?

“What are you doing out here?”

As if being brought back to reality by the very same hypnotist who enchanted me in the first place, I became aware that I was not the only one on the balcony. I turned to look at Spencer, taking in his disheveled and tired appearance.

“I just needed some space. I was feeling a bit crowded.” It wasn’t a lie, but my companion and I both knew there was a lot more than just that. Trying to keep the attention off me, I asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Checking on you. I saw you come out here dressed like that and wondered what would drag you out into the freezing cold.”

Now that he mentioned it, the breeze was hitting hard. I didn’t notice my body trembling until now. It is funny how you can’t feel much when lost in your own thoughts. The pain was a welcome distraction, I supposed.

Spencer stood next to me and shrugged off the suit jacket he was wearing. I opened my mouth to refuse, but he gave me a pointed look before I could. Instead, I accepted the warm jacket over my body. The scent of cinnamon and spice immediately enveloped my form and I tried to hide the way my inhales grew deeper. Trying to keep him as close as I could for however long he would allow. He kept his hands on my arms, rubbing them up and down the sleeves of the jacket to instill some heat in me.

“So whatever happened to taking it slow?” I asked bluntly, keeping my eyes on the interesting speck of dirt that had ended up on my shoe. I didn’t feel bad about getting to the point -- There was no way I could subtly ask him what the deal was, and I’d rather not beat around the bush.

“Well, after the whole situation that happened, sh— we decided to pick up the pace of things,” he spoke lowly, as if he was unsure of the words coming out of his mouth.

“Has she even met Diana? Or know about her?” I instantly regretted asking, the angry look he shot my way had me feeling remorseful. But it also answered my question.

Max only knew the surface level of Spencer. She wasn’t aware of all the good, bad, beautiful, and ugly layers that comes with a man like him. She wasn’t the only one to blame, but I wondered how a profiler couldn’t tell that he was hiding those parts from her because he didn’t want to share them with her. He didn’t want her to know, because the knowing made it real.

“I just want the best for you.”

His irritated expression dissolved into a defeated one as he released the breath he was holding.

“I know, I know. It’s just…”

He stopped talking, appearing scared to share his opinions and feelings with me before he remembered that, unlike Max, he never had to hide things from me. He didn’t want to.

“It’s just…” I prodded, hoping he would continue with what he was going to say.

But he just stayed stuck there, opening and closing his mouth multiple times. I could practically see the cogs in his brain whirling as he properly tried to explain. “Well, the thing is that Ma—”

“Spencer?”

We sharply turned our heads to see Max and Tara staring at us. It wasn’t until that moment that I remembered our position. With Spencer’s hands rubbing tenderness heat onto my arms, his jacket over my shoulders and our bodies pressed together to keep warm.

It would be one thing if everything was settled, but this situation was anything but. Max had every reason to be angry. This wasn’t a new thing to her. So when she turned around, she stomped away fueled by the belief that she’d nearly caught her boyfriend committing adultery. Again.

“Fuck,” I heard the man in front of me whisper as he released me back into the cold night.

Still, as he left, he looked back at me. His eyes burned into mine up until he tore them away, making his final decision and hastily running from the balcony. Away from me. Towards her.

Tara and I shared the silence, but she looked at me with those inquisitive eyes, as if I was a client seeking out therapy from her.

“What?” I hissed, “We were just talking.” I refused to feel guilty over something that I didn’t do. If anyone had done anything, it was Spencer. But at the same time, I didn’t think he was entirely wrong, either.

“I didn’t say anything,” she muttered, holding her hands up high as a sign of surrender.

“You didn’t have to, I can feel the judgment from here.”

“Look, I’m not judging you. But I do want you to put yourself in Max’s shoes. You guys were gone for a while and she finds you two all over each other.”

“What are you talking about, Tara? Christ, it’s not like I was fucking him on the balcony!”

Although I didn’t intend for my words to be humorous, Tara laughed. I was conflicted on whether it was at me or with me, but it ended up amounting to nothing, anyway.

“Look, the night is young and you need to relax. Come back inside, enjoy the party, and don’t let them bring you down. At least for the next few hours.”

She was right, as she usually was. It was why I usually sought her out as the voice of reason; I knew that despite everything, she would always have my best interest at heart.

“Okay,” I agreed before following her back into the chaotic fray.

I heeded her advice and avoided the couple for the remainder of the night. Shockingly, it was pretty easy, but I was sure it was because they were avoiding me too. There were times, lots of times, where Spencer and I made eye contact, but we’d just as quickly look away, as if we were ashamed of what we have done.

All we did was talk. So why did it feel like something more?

There were also times when I made eye contact with Max, but instead of shame, there was anger and contempt. If looks could kill, like Tara had suggested, I was sure my heart would have given out.

It wasn’t until later in the evening that I saw Max take a cab home while Spencer was still inside the house. No one else but me noticed that they didn’t leave the party together.

●●●

I hadn’t seen Spencer since the incident at Rossi’s a few weeks ago. He had to take his mandatory sabbatical leave and I had to take an abrupt trip back home. What used to be almost daily texts between us became nonexistent in a matter of hours. It was a terrible predicament that I was hoping to fix soon.

As I arrived, I spotted him at his desk. For a long time, I stood there staring at him. If he wasn’t nose deep in a bunch of files, I was sure he would’ve seen me, too. I contemplated on how I should go up to him, but nothing I could think of was good enough to say.

Hey, I have your jacket, I took it to the dry cleaner’s, so it is all clean. Rid of me like you wanted to be.

Hi, how were the lectures this time around? Still have a bunch of teens crushing on you?

What’s up, it’s been a while, do you want to get lunch during the break?

I hated that things were awkward, even though I was pretty sure that I was the only one that was making it so. I should have just gone up to him, greeted him, and acted like everything was normal, because everything was normal. Right?

Just when I was about to do so, Emily called us in for a meeting. Impeccable timing.

We had a serial killer case in Louisville, Kentucky. My situation with Spencer was going to the backburner.

During our stay in Louisville, Spencer and I barely interacted. We exchanged notes and passed long messages, but that’s pretty much it. I wasn’t surprised. Our specialties don’t really correlate when we are working on a case. Anytime I did catch some free time, I’d look his way, longing for the opportunity to speak to him. He didn’t look back.

Then, just as the case ended, another chance presented itself. After five days of hardly any proper rest, we finally found the unsub. Everyone was in their respective room catching up on some much needed sleep. Except for Spencer, whose gangly body was tucked away at the bar by himself, a glass of what appeared to be soda in front of him.

Silently, I took the seat next to him, and for a few minutes, everything was quiet. But unlike the usual, comfortable quiet, it was torturous.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I stared at him, letting the silent communication denote the fact that I knew he was lying to me. Spencer released a sigh and looked at me with eyes more intoxicating than any whiskey that shared their color.

“Actually, no, I’m not okay.”

I was going to ask him what was wrong or if there was anything I could do to help, but before I had the chance to do so, he hastily answered the question I hadn’t asked.

“Max and I broke up.”

I stared at him, my face and mind blank as I tried to comprehend what he’d said. That Max and Spencer broke up. They were no longer together. Spencer was single.

I thought that if this ever happened, I would be happy, elated, jumping at the chance to take her place by his side. But I felt none of those things.

“What happened?” I didn’t want to appear nosy or meddlesome, but I needed to know.

“We were fighting a lot, and I couldn’t take it.”

“Oh.”

“We were… actually fighting about you.”

I sharply turned my head at him, both intrigued and disturbed by the implication that I had anything to do with the failure of their relationship.

“What? What about me?”

“She thought I liked you,” he said while staring straight back at me, daring me to scan through each fleck of gold and green to ensure that he was telling the truth. But his hazel eyes expressed nothing but honesty as he continued, “and she was right. I do.”

“Y-you do?”

All he could do was nod his head, lifting his hand and catching a loose strand of hair before tucking it behind my ear.

“Can I try something?” Spencer shyly requested.

Once again, the universe felt different. I held my breath, trying to wake from the dream. Although he didn’t say it, I had an idea of what he wanted. If the hand on the side of my face and the staring at my lips were anything to go by, I knew what was going to happen next.

I nodded back and closed my eyes. A few seconds passed, the sweetest kind of anticipation. But then I felt the gentle pressure of his lips against my own, sweet and tender. He moved his head to get a better angle while I brought my hands up to cup his face. The roughness of his stubble against the tip of my fingers was a perfect contrast to the softness of him. I could taste the soda he was drinking on his tongue and breathed in the cinnamon scent that seemed sunken into his skin.

When we pulled away, it was full of hesitation. All it took was one look for us to know we couldn’t do this. Not now, not yet. He was still healing from the recent break up and I didn’t want to be a rebound. I didn’t want us to resent one another for jumping into a relationship so soon. We weren’t ready.

We sat there in relative silence, taking in everything that has happened.

“Maybe one day,” he paused “one day we can give it a chance.”

“Yes. I’d like that.” I beamed at him, “And I look forward to that day. Until then, we remain as friends.”

He returned my smile and I realized that it had been a while since I’ve seen his real smile. I missed it so much.

“Friends,” he confirmed.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt relief and comfort. Because I knew everything was going to be okay. I had hope that someday Spencer will get the happily ever after he deserves and he’ll get it with me by his side. One day.

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inconvenient-sneezes · 5 years

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oh boy. what’s better than pre-serum steve with a nasty cold and caretaker!bucky?

Would I grant all your wishes and be proud of the task? Only forever, if someone should ask. How long would it take me to be near, if you beckoned? Off hand, I would figure less than a second.

[[this is a multi-chapter fic, so read part two and part three here]]

Time After Time

Chapter One: A Night on the Town (Before)

***

Steve Rogers straightens his collar nervously as he gets ready for his “date.” Bucky had managed to get him a blind date; they were supposed to meet up at Steve’s house and go to the bar from there. Steve knew it was going to be a disaster from the get-go, but Bucky had insisted.

Turning on the water, Steve let it run while he searched for his razor. He didn’t actually grow much facial hair, but he wanted to at least make sure he was clean shaven for whatever poor dame had been set up with him. He’d also contracted a cold, which wasn’t surprising, but he wasn’t excited to have to hide it from his date. The last thing he’d want to do is get her sick.

He lathers up the shaving cream in his hands and applied it to his face. The razor itself is a cold blade and makes him shiver. Steve shaves with gentle, even strokes. Out of nowhere, his nose begins to tickle. Before he can do anything, he sneezes, razor still near his face.

“Kuh’TSCHHH!” His head snaps forward and he feels the blade cut him.

“Ugh...” He groans as he watches a thin line of red appear on his cheek.

Steve hurriedly snatches a piece of toilet paper and holds it to his cheek. A knock on the door startles him and he’s immediately thankful there’s no one there to see him jump.

“Hey!” Bucky Barnes says and laughs, stepping into the threshold. “How’s my favorite—”

“Hh’TCHOO!” Steve backs away from Bucky and barely catches the sneeze in his elbow, one hand still pressing the cloth on the nick.

Bucky frowns. “Uh oh. I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I have a cold,” Steve admits, rubbing his nose. “It’s okay, I can still go out.”

But Bucky doesn’t look so sure. He’s seen Steve sick plenty of times, with illnesses far worse than a cold, but still, it makes him nervous.

“How the hell did you manage to get a cold in the summer? Isn’t it supposed to be fall or winter for you to be able to get a cold?”

Steve scoffs. “Bucky, temperature has almost nothing to do with my getting a cold. In fact, you can’t really catch a cold from—”

“I know, I know, I’m just teasing. What happened to your face?” He points at the scrap of toilet paper pressed against his friend’s cheek.

“I cut myself shaving, of course.” The young man tosses the scrap in the garbage bin. “Does it look okay?” A small, angry mark presents itself on his cheek.

Bucky nods. “I think it makes you look tough.”

Steve’s heart flips in his chest. He loves when Bucky says these kinds of things to him. “Thanks.”

“Now let’s go. We can’t leave those girls waiting on us.” He claps Steve on the shoulder, careful not to knock him down.

***

As the cab approaches the bar, Steve gets more and more nervous. He can’t ever recall a girl actually liking him, especially when Bucky is in the same room. Steve’s just too skinny, too scrawny and truth-be-told, much too average for a girl to like. Bucky? Well, Bucky’s the great war hero, about to be shipped off again.

Sometimes Steve wonders if they know Buck’s a sniper and if they’d feel the same way if they saw him in action, killing. They probably would. Sure Steve gets jealous sometimes, but he really does like Bucky, a lot.

“There they are.” Bucky breaks Steve out of his thoughts and nods to two beautiful girls waiting outside the pub.

Two of the most beautiful girls Steve has ever seen are standing outside, waiting for them. They’re both wearing dresses, one sapphire blue, the other a nice yellow, and both sport high heels.

The girl in blue looks a bit nervous, but probably not as much as Steve is right now. She’s chewing gum and glancing at down the street. Her friend appears to be bored, lazily twirling her curly locks around a finger while she chats. She has to have the reddest lips on the block, Steve thinks to himself.

“Wow,” he breathes.

“Yeah,” Bucky agrees. “The one in yellow is all yours.”

Steve gulps and rubs his wrists. “Uh, Bucky. I don’t know what to do.”

Bucky grabs his friend’s hands and puts them in Steve’s lap. “Look, just follow my lead. She’ll love you.”

“Eh’TSHOO!”

“And don’t sneeze too much,” he adds, before handing the driver some money and climbing out of the cab.

They walk over to the women, Steve sweating and Bucky smiling. “Hey girls,” he says with a wave. “How are you?”

“Bucky!” the girl in blue squeals, throwing herself on him. “I thought you’d never show.”

Steve stands by awkwardly, waiting for Bucky to introduce him and trying not to sneeze. The yellow-dressed girl gives Steve an apprehensive glance. “Is this...?” she begins, sounding like she almost doesn’t hope it’s true.

“Girls, this is Steve,” Bucky says, then gestures to the girl in blue. “Steve, this is Evelyn,” he adds, nodding at the girl in yellow, “and Ruth.”

“Hi,” Steve offers, knowing Ruth already doesn’t like him.

She smiles pleasantly. “Hello.”

Bucky puts his arm around Evelyn. “Let’s not wait around ladies, it looks like it’s going to rain.”

And indeed it does. Storm clouds hang in the sky, surely ominous first-date signs. Or so Steve believes. They approach the doors and of course, Bucky is the one to hold them open.

***

They’re sitting together, boy-girl, boy-girl, but things are mostly centered around the soldier. Steve figures he should be used to it by now, but he never feels like he is.

He’s not even a real big drinker, but tonight he’s already had two and a half drinks, more than normal. Bucky says something and both girls giggle.

Steve feels his nose itch but doesn’t make a real effort to stop it. He doesn’t try to make it unnoticeable. “Hih’KSHHH!”

Ruth is turned away from him and is facing Bucky. He smiles as he says something else and then tries to pull Steve into the conversation. “Steve here likes baseball too, don’t you?”

Both girls are staring at him now and he tries not to look like an idiot. “Yeah. I um, like the New York Yankees.”

“Me too!” Evelyn says, giving him a small smile.

“He has both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig’s signatures on a baseball,” Bucky brags, making Evelyn’s face light up.

Ruth looks completely uninterested.

“You don’t like baseball, Ruth?”

You don’t like me, Ruth? Steve imagines him saying this to her face, but his itching nose has other plans. “HhH! Kh’XTSHH!”

Stifled, it’s such a girlish sounding sneeze, Ruth and Evelyn snicker and Steve can see Bucky smiling behind his hand. “Excuse me,” Steve mutters and both girls giggle again.

“Steve has the most adorable sneezes, doesn’t he?” Bucky jests, earning a laugh or two out of the pair.

To his dismay, he can’t help sneezing again. “Hiih’XXST! Er’SHH!”

They bless him, still looking that like they want to laugh, but don’t.

“That’s so cute!” Evelyn comments.

“That’s so funny,” Ruth says in an almost flat tone.

Steve sniffles. This is embarrassing and not how it was supposed to go but Bucky’s loving it. He’s also kind of drunk.

“Do it again, Steve!”

Now he’s even more motivated not to. His nostrils twitch but he angrily rubs them with a slender finger.

A couple drinks later and Bucky is kissing Evelyn like there’s no tomorrow and he’s not being discreet about it. Every time Steve hears their lips smack or when Evelyn moans quietly, he blushes. They’re in public, for God’s sake. Ruth is still sipping from her glass, more bored than ever.

“I like your lipstick,” Steve tries, sniffling. Ruth doesn’t answer or give him any acknowledgement she heard him. After awhile, Steve’s head is bobbing up and down and he’s fighting to stay awake.

“Hihh’GNKK!”

He’s too tired to get his hands up but instead stifles one into his shoulder. Evelyn is sent into a fit of giggles upon hearing the sound and Steve is so done. He’s got a killer headache and his nose keeps running.

He can’t even relax with Ruth sitting beside him. Steve stumbles down from his chair and tugs on Bucky’s sleeve to tell him he wants to go home.

He must not feel it though, because he doesn’t pull away from his girl. That’s just fine with Steve. He mutters a goodbye and an apology to Ruth and leaves.

***

It’s raining outside, hard. Steve can barely see, what with the way his eyes are watering and the blur of rain. Soon, he’s soaked to the bone and shivering.

“Hihh’TSHOO!” Finally, he can sneeze in peace.

Steve desperately wants to get home, though. Unfortunately for him, he’s terribly drunk and can’t remember the direction his apartment is in. He could hail a cab, but he doesn’t have money and can’t recall exactly what his address is.

“Watch it!” A voice growls before barreling into Steve. He has such a small frame that he’s knocked completely to the ground. Steve sits there in a puddle, dazed, and watches as the large man continues walking.

“Ehh... eh’TSHHH!” Steve sneezes into his hands, his hair dripping.

“Steve!” Someone shouts and Steve feels himself being hauled up. For some reason, this causes him to cough until the same person pats him on the back.

“What are you doing on the ground? You know what, it doesn’t matter. Let’s get you home.”

It’s Bucky. He leads his friend over to the curb and whistles for a cab. He helps Steve in and soon follows him.

Bucky tells the driver his own address (because there’s no way Steve’s going back home to his house) and they’re off, speeding through the night.

“Whad aboud Evelyd?” Steve asks, congested and out of it.

“She... well, it wasn’t going to work out with us anyway. Plus, I didn’t appreciate the way Ruth treated you.”

“You didn’t? Id wasn’t — hh’XXKSHHUHH!” A strong sneeze racks his body, but he still covers his nose and mouth with his hands. A true gentleman.

“Yeah, yeah, but I shoulda known.” Bucky rubs his face tiredly. “I’m sorry for taking you out, Steve. I really shouldn’t have...”

Steve shakes his head and unintentionally sprinkles his friend with water. “Doe, id’s defidetly dot your fauld. I just ged worse id the bordigs ad dights. Besides, I probably scared her away with by... uhh... huhhH!” But he pinches his pink nose and the sneeze stops in its tracks. “With by sdeezig.”

“No, you were fine. You did everything right.”

The ride home is quiet except for Steve’s occasional sneeze and coughing.

*** Bucky leads the man inside, shaking and shivering. Bucky shut his door and locks it. He didn’t think he was going to let Steve go back home by himself tonight.

He collapses into the couch, exhausted. “I’b sorry I ruined your dight.”

Bucky gave him a sad smile. “Steve, you didn’t ruin my night. It looks like I ruined yours, more like.”

“Hehh... hih’GSHHOO!” Steve sneezes into his hands again.

“Oh God, right. Um, first things first. Get out of those clothes I guess.” Bucky had switched from friend into caretaker. He’d taken care of Steve so many times, it’d just felt natural at this point. Flu, strep, even pneumonia. You name it, Steve had contracted it at some point.

Steve shakily tries to unbutton his shirt. “B-Buck... I cad’t — ehh... HMPPP!” He presses his nose into his shoulder.

“I got it.” Bucky’s fingers move down his shirt, unbuttoning as they go, despite the many drinks he’s had tonight. Soon, Steve is shivering in his underwear and Bucky takes a quick moment to marvel at exactly how skinny he is. He can see all of his ribs and the goosebumps that seem to be everywhere.

Buck brought a blanket out of the closet and put it around his bony shoulders. “I’ll be right back, let me get you some clothes.”

And by clothes he really means “bathrobe” and pajamas. Steve puts his hands on Bucky to steady himself before stepping into the pajama pants. They’re much too big for him, but oh-so-comfortable.

“Don’t forget the shirt,” Bucky reminds him and Steve puts his arms through the sleeves and lets Bucky button it. Lastly, he slips a bathrobe on his friend and watches as the ends of the robe pile at his feet. Bucky ties it around him and hands him the blanket. “You want to listen to the radio?”

“Ad this hour?” Steve’s mouth stretches into a yawn.

Oh, yeah. “You’re right,” Bucky nods. “It’s probably too late.”

Steve shakes his head. “No, id’s okay. Led’s try to find sobethig. Ahh... ATSCHHH!”

So Bucky takes the radio he owns and messes with the dial until someone’s singing drifts into the room. Steve grins. “I love this sogg.”

It’s Bing Crosby’s “Only Forever.” To Steve’s amusement. Bucky sits on the couch and starts serenading him. “Would I grant all your wishes and be proud of the task? Only forever, if someone should ask.”

Steve grins like an idiot when Bucky moves on to the next verse. “How long would it take me to be near, if you beckoned? Off hand, I would figure... less than a second.”

Bucky smiles at Steve until he sees his nose twitch. Annoyed, Steve scrunches up his nose and rubs it cruelly with his knuckles. “Ehhh... hehhHH!” He pinches the sneeze away, making Bucky throw up his hands.

“Steve, we’re alone! You can sneeze in front of me if you want.”

He shrugs. “We’re sitting close together ad I don’t wadda — AhhHH!” The tickle is back and Steve’s hands immediately come to his face. Bucky sighs to himself and grabs Steve’s wrists.

“B-Bucky... I g-gotta... hahh... Hahh’SHHHH!” He sneezes into the air and sniffs, flushing bright red.

“I’ve seen you with much worse than a nasty cold,” Bucky reminds him. “No need to be shy about it.”

“Bud id’s hahhH... e-embarrassig.” His nostrils are still flaring. “Ad I cad’t ged by dose to stahh... to stop doig this. Also, I think you’re drunk,” Steve points out.

“You are too.” Bucky can’t help thinking that Steve looks adorable like this, all drunk and so helpless. “Shhh...” he says as the song changes. “You like Sinatra, right?”

Steve nods, still blushing, but he lets his eyes flutter shut as Bucky starts bobbing his head. It starts with humming and turns into singing. “I said all, nothin’ at all. If it’s love, there ain’t no in-between.”

Steve loves this so much.

Bucky watches Steve, his eyes still closed. He looks so naive and small, shivering underneath the blanket he’s wearing.

“Why begin, then cry for somethin’ that might have been? No, I’d rather, rather have nothin’ at all.” Bucky warbles softly, discreetly scooting closer to Steve.

He figures sitting closer will keep his friend warmer, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what he’s had to do in the service sometimes, sleeping together or back to back to keep warm. But he can’t exactly hide the feelings he has for Steve.

“Ihh... ITSCHH!” Steve sneezes an itchy-sounding sneeze and then gears up for another. “Hahh’ESHHH!”

“Bless you,” Bucky murmurs, allowing Steve to put his head on his shoulder. They fall asleep there with the radio on at a low volume.

Steve snores congestedly the whole night, but Bucky doesn’t even wake up.

***

request some stuff/give me feedback!! read more stuff!!

#fic #steve rogers #bucky barnes #steve x bucky #stucky #bucky x steve #captain america #winter soldier #snz #capsnz #sick!steve #sickfic #cold #sneezing #hurt/comfort

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sonicchaos-fanfic · 5 years

Text

| Sonic Chaos | Chapter Nine: Sticks and Stones

(lol here I am again nine months later lolz. Y'all are probably sick and tired of me taking such long hiatuses..all I have to say is...I have no excuse. School is hard. T_T I did this in one shot so I’m sorry about any typos!!)

~ Chapter Nine ~

The trio walked for about half an hour until they decided to take a break for the night. They discovered a small clearing where an old, swollen dead tree had fallen many years ago. They settled around a fire that Sticks had created. Sonic was tossing his newly discovered emerald up and down in one hand.

“I wonder how many of these are still out there,” he said.

“Yeah,” Amy said, lying on her back and flipping through an ancient book given to her by the seer. Although she couldn’t understand the language, she enjoyed looking at the pictures and creating stories in her head.

“Well, I hope we find them soon. This place is nice, but I’ll admit, I’m getting kind of homesick.” Sonic paused to yawn.

“Yeah, I miss home too,” Amy replied. She set down her book and went to warm her hands by the fire. Sonic went from tossing his emerald to spinning it on the tip of his finger. Sticks watched both of them with curiosity.

“What’s your home like? Is it different from here? Is it better?” she asked.

“Ehh, It’s just like any other world. Same sun, same plants and animals, same kinds of people...” Sonic waved his hand mindlessly.

“If it’s the same, then why do you miss it so much?”

“Well...I guess when I say that I miss home, I mean that I miss my friends more than anything else, ya know?” Sonic smiled at her.

“Yeah, me too. I miss baking with Cream.” Amy said. She hugged herself and looked solemnly to the ground. Sticks noticed a gleam in her eye that was very familiar. She vaguely remembered seeing that kind of look from someone else long ago.

“Oh, I see...” Sticks thought for a moment, “What are your friends like?”

“Amazing,” Amy giggled, “they’re all so amazing.”

Amy took time to describe some of her adventures with the gang to Sticks while Sonic listened peacefully, occasionally adding in a couple extra details when Amy forgot. Sticks listened with admiration. Then, Amy asked Sticks about her own family.

The badger’s eyes dulled a little. She lost her smile and turned away. She stared at the fire intensely, as if trying to see something within it. Her face contorted as she thought to herself.

“My family? Well...it’s been a while. It’s hard to remember,” she said.

Amy and Sonic looked at each other with concern.

“My momma and papa were both really smart. Every day, they would try to teach me something new! Like...how to make a trap, or why turtles' shells aren’t soft. My mom would explain things like the turtles’ shell through magic stories. I used to believe them, but now I know better...”

Sticks’ parents were both scientists. Most days her they would be consumed in their books, always researching and recording every new thing they discovered. They also were expert survivalists. When they weren’t studying, they would take Sticks out on adventures through the jungle, where they would teach her all sorts of things. They taught her about all of the different types of plants and animals, about how to make tools and clothes out of the resources found around them, and even how to hunt efficiently.

Exploring the wild wasn’t the only thing they would do though. Her mother always told her about all the myths and legends of the land and would show her the ancient trinkets and artifacts she would discover on her travels to the ancient temples.

But those memories are kind of hazy...” At the sight of Amy’s worried expression, Sticks began to explain.

One night, she wasn’t sure exactly how long ago, there had been a terrible storm. The thunder clapped like clanging metal and lighting flashed terribly across the sky. The wind blew with a force that could move mountains, thrashing and ripping the trees apart. The rain fell heavier than Sticks had ever seen. She remarked how it felt like she were actually underwater.

That night, she and her parents were caught in the storm. They hurried as fast as they could through the thick greenery, squinting in a desperate effort to see through the darkness and pouring rain. They were hunched low and held each other’s hands firmly so that they wouldn’t lose track of each other. As they got nearer to the treehouse, the same one that Sticks lived in currently, her father had tripped and fell.

She and her mother turned around. A giant branch had fallen on her father’s back, pinning him to the muddy floor. As the two rushed forward to help him, thunder and lightning boomed right above their heads. The wind carried a punch like no other, and a tree suddenly was uprooted a couple of feet away from them. Her mother assessed the situation; a grim look befell on her face. Sticks tried to grab the branch and help her mom free her father, but her mother suddenly grabbed her and pulled her to the side.

“Sticks, listen to me. You need to go straight home. I will stay here and help Papa, but you need to go right now!” she said.

Sticks, not understanding, protested. Thunder roared again.

“We’re running out of time! Listen to me, you need to save yourself, okay? Don’t worry about me and Papa. You just go and run as fast as you can, and when you reach the house you go into your room and lock the door shut. Do you understand?” her mom cried. “Sticks, do you understand? Do you remember everything we taught you?”

Sticks, frozen in fear, nodded her head furiously. Her mother then pulled her in and hugged her tightly. That hug was the warmest Sticks has ever felt that night. When they parted, her mother kissed her on the forehead. The woman’s eyes were glassy and her cheeks were wet. Sticks had figured at that moment that some rain much have gotten stuck in her eyes.

“I love you so much, Sticks. We both do.” said her mother.

Thunder exploded above them again.

Desperate, her mother cried for her to run, and Sticks, although very reluctantly, followed her orders. She ran as fast as her little legs could take her. Being as small as she was, it was hard to see exactly what was behind all of the shadowy masses that surrounded her. She shivered every time her shoes hit the muddy floor and caused a splash. She panted and cried out in fear as the storm continued to escalate. Loud crashing, howling, screeching, and splashing engulfed her and filled her ears and head. It was like a nightmare.

Just when she felt like she could give up, she happened upon the treehouse. She scaled up the latter and dashed inside, going straight into her room just as her mother ordered. For the rest of the night, she couldn’t sleep. The monstrous storm has rattled the walls all night.

The next morning, the storm had left just as quickly as it had arrived. Sticks stepped outside to see nothing but the destroyed remains of the hurricane. Broken, uprooted trees her scattered about all helter-skelter. Sticks grew worried, her parents hadn’t come home yet.

Sticks recalled that she had searched the surrounding area for days. But they were nowhere to be seen. She looked and looked and looked, and found nothing. They had just completely vanished.

“I haven’t seen them since...I always thought that they probably got lost on the way home and went somewhere far away. My mom always told me how confusing the jungle could be, after all,” Sticks looked up to Amy, who appeared to have been wiping her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Sonic had gotten up by this point and went to comfort Amy. She tried hard not to show her emotions in front of Sticks. Being able to keep herself from tearing up, she told Sticks that she was staring at the fire too long and her eyes had gotten too dry.

After some time passed, and the young badger had fallen asleep, Amy went towards the fire to put it out. Sonic was still lying beside it on a log, staring up at the sky. Amy tried not to stare at him as a thought crossed her mind. Sticks was asleep, so they had some privacy. Maybe, she thought, she could try to have that particular conversation with him again.

She sort of squirmed uncomfortably to herself as she tried to think of a way to start the conversation naturally. Every couple seconds, she would glance to him out of the corner of her eye, almost opening her mouth to talk to him, but never quite going through with it. She blushed. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? She’s never been this shy about her crush on him before, so what was different?

Finally, she mustered up the courage to speak, but when she turned to talk to him, he had fallen asleep. She had a sinking feeling in her chest and frowned at the missed opportunity. Sighing, she finally put out the fire and found a spot nearby to sleep.

As she lied down on a bed of leaves and closed her eyes, she felt a sudden disturbance in the air. It wasn’t necessarily a sound or even a movement, but nonetheless, she sensed a presence nearby. Her eyes shot open. Her limbs felt cold and it seemed as though the darkness surrounding her became even more black and empty. Even the tiny slivers of the moonlight peeking through the trees went out like a candle. All of the creatures of the night went silent, leaving an unsettling emptiness lingering in the air. An overwhelming feeling of danger consumed her and she stayed frozen in place for a few seconds. There was a faint whisper. Amy quickly sat up. She looked around her in an effort to find where the noise came from, but couldn’t see farther than her nose. She wanted to call out for Sonic or Sticks, but it was as if her vocal cords stopped working. Then, she saw it.

Two eyes. Bright and piercing through the absolute darkness. They were wide open, vibrant and lifeless at the same time. Unblinking. Curious.

Amy felt as if she were paralyzed. Fear had risen up inside her so much that she began to sweat. She wasn’t sure if the feelings she had were real or not, much like the thing she was seeing. It was almost primal, instinctual. Fight or flight? Fight or flight?!

Then it spoke.

“Can you see me?” it was a female voice.

Without a word, Amy nodded her head. Although she was still terrified, the concerned tone of the voice somewhat eased her nervousness. The woman asked “Really?” Amy nodded again. The eyes made an expression of relief and moved around like they would if they were attached to a face, even though the face wasn’t visible.

“Oh thank the stars, I was worried,” said the voice. Then the eyes made an expression of shock and looked back at Amy. “Oh goodness, I’m sorry! You must be frightened beyond your wits. Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you,”

Amy, for some reason, was comforted by this, and she was able to relax a little more.

“I came to see you because I needed help,” said the woman.

Amy gave the eyes a look of suspicion, and she asked for the woman to come closer and show herself. The woman explained that she couldn’t. In fact, she wasn’t even physically there. She was projecting herself from her physical body, which was trapped in a prison. Eggman’s prison. She explained that she was a spirit that had been asleep for thousands of years and that Eggman took her prisoner upon discovering her tomb.

“He claims that he wants to use my power to take over this world, and because I’m in such a weak state, I’m not strong enough to fight back and escape. But then I found out that you and your blue friend were here to stop him! So tonight I mustered up all the power I had left to try to visit you through my spirit, but it only works at night, which is why I had to wake you up from your sleep.”

“How do I know that you aren’t one of Eggman’s tricks?” Amy asked.

“I can prove it to you! While I was watching over you, I was able to use my powers to access your dreams. You have been having many visions, haven't you? About a kingdom long ago?”

Out of thin air, a smokey cloud of light formed between the woman and Amy. Inside was an image of the ruins of a lost kingdom, with the palace carved into the side of a waterfall. Amy gasped, it was the same place where she had dreamed about just recently.

“All of those visions and dreams you have been having are actually my memories. When you and your blue friend discovered my tomb a few days ago, you happened to absorb the powerful magic that was protecting my soul. Therefore, at least for the time being, our spirits are now connected. That’s how I knew how to find you.”

Amy blinked in astonishment. The woman continued.

“Eggman happened to reach me before you two did, which is why my box was broken when you discovered my resting place. He’s been keeping me, prisoner, ever since...”

Amy thought for a moment, she seemed hesitant to trust the woman. The woman sensed this and her eyes looked gloomy. The eyes looked over to the figure just a couple feet away, snoring loudly and curled up on top of a log. Amy followed her gaze. When the woman noticed that Amy was keeping a close eye on her, she stopped staring.

“I understand if you are hesitant to believe my story. How about I give you some time to think about it?”

The eyes disappeared. The heavy darkness subsided and the animals began to chirp and croak just as normal. The slivers of moonlight suddenly reappeared, and Amy anxieties went away. She sat in silence for a moment, not really sure if what she experienced was a dream or not.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Ten Coming Soon

#sonamy #sonic chaos #sonic the hedgheog #amy rose #sticks the badger #doctor eggman #Tails the Fox #Miles Tails Prower #sonic fanfictio #sonic boom #sonic boom fanfiction #sonamy fanfic #sonamy fanfiction #sonic oc #sega

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idio-cies · 6 years

Text

My Thoughts on S7

Okay first things first.

Atm my emotions are mixed. I am angry, disappointed, confused and happy all at once.

I don’t think that this was a bad/terrible season per ce but there were definitely different elements in it that rubbed me the wrong way.

These guys can never catch a fucking break can they?

I’ll do plot points/devices before I go into characters because... whoooooo

Okay so like, the beginning of the season was actually pretty damn good, the road trip episode (episode 2) was really fun, it was making me laugh and it wasn’t too out of the narrative, it laid the ground for the fact that going into the rift and such messed up time (I thought it would). Then the family feud episode was ehh... and there was a couple of other things that you felt were steering the season downhill. And then the flashback episodes happen and that’s when you knew everything went out the window and into the pot.

Look, I’m not usually one of those people who doubt or anything at the crew. heck I gave them a chance at still showing themselves after I watched LoK which I hated. I did. There was something about LoK that made me feel so weird and it was because of how poor it was, after the flashback episodes I began to get that same feeling. That is not good, though was still hyperventilating over the fact that the new season was out and Earth was in danger etc etc. I am just disappointed in the crew. It always starts out pretty good and then goes to shit. (well actually S4-6 was all over the place).

So Plot points. The Earth being in danger? I knew that would happen, it is a dark thing, it was about war. Sendak wanted to exploit their vulnerabilities. It makes sense due to the fact that Sendak was Haggar’s puppet. Hence why we see that white alternative Voltron Robeast at the end that turns out to be an Altean powering it. 1 altean manning that was like fucking incredible though. That cliffhanger sets up something with Allura. I was saddened when it looked like that Altean business was swept under the rug in that episode with Kolivan. I knew Haggar would then be involved with the other Alteans but damn she works fast. That episode with Kolivan did hint that it’s not going to be over for them in deep space. This opens up so many things... Hopefully (I’m finding myself saying that a lot now in response to this show). Anyways, yeah. The next person to take down is Haggar and I’ve always been on board with the idea that Allura will go 1-on-1 with her because it was awesome what we saw of Allura in S2 with her alchemy and it will be a chance to show how much Allura has learnt about herself. Allura is the one connected by the way. That’s telling enough. It was just her in that end scene, no other paladins. I want this to be her battle.

Enslavement? who saw that coming as soon as earth was under attack *raises hand*. It was obvious. I was actually surprised with the technology that Earth managed to create, I know it was because it was because of Altean functions etc, but they actually achieved it, like what the hell. Also the setting. So do people think this is in the future or an alternate reality of our current Earth? because Veronica said about WWIII and I place my bets on alternate reality. Plus it would be quaint with Voltron and all that jazz.

There were some plot points that were just like really?? like, I think I speak for the entire fandom that was happened with Adam was shit. As soon as Sam said they were doomed I was like “Oh no, this isn’t going to end well.” but they didn’t even give us the decency to see his ship blow up, only to see his tag go red like, shit man, why did you play us dirty like this? It is suspicious that that happened, but after everything I highly doubt Adam is alive. I just want to say though. That device of when a character is killed off screen, well that either can tell you that they are irrelevant to the story (like Lady Macbeth in Macbeth) or it can be because the scene holds weight to it. Not too much, but some, and that scene I didn’t feel anything, just a void. I knew he was doomed.

Overall with the plot in he second half, again it was one thing after another. I have to say though, it wasn’t as rushed to me as it has been previously. Thing is, that just seems to be the way of vld now; it’s rushed. One thing after another and these guys really do not get a break whatsoever.

I thought we would see a little more Romelle, but just like everything, vld seems to not have the time to do stuff like that.

Okay the amount of parallels to S1 was ridiculous. It puts my theory forward but I find it hilarious because S1 is the better season. The parallels are important. i spotted ep 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11. There was other parallels to other seasons but those parallels are really important to me for my theory on things repeating. And guess what, that happened with Hunk! For others it is a mixture of arcs (Pidge, Keith and Allura) and for Lance it is a repeat as well, with Keith. I can’t believe that that theory is the one thing that still stands from S4 onwards, I kinda feel proud.

I also want to say how many fucking rainbows there were this season. They were everywhere!!!! When my hope did fleet for a second, I did think “are the rainbows what the crew meant by LGBT rep?” because, what the actual fuck. They were everywhere. I don’t know whether people agree with me, but in the fights I still saw the Bi colours, especially against the robeast at the end... and there was a scene with Lance when they were out of commission. I believe it was the scene where Veronica was calling for Lance, there was the Bi colours there. The blue on his suit and outside was prominent and the purple from the blasts and the red in blue looked oddly pink, it was so fucking weird. It may be wishful thinking and the quality was not great, but the colours were there I’m almost certain of it. I don’t know whether anyone is with me in that though?

So characters.

I’ll start with Pidge.

There wasn’t much over her character this season, but she has her whole family reunited. Okay, right Pidge is not very popular rn, but like Sam telling Colleen that their Children are “strong like their mother” moved me. At least they display that. I liked Colleen actually, I really did. Sam’s command was cool to see but Matt arriving home? He gave me soooo many Edward Elric vibes like wtf. Pidge was her usual, just at least she wasn’t digging at Lance the entire season.

Hunk

I think it's safe for me to say that everyone was fairly happy with Hunk getting some more attention? I was happy with what Keith told him on earth and the display or growth he showed when floating around in space. It was really cool and gives us a firm point that he too has had growth, it wasn't just in S1. It was lovely to see, though I still have some things I'm not so happy about, I'll come back to that later. But yeah. Hunk’s arc(s?) in this season were actually heart warming to see. Hunk kept the team together which is something that makes sense with his character, though the sticking together thing can be shown with Shiro and Lance? But yeah. That scene with him working through anxiety was actually really nice. Then later with his parents, it hit me in the feels. Then what Keith tells him was so sweet because it was so lovely to see something 1 on 1 with Hunk because he never gets that, I wonder if his siblings(??) are okay, we only saw his parents...

Shiro

So, despite the injustice of Adam, Shiro taking the captain role... I knew that would happen and I’m happy it did. The white lion thing? Yeah, that was Atlas. That was really nice too, it really was just let down by a few things and it was all to do with relationships. Okay, right I know Keith and Shiro get a lot of screen time and stuff but after that first episode it was like it went *poof* like episode 1 didn’t even happen which I thought was highly strange, I was expecting to see more of their dynamic but I guess not. Then of course there was the Adam stuff, I almost wept in the last episode where Shiro was talking and it honed in on Adam’s plaque and Shiro was saying something about sunlight. Urgh, just kill me now. Then finally, I did think something would be suggested with Lance but nope, nothing. I knew Lance’s arc and Shiro’s help wouldn’t happen this season but I’d found so much that suggest it, even in the newer seasons and I thought it would still run in S7 as a hint, nope nothing. I still think Lance was hung up over Shiro and such in the first episode, but like overall? We didn’t even see Shiro in with Lance’s lion. Lance either had Romelle or... well, nothing...

I knew Sendak would be Shiro’s to take down. Makes sense with the 0109 and 0104 parallel. Oh wait! In that case, I did think when I saw that fight scene with Sendak, I did think of how Shiro was protecting Lance at the time, so that could be a hint because it was a throwback, but I’m not sure.

Allura

Okay Allura fucking confused me this season. Though it was cool seeing her royalty badge slip, she is becoming her own person, a paladin of Voltron. Not just Allura, Princess, Daughter of King Alfor. It’s all about her legacy arc and finding that she can be her own person, not just live for the purpose of her father, that she is also not alone in everything. The thing is, some of those things are who Allura are, it’s just she needs to find that balance. Her authority in this season stood out to me for some reason. Like, she still had a voice, but it wasn’t her usual one of her place of being royalty. Allura is still finding herself. The Alteans plot line is for her, always has been, always will be. Her royalty title is a strange one, and it would feel like she is reverting back to it, but she’s not, because that is one of her titles and she is good at that, she is still a teenager bless her and like I keep saying, she is still finding herself, she doubts herself too. We were told in a review that Allura and Hunk were the ones with the arcs, but Allura’s was very subtle. It was basically leading to her last arc, but she did give up her royalty title when she threw her crown on the floor and gave up the crystal. Also guys, Allura’s arc is weird when you add in Lance, like her having feelings for him now is so fucked up? and in the next season I’m waiting for there to be a break. I will talk a bit more about this when I get to Lance because it will be easier, but yeah. I love Allura and I want her arc to be of justice and she is so close, but I find it ssooooo very interesting that the two characters with most of the character development left to undertake are Lance and Allura and this can go one of two ways; their arcs respectively end up making them grow together to be better or they end up growing a part. When I get to Lance, I can tell you which one it will be.

Keith

Keith's growth really does show, but it’s super weird right? I was right about things still needing some time with Krolia, though I thought there would be more too it that would end up with more angst but I was wrong. I was wrong and right about a lot of things... Anyway, I was expecting there to be something more there with the build-up to Keith calling Krolia Mum/Mom, I head-cannoned something that I thought might work with Adam and Shiro in respect to this (forgiveness and acceptance) but that flew waayyyyyy out the window and into an electrified fence. Anyway, so a little disappointed about that, though I knew it would arrive and I still was on the brink of tears when I saw it because like, this is Keith we’re talking about. So I was right with Keith and creating firmer bonds with the others, except there are two gaps. Allura and Lance. Keith and Hunk was the “pair we haven’t seen in a while”- I knew it would be those pairs from 0209-10 or klance in ref. to 0107, and I was almost there, except Klance was fucking weird (I’ll get to that later). Keith and Hunk was actually really fucking sweet like omg. Keith still being closed off with his arms, but slowly coming out of the shadows and being open was so... urgh, it was lovely to see and it’s something that I wanted to see. Shiro and him is just the norm now, but like I said with Shiro, I thought it were weird that it was just dropped after ep 1. Then Keith and Pidge, I mean, not anywhere near Hunk and Keith displayed, but it paralleled Klance which was so... weird. I’m glad but confused because of what I’ve said before about the parallel theory I have, but Pidge and Keith were still working together, Keith got it quicker as well. I just thought it was super weird how Pidge had almost literally turned into Lance. I’m so confused by it because I can’t tell if it’s a good or a bad thing...

So anyways, if we stay on the topic of Keith and his bonds with people, he referenced the friendship thing in 5th(?) episode when they were floating around in Space. That whole scene was... ummm yeah, very telling. Keith hurt Allura, Allura hurt Keith and then Lance was hurting Keith and Keith was hurting Lance. It was complicated. Allura and Keith have always been patchy and they need to work on it. the forgiveness in S2 was super weird because it was one-sided and then Keith didn’t want her to lecture him in S4, leaving where they are with things is because of Keith. Keith was the one to dig at Allura first and Allura bit back. Yeah, that is something they need to work on. Keith apologises to them all, though it wasn’t individual, plus he goes on to be good with Hunk and Pidge later on. I feel like Keith needed to apologise to Allura separately, like he also needed to do in S2... Then with Lance... Lance was hurt because of the actions, not what was said. Lance started to perk up only when Allura called out Keith for leaving. I don’t think Lance added to that because of his ties with Allura, otherwise he would have said something first, but he said about Keith leaving twice, it hurt him differently and was separate from Allura. I mean, I’m sure there was an element of Lance sticking up for Allura, but yeah, he wouldn’t have said what he said if it was just for her, it was personal. Plus, (yes I will still listen to the crew) one of the crew said that Keith leaving hurt Lance specifically. I stand by this because the narrative we have been shown doesn’t make sense other wise, we wouldn’t have seen Lance be so isolated etc when Keith was away. Keith’s interactions with Lance were weird, but I’ll talk about that later. But still. Keith, if he explores romance (it would make sense with the bonds he has made; parental, brotherly, friendship etc) he seems to be super bad at it (again, I’ll get into that later)... but yeah, he needs to patch things with Allura and Lance because I think they will show that he has a unique bond with each of them, plus Voltron is like “The Keith show” now, so it would be stupid if they didn’t patch it.

So, lets talk about Axca and Keith. I’m sorry I crack up every time I think about this because of how devoid Keith is. It is fucking hilarious. Thank god someone officially said in a review that it was one-sided because it so totally is. So first. The bonding moment, that came up 3 times. 1st with Krolia, though this was never shown to have a reaction shot, and was basically the “Keith” in that situation, plus context was all different. Then we had Ezor and Zethrid. Ezor is meant to parallel Lance, but Ezor has the fond look on her face, but the words said and such was meant to parallel the bonding moment, no doubt. Though, it did feel like a joke... The whole Ezor and Zethrid thing was weird-up from the very beginning. Then we arrive with Axca and she says “It brought me to you” meaning Keith, I full on cackled. Keith’s face is devoid, he makes no discrepancies of what she really means and it is so funny because omfg. his “reaction shot” isn’t even a reaction. There was no weight to it whatsoever. This is what I’m getting at. The bonding moment held a lot of weight because of all the elements, the lighting, the music, the looks, everything- but also because it was reciprocated. Ezor and Zethrid was blatant because it was reciprocated but Krolia and the Axca, it wasn’t. I would be concerned if Keith had said something in return or even a fond look or maybe even surprise like “OOHHHH you meant like that”- but it didn’t... there was nothing. There wasn’t the same music. Then that end scene where Axca comes to the grave??? I was so confused and my thoughts were “Ohhhh you’re gonna be disappointed” because it was all from Axca’s side. Keith suggested nothing, even when he fought to help Axca, nothing, he was being Keith in that moment. Their whole “relationship” just seemed to be like “I hate being indebted to someone, so I’ll help you and that’s it” also, when they meet Keith was starting his arc really... I mean, there is weight to their relationship but I find it so funny because I don’t see an ounce of romantic reciprocation from Keith. Keith makes absolutely no effort to be fond or anything, except to Lance, and then when he checked out Rolo. That is the thing that makes me live. Keith making all those fond looks and such at Lance and their dynamic in S1 and S3 matched with all the tropes in S2, it doesn’t make sense. Keith is gay. I really do still believe that.

Okay, so Lance.

I am disappointed, I was depressed about it all but now I am riding on something. So you know how Lance is like the Sokka incarnate? Yeah, I think they’re gonna pull a Sokka. I mean, I really thought about it and I was like, well I wasn’t 100% happy about the Sokka arc but at least his insecurities were handled and such, though some things were left rather late. Sokka had the meteorite sword and he took a whole episode trying to master it, it was all about his insecurities as well, there was a sense about him that was totally serious and now I can’t help but think of Lance. I believe it was Joaquim who said Lance’s arc is subtle and his favourite. Well, if that’s so (and it is subtle) they will do him justice and have things handled. In the family feud episode, I was not happy, but they referenced Space mall and The Depths a lot. The depths (if any have read that post I did) made me hopeful. The family feud episode felt like a huge dig at Lance and it totally was. For over half of it, he was the centre of attention. I may talk about that episode separately as there is a lot on it, but I do have acceptance over it, though I do feel cheated and annoyed. But yeah. Sokka ended up helping his father in the war, so it will be slightly different. I haven’t watch ATLA in ages, but I know that Sokka’s father called him a good man or something, and that was all Sokka wanted to hear as he did have to grow up quickly in his water tribe, but because of that, he exerted that child-like goofy behaviour. He didn’t have any bending skills, but he got by with his instincts and tactics (sound familiar). Lance feels like he doesn’t bring anything, but his growth relies on him to use instincts and tactics. This is shown with Keith putting his faith in Lance and Lance looks so lost almost every time (expect the drone shooting, that was weird) and then when Lance accepted his death, it makes my heart hurt to think about it. He gave up. It is a parallel to the Keith scene in 0605. He gave up on himself and Red saved him. If anything, that puts Klance further forward. You know what though? you would have thought Lance would have fought a losing battle to get his sister to safety, but he didn’t. That’s what hit me the most. Their teams would have lost important members respectively, they would have lost without them, plus their family would have lost two members. I can’t believe Lance let himself give up. It really does show how troubled he is deep down. After the impression we get from Lance, fighting to save someone he has known for all of 10 minutes and then lunges at Ezor to not get to Pidge though he was tied up and then not even make an effort to save his sister? What was that? WHAT WAS THAT. That’s what made me cry. I knew that Red wouldn’t activate with the others. you could see it coming. Then Red saves him, yet it was a huge surprise because, usually when Keith was saved by Red we always saw Red glow. I still have hope for Klance, and this scene is one of the reasons why. That context of Red saving Lance and it being a huge fucking surprise, yep, i just.

I will say it once and I will say it now. Lance did not get an arc this season. Why? Well, it actually wasn’t stated that he would, but the groundwork is still there. At this rate, they are just dragging Lance face-first through the mud. If they don’t give him an arc it would be a huuugggeee injustice to his character. Yes, it was annoying that Hunk got the family arc and not Lance as Lance seemed to be the one hinted at that, but they still put in his insecurities and also how he has not fully connected with his lions. I have so much to say about Lance, so bare with (when do I never?).

Okay so first. The paladins have each had those connection things with their respective lions except Allura individually with Blue and Lance in general. Shiro was the first with Black S2 (?), then Pidge S2, then we saw Keith with black in S6 and S7 again, Allura with the whole of Voltron in S6 and then Hunk in S7. Lance, I know we are riding on trusting what Jeremy and other crew members have told us, but Jeremy said he will connect with his lion. Well, when we had that opportunity like the others, he still hasn’t connected, but Red still saved him and he did use his Bayard 3 times which is a first, though it was never on his own. The first time there was no build up to it which was weird, but it was with Keith and they drew no attention??? Then next with Pidge to get the dual blades which was cool, and there was build-up, then lastly again with Keith and there was build-up there. I don’t think that that is the “connection” Jeremy was talking about, but Lance seems to slowly be getting there.

You know there are loads of people thinking that Lance will be like “nah, I’ll stay on earth, I’m not worthy anyway” when the paladins inevitably have to leave earth again for another space battle. Well, I think I believe that more now than ever. It makes sense, especially after that “I accept my death” scene. Lance is not a stable human and his insecurities are really getting the better of him now. Somebody pointed out, all during the family feud thing “I’m not dumb, I’ll prove it”, straight after: “You know I’m the dumb one” :// I just aaaahhhhhhhh. The Shiro thing... I don’t know whether that will come back, I thought during episode 1 that Lance was still concerned about that, but I’m not sure. But Lance’s insecurities need to be handled, and here’s how A//urance doesn’t make any fucking sense.

You know how I said earlier about Allura and Lance being the ones with the most remaining character development left to go and that could either bring them together or break them apart. Well, here’s some food for thought: Allura is almost there, but Lance isn’t. Why present a romance when a character is at their lowest and doesn’t talk about it whilst the other one is thriving, doesn’t realise the other persons low but continues to grow because of this person if they were meant to be? Absolutely nothing indicates to me that Allura makes Lance feel better about his insecurities. Her presence and such may make him feel better, but that one time Lance faltered in 0302 and let slip some of his doubt in himself Allura told him to go after Red. the one time, now it’s like that never ever happened. The one time Lance lets out his doubts to Allura and she directs him elsewhere? To red no less? I have this theory that Lance prefers the weight of actions over words as no one has ever been able to make him feel better with just words, except Keith, who then proceeded to do an act. Allura directing him to Red was words and actions too, but he was smitten over Allura saving him, but any other time it’s just words and it doesn’t leave a mark, but it does for Allura. This is why A//urance doesn’t make sense. It builds up Allura more than it does Lance and only now is Allura showing any feelings towards Lance and it’s weird. I know that Lance was telling Allura to be safe because of his bias, but then Allura does it and it was weird that Lance didn’t say it first... I don’t get it. Their arcs don’t align, and if people are correct with Lance doubting so much that he will stay on earth, and now Allura is tied back to living Alteans again, the only thing for them to do is drift apart romantically speaking. Like I said with one building up (Allura) and the other staying still (Lance)- it doesn’t make any sense. It would be stupid because it is an injustice to both of their characters. Allura has another path and Lance has another. It would still be what Lance wants and not what he needs.

So lets finally talk about Klance. Okay, they were super weird to me this season, but I still believe in klance, because of what I said above, and more. Look, so lets get something straight(lol). There has been a slight role reversal. It is super weird because they have the dynamic of S3, but Keith is acting like old, closed-off Keith when Lance is being genuine. Keith to me seemed pretty hostile and that in of itself and the fact that he had his arms crossed and such in the family feud episode is enough to tell us that the “rivalry” is not through, and it would be stupid if it was left like that, as they are meant to be friends as Keith said in the 5th episode. It is stupid if they didn’t come to a close about it because it was evident that Keith wasn’t telling the truth, because he was closed off and poked at Lance. I mean, I don’t blame Keith, though when you look at S1 and especially S3 you’re like Huh? because Keith did put faith in Lance, but he was being Shitty towards him too and it was so weird because he wasn’t acting that way with anyone else. Not even James, which I’m sure was meant to be a parallel to Keith and Lance. As James was hostile to Keith when he first saw him and then, by their last interaction James was being cocky and teamed up with him, acting like a friend. I also found it hilarious how James knew exactly who Keith was and Keith in return had no clue, they always honed in on Keith and his face just read “I feel like I know you but I just can’t put my finger on it”- you would think of all the people in the Garrison that he would remember James, but nope.

Does anybody else feel like everyone falls away when Keith and Lance have moments? Like in S3, they frame their moments so it looks like they’re alone? Well they still do that in this season. So, first scene was when Keith goes to help Axca and leaves Lance in charge. Literally everyone walks past them and Lance turns around and gets Keith to turn around (lol, thats a visual trope) and Lance’s face screams that he has never had this much faith put on him, I mean, Allura, Shiro and Krolia were there and then Coran as well, this was everyone and Lance was put in charge of leading them all out safely. I think especially because Shiro was now there you would think Shiro got the lead, or it be a shared responsibility. But Lance’s face, bless his heart.

Then we have the drone thing where it was literally only them. Keith said not to miss but it was weird. I saw someone say it was like a tease, but I disagree, a little. His facial expression matched with his tone didn’t suggest that, but Lance made no reaction, so it might have not phased him, he didn’t miss though. But that is a role reversal of 0107. “I’ll distract them, you take the shot” is the equivalent of all the gestures Lance made in 0107. Also Lance’s face is a little confused when Keith says not to miss. Keith wasn’t exactly being hostile, and he wasn’t full-out teasing, it was a bit more like the start of a gag they could have between them, it was super weird. Glad to see the sniper again though (mwahahahaha means his growth bitches).

Then we arrive at family feud and like Lance is so genuine and tentative, his face is all soft and is the same face he makes when speaking about Allura in his vlog and he says that Keith is the future. If that doesn’t make you scream and have hope, I don’t know what will. They voted for each other! I just can’t man. Lance takes the longest to write down who he chooses, Keith takes the shortest and lance comes out saying shit like that. Man, way to puncture my heart. Then Keith is closed off and just says that he doesn’t want to be stuck with Lance, Lance thinking he said something nice though is stupid. 1. it puts across that Lance is dumb (again), 2. It feels like Lance doesn’t listen which doesn’t show his growth. But I’m gonna keep saying this, the fact that there is still clearly a rift between them makes no sense if they were to leave it that way, they will have to work through that. Plus Keith was open to Lance in S3, why throw that all away. Lance was being so open to Keith in S3, now he’s really genuine in comparison to Lance’s facade and rivalry, why squander that. Then the bonding moment, what was the point in having that, paralleling that but it not having the same affect as it did with the other times we saw it, unless you look at the other one that is almost exactly the same with Krolia and Texas. It makes no sense to build something so early on to fuck it up. Their character arcs won’t do it justice if keith also isn’t open and at least friends with Lance, or for Lance to be so insecure about taking up some more leadership roles or just being insecure in general. The fact that Allura and Keith still have a rift between them and so do Lance and Keith is really fucking interesting. Why those two, ohhhhh you don’t think it could be because Lance has always tried to get closer to Allura and now he is and Keith is very fucking confused about Lance now he’s being so genuine about everything. I wonder if Keith is annoyed at Lance. It is meaningful that Keith put that faith in Lance despite Lance looking like a lost puppy.

Guys, the context is still there. The whole time whilst watching and i got to that A//urance scene, I was just confused because the development with Klance otherwise makes no fucking sense. Keith is nowhere near interested in Axca, Lance still is upset about Keith leaving, Lance has insecurities, Lance raises Allura up, though he is still dragging himself down, Keith has a rift and it just happens to be with Allura and Lance, mostly Lance, though he finds it easy to dig at Allura. Those 3 I swear to god. As I said before, as vld now seems to be “The Keith Show” I’m sure those bonds will get sorted. Allura’s arc has been left on a cliffhanger for her to solve and Lance is digging himself a grave it seems. Everyone else seems to be good atm.

Maybe this restored some positivity? maybe not. A few threads of my hope did fleet, but seriously, I’m trying to look at the brighter side of things. It is not fair about the queerbait, I grant you that, and I have a feeling that Lance will be like Sokka and it being rather late and then IF we get Klance, it will be probably like Korrasami... which is a huge shame, but is the only way I see things happening.

Sorry for those who has lost faith and are very disappointed, I’m still disappointed to, but now I’ve arrived at acceptance in some places. sorry for the length

Later Paladudes ;)

#klance #voltron #voltron s7 #lance mcclain #keith kogane #vld

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lamiaward · 8 years

Text

This isn’t my idea of fun, p5

I don’t own OUAT.

Summary/plot: As Emma’s frantically search the town for her, they remain unaware of the danger in their midst. The Evil Queen is not killed at all, but instead has managed to turn the saviour into a swan and trap her. Will her family be able to get her back( and stop the evil queen from doing something worse?)

Warnings: Ehh allusion to abuse (*cough* Cora), non graphic descriptions of violence.

Emma wasn’t aware that Regina could ever drive like a suicidal maniac that has never actually learned the traffic rules. Or that she was actually capable of destroying-or damaging- town property (a bin, someone’s bike and- do dwarves count as town property?) , with her bitching about town budget and the importance of town signage (no seriously, the only reason Emma did not die of boredom during that particular meeting is because annoying Regina with her ‘unprofessional attitude’ is actually fun)

But apparently she is, or Emma would not be pressed into a car seat with her thoughts being something like I am not even going to be able to say goodbye to Henry or my parents who will forever think I am missing because Regina is THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS and is going to freaking kill us BOTH. As Regina hisses at her – are you insane, you are driving like that and now you are not even looking at the road?!- to stop ‘making those noises, miss Swan, it sounds atrocious ‘ she only honks louder.

They swerve left and the anxious , half- angry (why must I like a woman whose emotions always turn into anger) look leaves Regina’s face. She gently strokes Emma with her free hand, which is part bliss and part ‘DON’T TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL’. As Regina glances at her and chuckles , Emma suddenly realizes something very bad.

Regina knows. Regina knows it was Emma who was staring at her and Emma who jumped on her chest and Emma whose traitorous feathers keeps fluffing up whenever Regina touches her. Regina’s hand is warm and soft and her feathers are , in fact, doing the fluffing thing again and-

She suddenly feels like that time a foster parent locked her in their very tiny cellar and every time she breathed she inhaled so much dust that she would bend over and cough her lungs out.

Somehow, Regina knows. Perhaps Emma’s feet are actually moving like they obey to her need to run or it is just because Regina is empathic or perhaps it is because of this thing where they get each other better than anyone around them. But Regina knows.

Her hand retracts, but remains next to Emma. “ Honestly, Swan, it is a miracle to me how you managed this. I have told you before not to attempt complicated spellcasting without me” and it should be harsh, but even if the words are a little, Regina’s voice is mostly gentle ( with a slight undertone of anger; Emma knows Regina tends to show worry in the form of anger)

Her feathers are just settling, her muscles not as tense as before anymore as Regina’s words actually register. Wait, are you serious? Do you really not get that-

Emma thinks it is just Regina’s driving, which is just slightly less life-threatening ( but definitely injury-threatening) than before when the car lurches and starts to spin. The seatbelt cuts into her feathers as she automatically tries to get to Regina. She feels her energy leak away as her magic reacts a second later- quick, yes, but not quick enough.

Regina’s head slams into the wheel, which might actually save her because the glass shatters a second later. Emma twists her body in angles it shouldn’t be able to as she sees the blood on Regina’s cheek ( and how still she is, how quiet ).

She has almost freed herself when the seatbelt suddenly starts moving – only in fucking Storybrooke- and rises like one of those snakes that react to some person playing a flute. She lunges herself across it, lands on Regina’s lap and screeches.

She tries to summon her magic, but all it does is make her more and more tired with her muscles feeling like they only should after she has won a marathon or possibly Olympian gold. Her sight actually blurs for a second, so she only sees something black move from right-left-right-left.

She shakes herself , flaps her wings and makes as much noise as possible . Her vision is slowly returning, but she still thinks it is messing with her for half a beat. Then she realizes that she is still in Storybrooke so it is completely possible and logical that a seatbelt is turning green and suddenly hissing.

She makes herself as big as possible- hopefully enough to shield Regina’s unconscious form- as the forked tongue and soon after, the entire snake head appears. She screams at it, for once glad that swan sounds so awful.

It hesitates for a moment- she almost thinks this will work- then suddenly lunges for her. She flaps her wings crazily, uses the moment it hangs back a little to torpedo her beak towards it. It tries to twist around her head, but she opens her beak and throws it away from her.

It returns, mouth wide open and venom dripping from its fangs. She steels herself for the end – shit kid, I am sorry- when there is purple smoke and there is merely a seatbelt on the seat next to Regina’s still form. She nearly faints, her magic throwing up a wobbly force shield before she has even thought about it.

There is a chuckle- so similar yet so different- and then the world around her is purple and cinnamon and sharp nails stroking her feathers. She weakly fights as she realizes she is in the queen’s arms, feathers puffed up in reply to the dark black fingers scratching them.

“Hello again, pet” the queen smiles slowly.

Emma struggles again, but her strength is fading. Already, she can see black spots at the edges of her vision. Her head is feeling like it has been slammed against the ground multiple times (which has actually happened, she better not have a concussion again)and she can taste iron. She knows using magic is making her so weak and in pain, but not using it means leaving Regina vulnerable to the person who hates her the most right now.

“ You truly are the saviour. Not that pale imitation of me taking a nap over there would be able to work against my spell this much”

The queen merely laughs as Emma makes the most furious sound ever. The last time she felt like this, she was pointing a gun at Lily. “Aren’t you a fierce one “ she purrs,

Actually pressing Emma closer to her and normally she might react drastically different to being pressed against the queen’s chest , but now all she cares is about is protecting Regina. She wishes she still had teeth.

She tries to scream “REGINA, GET YOURSELF OUT OF HERE” as soon as she hears the weak groan. The queen lifts her, purring “ Now it is time for fun”, then holds her so tightly pressed against her chest that breathing becomes a little difficult.

She hardly has the strength left to lift her head , but she starts struggling as much as she still can when she hears Regina’s hissed “ you”.

“ Me. Did you honestly think it was going to be as simple as crushing my heart?”.

Emma doesn’t know how- it is not like she can see anything or feel the heat or anything- but she somehow knows Regina now has a fireball in her hand. She hears the door of the car slam shut and Regina’s heels on the pavement.

“ Are you going to prepare roasted Swan for me? “ The queen mocks.

“ You have three seconds to release her before those leather boots will be melted to your flesh”.

“ You have hurt her quite terribly already, do you honestly want me to drop her? “.

“ One”.

“ You know, my viper almost ripped her apart as she attempted to protect you oh-so-valiantly”.

“ Two”.

“I have to admit, making Snow’s precious little princess love you is not a completely imbecilic plan. Perhaps I will even keep her, as soon as I find where you kept her heart. Or did you use a love spell? That would be something- even Rumple finds those too immoral”.

Emma nearly throws up when the worlds blackens for a moment, unconsciously presses closer to the queen. She doesn’t know where they have teleported to – she both hopes and fears, far away from Regina – but she does know that there was something wrong with that fireball . She tries to struggle again as she realizes it must be because Regina is hurt.

“ I have given up on the nefarious plotting. Now release her or- “

“You will attempt to throw another fireball and get a nosebleed? Terrifying. Or perhaps- “ Emma can feel the queen moving, so she pinches her in warning. Try to hurt the mother of my son and I will break your arm. “ you will heal yourself, which will take long enough that I get the perfect opportunity to repay you”.

Emma tries to lift her head and turn it to see why Regina inhaled sharply. She only manages to lift it the barest minimum and then rests it on the queen’s chest again . She has to fight to keep conscious as a soft hand strokes her head.

“ You want to rip my heart out”.

The laughter of the queen is barely audible over the furious sounds Emma is making , the very idea of someone doing that to Regina enough to make a surge of adrenaline pump through her body. She unexpectedly pinches the skin that is visible above the dark line of a corset, leading to the grip on her lessening. She tries to jump out of the arms, but as she feels a hand stroke the entire length of her back, her head starts to feel heavier and her eyes close despite her best intentions and-

“ I am not sure yet” it is so difficult not to sleep, but she needs to hear this. “ You care for her”.

“ I never knew that the heart was somehow connected to the brain”.

“ You can call me brainless all you want, but crushing my heart, does not change the fact that I am a part of you. You cannot hide anything from me”.

“ You are no longer a part of me. And you know nothing”.

“ Don’t I? So it is not true then –“ the gentle motion as the queen walks, as well as the fact that her grip isn’t tight anymore (she is held more like a baby now, which is- should she be insulted?) makes it even more difficult to not fall asleep. Somehow, she manages. Probably that stubbornness that Regina always pretends to be annoyed about. “ that you are denying your affection for this woman, solely to keep me from ripping her heart out”.

Regina’s laugh does not sound like that. Emma is only barely conscious and every waking second is a fight against her body and the magic that conspire to make her sleep. Only the thought that the queen will hurt her family is strong enough to make her fight. “ Even if you manage a halfway decent lie, your heart will not ever lie. It is beating so strongly- “.

“ If you want my heart, just take it. You are doing a remarkable job boring me to death, but crushing my heart will be easier”.

“ It will not be painful or long enough. You deserve far worse for what you did to me”.

“ I will find a way to destroy you if you even- “

The next words make Emma feel like she in a dream at the same time that she temporarily feels more awake than should be possible. “ You forget , Regina. Remember when you gave the thief your heart? Remember why you did not dare give it to the only person with magic strong enough to actually guard it?”.

“ I can see right through you. I have manipulated people exactly that way before, did you honestly think I would fall for it? I loved Robin”.

“ Naturally, he was your soulmate. And I am sure he would have been adequate, would have been able to connect to you just enough, make you smile just enough, satisfy your libido just enough..”.

She pauses a moment, the silence before the storm. “ Emma Swan, on the other hand? “ . Emma doesn’t know what she is feeling, she just knows that she need to hear more.

“ She would have almost been too much, connects more and easier to you than anyone else, makes you smile even if you tell yourself you should be exasperated and if she were to kiss you… - “

Emma feels fingers stroke her feathers almost tenderly. “ I am certain that it would be a lot more than adequate. Really, you being such a coward and not taking what should be ours is almost enough reason to hurt you”.

“ She isn’t property” Emma is surprised by the amount of venom she can hear in Regina’s voice.

The queen laughs. “ I should not be surprised- considering you are surrounded by idiots- but it is still difficult to believe no one ever noticed your .. affection for their precious saviour”.

“ Enough talking”. Emma feels that awful sensation of teleporting again, then magic tugging at her. It is less hostile, feels less like a group of more-or-less benevolent bees flying around her, so she knows it is her Regina. Well, not hers but-

“ You are not taking her from me. In fact, I am going to take her for me. I think I deserve to have a plaything if I am going to be stuck around petulant dwarves and the like that think they have a right to command a queen – even if it is the meekest, most pathetic part of her”.

“ You just claimed to love her as- to love her”. Emma nearly chokes, when had she said that?

“ It only makes sense, does it not?”.

“But if you feel- if you love her- “

“ You remember what mother was like without a heart. And maybe the Charming-approved version of us is still a meek guard dog but I am The Queen” .

“ What do you want”. Emma nearly gives herself away when she nearly twists out of the loose grip. Regina is planning something, something bad. She is going to do the thing again, where she is all ‘thanks for trying miss Swan’ and Emma cannot-

“ Snow’s heart, perhaps? “.

“ No”.

“ Weak, honestly- “

Emma doesn’t know what happened. One moment, she is secure in the queen’s arms , that sleepiness returning bit by bit. The next she is falling down and only barely caught by magic. She hears two nearly identical voice, explosions, sounds she can’t easily identify (but Christ, it might be a car being thrown) and then a choking sound.

She manages to open her eyes just enough to see a scene from her nightmares.

Regina is on her knees, additional bruises on her face. The queen is standing, fine apart from an ugly cut on her throat. They are both watching the arm in Regina’s chest.

The queen pulls back and Emma tries and tries and tries to move towards the red-black heart glowing faintly. Her limbs won’t obey, no matter how many times or how loud she screams at them to move. She is nothing more than an audience, forced to watch as Regina tries to push herself up.

“ You know you forgot one thing when you put that spell on this- “ the queen taps the heart with one slightly bloody finger. “ it won’t do much good against yourself”.

Regina desperately lunges( she is hurt enough that it is more stumbling than lunching) for the heart, brown eyes tearing up, but only manage to throw herself on the gravel as the Queen disappears in a swirling purple cloud.

Emma thought Regina had never looked as defeated and pained as she had in New York- Henry missing and a dead soulmate- but now she knows how wrong she is. As Regina lays there, hardly managing to use her scraped hands to push herself up and with an expression that makes Emma fight even harder to get to her , she knows.

This is what a defeated Regina Mills looks like.

The spell they are talking about is the one from 3.18 – when Regina made sure Zelena could not use her heart to control her.

#swan queen #Emma x Regina #hyde evil queen #season 6 au

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lurkofficial-blog · 8 years

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Chapter Thirteen

~~~ Mary's POV ~~~ The next morning, Mary enters the English classroom barely thirty seconds after the bell rings. She sits down at her desk and looks around. She's the first one there, as usual----or so she thinks at first. A few seconds later, she hears a small, rather hesitant cough coming from the desk two rows behind her. She isn't very surprised to hear it. Turning around, she sees, quite predictably, that tall, well-dressed redheaded kid again, looking toward her intently for the fourth day in a row. There he is, Mary thinks to herself. Right on time. Here to ask me his question again, no doubt.

She peers at him. He wears clean, ironed, button-down shirts every single day, which is more than Mary can say for at least half the boys in her grade. He also always includes a velvet bowtie to top it off, one that somehow always compliments his ginger hair. What is it with him and dressing up so nicely? she asks herself, rolling her eyes. Does he really need to rub in the fact that his grandparents are rich in everyone's faces? Mary sighs; he still hasn't looked away. "Hello again, Leo," she says, taking in the look of anticipation on his face. "What do you want to ask me this time?" The prim boy fumbles a bit with his collar before answering. "Do pardon me again, Mary," he says in a proper yet somewhat nervous tone, "But---I just can't help but ask----have you heard the rumor about your missing friend? You know, the short, rather heavyset boy?" His green eyes clearly show worry. "I've heard many tales, all of them differing from each other, but---the one that resurfaces most often, I've noticed, is the one where he was---killed---by a monster." He seems to choke up a bit on the last sentence. "Mary, do you happen to know if this story is true? Goodness, please, it's all I've heard." Mary gives him a skeptical look. "Why do you even care so much?" The tall boy fumbles with his collar again; he's obviously somewhat uncomfortable. "I---just find it rather worrying, is all," he says, avoiding eye contact. "He's my good friend as well---he's quite, ehm, dear to me, really---and he's been missing for nearly a week now with no sure sign of him." He meets Mary's gaze again. "I just do hope he's all right. He's such a sweet little lad---it would be terrible if something happened to him." "Indeed." Mary leans back on her desk a bit, her eyes squinting hard at the boy. "Leo McMillen," she says with a slow, dramatic air. "You are one of the most well-liked people I have ever met. You do well in school, you have a certain respect for everyone in the building, and you're very---polite, I'll give you that." She leans forward again. "But you aren't one of our crowd at all. Colin's a misfit, which is why he's friends with me and Ace. As for you, well---it seems you're liked by all those against him." She shoots a powerful stare at Leo, one so intense it's as if she holds him down with invisible chains and forces his eyes to be glued to hers. "Why, then, are you so concerned about him, hmm?" Leo freezes, completely rooted to the spot. He gulps. "I---I----well, I, ehm---" Mary holds her glare, but the corners of her mouth curl up in a small smile. "You like him, don't you? You love him. That's why you've been asking me about him every day. You finally want to ask him out." His face suddenly flushes bright red, and he slouches down, letting air in through his collar and breaking away from Mary's binding gaze. "W-What? Oh, ehm----f-f-funny you should say that---Ehm, say, is it raining outside? Do you suppose so? I can look---oh, no, it's just rather cloudy. I thought it would be sunny, didn't you?" Mary's bangs throw shadows over her slyly gleaming eyes. "Gotcha," she murmurs, still smiling. She looks around to make sure the teacher and the other students haven't shown up yet, then addresses the redheaded boy once more. "He's still alive, Leo." When he brightens up and opens his mouth to say something, she quickly shushes him and continues to speak. "Hush. We can't talk about it here, all right? Just---" She pauses to stare down Leo as he opens his mouth to interject. "Give me your cell phone number. I'll call you about it after school, okay?" ~~~ Colin's POV ~~~ "We should probably go searching for easy prey today," Exxy says. "That way, we'll have a good enough supply that we won't have to go after anything for a few days. I used to do all these daily chores by myself. Now, with a much bigger group, things can be accomplished at least five times as quickly." He pauses. "It's sickening, I know, but we have to get it out of the way. Hunting, that is." The demonic boy looks over at Colin, almost making him jump. "You should try the outskirts of the woodland territory. I haven't checked that spot in a few days, but I know small prey like voles and squirrels and such hang around there. Very easy for a beginner." He turns to Ren. "You should try somewhere in that general area, too." His line of sight switches to Cameron and Nightfall. "You two are more experienced, I'm guessing, and should tackle bigger stuff with me. Cameron, even though you can't see, your enhanced other senses will definitely aid you in hunting." Exxy finally stops at Trevor. "Yeah, I, uh... didn't expect you to still be hanging around with us, but maybe you could just come along with me, so I can show you the forest and where everything is." "Oooooh, boy, this sounds like so much fun!" Nightfall giggles. "I can't wait for all of us to be buddies!" Colin nervously glances at Ren, somewhat dreading the idea of having to kill something. "We can---We can both go together, right? If I go by myself, I'm---uh---sorta worried I'll get---lost." Ren turns over to Colin. "Oh, yeah!" She shrugs and smiles at him. "Not like I have anything better to do," she says, standing up. Trevor lets out a small "Ehh..." before responding with, "I'll have to get to work soon, anyway, so I'd better go. Yeah." He lets himself out of the treehouse and starts back to town. Colin takes Ren's hand and leads her out of the treehouse, too; the others are disbanding. They take off in the direction of the southeastern border. ~~~ Leo's POV ~~~ Leo stands at the southeastern border of the dark forest, feeling very vulnerable there alone. Something about the woods seems off; beyond the first row of trees, it looks almost entirely black and opaque, and he can feel it emanating a slight chill. Worse, there are strange creatures inhabiting this cursed forest. Monsters. He knows for a fact that they exist. And yet---he knows he'll have to go in there. Colin's in there. He remembers what Mary had told him hardly an hour before. He looks nothing like himself anymore, she'd said in a grave voice. If you picture a small beastly thing in your head, you won't be too far off from what he looks like. I'm warning you now, Leo; he's not human anymore. He's one of the creatures. But, Mary, what does that change? What point are you attempting to make? Leo had retorted. He's still the same person at heart, and, surely, he still looks a bit similar. You recognized him, did you not? You can't touch him, Mary had continued stubbornly. He'll only be hurt by you. He's a dark creature--a shade--now. Not human at all. So many things are different about him that you'll have to learn to love just as well, Leo. Just---Please realize that before you go to look for him." Leo fishes the pair of gloves out of his shirt pocket and holds them in his hand, staring at them listlessly. Well, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes, Leo had replied confidently. I really do care about him, Mary. I want to go to the forest and speak to him now that I know his whereabouts." Mary had paused for a long time before speaking up again. I worry that your level of tolerance will change, she had said solemnly. However, if it doesn't, I suppose that would prove that you really are good for him. I just don't want to send someone after him who will hurt him, like I did. She had refrained from answering his curious questions after that. Now, as Leo stands before the trees, he finds himself frozen in fear, unable to move. The woods are dangerous. He could easily be killed or marked by one of these lurks himself. But he has to go. He has to. There's a boy in there, one whom he loves, stuck as a monster, left alone, and probably terrified out of his mind, the poor soul. He has to find him. Leo takes a deep breath, summons up his courage, and, shoving his gloves into his pocket, crosses the border in one swift step. ~~~ Colin's POV ~~~ Colin and Ren travel southeast, toward the forest outskirts by the border, until they reach a sunlit clearing a ways away from Exxy's treehouse. They sit down for a few minutes to rest on an overturned log. Colin squints up at the sun. What time is it? From what he can tell, it's probably late morning or early afternoon. On a regular school day, lunch might be happening soon. He misses seeing his friends at that time. As he lowers his gaze, he notices something shimmering and moving just beyond the nearby trees in front of him. Whatever it is, it looks to still be in the sunlight. Colin cringes. Now that he's a shade, he doesn't really like being in the bright sunlight so much; it's uncomfortably hot. However, he's curious to see what the shimmery thing is. Maybe this is the place that Exxy was talking about with lots of little animals? He beckons for Ren to follow him and walks over to the spot between the trees. As it turns out, the shimmery thing is actually a tiny stream of water that feeds into a medium-sized pond, which is mostly covered up by lilypads. There are some trees with bright green foliage surrounding the pond. Also, the sun is still bright here; it cascades down through the leaves and makes shadowy patterns on the ground. Colin sighs, but he keeps walking until he can see past the trees. Suddenly, he stops short as he picks up a new scent and looks up. A human boy is standing right there, his gaze focused on something on the ground. He's tall, he has nicely done red hair, and, for some reason, he's wearing a button-down white shirt with a bowtie. Colin recognizes him almost immediately, gasping loudly when he does. "Oh my gosh," he whispers to Ren, "That's Leo McMillen! He's a kid at my school who I'm---friends---with, and he's popular, and a lot of people like him, and he's in my History class----Why is he out of school? Why would he be here??" Colin quickly thinks of an answer that makes him blush, but he discards it as soon as it occurs to him. No, Leo can't be here for that. It's far too unlikely. Ren opens her mouth to say something, but she doesn't get a chance to respond; they are both startled by something large falling out of a tree---or, rather, jumping. From behind, it looks like a large frog---except it has zigzagging horns. And bushy blue hair. And soggy, tattered clothes. "Oh, no, there's a lurk here!" Colin says in a hushed but terrified voice, backing up into Ren. The frog quickly springs to another nearby bough before Leo sees her. She's mostly hidden in a ray of sunlight, but Colin can still see her strange scowling face staring straight at Leo, who is scanning the trees beside him, distracted. He's vulnerable, and the frog looks like she's about to jump out of the tree and tackle him. Colin looks from the lurk to the boy and back again with a panicked look on his face. "Ren, she's going to attack, what do I do?" he says a bit too loudly. His voice briefly draws Leo's attention---long enough for the frog to seize the opportunity and jump down on top of him, making a croaking sound in the process. She knocks him over, and he hits the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him. Colin tries to think quickly. He darts to the edge of his hiding place, ignoring Ren's nervous complaint, and cups his hands around his mouth. "Hey, wait!" he calls with a surprisingly steady voice. "Frog! Get off him! Go on, you, get off him!" The frog shudders as she hears his voice and turns to peer at him, looking back over her shoulder. Once she sees the wolf boy standing there, her eyes widen in worry, and she quickly bounds away from Leo. The lithe little figure disappears into a nearby treetop. Colin almost immediately feels guilty for yelling. He hopes he hasn't scared her too badly. He then looks back to the human boy, who is stirring, squinting right up at the sun. Colin realizes that the direct sunlight might be blinding him and runs to him. He picks him up by the arm, easily dragging him over to the shade beneath a nearby tree. Almost immediately after he sets him down, Leo stirs again and blinks a few times, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Oh, dear," he mutters. Colin gazes, almost transfixed, at the redheaded boy for a few seconds before realizing with a shock that his doglike complexion is still exposed. He hastily puts up his hood and pulls it over his face as much as he can to hide. If the boy sees him, he might react just like Ace and Mary did, and that wouldn't be good at all. Leo shakes his head and blinks rapidly, as if he's clearing an afterimage. "My, what on Earth was that?" he says, sounding more surprised and out-of-breath than scared. "It looked like a large frog. Oh, dear, it left some tears in my sleeves---what a pity. My grandmother will surely be angry, oh, dear." He shifts as his gaze switches to look at his rescuer. The chubby little lurk is curled up in a ball with his tail between his legs and his head down, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible as his head spins. "Why, hello, there," Leo says with the air of surprise still in his voice. "I---say, are you all right? You look a bit shaken, I must say." Colin peeks out from beneath his hood with one big blue eye before he immediately hides again; he doesn't want Leo, of all people, to be scared of him. "Oh, are you----talking to m-me?" he asks in a nervously high-pitched voice. Leo chuckles. "Why, yes, whom else would I be talking to?" His voice would probably sound pompous if it weren't filled with care and genuine worry. Colin takes a couple of shaky breaths before answering. "Oh----Well, I think I'm fine, but, of course----you're the one who w-was just tackled by that f-f-frog from a tree. Really, I wonder----if you're okay, of course." Leo chuckles again. "Goodness, I was asking you; you look scared." He peers at the small shade. "Say, I do wonder----you seem to be covering up your face; are you afraid I'll see it?" Colin sighs shakily. "Yes----I'm----just sort of afraid you won't like it, you see," he says timidly. Leo smiles. "Oh, there's no need to worry about that! I won't judge you based on what your face looks like. Say, if you're one of the....lurk creatures, is that correct? You seem quite gentle. Perhaps you can help me find someone. I came here looking for a---" He's suddenly interrupted by an angry, gurgly yell coming from the tree some five yards away. "Du Völfchen! Vy do you zink you can just komm hier und enter my territory, little baby?? Volf Junge!" The frog lurk suddenly leaps from her spot in the leaves and lands right beside Colin, causing him to let go of his hood in surprise; it falls back. He casts a worried look at Leo before facing the strange lurk; the pupils in her bulgy, squinting eyes are sideways ovals, her ears are webbed, her skin is greenish and slimy, and she's scowling right up at him. "Ach, it is anozer creature," she says with a growl that sounds more like a gurgle. "Zere are too many of zem in ze forest---und zis looks like ein Volf, a baby one, of all die Tiere." She shakes her head. "Ech, it is alvays ze big animals! Zey like it here at mein pond, I understand not vy." Colin looks over at Leo, who is staring at him and not really moving. To Colin's great surprise, however, rather than a disgusted scowl, he's wearing a small, forgiving smile. He blushes again and offers his own smile in return before standing up, looking down at the frog lurk girl. "Um, ex--excuse me," he says to her, now feeling rather intimidated. "Do you----live here?" The frog lurk rolls her eyes and stands up as well. Incredibly, she doesn't get much taller; she slouches a great deal, with her legs still bent as if they're prepared to hop. "It is not fery hard to tell, I hope," she says in her grumpy voice. "I did not zink zat an Volf vould be zis slow-minded. Yes, I do." Colin suddenly remembers that he'd left Ren behind and feels awful for leaving her hanging. "Oh, no," Colin says, running his hand through his hair. "Ren's still behind the trees, and----oh, gosh, I'm supposed to be hunting!" He looks at the girl, then at Leo. "I'm so sorry, I have to go---sorry again for trespassing, Miss Frog!" Colin quickly straightens out his hood and turns to run back into the trees. Just before he takes off, however, he hears Leo's voice speak up hastily. "Excuse me----correct me if I'm wrong----wolf boy?" Colin freezes upon being addressed and turns slowly to face Leo, who looks surprisingly hopeful. "Ehm----I hope I'm not being nosy, but I just have to ask----What's your name? You have one, don't you?" Colin looks down at his feet to avoid eye contact. "You----Well, you-----you probably won't believe me, but----Colin Fledgling," he says quietly. Leo's eyes light up, and he gasps, scrambling to his feet and suddenly looking like a child presented with candy. "Are you really?" he says excitedly, momentarily dropping his proper tone. "You're the same darling boy who went missing early last week?" "That's me," Colin responds, laughing nervously and glancing off to the side. "And----now, I guess---you see what happened to me----Ohhh, I'm so sorry." He steals a glance at Leo's face and is quite surprised to see an expression of great excitement rather than one of incredulousness. It's rather touching, he thinks, considering the previous reactions he's received. His face flushes purple. Leo runs up closer to Colin. "Why, what luck, I was just looking for you!" he exclaims, smiling broadly. "Mary told me you were here---she told me you were a lurk now, you see---so I decided to come looking for you, and I actually found you! I can hardly believe it!" Colin stares up at Leo. Why did he come all this way to find him? Him, of all people! This friend of his whom Ace had warned him against, someone whom he wasn't entirely sure of---came all the way to the forest after school to find him? "S-Sorry," he says, "but---why did you want to find me so badly? Did you----you said Mary told you about me, why----" He trails off. "Uhh---" Leo fumbles with his collar and looks away awkwardly. "I---Well, I------I------oh, fine, I have to come clean about this, anyway." He takes a deep breath, his hands balled up into fists, and meets Colin's wide, anticipating eyes again. "I---I like you. Romantically." He blushes. "I've known you for a long time, and, since we've been spending more time together recently, well-----I just think you're a great, adorable person." He sighs and looks away again. "I'm--very sorry I never acted on my emotions before now, and----I know I'm probably just making a fool of myself, but---I felt I'd lost the opportunity to tell you when you went missing." Colin feels his face grow hot. Is Leo telling him that he actually has---of all things---a crush on him? No, no, it's not possible---he's probably playing a joke on him, he has to be----maybe that's one of the things Ace warned him about? And yet----he seems so sincere, so genuine. He looks up at Leo with wide, shocked eyes. "Wait---you do? You really do?? Like me, you mean? Even though I look gross? Even now, when I look---like--like a monster?" Leo's eyes widen incredulously, and he looks directly at Colin. "Why, you're not gross! Not at all! You're adorable, handsome, and charming, and---oh, goodness, your hair is just so lovely---like an angel's." His face flushes red before he looks down, fumbling with his collar again. "I mean---Sorry, yes, I do." His hopeful eyes meet Colin's. "And---do you----well, you know----like me back?" Colin lets out a small laugh in pure disbelief. "I can't believe it-----I-----I didn't think you would actually like me, because I thought about asking you, too, I just----didn't think you would say, uh--s-say yes, not to a kid like me, but----yes, I do like you, very much, actually, I---Oh, golly." Leo blushes, and he gives a small smile as he straightens his bowtie, twiddling his fingers nervously. "Goodness, I---I had no idea," he says rather feebly, looking flustered. Colin still just can't believe that someone like this would choose him over all the perfectly acceptable human guys in the school who don't look like monsters. He can't believe that he would even like him as a human. Who would like a short, fat crybaby like him? It warms his heart to know that Leo loves him in return. He laughs somewhat nervously again and continues to stare at his feet, occasionally stealing glances at Leo. "Oh my gosh, I just----I'm so glad you told me, I just don't know what to say," he says, still very quietly, pulling his hood up to his nose in a timid way. Leo looks hopefully towards Colin. "And? As for--well--being with me, are you willing to give it a try?" He cautiously steps closer until he's mere inches away from Colin, who's still blushing and staring intently at him. Leo meets his gaze and speaks up excitedly. "I'll still have to go home, of course, but I'll return as often as possible, and I'll stay with you when I can, I promise! We can talk all we want!" He has a pleading look in his eyes. Colin's about to say yes, but then his gaze falls on his pawlike hands. He frowns at them sadly. "I would, but-----I'm a shade lurk. I can't even touch you. I----Ohhh, I can't even hold your hand." Leo's eyes brighten up. "Wait! I just remembered---I have a remedy for that!" He quickly reaches in his pocket and pulls out a pair of white silken gloves. He puts them on very hastily. "See? Mary told me that shades were burned by humans, so I thought ahead!" He goes ahead and takes Colin's pudgy hand to prove his point, making him blush some more. "Look, now I won't hurt you----So, how about now? Do you want to?" Colin smiles at him. "Yes, of course I do!" The frog girl rolls her eyes and makes another rather disgusted gurgly noise. "Blech! Jungen! Vy are you so süß? It is sickening! I am going to drown in zis sveetness! Go somevere else, vill you not? Go on, now, before you kiss! Eccch!" "Oh, right---sorry," Colin says in a happy voice. "Come on, Leo, let's go meet Ren!" He bounds away from the pond, still hand in hand with Leo and still smiling. A few seconds later, he enthusiastically emerges back into the clearing. "Ren! You'll never guess what just happened, Ren!"

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