#*dreamily imagines them just being happy and having fun and like living normal lives*

[strigital]

It's hacker girls night out! 🪩✨

[slashingdisneypasta]

NSFW (18+ ONLY) DMD!Scarecrow thought/imagine/smutshot under the cut.

warnings; rutting, Glinda brings you back to oz under really fake pretences, public/outdoors sex, afab reader, monster fucking, etc.

Right. Actually. Imagine the DMD!Scarecrow taking you in the cornfield he used to live in. Imagine you came here a few years ago and met the Scarecrow by chance, just like Dorothy and Tip did. Except it wasn't just friendship, between the two of you. You said it was, and he said it was, because you had to leave- but it wasn't.

You're back now, because Glinda sent you a message; help. Your Scare needed help (Thats what she told you), so you had to come. Nothing in the world could stop you from coming to help him.

But when you come... everything seems fine, initially. Glinda takes you to the court, and you see everything seems Good. There's a ball being thrown and Dorothy's in charge now, which from you've heard about her from your dear Scare- can only mean good things, for Oz. You see the Tin Woodman, the Lion, Glinda... even a glimpse of Ozma, wandering dreamily through the party. When you see Scare, and he sees you, he seems happy! He races across the room and gathers you up against him in a tight, familiar hug; overjoyed to see you. When you ask what's wrong, saying that Glinda told you he needed you, he said... he said... well you don't remember what he said. There was so much he had to tell you in those first few moments, catching you up on what had happened since you were gone... by the time he let you respond, again, you'd forgotten your initial worry. He seemed fine! Normal. A little clingy, but that was to be expected after all this time! ^^ To be totally fair, you wanted him as close as possible, too!

When he suggest you two go off on your own, you don't think twice before agreeing. Glinda sees the both of you off with a saccharine smile. Have fun, my dear Scare. And Y/N- its lovely to have you back.

~

It starts off with kissing. Just kissing, and holding hands as you stroll down the pathway by the old corn fields. He kisses you once, and you're caught off guard- you thought you two didn't Do This. You thought it was unspoken agreement that the two of you were Friends, because you always had to leave. You would always have to leave. But he stops you both and kisses you again outsde the entrance to the cornfields, and you cant bring yourself to stop it. He's warm, and comforting, and you love him. You dreamed about him while you were home,... in fact... you dreamed of This.

Soon enough he has you on your back, in the dirt, amongst the tall stalks of corn with his gloved hands tucked under your knees; parting them so he can be between them. His tongue, which is made of stuffed felt, is an odd sensation in your mouth. An odd weight against your own tongue. Its not a perfect kiss, but you like it because its Him. You're feeling overwhelmingly warm all over, but mostly- down-... When suddenly your trousers are tugged down, discarded, lost in the stalks of corn. "Get rid of those." Scare mutters, an unfamiliarly dark tone in his voice.

You're confused, but his kisses distract you as he slowly starts to rub against you; the thickly stuffed area between his legs dragging across the area between your legs, and- it feels good. While he does this, grinding himself against you, you lay your head back in the dirt and close your eyes. The kissing has stopped. He can only hold your legs open and rut against you; smirk and watch you be a dirty little toy for him. The soft fabric of his trousers soon become wet with your arousal and he knows what Glinda told him about you, was true. You did want him. You did dream about him while you were away, about him taking you and using you. He wondered if you ever laid in your little bed back home and touched yourself thinking about him- he'd want to know all about that, later.

Because their would be a later. You were staying, this time. It had been decided. Between him and Glinda, it had been undisputed. She was too busy to always attend to his needs-- and he missed you. You. That much was clear. Glinda herself, while she was an attractive woman (That wasn't a question), but... she could not compete with you.

When Glinda told him she was bringing you back, he was ecstatic- he hadn't been so excited about something in a long time. Not since Glinda brought Dorothy back and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted. Perform any experiments he thought of. He loves his work, he does, but thats not all he loves. Even the smartest man in Oz needed a work-life balance... so when she told him you were coming back, he made sure to stuff himself special. Extra in that area between his legs that Nick told him about many years ago; that area that Glinda seemed fixated on when they were alone.

And you seemed happy with it, he noticed with a vulgar, wicked smirk across his stitched lips. How easy,.. he thought. It was so easy to get you here, and to fuck you.

Thankfully the Scarecrow does not tire, as he is not a man or living creature of any sort, so he's able to continue dragging his sticky, slick crease all over your little cunt for far longer then the average man. You cum 4 times, held still by his misleadingly strong hands on your legs, before he stops. He could've gone for longer, but he had an idea.

"Sc- Scare,", you huff, out of breath. Pitiful... Adorable, too, though.

"Don't worry, we're not done." "I'm just tired of doing all the work, here. You made me wait all this time... Pitch in. "

Fuck-Dumb, brains slowly screwed right out of your head, you nod (His completely) and follow him as he lays down in the corn and raises a thin brow at you. Well??...

Carefully, you crawl over him; shuddering when the slimy, sticky feeling of your own slick all over his trousers touches you again as you sit down. Slowly you begin to move your hips this time, grinding your over-sensitive, needy heat against his bulge this time.

[spencersawkward]

mgg fluff!!! like maybe a super cute romantic date where you both dress up or something like that 🥺

I’ve been writing so much smut the idea of writing a scenario without sex is actually feeling foreign rn WOW lmao ok this was fun to write. here’s some fancy-date pure fluff for you, babe!

summary: Matthew takes reader out for a fancy dinner, and the two make the most of their evening together. 

word count: 2.1k

content warnings: none! short but sweet. 

I swipe the glossy red shade over my lower lip, touching up my makeup before we head out tonight. despite the fact that we’ve been dating for a few months now, the idea of Matthew taking me out to eat-- really taking me out-- is making me positively giddy.

capping the tube and doing a quick once-over in the mirror, I admire the dress I’m wearing. it’s new, something I may or may not have splurged on after work today. it’s a creamy, inky shade, the color of pitch with an open back that I would normally never deign to wear. but something about it, the way the fabric sits against my shoulder blades, makes me confident.

after fluffing up my hair a little, I move into the living room to join my boyfriend. he’s fixing one of his monogrammed cuff links, and he looks up at the sound of my footsteps.

his eyes run over me, the bloom of my mouth and the dress, and he smiles dreamily, not saying anything. my stomach is overflowing with butterflies as I look at him in his suit, so well-dressed. we stare at each other for a moment.

“so?” I grin, walking over to him and running my hands up his chest. “how do I look?”

“you...” his gaze flickers to my pout, then my form. “you’re an angel.”

I reach up and am about to kiss his cheek when I remember that I’ve got lipstick on. “I’ll kiss you later.”

“that’s fine,” he sighs, then takes my hand and spins me around in front of him. “I’m still in shock from how beautiful you are!” he says the last few words in his stupid monster voice, reaching out and tickling my sides while he pulls me into him.

“Matthew!” I squeal, trying to breathe through the laughter. he knows I’m especially ticklish. once he finally relents, I look up at him with a huge smile on my face. sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming with him.

“we’re gonna be late, baby.” he tugs on my earlobe playfully before taking my hand again and leading me into the entryway so we can put our coats on. winter is just starting, dusting the sidewalks with fluffy snow and blowing wind in our faces as we start walking to the car. he holds the door open, as usual, and before long, we’re off to the restaurant.

even though Matthew is a bit of a reckless driver, I trust him. I’ve never told him this, but I love the way he places his hand on the back of my seat and turns around to assess the road behind him before he pulls out. something about it makes my blood warm up. he catches me looking, smiles and asks if I’m okay.

I’m fucking fabulous.

the restaurant is way fancier than I even imagined: cavernous ceilings that drip with chandeliers and walls covered in expensive-looking art. velvet curtains cover the windows, creating a wine-red ambiance of jazz and gentle conversation.

I must look dumb just staring at everything, but Matthew goes to the maitre d’ and gets our reservation ready. we never go on dates this fancy; most of the time, we stay in and binge watch old movies or play board games or just talk. he said he wanted to treat me, though, so I’m more than happy to go along with it.

part of me feels slightly out-of-place as the host leads us to a secluded table, walking past rich-looking couples or groups of people who appear to be socialites. as much as I wish I could blend in with this crowd, I keep worrying that I’m going to trip or somehow break something. elegant situations tend to make me especially clumsy.

once we’re seated and handed our menus, the host leaves us to talk.

“wow.” my eyebrows raise as I check out the options. Matthew looks up.

“what?”

“this place is fancy.” the corners of my mouth tug upwards. some of the items are in French, which makes the process even harder to untangle.

“too much?” he’s a bit wary as he asks, like he’s afraid I don’t like it.

“no, no.” I laugh. “I’m just impressed.”

“you wanna get a bottle of wine?” he asks softly, grabbing the wine menu. I nod.

“sounds good.” I think for a second. “do you happen to speak French?”

“dónde está el baño?” he jokes. before I can stop myself, I reach over the table and hit his arm, both of us laughing. it must be a bit too loud, because a couple people around us turn their heads. I settle back in my seat.

“that wasn’t funny.” I’m giggling.

“I wish I knew French.” he muses, still perusing the wine selection. I sigh.

“honestly, me, too. very sophisticated.”

“are we supposed to pair our wine with our food?” he whispers over the table.

“you think I know the protocol for this kind of place?” I hiss back.

“you know, what? who cares?” he sets down the menu and gives me a resigned smile. Matthew has always been uninhibited, and him deciding to just go with the flow gives me a warm feeling in my tummy. it’s one of the most attractive things about him, in my opinion.  

when the waiter comes to take our orders, Matthew and I just get a merlot and filet mignon, both of us starving. in the meantime, we talk about his day and my day and he tells a funny story about his friend. somehow, he and I always have the best conversations, even if they’re about nothing at all.

literally you could ask us to discuss paint drying and we’d find a way to laugh about it.

“I was thinking... I’m gonna have a vacation soon,” he trails off, the antique ring on his pinky finger clinking against his wine glass. “maybe we could go somewhere?”

“somewhere like...?” I gesture for him to keep talking. he grins.

“you can decide. as long as it’s fun.”

“what? no, you can’t put that pressure on me, Matthew.” I laugh. there are so many places I want to see, and places that I know he wants to see, that I don’t wanna pick the wrong place.

“why not?”

“well, let’s do this,” I sit up more, resting my elbows on the table. the candle in the middle of the table flickers, casting his features in a pretty glow. “you list some places you’d like to visit, and if there’s some overlap, we’ll do that.”

“okay.” he rubs his hands together, then starts to think about it. I wait patiently, sip my wine and start to imagine how many possibilities there are for us. hiking along mountain trails, zip-lining through rainforests. if I’m being honest, I kind of just want to relax.

he breaks my train of thought as soon as he begins to tack off places.

“we could go to Costa Rica, or Croatia, or Mauritius... the Azores...”

“oooh, you know, I’ve heard the Azores are absolutely gorgeous.” my eyes sparkle as I think about the little islands. “and they’ve got these super nice hot springs, too.”

“private hot springs?” he asks me over the rim of his glass. my spine tingles with the implication.

“you wanna fuck in a hot spring?” I almost laugh. he reaches across the table and twines his fingers with mine, thumb rubbing over the back of my hand softly.

“I wanna do it on every continent.” he winks, then pulls away as our food arrives. I try to suppress the heat rushing to my cheeks and regain my composure even though my entire nervous system feels like it’s short-circuiting at the thought.

I try to put those images out of my mind before we thank the waiter, and then we’re staring down at the plates in front of us with surprise. the portions are ridiculously small-- mignon usually isn’t that big, but it’s such a fancy-restaurant-move.

Matthew and I start to giggle to ourselves, picking up our forks and eating. I’m not upset or anything; it’s sort of funny. instead, we share asparagus and dig into the meal.

“do you think they’ll be mad at us for laughing at the nickel-sized food?” I question. it’s really tasty, to be fair, but I have to take small bites so as not to mess up my lipstick.

“for the amount they’re charging, they’re probably the ones laughing.” he replies. I snort, reach up, and he high-fives me.

“that was good.” I concede.

“thanks,” he smiles, wipes his mouth with a napkin before focusing back on me. “so, back to the topic at hand-- are we going to the Azores?”

“only if you want to.” I smile.

“I’m the one that suggested it.”

“okay, then. I guess it’s settled.” I shrug. we set our forks down, done with our food already after about twenty minutes. we start to talk logistics and things we want to do there, excitement building in my stomach the whole time. I love spending time with Matthew-- having him all to myself for a couple weeks sounds like literal paradise.

he looks so pretty right now, too, with his glasses and fluffy hair and the ever-present smile. everything about him exudes positive energy, and I’ll never get over that sensation. I just can’t believe how lucky I am.

“I have an urgent question.” he tells me suddenly, completely serious. I straighten up and frown at him.

“shoot.”

“do you think we can get ice cream? somewhere else?” he asks. I make a face at the way he set me up for suspense, but the relief is overwhelming and my stomach still isn’t full from the small filet. I nod quickly.

he gets the waiter’s attention, pays, and before I know it, we’re walking back to the car.

“thank you.” I nudge his shoulder with my own, both of us bundled up in our coats. he leans down to kiss the top of my head before wrapping his arm around me.

“of course, darling.”

I like his little pet names, how he says them with the kind of sweetness that nearly rots my teeth. even if Matthew didn’t tell me he loved me every day, I would be able to tell just from the way he speaks. like I’m the only girl in the world.

we end up driving to a small ice cream shop by our home, a place that we always visit during the summer if it gets hot and we want sugar. there’s almost nobody inside and we look sort of absurd in our fancy attire, but when I get to the counter to order, I let loose.

salted caramel with oreo crumbles in a waffle cone, piled high. he gets chocolate fudge and we lick at our confections while he pays. it’s so yummy, hitting the spot in a way that a small slice of steak just couldn’t. even though it’s winter, ice cream is always good.

“is my lipstick all gone?” I grin, looking up from my cone to ask. we go to sit in the back room of the shop, which is completely empty.

“mostly, but there’s a little bit...” he grabs my face across the table and guides me to him, sliding his tongue over my lower lip and pulling away to smirk. “got it.”

“uh huh.” I chuckle.

“you taste sweet.”

“you wanna lick?” I offer my cone and he nods, trying it before offering me his own.

“literally how is ice cream so good?” I ask as we go back to our treats. music from the 50′s is playing over the speakers, delightfully saccharine as we just enjoy each other’s presence.

“no idea. but I love the person who invented it.” he says dreamily. “also, sorry about tonight. I know it was kind of a bust.”

“what?” I stop eating for a second. “Matthew, that wan’t a bust!”

“the portions were so small.” he can’t get over this. I snicker to myself.

“sure, but I had a great time.”

“are you sure? I can plan something else special for us.” he gives me puppy dog eyes, afraid that I’m disappointed. I could never be disappointed by a date with him.

“don’t worry about that. let me do the work next time.” I shrug.

“like?”

“like I’ll make an itinerary for our trip. that way you don’t have to stress about activities.”

“you and your itineraries.” he shakes his head slowly, but he’s laughing.

“have they ever failed?” I ask, then tap my finger to my ear as if daring him to reply. when he just smirks in response, I get smug. “that’s what I thought.”

“I love you.” the words come out of nowhere, a heavy sentiment for a light-hearted conversation. every time he says it, I feel it. that deep, burning adoration in my bones. I admire him for a moment.

“I love you, too.”

[mylutteoheart]

Playing Cupid

I have mixed feelings about this chapter but it’s an exciting one nonetheless. I want to make it longer but I’ve decided against it because if I would, I’d never finish and I wanted to update. This chapter mostly focuses on Gastina and Gastón. I wanted to write the chapter partly in Nina’s POV but that’s going to have to wait for next chapter. The dinner is far from over and interesting things are going to happen.

Luna and Matteo have been building their lives together slowly. Fresh out of college, they’re planning their future. But by planning this, they have an underlying plan no one knows of. Bringing their best friends together after 4 years of not being happy without the other. How well will their plan of playing Cupid work?

Prologue | chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 4 | chapter 5 |  my other fics

Chapter 6: Meeting Face To Face

A thousand thoughts and emotions went through Gastón as he saw Nina standing in the dining room right in front of him. He hadn't expected this at all, just like he didn't expect to see Nina at Jam & Roller after so many years. But he had to know that there was a chance she'd be there. The skating rink is still his friends' favorite hangout even after 5 years.

When he came face to face with Nina at Luna and Matteo's place, he couldn't believe his eyes. She was still as beautiful as he remembered. He had to surpress the urge to go over to where she was standing, he wanted to touch her face just to make sure that she was real.

He had imagined this moment over and over again. He missed her so much but he wasn't so sure if she felt the same way so he stayed abroad because he couldn't even stand the thought of her not feeling anything anymore.

But no matter what he did, she didn't leave his thoughts and as soon as he heard that his best friend was getting married, he took the chance to find out for good if he could be together with Nina again.

He had no idea what was happening in Nina's life, he didn't want to know so he didn't ask. He wanted her to be happy, even if it was without him but that doesn't mean he liked the idea of constantly hearing how she moved on and got together with someone else.

Nina and Gastón stood there for what seemed like forever, just staring at each other. A lot of emotions going through them and they were all mixed.

Out of all the scenarios he played out in his head about meeting her again, he didn't expect this. It felt so awkward, he didn't know what to say to her.

Luna and Matteo stayed quiet in the background, not wanting to interrupt their moment. This was something they had to do by themselves, Nina and Gastón needed to talk.

"Hi." Gastón said quietly. "I didn't expect to see you." He sounded a little unsure of himself and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

"Hey." she smiled shyly at him "Well, my best friend lives here too so I come around a lot." she answered the silent question as to why she was here.

"Right" he sounded more confident than he felt. "So are you joining for dinner?" he tried to keep the conversation up. It might be awkward between them but he missed talking to her.

"If you don't mind" she answered.

"No, not at all. It would be fun to have dinner with all four of us together." he smiled at her reassuringly.

"Luckily, there's enough food for everyone and I made Pasta a pesto. The most delicious meal I ever made" Matteo broke the silence "I'll go get it, Luna, would you like to help me?"

"Sure, you two can just sit down and relax, we'll be right back." Luna hurried over to the kitchen which left Nina and Gastón alone in the dining room, unbeknownst to them, the walls were listening in on them.

"So I see you've returned from the United Kingdom" Nina started and couldn't stop her curiosity, "Are you staying here for good now?"

She secretly hoped he would but he didn't need to know that and Gastón answered honestly: "Yeah, I've found a job here in Buenos Aires. I've been abroad long enough."

"It must have been nice to be able to work in another country." Nina tried to hide her excitement at his statement.

"Yeah, it was an amazing experience and I had fun but I want to go back to what I truly love now." he said, Nina not catching onto his double meaning.

"I understand. So what kind of job do you have now?" Nina suddenly asked, she had no idea what was going on his life, she realized. Is there a lot she doesn't know? She thought.

"I'm a publishing assistant now" he answered, "I'd like to help find unknown authors and help them get published."

"That sounds amazing. That must be a dream job." Nina answered with a smile. They seemed to have gotten past the awkwardness and they were starting to enjoy the conversation.

"It is" he paused for a moment but got past his hesitation, "So what have you been up to?"

"Well, I went into journalism and mostly posting articles about the skating world and the music world. I've actually interviewed a lot of our friends like Luna and Matteo." Gastón was in a daze, loving how passionate she sounded about her job. This made him miss the time that this was a normal thing in their lives.

"You seem really happy. I'm glad." he said, he wanted to ask something else but he was holding it back. It was nice hearing her talk about stuff that she loves but he's not so sure he'd be glad to hear about the people that she dated, he wasn't sure he was ready to hear it if she had a boyfriend.

"I am", Nina answered and paused before continuing, "It's good to see you again." She didn't want to say more than this because she was scared she might tell him what she actually thought because despite her initial reaction to seeing him, she was happy he returned.

After this, they started with the small talk, catching up on what they had done the past 5 years but they avoided huge topics, like their breakup or just their love lifes in general. They were both too scared to ask the other about it.

Gastón realized just how much he missed times like this, they used to be able to talk to each other for hours and not get bored. He couldn't stop listening to her whenever she talked about something she liked. They fell easily into their old habits and he didn't mind at all.

He easily forgot they were supposed to have dinner with their best friends. Seeing Nina again and being able to talk to her after not having spoken to her for years, it made him even more determined to figure out their relationship. He knew now was not the time to talk about this, they've only just come face to face after not having any contact since the last time he called to say he was okay with Nina and Eric.

He knew he needed to take this slow and he had no idea what to expect but that was okay because he's back where he wants to be. He still regrets how long it took him to realize all the things he was missing out on. He thought he was doing the right thing by letting her go but seeing his best friend get married to the girl he's been in love with since he was 17, it made him think about what could have been and the thought of that never let him go.

He knew he couldn't get his hopes up but he still hoped he and Nina still had a chance and this time, he's not going to give up that easily because she was worth it. She's always been worth it.

***

Luna and Matteo stayed quiet and listened in on Nina and Gastón's conversation the whole time. Once they noticed that the conversation was going smoothly and they were laughing together, Luna and Matteo looked at each other with secretive smiles. Their plan seemed to work.

Matteo took her hand and lead her away from the door to the dining room to talk to her. "I can't believe this is working."

"Yeah, it's amazing. They're really getting along, it seems like they're back to their old selves." Luna smiled dreamily and Matteo loved seeing her like this and couldn't help but peck her on the lips.

"We make quite the team, ms. Balsano." he teased.

"First of all, I'm not ms. Balsano just yet and second of all, it's crazy how all it took was a few minutes for them to forget about all the misery they felt being away from each other." Luna wrapped her hands around his waist and rested her head on his chest. She sighed contently. Matteo immediately answered her embrace by putting his arms around her.

"You're right we're not there yet and Gastón and Nina aren't either, I think they're going to need time to truly talk about their feelings, it's probably too painful right now, especially considering they have so many doubts about the other's feelings." He rested his chin on her head and sighed.

"That's true. We haven't even told them they're going to walk down the aisle together. Do you think it's the right time to tell them?" she looked up into his eyes to see his answer.

"They have to find out someday. It's better sooner than later." he kissed her on the head, "Let's get this over with." he lead her to the dining room with the plates full of food in their hands.

The night could end greatly but also badly and Matteo wasn't too sure how it was going to turn out and braced himself for what's going to come.

[inactiive-shit]

Leaving To Be Happy

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Warnings: Mentions of homophobia

Pairing: Familial Creativitwins

Words: 1,819

Summary: Roman and Remus are rather well off, rich sons of a well-known business man. Roman is expected to marry well and one day, surely, Remus will finally settle down himself. There's just one problem: Roman might as much disdain for this plan as his brother.

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

“I can’t live like this,” Roman muttered, staring out the window. His suit suffocated him and exhaustion weighed him down from just coming back from his fourth date in half as many days. All with fancy, rich women who were, admittedly, very pretty and wore stunning dresses and all of them were vying for a spot in Roman’s house as his wife. He was rich and handsome and polite and so many other things that his parents had strained so to bring him up as. He was so proper Roman had been asked by other men if he even had a personality past it. Many were jealous that all eligible ladies would disregard dates with them if Roman gave them the time of day, and Roman wished it wasn’t like that. These ladies, while kind and perfectly pressed in every proper way, were not exactly...his type.

Put simply: Roman was unebelievably gay. He yearned for the kind of man that could sweep him off his feet and love him unendingly, a man like in all those novels he’d read! But all those men were unbelievably straight, and in a society like this, where could Roman expect to find a man like that, but like him?

“Then don’t,” Remus said, the other side to Roman’s coin. While their parents had tried to train propriety into Remus from a young age, it never stuck. Remus had a disgraceful mustache and a strange streak in his hair and he often shouted out whatever he thought without considering if it was appropriate or appreciated. He stood as opposite to Roman in every single way that mattered, every way the public saw. But there was something they did hold in common, as close to his chest as Roman kept it.

Put simply: Remus was unflinchingly gay. He wore bruises he got like badges of honor, seduced men where anyone could see, flaunted himself around in dresses and vests like he didn’t have a care in the world. Everything Remus did was a show and an act of rebellion, and Roman often wondered who really was better off: the hidden or the exposed?

“I can’t just start acting like you,” Roman said, shaking his head. “I’ll be lynched.”

“Ooh, sounds fun.” Remus clapped his hands together, today decked out in a real suit, almost identical to Roman’s. The only difference was that Remus’s was almost completely unbuttoned and very immodest.

“How do those men you find do it? Most of them are married and put on airs to pass, but I can’t imagine a life shackled to someone I don’t love.” He sighed, lightly tapping his head against the window.

“Most of them are more miserable than you can imagine and duller than shit to top it off,” Remus said. He laughed when Roman gagged.

“You are disgusting.”

“On my honor,” Remus said, bowing.

“What honor?” Roman said, rolling his eyes. Remus cackled even more, dancing around the room in a way that could get him locked in the crazy house if he wasn’t careful who saw. Roman drew the curtains closed and turned to face Remus fully, examining the scuff in his shoes and rips in his pants. What had he been doing to cause such imperfections in his clothing? Probably something much worse than what he was doing now, but perhaps it was something more innocent. Oh, what Roman wouldn’t give to stain his pants from laying in the grass with a man he loved, to feel someone else’s lips on his own, to spend his days in bliss and in love, requited and normal and unbearably happy.

“Roman,” Remus said, suddenly much more serious. He stood stock still in the middle of the room, contemplative. “What would you say if I told you there was a way to be us?”

“I would laugh and tell you to stop mocking me before I hit you,” Roman said, more than used to this conversation, of fictional futures and wonderful lives and people who stood in a crowd the same way they did. It hurt more every time they talked about it because Roman was becoming more and more aware, with all the pressure to find a nice girl and settle down, that that future was only the hope of someone who didn’t want to accept reality. It could never happen, and Roman didn’t want to face that. He wasn’t sure he could.

“But what if I meant it?” Remus all but whispered. Slowly, Roman looked up at him, taking in every twitch of his brown eyes, the tremble in his hands. It was something Remus was after just as much if not more so than Roman, a future where he didn’t have to wear bruises like fine jewelry or only receive kisses in a place no one else might see. One day, Remus would probably also have to claim it was just a phase and settle down with whatever woman would have him just to appease their parents. It was not something they talked about.

“How could you possibly mean it?” Roman asked, incredulous. “Do you?”

Remus nodded. “People are heading West. A man I know told me that there’s not as many laws or rules out there. It’s harder to get into others’ business and most don’t bother. He said he was heading out there to make a new life for himself.”

“What does that have to do with our situation?” Roman said quietly.

“He’s going there to be with men, Roman. He left his wife with all their belongings but for a bag of clothes and left in the night for a place where people like him, like you and me, won’t be ostracized for things we can’t control.” Remus hesitated. “We could go. We could go there, be gone by the morning.”

“What will Mother and Father think?” Roman protested.

“Who cares? They’d never accept us for what we are, why should we give their concerns any consideration? They already think I’m sick.”

“You are sick,” Roman said, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Not for the reasons they think.” Remus smiled back, spinning around the room again. “We could go, be free. You could kiss all the people you wanted and no one would blink an eye that they were all men. They’d be doing it too! Can you imagine?” Remus sagged back against a wall, dreamily staring at the ceiling.

“Do you think we’d be happy out there? Isn’t the West a little...uncivilized? There aren’t settlements or technology like what we have?”

“Roman, this could be our only chance to ever be happy. Why are you so concerned with Mother and Father and houses? Do you want to spend the rest of your life in a relationship you don’t want with a woman you find nice at best?”

“No, of course not!” he snapped back.

“Then what’s the problem? We could be free, Roman. Freer than any other person in this world. Why are you so set against that?” Remus stood up straight, eyes hard and a challenge in his words. “Why are you scared?”

“I’m not!” Roman said the words, felt them reverberate in the space around them, but he knew they weren’t true no matter how convincing they sounded. He’d spent his whole life resigning himself to a future he didn’t want, and now the dream he had tried to crush time and again was standing before him, ripe for the taking, and everything he thought he knew was being proven false before Roman could even understand the implications. Leave home? Go West? Be free to be himself? It was an incongruous thought, it barely even made sense in his head, but the more Remus said it…

The realer it felt.

“Then let’s go. Let’s pack our bags and leave tonight after everyone’s asleep. If you’re so worried about our parents, leave them a note. Please, Roman,” Remus said, and Roman realized that his brother might be brash but he was just as petrified of their futures as he was. “We can have lives if we leave. But we’ll die here and you know it.”

“Are you sure? Are you sure that it won’t just be worse?”

“It can’t get any worse, can it?” Remus asked. Roman had to give him that. What they had was nothing. They only stood to gain. “And, with every other person that goes, the more gay people there will be out there. And the less here.” Roman took a steadying breath, thinking it through. It sounded strangely sensical to have come from Remus.

“Okay. Let’s go tonight. We’ll find the West and whatever lies beyond.”

“We’ll be cowboys!” Remus crowed, bouncing away from Roman gleefully. “We’ll be cowboys who kiss other cowboys and we’ll-”

“Shush!” Roman said, laughing. “You’re ridiculous, and if you keep being that loud someone will hear you and we won’t be going anywhere but the asylum.”

“I’m going to go tell the trees goodbye!” Remus yelled, bouncing for the door. Roman caught his arm before he left.

“What was his name?”

“Who?” Remus asked, lost.

“The man who told you he was going West? Who was it?”

“Oh. Virgil,” Remus breathed. “It was Virgil.”

“Mr. Eli,” Roman said. “I could have guessed he was like us.” He hesitated before saying quietly, “Do you love him, Remus?”

“Who wants to do something like that?” he asked, but his eyes were far away. Roman let go of his arm. It wasn’t an answer, but it was all the answer Roman needed.

“He asked me to come with him,” Remus said suddenly. “I told him there was something I needed to take care of here first.”

“Oh,” Roman said. “Well. Thank you.”

“It wasn't for you,” Remus snarked, eyes oddly light. “Why’re you thanking me? I'll put worms in your boots!” He ruffled Roman’s hair as he skipped by and carried on outside, shouting nonsense to the streets for the last time.

Roman sighed, drooping back against the door. West. They were heading West. He frowned slightly, fixing his hair. He'd have to write a letter for their parents. Not telling where they're going, of course, but just letting them know they aren't dead. That they are going to lead a happier existence.

Roman walked to his room and sat at the desk, pen in hand. He studied the paper, mind whirring. Did he have anyone to say goodbye to? How was it his socially ostracized brother had more farewells to make than he? He supposed it didn't matter; they'd be going somewhere better for both of them.

When his letter was done, Roman packed a light bag and darkened the room, slipping into bed. He felt lighter and there was an anticipatory tinge to the air. He could not wait to leave.

 Dear Mother and Father,

We are leaving to be happy.

Your Sons,

Roman and Remus

[kanasmusings]

[Translation] TsukiPro Yaminabe Drama Track 5 - “Gray Fate”

AH!! I completely forgot to post this translation! I had it in my Word drafts and I was going through them thinking like I was forgetting something orz Anyway, here it is~! You’ll bear witness to doting Papa Kurotsuki Dai in this drama track~! They also talk a lot about destiny www 

The focus is on the managers this time around~! After this will be Arata’s drama tracks and the rest of the Yaminabe Vol. 2 tracks~ 

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission. Please just like/reblog them instead ^^

Under the cut, enjoy~!

Track 05: [灰色の運命] “Gray Fate”

[0:00]

  KUROTSUKI: (sighs) My oshis, Procella, were super cute and cool today, too~!

HAIDUKI: I won’t deny that they were but, are you alright in the head?

KANADE: (nervous chuckle) Haiduki, your real thoughts are coming out.

KUROTSUKI: Hey, you guys!

HAIDUKI: (laughs) I was just kidding!

KUROTSUKI: Geez, this is my happy time admiring the unit I’m in charge of, you know?

KUROTSUKI: Don’t make fun of me for it.

KUROTSUKI: I mean, look! Look, Haiduki! Look at this magazine that was sold today~!

(Kurotsuki waves a magazine in front of Haiduki)

KUROTSUKI: It started with a poster but now, the special feature for them is 26 pages!

KUROTSUKI: There’s multiple pages for each of them~!

HAIDUKI: Oh~? Isn’t that amazing?

KUROTSUKI: Man, for real~!! When I think of how the little baby birds I was raising then would be given a special feature like this, I~

KUROTSUKI: (sighs dreamily) It makes me reminisce~

HAIDUKI: (quietly) It’s not like… I’m jealous or anything.

KANADE: (chuckles before whispering to Haiduki) I’m so sorry about Kurotsuki being so lively, Haiduki.

HAIDUKI: Ah, no, it’s okay!

KANADE: I think that’s a coping mechanism for him.

HAIDUKI: Coping…?

KANADE: Hm… It seems like his mother back home kept grinding him about when he’ll get married or if he already has a girlfriend and all that.

HAIDUKI: Ah, I see now. Kurotsuki-san’s mother does send matchmaking pictures to the agency.

HAIDUKI: I’m pretty sure she really wants him to get married. That mountain of files on Kurotsuki-san’s desk…

HAIDUKI: Weren’t they all matchmaking pictures?

KANADE: Hm… I have met his mother and greeted her but normally, she’s a very kind and compassionate woman.

KANADE: But, lately… There have been people bragging about their grandchildren in their neighbourhood so… You know…?

HAIDUKI: Hm, I understand the situation now. People marry early in local areas like that and it’s like marriage is an absolute must-do thing, huh?

HAIDUKI: Kurotsuki-san’s hometown is in Aomori, isn’t it?

KANADE: Yeah, and so…

KUROTSUKI: Ah~! This cut is so cool! Maybe I’ll take it with me and decorate my room with it~

KUROTSUKI: This is what they call a manager’s privilege, right~? AHAHAHAHAHA!!!

KANADE: His super doting “I love my children~” is worse than normal…

HAIDUKI: Isn’t that just called “running away from reality”?

KANADE: (chuckles) I won’t correct you there.

[02:33]

  HAIDUKI: Kurotsuki-san, who’s my senpai as a manager, and is seven years older than I am is—

HAIDUKI: His former job was an SP, a bodyguard in the Metropolitan Police Department’s special defences department.

HAIDUKI: He was a policeman in charge of protecting important people, in other words.

HAIDUKI: That man who has a strange history of professions, stands taller than me even though I’m already 180 cm tall.

HAIDUKI: He’s a good man with a good build.

HAIDUKI: Since he is often in shot on camera with those important people, it seems like he worked on having a manly build fitting for an SP. He’s pretty smart, too.

HAIDUKI: And yet these past years, not only does he have no girlfriend but he doesn’t seem to be interested at all.

HAIDUKI: And because of his mother’s fretting, his desk has slowly become a stockpile of matchmaking session pictures.

HAIDUKI: Normally, it’s one’s own decision if they want to get married or not. I think it’s no big deal if one chooses not to get married but…

HAIDUKI: It’s undeniable that his “papa tendencies” towards the unit he’s in charge of has increased since he passed 30 years old.

HAIDUKI: Before, we joked about calling our units our “kids” but lately, he’s been taking it so seriously…

(Haiduki starts remembering what Kurotsuki once told him)

KUROTSUKI: My kids are so cute…!

HAIDUKI: (sighs) Honestly, it’s a bit scary…

HAIDUKI: Of course, since he’s a capable manager, he never excessively dotes on his unit when they’re on set.

HAIDUKI: But, when he’s talking about them, it’s like he’s a different person and his eyes shine so proudly.

HAIDUKI: Excited and sparkling eyes, really.

HAIDUKI: And I slightly, just slightly, understand why his mother, who probably wants to do the same thing, would want to tell him to hurry up and get married so he can have his own kids.

[04:45]

  KUROTSUKI: Shun’s as carefree as usual and the photographer had a bit of trouble giving instructions to him but, it’s because of his very playful heart that they could come up with something like this! Isn’t that amazing~?!

KUROTSUKI: Look, look! They look so amazing~! They’re works of art, right~??

KUROTSUKI: Man, it’s cute, huh~? It’s troubling, isn’t it~? My kids are so cute and so cool!

HAIDUKI: Please calm down, Father.

KUROTSUKI: As if I can! It’s my children’s best looks yet, got it?

HAIDUKI: It’s not rare for Procella to get featured in magazines, you know?

KUROTSUKI: You don’t understand! You just can’t, Haiduki!

KUROTSUKI: No matter how small an article it is or no matter how small the picture is, every page of my kids’ best looks are important!

HAIDUKI: Yes, yes. I understand that it’s special but please, arrange the papers on your desk. Some of them are spilling over to my desk.

HAIDUKI: I’ll throw them away if you don’t.

(Kurotsuki panics and stands up quickly from his chair)

KUROTSUKI: AHHH!!! YOU GLASSES-WEARING FIEND!

HAIDUKI: Glasses-wearing fiend?!

KANADE: Please let him off the hook, Haiduki. I said this a while ago but Kurotsuki’s been tired lately.

KANADE: He got a very long call from his mother right after he came back from a location shoot.

KANADE: It seemed like they talked for three hours about why he won’t go to a matchmaking session.

KANADE: He’s a bachelor who just wants to escape from reality.

HAIDUKI: I guess you’re right~

HAIDUKI: But really? For three hours? That’s kinda like a long movie already, huh?

KUROTSUKI: Don’t say it! Don’t make me remember! I’m in the middle of doting on my cute children!

HAIDUKI: Eh…? Kurotsuki-san… Aren’t you being teary-eyed…?

KUROTSUKI: I’m not crying! Even though I want to…!

HAIDUKI: (nervous chuckle) There, there. The people of the Kurotsuki Household are passionate in a lot of ways, huh?

HAIDUKI: Their love is deep or rather… Heavy, I should say…?

KUROTSUKI: Don’t say it! I’ve started thinking that, too…

KANADE: (chuckles) Kurotsuki, how about trying to go to one matchmaking session at least?

KUROTSUKI: Impossible!

KANADE: Why? If you go to one, won’t your mom feel at ease for a bit? You might get to meet someone great, you know?

KANADE: Maybe they’ll be your “destined person” or something similar~

HAIDUKI: Destiny? Kurotsuki-san, you were wishing to meet your soulmate?

KUROTSUKI: Sh-shut up! It’s not bad to wish, right? In any case, a matchmaking session is a no-go!

KANADE: It’s okay! We’re not telling you to abandon those feelings. We’re just saying to try a matchmaking session once in a while.

KANADE: Your destiny and romance might be waiting beyond, you know~?

KUROTSUKI: If I say it’s impossible then, it’s impossible!

KANADE: (laughs) You’re so hard to convince, huh? I don’t think it’s something you should reject strongly though.

HAIDUKI: He’s right, Kurotsuki-san. Don’t say that love can’t happen in a matchmaking session.

HAIDUKI: It’s a great way to meet, too, after all.

HAIDUKI: How about entertaining your mom’s wishes once in a while instead of just focusing on work?

KANADE: Yeah. My parents got married via matchmaking session, too. They get along very well even now.

KUROTSUKI: EH?!

HAIDUKI: (suddenly standing up) Is that true?!

KANADE: Yeah, it is.

KUROTSUKI/HAIDUKI: I can imagine…

KANADE: E-eh…? Is it even common to have parents who got married via a matchmaking session?

HAIDUKI: Ah, no, somehow… It’s the atmosphere…?

KUROTSUKI: You might think this laughable but…

HAIDUKI: Hm?

KUROTSUKI: I think this is fate, too.

KANADE: “This” being?

KUROTSUKI: My meeting with Procella.

KUROTSUKI: It might not be with a “soulmate” and all but, I think that this is destiny, too.

KUROTSUKI: I mean, even though it’s not love or if we’re not related, to be able to think “I want to treasure them!” or “I want to support them!”… I think it’s kind of like fate, too.

KUROTSUKI: No, it’s destiny without a doubt.

KANADE: Kurotsuki…

HAIDUKI: Kurotsuki-san…

KUROTSUKI: That’s why… I want to spend more time with this “destiny” of mine. Just to see how far I can go with them, you know?

HAIDUKI/KANADE: (smiles)

KANADE: Kurotsuki…

HAIDUKI: Kurotsuki-san.

HAIDUKI/KANADE: Your love is too heavy.

KUROTSUKI: WHAT?! That’s how you react?! This is where you’re supposed to be moved since you’re both managers, too!

KUROTSUKI: Listen, you guys! As a manager—

(Kurotsuki knocks the coffee on his desk and it spills on his papers)

KUROTSUKI: AH!

(Things continue to get knocked off his desk)

KUROTSUKI: AHHHHHH!!!!!!

HAIDUKI: W-wait, Kurotsuki-san!

KANADE: Ahhh, go get some tissues!

KUROTSUKI: My precious magazine!!!

(Kurotsuki begins sobbing loudly)

KANADE: This is because you were getting too wild.

HAIDUKI: I told you to not— Just hurry and bring some tissues, come on!

(Their voices fade out)

[09:34]

  HAIDUKI: Hm… Destiny, huh…

SHIKI: Haiduki, is something wrong?

HAIDUKI: Ah. (chuckles) Just a little something.

SHIKI: Hm? Ah, what is it?

HAIDUKI: Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how you have the eyes of a music idiot. (smiles)

SHIKI: Huh? You’re being rude all of a sudden.

HAIDUKI: (laughs)

HAIDUKI: Those narrow and straightforward eyes are definitely the eyes of a music idiot.

HAIDUKI: They look dull but they’re very sharp and yet sometimes, it’s the opposite.

HAIDUKI: He’s a music idiot and a work-a-holic to boot. He was my co-worker before but now, he’s the leader of the unit I’m in charge of.

HAIDUKI: I think that his simple honesty towards people is really very fun. He’s that kind of guy.

HAIDUKI: That kind of guy made a unit and I, under direct orders of the President, became their manager.

HAIDUKI: They’re all very unique on their own but, unlike me, they’re kinda like me when it comes to not bearing any ill will at all.

HAIDUKI: They’re all beautiful, they’re smart, and their personalities are… Well, they’re quite honest.

HAIDUKI: No matter what angle you look at it from, it looks like they’re all living the easy life and yet, they’re a unit who was formed because they’re all still somewhat awkward and pure.

HAIDUKI: That’s who SolidS is.

[11:25]

  HAIDUKI: Hey, Shiki. Do you think that “destiny” exists?

SHIKI: Hm? That’s pretty sudden. Did you fall in love at first sight in a bar again?

HAIDUKI: Again, you say. You sure bring up some old stuff. That’s from a pretty long time ago, isn’t it?

SHIKI: As if I’d know. You’re a guy who’s fickle and has a lot of love to give after all.

HAIDUKI: What sort of false information is that? I’m unexpectedly wholehearted, you know?

HAIDUKI: So? Shiki, do you believe that destiny exists?

SHIKI: … “Destiny” sounds dramatically romantic but, at the same time, it’s fickle and unreasonable.

SHIKI: That’s why, I don’t overthink too much on the topic of destiny.

SHIKI: Destiny is something you grab with your own power.

SHIKI: Though, I might put something different if it’s for a lyric.

HAIDUKI: (laughs) That answer’s so like you!

SHIKI: I feel like I’m being made fun of if you laugh after I answered but… You’re the one who asked, aren’t you?

HAIDUKI: I’m not making fun of you. I just—I just really felt like laughing after thinking that answer is something you’d definitely say.

SHIKI: Isn’t that normally making fun of someone?

HAIDUKI: There, there~ It means “It’s so like Shii-kun that it’s wonderful~”

SHIKI: Hm. I wonder why I can’t honestly accept it when Fumi-chan says it like that~?

HAIDUKI: You’re so mean~

  HAIDUKI: I don’t know if being with SolidS is my destiny or not.

HAIDUKI: But… I’ll make sure to work my best to make it my own destiny.

HAIDUKI: It’s true that it’s fun providing back-up for them. To someone like me who rarely gets excited over anything, that much is already amazing.

HAIDUKI: It might be enough.

HAIDUKI: I… I put my destiny in my own hands with my own power.

  ==END==

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission. Please just like/reblog them instead ^^

[storylocke]

The Light - Ch 1

[Virginia woke up to the sounds of some distorted mewling from beside her bed and glanced at the Meowth staring up at her. She knew she needed to get up, her mother would be angry if she didn't, but she didn't feel well and just wanted to stay in bed. Her head hurt, for one thing, and swam with conversations playing out, overlapping each other, as she continued to lay still and entertain these thoughts. But most of the stray thoughts kept coming back to the stray cat and she finally looked back at Looker.] 

Virginia:

I'm guessing Mom sent you here to get me? [Heaves a sigh and goes to get up. Even if she'd taken nearly all night to get her cozy personal space all established after moving in, it was still jarring to wake up in a strange room nearly half a world away and know it was hers for good. She kneels down to pet the cat and gives him a smile.] I bet with all your travels, a new home is nothing. [Gets up and looks around, half admiring her work now that she was more awake to understand what she might have been thinking at the time.] Say… can I… ask you a question? 

Looker:

[Blinks at her in curiosity] And what might that be? 

Virginia:

[Somewhat dreamily goes over to the big Snorlax doll, giving it a squeeze so the voice box inside goes off. She smiles at it and continues on in a sleepy air as squeezes it a few more times] Oh, um… you ever get the feeling- this sort of rush- something big has happened but you're not even sure what it is? [Looks to him] Because if it was something big, you would have noticed it, right? Or maybe it's just the nerves to feel like maybe something's coming. Something has changed or will change or…

Mom:

[From the next room] Verge! Are you up yet? 

Virginia:

Y-yes? I'm just, uh, getting dressed! Hang on! [Really she hadn't changed out of her clothes the night before, but rushes over to the mirror to at least get her hair decent] 

Looker:

Speaking for me, or for yourself? I think it normal when starting the day in a new location that one might be brimming with excitement. Or nerves.  [There's that bright grin of his again trying to give some sense of comfort. It quickly vanishes as they hear the door.] … [Ears perk at the muffled conversation outside as he approaches the door to listen in] Everything is new, but I can at least promise you won't find out what your gut is telling you if you stay in here. 

Virginia:

Can't argue with that. [Winces] Did she seem to be in a good mood when you were out? [As he said, she might as well go find out. She steps out of the room to find her mother almost directly on the other side of the door and flinches.] Sorry… 

Mom:

Sorry? It's bad enough I let you bring that Pokemon trash all the way from Hoenn, you should have left it. I bet you two were just goofing off in there, weren't you?

Virginia:

"Him" if um… if you don't mind…. [She lowers her gaze, not meaning to sound rude in correcting her.] S-sorry...

Mom:

Darling… [Runs her hands down the girl's arms as a sign of comfort before moving Virginia's face up to look at her.] What are you going to do if you over sleep at the Battle Agency? Think you can apologize to them? 

Virginia:

No… but I don't think- [She's about to make the excuse of having jet lag, or exhaustion from the move, from her brain pounding right now, or staying up so late, but she knew any counter point would be only an excuse. It really is her fault for not settling an alarm.]

Mom:

Then I should hope you learn how to think between now and when the school opens. [Makes a pouty face almost mocking the sour look Virginia is giving.] Aww, don't be like that. School is fun! You could just as well stay there forever~! [smiles] You want to be top of your class, don't you?

Virginia:

O-of course! [Her mom lets go and starts moving towards the table to fix a sack lunch, which Virginia can't help but think strange to bag up anything if they were staying home. Takes a breath to get up the nerve to ask.] But I got my Trainer's License, remember? Right before we left, Professor Lillie… 

Mom:

We got your license strictly for school. You'll be borrowing Pokemon from the Agency to train with. Remember, when I used to live here, I served as a Trial Guide! I helped hundreds of young boys and girls attempting to complete the island challenge, and let me tell you; a lot of them were not fit to be on their own. 

Virginia:

I… I could practice? With Looker? We just arrived, the Battle Agency doesn't open for a few weeks, and I don't have any people I'm meeting today, so can't we take just one day to settle in? 

Mom: 

And it's that kind of logic that will keep you from becoming a top Agent. [She puts her hands on her hips and takes a moment to look Virginia over, almost sizing her up really. Coolly] I'll think on it. I have already been entrusted with a Pokemon for you from a certain someone you might know~!

Virginia:

[She feels it's a dumb question even before she asks, but she just had to.] Is it a cat?

Mom:

Hahahaha! [Turns back to her] Don't be so ridiculous. [She goes back to cutting up vegetables] And don't be getting any ideas either. You can't trade when you only have one Pokemon. You're Verge, aren't you? [Waves her head across the imaginary banner she can already see before her] With my help, you'll be making headlines in no time! [Coming down from that cloud, she goes to grab the phone and waves the girl off as she starts to dial.] Now why don't you go grab your day gear, and I have a surprise for you when you get back.

Virginia:

[Soft sigh as she was about ready to test if she could slip outside while her mother went on, but eventually just heads back to her room.] Just as I thought…. [She sits at the desk as she can already hear her mother on the phone probably with her dad the way the woman was cooing into the earpiece, but knowing him, if he had a Pokemon for her, he'd just ship it already in a ball and some little note. Thank you, Mr. Faba, indeed! Huffs. … softens. It'd been a long time since got to see him in person. Maybe a call that night would make her feel better.] This is all too sudden… [She spins the chair slightly to look at her notebook for school. Might as well try studying…] 

Looker:

What exactly is too sudden? 

Virginia:

[Oh hello there. Hadn't realized he followed her inside. Spins the chair slightly to look at him.] Do you think I'm being selfish? 

Looker:

Who said anything about that? 

Virginia:

She didn't say it, but… 

Looker:

… [He takes a moment to calculate before hopping up on the desk to be more level with her.] Verge, I've been staying with you for the last three months, and I think it safe to say that it is she who has been the selfish one. 

Virginia:

She just wants what's best for me. It feels wrong, but I almost wish something exciting would happen to change that. Like, I found that bottle on the beach, and when it talked about Alola, I thought it was some kind of sign that things would be different here. And maybe it will, I just need her to get me there. Couldn't you just see it? [Rises from her seat as she shares in her mother's wild imagination, waving her hand to command.] "Know what, Mom? I'm not letting you take all the good parts! I'm Captain now too, you know! Why not see if you're good enough to beat my trial!" … [She settles down a bit as she opens a drawer and pulls out a series of motes she kept hidden from her mother --talking about the Battle Agency, the fantasy of owning a Marshadow, about her rankings-- and finally finds the worn and water damaged page she'd buried like a treasure. There just seems something almost magical about finding a lost item, worn by time, and she holds the page so carefully as she reads over the lines again.]  It's silly though, isn't it? I met you shortly after, and I'd never seen any talking Pokemon back home, but that doesn't mean I've discovered real magic.

Looker:

[Tucks a paw under his chin as he thinks on this long and hard] "Magic" is a very loose term, but I can assure you, it's… it's more common than you think. I'd say be careful of what you wish for, but, perhaps, it is too late for that. 

Virginia:

[Brightens up] Really? You think so? 

Looker:

[Nods] At the time we met, if memory serves me right, you wondered if hearing me was only your imagination as you had already been hearing "voices", correct? [She nods] Do you hear them now?

Virginia:

[Long pause as she tries to listen. She'd had so much already going through her brain, she hadn't really noticed the difference.] …. I think… yeah, I do. Something's telling me I should go grab my stuff to head outside. [Sinks a bit with a sheepish grin] But that could also just be Mom.

Looker:

Then, from my experience, perhaps my running into you was no mere happenstance. 

Virginia:

You mean like you're supposed to look out for me or something? Only one problem… Mom isn't going to let you go with me, she kinda hates you. 

Looker:

That woman doesn't frighten me. I've dealt with more than one case of young people being subjected to such, how you say, controlling figures before. 

Virginia:

[While he doesn't sound too happy about it, she certainly is to know he might get to come after all. She gives a nod and goes to grab her hat and bag.] Then let's see what's out there~!

 =+=

[As though luck would have it, she gets startled again as she opens the door to find her mother on the other side with one hand raised to knock and the other holding the completed lunch bag. The woman seems almost impressed as she lowers her hand to place it on her hip.]

Mom:

And where do you think you're off to in such a hurry? 

Virginia:

Umm, well you told me to grab my stuff, so I thought we were going out. 

Mom:

Still faster than I expected. [Perks up] Good on you for taking some initiative. [hands her the bag and goes to dig in her pockets] I have a treat for you~! One of our neighbors saw me in the garden this morning and gave me a ticket for the Ride Pokemon Show happening in Iki Town today in exchange for some fresh vegetables. Talk about a steal, we weren't even the ones to grow them! Of course there's only one but I have some unpacking to do and thought you might as well educate yourself. Here~! 

Virginia:

[A Ride Pokemon Show? What does that even mean? But why question it when her mother was telling her to go see something without being escorted?] Thanks, Mom! [She slips it into the bag for safekeeping and starts to head for the door.] We'll be back before dark. 

Mom:

Now hold on, missy. You're not taking the Meowth. 

Looker:

[Meows at her. Visibly getting defensive as he curls his paws and glares at the woman.] 

Virginia:

But I can't go alone… 

Mom:

You'll be fine. The road between here and Iki Town is completely clear, so you won't need any Pokemon with you tonight. I just heard your new little friend should be arriving by tomorrow. Besides, that thing can't defend you even if you did take it. 

Virginia:

Ah… alright. [He at least comes with her to the door as she shoots a glance at the cat. Softly.] I told you she wouldn't. 

Looker:

Don't worry about me. I'll just take the evening to do a bit of research. Go on. I may have a plan in the works.

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: So I thought I’d try taking the transcript from Randomized Ultra Moon and turning it into a story during NaNoWriMo last month. .... I am still on Melemele Island. XD Still! I’ve found myself falling in love with the dark world this script is giving me, but I’m still not sure about the title for this new novel. And since I’m done transcribing it, I’m not sure about the plot yet, but I feel like I can work with it as it goes along. This will make things... interesting in the long run. We’ll take this ride together! 

[cloudylovemuses]

Arcade (2)

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader, past!Natasha Romanoff x Reader, past!Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff x Sam Wilson

Summary: It's time for you and Bucky tell Sam and Wanda about your decision. Also you need to talk to Nick Fury and talk things out, hoping for the best.

Author's Note: Sooo, I tried to right a small chapter for the time gap between my first and third chapter. It's a bit awful and lazy, next week week (I'll give a lil spoiler) we'll meet the house and the neighborhood. I wasn't feeling really good to write something more, but hope you like it.

(1)

It's been 5 days since you accepted Bucky's offer, to start a new life with him. At first you and Bucky where discussing where will you live. You suggested to buy an apartment at Brooklyn, but he rejected the moment the suggestion hit the table. He didn't want to be back to the place where he grew up. He didn't want to return to his past. Didn't want to start his new life based on how he used to live.

"Can we have a house with a big kitchen? Ohh Buck, it'll be really nice to have a huuuge kitchen and try so many recipes freely, with so much space to work on." You said dreamily while standing on your elbows to watch Bucky. He turned his gaze from the ceiling to you with a smile in his face.

You were in his room daydreaming about your future life. You're laying next to him being excited about your plans. He laughed and pulled you out of your thoughts. "What? Why are you laughing?" You smiled at him.

"I'm just thinking that if Sam watched us cook with aprons. We wouldn't hear the end of it." He laughed.

"Oh my god, you're soooo right. He'll tease us 'till the day we die." You both laughed again and you suddenly stopped and gasped.

"OH MY GOD, SAM!"

"What about him?" He questioned, confusion covering his face.

"We need to tell him that we want to leave." His smile left his face and his eyes dropped to his hands. Even though the two boys were always fighting, they were the closest and best friends. Bucky didn't know how Sam would take it.

"We need to talk to him." He finally said.

"What? Like, right now?"

"No I think he is already asleep. Tomorrow morning. The sooner the better!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." you sighed and curled to his side.

"He won't be very happy, will he?" You both returned your gaze to the ceiling a worried look on both of your faces.

"I don't know, doll. I don't know."

~~~~

The next morning you knocked on Bucky's door, still worry over your features. He opened slowly having the same emotions as you. "Ready?"

He softly sighed "as ready as I can be."

"We have to, Buck." You took his hand on yours and pulled him out of his room.

"I know, I know." He sighed again and you started walking towards the living room.

"Sam!" You shouted and he popped his head from the couch.

"Hello Cinnamon, hello Tinman. What's up?" You giggle at your nickname while Bucky glared at him. Sam liked to call you Cinnamon because you putted cinnamon everywhere, from aromatic candles to coffee dressing.

"We um...wanted to talk to you about something." You said hesitantly.

"Of course, what is it about?"

You moved further and sat down next to him and Bucky sat behind you, staying close to you. "Me and Bucky were thinking umm...we were umm...thinking..." You nervously said playing with your fingers not wanting to look into his eyes.

"Guys. You are worrying me, what's wrong." Sam said worry all over his face.

"No, no nothing is wrong...we just kinda thinking..." Bucky trailed off and then you took over.

"Me and Bucky were thinking about to retire and live a normal life." you stated with one breath closing your eyes and opening them to see a bit confused Sam.

"What do you mean?".

"Sam, we won't lie to you, we're both really tired of this Avenging life. And after our losses we are falling apart more and more. We appreciate all your and Wanda's help, but unfortunately is not enough. We are trying really hard to recover. But all this fighting is keeping us behind. Reminds us -and most certainly me- of the past. We can't keep living like this. We LOVE working with everyone here but it's not doing us any good. We would really, REALLY, appreciate it if you at least consider our retirement and talk things out with Fury."

You were staned by Bucky's words. You didn't expect him to take control of the conversation. And it was a really happy surprise.

"Wow, Buck. I forgot you could talk so much" Sam laughed. "Guys, I understand that your mental health is not stable and of course I noticed your struggle at your latest missions. I'll admit I was thinking to tell Fury give you some days off and retirement hit me like a truck." You both looked at his smiley face, when he turned his gaze behind you and you saw Wanda, who was coming slowly and was smiling too.

"I told Sam that you two needed some time off. But if you feel more comfortable with retirement we are both going to support you." she said while sitting next to Sam grabbing his hand into hers. "Also, let me tell you, I'm gonna help to convince Fury to give you what you want." She smirked, that knowing smirk which said yes, I'm going to manipulate him for you.

You were nearly in tears. You didn't believe that they accepted your decision so quickly and without hesitation. "You guys, you don't know how much this means to us." you teared up, standing to hug them both.

"Thank you so much. Both of you." Bucky said softly trying to keep himself from crying.

You pulled away and looked into their eyes. "When are we going go talk to Fury?"

"How about tomorrow?" Wanda questioned.

"Ok, tomorow then." Bucky said.

"Shall we go make some dinner? I'm starving!" Sam whined and you all laughed.

"Let's go" Wanda laughed and dragged you all to the kitchen.

After two burned steaks, 1 burned apple pie and somehow a burned salad from the boys, who wanted to show off to you, you and Wanda took over.

The dinner was so peaceful. So beautiful. They were your family and you really loved them. So much.

"Oh, guys, have you decided were are you going to live?" Wanda asked at some point.

"Y/N told me about her grand-grand mother's mansion in Magnolia Springs. She said that it's very big for two people, but it'll be big enough to build spare rooms and rooms for us to spend our time. I haven't saw it yet, but I trust her."

"Wait. Did you just say 'build'?" Sam said confused.

"Yeah well I thought it'll be nice to create a home with our hands." You answered.

"It sounds really sweet, but what about the money?" Wanda asked.

"Stark left to much money, for us to use. So we think its the best way to use them." Bucky said.

"Yeah, Tony left a lot money to everyone and I still don't know why." You giggled.

"He's dead and he still makes us happy."

You all smiled at that and fell into silence. Memories from Tony making you all smile. Bucky smiled on the stories you all said about him. His smile fell from his face. He wanted to say he is sorry. For his parents for the mess he created between Tony and Steve. Oh, how much he wanted to apologize.

"Um, I'm finished does anyone want desert?" Bucky asked after a while. You all raised your heads and looked at him.

"Yeah, I do. I'm coming to help you." Sam said and they both left for the kitchen.

"Are you sure?" Wanda asked a minute after the guys left.

"For our decision?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, yes I am. Bucky is an amazing guy and he is in the same boat with me. If we start over together it will be just a little bit easier."

"But sharing a home is a lot more than a start over, you know that."

"Wand me and Bucky are friends and we can do this. This will just be an adventure for us. We'll have fun, building our own house. Living a new life. Sure it'll be sometimes a little difficult, but we'll do this."

"I'm happy for both of you. I believe in you. And me and Sam will help you with what ever you need." She reached for your hand and held it.

"Thank you Wanda."You smiled at her. A smile which turned onto a smirk after a moment "oh and since you mentioned it. What's going on with you and Sammy?"

She left your hand and blushed like crazy. "Nothing, we're just friends"

"Yeah, yeah I believed you now Wands" you laughed.

"Shut up" A crimson color took over her cheeks and you laughed again.

-Meanwhile in the kitchen-

"Bucky, are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Yes, Sam, I'm 100% sure." Bucky sighed, cutting a big slice of cake for you.

"I mean you two don't know each other so long, to start a life together." Sam said with a concern voice. Bucky dropped slowly the knife and his head. But he immediately looked at him again.

"Sam, I trust her. She's been there for me in ways I couldn't even imagine. She never gives me an apologetic smile or looks at me with pity eyes. She is comforting in her own way, and she helps me when I need it even when I don't ask. I don't say that you or Wanda don't help me, it's just...she is...She's different and I like it. She makes me feel good."

"If she makes you happy, of course I won't get in the way. I just want to make sure that you're ok with that decision. I want the best for you bud." Sam admitted softly patting Bucky's shoulder. Bucky turned and hugged him tightly, not letting Sam breath for a bit.

"Ok, ok I need to breath now please." Bucky let him go and they both laughed.

"Ohh, bird brain I didn't ask you before." Bucky smirked without looking at him.

"What's it this time Tinman?" Sam rolled his eyes and said with an annoying voice.

"What's going on with you and Wanda?"

Sam choked on air while Bucky hit his back, still smirking.

"Nothing's happening."

"Yeah, yeah sure bird brain."

"Fuck off, asshat"

"Idiot."

"Let's go the girls are waiting."

They came after a while with four plates of chocolate cake. Your and Wanda's favorite.

"Here you are ladies." Sam excitedly said.

"Thank you boys" you smiled at both of them and continued your lovely night.

The dinner was over and you all were at your rooms waiting for sleep to take you. When a soft knock at your door, caught your attention.

Bucky opened further the door and whispered, "Doll, are you asleep?".

"No Buck, come in." He closed the door behind him and took small steps towards your bed.

"Hey" he waved at you.

"Hi" you chuckled.

"Can I please stay with you tonight?"

"Of course you can Buck." You pushed your covers and he laid beside, pulling up the blanket.

"Doll, am I the only nervous for tomorrow?"

"No, not really. I think I'm a bit nervous too. I mean we are going to tell Nick Fury that his last two super soldiers are going to retire and they're going to live like two farmers but yeah, no I'm not THAT nervous about that." You joked and he let a heartful belly laugh, that made your stomach feel weird, in a really good way.

"Yeah, way so nervous? It's so normal!" He laughed again and you followed.

"Seriously now Buck, Fury won't be happy. I'm slightly afraid that he'll refuse to retire us."

"Honestly, doll? I don't know what will happen tomorrow. Part of me hopes for the best but another part is just pessimistic."

"What will we do if he says no?"

"We'll see." he sighed.

"Ok" you said a lil' disappointed.

You curled closer to him and moved your gaze from the ceiling to his face. He found your eyes and spoke again softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful silence, "come here, I don't mind." he smiled.

You pressed your body on his and wrapped your hands around him. He hugged you too and put a soft kiss on your head.

God only knew how much you both loved to be on each others embrace.

~~~~

When morning came, the nervousness came along with it. All your mind was thinking about rejection and Fury. You almost cried when the time for the meeting arrived.

Bucky came to your room to take you and went together, sharing some of the anxiety.

Before he opened the door, Bucky hugged you tightly and you hugged him back the same. You breathed and opened the door.

You greeted Fury and moved to sit down, next to each other, not wanting to let go the others side.

"Mr.Wilson informed me about your thoughts and decisions and of course the state of your mental health, and I have to say I'm surprised that you want to do such a thing together."

You looked at each other with a smile at your faces and a giving an actual loving gaze, and turned to Fury again and said and awkward yeah.

"So, where did that came from?" He said and confused you.

"What do you mean, sir?" Bucky said.

"Where that idea came from? How did you think such a thing? What brought you to that decision?"

"We just had a conversation together, after a tough night and we realized we can't do it any more."

"We want a new life. Bucky is really tired fighting and holding a gun on his hands and I'm really tired fighting too. But we don't have a problem helping whenever it's needed."

"We have a lot to discuss." Fury said with a frown.

After 2 hours and a lot convincing Fury agreed. He said that he will first check the house, the neighborhood, the neighbors' past, just to be sure. He said that he'll put Friday and a security system in the whole house. You hadn't disagreed of course. He also said that you'll get paid for whatever job you do for him, you'll still be his employees no matter where you live or what you do.

You didn't really care what jobs he'll give you eventually, you just wanted to live as far from this life as you could.

When you signed the papers, Fury dropped his serious face and said "I'm really proud of both of you" and left.

You turned and looked at Bucky, who just smiled. You smiled back at him and left, to start making plans for your new house.

[dontshootmespence]

Through the Pages

Chapter 19

Amidst the insanity of picking out a ring with his friends, introducing Eleise and her parents to his world and the general chaos of work, he hadn’t had time to himself in quite a while, so instead of calling of texting anyone, he decided to sit on the chair next to the window for a few moments of reflection. Between the sunlight streaming into his apartment and the warmth it brought, he was able to breathe. 

When he sat down, he felt the ring box in his pocket, resting heavily against his side. Although it wasn’t from her time, the ring would be perfect for Eleise – simplistic and beautiful. The amethyst sat in the center, held in place by four small prongs that did nothing to distract from the clarity. The ring itself had two intertwining bands. Spencer hadn’t thought about it too hard at the time, but it was symbolic of them, coming together from two separate worlds to fit together as if they’d always meant to. A few small, strategically placed diamonds in the bands brought the whole ring together into the perfect homage to her Victorian roots and whatever future the world had in store for them.

As the sun shone against the purple stone, casting a faint lavender light against the wall of his apartment, he wondered whether or not the ring itself would change its appearance when he walked through the door. Everything else had, so he didn’t see why not, but the idea made him smile. Or maybe it was just the idea of spending the rest of his life with the woman he loved that made him beam. Either way, he hadn’t been this happy in years and that was reason enough to smile.

                                                          -------

When the family of three returned to their small home a few days earlier, Alfred and Eleanor had been too in shock by what they’d witnessed to say anything or formulate any questions about Spencer and the world in which he lived. After a few days time however, Alfred moved passed the initial shock and sought out his daughter after they both returned home from work. “Hello darling,” he said, kissing her cheek. “How was work today?”

“It was agreeable, Father.” She walked about the room, unable to keep focus, which had been an issue since her parents crossed the door’s threshold. “I’ve just been trying to comprehend everything in Spencer’s world. Some things I have imagined on some level, but others are just more spectacular than my wildest dreams.”

From his place on the couch, Alfred followed his daughter as she walked around the room. He had many questions about Spencer’s world, but he couldn’t be bothered to ask them when Eleise was so dreamily in love. Without even talking directly about him, Alfred could see just what his daughter would do for the man she loved. “Darling, I do have one question.”

“What is it, Father?”

“The door we walked through…does-,” he said, his voice cracking as the possible reality fell on him. “Does it ever close? Permanently?” 

Eleise’s eyes filled with tears as she stared into the eyes of her hero – the man who’d given anything and everything to provide for his family. The idea of leaving him behind forever made her stomach turn, but she knew Spencer felt the same about his mother. “I don’t know,” she said honestly, a tear falling from the corner of her eye. “For how smart Spencer is, he doesn’t know either. We’re trying to figure it out.”

Father and daughter sat in silence, his hands clasped around hers. All he’d ever wanted for her was her happiness, and if that meant leaving he would learn to live with whatever decision they made, but he couldn’t deny the giant tug on his heart when he thought of the possibility that one day, he could be seeing his daughter’s face for the last time.

For now, he’d revel in the time they had together. He’d remember all the lines of her face and how they differed from when she was a little girl. He’d revel in how proud he was of the woman she’d become and he’d imagine the woman she would come to be. No matter where she was or she might be, he knew more than anything else that she would make him proud.

                                                          -------

Over the next few days, Eleise found herself able to process Spencer’s world, at least as best she could given her two brief visits. He visited her a couple of times – short visits just to see each other during the chaotic day-to-day life of law enforcers. Then they were hit with a bombshell – Chief Tennyson and his wife had checked if the door would reappear for them and it hadn’t. He tried to convince the couple that just because he and Alana couldn’t return to her time didn’t mean Eleise and Spencer’s situation would be the same, but it was still another thing that was hanging over their heads like a raincloud.

With her parents’ blessing, Eleise and Spencer were accompanied to the door and allowed to go on what Spencer called ‘a date.’ “It’s like courting,” Spencer had assured. “The difference is that it normally isn’t something parents participate in.”

“Where do you plan to take her?” Eleanor asked. “What do you plan to do?”

“I’ll take her to dinner, somewhere different than the other night-“

“Oh really?” Eleise asked disappointedly. “I want another waffle.”

Spencer laughed under his breath. “We can go back if you want another waffle.” His attention returned to her mother as he continued. “Then we’ll do something fun and I will have her home by 2000 hours.”

“What kind of activity?”

Immediately, Spencer could sense what her mother was implying and he corrected her quickly. “No, no, no, n-nothing like that,” he said as he stumbled over his words. “It’s something called mini golf.”

“I’ve heard of golf, but what is mini golf?” Eleise asked, clearly confused.

“With golf, you have to hit the ball hundreds if not thousands of yards in as few swings as possible-“

“Yards?” Eleanor questioned.

“Metres,” Spencer laughed, forgetting for a moment that not only was he living 150 years in the future, but also across the pond. “With mini golf, the distance is much smaller, and there are obstacles in the way like tunnels and ramps and little moving windmills. It’s, as you would say, precious.”

Eleise bounced up and down happily, which seemed to be enough for Eleanor. About 30 minutes later, they were accompanied to the door with promises that Spencer would return her at 8 PM.

When Spencer closed the door behind them, Eleise jumped into his arms and placed a kiss on the corner of his lips. “What was that for?” Spencer asked.

“Because I love you and I can get away with it here,” she giggled. “You make me happy. Will you teach me how to play the mini golf?”

There was nothing he wanted more. Like a cheesy romance, he couldn’t wait to stand behind her and guide her swing with the putter. Maybe sneak a kiss to her cheek or the side of her neck. “Absolutely,” he said happily, a somber tone immediately taking hold when the realization of their differing worlds washed over him again. “Eleise, do you think you could be happy here?”

“I do,” she replied dreamily. “I don’t think I could ever become accustomed to this world. Could you be happy in mine?”

“I think I could.” He didn’t want to think about leaving his mother behind, so for now he wouldn’t.

                                                          -------

Just as he’d hoped, Eleise loved mini golfing. She was obsessed with the size of everything – from the small obstacles to the large buildings surrounding them -constantly asking how certain things worked and whether or not the stuff of her dreams was a reality here.

Between her childlike joy and his inability to focus on anything but the woman in front of him, the golf game went by in a flash, leaving Eleise saddened when the ball disappeared from sight for the last time. “Where does it go?” She asked.

“Since this is the last hole, there is a tube under the floor and using air, it pushes the ball back into the building so there is less for the employees to clean up.”

“That’s so clever!”

Leaning in, Spencer kissed the tip of her nose. “I love your wonder.”

“You live in a wondrous time.”

“So do you,” he whispered.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, wanting to take their shot at the last hole. “How about we go get something to eat?”

“Waffles?”

He suspected they’d be eating a lot of waffles in the next few weeks.

“Whatever you want, my love.”

                                                           -------

The diner wasn’t all that crowded so shortly after they arrived they were seated at a table in the corner of the room with their orders placed. Of course, Eleise got her Belgian waffle, topped with strawberries this time, while Spencer got a giant omelette with bacon on the side.

Just as the waiter placed their food on the table, Spencer caught sight of something he wasn’t expecting – a few of his teammates – and they saw him.

“Eleise, a few of my friends walked into the diner, so they will probably want to meet you.” 

“They don’t know where I’m from yet, do they?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay I’ll be careful,” she said, stuffing another piece of waffle into her mouth.

Penelope teetered up to the table in her impossibly high heels, followed closely by Emily and JJ. “Oh my goodness, you must be Eleise! Boy Wonder’s love! I’m so glad to meet you. My name is Penelope!”

Shaking hands, Eleise made quick work of chewing her food so she wasn’t talking with her mouth full. She wasn’t sure if she could get away with that here, but she did want to maintain her Victorian upbringing, at least to some extent. “It’s wonderful to meet you,” she said, turning to shake hands with Emily and JJ as well. “Spencer has told me all about you.”

“And he’s told us all about you,” JJ smiled, just so happy that Spencer had a love he deserved. “He didn’t tell us you were British though. Your accent is adorable.”

“I don’t have an accent,” she laughed. “You do.”

They exchanged a few pleasantries for another moment or two, with Spencer interjecting when he needed to in order to keep Eleise from blowing their cover for the time being. “Well, we should probably go to our table and stop intruding on their date,” Emily said, practically pulling Penelope out of the seat next to Eleise to push her toward their booth on the other side of the restaurant. “But Eleise it was wonderful to meet you. We can’t wait to get to know you better.”

“And I, you,” she smiled, turning to Spencer quickly when they walked away. “How did I do?”

“Wonderfully,” he said, as his heart rate returned to normal. That was close. “How do you feel?”

“A bit better. I was nervous they wouldn’t like me. And I know what they mean to you.”

Spencer squeezed her hands in his and lifted them up to kiss the tops of them. “I knew they’d love you. Because I do.”

@remember-me-forever-silent-angel @veroinnumera @alixcharmedworld @kitsch-i-might-be @sharon6713 @gaylemonshark @zombies-bunny @spencerwreid @ophila-archie-l @theatre-mom @too-music @illegalcerebral @madduhsen @rayreids @criminalnoodler @princesswagger15 @followingmyowndirection @kawhgi @astridstark13 @extremeobsessions101 @pretentiouslisp @meghanll @jillthekill @coffee-and-stories​ @thekatherinewinchester @courtneymarieroseee​ @ashley2197​ @tbhm1a​ @fl0werb0nes18​ @professional-fangirl-2002 @everyday-imfangirling @bookaddictlove​ @stunudo​ @spencer-is-too-perfect​ @meganlpie​ @rawritsmolly​ @sebba-hiddles​ @spookyshyguy @rt8815​ @badbitsh13​ @epicstepic @queenanneslace4​ @giddybeater​ @chilloutbitchx @teaspoon-full-of-sugar​ @transparentmilkshakefury @sunflowerscratches @mad-maximilian​ @antoheartit​ @sallangel @moonlightrose18​ @confused-and-really-hungry​ @reallyshypeanut​ @clockworkballerina​ @youknowisay @niall2017​ @were-skye​ @generouslyuniquestudent @forcingsmiles247​ @weirdgirlwithproblems @saraisthoughts​ @louis-writings​ @flannelparker​ @nadpug​ @pastroptard @pandacraz09​ @kitten863 @simitten​ @xxm3xxj​ @just-antiyou​ @whaaatthefuuuuck @thatnerdygirljudy​ @notes-in-a-bottle​ @wkxicnrueiiejjf @catherinechatzi​ @fernicusb​ @princessjae92​ @original-criminal-fanfics​ @teamwolf2411​ @piotreknawrot @aligre-blog @call-me-meh @donnacif-blog @lastfallenstar @crimeshowtrash​ @grenae18​ @annexoeh​ @captswann​ @the-unloved-person @april1535​ @stupidmenina @chloereidjonesellessar​ @imaginativedaydreams @bbkenna @immundusspiritu @karouwinchester @thelateliterary @sassyspacedust @spicy-quarius @emilyshurley @gooberforgubler80 

[hahyuck]

Rivalry - NCT gang! Au

Part2. Part3

↠group; NCT ot18 feat BlackPink

↠genre; mafia/gang au

↠warnings; violence and swearing

↠summary; y/n gets involved with the wrong sort of people and finds themselves mixed up in a rivalry between three gangs, The Dreamies, The U-boys and The 127. The rivalry is known as the NCT and they pretty much dominate Seoul, this all started when y/n developed a crush on The Dreamies Jeno, The U-boys’ Ten and The 127’s leader Taeyong.

↠A/N; (okay for the purpose of this imagine all members are aged between 18 and 21)

“Oh my god, how gorgeous does Jeno look today!” You squealed as you took a seat at the lunch table your friends were sat at. “Yeah sure he’s hot but I heard he got recruited into The Dreamies a few weeks ago and you know about the NCT...” Jennie said concentrating on eating her lunch as she didn’t want to make eye contact with Jeno. “That makes him ten times hotter!” You said dreamily. “Speaking of Ten, did you hear that he’s going to beat up Haechan tonight?” Rose whispered so that your conversation wasn’t over heard. “That’s probably just a rumour, The U-boys don’t hang out around here anymore...” jisoo said concerned.

The five of you continued to chat and eat your lunch, you finished first and went to empty your tray into the bin.

“Your not going to eat your apple?” You heard a voice say from behind you, you turned around to see Jeno smirking at you. You froze unable to comprehend his stunning features. “Are you going to eat your apple?” He repeated, he took a step closer to you and smiled. “N-no, do you want it?” You stuttered nervously. You mentally kicked yourself for sounding so stupid. “Thanks,” he picked the apple up of your tray, “what were you saying to your friends about me earlier, y/n” He asked innocently. Shit. Suddenly without warning a jolt of confidence ran through your system, “is it true your in The Dreamies now?” As soon as the words left your mouth You regretted even being born.

Your heart was racing and your face burned red. but Jeno just chuckled,darkly. “Yes, that rumour is true. But does that make me a bad guy?” His voice was dark and it made your stomach twist, in a good way. “Depends. I personally love the bad guys...” you shrugged. “I guess I’m a bad guy now then, if you want to see me in all my bad boy glory come to the Drippin at 8 o’clock tonight, don’t be late.” He said taking a bite of your apple and leaving.

What the fuck just happened. You quickly ran back to your table. “What was that!” Lisa whisper shouted. “Why were you talking to Jeno for so long and why do you look so happy!” That’s when you realised that you were smiling like an absolute idiot. “Jeno wants me to meet him, tonight.” Was all you managed to say. The four girls had the same shocked expressions on their faces. “A-are you actually going to go?” Jisoo asked. “The Drippin at 8” You blurted, still smiling. “The D-Drippin, you mean that arcade restaurant place where all The Dreamies hangout!” Rose said stunned by the mention of the notorious hangout. You just nodded. “Well I don’t know what else to say other then, don’t die and don’t let him pressure you into anything, other then that we can’t stop you from being your adventurous self.” Jennie shrugged.

The rest of the day Jisoo and Rose tried to convince you not to go or get involved with Jeno and his friends but at the same time Lisa and Jennie were encouraging you to do what you thought was right. At the end of the day you decided that going and seeing Jeno couldn’t be that bad, could it?

After school you headed straight home to get ready.

You unlocked the front door and ran up into your room. Your parents both worked long hours so you pretty much took care of yourself. You took off your school uniform and got into the shower in your en-suite bathroom. You quietly hummed a tune whilst you massaged shampoo into your scalp.

You took an extra long shower which you kind of regretted as when you got out you were left with only two hours to get ready. You sat on your bed frantically blow drying and brushing your hair. Once your hair was semi- decent you started to pick out an outfit. In the end you decided to with something slightly grungey but also kinda cute at the same time.

You checked yourself out in the mirror then flopped onto your bed to text your friends.

[19:21] you: girlssss it’s nearly 8!

[19:22] Jennie: have fun y/n, tell me what Drippin is like when you get back x

[19:22] Lisa: yesss I’ve always wanted to know what that place looks like!!!

[19:23] you: okay will do! Honestly I’m so excited for tonight!!

[19:23] Rose: I’m glad your excited y/n but please don’t do anything stupid and if your ever scared or feel like somethings off just message me and I’ll come and pick you up! x

[19:23] you: thanks roseeee x don’t worry I won’t do anything stupid and I’ll leave if anything bad happens x

[19:23] Jennie: that’s my girl! Have fun x

[19:24] you: thanks, I’m leaving now x

You turned off your phone and slipped it inside your bag before locking up your house and starting your walk to Drippin. You soon realised that you should’ve brought a jacket as an icy wind picked up. You pulled out your phone from your bag and connected your earphones to try and distract you from the bitter cold.

The more you walked the less people you saw out in the streets. You could tell that you were close. Even though The Dreamies were a group of 18 year old boys everyone who lived in the south side of the city were scared of them. They were young and naive which made them dangerous. Obviously there were quite a lot of rumours floating around about them, most of them were completely absurd and most of them made their leader, Mark, out to be a really dangerous thug who has been caught up in the life of violence since an extremely young age.

Soon the streets became illuminated by the violent red glow of The Drippin. You saw the famous hangout at the end of the road. There were a few people stood outside smoking, they were the owners of the restaurant. You walked past them and inside. You breathed a sigh of relief when the warm air hit your cold body.

“Who are you?” You heard a deep voice say. You looked up to see none other then The Dreamies all looking at you from their table in the centre of the restaurant. The person who had spoken was who you believed to be the youngest, Jisung. “It’s y/n!” Jeno said standing up and walking over to you. “Glad you could make it!” He said smiling. He took your hand and lead you to the table you couldn’t help but blush and the skin contact.

You took a seat next to Jeno at the table. “Nice to meet you y/n, Jeno was about to explode. He thought you weren’t going to show.” Jisung said laughing. Jeno lightly thumped his shoulder and looked away from you to hide his blushing face. “I just took a while to get here because my house is pretty far away and I don’t have a car.” You said shyly. Jeno snapped round to face you, “You walked here!?” He said shocked. You slowly nodded, taken a back by his concern. “But it’s so cold and your not wearing a jacket!” He put his arm around your shoulders and rubbed the goosebumps that had formed on your arm. “Don’t worry, me and Jaemin can walk you home,” Jeno said not removing his arm. He then turned to Mark suddenly, “if that’s okay with you boss.” Mark just nodded slightly and Jeno smiled and squeezed you.

Soon some of the boys had broken off and went to play in the arcade which left you, Jeno, Jaemin and Haechan on the table. “How about we get something to eat!” Haechan suggested. You all agreed and Haechan left to order food for you all. “How come I’ve never spoken to you before y/n? Your so funny and nice!” Jaemin said. You blushed, “it’s probably because I normally just blend in with everyone else. I guess I just don’t draw to much attention to myself so you probably never noticed me.” You said smiling. Jenos grip on you tightend when he saw your pink cheeks, “trust me y/n, I noticed you. I guess I didn’t talk to you because I didn’t think you’d like me.” Jaemin said. “Well at least I had some courage to talk to y/n and bring her here tonight.” Jeno said bluntly. He sounded slightly jealous as he pulled you even closer to him and sent a glare at Jaemin. Jaemin immediately switched the subject, “I’m gonna see what’s taking Haechan so long.” He got up and left.

“Thank you for bringing me here tonight, I’m having such a nice time getting to know you and your friends.” You said in an effort to reassure Jeno. This made him smile and he hid his face in the crook of your neck. Haechan and Jaemin came back to the table with four portions of chips. “We aren’t interrupting anything here are we?” Haechan said laughing as he put the food down on the table. Jeno removed his head and frantically shook his head. He made you laugh a little because he was being so adorable.

The rest of the night was so fun, you had never laughed so much. You spent the night stuck to Jenos side whilst the two of you moved between various members of The Dreamies. You got know them all relatively well and the only person you were slightly scared of was Mark because he was being quite and distant towards you.

You checked your phone and saw that it was nearly 11pm, you whispered to Jeno, “it’s getting pretty late, I think I’m going to head home.” He looked at you and pouted. He then called for Jaemin and Haechan to come over. “What are you doing Jeno?” You asked confused. “The three of us are going to walk you home.” Jeno said taking your hand in his. The two boys walked up to you, “Are we taking y/n home now?” Jaemin asked Jeno. Jeno nodded and Haechan and Jaemin put on their coats.

You headed out into the night. As soon as you stepped outside the cold air hit you like a truck. Without thinking Jeno slipped off his coat and wrapped it tightly around your shoulders. It felt like a large hot water bottle. “Ah Jeno, so that was why you kept your coat on top of the heater the whole time!” Haechan said laughing. “I don’t know what your talking about!” Jeno said sarcastically. “So smooth.” Jaemin added. You laughed and kept the coat wrapped tightly around you.

The four of you walked through the dimly lit streets and talked whilst your voices were echoed off the houses.

You were quite close to your house when you heard footsteps behind you. “What was that?” You asked Jeno. Jeno turned around and squinted into the distance. So did everyone else. “I think someone’s over there.” Haechan said. “I think there coming this way,” Jaemin added. “I think there’s more then one of them.” You said. You felt increasingly nervous as the number of bodies multiplied. You watched the four figures emerge from the darkness until they were stood underneath a street lamp.

“It’s Ten.” Jeno said almost gulping at the sight of them. Haechan shuffles from foot to foot. “And isn’t that Lucas, the one they recruited a few days ago...” Jaemin pointed out. “I-I’m pretty new to all this stuff but I really don’t think we should all be staring at them, it might like provoke something...” you muttered looking down at the floor. “I think it’s too late for your smart input.” Jaemin said as he realised that they were walking up to you.

“Well, well, Well if it isn’t the daydreams!” Ten said as he stopped centimetres away from you. You quickly took Jenos hand in yours and squeezed it tightly. Jeno stood in front of you protectively, “what are you even doing here, you said you didn’t want to fight Haechan anymore.” Jeno said confidently. Ten just looked at him and shrugged, “changed my mind.” His lips curled up into a mischievous smile. “And who might this be?” Ten said as he moved closer to Jeno and peered over his shoulder to find you hiding behind his back. “That’s none of your business, she’s not one of us.” Haechan said moving to your side.

“So are you gonna fight the kid or not?” Lucas said clearly getting impatient. Ten looked at you then at Jeno then at Haechan. You watched as his eyes glistened from the reflection of the street lamp. “N-not tonight...” Ten said looking at you. “We can’t fight infront of that person if they aren’t even involved in our mess, it wouldn’t be fair.” He smiled and didn’t take an eye of you. You felt the familiar feeling of your heart racing and your cheeks blushing. “Thank you.” Jeno said, he quickly pulled you away and continued walking to your house.

“I might be crazy but were you seriously blushing?” Jeno whispered into your ear his voice was blunt and clearly, he was jealous. “It’s just cold.” You shrugged avoiding eye contact.

When you came up to your house you turned around to face the boys, “this is my house, thank you for bringing me home,” you said smiling, “oh and I nearly forgot! Here’s your coat Jeno.” You went to take the coat off from your back but he stopped you. “Keep it.” He winked at you. “Thanks,” once again you were blushing like mad. You quickly ran inside and watched them leave from your window.

That’s when your phone pinged.

[23:01] Rose: please tell me your home now!

[23:01] you: only just

[23:01] Lisa: did you have a good time? What did Drippin look likeee?

[23:02] you: I had an amazing time! All they boys were so nice and funny honestly don’t know what I was so scared about😂

[23:02] you: and drippin is THE COOLEST PLACE EVERRR it’s literally got an arcade in it and everything!!! We need to go there together some time!

[23:02] Jennie: only if the Dreamies would be okay with that, don’t want to start anything with them if you get what I mean.

[23:02] Jennie: buttt we could all go out for a drive like right now? I’m so bored and hungry!!!

[23:03] you: I’m down ;)

[23:03] Lisa: I’m coming too!

[23:04] Jennie: me and rose will come and pick you up

You went to quickly to get changed into some more comfortable clothes before the girls arrived.

You heard a beep coming from outside and rushed out. You climbed in the back of the car next to Jisoo and Lisa.

Jennie drove off, you turned the corner and saw a group of four boys walking in the middle of the road. “I swear down y/n these better not be any of your new dreamie friends.” She said as she beeped the horn. “I don’t think they are, they look older...” You said. They all turned around at the sound of the horn. “The U-boys.” Jisoo murmured. Jennie told everyone to roll their windows up and lock their doors, but Lisa’s window was stuck. Ten walked up to the window and stuck his head inside the car.

He looked at you and instantly smiled, “someone’s popular,” He said smirking. “I didn’t catch your name earlier, what is it if you don’t mind me asking?” You began to wonder what you should say, should you make a snarky comment should you lie about you name? “It’s y/n” You said trying to hide your smile. “Y/n... that’s a pretty name...” he spoke his thoughts out loud, “look, I’m sorry we were walking in the middle of the road, we didn’t expect anyone to be out driving this late at night.” He said to Jennie. Jennie was shocked by his kindness and could only manage a small nod.

“And as for you y/n, I’ll see you around.” He waves good bye and pulled his head away from the window. Jennie quickly started the car again and drove off, “he’s quite charming isn’t he!” Jennie said trying to tease you. You just ignored her and played with your hands.

This will be a series, I don’t know how long it will be though?? I would really appreciate any feedback or suggestions for the next part! Thank you for reading x

[dansphlevels]

will u do part 3 of yellow roses? i love it so much your writing is honestly great

Yellow Roses pt. 3 of 6

Read part 1 here, part 2 here, or read the whole thing on Ao3 here.

Summary: Dan has a wife who just loves the flowers he keeps getting for her. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know about the attractive florist who sends hidden messages with each bouquet that her husband might just be falling for.

Length: 2.3k words

Themes: historical,  language of flowers, flowershop au, forbidden love

Daniel went through five stages in the process of getting over Phil. 

The first, was regret. He regretted his actions, his illegal, immoral choices that had led to him kissing another man. He promised himself he would never make a mistake like that ever again. He would learn to forget Phil.

It had been two weeks already with no contact. Daniel shouldn’t have been counting.

The second stage was emptiness. Because when you find someone that makes your heart feel full, and you push them away, you can’t help but feel like they took your lungs with them. Daniel learned what love was, real love, and without it he felt like he had to relearn how to breathe.

Who knew that Dan could hold his breath for so long?

The third stage in the process of getting over Phil was denial. They never had anything, Dan insisted, just some flowers and some messages and two simple kisses. He was being silly for not moving on. Yes, Dan was silly indeed. The fourth stage was misery. As it turns out, learning to breathe again without your lungs is not fun. The fourth stage was also a sort of mixture of the other three: Dan grieved his choices, both kissing Phil and ignoring Phil, got mad at himself for feeling empty, and continued to convince himself the feelings weren’t even real. All while being miserable.

 Dan was quite the catch. Daniel was still in the fourth stage when the boys who had kissed were given their prison sentence. One year in lock down for committing the unforgivable crime of kissing someone of the same gender. Daniel had told them, letting them know that afterwards they would not be allowed to see each other again. Daniel was content being miserable for a while longer. But then it happened, an it that no one was truly prepared for, that sent Dan spiraling over the edge of what he could handle, and before he knew what he was doing he was out the door, his feet leading him where he’d been yearning to go for the past two weeks. And that’s when the fifth and final stage of getting over Phil began.

—–

It was wrong. It was very, very wrong, but Dan refused to stop walking. He had on his formal jacket, as he always did when he left the house, and put his hands in his pockets casually as he walked. No one had to know what he was planning to do. The boys had run away. Dan was still processing what it meant. Apparently, they couldn’t stand the thought of being apart. Dan’s mouth felt dry, and his stomach churned. He didn’t relate to them, not one bit. He was doing fine without Phil. So they took off, running away with what measly possessions they had. To start a new life, Dan supposed. Together. That word hurt. Together. Because Dan had felt so lonely these past few days, and together was something he longed for. Together. After the police left, Dan decided he’d go on a nice little walk to the city. It was at least half an hour away on foot, and normally he would take one of his horses, but as he was in need of a stable boy, that wasn’t likely. The two boys also stole his horses. But as far as he could tell, that’s all they stole, so he didn’t care. They’d get farther that way. Why are you rooting for them? Dan thought to himself. They’re criminals!He decided not to think about it. He should do his best to avoid relating to them, if at all possible. After all, he had a wife, and- Oh, who cares?As Dan walked, he admired the flowers on the edge of the road. Not as beautiful as Phil’s, but then again, was anything? As beautiful as Phil’s flowers, that was, not as beautiful as Phil. Well….Dan’s thoughts were too jumbled to function. He could name some of the flowers, anyways. Some were very wild, too wild for his book, and some were just unfamiliar. Others were likely weeds. But every once in a while he’d come across ones that were familiar. A yellow one called Cowslip, with lots of little flower heads shaped like bells. Dan only remembered them because their meaning was very strange. Along with being a symbol of birth and death, they also hinted at mischief and adventure. Such a strange combination and Dan hadn’t understood it until just then, as he walked along the country roads about to do something very stupid that could go very horribly.He considered it for a moment, then reached down and plucked a half dozen stems, quickly hiding them in his jacket pockets. After all, what are those pockets for, if not holding flowers?The flower that Phil had given him, the allusive blue rose, had held up surprisingly well for having been held in his coat pocket. Dan had stared at it for a lot longer than he should have, thinking about the meaning. “‘Giving someone a blue rose symbolizes ‘I want you, but can’t have you’”, Dan said out loud, before realizing what he was doing. He couldn’t be seen talking to himself out and about; the townspeople had enough gossip about him without knowing he talked to himself about flowers. As the city neared, Dan tried not to think about what he was doing. He had never been to where he was going before, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. And sure enough, right on the edge of the town was a large greenhouse, attached to a little store. Dan turned and pushed open the door to the store without stopping to consider what he was doing. “I’d like to talk to one of your florists,” Dan said to the cashier, feeling like an idiot. “Phil… I’m sorry; I don’t know what his last name is.” And suddenly, Dan realized just how ridiculous he was being. He barely knew the man, and here he was, falling for him?But all of his reserves melted away when Dan saw him. Tall, with messy black hair and wearing hideous gardening clothes that were covered in dirt, and an ever present little smile, not enough to be silly, but enough to show a sort of happiness that very few people had. The smile grew when he saw Dan, but the florist did his best to hide it. “Oh, Da- Mr. Howell. You’re here for the tour of the gardens?” Dan could barely speak. How could he have missed someone this much, that he hardly even knew?—-The gardens started in the backroom and continued on through a little walkway into the greenhouse, which seemed big already from the outside, but from the inside was absolutely enormous. “Some flowers need different amounts of light than others,” Phil narrated as they walked, “So some are kept in the dark all day, and some are kept in the light. And we use a special mixture of fertilizer to grow the flowers in, which is why some people notice they are extremely high quality.”Dan was completely in awe as they walked through the greenhouse, walking along rows upon rows of greens and purples and yellows, every color one could imagine and some that felt brand new to Dan. “Yes,” he muttered dreamily, “I noticed.” Phil glanced around to make sure the door was closed and they were alone. His easy, carefree expression melted away, being replaced by one of…. concern? “Dan, what are you doing here? What happened?” Dan blinked a few times, trying to snap out of his daze. “Yes…. Um, I wanted to see you.” He mentally kicked himself for being so awkward. “I mean… the flowers. I wanted to see the… gardens!”Phil cocked his head, letting a little smile poke through. “Huh. For some reason, I don’t completely believe you.” “Well, you should,” Dan argued indignantly. “I’m a man who likes flowers, get over it.” This caused Phil to laugh, and oh, Dan wanted to melt at the sound. So light, so carefree…. he couldn’t stop his feet from rushing him forwards slamming his lips against Phil’s, kissing him desperately. Phil stepped back in shock, but after a moment kissed back lightly before pushing Dan away. “Dan… what was that?” He looked even more surprised at Dan’s actions than Dan was. “I mean… it was good. I like kissing you,” he muttered, blushing. “But… why’d you do that?” Dan’s heart was pounding. They didn’t have much time, before someone came in, or at least questioned what they were up to. He’d have to speak fast. “These past few days have been miserable,” he spoke quickly, trying to get it all out before they were caught. “I missed you, Phil, I really really missed you and I can’t sleep and I feel so empty without you, and I tried to move on, I really did! But I couldn’t, because I have feelings for you, and I can’t-” Someone pushed the door open, entering the greenhouse and grabbing some containers off the ground, whistling as they left. Dan tried to catch his breath. “And I can’t- and I miss- and, Phil, I just-” “Woah there, calm down,” Phil offered, placing a hand on his arm comfortingly. “I missed you too.” And all of a sudden, Dan didn’t feel quite so empty. “I’m sorry for barging in,” he offered. “How about you show me some of the flowers?”—- Dan went home beaming, happier than he had been all week. He and Phil had talked for hours, about flowers, about life. Apparently, Phil didn’t want to work at the flower shop forever. He dreamed of leaving the town where he’d lived all his life and going somewhere new, he didn’t care where, just somewhere far away where he could plant his own flowers, and start a shop of his own. “Most people don’t know the right way to grow flowers,” he had said, gently caressing a brightly colored tulip. “They think all flowers need the same amount of sunlight, the same amount of water, everything. And I want to show them that… well, flowers are like people. They’re all unique, and not everyone needs the same things.”At that point, Dan thought of the boys once more. They were to be arrested because they loved each other instead of women like everyone expected them to. “They’re unique, and not everyone needs the same things.” Phil had also given Dan a rather gorgeous bouquet, full of deep purples and blues, and the darkest red roses Dan had ever seen. Dan had asked what they stood for, but Phil insisted he decipher it himself on his own time. Then, before he left, Phil pulled him into another kiss and asked when they could see each other again. “At the river? Tonight?” He begged, their bodies so close they could be imprisoned just for all the contact. Dan wanted to say yes, but instead, shook his head. “Rose wants me to take her to a play tonight. Can we do it tomorrow?”Biting his lip, Phil looked away. “No. I’ll be working at a wedding that day, they ordered dozens of roses.” Dan snorted. “Clichés.” “But the day after that? Please?” He inhaled, wondering what he was doing, how he was allowing himself to fall so hard for this man. “Yes. At the stream.” “I’ll see you then,” Phil offered. “Yes,” Daniel agreed. “I will see you then.” And then they kissed, and Dan never wanted it to end.

——

But it did end. And before too long, Dan was back in his best formal suit, with his wife at his elbow, and he was painfully reminded that his life might not have room for Phil in it. Rose kept talking to him, and Daniel smiled and laughed, but didn’t put much effort into conversing with her. For whatever reason, it felt wrong. He felt as if he had to make a choice, but didn’t know what the choice was. He thought of it all throughout the play, and in bed, staring at his ceiling. His wife slept with him again that night, however, their clothes remained on. He hoped she wasn’t going to make a habit of it. Not that he didn’t like having someone with him in the emptiness of the night- on the contrary, he liked it too much. Daniel was a lonely man, who enjoyed the warmth of a person next to him.But there was that choice, the allusive decision that Daniel must make, but by then he had figured what it meant. One of the other, a choice between two objects of affection. Because surely Daniel loved his wife as much, if not more than the florist? This was safe, he was happy- what was there to decide?Except for the fact that Daniel wasn’t ready to let the florist go from his mind. So instead, he pondered the question endlessly, not allowing himself a choice. Maybe… there was a third option? After all, why did Daniel have to sacrifice his safety for love? Why did he have to sacrifice anything at all? So when he saw Phil again, Daniel allowed himself to kiss the man, under the darkness of night and the watchful gaze of the moon. And he allowed himself to lie in bed with his wife when he got home, and pushed the guilt aside. He had been forcing himself to choose one or the other, Rose or Phil, safety or love. But why couldn’t he have both?

Part 4 / Fic Masterpost / Ao3

[purrincess-chat]

To Tame a Queen CH8

The first ever Thursday second update of the week! This chapter is a little tiny bit of Adrinette, but this is all the love square that appears in this fic, so suffer through cause next chapter is one of my favorite Chloe pastimes!

FF | AO3

Chapter 8

The following week at school, students were abuzz about Chloe’s surprising generosity. Some were shocked, though supportive, however, others were still skeptical which Marinette couldn’t blame them. But regardless of her true intentions, the foundation idea was all Chloe, and it would do good which was what really mattered. As much as she hated to admit it, she was kind of proud of Chloe, not that she ever planned to say it to her face.

Chloe did seem to be changing, and if she continued down this path of righteousness, Marinette would be happy to be wrong. She’d seen sides of Chloe she never even imagined existed, and while she wasn’t quite sure it excused her behavior in the past, it did give her a bit more perspective. Maybe she’d turn around after all, and Marinette could go her own way again. Being Ladybug and Marinette was hard enough without factoring in another problem to deal with. She looked forward to her freedom once all of his was over, and she could get back to her own life. She deserved a break after all she’d done recently.

“Marinette!” Her heart jumped into her throat at the sound of a particular familiar voice.

Adrien!

“H-Hey, hi, Adr-ien, you’re, uh – haha – hello.” She waved awkwardly. “What’s going up? I mean on! I mean-”

“I’ve noticed you’ve been helping Chloe out a lot lately, and she’s actually been a lot calmer since then. I was a little worried about her when that news story hit a month ago, but I think it’s so awesome that you’re helping her,” He praised, and Marinette momentarily lost herself in his eyes. She shook herself when she realized he stopped talking.

“Oh, uh, yeah! I felt kinda bad too, so I thought I could help her,” She said, touching her flushed cheeks. “It’s been kind of a wild ride.”

“I bet. Chloe can be stubborn, but you’re a natural miracle-worker,” He chuckled. “I’m impressed you got her to go to that orphanage.”

“You and me both,” She muttered under her breath.

“What’s that?”

“Oh! Nothing! Just, ya know, I thought it would be good for her.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“You really have a way with people, Marinette. Everyone looks up to you.” He blushed a little, and she had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t imagining it. Adrien was blushing because of her! “So, listen, I was wondering if you wanted to go to a movie with me sometime? I-I know you’re busy helping Chloe, and I’m kinda booked for a while too, but maybe we can set aside a day in a few weeks just for us?”

Us. She liked the sound of that.

“I, yes! I-I’d love to see a movie with you, Adrien,” She gasped.

“Awesome! I’m free again at the end of the month for a few days. We can go that Saturday,” He offered. “If that works for you.”

“Totally!” She blurted. “It works perfect! I mean, you’re perfect – I mean, uh, perfect!”

“Great. I look forward to it,” He patted her shoulder and headed past her to the boy’s locker room. She stared after him with a dopey grin on her face and a glazed-over, distant gaze in her eye.

“Adrien just asked you on a date, you know,” Tikki said pointedly in her ear.

“Yeah,” She sighed dreamily. “Wait. Adrien asked me on a date. Adrien asked me on a date! I’ve got to tell Alya!” Her friend in question was organizing her books at her locker when Marinette tackled her.

“Whoa, there! Give me some warning next time,” She laughed. “What has you all worked up?”

“Adrien asked me on a date~” She sang.

“Get out! M, that’s awesome!” Alya gaped. “When?”

“End of the month. We’re going to a movie. Alya, I can’t feel my feet. Are they on the ground?” She gushed, cupping her cheeks as excited squeals bounced between them.

Chloe slammed her locker shut on the other side of the wall and stalked from the room as Marinette recounted every detail to Alya. She knew she owed Marinette for her help, but she always figured it would be in the form of a manicure or shopping spree. She hadn’t considered that Adrien might pick her. It was Chloe’s own fault for not shaping up sooner, so she supposed she couldn’t complain. Still, it irked her that he asked Marinette on a date, and looking at either of them for the next several weeks only made things worse.

“Hey.” Marinette lingered by her desk after class one day. “You haven’t asked for my help recently, is everything okay?”

“I’m fine. Just been busy organizing my charity. Legal stuff. Doesn’t concern you,” She answered without looking up as she packed her things away.

“Okay, just checking,” She said before slowly backing toward the door. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.”

“Okay.” She nodded and paced from the room.

Chloe’s silent treatment continued for another week which was fine by Marinette. She supposed her work was done sooner than she thought, and this was the new normal for them. That is until Chloe approached her one Friday while she was unpacking her locker at the end of the day.

“What are you wearing tomorrow?” She asked bluntly, and Marinette’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “On your date.”

“Oh. Well, we’re just going to the movies, so nothing too fancy-”

“Show me,” She ordered. After another strange look from Marinette, she rolled her eyes. “Adrien is a dear friend. I can’t have you embarrassing him tomorrow.”

“Al-right?” Marinette shut her locker and slowly moved around Chloe as if she expected her to snap at any moment and led the way to her house. Chloe remained quiet the whole way which only added to how weird this felt. When they made it to Marinette’s room, she gestured to the outfit she picked, and Chloe eyed if critically. “Does it pass?”

“It’ll be dark in the theater, I guess.” She shrugged, and Marinette rolled her eyes.

“What’s with you? You’ve been completely silent for three weeks, and all of a sudden you come back and ask me about my outfit for my date?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you mad at me?”

“No.” Chloe shook her head slightly.

“Are you sure?” Chloe eyed her a moment before turning back to the stairs.

“I’m leaving. Have fun on your date.”

It was a sentence that would continue to haunt Marinette for the rest of the evening. What did she mean have fun? Was she being sarcastic? Was she planning to sabotage it? What was with her lately? Several similar questions ran through her head as she prepped herself the next day and waited for Adrien to arrive.

“Marinette!” Her mom called up the stairs after a while, and she made her way down to the living room where Adrien was chatting with her father. Their conversation trailed off as she descended, and Adrien’s face lit up into a smile.

“Ready to go?” He extended a hand.

“Yeah.” She nodded, shaking herself and taking his hand without a second thought.

“Have fun, you two!” Her mother called as they headed down the stairs.

“You look cute today,” He complimented.

“Oh. Thanks! You too,” She laughed nervously.

It wasn’t until they climbed in the car that she realized she’d held his hand all the way down the stairs and accepted a compliment on her appearance without malfunctioning. All because she was thinking about Chloe. Maybe she was the one acting strange. This was her chance to impress Adrien and make him fall in love with her, and yet, somehow her heart wasn’t in it as much as she’d always imagined. Alya was right. She really did need a brain scan.

[coffeeandcas]

Cherry Pie

AO3 Link

Based on this prompt: Waiter!Dean: Would you like anything from the menu sir? Customer!Cas: Are you in it?

"Would you like anything from the menu, sir?"

Cas starts as a menu is thrust in front of his face, tearing his attention away from the pile of papers in front of him, and he glances up into the most dazzling green eyes he thinks he's ever seen. He was about to say ‘no, just coffee’ but the words die in his throat at the sight of his waiter. Well, shit. If he isn't the most devastatingly handsome man on the face of the planet. Sandy, dark blonde hair, lean muscles visible under a tight t-shirt and the hunt of a tattoo on his pec peeking out from the v-neck, narrow waist which is hugged by the ties of a charcoal apron, incredible forearms and defined hands, which are currently holding out a laminated sheet of card to Castiel. The waiter smiles, and Cas wonders idly, dreamily, if this is what they mean by love at first sight. Because dammit to hell, this guy looks designed and created to break Castiel’s heart.

“I'm not sure yet…” Cas struggles to form words properly. This guy is unbelievable. How is it legal for anyone to be so handsome? “Are you in it?”

Wait, what did he just say?

“I'm sorry?” The waiter looks taken aback, a mixture of shock and amusement creasing his gorgeous face, and Castiel fights the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall. Shit. He's an idiot. Too much coffee, not enough sleep, and his brain decides to go haywire as soon as a cute guy steps into his vicinity. Isn't that just typical.

“No-no, I'm sorry…” Cas hastens to redeem himself. “I'm very tired. I meant, it depends what's in it. Can I have a look and…let you know?” Cas rubs the back of his neck self-consciously, finally tearing his gaze from the beautiful green eyes to stare down at the laminated menu in his hands - the thing looks to be in another language, his sleep-deprived and humiliation-fuelled brain can't understand a word of it. He gives up, and looks back up to the most aesthetically perfect person on the planet for help.

The waiter smiles, grins in fact, and Cas can't help but notice the smattering of freckles across his nose and the way his eyes crinkle at the corners. His name tag reads ‘Dean’ and Cas thinks he looks like a Dean. Fun, sexy, smart, just a bit cheeky.

“Want recommendations?” Dean seems to magic a coffee pot from nowhere and refills Cas’ mug. “You look like you've had a long day.”

“Yeah, kind of.” Cas has had a long day. He's had back-to-back meetings, a face-off with a disgruntled ex-client, and now he's sitting in this diner for one reason only: he's locked himself out of his apartment and the only person with a spare key lives four hours away. His brother Gabriel is on his way, but with Gabe’s penchant for getting distracted by everything that moves it could mean Castiel is stuck here all night. All he wants is a warm shower and the comfort of his bed. All he wanted, he amends with a thrill of excitement as Dean meets his eyes and grins at him again. Suddenly being stuck here doesn't seem quite so unappealing…

“OK. I don't know what you're in the mood for…” You, Cas thinks absently. You'll do nicely. “But the bacon cheeseburgers are really good, so is the PB&J milkshake. I know, it sounds weird but trust me. It's so good. Then for dessert, the cherry pie is…” Dean closes his eyes in rapture and places a hand on his chest. “Out of this world. Seriously. You have to try it.”

“Sure,” Cas is momentarily distracted by the gesture Dean has made, and can't stop his exhausted brain from picturing Dean closing his eyes and sighing in rapture at something entirely different. “That all sounds great.” He hands the menu back with a smile.

“Really?” Dean’s eyes light up. “Dude, you're going to be in heaven, I promise. The food in here is so good.” He moves to turn away then, after a second’s hesitation says: “How come I haven't seen you in here before? You just passing through?”

“No, I, uh,” Cas simply cannot come out with the truth. That he lives across the street but has always avoided the diner because it didn't look to live up to his tastes which include fine wine and five-star dining experiences. That he's only stumbled in here because he's locked out of his damn house and is too tired to go anywhere else and figured that the coffee probably wouldn't poison him. He can't say that. His social skills aren't so devastatingly awful that he doesn't realise how offensive that would be. “I live around here. I just work a lot. I don't get out to eat that often.”

“I see.” Dean watches him with a small smirk twisting his lips. The door jangles and that's his cue to go and attend to other folks, much to Castiel’s irritation. “Well, I hope you find more free time. It's not often we get cute guys coming in here.” Then with a wink, a fucking wink, he meanders away and Cas is left staring at the sway of his hips and the slight bow-leggedness to his gait and wondering why the hell he has never come in here before. And back up a second, Dean thinks he's cute? Well, he will definitely be coming in here more often, that's for certain. Judging by the name of the diner, he guesses this Dean must be the owner.

He sends a quick text to his brother, telling him he's found somewhere to get dinner so no rush, then thinks he should probably tackle some more work, despite his exhaustion and the fact that it's well after 9pm. He tries to focus back on the paperwork in front of him, but in no time at all his food has arrived and Dean is grinning down at him once more with those dazzling emerald eyes.

“Here ya go. Enjoy!”

Cas shifts a few of his possessions around until he's comfortable enough to tuck in. His trench coat and jacket are folded neatly next to him, files of paperwork organised and put back into his briefcase, and his phone sits silently on the table next to his perspiring glass of PB&J shake, which he takes a tentative sip of. Damn, that is good. Weird, definitely, but good. He doesn't even really like peanut butter, so it's saying something. The burger looks incredible as well, all melted cheese and greasy goodness, and although Cas normally wouldn't touch something so unhealthy with a barge pole the ache in his stomach overrides everything and he tucks in greedily. Dean is right: heaven. As he eats, he takes in the decor. Jukebox in the corner playing old rock and roll tracks, framed vinyls on the walls, and sketches of Chevy Impala’s line the wall behind the bar. The bar which is well-stocked with admittedly pretty good alcohol. Cas feels a twinge of contrition; he probably judged this place too harshly. It's comfortable, cosy, and definitely a place to relax.

He polishes off the burger in no time, savouring his milkshake and trying to remember the last time he had food this good. It's not fine dining by any means, but it's so good. Hearty, comfort food and Cas is a little disappointed to have finished his burger so soon. Before he can look around for his waiter, Dean wanders over to him with an apprehensive smile.

“Any good?”

“Hell yes.” Cas grins at him and Dean visibly relaxes. “Amazing. My compliments to your chef.”

“I'll certainly pass those on. Sammy does have some great skills when it comes to flipping burgers,” Dean winks again and saunters off with the empty plate in his hand. Moments later, he's back with a huge slice of delicious-looking cherry pie which smells incredible, and Cas’ mouth waters. Dean watches him with a smirk, tells him to enjoy, and heads back to his other tables. Cas again watches him go, feeling more and more attracted to the guy as every interaction passes. Dean is exactly Castiel’s type, but it's been a while since he dated so his skills are a little rusty. He hopes he isn't imagining that Dean might like him too; or perhaps he's this flirty with all his patrons?

“So?” Dean materialises above him after a time with another dazzling smile, displaying straight, perfect white teeth. “What did you think?”

“Amazing.” Cas leans back in his chair, eyeing his empty plate with regret. “I could eat all of that again, and more.”

“Yeah?” Dean is all crinkly eyes and happy smiles. “Good, I'm always glad when my recommendations are well-received. Keeps the staff happy, too. Can I get anything else for you?”

And Cas may be a tad socially inept, but he doesn't miss the subtle nuance of flirtation in Dean’s tone. Their eyes meet and a brief burst of electricity crackles between them.

“Just the, um, bill. I think. For now.”

Dean’s eyebrow quirks but his smile doesn't fade. “Coming right up.”

He sweeps the empty plate and glass from the table and vanishes, and Cas hopes he didn't take his words as a rejection. Dean is definitely someone he wants to get to know better. But not tonight.

Cas sits back and massages his temples, feeling relief flood through him at the gesture. As lovely as it is to sit here and talk to Dean, his head is minutes away from hitting the table and it would be great if Gabriel showed up around now. As if on cue, his phone bleeps and he glances out of the window to see his brother’s sleek black Audi idling on the pavement outside his apartment building. He waves, sends a quick reply to the ‘I'm here, where the fuck are you?’ text message and gathers his things. The next thing he knows, Dean is back and shoving a folded piece of paper under his nose. Cas goes to open it, simultaneously reaching for his wallet, but Dean’s hand covers his and he freezes, skin tingling warmly from the sensation of the other man’s touch.

“Thanks for stopping by. You should really come back again soon; the pecan pie is almost as good as the cherry.” Dean’s eyes are dark and his smile sweet, but with a sinful promise. Cas swallows, tries to calm his heart rate and feels Dean rub circles onto the back of his hand and his smile is absolutely, definitely flirtatious. “Check the bill is OK and if it is…well, you know where to find me.”

He retreats back towards the bar and vanishes and Cas, a little mystified by his words, opens the folded sheet and reads.

‘Hot guy like you? I just couldn’t decide how much to charge. Call me and we can…discuss. Dean W.’

His phone number follows and Cas huffs out a laugh at how brazen the note is. When he looks up to question Dean, the other man is nowhere to be seen in the slowly emptying diner, leaving Cas with the only option to gather his things and go out to see Gabriel. He folds the note in his pocket, a shy smile playing at his lips.

He gets the feeling, as he pushes his way through the door and out into the street, that he might be spending a lot more of his time sampling the food at Dean’s Place over the next few weeks…