#[My dumb fingers should be nowhere near computer parts]

[valistheanshield]

I know I said I was going to try and do some rp posts at least once a week...

But my new computer is taking forever to get here, and that's gonna slow me down.

I ordered it at the start of the month and it's still 'awaiting components'.

I haaaaaate the waiting game.

[flareish]

Rival

akaashi x reader

summary: you and akaashi are fighting for that #1 class rank. however there is not just a scholarship at stake here but some deeply hidden feelings too

genre: rivals to lovers

word count: 2.1k

warnings: kissing, there is a kinda sexual joke

a/n: ahhh! my first request thank you so much! I haven’t written for akaashi yet but he is so great so I hope this does him justice. Love our pretty setters. 

Rage consumes you. You want to throw Akaashi out of the wall of windows right now. It’s only one test you tell yourself. One test that he managed to scrape in one point higher than you. You got 99% and somehow this idiot gets 100%. Quickly putting your stuff away you try and slip out of class before you he finds out. You would like to avoid his snarky remarks. 

“Oh, that’s a pretty good score.” Too late. Akaashi has appeared from behind you, smugness ran through his sarcastic comment. You compose yourself and bounce right back.

“Thought I’d give you a little something since I’ve been crushing your scores lately.” You fire back. He’s not the only one who can play at this game.

“Careful you might just give the spot away at this point.” That spot being #1 in class rank as well as the hefty academic scholarship that goes with it. The spot you’ve occupied for the past two years and suddenly this guy comes out of nowhere and tries to take it from you, right before it really matters. 

“Haha. Well some of us actually have stuff to do. Have fun playing with your balls.” You walk straight past him and out the class. He held a smug grin the whole time. No matter what you did it never left his face. The amount of insults you’ve thrown at each other and every time it’s you who always gets bested. 

Anger fueling your walk to the point onlookers might think you were exercising, not walking home from school. You make it home in record time. As soon as you’re in your room you immediately start studying. You’ve never had to study this hard before in your life. You don’t mean to sound conceded but academics just kinda came easy to you. Sure, you had your rough patches but you just seemed to absorb information. You didn’t really have many other passions either but your parents always said that could come later right now isn’t for fun and games it is for learning. So learn you did. 

The next day, your teacher had started a new project and decided to assign partners. 

“Akaashi and Y/N. You two will be working together.” What did you do to deserve this? You remain in your seat waiting for him to come over but he never does. You look over and see him still sat there, reclined back in his seat talking with Bokuto who sat behind him. That’s when you realize he is waiting for you to move over there. Cocky bastard. Taking a deep breath, you swallow your pride and move over there.

“Please don’t rush, I would hate for you to strain yourself.” You snap sitting down. “That’s so great you got the hint, I wasn’t planning on getting up. Thank you for being so obedient.” Still wearing that grin. Oh, what you would do to slap it off of his face. You ignore him and start working on the project. He simply resumes his conversation with Bokuto, who never does the projects anyway. Seems like you will be doing this all by yourself. Half of you is tempted to purposefully fail but then it would just hurt your grade too. Although it would be pretty funny to see his face. He ignored you for the rest of the class. Once again you part ways.

When you go home and open your computer to continue working on the project to find that it has been already done. Did he seriously not lift a finger in class just to do a rush job right before his volleyball practice. You roll your eyes before reading through his work. You realize it hadn’t been a rush job at all but was perfect. Now you weren’t sure to be happy he actually did it or pissed that it was better than what you could have done. 

After you’ve cooled down a bit you take a moment to think. Maybe he isn’t as bad as you think. You’ve never taken the time to think about why he is doing this. You just immediately jumped on that he was out to get you. That’s pretty childish now you think about it. Maybe he really needs this academic scholarship so he can go to college. There is no way you can be nice to him but perhaps you could be tolerant. You weren’t giving him that scholarship though. No matter how much he needed it, you did too. 

The next day in class you are determined to stick by your discovery. With it including being nicer to Akaashi. You were talking to your friend when he came into the classroom.

“You’re so loud Y/N I swear I could hear you from across the school.” You don’t say anything just look at him and smile. You almost see his grin falter, you’re not sure if he is surprised or scared at your smile.

“Wow have I finally broken you.” You keep ignoring him. This annoys him and he pokes you. You swat at him and he chuckles before walking off. Your friend laughs at the two of you. The teacher came into the room and everyone quickly settled down and class began. You could feel Akaashi’s stare from across the room but you didn’t dare look at him.

When class ended you are your friend took your time and ended up being the last people in the classroom.

“So is ignoring him your next idea?” Your friend asks amused by the earlier interaction, “Can’t beat him then just will him out of existence.”

“No, I’m trying to be a nicer person and embrace competition.” Your friend bursts out laughing.

“That’s not going to last long. Before you know it you will be at his throat again.”

“I don’t know. Think why does he want to be #1 so badly? The scholarship. He probably needs it for college.” You say seriously.

“Ha! As if.” Your friend laughs as if she knows something you don’t.

“Why is he secretly loaded of something?” You ask kinda curious as you pack up your stuff.

“I don’t know about that but I do know he already has multiple athletic scholarships lined up.” You pause at that.

“What?” You are in complete and utter disbelief. If he didn’t need this scholarship what was the point in stealing it from you. Did he seriously hate you that much? You were beyond angry now. You throw your stuff in your bag messily and march out of the class room heading straight for the gyms. If he wanted this scholarship so badly from you, you were going to get an answer. 

As you near the gyms however you hear something that stops you in your tracks.

“Are you seriously going to study for all those classes tonight?” One of his teammates asked in shock.

“He’s got to if he wants to keep up with Y/N.” Another teases. You make sure you are out of sight and continue listening in. 

“Wait why do you compete with Y/N. I thought you were a jock, not a nerd.” You hear laughter and something being thrown at someone. 

“Can’t you see? Our Akaashi is smitten!” You recognize Bokuto’s voice.

“Shut up you dumb owl.” Akaashi didn’t deny it though.

“He’s so crazy for them that he decided to bring his class ranking up so they would notice him,” Bokuto breaks into laughter “But now they just hate him. We got a real  player here, am I right.”

You hear Akaashi yell at him and then you hear some hitting and decide to leave before you got caught. However, not once did you hear Akaashi deny it. He was just silent and then would yell at them for outing him. For telling the truth.

Akaashi likes you.

What an idiot. Who decides the way about trying to get to know someone is by threatening their biggest goal?! You can’t deny though he’s not the only smitten one. Although lately, you have absolutely hated him, before all this you actually had a crush on him. You never acted on it because you were so busy with academics. Is now a second chance? You decided to wait for him after practice. 

By some miracle he is the last one left in the gym, meaning you can confront him without an audience.

“What are you waiting to jump me? I’ll warn you I’m not afraid to fight back.” He snapped at you but you kept quiet. This silence was driving him crazy. At least when you were arguing back with him you were acknowledging him but now. It was like he didn’t exist all over again. He was about to lose it when you spoke up. 

“You know there are better ways to gain someone affection than trying to take the scholarship that they have been working towards for the past three years away from them.” It was your turn to shoot him a smug look. He looks like a deer caught in headlights. For once you’ve caught him off guard, good and proper.

“Wha-Who said I wanted your affections.” He tried to play it off but it was written all over his face. He truly did like you.

“You know I would have said yes.” You say nonchalantly as you begin to walk away. He snaps out of his confused stupor and grabs your arm, turning you around.

“What did you just say.” No longer is he embarrassed or caught off guard but intense and desperate. Like he had misheard what you just said. Like it was a dream.

“That maybe if you had just asked me, I would have said yes.” You try to be as confident as you were a moment ago but that was hard with a blush spreading across your cheeks.

“And what about right now?” He asked, almost pleaded. This was no longer the Akaashi you had known the past year. This was something different. Something raw and intense. 

“What?” You were shocked. Was he seriously about to ask you out? Like this?

“All I ever wanted was you to talk to me. I thought that if I got my rank up that you would respect me, that I’d be smart enough to hold a conversation with you. But no matter how high my rank went, it never felt good enough so I decided that #2 would be the greatest spot I could reach. Then instead of getting you admiration and praise, you thought I was trying to steal your spot. Maybe I should have just explained then that I wasn’t but you were actually talking to me. What if after I explained it we just went back to the way it was before. Suddenly we had some common ground, so I just kept going. When you stopped talking to me today, I hated it so much. So please I know our relationship is in a weird place and we’re not even friends but-” He trailed off. He didn’t even know what he was begging for. 

It was so strange to see him like this. Normally, even with his friends, he was guarded, quick-witted, confident. Now he was so vulnerable. It sparked something in you. At first, it was just a quick thought in your brain but before you knew it your body was moving. Acting on it.

You pulled your arm out of his grasp and with it his face dropped, thinking this was you rejecting him. You didn’t pay it any mind and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling his stupidy tall body down.

With that, you kissed him.

He was frozen for a moment before jumping back to life. His hands came up to your face and he kissed you back as if he would never get the chance to again. He definitely wasn’t expecting this but he wasn’t going to waste this once in a lifetime opportunity. Eventually, you pulled away and his lips chased yours back. You caught his eyes and he relented. 

“Maybe we could work something out.” You say began a smug smile. You run your hand down his side and into his pocket, his eyes blew wide in surprise not really sure what you were doing. You pulled his phone out of the pocket and started putting your number in.

“Call me tonight.” When you handed him his phone back he matched your smug smile with one of his own. 

“You bet.” He said as he watched you walk off. Once your back was turned you couldn’t help but let out a giddy giggle.

[uglymanchronicles]

Ugly Man Chronicles Reignition Book 2 Chapter 2: My Breakfast With Evan

Just a couple dudes getting to know each other.

“If you must know,” Evan sighed, spearing a glistening sausage on the end of a flimsy plastic fork, “my jackass older sister thought it would be hilarious to give me a cupcake she'd baked with about a dozen powdered viagra for my fifteenth birthday. I wound up passing out eventually. Burst a lot of blood vessels. Damaged the erectile tissue beyond usefulness.”

Titus froze mid-coffee-sip. “Seriously? What a bitch!”

“Buddy, you don't know the half of it.”

“So... no signs of life down there?”

“Nothing for twelve years.”

“I think I would literally kill myself.”

“It's not so bad, I guess. At least I don't have to drain the blood out of it any more.”

“Eugh! Fuck! Did not need to hear that!”

“Well, maybe you shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answer to.”

“Do you get, like, blue balls all the time, then?”

“That's basically my ground state of being.”

Titus whistled flatly, avoiding looking Evan in the eye. He settled for staring at the table. There wasn't a lot of Evan's face that he felt comfortable looking at; every part seemed to at least be adjacent to some unpleasantry or another. About the only safe area was his right eye, which, as luck would have it, was directly opposite Titus's 'good' eye. Titus rallied and met Evan's gaze again. “Alright, your turn.”

They'd agreed on a sort of mutual interview process, taking turns asking questions to suss out what the other was capable or if he was worth having around. Evan took a bite out of the sausage and chewed thoughtfully for a moment.

“Who's Moreno?”

Titus hissed through his teeth. “A real piece of shit.”

“I'm going to need more than that.”

“I'm getting to it. He's basically, like... a freelance henchman? Like, sort of a mercenary criminal. Sells his services to the highest bidder.”

“And why's he matter?”

“That's another question.”

“No, it is not,” Evan said, quiet and serious. “Do not argue with me in bad faith, Titus. I have very little patience for it in the best of times.”

Titus regarded him for a long moment. The man across from him was wider than the table they sat at. His muscles were so pronounced in some points that Titus could tell when he was about to move by the way they bulged and contracted. Yet he gave the impression that he was constantly trying to pull himself inward, to make himself smaller. He spoke quietly and with a simple formality, but only hours before Titus had watched him single-handedly beat down some of the nastiest people he'd met in the past month.

Hmm.

“Fine. Moreno matters because I'm after the guy he's working for. You see, Moreno isn't just a normal scumbag. He works for people who need nasty things done. Not like regular nasty, either. How much do you actually know about magic?”

“I've got some... notes. So far I'm not able to find a lot of coherent rules. It mostly seems like it relies on things that nobody would normally do.”

Titus snapped his fingers and pointed at Evan. “Hit it right on the head. Rituals, reagents, that kind of thing... the reason—well, one of the reasons—magic doesn't just happen all the time by accident is that it's all weird little things. A lot of the more heavy magic relies on some pretty elaborate and obtuse shit to get it going.”

Evan momentarily thought back to the Book of Fate and his ritual in the woods. “So Moreno does these things for people?”

“Yeah. Thing is, though...” Titus stopped raising a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth and set it down again, as if he'd momentarily lost his appetite. “The people who use his services generally practice some pretty vile magic. Real depraved shit. And to empower depraved magic, you need depraved rituals. Moreno is the guy you go to when...”

“I think I get it,” Evan interjected, since Titus seemed to be struggling with deciding whether to continue. “Your turn.”

Titus tapped his fingers on the table for a moment, then looked Evan in the eye. “How smart are you?”

The scars on Evan's face squirmed around as he actually smirked. “What kind of question is that?”

“Hey, we agreed no 'whys'.”

“Alright, alright. Well, there's really no objective metric for it, but... I have Master's degrees in computer science and theoretical physics, Bachelor's in those in addition to mathematics and electrical engineering, and associate's degrees and certificates in everything from EMT training to ballet. I should have my doctorate in physics, but...” he said, with a bitterness that Titus made a note of, then changed gears. “Oh, and I also speak Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese, French, and Arabic pretty fluently. I also know ASL. I can get by in German and Russian, too. I don't know if any of that is what you meant but--”

“Jesus, I get it,” Titus muttered, rubbing the side of his head. “How the fuck do you make money?”

“Software consulting, mostly. I specialize in security and processing efficiency. People pay me to break into their systems and then patch the holes, or to make their code run quicker or make their programs smaller. I've got a few patents I've licensed that bring in most of my income nowadays, though.”

“Anything I would have heard of?”

“If you've used a computer made in the last four years it probably has something I wrote integrated somewhere into it. I also helped develop a protein-sequencing program that helped develop a vaccine for this nasty SARS variant that broke out in China last year. They say if they hadn’t nipped it in the bud it could’ve spread worldwide and we’d be looking at millions of deaths by now.”

Titus scrunched up his face. “Oh yeah, just say that like it’s no big deal.”

“I’m just glad it turned out not to be one. What I'd really like to do is get my compression algorithm out there, but if I do that, somebody's going to try to hoard it all for themselves.”

“Are you talking to yourself or me?”

“Look, I... a few years ago I figured out a way to compress memory down by a exponential factor of six with zero loss. All it takes is a couple software plugins that don't take up much room themselves. Essentially, I could make a gigabyte fit in a kilobyte with very little trouble, now that the math's figured out.”

“Holy fuck, that's insane! Why haven't I heard anything about this?”

“Mainly because I don't tell people. If I put it up on the market, some ISP would buy it and bury it. If you make information smaller, you make it faster. Can you imagine what it'd do to internet access if dial-up and barebones cellular networks suddenly had the bandwidth of fiber optics? It would... maybe not revolutionize our society, but it would level a lot of playing fields. Bring a lot of underdeveloped areas of the world—hell, this country—up to modern levels with no extra cost. The telecomms would crash and burn so hard. But I don't have the means to get it out there without going through someone else. Yet,” Evan added. “So I basically work watered-down versions of the compressor into the software I make. Nothing that can be duplicated, and nowhere near its full potential, but enough to get me hailed as some kind of genius and pay the bills.”

“So why aren't you on your own private island or something somewhere instead of puttering around God's Ashtray in a shitty old Bug?”

“Hey, the Beetle is not shitty,” Evan said, defensively. “And I'm just waiting for the AC in my RV to get fixed or I'd be driving that.”

“Oh hot damn! Now that's the way to live!”

“Not the one I'd choose voluntarily, but it could be worse.”

“How come you're doing it, then?”

“I think it's my turn to ask,” Evan said, mildly.

“Fine,” Titus said grumpily, crossing his arms.

“How do you make money?”

“That's easy. I'm basically a freelance bailbondsman. I just roam around, drop my advertising around bars and courthouses.”

“You get many clients that way?” Evan asked, cocking his remaining eyebrow.

“Oh, you'd be amazed how desperate people can get,” Titus said, shrugging. “Of course, they're usually not the most responsible people, so when they bounce, I track 'em down myself, drag ‘em back to jail, get the money back. My eye usually makes it super easy. Sometimes they don't even see me before I get the cuffs on 'em.”

“Why did you feel the need to rob a bunch of drug dealers, then? The thrill of it?”

“I had a pressing need for a large amount of cash that my normal work doesn't bring in. That got me enough to hold it off for a while. My turn.”

Evan waved down a waitress for a refill of his coffee, trying not to take it personally when she gasped upon seeing his face. “Go ahead…”

“No, no, hang on.” Titus waved a hand dismissively. “I want to try something. Take your hair out of the ponytail.”

“What? Why?”

“Humor me.”

Evan groaned and reached back, removing his hair tie. After shaking his head, his hair fell over his face, obscuring everything but his nose and mouth. Titus pursed his lips and regarded him seriously for a moment.

“Can you see?”

“Yeah, I guess. Well enough to not walk into things, I think, and I could probably read if I had to.”

Titus snapped his fingers. “Good. Go with that from now on.”

“Why?”

“Because now you don’t look like God’s mistake. Now you look like a big, dumb-but-lovable goon. Like Jack Black would voice you in a cartoon.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

“Do you like seeing people contemplating their own mortality and the general cruel absurdity of the tragic farce that is human existence when they get a glimpse of your face?”

Evan felt his cheeks burn and was actually grateful his hair was covering most of his face. “…not particularly, no.”

“Then there you go. You’re welcome. Okay, question time. Uh… how did you get your powers?”

“Which one?”

“Oh, now who’s arguing in bad faith? Fucking all of them, you thick-lipped gargoyle.”

Evan had the feeling he hit a sore spot. Titus's easy-going, jocular tone had bled away from him, leaving behind the hard-edged razor-blade of a man that had ambushed him the night before. He decided not to belabor the point.

“I don't know why I can rege—why I heal so quickly. No, I'm serious, as far as I know, it just started happening sometime in the past few months. I can't remember. Don't look at me like that, I'll get to that in a minute. When I was younger I recovered from a lot of injuries a lot quicker than the doctors thought I would, so maybe it's something I was born with and it just got stronger recently for some reason.”

Evan took a sip of coffee, mainly to buy a few seconds to think of how much to explain for the next part.

“The ability to shut off powers... that's part of, well, I guess you'd call it a magic ritual, because I don't know what else to call it. I found a weird old book that said it contained the key to making someone an instrument of universal justice, or something of the sort. Since then I can see... I guess they're souls? Maybe? I can sort of move mine and when I run it into someone else's it seems like I can shut off their powers. Or... take them entirely, if they're dying.”

“Horseshit!” Titus scoffed. “That's... that's like meta-magic. I don't even know if that's real.”

“No, seriously! I don't think it's just magic powers, I think it... 'normalizes' things.” He briefly recounted his encounter with the pain monster.

“Are you kidding me? That...” Titus took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair, exhaling slowly and loudly. “Look, I don't know much, but the fact that you even ran into something like that, let alone survived... those odds are astronomical. And you say you negated not just its powers, but its whole form?”

“Yeah. Once I... reached into it, like I did with you—oh don't make that face. Grow up—I kind of disrupted what made it... different, I guess? Like I cut it off from its special qualities. Like it was...”

“Disjuncted,” Titus cut in.

“Yeah, that's a good word for it. Like the old Mordenkainen spell?”

“Fucking nerd.”

“Eat my ass. Anyway, after I killed it, I was able to reach into its... soul? Animating force? Aura? I don't know what to call it. I was able to grab something and pull it out and it just got pulled into me.”

“Not aura.”

“What?”

“Aura's a different thing,” Titus said, dismissively. “So what did you get from doing that?”

“I.. I feel pain differently. I don't flinch or get adrenaline rushes from injuries that don't actually impede my ability to function. I think I have a better sense of what is actually dangerous to my body now. It still hurts, but I don't react to pain like people normally do. It's like...hmm.” Evan drummed his fingers on the table. “Do you know anything about video games? Fighting games, specifically?”

“I used to fuck around on an old Alpha 3rd Strike cabinet when I was a kid. Why?”

“Do you know what 'super armor' is?”

“Isn't that where a move can't get stopped by being hit when you're doing it?”

“Right. I'm kind of like that now. Pain doesn't interrupt me.”

“Fucking nerd.”

Evan's fist involuntarily clenched. “I'm trying to put this in terms you can understand, you stupid reprobate. My experience with your judgment thus far hasn't given me much faith in your intellect.”

Titus burst out laughing. “So he does know how to banter! I thought you might be one of those Rainman types.”

“Oh sure, call it 'banter' to try to excuse the fact that you've been insulting me for the past half hour. Do you say you're ‘just joking’ when people get mad at you for saying stupid shit, too?”

“C'mon, lighten up! We're partners now! Tell me more about this soul thing. I still think you're full of shit.”

Evan sighed through his nose, then held up his left hand, forming his fingers into a circle and peering through them.

“Yours is... a sort of cross between a sea green and an oil slick. The tendrils of it keep reaching out and snapping back, going all over the place. It seems to keep expanding and contracting. It's almost flickering, like... it's indecisive. Very chaotic. The tendrils that aren't snapping around seem to be kept pretty close to your body, wrapping around you like... I can't tell if it's protective or restrictive.”

Titus's expression slowly became serious. “What does that mean?”

“I don't know. I have a lot of theories, but nothing solid to go on. I'm not sure if it's allegorical or a literal representation of a person's... power, maybe? Yours definitely looks a lot different than most people's.”

“I don't believe this for a second. Let me see.”

“How would I do tha—hey!”

Titus grabbed Evan's wrist and held his hand up to his eye. “Ho-lee...”

He pulled back from Evan's hand, staring at him. Then he looked around the room, mouth slack as he took in the diner's other occupants.

“Huh. Did you know it keeps working until you blink?” He said after a moment, a faraway tone to his voice.

“I didn't even know other people could do it,” Evan said, awe in his voice. “Hey, wow, you're right!”

“Jesus, yours is, like, really blue. It looks like... a bunch of steel cables. It's weird, I felt like I both could and couldn't see the edges of it...”

“I can kind of move it, but I'm not sure if I can do anything with it beyond interfering with people's powers. It's like learning to use a muscle you didn't know you had.”

“Huh.” Titus was again silent for a long moment. “Your turn.”

“Can you do anything else supernatural? Besides your time-eye?”

“Don't call it that, it sounds stupid. And... sorta. I seem to have whatever innate talent you need to actually do magic, but it's not like it's easy to find instructions. Most of the people I know who can use it just dabble with half-broken magic items—wands, amulets, charms,” he pulled the silence charm out from under his coat and bounced it at the end of its chain. “I guess I'm sort of a dabbler. I know a few tricks, I can use a lot of magic tools, I can sense magic pretty well, I can dowse... Most of the time I really never have to use anything besides the eye, though.”

“Is the eye all-or-nothing?”

“Yeah. It's not nearly as useful as you'd think, but any edge is an edge.”

“When I turned off your power and it was coming back, though, you started speeding up—or, I guess, everything else was slowing down? You were moving faster, one way or the other. You were able to touch me, and those punches hurt.”

“Huh, yeah, you're right.”

“Do you think there's a way you could learn to only partially activate it?”

“That'd be great, wouldn't it? Thing is, just using it is a huge strain, and that time spend outside of time adds up. Going by normal calendar time I'm only 26.”

“Fuck, I'm 27!” Evan laughed.

“Yeah, well, I'd rather be prematurely gray than what you've got going on. My turn. Uh... huh, I can't really think of anything else. Uh... are you gay?”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“No, but the question still counts.”

“I'm bi,” Evan mumbled, crossing his arms across his prodigious chest. “Not that it matters. And before you ask, no, you are not my type. We're done talking about this.”

“Huh. You ever sucked--”

“We. Are. Done. Talking about this.”

“Fine, God. Go.”

Evan mentally circled back to an earlier question he felt hadn't been properly answered. “Why are you after Moreno?”

To Evan's surprise, Titus didn't hesitate. “I'm actually after his current boss. He's just the best lead I have to go on.” He took a deep breath, then started talking with a rushed, deadpan pace, as if he was eager to get the words out as quickly as possible so they wouldn't be in his mouth very long.

“Moreno is working for a guy only known as the Soultaker. He has an innate supernatural ability to pull a person's soul out of their body. When that happens, the person just... shuts down, usually. No motive force behind them. Eventually they just die of dehydration, usually. I've seen some people so set in routine that they keep going without a soul, but... it's not really life.

“It seems like the extraction process takes a while, so he can't just walk past you on the street and pickpocket your entire essence. So he needs people rounded up for him, held until he can do his nasty juju. So that's where a degenerate like Moreno comes in.

“So when he pulls out a soul, it, well, it looks like this.”

Titus pulled a battered, faded Crown Royale bag out of his jacket. It bulged strangely and made a quiet clacking when he set it on the table. He pulled out what looked like a large marble, or maybe a dull pearl, and handed it to Evan.

Evan brushed his hair out of his eyes and peered into the milky depths of the sphere. After a few moments of staring, the murky clouds inside the thing seemed to clear and a face floated to the surface. A black man, maybe in his late 40s, going thin on top. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping, but his expression had a look of discomfort to it, as if he was having a bad dream.

“Jesus Christ,” Evan whispered, “I've seen this guy... Martell Calloway? I saw some news article about how his family found him tied up in his apartment and completely comatose! But he didn't have any injuries beyond being a black eye... so he's dead?”

“Life support,” Titus said, taking Mr. Calloway's soul back from Evan's unresisting fingers, “technically, he's one of the lucky ones. They found his body before it wasted away to nothing, and I was able to intercept his soul before it got to a buyer.”

“Why would someone buy something like this? What use is it? Can you fix him?”

“A human soul is a damn near exhaustible arcane battery,” Titus said gravely. In the split second between sentences, Evan noticed something—after he'd put the bag back into his jacket, Titus surreptitiously touched a pocket on the other side of his jacket, as if he was making sure something was still there.

“If you know what you're doing, you can power a lot of magic using a soul. And you can reuse them as long as you don't overdo it. If you know what you're doing, you can wring all but the last drops of essence out of a soul and let it heal or recover or whatever, and it'll eventually be back to full strength. Very resilient things,” Titus continued. “I don't think they're conscious in there, but... anyway, it's supposed to be really hard to extract a soul. But this guy was born with or spontaneously developed or somehow figured out a shortcut to the whole process. So the market is getting flooded with torture-batteries and ECUs are getting flooded with vegetables. And families are winding up with loved ones who are as good as dead, without having any idea why this happened to them. Dozens of them have been taken off life support in the past few months. Half these souls have no body to return to. And no, I can't fix it. At least not yet,” he sighed again. “I was hoping once I found him, I could somehow get the secret out of him or force him to put them back, or... maybe I thought if I killed him it'd reverse the effect. He needs killing, either way.”

Titus's eye widened as a thought struck him and he looked Evan in the eye for the first time since he'd started the story. Evan realized what he was thinking and looked down at the tattoo on his left arm, flexing his fingers.

“If you can take people's powers after they die...”

“...then we can save these people.”

Titus put a hand over his mouth and for a moment Evan thought he saw his eye well up.

“I'm in,” Evan said, a sense of righteous purpose welling in his heart. “I don't really know what the universe wants, but I doubt... I know it's not this. We'll find him, we'll stop him, and we'll save as many of these people as we can.”

“...thanks,” Titus mumbled behind his hand. He swallowed hard, then seemed to come back to himself. “We're back to square one, though.”

“You said you could dowse? Like, for real?”

“Yes, for real. I can find things and people with the pendulum method. It's handy for tracking down bounties.”

“Why don't you dowse Moreno?”

“Why didn't I think of that?!” Titus said incredulously, smacking his forehead. “Because he's warded. He's not magic himself, but he's collected enough gear through his career that my normal methods don't work.”

Evan rubbed his chin. “What if we used an abnormal method?”

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

An hour later, they were in the RV. Titus was poring over the collection of Evan's notes and the strange papers he'd bought from Delmann's shop. Evan was very carefully slicing a strip of skin from his own ankle up all the way up his leg. The Guiding Light—the Finder's Follysat on the table between them, filled with fresh blood.

“Even if this works, he's going to know we're coming,” Titus muttered, engrossed in the pages. “Remember what I said?”

“That's why we're not going to look for him,” Evan said, adjusting his grip on the potato peeler. “I don't know how we'd even write his name. Can you read that, by the way?”

“Kind of. This is... most of this is written in, like, arcane pidgin. Who compiled these notes?”

“I did, I think.”

“You think?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to clarify on that. Apparently a couple months ago, before the ritual, I drilled a hole in my own brain to erase some kind of very dangerous memory.”

“You what.”

“That's not a metaphor or anything. Really did it. I could show you the video.”

“I'll pass. So you don't remember where this came from?” Titus shook the Book of Fate at him.

“Nope.”

“Jesus shit, do you have any idea--”

“How reckless that was? Yeah, yeah, I'm still here and I'm the answer to your fuckin' prayers, aren't I?” Evan gave a whoop as the peeling skin reached his thigh. “Got it this time!” he said cheerfully, snipping the flesh-ribbon off with scissors.

“God, that's so fucking gross. Anyway, you haven't explained how we're going to use that thing to find Moreno.”

“We don't set it to look for him. We look for somewhere he's been. Maybe the last place he slept. Do you think you can describe him well enough in that language for it to work?”

Titus looked like he might actually be impressed, but he hid it well. “Yeah, probably.”

“Good. I've got a dictionary I've put together on that tablet next to you, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. Maybe it'll help?”

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

Two hours later, they had it.

Find where a man born between the 27th and 28th north parallels during a new moon under the sign of capricorn with black hair and green eyes who has killed at least 10 people slept in the past week.

They really had to squeeze the letters in, but when Evan put a flame to the wick, it sprung to life, wavered for a moment, and then pointed east. Both men cheered. Evan threw Titus the keys.

“Drive! Drive north until I tell you otherwise!”

While Titus started the engine, Evan spread a map of the United States on the table in front of the lamp, then produced a protractor and a notebook from a drawer. “Okay, you bastard... let's see where you've been hiding...”

It took three days—one spent driving north, one spent driving back to where they'd started, and one spent driving south. While Titus drove, Evan made meticulous notes of the flame's direction, marking angles on the map. Finally he threw the pencil down triumphantly.

“He's in Salt Lake City.”

“Well, that narrows it down a little, I guess. So what, do we just go there and hope this thing points us in the right direction?”

“Too slow,” Evan called, stepping back into what used to be his bedroom and sitting at his computer. “Now I work my magic.”

After parking, Titus walked back to look over Evan's shoulder. The half-dozen monitors on the wall were flickering between rapidly-changing pictures of faces and what appeared to be CCTV footage.

“What is this?”

“This,” Evan said with dramatic pride, “is Blaccat. Facial recognition algorithms that the CIA wishesit had. I actually started working on it years ago before I thought about the implications of it, but I shelved it. I figured since I may be needing to, uh...”

“Be Batman?”

“...yeah...that I should get back to work on it. Right now it's comparing faces to the description you gave me and cycling through every damn security camera in the city looking for it.”

“How illegal is this?”

“Soooooo illegal.”

“Oh, hey, can you get into police department records?”

“Does the Pope shit in the woods?”

“See if you can get into the Las Vegas mugshots from... February 2019. Run your face-recognition thingy there.”

“Alright.... and... is that our boy?”

A handsome Latino man in his early 30s with shoulder-length jet-black hair and piercing green eyes stared at them from over a booking clipboard.

“That's him,” Titus breathed.

“Perfect! Now I just have to feed that into... wow.” Evan made a gesture and a black and white video popped up on the biggest monitor. The man in the mugshot was walking along the street, flanked by a short stocky man in bandanna and a lanky man with the ugliest white-boy dreads Evan had ever seen.

“That's him! Where is that? When is that?”

Evan grinned up at Titus. “That's live. I can track him and put us at the nearest intersection.”

Titus smiled, eye overbright, and began breathing heavily through his nose. “We got him.”

Evan met his eye and nodded. “Let's get him.”

[ausblack]

RAGDOLL | p.jm. | PT. 8

PART 1 // PART 2 // PART 3 // PART 4 // PART 5 // PART 6 // PART 7 //...// PART 9 //

Genre: Hybrid!AU, College!AU; A mix of everything?

Pairing: Hybrid!Jimin x Reader

Summary: As you were studying to obtain your medical & veterinary degree, your professor came up with the idea of organizing an internship - where you found yourself side by side with a sick hybrid that needed nothing other that complete care.

Warning: kinda angsty

The light filtered through the window of your bedroom, making you squeeze your eyes at the annoying sensation. 

You turned around, searching for the cat hybrid that had just slept next to you, feeling the other half of your bed empty and strangely cold.                       Opening one eye to look around the room, you realized that you were by yourself and Jimin was nowhere to be seen. 

You were ready to fall back asleep from the tiredness that you had accumulated from the precedent day, but something caught your attention.

A small yellow note was laying in his pillow right beside your face - you picked it up with a small frown, wondering what was written in it.

Good morning Y/N, Sorry If I went out without your permission, but Taehyung knocked on the door and asked me if I wanted to go out and play with him a little. Hope you’re okay with that. I prepared coffee for you. It’s on the table :) JIMIN

The writing was tidy and a small heart was drawn next to hid sign at the end of the paper. 

You smiled instantly while reading the message, feeling a bit of a sour taste at the fact that he had to apologize because you didn’t give him the permission to go out, as if he was some type of kid. 

You were thankful for the fact that he was starting to warm up to you and to your friends, but you couldn’t ignore some alarming signs that he had showed while you two were together. 

He never looked at you in the eyes, he always froze when someone got to close to you or to him, he always acted like danger was near. 

It was probably because of the abuse that he had experience, you thought. 

He never tried to speak to you about what had happened too him, and you were starting to feel hopeless. 

Neverthless, he needed some help and today was the day for him to meet professor Kwon. 

Putting the note back on the nightstand, you lied back down on your bed falling back asleep almost instantly. 

You managed to sleep for a couple of minutes more when the phone suddenly rang, making you cuss under your breath. 

“What the fuck do you want?” You murmured putting the phone on your ear with a rough and ‘not-so-lovely’ voice. 

“I guess you were sleeping ms. Y/N.” The voice of your professor resonated in your mind and you almost lost a beat. 

“Professor?” Now you were finally awakened.

“Good morning to you too” He added as you swore to yourself.

 You had fucked up once again. 

“I’m so so sorry Mr. Kwon. I thought that it was Namjoon.” You said getting up from the bed - walking nervously around your apartment. 

“Yeah, I imagined.” He said making you feel more embarrassed as the seconds passed.

“I feel so ashamed. What did you wanted to tell me?” You asked sitting down on the couch. 

“I just wanted to remind you that the visit for today has been rescheduled and you had to be here exactly 34 minutes ago.” He said and you almost jumped out of the couch.

“What?!” You yelled looking at the clock.

10:34 am

Fuck.

“We’ll be there in 5 minutes, no wait. 3 minutes, I’ll brush my hair when I’m there.” Opening your wardrobe, you threw your clothes on your bed searching for something to wear. 

“See you later.” He said and you almost cursed again.

“Sorry.” You said before hanging up and taking off your pajama. 

“I’m so fucking dumb!” You yelled while putting on a pair of jeans. 

Jumping around the apartment, you managed to get ready in less then a minute before storming outside of the door. 

Now you just needed to find Jimin. 

Running with messy hair outside of the dorms, you searched for them in the backyard, noticing the small ears of your cat hybrid - that was sitting in the grass while Taehyung was jumping around with a big smile stamped on his face and a disinterested Namjoon was reading a book, sitting on a bench. 

“Jimin!” You yelled loudly for him and he turned around as soon as he heard your voice getting up as fast as he could.  

He ran towards you with a worried face at the sight of your distressed. 

“What happened? Are you okay?” He asked looking at your body - as if he was trying to see if something had happened to you. 

“We need to go! We are late!” You grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him as you ran out of the backyard with small drips of sweat forming on your forehead. 

“I didn’t say goodbye to Tae.” He said while running and you responded without stopping your fasted pace. 

“I’ll call him to tell him what happened.” You said looking at the building where your professor was from afar. 

“Finally!” You exclaimed, opening the door of your professor’s studio with heavy breathing. 

You walked with him by your side towards big door with the sign “Professor Kwon” on it and you knocked. 

“Come in.” His voice responded and you tried to open the door but Jimin stopped you. 

He held your hand with a low head, preventing you from moving further - making you look at him with n expression full of confusion and concern. 

“I’m scared.” He said making you heart warmer. 

It was the first time for him to express himself so directly. 

“I will stay with you all the time. You don’t have to worry about anything.” You assured him, brushing his hair off his forehead and smiling sweetly at him. 

“Are you ready?” You asked and he nodded holding your hand close to his side with intertwined fingers. 

You opened the door, being welcomed by your professor almost as soon as you stepped inside. 

His studio was huge and lightened by big windows on the wall. It was well furnished and a bunch of certificates were hung up on it as well. 

“Good Morning.” You said feeling Jimin’s hand squeeze yours harder as Mr. Kwon walked towards you. 

You caressed his hand with your thumb to make him feel better.

“This is Jimin right?” He gave the hybrid a big smile, offering him his hand to shake. 

Jimin looked at it at first, giving it a small sniff before shaken it back with low ears and a moving tail. 

“Since we don’t have a lot of time, I think that we should get going quite quickly.” He said taking place at his desk. 

“Can you tell me what were his major concerns and what you think improved while you were with him?” He asked writing something on his computer.

You looked at the cat hybrid that was now looking at you without moving his gaze. 

“He was underweight.” You started talking.

“But he gained some and now you can no longer see his ribs.” You said and Jimin looked at you with a questioning gaze. 

“I saw it while you were changing..” You whispered to him - seeing his cheeks turn red. 

“He had a would that is now healing. It was infected at first because he didn’t receive the proper medical assistance when he needed it.” You said and the professor looked up from the screen. 

“When you got hurt, did you say something to the shelter’s staff?” He asked Jimi but he didn’t respond. 

He looked at you, searching for help but you couldn’t talk for him - because you didn’t know anything as well. 

“What about the reason? How did you get the wound?” He asked again, receiving only silence as a response. 

The professor looked at you, but he realized that you didn’t know anything by your sad eyes. 

Sadly unlike your peers, you had failed to talk to him about what happened previously. Maybe Jimin didn’t trust you enough. 

“Okay, What about the panic attacks?” He asked. 

“He had one recently, but it was because of a fight.” You said.

“A fight?” Mr. Kwon laid his gaze on you again.

“Yeah, it was at the shelter. I got attacked by two guards and he helped me but he got a panic attack right after.” You explained.

He furrowed his brows.

“He helped you?” 

You nodded.

“He bit one of them and they ran away.” You explained - trying to skip the details. 

“The panic attack was caused by the fact that. he had been aggressive with someone?” He asked you, fixing his look on the computer screen. 

You knew your professor and you had realized what he was trying to do: was he trying to check your abilities and  knowledge?

“I think that the attack was caused by the fact that I was hurt.” You said and he nodded lightly before getting up from his chair. 

“Come here Jimin.” He picked up the stethoscope, calling out for the cat hybrid. 

Jimin looked at you with scared eyes. 

“You just need to seat in there. He’ll hear. your heartbeat and see if something’s wrong. Then we’re good to go.” You whispered to him and he nodded getting up slowly. 

“You can sit here after taking off your shirt.” Your professor told him to sit down in the table.

He did as he told him, keeping a slightly distance from him - sitting down on the cold surface. 

Mr. Kwon tried to bring the stethoscope close to his back, but Jimin flinched at the movement whining lightly with closed eyes. 

“Y/N maybe you should stay here with him.” Your professor called for you and you nodded, getting closer. 

You held his hand and Jimin relaxed at the touch of your warmth. He pulled you close, hiding his face into your neck while your professor rested the cold metallic object to his back. You caressed his hair, massaging his fluffy ears until your professor said that everything was done. 

“Everything seems right. His heartache is within range and he could breathe without difficulties. The wound that he has it’s healing like you said and it’s almost a scar, so you did a good job with the medicament.” He explained a you smiled at his words. 

“However I need to talk to you about something in private.” He said and you froze from the nervousness. 

Jimin was still holding onto you as he spoke. 

“By ourselves? Without him?” You asked looking at Jimin.” 

Your professor nodded, walking towards the door and you smiled sadly at the hybrid. 

He moved his head for your neck 

“Do I need to go?” He asked and you nodded. 

“Just wait for me outside okay? I’ll come in a sec.” Jimin nodded slowly, walking outside of the room and Mr. Kwon closed the door. 

You sat down in front of his desk and you waited for him to start talking. 

“I think that you should talk to Jimin about what happened.” he said and you sighed. 

“I tried, I swear I tried but I don’t want to forc-” 

“He’s keeping everything inside and this could kill him. He’s living with fear. You need to help him Y/N.” He explained making you feel even more upset. 

“Maybe he doesn’t want to talk to me about it. Maybe he doesn’t trust me enough.” You said and he smiled at you. 

“You just need to speak to him. He’ll never heal if he keeps everything inside. He needs to talk.” 

“What if he just doesn’t? I can’t force the words out of him. Maybe I’m not the right one. Everyone already managed to speak with their hybrid but I’m just too scared of hurting him. I don’t want to force him and I don’t think he feels close enough to me to tell me everything.” You confessed feeling conflicted and sad.

Jimin was sitting down on the floor outside of the studio, eavesdropping everything with his white ears curved upwards. His teeth were munching on his power lip and a small frown was stamped on his forehead in concentration. 

“Your job is to help him. If you can’t do it, I’m sorry but I’ll consider this internship a fail.” He said looking at you with a stern face that he had never showed. 

“What does it mean?” You asked, feeling your eyes itch.  

“That we’ll have to find someone who can do it to take your place.” 

As soon as his words left his mouth, your blood froze in your veins and Jimin’s did too. 

-

TAGS: @sergentculotte@blackmaylovesfries@xthefuckerysquaredx@thyotakukimkim@chryskl @my-yehet-is-your-ohorat@cjisluckycharm @fearless2tobeme @suga-hypnos @kpop-and-art @mymanyunsaidthings @bangjimin95@ashxley03@hunkymuffins sorry if I forgot anyone!!

[viostormcaller]

You Never Know If You Don’t Try

(This was supposed to be my Valentine’s Day fic, but that very night my computer gave up on me. So, even though it’s the first of March, I’m posting it now. No warnings this time :D Enjoy!)

It was yet another Valentine's day at the SepticEgo's residence. Chase and Henrik, in an attempt to brighten the mood for both of them (because both of them had each gone through divorce, meaning Valentine's Day could be a bit painful), decided to decorate the house in festive hearts and red streamers, and they had all made plans to go out later that night to a restaurant. Chase had made heart-shaped cookies that were set out on the dinner table for anyone to just take and eat throughout the day, mostly as an excuse to get everyone out of their rooms and spend time with each other as a family (and, you wouldn't know it, but the clumsy, former internet star is actually a really good cook, one of his many perks learned from being a father).

Jackieboy Man could hear Henrik and Chase talking out front, about their ex-wives and their kids. He didn't feel like leaving his room, but eavesdropping on their conversation was a good distraction, at least. He blew his green hair out of his eyes as he lay on his bed, tossing a small, red and blue ball up towards the ceiling, catching it, and tossing it again.

In the past, he would have openly celebrated Valentine's Day. It's a day to celebrate love, whether it be between couples or between family. Normally, he would celebrate with Chase, Henrik, and Marvin, but this year was different.

Now, Jackie's never paid much interest in girls, not even during high school. He wasn't focused back then on relationships, so he never gave his preferences much thought. But this year, he has a crush, and he doesn't know what to do about it. And the bigger problem is, his crush was on Marvin.

Now, the SepticEgos aren't actually related, but Marvin has said multiple times to Jackie that he was the closest thing he'll ever have to a brother. At first, Jackie really appreciated hearing that from him. And he still does, but he's come to realize that he wants something more than that. He loves him more than a brother, or a friend. He wants to be called his. His only wish is to be in a relationship with the magician occupying the room down the hall.

At this point he stopped tossing the ball and sat on the edge of his bed, sighing as he put his head in his hands. His chest felt heavy, his heart hurt. He bit his lip, willing himself not to cry over this. But it was frustrating, wanting something he wouldn't ever have. At least, that's what his mind was telling him, anyway.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Jackieboy responded. The door opened to reveal Henrik in the doorway, smiling brightly. The hero was glad he was happy, at least.

"Don't you want to come out and be vith us?" The doctor asked curiously. It was a bit unlike him to be so closed off on Valentine's Day, but he understood that, after multiple mental health scares and recent events, this year would be a bit different emotionally for the egos. Nonetheless, it was a holiday, and Henrik wanted to make sure that all the egos had a nice time today. Or, at least make their days a bit brighter and less depressing.

"O-Oh, uh...yeah. Just...give me a minute. I'll be out soon." Jackie waved a hand dismissively, hoping that reply would be enough to satisfy Schneeplestein. He just needed to collect himself before engaging in any social interaction. But, the doctor, naturally concerned, entered the room, closing the door behind him, and sat next to Jackie on the bed.

"Is somezhing wrong?" Henrik asked. He was a bit worried, and hoped that what was troubling the superhero wasn't anything too serious. He was willing to help nonetheless, no matter what the issue was. If it was serious, Valentine’s Day could easily wait.

"Well," Jackie began. "Usually, on Valentine's Day, I focus on love between family. I never gave relationships much thought. But this year...I actually have a crush on someone..."

"Oh, I see! Is zhat a bad zhing?" The doctor asked.

"Well...yes and no. I mean, I guess it's good that I have feelings for someone, but...I doubt they like me back. Not in that way." Jackieboy Man explained.

"Ah, I understand." Schneep nodded. "Vell, who is this lucky fellow? Perhaps we can vork somezhing out?"

"U-Uh..." Jackieboy rubbed a hand behind his head nervously, not sure what to say. He didn't exactly want to admit that it was Marvin. He didn't want to stir up trouble and possibly ruin his chances and his current relationship with him in one fell swoop.

"I'd, uh...rather not say. I don't wanna start drama or anything, or ruin our friendship." The hero sighed. "I just...I dunno. It just kinda hurts."

"I understand." The doctor nodded. "Vell, why don't you tell zhem how you feel? Who knows? Maybe zhey feel zhe same vay?"

"I...I can't do that. For reasons I can't explain, it's a lot more complicated than that..."

Henrik nodded again. He had a feeling that he knew who it was, but he didn't want to guess, in respect of Jackie's wishes to keep it secret.

"Vell...remember, you never know if you don't try." He smiled. "Now come on, you won't get anyvhere just sulking in your room all day." And with that, he grabbed Jackieboy's arm and led him out to the living room.

                                                      **********

Marvin was busy reading a magazine in his room when he heard a knock on his door.

"Yeah, what’s up?" He he asked at the knocker. The door opened to reveal a grinning Chase peeking behind it.

"Hey dude, can I come in?" Chase asked. Marvin nodded, sitting up and scootching over to make space for Chase to sit down on his bed. Chase entered the room, shutting the bedroom door behind him, and seated himself next to the magician.

"So," Chase began. "You gonna ask him out yet or what?"

"H-Huh?" Marvin asked, flustered. He could feel his cheeks begin to burn red. "W-Who are you-"

"Come on, don't play dumb! You know who I'm talking about." Chase interrupted. Marvin tilted his head like a confused puppy, and Chase rolled his eyes and sighed, still grinning.

"I'm talking about Jackie! Dude, you make it so obvious you like him." Upon hearing this, Marvin hid his face in his magazine, which had turned redder than a tomato. Chase chuckled when he saw Marvin's reaction.

"Dude, it's completely okay, no need to be embarrassed. But seriously, you need to ask him out. Come on, man, it's Valentine's Day! And besides, you two would be cute together!"

"I...I doubt he likes me like that. Besides...I probably already ruined my chances, since I often tell him he's like a brother to me.” he shrugged. “I only say that because I'm afraid of his reaction if I tell him the truth..." Marvin responded dejectedly.

"Hmm, I dunnooo," Chase singsonged. "Something tells me the feeling is mutual. I mean, I'm not gonna force you to do anything you're not comfortable with, because that would be an asshole move on my part. But seriously, you never know if you don't try, my dude. Just think about it, alright?" Marvin nodded, taking in Chase's words.

"Welp, I'll leave you to it. But don't stay cooped up in here all day, alright?" Chase said, getting up and turning towards the door.

"Heh, I won't. Thanks, Chase." Marvin chuckled. Chase turned back to Marvin and pointed finger-guns at him, then left the room, shutting the door behind him. Marvin sighed and flopped back on his bed, pondering what he should do. He mulled on his thoughts for a bit, before deciding he was getting nowhere. With yet another sigh, he got up, and left his room to go sit in the living room with the rest of the family.

                                                   **********

Once everyone was in the living room, Chase took the plate of cookies that he made, and set them on the coffee table in front of the couch. Henrik took the remote and turned on the TV, switching the channels until they found something they all agreed on. But, no matter how hard he tried, Jackie couldn't concentrate on the show. Not with Marvin sitting next to him. His heart near stopped every time the magician would reach over him to get a cookie from the table. He would get nervous when Marvin’s shoulder brushed against his, when he leaned forward to reply something Chase or Henrik had said. It truly seemed as if the cat-masked magician has got his tongue, because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't utter a single word. And, of course, the other egos picked up on his unusual silence.

"Dude," Chase started, leaning forward so he could see Jackieboy better. "You're really quiet. You okay?"

The poor hero's words were caught in his throat. He swallowed, hoping that would help, and opened his mouth to speak.

"U-Uh...yeah, I'm...I'm fine. I'm alright." He managed to get out. Chase, however, was a bit suspicious of Jackie's answer, more out of concern than anything.

"You sure?" He asked. Jackie nodded in response, and leaned back against the couch. From the corner of his eye, he could see Marvin looking worriedly at him, and immediately felt his cheeks go red.

"Uh...excuse me. I'll be right back." Jackieboy Man said quickly, getting up and rushing to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He turned to the mirror and gazed at his face. His cheeks, usually a pale white, were now a deep red. He leaned his elbows against the sink and rubbed his hands against his face, sighing. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up, but he knew he had to try. He splashed water on his face, and took a few deep breaths to collect himself. When he felt he was calm enough, he left the bathroom and rejoined Chase, Henrik, and Marvin on the couch.

The rest of the afternoon went without a hitch. For a while, everything seemed normal. They all talked and laughed like they normally do, eating the cookies until they were gone. Before long, it was 6 o' clock, and the egos had to get ready to leave to go out for dinner. Henrik had made reservations at a fancy restaurant. Doing something like this together is a very rare and special occasion, so naturally everyone was excited. They all got dressed up in fancy attire, and piled into Henrik's car. Jackie sat next to Marvin in the back, since Chase called shotgun before they got in. He felt flustered, nearly melting at the way Marvin was dressed. While Jackie just wore a traditional suit and tie, Marvin wore a black vest on top of a white shirt with black slacks, and right underneath his chin, on his collar, was a red bow tie. Adorable, he thought to himself. So badly he wanted to say something to him, but Jackie just didn't have the courage. And so, he just gazed out the window as Henrik drove, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind.

                                                     **********

Dinner went smoother than Marvin had anticipated. Sitting next to Jackie at dinner made him a bit anxious, however, but he tried his best to keep his cool. They all had a generally good time, but something felt a bit...off. Something was wrong with Jackieboy Man, he could very much tell. His smile wasn't as bright as it usually was, his eyes didn't light up like they usually do. Seeing this made Marvin long to help him. More than anything, he wanted to make him happy. He couldn't help but worry about whether the hero was depressed or not, if something serious was troubling him and he needed help or support. So, he decided that, when they got home, he would push his anxiety aside, and check up on Jackie to make sure he was really okay. With that plan in mind, he focused himself back on the present, and tried his best to enjoy the rest of his dinner.

                                                     **********

Jackie observed how content everyone seemed on the drive home. Naturally, they would be. The food was excellent, they all laughed and talked and joked. Generally, it was a really good time.

If only he wasn't faking it.

Jackie's heart ached more than ever. The night was almost over, and he was still in the same position he was when the day started. He knew nothing would ever change between him and Marvin, and he just had to accept that. Throughout the whole way home, he bit back tears, trying hard to swallow the lump forming in his throat. As soon as they got home, Jackie bolted for his room, quickly shutting the door behind him. He slumped up against it and began to sob, covering his face with his hands.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and the hero flinched.

"W-Who is it...?" He asked weakly, sniffling. At this point, he didn't bother trying to hide his sadness. He’d been holding it back all day. He knew he had to let it out at some point.

"It's Marvin. Can I come in?" Marvin asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah...sure." Jackie replied, and got up, stepping back so that there was room for the door to open.

Marvin walked through the door, shutting it behind him. Upon entering, Marvin saw Jackieboy's tear-soaked face and saddened expression, and became concerned.

"Jackie...I know you haven't been okay today. If something's wrong...please tell me. I want to be able to help you. It hurts me so much to see you so upset, and I'd hate for you to suffer in silence. Please...tell me what's bothering you." Marvin pleaded. Jackie looked down at his feet, not knowing what to say. Finally, he took a deep breath. It was now or never, and he probably won't get another chance. If their friendship was going to be ruined, it's best to do it now, he figured.

"Marvin..." he began. "You're gonna hate me for this."

"What are yo-" Suddenly, Marvin was cut off as he was pushed against the door. Jackie pressed his lips against Marvin's, tears streaming down his face. His heart was in his throat, he knew this was going to ruin everything, but he didn't care. At least now, Marvin knew how he how he really felt, his true emotions, and he doesn't have to keep it secret, even if it's one-sided love. Jackie pulled away a bit from Marvin to catch his breath, which had quickened due to his rapidly pounding heart. His nerves were getting the best of him, he knew. He couldn't help it, but as terrified as he was, he was ready for Marvin's response, whatever it may be. And then, in that moment, Marvin spoke.

"I love you so much, Jackie." The magician said with a small smile. Slowly, Jackieboy Man pulled away to look Marvin in the eyes.

"Y-You...you do?" He asked, confused. He certainly hadn't expected this response. But Marvin nodded, the smile on his face gradually growing bigger. He leaned in, and kissed Jackie back, closing his eyes and running his hands through his hero's hair. Jackie kissed back passionately, pulling Marvin closer. He'd never felt so relieved. This Valentine's Day wasn't a waste after all.

But, what the two weren't aware of is that an eavesdropping Henrik and Chase were standing behind the door. They both silently cheered, and high-fived. While it didn't go exactly to plan, the both of them talked while decorating that morning, and had plotted somehow finally getting the two together. They grinned at each other for a moment, proud their efforts had paid off. They could hear one last bit of their conversation before they retreated to their own rooms:

"I love you so much, Marvin."

"I love you too, Jackie. Thank you for being honest with me."

"You're welcome. I'm glad this worked out."

"Heh, me too."

At the end of the night, everyone went to bed happy. Though emotions ran high that day, at the end of it all, it was worth it. It just goes to show the both of them: they truly never would have known, unless they tried.

[weloveyoubangtan]

Playing with Fire- Part 2

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Summary: Demons weren’t supposed to fall in love. So why did you feel so strongly towards him, a demon hunter?

Genre: Demon/Assassin AU, angst

Word Count: 2184

Parts: 1 // 2 // ?

“If this is what you’re after, go find someone else.”

You opened your eyes and looked up at Yoongi. He stared back down at you with heartless eyes. You shouldn’t have been bothered by the rejection. It never seemed to bother you in the past, but for some reason, this time was different.

“Sorry…” You weren’t sure what you were apologizing for, but it felt like you were the one at fault. “It was dumb of me to ask you to trust a demon.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” His words calmed you a bit.

“Then why did you…?” You paused before you were reminded of what didn’t happen.

“I needed confirmation.”

“Confirmation?”

“I’ve been searching for a demon,” he said. “I don’t know exactly who. But it’s not you.” You still couldn’t understand what he was trying to confirm by nearly kissing you. But you decided to let it go, since it seemed he didn’t have any bad intentions.

“If you want, I can help you find the demon.” You perked up, realizing you could be of some use to the hunter. “Just give me a description.”

“It’d be best if you didn’t get involved.”

“But I must be related in some way, right?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have needed that confirmation, right?”

Yoongi took a moment to think, probably because he wasn’t expecting you to question him.

“Do you know another demon that uses black fire?” he finally asked.

Your eyes widened. Black fire was quite a rare skill among demons, especially since it was only used against your own kind—and had no effect on humans. So there was only one other demon you knew that used black fire. In fact, he was the one who taught it to you. “I know one called Grey.” As soon as you said those words, you saw the light in Yoongi’s eyes change.

“Where is he?” His voice had a demanding, yet desperate tone.

“I-I don’t know where he is…” You took a step back, wishing you had an answer to his question. But you hadn’t seen that demon in years. And you certainly didn’t want to see him ever again.

Yoongi bit his bottom lip and sighed to calm himself down. “Well what do you know about him?”

“He’s dangerous,” you shuddered. As much as you didn’t want to admit it, he was the one demon you feared. “He won’t hesitate to kill a human. Sometimes demons, too.”

“So he uses white fire too?”

“How do you know about white fire?” In contrast to black fire, white fire had no effect on demons but could wipe out a mob of humans in an instant. Only humans who had experienced it first-hand knew what white fire was capable of. And every single one of them was assumed dead.

“A friend told me.”

Your stomach turned. “So that friend is-”

“Yeah.”

“So you want revenge for that friend?” You saw it in that cold stare of his.

“That’s my job, sweetheart,” he scoffed at you. You shuttered at the fact that someone could be so driven to kill by vengeance and vengeance alone. Maybe humans were just as horrible as demons. No. Demons kill humans for fun and without reason. But at least this human boy had a reason. And you tried to convince yourself that it was a valid reason to kill.

“He used to have a hideout below one of those huge office buildings.” You pointed into the distance at the cluster of the tallest buildings in the city. “But I’m sure he abandoned that spot by now…” you said as you noticed Yoongi already moving in that direction. For a moment you just stood there and watched him leave. But the idea of him doing something rash scared you. So you quietly followed him like a lost puppy.

-

You didn’t say a word the entire way across town. Was it because Yoongi was too focused on tracking down the demon that had taken the life of his friend? Or was it because he wanted nothing to do with you? Either way, it hurt.

It wasn’t until the two of you reached the office buildings that Yoongi even looked to you for help with where to go. At least you were needed, you kept telling yourself.

“Follow me,” you shyly stepped in front of the hunter to guide him into one of the many buildings. Everything about the building was exactly what you’d expect at the office—cubicles, people typing away at their computers, and the smell of coffee. And everyone was too busy in their own work bubbles to notice a demon and a hunter passing through their workplace.

After a series of rooms and turns, you walked down one last hallway that looked no different from the rest. It led to a single room, one fit for a CEO, although it looked like it hadn’t been touched in a while. You went to the huge safe hidden behind the shelves of books and punched in the only password you knew. To your surprise, the door to the safe opened on the first try.

Suddenly, you could sense a familiar presence nearby and you prayed it wasn’t him. You slowed your pace and stayed closer to Yoongi, who also kept an eye out for trouble as you moved into the safe. The ceiling lights flickered on with an obnoxious snicker. Realizing who it was, you sighed in relief but the boy next to you took off.

“Yoongi, I didn’t get to see you earlier!” The same demon you had encountered with Taehyung sat in a leather chair, legs propped up on the arm rest. “It was boring waiting for you here, ya know.”

“No one told you to wait inside a safe,” you mumbled after finally catching up to the hunter. You didn’t know what her deal was with Yoongi and Taehyung, but everything about her annoyed you.

“Actually, Grey did ask me wait here so I could greet the two of you,” she gritted her teeth at you. You would’ve slapped a bitch but you were more concerned with the fact that she had mentioned him, Grey. The demon Yoongi was looking for, and certainly the most dangerous demon you knew of.

“Where is he, Violet?!” Yoongi snapped. You cackled at the other demon’s name. First Grey and now Violet. You wouldn’t have been surprised if Blue or Green showed up, too.

“I can’t tell you, dear~” Violet ignored your mockery. “But I can make a deal, just for you!” You cringed when she winked at the hunter.

“What deal?” Yoongi narrowed his eyes.

“Shoot this demon right here and I’ll tell ya where Grey is.” She casually pointed a finger at you. “You know this one’s dangerous. It’d just be a win-win for us all, right?”

“I don’t think you’re in any position to be making that kind of demand,” you rolled your eyes. You lit your hands with black fire to remind the demon who she was dealing with. Her electricity was nowhere near the power you possessed, but Yoongi was quick to shake you off.

“You’re gonna set off the sprinklers, genius.” His strong hand grabbed your wrist to put out the flame. You were shamelessly distracted by the warmth of his hand, the touch you craved. And it took more than a minute for you to realize your mistake, that water and electricity would be a deadly combo. You had to admit, being with Yoongi was really messing with your head and you couldn’t understand why.

“Aww Yoongi! You should’ve let the dummy do it.” The demon continued to press your buttons, but there wasn’t really much you could do about it. Besides your black fire, all you had were your fists, but you never really had a need to use them.

Without warning, Violet shot an electric jolt that just barely caught your lower leg as you jumped out of the way. You stumbled and fell, noticing your whole leg had gone numb. It wasn’t even a second before another shot came your way. Unable to stand on your feet, you did your best to shield yourself with your small arms.

But rather than a shock, you felt a shove that pushed you out of danger. When you looked up, Yoongi stood in front of you and you lowkey took note his back view. You hated the feeling of being helpless, although being protected was a new experience you weren’t completely opposed to.

“That’s not like you to defend a demon.” Violet frowned at Yoongi and then smirked. “Especially not after what we did to that friend of yours… What was the boy’s name again…? Jimin?”

“Shut up.” Yoongi raised and pointed his gun right at the demon, who only let out a chuckle.

“You and I both know you can’t kill me,” she shrugged. “I have a lot more valuable information on Grey than that dummy does. So you should be pointing that cute gun of yours over there.” You hissed when she cocked her head in your direction. But she did have a point. If Yoongi killed her, it’d be near impossible to track down Grey.

The hunter lowered his gun, debating on what to do next. Violet did have the upper-hand when it came to long-ranged attacks, but it would be a two-on-one as soon as your leg regained life. You just didn’t know when that would happen.

You watched as Yoongi began walking towards the other demon. Whatever he was planning, you were sure it’d be the right decision. When he was about punching-distance away, he came to a stop and stared at the demon, who might’ve been even prettier than yourself.

“What, Yoongi…?” A very faint red became visible on Violet’s face as she got a little fidgety. You wanted to throw up, although you probably would’ve had the same reaction if that boy walked up to you with those inviting eyes of his. But there was a difference. She was clearly more obsessive. You, on the other hand, felt… something very different about Yoongi.

“If I choose you over Y/N, you promise you’ll tell me everything about Grey?” He cocked his head and licked his lips right in front of the other demon. You were a little jealous.

“Y-yeah,” she smiled at him and stuck her tongue out at you. “Anything you wanna know, dear~” You were so glad the numbness in your leg was slowly fading away because you swore you’d slap the bitch as soon as you could stand.

“Good.” Yoongi took a few steps closer and ran his hands over her body, slowly. You’d never been hit by a hunter’s diamond bullet, but you were pretty sure that wouldn’t be as painful as what you were witnessing in front of you. You still didn’t quite know what that hunter was planning, but you did trust him. And you were only pouting because you wondered if all the touchy-touchy stuff was really necessary.

You watched him lift her chin with one hand, making sure to keep her eyes locked with his, as his other hand gripped a small dagger that peeked out from his jacket sleeve. But being the petty little monster she was, Violet turned back to you again to smirk, but not before catching your eye on the dagger.

Outraged, the demon surrounded her body with a wild electric field and made a sparking sword for herself.

“Shit.” Yoongi jumped back and dodged a reckless swing of the sword.

The two went back and forth, and at some point, it really did seem like Yoongi was gaining the upper-hand. You’d never seen a hunter keep up so well with a demon of Violet’s level. You watched Yoongi with heart eyes, admiring not only his strength and skill, but also how heroic he appeared. Maybe he really would be able to take on Grey, you thought.

They moved further and further from you so it was hard to see everything that was happening. But at the slight moment when Violet paused to catch her breath, Yoongi swiped the dagger deeply into her arm. She let out a scream, stumbling back and swinging her sword to keep Yoongi away. Before he could go in for another attack, the demon launched her electricity in your direction once more, realizing you were an easier target than the hunter. But this time, Yoongi was too far to push you out of the way.

You only had an instant to brace yourself before taking the shock head on. Your body collapsed, everything feeling numb, but you were still somewhat conscious. Violet was right over you saying something about how she was going to take your life if Yoongi didn’t do it himself. You still had the urge to slap her even though you were in no condition to do so, but with the sound of a gunshot, she finally shut up. You could’ve sworn you heard another man’s voice, but passed out before you could confirm anything.

[cvptaingiordano]

☁

SEND ME A SYMBOL FOR… ( meme - accepting )

☁  FIVE TIMES MY MUSE HAS THOUGHT ABOUT YOURS, AND THE ONE TIME THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. @omenwept

i. he’s sitting in class, gaze stuck on the small window as he watched the cars drive past the street, his attention nowhere near the explanation the professor seemed to be giving to him and the other kids sitting on the chairs between the walls of the small space. thoughts wander back to theo’s words, an invitation to a party that was being thrown at one of the students’s place. he knew for a fact that he wanted to go there with someone, and he didn’t even have to think over a couple of seconds to know w h o he’d wanted to go there with him. rosalie. they’d known each other for a while, hung out several times and perhaps even grown quite close. it was nice to be around her, nice to know that there were people out there willing to stick around him even if that stilinski boy was there - walking through the same corridors as him  (  even if mason shouldn’t  ) - ––––––– a doppelgänger something he would have never imagined he’d face. the whole situation seemed to cloud his mind several times a day, and as much as he tried to push all of those thoughts away he couldn’t. it was messed up, yes, yet rosalie still was there, sticking by his side through all the stress and insane stuff that seemed to be going on in his life. he’d told her about it all - how his parents had been murdered, why he was there in beacon hills - he’d told her all of that and she still stuck around him. that’s why she was the first one he thought about. she cared and he’d grown quite fond of her in a short amount of time. mason already saw her as his best friend, the one he trusted the most, the one he’d always call first if there was something going through his mind or he simply wanted to chat. that’s who she’d grown to be in his life in such a short amount of time. that’s why he wanted to take her with him, to that party - to perhaps get a little wasted and just forget about all the dumb shit going on in their lives - yet the boy didn’t. the hunter knew it wasn’t her scene.

ii. boredom is something he felt a few hours later (  or more like almost always  ). he wasn’t sure how much time he’d spent on the sketch in his hands, wrist moving in slow circular motions as he made quick strokes, the ink leaving its trail across the small book. it’s relaxing in a way and it helped to forget about everything that seemed to be capable of driving him mad. which he felt he was going. why he felt so insecure about everything he did in this town as of late he wasn’t sure. it was almost as if everything he did, wasn’t even good enough anymore. every lead he got lead him nowhere, he wasn’t sure where vampires tried hiding at this point. he’d looked everywhere there - but something told him he had to keep looking. black inked pen continued to leave it’s mark across the sketch, lines curving to form the shape of a face, robotic features added into the mix as he added a taint of roughness to the piece. he wasn’t sure what to do. it’s in moments like those in which he wished to be able to do something about it all, to not be stuck like he’d been the past few days. he pauses for a split second, teeth biting into his bottom lip as he found himself thinking about whether he should tell her or not. it’s funny how he kept on telling himself that distractions would last forever, but they didn’t even last a few minutes. mason knew rosalie would understand, hell he knew that a simple chat about it would help him relax and be reassured that he wasn’t going nuts like he felt he was, yet still he wouldn’t tell her. he trusted her, but the last thing he would want was to cause her any more trouble, to worry her. he knew he already was a butt at lunch earlier today, insisting for them to quickly hurry and get some take away. he’d claimed it would be better than anything else - yet the restaurant he’d talked about had turned out to be closed. shaking his head a small laugh managed to part the boy’s lips as he tried to focus his attention back on the sketch, a sketch which was slowly turning out to look more like her than he would’ve imagined, yet he didn’t think too much of it. maybe one day he’d show her.

iii. he’s standing in a crowded room alone, his back resting against the wall as he stared down at his phone. he hadn’t stopped thinking about calling her to hang out - h o w funny considering he was supposed to be having fun at the place he was at. it was a party, the one place where he was supposed to be interacting socially with others, but instead he was there doing nothing at all (  asides from having eaten the entire bowl of doritos all by himself  ) staring down at his phone as he read through their earlier conversation. he hadn’t even mentioned that he would be out tonight (  how odd  ) nor had he asked her if she would like to join him. in a way he pushes it away simply, but the fact that he kept on reading back through the conversation clearly proved how he wanted to just call her and hang out. he realized he’d much rather be with her watching some boring ass movie than drinking cheap beer and getting smashed with others he didn’t exactly give a damn about. it almost seemed like he was torturing himself, doing things he wasn’t even enjoying on purpose. truth was he would love for them doing it all together - something different - something where they’d be able to let loose and actually behave like normal teens (  do the stupidest of things together  ) it all sounded too appealing yet he never mentioned it - he would never say anything about it. she would think he was losing his mind. quickly mason made himself out of the small place, heading home to do something that would at least allow him to not be miserable once again. - that meant spending the whole night playing some stupid game that would lead him nowhere - it’s once again another distraction.

iv. four a.m and he’s still awake. this time he’s shut down his computer after raging at some kid (  h o w pathetic ) - deciding that it was best for him to just quit for the day. he let the weight of his body fall down against the mattress, his cat jumping on the bed as soon as he did so only for a small sigh to part the boys lips, hand reaching out to touch the furry animal as a gentle grin made its way onto his features. it was easy to be a cat, living with no worries asides from eating, drinking and finding a way to get someone’s attention. it seemed so simple. digits brush across the cat as he remember telling rosalie just that several days ago. only difference was that at that specific moment the boy had been complaining about the fact that she was always off to class, while he was either hanging around the park sketching, at home playing the same game for hours or trying a way to figure out who murdered his parent like they did. the simple thought of the dumb question he’d asked her, his mind going back in time as he wondered whether or not she’d asked herself about his sanity in that moment, he wouldn’t be surprised. it made him want to call her in that moment (  he simply liked it more than sending her a simple text  ) but he didn’t want to. the fact that he could wake her up was something he didn’t want to risk. he himself already knew how much it sucked to have their beauty sleep ruined and more so on a friday (  his cat had done this to him on several occasions - how f u n  ). maybe he’d tell her t o m o r r o w.

v. digits are hitting the key’s of his laptop, quickly typing away another entry where he explained all the little details which seemed to lead him somewhere. for once he felt accomplished. perhaps this time he would find out the truth behind the reason of that monster’s actions (  if he ever got to them  ) - he would finally be at peace as he gave them what they deserve. he show rosalie the bits of information that he’d found. something that lead him out of beacon hills and that’s where he stopped typing away the message he was about to send, deleting the whole thing. he’s overthinking the whole thing, he knew so. as relieved as he was to finally have a lead to the unanswered questioned he’s had these past three years he knew if he did let her know of this that anything could go wrong. not that she would mislead him he knew she would never, but it was something entirely different. he didn’t want to get her involved. with a few clicks he saved the document, closing his laptop as he exhaled softly, the tips of his fingers tapping against the wooden desk quickly. he wanted to tell her, he wanted her to know everything but he didn’t want her to get hurt. if he were to piss anyone off on this journey of his they would possibly try and get back at him in the worst of possible ways. hurting the people he cares about, those including her. it’s a classic, a technique even his parents had used in the past to fight off werewolves, but of course he wouldn’t put her life at risk. he wouldn’t let anyone know that she was even a part of his life. if it meant keeping her safe and making sure that no one would end up hurt, he would do so. she’s important to him, really important. it hadn’t taken her too long to become a pillar in his life, one holding everything together, and that’s why he shut his phone off in that moment, making sure that he wouldn’t say anything he’d regret later. it was better for her to be safe, better if he didn’t tell her anything that might make others aware that in a way he was vulnerable, that he wasn’t invincible, that instead there was something that made him care more about someone else than himself. for once he wasn’t selfish, for once he actually care more than he would have wanted to.

vi. another day goes by without talking to her at all. this time he wasn’t sure what brought these thoughts into him, making him - turning him into someone odd (  someone entirely different  ) someone he didn’t want to be. if there was a way for him to stop himself from bringing these thoughts into his head then he’d do so. digits are playing with the phone on his hands, his gaze stuck on the screen of his android as he pondered whether to call her or not, whether to ask her come to the woods, to their spot at the small lake. it’s where he’d hung out the past few hours, as if waiting for her to show up. he knew he had some explaining to do, as of why he’d been avoiding her these past four days. in a way it had been unintentional yet in another way all he’d truly wanted to do was to simply not bother the brunette. how s a d for all of it to be such a mess. gaze flickered across the screen, wondering what he should do. he knew what he wanted - he missed her after all. he wished to be able to talk to her once more and so with a quick shake of his head thumbs began typing away. a quick ‘hello c:’ something that in his world would be understood as an i miss you. it’s tragic for him to suddenly have become so vulnerable, so insecure, yet in a way it didn’t bother him much. it was almost as if things had shifted on his side, his only worry asides from finding out the truth suddenly becoming whether she’d be mad at him or not, whether she’d even answer back, yet he didn’t even give her the chance to type away nor even to come online as he was sending her a voice message this time. ❝ hey - rosalie yeah it’s me !! i uh- sorry for going missing these past few days. i know it was stupid - and i’m sorry but i uh- can you - can w e hang out ?? like right now ?? i’m at… you know where i am yeah ?? the little place we found a few weeks ago - ––––––– so if you want we can - y’know… i’ve got food with me too so if that makes the whole experience better. i won’t open the other bag of doritos i have with me. ❞ he’s rambled, his voice lingering at the end as if he were to say something more, which he felt like he wanted to, like he almost needed to but he sent the audio to her regardless. he wasn’t sure what it was that seemed to have made him so speechless for a split moment. he assumed it was the adrenaline pumping in his veins now that he’d gathered the courage to do this. to finally talk to her again it was - refreshing. still he wasn’t aware of the real difference behind that moment, the real reason why he’d suddenly stumbled over his own words, his self confidence vanishing as he sat there completely vulnerable for a moment. minutes pass as he stares down at his phone, almost waiting for something to happen, but nothing did (  asides for the two ticks turning blue as well as the audio’s color changing  ) the boy only found himself feeling more anxious this time yet he decided to wait - perhaps she’d come, perhaps she’d show up like he hoped she would. as stupid as he’d been the boy meant what he said. he’d missed her, with all his heart. after a while he felt a figure sitting down next to him, the corners of his lips twitching as he turned to see who it was. it’s a sudden happiness washing over him, his hand moving to rest on her knee only for his digits to give it a small squeeze as he watched her, offering her a smile as a breathy laugh dared to roll off his tongue. ❝ i missed you. ❞ he admitted, gaze finally meeting her own as he sat there with her - but then he reached down into his backpack, a bag of doritos being quickly opened before handing them over to her, a wide grin spread across his features. ❝ like i’m serious, i really did. see ?? these would’ve already been gone by now but they’re not. ❞ there’s that teasing tone of voice this time, but he was sure she could see the deep meaning behind his words (  he wasn’t one to share his food, even if she’d always been the exception  ) - this time things would be different or so he would try to make them be. it’s been enough time wasted - an entire week - he wouldn’t do anything like it again. ❝ we should watch a movie later and order some pizza or something ?? you can chose the sauce and basically everything if you want. ❞ he said before adding. ❝ but just saying - my cat’s probs gonna go nuts if she sees you though. i can already tell you that. ❞