#HAPPY TWENTY YEARS OF ANIMATION TO THE SERIES I STARTED AS A JOKE AND HAVE BEEN LAUGHING CRYING AND SCREAMING OVER

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

The bit of One Piece analysis that won me over to being a sideways fan / supporter:

The video essay is made up mostly of clips from the anime, with lots of flashing and lightning effects. So here's an edited bit from the auto-generated captions transcript, and a still image:

One Piece is all about freedom and Liberation, and having a queer person be a leader of the Revolutionary army or be a pirate is extremely on the nose. There's also the fact Luffy himself loves and cares for these queer characters. One of my favorite lines ever actually comes from Bon Clay as they see Luffy again: [Japanese Dialog, with English Subtitles from the anime on screen: Luffy: "Hey, Bon-chan! I thought you were dead ... after sacrificing yourself for us!" Bon Clay: "Gimme a Break! Queers never die!"]

Impel Down's arc was released from 2009 to 2010. So for an openly queer character to be hugged and loved by our protagonist of the series is honestly something I find amazing.

Apparently, there is a good deal of debate over whether some of the trans characters were written as a joke, or written in good faith. But considering that the author started writing the series in his early twenties, and has been writing pretty much non-stop for the last 26 years, there's certainly room for evolving attitudes and understanding.

And in any case, it makes me very happy that One Piece has a bigger readership, and has sold more copies, than the works of a certain British TERF who shall not be named.

The full video, from MelonTeee, is here.

[ljf613]

On Ships With Age Gaps

I've thought about writing a post like this for a long time, but I always decided against it because I don't feel the need to justify anything I say (or do, or enjoy, or ship, or write) to the good people of tumblr.

However, I do think that there are some people on here who, rather than being actively cruel or hateful towards certain shippers/writers, are just really confused or grossed out and don't understand why we people like these things and don't want to just assume that we're all degenerate freaks, and that maybe they might benefit from learning my story.

(Note that this is just my story. Other people may or may not have their own stories, which may or may not resemble mine-- the point is that these stories exist, and that just because you don't understand doesn't mean there isn't a reason.)

I was in middle school when I first realized that I had a (very normal) problem: I was attracted to guys, but boys my age were obnoxious. (Every heterosexual female reading this is nodding their head in sympathy.) Many of them made rude jokes, and said nasty things, and most of them were just generally immature and irresponsible and not-at-all crush-worthy.

Adult guys, on the other hand, were nice and sweet and smart and mature (*insert laughter here*). They knew how to be responsible, and how to treat girls right and take care of the people who mattered to them. They were ready to get married and settle down in a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids. (You get the idea. Give me a break, I was, like, eleven or twelve and most of the men in my life really were great guys in happy and stable marriages.)

So, like many other girls my age, I fantasized about attractive twenty-something-year-olds falling madly in love with me. (I can not hammer this home enough: this is perfectly normal behavior.)

But at the same time, I knew that this sort of relationship was obviously something I was not in any way ready for, and, in any case, I didn't actually know very many attractive single guys in this age range. (Because why would I?)

So, instead, like any normal kid, I gravitated toward stories I could live vicariously through. Stories about about girls my own age (or maybe a little older) who fell for guys who loved them back. Guys who were willing to wait for them. Or at the very least guys who treated them like equals, and, once they were old enough, might start seeing them in more of a romantic light.

The very first relationship like this that I remember falling for was Sesshomaru and Rin from Inuyasha.

(Actually, my first real adult/minor ship was probably Lux and Eric from Life Unexpected, but after that dumpster-fire of an ending, I didn't want to think about anything related to that show ever again.) (Although it did introduce me to One Tree Hill, which is still one of my favorite shows of all time, so I guess it did something right.) (And Nathan and Haley probably also fit the bill-- Nathan wasn't an adult, but he was mature and responsible and ready to settle down. TV really should bring back teen marriage plotlines instead of endless cycles of love triangles.)

I discovered anime in seventh grade, and Inuyasha was my second real anime. (In case you're wondering, Fairy Tail was my first.) I quickly fell in love with Rin (who was an example of what would become one of my favorite character archetypes), and her relationship with Sesshomaru fascinated me.

Here you had this demon who hated humans, only to be bewildered when one try to help him, leading him to use a part of his heritage that he'd been rejecting until now in order to save her. And then she just. Follows him. And he lets her? And he just spends the entire series treating her like an equal and letting her do literally whatever she wants?

(To those who read them as father and daughter: uh, if I saw a parent with this sort of laissez-faire approach to child-raising, I would be very concerned. He treats her like a traveling companion and constantly defers to her wishes. She gets kidnapped and he only comes to rescue her when he's sure that's what she wants? Very parental of him.)

And then when he's finally about to reach the goal he's been working towards this entire time, he gives it up the moment Rin gets hurt. ("Nothing was worth losing her?" ICONIQUE, nobody is doing it like him!) And then in the final battle, he fights alongside the same people he was trying to kill when we first met him. All because Rin has taught him that humans have worth, that weakness isn't a sin, that there are more important things than strength and hatred? Are you kidding me?

I've already gone into my love for this ship here, so I'm not going to repeat the whole thing, but I will say that I loved what we saw of them in the finale-- the two of them separated, so that Rin could grow up and decide what she wanted out of their relationship. Because he was willing to wait for whatever choice she decided to make.

This was a game changer for me. It was exactly what I hadn't realized I was looking for. I needed more. What followed was a love for various other wholesome bonds between protective/traumized men and the girls who taught them about love.

Naofumi and Raphtalia of Rising of the Shield Hero (talk about clueless guys-- he seriously managed to convince himself that he only saw her as daughter because he had no other frame of reference and had been so traumatized by the last girl he liked), Kyoko and Katsuya (dude was more than willing to wait for her and only stepped in when she needed him to be there for her? Find me another man this swoon-worthy) and Kureno and Arisa of Fruits Basket (I normally don't buy love-at-first-sight, but for these two cuties I'll suspend my disbelief), Zack and Rachel of Angels of Death (the age gap is the least problematic thing here), Mamoru and Haruka of Until Death Do Us Part (the man literally laughed the idea of their relationship off until he couldn't anymore. And then, again, he let her go and waited until she was ready), Satoru and Airi of Erased (the soulmatism!), Accelerator and Last Order of A Certain Magical Index (alright, fine, I've never been able to decide if I prefer these two to stay purely platonic or eventually fall in love, but whatever they have I adored), and many, many others.

But the thing here is that none of these relationships are the main focus of their respective series. I wasn't going out and actively looking for these ships, but when they showed up in the stories I loved I would certainly enjoy them. (Love stories were cute and all, but magic and adventure were way more interesting to middle-school me.)

It was only when I was in high school and I started getting more into romantic stories that began actively seeking out the sort of thing I was looking for. Seiji and Shiharu of Love So Life are still near and dear to my heart (my guy buys her a ring, tells her he'll never want anyone else, refuses to let her reciprocate, and doesn't go near her for almost six years to make sure that she doesn't choose him until she's really ready. KING), Mao and Hiro of House of the Sun will never stop being adorable (Taamo's drawing style is so stinkin' cute), The Start of Niina is as heartbreakingly lovely as ever (the gift and trauma of reincarnation!), and Faster Than a Kiss is a gem (another great guy who does his best to take care of the girl he loves but won't lay a hand on her until she's ready).

And it wasn't just age gap stories. Because the age gap wasn't the real point-- the point was mature guys who were ready to commit and smart girls who knew a good thing when they saw it. Which is why I also devoured stories about teens getting married (please bring these back, western media) and arranged marriages ("we may not have wanted this but we are going to make it work"). The World is Still Beautiful remains one of my favorite fantasy-romances, Absolute Peace Strategy is hilarious, I really need to reread Prince of Silk and Thorn, Dawn of the Arcana is fantastic, Taisho Maiden Fairytale is super-cute, etc. etc. (This is not an exhaustive list, btw-- feel free to DM me or drop an ask if you're looking for more in any of these genres.)

Once I discovered fandom, fanon, and shipping culture, it was a given that my love for these dynamics would cross over into media where such things weren't canon.

(And, for the nth time, all of this was perfectly normal and understandable behavior for a girl my age.)

These were stories and tropes I adored. But they were stories. Fiction. They were not reality. And even at the very earliest stages of this interest, I understood the difference.

When I was in seventh or eighth grade, there was an incident involving one of my female classmates and a twenty-something-year-old male student-teacher. I was not directly involved (I barely knew the girl) and I wasn't exactly asking for details (I've always prefered to stay out of real-world drama if I can), but middle school girls are loud and I have good ears, so I was pretty sure I got the gist. (Years later, I spoke with one of the other teachers who'd been involved with handling the aftermath, and she confirmed and added some more context.)

To simplify, the teacher in question had somehow gotten a hold of the girl's phone number and had been sending her texts that were not appropriate for a grown man to be sending to a thirteen year old girl. This made her highly uncomfortable, but she was too scared to say anything-- it wasn't as though there was anything explicit or overtly sexual (he told her how pretty she was, and how much he looked forward to seeing her every day, and I do not know or want to know what else)-- and she didn't want to look like she was make a big deal out of nothing. But when her friends found out, they immediately said "this is not okay," and marched her to the nearest female teacher to confess the whole thing. (Good for them!)

Again, I was not directly involved. I did not discuss the subject with any of my classmates, I was obviously not present when the school staff spoke with the guy, and I have no idea what exactly the school policy was for this sort of thing. All I saw from my end was a crying girl being comforted by her friends as they dragged her off, and within the next day or two we were told that this teacher would be ending his postion early (he'd been supposed to leave soon, regardless, as he was only a temp). I never saw him again.

And there was never a question in my mind that this man's behavior was deplorable, that this story should never have happened, and that this girl was a victim of a horrible injustice.

(I have a vivid recollection of being outraged when another teacher-- who happened to be related to him (probably how he'd gotten the job, I don't remember ever our school having had a student-teacher before or after)-- told us he was being forced to leave earlier than planned like we were supposed to be sad about it, and then insisted we make a good-bye card for him (while making snide comments under her breath about how some people needed to learn to keep their mouths shut). (I honestly don't remember whether or not I helped decorate the stupid thing, or what the girl did while this was happening.) I was not old enough or mature enough to fully realize that what this other teacher did was also hideously inappropriate and ought to have been reported as well, but I did know that it was nasty and underhanded and I didn't like it. (This was not the only time when this teacher behaved obnoxiously or passive-aggressively insulted a student for bringing a complaint to the school staff or doing something else she disliked (I was on the receiving end at least once or twice, but that's another story), and she did not return the next year. Good riddance.))

In any case, despite the fact that age gap stories (and even the occasional teacher-student romance) were something I liked seeing in media, I recognized the clear distinction between fiction and reality, and what was right and wrong. I didn't even need to think about it. Even at thirteen, when I didn't fully understand what was and wasn't appropriate behavior for a teacher, this was something I understood perfectly.

And to anyone reading this and saying, "alright, fine, so you liked age gap relationships as a kid because they let you vicariously live out your perfectly ordinary teenage fantasies, but you're not fifteen anymore. Isn't it time you moved on?":

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Y'all still read/watch the same stories you enjoyed as children-- that's why you're in these fandoms to begin with. If you can understand still loving those things as adults, it shouldn't be much of a leap to grasp me liking the same sort of fictional relationship dynamics I did in high school.

(Which isn't to say those are the only kind of ships I like. They never were. But I'll probably always have a soft spot for them.)

TL;DR: I initially got into age gap ships because they let preteen me fantasize about a hot older guy sweeping me off my feet. No, this did not prevent me from recognizing predatory behavior from real adults. No, I'm not letting go of the things I liked as a kid just because they make you uncomfortable.

[alreadyblondenow]

Jaehyun’s Body | Jung Jaehyun

▸ Jaehyun x reader ▸ Smut, Smut, Smut, Fluff, Angst, Demon Jaehyun, Prostitute reader ▸ HALLOWEEN SERIES: 127 HOUSE ▸ 5/5 for NEOHALLOWEEN writing festival hosted by @nct-writers​

Summary: Jaehyun is a demon who uses girls to make him stay handsome. He eats girls… literally. Then he met you and he can’t eat you because he’s in love with you.

Word count: 7K

Warnings: Sex, sex, sex, a lot of killings, mentions of killings, Blood, lots and lots of blood, killings again, then another killings, eating of human flesh, filthy (I’m telling you), all kinds of sex, swearing, abduction, mentions of eating children but he stopped don’t worry, pregnancy, murder, attempted murder, suicide (?), prostitution, mentions of sex club, depression, mentions of therapy, mentions of cheating

A/N: Pure fiction, we all know that Jaehyun doesn’t need girls to make him handsome. I made this filthier than ever because it’s my last fic for 127 House. I made a timestamp for this as a bonus preview so if you already read it, yay. Inspired by the movie Jennifer’s Body and Pretty Woman. I changed the ending last minute I hope you wont hate me. Also, I’m sure a lot of you want to read more Jaehyun eating girls, literally, in action. So I will just make another timestamp for that in the next few days. 

Taglist: For the last time, if I happen to forget you I’m so sorry :( @chocolattees @floweringtheflowers @huangxx @bumblebeenct @neosculptures @kooksfairyfloss @jaehyunoos @soothingjae @plump-peach @neospirited @jeongyoonohs @shanghai-lu @seriousballoon @sunshinedhyuck  @the-universe-in-you-jjh  @mira-winterlight @generantionct @mal-nakamoto23 @svteencarat​ @johnjaespeach​ @jinsonaz​ @hyuckshoe69 

Halloween present time 

“Mom, can you tell me the story about the monster who eats humans just so he can look like one too?” your nine-year-old daughter snuggles beside you on a Halloween night, tired from trick or treating and already sleepy.  

“Just because it’s Halloween” you boop her nose and kept her close to you, stroking her head and making her comfortable. 

“Once upon a time, there were five teenagers who want to make a deal with the devil. The clueless teenagers did not know that what they were doing was wrong. Meaning, wrong methods, wrong sacrifice. 

Given that they don’t know what they were doing, they singlehandedly or accidentally brought a creature into this world. The bothered creature that was summoned ate the teenagers as the creature was so confused, why was he bothered in his own torture cell in hell? 

It starved for days, lost in a world that’s not familiar to him. He fed himself with every human who crosses paths with him, men, women, and children. Until it finally knew that eating humans can make him look just like them. 

The creature adapted in this world, living like a normal human and walking amongst us, still not knowing how to go home. “

Halloween many many many years ago 

“And that creature is me. Happy Halloween class, enjoy the night” Jaehyun finishes his story in front of his class. Watching every student laugh and shrug his ‘scary’ story for Halloween. They thought he was joking, and that was the fun part Jaehyun thought. 

“See you on our next session Mr. Jung” a flirty young girl waved goodbye to him, smiling like she wanted to get on her knees and suck Jaehyun's cock right then and there. 

“Enjoy Halloween” he winked back at her and proceed to fix his things and leave the classroom. 

It was exactly a decade ago when those stupid teenagers brought him to this world. He didn’t have much of a choice but to live like a normal human to save himself. Feed from their flesh, kill every two weeks and get on with life as if nothing gruesome happened inside his house. 

Jaehyun targets girls, women in their early twenties or older. He stopped eating children only because the effect on him does not stay for long. Whereas, eating older people can last two weeks max. Luring girls was never hard for Jaehyun because he’s naturally handsome, but without human flesh, he returns to the disgusting creature he used to be. 

Tinder is his go-to restaurant. A little swipe right over here, a swipe right over there, and voila! He now has a tasty dinner and for Halloween night, perfect to celebrate his existence here in this world.

As part of his adaptation in this world, he learned how to cook human meals for his victims. Feeding them good food before he eats them. In the middle of cooking in his big kitchen, his doorbell rang assuming that it’s his food that just arrived. He opened his door with a smile, welcoming the young lady inside his beautiful house, smelling her for some time during the hug. Delicious, he thought. 

“Wow. Your house is big” the clueless girl exclaims. It’s always the same, every girl who steps inside his house is always amazed at how beautiful 127 House is. It’s white interior always captures the ladies’ hearts and leave them in awe. 

“I hope you’re hungry. I made dinner for us” he gave the girl a flirty smile, flashing those cute dimples of his that always make the girls smile. 

During dinner, Jaehyun can’t rush his meal and get on with the kill already. He is patient and takes time to know what he’s about to eat. He asks a lot of questions to gain the girl’s trust and fool her that Jaehyun is actually into her. “Do you do drugs?” the most important question for the night. Jaehyun hates eating humans who do drugs because it has a side effect on him as if his body can’t handle the drugs itself that it makes him weak on the spot. So much for being a creature from hell. 

“No, I don’t do drugs. Do you?” the girl answered with wide eyes. 

“No no. I’m clean” he smiled and put his hand on the girl’s thigh. Slowly caressing it until Jaehyun reaches her damped panties. “Can you open your legs for me?” Jaehyun’s irresistible request made the girl open her legs a little wider under the table. Rolling her head side to side as she feels Jaehyun’s cold fingers brushing on her clothed clit. 

It’s time, Jaehyun thought. Dinner is served. 

He pushed the plates away, glasses clinking, utensils started to fall from the table. Jaehyun carried her and put her on the dinner table, kissing her wildly to put the girl in the mood and make her horny. It always works. While he’s busy kissing her, his hands slowly remove her panties and spread her legs a little rough and push her on the dinner table. 

“We really doing this here?” the girl asks. 

“This is the perfect place to eat you” 

The girl smiles and felt excited because a handsome man like Jaehyun is about to eat her pussy. Little did she know, that Jaehyun will quite do it literally. He planted kisses on her inner thighs, making the girl moan and tickle her in the meantime. Jaehyun runs a finger on her slit and make her legs shiver, licking his finger as if he’s having a taste of his dinner. 

“Eat me already” she protests. Jaehyun chuckled low and puts two fingers inside her before he makes a move. 

Jaehyun’s first lick from her pussy makes his head turn and breathe heavily for the girl he’s about to eat tonight tastes delicious. He licks and licks the girl, not listening to her moaning, not minding if she’s calling his name. The way he licked the girl was like he was having ice cream on a hot summer, sucking her arousal and putting pressure on her clit. Unaware of what’s happening to the girl, he didn’t care if she already came and overstimulated. Jaehyun continued licking his dinner even though the girl is pushing him already, but still having the time of her life. 

She then felt Jaehyun bite her clit and made her shout a little too loud that her voice echoed around 127 House. She propped her shoulder and saw Jaehyun’s eyes turned plain black. He smiled at her making the girl shout in horror and shout for her life but Jaehyun’s tongue is making her cum again for the second time tonight, harder than the first one she had. 

And that’s Jaehyun’s cue to eat her. Bit her off. Letting her blood pool around his dinner table. He ate her flesh by flesh, sipping every drop of her blood, chewing all her intestines, licking the flavor off her skin like an animal. He can feel himself glow as he continues to eat her. 

Pouring himself a glass of his favorite wine, he looks at his reflection through the goblet and admires his handsomeness. Skin clearer as ever, eyes without dark circles, firm ass. He smiled to himself as he feels much more alive and young now. Jaehyun went back to the dead body on his table, kissing the girl on the cheek and thanking her for making him handsome.  

That is Jaehyun’s life for the past decade. Murder to survive, eat humans, earn money, and repeat it. No thrill. Even getting caught is no fun for him because he can easily eat the witness. But living in this world full of emotions and Jaehyun is indeed a curious demon, he wanted to try to fall in love. Maybe he wants it because he’s been eating girls who are desperate for love and that’s making him desperate too. You see when he eats humans, he eats their emotions too and in that way, he learned feeling things. Anger, fear, happiness. All kinds. 

Three weeks after Halloween, he found this one of a kind service that he’s very much interested in. Just like every other human who likes their food clean, Jaehyun likes his human clean too. 

We offer house services just contact us and book someone you prefer. We guarantee clean and respectful girls....

Reading the brochure of that sex club who offers special services is like reading a menu in an expensive restaurant. Maybe it’s time to give up Tinder, stop ordering cheap food, and start feeding on expensive ones.

Just in time for his feeding again, the university kept him busy and so he did not have time to eat and settle for human food instead. That’s why he looks awful now. His hair is starting to fall out, his fair skin has acne, dark circles under his eyes, some of his toenails are falling off. He’s becoming weak, and he needs to eat soon.

“Y/n honey, you have a schedule for tonight. A big spender this one.... huh. He paid an overnight promo and even gave you a tip. Wow he’s rich” 

As you listen more of the details from the lady at the front desks, you thanked the man mentally who gave you a generous tip that will go straight to your savings, rent, and water bill. Not that you love this job of yours, but you’re excited to meet the big spender and treat him well just so he can get his money’s worth.

While you were drying your hair, you heard your phone ding and it was from your client whom you look forward to meeting. “I’ll send an uber from your house to mine. See you later” it was a bit cold but usually, your clients will just send you the address and it’s your duty not to be late for the appointment. You smiled because he seems so thoughtful and a real gentleman, you became more excited about meeting him and looking forward to the sex.

When the uber driver dropped you off in front of a big white house, you thought that maybe it was a mistake that your date must have pinned the wrong address. You rang the doorbell just to make things sure. Asking never killed anybody. You wait for someone to open the door to you, biting your lower lip while scanning the outside of the beautiful house. 

“You must be Y/n” the man who opened the door said. Well, that makes things official. You’re in the right place. 

“Yes...uhh, sir Yoonoh?” his weak state is bothering you. He doesn’t look like he can fuck at all.

“Please call me Jaehyun. Yoonoh is my alias. Come in” 

The handsome man welcomes you warmly in his home, taking your coat and putting it in a cabinet near his door. He looks handsome but exhausted, coughing a little as he closes the cabinet door. “Are you okay? You look sick” you blurted out and your first words made the man smile. Different. You’re different. You don’t care how big the house is he thought, the first thing you did is care about him. “I’m fine. The weather has been affecting me lately but, I’m good. I hope you’re hungry, I made early dinner” He gave you a weak smile and coughed again. 

This customer of yours continues to surprise you. First the uber ride and now the early dinner. For the first time in your life, this wretched job doesn’t feel like a job at all. Jaehyun here made you feel like you’re here for a date and not just to fuck the whole night. You follow him to the kitchen to help him get the meals that he prepared for both of you. As much as you’re amazed by his cooking skills, you are more amazed by how he managed to cook a decent meal even though he’s weak. 

Jaehyun started small talk, as usual. Asking you questions before he kills you and making sure you don’t do drugs even though it’s stated clearly that the sex club has clean girls. He made you comfortable the whole dinner time and made sure you enjoy what he cooked for you. 

“What do you do outside this job of yours?” Jaehyun asked, cutting a piece of steak as he waits for your answer. 

“Nothing. I’m lifeless” you joked, “I take care of myself and save as much as I can so I can have a clean start, which reminds me thank you for the generous tip” 

When the air was finally dead, he put his hand on your knee, caress it softly until his hand reaches your upper thigh. You felt his hand shaking like he’s shivering but he’s not telling you. It seems like he’s forcing himself to push through having sex just so his money doesn’t go to waste. But you can’t let him. The man is obviously weak and sick, he will not enjoy the pleasure and his money’s worth. 

To his surprise, you cup his face and shook your head ‘no’. “We don’t have to do this today. We’ll end up being sick together on the next day, want that to happen?” he shook his head to answer your question, “I promise I won't tell the club and I will find a way for you to get what you paid for. The dinner is delicious by the way what herbs did you put here?” 

So much care for someone who kills to survive. He doesn't deserve any of your kindness. The demon is completely moved. When you were the one who initiated the small talk, Jaehyun realized how he loved sharing things that he does. Like how he likes his steak perfectly well done, he likes his alcohol old and cold, even told you that listening to Chet Baker while drinking wine is his favorite thing in the world. Talking too much about himself was never his thing when it comes to talking to his victims. Then he realized maybe you’re not one of them, that maybe for the first time he had a visitor comforting him instead of making him full. 

You were the first person who listened to him. His first friend.

Talking and sharing personal stuff with one of your clients was a big ‘no’ for you. But there’s something about Jaehyun that makes you feel that your secrets are safe with him, even though all you knew about him is his love for music and wine. As the night goes deeper, you two are still talking about random stuff and laughing loudly whenever something funny came up. It was nice. You caught yourself resting your head on his weak shoulders and loved his warmth. Hearing his soft voice near your ear is almost addicting even though he sounded weak. And seeing his smile up close and poking his dimples whenever you want to is a different kind of privilege. The night went on until you fall asleep on his shoulders, unconsciously hugging him like a teddy bear and putting your leg on top of his like you’ve known each other for so long.  

He was thinking deeply if he’s going to eat you or not. You are juicy for his taste, like a turkey on Thanksgiving. He removed some of your hair from your face, patting and caressing your head so he knows you’re in deep sleep. Carefully, he reached for your hand and played with your fingers, smelling it and still thinking it through. He put your pointer finger in his mouth, sucking it like a lollipop and tasting your flavor through your skin. You taste so good that his eyes turned into his demon eyes and his demon tongue is ready to taste more of you. But you smiled through the feeling of his tongue swirling around your finger and came closer to him. Unconsciously and still sleeping soundly.

He remembers how your kindness moved him, and how he felt important for the first time in his whole existence. Jaehyun shook his head and stopped attempting to eat you, wiped your fingers, and intertwined his fingers with yours instead. It’s weird how he’s so hungry but he can’t seem to kill you. 

To survive, Jaehyun went to the nearest bar and lured a hooker whom he killed in the back of his house. It was his first time killing quietly in his premisses, careful not to wake you up. Even though the human that he just ate doesn’t taste good, well, he just had to look presentable in your eyes the next morning.

When you wake up, you almost jumped out of bed because you thought you were in bed with a total stranger but turns out it was just Jaehyun. His skin is glowing under the morning sunlight, his cute snores make you smile, fucking pink lips begging to be kissed or it’s you who’s begging to be kissed… you smiled and brushed his hair away, accidentally waking the handsome man. 

“Morning” he murmured, pulling you for a hug and closing his eyes again but he was smiling. 

Even his breath smell nice, “feeling okay now?” you asked softly, not ruining the peaceful morning and nervously smiling brightly because the butterflies in your tummy won’t stop flapping their wings. 

“Yes. All thanks to you” he opened his eyes and admired your beauty. He can feel his heart thumping. “I think I owe you something” he kissed your lips passionately and pull your body above him making you put both your legs on his sides. He never left your lips as his hands roam on your sides requesting to remove your dress. With one swift move, you’re on top of the handsome man with your matching lacy underwear, bodies grinding on each other, moaning deliciously, and about to have morning sex. “I’ve seen a lot of naked girls before but none of them made me horny like you do” you giggle at what he said, if every client you had is like Jaehyun, you don’t mind staying on this wretched job forever. 

It’s not that Jaehyun is a virgin. This is just his first time having sex without killing the one he’s fucking. Watching you cum above and underneath him without going in for the kill was satisfying and almost addicting. Not to mention that your walls feel amazing around his cock. Warm and tight that he never wants to pull out from you. 

You, on the other hand, is so surprised by how Jaehyun is so great in bed like he was craving sex. Every lustful thrust he gives makes you gasp and it just takes your breath away. The way he held your leg up, fuck you deep that you’re skin to skin, makes you claw his back and grip the sheets so tightly that you hurt your hand. He never slowed down but he was not rough enough, he was making you feel good the whole fucking time that you made sounds you never thought you’re capable of. On top of that, his sweet words are making you feel things. 

After the most amazing sex you both have in your entire life, he can’t let go of you even just for a second. He’s glued to your body while you make him breakfast, “Can I see you more in my clothes?” he whispered behind your ear, hands resting on the side of your waist while he distracts you with his kisses, blowing cold air on your nape to tickle you and make you giggle. 

And when it’s time to go, he was begging you with all his might to stay. “I have to work, Jae” it’s true. And being with Jaehyun made you forget that you’re here for work, he completely changed that. If it wasn’t for your work you will give in and stay. 

“Okay, okay. I understand. Have dinner with me this weekend? I’ll cook for you again, I’ll make it up to you” to be honest, he was afraid you might not come back here.

“Mhmm. I’d love to” you left a soft kiss on his cheek and opened his door. You are the first person who steps inside his house that comes out alive and well. 

As you leave Jaehyun in his house, he was quick to call the sex club again and book you for tonight. The service was really expensive but as he talks to the person in charge of your schedule, you were worth every dime of his hard earned money from the university.

Happy about how your schedule with Jaehyun went, and happy that you met him, your friend from the front desks informed you of your new client for tonight and you screamed because of too much happiness when he used his real name to book you.

When you got home to prepare for yet another night with Jaehyun, you’ve never been so excited about meeting a client for the second time around. Thinking about how his lips travel in between the valley of your boobs the other night, that sweet handsome smile whenever he catches you looking at him, the way he makes your heart flutter during breakfast with his sweet words. This is definitely a good start to give love a chance and you’re stupid if you let something like this slip from your hands.

When the most awaited time finally came, Jaehyun was over the moon and blushing like crazy when he saw you again at his doorstep. This time, it’s not food he sees but a woman who will love him and will change his life. And if you used to smell so tasty and delicious for Jaehyun well now, you smell like love and new beginnings for him. You were the epitome of change, stepping into his house and in his whole life. 

Your second night together was a hundred times better than the first even if it’s storming like crazy outside. It’s like going on an indoor date with Jaehyun, eating a delicious dinner, and drinking good wine together. Rather than having sex the whole evening, you and Jaehyun spend the night cuddling on his huge couch. Talking about life under a cozy blanket that he owns, creating your own special warmth.

“What if you became broke because of me?” you asked and snuggled closely. 

“Hmm. Well, then I just have to work more. Get five jobs” he joked but he sounded serious. 

“My job will be a great problem if we continue this. I don’t want to hurt you-“ 

“Hey, no one is hurting anyone. I respect your line of work and I understand the reason why you’re doing it. Until then I just have to wait for you just like the other guys. I have long patience, it’s not a problem” Jaehyun says and boops your nose.

And that is the start of your new life with Jaehyun. Your life is all about him and he is all about you. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months. Jaehyun is still in love with the same woman who rang his doorbell and cared for him for the first time in his life. After a few months of looking for a job that does not include having sex with different men, you finally left the club and go home to Jaehyun every day. 

Peaceful and quiet mornings are now replaced by Jaehyun’s disturbing kisses while you make him coffee. Leaving each other for work during the morning has been your daily struggle. But the promise of seeing each other at the end of the day is something so hard but worth it in the end.

Slowly, you changed each other’s lives. Loving each other deeply more and more, trying new things together, and loving life even when it’s incredibly tough sometimes. It was more than just flirting with each other, going on dates, and having a lot of sex.  

Saying that he’s in love with you and showing it every day is still not enough for Jaehyun to prove you his love. He loves you so much that for the first time in his life he doesn’t want to go back to where he came from anymore. He wants to stay here with you. Live happily, marry you someday, have kids, and be with you until your dying breath. 

“Why do you want so many kids?” you asked, drawing small circles on his toned chest while his right arm is securely wrapped around you.

“Kids are great especially when we are the ones who made them. Don’t you think?” He reached for your lips and kissed you. 

“Promise me you’ll be a great dad. And you will never leave me or- or our future children alone. You’re a great man Jaehyun and my heart will break in a million pieces if you hurt me too like my dad” you were so full of emotions. You remember how your father left you and your family and it made your mother suffer. Jaehyun was quiet and he listened to you. Your feelings were so important to him so he did not dare interrupt and waited for you to finish. 

“We will be happy, I promise. Watch me love you every day and fulfill all my promises to you”

The problem is... he can't tell you the truth about himself. Jaehyun is scared to the bone that you might not accept him. The truth about him is never easy to accept and he doesn’t want to give you that burden. Having a demon eating humans to survive is something unacceptable even when love is already involved. But he has faith in you. Someday, maybe he will be brave enough to tell you. But not now. 

Dating you made his feeding a little hard because it’s basically cheating. He loves you so much that he despises being a demon and eating humans just to stay alive. Sometimes, he starves himself that he trie so hard to live on raw meat but it only lasts a few hours and it frustrates him greatly. He doesn’t want to meet other girls anymore and pretend that he’s interested in them, he wanted so bad to stop using Tinder. But he can’t. You don’t deserve a demon like him but he loves you and he’s sorry. 

Even though you don’t know anything about Jaehyun’s real being, he never hurt you like one of your exes and he’s much a greater man than all of those jerks combined. He is the only man you see your future with, growing old together, having coffee on your porch, racking your chairs, and hopefully die together. Your heart can’t take it if Jaehyun dies before you. That’s how much you love him. 

Four years ago

After a tiring day at the office, you’re so thankful that your house is quiet and peaceful, away from the noise of the city. You went straight to the bathroom, prepared the tub, and treat yourself to a nice warm bath with a glass of wine on the side. 

“Y/n, you home?” Jaehyun put his keys on the table next to the entrance and removed his coat. He just came back from burying the bones of the three girls he just ate at the back of 127 House. Tricked them into having a foursome but even before they could remove their clothes, Jaehyun killed them already and ate them all until their bones are clean and easy to bury.

“In here” you shout while you put more bubbles in the tub. Jaehyun soon appeared and leaned on the bathroom door. “I just got home from work baby, hows the university?” you invited him inside and he greets you with a kiss on the cheek and proceeds to strip in front of you. For a university teacher, your boyfriend sure does look so hot. 

“Nothing special. Students flirting with me, then I fail them” he giggles and joins you in the tub. Sitting behind you and pulling you against his strong chest. He plays with your wedding ring and intertwines his fingers with yours. Home is where Jaehyun is. He is the best thing about this house, coming home to him and enjoy this little world. 

It was a silent moment for the two of you but you can hear him thanking you for staying in his life. Jaehyun’s eyes screams ‘i love you’ whenever he’s quiet and smirking liking this. 

“Why are you always like that. You know you can always say it. Three words Jae, I love you. Were married already and you never said it to me-“ 

“But I always show it to you” he giggles and puts bubbles on top of your head and your cheeks, laughing because you look funny. “You will get sick of me if I start telling you those words. That’s why I show you instead. Those are powerful words Y/n, I’m saving it. Trust me, once I told you those words, you will fall in love with me. Again” he winked at you and you rolled your eyes at him. Facing him completely to clean him up.

“Do you fall in love with me over and over again whenever I tell you, I love you?” you asked. Looking in his eyes and brushing your wet lips on his. Touching. But not kissing. You can feel your boyfriend’s heartbeat so fast as you wait for his answer. 

“Every time. Like you just walked into this house for the first time again” he smiled and flashed those cute dimples of his and kissed you down the tub until the water overflows and the candles are one by one dying because of the waters splashing.  

Two years of happily dating through ups and downs. And two years of being happily married and you still don’t know what you did to deserve someone like Jaehyun. He’s beyond perfect. Like someone made him as a character in a book and poof he became real and find his way to you. “I love you” you whisper. And even though you won’t get a response, you know that Jaehyun does love you too. 

One day, your boss made you left work early because he wanted you to go overtime the next day. So you did. You wanted to surprise your husband with his favorite take-out and spend a nice dinner with him. When you arrived in his driveway, you see his car badly parked on his huge lawn. You made your way quietly inside the house and went straight to the kitchen to put the food on the counter. 

You heard continuous thumps upstairs, not quite sure from which room. As you walked towards the stairs, you heard another thump followed by a high pitched moan and, “Jaehyun! Don’t stop!” then another thump. At first, you didn’t want to walk further closer to the room where you believe Jaehyun is fucking someone because you didn’t want to see it. But you are his wife and you have every right to call him out even though it hurts you so much knowing that Jaehyun is capable of cheating. You can’t believe it. 

As you peek at the door from his study room, you watch Jaehyun eat a girl’s pussy on his table. She looked young. Younger than you and maybe that’s why he cheated. The girl is very much overstimulated and can’t stay put so Jaehyun roughly holds her down while keeping her legs open. You watch Jaehyun hold her so harshly and wonder if your husband has always been into rough sex, “ouch!” she says loudly. 

Jaehyun stopped licking her and proceeds to kiss her neck. At this point, you don’t know why you’re still watching your husband cheat when everything is all clear. 

“FUCK!!!!!” 

Hearing the girl scream like that made you stop from shouting and calling your husband a cheater. Because, lo and behold you witnessed your husband murder her. Biting her by the neck and choking her down so her body won't slip off his table. You gasped sharply when you saw Jaehyun ripped her stomach and reach in for her intestines. Covering your mouth with both of your hands as you can’t believe what you were watching. You would rather face the problem of your husband cheating on you, but murder? Devilry? Seeing him became a creature eating a human felt like you’re watching a horror movie and made you think that you don’t know Jaehyun anymore. Or did you ever? 

As you watch him eat her and be scared for your life, you notice that Jaehyun’s face is slowly changing… “This can’t be” you murmured and fainted hitting your head first, making Jaehyun turn around with shock. Jaehyun didn’t know what to do. Usually, he eats the witness too but this time he can’t. Of course, he can’t eat you. 

 Every bit of the truth was too much for you. Even when you know that he is sincere with everything that he says to you about his true being. 

You married a demon. How can Jaehyun expect you to accept this? 

“Well, what did you want me to tell you? ‘I’m a demon and I eat humans to survive?’ I’m telling you now and you won't even look at me” Jaehyun was so frustrated already. It’s been a week since he told you the truth and to be honest he doesn’t know what you want him to do or to hear from him.  

“It hurts me to see you all scared and disgusted to me, baby. I'm not forcing you to be with me and stay- but fuck I’m still Jaehyun. My feelings for you are true and my love for you is undying. Please don’t do this to us and don’t do this to yourself. You can leave, but please think about our years together” he kissed you on your temple and noticed that your grip on the knife is so tight that your hand is already shaking. Tears fall down your cheeks and you don’t know what it's made of. Was it because you’re scared? Heartbroken? Or confused because you don’t know what to do. 

You love him but you’re scared. And that thought alone can make your knees weak and your mind go crazy. 

Since you knew about the truth, your marriage went downhill and the house became cold and unwelcoming. A once fire burning relationship is now cold as ice. You decided to leave Jaehyun even when you made a promise to him. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. 

For you, leaving was a mixture of loneliness, heartbreak, and disappointment. But for Jaehyun, he was lost, miserable, and incomplete. He wanted to starve himself and never eat humans from now on but he still wants to live for you. Hope and wait for you to come back in his life. 

After leaving Jaehyun, you took care of yourself and went to therapy. But a few days after, you found out that you’re pregnant for almost two weeks already and once again you feel cheated in life because you could have had a family of your own and be happy in life. Just how you and Jaehyun planned it to be.   

It’s Halloween tonight and Jaehyun just finished eating. He has no appetite, to be honest, and only ate a pair of arms. Then that’s it. He can’t eat the human further, still weak, and still looked like shit. He’s cleaning the mess he made on the kitchen counter, dumping a half-eaten body in a trash bag, and scrubbing blood off the floor when his doorbell rang and expected trick or treaters. He brought the bowl of candies with him, head towards the door, and opened it with a smile. But his smile was soon gone when he saw you on his doorstep, completely clueless on what to do because he wanted to hug and kiss you but he can’t. 

“I shouldn’t have left you-“ 

Glass and candies shattered on the floor and neither one of you cared. Jaehyun hugged you tightly and apologized over and over again while he showers you with kisses. Smiling so brightly but both of you have heavy tears in your eyes. 

The feeling of entering his house for the first time again after leaving him for only two weeks almost felt like the very first time. “Are you okay? You look sick” you worry for your husband and it made you feel like a shitty wife because you didn’t even consider his feelings. He was struggling too. 

“Welcome home” Jaehyun sobs and pull you inside the house. He kissed you deeply and showed you how much he misses you, lifting you, and bringing you to your shared bedroom with all the strength he has left. 

He removed your clothes and his clothes without leaving your lips which he missed kissing. You kept your eyes closed until you’re ready to open them again because you can’t help but see the demon who’s eating humans to survive. “It’s still me” Jaehyun whispers, kissing your hand and intertwining his fingers with yours. “Nothings changed, baby. I’m still the Jaehyun who paid the sex club just so I can spend time with you” he waits patiently for you to open your eyes, hoping that makeup sex will somehow fix your marriage again. You wrapped your arms around him when you feel him go in between your legs.

Slowly, you open your eyes and breathe in and out. “I’m pregnant” you whisper back, kissing him softly. He did not say anything but you know that Jaehyun is more than happy to hear the news. 

“Is that why you came back? You want us to be a family?” he smiles and you answer with a quick nod. He kisses your neck all the way to your jaw, down to the valley between your boobs, and ends up in front of your pussy. At first, he was hesitating and kept on kissing your inner thighs but you seem eager, you roll hips continuously waiting for Jaehyun to make a move. 

“Oooohh-” you moan out so deliciously, holding Jaehyun’s head in between your legs, raking his hair and tugging his locks every now and then. Before you even cum he stopped eating you out and went back to your lips. He ate you so good that you can taste yourself through his lips. He lines his cock and watches it disappear as he pushes deep inside you. You gasped and breathed heavily, gripping the sheets more when he starts drawing circles on your clit sinfully. He missed how your walls feel around him, biting his lower lip as he doubles his pace and dive in pleasure head first.  

You reached for Jaehyun’s lips when you hit your high and asked him to, “Slow down. I want to savor you” he giggled and followed your request, kissing you more as he slowly fucks you while you enjoy your high and until he catches his own. He noticed there’s tears in your eyes when he pulled out and asked you, “what’s wrong baby? Talk to me” he kept you close to his tired and weak body, covering you both with the thick duvet and enjoying this special warmth. 

“I’m sorry for distancing myself Jae, I’m sorry for leaving you” He can’t forgive himself hearing you apologize to him when it’s his fault your marriage was ruined. Jaehyun told you that he will stop eating humans until he finds an alternative. And to make things lighter, he thought of baby names until you two fall asleep in each other’s arms. 

The plan worked. 

When Jaehyun was in deep sleep, you went downstairs to get a knife. The sharpest one that can slit his throat in one go and bravely go on with your plan on killing your husband. As you placed the sharp knife on Jaehyun’s throat, it was so sharp that he is cut already and it woke him up. 

Jaehyun opened his eyes and see you holding a knife on his throat, tears falling from your eyes, and obviously hesitating if you’re going to do it. Your husband saw your struggle. The deep shit he put you through. You don’t deserve any of this. If being dead can bring you peace in his life and healing, then so be it.

“It’s okay” he calms you down and holds your wrist, gripping the knife with you. His hand feels cold already. “burn the house and don’t let anyone see you leave here so you won't be accused over anything. I love you and I'm sorry” 

It was the first time you heard those three words from Jaehyun and he was right. You remembered how much you love him like waking up in an awful curse but you’re too late. Jaehyun slit his own throat while still holding the knife with you. 

Regret hit you like a train and all you can do is cry over Jaehyun’s dead body. 

The sun is almost up and you can’t be seen leaving 127 House because there are two dead bodies in this house. You kissed Jaehyun’s corpse and removed his wedding ring from his finger. The only thing that will prove he existed in your life.  

You used the gasoline for the barbecue party scheduled before Christmas, sobbed uncontrollably as you think all the memories you had with Jaehyun. His weak smile during the night you first met him, the first time his lips touched yours, all the plans and dreams you both had, how Jaehyun is always full of life when it comes to planning on having a baby… 

But you killed him. And you’re about to burn the house and all the memories it holds like it’s just an unwanted photograph. After lighting the match, you drove away from the house as far as you can crying while you focus on the road and trying to find your way back to your old apartment. 

As the sun goes up and slowly light up the sky, the image of 127 House burning flashes in front of your eyes and it made you pull over on the side road and take your time to cry. You feel Jaehyun’s cold lips on yours as you imagine his body being eaten by fire. 

Halloween present time 

“But did the demon really died mommy?” your daughter asked. Eager to hear the answer to her question. Until now telling her the story about Jaehyun, without the gory details and sex part of course, still gives you goosebumps. “You never answer my question. You’ve been telling me this story since I was six, I’m nine years old now. Please please please, answer the question” she added. 

“Wow look who we have here” he knocked before coming in, “can I come in princess?” 

“Of course daddy. Mommy, won’t tell me the ending of the demon eating-human” your daughter whines. You and Jaehyun just laughed at her and snuggled all together in her small bed. 

“He didn’t. Now, will you please sleep?” he strokes his daughter’s soft hair, “mommy is tired already and I’m here to get her. Can I?” 

“How can you be so sure he didn’t die?” you and Jaehyun groaned together. 

“Okay. That’s it good night. No more stories. We love you, sleep well okay?” Jaehyun used his fatherly might and stopped his own daughter from bugging you both. She’s quite a handful sometimes. You and Jaehyun gave her a good night kiss and left her to sleep. 

EXPLANATION

Jaehyun got out from the fire because he’s a demon and demons are immune from fire. He is a smart demon (btw he’s a university professor) so he found the reader again and incase you missed it, the reader regrets it because he loves Jaehyun so much. 

Check the comments section for other answered questions. 

Thank you for reading! 

[voiceswithoutlips]

Calico - Chapter Two

— pairing: Hybrid ot7 x Human Reader (Female) — genre: hybrid AU , fluff, angst, slow burn (like real slow), eventual smut — word count: 2K — Rating: M — warnings: trauma, mention of past abuse.

Click for Tag List

— chapter summary:

Y/N runs a animal shelter, Calico was built on a simple principle, to help those who were in need. What will Y/N do when her sanctuary is threatened by an unexpected hybrid?

— A/N: This is going to be a series, I’m just getting back to writing, so I’d really appreciate your input and feedback <3

Ch. 1  Ch. 3  Ch. 3.5 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6

I stumbled out of bed with a groan, it was almost noon and my hangover was killing me. Last night I was too stressed so I drowned my worries in a bottle of whisky. Why was adulting so annoying, ugh. The house was quiet, Jason had probably already gone to the shelter. I made my way to the kitchen, my zombie brain screaming for coffee. I like my coffee black and bitter, just like my soul. Kidding, I don’t have a soul. 

My phone rang somewhere in the living room. The place looked like a tornado had torn through it. The floor was covered with papers and cushions and clothes and other unidentifiable mess. What the fuck happened last night? By the time I found my phone the ringing had stopped. 28 missed calls from Jason and 2% battery ...great.  

I made my way to the exam room, the most likely place for Jason to be. It was just a five minute walk from the house. I was in my pajamas, my hair sticking out and the coffee cup in my hand. It was Sunday, I was grumpy.

There was a half-naked man sitting on the exam table, no not a man, a hybrid. His white fluffy tail was droopy. Long white ears poked from his long black hair, he desperately needed a haircut. His ears were limp on his back. There was a hole in his left ear, it was properly done but too big for a piercing. My eyes widened with realization, I’d seen that before on cattle, his previous owners must’ve tagged him. 

The hybrid showed no reaction as I went to stand beside Jason, and directly in front of him. His upper body was muscular, he had a thick neck and washboard abs. He was gorgeous. He had a strong jawline, cute eyes and a small nose. The combination of cute and sexy was deadly. His hands were clasped together and he was hunched over, trying to make himself look small, not an easy feat to achieve.  

“Y/N, this is Jungkook,” Jason introduced the hybrid. The bunny stiffened, he didn’t raise his head to look at me. What do I do? I wasn’t good with people, I preferred animals to humans.  

“Hello, I’m Y/N,” I greeted. He was sitting so still that you would think he wasn’t even there. Was he even breathing? He was still looking down. 

I looked at Jason, I didn’t know what to do. “I found him near the hatch this morning so I brought him in for a checkup.” I nodded. 

“Are you hungry? I’m practically starving!” I asked, extending a tentative hand towards the bunny, palm up. He flinched.  I kept my hand where it was. I would stand here for hours if I had to. My stubbornness knew no bounds. Minutes passed slowly, Jason was leaning on the counter perfectly at ease, he was a good actor. 

Slowly Jungkook took my hand. “Let’s go have breakfast,” I whispered, a smile on my face as I slowly led him to the kitchen. Well kitchen was an overstatement, it was a small room with six refrigerators and two freezers, most of them contained medical supplies. A sad, overused coffee machine and a small stove for “Emergency Ramen”, it was our own special recipe. 

I opened the fridge with a “No Science Allowed” poster taped to its door. I pulled out a bunch of greens to make a salad, rabbits need their greens. We always stocked the fridge for humans and the animals. I wasn’t a particularly good cook, I could cook enough to not starve but that was the extent of my cooking skills. A quick chicken salad, eggs and toast and a bunch of pancakes and breakfast was served. 

Jungkook was still standing near the door where I had left him, eyes downcast, ears flopped. I was an idiot, a massive idiot, I assumed he would sit at the table on his own. Bad Y/N! 

“Jungkook, come sit with me,” I mentally hit myself, it sounded like a command, I was terrible at this. I was used to animals, you tell them what to do, you can’t ask a dog if he’d like to sit with you, but Jungkook was a person. I can be an animal therapist but humans? They were beyond me. I didn’t know how to get to him.  

He sat at the table. I pushed the food in front of him, expecting him to eat, another mistake. Hybrids are supposed to obey, they don't do things on their own. I was supposed to tell him what to do. I wanted to pound my head on the table. Stupid Y/N. 

“What would you like to eat?” I asked in the gentlest voice possible, at least I hoped it was gentle. 

 No response.  

“Go on this is all for you,” I tried to be encouraging. 

 Nothing.

 “Tell you what, if you finish your breakfast, I’ll give you a treat,” his ears twitched. He tentatively picked up a fork and started eating. His movements were small, he barely made any noise as he chewed but at least he was eating. 

I was still confuzzled, it is a word, a made up word, but then again all words are made up words. Confused and puzzled. I had no idea how to approach him, do I treat him like a human or a rabbit. The ‘treat’ card worked but will it work every time? He was taking small bites, I wondered if the food tasted bad. Maybe I forgot to add sugar to the pancakes? Did I forget to season the salad? I sighed internally. He needed a proper meal but sadly, Jason and I were terrible cooks. We lived on take-outs and ramen. Maybe it was time to learn how to cook.

I stood up, he froze. I had to get him used to people. I ignored his stiff posture as I walked to one of the freezers and pulled out a container that held my favorite ice cream. It was ‘ice cream for breakfast’ kind of day. I didn’t bother with bowls, two spoons and I was back in my seat. 

“You know this is my absolute favorite ice cream in the entire world. It's called Chocolate Brownie Fudge with Marshmallows. It's like a little piece of heaven in a plastic container,” I offered him a spoon. He looked at it as if it was going to bite him. “Go on, it's your treat!” I encouraged with a grin. It was meant to be a small smile but he was too cute and the ice cream made me happy. 

I dug into the ice cream as if my life depended on it. Jungkook watched me curiously, the spoon still in his hand. He hadn’t finished his breakfast but it was a start. For me, it was Sunday, the day where I threw caution to the wind and ate what I wanted. He hesitantly took a spoonful of ice cream, watching me as if I was going to pull the container away from him and tell him it was a joke. 

As soon as the spoon touched his tongue his eyes lit up like christmas. “Amazing isn’t it?” I asked, taking another bite. He nodded excitedly. Apparently he had a sweet tooth. I pushed the ice cream towards him and watched him devour the whole thing in minutes. God he was adorable!

I settled down on the couch in my office, I desperately needed a shower but that’d have to wait. Jason had taken Jungkook back to our house, he was going to stay in the guest room for the time being. It's not like I was going to put him in the hybrid shelter building, nobody deserved that and he couldn’t stay as a rabbit forever. 

I had a file in front of me, a file on Jungkook. All hybrids are installed with a microchip and registered in the hybrid database as soon as they are born ...or rather created in the labs. Hybrids couldn’t procreate, they were made in labs owned by big corporations. Jason had scanned Jungkooks microchip, the file contained everything about his life.

He was created in Corebear Tech’s lab and sold at the age of six to a wealthy family as a pet for their son. He was sent back to the company when he was twelve because he had grown too big for a rabbit hybrid. Corebear Tech then sold him to Apexi Pharmaceuticals and I guess that’s where Yonu found him.

I felt …I didn’t know what I felt. Maybe a sense of defeat. Jungkook was twenty-three, he was in that lab for eleven years. He was just one year younger than me. I was lost. I couldn’t even imagine what he must’ve gone through. There was no way I was going to let Apexi take him back. I called Song Hwa and gave her the file. After all we had evidence to collect and a case to build.

“Not this again!!” I ran through the front door as soon as I smelled smoke in our kitchen. Jason was standing in front of the stove fanning a pot with a newspaper. 

“I was cooking rice, I don’t know what happened,” he said opening the windows.

I took a peek, the rice was black, utterly totally burnt. “Jason …you’re supposed to add water to cook it…”

“Oh,” Jason loved to cook, the problem was he just couldn’t. I was 200% sure that he was cursed by some evil witch. The moment Jason tries to cook, all hell breaks loose.  

“You’re on clean-up duty,” I grumbled. At least it wasn’t that bad, the cake incident was still fresh in my mind. Once upon a time, when we still lived in our dorm, Jason decided to bake a cake …in a pressure cooker. Needless to say, it was a disaster. The cooker blew up, damaging half the kitchen. Thankfully no one was injured.

I softly knocked on the guestroom door. Jungkook had spent the whole day in his room, not that I blamed him. New place, new people, it was bound to be scary.

“Hey Jungkook, you want to come out for dinner?” I asked. I could deliver him ramen to his room if he wanted but I hoped he’d come out and eat with us. Yes, we were having ramen, Jason and I still lived as we had lived in our dorm, the only difference was our house was nicer and we had a garden.

Jungkook opened the door, he hadn’t locked it. He scrunched his nose as soon as he stepped out. The house was full of burnt smell from Jason’s cooking adventure. The smell must be stronger for him.

“Yeah, Jason tried to cook rice. Pro tip, never eat the food that Jason makes, he’s a terrible cook. Do you want to come eat with us?” I asked. I got a small nod in return.

“Let’s gooooo!! Do you like ramen? We have a really good recipe, well its nothing special, we just throw in some bacon and rice cakes and of course a fuckton of cheese,” I rambled as he followed me to the dining table. “You can never go wrong with cheese, unless you’re Jason,” Jason made protesting noises, I rolled my eyes at him.

Dinner was a bit awkward. Jason and I kept trying to make Jungkook talk but it didn’t work. The poor bunny hadn’t spoken a single word since he’d arrived at Calico. The only thing we got out of him were small nods and silence. I wondered if we should consult a therapist. He was human after all and he needed help.

I heard a sharp gasp from my left. Jungkook’s eyes were huge, he was frozen in his chair. He had accidently knocked the salt shaker off the table.

“I’m so..sorry. Please don’t punish me. I’ll do anything,” his voice was so small, it made my heart ache.

“Oh honey no!” I said as I held his hands. “It was an accident. You remember what I told you? This is a safe space, you’ll never be punished here. I won’t let anyone hurt you, okay?” I was mentally cursing myself for holding his hands on impulse. What if he didn’t like people invading his personal space? My worries were put to rest as he squeezed my hands.

“Okay,” he said in the smallest voice.

 Previous || Next

[wishesunderthestars]

Ocean Waves // Ch. 1

Pairings: Wizard!Namjoon x Witch!reader

Summary: Wizards were arrogant and self-entitled, they looked down on witches when they were the ones who desperately tried to control magic, to become like them. Better than them. You had your own troubles, struggling to make enough money to escape the judgement of your community and the past mistakes haunting you. Getting involved with a wizard was the last thing you needed. But you had never been lucky.

Genre: Angst, fluff, hurt/comfort

Word Count: 12.2k

Warnings: none 

Talking books were a pain in the ass. They could talk miles around the same subject and never stop. The worst part? They were impossible to close if they didn't want to. Which witch had thought it would be a good idea to give voice to a know-it-all?

You had made the mistake of opening one and now it wouldn't shut up.

It was going on and on about all the different kinds of seaweed, their uses and complaining about people confusing them. It was causing you a headache. If someone associated books with ancient deep voices they were sadly mistaken. This one had the most high pitched voice you had ever heard and it was so loud the whole ocean would be able to hear it.

You couldn't care less about seaweed types at the moment. Why had you made the mistake of opening it? It depicted various ingredients for potions but it had become obvious it was most fond of seaweed. Titled "Guide to Underwater Plants and their Contribution to Magic", the writer had described thousands of plants in its pages and then he had made the mistake of animating it. You vowed to yourself that if you ever reached that lever of magic you would never repeat that. Too many speaking books had been made, way more than the world needed in the first place. Zero, that's exactly how many it needed.

"Chlorophyta, also called Prasinophyra, is a taxon of green algae. Depending on the author the name is used in two very different senses. In older classification systems, it refers to a highly paraphyletic group of all the green algae within the green plants, which includes more than seven thousand species. "

You put a book back in its place on the bookshelf carved into the cave wall. "Yeah, yeah."

"Contrary to popular belief not all species live in freshwater but about 90% of them do, 10% can be found in seawater in secluded regions."

"Amazing." You picked up another book. You were extra careful not to open another book that would make your headache worse. "You sound like a Wikipedia article."

A moment of silence. You read the first few pages of the book in your hands then put it back. Nothing interesting there. Rustling of paper that could only be described as aggressive came from the book on the stone table in the middle of the library.

"Did you just compare me to a Wikipedia article?" You clenched your eyes as the pitch of the voice got higher, it should have been impossible, but you had never been lucky. "The blasphemy, the insult! How do you wound me so? Are you so ungrateful to my services? Then I shall service you no more." The book closed with a bang echoing through the library.

You rushed to the table to pick it up and shove it in one of the shelves. You added the seaweed book to the list of people and now things you had managed to offend. At least it had stopped talking. Books were too sensitive these days.

The library hadn't been much help this time. You had been coming for so long taking comfort in the dim lights under the water and the lanterns with the silver flames. You found solace in the cave above the water where the books were kept safe from being soaked and destroyed.

The lower levels were underwater, much larger in size. They were like huge museums of things old and new, anything that would interest the sea creatures that gathered them. Some were displayed in glass cases and others on carved stone. Forgotten relics centuries old and statues of a different age. Beautiful jewelry worth a fortune was preserved by the librarians.

It was an underwater wonderland.

You collected your notes, divided them by kind and hid them away in your waterproof bag. You hadn't made many new ones. You would have to figure out the rest of the details for the potion yourself. You didn't look forward to that.

With one last look at the dry section of the library and the blue sky that was visible through a hole in the cave's ceiling, you dove back in the sea.

The water was soothing against your skin. You closed your eyes at the feeling of freedom.

"Did you find what you needed?" the selkie polishing one of the statues asked you. She was the head librarian and always had a smile on her face.

"I came close," you said. You had perfected the art of speaking and hearing underwater. It had taken many hours of practice and nearly drowning twice but it had been worth it. Your mother wouldn't have let you drown anyway. She had been the one to teach you. "Nothing too specific."

"I could help you look next time, not that I would be much help if you didn't find anything." The selkie ran a hot pink pad over the curls of the statue. The attention to detail of the sculptor was incredible, the man looked alive. He reminded you of the ancient statues in the western human civilizations and their beauty. You could recognize it didn’t originate there though, it wasn't that old, but the untrained eye could mistake them.

"I can try to do the rest on my own. I'll experiment a little, try it a few different ways until it works," you said.

Snickers followed your statement. "Oh no, we all have to hide. Y/N is doing magic again. On her own." More snickers. "Everyone in twenty miles from her house is in danger."

A group of mermaids emerged from one of the pathways. The mermaid's words were accompanied by the giggles of her two friends. They were swimming gracefully in the water, their hair floating around them like halos. Their words were much less angelic than their appearance.

You gritted your teeth. "Too bad for you. You better start hiding then." You kept yourself back from saying anything worse.

The mermaid who had spoken before giggled. "Maybe you should be the one to start hiding. There are much bigger fish in the ocean and they will swallow you whole."

Their giggles echoed in the chamber as they left.

The selkie looked at you with sympathy. "They are all talk, nothing else."

You gave her a weak smile. "Don't worry. Don't I know?" You tightened your grip on your bag, adjusting it over your shoulder. "Take care. I'll see you."

"See you around, little sea witch," the selkie said fondly.

You disappeared deeper into the library, passing through different rooms and narrow paths. The library was difficult to navigate at first but it grew on you. The longer you spent there you gradually unraveled its secrets and understood the structure, the way it was made. There was a method to its madness.

Out of the series of caves, the sun was but a faint vision above. A couple of fish followed you as you swam to the surface. They were drawn to you like moths to the flame, your magic drawing them in. Anna would joke about it, say that if you ever went hungry you could catch the fish surrounding you to feed your belly.

You went higher and higher, closer to the light.

Most water creatures didn't spare you a second glance. A group of kelpies were heading north, their manes swirling around them, and a mermaid was arguing with a water nymph about the pros and cons of sea shells as hair accessories.

You emerged by the rocks on the forgotten trail to the sea. The sharp points of the stones dug into your palms as you pulled yourself up. The water had smoothed parts of them and left others sharp enough to cut through skin with one wrong move, you had to be careful which ones you held onto. You stood up barefoot on steady feet. The underwater library was a twenty minute swim away from the shore at best. By all means your limbs should have been sore from going and coming back but you were used to it.

With a flick of your hand and a few muttered words under your breath the water clinging on your ripped jeans, crop top and hair slipped away like it was being pulled by some kind of magnet. It left your hair in a not so favorable condition but it was nothing some combing with your fingers couldn't fix. That way you at least looked a little presentable. Not that you had a mirror to look at but you had enough years of experience to have a general image in your head of what you looked like.

You pushed your hair back as best as you could to get it out of your face and started your way up. The rocky trail wasn't easy to navigate but you had a lot of practice. Under a larger stone, one the water couldn't touch,  you found your sandals. You had left them there before diving into the sea. Shoes restricted your movements underwater making you slower.

You slipped them on, happy to avoid the pain of the sharp rock edges poking the soles of your feet. You were used to it but it was nice to avoid it whenever you could.

Moss was growing between the stones, it wrapped around them creating patches of green amidst the black and dark brown landscape. You were careful not to step on them, they were slippery and the rocky terrain could be dangerous. If you slipped and fell your, head and body wouldn't stay intact.

You climbed up the familiar way with ease. Your bag was securely wrapped around your shoulders, the spell work cast on it still working wonders. As you went up, the rocks gave way to a dirt road.

A few trees surrounded the road. Pine trees and lemon trees provided shade from the sun during the day. You patted one of the older trees in the area and felt its life force thrum underneath your fingertips. A spark of warmth greeted you.

You didn't have to walk long to your house. It peaked on the horizon as you walked down the hillside. More trees were growing around the area and grass and different kinds of wild flowers were everywhere you looked.

The house was perched on the plain near to where the woods ended and on the other side the hill gave way and gazed over the sea. Vibrant red flowers, like small roses, bloomed on the vines climbing up the stone walls. They had been there as long as you could remember and they bloomed all year long. Thin lines of smoke were coming out of the chimney. The windows were open letting the early spring breeze inside, the gossamer curtains billowing in its pass.

As you came closer warm tingles ran through your body, the protective charms around the house were welcoming you. Your wards were very powerful, they could detect someone with unsavory intentions from miles away. The white stones littered around the grounds were only a small part of them.

You were the most proud of your garden. It took up a wide ring around the house. It was your mother's garden and you had learnt how to care of it early on. You planted all the kinds of herbs you would need for potions, salves and spells and some of your mother's favorite flowers. Lemon and apple trees had been around the path to the door since you had been little and moonflowers, that would open at night and release their sweet aroma, littered the window sills. They were your favorites.

By the door the charmed dreamcatcher danced with the wind. The white strings were made by kelpie hair and it was decorated with Phoenix feathers for added effect (both gifted voluntarily). Tokens like that were all over the house, inside and outside. You had picked up the habit and created charms and amulets of all kinds. It was easy and some of your best work.

You opened the door making the small bells ring softly.

As expected, Anna was sprawled on the couch, phone in hand, scrolling through Instagram. Her long black hair was pulled up in a ponytail and her nails, painted black, made a clinking sound whenever they touched the screen.

"Did you find everything?" she asked, too engrossed to look up.

"I wouldn't go that far. I would say I found at least some things I can work with." You pulled off your bag and placed it on the kitchen table. The kitchen doubled as your "witchy laboratory" as your brother like to call it and its usual state was a mess. "I'm closer than I was yesterday. I count that as a win. Where are the boys?"

"John, upstairs. Nathaniel is out." Anna's syrupy voice carried to the kitchen.

Out of the bag you pulled out your spellbook. You liked to call it a spellbook but it was the combination of many notes and observations you had compiled over the years. Pretty much everything was inside.

"Where did Nathaniel go?" you asked.

"No idea, I didn't ask. Just be glad he won't be messing with anything you are working," Anna said. "Any explosives yet?"

"I don't use explosives, I'm not a miner." You flipped through the pages, pausing at a drawing of a vial next to a staghorn coral, like its name suggested it resembled the horns of a deer. "Should I start working now? If any of you have any plans that are going to distract me, please let me know."

"Nah, I don't think we do. I doubt John will be coming down until our shift starts."

That was good enough for now.

Your housemates could be loud to an extreme. Even their silence was loud. They filled the kitchen with noise, threw things around by accident or not, messed with your work and generally made a mess. They were the biggest obstacle to your work and you couldn't wait for the time you would have your own space. No more spilled potions, lion cubs Nathaniel was supposed to be babysitting running between your feet, torn or lost books, destroyed charms and constant talking and fighting. The last was the worst.

You were close to forgetting a time before all of them had entered your life. The time before Nathaniel was like a dream. Scattered memories of swinging high in the garden, pushed by a faceless father, picking flowers and swimming without an extra voice accompanying you and no over excited boy running behind you. Anna and John came later so your memories without them were clearer but still too far away.

Nathaniel was your mother’s best friend only son. You had grown up together but you didn't spend half as much time with each other as you did after his parents died. It had been a heavy blow to your mother, only a few months after your father had disappeared. In the same year she had lost two of the people most dear to her. After your father's disappearance, she was strong, she continued like nothing had happened. She read her books, attended on her customers, tended to her garden. When her best friend was killed at the hands of hunters everything stopped, the facade fell.

Hunting supernatural beings was illegal. It had been outlawed decades ago, yet some people just refused to give up. There weren't that many but enough to cause worry and fear. They were enough to make you double check if someone was following you and never lose your focus in case you needed to cast a spell to escape when you were outside the supernatural communities. The risk was much greater outside.

You didn't see the bodies but your mother came back with her voice so hoarse from screaming she couldn't speak for days. It was only natural that Nathaniel would stay with you, no questions were raised about it and no one complained. And so the werewolf became a part of your little family.

John and Anna's story was different, the reasons similar.

"What are you making?" Anna was leaning on the doorframe between the kitchen and the living room. Her phone was in her hand, hanging by her side.

You stopped measuring the white liquid in the vial you were holding. "I thought you wouldn't distract me."

"I don't have any plans that will distract you. I'm bored," she whined. "What are you making?"

"I told you about this yesterday. It's for a customer."

"Oh right, the memory potion." She grimaced. "I don't understand how that's supposed to work. If his memories are gone, they won't be coming back with a potion. What if someone stole them? You can't grow them back."

"Memories aren't trees, of course I'm not growing them back. The potion isn't going to make the memories suddenly appear," you tried to explain as you opened the cupboards looking for the ingredients you needed. "Some memories are suppressed, living deep in the subconscious. That can happen because of trauma or simply because the brain deemed them not important enough. They haven't truly disappeared. This is one of the mildest potions, it is supposed to bring the missing memories to the front slowly, one by one."

"Interesting." Anna stepped away from the wall and came closer. "Are you going to crush that?"

You had an orange coral in one hand. "It's going to melt in the potion. If I do this right, it won't need crushing. Careful!"

Thanks to Anna's fast reflexes the vial was saved from crashing to the floor. However, you didn't feel that thankful when she was the one who had knocked it over in the first place. Vampires were supposed to be graceful and elegant, it was just your luck you had ended up with the only two clumsy ones ever made.

You continued working on the potion. Anna got bored of you and your monotonous answers and returned to the living room with her phone. Instagram was far more interesting than potions, apparently.

Thumping was coming from upstairs. It could be nothing else but John jumping up and down like maniac, listening to heavy metal or rock ‘n’ roll or any other kind of music with a loud beat that had drawn his attention. You needed to cast the silencing spell between the rooms again for all of your benefits and your own peace of mind. It wore off too quickly and with four people living in the house, you couldn't do without it.

The last ingredient was the most important. It was one you hadn't found exactly the correct technique for, but based on most of the potions it was used in you had to add it with precision and slowly. Not a drop more. You kept your hands steady, holding your breath. One, two, th-

"Y/N!"

Surprised, you squeezed the dropper harder than you should have, a copious amount falling into the mix. The potion turned green instead of royal blue. An epic failure.

You growled, throwing the dropper to the side. What had you asked for? A few hours to let you work in peace. Why couldn't they do that? You didn't go and sabotage their jobs. Now the potion was destroyed and you should start all over again. In two days the potion had to be ready for the client and you were miles away from that, it seemed. You had to test the method, let it brew overnight and make sure it was effective. But in this house, you doubted you would be able to do that.

"What the heck do you want?" you shouted back.

Nathaniel appeared in the kitchen, chocolate brown hair tussled. "Have you seen my favorite top? The dark blue sleeveless one? The one I wear with the black choker?"

You gripped the sides of the table, your long nails digging into the wood. "That's it? That's what you wanted to ask me? You ruined my potion!"

Nathaniel sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Technically, you-"

"Don't finish that thought if you want your body to stay intact," you growled.

"Not finishing that thought." He lingered by the door as you picked up the ruined potion, and after casting an easy spell on it so it wouldn't be dangerous to any creatures or nature, you disposed of it by throwing it outside the window. The earth shallowing up the liquid rapidly. Nathaniel shifted on his feet. "Did you see the shirt?"  

You narrowed your eyes. "No, I didn't see the damn shirt. It's either in your room or the laundry basket. Choose and take. Unless it sprouted wings, then good luck finding it," you said forcefully.  

You could feel Nathaniel's eyes on your back as you cleaned the vials you had used one by one. "Okay," he dragged the vowels as he spoke. "I'll look there."  

"Geez, what's up with her?" You heard John's voice from the living room. The silencing spells definitely needed to be recast.  

By nightfall, you had come close to melting a cauldron and ruined another two potions. You were close to perfecting it, though. Your three housemates had left for the club shortly after dusk. Anna and John worked at a supernatural club as bartenders, clubs needed charming bartenders and vampires were nothing if not charming. Nathaniel worked there too as a bouncer. His height, wide shoulders and muscles made him perfect for the job.

Having the house to yourself was a blessing. By all means, you should take advantage of the nights they were gone but you were a morning person and it was more difficult working at night, it didn't help that a lot of spells needed daylight to be cast properly.

In a drawer, there was a talisman for protection you had put together a few days ago. The small pouch was a deep purple, on the front a rune was sewn in it. It was in the old language of the people of the sea, so old only few words survived the trial of time. One of them was adorning the talisman, meaning "protection". A white stone, with a thin blue line like a crack running through it, was inside along with a few anemone petals and a couple seashells.

You made metal talismans too, like rings and charms for necklaces, but the process was more difficult. Carving the rune into the metal was a struggle and the spells could be too time consuming.

The forest was very close to your house and it was mostly quiet at night. Many supernatural creatures lived in its embrace or around it. It wasn't dangerous usually but you were cautious as you treaded the path to a small clearing. You liked working under the moon, away from the house, the memories and the responsibilities.

You pulled out the talisman from your bag and continued working on it.

You were twirling the white thread in your fingers when you heard the footsteps. They were approaching.

You leveled your breath, keeping it to its normal pace. You recited every spell you could use in your head. Speed, power and counterattacks. Which spell would be best for each supernatural creature?

The steps were coming closer. Whoever it was, they were taking their sweet time. If it was a predator, a wild werewolf for example, they would have smelt you from miles away. They could be playing with their pray, playing cat and mouse. Or it could be someone else simply out for a walk at night.

You didn't move, didn't make a sound.

A tall shadow emerged from the trees. Taking a better look at him, he wasn't a shadow anymore. His silver hair was shining under the moon, like beams of its light had landed and stayed there. He was wearing a long tan coat, like a cloak, and he was carrying four books in his arms.

Familiar tingles went up your arms, like when you were doing magic. Hia aura spoke to you.  

Magic.

"Oh." His eyes widened as they landed on you. You hadn't moved, waiting for his move. "I didn't expect to find anyone here."  

You raised your eyebrows, placing the pouch in your lap. "Clearly I didn't either."

His magic crawled up your arms, leaving the ghost of its touch behind. If you focused on it, you could see deeper into his energy. Potions might not be your strongest suit, but since a baby you had been very sensitive to magic, you could sense it in the air, you could feel the different kinds of magic, but you hadn't been exposed to it much and you couldn't recognize them. The man's magic was different to what you were used to, subtle and refined. It wasn't free and earthy.

You narrowed your eyes. A wizard.

What was a wizard doing here? Wizards stayed in their libraries and grand universities. They didn't just take strolls in the woods unless they were looking for something, they preferred to act mighty and knowledgeable in luxurious rooms with the most prestigious of companies. They bragged as if magic was their own creation just because they had managed to master a part of it. Magic wasn't in their blood like it was for witches, maybe they had an inkling, but it was nothing like the way magic flowed through witches connecting them with nature.

Yet they viewed witches as inferior when they were the ones who forced magic and as much as they studied the most powerful wizard couldn't hold a candle to the power a witch could achieve.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just looking for a quiet place," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"The whole forest is quiet."

Instead of being annoyed at your sharp tone, the wizard smiled sheepishly at you. Twin dimples appeared on his cheeks. You had an urge to scowl. "That's right I guess. I was walking around and stumbled upon the clearing. I didn't mean to interrupt." You scoffed looking down at the talisman, you hoped that if you didn't say anything, he would eventually leave. Tough luck. "Are you making a talisman?"

You rolled your eyes. "No, I'm sewing a pouch for fun. What do you think?"

His cheeks were tinted in pink but that might have been a trick of the moonlight. Moonlight was well-known for fooling your senses. "You're a witch, aren't you? Protective talismans are a challenge, it's tough to get them right."  

It had taken him long enough to realize. You were about to come up with another sarcastic retort but that would only keep him here longer. It wasn't that difficult to see you didn't want company, yet he insisted on staying. "I get them right just fine."

The wizard's eyes widened for a moment. "Do you live around here? One of our customers told us about a witch who made a few protection charms for her, she said they were the strongest and most efficient she had ever used, they stopped two goblins from sneaking into her garden on two different occasions."  

You remembered that customer, she had come to you a few weeks ago, looking for a way to ward off unwanted visitors who ravaged her garden. She was a nice woman, long auburn hair and flowy dress. She must have been some kind of nymph but you couldn't be sure. He had said their customer. You had never heard of wizards working before, they usually lived on the money of the rich, who funded their Universities. A wizard selling any kind of magic sounded more ridiculous to you than the already ridiculous meeting with a wizard in the forest.

One of the druids had mentioned something about a new magic shop. You had overheard him while you were gathering herbs for a potion, but he hadn't mentioned anything about a wizard. Witches were the ones who owned magic shops. Wizards made fun of said magic shops.  

A magic shop in the area wouldn't be good for businesses. Luckily they were selling things out of your expertise, like healing potions and some rare ingredients. Potions weren't your strong suit but you could make some money out of them. The ones related to the sea were the closest to your comfort zone, but it was a long process. You were already struggling as it was, not many people trusted you for important work and it cost you.

"Protection charms are routine work," you said curtly.

The wizard shrugged. "I'm awful at making them, I tried a few times but they would barely work. Jin is a little better than me but his aren't that strong either. Ah, I forgot, sorry. My name is Namjoon. We moved here a few weeks ago and opened a shop."

"I have heard," you muttered, glancing at his extended hands. You might be pissed at being interrupted and at the stranger's insistence on not getting lost, but you had some manners. Begrudgingly, you shook his hand and told him your name.

"You're a sea witch, right? I've never met a sea witch before." You came close to rolling your eyes again. Of course he hadn't met a sea witch before. Pure elemental magic was rare in witches and the witches who had it wouldn't hang out in the places wizards did.

You cut the white thread in a sharp move and balled the unused part in your fist. It was clear Namjoon wouldn't leave you alone to your work. You got up, dusting off your clothes. "Excuse me, but I have to go. It's late."

Taken aback, Namjoon looked up at the sky, like the moon could tell him the time. Didn't wizards have phones? "Oh, yeah. It was nice meeting you." The dimples popped out again, you averted your gaze.

"You, too," you said before disappearing in the trees. Great, you didn't have any other place to go. The trek to the sea was long and dangerous at night and you weren't in the mood for a midnight swim. A couple mischievous hobgoblins frequented the rocky grounds and you didn't feel like becoming their next target.

There goes your night.

~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~

You were woken up bright and early when your housemates made their appearance. The door banged once against the wall and one more time as it closed. Nathaniel really needed to control his strength when he was tired. The door couldn't take much more before it flew away from the hinges at best or shattered into splinters at worst. When Nathaniel's werewolf strength and senses had started manifesting when he was sixteen as his first shift was coming closer, everything and everyone around him had suffered. He had broken your favorite couldron, three of your vials, the door to his room, a broom and the most memorable; the toilet, to this day you still didn't know how that had happened. He had also come very close to squeezing you to death hugging you.

He had cut off your airflow for approximately three minutes.

John was singing off-key to an EDM track that wasn't meant to be sung without some form of autotune. It was a rare John ability, but he somehow made it sound like a failed heavy metal track.

The house was in desperate need of recasting the silencing spells between the rooms. They were wearing off far too quickly. But what did you expect when some of the loudest people did everything to overload them?

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and sat up in your bed. Light was streaming in from the window, the rays stopping at the foot of the bed. The thin curtains didn't do much to stop it. It was nice waking up to a partly illuminated room, without having the sun shining straight to your eyes and blinding you.

Feet were climbing up the stairs. Nathaniel was heading to bed, after being awake all night at the club. John and Anna were at an advantage, as vampires they didn't have to sleep. They still got tired though and spent the mornings bitching about the rude clients or fawning over the attractive ones or gradually getting over an alcohol-blood hungover. Vampires couldn't get drunk the conventional way but they had found a hack. If they drank blood from someone drunk, they would get drunk too. Of course, they had managed to create a drink for that.

You changed into a pair of black jeans. They had faded from all the times they had been washed, diving in the sea wearing them also caused some damage. You picked out a simple white blouse that would allow you to move comfortably. You had given up on wearing nice clothes because a potion or a new spell could easily backfire. Climbing down the stairs, you caught sight of John and Anna sprawled on the couch, and partly on each other, watching a morning show on TV and making fun of the hosts. You couldn't blame them, the dress the woman was wearing made her look like a colorful lamp. But who were you to judge?

"Good morning." Their keen hearing hadn't missed you moving around. The weak silencing spells didn't help.

"Morning," you greeted them, going straight to the kitchen. You hadn't eaten a large dinner last night and you were ravenous. It was a pity that eating too much was bad for swimming.

You pulled out a carton of milk from the fridge, careful of the vials you were storing inside, and a box of cereal from one of the cupboards. A tentacle slithered around your wrist but you tapped it with a spoon and it retreated. That octopus-like creature had been staying in your cupboard for a few years now. Really, it was harmless but it could scare some customers away. There was a spell you could use to banish it but it was nice enough and didn't bother you. It actually bothered you less than your housemates did. Occasionally, it would open the cupboard and pass you the ingredients you needed. Also, it had an appetite for mice and cockroaches, which you didn't mind at all and firmly encouraged.

One of your books was open in the table on a page about weather-related spells. You had been doing some late night studying and had left it like that before stumbling up the stairs way later than you should have. Weather spells weren't very popular and there were many different kinds that required different levels of magical abilities. As an elemental witch, you should have been able to execute most of them with ease. Should, but you hadn’t tried your hand at them in a long time. Well, it didn’t hurt to do some research, you thought, as you flipped through the pages as you ate your breakfast.

You didn't have many customers, so most of your days were dedicated to doing your own studying and perfecting easy spells and potions or learning new ones that might be useful in the future. The sound of the TV accompanied you as you poured a few vials together and watched them change colors into a pastel yellow. You stayed still for a few minutes and when no foul-smelling cloud followed, you counted the potion as a success and transferred it into an oval-shaped bottle.

"Hey, did you hear of the new magic shop in the area?" Anna was leaning against the doorframe, her long black hair clipped back with a claw clip carelessly. Even that looked good on her. She was still wearing the short red dress that hugged her curves just right. The nightclub didn't have a dress code for their employees and Anna used that in her favor.

You stored the bottle with the rest of the successful potions in an enchanted cupboard your three roommates weren't allowed to touch. "I heard. Where did you hear?" It was obvious but you still asked. Word got around fast in the club.

"There was this guy, really cute, " she said. "Really cute and really hot. He pulled off both so well I'm jealous. A fairy. You should have seen the way he danced. His friend was also rather handsome but I didn't get a good look at him." Her lips formed a pout, red lipstick immaculate like she had just applied it. "I hadn't seen them in the club before so I asked. They moved here a few days ago from somewhere in the North, I forget the name of the region now. It started with R... Rio- Or was it N? Anyway, that's not the point. They are new and two of his friends own the shop. I think we should pay them a visit."

You thought back to the night in the forest and the tall wizard, who whenever he smiled dimples appeared on his cheeks. There was no chance you were going to his shop. The last thing you wanted was getting involved with arrogant wizards. Your magic was already belittled and ridiculed by the people in your community, the last thing you needed was wizards calling your magic inferior.

"Why on earth would we go to the new magic shop?" you asked, trying to hide the disdain in your voice. One perfectly drawn eyebrow lifted. You hadn't succeeded.

"Why wouldn't we go to the new magic shop?" Anna came closer, sitting on one of the mismatched chairs around the table. "Are you afraid they'll steal your clients? They don't just do spells and potions. They sell ingredients too, they might have something you need."

"I don't need anything, I can get my ingredients myself. I have everything I need here." You motioned to the cupboards, the baskets of herbs and the random boxes you had stored some of the most odd supplies. "And why would I be afraid of losing my clients? It isn't like I have many, anyway."

Anna's expression softened. "You have just enough clients and you're getting more. They are loyal, they know no one can cast water related spells the way you do. Ms Rogers wouldn't go to anyone else to clean the water in her stream and Mr Klutze will always come to you for talismans. I just think the new shop is worth checking out. Maybe you could exchange some tips, magic user to magic user."  

As if. You scoffed. A wizard and a witch exchanging magic tips, that sounded like a bad joke.

"I'm fine where I am. I'm busy, anyway," you said.

"You aren't busy," Anna stated. "You don't have any orders. Your time will be spent more constructively if you come with me to check out the new magic shop."

"Anna, I really don't want to go," you pleaded.

It didn't change anything. "That's why you have to go. You need to socialize more. Who knows? Maybe you'll make some new friends."

You very much doubted that. You might not have that many friends but you weren't that desperate to turn to wizards. And if those wizards ever learnt what you had done, you would become a laughing stock for them and their friends. At best. At worst, they would demand you stop practicing magic, something that would only happen over your dead body. Not a nice path to go down in the morning.

"Why are you so intrigued anyway?" You raised your eyebrows at Anna who seemed to be counting your potion bottles. "Does it have anything to do with how good-looking the owners' friend is."

She didn't deny it, thankfully taking her perfectly manicured nails away from your bottles. "They were both good-looking. Who knows? Maybe they have more cute friends."

You closed the spellbook on the table, afraid her meddling would ruin something and your spellbook was too valuable to become her victim. "You can find handsome men everywhere. It's like a weird vampire ability. I don't want to get involved in your romantic escapades."

"You’re my best friend, of course you will be involved in my romantic escapades. If you don't come with me to the magic shop, I will go by myself. I'll get every random ingredient I can find and tell them you were too shy to come yourself so you sent me." She grinned, her fangs peeking through.

Your heart stopped. You could swear it did. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, but I would," she said, her words tilting in a playful melody.

You groaned. Anna knew you so well she could be your worst nightmare. "Okay, fine. I'll come. Are you going to go like this?"  

She looked down at her dress. "What? Don't I look marvelous in it?" She laughed at the look you sent her. "I'll change, I'll change. Be ready in a few." She stopped herself before leaving, saying over her shoulder, "Don't even think about running away. You need to get out of the funk you have buried yourself in."

Funk. You scoffed. You hadn't buried yourself in a funk or whatever Anna claimed you had done. You were perfectly fine and as social as you needed to be. You had your job and your clients and the selkie you talked to at the library. And you had the three of them who wouldn't get out of your hair. That's all you needed. For now.

The remnants of a protection charm John had destroyed by spilling a glass of water on it was left on the counter. The water interfered with the magic and rendered it useless. You had to cleanse it and throw it out before the remaining magic seeped into something it shouldn't.

Your roommates somehow never failed to sabotage something you were working on at least once a week. The kitchen was small, not leaving much space for the four of you to move around but it was the only place you could use. You didn't have your own magic shop like your mother used to and you had learnt from her to never practice complex spells or brew  potions in your bedroom. You didn't make a lot of money, not nearly as much as your mother did. But your mother was a trusted witch in your community, everyone came to her with any problems they had. She could do everything. And you... You were trying.

In a small jar, hidden deep in the cupboard that didn't house any tentacle creatures, with a pastel blue ribbon wrapped around it, a small metal book-like charm *filled* with positive energy dangling from it, you had stored your savings. Money to open your own shop and finally move from this community that had done nothing but laugh at you. You would go north at the Great Waterfalls, where you knew no one and no one knew about your mistakes. Or maybe you would settle in one of the human cities, one by the sea, they were many more than the supernatural communities.

The supernatural world's relationships with humans had been getting better and better and at this point it was completely normal to see fairy run coffee shops in human cities or gargoyles employed as guardians for libraries or museums. Supernatural beings mingled with humans, became friends and co-workers. Because of that a lot of half-blood children were born. Children of forest nymphs and humans who had a magic touch with plants, ones who had inherited alluring voices from sirens but the magic wasn't strong enough to control the listener's mind. But a few of them had more supernatural than human blood. Genetics were hard to guess and as society developed and old boundaries were broken down, questions they hadn't bothered with before surfaced.

You sighed, cleaning the table and hiding away anything that could potentially harm your roommates. Your magic wasn't particularly dangerous, the ingredients you used were mostly natural, like corals, seashells, herbs and crystals, but there were a couple you would rather not have Nathaniel messing with.  

On your way to store some herbs in the cupboard, you stopped in front of the mirror hanging on the wall. The oval-shaped mirror with the gold lining snaking around the edges had been there all your life, above the counter and close to the window. The kitchen wasn't the place someone would expect to find a mirror but it fit in a weird way. You combed your fingers through your tousled hair and winced a little when you met a few tangles. You hadn't put on any makeup thinking you wouldn't be going anywhere. Did you have enough time to go upstairs and apply some? Anna liked to take her time getting ready.  

No, you were fine. You looked fine. You didn't need to get dressed up or look like a movie star. It was just a visit to a shop and you had no one to impress.  

Anna swirled into the living room wearing an elegant black jumpsuit, complete with a wide belt and golden jewelry. If there was one thing Anna was amazing at, that was fashion. She dressed herself like she was going to a photoshoot for the cover of Vogue. You looked severely underdressed next to her.

With a wide smile she opened the door and motioned for you to follow her. It was a nice day and Anna lowered her sunglasses a little to take in the vibrant colors. Contrary to popular belief sunlight didn't hurt or kill vampires, although they did tend to dislike it. Because they were pale, they were prone to sunburns therefore they avoided it. Anna attempted to solve the problem by layering a ton of sunscreen on her skin. She had been through a phase as a young vampire in which she had taken to carrying a parasol around, but had eventually given up on it because it didn't fit her style. And she was tired of carrying it. Although you could never forget the time she had smacked a more-than-shady man with it when he had grabbed her waist.

You took the path through the forest, Anna told you it was faster that way. You had no idea where the shop was located so you followed. Anna had her way of gathering information so you weren't the least bit surprised she knew where the shop was. Maybe the fairy boy had told her.

The forest was full of life in the morning. Small animals running around the ground, squirrels jumping from tree to tree. A nymph was scolding a small rabbit for something, stopping when she saw you and shouting a greeting. The trees rustled with it. Anna winked at her. She had helped her approach the boy she liked a couple of years ago and they had been together ever since. Anna was a quite friendly vampire, connected with every kind of creature.

The trees were getting further with larger spaces between them, the path leading up to a more modern building than what you would have expected to find in the middle of the forest. Climbing roses creeped up to the second floor wrapping around the roof. The lovely white blooms must have been magicked to reach that high. The walls were painted a soft peach. The balcony, surrounded by a white railing, was filled with colorful pots. Various kinds of plants were growing in them, many spilling over the balcony. In the middle of all the plants, there was a small table and two chairs.

Anna skipped ahead, motioning for you to follow her. You took a deep breath and straightened your back. You could deal with this, you had dealt with much worse than going to a magic shop of two wizards.

She pushed the half-opened cherry wood door. The open sign was written in careful calligraphy. Fairy bells jingled as you walked inside, their melody sweet and welcoming. The shop was moderately large with many selves lined with crystals, herbs and vials. The world of magic contained in one room. Waiting.

A man with black hair was standing behind the counter flipping through a book. Whispers of autumn brushed your skin every time he turned the yellowed and torn at places pages. It was spring.

Upon hearing the bells, he looked up at you with a wide smile. You were the only ones inside. You reckoned it was pretty early for a stroll to the magic shop.

"Welcome," he greeted you, his bangs falling into his eyes. "Can I help you?"

Anna strolled to the counter, her eyes flitting over the artifacts. "We heard you came here recently and my friend here would like to take a look around. She'll probably know what to get better than me." She turned to you with a smirk. You held yourself back from cursing her into a bat. You had been considering it for years. "I'm Anna," she introduced herself. "I met your friend Jimin last night. Or this morning, if you'd like."

She roped him into a conversation with ease while you hid between the shelves. The aura of the shop was pulling you in, tucking you into its depth. This feeling wasn't something you would use to describe a warlock's magic. It flowed through you, seeping into your bones and warming you inside. You looked between the crystal balls at the handsome stranger.

He wasn't a warlock. He was a witch.

You frowned. What was a witch doing here?

A yellow crystal slipped from your fingers when Anna called your name. You caught it last minute, placing it back with a relieved sigh.  

Anna had made herself home, standing against the counter with one hand in the pocket of her jumpsuit. "This is Y/N, she's the one you heard about. She's a sea witch." You hadn't wanted to strangle Anna as much since she had got into a fight with a siren who had been badmouthing you. She had landed a killer punch, though.

The man turned his blinding smile to you. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Seokjin. Our customers have told us about you. We didn't expect to meet an elemental witch here."

If there were multiple customers who had told them about you, all of it couldn't be good. Most of it wouldn't be good. There were many who preferred to travel all the way to the communities on the other side of the forest to find a witch than come to you. One mistake and it had cost you your credibility. The worst part was that you couldn't blame them. You should have never agreed to do the job.  

"You have a lot of things here," you said, trying to steer the conversation away from yourself. "I think I saw a snow crystal from the White Peaks."

"Oh, yeah," Seokjin chuckled. "That has been with us for years. Someone gave it to Namjoon, I think, as payment for a spell. Namjoon manages the shop with me, it was his idea. We have managed to stack up on a lot of stuff over the years. Knowing the right people helps a lot. I'm not a fancy witch like you, I'm a plain old green witch but I'm very handy with potions."

Green witches were the most common. They utilized herbs and traditional forms of magic. There were many types of witches, each specializing in different branches of magic. But the basics were the same for every type, like potions and herbs. You could have done without the potions.

The bells sounded again as the door opened. Someone walked inside, his upper body hidden by the boxes he was carrying.

"Hyung, the delivery from Fornwick arrived today. Where is Namjoon hyung? He was supposed to help me." One of the top boxes trembled and Seokjin rushed to take it. "I could carry that."

"You could drop that and it's expensive," Seokjin chided him. "We'll be just a moment," he said to you.

He took some of the boxes but not enough to reveal the other's face and they carried them to the backroom. Anna turned to you with one of her arms resting on the counter.

"Did you see him? I told you they would have more have more handsome friends." Anna didn't toss out compliments at random. When she said someone was handsome, they were handsome. She was a sweet-talker but an honest one.

You couldn't deny that Seokjin was handsome but you were more focused on the fact that he was a witch owning a magic shop with a wizard. Witches and wizards had a long-standing rivalry. A centuries old rivalry. Your mother was a strong believer that no wizard would ever do anything other than look down on witches. Your mother's words were what you lived by and yet...

"Are you looking for a date?" you asked.

Anna pursed her lips. They were the same shade of red as her nails. "Maybe. Maybe not. I just like meeting people. And looking at pretty things. Look how lucky I am."

You couldn't argue with that. Seokjin came back soon after, a boy younger than him trailing behind him. He had chestnut brown hair and wide doe eyes.

"This is Jungkook, he's staying with us and helping with the shop," Seokjin said. Anna looked at you, raising her eyebrows. You had become a master at reading her eyebrow-talk. Another handsome one. Seokjin introduced you and the younger boy nodded, staying behind him. He asked if he could help with anything before Seokjin dismissed him.

Anna was in her element, picking up the talk with Seokjin who seemed to be enjoying himself. You inched away, getting lost between the shelves and the magical items calling to you. A pink crystal for positive energy. Dried wisteria, it could be used in so many spells. Sunflower powder, add a pinch of it in your tea and you would feel happier.

You reached for a small pouch of dried goblin daisies (they were very hard to grow and even harder to pick, they tended to bite) when you collided with someone coming out of the backroom. The shock combined with the push made you lose your balance, sending you back and flat on your butt. You winced at the pain blooming on your behind.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry!" The voice was familiar. It was just your luck. Namjoon was standing over you, one hand extended as if he had tried to catch you but hadn't been fast enough. He rushed to help you to your feet and pick up a few pouches you had knocked over when you fell.  "I wasn't looking where I was going and then you were there. It was too early so I thought we wouldn't have many customers..."

"Joon!" Jin was suddenly next to you, delivering a slap on the back of Namjoon's neck. "Yah, you knocked the poor girl over with your clumsiness! Didn't I tell you to be more careful? No one ever listens to me. Are you okay?" he asked you.

"Yeah, I'm fine," you said, dusting yourself off to hide your embarrassment.

Anna held up two fingers. "How many is that?"

"I didn't hit my head. You do that when someone hits their head."

She looked down on her fingers. "Do you ? Still, how many is it? I wish I'd seen you fall. I just heard the thud."

You rubbed your backside. It still hurt, it had been a hard fall. "Thanks for that. I'll remember it."

"Did she look funny?" she asked Namjoon. The wizard looked like he didn't know what to say and you wanted to hide in a cave underwater and never surface again. You should have never agreed to come with Anna in the first place. Nothing good could come out of this visit.  

If they had heard about you, the unsavory things wouldn't have escaped their notice. You were unreliable. Your magic was out of control. You were putting people in danger. You had heard it all. What were you doing here? They were the ones who would replace you. Your customers were already few and far between, no one came to you for important things. With a new magic shop in the community it wouldn't be long until those few customers preferred this place. You couldn't blame them. Who would choose you with your history, doing spellwork in a kitchen, over this?

You bit the inside of your cheek. "Yes, Anna, it was really funny." The vampire's grin faltered. You grabbed the pouch with the goblin daisies a little harder than was needed. "I'll get this. I need to go, I have work to do. How much is it?"

Seokjin gazed at you and the pouch. "Just take it. Consider it a welcoming gift."

You clutched the pouch in your hand, ready to protest but Anna beat you to it, "Shouldn't we be giving you a welcoming gift? You're the ones who moved here."  

"We wouldn't be opposed to any gifts," he said. "But please accept this one. You can come here whenever you need anything."  

You said your goodbyes and left the entracing shop behind. The pouch warmed up your hand, your fingers caressing the cotton material. Anna didn't say much on your way back. Her back straight and eyes looking ahead. You hadn't expected much from the visit but it was obvious she had.

The pain had ceased, leaving behind a dull throb. Your fall replayed again and again in your mind like an endless current. The force pushing you back, grabbing at the shelves, at anything to keep you upright, your hand knocking against the pouches and dragging them down with you and that wizard and his stupid silver hair standing over you with his mouth forming an o. Your first time at their shop and you had embarrassed yourself beyond belief. They wouldn't need more than that as confirmation for what was being said about you. Not that there was any chance they wouldn't listen to all the gossip surrounding you. You just hoped you hadn't ruined any of the pouches.  

John wasn't in the house and Nathaniel was still sleeping. At least he had remembered to lock the door before leaving. The times you had returned to the house to find the door unlocked were many. Although the protection spells around the house were strong and you reapplied them often, that didn't mean it was alright to be careless. You placed the pouch in the cupboard with the rest of magical herbs. Herbs' prices depended on how rare they were. Goblin daisies only grew in very specific parts of the world and few people dared to pick them up. As useful as they were, they were hard to find. And Seokjin had gifted them to you. Probably as an apology for his friend crashing into you.

You heard the kettle being turned on. Anna had followed you into the kitchen and she was pulling your your favorite mug out of the cupboard. A cup of your favorite tea was left on the table. Anna had a silent way of apologizing.

Sipping on the tea, you started your research on goblin daisies. You knew a lot of potions and spells they were used for but you had never used them before. That meant looking up the quantity you should use. Using too much would make any potion or spell too aggressive and no one wanted their potion fighting them.

~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~

 Nathaniel was babysitting again. And whenever Nathaniel was babysitting, you were all babysitting. Anna had conveniently made herself scarce, off to visit a centaur friend of hers (or that's what she told you), leaving you and the two men of the household chasing after three lion cubs and a baby panther. Nathaniel really needed to find a different day job. For the sake of your house. And your sanity.

"Tom, don't climb on the couch! Your nails-" You had to pull off the little lion, maneuvering him so he wouldn't rip the back of the couch. The couch was saved but his nails sunk into your shirt and he refused to leave your arms.

They were still young and they couldn't control the shift well. Shapshifters were complicated creatures. When they shifted shapes something inside them shifted too, not enough to forget who they were or lose control of themselves, but their instincts were different and they were much more likely to follow them in their other form. It was easier for young Shapshifters to give into their animal side a little more.

Tom had your shirt caught in his claws and his hind legs around your waist. You would have found it cute if they weren't digging into your skin, most likely leaving marks behind. He was wrapped around you like a baby ten times harder to get off.

All had been well at first. Their parents had dropped them off early in the morning for a small trip to the nearest city, promising to come back by nightfall. The four children had been entertained by Nathaniel for the first two hours. Watching TV, playing games, Playstation, Nathaniel had tried every trick in the book in the past year. You had been brewing a potion, forgetting one minor detail. It erupted into a small explosion when it was ready. An explosion that had scared all four of the boys, who shapshifted the moment the boom sounded.

The three lion cubs were the sons of your mother's close friends, the couple were both lion shapeshifters. The small panther was their adoptive son and he was the youngest of the four. He used to be the most shy, staying quiet while the other three created a ruckus. Now, he had grown closer to you and he was just as bad as the rest.

John was sitting on the floor in the kitchen, Nathaniel running after a lion cub in circles around him. One tentacle had sneaked out from the cupboard and it was holding another cub upside down from its foot while it writhed around, playfully trying to bite it. John was throwing something at the cupboard.

"John, stop throwing milk chocolate at it, I think it's lactose intolerant," you called, Tom still holding onto your shirt. John pouted. Noah stumbled on John, Nathaniel didn't have to stop running and the three of them ended up in a John-Nathaniel-lion pile on the floor. The tentacle let the lion cub fall and it landed on them. Seeing the pile, the Panther who had been occupying itself with a cat toy, ran to them.

It took some more time before you kicked them all out of the kitchen. You had a charm for clean water to make. Ignoring the cubs' whining, you shut the door. You would spend some time with them later. The charm was relatively simple, a shirt incantation and a few supplies, all tied into…  

A deep sea crystal. And you were out of them. You groaned, rummaging through the cupboards and the shelves, only to come up empty. Expected. You had completely forgotten you had used the last one. Those crystals were hard to find and you didn't have enough time to go looking in the ocean. That would take you the whole day. There was one thing you could do.

Crap.

"I'm going out," you shouted to the boys. The replies came in various forms of protests. You didn't stay long enough to let them pull you back.

You remembered the way you had followed with Anna and the magic thrumming in the path wouldn't let you go astray. You missed the presence next to you as you walked alone. Anna was good at talking and diverting the attention away from you. Alone, you were too exposed. You didn't know what to do with yourself.

The house peeked from between the trees, flowers blooming all around it, the trees leaning close to it as if pulled by the magic inside. You climbed over a root sticking over the ground and landed on your feet, you had been doing this as long as you remembered. Taking a deep breath, you pushed open the door hearing the sweet melody of the bells.

The shop welcomed you, drawing you in. Sunlight spilled through the windows, showering the room in a golden glow, the crystals shining and casting rainbows on the walls. This time it wasn't Seokjin behind the counter. It was Namjoon.  

There we go.

Namjoon was writing something in a notebook but he put the pen down when he saw you. "Oh, hey. I mean, welcome." He cringed at his awkwardness. It seemed like you weren't the only one in this state. "Can I help you with something?"

You swallowed down anything you could say to embarrass yourself. "Yeah, I'm looking for a Deep Sea crystal."

Namjoon strode to the shelves in the middle of the shop and you followed him, that's where most of the crystals were. "I'm sure we have a few here. What do you need it for?" His hand hovering over an oval hot pink crystal paused. "If you want to tell me, of course. It's alright if you don't."  

You glanced around for anything to catch your attention but you came up empty. You could tell him, it wasn't a complicated spell. Very difficult to backfire. "It's a spell for clean water. They are having some problems in the western part of the forest. The water is so dirty they can't drink it."

"Taehyung told me of that, he said it was affecting some of the creatures. They were looking for a solution." Namjoon crouched down to look through the lower shelf. "Uhmmm, I also wanted to say sorry. About last time." He pulled at his collar, revealing a glimpse of his collarbones. You turned back to the shelves. "Jin hyung was always saying that I would hurt someone else with my clumsiness, not only myself."

You shrugged. He had already apologized, you hadn't expected he would again. "It's alright." It hadn't felt alright at the time but a few days' distance and you could admit to yourself that you had overreacted. You had been embarrassed and felt horribly cornered and it had brought out the worst of you. "Are you working alone today?"  

"Not exactly. Jin hyung will be out with Hoseok until later tonight, so I'm taking care of the shop for now." Hoseok. He must be another friend. Namjoon stopped and took a crystal in his hand. A royal blue so dense it would look like a stone, not a crystal, in the absence of the morning light. "Here we are. A Deep Sea crystal purified and ready for use."

Taking the crystal, you weighted it in your palm. It was indeed purified and cleansed of any traces of magic other than its own raw form. "This is perfect. I'll take it."

You followed him to the counter and gave him the money he asked for. It was a smaller amount than what you had expected to pay. You wondered if Namjoon still felt guilty for knocking you over and instead of gifting you things like Jin, something you wouldn't accept for the second time, he was reducing the price of what you bought. You hoped it wasn't that and the crystal was simply cheap. Your pockets cheered that they wouldn't have to part with much.

"Do you want anything else?" Namjoon asked.

You looked down at the crystal in your hand. "No, that's all."  

He opened his mouth but it seemed like he couldn't find anything to say. He closed it and opened it again. "Have you been staying here for long?"

“I haven’t stayed anywhere else.” The magical community nestled in the forest, the sea and the surrounding area had always been your home. Your mother’s warnings about hunters had prevented you from venturing far and soon you had stopped asking her to take you with her to trips outside the communities.

Supernatural creatures had been living peacefully among humans for decades but the laws didn’t stop those so intensely afraid of difference. Hunters were diminishing in number year by the year but sometimes you wondered if there would really be a time no supernatural creature lost their life because of fear. Witches had it the easiest in recent years. You looked like humans and your services were useful to them. Humans chased your power and made their own kind. Wizards. They couldn’t hunt you for something they were striving to become.

“It’s nice here,” Namjoon said. “Calm. It’s very different from the city.”

It was only expected that Namjoon was coming from a big city. Humans had built grand Universities in their largest cities, the ones the world marveled at and was attracted to them like moths to light. There, they taught how to channel magic, force it in an unnatural way. Magic wasn’t meant to be controlled, it was meant to flow. You didn’t control magic, you guided the stream.

But humans didn’t understand and they didn’t want to.

“I’ll be going now.” You nodded at Namjoon, turning to leave.

“We’re here for whatever you need,” he said a little hurriedly, like he had panicked and decided on saying the first thing on his mind instead of staying silent.

You looked at him over your shoulder, standing behind the counter in a shop he co-owned with a witch, wearing a denim jacket over a white shirt. The only thing standing out about him was his silver hair. Another thing way too different from the image of wizards you had in your head.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you said.

~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~°°×°°~

 You were incredibly stupid. The amount of stupidity required to end up in your position was astronomical. Earlier in the day you had visited the underwater library to find some information for a potion. Everything had been like any other day and you hadn’t stumbled upon any mishaps, finding the book you needed rather quickly. The weather had been getting progressively worse, you could see it in the way the clouds gathered and the waves lashed the rocks.

In a hurry, you had run to your house, failing to notice the protective charm falling from your pocket. Thunder was striking when you remembered to look for it. The storm would hit full force soon, trees trembling dangerously, the sky lighting up every few moments followed by deep rambles. But you needed the charm. The client would be coming to get you tomorrow and you had neither the materials nor the time to make another one.

“Where are you going?” John shouted over the whistles of the wind. It was whipping at the door and you struggled to keep it open.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” you shouted back and you only heard half of his next shout having closed the door behind you. It was something following the lines of “Are you crazy?”.

You were lucky your house was built so close to the shore. Your mother had found the spot and deemed it perfect, near the sea and the forest. She used to tell you it was everything she needed, if she didn’t feel the magic of the sea an emptiness grew inside her. Spending all your life next to the sea, you had never experienced that and you wondered if your connection to the ocean run deep enough to ever do.

The force of the wind made you lose your footing a couple of times but you powered on. That charm was hard to make and the longer it stayed there the more chances the waves had to claim it. You scanned the floor as you stumbled forward. The way you took to the shore was always the same and you could tread it in the wind. You found yourself wishing for lightning. You didn’t dare to take your phone with you in this weather and the clouds had turned the afternoon into night.

That’s exactly what I needed, you thought as a raindrop landed on your cheek and before you could take another step, thunder struck and the rain descended on you. You started running. There was no way you wouldn’t get back home drenched to the bone. In the distance you could see the rocks and the sight gave you more strength.

You halted. There were people there. Two of them. They were leaving, trying to escape the rain when one of them slipped. You watched as he fell behind, the wind carrying him, and landed face first into the water.

He disappeared.

It was enough to set you into motion.

“Stop! Don’t jump in!!! You’ll both drown!” you shouted, hoping his companion heard you over the wind.

“I have to do something!!!” You could now see his transparent wings and bubblegum pink hair and how he stumbled under the force of the weather. He was a fairy and a tiny one at that, shorter than you and probably as light as a feather.

You reached the edge of the rocks, tearing your eyes away from him. You didn’t say another word before jumping in.

Please reblog and comment, it motivates me and keeps me writing.

A/N: This has been in my drafts for a very long time and in my desperation to get away from studying but also do something productive I found myself returning to this project. It will probably be some time until I can write anything else but I have another chapter of this work completed so I thought it would be as good of a time to post this as any.

P.S.: For those who have read Eunoia, the John in this story is a completely different character from the John in Eunoia. This John is a very old character of mine and I had completely forgotten the two of them ended up with the same names.

[elysianightsss]

It’s Just Business - Two

Werewolf Steve Rodgers x reader

Warnings for the series: fluffness, Bucky and Sam bickering like five year olds, smutty smut, bad language.

“Alex!” Lara engulfed me in a hug, smiling brightly as she did.

“Lara. How are you?” I asked, my eyes flickering down to her round belly for a few moments. Seven months pregnant and she looked amazing. Her black hair up in a high ponytail. A fluffy dressing gown tied around her. Her light blue eyes sparkling.

“So happy now that you’re here. Thank goodness for your brother getting you out of there and away from your parents.” She grimaced at the thought of them, pulling me inside the house. Lara had been there for me as a big sister and I couldn’t ever repay her for it. Two older brothers is what I got, Sebastian the eldest at twenty-six and Jonathon twenty-four.

Bash is known as the golden boy, the distinguished politician. Played the part well, but if you knew him like I did, he was a crafty little shit that could do anything. Owns night clubs under a fake name. Some people joke and say he’s the head of a mob or something. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he admitted he was. Putting all that aside, he’s the most caring person you’ll ever meet.

JJ on the other hand, although caring, he cares in a different way. The magazines refer to him as ‘the ultimate party boy’ and god does he live up to the name. Too much freedom. Partying in every country he could, drinking rich people dry. Our parents never seemed to mind. Bash painted a pretty picture to the world that made them proud. Maybe I was wrong, but I always felt that because JJ wasn’t making his family proud, I was having to do it instead.

Not that I wasn’t bitter or anything...

“You’re tellin me.” I shook my head thinking of the recent news received from my father.

“What happened?” Her eyebrows furrowed as she closed the front door and ushered me up the big staircase towards one of their many guest rooms. Their house was more like a manor, the outside rustic and traditional, just like the main section of the house where the stairs sat so hugely. But the inside was more modern, I could never decide which one I preferred more. Placing my bag down on the big bed I began to explain everything to her.

“Now way! He can’t do that!” She began to rage. Flinging her arms about while I looked around the room. The headboard sat nicely up against the back wall, same wall the entrance door was on, to the left of the bed. The east wall had a closet built into it. The west was plain except for a painting of flowers in a vase sat dead centre of said wall. To the right of it, a door to the bathroom. And finally the south, a wall of windows with a sliding door in the middle.

“Actually he can.” I huffed.

“No.” Her statement was blunt. She marched out of the room and across the hall. “Sebastian!” Her voice echoed through the house and it brought a smile to my face. She always cared so much, even if I knew she couldn’t change anything, it was nice.

“What is it my dear wife?” Bash was dragged into the room by his spouse who repeated everything I said with anger.

“That sounds like dear old Dad.” Bash rolled his eyes patting my shoulder apologetically. His suit jacket was no where to be seen, shirt sleeves rolled up and his hair messy. Clear signs of a long day and a tired man.

“There has to be something we can do!” Lara wouldn’t let this go.

“There isn’t. Once father makes up his mind, there isn’t anything we can do to change it.” I nodded at my brothers truest words.

“Let’s not talk about it. I still have a few days of freedom left.” I let myself fall back onto the comfortable bed. The couple soon filed out of the bedroom leaving me to rest. As if I could. My mind was wide awake, I at least tried to sleep. Laying in bed staring at the ceiling. But the machine wouldn’t turn off, the cogs wouldn’t stop moving.

“This is ridiculous.” I rubbed my hands over my face.

Slipping out of the bed, my black night dress flowing while I walked closer to the big window wall. Pushing the sliding door open and stepping out onto the balcony to stare at the view. It was beautiful. Reminded of something out of a movie.

A giant lake with big pine trees and huge fir trees outlined the water. All of them merging together, I couldn’t tell where the forest line stop or started. A foggy smoke came from me with my deep breath. It was so cold, I barely felt it but I wrapped my arms around myself anyway as if by instinct. A loud howl sounded from somewhere in the middle of the forest. A creature, a fox? A wolf maybe? Whatever it was, it sounded lonely. The cry in the dark had me feeling sad for the poor thing.

“I get it. Being alone sucks.” I spoke into the darkness of the night. Feeling the breeze pull a shiver from my body, I made my way back inside the comfort of the room. I didn’t even think about it before leaving the door open and getting into bed. Somehow I was more relaxed with it open, I felt closer to something. Easily drifting off to sleep, the sound of the animal howling blurred into my dream land.

“Up you get lazy bones! Come on time to start your day.” Lara burst through the door yelling, before gasping in shock. “Did you leave the door open all night? It’s freezing in here.” She trudged towards the glass and slid it closed. I sat up and watched her do it.

“Yeah I guess I did.” I frowned slightly, it wasn’t exactly like me to feel at ease with a door wide open.

“Well wash up and come down for breakfast.” She placed a kiss on the top of my head and left leaving me wondering if this is what mothers were suppose to be like. Were they suppose to wake you up early so you made the most of your day? Were they suppose to make you breakfast? Or show you affection? It’s not exactly what I was used to. Nevertheless I got up, got dressed and had breakfast.

“So little sister, what are your plans for today?” Bash asked shoving a piece of toast in his mouth, identical to how he did when we were kids. A small smile pricked at my lips at the sight.

“I was gonna go for a walk, clear my head.” The married couple seemed to think it was a great idea, practically shoving me out the door.

There was fog all across the river this morning, although it wasn’t particularly cold out. The trees reminded me of when Bash, JJ and I used climb the big oak tree in the backyard and the boys got told off for encouraging me to be unlady like. The thought made me giggle, I was never lady like no matter how hard my mother tried to make me that way. I guess I just hated to be told what to do in any circumstance.

My knee high boots crushed leaves underneath them while I walked, I loved the sound. The crunch of nature. This walk had soothed me and I wasn’t even that far from the house yet. Everything here was so serene, so full of life. I wished I could stay here and forget everything. Just let everything go, all my resentment towards my parents, all the pressure of this stupid task.

He cleared his throat before I noticed him, stopping in my tracks to see the rugged blonde man from yesterday.

“S-Steve.” Why the hell was he here? How did he know I was?

“Alexandra.” My name rolled off his tongue bewitchingly. He looked so different than before, no smart shirt. Just a plain dark blue t-shirt seems he liked that colour. No dress pants this time, merely a pair of jeans.

“Are you stalking me or something? Did my father put you up to this?” I grumbled, slipping my hands into my leather jacket pockets. My stance was always kinda wide, feet at the same distance as shoulders, back straight, head up just as mother said. I don’t remember the last time I slouched. He seemed to give me a once over, stopping on my hips? “Uh eyes up here buddy.” His blue orbs shot up in surprise, his left eyebrow raised.

“There’s been a change of plans. You’re coming straight to me once you’re done here.” Rude much.

“Why isn’t my father telling me this himself?” I eyed his feet as he took a step forward, taking one back of my own.

“He’s busy. Asked me to deliver the message. A woman, Martha, she’s already packed your things and sent them over. Your room is being readied as we speak.” His muscles seemed to tense as he spoke. He held himself confidently yet the way his hands were stuffed in his jean pockets gave him this goofy undertone.

“I still have a few days here.” I tried to keep my voice as stable as I could. I really didn’t want to leave, but Steve seemed like the type to tattle to my Father. I had to go to this unknown place, alone and so fast too.

“I know.” He sighed before speaking again. “I don’t want your stay with me to be uncomfortable for you. I’ll try everything in my power to make you at ease.” He puffed out his chest almost showing off his strength.

“I doubt that.” I let my lip curl slightly. I didn’t give him time to respond, turning on my heel and walking back. A once peaceful morning was now a tense and unwanted one.

[a-square-minus-one]

Honey: Chapter 2

Just a series of semi-connected one shots that lead for Garfield and Raven falling in love.

Read Chapter 1 here.

Garfield plays with a chain around his neck, looking out at the twinkling skyline of Jump City. The sun is starting to set, weaving brush strokes of purple and yellow between the tall steel buildings. He starts drumming a beat on his thigh.

“...so tomorrow is the big premiere date,” says the woman sitting across from him. He’s deduced that she’s in her mid-sixties from stories she’s shared with him in previous meetings of her own grown children and grandchildren.

“Yeah,” Garfield mumbles, continuing to look out the window. He had a hard time looking at her face. Her eyes were an impossible shade of blue and very hard to read. During their first session he had joked for thirty minutes straight. She had smiled brightly at each one, teeth perfectly straight and blindingly white. Then she asked “So why do you think you joke so often?” and his rehearsed jokes shriveled up in his mouth. That was a year ago, he’s been coming to her bi-weekly ever since.

When she doesn’t say anything for a few moments, Garfield focuses her attention back on her. She’s looking at his hand that’s fiddling with the chain on his neck. He drops it and shuffles in his seat again.

“It was Elastigirl’s,” he says. Irma nods, shrugging to let him know that he doesn’t have to say anymore.

“Who’s coming to the premiere?” she asks.

“Everyone-” he says, then pauses. “‘Cept for Rae. Didn’t want to dress up.” He chuckles, running a hand through his hair. Irma smirks and nods.

“Terra is going I assume?” Irma asks. Garfield nods.

“Yeah, she’s gonna meet me at the premiere. Titans East gave her the night off. She looked for a dress for months.”

“She’s really proud of you.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t seem excited.”

“No! I am!” Garfield says, his butt rises out of his seat as he rushes to correct her. He plops back down when he notices Irma’s arched brow. 

“I am,” he says again, this time more softly. “Just a little nervous.” 

Irma nods, silently asking him to continue. Garfield runs a hand through his hair.

“It’s my first drama. Up until now casting directors have only casted me in supporting roles for comedies. Mostly as a favor to Nightwing. Or because-” Garfield chuckles but knows Irma would never let him stop the sentence halfway. She looks at him expectantly. “Or, well, because I’m green and the world knows me.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone knows Changeling,” Garfield shakes his head. “No. They know Beast Boy. So they put me in these movies and it’s almost an afterthought. Like Oh cool! That superhero was in that movie for five minutes. What’s funnier or more random than a green guy. But it’s...forgettable.”

“And you’re hoping that this role will be the one that makes people take you seriously.”

“Yeah! I mean, when I started acting, I know people thought it was a superficial thing. Raven rolled her eyes when I told her about my first role. I don’t think she ever got past how giant my ego got when we went to Tokyo and those girls were my fans. But I was younger than and so thirsty for attention.”

“This role is more than that.”

“Exactly!” Garfield exclaims, his body rising out of his seat. He settles down again. It grows silent for a few seconds. “When I was younger, Elastigirl used to show me all these movies from the 50s. I remember watching Roman Holiday and being completely entranced by how beautiful Audrey Hepburn was-” Garfield pauses, playing with his chain again. “But it’s not just the beauty, it was her air. She was a captivating actress.” Garfield thinks of how Rita looked in her own films and smirks to himself. She was equally as mesmerizing but he wasn’t going to bring that up to Irma.

“Why did you bring up Raven specifically?” Irma cuts through his thoughts.

“Huh?” Garfield asks, confused by the random question. 

“You brought up Raven specifically. When you talked about your first role.”

Garfield nods slowly, trying to jump ahead to what Irma was getting at.

“Why does her opinion matter?”

“Well she’s my friend.” Garfield says immediately. Irma nods.

“But you didn’t bring up Cyborg or Starfire. Why’d you bring up Raven?”

Garfield pauses, running a hand through his hair. It’s silent for a couple of minutes.

“I guess...well….everything Raven does and says has weight to it. She’s never said anything just to fill time or space,” Garfield feels his forehead scrunch up in concentration. Irma waits. “She’s just...different than me. I don’t know why her opinion matters. I just...I know that all the words that come out of her mouth are honest. Her delivery is shit sometimes,” Garfield chuckles. “A lot of people think she’s rude. But she really holds no anger towards anyone. She’s-”

“Impartial?” Irma offers. Garfield waits a minute to digest that word and then nods. 

“It just...always feels like she’s right. She weighs all of her thoughts before she settles on an opinion.”

“No one can be right always.” Irma says. Garfield shrugs. Irma hums. 

“So what color dress did Terra settle on?” Irma asks. Garfield laughs.

“It’s green but a completely different shade of green than my skin. We won’t match,” Garfield places a hand over his chest, feigning tragedy. Irma laughs.

“Pity,” she jokes and the session continues.

….

“How was the workout superstar?” Nightwing asks with a wide smile when Garfield bursts into the common room with a towel around his neck.

“Completely worth all the food I’m gonna eat at the premiere,” Garfield says, laughing as Nightwing’s smile falters immediately. Nightwing always harped on keeping track of your protein intake with the team. And the carbs. And the sugar. Garfield wasn’t sure which he had heard from their leader more, “Titans Go!” or “Food is energy!” Garfield kind of just ate what he wanted. He figured out in his late teens that he could just turn into a different animal that would process and digest the food he ate a little differently. It pissed Nightwing off who would have long talks with him about discipline. Garfield laughed with Irma about it all the time.

Garfield spots Raven with her nose in a book and saunters over with a grin.

“Did you hear that Rae? My premiere is tonight,” Garfield says, stepping just a centimeter into her personal space. Raven snaps her book closed.

“I may have overheard it one of the twenty times you’ve brought it up this past week.”

“Really? Twenty?” Garfield asks, rubbing his chin. “Seems like it should be higher. It’s a pretty big film. Lotta big names.” 

“Mmmm and you,” Raven says, opening her book up again. Garfield chuckles. He takes the book out of Raven’s hands and shuts it, making sure he places a finger in it so he can keep her page. Raven glares at him. Garfield hears Irma’s voice screaming “boundaries” in the back of his head. But he doesn’t think he’s pushed her too far just yet. 

“You know we still have a seat saved for you.” Garfield says. Starfire bursts from the kitchen.

“Oh yes friend it would be glorious. I know we could find you a dress if we left right this instant,” Kori says, hands clasped tightly together in front of her. Garfield cringes internally knowing that dress shopping really wouldn’t be the way to convince Raven. 

“You can wear whatever you like,” he amends, feeling as the finger that was holding her book open twitched nervously. Raven makes direct eye contact with Garfield and he feels himself still completely. 

“You know I would have liked to Garfield but I can’t,” Raven says. Garfield feels his body sink a little.

“I get it Rae,” he says, handing her back her book. And he does. Large crowds were still hard for her. Shouting fans, even worse. “But I’m sorry you’ll miss my academy award winning performance,” he jokes. Raven looks at him seriously for a moment, just long enough for Garfield to question whether she thought he was letting the fame go to his head. Then she smirks impishly, reverting her eyes to the text he placed back in her hands.

“You’re a regular Tom Hanks.” Garfield laughs, almost not recognizing the arm that loops around his. 

“My man is better than Tom Hanks. Ooh sweaty,” Terra says, running her hand down Garfield’s arm. He laughs.

“Don’t tell the pap, the gossip magazines would find a way to eat me for it,” Garfield jokes, looking down at his girlfriend. She raises her eyebrow naughtily. Garfield feels his face heat up and looks around at his friends but they’re all too preoccupied to notice Terra’s blatant suggestiveness. 

“I thought you were getting ready at home and then meeting me at the premiere,” Garfield says.

“I decided I’d stop by early. Maybe get ready with Star?” Terra asks loudly enough for Starfire to hear. Kori nearly drops the bowl she was eating out of. She puts it on the table and squeals. Garfield smiles warmly at Terra. It was moments like this that he remembered why they’ve lasted so long. Getting ready with Starfire was an Olympic sport for anyone. The only people who chose to get ready with Starfire were the people who loved her and wanted to see her happy.

“Oh friend! That would be the most delightful!” Then Starfire pauses.

“What’s wrong Star?” Nightwing says, grabbing her hand.

“Well I had scheduled an appointment with my makeup artist and hair stylist for you and I,” Starfire says. Nightwing’s eyes widen so much behind his mask that Garfield has to put his hand over his mouth to cover his smile. He looks at Raven quickly and realizes that she too is on the verge of laughter behind her book. They make eye contact. Garfield’s laugh has quieted down into a soft smile. Raven lowers her book and smirks back. 

“That won’t be necessary Star!” Nightwing says in one breath. Starfire’s face falls a little. Terra chuckles.

“Star I’d love to join you!” Terra says enthusiastically. Garfield sends a big smile Starfire’s way.

“I know you ladies are going to look spectacular,” he says. “I should go grab my suit though,” he finishes, looking at his watch. He plants a hasty kiss on Terra’s cheek and jogs out the common room. 

….

And they did look amazing. Starfire had gone for a shimmering golden dress, her hair falling down her back in loose waves. Cyborg joked that Nightwing had almost choked on his spit when he saw her. Garfield had helped Terra pick out her silk emerald dress so he was less starstruck when he saw her but she looked extra pretty with her hair curled up in a fancy little updo. 

“I have like three hundred pins in my hair,” she had said to him when he helped her out of the limo. He laughed. “Looks nice,” he had said.

They are currently on the red carpet and Garfield’s nerves are shot. He always felt trapped at these things. It’s not that he didn’t love his fans but all at once, it was a little much to handle. He didn’t have it as bad as Raven but he did have millions of potential animals living inside him. All the flashing lights gave him a headache. Everyone spoke so loud too, he had to resist the urge to put his hands over his sensitive ears.  

“Changeling himself!” shouts an interviewer into her microphone. Her skin is almost the same shade of orange as Kori’s. Garfield smiles at her but has to grind his teeth together as his ears ring. He tightens his grip on Terra’s hand. She squeezes back.

“And the beautiful Terra,” the interviewer says, directing her attention to Terra. “You guys are quite the power couple. Are you excited to see the movie?” 

Terra has to move her head back an inch as the microphone is shoved into her personal space. The interviewer is way too energetic. Garfield knew way too much about the business to know that this interviewer wasn’t completely sober right now. This kind of energy was not normal around all these people. Even Starfire got tired at these events.

“Of course I am. I know he’s gonna kill it. Like everything else he does in his life,” Terra says, her excitement much more muted that the woman in front of them. Garfield tries to block out the sensory overload so he can fully experience his gratitude at Terra’s honest words but it’s hard.

“Aww! So sweet!” their interviewer squeals and looks at the cameras with comically wide eyes.

“Changeling! This is your first drama. I’m told the plot doesn’t mention the green skin at all,” the interviewer asks. Garfield nods, immediately feeling like there was a heavy ball rolling around in his head, smacking at the walls of his skull. He pushes himself to answer the question though, feeling its importance even through the pain. 

“Michael was interested in me for this role when he wrote it but he couldn’t get past the green skin at first. I loved the character so much that I was even considering doing CGI to make me look different. But that...wouldn’t be honest. I am...a green man. And anyways all movies involve some suspension of disbelief. So if we can believe that Sandy Bullock is an astronaut then we can believe that I am a regular man...with regular motivations,” Garfield pauses when he says regular man. He always felt like a regular man so telling people to pretend he was a regular man felt cheap. The interviewer nods and if the blank look in her eyes was any indication, Garfield is certain she didn’t register a word he said. He keeps his smile up despite the fiery ball that grows in the pit of his stomach.

“So, do you guys think kids will be in your future?” the interviewer asks. Garfield feels himself take a step back at the blunt question. He shakes his head. She wasn’t even going to pretend to listen to anything he was saying.

“Uh-” he began shaking his head, trying to erase the disbelief off his face.

“Well I certainly want one or two,” Terra says with a chuckle. Garfield looks towards Terra. A flash goes off to the right of them and it makes the jewels in Terra’s hair shine right into his eyes. He closes his eyes.

“Wha-” he starts and Terra turns to him with an eyebrow quirked.

“What?” she asks. In his peripheral as the interviewer moves the microphone closer to the couple and Garfield feels the heat flow from his core into his limbs. He puts one of his hands in his pockets and clenches it. He smiles at the interviewer.

“Well we should be heading in,” he says politely, his smile tight and uncomfortable. “Thank you for your questions.”

Garfield doesn’t listen to the interviewer’s response as he walks hastily into where the movie will be played, dragging Terra along behind him. When they are far enough from inquiring ears Terra rips her hand out of his.

“What was that?” she asks, arms crossed. Garfield blinks a couple times and shakes his head. He senses that Terra’s anger was directed towards him but that couldn’t be right. 

“She asked you if you wanted to have kids with me and you said ‘uh-’,” Terra says, making a dumb face to mimic how he looked when he answered the question. It plucked at Garfield’s nerves like a guitar string.

“Of course I said ‘uh.’ It’s none of her business,” Garfield says, palms lifted to the air as if this was the most obvious thing ever.

“Do you not want to have kids with me?” Terra asks.

“What? Um-” Garfield shakes his head. He still hasn’t been able to quiet his anxiety from being out there with all those flashes of light. 

“Gar why are you hesitating?” Terra asks.

“Terra, I can barely concentrate on my own thoughts. You know how these things are for me,” he says carefully, placing three fingers on his forehead.

“I just feel like that’s something that should come automatically to you. I know I want to have kids with you,” Terra says.

“We haven’t even discussed having kids ourselves, why would I tell a random reporter about something I should be discussing with you.”

“Because you’re excited about our future. Because you want to tell the world,” Terra says, lips twitching in a way that makes the fireball in his stomach explode.

“Terra we don’t even know if I can have kids,” he wants to shout but he doesn’t trust that no one is around. The restraint it takes makes the veins pop out in his neck. Terra takes a step back and looks him up and down.

“I’ll meet you inside,” she says slowly and turns away from him. He sucks his teeth.

“Wait. Terra,” he says, grabbing her hand to stop her but she snatches it away. He groans.

…. 

Garfield settles down in his seat next to Terra fives minutes later. Nightwing, Cyborg and Starfire give him enthusiastic thumbs ups as he walks past them. Terra doesn’t look at him, her shoulders tense. The theater is much quieter than outside of course and Garfield is able to get his bearings. He practices the mindfulness skills that Irma taught him. Closing his eyes, he mentally catalogues what he feels, tastes, smells, and hears. He opens his eyes when he feels a small hand move over his.

“Are you okay?” Terra asks. Her lips are still in a thin line so he knows she’s still angry but she does look genuinely concerned. He nods and puts a hand over her hand. She nods back, takes her hand back and settles into her seat. 

Garfield looks at the empty seat to the right of him that was saved for Raven and feels a confusing tug in his stomach. He doesn’t have time to interpret it though as he hears the announcement for the start of the movie. He feels a heavy weight in his stomach that leaves him digging himself deep into his chair.

…

When the lights slowly start coming back on, Garfield has not felt the weight ease off of him. He took mental notes of the things he could change in his acting as he was watching. The role came out slightly different than he had intended. He’s looking down at his lap and everything is silent, making the weight in his stomach grow so heavy that he is sure he’ll be pulled through the ground at any moment. 

And then he hears something small. Like a phone falling on the floor. And he hears it again. And again. A rhythm. They’re clapping. He looks up at Terra next to him. Her face makeup is smudged and there are tear tracks on her cheeks but she’s looking at him with the most loving smile. He stands up. She puts both her hands on his face.

“Beast Bo-Changeling, that was amazing,” she says, completely in awe. A few late tears slip from her lids. He looks around at the audience who are all looking at him. Cyborg comes behind him and slaps him on the back aggressively.

“I didn’t know you had it in you grass stain!” he booms. Garfield feels himself chuckle but his being feels a little disconnected from his body. He peaks over Terra’s shoulder and Starfire looks about ready to explode. She is practically vibrating. Garfield is sure she’d burst through the ceiling if Nightwing wasn’t holding onto her hand so tightly. Nightwing looks...proud. Something about that makes Garfield’s eyes sting. He knows Nightwing loves him but between the stink ball and the corny jokes, it wasn’t always that Nightwing admired Garfield.

He receives compliments like this from his costars and the Titans as they all begin to trickle out of the theatre to the after party. He has never felt bigger or more humbly blessed in his life. He and Terra are the last people in the theatre. 

“Listen,” she says when Starfire and Nightwing leave. “I’m sorry about what I said before.”

“I know. I am too,” he says, settling back down into his seat. She squeezes his hand.

“I am so beyond proud of you,” she says, and her eyes become glossy with tears. He gives her a closed lip smile and squeezes her hand again. She stands up and shoots him a questioning look when he doesn’t stand up with her. He puts a hand over hers to quiet her worries.

“I just...need to sit here a while. Kinda doesn’t feel real.” Garfield says in a very small voice. Terra smiles, the jewels in her hair twinkling in the low lighting. 

“I get it,” she says, placing a simple kiss on his cheek. “I’ll catch up with Nightwing and Starfire and meet you there, okay?” 

He nods. 

When she leaves the room Garfield feels himself collapse into his chair. He can’t believe he did it. All those long nights. Going to sets at 5 am with injuries from battles with Plasmus. He feels his throat tighten as he plays with his chain.

“She would have been proud of you.”

His head snaps up. Raven is walking towards him in a giant Hanes sweater, rolled up jeans and white sneakers. He stands up quickly.

“How-” he clears his throat. “How long have you been here?”

“Whole movie.”

Garfield gapes at her.

“I phased into the room where the man handles the film and projector. It was quieter there. Didn’t have to worry about the crowd.”

Garfield nods dazedly and sits back down. Raven walks up and gestures to the seat next to him.

“Can I sit?” she asks, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.

“It was your seat.”

“Right,” Raven mumbles and sits in her chair. She draws her knees to her chest. Garfield feels a tightening in his chest about how small and adorable she looks. She could stop the world and yet she could fit her whole body in these tiny chairs.

“You look comfy,” he says, feeling an easy smile slip on his face.

“Well I certainly wasn’t going to wear a dress,” she says. The laughter escapes his lips like bubbles. They sit for a few moments in a comfortable silence looking at the empty screen in front of them.

“She would have been proud of you,” Raven says again and Garfield turns to her with a brow arched. She’s looking at something on his chest. He realizes he’s playing with his chain.

“Rita, I mean.” Raven says, playing with her shoe laces. Garfield feels his whole body still. 

“I know that’s why you do all of this,” Raven says, lifting her hand and waving it around. Garfield fixates on her delicate fingers as they weave through the air. He imagines her magic swimming between her fingers. “For Rita.” Raven finishes and Garfield looks back at her eyes again. He notices she’s not wearing any makeup and yet her skin looks completely smooth and clean.

“She would have loved seeing you do this,” Raven says. “You were like...Gregory Peck.”

Garfield feels a breath escape his lips. “Sorry...just...Roman Holiday was one of Rita’s favorite movies,” he says even though his throat feels weirdly tight and awkward.

“I know.”

“What?”

“Rita and I used to talk,” Raven says, shrugging. Garfield feels himself smiling again despite himself.

“You used to talk?” he asks in disbelief. “To Rita?” Raven crosses her arms, looking slightly peeved. She shrugs.

“Yes...about things.”

“Oh!” Garfield exclaims. Nodding as if Raven had just clarified everything. “You used to talk about things. My bad. Of course you used to talk about things.” He teases, wiggling his fingers whenever he says ‘things.’ 

“Gar…” Raven says, looking him up and down. It is then that he realized how close he’s gotten to her. Definitely closer than she’s allowed before. He hears Irma saying something about “boundaries” in the back of his mind. Still, it takes him a few seconds to put a respectable amount of space between them.

“Are you coming to the after party?” he asks, when the tingling he just felt in his stomach settles down. Raven shoots him a look. He raises his hands.

“Got it.” 

“I’m going to leave now,” she says, standing abruptly and he feels himself standing with her. He’s smiling at her; his cheeks hurt. She looks up at him and bites her lips. Then she smiles. Not one of her smirks but a full smile. It’s enough to make Garfield feel like he needs to sit down again. 

And suddenly he can’t see her face because she’s wrapped him in a tight hug. He feels the breath leave his lungs.

“I’m happy for you.” Her breath manages to find its way through the buttons of his button up and tickles the hair on his chest. He feels his chest expand. 

And suddenly she’s gone, before he can even wrap his arms around her too.

[robinofinashiro]

don’t let me go - part four

series note: this chapter is more Colt centric just so I can actually give his character and story some depth. don’t worry our bois will return in part five.

request status: CLOSED

note: i’ve added a new anime to my list of animes I’m willing to write for! so if any of you are HxH fans, you guys are in luck!

you buckled yourself into Colt’s car, shoving your backpack in the backseat as you gave him a tiny smile, “so, you have siblings? how many?” you asked him. he grabbed the photo from his windshield, “just one. his name is Falco,” your eyes widened realizing the name.

he could see the sudden look of realization in your eyes.

“is everything okay?” he asked. you immediately shook your head yes, “uh, yeah. I think I might know him. my ex boyfriends cousin is your brothers best friend,” Colt stared at you for a moment.

Colt tried to figure out what you meant by that until it finally clicked.

“you know Gabi and Reiner?” he exclaimed.

you nodded, “dated Reiner for a few months and got to know Gabi because of it. small world after all,” you murmured trying not to dwell on the thought of Reiner, “but I don’t think I ever met your brother, I just know of him because of Gabi,” you explained.

you could tell Colt was still a bit taken back from everything you said but didn’t think of it any longer. he watched as you looked out the window and took a sip of your coffee before arriving to Falco’s school. Gabi and Falco were outside, messing around with each other before Colt beeped.

“COLT!” Falco screamed as he ran up to the front window, “Gabi needs a ride home. her cousin couldn’t come and pick her up so can you drop her off?” he asked a bit loudly.

Colt nodded as you felt yourself stiffen up. you hadn’t seen Gabi since before you and Reiner broke up. you figured that Reiner didn’t have the heart to Gabi that you and him were no longer together. you knew that Gabi did like you and you didn’t have it in you to tell her either.

“hey Gab!” you said as happy as possible. she immediately jumped up in happiness realizing it was you, “( your name ), what are you doing here?” she yelled, “how do you know them?” she continued.

you smiled at her, “I know Colt from school. I’m surprised Reiner couldn’t come and get you today,” Gabi waved you off, “he was hanging out with his friend Porco and was going to be twenty minutes late to pick me up so I asked Falco for a ride!” Gabi explained.

your eyebrows fluttered in confusion. you had no idea why those two were even together in the first place. they hated being around each other at any given moment so the idea that those two were even together by choice frightened you a bit.

once Colt dropped Gabi off, the three of you made your way to the store, Falco bugging Colt about getting more snacks than they needed. you could tell that those two were closer than most siblings were. you saw the way Reiner and Gabi were with each other but in the case for Colt and Falco, it was like Colt was almost Falco’s parent.

“so, are you parents going to be home to help with the house?” you asked Colt. he shook his head, “no, our parents are out of the country on a business meeting...as usual,” he murmured.

you couldn’t help but sense Colt’s sudden change in attitude. you knew it was best to drop the subject completely as you didn’t want to make Colt more upset. turning around, you saw Falco playing on his phone, not really paying attention to the conversation.

Colt pulled up to his house and you felt yourself completely stricken in shock. their house was huge. bigger than any ordinary house you had ever seen. the driveway was filled with three very luxurious cars that you couldn’t even think of how expensive they were.

“wow, amazing house,” you murmured in shock. he laughed a bit nervously, “yeah, I guess you could consider us rich or whatever,” Colt said trying to play it off.

Colt grabbed your bag and handed it to the maid as the two of you made your way to the kitchen. Falco had ran up to his room, screaming that he was going to play video games and you both shouldn’t disturb him. you couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“well, what do you want to do? Falco is probably going to play Fortnite until he passes out asleep,” Colt said as he took out everything for the small houses, “we can still build the houses if you want though!” Colt joked.

you nodded excitedly, “of course we’re going to build them. I haven’t built a gingerbread house in years!” Colt went into the fridge, taking out various drinks, “we have alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, you can have whatever,” Colt offered.

you nodded, grabbing the Seltzers from the counter, “a few drinks couldn’t hurt, right?” you mentioned, tossing a drink to him. Colt laughed, catching and popping it open.

+

the later the night got, the more you and Colt continued to drink. you had no intentions of even drinking tonight but this had been the first time you drank in what felt like months and you had no issue in getting a bit tipsy.

“Colt, these looks terrible!” you giggled, hanging onto him. he smiled down at you as he tried to apply the frosting to get the roof of the house to hang, “not as terrible as the ones I made last year,” he said handing you a picture from the fridge.

you looked at his and started laughing before trying to out it on the fridge and falling miserably. you accidentally tripped over your own foot and accidentally hit yourself with the door, “Colt, how did we get this drunk?” you jokingly asked.

he pointed to the amount of seltzer cans on the counter before the two of you started laughing again. you didn’t know exactly what was making both of you laugh as hard as you were but being this way with Colt made you feel this sense of relief that you hadn’t had in what felt like months.

the stress of constantly being around Porco and Reiner and them two always fighting each other really took a toll on you. it was exhausting to say the least. having to calm Reiner down all the time while trying to tell Porco that he shouldn’t be fighting anyone really did get on your nerves sometimes.

“I should really get home before we get anymore drunk and we pass out!” you slurred slightly as Colt nodded, “I’ll have someone drive us back to the school!” he yelled as he ran up the stairs to tell Falco he was going to to leave the house for a bit.

the driver started up the car as both you and Colt sat in the back, joking around and trying to stop yourselves from laughing. at some point, you were holding onto Colt’s arm, tightening your grasp around it as your head was on his shoulder.

“you’re warm, you know that?” you whispered to him. Colt drunkenly took off his sweater took off his sweater, wrapping it around you. you finally arrived to the schools parking lot, seeing a few cars still there, “i’ll walk you to your car!” Colt exclaimed.

you nodded as the two of you haphazardly got off the car and made your way to yours. your arm was still holding onto Colt’s, “i’ll text you tomorrow morning?” you asked, Colt agreeing.

you had no idea who leaned in first but before you knew it, Colt was pinning you to your trunk as the two of you locked lips. your arms instantly went around his neck, slowly pulling at the hair at the nape of his neck. a small moan came from him as you deepened it.

“( your name )?” you heard a voice call your name out.

you immediately pulled away from Colt, realizing who it was. you saw Porco standing next to Reiner, both of them staring at Colt with rage in their eyes.  

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars XCII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: :)

Words: 4,243

Series’ Masterlist

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Liste to: Under The Last Falling Star -by Matthew Perryman Jones

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Milestone.

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" said Hermione indignantly.

"Keep your voice down! I just need to — sort of fine-tune it, all right?"

Mel snorted, sending a pillow directly to its target.

They were supposed to be practicing the opposite of the Summoning Charm today — the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room, Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practice, the theory being that these wouldn't hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn't working very well. Neville's aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room — Professor Flitwick, for instance.

"Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?" Harry hissed as Professor Flitwick went whizzing resignedly past them, landing on top of a large cabinet. "I'm trying to tell you about Snape and Moody..."

This class was an ideal cover for a private conversation, as everyone was having far too much fun to pay them any attention. Harry had been recounting his adventures of the previous night in whispered installments for the last half hour.

"Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati's hat off). "What... d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"

"Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," said Harry, waving his wand without paying much attention, so that his cushion did an odd sort of belly flop off the desk. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something..."

"What?" said Ron, his eyes widening, his next cushion spinning high into the air, ricocheting off the chandelier, and dropping heavily onto Flitwick's desk. "Harry... maybe Moody thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Oh Ron," said Hermione, shaking her head sceptically, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?"

"Whatever he did before, it must've been quite badly if it already made him lost his first chance, Dumbledore is usually quite forgiving..."

"I don't care what Moody says," Hermione continued. "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit —"

"— evil," said Ron. "Come on, Hermione, why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?"

"Why has Mr Crouch been pretending to be ill? It's a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?"

"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky."

"You just want to think Snape's up to something."

"I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one, like Mel said," said Harry. He did a quick movement and his cushion flew across the room and landed swiftly.

"Look at that!" Mel smiled. "You're finally catching up, Glasses!"

After her talk with Flint, she felt she was lucky to have something as unimportant as a crush as her major issue. Actually, she just thought she was lucky, period. To have the opportunity to fall in love with someone who cared for her -though maybe not as much as she did- someone who was her best friend, wasn't something to be sad about.

Harry told them the strange announcement the golden egg gave him, apparently, he'd have to face the merpeople while looking for something they were meant to take away from him. It was starting to be a problem and Mel wanted nothing more but to find a solution, she was glad that when Valentine's day arrived, they were too busy with their research for any of them to actually notice. She only knew it because it was her mother's birthday and she had to send her present first thing in the morning. Hermione however, found herself having quite a lovely -and secret- date with Victor Krum, while Mel made sure to keep Ron and Harry in the library for the whole day.

At nine o'clock Mel was in the common room next to Neville doing their potions homework, quietly going through their answers she tried not to think about the previous February and how even though she wasn't expecting anything, she couldn't help but feel disappointed over the fact that she and Harry would never spend one of those as a couple.

"Hi..."

Mel gave a start, looking up from her parchment she found Harry.

"Hello," Mel picked up her bag from the chair so he could sit. "Any luck?"

"Nothing," He sat down beside her with a heavy sigh. "I'm going to lose..."

"If I were a prat," She said, scribbling the last few sentences of her work. "I'd say I told you so because you should've done your research earlier... but I'm not a prat, so I'll say this: It's going to be okay. You're a fast learner, I bet you'll figure this out in no time."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed lightly before turning back to her paper and skim through it to look for any mistakes.

"I'll be going to bed now," Neville told her, putting his things away and standing up. "Happy Valentine's by the way, hope I didn't interrupt your plans or anything..."

She gave him a puzzled look, smiling. "What plans?"

"I don't know, Valentine's day..?" He shrugged, pointing vaguely to them.

Mel turned to see Harry, she realized they were still holding hands. Begging for the earth to swallow her, she retreated her hand and cleared her throat awkwardly. "We, uh- we aren't dating, Neville."

"Oh," Neville blushed. "I'm sorry... it's just– you went to the ball together and I... I'm sorry guys..."

"It's okay," Harry smiled tightly.

Neville left them in the middle of tense silence. Mel slowly put away each of her quills, parchment and ink, she felt like every movement had an echo of her friend's words. Funny how everyone always thought they were dating even if they hadn't kissed in public. Maybe the rest thought they just weren't fond of doing so.

Ironically, far from feeling ashamed, Mel felt the tiniest hope creeping up her chest, maybe Harry would warm up to the idea if everyone just kept insisting that they looked cute together, maybe he'd end up agreeing? Maybe she should listen to Hermione and flirt back to see where it'd take her..?

No! It was out of the question, their friendship was first.

Harry cleared his throat. "I know we don't... you know, together?"

"What?" Mel blinked, not knowing what he was trying to say.

"Do our friends ask you if we're dating as much as they ask me?" He asked quietly.

What was he up to?

What was he trying to do, asking questions like that?

"A few times," She tried to sound as collected as possible. "Parvati and Lavender... Angelina did it once, I think the twins pushed her to... it's silly, we're a little– er, cuddly," She cringed at the word, but kept going, "doesn't mean... you know..."

"Yes," Harry nodded, anxiously biting the tip of a quill. She was too distraught to let him now the quill was hers. "What d'you think?"

"About what they say? As I said, it's silly–"

"About dating," He then added in a hurry. "Not us! But... er– dating someone who's a friend, I mean... you think it'd be stupid?"

Mel looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since the year had started. The dark circles under his eyes from nights spent worrying, his hair a mess –but that was normal– and his gaze clouded with anxiety, yet, there was something else peering through...

'If you could see the way he looks at you...'

She wanted nothing more than to see this from an outsider's point of view. Someone older that knew how love looks like. No more wondering...

"Glasses," Her voice sounded like it could break at any moment. "I have no idea."

She had to admit that at that moment, something was whispering in her ear that eventually, they would find their answer.

"I don't reckon it can be done," said Ron's voice flatly from the other side of the table. "There's nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."

"There must be something," Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"They have," said Ron. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!"

"You guys are a headache," Mel growled, rubbing her temples.

"I know what I should have done," said Harry, facedown on an open book. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius."

Mel snorted. "Oh, really? Why didn't we think of that?"

"You could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" said Ron.

"Or a frog," Harry replied tiredly.

"It takes years to become an Animagus, and then you have to register yourself and everything," said Hermione, clearly ignoring they weren't being serious. "Professor McGonagall told us, remember... you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office... what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it..."

"Hermione, I was joking. I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning..."

"As a side note, though, registering is optional," Mel added distractedly.

"No, it's not," Hermione scowled.

"It is if you got the nerve..."

"Oh this is no use," Hermione closed her book roughly. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," Fred Weasley walked out of a corner next to George. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you, Mel. And Hermione."

"Why?"

"Dunno... she was looking a bit grim, though," said Fred.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office."

The girls looked at Ron and Harry. "Perhaps it has to do with our last work for Transfiguration? Maybe she thinks we copied?"

"We have the same book! Of course, some things might be similar!" Hermione exclaimed in outrage.

"Perhaps she doesn't want you to help me anymore," Harry said. "Maybe she thinks it's unfair..."

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione assure them. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," said the boys.

"Don't lose hope," Mel said, glancing at him one last time before following the twins.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Mel said. "We're going to what?"

"The task is very clear, Miss Dumbledore," McGonagall repeated calmly. "The champions must rescue their loved ones from the lake, it's a simple spell and it'll break as soon as you touch the surface. Don't be alarmed, there's no way you could get hurt."

"But the..." Mel looked at Hermione. "Why us?"

"Well, it surprises me that you have to ask that," McGonagall looked at her over her glasses, "who else, if not you?"

"But we're..." She looked at Hermione again, still confused. "The two of us? How come we're Harry's loved ones?"

"Oh no," The woman replied like it was stupid to think they were. "Miss Granger is here for Krum if I'm correct?"

Hermione turned a deep scarlet shade. "I s'pose so," She said quietly.

Mel was having a hard time understanding what was about to happen, so she couldn't find it in herself to tease the girl.

"So if all doubts have been cleared, could you please come with me to the Headmaster's office?"

The girls followed her, Cho Chang and little blonde girl standing side by side looked as overwhelmed as them.

"Hi," Cho said.

"Oh, you're here," Dumbledore smiled at them. Madame Maxime, Bagman, Percy Weasley and Karkaroff were there as well. "Has Professor McGonagall explained everything?"

Mel and Hermione nodded quietly.

"Brilliant!" Bagman smiled widely. "So then Dumbledore, I think we should do it now..."

Mel turned to look at Hermione in panic. "I'm going to die."

"You're not."

"Harry has no idea of what's about to happen or how to fight back," Mel stated. "I'm a goner."

"D'you really think Dumbledore would let you die?"

That calmed her a bit, but she still felt awful for Harry. "I hope this doesn't make him more nervous than he already is..."

They watched as the little girl -who had to be related to Fleur- fell unconscious. McGonagall summoned a stretcher and they laid her there. Cho gave them a nervous smile.

"Bad time to be dating, huh?"

Hermione returned the smile, Mel felt a strange sense of pride mixed with embarrassment. Cho was dating Cedric, but not only that, she thought Mel and Harry were dating as well. She felt so guilty for disliking her before!

When Hermione finally laid next to Cho and the girl, Mel knew it was time to get a hold of herself and accept this was happening, look less afraid than how she was feeling. Dumbledore didn't need to say anything, with just a look she got all the information she needed. No matter what, things would turn out the way they had to. She needn't be afraid. One second she was staring into his kind blue eyes, and then...

She was pushed back into reality under the sunlight, her mouth opened and she gasped for air, blinking furiously to get rid of the droplets blurring her eyesight.

"Don't like this, don't like this," She felt her stomach drop at the realization that she was still in the water and her feet weren't the ground, every time she moved she would sink a little, spitting out water as she did.

Around her, the merpeople were swimming comfortably, and they were all wearing the same amused grin. Only then she was aware of the firm grip on her waist and the gasps of air coming from her left.

"Harry!" She held onto him, neither of them was good swimming. Her confusion increased when she saw the blonde girl with them as well. "What..?"

"C'mon," Harry breathed, "help me with her, I don't think she can swim very well."

Mel helped him without question until they reached the closest platform. Madam Pomfrey was there checking the champions and their companions, Erick -and Ron, who for some reason was there as well- helped Harry to pull the girls to the surface.

Ron helped the little girl and handed her a thick towel and a blanket, though he did it distractedly, looking at Harry with a frown.

"What did you bring her for?"

"Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't leave her," Harry climbed up with difficulty.

"Harry, you prat," Ron rolled his eyes annoyingly, "you didn't take that song thing seriously, did you? Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of them drown!"

Harry frowned. "The song said —"

"It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit! I hope you didn't waste time down there acting the hero!" His best friend scolded. Mel had a feeling, that it was exactly what he'd done.

Erick unfolded a blanket and covered her shoulders with it, as he leaned he whispered, "I hope this cleared things out for you..."

"W-What'd you mean?" She stammered.

"You idiot," The boy replied with exasperation, "think a bit! The only champion that didn't save their partner was Fleur, the rest had to save their girlfriends, what does that say about Harry?"

Mel opened her mouth, but nothing came out of it, instead, she was distracted by Fleur's screams.

"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"

"She's fine," Harry sighed, he looked exhausted.

"It was ze grindylows... zey attacked me... oh Gabrielle, I thought... I thought..."

"Come here, you," said Madam Pomfrey. She seized both Harry and Mel and pulled them over to Hermione and the others forcing a measure of potion down their throats. Steam gushed out of their ears in no time.

"Harry, well done!" Hermione exclaimed. "You did it, you found out how all by yourself!"

"Well —" Harry looked at them, and then at Karkaroff, who was behind them, and gulped. "Yeah, that's right..."

'He's lying', Mel thought, but she was so happy to be back on solid ground that she didn't comment on it.

"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," Krum said dubiously.

Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry... Did it take you ages to find us?"

"No... I found you okay..." He seemed aggravated every time someone asked him about his journey. Mel was curious, but between her own adrenaline and what Erick insinuated, she couldn't find the right thing to say.

Dumbledore was calmy talking with the leader of the merpeople. She was screeching back and forth with the old man, it looked funny, but Mel figured that he had to be talking mermish. When he stood up, he said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think."

"Harry," She said, finally starting to catch up with her surroundings, "what did you do?"

Harry gave her a grumpy look, but before he could reply, Fleur walked up to them.

"Look after Gabrielle," She told Madame Pomfrey sternly, then she looked back at the group. "You saved 'er," she said to Harry in shock. "Even though she was not your 'ostage."

"Yeah," Harry pouted.

Fleur kissed Harry twice on each cheek without hesitation. She then turned to Mel and Ron. "And you — you 'elped —"

"Yeah," said Ron, beaming at her, "yeah, a bit —"

Fleur kissed both of them just like she'd done with Harry. Mel felt a nice, pleasant tug at the base of her stomach, Hermione was fuming.

"Hey, what are you doing here anyway?" Mel asked Ron.

"Dumbledore picked me to be your replacement!" He smirked. "I'm a member of the committee."

"It's been a blast," Erick said with sarcasm. "Never had more fun in my life, Ron's a sight for sore eyes."

"Likewise, you prick," Ron retorted, but he was too happy about Fleur's kisses to actually care.

Ludo Bagman's voice boomed out with the results.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows... Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

"I deserved zero," said Fleur reproachfully.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Mel pouted, then hissed when Hermione pinched her arm.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We, therefore, award him forty-seven points." The crowd went mad, clapping happily at Cedric success, Mel did too, quite happy for him. This seemed to worsen Harry's mood, but she failed to notice.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points... Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect, he returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr Potter was first to reach the hostages and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

Ron and Hermione both gave Harry frustrated expressions that didn't look completely surprised about this. Mel, on the other hand, looked at him beaming, if there was ever a moment when Mel felt extremely attracted to him, this was it.

"You stayed?" She asked. "To make sure they were safe?"

"Don't start," He grumbled, completely missing her admiration.

"Most of the judges," Bagman continued, "feel that this shows moral fibre and merits full marks. However... Mr Potter's score is forty-five points."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked back at his friends, who were all clapping excitedly.

"There you go, Harry!" Ron shouted. "You weren't being thick after all — you were showing moral fibre!"

Mel laughed openly, relief washing over her as she pulled Harry in for a kiss (on the cheek) to which he blushed madly. Everyone except Krum and Karkaroff celebrated.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

"It's done," Mel sighed.

"It's done," Harry nodded in a daze.

That night she couldn't bring herself to sleep, she tossed and turned in her bed and decided to go to the common room and read a bit, maybe that would calm her. As she walked into the room, she found Harry on his own.

"Hey," He looked up and smiled. "Can't sleep, my nerves haven't slowed down..."

"Yeah, me too," She slowly made her way to him and sat down, shoulder to shoulder.

Grey appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto Mel's lap. She chuckled quietly before scratching his ears. "So..." She started, "you must be very proud of your moral fibre..."

"Bugger off," He grinned. "I got lucky, that's all..."

"You did," She nodded. "Care to tell me what happened?"

Harry explained to her that Dobby woke him up in the library, handed him a bunch of jellyweed and told him the basics of the task.

"Hey, that reminds me!" She said. "You never showed me your socks! You know, the ones Dobby made for you..."

"I'll wear them tomorrow to honour him," He said happily, "How does that sound?"

"Lovely," Mel smiled.

They were once again silent, although it didn't mean they didn't want to speak. For the first time in a while, Harry dared to be forward.

"I got scared when Dobby told me you were taken," He was stroking Grey's back. "I know that makes me an idiot, but I really thought you were in danger..."

"I don't think you're an idiot," She said. "I think you're great."

"Everyone's right when they say I'm too young," He shook his head. "Bet the others didn't believe the song was real..."

"Fleur looked quite scared if you ask me."

He shook his head again. "I'm barely making it through, I won't win."

"You don't have to win, Glasses," She said softly. "You don't need to prove anything, as long as you're satisfied with your work."

"You're not mad that I lost?"

"Why?" She said in amusement. "Get mad because you waited for the others? That was such a selfless thing to do! It'd be really shitty to be mad at the person who saved my life... again."

Harry's smile shifted into a teasing smirk. "So you admit that I've saved your life multiple times?"

"Never said you hadn't..."

"You're grateful that I'm always there to help?"

"What do you want me to say?" She laughed.

He stared at her for a second too long, the playful glint vanished.

"I don't like Joseph," He blurted out, "I don't like Erick either, but not because of his house."

Harry leaned forward and Mel leaned back, not knowing what was going on.  

"I thought they liked you and that was annoying," He continued, "because I like you, and I have nothing."

Something in her dropped and expanded until every inch of her skin tingled with anticipation.

"That's not true," She said quietly, but Harry wasn't listening, he was ready to let every thought out.

"I'm not tall! Not tall at all! I wear glasses– Erick's hair is always nice, his cousin looks like he stepped out of your novels– And... and they speak French!"

"Harry–"

"–Fred and George are popular too, they make you laugh... I just get you in trouble and drive you mad–"

"Harry!"

"–You've almost died at least four times thanks to me, of course you wouldn't like me– not when all I do is get you hurt–"

"Glasses!"

Harry stopped and stared at her in distress.

"Are you done?"

"No. I could go for hours," He admitted.

"You don't have to."

"Why?"

"Because I fancy you too!" Mel exclaimed in exasperation.

"Okay!" He blinked, a small frown on his face. "Oh... sorry."

Mel let out an anxious laugh, Harry laughed too, then cupped her face and kissed her.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha​ @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere​ @t-rexs-world

[bonesthebeloved]

Complicated- creativitwins

Digging up old drafts baby here we goooo.

The father in this story doesn't have a name so you can imagine it as anyone you'd like/ as simply a stranger. Happy reading.

Trigger/ squick warning: father figures, complicated relationship with parental figures, mention of screaming, child services mention (in like...one sentence) mention of crying, mention of animal death (bunnies) mention of homophobia. <- if I missed any let me know.

Edit: I did not check spelling. We die like men

-

Pappa had always been with them.

When they were three and just formed their first memories they might remember in distant futures when all was quiet and nothing was holding them back from reminisent, they would remember about the time they’d gotten two big stuffed bears bigger than themselves When Papa had still been alone and Dad hadn’t been with them yet.

They would remember the soft fur in their little hands as they cuddled close to the things when it was naptime.

Pappa was always there for them

When Roman was five and he woke up from a nightmare where a squirrel was chasing him around the playground pappa was there to wrap his long arms around him and tell him that he was safe and that he would get his squirrel catching gear out of the supply closet the man they had started calling Dad had built for them, first thing in the morning.

When Remus faked being sick the first day of school because a kid in his class had laughed at the white streak in his hair he'd had since birth pappa had come and picked him up, explaining that poliosis is nothing to be ashamed of and laughing warmly as his son tried to pronouns the word.

-

Pappa would always protect them.

When Roman first talked about his pappa and dad in school the teacher had looked like she'd eaten something nasty. Later on Roman was moved to the same class as his brother, his own teacher saying she didn't want to be associated with his kind.

When Pappa came to pick him up that day Roman asked what that ment. And for one of the first times in his life he'd seen pappa frown.

They baked a cake to celebrate them being the same class that evening and Pappa and dad lifted the two of them high up in the air and twirled them around while cheerful music played.

When Remus got told off by a teacher for the first time because he had pushed another kid in his class he had to sit in the corner for ten minutes.

When he was allowed to go back to his spot Roman thanked him for protecting him and Remus threw the paper ball that had been thrown at him right back.

When Pappa came to pick him up he and the teacher had a long talk and they left quickly afterwards. Pappa holding both his and Roman's hands in his own big one's and telling them about how they had done the right thing.

-

Pappa would always comfort them.

When Roman came back home with scrapped knees and an attitude Pappa had asked him what had happened.

Roman hadn't answered and his brother had later told their dad's that he had seen Roman getting pushed around by some older kids. The had been yelling a word he didn't know the meaning of. When he had told it to pappa he had looked angry. And told his boys that those kids were mean and to never use that word because it made fun of good people.

When Remus began to get more friends his pappa asked him to include Roman in all of their games.

His brother had trouble connecting to people and was quickly becoming the bullied kid. And while Remus would gladly take any bullets for him he couldn't protect him at all times.

And while Remus played star wars with his friends, running around the playground and pretending to know the characters, Roman sat and drew in the little notebook pappa had given him for school.

And Remus bought him a new one with his own pocket money when a mean kid threw it in the lake nearby when they went there to explore with the class around the time that eggs would magically appear in their garden and they pretended like it was a bunny putting them there.

Pappa would always be with them.

When they went to highschool and Remus his friends could no longer play starwars with him because one moved away, one said she’d never liked him and two others went to the same school but suddenly forgot about their being friends, he sat with his brother more often.

And when Roman got friends that he wasn’t sure he liked but hung around anyways because it was better than sitting alone, Remus was left sitting at a table at lunch, other kids coming to sit at the same one in the hopes he would get up and leave.

When he had refused to do just that they’d began whispering about him pretending he didn’t hear them. And when he acted like he didn’t hear they had began calling him mean things.

After two months at the new school they came home and both called for their Pappa with shaky voices too quiet to bare any sort of good news.

And when Remus showed off his bruised wrist he’d gotten when a kid had grabbed him harshly and Roman told him about how his friends hadn’t been friends but bullies in a trenchcoat and a mustache to make him think they were friends before telling him he was too weird to hang around, Pappa had brought them both into his arms. Whispering something like ‘oh my poor, brave boys,’ before holding them a bit tighter and then telling them that sometimes, the world was mean like that and that, sometimes, it takes a while before you find the right people.

And when they went to bed that night they laid in the room and stared at the same ceiling. Both pretending they couldn’t hear Pappa arguing with Dad in the hallway.

Both pretending they weren’t crying silently until they fell asleep to Dad accusing Pappa of being a vile and horrible human being.

Pappa didn’t have all the answers.

They learnt that when they were on their second year of highschool and both of their pet bunnies died in the same night. 

Roman had sniffled and stood near the gardendoor as he watched them dig a deep hole all the way at the back of their garden. 

Remus decided that he would be sad about this at night when nobody would see or worry and stood close by Pappa as he put the two bunnies in a shoebox and put it in the hole. Saying they had probably died because of the rat poision Dad had spread across the lawn and that the mice must’ve gotten into their food somehow.

They learnt this when Dad and him had sat them down after breakfast that had strawberries to tell them that sometimes love died and that weddingrings would rust and be put in two seperate homes in two seperate boxes that would never be opened again.

They learnt this the fifth time that Remus came home with bruises and Roman began to listen to darker music and emote less dramatically. Unlearning all the expressions he’d picked up from those animated childrens series they weren’t allowed to watch but watched them anyways. He faked having imagined a happy place when the woman that was supposed to help them through the divorce told him to invision one. Instead invisioning Remus, and how he should have punched the guy that had made him drop his books the moment he saw it happening.

Pappa was  a human being.

They realised this more clearly than ever when he’d found out why Remus only wore long sleeves and got sent to therapy after their Pappa had hysterically cried over it and begged his son not to leave them before he could grow old.

When Roman stared at the ceiling after he’d taken 14 paracetamol and googling how many it would take to leave them before he could grow old, only to find that he would probably be fine and go to school the next day feeling as empty as usual. Pappa had yelled at him when he had gotten back to be more careful and not get invloved with his brothers troubles after he’d shown off the scratched shoulder from where he’d been thrown against a fence when he'd tried to stand up for him.

And when Remus got diagnosed with dyslexia and Roman with depression they said nothing. Roman shaking his head when the doctor suggested therapy and Remus sitting quietly as they explained that he might have adhd aswell.

Their father wasn't perfect.

They learnt this when Remus came back from school with a black eye and a failed math test and the test was all that was focused on. Shouting not unlike the one they'd heard all those years ago when love began to die and rings began to rust booming through the house and piercing through the music Roman was listening to in his room. A bottle cap with water falling off his desk and the little growing plant in it falling with it.

They learnt this when Roman said he was asexual aromantic and their father said that he should consider therapy again because surely that couldn't be normal.

And when Roman told him that maybe they weren't normal he'd been send to his room. Doors slamming shut and noises too loud for Remus to process.

-

Their father was wrong sometimes.

They realised this when Remus first brought a friend home and jokes about countries the kid wasn't from were made around the otherwise uncomfortably quiet dinner table. And when religion was brought up in a house full of atheists Remus stood and took his friend's hand, saying that they'd eat something at a foodtruck and storming of, leaving Roman to feed little stripes of unseasoned meat to the cat.

-

Their father was bad sometimes.

They learned this when the both of them started college and the racist microagressions turned into jokes about how they'd never make it since they were both going to art schools.

And when Remus showed him his homemade costume he huffed and said it looked great in a tone that Implied anything but. And when Roman showed him the finished piece he'd worked months on he said it looked nice even if it had mistakes while pointing at every single one of them while his son, hands still stained with markers and pencil smudges, gave a watery smile and the artwork was put in a art map to never be looked at again.

Their father wasn't good for them.

They realised this. Finally realised this, when Remus was twenty and had decided to move out, getting a small apartment would have been to expensive had his brother not eagerly asked him if he could come with him.

And they told their father while their bags were already packed and the rent was already payed.

And their neighbours registered a noise complained and whispered about calling childservices when their father started another screaming match to tell them how much he didn't want them to leave and how they wouldn't make it.

And they painted the walls mint green while Roman painted a mural around the spot where their couch would be.

And they ate lukewarm noodles from the plastic canisters while sat on the empty apartment floor.

And Roman bought a dozen succulents to take care of and make it feel more like home.

And the wall was always covered in outfit designs and storyboards as the jar they had put the sticker 'for a couch' on slowly filled up.

And they still send him Christmas cards but didn't plan on visiting that house for a long long time.

And their father would have killed them for the mess they made of the apartment sometimes.

And they preferred it that way.

-

This is both an extremely specific vent and goes out to all the kids with complicated relationships with their parents.

You're allowed to not like your caretakers. You're allowed to not want contact with them after you've moved on. You're allowed to think how they treated you was unjust because it probably was.

-

-

Taglist

@purp-man @crazycookie13o @deceitifullies101 @sapphire-knight @ragingdumpsterfiremess @chronophobica @lance-alt @mylifeisadeceit

[medea10]

Medea’s Anime/Game Superlative of 2019

Well it’s that time of the year where I look back on the animes I’ve watched and the games I played with this outdated meme quiz from 10 years ago. But I still do it for the fun of it! As usual, it doesn’t matter what year the anime or game came out. If I messed with it this year, it counts for the honors. So if it came out two years ago (which feels like forever ago), it counts. Let’s get at it!

First Fandom of 2019: The Promised Neverland

Episode 1! That’s all you need to watch to officially get hooked to this series. I jumped on this title at the beginning of the year not knowing what to expect due to Aniplex and Crunchyroll whoring this particular anime months prior. But once I saw the first episode, I was immediately hooked. It shook me to my core to watch one of the most graphic scenes to come from this year. I was captivated by Emma, Norman, and Ray’s plans in order to escape their doomed fate of becoming food for creepy demons. Each episode, I was at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Is Gilda in cahoots with Sister Krone? Will Don learn the truth about what really happened to Connie in episode 1? Can Ray be trusted? IS NORMAN STILL ALIVE?! Come on, I’m like really far ahead in the manga. I want to see Norman and Emma together again. I’m so happy this series is getting a second season in 2020.

Favorite Main Character of 2019: Haru from My Roommate is a Cat

It was a close call this year for main characters and normally I don’t shoot for main characters. This year I will admit that I fell in love with Chika from Kaguya-sama. Plus, I still love me some Lana from Pokemon Sun/Moon! And I finally started part III of Jojo’s, so Grandpa Joestar is just the awesome OH MY GOD that I need. However, they all lose out to a cat! Yeah, just like that one year where I picked Nyanko-sensei as my favorite main character, I’m doing it again.

I know Haru can’t actually talk back to her human, but the audience can hear what she’s really saying and it’s absolutely amusing. She was funny when she thought the word “Haru” meant food. She’s so adorable when she’s playing with whatever catches her eye. She’s got quite the personality (almost tsundere even). But I gotta admire Haru too. Before she was adopted, Haru was on the street trying her best to look out for her younger siblings. Even giving them more food scraps when she would go hungry herself. After Haru was adopted by Subaru, she eventually warmed up to him as “her human”. It was a learning experience for both as Haru didn’t know how to react to having a human care for her and Subaru has never taken care of a cat before. But Haru is a loyal kitty who loves her human. Hell, she ran away from home because she feared her human collapsed somewhere. Haru’s the greatest!

Favorite Villain of 2019:

…

…Dear God, give me the strength to pull through this one.

Princess Malty “Myne, Bitch, Whore” Melromarc (The Rising of the Shield Hero)

No, this is not me insulting her. These are all her official names. Really! In many of the animes I watched this year, the villains were pretty hit-and-miss with me. I’m in the middle of watching the elven uprise with Black Clover and didn’t want to talk about that this year. Fairy Tail’s villains are just okay. And I didn’t watch Frieza this year! So let’s talk about the ONE villain who even out-trump’s the actual villain to the series.

It only took one episode for an entire fandom to turn on one single character. A single lie that figuratively speaking threw our main protagonist Naofumi under the bus, kicked him in the nuts, shanked him, robbed him, and thrown him off a cliff. Myne did so much throughout this series. She lied about being raped. She abused her power to get what she wanted. She set up someone to fail constantly. She attempted murder on her own sister (several times) just to keep her status as first in line to the throne. And she cheats so she gets her way! It was so sickening to watch this vile woman for more than just one episode. When you created a character who was so disgusting and revolting as a secondary villain, you did something right! It’s like with Shou Tucker and Father from Full Metal Alchemist. Ask any anime fan and they’ll definitely remember Tucker over Father. Myne is this anime’s Shou Tucker! And I have to give her some credit, she is now one memorable villain. And aren’t villains usually supposed to be despised? I, Naofumi, most characters in Shield Hero after episode 21, and all of the internet can come together in agreement to say, we hate Malty, Myne, Bitch, Whore.

Final insult on the matter, she’s a cunt!

Favorite Video Game Character(s) of 2019: Piers & Marnie (Pokemon: Sword and Shield)

I knew point blank that Marnie was going to be my favorite rival in this game. I knew I was going to enjoy the antics of her yell squad (a.k.a. Team Yell) too. But I never expected to meet her brother and enjoy him too. Like in more recent games, Pokemon has given your character a total of three rivals to look out for. And while Hop is just the British version of Hau and Bede is just…a fuck-face, Marnie was someone who marched to the beat of her own drum. She recognizes a powerful foe and has a level of respect for her rival. She has her own fanbase, but isn’t totally arrogant about it. Plus, she doesn’t mind helping you out and giving an extra boost in battle. Plus that smile scene is just too adorable for words. And then there’s Piers!

First of all, I just love the design of this guy. What did I say when I first laid eyes on him? It’s like if David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, and Sid Vicious threw up on a pentagram crafted from Hot Topic gear and this dude emerges! And much like his sister, he marches to the beat of his own drum. That’s why he’s the only gym leader in Galar that doesn’t use the Dynamax method. I would have been satisfied if I only got to see him once or twice in the game. But I was blessed when Piers came to my aid to take down the Marco Cosmos thugs AND take on all the rogue Dynamax pokemon in the post-game. I’m impressed! Out of all the people they picked to help the protagonist and Hop in this adventure, it was Piers. I am ever so happy by this. I am so heavily invested in this guy that I’m already thinking of fic ideas involving him.

Favorite Game of 2019: Pokemon Masters

As much as I really do love Pokemon Sword and Shield, I gotta give it to the mobile game this year. This game not only made one of my reoccurring dreams come true, but gave it something no other Pokemon game has been able to do in over twenty years. HUMAN VOICES! The trainers, they speak! AND YOU CAN CHANGE BETWEEN ENGLISH AND JAPANESE! Do you have any idea how much of a win this is for me! I know they’ll never have Tracey Sketchit in the game, but this still rocks my world. Do you know how much I love hearing Mamoru Miyano play a dickish bad guy? Do you know how badly I need to hear Daisuke Ono on a day-to-day basis? I’m a voice queen!

I know I don’t usually like to give praise to freemium games for the mobile phones, but this game is quite nice. I mean, yeah, you really do have to save up your gems in order to (hopefully) get the 5-star trainer that’s currently advertised and the urge of wanting to open up your wallet to actually purchase gems is tantalizing. Not as fucked as Fate/Grand Order, but you get my meaning. Unlike a lot of the freemium games, this one doesn’t limit you so much to play (unless you spend fake or real money in the game). You can super train all you want and not lose stamina! Plus, I like these special sync moves between trainer and pokemon. And there’s just something about seeing all of these different trainers from all these regions together and interacting with each other. Despite never seeing a lot of this in the anime, manga, or previous games.

Favorite Het Couple of 2019: Retsuko x Haida (Aggretsuko)

In one of my baby accomplishments this year, I stopped being a tight-wad and splurged on a Netflix account. Right around the same time it becomes unpopular. Hahaha! Why does this always happen to me?

Throughout the series, we’ve watched Retsuko take chances with a lot of guys including a charming polar bear, a red panda with the brain of a pot plant, and the world’s handsomest donkey. But Retsuko has friend-zoned her workmate Haida the whole time. Meanwhile, I and pretty much like 90% of the fanbase ship the fuck out of this. Rightfully so! Haida has been admiring her from afar for so long. He tries his best to be supportive of her in the office and elsewhere. He was even nice enough to run back to the office to try and help Retsuko with the last-minute paperwork thrown at her on Christmas Eve. Hell, we watched him at his best in the season two finale helping to corner Tadano. And even though she turned him down at the end of season one, I still hold out that there’s hope. I mean, it was right after a break-up, so it was kind of the right call for Retsuko to not go out with Haida. Season three could give us this ship in the end. I know Retsuko doesn’t see Haida as boyfriend material as of now, but I have a feeling it can change.

Favorite Yuri Couple of 2019: Atsuko “Akko” Kagari x Amanda O’Neill (Little Witch Academia)

That’s right, Akko and Amanda. This is the one Yuri ship I’m leaning on more than all the other ones. I know she wasn’t involved in the infamous love-bee episode, but that still didn’t stop me from making dirty jokes whenever these two girls were together for an episode. And that’s what makes it better! Akko and Amanda’s relationship wasn’t tampered with because of a love bee, what they have is real! Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating. But whenever I see them together doing something in an episode, I can totally see them as something more. Then again, my mind is warped.

Besides, this is as close to a yuri couple as I got this year. I can’t mention the one second we got of Ymir x Historia from Attack on Titan. Yayoi and Shion didn’t get much in Psycho Pass 3. And it’s leaps and bounds better than that OTHER anime I watched with two girls. Happy Sugar Life? More like a big pile of nope!

Favorite Yaoi Couple of 2019: Mafuyu Satou x Ritsuka Uenoyama (Given)

You knew it was coming! I was rooting for these two boys since they met in episode one. And even though I had to hold it back a bit when I learned of Mafuyu’s grieving, I still hoped that one day, these two boys would defy the odds and become the sweetest couple of 2019. Was I correct? While it wasn’t as full-blown gay as Yuri on Ice, it still gave us so much.

As I mentioned, Mafuyu was in a relationship prior to meeting Uenoyama. And this one ended in heartbreak as Mafuyu’s lover dies. But meeting Uenoyama, Mafuyu was able to smile again and got to play the instrument his previous lover left behind. Mafuyu was able to shake off the sad shackles of the past and start life anew. Now is this feeling mutual? Of course! Uenoyama dealt with the worry of “will he, won’t he” and by the end of the series, the audience seems pretty satisfied with the outcome and hope for the best of these sweet boys.

Fandom That You Didn’t Expect To Get Into: Domestic Girlfriend

2019 has given me surprise amounts of incest! This year alone I wound up watching several surprise incest anime plots including Kiss x Sis, Marmalade Boy, and Eromanga Sensei. And those of you who are not on the up-take, surprise incest is primarily a love plot involving your step-sibling. But there was just something about Domestic Girlfriend that I just couldn’t shake. I couldn’t believe I binge-watched this entire series. I couldn’t believe I picked up the manga immediately after the finale. I couldn’t believe…that I didn’t despise this anime! Yeah, usually anything with even a whiff of incest, I throw in the trash and put a bullet through its head. This one, I did not.

Simple story! Boy named Natsuo fucks a random girl and also has a crush on his teacher. Natsuo’s father tells him he’s getting remarried. Then, BIG BOMBSHELL, the random girl that got fucked and his teacher are now going to be his step-sisters. Concept alone was just fifty shades of messed up. I mean, who the heck do you root for in this situation? Throughout the 12 episodes I went back and forth either rooting for Rui or Hina. And for episode, I rooted for Miu, the cute literary girl. I was so intrigued that I had to dig through the manga for more answers. But I enjoyed this trashy soap opera! I doubt it’ll get a sequel, but it was…fun for the most part. Too hot for television fun! And if that makes me trash, well call me Forky because...

Yeah, I can admit that freely now.

Fandom That Made An Unexpected Comeback: Fruits Basket

*squeals* I never thought this would come back into my life. One of my all-time favorite animes was returning with a reboot. AND IT WAS GLORIOUS! Oh sure, the first half of this series was literally a shot-for-shot remake of the original Studio Deen anime. But even that was enough to make me love every frame of it. Fruits Basket was just one of those animes that grabs you with the intriguing tale of a cursed family that changes into members of the zodiac. Then they take you on a fun ride with silly moments like Kyo and Yuki fighting each other or Ayame telling his ridiculous stories or Hatsuharu flashing some guy his junk. But then this series takes you on a detour of the most heart-wrenching stories involving heartbreak, bullying, gangs, abandonment, and hiding your true self.

This show re-introduced us to the many colorful and complex characters that exist. From the ultra-flaymboyant Ayame to the complex Ritsu! Many of these characters have severe baggage coming and going and you just wish the best for them. And seeing Tohru reach out to just about everyone in her own way, to tell them she’s there for them and she accepts them all for who they are, it just gets to you. 18 years was too long to keep this gem away from us. Welcome back Fruits Basket, we missed you.

Fandom That Inspired the Most Crack: Zombieland Saga

I know it came out last year, but I got the opportunity to finally watch it this year. And it was every bit of crazy as people told me it would be. Who would have thought mashing zombies and idol shows together would be a good idea?

Seriously! You’ve got Mamoru Miyano voicing the craziest character to date, who’s a necromancer who brings back seven girls from the dead. Puts special makeup on them to fool unsuspecting audience members! All to bring life back to the Saga prefecture. Add another layer to the WTF cake, these dead girls are all from different times including 2008, 1997, the showa period in the 1980’s…you even have one from the freakin’ 19th century! But that’s not all! These girls end up becoming an idol group singing different kinds of genres. One episode they’re head-banging to metal rock and the next IT’S A FRIGGIN’ 8 MILE RAP-BATTLE! And then you have this one girl named Yamada Tae. She doesn’t speak and usually makes weird noises throughout the entire series, but we don’t care! We freakin’ love her! And even with the oddball girl, she’s not the craziest character on here. Who needs a Best Girl category when you know the best girl is just going to be the crazy dude in the shades!

I’m absolutely cereal on this! Kotaro Tatsumi STOLE this show for his own! With his crazy antics, constant shouting random phrases every five seconds, and eccentric behavior, this made for one of the most entertaining animes I’ve ever watched.

Last Fandom of 2019: Pokemon: Sun & Moon/2019

I know I spent the greater part of Sun/Moon bashing several aspects of the series. But Sun/Moon was gradually getting better compared to its slow start. This year we’ve got some extreme character growth from some of Ash’s friends and even pokemon. I was amazed to watch episodes featuring Lana, Mallow, and even Sophocles growing. Lana up against Kyogre, Mallow’s thank you to her deceased mother, and Sophocles mastering Z-moves, all of these were great! Add to that, a Pokemon League that showed all of us up after 20 years of disbelief of Ash ever winning a competition. Where HE WON THE FUCKING COMPETITION! With the exception of one of the matches, this Pokemon League is definitely one for the history books for Ash. From his epic dog fight with Gladion, to the six-on-six with his mentor, to taking down a massive Ultra Beast, to taking on an island deity! All leading up to one of the most beautiful goodbyes and finale! Seriously, I screamed balls when I saw a pregnant Professor Burnet.

And my high continues with the new continuation of Pokemon 2019 (yeah, still the name). First of all, praise Arceus the animation has improved! Secondly, I am fully digging Ash and Gou traveling together. In answer to your question, yes I’m already shipping the hell out of them. Third, having these boys travel all around the pokemon world has given me so much hope in the world. The boys are going to be traveling the pokemon world revisitng old places including Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Kalos. I know I was disappointed in Ash not soley traveling to Galar and having Pikachu wear a Sherlock Holmes hat, but this I can’t cast to the side.

…

And yes, I support Ash x Gou like a beast!

[fipindustries]

list of comics i made so far

i already shared the list of all the novels i tried to write throughout my llife so i see no reason why not to do the same with the comics i tried to work on. no i should clarify, with my lists of novels there was a clear cut distinction between what was a novel and a short story so to parse one from the other was an easy task. it should be known that i wrote hundreds of shorts stories that i havent shared with anyone. now a similar situation occurs with my comics, i have done hundreds upon hundreds of little comics, short jokes, little skits and short lived strips through my life, so in order to give this list some weight and not make it longer than the bible the criteria i used was that it had to be something i did on a regular basis or that tells a self contained story with a beggining middle and end.

now without further ado, lets begin!

spike Vanderville (age 7)

you can tell i was way more into comics than i was into novels from a young age. done with pen and folded paper, it was the story about a young kid called spike, whose design was heavily inspired by bradley from sticking around, who had magical powers which allowed him to manipulate reality. it was a mix of harry potter and a series of illustrates short stories that came in a magazine in argentina. his best friend was a scarecrow with a pumpkin head that he had brought to life, his archnemesis was a fat bully.

curiously enough i was so passionate about this project even though i had no idea what i was doing and no talent that i actually did like three full colored issues of it. my family was really proud of me. sadly those comics are completly lost to time

andrew and the monkey (age 10)

this was the classical story about a boy and his best friend the talking animal. one page comedy strips done in pen and paper. nothing too clever, just a way for me to try lame jokes mostly stolen from spongebob squarepants. not much else to it. i tried to do like a revamp in 2014 but it was short lived, as you can see the jokes didnt get any less lame

FIP industries (age 17)

mostly done in digital. yes as you can see fip is something that has followed me my whole life in quite the variety of mediums. there were as a matter of fact multiple attempts to make this comic a real thing but time and again they would peter off as i saw that my skill was just not up to the task. i think i have talked more than enough about fip industries on this blog, one interesting thing is that if you follow the link you will come across a lot of proto ideas that i had before they cemented and took their definite shape in the novel (and even after the novel i kept retconning and retooling things over and over again, fip industries is an ongoing thing that will probably last my entire lifetime)

Disregarding Reality I (age 20)

the first iteration of disregarding reality, a humorous strip done in pencil and paper, a fairly short lived affair, lasting no more than 3 months. the entire premise of the comic was an MRA activist and a feminist live together, they are friends, they argue a lot. remember 2013 guys? back when this whole politics bullshit truly kicked off online? this was before gamer gate, mind you. but by that point i had seen more than enough of it on tumblr and i was like “someone should do some scathing commentary with wit and penache” and that someone had to be me. mainly inspired by commics like f@nboys and el goonish hive and a thousand billion others that were so popular back in those halcyon days.

i got bored of it pretty quickly and it wouldnt be until three years later than i would finally decide to re-start the project but until then...

Strangers in the forest (age 21)

here comes a rather productive era in my ouvre, ink and paper, based on a short story i wrote, its about an eldritch monster pretending to be human and a ghost girl, killed by her father. they have a dispute because the monster wants to eat the corpse of the girl but the ghost doesnt want to give up her bones because its the one thing that tethers her to the mortal plane. they eventually resolve their dispute. by this point i was actually, unironically trying my best to do comics which i felt looked professional.

Song of a nightmare (age 21)

another one based on a short story i wrote. ink and paper, a private detective wakes up in the middle of the night and sees a mermaid lying in bed next to him. he spends most of the comic trying to figure out how the hell is this possible. still one of my favourite ones and certainly one of my family’s and friends favourites as well. a rather poetic tale, strongly inspired by argentinian fiction and their propensity towards magical realism, i was reading a lot of cortazar back then.

Aika (age 21)

as you can tell i was on a fucking roll that year. ink and paper, this was a story based upon a simple and basic idea that i had in my mind for years and years. i always liked the concept behind the movie “the kid” where bruce willis mysteriously comes across himself as a kid. so of course one day i came up with the idea, what if you recieved a visit from your future self... but she was a woman?

this is probably the most aggresively trans story i ever wrote in my life, it is literally about a guy realizing they are trans and breaking down over it. here is the giant kicker, i did not realize at all what i was doing. i was completly unaware of what was going on here, i was still deep deep in the closet and not even realizing i was there. it really is astounding the honesty and the rawness with which i wrote this comic and it went all over my head. a perfect example of “im such a great ally lol”

oh also there is time travel i guess. my main impetus (beyond whatever my subconcious was forcing me to do) was my desire to make a complete clusterfuck of a story, i was a huge fan of homestuck, i had read fleek and demon, i wanted to do my own take on a hypercomplicated time travel puzzle plot. other things came out on top of it but i didnt noticed them. fucking hilarious

Hello Agatha (age 21)

a comedic strip about a wacky pixie dream girl having wacky adventures with her wacky friends, one of which is a man with a toilet for a head. what a gut buster, what a knee slapper!

there is not much to say about this one, wacky surreal comedy was always my favourite and so time and again i would try my hand at it but it is surprisingly hard to do!

The /co/ ventures! (age 20 - age25)

an ongoing project done in multiple mediums. i think i said more than enough about this in here and here. it was me practiscing comics, practiscing my humor and adding my tiny grain of sand to the 4chan culture. i am proud to say these comics were actually very well liked there and that i would be recognized without a name or signature of any kind, just on the strength of my style.

the vest kind of madness (age 22)

probably one of the projects in which i put the biggest amount of effort to make it look professional. traditional inks and digital colors. a crossover that i cant believe never happened in comics considering how obvious it is. Rac Shade, the changing man and delirium of the endless, the two flagship vertigo characters associated with madness. clearly a match made in heaven.

to this day im flabbergasted i seem to be the only one to think of this.

Disregarding Reality II (age 23)

another work where i have already spilled rivers of bytes explaining my thought process behind it. after having a no good, terrible, very bad day, finding my self aimless and without purpose, deep in denial and depression, i decided to give my self a big project to have something to get me out of bed every day. these three guys came from the depths of my mind to save me.

this time leaning a lot more on silly humor and surrealism than political commentary, still insanely proud of how much i managed to make this last, almost three years, well over 200 pages! and in here i found the inspiration and the creative energy to tackle all sorts of diverse projects of which we are about to see all about.

Mama Bird (age 24)

my masterpiece.

by far the best comic i ever did. a kid with a bird for a mom. hilarious, touching, heartbreaking. it was a concept that i had come up with when i was 21. back then it was supposed to be exclusively a humorous comic strip but then i found a dramatic angle for the story and that was when everything clicked into place. that was when i realized this was a comic i had to do. and i did it. it took me five months but it was well worth it. still insanely proud of this one

Soft boys (age 25)

a weird experimental little story where i decided to sit down and deconstruct one of the most popular superpowers. super elasticity. more akin to me just mashing my toys against each other than me trying to tell a serious story. i am actually really happy with some of the art here and some of the sequences presented. particularly the final one where a brick joke twenty pages in the making finally pays off.

Hexen Snatch (age 25)

a semi spinoff to my novel FIP industries, we focus on a side character that managed to survive after the events of the novel and how they’ll manage to survive further beyond that. insanely soaked by the magical world of pact by widbow i wanted desperatly to share my own take on magic, every page is accompanied by a little text where i expand upon the lore and the way magic is supposed to work on this world. i really like the prose on those snippets and the ideas they work almost more that the comic itself with which i was not happy at all when i was working on it. i didnt like the character design, i didnt like how the art in general was coming out, i didnt like the pacing of the story or how superficially we were getting to expore this world in the comic proper. i had to take a very long hiatus just to accumulate the will to finish the comic and once i did i feel it really petered off without much of a satisfying payoff.

on some level i blame the exhaustion and frustration that i came out of this comic with for the fact that i ended up quitting disregarding reality soon afterwards.

Maxplosive (age 26)

another project that has followed me across multiple mediums. came up with an idea for a videogame back in 2015. saved it on the back pocket for a while, used it as a story within a story on my novel fan.tastic, practisced a couple of animations with the characters and eventually decided that, if my skills at videogame making were not enough, i had at least more than poven myself as a comic artist so maybe that was the definitive medium in which this idea would have to exist.

the original idea was to tell the story in two parts, the first half would introduce the character and the videogame as if the comic was a playthrough of the game. all fun and childlike and innocent. then the second half was meant to explore the life of the main character as an adult, how being “a videogame protagonist” had ruined her body, her mental health and her life. i tried all sorts of weird stuff with the format here, using reciclable assets, static camera angles and generally presenting the whole thing as if it was a videogame.

sadly the project got too big for my breaches, i was fucking exhausted back then, swamped with a bunch of other projects, my job, other responsabilities, unsatisfied with the story and with no idea where to take it. eventually i got tired, decided to skip a day, then the day became a week and then the week became a month and by then i had to face the facts, i was just no longer able to continue the comic. and so i quit not only maxplosive but disregarding reality all together.

i still did the occasional comic here and then but it wouldnt be until the very end of 20-fucking-20 that i was finally inspired to tackle a new project, my newest one, my last one....

Lapsarian (age 27)

an interesting experiment, i decided to do the whole comic in one sit and then post it chapter by chapter on a weekly basis. a surprising result of this was that i managed to do in one month the same amoung of pages that would have taken me 5 months back when i started disregarding reality, is good to see that after al this time i still got it.

took me a while to get the hang of it again and find my own style once more but once i armed up it was smooth sailing for 40 pages all the way to the end. but what is this comic even about?

its... weird, with full disclosure and no shame, it is mostly a fetish story about big lizard creatures commiting vore. the milkman had already shown me that i could do those types of stories and no lighting would come from the heavens to strike me down so i said, why not as a comic? i like to think that beyond the fetish content it is still a decent story in its own right, an interesting feedback that i got from this is that people are suprised how earnest it is, one saying something like “this is the best pitch for a fetish that i was never interested in”

Conclussion:

looking back on this im surprised, turns out i was a lot more prolific and working a lot more regularly than i expected, in here are documented ten years of creative output that never seems to wane. it was fun to do the roundabout trip and see how my style, my technice and generally my work ethic evolved through the years. another nice thing to see is the multiple formats, the multiple tools and mediums i experimented with, i find myself constantly trying new things, new methods, new angles, new interesting ideas for how to make a comic (without even getting into what to make a comic about).

something i always knew about myself was that drawing is a fundamental part of who i am, it is something that just cant be taken away from me and that will always be a part of my life one way or the other, is good to see it so plainly, in black and white, on this list. here goes for what i might be able to do in the future

[doyouever-daydream]

Birthday wishes

A/N Hello lovely humans! The Alvez family, Luke, Penelope, Luna, Roxy and Sergio, are back! Honestly I have a bunch of little cousins and have worked with many children so much of my inspiration comes from witnessing their imagination, so I think there’ll be a Luna series with oneshots/drabbles about this little girl’s adventures with her parents, that being said I’m sure someday I’ll come up with an idea for when Luna was a baby or something so the timeline will be crazy. Enjoy! (Also I finished writing/queuing this at almost 3am so probably more typos than usual)

Pairing: Penelope Garcia x Luke Alvez

Wordcount: 1706 (And I thought this was gonna be a drabble)

Masterlist

It was Saturday and in an unexpected turn of events, Penelope had been called to work but only for a couple hours, in the meantime Luke stayed home with Luna and they both attempted to bathe Roxy, the result of that was all three of them wet as Roxy escaped from them and ran around the house, Sergio looked at them from a safe distance not wanting to get involved in the mess, Luke was convinced their cat was judging him.

After they finally succeeded in bathing Roxy, Luke made lunch for all of them and Penelope arrived to see her family sitting in the living room eating sandwiches and drinking lemonade they had made using their own lemons from the tree in their backyard.

“Mommy, you’re home!” Luna quickly ran to her mom and she received her with open arms.

“I am, baby, how was your morning? Did you guys have a good time?” Penelope lifted Luna in her arms and kissed her cheek.

“It was great, we bathed Roxy and we played in the garden” She replied with a big smile on her face as Penelope walked to couch and sat in it, sitting Luna in her lap.

“I’m happy to hear that, now finish your lunch, Lu” Luke offered her a glass of lemonade, she had texted earlier letting him know that she had lunch during her work meeting.

“Hello babe, how was work? Was there a problem?” Luke questioned slightly worried as to why she was called on a Saturday.

Penelope shook her head “It was just an impromptu meeting we needed to have with one of the big bosses because he was in town, they reassured us it was a one time occasion and I hope they’re not lying” She sipped on her lemonade “Wow, you guys, the lemonade is delicious”

“There’s more in the fridge if you want, mommy” Luna offered as she hurried to eat her lunch. 

“Slow down there, Luna” Luke asked her and though the little girl slowed down, she still seemed anxious to finish her sandwich.

“What’s got you in a hurry, miss?” Penelope asked as she stole a frie from Luke’s plate.

“I want to tell you something” Penelope looked at her husband with narrowed eyes to what he shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what their daughter was talking about.

“I’m done! Can I show you now?” She pleaded with big eyes.

“Go and brush your teeth and then you can show us” Luna nodded and hopped through the hallway with Roxy following closely behind, the two were inseparable since Luna had been born.

Penelope turned to see Luke with wide eyes and a smirk “What do you think it’s going on that little mind of hers?”

“I don’t know but I’m scared” He finally leaned closer to her and pecked her lips.

She sighed “I just hope she hasn’t changed her mind about her birthday party, after begging us to throw a Roxy themed party I would hate to not use all the stuff we already got”

“You insisted on printing a million stickers with Roxy’s face” Luke joked and threw his arm around her.

“I can’t believe she’s turning five already! I’m so emotional” Penelope confessed to him and he kissed her temple.

Luke sighed “I know, I can’t believe how big she is” As if on cue Luna and Roxy came back and to both, she looked five feet tall.

“I talked to my friend Kelly and she told me about the Birthday fairy” Both of her parents looked confused but not that shocked, sometimes Luna and her friends came up with the funniest ideas.

“What did she say about the Birthday fairy?” Penelope signaled her to come closer to them and then they noticed Luna was holding something, Luke placed his almost five year old on his lap.

“That you can ask for a birthday wish, it’s like Santa” Luke was starting to get nervous as to what she was gonna ask, mostly because he knew he would do everything and anything to get it for her.

“Oh, and what’s that you got here?” He asked Luna and she showed a piece of paper folded in half.

“I made a letter like I do for Santa” She opened it and gave it to him, there were random letters, a drawing and her name because she had learned to write it recently. 

Penelope tried to guess what her daughter asked for but failed to decipher her letter “Can you read it for us, baby?”

“Dear Birthday fairy, I hope you are doing okay, I’m turning five next month” She looked hesitantly to her parents as if asking if she had that part correct.

“Go on, princess” Luke winked and Penelope took another sip of her lemonade and listened to her daughter.

“And I would like a baby brother” Her mom almost choked on her drink and her dad’s eyes shot open but laughed soundly “Mommy, are you ok?”

“Yes, Lu, I’m fine” Before her parents knew what to say she continued “reading”

“I love all my cousins so much but I really like to play with Michael but he’s not my brother, he is Henry’s little brother and I want one too so I can play all the time with him, thank you very much, Luna Grace Alvez” She finished and Luke had a huge grin on his face while Penelope looked terrified.

Luke decided to have the conversation seeing his wife was still figuring out what to say “Lune, sweetheart, baby brothers take more than a month to arrive” Luna scrunched her nose and looked exactly like her mom whenever she did that.

“It’s ok, I can wait two months, you can help me mark down the days like we do for my birthday and Christmas” When she finished, she yawned as she was used to take an afternoon nap and that’s when Penelope saw her way out of the subject.

“Baby, it’s time to take a nap, come on” Luna didn’t fight her mom and quickly linked her arms around her daddy’s neck so he could carry her to her bedroom.

A good twenty minutes later Luke returned to find Penelope sitting in the same exact spot with the same worried look on her face.

“I really wasn’t expecting that” She confessed as she removed her glasses and leaned her head on the couch.

“I was surprised for a second but kind of saw it coming” Penelope glared at him with suspicion in her eyes.

“Did you put her up to this, Alvez?” He laughed and shook his head.

“No, I mean I didn’t expect it today but all of her cousins have siblings, I thought the idea would appear in her head sooner or later” She massaged her temples “Wow, is it that bad to have my children?” Once again Penelope glared at him and he swore she would throw him something “I’m kidding, I’m honestly kidding, what do you think?”

“I don’t know, I always pictured her as an only child, us as a party of five, dad, mom, daughter of our dreams, dog child, cat child” She extended her hand so Luke would sit beside her.

“Ok, then we’ll talk to her about it, we’ll find a way” As ever Luke was supportive of her and Penelope felt both thankful but also uncertain, he had a say in the decisions of their family as well.

“What do you want?” She looked at him and saw a hint of worry in his eyes “Come on, babe, be honest”

“Well I wouldn’t mind becoming a party of six but I wouldn’t even think about it if it’s something you don’t truly want” He shot her a smile, Penelope placed a hand on his cheek and he leaned into her touch “I mean it, Pen”

Penelope sighed “The truth is I’m scared, I’m just getting the hang of being a mom of one, and she’s almost five” Her eyebrows were raised and her eyes were wide open.

“Babe, it’s about learning, I don’t know how to be a dad of two either, I mean, remember how much we called JJ, Matt and Derek because we had no idea of what we were doing? And now, look at us, she’s turning into a wonderful tiny human who cares for people and animals and insects and plants, you should’ve seen her talking to the lemon tree about how we were taking the lemons so he could grow more” Luke recalled the moment and held Penelope’s hand, and Penelope thought that her daughter would make an amazing big sister.

“She cares for non living objects as well, the other day you were in Phoenix, she accidently stepped on one of my pens and cried because she had broke it” Luna’s ability to care for others was always something that amazed everyone who knew her and it made both of them really proud.

“So are you gonna think about it?” Luke asked wishing she’d say yes.

“I don’t think I have to think about it” She saw his face fell and explained herself “I mean, you’re right, I remember how scared I felt when our sweet Luna was born, and I still get scared, I mean she keeps growing up and the next thing we know we’ll be parents to a teenager and as sweet as she can be, she’s also stubborn and determined, just imagine…” Luke cut her off as he looked pale now.

“Please, don’t go there, she’s my sweet little girl who asks permission to pick flowers not to go on dates or parties and I’d like to think that’s the way it will always be” She smiled seeing him so reluctant about thinking what the future would look like in another ten years.

“Ok but if I agree can we already start talking about names? I love talking about baby names” She wondered with excitement on her voice.

“I’d rather go straight into baby making” He suggested as he eyed her in a very suggestive way.

“Hmmm, you always have the best ideas, after all Luna’s nap just started” She smiled and let him lead both of them to their bedroom.

[team-free-will-oneshots]

No Through Road

Title: No Through Road (part eight of the ‘Buried Secrets’ series) Summary: When a new hunt crops up, you and the boys decide to put your feelings aside and prioritise the case. If only it were that simple... Pairing: Dean x Reader, Sam x Reader Warnings: pining, angst, light swearing, canon-typical violence Word Count: 6,000ish (whoops)

note; merry christmas/happy holidays!!! i’m so sorry!! for the lack of updates !!!!! it’s been killing me too i swear!!!

while writing this i got rly deep into threads debating whether the impala is an automatic or a manual (it’s an automatic btw), just a fun fact. enjoy!

Buried Secrets Masterlist | Main Masterlist

“Y/N - I wasn’t aware that you were home.”

Castiel’s voice dragged your attention away from the book in your lap, and you glanced up in surprise to see the angel in the doorway, throwing you a surprised smile that you hadn’t realised you’d missed during your time away.

“Hey, Cas. Yeah, I’m back,” you replied, offering a weak smile in return.

“I take it Dean has apologised?” Cas said sternly, his boots thudding on the timber floor as he stepped into your room. Sighing, you closed the book, tossing it to the side as you nodded glumly.

“Yeah, he has,” you informed him. “Things are… hopefully on their way back to normal.”

Cas beamed. “That’s wonderful,” he said sincerely, but his smile faltered as he recognised the despair etched into your features. He glanced to your bed, eyes darting to yours questioningly, and you nodded. He took a seat next to you. “You don’t seem pleased,” he observed, and you offered a weak smile.

“Things are complicated,” you mumbled, and Castiel’s wide eyes found yours, imploring you to continue. You leaned back against the bedrest, eyes dancing around the room as though, if you looked hard enough, you’d find the answers you so desperately sought hiding under the desk, or in the closet. But alas, the words you needed were nowhere to be found, and so you let your lips spill what they may.

“Before I left… Dean and I had a thing,�� you began. “Like… romantically.” Cas nodded.

“Yes, he mentioned that while you were gone,” he affirmed, and you raised an eyebrow in interest. 

“He talked to you about me?”

“Yes, of course,” Cas said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “On several occasions, in fact. He was very upset - mostly about hurting you, I believe.”

It took a few moments for this new information to settle, but once it did, you put it aside to dwell on later. “Oh,” you said. “Well, when I left, Sam and I kind of… developed a thing as well,” you said slowly. “But I hadn’t sorted things out with Dean yet, and now… now I honestly don’t know what the hell I’m meant to do. I feel like I’ve hit a dead end - like I’m trapped. I could never be with Sam if I don’t get closure with Dean, but if I get closure with Dean, I don’t know where that would leave Sam and I. I just- I’ve hit a wall,” you grumbled. Cas frowned, observing you thoughtfully as he mulled over your words.

“Who do you want to be with?” he asked, and you sighed loudly.

“I don’t know, Cas, that’s the thing. A part of me thinks I should choose Sam, because he was there for me, y’know? He was so sweet, and- and I felt safe with him,” you said. “He’s practically the perfect guy.”

“Then there’s your answer,” Cas said, and you sighed, shaking your head.

“But Dean… Look, he has some shit to make up for, that’s for sure, but… I feel so drawn to him. Being with Dean, it just feels… right. Like… almost like we’re two sides of the same coin, y’know?”

Cas frowned.

“Oh. Well, that is a bit more complex,” he allowed. “But it seems to me, you already know what you want,” he added, and you bolted upright.

“And what’s that?” you asked. Cas hesitated, and you cast him a pleading expression. “C’mon, man, I’ll take any advice I can get.”

“Well-”

But before he could finish his sentence, Dean was at your door, laptop in hand as he rapped his knuckles against the doorframe. Castiel fell silent, whatever answers he might have bestowed fading out of your reach - at least for the moment.

“Hey, Y/N, we’ve got a case- oh, hi, Cas,” he greeted in surprise. You sighed.

“Raincheck?” you murmured to Cas, who nodded warmly. You walked to Dean, peering over his shoulder and frowning at the computer screen. “What are we looking at?” you asked. You were stood close enough to him that your chin was all but resting on his shoulder, and the warmth of his body next to yours sent a pleasant tingle of electricity down your spine that you forced yourself to ignore. Dean tensed at the slight brush of your body over his, taking half a step forward as he cleared his throat.

“Uh, three victims in the past month - corpses looked like they’d been ‘ravaged by an animal’, all missing hearts,” he said. You mulled over the information.

“Okay, what, we’re thinking a werewolf?” you checked, and Dean nodded.

“Seems like.”

“How far?”

“‘Bout three hours.”

“Great, I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” you said decisively. Dean’s eyes met yours and held your gaze a moment longer than necessary before he nodded, ducking his head and leaving the room. When you turned back to start packing, Cas shot you a pointed look that you couldn’t quite deconstruct with the scent of Dean still in your nostrils, the phantom warmth of his body still grazing over your own - you couldn’t get your own thoughts straight, let alone try to decipher someone else’s.

“What?” you challenged, and he shook his head, a small smile on his face.

“Nothing,” he said softly. “Be safe,” he told you, resting his hand on your shoulder for a moment as you nodded.

“Thanks,” you replied, and you finally managed to untangle your thoughts enough to recall the conversation the two of you had shared.

“Hey, wait, what were you gonna say befo-” you began, but when you span around, the angel was already gone. 

---

“So the next victim will either be Sara Aplin or Barry Smith, if we’re right about the co-workers thing,” you mused, exchanging glances with Sam and Dean. The motel room was cramped with the three of you, each bed littered with papers and research whilst the walls were adorned with a myriad of pins and criss-crossing red string. Your gut had been right about the werewolf - you’d narrowed it down to a twenty-seven year old male, Marshall Cooper, who’d had several public disagreements with his co-workers who all turned up dead only a few days later, minus their hearts. He’d had two such rows in the past few days - one with a girl, Sara, who was barely pushing twenty-five, and another with twenty-nine year old Barry.

“Looks like it,” Sam remarked, licking his finger as he leafed through a pile of pages in his hand. 

“Great, well at least it’s fifty-fifty,” you muttered, pinning both locations on the map you had stuck to the wall - they were on opposite ends of town. “It’d be handy if they were neighbours - three of us could stake ‘em out together. Why are things never easy?” you moaned, and Sam chuckled.

“Tell me about it,” he replied. You stared at the map a moment longer, smirking as you trailed your finger over the glossy paper.

“Hey, I might’ve found a shortcut between the houses,” you mused, and Dean raised an eyebrow as Sam snorted.

“No offense, Y/N, I’m not taking your directional advice. Remember what happened last time you thought you found a ‘shortcut’?” Sam teased, and you giggled at the memory.

“Yeah, pretty sure a branch hit you in the face - you shoulda seen yourself, you looked so shocked,” you laughed, exchanging knowing grins with the youngest Winchester as you elbowed him fondly. He shook his head, smile lingering on his lips as your skin brushed over his. He pressed closer to you, holding contact a moment longer than he should have.

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” he chuckled, shaking his head to himself as he watched you fondly, a sweet smile tilting the corners of his lips.

Dean stood, unable to tear his eyes from you as Sam brushed up against you, both of you so casually comfortable in one another’s presence as you rattled off inside jokes he could never hope to be a part of. Just how much had you and his brother shared during your time away? How could he ever compete with the easy conversation and affectionate gestures the two of you so readily exchanged? Maybe he should just give up - maybe he’d forced any hope of a relationship between you towards a dead end the moment he’d sent you packing. Maybe there was no coming back from this one.

Dean grimaced, forcing the thoughts away as his green eyes wandered over the faded newspaper clippings pinned to the walls.

“And if we’ve got the pattern right, he’ll strike tonight,” he interrupted. You and Sam mellowed, stepping apart and falling back into business mode as Dean took on the authoritative role. “Alright, Y/N and I will stake out Sara’s house, you handle Barry’s. We good?” Dean checked. Sam glanced to you, eyes questioning, and you cast him a reassuring smile.

“Yeah. Sounds good,” you replied firmly, and you saw Dean throw you a tentative half smile as his eyes met yours. He held your gaze for a moment before it quickly flickered away. The moment, however brief, held a level of intimacy that half-frightened you, but simultaneously sent a warm kaleidoscope of butterflies dancing in your stomach. Though intense, the feeling was familiar - and for a moment, things were almost back to normal.

You were jolted back to reality when Sam cleared his throat, the magic of the moment dissipating as the gravity of your situation crashed back down on you, an anvil weighing heavily on your shoulders. When you looked at the tall Winchester, his eyes betrayed a hint of jealousy that he quickly hid behind a smile. 

“Alright. You’re sure you wanna go with Dean, Y/N?” he checked. “I mean, we’ll probably be waiting awhile.” You nodded.

“Yeah - Dean and I probably have some catching up to do, anyways,” you conceded, casting Dean a half smile that brought a grin to his face.

“Besides, we’re practically the hunting dream team - no offense, Sammy,” he said with a chuckle, and you shook your head in amused exasperation.

“It’s Sam,” the younger Winchester corrected with a roll of his eyes. You ignored their bickering, glancing out the cramped motel window to see dusk rapidly descending over the small farming town.

“We should get going,” you interjected, snatching Baby’s keys from where they sat on the bed. You jingled them tauntingly. “I’m driving,” you added with a wink. Dean’s cocky grin dropped quicker than a bag of stones into water.

“Oh, hell no,” he objected, but you shot him a smirk, tucking your gun into your waistband as you left the motel, tossing an amused Sam a wave over your shoulder. Dean hastily followed, lunging for the keys that you quickly protected in your closed fist.

“Sorry, Dean!” you teased in a sing-song tone, and the eldest Winchester pouted.

“C’mon, Y/N! You always ride the curb!” he all but whined, and you grinned.

“Shoulda thought of that earlier, slowpoke,” you shot back, and though he rolled his eyes, there was no malice in his act.

“I’m so sorry, Baby,” he whispered, patting the roof once before slipping into the passenger seat. You cranked the engine the moment the door clicked shut, pulling out from the motel parking lot and merging onto the main road as the passing scenery faded into a vague green blur. 

“Hunting dream team, huh?” you remarked, and Dean shrugged, smiling wolfishly.

“Yeah, you know we work well together. Remember that wendigo case a couple years back?” he prompted, and you laughed.

“The one in Minnesota? When Sam had the flu, and we went in totally unprepared?”

“Yeah,” he said, face falling a little at the mention of Sam’s name. He brightened as he continued. “We mighta been unprepared, but we found that damn thing’s hideout in record time. Ganked that son of a bitch before it knew what hit it,” he reminded you, and you raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Really? I seem to remember you ‘finding the hideout’ by literally falling over into the cave, being attacked, and then I had to come save your ass,” you responded, and Dean shrugged.

“Potato, potahto… got it done, didn’t we?”

You smiled. “Yeah, we did. I guess you’re right… we are pretty awesome,” you said, winking at him and feeling a knot of butterflies rise in your stomach at his resounding chuckle.

“Yeah, we are,” he said, his eyes lingering on the smile curving your lips when you glanced back to the road. A comfortable silence settled over the car, and you felt your neck prickled as his gaze didn’t leave you. When you glanced over at him, of course, he jostled himself away from you, eyes glued a little too intently on his phone.

“Whatcha doing?” you asked, and his eyes darted over to you in surprise.

“Uh- looking at directions,” he stammered. You glanced at his phone screen - blank. 

“Right. Well, google maps is for losers who can’t read street signs,” you said firmly, and Dean rolled his eyes good naturedly.

“Ha, ha,” he said dryly, tucking his phone into the pocket of his jeans. The Winchester settled back into the passenger seat, folding his arms behind his head. “Fine then, I won’t tell you the street,” he said stubbornly. “I’ll bet ya five bucks that you’ll miss it.”

You snickered. “You’re on,” you replied. A few minutes later a smug grin was etched over Dean’s face, and you shot him a hard look.

“What?” you demanded, and he chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

“Nothing, nothing…”

“This is the right way!” you insisted, nodding to the road before you. Sure, it looked a little unfamiliar, but that was just because it wasn’t broad daylight, unlike your last visit to the house… right? Dean forced a straight face.

“Sure, this is the right way…” he allowed, before sniggering. “If you’re looking for a dead end,” he tacked on, nodding to the ‘No Through Road’ sign glinting in the fading light. You released a guttural noise of irritation - yet another dead end. You seemed to be hitting a lot of those lately. Dean released the laugh he’d been biting back.

“Good try, sweetheart. Street was two blocks back,” he said, and you scrunched your nose up at him.

“Thanks, Alexa,” you snapped back, though you couldn’t restrain the grin that split your face when you threw the car into a three-point-turn, “accidentally” reversing straight into the gutter. Dean’s mouth fell open in horror, and you feigned innocence.

“Oops!” you cried dramatically, tone ringing with exaggeration. “Sorry, Baby… this never would’ve happened if someone had told me when the turnoff was…” you continued, stroking the steering wheel and shooting Dean a sweet smile.

“Very funny,” he replied, his annoyed expression quickly melting into one of bemusement as his lips spread into a nostalgic smile. “Hey, remember that case with-”

“-the haunted maserati?” you finished easily, and he nodded, whistling.

“We really totalled it, didn’t we? Damn shame, too, did you hear her engine? Never heard a thing run smoother,” he remarked wistfully, and you bit back a laugh.

“Careful, Dean, Baby will hear you,” you taunted, swinging into the side street that Dean pointed out. “Shame that Sam missed that one, too. Where was he again?” you asked, brow furrowing as you thought back to the long-forgotten hunt. You saw Dean swallow at the mention of his name, and his wistful smile collapsed into a solemn expression as he tensed his jaw.

“Still dealing with that fractured ankle, wasn’t he?” he asked gruffly, and you nodded as the penny dropped.

“Oh, yeah, poor guy,” you tutted, and Dean grunted in agreement, busying himself with scanning the houses dotted evenly along the street.

“This one, right here,” he said suddenly, pointing to a nondescript white house with a garden that needed a little more love than it was receiving. Large bushes obscured much of the lawn, the shrubbery casting shadows that swiftly lengthened as the sun continued to dip below the horizon. You pulled in close to the curb, throwing the car into park and flipping off the engine.

“Well, now we wait, huh?” you remarked, glancing over at Dean. He sighed, nodding as his eyes fell to meet yours. He held your gaze for a moment longer than he ought to, and you couldn’t help but notice the flecks of amber embedded amongst the green of his irises, smouldering like tiny embers in the fading light. The orange sunset glowed on his skin, though dappled shadows danced over his face as the leafy trees overhanging the house swayed in the light breeze. Dean tried a small, crooked smile - just a curve of his full lips, there one moment and gone the next. You released a shaky breath as you flashed a smile in return. Dean tore away his stare, turning stiffly to observe the house once more. He cleared his throat.

“Yeah. Now we wait.”

---

Dean was bored.

The moment the Impala’s engine had cut out, the two of you fell into a semi-comfortable silence broken only by the rustle of leaves in the wind and the steady beat of rain on the roof. The occasional stutter of a motor and the splashing of wheels across puddles pierced the quiet as cars rolled down the street, headlights beaming over the slick black tarmac. He’d busied himself at first by studying the leafy garden plants, before turning his gaze to the peeling white paint of the crumbling fence, counting each stripe of brown wood flickering between streaks of yellowing pigment. But as darkness descended the scenery fell into an indistinguishable grey blur, and Dean could no longer pick a distraction from the outside world.

He shifted in his seat, wincing at the stiffness of his legs. You glanced over at the sound of movement, raising an eyebrow at his evident discomfort. He flashed a sheepish smile, swallowing the lump in his throat spurred on by the glint of your eyes in the dim lighting, the warmth of your body so close to his in the cramped confines of his car.

“You got the time?” he asked weakly. You glanced at your phone.

“Nearly midnight,” you informed him, and he nodded slowly.

“Right. Great. Maybe this thing’ll end up on Sam’s end,” he mused, and you shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe - he hasn’t had anything on his end yet, either, though,” you replied offhandedly, turning back to your phone.

“Oh? You’ve- you’ve been talking to him, then?”

“Just a text here and there,” you said, smiling tightly as you nodded to the phone in your hand. Dean nodded slowly.

“Right. Of course. Good,” he said. Silence once again fell over the vehicle, and having come to a dead end as to alleviating his boredom, Dean spared another glance your way. His breath fell into an uneven patter as he admired the slanting of the low light over your cheek, illuminating the gentle flush of your skin, the gentle parting of your lips as you read something on the screen before you. When a small smile stretched over your lips as you read something amusing, Dean couldn’t help but mirror it as he found himself imagining being bestowed the honour of putting that smile on your face himsel-

You looked over at him, and Dean hastily flicked his eyes back to the house, shaking away the languishing thoughts that tormented his mind and ignoring the pit of yearning that burned in his stomach. You deserved far more than what he could give you. Although he would always be the first to admit such, it didn’t stop the pang of pain that hit his chest at the thought. He busied his mind with other ponderings.

“Hey, I… I don’t think I ever thanked you,” he said eventually, voice stammering and breathy with nerves. He pulled apart his twiddling thumbs, moving to grip the steering wheel with white knuckles. That seemed to surprise you - your eyebrows darted upwards as you shot him a questioning expression.

“For what?”

Dean shifted uncomfortably. “For- for trying to help me. With the hex bag, I mean. It… you didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, you made that pretty clear,” you chuckled dryly, and Dean swallowed thickly as his yearning was overridden by guilt.

“I just mean… I appreciate the thought, is all,” he mumbled. “I shouldn’t have blown up at you about it, I just… I’m used to dealing with that stuff on my own. It’s… easier that way.” He refused to meet your eyes, his jaw tight as he fixed his gaze on the empty road before him. You half smiled.

“I’ve noticed. Y’know, it’s okay to reach out when you need to. You’d be amazed how much easier it is to deal with things when you have someone to vent to,” you prodded, giving him a playful nudge with your elbow. He chuckled.

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” he replied. You lifted an inquiring eyebrow, and his smile melted into a somber line. He swallowed, biting back a smirk, a joke, anything to deflect his inner turmoil, and instead allowed his eyes to find your own. “I will. Promise.”

You nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer as you patted his knee once. The thoughtful action stoked the slow burning longing in his chest, but the comfort and safety your touch brought was gone as quickly as it came as you folded your arms into your chest and adjusted in your seat. Dean felt the cold air creep over the empty space you had occupied, the chill sinking into the hollowness in his heart, squeezing it in an icy grasp. He took a shaky breath, his clenched fist falling over the place your hand had occupied. Neither of you spoke.

“Hey, what day is it?” you asked suddenly, and Dean shot you a perplexed look.

“Uh, Monday, I think,” he said. “What, you got an appointment or something?”

You smirked. “No, just thought it’s fitting that we’re hunting a werewolf today.”

Dean furrowed his brow. “Why?”

You shot him a wolfish grin. “It’s Moon-day, Dean.”

The eldest Winchester closed his eyes, tongue in cheek as he fought back a laugh. “Y/N, that was pathetic.”

“Don’t you mean pack-hetic?” you challenged cheekily, and Dean snorted.

“C’mon, though, really? Moon-day? You could’ve at least somehow slipped Howl-a-ween in there, instead,” he shot back, and you smirked.

“Oh, I know, I just wanted to see you in pain at my terrible puns,” you said. Dean rolled his eyes fondly.

“At least you’re a-were that they’re bad,” he replied offhandedly, and you groaned, though you seemed unable to keep the grin off your face.

“Okay, truce,” you said. “I’m out of puns.”

“That’s okay, sweetheart, we can just hit paws on it for now.” He threw you a wink, and you chortled. Dean grinned at your laughter - carefree and genuine, woven with snorts that you futilely tried to disguise with a cough. The so-called ‘ugly’ laughter was music to his ears, a score perfectly composed by the delightful ringing of your voice. He couldn’t name a single melody he favoured over that which was your joy, a noise so pure it had him giddy on the idea that he was the lucky man who had invoked it.

Dean’s own laughter died as he recalled your similar exchange with Sam only hours prior, and he was crushed with the reminder that he wasn’t the only one with whom you had shared such buoyant moments. The cold heaviness crushed him again, and it was all he could do to force a tight half-smile in response to your wide grin. You didn’t seem to notice his dejection, however, as your eyes focussed on something over his shoulder.

“Well, I think our werewolf just turned into a there-wolf,” you remarked softly, cocking your gun and nodding towards the subtle movement in the darkness outside, followed by the rustling of the bushes. Dean snapped into solemnity, twisting around to squint into the darkness. Sure enough, you were right.

“Alright, follow my lead,” he whispered, loading his pistol with a round of silver bullets as he slowly creaked open the door of the Impala and let his boots crunch onto the footpath. You slipped out behind him, letting the door hang silently open as you readied your gun and crept into the overgrown garden. Ankle height grass brushed over Dean’s jeans, leaving tiny seeds clinging to the stiff fabric. He paid them no heed, every last drop of his attention focussed solely on the hunt as he kept downwind of the crouched wolf. He watched as you took position by it’s flank, exchanging nods as he carefully aimed - if all went well, one shot would end this hunt.

But then, when did things ever go well for Dean Winchester?

He cursed as he stepped on a twig, of all things, the thin brown stick hidden in the grass that couldn’t muffle the snap as it splintered under his heavy boot. The wolf shot around, snarling, it’s yellow eyes reflecting thin shards of light as it leapt towards him.

Dean shot - once, twice, three times, before the heavy body landed atop him, screeching and howling, it’s writhing claws digging into his arms before it finally slackened, weighing heavily on his chest. The gun flew from his hand, settling in the grass a few feet away, and he groaned as he shoved the body away. 

“Shit, are you okay?” you demanded, eyes branded with concern as you rushed over to help him to his feet. Dean nodded, wincing at his wounds but forcing a steely mask over his face - he’d had worse.

“Yeah, fine,” he grunted, hissing as you slipped off your jacket and held it against his wounded shoulder. He had half a mind to push you away, insist that he was fine, but something about the tenderness of your touch and the gentleness in your eyes had him putty in your hands. For once, Dean let himself relax into your warmth, the tension seeping from his muscles as you rested a hand on his chest and began to guide him back from the car. Your phone buzzed in your pocket, but neither of you had mind to mention it - you let it ring out.

The two of you had almost made it through the gate when the other werewolf attacked.

It sprung up from behind, it’s body concealed amongst the large bushes so conveniently dotted around the yard. You felt it’s hot, reeking breath on the back of your neck as it slammed into you, dislodging Dean from your grip and sending him stumbling, dooming him only to watch with wide, helpless eyes as its claws dug into your side.

Dean’s hand shot for his gun only to grasp at empty air, and he felt his chest constrict in panic as you struggled against the wolf, unable to free your arms to defend yourself as it’s snapping jaws inched closer to your face. There was only one thing he could do.

“Hey, Fido!” he bellowed. The wolf hesitated, glancing up with a growl as it’s eyes locked on Dean. “Yeah, you fugly bitch! Come on - want a piece of this?” he roared, throwing open his arms despite the screaming in his shoulder. The wolf leapt at him, and Dean barked a curse as he threw himself to the side, a bush breaking his fall, the sharp twigs digging through his clothes as he rolled to the ground. He scrambled through the grass, catching sight of the glint of his gun a few feet away. The wolf was hot on his tail - he wasn’t going to make it, he realised. Shit - this was it…

That was when he heard a heavy thud and whimper as the wolf was slammed against a tree. Dean risked a glance, pausing with wide eyes and mouth half open as he saw you kneeling with your arms outstretched, pinning the wolf against the trunk with your magic. Your face was glistening with blood and sweat, hair matted and strewn with leaves after your tussle, but he’d be damned if it wasn’t the beautiful sight he’d ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

“Get the gun, idiot!” you snapped, visibly straining as you struggled to keep the wolf contained. Dean nodded, snapping back to the task at hand and quickly retrieving the gun, emptying the round of silver bullets into the wolf’s chest. It yowled and twitched, but finally stilled. You released a sharp breath as you let your arms fall, the wolf mirroring them as it thumped to the floor.

Dean sprinted to you, collapsing to his knees beside you as he frantically scanned your weary body for wounds. “Dammit, Y/N, are you okay?” he demanded, and you chuckled dryly as you nodded.

“Yeah, just some scrapes and bruises, same as you,” you muttered, wincing and pressing your hand against your blood-slickened side. Dean didn’t relax until he had examined your injuries firsthand, but once he realised you really were fine, he found himself frozen with his hands on your hips and your heaving chest only centimetres from his own. Your eyes met his, wide and sparkling and breathless from the fight, and maybe it was the adrenaline or the fact that you had both almost died, but Dean couldn’t stop himself from crushing his mouth to yours.

He could taste the salt of your sweat tinged with the metal of your blood as your lips met in a bruising kiss, his hands instinctively pulling you closer as you melted against him. Your hands were in his hair, scraping delectably against the nape of his neck as he poured every drop of passionate relief into the rough motion of his chapped lips over your own. His tongue found yours, hot and desperate as his arms caged around you, clutching you to his chest as though you’d never be safe anyplace else…

...and then he was pulling away with a start, detangling his limbs from your own as he guiltily ducked his head and cleared his throat. He didn’t meet your eyes, only allowed himself a sharp exhale as he pushed to his feet, eyes scanning his surroundings for any other threat as he silently berated himself for losing control in the way that he had.

You didn’t speak either, only huffed as the sound of your ringtone pierced the air once more. His gaze finally found yours as you tugged out your phone, and you offered him a tight smile as you held it to your ear. 

“Sam?”

The single syllable sent Dean’s stomach plummeting. What was he thinking, kissing you like that? What the hell was he doing? He’d seen the way you’d looked at Sam - the jokes, the coy smiles and flirty banter. He didn’t stand a chance - and yet there he’d gone, kissing you like there was no tomorrow, like none of the past week had ever happened.

God, what kind of a hole had he dug himself into now?

---

Your mind was still reeling from Dean’s kiss - it had been all too easy to lean into it, to lose yourself in the pressure of his lips, the heat of his skin as he held you like he’d never again have the honour. Your skin still burned from his touch, your lips still buzzed from the taste of him - he’d consumed all your senses, his presence wrapping itself around you even though the only thing against your skin now was the cold night air.

Your phone rang, and you snapped from your trance as you pulled it out with shaking hands and accepted the call, eyes skimming blindly over the ID as your thoughts were drenched with the press of Dean’s body over yours, so passionate and warm, but so right.

Dean’s eyes finally met yours, and the guilt so deeply set into his expression had your brow creasing in confusion as you sent him a tentative smile that he didn’t return. Did he… regret it?

“Y/N!” a breathless exclamation sounded on the other line. You blinked, flipping back to reality as you registered the owner of the voice.

“Sam?” you gasped.

“Yeah! Listen, I think there are two wolves - I can’t believe I didn’t see it before! I’ve been reading over the case, and Marshall had a roommate who seemed a little too closely involved in-”

“Yeah, we know,” you replied dryly, shaking your head once to clear yourself from the lingering traces of Dean’s affection. “We-uh- we got it. Them. Both of the- look, both werewolves are dead,” you stammered eventually, and you heard a sigh of relief on Sam’s end.

“Great - are you okay?” he asked, voice heavy with worry. 

“Fine,” you managed. “We’re both fine. Bit worse for wear, but fine.”

“Okay - okay, well, good. Let’s meet back at the motel, then.”

“Yeah - get the first aid kit ready if you beat us there,” you replied tiredly.

“Yeah, of course. See you soon,” Sam bid, and you sighed, tucking away your phone as he hung up. You glanced up at Dean, who was stubbornly avoiding your stare.

“It was Sam,” you told him, trying to coax his eyes back to you. They flashed to yours for a brief moment but left just as quickly. Dean grunted.

“Yeah? What’d he say?” 

“Just that there were two wolves.”

Dean snorted. “Better late than never, I guess,” he muttered, and you allowed a short laugh as you both limped back to the Impala, sliding into the seats and nursing your tender wounds as the adrenaline faded from your systems.

“Yep. Turns out Marshall had a roommate. Two man pack. Guess you could say he was a werewolf in sheep’s clothing,” you said cheekily. That pried a smile from the eldest Winchester, finally brought a hint of a gleam back to his green eyes.

“Good one,” he chuckled, cranking the engine and pulling away from the curb. You half-opened your mouth, ready to approach the subject of the adrenaline induced act you had shared, but the look in Dean’s eyes had you second-guessing yourself. His jaw was tense, his fists tenser as he gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. 

He regrets it, you realised, feeling your heart sink as you released a sharp breath.

“Right,” you said eventually. “Let’s get patched up and get the hell outta this town, huh? I bet the cops’ll be here any second, after those gunshots,” you mused. Dean squeezed the wheel tighter.

“Right,” he said tersely, relaxing slightly as you leaned back into the seat and rested your head against the glass of the window. The car was stiff with tension that slowly dissolved as the scenery shifted and blurred outside, and you winced at the throbbing headache that had flared up behind your eyes. Of course your short reprieve from it had been too good to last - how fitting that it should spring up alongside the aching in your chest as you recalled the heat of Dean’s mouth on yours, and the downcast guilt etched into his expression afterwards.

You couldn’t erase the kiss from your mind - couldn’t forget his touch, his scent, his… everything. And it was then that you realised;

You hadn’t reached a dead end, not at all - just the opposite. You’d found a fork in the road, a crossroads, and now you were faced with a glaring choice.

Two paths, each just as tempting as the other - and now you had to do the impossible. For their sakes, for your own sake…

You had to decide.

__________

Part 9 coming soon !!!!!

Buried Secrets tags: @clarinette07 @demonsofhunting @carryon-doctor-lock @coupleofgoons @colie87 @non-exclusive-trash @txnii-hxrdyy @spaghettiwoes @supersouthy @bee-happy-buzz-on @lolmkaythen @defenderrosetyler @sammykb1994 @cocklesbelli @the-fictionwriters-hairdo @witch-of-letters @lilasundari @aquaastrid @deathofmissjackson @officialmarvelwhore​ @imdoingathingmom​ @thebookisbtr​ @sideblogsmutting @keepcalm-and-beyou​ @stormnightsong​ @spopovich​

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Sam tags: @sammys-dimpless​

Let me know if you wanna be added to any tag lists !!

[shaydeoffical]

Bright as a Diamond. Shinso Hitoshi x Fem Reader: Chapter Nine

Chapter Summary: Shota takes (Y/n) and Shinso to the USJ to get some specialized hostage training done. But things rarely go to plan, and (Y/n) gets to play the role of the victim to her dismay. But there is one thing she knows for sure, she’s not a tease. 

Series Summary: When (Y/N)’s co-worker decided to send a picture of her making a diamond to the paper, her life was over. Gemstone based quirks weren’t all that rare, but being able to make a diamond put a target on her back. After years of hiding in the city, it’s time to hide in the countryside with her Uncle Shota Aizawa and his more than ‘roommate’ Hizashi Yamada. With the promise of training her to be self-sufficient, she’s ready to learn.

Author Note: Me updating two days in a row? Unheard of lol. Also this chapter is 5K, so enjoy the fest. I tried to make this some more wholesome, but also...I like to keep some action going. 

Warning: Near drowning, avalanche, flashbacks    

Last Chapter: Eight

Next Chapter:Nine

Hostage Training 

It had been a few weeks since my run-in with Kira, and Hisoka's accident. Despite looking for the animal that hurt Hisoka, we found nothing. Just like the police still hadn't found Kira. It was unsettling but manageable.

   I was sitting on the porch waiting for Shota to pick me and Shinso up for training. Hisoka was cuddled in my lap, lazily pawing at my exposed thighs. Per Shota's request, I was to wear my paired down training uniform and lose all the camo elements.

   Still, I wasn't a big fan of showing off my body. Lately, I hadn't been so hard on myself about it, after nearly being kidnapped, I was thankful that my body was still my own. Grateful that Hisoka enjoyed my soft thighs and stomach. Thankful that I was able to even move and fight.

   Mom would be happy that I wasn't skipping meals or hiding in my room all day. I should really try calling her, I just don't know what I'd begin to tell her. Maybe about Shinso?

   "Why so contemplative Kitten? Trying to remember how to tie your shoes?" Shinso kneeled and did up my laces, double knotting the bow.

   "No," I puffed my cheeks and pouted when Hisoka ran off to the koi pond. "I was just thinking about my mom is all."

   "What about her?" Shinso sat beside me, leaning back on his forearms.

   "She moved to a care facility around the same time I moved here. Her quirk lets her make burning coals, and for some reason, it's started activating inside her without warning. She lost one of her lungs not too long ago because of it. So she's partaking in a special quirk related illness program." I stopped myself. "That was maybe too personal. Sorry, I just need to call her at some point, that's what I was thinking about."

   "Your mom is the Ash hero?" Shinso raised his brow.

   "Um, yea. She was the ash hero, but she doesn't really like to bear the title anymore." I twiddled my thumbs, kicking my legs out to distract myself.

   "She was pretty big in the underground. She rescued the same civilian twenty-seven times. It's a record."

   "That was my dad." I laughed. "Mom said she married him just so she could find the spare time to breathe. They ran into each other so often, they just couldn't help but fall in love."

   "I didn't know that. Your quirk makes sense, though, the coal mixed with the ability to make gemstones." Shinso hummed, sitting up to match my pose.

   "Yea. I managed to hide my gem quirk till I was a teen, then- then things happened." I pushed my hair in front of my face.

   Shoved in the back of a van. Gunshots. Taking a curve so fast, I bust my head open against the trunk.

   I gripped the back of my head, a small bump remained. "You spaced out again."

   "Hmm," I glanced at Hitoshi, his gaze focused on my hand.

   "I said you spaced out again. You do that during training a lot. I don't want to push it, but you want to tell me why?" He slid his fingers over my scalp, tracing the outline of the bump.

   My fingernails became the most exciting thing in my world. The way they were chewed to the quick, the cracked polish and rough cuticles poking through. "I was kidnapped a couple of times, actually. It turns out that the same people who liked to take my dad thought I would have his quirk too." I forced a laugh, pushing my cuticle down. "Of course I played dumb right up till they threatened to kill my best friend. It was like tv you know, they showed her on a camera and one of their goonies walking right behind her. Needless to say, I got so stressed sapphires started to sprout from my eyes."

   "I'm sorry," Hitoshi scooted closer to me, his arm resting aginst mine.

   "Don't worry about it, Lint ball. That was the easy time around. Besides, my mom saved me that time, and the group was so keen on keeping me a secret they didn't tell anyone. Plus, I never made them diamonds." I sat up and popped my fingers. "Looks like Sho is here, let's go. I'm going to wipe the floor with you today."

   "Thank you for telling me that." Shinso stood, and I suddenly realized how much taller than me he was. His hand rested on my shoulder with a firm squeeze.

   "Yea, like I said, it's not a big deal." I held my hips and smiled the best I could. My eyes stung, but I couldn't let anyone know.

   "Let's go Kitty." He nodded for me to follow him to the car, and I did without fuss. Shinso was a strange man, but he was really decent under all the dry humor and teasing. I could try playing along for now.

   "This place is huge." I gawked at the many different disaster simulation zones inside the vast building. The USJ was a top-notch training facility, and Shota had pulled his strings at the school to let us practice inside today.  

   "Listen closely." Shota walked to the edge of the stairs, turning to face Shinso and I. "Shinso, we're going to be working on search and rescue today. (Y/n), we are going to be working on hostage behavior. Since you are still healing, we'll be focusing on finding the best places to hide and knowing when to run."

   "So, I'm learning how to be a useful victim?" I cocked my head to the side and blinked a few times.

   "Basically." Shota sighed, looking out at all the different zones.

   "This feels kinda sexist for some reason…" I mumbled. "Why can't I rescue Shinso or you?"

   "That will be for another time. Just focus on how you can survive until help arrives today." I knew what Shota wanted from me, I knew it was a good plan, and I knew it was beneficial. But did it have to be a kidnapping scenario? After I confess part of my past to Shinso, now he's just going to be looking for me to zone out. Well, I'm going to rock this challenge.

   "We'll start off with the desert." Shota leads the way. We passed several other biomes and just how vast the building was amazed me. Shinso smirked, nudging me so I'd keep up. I pushed him right back and passed him to walk by Shota.  

   At the desert biome, I got to go out into the sandy hell first. It made sense why I was told to lose the camo part of my outfit now. Shinso needed to be able to see me to "rescue" me. Shota was right behind me as I climbed up the hill. The humid air already doing things to my hair.

   "If you turn your feet when you walk, it will be easier," he instructed, quickly walking through the grit.

   "I'll try," I did as told and didn't slip as much in the sand. "How do I keep the sun from burning me out?"

   "You need to wrap your head in a cloth, and possibly wet it with urine." Shota didn't sound like he was joking. Pausing my climb, I wait for him to say sike still.

   "Noted, don't get caught in a desert." Shrugging my shoulders, I kept walking. Once at the top, I slipped on the dune and skidded down the other side. Rolling fast, hot sand filled my shorts, lighting my skin on fire. I stopped myself at the bottom and spat up the grains in my mouths. Ugh. Jumping to my feet, I bounced around till my shorts were empty.

   "What would you do if that happened with a real villain?" Shota asked me, gliding down the slope. Not once jerking to regain balance.

   "Run for my life?" I offered, sitting up and dusting myself down. Licking my lips, I laid back on the ground, resting my eyes in his shadow.

   "That would be wise." Shota nodded, an underlining message with his words.

   "You want me to run? But you're teaching me stuff?" I cocked my head but got to my feet once I saw him frown.

   "At some point, I want you to run and hide. Give Shinso a real challenge in search and rescue. I can't tell you much about our current case, but if you can really give him a hard time, that would be for the best." He paused to give it some thought. "Really think about how a hostage would act in each scenario. How the elements affect what you're willing to do."

   "Is this how you prompt him?" I asked, going deeper into the desert. While I lost my chance to bolt, I wanted to keep talking. This was not my biome to start getting active.

   "Yes," Shota took my hand and pulled me up the incline. He grinned, tapping my forehead before shoving me down another hill. "Just have fun with it."

   "Wha-"I squealed rolling like a soup can, but with more momentum. Sand-filled my shorts again, but it got past my undies too. After I stopped and got my bearings, I looked at the hilltop, Shota had a captured weapon around his hand. So Shinso had caught us super-fast.

   Trekking back up the slope to help, I resisted the urge to sneak to the exit. I knew I was supposed to give Shinso a hard time, but this wasn't the biome that I wanted to use all my energy in. It was hot and draining; if I was a hostage, I'd be sticking it out with the villain.

   "Oh, Mr. Hero, save me!" I put on my best American accent and waved at Shinso. Having fun, pretending to have been poisoned by the sun. Which wasn't hard to imagine at that point.

   "Hold on-"Shinso tried to offer a comforting phrase, but was distracted long enough to let his guard down. Their fight went on for a while until finally Shinso got Shota down and tied in his scarf.

   "My hero, you are so brave." I pretended to stumble into his arms and whack his chest. "I've been in the sun for three days. I can't remember my own name, surely you can help me find it."

   "How will you handle this, Shinso?" Shota asked, not fighting against his ties. "What should you do with a delirious victim?"

   "Delirium, that's my favorite drink. We should get drinks at some point." I don't know what it was about the accent that made me a flirt, but I was clinging all over Shinso, gripping his arms and making him blush. "Such a strong young man. Oh, how much do you train?"

   "Don't worry, ma' ma, I'm going to get you some help." Shinso grabbed his scarf and my hand, dragging Shota and me behind him.

   I looked at Shota with an evil grin and asked permission to make it even harder. Shota nodded no, and I held back my scheme of accidentally letting him loose. I could try again in the next biome.

   It was the blizzard zone, and of course, I didn't have a jacket with me. Shota offered the bullshit answer that I needed to figure something out if this was real. I knew what he was inferring, but I didn't like it.

   Goosebumps broke out over my arms as we took the ski lift to the top of the mountain. I held myself and followed behind him, using my coal quirk to heat myself. Shota turned and deactivated my power.

   "As my captive, I'm not going to let you waste your energy on coals when I want diamonds." He reminded. "What is your best move?"

   "Follow instructions till I see an opening." My teeth chattered, the snow wetting my socks as I trudged through. "Why did we go from a dessert to a blizzard. We're all going to get sick." I slid down a small section of the hill and grabbed a pine for support. Now I noticed the snow that had piled on top of the branch.

   "I can't move," I pretended to tug on my foot, gritting my teeth.

   "Come on, don't slow me down," Sho was onto my rouse, but I knew I could convince him.

   "Then leave me to die and let my power go to waste asshole." I spat, making small grunts while pulling the large branch down further.

   "Fine, come here, brat." He smirked, once in range, I let the limb go and sprinted down the hill. "Wait, get back here!" Sho yelled, covered in snow.

  Saving my breath, I activated my quirk to create coals. The only place I could make coals was my hands, but that was more than enough heat to keep me warm if I was smart.

   I spotted a small cave and did a few laps around it to cover my tracks. Jumping into the small hole, I slide on the icy bottom finally out of the wind. Wasting no time, I made a pile of coals and started to heat the cavern. This time I was doing really good; maybe I could even save myself in this scenario.

   To be fair, I wasn't in the snow very long, but my socks were soaking wet. Now I was heating up, all the snow was melting and putting me at risk for hypothermia. Sighing, I took my shoes off and lowered the intensity of the coals. Shinso would hopefully capture Sho and be here to 'rescue' me soon.

   How could I make it harder for Lint ball? Hiding was already a challenge, but what else… Maybe fake a broke arm or ankle. Well, I wouldn't want him to carry my big ass off a mountain, that wouldn't be fair. The snow crunched outside. I held my breath and waited.

   "There you are." Purple hair and a faint smirk greeted me, his head poking in the hole.

   "Who are you?" I scooted away from Shinso, picking up coal to 'toss at him.'

   "I'm a hero. You need to come with me." He fumbled for his next words. "It's going to be okay."

   "That's what the last guy said….how do I know you're a hero. You're not on tv." I reasoned, making another coal, and getting in a defensive position.

   "Here's my hero id." He pretended to pull out a badge, and I exclaimed it. "We need to hurry before the villain wakes up."

   "Hey, don't rush me, I've just had the worst day of my life." I reminded him. "Besides I can't go, my shoes are wet and I-"

   "Come on," Shinso grabbed my hand and pulled me out, putting my shoes on. "It's a small hike to the bottom of the mountain. I can carry you, but we need to hurry."

   "I can walk just fine-"I puffed, turning my back to him. His coat was draped around my shoulder, and he tied the sleeves around my neck. "Hitoshi-"

   "We need to move." He used my confusion to his advantage and had me on my feet. He crouched and wedged his hips between mine, quickly catching me off guard.

   Latching my arms around his neck, he adjusted me once and started running. It was dumb to go sprinting downhill with a victim on your back, but I trusted his reasoning.  

   "Why do we have to hurry?" I asked, wondering how cold he must be getting.

   "There's a chance there might be an avalanche." He was panting, the strain of my blubbery body, and the cold stressing his lungs. The fast pace and quick moments made my head spin. My every muscle was stressed, trying to help him keep a good grip.

   A scarf wrapped around my upper body, jerking me into the powdery snow. Shota held the other end and reeled me towards him. Kicking with all my power, I tried to get free. Shinso nose dived but was getting his baring again. "Hero, you forgot to make sure I was bond down." Shota grinned, tugging me back up the mountain. Changing my tactic, I dug my heels into the earth.

   "Don't worry (Y/n), I'll save you." Shinso charged up the hill, ready to take on Sho. Only the mountain top rumbled. In the middle of the two men, I was about to be fucked up alone. I prepared to be at the mercy of the tumbling snow, praying that I didn't crush Sho or Shinso.

   "You failed to keep her safe once, are you going to fail again, hero?" Shota was around four meters from me at this point. The snow working in my sandy shorts. The mountain still rumbling with a panicked fury.

   "Run." I yipped, the snow moving like a wave overhead. Shota seemed startled, as well. Shinso ran up the hill at full speed. The wave already got Sho, but Shinso grabbed me just in time. He undid the binds, cradling me as the snow hit us.

   I didn't know what came over me, but I created a swirling ruby, wrapping it around our bodies like a cage. The snow was able to get through the large cracks, but it kept us from hitting any trees. My stomach did flips, as my world was put through the rinse cycle.

   Shinso had my head pressed in his chest, so I couldn't see if my ruby was breaking or not. All I could do was feel my essence in the gem, and keep pouring energy into fixing any impurities. Waiting for the avalanche to stop, I prayed. This was a simulation, but I knew it was not a joke.

   Shinso squeezed tighter, snow impacting us from all sides. It would be hard to know which way was up or down. Still, we finally slowed down then stopped, the snow kept settling and getting heavier around us. "You okay, Hitoshi?" I mumbled, spitting out the ice. My legs were so numb from my shorts, I had to reach down to make sure I wasn't bleeding; it was so cold.  

   "Are you hurt anywhere?" he ignored my question, using one hand to dig up some headspace. I expanded the ruby, a headache coming on from the large gemstone.

   "Peachy, now which way is up?" I rested my chin on his collar, taking shallow breaths. While training was making me stronger, I didn't have a lot of stamina built up. Even if I wasn't hurt, my body was stressed.

   "This way, I think." He held up a twig and dropped it to test the gravity. With each breath, I brought my life into my palms. With two large coals, I turned up the heat, melting a path. Unfortunately, I had to straddle Shinso, but he was being a good hero and not teasing me.

   I wavered for a moment and crashed back into our little cave. There was plenty of space, but the bottom was still tight. Shinso propped me up and pressed his hand to my forehead. "I'm fine, just worn out…here. Can you dig for a minute."

   "Yea, I got it." He took the coals and used his scarf to wrap his hands before working on the exit.

   With the cold air swirling in my lungs, I took deep breaths. Lifting my palms together, I pushed out even more coals. With the fresh supply, Shinso was able to break out faster. Without his coat, I could admire his toned arms digging through the packed snow.

  Tugging me out of the hole, Shinso adjusted his jacket around my shoulders. "We need to find Mr. Aizawa." He pushed my hair back. "Just stay here, and look for signs of movement." he started looking around where we landed, and a hand popped up in the distance. "Mr. Aizawa." Shinso jogged to his mentor. Finding it in myself, I hobbled over. "You okay?" Shinso asked Sho, checking him over.

   "Yea, I see you two made it out. That's some good work." Shota dusted the snow out of his hair. "Let's get ready for the next one."

   "Wait I'm killed, can't we take a break?" I asked, seeing the exit was just a short walk away.

   "We will, after this next one." Shota opened the door, and we both filed out.    

   I shrugged off Shinso's jacket and handed it to him. "You did a fairly good job at keeping the hostage calm this time. Though maybe lie about the avalanche in real life."

   "Noted." He nodded, and when I followed after Shota, I swore his eyes scanned me up and down. I told him I was okay.

   Still, Shota did let us use the body regulator before hopping into our next scenario. UA was really a top-notch school, I couldn't imagine how much money they floating around to pay for such high tech items.  

"This time, we'll do the shipwreck situation. Shinso, give us three minutes and then come in; however, you see fit." Shota used a small boat to take us to the bigger one in the center of the pool. All I had to do was watch him row, and be a good hostage. It was honestly surprising that none of the training had triggered me yet. Shota was right, I was having fun with it…like I was above the reality.

   Once on top of the deck, he tied me with his scarf till I couldn't move my upper body. "How did I do, Sho?"

   "That's what I want from you. Make it different each time, give him a real challenge. But remember to save energy for the next." Shota looked over the side of the boat. "I enjoyed your little ditzy act."

   "Thanks, I don't know why that accent made me take on a campy flirty character, but it was kind of fun."

   "Here, he comes." Shota got into position and watched as Shinso decided to go headfirst into the fight.

   When he got on deck, he was soaking wet, his hair still fighting off gravity. "Help help help, he's got a bomb on the ship!" I yelped like a child, wriggling against my ropes. "Mister, do something."

   "I got this, don't worry," Shinso was in hand to hand combat with Shota. I noticed he was trying to get him to speak, but Shota wasn't going to fall for his quirk.

   "Watch out!" I screamed, seeing that Shinso was dangerously close to the edge. Of course, he knew what he was doing, but I was challenging a scared kid.

   What would a kid do if they thought a hero needed help? I stood up and ran full force to try to knock over Shota.    

   "Stay back-"Shinso warned, but I kept going, surprising even Shota. Still, Shota dodged and caught me before I could fall from the edge. He tossed me back the way I had come, but instead, I tumbled backward on my feet.

   My ass hit the lip of the guard rail, and I dropped back. Headfirst, I crashed into the water below. Sucked down by my own weight,I kicked till my legs were underneath me. I was twelve feet deep at a guess. At least I had a good breath before going under, but I didn't know how long I'd have to wait. Well, a kid would try to swim up top, but my kicking isn't getting me anywhere.

   Shota would see this as a great training experience. I hoped he knew I was moving at a turtles pace. Changing my tactics, I wiggled like a mermaid with more success, but it wasn't enough. Maybe I was deeper than twelve feet. Why didn't they look over the side, this is just a training.The tension in my throat was building … I wasn't drowning. There was no way that I was drowning. I stayed calm and kicked again to no avail. Seconds ticked by, then a full minute.

Desperately willing my body to the surface, I gasped, the air in my mouth floating above me. Did they not remember I was tied up still? Shit. They are going to wait for the last minute on this, or they just think I can float. Another bubble escaped last my lips. The burning spread down my throat and to my legs. I kicked slower but with broader motions, closer to the top but still too far. Then I put my legs together and did another mermaid kick.

   Nothing. It wasn't working fast enough. Another bubble left my lips, and I took water in. The next gulp was deeper. The burning urge to cough and breath. I swam harder, trying to make the distance—finally, a splash.

   Hitoshi's body was several meters from mine, but we locked eyes quickly. He made frantic motions and grasped my binding once it was in reach. I coughed, taking in yet another mouth full of water, and then another and another till my lungs were almost nothing but water. He clamped his hand over my mouth, swimming up.

   Another gulp in, my vision was blurring, my muscles felt like they were ripping. Hitoshi pushed me up with all his might, and I broke the surface. A nasty gasping, retching, gurgle left me. I needed to retch, breath, and cough all at once. I bobbed under again, but Hitoshi got me in his arms, floating on his chest. He undid the scarf and started to paddle to a piece of the wreckage.  

   Hacking, spitting, and crying wasn't a good look on me, but I was finally calming down once we reached the floating mass. My arm held firmly on his neck.

   "I'm sorry that it took too long." He rubbed circles on my back, turning me on my side so I could expel the water. "I finally got him to answer me, though. Then I lost sight of where you landed, and I figured you could swim."

   I grappled with pulling myself up, then rinsed off my face. Still trying to catch my breath. "Thank you- for saving me. For the record, I can swim, but not like that. I knew you would help me, I just couldn't hold my breath any longer. I stayed calm, but a stranger would probably have flipped out." I flopped back against the wood and coughed up a little more water. "Well, I'm safe now. You should go make sure the villain is tied up."

   "He's preoccupied at the moment." Shinso glanced up and then back at me. "Where are you hurting?"

   "Well, my body slammed the water, so everything tingles. The good thing is the captured weapon must have reinforced my chest. So no broken ribs that I can feel. Though, I don't think I'll be able to donate mom a lung anytime soon. Not that we're the same blood type, but you get my point." I wheezed, rolling over onto my side, and taking a look at my torso… my bra was very obviously visible under my shirt. Covering my chest, I turned.

   "I'm not looking." Shinso countered, treading the water.

   "Then why do you know what I'm concerned about, hmm?" Glaring back at him, I pursed my lips.

   "I didn't think you'd be a pink person." His face went red, he head hanging low.

   "Then it's too late. Damn it." I shivered, a cold breeze from the blizzard biome drifting by. "Come on, hero, I wanna go home." I slid into the water, still holding to the wreckage. "Lead the way."

   "Hold onto my back." He twirled, patting his shoulder.

   "I can swim still." I raised my brow, still covering my chest. Of course, this was all just a drill, but I didn't like touching him so much.

   "I need the practice; come on, Kitten." When he didn't move, I rested one hand on his back and took a deep breath. I assumed he'd bob under or realize that I was too heavy and awkward to swim with like that. But I was able to effortlessly hoover over his back. He used my floatation to our advantage and took long strokes towards the pool's edge. Of course, he was good at everything, that's how he got so smug. Working smarter and not harder, I couldn't blame him.

   "You really are stronger then you look," I complimented, resting my head on his back. "Don't let it get to your head."

   "Is that because you cooped a feel earlier?" He glanced back at me with a smirk.  

   "No, that wasn't me. That was an American socialite that had been kidnapped. Besides, I realized you were strong long before then. I just thought I'd remind you of how weak you look versus how strong you really are."

   "So a backhanded compliment." He slowed his pace.

   "Of course," I answered, biting my lower lip. "It wouldn't have to be so backhanded if you weren't such a tease."

   "I'm the tease?" He reached the edge of the ship and twirled so we were facing each other. He pulled me flush against his chest. "Since when do I tease you?"

   "Nearly every second we're together." I sulked, looking at the ship in the distance. "Like right now."

   "Besides now, when have I been a tease?" His breath tickled my throat, his hair blocking my line of sight.

   "Like when you make fun of me for going red. Or when I ran into a spider. How about when I forgot to turn the rice cooker on." I listed a few, feeling the heat work up my neck…no I wasn't going to turn red now.

   "Don't I kill the spiders? Turn on the rice cooker. And make sure you're not getting sick?" His lips were inches from mine, the heat radiating. Water dripping from his hair onto my forehead.

   "You do," I admitted. "But-" He bit lip his bottom lip.

   "Do you want me to stop?" There were only millimeters between us. The thumping inside my ears clouded out my panting. Sweat pooled down the side of my chin. Fuck. I needed to focus on anything but his lips.

 "No-." His hands gripping on either side of my waist. The smirk he always wore softening to a tender smile.    

"We're going to the swell zone next!" We broke apart as Shota yelled from the top of the boat, dropping a rope between us.

   "Shota, I need a rest," I hollered back, my entire body equivalent to jell-o. Treading water on my own, making it more apparent.  

   "One more." Shota climbed down the side of the ship and back into the little boat.

   "I'll make it fast this time. How about that?" Shinso winked, offering me his hand, and I splashed him.

   "Yea, I'd like to see you find me in under two minutes." I got out of the water and offered him my hand instead, which he took without hesitation.

   "You got a deal," he shook my hand and caught a towel that Shota tossed his way. I grabbed my own towel and cocooned inside it. Shinso had entered my personal space; he made my heart race and got inside my head…He really was such a tease.

   The rest of the training had been to plan. I no longer played the reckless child, and instead settled for a tired businesswoman. True to his word, Shinso found us in under two minutes, but he struggled to use his capture weapon in the windy zone.    

   Once that was done, we hit the showers at the gym, then loaded the car and headed home. Shota went over our strengths and weakness and made a remark that I should be paid to be a crisis actor. It wasn't a bad idea, the preliminary hero license was coming up, and I could use the cash since my jewelry gig was up.

   "I could look into it," I mused, kicking my legs out in the back seat. Thankfully there had been a few old sets of school uniforms in the gym, so I was wearing a comfy jumpsuit home. "I gotta keep my payments up for school, and after the whole fake jewelry shop incident, I don't think I'm ready to face that industry for a while." I twirled the gem around my throat and chewed my lip.

   "We should look into less dangerous lines of work first," Shota nodded, "it would be best for you to lay low till Kira is caught, but if you want to rush things, we can ask the school."  

   "I think I will start applying around, what the worst that can happen?" My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I saw a message from an unknown number. It never failed; every day at three, I'd get a cryptic message with a blurry picture.

   I knew there was nothing I could do to prove it was or wasn't Kira to the police, but it was unsettling.

   Shinso was watching me in the rearview mirror. As soon as we locked eyes, I turned my phone off and closed my eyes. Today it was a picture of a pomegranate and the letter C. There was no way I was going to change my number again over this. It would be the third time in three months, and that just makes life that much harder.

[musemelodies]

I guess it’s a good time as any to talk about Walter’s past relationships ‘cause to quote...whoever coined this phrase, (I wanna say John Mulaney), there’s a lot to unpack here. Despite being older than Zeke, Walter hasn’t been around nearly as much as him, but he’s been around and has quite a few stories to tell (some of them even true) sooo...I don’t know how to close out this introduction so I’m gonna let this guy do it for me:

John Mulaney, folks! Let’s give him a big hand!

A n y w a y...

Picture it: Las Vegas, 1932. A much younger (and less jaded) Walter had a grand total of one animated appearance so far, a crowd scene in one of those Bosko and Honey pictures and he was keen to put his name out there. After hopping a bus from Burbank to Vegas, Walt was trying his hand at stand-up when he found himself sharing the stage with--oh, I’m sorry, I've just been informed by Walter's legal representative that I’m not at liberty to tell that story. Or call him Walt. Insert tired as heck Disney joke here, but yeah...let’s fast-forward a bit, shall we? 

Much of the thirties was a hectic experience for Walter, having gone from a random extra to the main antagonist of the Slappy the Slaphappy Squirrel series. I’ve just been informed that that’s one and only time I can speak that name so there it is. (Don’t worry, one of these days, I’ll write a deeper thing about their relationship ‘cause that’s a novel on its own.) He didn’t really have time for romance, let alone a serious relationship or at least that’s what he told the press to get them to go away. Sometimes he was a wingman for Zeke and Marie, other times he was sandwiched between them, and Zeke asked him to be the best man when they tied the knot. Unfortunately for him, Marie chose a certain squirrel to be the maid of honor. They may or may not have danced together. His memory’s a bit fuzzy on that one.

Whenever Walter was questioned about his relationship with Slap--his costar and if there was anything going on between them, his answer was to throw a bomb at them. If he was in a good mood, he might’ve made a snarky comment about it, but most of the time, he reached for the bomb. Even if he did have those feelings--and he didn’t, don’t look at him like that--it would’ve seriously hurt their careers. After a producer caught him sneaking out of his costar’s dressing room (he was just there to drop off a bomb, honestly), he was yanked into his office and immediately reprimanded. 

He was given a long speech about professionalism and protecting the brand or something to that extent. He spent more time shielding his face from the man’s spit-filled rant than listening to him. At any rate, Walter denied having anything to do with his costar, other than what the script called for and what the audience expected from him. If they wanted slapstick, he’d give them slapstick, but as her fame quickly eclipsed his and he spent more time in traction than in the spotlight, he began to grow bitter. Not as much as in his later years, but still... 

With the arrival of the war, Walter joined the air force with Zeke and had even less interest in finding The One, though he did take up the sax. They both played for the company and later, after the war was over, the Toontown Philharmonic. After Zeke complained that the latter was too square, they took to the Ink and Paint Club and played backup for various stars, including the one and only Red Hot Riding Hood. 

To say Walter had hearts in his eyes was putting it lightly. He and Red struck up a strange, but genuine friendship with a lot of mallets and banter involved and slowly, but surely, it lead to something more. He loved her sense of humor and how she didn’t take any shtick from anyone and the way she just lit up the room. As cheesy as it sounds, those were some of the best days of his life. 

For a while, Walter even considered popping the question, but as the Tex Avery era was coming to a close and Red was longing to see the world, she gently broke it off with him in ‘55. Walter wanted to go with her, but she insisted he stay in Burbank. He still had a future in cartoons and maybe she would make a comeback someday, but in the meantime, she had to see what life was like beyond the showbiz scene. After giving him a smooch, she bid him goodbye, dropping him a postcard a month later. It took Walter some time to come to terms with it and even now, he still wonders what might have been. They still kept in touch over the years, though and he’s happy to call her a friend. <3

The sixties brought on a period of uncertainty. Theatrical shorts were no longer a big draw and Walter had taken to doing stage work and bit parts in B-movies and the occasional commercial, just to keep himself busy and pay the bills. It seemed like everyone he knew was either hitched or getting hitched and he felt like he was missing out. 

Enter Wilhelmina Wolf, a studio teacher whom he met through Sid. She was a nice enough gal, a math whiz, and knew her way around a good joke. After six months of going steady, they got hitched and the following year, Wilhelmina gave birth to three beautiful pups. The early days of their marriage weren’t bad and he loved being a father, but after a time, he and Wilhelmina had almost nothing to say to each other, save when they were arguing. After a while, they called it quits and received joint custody of their daughters. From then on, they stayed with their father every other month and he doted on them to make up for the drama.

From the end of the sixties and throughout the seventies, Walter didn’t play the field too much. He continued to do stage work and starred in a rather cheesy and short-lived superhero series with his oldest costar. He was still adamant that there was nothing between them, despite feeling a weird and distinct pain every time he saw her with that white-haired schmuck from Jonny Quest. Maybe it was indigestion. Yeah, it was most likely that.

By the time the eighties rolled around, Walter was starting to age (and so was his routine) and though he wouldn’t admit it, he was lonely. His daughters were growing up and his career was in limbo and he was yearning for something (or somebody) to make him feel young again.

At Zeke’s urging, he went out with a fox named Vanessa Volpe, an aspiring actress and model who was twenty-six. She was gorgeous and she was quick to sink her claws into him or rather, his wallet. She had him on a string for about a year, all it took was a cute expression and a purred request, and Walter would give her the moon. Half his pals were green with envy and the other half were green with disgust, but not as much as his kids. His youngest daughter refused to speak to him and wouldn’t participate in the wedding. His costar showed up and cracked plenty of hard-hitting jokes about the happy couple. Three months later, Walter came home to find Vanessa messing around with their next-door neighbor (who also happened to be an up and coming director) and, well, that was the end of that. 

Walter’s love life was pretty uneventful throughout the nineties and well into the new millennium. Considering he was significantly older and bitter and deeply wrapped in his denial, the idea of getting into a relationship didn’t appeal too much to him. However, out of sheer spite towards his costar and having nothing better to do that night, he went on approximately one date with Candie Chipmunk and it was excruciating. Halfway through it, he ran screaming out the door. 

So that’s where Walter’s at as of today. As for the future, who knows??