#I get it. ‘they dug up a ship and it was cool’ doesn’t make for good drama

[hauntedfalcon]

oh weird, I’ve watched dozens of Time Team episodes and I guess they must go off-camera to sob about mortality and the human condition and dissolve their loveless marriages

[phoenixkaptain]

Will not ever be getting over Quan Yizhen.

He is the puppy-doggiest boy of all time. He is the sweetest baby in the world. He is the cutest bean ever born.

My favourite scenes are ones where he tries to thank Xie Lian!! Because all Xie Lian did was throw chopsticks to make the curtain fall!! He barely did anything!! Most of the other gods don’t even realize he’s the one who did it!!

But Quan Yizhen not only noticed it was him, he also felt grateful!!! He tried to stuff his donation box with gold bars!!! And, my absolute favourite example, when he woke up to find Xie Lian and Pei Ming in his room (while Pei Ming is trying to catch Shi Qingxuan), Pei Ming asks him to help out and Yizhen just. Throws his bed. At Pei Ming. Because even though he has not a single clue what the fuck is going on, he wants to thank Xie Lian.

I could ramble about my love for Yizhen for all of eternity. I love him so so so so so much.

The scene where Yin Yu “knocks him out” with the shovel, only for Quan Yizhen to wait to be dug out and then reveal that he wasn’t actually knocked unconscious??? (Beautiful, amazing, 10/10, implies that even after everything, Yin Yu still can’t bring himself to hurt Yizhen, and I just abdjdjfbdjdn) Everyone is so completely shocked, because “Qi Ying just tricked us????” Quan Yizhen is so straightfoward and blunt that him pulled a trick like this is something literally nobody saw coming, he’s a strategic genius-

Xie Lian says that Yizhen probably recognized Yin Yu because he remembers his habits, like pacing when he’s uncertain. Which is just- Quan Yizhen hasn’t seen Yin Yu in centuries, but still remembers his ticks…

I love how literally everyone thinks that Yizhen is mad at Yin Yu, but all Quan Yizhen wants is to hug him and get head pats and he doesn’t blame Yin Yu for snapping at him and he still gets angry when people badmouth Yin Yu and and and and-

Yizhen just loves hims Shixiong. He joined the sect because Yin Yu was there. He became a god because Yin Yu suggested he should. He never stops caring for Yin Yu, even when Yin Yu tries to murder him. I love them so much.

But also, I love Quan Yizhen with Xie Lian. Not as a romantic ship, I just like that they’re two peas in a pod. They both see amazing martial ability and automatically praise it. They are the most neurodivergent characters. They both think Yin Yu is pretty cool. They are buddies, and it’s like two puppies play wrestling, I can’t get over it.

[suzukiblu]

Day twenty-six of fic NaNoWriMo, obligatory sugar daddy Tim/sugar baby Kon AU.

Kon takes the bag, then peeks inside it with a puzzled little frown. Tim, again, makes a note to buy him more stuff. Kon is gonna expect presents every time he sees him, by the time he’s done with him. Because Kon deserves nice things and also–well–

Well, actually . . . okay, it’s not actually going to be necessary for Tim to get Kon a present every single time he sees him, admittedly, just . . . well. He wants to, he guesses. Wants Kon to feel valued for once in his fucking life, since as far as he can tell no one has ever actually gone to any effort whatsoever to make him feel like that. Like–ever. Not even once. 

If Tim maybe spoils him a little in the process, well–that’s only balancing out the bullshit, isn’t it? 

“Oh,” Kon says, his eyes widening a little in surprise before he frowns in confusion. Tim continues to notice the eyeliner. It’s just a little bit smudged, like maybe Kon’s still learning how to do it right, and it’s also low-key triggering an emotional crisis in Tim’s entire fucking everything, to be honest. “What's . . .?” 

“I mean, it’s a couple of things?” Tim says, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward about his gifting decisions. Choices. Choicisions. “I don’t know if it’s very, uh, romantic, but . . .” 

“‘Romantic’,” Kon repeats in the exact same awkward way he did “flowers”. Tim only doesn’t curl up and die by sheer force of will. 

“Yeah,” he says. Kon stares at him for a long, intent moment, then looks back down into the bag and pulls out the fat little plastic bag of Hawaiian-import gummy candies on top of it. Tim will take any excuse to get calories into him at this point, even if it’s just candy. Chocolates probably would’ve been more date-appropriate, but when he was looking for popular Hawaiian candies, these ones kept coming up. 

“I haven’t seen this brand in months,” Kon says, looking bewildered. “I didn’t even know they sold it on the mainland.” 

“They do not,” Tim says, trying not to look embarrassed. “I ordered it online.”

And also paid for expedited shipping to make sure it’d get here on time. 

“Oh,” Kon says, his cheeks turning just a little pink as he ducks his head and smiles again. Then he glances back down into the bag with a puzzled little frown and tilts his head. “. . . is that a Switch case? What’s that for?” 

“Because there was too much packaging to make you lug around all night but putting a loose Switch in there seemed like a bad idea,” Tim replies reasonably. It’s the Lite, because he still doesn’t know if Kon has either a TV or any real space for one in his room, so Kon can’t possibly worry about it being too expensive like he did with the phones. And even if it weren’t the Lite, it’s still not the OLED, so he thinks he’s doing a great job with the self-restraint, personally. 

“You got me a Switch?” Kon says. Tim continues to not know how to explain how much money he intends to spend on him, so just shrugs.

“Just the Lite. I got you the turquoise, since it doesn't come in green. And an online subscription, so we can play together,” he says. He hasn’t dug his own Switch out in a few months–too much else to do–but he figures if doing that gets Kon to accept the gift and gets him closer to apartment/cul-de-sac territory, it’s not exactly a burden. “I wasn’t sure what kind of games you were into, so I got a few different ones. They’re all in the case, it’s got interior pockets.” 

“I–you–” Kon fumbles a little, then turns red again. “You really wanna play together?” 

Tim wants to throw a lot of people off a lot of roofs. Hard. Just so hard. 

“Yeah,” he says. “Of course I do.” 

Kon gets even redder and shoves the candy back in the bag, looking away. 

“Thanks. That'd be, um–cool,” he says. “Uh–ready to go?” 

“Uh, there's one more thing in there, actually,” Tim admits, a little embarrassed by said thing but also not wanting Kon to miss it and accidentally throw it away later. It's silly, but . . . he doesn't know, he'd just thought it was kind of cute or whatever. 

Maybe “cute” isn't really a Kon thing, but he seemed to like the goat okay, so . . . 

“There is?” Kon peers back into the bag, then digs in through the tissue paper with a curious frown. “What's–oh. Huh.” 

He pulls out the chunky little plastic figure at the bottom of the bag and blinks at it. It's a Superboy toy, not because Tim was deliberately looking for a Superboy toy to give him but because the coincidence when he'd tripped over it had just seemed–fortuitous, he doesn't know. 

“It's a Duplo toy,” Tim supplies. “I mean, it was licensed so I assume you got paid for it at some point, but the set it's from came out while you were off-grid and I don't know how much your manager ever kept you in the loop on those things anyway, plus you said you didn't know what Duplo even was so when I found it I figured you didn't have one. The actual set came with, like, a few different hero characters, but it's sold out and I don't think they've done another run. I just found that little guy being sold solo on eBay.” 

“You got me a toy of myself?” Kon asks, giving him a wry look. 

“Superman's looked stupid,” Tim lies, because he would sooner burn his wallet than buy Superman merch at this point, never mind that he knows the money all goes to either various accredited charities or the Justice League. “Though I guess Supergirl's or Steel's would've been okay. I don't really know how close you are to them, though.” 

“I would say ‘not at all', probably,” Kon says, turning over the toy in his hand and peering more closely at it. “‘Duplo'? So like . . . the kid toys you were talking about at the museum?” 

“Um, yeah,” Tim says. “I mean, you don't really own any childhood stuff, right, so . . . I don't know, I figured why not?” 

“You're a Gothamite, man, you should've gotten me Bat toys,” Kon says, ducking his head with another smile. “Batman wouldn’t approve.” 

“Batman's just an urban legend,” Tim pretends to believe. Kon laughs.

“Please, that's just what you guys say to cops and tourists,” he teases. 

“I can neither confirm nor deny that statement,” Tim says. “Or make any comments on how incredibly inaccurate any nonspecific bat-themed superhero toys that've been commercially produced may or may not be.” 

“Oh yeah?” Kon asks, laughing again. It's that still-unfamiliar bright laugh that Robin's never gotten out of him, and Tim feels some very weird ways about it. Like. Several very weird ways. Many very weird ways. So many. 

Fuck, he's in deep here. But that's not news, so whatever. If Tim had ever once in his life gone to any effort whatsoever to avoid trouble he wouldn't be Robin and Bruce would be an even more vengeful and unhappy asshole who never talked to Dick and probably the Joker would be dead, which would admittedly be a single specific improvement but otherwise would suck. Like, really suck. 

Tim is gonna be a supervillain someday, yeah, but that's a rational decision that he's deliberately making, not a “driven by personal trauma and tragedy” grief response. And Bruce would be absolutely miserable as a supervillain, anyway, plus he'd never be able to convince Dick to go for it and then Dick would have to fight him and it'd be awful and Alfred would never make any of them post-patrol cookies again, which would immediately make this the worst possible timeline. And then someone would have to go trick the Flash into fixing it all and–look, it'd just be very complicated and unnecessary. So being Robin is just a better idea all around, really, and also saves the timeline from any speedsters happening to it. 

Again. 

“I just thought it was cute, I don’t know,” Tim says. “He’s got his little earring and leather jacket and stupid smirk, what can I say, I was endeared.” 

“‘Endeared’, huh?” Kon says with a grin, holding the little figure against his chest. 

“Oh, downright smitten,” Tim deadpans. Kon laughs again. 

“Nerd,” he says in obvious and unexpectedly fond amusement, which reminds Tim of him telling him to kiss him in the department store changing room and gives him a little bit of that whole cliché “butterflies in the stomach” rush. Or possibly batarangs, from how they feel. They might be batarangs. He forces himself to not look weird or sappy and just shrugs. 

“Maybe,” he says. “Anyway. Now I’m ready to go.” 

“Where are we going?” Kon asks curiously, and Tim smiles at him. 

“Somewhere nice, like I promised,” he says. Kon snorts, but doesn’t do anything to hide his own pleased smile. 

“Sure, whatever,” he says as he drops the Duplo figure back into the gift bag, still smiling. “Keep your secrets and lead the way, babe.” 

“I can do that,” Tim says, and then reaches out and catches Kon’s free hand to hold while they walk, lacing their fingers together. Kon turns red again and really smiles at him. His hand still feels too-soft and immeasurably strong, even though Tim knows for a fact that the TTK does more heavy lifting than Kon’s actual muscles do, or even can. No matter how the Kryptonian physiology is or isn’t coming in, the TTK is always gonna be stronger, Tim’s pretty sure. It’s not like it’s not going to get enhanced by the yellow sunlight absorption and the process of Kon’s physical maturation too, after all. 

But anyway, more importantly, he finally came up with a date idea he thinks Kon might like, so . . . 

Well, if Kon doesn’t like it, there’s backup ideas. But–he thinks Kon might like it, at least. It’s kind of weird, but so is Kon and so is he and so are their lives, and also there’ll be a gift shop to buy him stuff at. 

Tim is going to buy out that gift shop if Kon actually likes this date. 

Once Kon's done making fun of him, anyway, which he is definitely gonna do when he realizes what Tim is about to use a fake ID to do. 

. . . maybe he can just pretend to be eighteen, actually. Kon never did read that report he wrote up for him; he doesn't have any way to know how old he actually is. 

Eh, no, that's too weird and also would be annoying to remember without an associated cover. Fuck it, Tim will just live with the teasing, he guesses.

[painfullyprickedandticked]

alright, so this is more so loosely related to these two posts i’ve made that are similar in subject. i really don’t know how i keep making these, but goddamn it, it’s happening yet again. my love for stolitz and fizz/ozzie aside, the whole “sticking to the same species” trend that’s always had this weird undercurrent here is... it’s just genuinely bizarre to me? and some people just don’t really take notice of it? maybe i’m slightly looking too deep into it, but… like…

when it’s just blitzø/fizz, i can understand its appeal. it isn’t really my main ship, i like it more so for the fact it was a teenage crush blitzø had on fizz, and the pain that it went unsaid. could it have been possible fizz felt the same? maybe? we’ll never know because that’s in the past now, and that’s fine. it doesn’t have to be some big thing where they slowly get back together. they’re moving on with their lives and reconnected as friends, and they have their own current love interests. but the “oh, it’s healthier” or "THE CHEMISTRY IS STRONGER" thing. that’s when it goes from some innocent “what if” to… obnoxious, almost. irksome.

blitzø’s childhood sucked, and when moving on from the past, one must make peace with it and accept that they can’t have any of what they wanted now. that includes, well, the obvious! like, explore and move onto new things. and i’ve said it before, i’ll say it again: stolitz is about overcoming the toxicity through slow burn. both have to sift through their flaws as individuals before endering a healthy relationship together. that includes prejudices, which… is why the same species thing is just so WEIRD. why should blitzø be solely with an imp or hellborn of a similar caste? why can’t he go for something grander? because it’s “above him”? what happened to bridging gaps and overcoming class differences?? fizz and ozzie didn’t give a shit about any of that!

but sure, let’s pair him with… uhhhh… the imp hybrid that’s a supremacist, and sees literally almost every other imp as inferior to him and just has a lot of weird internalized hatred that he’s never gonna cope with (striker is definitely a hyrbid and is upset he looks more imp than whatever other demon he is partially mixed with; my bets are he’s part shark bc his eyes have spirals like crimson's gay bodyguard) and told blitz, “you’re the least suckish imp” like! such a healthier option amirite. as if being both equally oppressed means they must be together / healthier, like… i can’t. i mean, at least with fizz, that’s his childhood friend and didn’t pull the shit striker did-- and i like striker but let’s not kid ourselves, guys… i can admit when i’m hypocritical, but the delusions i’ve seen. damn.

regarding blitzø and fizz, it’s just kind of going back to square one. starting over in a lukewarm manner.

then there’s what I call a definite example of this bizarre trend: Vassago and Stolas. So I’ve mentioned it before my own gripes with the rebound idea and the "Oh this is a alternative that's healthier" which is a certified way to not get me on a side of a new ship. I never really dug deep into the same species angle outside of how it would derail Stolas' character development. So here's where I dig into it as a treat thanks to a certain person who’s basically backed up the previous posts I made in spite of the bullshit that's going on.

in spite of the whole, you know, “overcome prejudice” arc... people push for stolas to be with another bird demon so badly. it’s never really diving into repercussions, what their personalities are like together, how do they rub off on each other-- how they develop together or individually as a result-- but it’s more so a surface level, “they look nice together.” and don’t give me “vassago’s a nice guy!” because then why the hell wouldn’t there be more stolas x ozzie since ozzie’s a little more cordial to stolas than most are, i’d presume? (a stretch but bare with me) cool, parrot dude is nice-- what else is there.

oh yes-- aesthetically, color blending wise, it looks good. where’s the spices? you can’t cook a meal without key ingredients. a relationship doesn’t work because they’re a similar species and one of them could be nice to the other. or even that they just know each other. relationships don’t begin with just that. and then there’s the “they have the same lifespan argument” except not really because vassago is 50, stolas is 36, so no it’s not even a same lifespan. and even then, people ship immortals with mortals all the time?? why are some of you being so weird about this one time there’s a certain type of immortal/mortal ship???

if this doesn’t apply, then let it fly. but there is definitely some that apply to this and i feel it’s such an odd trend. stop trying to make them all stick to their own species.

[buddieisgoingcanon2024]

I hope this doesn’t come across negatively but probably more realistic with a lot of hope, but I don’t think we’ll get too many more hints of buddie this season.

Also buckle up fellow buddies as this is a long post!!

I think some of the scenes where Tommy says Chris loved Buck and that he’d never come between them alongside dialogue about ‘jumping ship’ and Eddie wanting to scrap relationships and ‘hang with the boys’ are supposed to keep the coming out arc Buck centric whilst also leaving Easter eggs for future buddie.

However I think there are a few things that will mean we won’t see much progress until maybe even the second half of season 8:

1. Whilst as a queer person I hate to say this, I do see execs saying no to two characters who to the GA have only been straight presenting so far coming out as queer being an issue at least to do so close together. However, I fully think the show has backed itself into a corner and see it being endgame but definitely not this season or early next.

2. I think the catholic guilt story line is the perfect way for Tim to keep an Eddie coming out story alive in the background. I can see them keeping Eddie single while playing out that arc on things outside of his sexuality until they get a go ahead. (I do also think they might do a Demi sexual and asexuality spectrum sort of thing for Eddie which could be cool as they’ve only had him canonically sleep with 2/3 women and so could pull off a story line where Eddie hadn’t realised his feelings for Buck because he doesn’t understand his own sexual attraction and romantic attraction)

3. Realistically Lou is likely to have less and less time available for 911, I also don’t think they’ve introduced him with enough back story (plus glossing over the not so nice bits which means they can’t even bring that back up) to be more than the usual LI. I also do think it would be great to see his and bucks relationship play out and end amicably to really cement a change in Buck. I think they’re setting him up for Buck to learn a lot from him and I think it 100% fits Buck’s character for him to not be endgame with the first man he dates.

4. I think they’ve dug themselves a hole and buddie is the only way out. Tim admitted that he felt Buck was stuck in a hamster wheel and this arc was part of his way out. I would argue that Eddie’s character is getting there too. He tries a relationship, it fails (for honestly such stupid reasons lol) and then he has this whole ‘are romantic relationships even worth it’ attitude for seasons at a time.

5. Almost all long term arcs seem like they’re going to be ending this season. Henren adopting, Madney getting married, Bibuck finally no longer stuck on a hamster reel. I can see them making someone like Ravi a main (to and then starting buddie as a long term arc next year.

I’m so glad we got bi buck but let’s be honest, the hints for some sort of sexuality arc for Eddie have been way stronger. Lou already said that the original arc was for Eddie which shows that they think they’ve left enough easter eggs for it to make complete sense. They could have stuck Buck with a woman as endgame and denied all bisexual hints and the GA would’ve bought it because Buck always chases relationships. But I think they’d really struggle to do the same for Eddie.

That was a great long ask. Thanks anon. Those are awesome points you’ve made as well.

[ithoughticouldwrite]

Wednesday Related Rambles at 1am/2am with spoilers!

I’m going to die on the hill that Larissa wanted Gomez, sure, but she also wanted Morticia and was just heavily in denial about it. I won’t be convinced that she wasn’t attracted to both of them and only pursued Gomez due to societal pressures and expectations of the time. To be an outcast to outcasts would suck ass.

And then also I don’t think she’s dramatic for not being over either of them as an adult. Wednesday’s being at Nevermore likely dug up feelings she never fully got to process, as she seems like the type to throw herself into her work/ professional career rather than process her emotions, so she’s forced to acknowledge them now. She doesn’t hate Morticia or Gomez, but is upset that the future she wanted with them, or either of them depending on how you view things, didn’t happen. It’s all a kind of “Well I guess I wasn’t coping with that as well as I thought I was” situation with her in my opinion.

—

And I think the love triangle is simultaneously good writing and the worst part of the entire fucking show, although I must state I have only watched the show once so far.

It forces Wednesday to acknowledge romantic feelings are a thing within her reality, her personal reality not just that of the world. She understands the sting of betrayal later before she’s totally and 100% ctrl-alt-deleted from the world.

It also allows Wednesday to get close to both Tyler and Xavier.

However where it bothers me is both boys reactions to Wednesday not actually liking them back are along the lines of them being angry. Wednesday didn’t even show any interest in them from what I can tell.

But at the same time it makes sense because of some nice guy logic. It also makes Tyler get over his feelings for Wednesday, which imo were at least partially real, so especially after the torture he feels perfectly fine with doing what he did in ep8.

For Xavier it allows Wednesday to get close enough to get him arrested….although just friendship would’ve worked here too.

I hc Wednesday as ace but demiromantic, maybe demisexual, however aroace Wednesday has a special place within my heart. I’m just, demi, so, yeah.

—

Ppl getting mad at autistic/adhd folk like myself for headcanoning Wednesday as such but like, still love her for being “quirky”. Quirky is only cool when it’s on tv ig… Maybe it’s because they can’t bully someone into being ‘normal’ /hj.

—

Not a huge fan of Wenclaire cause I like Enid and Ajax, however, cute ass ship with cute ass art. Y’all keep doing you and I hope it makes you happy.

HOWEVER Wednesday x Larissa? Deep. Sigh. Larissa is old enough to be her mom, and Wednesday is 16, a minor. Not elaborating. I shouldn’t need to.

—

Bianca deserved the humbling’s she got, hell, she needed them.

—

It’d have been interesting if Tyler wasn’t awoken by Laurel, but idk who else could’ve done it.

—

They should’ve let Wednesday shoot Laurel. I’m sorry.

—

Okay I’m probably going to hell for this one, but Noble being hit by that car was hilarious. I had to pause the episode to laugh. He just ragdolled and that shit sent me, okay? Sent me almost as high as his body went before hitting the ground.

—

Larissa’s death caught me off guard and made me SO FUCKIN SAD. She JUST got to a trusting point with Wednesday after not trusting her all season and what did it get her? DEAD. SHE DESERVED BETTER. I hope the writers find a way to bs bringing her back to life.

[burnwater13]

Grogu was surprised when the Mandalorian asked him if he wanted to take a trip. Since they’d moved to Nevarro it had seemed to Grogu that their adventuring days were at an end. He chased frogs, caused trouble for the marshal while his dad sat on the porch playing a guitar and periodically gave him lessons on how to do the work of a bounty hunter. 

It had been mostly peaceful and quiet and Grogu had a sneaking suspicion that his dad really liked it just the way it was. Now this.

Grogu considered his options carefully before replying. 

He had really liked Plazir-15. The Duchess was lovely and Captain Bombardier was funny, but there was just something not quite right about how they were so dependent on droids and mechs. The droids didn’t mind at all which Grogu knew was part of how strange things were. The only droid conspiracy there, was could the droids do anything more to make life easy for the humans with their short, short lives… relatively speaking.

Which was strange, because the number one thing Grogu knew from all the droids he’d met over his lifetime was that droids resented sentient beings because they didn’t have an on/off switch. Sure humans has short lives, but it wasn’t the same as being mid argument about the proper etiquette for addressing a knight of the realm and finding the Mandalorian hitting your power button. Again. 

So no Plazir-15. 

Then Grogu thought about Sorgan. It had been a great place to visit and help and all that. Winta and her friends would all be older now and he could tell them all the stories of his adventures and then eat frogs and play games and fall into the krill ponds. But his dad wasn’t going to let him drink Spotchka again. It had turned his teeth blue for a day and gave him a very upset stomach. 

So upset he didn’t want to eat his dung worms and Grogu can assure you that dung worms are not as good as leftovers as they are freshly dug up. Plus he didn’t want his dad to get all awkward about Winta’s mom again. She didn’t understand the Creed and that just wasn’t the Way. At least according to Din Djarin. So, no Sorgan.

Then it occurred to Grogu that they could go to a planet that he and his dad really liked. A planet that had great food, good friends, and the perfect climate. 

Tatooine! 

He missed Peli Motto, from her bouncy curly hair all the way down to her gold tooth that she could take out at will (cool). He also missed her advice on how to deal with his dad when he was pouting.

 “Don’t let him kid ya’, kid. Your dad doesn’t do anything he doesn’t wanna to do. If he fell in that pond it was because he wanted to hear ya’ laugh. Just ignore him and he’ll stop pouting. I think. Hard to say with that bucket on his head.” 

Grogu and Peli both had a good laugh that day and Din got up and went back to polishing the N-1 starfighter. Which is what Grogu had been hoping he’d do. He knew how much his dad loved that ship and liked to keep it all neat and tidy and shiny. Which frankly were all the things his dad’s armor wasn’t after falling into the pond. 

He walked over to his dad and tapped him on the shin and Din picked him up. Grogu began to coo and chirp and giggle and finally Din figured out what he meant.

“You wanna go to Tatooine to visit Peli? Good idea, buddy. I have some work I want to discuss with Fennec and the Daimyo. We can also check up on Cobb. Hopefully he’s doin’ better. Can’t be easy being allergic to metal when your whole arm is metal now.” Grogu’s dad had replied thoughtfully.

Grogu knew that the only thing Cobb Vanth was allergic to was the sound of people teasing him about the programming for that mod because it was still learning how loose or tight to hold a glass of ferment. Sit too close to the marshal and you might be wearing his drink instead of toasting the winner of the Boonta Eve Classic. Plus it was pretty hard for Cobb to do anything about the teasing since it mostly came from Fennec and no one told her what to do or not do.

Grogu reiterated that the first person he wanted to see was Peli Motto. 

“I get it kid. Peli is your best friend. She feeds you. Makes you new clothes. Let’s you play games with the pit droids. She’s a great friend to have. We’ll stop at Mos Eisley and check in with her before we head out to Boba’s palace.” Din replied as he was packing Grogu’s bag.  “I thought you’d want to go there just to even the score. Didn’t she beat you at Sabacc the last time we were there?”

Sure, bring that up. Yes, Peli had won that game. But she had cheated. She had told the server at the cantina to bring over a big plate of gorgs on a stick when she gave the signal. That had totally distracted Grogu and before he knew it he had misplayed his hand and Peli won. So sure. Maybe he wanted to go back there and even the score, but really he just missed her. Really. 

[from-a-reckless-writer]

iii. Luthor

read on ao3

She got hit by a bus. She definitely got hit by a bus.

No, no, wait.

She's-

"You're awake. Oh, thank God."

When her eyes blink open, it's to the extremely bright florescent lights of the DEO med bay. Senses come back to her slowly; the sharp smell of alcohol, the dry cool sheets against her skin, and Alex.

Alex's voice, then her heartbeat.

She tries to sit up but Alex puts a hand on her shoulder, gently pushes her back down.

"Ugh," she groans as dizziness overtakes her. "How long was I out?"

"30 hours, give or take. You need to take it easy, Kara,” her sister sighs. “You’re lucky we got to you when we did. Lillian got away though, I’m sorry.”

“T-they had Kryptonite, Alex.”

“I know.”

She breathes in deep, lets it out through parted lips, hand coming up to massage her temple.

“Lena? Where’s Lena?”

“Nia said she found her passed out on your bed,” Alex says, adjusting the sunlamps so it isn’t glaring into Kara’s face. “She’s been staying vigil by your side since yesterday. That woman needs to learn how to rest. I swear to God, the both of you—”

“What?” she asks.

“I wanna go home,” she tells her. Alex makes a sound of protest, so Kara argues, “You know you hit two stones with one bird if you keep us together.”

She hears Alex halt in her movements.

She squints against the remaining brightness of the unadjusted sunlamp. Her sister arms frozen mid-way.

Alex is giving her a strange look.

Alex’s eyes narrow at her.

“What did you say?” Alex demands. “Just now, what did you say? Did you say two stones with one bird?”

Kara shakes her head, trying to clear her thoughts enough to rewind back the last few seconds. She finds she can’t remember. She was saying something about Lena, about-

Going home?????

Her head feels fuzzy. Heavy.

“Mm’sorry must still be a bit out of it.”

“I’m doing another scan,” her sister says, words final and Kara groans loudly.

“Ughh, Alex. Please. I want to go home. There’s probably nothing wrong.”

Alex wheels her out nonetheless.

******

Something is wrong.

Something is very wrong.

“Alex?”

She doesn’t understand, why is- why does Alex look like that? Alex’s eyes are bloodshot. What- Why is her head fuzzy? Why is she-

She pulls a hand to her temple. She can’t. A metallic clang echoes.

She’s cuffed; strapped and held-down. There are restraints around her ankles, her waist even.

And then it occurs to her, the whole room is bathed in red.

Red sun emulators.

What?

Why?

There is a familiar buzzing in her ears, too. Tinny. Painful.

Kryptonite.

“Alex,” she croaks.

Her sister is standing stiffly at the far end of the bed (if you can even call this piece of metal a bed.). Her lips set in a thin line. There are dark bags under her eyes. Kara feels like shit. But Alex, Alex looks like shit.

“W-what’s happening? Wha- why am I—”

Rao, even her mouth feels disgusting.

“Wha-what happened?”

******

Game night comes early. It’s only the middle of the week, but everyone had decided to camp out at Kara’s living room floor after her kidnapping and mini-coma adventure just last night. So, Wednesday game night it is.

Everything is warm and good, Kara thinks, as she hums contently under her breath.

She’s filled with potstickers and wine. Her head on Alex’s lap, her sock-clad feet and calf being massaged by Lena on the opposite end. Nia is laughing loudly at something Kelly said, and Kara lets herself melt against the couch cushions.

“Darling,” Lena says, tapping a hand on her thigh. Kara looks at her, sees her gesturing at her empty glass, and promptly removes her legs off of her lap.

Alex’s fingers stop running through her scalp, as she reaches across to hand Lena her wine glass, too.

“Hey, Luthor, can you also-”

Everything goes black.

******

It happens so fast.

Alex was just deciding whether or not to switch from wine to brandy, when Kara lunges straight for Lena.

J’onn instantly transforms into Martian form at the commotion, and Alex is still sitting there; stunned, wine glass still clutched by the stem, as she watches Kara pin Lena to the floor, as she hears Lena shriek, as the room bursts into action.

Alex sees the glow of Kara’s eyelids, and it sparks her into action. She jumps from the couch and latches onto Kara’s back.

Her hands press into her sister’s eyes and immediately she can feel the heat filter through her skin. “J’onn!!” she shouts, Alex manages to pull Kara off of Lena, as J’onn grabs the brunette to safety.

Kara growls, stands up with Alex clinging. Kara grabs her, flips her over. She crashes on the floor with a sickening thud. Kelly gasps out her name. From here, she can see how Nia has wrapped her girlfriend and Lena into a bubble of forcefield.

Just as Kara is about to turn around and head for Lena, J’onn flies straight at her, grabs her sister by the arm, and crashes into Kara’s TV. J’onn manages to wrestle her into his grip, and he flies them out through Kara’s window.

Brainy picks her up from the floor. Her heart is beating so fast in her chest. How did she miss this? What has gotten into Kara?

Alex is panicking, all of them are panicking really.

What the fuck just happened?

“Brainy,” Alex says, voice firm, the cloudiness from the alcohol finally clearing. “Get the Legion ship, we need to track down Kara and J’onn. Disperse Kryptonite on sight. We have to detain her.”

Alex looks around the room, Nia retracts her forcefield, Kelly goes straight for her.

“Go,” Kelly says, “I’ll take care of the neighbors, I’ll take care of the mess here. Go. Find Kara.”

“I’ll stay with her,” Nia pipes up and Alex gives her a stiff nod.

She looks at Lena, red marks already blossoming on her neck.

“Are you o-”

“Do not ask me that.” Lena warns. “Now, let’s go. I’m coming with you.”

******

“You’re in the Legion ship,” Alex tells her sister, “what’s the last thing you remember?”

The base of her skull throbs with pain. “I-I don’t- I can’t remember. Ugh. Alex, can you- can you turn down the Kryptonite? Please, please?”

“I can’t, Kara. I’m sorry, please. I can’t-”

“Why?” Kara rasps out, her eyes closing shut.

“I need you to listen to me, Kara,” her sister says, she hears her stepping closer. “I need you to keep calm when I tell you.”

Kara’s heart beats faster, skin crawling at every awful thought curling from the depths of her mind.

“I-I’m calm. I’ll keep calm,” she promises, “please, Alex. Please, tell me.”

“CADMUS did something to you, Kara.”

******

Kara’s going to be sick.

She hurt Lena. Oh, Rao, she hurt Lena.

“Kara, Kara, listen to me.” Alex’s voice is distant, far-away. “Lena is fine. She’s fine. It wasn’t your fault.”

But it was her fault. She hurt her, her hands wrapped around Lena’s fragile human neck, and she almost lasered two holes into her pretty skull.

Oh, Rao. She almost killed her.

“Don’t let her near me,” she instructs, voice firm but eyes flashing with unshed tears.

“Kara, no. I don’t think she—”

“No. No, Alex, listen to me,” she urges her sister.

“Keep her away from me.”

*****

There are wires connected to her temple and her spine.

Brainy is sitting next to her bed, typing away on a little screen in front of him.

Her hippocampus and most of her somatic nervous system were experimented on, it seems. It was Kelly who cracked it, they tell her.

Kara’s brain was reconditioned in the short amount of time she spent in that CADMUS facility. A code word implanted to trigger her.

Luthor.

What a cruel joke.

*****

The next time Kara wakes, she is warm.

So warm, and-

Not alone.

She gasps loud. Lena is here. Lena is tucked to her side. Her breaths tickling Kara’s collarbone.

Lena is not supposed to be here.

Kara’s squirming seems to rouse her.

“Mmmm, stop thinking so loud, 'm trying to sleep.”

“Lena—” Her voice is bordering on hysterical.

“Shhhhh.” Lena shifts, ignoring Kara’s racing heart, ignoring Kara’s protests, just presses closer to her, lips kissing her collarbone.

“Nothing could ever keep me away from you, y'know," she slurs sleepily, "not even you, Kara Zor-El.”

Lena’s eyes are still closed, and Rao, Kara doesn’t even remember the last time she saw her like this. So pretty, so peaceful, so relaxed.

“Lena, you’re not supposed to be here. It’s not safe. Please, listen to me.”

Tears fall down from Kara’s cheek onto Lena’s skin. The contact seems to finally wake Lena.

“Oh, oh, darling,” she coos, hands coming up to cup Kara’s face. The blonde leans into the touch, presses her lips to Lena's palm, uses the touch to stifle her sobs.

“You’re not going to hurt me, Kara. You’re not,” Lena tells her, resolute and so full of trust.

Kara can still see the marks on Lena’s neck where her fingers have dug into her skin, and this time a sob breaks free from her throat.

“Lena, I could hurt you, please. Please, leave now.”

“Oh, Kara,” Lena murmurs, “you know I could never do that.”

Why is she so effin stubborn?

“I’m not scared of you, you know?” Lena whispers. She hooks a finger under Kara’s chin, “Look at me, look at me, Kara. I am not afraid of you. I am not going to leave you. I will never leave you.”

“You don’t understand. Lena, I hurt you.”

“No,” Lena answers her, “no, you did not hurt me. They made you hurt me. That wasn’t you, Kara. You will never hurt me.”

“No,” Kara echoes, voice breaking, eyes shining, “no, I would never hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“I know, baby, I know.” Lena wipes the tears flowing on her cheeks, kisses them away. “We’ll figure it out together, okay?”

“Nothing can keep me away from you, you hear me?” Lena tells her, and all Kara can do is nod silently, sniffling. Lena presses a soft kiss to her lips and lets Kara break apart in her arms.

[highviewsmoved]

There's many rooms for hesitation. Kazutora had been released and had prided himself on his mundanity. His repetitive schedule and his carefulness to keep to himself. What he did not predict was an old childhood friend from his past appearing in his life again nor the feelings that came with it. He thinks that this is some kind of cosmic karma he is paying back for all he's done. He just wishes that this could've been easier for you and for him.

Time is of the essence.

CHAPTER 1: Did I say too much? WORD COUNT: 5.2k  TAGS: Childhood Friends, Wingman!Chifuyu, Romantic Comedy, Awkward Reunions, Gender-Neutral Reader, Pet Store, Mental Health Issues, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Healing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, the epic highs and lows of liking someone who is in a relationship, Hopeful Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Romantic Fluff, Heartbreak.

JUNE 1998  

The playground had been busy in the afternoon by many tiny bodies and shouts. You were there, trudging across, with a giant makeshift stick. You demanded any witnesses to come forward. It’s a game you and an imaginary friend would play. Some kids would run to their mothers. Others would play along, but only for a bit. You were insistent, always demanding for anyone to come forth if they dared to admit their wrongdoing. You were the judge, the hero, and the main obstacle.

It’s a silly game of justice. A pretend concept, to heal you from your own loneliness.

The sun was setting across the playground; the playscape losing the people who were there already heading home. It had been a good day, you would come to an empty house, but regardless of that, you were happy. You let yourself get lost in your own dreams, in your fantasies of being the savior to so many. You get to be the protagonist of someone’s life, even if you felt like your own did not account for anything much yet. The sound of your feet crunching against dull rocks comforted you. You bent down, crouching in on yourself and setting aside your stick, your sword and shield. You push your hands into the pebbles, letting them relax against the coolness of them.

The sensation of it calmed you, you dug further in, dirtying your hands. You had to discover gold, a treasure. The surrounding pirates gave you a job, so you must now go on an adventure. Your childlike mind envisioning your crew around you and you the captain.

It had been a warm day. You had been out here for who knows how long. You feel the beginnings of a slight reddening on your cheeks. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a figure running to the tree away from you.

You heard the gentle cries. Someone needed your help. So you go, picking up your stick beside you and shouting to your crew to get the ship. That someone needs help.

You go around the tree and see someone, a young boy about your age. He covers his face in his arms, his shoulders are trembling from his weeping. You approach then, your wooden stick stomping on the ground to make your presence known. “I hear your cries!”

The boy looks up then, his bright eyes watering. He looks in shock, sniffling, trying to wipe his snot on his sleeves. “Who’re you?”

You smile at him. A wide grin, showing off your missing two front teeth, you exclaim your name proudly. “I am here to help!” You declare. He looks at you, blinking curiously.

You get near him, face too close for comfort, that he jolts away. “Why’re you crying?”

He sniffles, wiping at his eyes. “Just sad,” he says. He doesn’t tell you much else. So you go along with it, anyway.

You stick your hand out. It’s filthy, covered in the dirt and white dusting from the pebbles. He eyes it warily. “Don’t worry, if you come with me! I’ll protect you!” You guaranteed. You made that kid, your new friend, Hanemiya Kazutora, a promise.

He grabbed your hands with his, the two of you going together to play.

The next couple of weeks passed on with time. You would meet him at the playground, marching around telling him of stories. The different ones your teacher would read to you and others you heard from the tv programs you loved watching.

You would hum the akatombo song under your breath, all the while Kazutora would walk alongside you, listening.

You had decreed him your personal right-hand man. “You will bear this sword and shield,” you declared.

He looks at you, tilting his head. “How can this be a sword and shield?”

It was a simple question, but one where to you, it should’ve made sense. Even to him.

You scoff, placing your tiny hand against his. “This is to fight and protect. It’s ours.”

“Ours?” He parrots, curiously. You nod in an affirming manner, rubbing the top of your nose. You run then, telling him that the sharks will get him if he doesn’t follow.

The time the two of you shared had been a long one. You would depart your ways but always come back the next day underneath that tree. Kazutora grew comfortable over his new secret friend. Even if things happened at home or the voices got louder through his walls, he’d hum to himself the song you would sing. It brought him comfort, something to ground him.

He’d get lost in his own imaginations that you have gifted him. So when the next day came, he arrived at the spot and waited for you. What he didn’t expect was not to see you already there. Usually, you’d be by the tree, stick in hand, commanding a fleet of imaginary teams. The emptiness that presided over him as he waited for you and waited, not knowing where you were, sunk into him like daggers. Kazutora tucked himself close, hiding himself away until he could hear your song and the march of your feet.

None of those things came. Only the sounds of children’s laughter and the birds overhead. He stayed there for who knows how long, waiting. He left when it became night time, coming home to his mother with a bruise across her cheek. She was frantic, worried, his father’s  presence a shadow in the corner. There was a horrid sinking feeling in Kazutora, a fading emotion. It dwindled, a piece of himself chipped away at the loss.

Where have you gone? What happened?

He would come each day to that spot, over and over. He’d hope you were sick and would bounce back in no time. Kazutora hid himself in the divet of the tree, staying there. The song you would sing. He’d try to mimic it as best he could, hoping it’d call you over. That you’d be waiting there on a bamboo pole like the red dragonfly.

You never showed up.

FEBRUARY 2017

It had been years. Kazutora does not remember much of his childhood. After being released two years ago from the detention center, he figured he could go back to therapy again, hoping to remember.

During sessions in counseling, he found that sometimes, the mind to protect itself from an increasing amount of stress or trauma will block it out. It’d tape over memories; his memories would come to him like the reel of an old film camera. Sometimes it’s white noise, all black and white, and there would always be a high pitch noise that would cut in.

Kazutora learned to live with it. It could be tinnitus, as said by one of his doctors, but he’s not sure if that’s really what it is.  

He’s slept a little better these days. He exists. That’s enough. Chifuyu had welcomed him, invited him to honor their old friend in their own way. He assists him in the pet shop as much as he can. The animals are a distraction, a joy to be around. They lift his heart and the ache in his chest goes away for a moment.

There’s a specific routine for him, a set of times he wakes, goes, and rests. Routine is good. It keeps him stable. Being on a schedule, reminding himself to take his medicines, and then working out. He goes for a light jog or to a nearby gym with Chifuyu. On weekends, he visits with Pah.

The first year of being released, he would stop by the Sano family grave and Baji’s. That first year had been hard. He had wept, horrible sobs wracking his body. It had felt like his ribcage collapsed in on his lungs.

The next year, it had been easier to face the headstones. In those, he talks to them as if he’s reuniting with old friends. He had written Shinichiro and Baji letters, one for each day while incarcerated. He left it there with them. His apologies, his guilt. All too painful and raw. He still feels that frightening pressure in his chest that would tighten up. Kazutora would leave, come back, and the tightness wouldn’t stop growing; but he’s managed. Now he feels better as much as anyone trying to re-patch broken seams. It’s enough.

It gets easier. He exists. He repeats it to himself. A chant that has comforted him despite all that he’s done. Existing is terrifying, but he’s here. He’s real, and he’s here. Kazutora counts his breaths, focusing on a rhythm. The red dragonfly would come to mind for him. He’d hum the tune; only remembering missing teeth, a crooked smile, and a dirty hand reaching for him.

NOVEMBER 2017

The shop had opened on a crispy afternoon. Kazutora bustles in, the door ringing ahead of him. He taps his feet against the carpeted entry. Some cats make noise, gentle meows and other animals rustle themselves awake.

He smiles. He goes over to them. Kazutora had taken a day off the other day to see Meguro City₂ for a bit. Taking trains and traveling for even a fifteen minute adventure is enough.

Chifuyu pokes his head above the counter. “Hey, how was the trip?”

Kazutora sighs, going to pluck out the cat to hold. “It was fine. I visited the museum for a bit. It’s nice to get out.”

Chifuyu hums approvingly. “Always good to get reacquainted with places. How was the Sato Sakura Museum?”

The cat snuggles into his neck, the weight in his chest relieving itself a little. “It was great. I sat there for a bit, just staring at a piece. Chinami Nakajima is one of my favorites.”

“Yeah? Maybe I should head out there.”

Kazutora shares a glance with him, moving side to side. “You should. It’s refreshing.”

“Definitely considering. Hey, here, I need you to come to work the register while I get the restock.”

He places the cat back carefully in its enclosure, latching the door. Chifuyu heads into the back part of the shop, while Kazutora does his count for the register. He makes sure they have enough of each bill and amount of change. There’s usually a list of things for the front he has to note, usually entering in updated adoptions. He looks through the computer.

There had been one adoption from when he was out. “Moka’s gone?” Kazutora calls out.

A scuffling noise comes around and Chifuyu pops his head behind an aisle. “Yeah, someone came by and picked her up. The application is already in digitally, so you don’t have to do all that.”

Kazutora curiously clicks through Moka’s profile. She was a two-year-old stray they had found nearby the tea shops dumpsters. A beautiful white cat, with a tabby marking on her forehead and bits of it on her paws.

He looked through to see who got her. He read the name, one he didn’t recognize as being a regular to the store.

Whoever it was, he hopes they take good care of her.

Kazutora sighs, a little sad that Moka wouldn’t be here. Sometimes Chifuyu would let her wander the shop, and she’d capture a lot of their customers’ attention.

While he continues doing his menial tasks, checking on the cats, scooping out their litter, refilling water bowls. He goes around to the aquarium area where Chifuyu is already cleaning out the fishes' tanks.

“It’s a slow day, thankfully, but you know how I hate this?” He wipes his hands on his apron, shaking his head.

Kazutora laughs. “Here, let me get in there.”

The two of them switch places, while Kazutora cleans around the tank, getting the horrible smudges off.

“I don’t know about you, but it’s putting in a little elbow grease.”

Chifuyu grimaces. “Don’t be a smart ass. It’s the feeling of the gunk, it’s slippery.”

The door shop chimes then. Kazutora and Chifuyu look at one another.

“You gotta go. Let me finish this.” Chifuyu kicks him out of the aisle while Kazutora frantically washes his hands at the nearby sink.

“Welcome in!” He says, sneaking by to the front of the shop.

Whoever just came in doesn’t seem to say anything, so he shrugs it off. Chifuyu’s figure is already floating to the back of the store for the supplies restock.

Usually, Kazutora does the opposite. Chifuyu would be at the front and he’d be in the back attending to other duties. Maybe Chifuyu was trying to rattle his usual routine. That’s fine. 

He awaits for the customer to finish browsing. When they come around the corner, they begin to talk. “I just got a cat from here, and it’s been the best decision. I actually have never gotten a cat before, and I didn’t know they would just dump their litter everywhere. A small act of rebellion, right?” He listens, although the chatter didn’t stop you. You kept telling him an entire paragraph of your thoughts on your new pet.

The customer laughs at their own chatter. When you look up, you stare at him for a long duration of time. It could’ve been a passing minute, but it felt like a lifetime. One because Kazutora doesn’t know what to say and second, because it looks like you know him. The recognition on your face, your eyebrows wrinkled together as if parsing a puzzle.

“I recognize you,” you whisper. Kazutora gulps, the image of a dragonfly taking shape in front of him. Does he know you? He has seen no one like you before here. The recognition comes then, a slow smile appearing across your face.

Red dragonfly. The song comes to mind. Kazutora, in awe, says your name wistfully, wide eyed.

You still look thoughtful, attempting to remember this young man before you. “Kazutora?” He nods, still looking at you as if he forgot how to speak. You remember the little boy from childhood, the one you met so long ago under that tree.

You blink rapidly a few times and grin, wide and bright. “I haven’t seen you since we were seven. Oh my gosh, how are you?” You reach your hand over to shake his. He looks at it for a long moment. It seems he’s still in a frozen state of disbelief. You retract your hand slowly giving him an odd look.

Kazutora coughs then. He must be weirdly nervous. A little out of place in all of this. “I apologize, it’s just I didn’t think you’d remember my name.”

You laugh. “You remembered mine first. You beat me to it!” You wink at him, playfully. Kazutora the warmth creeping up on his neck. “You were one of my first friends, so of course!”

He nods at that, realizing he needs to check out the items you have sitting on the counter. Kazutora begins to do so. You decide to talk, hoping to break a bit of the uneasy silence. “So how is Chifuyu? He’s the one who helped pick out my new pet. My cat, Moka.”

Kazutora looks up then, a small smile playing on his lips. “Moka was one of my favorites. How’s she doing?”

You grin wide, happy he’s finally talking. Kazutora looks away from you then, not seeming to want to make eye contact. “Oh, she’s great. She’s such a sweetie, although she knocked over one of my planters. Don’t worry though, I bought house plants specifically cat friendly.” You tell him. He listens carefully, bagging everything for you. Chifuyu comes around the counter then. He says your name excitedly, setting down the box of supplies he’s bringing for one of the shelf restocks. “How’s Moka doing?” Chifuyu begins conversationally.

“We were just talking about her! She’s great. Here I have photos if you want to see!” You pull out your phone, already unlocking it to pull up the wallpaper you have of her on your phone home screen. Moka rolled on her back, staring up at the camera. “Isn’t she cute!”

Chifuyu’s smile is so infectious that Kazutora can’t help but feel his lips pull up at the sides. He had to say something. Anything. “She looks happy and healthy. I’m glad she found you,” Kazutora tells you. It’s a sincere comment. One that makes you feel yourself grow warm at the honesty of his tone. To think you would see an old face here. Chifuyu gives him a long look off to the side.

You’re entirely too excited that you don’t even notice. “I’m happy I found her when I did. And now I found you.”

It was Kazutora’s turn to feel himself grow red. He looks down again, trying to not let himself away. He hasn’t seen you, but he hates to admit that you grew into yourself. You weren’t an ugly kid by any means, but you had the horrible haircut all elementary schoolers donned. The crooked bangs you gave yourself and two missing front teeth. Now, you look nothing like that. You grew to be a knockout, a stunning person.

He’s having a hard time connecting you with the kid he knew who stuck out a dirty hand versus the person in front of him. How can they be the same?

Although your amicable personality and spunky attitude come to him immediately while you're talking to Chifuyu. It seems after all those years you didn’t change. You had been one of his first solid friends before everything had gotten worse. Before–

He swallows, realizing Chifuyu and you were looking at him, expectantly waiting.

“Right?” Chifuyu says again.

Kazutora glances between you two. “I’m sorry, I, uh, zoned out.”

You wave his confusion away. “It’s fine! We were just talking about going out for tea later? When you two are on a lunch break?”

He gulps, glancing up at the clock of the store. That would be soon. A little too soon for him to be around people. “Could we do it here, maybe?”

Chifuyu nods, agreeing. “That’s fine, but are you fine with that?” He directs the attention back to you.

“Absolutely! I don’t like crowded spaces either, but the tea shop next door would be easier to gather from, yes?”

“Read our mind,” Chifuyu says. He nudges Kazutora to say anything. He just doesn’t know how.

You look between them, telling them you’ll see them later. You haul up the large box of supplies you had bought. Kazutora moves around the counter to help you. “Sorry, here. Let me take this out with you. Did you drive?”

“No worries, I can get it.”

The bell rings, alerting the entry to another. An unfamiliar person steps his way in. Chifuyu tenses at the back and Kazutora looks between you.

“Hey, come on, we’re wasting gas,” he calls out, having the audacity to look annoyed. He waves to Chifuyu who gives him a reluctant wave back.

“I’m sorry. Can you take this out to the car? I just wanted to talk to them a little more.” You ask politely. The man rolls his eyes, grumbling something under his breath. “Yeah, whatever.” He leaves then with a final kick open of the door. Chifuyu grimaces. Kazutora’s never met someone that foul before. Not since his youth. He forgets people can sometimes be that detestable.

“My apologies. That’s my boyfriend, Kenji.”

Chifuyu waves his hand. “Nah, don’t worry about it. He came in the other day to pick up some litter.”

Kazutora can feel the twist in his stomach, a dreadful churn. You already have a boyfriend. You already have a partner . He pushes the thoughts away when you turn to him. “I hope we can still catch up,” you ask him. Your brows furrowed together and the way you regard him makes Kazutora feel regrettable. He’s doing this all wrong.

“We can. I mean, do you think I would say no?”

You soften at that. “No, but you look a bit stressed. I know, I come on really strong. I hope that’s a good nostalgia trip for you.” You joke gently.

Kazutora snorts. “Yeah, it was. Thanks.”

You take a moment to look at him. Kazutora looks like he wants to say more. The whole conversation felt one-sided, but you let it go. You didn’t want to overwhelm him anymore. You let out a breath, and you wave them off. “Well, we can try doing that tea thing sometime. Chifuyu has my number, so you can definitely get it from him! Bye!”

Kazutora watches you leave, meeting up with your boyfriend from across the street. The fool looks irritated at you, and he cannot fathom how in the world he got someone like you.

Chifuyu leans against the counter, watching Kazutora. “Their boyfriend is a dick. You know, he came in here chastising me about litter.”

Kazutora stands there for a long time. Not sure what to say. It happened all too fast. He saw you; he remembered your name, but not any bit of him reacted in the way he should have. There’s been years between the two of you. How could you still remember him? There was no way. His memories from those days feel washed out. Just a huge blur for him. The song always stuck with him, though.

He knows he’s blacked out some of it. He remembered you, though. The messy, crooked bangs, the lopsided smile and no front teeth grin you always had. Your grand gesture of you will always protect him. You had been playing buddies for not long until you had left suddenly. He never knew where you went. It was during the height of it all. Kazutora shakes away those thoughts.

Not realizing Chifuyu is still venting about your awful boyfriend. “It’s like, listen dude, it’s not my fault you don’t know how to clean up after a cat. You gotta sweep every day, dumbass. I didn’t say that, though. I wanted to.”

Kazutora asks him one simple question, but it’s enough to earn him that mischievous gleam in Chifuyu’s eyes. “Are they living together?”

His friend smirks. “Why? Are you interested?” He leers, getting a sudden rise out of Kazutora.

“No! I mean, just curious,” he mumbles. He bites his lip. How could he be interested? He hasn’t talked to you in ages. You’re completely different now, but you approached him like you’ve known him forever. Of course, that’d make anyone feel a certain way. Especially someone as energetic as you. The faint image of holding your hand comes to his mind. He also shoos it away. “We got to feed the cats soon,” he keeps himself busy, moving over to the windows of the kittens already mewling excitedly.

Chifuyu hums, still studying Kazutora. “You’re such a squirmer, you know? Whenever they looked at you, you couldn’t even keep eye contact.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t need this from you. Don’t you have a shoujo to read?”

“You should probably read more. It’d help you with your love life,” Chifuyu sniffs, his response a jab.

Kazutora clenches his teeth together, his hand hovering over the latch to the cat’s den. “I don’t need to hear that from someone who can’t get a date.”

The sound of a box dropping onto the floor can be heard from nearby. “Shut up!”

Kazutora heads out after his shift, going to his tiny apartment. Chifuyu usually stops by with him, but today it was more for himself to be alone.

A sudden ding of his phone alerts him when he passes through the threshold.

He flicks on the lights, reaching in the back of his pocket.

It’s an unknown number, one he didn’t recognize. There was also another message from Chifuyu.

He opens his first.

Chifuyu (6:15pm) I gave them your number. Have fun! 😊

Kazutora scoffs, going back to his messages. A photo image is present there. Could this be? He clicks on it then and there is Moka, in the shape of a loaf by a door.

The message read: “She misses you!”

He cannot fight the smile coming onto his face. Kazutora saves your number then. He texts you a response back, telling you thank you. He has to hide his phone or else he’s bound to say something he can’t take back. Sometimes, through text, one can become too bold.

His phone buzzes again.

You (6:25pm) I hope it’s okay I text you. We can plan it better this way. Maybe we can meet at Streamer or The Roaster?

Kazutora thinks it’s more than okay for you to text him. His heart flutters despite himself. His interest in you cannot tread past more than just a friendly association. You were already in a relationship. There’s no way for him to let this flourish. He needed to get a grip on himself.

Kazutora (6:28pm) That’s fine, did you invite Chifuyu too?

The response comes all too fast.

You (6:29pm) I was hoping it could be the two of us? I still told Chifuyu he could come too.

Kazutora sighs, plopping onto his recliner. He knew the scheming idiot will more than likely not take up the offer. He’d let himself make an excuse. Chifuyu is already arranging the alone time between the two of you. Kazutora feels it in his bones.

His phone buzzes again.

You (6:32 pm) I hope that’s not too weird. I’m so sorry.

Kazutora (6:33pm) It’s not. I’m fine with it. Thanks for reaching out.

God, what is this? A business transaction. He regrets texting that. He flops onto his couch, head into his hands. You’re definitely going to think something’s wrong with him. In so many ways. He’s already trying to work out what he’s going to do when this get together happens.

How is it that you can talk to him easily after just today? What if you ask him how life’s been? He can’t tell you where he’s been. What he’s been doing. He feels the insurmountable dread coiling inside of him. What is he doing? Talking to someone he’s known for only a small amount of time, and yet.

You (6:35pm) Do you want to try for Wednesday at noon? I can bring drinks for everyone?

Kazutora (6:36pm) Perfect. Thanks. I’ll relay the information. Have a good evening. Best regards.  

He sets his phone down in frustration on the table; he folds into himself. What the hell. He groans to himself, agonizing over his display of formality. Did it have to be in that way? Is he an idiot? He feels like one. It’s insane how quickly he’s receded into himself. Is this all he’s good for? To be tense in person and then formal through message. So not cool.

Kazutora screenshots the conversation, sending it to Chifuyu. His friend responds with a line sticker of a gasping cat.

Chifuyu (6:40pm) Seriously?! Are you answering emails to a business?

Chifuyu (6:41pm) Did you want to talk about it?

Kazutora (6:42pm) Please. I feel like a dweeb.

Chifuyu (6:43pm) You definitely are now, stupid.

The ringtone of a cat's meowing blares near him. Chifuyu is calling. He answers it begrudgingly, already knowing what he's going to say.

“Are you an idiot?” Chifuyu asks, annoyed. No greeting. Always a warranted insult, just right out the door with it. He expected it, really. It still catches him off guard every time, though.

Kazutora releases a breath. “I feel like the biggest idiot in the world. They have a boyfriend.”

He can overhear Chifuyu rustling around, calling over Peke J, and the gentle purrs over the receiver come through. “Here, you need some comfort, apparently. Did you want my help?”

Kazutora cringes. Chifuyu’s idea of helping is the worst kind. The most meddling and idealistic method. This isn’t a work of fiction, it was devastatingly enough real life. The reality of it being already too much for him to think about. There’s no way feelings could come this fast. It’s probably just because he thinks you’re attractive. That’s all. He’ll really need to not let his emotions run its course. If he lets it go too far, it’d become a mess.

Kazutora comes to when he realizes Chifuyu already has been going on a tirade planning a ploy. “So what we can do is get them to be isolated from their boyfriend. Listen, that guy is bad news. I feel it. My hunches have been right. He sucks. They’ll realize that, and when they realize how much better you are, it’s in the bag–”

He cuts him off. “Chifuyu. That won’t happen.”

Chifuyu makes a guttural noise of protest. “It could happen, okay? There’s hope.”

Kazutora bites his tongue. If he says what he really wants to say, Chifuyu would go dead silent. There’s no hope for someone like me. He closes his eyes tightly. “It’s just not practical. The best I can hope for is just us being friends.”

The other line sounds scratchy, a shuffling noise following Chifuyu. “Yeah, yeah. I guess that’s fine. They’re really cool. I like them. You will too.”

Kazutora smiles softly. “Yeah, they are.”

Chifuyu sniffs, his tone shifting. “But not as cool as me, right? I’m the best.”

He laughs on the other side. “Seriously? Don’t start getting jealous.”

Chifuyu huffs loudly. “I’m just saying.”

There’s another noise and a meow from the other side of the line. “Peke J says he supports you.”

“Thanks. I just think what I need is not a romantic relationship. I wouldn’t mind more friends, though.”

Chifuyu hums, considering his words. “Do you feel like it makes you undeserving? Or is it also fear involved with it? You know I read a lot of self-help books. I could let you borrow some.”

Kazutora glances at the stack of books in the corner of his living room. Chifuyu had already given him some the other month. “I think I’m good.”

“Well, whatever. Just a suggestion and just a thought. You know and I know, but they don’t know.”

Kazutora grows serious, jaw tightening. “And they won’t. I don’t know how I can tell someone else about all the stuff I did.”

There’s a beat of silence. A ragged breath coming from Chifuyu. “Man, just. I don’t know. Just do what you have to do. I think it’s fine though. You need new friends.” He changes the subject to Peke J then. Kazutora listens kindly, letting himself un-tense. He didn’t mean to bring it up. They’ve talked about it before. When he had gotten out, he and Chifuyu had written letters to one another. They had kept in touch with that way to work through their grief and also because of their attachment to Baji. It had helped a bit to reminisce, instead of letting it fester.

Whatever happens between you and Kazutora would be new. A fresh start for him.

He likes to think of it as one. Maybe this will give him a new beginning in several ways.

Once Chifuyu hangs up, Kazutora gets ready for his usual routine. He gets out of the shower, shuffling to turn off the lights and to lie in bed.

He picks up his phone from the nightstand seeing the text message notification.

You (9:30 pm) Sorry for my late response! I had to cook for a bit. I made some curry. I could treat you to some, sometime. I hope you have a goodnight. Ttyl‼️ 💞

Kazutora’s lips pull up at the sides, putting his phone close to his chest. He lets the sleep overtake him. He can hear the song again, the light hum and the words of another time.

[kaypeace21]

Big brain moment for me: is realizing one of the main reasons Mike dislikes Max is because she's (subconsciously) a constant reminder that he isn't straight.

Dustin and Lucas are immediately into Max . And Mike questions this (since they don’t even know her). Mike"awesome??!you haven't even spoken a  word to her! " Dustin (already crushing): " Hey! I don't have to . I mean LOOK at her." 

*MIKE LOOKING HELLA CONFUSED XD

Troy (the homophobic bully, talking about el): "her head's shaved . She doesn't even LOOK like a girl." 

(Not to mention all the people who also thought she looked like a boy and specifically thought she was Will- aka hopper, benny, and the diner customer).

We also know Dustin is remarking about Max’s physical appearance in that ep1 scene since this videogame-scene  also occurs in s2e1 (the same ep Max is introduced) . This videogame- scene has  lucas and Dustin fight over princess Daphne -and Lucas mentions how “princess daphne” is his. Foreshadowing the ending of  the love triangle between the 2 boys (in relation to Max) .

 What’s interesting is that historically dragon’s lair (was a nototriously difficult game)- and they used princess daphne’s attractiveness to convince straight-boys to continue playing the difficult game and waste their money .This is because, if the player finished the game- they would save and also marry  princess daphne. 

 But what’s interesting is - Dustin plays it, and it’s implied Lucas has played the game the most (and even finished the game to get Daphne). However, we never see Will or Mike play the game or get sucked into Daphne’s ...appeal. In fact (right after this) Mike instead puts his arm around Will and suggests they get the top score in dig dug TOGETHER (and beat madmax’s top score instead). Not to mention in s1 Mike wrote a whole d&d story for Will-inspired by star wars/the events of s1 and replaced  princess Leia with a king (aka Will). The king has a medal ceremony for the heroes since they k*lled the 7 headed monster for him ( Will: ”it was a 7. The demogorgan it got me″). Mike is not into princesses (he literally replaced a women crushed upon by nerdy/star wars fan boys) and replaced her with a king. connecting it even more to his lack of interest in the princess videogame/girls in general (and interest in Will) .

* These little details in ep 1 show how Mike isn’t like Dustin or Lucas. He doesn’t understand Lucas/dustin’s immediate attraction to daphne or Max in ep 1 (based on their feminine looks). Some people may claim he was attracted to El in Nancy’s dress/his grandma’s wig but i think this had more to do with the fact at that time El looked like the blonde popular girl jennifer hayes (who Lucas/Dustin were into). And so the idea of a girl who liked him (who looked like the most popular girl in school- who his friends were into )was appealing to his ego. Lucas (to Mike, referring to el while she is in her wig,dress, and makeup): “you’re just blind. Blind cause a girl isn’t grossed out by you.” Mike  in s1 even later specified he preferred her without the wig/makeup. He says in the wig/dress she’s “pretty” but when El removes all of it she asks “Still pretty?” And he says YEAH! pretty. REALLY pretty.” And sorry his compliment to her at the snowball seemed pretty rehearsed/forced. Just like how he refers to her fem look in s3 as “cool” (like how Hopper says El’s new punk look is “cool”).  In s3 we even have Lucas dress like the karate kid (cause max has a crush on him), nancy dresses based on 'new age' music (jonathan likes), so why does max imply El dresses in baggy male clothes for mike ? Saying about picking clothes " chose stuff that feels like you...not mike." Maybe cause mike prefers her dressing in a more masculine way?

Anyways, back on topic.  s2e1 shows Mike doesn’t understand his friends immediate attraction to Max and Daphne’s feminine appearances and this ties back to Mike’s animosity to Max in the following s2 eps.

 Later mike yells at max "hate you? How can I hate you? i don't even KNOW you!" (Mirroring what Mike said earlier to the smitten Dustin -when Dustin remarked on how he doesn’t really have to know her to think she’s awesome because he found her physically attractive). Mike says this comment to Max- when in canon Mike knew both el and Max for the exact same amount of time -a week . So somewhere in his subconscious he realizes crushing on el (who he ‘doesn't even know’) based on her then "boyish" look /will like appearance (after only knowing her a week) means something. Cause his straight friends (at least initially) are into Max for her more feminine appearance (after also only knowing her for a week) .And Dustin and Lucas were never into the boyish looking El (in s1- like they were with max in s2). So yeah every time Mike sees her - he's reminded that (in canon) he unlike his friends has never crushed on a single girl (except one who resembled a boy/ his male bff). Which (at least subconsciously) agitates him to think about. Max in response to him saying he doesn't hate her. Max: but you don't want me in your party! Mike: correct! Max: why not? Mike: CAUSE YOU’RE ANNOYING!To mike- max's very presence is a constant reminder he's not straight. Her presence makes him at least subconsciously start to think about things- he'd rather not. Like why he was attracted to the boyish looking el (who resembled Will) but not max, princess daphne, or any girl prior?

In s1 we know Mike knows what "gay" , 'fairy', and 'queer' is- all words he heard as insults towards Will . And eventually Mike snaps and attacks Troy for a specific  hom*phobic comment making fun of Will being dead. Where Troy says,  “Will’s in fairy land now. flying around with ALL THE OTHER FAIRIES. All happy and GAY!” . He attacks Troy in the school gym for subconsciously reminding him he’s gay -same place he yells at Max for doing the same thing. EL EVEN attacks both Max and Troy in the gym using her powers! (cough next time Mike saw Troy he literally flew from where Will ‘died’. (aka like ‘all the other fairies’. Troy even told Hopper Mike “flew” . That is another  Mike is gay hint ) . So he probably doesn't even want to fathom the possibility he may be gay or in love with his male best friend (when taught it's something 'bad' by his peers and 80s society as a whole ). Especially when he sees how people already malign Will over such rumors.

So to Mike - Max is the personification of the thing he lacks - the ability to be attracted to girls-the innate ability to be what most deem 'normal'. The ability to be like his friends. And he sadly resents her for this.

Then in s3 max encourages el to dump him ( and says to Mike it's not just a break). And constantly points out how mileven just isn't that great- she yells at Mike about how he doesn't trust el nor respects her ability to make decisions. And tells el that he lied to her. And she also points out to Mike- how el was the one who decided to spy on him (and disrespect his privacy/boundaries). And even worse for Mike's straight facade with El (max gives El a feminine makeover in s3). Something he’s not genuinely attracted to.  

 To Mike(at least subconsciously)- she is a constant reminder that he’s not straight (in s2). And in s3, she points how the flaws of his comp het relationship with el .Which infuriates him .

So when Mike starts to accept his queerness- I suspect their relationship will improve.

Heck The fact MAX & Will also have a lot in common (but he’s only attracted to Will- a boy and not Max) could be another subconscious reminder he’s not straight (Which causes an additional layer of resentment).For max & Will: Both are poor,  their bio dads both abandoned them leaving them with their respective mothers, both like horror films, comics and videogames, both are the youngest of 2 siblings.  And both use bats in anger when emulating their ab*sers ,and both are heavily associated with rainbows (Max literally has a rainbow shirt collection/ Will's rainbow ship and the many other rainbow refs).  Both also yell at Mike about how sh*tty they think the mileven relationship is in s3. Both have posters relating to beach films (Will has jaws /Max has endless summer).Costume designers said his s1's vest was supposed to be in homage to Marty mcfly (from back to the future). They gave Max Marty mcfly's skateboard in s2.And on Halloween she even dresses up as a movie-character who as a child dressed up as a clown on Halloween (Will’s fear/ what triggered him on Halloween) and whose surname is Myers (Byers?)  

I also think Mike was a bit jealous and initially thought Will was into her too. But I think the prior reasons I just discussed was actually the main reason for the animosity.

UPDATE

*this annon pointed out a detail that pretty much just verified my first assumption.To mike- max's very presence is a constant reminder he's not straight-similar to troy doing the same thing (albeit for very diff reasons ). Her presence (and his inability to have a crush on her-like Lucas &Dustin do) makes him at least subconsciously start to think about things- he'd rather not. Like why was he attracted to the boyish looking el (who resembled Will)? And who he barely spoke to, and in his own words he “didn’t even know’ cause he only knew her for a week? But NOT max (who he knew for the same amount of time),and who Lucas/dustin have immediate attraction to/ think is “awesome”  without talking to her (because of their feminine looks) .To Mike - Max is the personification of the thing he lacks - the ability to be attracted to girls-the innate ability to be what most deem 'normal'. The ability to be like his friends

We see this by the use of one word....

Having Max in s2 mention how Mike thought El was “awesome”  . Is just icing on the cake- showing she’s a reminder to Mike he isn’t straight (and his romantic feelings for El aren’t genuine). She literally threw Mike’s words back at him-where Mike was judging his friends for thinking Max was “awesome” because of her looks-not words.When Mike did the same to El.

Lucas even says the ‘no/yes’ line next to Mike’s heart sign (which has a rainbow propelling a heart on it). In s3 (when dating el) he removed this sign.  But symbolically we see it follow him everywhere -via El’s room having a drawing with a rainbow propelling a heart on it- with Mike’s name on it.  Which is shown when he’s kissing El- showing no matter how hard he tries to act straight-he can’t escape his rainbow/ queerness.

In fact,in s3, when Max points out the flaws in m*leven she is wearing  rainbow shirts (illustrating that she -like the rainbow-sign & drawing is a constant reminder to Mike that he’s not straight -which  follows him everywhere). Similar to Troy who (in his rainbow shirt) interrupts Lucas claiming Mike has a crush on El- only to announce Will is gay/ and to only target Mike with such remarks after this .

Not to mention this whole -Max reminding him he’s not straight and can’t like girls in s2-3 just ties in to my theory Mike was projecting when telling Will “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls.”-here. And the whole theory Mike is emulating his parent’s  loveless marriage with El-mentioned it here.

[oreosmilkshakes]

Mine; Part 2

Summary: A continuation of the first one.  Pairing: The Winter Soldier!Bucky Barnes x Reader Word Count: 1.9K Warnings: Mention of torture A/N: Well, as requested, here is part 2! Enjoy and comment on how it is! Edited and checked by @thebestdecoder​  ED/N: Apologies for any mistakes made in editing, RedBull doesn’t work on me anymore. Taglist: @tastingcevans @missingartist96 @generationallyfluid @paniniirae @felicityofbakerstreet @roguesthetic​ @igothroughphasesalot​

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When the team came to be, Strike Team, led by Rumlow, had them surrounded with guns pointing at them. In no time, they cuffed Steve, Sam, and Natasha and threw them in the back of an armored truck.

“It was him,” Steve began, eyes on the cuffs. He felt a massive sense of guilt especially since finding out Bucky was alive and that he didn’t bother to find him after his fall. “He looked right at me like he didn’t even know me. Instead, he looked right at Y/N,” Steve was still in disbelief that Y/N’s soulmate was Bucky. Sam looked up at Steve. “How is that even possible? It was like 70 years ago? What’s worse is that that killing machine is Y/N’s soulmate,” Steve squeezed his eyes shut, choosing to avoid answering the second question. “Zola. Bucky’s whole unit was captured in ‘43. Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and--,” Natasha shook her head slightly, weak from her untreated wound. “None of that’s your fault, Steve,”

Steve sighed lowly. “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky,” Natasha leaned back. “None of it is your fault, Steve. Even losing Y/N. I just hoped she did manage to escape from..from Bucky,” She was weakening and Sam took notice fast. He turned to the two soldiers. “We need to get a doctor here. If we don’t put pressure on that wound, she’s gonna bleed out here in the truck,” The first soldier ignited his stun rod, Sam leaned back a little. What he didn’t expect was for said soldier to attack the second, knocking him out effectively. Maria sighed, removing the helmet. “Ah, that thing was squeezing my brain,” The team was surprised to find an ally among the Strike Team. Time to make their big escape.

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Slowly, Y/N came to be. However, it only came in short bursts. The first time she came to be shortly, bright light penetrated her eyes. She couldn’t see well, only blur filled her vision and in no time, she passed out again. The second time Y/N came to be, it was dark and the air smells stale. She tried to move but she couldn’t. She gave up and drifted back into the darkness. The third time Y/N came to be, she was fully conscious now. Her eyes fluttered open, accustoming her eyes to the dimly lit room. It seems like she was held hostage in an abandoned building but Y/N didn’t know for sure. The only giveaways were the newspaper-covered windows and the fact that the room she was in looked like a bedroom. Her eyes focused on the silhouette and almost instantly, fear sprouted in her chest. Y/N tugged hard on the binds, panting softly as she tried to get her hands and feet out of the bonds. 

(gif credited to the owner)

The Soldier turned to Y/N, his movements silent and intimidating as he moved closer to the woman. His metal hand reached out to touch Y/N’s cheek. He could not bring his soulmate back to HYDRA or else they would kill her. He knows HYDRA was ruthless in this sort of thing. So, to protect his soulmate, he took her to a safe place.

Y/N whimpered, scooting backwards until her back hit the wall. She shuddered when she felt the cool metal touch her cheek.

“Stop..get away from me,” Y/N begged quietly. All her training as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was failing, the terror growing in her was overwhelming. The Soldier could easily kill her with a flick of his wrist if she wasn’t his soulmate, of course. 

“When I first saw colours, I never imagined my soulmate to look as gorgeous as you,” The Soldier’s voice was low, his metal thumb stroked her delicate cheekbone. 

“Don’t touch me,” Y/N attempted to sound strong, moving her face away from The Soldier’s touch. A low growl escaped the assassin’s lips, a metal hand gripped Y/N’s face lightly. “You are mine, doll. You belong to me because you are my soulmate. Even if you don’t like it, I don’t care. You will learn to love me,” The Soldier leaned in, the tip of his nose brushed against Y/N’s. The agent gulped, avoiding eye contact with the monster.

A soft beeping caught Y/N’s attention. It came from The Soldier. The assassin growled, annoyed by the sudden interruption but he had work to do. Without saying another word, The Soldier left, leaving Y/N all alone in the abandoned building.

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Turns out, Fury was alive and on a long journey to a full recovery. It was apparently better for S.H.I.E.L.D. to believe that he was dead so HYDRA could work at a full scale and risk exposure.

Natasha was patched up and the team was gathered around a table for a briefing. Fury picked up a photo of Alexander Pierce, looking at it with his one eye. “This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said peace wasn’t an achievement, it was a responsibility,” Fury threw the photo on the table, leaning forward. “See, it’s stuff like this that gives me trust issues,” Natasha sighed softly. “We have to stop the launch and find Y/N,”

Fury sighed. “I don’t think the Council’s accepting my calls anymore and as for Y/N, we will find her. It’s only a matter of time until we do so,” The director opened a case, revealing three chips.

“What’s that?” Sam looked down at it. “Once the helicarriers reach 3,000 feet, they’ll triangulate with Insight satellites, becoming fully weaponized,” Maria turned the laptop around. “We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own,” Fury added.

“One or two won’t cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this work because if even one of those ships remain operational, a whole lot of people are gonna die,” Maria sighed softly.

“We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We have to get past them, insert these server blades. And maybe, just maybe we can salvage what’s left-,” “We’re not salvaging anything,” Steve cut off.

“We’re not just taking down the carriers, Nick. We’re taking down S.H.I.E.L.D. ,” “S.H.I.E.L.D. had nothing to do with this,” Fury fought.

“You gave me this mission. This is how it ends. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s been compromised. You said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed. And we still have no way of knowing how to locate Y/N. For all we know, she’s either dead or taken by Bucky,” Steve heaved out a heavy sigh of anger. “Why do you think we’re meeting in this cave? I noticed,”

“How many paid the price before you did?” Steve growled lowly.

Fury looked down and sighed. “Look, I didn’t know about Barnes,” “Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, it all goes,” Fury sighed, deciding it was best to give in. He leaned back on his seat, eye on Steve. “Well, it looks like you’re giving the orders now, Captain. As for Y/N, Hill and I will work on that. We still have some tricks up our sleeves,” Fury nodded to Hill.

Steve looked at Sam and Natasha, nodding. “Then we’ll suit up,”

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The Soldier stood on the edge of the building, mind fuzzy and hand twitching. HYDRA electrocuted him, giving him another mind wipe. But this time, it wasn’t easy for a clean wipe. The Soldier had begun his resistance a long time ago. His cerulean eyes took in the colored view of the city. That was something those scientists could never wipe or know and that is The Soldier’s discovery of his soulmate.

The Soldier disappeared from the roof, making his way into the abandoned building. Y/N gulped, eyes widening as she heard heavy footsteps getting closer and closer. She worked her hands quickly, dragging a sharp edge of a broken wood against the rope. She silently cheered when the rope snapped free. The footsteps were close now and Y/N kept her hands to her back.

The Soldier stepped into the room, towering over her seated form. Y/N gripped onto her little weapon, glaring up at The Soldier. He approached her, eyes dark and expression was even darker. “What do you wa--,” Y/N was cut off with a metal arm gripping her arm. The Soldier pulled the agent to her feet, pinning her against the wall. His dark eyes examined Y/N’s features. He needed comfort after what HYDRA did to him again. The torture never stops. It never does. If The Soldier showed signs of disobedience, he’ll get shocked. Any signs The Soldier showed to HYDRA that was related to him being disobedient would get him punished.

The Soldier sought comfort in his soulmate, his nose brushed against the exposed skin on Y/N’s neck. ‘No, this wasn’t supposed to happen!’ Y/N mentally scolded herself. The Soldier felt warm though. But nothing about him smelled good. The Soldier smelled like smoke and gunpowder. Nevertheless, Y/N leaned into The Soldier’s shoulder. ‘What are you doing? You’re free, he’s vulnerable, attack him and run!’ Y/N’s mind reminded her. Shit, it was right. “I’m sorry,” Y/N whispered. She gathered all her strength and shoved The Soldier off her, the assassin grunted in shock as Y/N made a run for it. “Блядь! (Fuck!),” The Soldier growled,  immediately taking off to chase the woman. Y/N looked over her shoulder, eyes widening as the gap between them was closing and it was closing really fast. Y/N turned a corner, almost slipping. She had to find a way out fast. The Soldier was fast on her tail.

Y/N has never felt so much fear in her life. Not even when the Earth was invaded by the Chitauris. She dug into her sleeve, slipping out a small metal ball, and threw it at The Soldier. A bright flash and a deep groan indicated that the assassin was disabled. For now. The route down to the first floor was blocked and it seems like the only way is up. So up did Y/N went. “Soulmate!” The Winter Soldier roared in anger, his thunderous voice echoed throughout the stairwell.

Y/N’s hairs stood on end, looking down to see that The Soldier was climbing up the stairs twice as fast as her. “No, no!”Y/N cried out, trying to reach the upper levels of the building as fast as she could because The Winter Soldier was just a level below her. The frantic woman burst through the roof door, looking over her shoulder. However, when she looked to the front, it was too late. Y/N skidded to a halt, missing the edge of the roof and slipped. She screamed in fear, her hand grabbing the ledge.

(gif credited to the owner. Just The Soldier running)

The building was old, almost crumbling down. The edge of concrete Y/N held broke under her weight, the woman screamed in terror, flailing her arms to try and reach something to save her from the freefall.

Was this the end for Y/N?

[bloodycassian]

FIRE AND ICE PART TWO - GRIEF

His lack of faith in you seemed to grow with each passing day that you ignored him. He tried bringing you food, tried making jokes. You had a sneaking suspicion he tried to send Mor in to try to talk to you too. But she just read beside you in bed, munching on the plate of cookies he had ordered to your room. 

"I'm not going to say dont be mad it him, but maybe just... hear him out." Mor said, shutting her book. You glared at her. "I know, I know.... but just maybe-"

"He hasn't bothered to apologize. Why would I hear him out when he doesn't even try to hear me out!?" You let her hear the kindling fire that had been building over the last few days. The words came out with precision and cut even her deep. 

"Cassian can be stupid-" 

"He's an idiot." You spat. 

She sighed, and sat up from the pillow stack that you shared. She could see the predator waiting to be released under your skin. And she didn’t want to be the one to let it free. So she went the gentle route. The one she knew would knock you free of the anger. "He wanted to keep you safe." the words hit your weak spot for the male. 

You shoved it away, disregarding the vulnerability. "By shaming me?" She was surprised. Cassian hadn't shown any sign of falseness when she had spoken to him. He had just seemed concerned. You laughed bitterly. "He forgot to mention the part where he guilted me into leaving. He thinks I'm a doll he needs to protect." You cringed away from the words that you knew he saw as being true. The shame filled you further. Like a sinking ship, it only brought you lower and lower. 

She stared at you, those piercing eyes so different from Rhys' bored into you. Her next words were carefully chosen. "Give him.. time." She concluded. You stared after her as she made her way to the door. 

Two days later you had cooled off after a sparring with Feyre and Rhys. As if he had been told of your more pleasant mood, Cassian appeared on your balcony with a bundle of wildflowers and a basket of bath supplies. Your favorites, of course. You didn't hesitate to take them. You gave him a once over - that stupid apologetic half smile he wore dug into your heart. You rolled your eyes at him and turned, heading for the bathroom. 

+

He made love to you that night. Long and slow. apologetic in every way. Sensual, caring and so good. When you woke the next morning, he was gone. Just a note left on your bedside table. 

"Back before lunch" it promised. You sighed and threw it on the floor. The same frustration as before returning to you. The unsatisfied feeling of needing to fight - to get the rage out. To have him just yell at you already. To let the words you knew he wanted to say finally come out. “I can’t do this anymore.” 

The nightmare of those words lingered throughout your slow morning. By lunch there was still no sign of Cassian.

So much for round two.

+

You picked at your dinner impatiently. The various fruits and meats on the table didn't appeal. Especially for such an early dinner. You were hoping to train but Rhys and Azriel weren’t back from their meeting yet, so you decided on a much too early feast for yourself. You couldnt bring yourself to have a bite though. You watched the snowdrifts billow outside the house of wind instead. They flurried down the mountains, shimmering like diamonds in the afternoon light. You could imagine how it sounded rushing down the steep peaks of the mountain. The soft tinkling sound they made when hitting your hair. Your wings flexed involuntarily. 

Mor strode in with a small box in her hands. "Good morning." She chittered, placing the box on the table in front of you. "Whats this?" You asked, skimming a finger over the lid. "A gift." She began walking away without a look back. 

"From?" the box seemed to hum with anticipation. 

"Open it and find out." She called from the doorway. Your stomach suddenly spiked with nerves. 

"For the one you lost. -Cas" 

The one you lost?! The ignorant note made your blood boil. He was the one that had caused you to lose it. You didnt even want the damned gift if he was going to be such an asshole about it. But you couldn't ignore the beauty of the blade that lay before you. Among dark satin lining lay a gorgeous handmade dagger. Black stained metal with a simple leather hilt. Curved at the tip with deadly sharpness. You picked an apple from the table, and tested the knife. 

It sliced through like butter, leaving no jagged edges over the skin of the fruit. You inspected the mark, noting the spot of red on the inside of the apple. Your heart dropped. "Shit." 

You hadn't even felt the cut, the blade was so sharp. You wrapped your loose shirt around the wound on your finger and set the knife back in the box. The blood dripped on the dark lining. Staining the perfection of it. 

+

You sparred with Azriel that evening, working off your frustration with Cassian. He went easy on you, noting the wrapping on your fingers. He didnt ask about it though. The session was more quiet than usual, even for Az. He stopped abruptly mid swing, letting you catch his torso with the training sword. Cassian landed behind you. He had his hands up in defense before you could even open your mouth.  

"You smell like blood." You accused. "And mud." 

"So do you." He gave Azriel a nod, and the shadowsinger excused himself. suspicion grated at your nerves. You set your jaw and put your sword away, ignoring the new blood spots blooming on the bandage. He squinted at it, you cut him off before he could say anything.

"Cassian..." You leveled a look at him. 

He kept his composure, ripping those hazel eyes from your injury. "Dont worry about it. I got it handled."

"You’re half a day late and - wait….Got what handled?!" You squeaked. You disregarded his tardiness all together. The sheepish look on his face said all you needed to know.

You wanted to hear him admit it. That he went and finished the job without you. You needed to hear him admit it. You realised you were tense, waiting to fight. Your wings were tucked in protectively behind you, and your fists clenched at your sides ached.

"Dont-"

"If you say dont worry about it again I am going to throw you off this house." You ground out through your teeth.

He did not laugh, like you would have expected. He just looked away. On the back of his neck you noticed the thin scratches and the dirt that marred his tunic. Your eyes stung with tears. The betrayal hitting you like a ton of bricks. "I did, alright?" He said, voice low. "I took care of it."

"What the fuck, Cassian?!" You exploded, "The bath, the flowers what - so I would be less suspicious?" You recalled the night before, the slow tenderness of him. The 

"What? No - I got that because I love-"

"Dont say its because you love me. You could have been killed. You lied to me." You could feel the blood pounding in your temples, fueling the rage that lashed out. Tears threatened to spill over. 

"I didnt lie!" His voice echoed against the far wall of the training ring. "And you were almost killed too. I couldn't risk that again."

"It wasn't even close to that bad!" You shouted back, not caring how the birds quieted. Your rage matched his, possibly exceeded it at times. You knew that on previous experiences. You'd done a lot more than make nature quiver at the tones you brought. 

"It was bad enough." He said with finality, his tone somber. He leaned against the weapons rack and tapped his toe against it anxiously. You stared him down, daring him to say more. Waiting to strike out against the next words you knew he wanted to say. What you knew he was thinking.

"You're not strong enough on your own."

You didn't need any more of his excuses. You didnt need to hear the words to know that he wanted to say them. You scoffed. It caught his attention. 

"Where are you going?" He asked. A request, not a demand. You didn't oblige him. You just leapt off the side of the the wide cliffside and let your wings pull you up, high into the air. You kept soaring, pushing and pushing until your lungs hurt with the stinging of the air. 

+

Az's cool shadows did not touch you when he landed. The rustling of the long grass around his pants was little more than a whisper. 

"He sent you didnt he?" You wiped your cold nose on your sleeve and attempted to piece yourself together. Things with Cas had gotten just so difficult lately. You didnt know why. He was constantly just... hovering. It made you claustrophobic. You hadn't been forgiving about it either. He wasn't the only one to blame. 

"He didn't..." Azriel stood beside you. You didnt feel his cold eyes that always seemed to pierce into you. You looked up at him to confirm your thoughts, and he was indeed looking over the grand lake you had parked yourself at. Among a valley of trees and violet flowers, the polished surface of the water seemed like a mirror. 

"Then why are you here?" Your words were laced with the venom Cas had left you with.

He was quiet for only a moment, before calmly speaking again. "To make sure you're alright."

"I dont need anyone looking after me. I'm not a child." You spat bitterly. The sunset overhead darkened, slowly making its way down behind the mountains. 

"I know. I came here for myself." His words held no double meaning. No doubt ringing through them. "I wanted to see you." He said simply. He didnt have the arrogant air of someone coming to the rescue. You appreciated that. It took a weight of your chest.

"Why?" You demanded more than asked. You really didnt care what your tone was like. He was the one offering to stay beside you.

He shrugged, and gestured to the large boulder you leaned against. "May I?" He asked. You shrugged back - weakly -, and he sat. You watched the sun disappear completely together. You through clouded, swollen eyes. 

He said nothing, didn't even look at you besides when you choked out a sob. Then his leg was there, subtle and warm. You didn't feel a sting of pride when you leaned against the welcome comfort. He didn't complain when your tears soaked through his pants, or when your cried rocked his body as well. 

[zenon-karr]

So I promise I won’t bring up other ships like destiel or johnlock (I wasn’t destiel but I was TJLC) This isn’t negativity! I promise! But I’m going to just say the biggest glaring difference between them and byler if anyone is worried about delusions or whatever is that we knew Will is gay from character description. From the get go you had Moffiss denying and having writers deny Dean is bi. Sadly. Part of losing in johnlock was having to admit I was wrong. It’s helped me heal and now I just enjoy them for fun instead of being hurt but neither here or there - but with Byler it is different.

We knew Will is gay before Byler was analyzed. It’s always been open to interpretation at the very least. So I will say that I truthed since season 2 but because I was on the look out on how Will was going to be represented as gay. When the hand touch happened I was very shocked. I just noticed it. I wouldn’t have thought much of it if Will wasn’t supposed to be a gay character. I don’t know if anyone else has this experience. But this was mine. People just noticed this in an academic way or from Doylist POV. However MOST people flocked to Byler AFTER s4. And this for non Bylers since people weren’t here is most Byler truthing and the following from AFTER Will is confirmed canonically in love with Mike. The following is coming from their own canon. Not our interpretations of canon. It’s coming from the fact no matter what anti Bylers will say - there’s a chance since they did not shut it down either outside or inside the show. There are many possibilities such as Mike loving two people at the same time. That’s very simple? It doesn’t have to be gay Mike or whatever - it can be. There’s also nothing wrong with that: he can be confused between them! There’s so much hostility against this like we are delusional when it’s not really a stretch to say it can be canon. There’s not what you would call a ‘conspiracy’ amongst lying cast members. They all say ‘I don’t know’, I hope so or positive things. The other two on the other hand the writers and show runners didn’t even support queer readings on those characters. I mean it sucks I don’t mean as derogatory but with byler they never shut it down. FYI I don’t mean conspiracy theory derogatory I was tjlc! I understand. However this much different I didn’t really ship it first I kinda just truthed it and when I truthed it I shipped it? If that makes sense? I was like oh OH? when the hand touch happened in Dig Dug. In fact I shipped mileven first (then they got annoying and I didn’t like they had Mike give up his interest or it felt like he wasn’t acting himself) this all being said I support whatever y’all want to ship even if I don’t ship it!! Even if you also like mileven that’s cool with me. I just don’t care for homophobia and being antagonistic. 💚💚💚✨🫶🏻 much love from an OG Byler to the new fandom!

I’m just thinking of this post with the inevitable we’re the new destiels when we pass the ship so I feel like I should say something now. Coz I know we aren’t this or TJLC (these came before anything was even canonized) I just feel like it will be inevitable to see these posts if or when we pass the tag and I’m sorta not looking forward to it 😬 but we knew Will is gay before we even saw Byler so we all were looking for what is the way he will so we knew at the very least he would be gay which gave us a heads up to look out for them when they touched hands. It’s just different from the rest of the group and that is especially canon now. Don’t let people tell you you’re crazy and antagonize you! Sorry for the long post but I felt it it tonight and while I love this ship is HUGE now I fear people will be toxic and compare. I hope I’m wrong but there are some facts in here but it boils down to people believed in these when they said no (not anything wrong w that) whereas people are truthing because they’re canonized at least on Will’s part and there’s no delusion on that. It just doesn’t seem likely they will build something up since s1 for it to be unrequited and just for Will to end up with someone else that they coulda just had him be in love with this season and to build up to for s5. I know people will say they won’t do that to mileven they’ve been building up but I don’t know why they’d build this up to go up against a couple like them if they’re endgame. It just doesn’t add up. Why set it up for queer fans to be humiliated this way because of their canon drawing people here - not us. The Duffers sent most of you here because of what they wrote. We didn’t just make up Will loves Mike and it’s not even canon. They wrote this! It’s canon - it happened! It’s not taking some ambiguous things and saying it’s canon. Will is in love with Mike and the show did not tell you how Mike feels about that! Mike loving El is a separate point entirely and doesn’t disprove Mike loves Will. My point is we have reasons to believe it’s gonna happen and it’s requited. Sorry for the rambly long post I hope I made sense and didn’t seem rude or derogatory. But I just worry we could get flooded with these comment when or if we pass the destiel tag on followers. I hope we can just block them if so and not get discouraged or fight them. Let’s be different to other fandoms. This isn’t anti destiel or johnlock obviously. Anyway happy shipping 🫶🏻✨💚💚💚

[erimeows]

Could we maybe get some Sentinel falling for a human and hating it headcannons/scenario? The human is just really nice and very smart! An ex Sumdak scientist who moved in with the bots and Sari after Sari got kicked out? They help them find the AllSpark? Magnus has a lot of respect for them as they've helped find the All Spark shards and done a lot of research on autobot and decepticon history and found out weaknesses. Sentinel is so angry cause Magnus clearly favors them over other humans so he has to get used to that and them? Maybe Optimus likes them and that sets Sentinel off?

Sure thing! May have twisted this a bit, but hope you enjoy!

Oh my God, he hates it with everything in his entire being.

It starts simply enough. When he arrives on earth, he notices that, like the tiny rude organic known as Sari, you’re around the Autobots all the time. Like... All the time. Helping them find All Spark fragments, doing research for them, helping Isaac Sumdak with his creations, taking care of Sari.

So, since you’re a tiny adult human and he has unchecked mental health issues that he likes to take out on others, he starts off trying to be mean to you. 

The first time, he trips you while walking past you in the hallway. You don’t notice it was intentional, but fall pretty hard and scrape your hands up so badly that you’re tearing up. Sentinel refuses to apologize or acknowledge that he’s in the wrong but feels oddly guilty and decides to help you take care of your hands. You’re very thankful, offering him a hug, which he denies and runs off because of, spewing some half-assed insults on his way out.

He can’t get you off his processor after that. He feels like a shitbag for not even owning up to being the one who tripped you and feels like a loser for helping you. You’re an organic, he hates you like the rest of them, he doesn’t feel bad for you.

Next time he sees you, he tries again to be mean to you, making a comment on what you’re wearing and asking what trashcan you dug it out of. Most humans get frustrated and yell at him or insult him back when he talks to them like that unprompted, but you only shrug him off and asks if he’s feeling alright or wants to sit down to cool down for a moment. Uh. Huh? He’s confused at first, utterly perplexed that you might think he’s weak, upset, or hurt, or... Something, but then his confusion turns to anger, and again, he storms off, unsure of how to handle someone who’s not angry at or annoyed by him.

You pay a lot of attention to him after that and he hates it; always trying to offer him things, share smalltalk, take him places, etc. He hates it even more when he notices just how much everyone else loves you, too; Sari was fine, and so was Optimus and his stupid pile of scrap metal that he called a team, but ULTRA MAGNUS? Oh, it had him fuming from his exhaust pipes. Even Ultra Magnus was charmed by you and looked for whatever excuse he could get to talk to you on earth. 

Okay, whatever. Everyone and everybot likes you, so Sentinel is convinced he hates you for that and for having a holier-than-thou attitude that won’t allow you to retaliate against him when he’s rude to you even though all he wants is for you to feed into it. Totally.

That is until he starts getting... Jealous, namely of Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime for talking to you so much. The embarrassing thing is that he can’t even pinpoint it at first; all he knows is that he gets pissed off when he sees Optimus giving you a shoulder rub after a long day and having a conversation with him over dinner (for you) and energon (for Optimus) and gets pissed off when he sees you, a human, walking by Ultra Magnus’s side and casually conversing with him like he’s your equal. 

“I don’t get it, Jazz! Why is she talking to both of them like that? Why is it making me so mad?” 

“Could it be... You aren’t so much mad that she’s a human who’s close with Ultra Magnus, but that you’re jealous of O.P. and Ultra Magnus for being so close to (y/n) when you’re not?”

The conversation with Jazz had been impromptu and a big mistake, as he blew a fuse immediately after and had to be taken to Ratchet for some minor repairs. Everyone is concerned, no one has any idea what’s going on, but he’s stuck in Ratchet’s medbay for a day and you’re asked to watch him overnight since you’re the most qualified to do any fixes should he have any issues, and Ratchet needs to recharge. 

“So... What happened?”

“Don’t worry about it! Primus, you humans are always so nosy-” Sentinel starts scolding you and moves to get up from the medberth, but you place a gentle hand on his servo and he can’t help but freeze in place. 

“I’m not doing this with you tonight, Sentinel Prime. Recover and let me stay by your side to make sure you’re okay.”

“Just leave! I’ll be fine, I’m a member of the-”

“I know.”

“Then why do you care!?”

“Because I know you can be kind, and whether you want to or not, you need to rest and have someone monitor you over night! You blew a fuse in your head, and while that itself is a minor injury, if you do it again it’s going to be harder to fix and you could blow more. I’d rather not extent your stay in here.”

Naturally, he asks what you, as a human, could possibly know about robots/Cybertronians and their health. After getting him to lay back down, you tell him about how you used to work for Isaac Sumdac as a scientist before you started taking care of Sari when he disappeared, and that right after the Autobots arrived on earth, you studied them closely enough to figure out most of their anatomy and received some training under Ratchet to act as a second medic for them.

Oh. That makes sense. Sentinel feels a bit foolish but doesn’t say anything and waits until he can fall into recharge, but when he wakes up the next morning, you’re sitting on a stool by his berthside, passed out with your head resting on his thigh.

He doesn’t have the heart to wake you up and pretends to still be resting with his optics shut until Ratchet comes in and wakes you up himself.

He’s released with a clean bill of health and immediately goes to find Jazz.

“What do you mean by that!?”

“Uh, slow down before you blow another fuse, S.P., but you know what I meant,” Jazz laughed at him, and naturally, Sentinel took a few to process what had been said the previous day.

Jazz was implying that Sentinel wasn’t mad at you for being a human and interacting with Optimus/Ultra Magnus, but that he was mad at Optimus and Ultra Magnus for interacting with you because...

Oh. Sentinel realized that he was jealous, and in not being able to be mean to you anymore, he found himself watching you a lot. You were intelligent, kind, attractive... The opposite of him, to be honest, but when it hit him all at once, he ends up having a melt down of sorts.

Locking himself in his berth on Ultra Magnus’s ship for days on end, not drinking enough energon, going between sleeping to escape his feelings and pacing around doing nothing but dwelling on them, Sentinel Prime is a mess when he realizes that he has a crush on you. It makes sense, but... Why did it have to be an organic? He can’t even cope with it.

Eventually, he snaps out of it and decides that he’s going to take the logical approach with this; ignore his feelings and push them deep, deep down in his spark so he doesn’t have to acknowledge or deal with them. He shouldn’t like you anyways, right? You’re just a stupid human!

Except... You’re not. You’re beautiful, you’re brilliant, you’re caring, and a million other things he cares not to admit. So he’s stuck. He won’t confess his feelings to you or really think about them because he knows all he’s ever done is be mean to you, and honestly, he doesn’t deserve you and is afraid of you rejecting him.

Things stay stagnant for a while, but he’s a little nicer to you. Still rude, still making unnecessary comments about you being a human, but hey, he doesn’t try to trip you anymore and is always defending you when anyone/anybot brings up your name behind your back. Every other Autobot catches on to what’s happening but just doesn’t say anything because they know Sentinel will try to pummel them LMAO. 

But then... Valentine’s day rolls around. For whatever reason, he decides to hang around earth that day and learn about the customs since you and Sari seem excited to teach him and the other Autobots about it.

A day of romance where lovers give each other gifts... Okay, so basically, nothing to do with him, but he notices that Sari, Bee, and Bulkhead decide to go see a movie since they don’t have anyone/anybot to do anything with, and Ratchet goes off to work in his medbay, while Jazz and Prowl suddenly disappear to do their own thing and Ultra Magnus is preoccupied with work on his ship. That just leaves Sentinel, you, and Optimus.

The amount of frustration in him when Optimus hands you a bouquet of (f/c) roses is something he can’t even comprehend. So, when you walk off to go find a vase to put them in, Sentinel turns to his old friend with a glare.

“Who do you think you are? How long have you felt that way towards her?”

“Uh, Sentinel? (y/n) and I are just really good friends? I know she’s what her species would refer to as “single” at the moment and I didn’t think you’d do anything for her, so I got her those to make her feel special tonight.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Sentinel exclaims at Optimus’s bold assumption that he wouldn’t do anything for you for Valentine’s day... Which was totally true. He didn’t have the guts to buy you flowers or chocolates or any of the other things that Sari said humans liked for the occasion, but apparently Optimus did, and while he now knew that Optimus didn’t have any romantic feelings towards you, it still hurt. 

“It means that even though you’ve been obsessed with her since the Elite Guard got here, you treat her with no kindness whatsoever because you’re too prideful to admit your feelings and want to cover them up,” Optimus puts a hand on his shoulder. “Now, I’m going to go spend the rest of the night with Ratchet so he isn’t by himself, but I’ll leave you to figure this out. Good luck, old buddy.”

Optimus walks off, and the words hit hard. Sentinel knows that what his friend said is right, so when you get back with the roses in a vase to set down on the table and ask him where Optimus went, he decides it’s time. Without dwelling on it too much, he grabs your hands to hold in his servos, standing in the middle of the living room and spilling his guts out to you before telling you “Happy Valentine’s Day... Or whatever,” and pulling you in for a kiss.

Thankfully, you reciprocate.

[the-fiction-witch]

What The -

REAL LIFE SCANDAL  COUPLE TBS X READER RATING: FUNNY

"So! let's do something stupid" y/n smiled sitting at her table with a laptop "Hello everyone welcome to me being all alone and bored, Thomas is not home so I'm just gonna sit and do something very stupid but I got the idea in my head so now I have to see it thought" she explained "Today, while doing a daily, bored, attention disorder, avoiding my work scroll of amazon I spotted something, a beth Harmon funky pop, very cool, very nice, good recommendations amazon, and then it occurred to me, Thomas doesn't have a funky pop and then it occurred to me," she explained "I wonder how much stuff exists out there with my husbands face on. then I found out weirdly a lot. so... let's do a room makeover" "Let's do this crazy thing. Let's begin let's start on ebay because I feel like that's gonna be the place with the lest and we'll end on like red bubble because I know there is so much shit on red bubble I know I unironicly bought a Benny watts magnet for our fridge because it was the art of Benny and beth as bunnies and I just..  I had to buy it" "Okay to ebay. Let's try Benny watts first. Oohh custom Benny watts trading card. I mean I want that ooohh 11.45 plus 12.99 shipping. I mean I love Thomas' likely more then anyone I mean I love him enough to marry him and give him twin daughters but. I do not love him that much. Let's try just his name on ebay let's see what comes up. Okay... Alot of game of thrones cards like autograph cards he did so many of those he always complains about doing like the collectable card signatures because he says a Poster or photo you have space and given his signature I understand what he means it's a large signature so he kinda has to sizeit down for cards and he ends up with like a bad wrist for it... What! Life sized cut out standee. I mean I don't want two Thomas'. I feel like that's a weird thing but for the sake of the room make over I mean. I gotta do it. There is two one in a suit. Ohh that's now his best suit look he has better suits then that. Do him in the korea death cure suit that thing is amazing or what they are calling brown jacket. Awwww I miss that jacket. He got rid of that recently and I was so sad because I actually really like that Jacket I have to get that one then ohh two sizes life sized. Well got to have life sized and then mini, how big is mini? 60cm awww you could like sit him on your desk. Does anyone actually have these life sized or mini I wanna see them, please send me pictures. I shall get a life sized because I must, ha! One of the pictures says simple and easy to erect. Well I mean. They clearly have met Thomas. Lot of dvds. Aww nanny mcphee worth two pounds sixty. I mean I love that movie but I understand DVDs are like basically vhs tapes now. I'm sorry that may have been too old for you young people. Uhh DVDs are basically ipod nanos. More posters the posters o might get to put in picture frames because of jokes I'm taking this one joke so far. Ohh my god! Yes! The cut out people do one of him and Dylan. I mean. I have to. He may actually wanna keep a life sized cut out of him an dylan. I have to don't I? It has to be done. I gotta get that one. A shirt that says eat. Sleep. And obsess over Thomas brodie sangster. I mean... If I was doing a clothing then yes but we're doing a room make over. Maybe next week. Maze runner keyring! What? So you can get newt, minho, Thomas or all three of them on a keyring. I'm buying that. I also kinds want that. Put Thomas on my keys. Take him places. Okay let's go on ... I think wish next. Yes! Thomas pillow. Okay that's a throw pillow luckily I have many of those so we can do many throw pillow covers. Is that lampwick? Oh my God. Wish ten points for obscure. Maybe it's because wish doesn't wanna get sued for using the pictures so instead of the pics they all use they just dug feel to find a lampwick that knowone remembers for 7.97 gotta be done we getting a lampwick pillow ohh and a tdc newt pillow I assume from the same company as the pillow they have photoshoped the picture on is the same, gonna get that too ohh there's alot of throw pillows I know I said I had alot of pillows I don't have this many. I'm gonna pick three good pics like not blury or stolen art and then I'm sure we'll get another three pillows somewhere else if not I'll come back. Rafe sadler phone case! I mean. Again points of obscure it's not just all newt which I adore. What the! That is a Thomas blanket. I mean. Oh my God. It's not just like one big stolen imagine that's a collage. But it's like fifty pound so moving on. Newt on a handbag. Newt on a backpack. I'm gonna have to do a clothes episode of this. What the! Newt. On a car sunshade! Sold. I'll actually use that for my car in sold 17 pounds sign me up. There's alot of blankets actually. I'm gonna weight thought of I'm gonna get a blanket I know they do them on rwdbubble and atleast then I give fifty pound to creator and not to wish so moving on. Newt bucket hat. I mean not home where but later. I'll be back. Ohh a mug that says mentally dating Thomas brodie sangster. Uhh I'm married to him so can I like cross it out and write married. No again I'll wait gonna see what other mugs there are. Newt socks. It's all the same newt picture over and over but those are amazing. Thomas on... What is that. Ohh a pill box. Okay Thomas on a pill box. Next Amazon. Lot of the same stuff pillows posters, phone cases. Oohh Thomas onna glasses case. Getting that. Thomas onna pencil case. Ah yes take Thomas to school with you. Again getting that. What! Thomas on a towel. A towel. In various towel sizes. Okay I'm getting those. Oohh wall tapestry might get one of those gonna come back to it, Thomas on a drawstring backpack I mean. But how the picture is everytime you use it the face will smoosh. Now to the place I know will have lots because they have so many options for what they print onto. Let's go to red bubble. So many stickers I'll get stickers and just put them on everything in the room for funzies oh my God! That's a duvet. Not a blanket that is a duvet. Gotta get us a duvet and a blanket both with different college images. Queens gambit tote bag. I mean. I want that. It's just like the vegas table set that's cool I might buy that.  Ohhhhhh the bit in queens gambit with Benny in the kimono they have it. And they have it on sixty one things as a shirt. As a sticker m a tote bag. A laptop case. A metal sign. In a block of acrylic. A set of four costers. A pin. A mug. A water bottle, travel mug, face mask, note book, and many many more. This is why I wanted to be here last. There is so much stuff in so many designs ohh hers another Thomas. He's available on over 80 items. Over 80! Let's see what else we can get then tapestry! I knew we'd get about tapestry, bath mat! I'm doing the bedroom but I'm gonna get a bath mat and just use it as a rug, comforter, so I can get a duvet, a blanket and a comforter I'm getting all three, yes, shower curtains okay I'm gonna use these as actually curtians for this. On a clock. On a clock. We getting the clock, apron! Benny watts on a aporn. I love it. Yes! Jigsaw puzzle! I would actually do a jigsaw of thomas that would be fun. Ohh this one has 91 options. Ah yes get Thomas on your a line dress. Get Thomas on your mini skirt. Get Thomas on your canvas art get Thomas onna baby onesie. I'm getting two of those with different pictures put the girls in them, get thomas on a duffle bag get a thomas on everything."

"I think I have found enough to make a beautiful bedroom make over to legs spend some money and I'll be back when it has all arrived to my doorstep"

"Hello. Here I am. Thomas is shopping so I have a couple of hours to do this." She explained in her bedroom surrounded by boxes "so. Let's time lapse a Bitch"

"Oh my god. This looks like the most fangirl bedroom of all time. Ohh just got my tea in my Thomas mugs on Thomas coster, beside my thomas duvet, comforter and blanket with my lovely Thomas throw pillows. Maybe today I shall do a bit of my thomas puzzle. Ohh by look at the time on my thomas clock really should let in some light by pulling back my thomas curtains. Step into my thomas rug, wave to my thomas standee. That's the worse one for me. Because it's life sized and it actually is this is his height I keep catching it in my eye line and it makes me jump. Thomas art on the walls, Thomas tapestry by the bed, stickers on literally anything I couldn't buy I just stuck stickers all over, I mean.... I'm not proud of what I've done. But I'm impressed.

"Hi Thomas" y/n smiled as he stood in the kitchen clearly just having put the shopping away "Hi" "How was shopping?" "Good. I got ice cream" "Ooohh what flavor?" "Strawberry and cream." "That's good, you want some coffee?' "Yeah that'd be lovely sweetheart" "Here you go" she smiled handing him a mug "What the- what does this say?" "I like my men like I like my tea, hot and british. Then it's you see" "Is this what was in that big box you had come?" "Yeah" "Okay. Very nice dear" he laughs taking it and having a sip of the coffee within "It's not all of it" "All of what?" "What was in the box" "Okay what else was in it?" "I've done some redecorating" "Right?" He asks sounding suspicious "I think your gonna like it" "May I see it?" "Yes, but I'm gonna cover your eyes when you go in" "Okay so surprise home renovation?" "Yep"

She stood in the doorway covering his eyes as he searched hopelessly for information with his hands "ready?' "Yes. I wanna see what in earth you've done" "One. Two. Three." "....... What the- what the fuck! What is this?" He asks unable to stop giggling but also kinda crying "I know when we moved i did alot of the decorating so I wanted the bedroom to feel a bit more you" "A bit more me. Really? What the actual fuck. I didn't know it was possible. Like I didn't know I was on duvets let alone that you could literally decorate a room with me" "You wanna lay on the bed" "No. I don't." "Or the blanket. Or comforter" "Ohh my god. How many pillows!" "Six throw pillows then our usual four that match the duvet. Believe it or not I picked six there was so many more" "Even the fucking coasters! Who is making this?" "Do you like the rug" "Ohh my god I hadn't even seen the rug, or the clock on for fuck sake." "Are you mad?" "I'm not mad I'm gobsmaked this exists. I'm blown away that I even exist as a curtian let alone that you can buy them and you have put them up in our bedroom" "I like the jigsaw I may actually finish that" "That's a jigsaw puzzle? A jigsaw puzzle of benny watts half naked?" "Yep" "I wanna know what the sales figures are for that item" "I do too honestly." "Is this. Is this a pencil case?" "Yes, and that's a glasses case" "Ohh my god." "Is anything in here something you knew existed before this?" "The standee I knew was a thing. I remember allowing that, even if they think I'm a bit shorter. The rest of this. May be hearing from our lawyer."

"So? Do you like it?' y/n asks sat on the bed with her mug Thomas beside her "Uhhhh. I'm surprised. I'm shocked. And frankly just... Just what the fuck it's all I can say. I mean I'm amazed you did this and that I had literally no idea, I knew you where getting parcels alot lately but it never even entered my mind you could be doing something like this." "Is there anything in this room we can keep? After this video" "Maybe one of the mugs. And maybe the jigsaw because I feel like you are gonna have fun with that" "I will" she smiled "ooh I forgot something" "Ohh god" She gets up running else where "All I ask is it's not a vibrator. It's the only thing I can think of that isn't in here. Please I beg that to not be a thing that exists" "Hi daddy!" Y/n smiled off screen and he burst out laughing "No. No.no.no.no" he says opening his arms and taking maggie into his chest "no. What has mummy done to you?" He cries as both girls had little Thomas onzies "So you know. You know there your daughters" "I don't need to know there mine. I need clothes that help me tell them apart when there this little, ohh my poor little baby, what has mummy done to you? My poor child. Let's get you out of this and get you back in your pretty dress with me penguin" "Yeah. Let's take this all down. Even I think this was a bit far for a joke" "A bit yeah. Save it all thought I'm taking it to the lawyer tomorrow" he says getting up to take the girls back to bed.

[stolen-pen-name23]

Hi Katie!! Congrats on the one year of writing🥰!! Can I request a number 28 with Padme and Obi-wan? Maybe he ended up on Naboo somehow after an awful mission and she was there to make sure he was okay?

Hello hello, my friend and thank you!! prompt fill from these prompts//prompts now closed

In what I'm sure will be very surprising to you all, what I intended as a 500-word fic turned into 2.6k, so I've posted it on Ao3, but the whole thing can be read below the cut!

Read on Ao3

Here ya go!

---

“I’m really sorry to ask this of you, but I quite literally need a place to crash.”

Padmé took in the blue, glowing form of her husband’s master and sighed. “Well, if you’re going to crash anywhere, Master Kenobi, I suppose I would rather it be here.”

“Thank you, Senator Amidala,” Obi-Wan said cordially. “It will be a controlled crash, I assure you. Really more like a bumpy landing than anything. I’ll keep it on the runway. All will be well.”

“Right,” Padmé sighed. “I’ll have firefighter droids on standby.”

“It is good to be cautious I suppose,” Obi-Wan admitted. He turned to the side and coughed into his elbow.

“Are you alright?” Padmé asked, concerned.

“Never better.”

Padmé narrowed her eyes at him, but his face remained impassive as always.

“Well then, I guess I’ll see you sooner rather than later.”

“I’ll see you soon, Senator,” Obi-Wan said before he shut off the line of communication.

Padmé’s lips tightened into a thin line as she worried over the Jedi that was about to fall at her feet.

“See you soon,” Padmé said to an empty room.

He’ll be fine. He’s Obi-Wan. He’s always fine.

***

And he was fine.

The ship crash-landed, but as far as crash landings go, his went pretty smooth.

Padmé met him at the wreckage of his ship.

“Always a pleasure to see you, Senator,” Obi-Wan greeted cordially as he crawled out of the smoldering remains of his starfighter. Grease was streaked on his forehead just over his eye and his cheeks were flushed.

“Are you quite alright, Master Kenobi?”

“Yes, though losing my only means of transportation is not my ideal situation.”

“You are welcome to borrow any of our—”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid Anakin was quite insistent that he pick me up. Funny how he never volunteers for such things when I’m on other planets isn’t it?”

Padmé gave him a nervous laugh.

“No matter. It is easier than having to bring an extra ship back..”

“Yes, of course,” Padmé said quickly. “I suppose you’ll be needing a place to sleep then?”

“I can make do just about anywhere,” Obi-Wan said. “But if you are offering a room, I will gladly accept one.”

“Of course, Obi-Wan. You are always welcome in our halls. Or in this case, the Lake House. I think you will be more comfortable there.”

Obi-Wan glanced at all the onlookers gathering around the fallen ship and the senator and the Jedi standing beside it.

“This Lake House you speak of… Are there fewer people there?”

“Yes.”

“Then, by all means, take me to it.”

They walked side by side, though Obi-Wan followed her lead. She did not miss the way Obi-Wan kept his gaze away from the numerous onlookers.

Padmé laughed to herself.

“Is something funny, senator?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s just, for a people person, you never seem to really enjoy being around them.”

“Who said I was a people person?”

“Oh please, Master Kenobi,” Padme said. “You cannot tell me you are unaware of your own silver tongue? They don’t call you the Negotiator for nothing.”

Obi-Wan rubbed his beard as if pondering the thought.

“I don’t know if that necessarily qualifies me as a people person.”

“I’ve seen you at senatorial dinners. You’re good with people. You know how to talk to them.”

Obi-Wan blushed. “I suppose certain diplomatic skills are necessary when you’re a Jedi.”

“Don’t be so modest. The ability to work a room is one that doesn't come naturally to most. You would make a fine politician.”

Obi-Wan’s expression turned sour. “You insult me.”

“All I’m saying is you’re good at getting people to give you what you want. And don’t even get me started on all the flirting you do, I mean—”

“Fine, I won’t,” Obi-Wan said quickly. “Your point has been made.”

“Good, as long as we’re on the same page.”

Obi-Wan smirked but stumbled over his feet. Padmé reached out for him and clutched his elbow. He steadied himself and shook his head.

“Obi-Wan,” Padmé said. “You didn’t hit your head when we landed, did you?”

“No, no of course not.”

“Good, I wouldn’t want a concussed Jedi on my hands. Though it would not be the first time,” she smirked.

“No, it would not be,” Obi-Wan smiled back.

The senator and the Jedi reached a speeder with a driver and a guard in the front. Obi-Wan opened the door and Padmé slid into the back seat easily. Obi-Wan followed right behind her.

“It is not a long drive to the Lake House,” Padmé said. “I’m sure you’re eager to get some rest.”

“Quite,” Obi-Wan said, rubbing his eyes.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes, Senator. No need to worry over me.”

Padmé did not agree with his sentiments, but she did not argue with them either. Instead, she remained silent the rest of the ride to the Lake House. The cool, evening breeze blew baby hairs out of her tightly pulled-back bun.

Padmé turned back to Obi-Wan, but he was slightly slumped over and fast asleep. She quietly snapped a holo photo of him and sent it to Anakin.

Her message to him read: “I have your Master. He’s my hostage now.”

“Oh, so you’re going to make me pay a ransom? What do I owe you?” Anakin replied.

“Oh, I’ll think of something, love.”

“Looking forward to it. I’ll be there in the morning. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Padmé snapped her comm shut and smiled to herself. She was glad Obi-Wan was not awake to see the stupid grin on her face.

***

“Master Obi-Wan. Wake up,” Padmé said quietly, shaking the Jedi’s shoulder. “We’re here.”

Obi-Wan blinked at her groggily. “Where…?”

“We’re at the Lake House.”

“Oh,” Obi-Wan said. He yawned and blinked tired eyes at her.

“Come on. You’re exhausted. Let’s go inside.”

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and followed Padmé out of the speeder and into the Lake House.

“This is a beautiful home,” Obi-Wan said, casting his gaze across every wall and wooden beam.

“Thank you, I would offer to give you the full tour, but you look dead on your feet.”

Obi-Wan smiled gratefully at her. “Perhaps in the morning, Senator.”

“Perhaps,” she said. “Let me show you to your room.”

Padmé led him up the staircase and guided him to the guest suite. She opened the door and motioned for him to come in.

The room was one of the largest in the whole home. Large tapestries with traditional Nubian art adorned the walls and a large bed with a white duvet was centered against the back wall. Bay windows overlooked the lake and had a bench seat for guests to curl up in a quiet place for reading or meditation. In other words, it was the perfect place for Obi-Wan.

“This is more than generous. Thank you, Padmé,” Obi-Wan said, taking in the opulent room before him.

“Anytime,” Padmé said. “Do you need anything else? Do want something to eat before you go to bed?”

Padmé did not miss the way Obi-Wan’s skin seemed to pale at just the suggestion. “No, thank you. I’m not very hungry.”

“All right,” Padmé said suspiciously. “Have a good night, Obi-Wan. Sleep well.”

“You too, Padmé. Thank you again for your hospitality.”

“There is no need to thank me. Naboo owes you a great debt for your actions here all those years ago. And you are my friend. Only my friends are allowed to stay here,” she grinned.

“It’s good to have friends, Senator,” Obi-Wan said, though his tone was more subdued. “Goodnight, Padmé.”

The door clicked softly behind him and Padmé was left alone in the darkened hallway.

***

The Jedi were not the only ones who got bad feelings about things.

Padmé fretted around in her kitchen, unable to go to sleep with the feeling that something was wrong with Obi-Wan. She scrubbed at her counter, the marble already spotless and shining, and tried to think of an excuse she could use to check on him.

Her eyes landed on a red tea kettle and she smiled.

Padmé had her plan.

***

Padmé knocked on the guest suite door and waited for a response. If he didn’t answer, she would simply leave the steaming mug on the nightstand and leave. A simple, innocent plan.

She knocked again and when no response came, she opened the door just a crack.

“Obi-Wan?” Padmé questioned softly as she peeked inside the darkened room “I brought you some tea.”

A quiet murmur is the only response she received. Padmé stepped into the room and turned on a lamp.

“Obi-Wan?”

He shifted, but his eyes remained closed. Discomfort was evident in the set of his jaw, even in sleep.

Setting the mug down, she approached his bed and took note of the sweat dampening his hair and the flush high on his cheekbones. Sighing, she sat down beside him and pushed his sweaty hair off of his forehead. His skin radiated heat.

There was something wrong with him. Her instincts had been right after all.

Obi-Wan tossed his head to the side and let out a soft whimper. A soft, but desperate sound that sent alarm bells ringing in Padmé’s head. “Obi-Wan, wake up.”

His eyes remained firmly shut and the quiet, pained whimpers continued.

“Obi-Wan, please, it’s just a nightmare. Wake up.”

Padmé grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him until fever-bright eyes stared into her own.

“Your Highness,” Obi-Wan said. “You have to get out of here, it’s not safe. My Master and I…” Obi-Wan’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “My Master and I…”

Padmé’s heart sunk. “Obi-Wan, you’re sick. You’re in the Lake House. Everything is alright, we’re both safe.”

“Your Highness?”

“Yes, Obi-Wan. It’s all right. I’ll be right back. I need to get you some medicine. Just wait here.”

“It’s not safe.”

“Yes, it is. Just wait here.”

Padme rushed back down to the kitchen and dug around for some fever reducers. Finding what she was looking for, she raced back up the stairs and returned to the guest suite.

“Here, take these,” Padmé said, handing Obi-Wan the pills and the mug of tea. “You’ll feel better.”

“Padmé?” Obi-Wan asked, confusion still lacing his tired voice.

“Yes, it’s me, Obi-Wan. Just take these.”

Obediently, Obi-Wan swallowed the pills. Padmé took the mug from his hands before he could spill the hot tea on himself and she set it to the side once again.

“There you go,” Padmé said soothingly. “Lay back down. That’s it.”

“Not safe,” Obi-Wan insisted, though his resolve was weakening.

“Just go to sleep. I’ll protect you.”

Her words seemed to soothe Obi-Wan. The fear that left him rigid and tightly coiled seemed to drain from his body as his muscles and jawline relaxed. It was not long before Padmé’s order to sleep was heeded.

True to her word, Padmé watched over him until dawn broke.

***

The morning brought recovery. Obi-Wan’s skin lacked the pallor of the ill and his eyes were clear of the feverish glaze.

“Goodmorning, Master Kenobi,” Padmé said when his gaze landed on her.

He blinked at her in confusion. “Senator Amidala. Why are you...?”

“You’re sick. Or you were. Your fever broke this morning, but I think you should still take it easy.”

“When did you… I thought I was alone?”

“Forgive me for intruding on your privacy, but I couldn’t shake the feeling you were unwell.”

“Did you stay here the whole night?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Senator. I did not mean for you to…”

“Save your apologies Obi-Wan. I am happy to help. I just wish you had told me you were ill sooner,” she said. Her lips tightened in a thin, disapproving line. “I knew something wasn’t right.”

“You sound like Anakin with all of his unhelpful I told you so’s.”

“Still, you should have told me you were sick,” Padmé protested.

“I did not think it was that bad,” Obi-Wan said. After a pause, he added, “until I woke up with you sitting right there.”

“It never starts bad, does it?”

“No, it never does.”

“Obi-Wan?” Padmé asked, her tone changing from teasing to concerned.

“Yes?” Obi-Wan asked, though apprehension filled his answer.

“In your sleep, you… you were having a nightmare. You called me your Highness. You brought up your Master.” If she did not know him, Padmé might not have seen the way his eyes darkened or the subtle clench of his jaw. “Do you want to talk about it?” she added on.

“Not particularly.” The sheets began to twist in his hand.

“It might be good for you, you know? To talk about it with someone who isn’t… well… Anakin.”

“I do have other friends, I’ll have you know,” Obi-Wan said indignantly.

“And do you talk to them?”

The way he looks down at his hands is answer enough. “It’s just… being on this planet, and what you said about Naboo owing me a debt. I guess it just stirred up some memories that I think were compounded by the haze of fever.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It is not your fault.”

Silence rests between them and Padmé searches for a way to fill the void.

“I do have a question for you,” Padmé finally said, lightening her tone once more.

“I’ll do my best to answer it.”

“Do you think that there is a possibility the ship malfunctioned due to… I don’t know… user error?”

“No, not at all.”

“Really? You don’t think that perhaps, maybe, just maybe, you were feeling so under the weather that you failed to notice the hyperdrive overheating? A simple fix if found early?”

“It’s not that simple,” Obi-Wan said defensively. “Anakin just makes it look simple.”

“Uh-huh,” Padme said. “Of course.”

As if the act of speaking his name summoned him, Anakin strode through the door.

“Hello Anakin,” Obi-Wan greeted, sitting up on his elbows.

“Master. Senator,” Anakin said, bowing slightly. “I was looking for you downstairs. I didn’t think you would be here. In the same bedroom. Together.”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

“I was sick, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, sparing Padmé the burden of explanation. “The good senator over here sacrificed her night of rest to ensure my health, though it was unnecessary and I would have been just fine.”

“He was delirious!” Pamdé said in defense.

The rigid line of Anakin’s shoulders softened. “Are you all right, Master?”

“Perfectly fine and quite ready to go home.”

Anakin narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know. You seem a little pale. Maybe we should wait a day before travelling back to Coruscant.”

Obi-Wan scoffed.

“Yes, you are still a little pale,” Padmé said, only looking at Anakin and his conspiratorial grin. “One more day of rest wouldn’t hurt.”

Obi-Wan sighed and flopped back down on the bed. “I’m not winning this one, am I?”

“We care about your health, Master,” Anakin said innocently.

“Mmhmm I’m quite sure that’s what it is. Very well. But we are returning tomorrow.”

“Of course, Master,” Anakin said. “Now get some more rest.”

Obi-Wan made a face at them both as Padmé practically pushed Anakin into the hallway. The door closed softly behind them, but it sounded louder in the quiet of the hall. Anakin grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs. When they made it into the kitchen they erupted into a fit of giggles.

“Well Senator,” Anakin said, grabbing her hips and swaying her around the kitchen. “It looks like I have a little time to pay my ransom.”

“Good,” Padmé said. “I was concerned you weren’t going to pay up.”

“I’m true to my word, my love,” Anakin said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Padmé smiled. She let Anakin twirl her around the kitchen, knowing full well that it would not, could not, last. She soaked up every fleeting moment with him and refused to think about the inevitable tomorrow where they would once again be parted.

It didn’t matter. This moment was enough.