#I remember seeing people whining in the tags when the anime was announced to be animated by studio trigger

[jaskierswolf]

Weight on My Shoulders

A very self-indulgent prequel to my not so kinky soulmate AU (Tumblr/AO3).

Any references to events or messages involving my own darling soulmate @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde is purely coincidental. I promise we are much more needy than this.

Ship: Geraskier (pre-romantic)

CW: Far too much pining, mentions of anxiety, long distance friendships

_____

Jaskier pouted as he wrapped himself up in his weighted blanket and duvet. Even with the additional weight he was struggling to sleep properly, but it did help. What would really help was a hug from his soulmate, but that was off the table. Geralt was a bazillion lightyears away, all the way in America, and Jaskier was stuck in miserable, grey England. They’d been talking online for two years, and the distance wasn’t getting any easier. If anything it was getting worse, and Jaskier wasn’t sure how much more he could take of it.

“Jask, you’re falling asleep, love,” Geralt hummed from the too bright screen that was lighting up his room. “Go to bed.”

“I’m in bed,” Jaskier huffed.

“Go to sleep, we can talk more in the morning.”

Jaskier whined, sinking further into his blanket burrito. “But I have work again tomorrow, I don’t want to sleep. I want to talk to you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Geralt sighed, smiling warmly at him through the screen, “But I will be here when you wake, I promise.”

“I’d rather you be here with me.”

It was pathetic. Jaskier knew it was pathetic, but he just felt a warmth in his chest, a ghost of Geralt’s arms around him.

“I’m always here” Geralt hummed in his mind.

Jaskier leaned into Geralt’s mental embrace, letting himself soak in the glow of his soulmate’s warmth. He was struggling to keep his eyes open which didn’t really matter but he only had a few hours each day to video call his soulmate and he hated wasting any of them. It had been worse the last few days. Essi and Pris had announced they were going to honeymoon in New York, and whilst they wouldn’t see Geralt, they would be a whole lot closer than Jaskier had ever been. He’d even considered asking to tag along in their suitcases so he could afford the trip to the States.

He just missed Geralt so fucking much.

“I love you,” he mumbled again, wiping the tears from his eyes that he hadn’t even realised had formed. “I love you more than Dandelion.”

He tried to laugh but it sounded weak to his own ears. Dandelion was a musician, just like he was hoping to be, a beautiful tall elegant man with gorgeous long blond curls, and a laugh that could outshine a thousand suns. He was also Jaskier’s celebrity crush and inspiration. Jaskier had been obsessed since he was sixteen, secretly hoping that Dandelion was his soulmate. Not much had changed since meeting Geralt in his dreams. He was still completely obsessed with the musician, only his daydreams tended to include Geralt as well, a fact that his soulmate thankfully found endearing.

“Wow,” Geralt chuckled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “That’s high praise.”

“It’s true! I would renounce my love of Dandelion for mere seconds in your arms,” Jaskier insisted, “and then I would never let you go and you’d be stuck with me.”

“It would be hard to work with a Jaskier in my arms.”

Jaskier scoffed, rubbing his eyes. “You’ll manage.”

“Sleep, Jask,” Geralt’s words were a low hum, added weight to his blanket and Jaskier could feel himself slipping. He supposed it was only a matter of time really, it was nearly midnight and Jaskier had to get up at an ungodly hour for work. “For me.”

And really that was just unfair. Geralt knew that Jaskier would do anything for him. He was just that desperate for attention, although despite his slightly less dramatic personality, Geralt could be equally needy, if you knew how to read him.

“That’s cheating,” Jaskier whined.

“I never said I play fair.”

“Betrayed by my own soulmate,” Jaskier pouted as Geralt hung up the call and his tiny little bedroom fell into darkness. Without the light of his phone, Jaskier was fighting a losing battle. “I love you, dear heart.”

“I love you too, a lot. Too much.”

Jaskier scoffed, turning to hug his pillow. “Never too much, never enough. Goodnight, my love”

“Night, Jask.”

_______

When he awoke the next morning, Jaskier had a notification on his phone. It wasn’t unusual. Geralt often left him little messages, pictures of Roach, or things that had reminded him of Jaskier throughout the day. Sometimes, if Jaskier was lucky, Geralt would leave him gifs of Dandelion, and on even rarer occasions, awkward selfies that were never flattering despite Geralt’s godlike appearance. Jaskier treasured every single one. But no, that morning he had a more unusual notification.

It was from Lambert.

They’d talked a couple of times, mostly in a group chat whenever Geralt wanted to include Jaskier on family film night or playing games online, which Jaskier was shockingly terrible at, especially the shooting games the boys preferred. Lambert had never DM’d Jaskier before though. There had never been an occasion to, so why bother?

So Jaskier was feeling more than a little anxious about clicking on the message.

“Geralt?” he tested, although he was pretty positive that his soulmate was asleep. Geralt would usually at least say good morning when he was awake, but there had been nothing but silence through their soulbond.

It came as no surprise when Geralt didn’t answer.

His phone buzzed again in his hand, another message from Lambert.

“Bollocks,” Jaskier groaned, sitting up in bed so he could find his glasses. They were buried under his blanket and looking a little bent out of shape but that was nothing new.

L - Guess who’s coming to England on a business trip!

Jaskier’s heart jumped and hope soared through his body, a flutter of wings in his chest as his pulse raced, only to be destroyed in the next second.

L - It’s not Geralt, shit. I should have started with that.

- It’s me.

- I’m coming to England. Found out this morning. All expenses paid. - I’ll be in London for a week, if you want to meet up?

Jaskier stared at his phone. He was excited, of course he was but he couldn’t help the ache in his heart. His friend was coming to England. Geralt’s family was coming to England. That was one step closer to meeting his soulmate in person, but it wasn’t far enough. He felt like shit. Guilt tore through him. Lambert was clearly excited about his news and yet all Jaskier could think of was how he wasn’t Geralt.

Maybe he could give Lambert something to take back to Geralt. They’d sent letters and parcels back and forth but it would be different like this, and he should be excited. He should be over the fucking moon.

And truth be told, if he hadn’t felt so incredibly needy already he probably would have been more excited, but his heart was feeling fragile. Jaskier had spent the last week or so wondering if Geralt loved him back in a romantic way, or whether they would just be the dearest of friends. Whatever it was, Jaskier would be fine. That’s how soulbonds worked. They would be perfect for one another, platonically or romantically but Jaskier fell hard and fast.

Surely Geralt would love him back in the same way, right?

Jaskier was too afraid to ask at this point. He just kept saying “I love you” and hoping that Geralt would hear the truth. Neither of them had spoken about dating other people, but Jaskier knew there was no hope for him. Perhaps the odd fling, but he’d tried that once and without the connection he had with Geralt, he just wasn’t really into it.

He sighed dramatically and picked up his phone.

J - That’s fucking brilliant!!

He added a stream of emojis for good luck.

J - and all expenses paid for?! Drinks are on you, darling x

L - You should be so lucky.

- Pay for your own drink you cheapskate.

Jaskier squinted at the screen, pushing his fringe from his face. His tongue flicked out to lick his lips, and he ignored the dryness in his throat. Logically, he knew he should get up and get some water but his bed was comfy and he didn’t quite want to face the day yet, especially as Geralt was asleep. Things just felt heavier when Geralt was asleep.

He sighed again and tapped out a message.

J - Can you sneak Geralt in your suitcase?

- I’ll pay for the luggage fee <3

Lambert started typing immediately and Jaskier waited with bated breath. It had been a joke but there was always a chance that Lambert would be allowed a plus one… right?

L - I’m afraid not

- I’m sorry. I know you want to meet.

- Geralt is just as upset. The bastard hasn’t spoken to me all day.

Jaskier couldn’t help but laugh at that. He’d sensed something had been bothering his soulmate, especially when Geralt was the one to insist they video-called before Jaskier went to bed, but it was nice to hear that he wasn’t the only one being pathetic and unreasonably grumpy. Sometimes it felt like Jaskier felt everything and Geralt was just putting up with him because he didn’t have much choice. In his heart, Jaskier knew that wasn’t true, that Geralt just showed his love in a more sedate manner.

Opposites really do attract.

He sighed and switched chats, typing out a quick message to his soulmate.

J - I miss you. I love you. I will be unbearably needy today. Sorry!

Flipping his phone to the camera app, Jaskier snapped a quick selfie. He looked like a mess of stubble, glasses and ratty hair… but Geralt never seemed to mind.

J - Isn’t your soulmate the best?

- Love me?

- I love you

- I already said that but it’s true.

Jaskier cursed and threw his phone onto the end of the bed before remembering that he hadn’t answered Lambert yet. He pouted and scrambled to find his phone again, struggling against the weight of his blanket. The blanket did wonders for his ADHD but it could be a pain in the arse to move sometimes. Reluctantly, he switched back to Lambert’s chat.

J - I can’t wait to show you around! Ooh we could go to the natural history museum, I’m sure some of the stuffed animals look just like you! Or maybe a show!

L - Not sure how much I’’ll be able to hang out, but we’ll have to get a photo to show Geralt.

- He’ll probably be jealous.

- But he’ll manage.

Jaskier rolled his eyes. Siblings could be the worst. He’d never really gotten on well with his own sisters but he could imagine having Lambert for a brother would be a hundred times worse. Still, he smiled at his phone. Geralt would be jealous. Geralt wanted to meet him. That was a good thing, no matter how much Jaskier pined to see his soulmate over Lambert.

This was a start.

One day.

They would meet one day, and then Jaskier would never have to let him go. He just had to be patient… for now.

[cupidhaos]

the side character

pairing: kwon soonyoung x female reader

word count: 2.6k

genre: fluff, humor, one-sided crushes, highschool

summary: he always saw himself as the side character in her life. he knew he stood no chance, but that still didn’t stop his feelings from forming

warnings: swearing

a/n: this one was so cute and fun to write but it was also a bit of a bittersweet feeling ngl after i remember that this is part of WIL? <//3 anyways horanghae i love kwon soonyoung

[part of my What is Love? series]

soonyoung described the first time seeing her as a blessing from the gods. she was friends with his friends and she’d always come hang out with them from time to time. he was always tagging along with jun and the others during school and never really got the chance to properly meet her. the first time that he saw her was in his second year of high school.

“y/n!” he heard his friend jun call out as him, wonwoo, and jun walked down the hallway together. soonyoung was in the middle of telling wonwoo a story when he realized that his other friend was now gone.

“huh? where did jun go?” soonyoung asked curiously as he looked around for his taller friend. wonwoo just nods nonchalantly to where their missing friend was. soonyoung turns towards that direction and he watches as his friend wraps his arm around a girl.

“how’s my favorite girl doing today?” jun asks as the girl just responds with a roll of her eyes. “you always ask that, get something more original jun” she replies back despite the small blush on her cheek.

soonyoung stops in his tracks as his gaze fixates on the girl that jun was flirting with. wonwoo, who was walking slightly ahead, stops to turn around at his friend. “soonyoung? is something wrong?”

the boy in question continues to just stand there with wide eyes as his jaw became slack. “wonwoo… who is that girl…?”

wonwoo turns back to look where he was staring towards and makes a noise of acknowledgement. “ahh, that’s y/n. juns new target. she’s also in that club with shua, cheol, and han.” wonwoo explains.

soonyoung nods as he continues to stare towards them.

“she’s… really pretty…”

his friend raises an eyebrow at the comment. before he was able to say anything, wonwoo watches soonyoung’s gaze follow y/n’s retreating figure with wide eyes. as jun returns to their group, he slings an arm around wonwoo’s shoulders with a defeated sigh

“seems as if i failed once again in winning over y/n’s heart”

as the trio begin to walk down the hallway again, soonyoung looks down at ground in front him - staring at his shoes as they walked. the blush on soonyoung’s cheeks never left for the remainder of the day.

it was the second time seeing her that he finally got to talk to her. like always, he was with wonwoo and jun while the three walked down the corridor together. soonyoung looked around for his best friend before turning towards wonwoo.

“wheres jihoon?” he asks, a curious look on his face. wonwoo just shrugs as he keeps his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“don’t know. probably off in the piano room again” he replies nonchalantly. soonyoung just nods his head at his reply. soonyoung then turns towards jun who types away lazily at his phone, an uninterested look on his face.

“who are you texting?” soonyoung asks his friend. jun opens his mouth to respond before his attention was diverted elsewhere.

“jun!” jeonghan’s voice calls out. soonyoung turns towards his older friend who stands next to the girl he had saw just a few days before. jun looks up - his face immediately brightening once he sees y/n.

“my darling y/n!” jun greets, which causes the younger girl’s expression turn into one of disgust. jeonghan and y/n walk up towards the trio and soonyoung stood slightly behind his friends as they did. his heart racing nervously once she had gotten closer to their group.

“have you ever thought about greeting me normally?” she asks, a scowl on her face. jun just shakes his head at the question though, draping an arm across her shoulders.

“no? wheres the fun in that?” jun teases, causing y/n to roll her eyes. it didn’t stop the blush creeping up on her cheeks though.

“we were just heading to meet up with joshua and seungcheol” jeonghan explains, nodding his head towards the direction they were going in. “we have a meeting at y/n’s house today.”

jun raises an eyebrow at this new piece of information and wonwoo covers his mouth to yawn. soonyoung didn’t pay any attention to anyone else though, his gaze only focused onto y/n.

“is that so? then why don’t i come along with also? maybe you can show me your card collection” jun suggests with a wink. y/n just scoffs at him though, shrugging his arm off of her shoulder “yeah right - like you’d be interested in the anime club.”

for some reason, soonyoung felt the urge to speak up. he wanted to be included in the conversation - but wasn’t able to gain the courage to do so. he just needed a little push, that was all he needed to finally speak up.

“besides - joshua wanted to show us his yugioh collection today so -”

“yugioh!”

the conversation pauses, all attention was on soonyoung in response to his sudden outburst. everyone turns to look at soonyoung, a confused expression at the sudden interruption. even wonwoo turns around to look back at his friend, eyebrows scrunched together as he stares at him with a tired look on his face.

at that very moment, soonyoung wanted to so badly get swallowed up by a dark hole and never come out. a blush was creeping up his neck as an awkward silence settled in the air.

‘think think think! say something soonyoung!’ his mind was screaming at him as he just stares back at his friends with an awkward smile.

“yugioh! it’s very um - i play yugioh also! i have a really big collection too haha… yeah i have the dark magician card as well as the ultra rare monster reborn legend of blue eyes card.” soonyoung rambles, one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

silence falls upon them once again before it was broken by someone’s laugh. all eyes turned towards y/n as she laughs into her hand. soonyoung’s shoulders relax as a look of relief washes over his face. soon enough, the rest of the group joins in on the laughter as well.

“god soonyoung - what was that?” jun asks in between his laughs. soonyoung’s face reddens at the question and averts his eyes towards the floor.

“i - i don’t really-”

“your friends funny jun leave him alone. you should take some lessons from him” y/n speaks up. jun feigns hurt as jeonghan announces that the two of them were going to be late if they don’t get going.

y/n says her goodbyes and soonyoung doesn’t want her to go just yet. jeonghan and y/n make their way towards the entrance before y/n stops in her tracks. she turns around and locks eyes with soonyoung. his own eyes widen in shock as she points a finger towards him.

“you better not be lying about the dark magician card! i’d like to see that for myself one day.” she teases before turning back around to jeonghan who just shakes his head at her.

soonyoung thought about her until he went to bed that night. the smile never left his face even as he drifted off to sleep.

afterwards, soonyoung always tried to think up ways to approach y/n. he watched as his other friends went up to her with ease, talking and smiling with her casually. soonyoung’s chest filled up with envy as he could never find the right moment to talk to her.

he would make jokes from time to time when he was with the others, and though she may not even know his name - seeing her laugh was always worth it.

“what do i do wonwoo? i don’t even know how to approach her” soonyoung complains to his friend with a sigh. wonwoo shrugs him off as he just continues to write down the answers to his math homework. “not sure - maybe do your homework instead of whining?”

soonyoung looks up from where he laid his head on the table and pouts up at his friend. he huffs loudly as he lets out an over dramatic sigh “wonwoo come onnnn - help meeeee”

his friend’s eye twitches in annoyance as soonyoung continues to whine loudly in the library the two were supposed to be studying at. the pair began receiving looks from bystanders at sitting at other tables. wonwoo grabs his friend’s notebook, smacking it down harshly onto soonyoung’s head - stopping his whines.

“if you’re so nervous about it - leave a note on her desk or something. it’s obvious you’re too shy to even approach her so might as well.”

wonwoo waves him off and soonyoung sits there in thought for a second. his eyes lit up as an idea pops up in his head. the now energetic boy - slams his hands down on the table in delight. his friend jumps in his seat as more people turned their attention towards them.

“wonwoo! you’re a genius!”

shortly after, the two were kicked out of the public library.

a few days later, soonyoung stands nervously at the door of one of the second years classroom. he intently stares at the note that he placed on y/n’s desk as wonwoo stands behind him with a tired look on his face.

“you look like a creep.” his friend tells him with a blank expression. soonyoung just ignores him though, tensing up as he watches y/n walk into the classroom.

her friends laugh with each other loudly as y/n proceeds to walk towards her desk. she tilts her head in curiosity as she picks up the note, slowly unfolding it. two of her friends, who soonyoung recognizes as mingyu and minghao, come up to her - looking at the note with interest.

“oh? is that a love letter y/n?” minghao teases, and soonyoung can feel his heart beat faster than it was before.

“i’m not sure actually - i don’t think anyone has a crush on me”

worry fills wonwoo as he realized his friend never even told him what he put in the note. he turns towards his friend with a glare in his eyes “wait... soonyoung, what did you even write -”

“i... horanghae you… heart?”

its quiet between y/n and her friends as they process the contents of the letter. wonwoo looks at his friend with a look of disgust as he realizes what his friend wrote. soonyoung just continues to stare at y/n with expectant eyes though.

suddenly, abrupt laughter was heard from her friends as she read the note out loud.

“horanghae?! what the hell is that?!

“did someone try and prank you? who would even say i ‘tiger’ you to somebody?”

soonyoung’s demeanor immediately falters as he heard the comments of her friends. he so badly wanted to leave, yet he still wanted to hear what she had to say about it.

y/n stands there quietly as she stares at the note in shock and confusion. a small smile crawls up on her face though as she reread the message.

“i think it’s cute... they even left a little drawing of a tiger”

that’s all it took for soonyoung to feel as if he was over the moon. he watches as her friend’s continue to tease her about it, but the smile never leaves her face. the older boy opens his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as his friend pulled him by the collar and down the hall.

“wonwoo! she liked it i think!” soonyoung excitedly tells his friend who just sighs.

“from now on - check in with me before you write notes containing your tiger language please”

what soonyoung didn’t know, was that y/n always kept that note with her in her notebook. soon enough, soonyoung was finally able to introduce himself to her.

“JIHOOOON!

it was a summer day after school when him and junhui were looking for jihoon. he watches from the end of the hall as y/n and jihoon try to pick up a bunch of fallen files off the ground in front of the music rooom. junhui makes a comment about y/n ‘cheating on him’ as the come up to them and soonyoung takes his chance to finally say something.

“enchanted by our jihoonies beautiful piano skills?” soonyoung asks y/n as he leans down to grab one of the boxes.

“soonyoung, do you ever stop talking?” jihoon asks with a scowl as he stands up. soonyoung just shakes his head with a smile though, happy to see his best friend as well as his crush at the same time.

“nope! also i don’t think we’ve met yet - i’m kwon soonyoung, third year and hoonies best friend!” he introduces. that was a lie, the two of them had in fact met before. but soonyoung was pretty sure that she didn’t even remember who he was - considering that he saw himself as a background character in her life.

she smiled back at him that causes soonyoung’s heart to flutter. he couldn’t get the feelings of butterflies out of his stomach the entire time they walked to the library. that was because his crush finally knew his name.

“y/ns walking home alone without mingyu? i hope she doesn’t feel too lonely today.” someone murmured past soonyoung. he didn’t mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it was if this person had said it intentionally so that soonyoung would hear. excusing himself from the conversation he was having with a classmate, he makes his way towards the main gates.

“y/n! let’s walk home together!” soonyoung calls out. y/n looks up with a sad expression, but soon brightened once she saw the older boy. she nods to him with a tight smile as they make their way towards y/n’s house.

“i walked home with you because i wanted to walk with you! because i wanted to spend time with you and get to know you better! i didn’t do any of this because i pitied you!”

soonyoung seriously had no idea what came over him. but hearing y/n think that she only walked with him out of pity sent him over the edge.

“i know you barely know me and we have never talked before - but i want to know who you are…” he starts up again. he wasn’t sure where this new found confidence was coming from, but suddenly he began to feel his feet move on their own.

“i want you to see me more than just a side character in your life. i want to know who you are and get to know you.” soonyoung tells her and he felt his heart beating loudly in his chest. he didn’t even realize he was grabbing onto her shoulders until her eyes looked up to meet his.

“i’d like to get to know you too soonyoung”

soon enough the serious expression was gone and embarrassment begins to settle in once he realizes what he just said and what she just replied with.

“you can’t just say things like that!” soonyoung exclaims as he covers his face with his hands out of embarrassment. y/n just laughs at his reaction though, offering to go get a popsicle with him in return.

later on, as the two are walking back, y/n points up at sky with a gasp. “woah it’s getting dark! i didn’t even realize how long we were out together.”

soonyoung looks up at the summer sky. he didn’t realize it either since being around y/n didn’t even feel like time was passing by. the two of them continue walking towards y/n’s home while gazing up at the setting sun. soonyoung’s gaze turns to look towards y/n as he watches her look up at the sky.

“isn’t it beautiful soonyoung?” y/n asks, not taking notice of soonyoung’s stare. the older boy nods in response to the question with a smile on his face as he takes in the moment that he had with her right now. a moment that he would never forget.

“it is, it really is.”

moments of love masterlist

[the-silentium]

Here we go again

Masterlist - Murphy day - Part 2

Before I introduce you to my story, please note that Fors is an Original planet. I do not give permission to people to use it for their own fics, the planet, the animals, the Nightmares, the lore or anything related to Fors. Thank you.

Pairing: Bad Batch x Reader

Words: 3661 words

Warnings: Hurting animals (predators, don’t worry).

A/N: This is going to be insane. It’ll get gory (not in this chap, but we’ll get there). 

Taglist: @haloangel391​ (still want to be tagged?) + Tag list open

_____________________

"This," Tech paused to find the right words to not insult you once more. "went rather good considering it's your first time." He met your gaze, clearly concentrating on your body language to see if you were insulted or not.

You stared back at him blankly, eyebrow raised, hands joined on your lap. You turned your chair to face him completely and moved forward to get your elbows on your knees, never breaking the eye contact. 

"Cut the crap. Say what you wanted to say." 

"Two things." He immediately followed like the words were dying to leave his lips. "One, this should have been a lot more chaotic. Two, there was no way you actually never flew a ship before." His eyes squinted like this would press the info out of you.

"You accusing me of lying?" You remained stoic, not letting him know yet about your little secret and actually making him squirm in his seat. 

"No!" He straightened in his seat, frowning in confusion as if you'd just slapped him. In the background, you could hear footsteps getting closer to the cockpit door. 

"Are you?" He continued, uncertain.

"No." 

"For a second I doubted it was you piloting." Hunter entered, followed by Wrecker who stood right behind him. "Very good for a first flight." 

"Yeah! We could tell it wasn't Tech because of the landing! It was too smooth." Wrecker chimed in to his smaller brother's dismay. 

"Thanks." You answered with a nod at the same time Tech yelled his indignation. 

"She cheated!" 

"And how can you cheat at piloting a ship?" Crosshair snickered at the apparent attempt to keep his reputation of best pilot of the Marauder. Apparently you were promising enough to be a threat. This was interesting. 

"Tech. She doesn't have a droid. She couldn't cheat." Hunter pointed out, confused. 

"She said she didn't fly a ship before! It clearly isn't the case!" His hands moved around to prove his point, almost causing you to burst out laughing. 

"Again with accusing me of lying?" You inquired innocently. 

"No! I'm not-" 

"You just did." The sniper smirked, enjoying the show. 

Shiny decided to join the troop at this moment, passing its head under Wrecker's big hand for some pat. Your heart squeezed at the prospect that the tiny baby wouldn't be around anymore. He was so sweet. 

"But you can't learn that from the books!"

"I didn't lie." You chuckled, your attention back to the discussion. One of your hands found the engineer's pauldron to calm him down. "I never flew a ship before. Hell, I've never used a blaster before! This planet is still using bows and arrows."  

You heard a snort on your right, clearly coming from the grey-haired trooper, but your eyes were fixed to Tech's who was still trying to get how the hell you managed to get the hang of flying a ship so quickly. You were sure it took hours of training to be able to fly to the GAR standards and you knew you didn't reach these standards. Yet. But it didn't stop your first performance to be quite good, or so it seemed. 

"You're right. I read all the books and they couldn't have prepared me enough." He nodded, already knowing that he was right, waiting for you to continue with barely contained impatience. 

"Remember the trooper who shared my room for a while? Blast?" You didn't wait for him to answer your question before getting to the part of his interest. "He's a gunship pilot. He taught me what to be aware of, what to look for, how to react in what situation, and other stuff." 

You smiled sweetly at his goggled eyes, batting your eyelashes innocently. 

"See? Not a liar. Just resourceful." 

His eyes grew wide in panic, almost making you panic. 

"You blew your cover of being a trained pilot!" Oh. You rolled your eyes in all playfulness, noticing how the rest of the team tensed at his words. 

" 'm not that dumb Techie." You resisted the urge to boop his nose in front of everyone. "Told him I was used to starfighters and not gunships. Wasn't used to the big extra weight behind my ass. He bought it and helped me 'adjust'." You finished by making quotation marks in the air, happy to see his face crumble in relief. 

"It's okay Tech. You're still the best pilot between the two of us." You patted his shoulder and got to your feet, a new energy in your steps as you made your way to the back of the ship. 

You looked around for your knife, going to the last place you remember seeing it; the barracks. Only, you found the beds to be totally empty and your knife was unexpectedly nowhere to be seen in the living area too. Maybe one of the boys had it, you thought. Before you went to ask them, it flashed into your mind. You remembered sliding it into the slot at the side of your boot. You lightly hit your forehead with your palm. Oops. You could keep that to yourself.

You heard the boys argue for a bit, Wrecker laughing at the whole exchange, your lips stretching at his contagious joy. They finally settled, the silence making it obvious that their small discussion was over, so you made your way to the door of the ship. 

"All ready to go drop off our lil' friend." You announced as they joined you, pressing the button to open the door. 

Tech handed you a small device with a flashing round circle as soon as he was within arms reach. 

"What's that?" You took the device, turning it around to inspect it. 

"An improved comm link. If by some bad luck we get separated, we'll still be able to reach you. It is set to our team frequency. Press this button to talk." He pointed at the no-longer-flashing circular button. 

"So I can't dirty talk Hunter." You said in the device, and you could hear your voice echoing from all their helmets under their arms. 

"Definitely not." He deadpanned, disgusted. Wrecker laughed whole-heartedly, one of his hands slapping the back of your right shoulder that moved forward under his strength, Hunter smirked in your direction with a delicious glint in his eyes while Crosshair rolled his eyes and put his helmet on. 

"Fiiiine." You fake whined, eyes and head rolling like a kid before inviting them to get off the ship with a movement of your hands presenting them the outside world. "After you, gentlemen." 

Scoffing, Hunter pulled his helmet on and walked down the steps, followed by the rest of the batch. 

"Good job Y/N!" Wrecker eagerly presented you his fist, to which you keenly answered with a hit of your smaller fist. He descended the stairs to regroup with his team. 

Smiling, you noted that they were fully armored, armed and alert, surely not trusting the fauna around to stay at bay. You found that deep inside, it made you feel safer to have them by your side. 

You pocketed the comm link in one of your deepest pockets before following suit, arms wide at your side to bathe in the warmth of the slowly retiring sun while you could. Space, you'd realized, was terribly cold. 

Tall trees reached high in the blue sky, the green grass grew as far as you could see, a warm breeze stroked your face and all in all, you found yourself not relaxing like you expected. You thought that you'd feel better to be in known-ish territory as opposed to a cold military base, but your mind couldn't find ease. Not even slightly. Maybe it was PTSD following your last experience on Murphy Day. You deeply hoped this was the explanation. 

You made sure that you landed the ship far enough from the Forsian hunting territories and the Waytree, the prospect of meeting one of your peers wasn't very tempting and if you could avoid meeting another Basilisk, you'd definitely take it. The Marauder was now in wild territory, far enough that even you hadn't ventured that far in your exploratory trips, about a couple of hours of walk away from your native village, just enough to stay undetected.

You joined the group, smiling at seeing Shiny running into the greenery, glad that at least one of you was happy to be back. 

Wrecker and Crosshair went ahead, closer to the line of trees to search for predators of some sort, their movements frightening small sunbathing Jerboas that fled back into the jungle. 

"We'll have to do it quick. Can't be here when the sun's down." You informed the sergeant who nodded in understanding. 

Or at least, some understanding. Like everyone else, he must have deduced that this planet was even more dangerous at night. If only he knew to what extends. Or maybe it was best for him not to know. 

"Clear." Came Crosshair's voice from your pocket. 

"All cl-" Wrecker started before his sentence finished in a yelp of surprise. 

All at once, four heads turned towards his position, quick enough to see his torso and helmet disappear into the ground. 

'Wrecker!" You yelled along with Tech, running to where you last saw him, the remaining commandos barely outrunning you. 

"Stop!" Hunter barked, arms extended at his sides to prevent you all to fall off the cliff, cutting your breath for a second when the blaster in his hand hit your chest full force. 

The ground was crumbling under your combined weights, hurrying you to step back from the edge. You dropped on your stomach to redistribute your weight and peer at the open space below. Making sure this time that only your head poked over the edge and nothing else. A hand gripped the back of your shirt in haste, like you would ever decide to throw yourself off a precipice. Again. 

Wrecker sat there on his ass surrounded by trees, passing a hand over his helmet in confusion. You finally took a deep breath in when you registered that he was moving. 

"You okay there?" You yelled with your hands around your mouth, the others replicating your position at your sides to look down, the hand on your back still closed around the fabric. 

"All good." He looked up, flashing you a thumbs up. 

Bending your head to look under you, your blood ran cold as you took in the really thin plate of ground kept together by roots and nothing else. There were only a very few inches of dirt supporting your bodies, creating a gap between the part of the cliff Wrecker could climb and the edge where you all laid on. 

"He can't climb up." You rotated your head to the side at Crosshair's comment and saw the ground disappearing two clicks further down. You landed on a weird ravine top of some sort. 

Your breathing picked up in pace as the image of the sun licking the top of the trees reached your brain, pushing back to the front of your mind all your survival instinct adapted to the hard life on your planet. 

"We have to get him. Quick." Your eyes were fixed to the sun, muscles tensed. 

How long before the last rays warmed the ground? How long until you weren't protected anymore? 45 minutes? A bit less? 

"What's wrong?" Hunter questioned, bringing you back to the land of the living. He looked worried, maybe it was caused by the panic in your voice. Or the fact that your skin paled significantly in a matter of seconds. Or maybe it was both. 

You got on your knees before bolting toward the line of trees, evading the hand clutched around your shirt to look for a spot where the cliff met your own ground. Yells of your name were muffled by your loud frenetic thoughts, warnings to not stay outside at dusk, stories of what roamed the darkness on the other side of the gigantic fence protecting the village, drawings of terrifying creatures that haunted your nights for years.  

You jumped at the something closing on your shoulder, instinct kicking in to lift your hand to threaten the intruder. You were as surprised at Tech when you saw the hunting knife in your hand, the blade almost pressed against his neck. 

"Calm down!" A sharp order reached your ears as a hand pulled your wrist away from the tender skin. 

"S-sorry Tech." Your voice shook as much as your hand, your grip tightening around the handle of the blade.  

"What's wrong? Talk to us!" Hunter ordered again, invading your line of sight. 

"We have to be gone before dusk. We can't survive a night outside." You rushed, eyes lifting to the darkening sky between the leaves. 

"Why?" He pressed, tension building. 

"We are losing time! We have 20 minutes tops to find him and all get our way back to the ship." You turned around to continue your search of a way to get to your teammate. 

"What happens at dusk?" Tech inquired, joining your sides and matching your quick pace. 

"They come out, Tech." You whispered, almost scared to say it out loud in fear that they would appear at their mention. 

"What's 'they'?" Crosshair grumbled, completely done with your nonsense. He seemed unbothered, but you knew your stress was affecting him too, his gun at the ready was secured in a tight grip while his helmet scanned the trees meticulously. 

"Apex predators." You shuddered, the drawing of an Algax invading your mind. 

You noticed Shiny wandering a bit farther ahead, his horns illuminating a couple of Furants watching the group closely. The feline-like owls were perched on low branches, the green light reflecting over their dark feathers and four legs armed with sharp talons. Their ears and eyes followed your movements, their tail intertwined to keep the other close. 

They flew away in silence when Wrecker's voice boomed from your comm link. 

"I hear weird laughs all around." He sounded worried, some of said laughs could be heard in the background. 

As if this situation wasn't already bad! You definitely could have done without Wrecker being surrounded by a pack of vicious opportunist predators.

"Shoot 'em! Check in the trees!" You rushed out. "They'll try to surround you, you can't let them. Run if need be, they're not that fast." You glanced down the edge and huffed in annoyance when it still wasn't close enough to let you jump down to help him. 

"We have to get to him!" You heard the first blaster bolts just below to your right, meaning that Wrecker foolishly ventured the jungle alone on his side when the others started running after you.  

"Wrecker. Continue running North. We'll meet at some point." Hunter ordered. 

"Got that!" 

You jumped over dead trunks, roots and dense patches of tall grass, slalomed between the trees disturbing the small animals tending to their daily routine of surviving the harsh environment and ignored the yelps of Tech tripping over something. 

"Don't shoot that!" You yelled, pointing to the big moss-covered lizard currently digging the ground before you, rushing past it without a care. He barely acknowledged your passage, staying focussed on his task. 

You passed too much time running to your liking, but it all paid off when a very tall tree almost reached your ground level. It was a couple of feet too short, but it definitely was enough for you to jump down to the thick branches below. The top ones weren't strong enough, breaking beneath your feet and scratching your arms slightly. Soon, you reached the level where the wood became thick enough to sustain your weight. You plunged your knife into the trunk to slow down your fall to allow you to grab a branch without dislocating your shoulder and quickly made your way down. 

You heard your name from above, but ignored it. They could make it on their own. Or at least you hoped. 

You heard Wrecker before you saw him, the high pitch snickers and whoops following him closely. He shot some bolts behind him but continued running forward like Hunter ordered him to. He passed below you, not seeing you in the tree but stopped when he heard something fall on the ground behind him. 

You had plunged your knife into one of the Rideat following the clone, stabbing him near the neck as soon as he jumped on your branch to continue its course. It lost balance at the pain, propelling the both of you to the ground. 

You jumped to your feet in milli-seconds, already expertly jumping away from its long clawed prehensile fingers to stab it in the neck. It screeched in pain, jerking it's dangerously powerful back legs forward to push you away and claw at your flesh in the same movement. 

You jumped back and Wrecker used the moment to shoot at the agonizing beast. Groans and grunts resonated all around, brown flashes moving from trees to trees. With your back to Wrecker's, you analyzed their pattern, lifted your hand and threw your knife to where you were sure the brown Rideat would jump next. Its body hit the ground, stunning it long enough for the trooper to shoot it down. 

With snarls, the others retreated, leaving the scene as swiftly as they came. 

"Those things are ugly!" Wrecker let out when you pulled your knife out of the canine-bat's shoulder. 

"They are." 

You pushed the body with your foot, cautious of any movement on its end, they were known to fake dead after all. Its long front legs were motionless just like its smaller back legs. 

When it's large sensitive protrusions on its scapulas didn't move, you allowed yourself to breathe. 

"You okay?" You turned to Wrecker who lifted its helmet to wear it as a hat. 

"Yes! Thanks to you, cabur'ika!" 

You frowned at the new nickname. You opened your mouth to ask what it meant when troopers rained from above, landing on their feet like the perfect elite commandos that they were. You were actually surprised that they didn't fall all the way down with their armor. 

"They're gone." You informed them, almost snorting at their weapons moving along the trees. 

"You sure?" Hunter stayed focused on his surroundings. 

"100%. They're opportunist cowards. Always flee when they realize the prey is too strong." You pushed Wrecker's arm playfully at your last word. 

"What's that?" Tech asked, crouched next to one of the bodies. 

"A Rideat." You looked above, trying to discern the sky above the clouds of leaves but failing miserably as this part of the jungle was way too dense. "I'll describe later. We should get back up and leave." 

Unfortunately, the tree was too short for you all to get back up there, so you had to walk further into the jungle to find a way up. This ravine must have a climbable spot somewhere. It had to. 

Each passing second put you more and more on edge, sharpening your senses and reflexes. You heard the pounding of several Jerboas running to safety around you, a young single Loth wolf passed right next to your group, running towards its den. 

You'd spent too much time walking, running and fighting. You were late. Too late. The sun was down and the diurnal animals fled to their secure home to pass the night. Preys and predators alike. 

"We have to follow it!" You yelled, sprinting after the Loth wolf. Maybe it would lead you to a suitable shelter. Please, please, please.

Desperately, you tried to keep sight of it. Running at your fastest, you took every turn it did, jumped every mud puddle it did, but in the end, its four legs were too fast for the two of yours. 

You lost him for a second. It was a second too much. Your blood ran cold when you lost sight it, but you soon spotted the small crack in the rock where it sneaked in to find shelter. 

"No. Nononononono." You shook your head, eyes widening as fear traveled through your body like fire. 

The fissure was too small for anyone to slip in. You were stuck out past daylight. Too far from the ship and too far from the nearest village.

"Stop running off." Hunter grumbled, joining your side. 

You were on the verge of hyperventilating, too much blood was flooding your head, pins poked your fingers, the quick beating in your skull almost made you dizzy. 

"Can't be out at night. Can't." You whispered, reciting the fundamentals of your previous years of survival. "Never leave the village alone. Don't forget your weapon. Return home before dusk."

You had failed. You'd die. You'd die like everyone else that ventured the night. You'd given yourself a death sentence without even returning to the village. How dumb-

"Y/N!" You were shook back and forth for a moment, trying to get you to focus. 

"Calm your breathing. Now!" You heard the order, it was distant and muffled, but you heard it. It was only then that you regained feelings of your own body and forced your erratic lungs to slower their pace. 

Your vision cleared, the sounds in your head vanished, the ringing in your ears faded, your fingers flexed to regain full feeling in them. You were alive. Still alive. Not for lo-

"Good." You blinked at Crosshair, his worried gaze moving over your face like you'd scared him. As if. 

"We have to find shelter." You told them, coming back from your panic attack. Body leaning on the sniper's hand on your shoulder for stability. 

"Remember I told you guys that Fors feeds on beliefs and basically make them real?” You didn’t wait for an answer. “Now what are common beliefs at night?" 

"Monsters." Crosshair deadpanned, eyes reduced to slit. He must think you went downright crazy.

"Blood-thirsty man-eating monsters." You specified to their horror. 

[little-butterfly-writes]

Wednesday

Yoosung Kim X Reader [y/n]

Author’s Note - Sorry this took so long! I also apologize if the ending seems rushed or if Yoosung is OOC. Thank you to the lovely @latte-delf for requesting this, it was an honor to write for you. Hope you enjoy!

Warnings - There’s a brief mention of a panic attack and slight bullying! I’ve tagged where it starts and ends if you’re uncomfortable with that. Lots of time skipping cuz I can’t fucking write. This is unedited, please tell me if there is any mistakes.

I hate him.

I hate him so much!

He stole the position of class president from you three years ago.

Yoosung Kim. He stole my position by two votes. Two. Votes. I was always class president before that! Yet he took it from me. My classmates even had the audacity to say he was a better president when it was time to vote for a new one! Sure, Yoosung was intelligent and popular, but he only won because the girls found him handsome.

And of course, he just (HAS) to go to the same university as you do. Sky University was supposed to be a place free of Yoosung Kim. At least he hasn’t seemed too interested in studies this year. He has failed almost every pop quiz your professor has handed out. Whenever you see his down face, you can’t help but giggle a bit.

I dislike how he’s majoring in the same thing as me still. It feels like he’s saying he can do better. Though his grades haven’t been showing that. He must realize that I’m superior than he ever will be.

~~~~~~~~~~

On Wednesday during your last lecture, you diligently take notes and listen to your professor. You make sure to absorb every bit of information that you can. During the last twenty minutes, your professor makes an announcement. 

“Students, I will be assigning a project due at the end of the month. You will have to find out the evolution of the animal as well as their behaviors. Please include any infectious diseases that they can carry. I will be giving you partners to make the workload easy.” You shrug your shoulders, can’t be too bad.

You wait until your name is called, which takes awhile since your name is lower on the list. You pray to whatever god is out there to not get Yoosung as your partner. 

Apparently, the gods refused to listen to your plea. Your professor calls your name out, “[y/n] [l/n] and Yoosung Kim...you two will have the koala.” A loud groan escapes your mouth at the name.

“ Class is dismissed. Have a good day.” You quickly pack up and speed walk out the lecture hall. Yoosung rushes up to you and taps your shoulder.

“Hey! Wanna exchange numbers so we can find time to work on the project?” The blonde smiles at you. You roll your eyes. “No. I’m going to do it on my own. You can play your stupid little game.” He frowns at your snappy words.

“Are you sure? I’d feel bad if you took all the work by yourself. We also have some tests coming up, so it’ll be a lot to take care of.” The genuine worry in his voice ticks you off. You write down your number on a loose piece of paper and shove it into his chest. Yoosung struggles to keep it off the ground as you walk away.  The walk to your dorm is full of your mumbled curses.

~~~~~~~~~

A chill on Saturday morning wakes you up. You grumble as you check your phone, seeing a text notification from Yoosung. He delivered it at 3:45 am. He’ll be an especially lousy partner today. The previous day, Yoosung invited you to his dorm so that you could work on the project together, to which you begrudgingly agreed. 

You arrive at his dorm within a five minute walk. Your notes and laptop are nestled in your backpack. After a quick rap on the door, Yoosung answers. His hair is mussed and his eyes look droopy. You scoff and push your way inside. Surprisingly, his place is a lot neater than you expected.

“So, should we make a slide and divide the work.” He asks. “I’ll do it on my own, go find something else you can do.” You jab. Yoosung lets out a frustrated sigh and speaks up. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but it’d be a lot easier if we shared the load. Plus, this is my grade as much as it is yours.” You grumble an ‘okay’ and split up topics to focus on. Both of you take turns borrowing your notes and his textbook. 

Around two hours after starting, you and Yoosung decide that you worked enough for the day. He offers to get takeout, to which you agree to. You’re a broke college student, how could you refuse? You sit on the floor with your back against the couch, too brain fried to think. Yoosung plomps on the small couch he has and lets out a groan.

“Want to watch Bulu or something on my laptop?” He offers. You nod your head. Yoosung opens his laptop and signs in to his streaming service. You decide to watch ‘The Workspace’ as you wait for your food. 

Your food arrives. Both of you continue to watch your show. Cheap pizza has never tasted this good. Maybe you’re just so hungry and tired to the point where you don’t even care. “Sorry if it isn’t too good. It was the only place I could find on FoodHub.” He apologizes softly. “It’s okay, I’m too hungry to care anymore.” You earn a chuckle from him. There’s an odd silence after that.

“Uhm…. hey, [y/n]?” He speaks shyly. “What?” You say in a cranky voice, irritated about being disturbed from your slice. Yoosung struggles for a minute before speaking for a minute. “Did I do something to offend you? You seem like you have something against me...”  You stiffen. (TW) Your heart drops to the pit of your stomach. You honestly never expected this to happen.

A can of worms open up. Your breathing slowly becomes ragged. Averting your gaze doesn’t help, you know his amethyst ones are on you. A wave of panic crosses you. You stammer something incoherent to him. “A-are you okay? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to..” He hurriedly apologizes. You grasp tightly at his wrist, wanting to ground yourself to something. Yoosung’s pulse is a bit fast, yet it helps you regain focus. He awkwardly places a hand on yours. “He….hey, It’s okay.” For once, his voice is actually reassuring. 

“Back in highschool..” You murmur. “You won student president even though I had been the president the years prior.” He looked shocked, eyes wide and lips a bit parted. “I remember. You worked really hard on that campaign.” Yoosung gives you a lopsided smile. “Since I didn’t win, people who I reported causing issues started to bully and harass me. Even some people who I used a slightly harsh tone with mocked me.” Your eyes started to sting. “Oh [y/n]...”

“The worst part of all, my parents were upset that I didn’t get the role again. They scolded me for not doing good enough.” (TW End) Yoosung can only pat your back. You don’t know what to think about it. He seems to think that as well, seeing as his hand jumps off you like he was scalded. “I uh… think I should go now. I’ll Lendmo you money for the food…..See ya.” You pack as quickly as possible and run out as fast as you can until you’re out of breath. A block away from Yoosung’s dorms, you stop to take a break. Warmth sets fire to your face when thinking back to being with him. Maybe it’s because you’re embarrassed? Maybe you’re just winded from running. 

There is NO. WAY. your face feels hot because of Yoosung’s comforting presence. There can’t be, it's impossible. You slap your cheeks in an attempt to compose yourself. It doesn’t work.

~~~~~~~~~

Its been a week since you’ve talked to Yoosung. He tries to talk to you, but you always scurry away when he gets too close. He’s even tried texting and throwing notes at you in class which the two of you got in trouble for. It’s only on a Wednesday that he finally catches you in the hall before you run off. The grip of his hand on your wrist is firm, but not to the point of pain.

Yoosung sighs and looks at you. You turn your head away slightly to avoid his burning gaze. “Please don’t be mad…” You hear him suck in a breath. “Mad? Why would you think I’m mad?” Your bottom lip trembles. “For avoiding you..” Yoosung releases your wrist and pats your head. “I’m not mad, I’m worried.” His hand slides down to your shoulder. “I know this won’t really help, but I’m sorry for what happened to you. You’ve been holding this feeling of hate because of some stupid people.” You giggle at his insult to your past peers.

But why do your cheeks feel blazing again? Why are there little butterflies in your stomach? There’s a slight squeeze on your shoulder before he retracts his hand. You wish it was still there so badly, that spot feels cold now. “How about going to my place? We can relax for a bit then work on the project.” He offers. You nod, maybe a little too eagerly as you hear him laugh. Why does he look so cute when he smiles?

You take the bus to his place, the campus being a bit far from his dorms. You immediately collapse on his couch and place an arm over your eyes. The groan that comes from your lips is loud and dramatic. Yoosung laughs loudly, oddly comforting you. He sits by your legs, looking rigid. “So uhm...do you still hate me?” You look him dead in the eye. “Only if you’ll teach me how to play that stupid game of yours.” You smirk. “LOLOL isn’t stupid!” He whines. You start laughing. The scowl on his features make Yoosung look like a puppy who hasn’t gotten a treat. You laugh harder.

Yoosung rolls his eyes. “Fine. I guess I’ll teach you.” You wipe away the tears from your laughing fit and sit up happily. He retrieves his laptop and starts up LOLOL. You notice that the both of you are inching towards each other. “I’ll make your own account just in case you want to play again.” “You mean so I won’t mess up your save file?” Yoosung flounders as you let out a hearty chuckle. You put your email and username in. “ShootingStar_[y/n}? I like it!” He guides you as you create an avatar looking similar to you. You decide to be a mage. During your tutorial levels, you have a hard time navigating with the mouse. He places his right hand on top of your hand on the mouse. Your heart beats erratically while his hand is on yours. There’s a slight blush creeping up on his face as well.

By the time you finish, it’s nearly evening. You take out your laptop while Yoosung logs out and goes into the presentation. You guys spend six hours working, editing each other's slides and practicing presenting. It’s around 12am when you two are content with your work. Yoosung orders some sandwiches from a 24 hour restaurant. 

You decide to stay over since its late. Yoosung lets you sleep on his bed while he takes the couch. His bed is like sleeping on a cloud, so soft and warm. You let yourself drift off peacefully.

~~~~~~~~~

On a Wednesday, you and Yoosung have to present your project in front of the class. His face looks pale, his hands are shaky. “Hey, you okay?” You pat his back. He gulps and nods. “Just a little nervous. It's been awhile since I’ve given your last presentation.” It's your turn to pat his head. His face immediately goes a bright shade of pink.”Wh-what was that for?!” “You did that to me last time I was sad. Besides, I think you’re just mad because you know I’m going to beat you in LOLOL tonight.”  He quickly pouts. “I shouldn’t have shown you PVP mode!”

Your presentation goes well. As you leave your class, your professor hands you a rubric. “Nice work, guys.” He gives you a smile. Yoosung meets you out in the hallway. You both peer at the paper. There’s a huge ‘A’ on the top of your paper. Yoosung looks at you with wide eyes. “Oh my god… I can’t believe we did it!” You jump up and down in exuberance. Yoosung hugs you tight. You can’t deny that you have feelings for him anymore. You kiss his soft lips.

~~~~~~~~~

On a Wednesday, you chase him down the hall.

“Get back here!” You yell. “Make me!” This childish man. You continue your chase until you’re outside on campus. He suddenly stops dead in his tracks. The shock of him giving up so quickly nearly makes you trip. You would’ve become a pancake on the pavement.

“Yoosung Kim, I hate you so much!”

He chuckles warmly. “I love you too”

Yoosung presses a soft kiss to your forehead. “I’ll buy you another sweet bun for you. Forgive me?”

“Fine, I guess I forgive you….I love you too..”

You press a kiss to his cheek, relishing in the warmth of the sun shining above you.

[pastelwitchling]

Cinderella (1/?)

“The death of Alex's mother changes his father for the worst. Jesse no longer sees his little prince, but a reminder of all that he has lost.

Cast away to the attic, Alex grows up under the harsh reign of the wicked man his father has become. He begins to lose hope that he will ever have the love of a family again . . . then he meets Prince Michael, and everything changes.

When Michael announces a ball, and Alex is forbidden to go, it takes the magic of a fairy godmother to make his dream come true.”

read on ao3

I have no idea how many chapters this will be, I just know that I want to do this story justice, as Cinderella is one of my favorite Disney princesses. If you enjoyed reading this even a little bit, please comment and share, as it always makes the world of a difference ❤

tags: malex, malex cinderella au, malex fluff, malex angst, malex happily ever after, so much magic, and kindness, and courage

***

               “Mother!” nine-year-old Alex called as he ran through the halls of his home. “Mother!”

               He followed the lovely sound of humming, like a river in the midst of sparkling spring, and found his mother in the kitchen, standing before the stove, her dark hair pulled back with a blue ribbon and her even darker eyes shining with the sunlight pouring in through the open windows.

               She smiled. “Calm yourself, darling, before you wake your brothers.”

               “But, mother!” Alex whined, tugging at her apron. “I’ve just had the most wonderful dream!”

               His mother laughed, her voice like honey as she picked him up and placed him on the counter next to her. “Have you? And what was it about?”

               “The mice!” he said eagerly. “In the gardens! They were talking to me!”

               “My, that sounds exciting!”

               “It was! Jacques and Gus and Marie – all of them spoke to me! We were having a tea party, and the birds poured the tea for us –”

               “How very helpful of them,” his mother said with an approving nod.

               “The mice thought so, too! And then they said so! And then they gave me a gift for being their friend!”

               “Goodness, what did they give you?”

               “A new coat!” Alex said happily. “Wasn’t that nice of them?”

               “So very kind,” she agreed, and laughed, folding Alex into her chest. “Oh my darling, I’m so happy you enjoyed your tea party.”

               Alex melted against her, breathing in her scent of lilacs and the leftover meat she was cooking for breakfast. She was warmer than usual, but it comforted Alex in the cold of morning. He giggled. “Mother, it wasn’t a real tea party. It was only just a dream.”

               “Well,” his mother pulled back, placing her hands on her hips. “You know what they say about dreams, don’t you?”

               Alex blinked, and shook his head.

               His mother smiled knowingly. “A dream is a wish your heart makes.”

               “But what does that mean, mother?” he asked.

               “It means, my dear, that if you are good and kind and wish with all of your heart,” she winked, and poked his nose, making him laugh, “then that dream that you wish will certainly come true.”

               A door opened somewhere down the hall, and Alex nearly fell off the counter in his excitement. “Father!” he called. “Father, good morning!”

               Jesse Manes’ low chuckle sounded in the hallway before he stepped into the kitchen. There were spots of mud on his trousers where the boots had not reached, and he was barefoot.

               “Good morning, my beautiful son!” Jesse exclaimed, raising Alex up above his head.

               “Honestly, you two,” Alex’s mother laughed. “You will wake the boys!”

               “Good!” Jesse said promptly, keeping Alex on his hip. “They ought to be up early, like Alex! What’re they sleeping in for?”

               She shook her head, her eyes fond. “Oh, Jesse . . .”

               “No, father!” Alex said. “We must be kind to them! Isn’t that right, mother?”

               “My prince,” Alex’s mother cooed, taking him from a laughing Jesse’s arms. “Aren’t you wonderful?”

               “It’s because he’s so much like you,” Jesse said, and kissed his wife’s cheek before kissing Alex’s as well. “My queen, and my little prince. How I treasure you.”

               Alex rested his head on his mother’s shoulder, listening to his parents’ recounting of their mornings, the loveliness of the weather, the absurdity of the chickens.

               If I can have one wish, Alex thought happily, then I wish for this moment to last forever. Alex closed his eyes, eager for the dream that would follow.

               The following morning, however, was a less cheerful one as Alex ran to the kitchen to find his mother was not there. None of the chefs or servants had seen her. He searched outside where his father was tending to the horses himself, laughing with the stable hands. Alex looked around, but there was no sign of his mother.

               Jesse spotted him, and called, “Alex! What’re you doing out in the cold, my son?”

               “I’m looking for mother!” Alex said. “I can’t find her!”

               He tilted his head, smiling. “Has she not awoken yet? Very odd indeed. Best go tell her the sun is up, sweetheart!”

               “Yes, father!” Alex said, and off he scurried to the grand bedroom on the second floor. The pale-blue carpet lining the long hall was soft under his feet, the walls covered in framed paintings of flowers, green hills, waterfalls – all which Alex’s mother had painted herself in the garden.

               Alex’s father would always ask him for his help pinning them up. “I could never do it without my little helper,” Jesse would say warmly.

               When Alex reached the double doors, he knocked. “Mother!” She did not answer. Alex pulled on the door handle with both hands and went inside. The curtains were pulled back, the morning sun pouring in.

               Alex almost leapt onto the bed, remembered it would be rude to wake his mother so suddenly, and stood at her bedside. Her face was red.

               “Mother,” Alex whispered as softly as he could. “Mother, father says it’s time to wake up now.”

               If his mother could hear him, she was pretending not to. Alex jumped a little bit on his toes. “Mother? Are you all right?”

               He poked her nose, hoping to make her laugh as she always made him laugh. He faltered. It’s too warm, he thought. Alex touched her cheek, and snatched his hand back with a gasp.

               Without another word, Alex ran out. He didn’t dare start calling for his father until he was back outside, afraid his mother would hear him and he would break her rest.

               “Father!” he called, his voice cracking as his eyes burned. “Father, please, come quick!”

               Jesse caught his son’s expression and his smile faltered. “Alex?” he hurried to him. “What’s wrong?”

               “It’s mother,” Alex cried before he could help himself. “Father, her skin is like fire!”

               Jesse’s face fell, and he muttered, “What?” before he ran off without waiting for Alex’s response.

               Alex hurried after him, but stopped at the doorway to his parents’ room this time. He watched, his small hand gripping the doorway tightly, as Jesse murmured something incoherent to his wife, holding her up and pushing her hair back from her face.

               “Darling?” Alex caught. “Darling, can you hear me? That’s right, look at me, there you are. You’ll be fine, sweetheart. Just fine.”

               Alex swallowed. He was fairly certain he was carving into the wood with his nails, but he hardly felt it as he stared at the scene before him. Something that he could not describe with his young mind came over him in that moment, something paralyzing that kept him frozen at the doorway, tears falling silently, even as his father ran to get a physician. Later on, Alex would recognize that dark cloud as dread, for he had known then, though he could not say how, that his mother would not wake again.

                 Alex did not remember much of the funeral. Only that he and his brothers and father had worn black, that several people took their hands and wished them well, that he was hugged by friends of his mother who were always so kind and good to him. He had not cried, for he felt his body had no tears left to give. He stood there, however, long after his father and brothers left.

               The weeks that followed were spent in silence. The windows were always curtained, Alex’s father did not react well to being woken in the mornings.

               “Leave me,” was all he would say whenever Alex came into his room with a tray of tea and butter and bread that he had fixed himself. His eyes were so numb and dark that Alex left his chamber with tears burning, threatening to spill, every time.

               “We have to help him,” Alex urged his brothers who gathered in Clay’s bedroom. Clay and Flint sat side by side, Clay staring listlessly at a page of his book, Flint shredding a daisy between his fingers.

               “Leave it alone, Alex,” Flint always answered.

               “He’s an adult,” Gregory always tried more softly. “He doesn’t need our help.”

               “Everyone needs help,” Alex pleaded. “Perhaps if you came with me, and we all told him our favorite stories of mother –”

               “Stop talking,” Clay murmured. Clay, who was always so kind to him, looked at him now as though resentful. “You don’t understand how any of us feel, you’re just a stupid child. Mother hasn’t just gone to the market, she won’t be back any moment now.”

               “Clay –” Gregory started.

               “—is right,” Flint finished, settling on Alex with the same glare. “Mother’s gone. You’re too young to know what that means.”

               Alex clenched his fists at his sides, and he started to storm out . . . then he stopped at the door. He whipped around, his tears falling freely now.

               “I know what it means,” he said fiercely. “I know that I miss her, too. I know that she wouldn’t want this. I’m not going to abandon him,” he wiped the tears roughly with his sleeve, “or any of you.”

               Alex left without a word from any of them.

               He tried and tried to see his father, to speak to him, even from outside his door, but Jesse did not see anyone. Slowly, more and more of the maids and servants left as Jesse failed to pay them, not that he seemed to mind. Only a few remained, and Alex was glad for the company, for his brothers seemed to rarely stomach the sight of him anymore either, though he could not tell why.

               Then one day, as Alex wandered his room, stripping the dirty sheets and linens for washing – he didn’t mind helping to clean the house and feed the animals, for he felt he was helping his father best in this, the only way he could – he sang a familiar song, the first time he’d found himself able to sing it; a song his mother often sang when she cooked.

               Alex waved to the birds as he passed the windows, and laughed as they flew in circles around each other. He was still singing when the door to his room suddenly swung open with a –

               BANG!

               Alex jumped, whipping around. His father stood there on the threshold, his robe hanging off his shoulders as he panted. His eyes were wide and red-rimmed. It was the first time he’d been out of bed. He looked around the room, frantically searching for something, then his eyes settled on Alex.

               When he didn’t speak, Alex tried softly, “Father . . . are you all right?”

               “I – I thought –” Jesse stammered, his brows pinched. “That song . . .”

               “It was mother’s,” Alex supplied helpfully, his grip on his bedsheets tight.

               His father, to his relief, didn’t seem angered or burst into tears by his words. Instead, he nodded slowly, his eyes on Alex, as though just realizing something. “Yes.” He knelt in front of Alex. “You’re so much like her, aren’t you?”

               Alex’s eyes burned and his words cracked as he whispered, “I am?”

               “She was lovely, too,” he said miserably, and Alex hesitated.

               “Father,” he tried, “a-are you hungry? Would you like me to make you something?”

               “No,” he said, wringing his hands together as he took in Alex’s room, as though it was the first time he was seeing it. “No, my son, no. I do, however, have another small request.”

               Alex stood attentive at once, alert. “Yes?”

               “I was hoping to move your mother’s things,” he said, “but I want them somewhere tidied and proper to her memory.”

               “Oh,” Alex said at once, “I can tidy whichever room you’d like!”

               “I – I know you can,” Jesse said, shutting his eyes as though Alex’s voice was worsening the headaches he’d complained of. Alex pressed his lips together, waiting. “I thought, however, it would be far more meaningful if we could put her belongings . . . here. In your room.”

               “My room?” Alex blinked, and grinned widely. “Yes, of course! I’ll be happy to look after mother’s –”

               “And of course,” Jesse went on, “I wouldn’t ask you to share your comfort with her old things. That’s why I’ve been thinking it may be easier for you to move into a quieter room, one that wouldn’t need so much looking after. One where you may . . .” his eye twitched, “sing to your heart’s content, and not worry about disrupting anyone’s peace.”

               Alex faltered. Disrupting?

               “I think the attic ought to do nicely, don’t you?”

               “The attic?”

               “A wonderful idea, son,” Jesse nodded, no longer looking at Alex as he stood and backed away from him. “Why don’t you gather all of this bric-a-brac and take it upstairs, eh?”

               “Er – all right, father. If you really think this will help you feel better.”

               “There’s my good prince,” Jesse murmured, and, his eyes still unable to meet Alex’s, he turned and left the room.

               Alex clutched his sheets tightly, his heart hammering painfully in his chest. It’s all right, he thought. This is for the best. It’s for father, for my brothers. It’s for the best.

               Alex kept reminding himself of that as he gathered his few things – a flower he’d picked from the garden and placed in a small wooden vase, his favorite book, and his favorite blue blanket. The attic door creaked as it swung open, and Alex heard the faint scattering of tiny paws across wooden floors.

               The window was long, letting in the faint remnants of twilight and giving everything a blue and violet glow. Alex swallowed and stepped inside, setting his things on the floor before climbing onto the narrow bed. The mattress was soft, so he supposed that was good. He looked down and saw a few mice peeking their heads at him before scuttling back into the shadows.

               “Don’t be afraid,” Alex said with a soft smile, though for some reason, he could not let go of the mattress. “I’m a friend. I’m terribly sorry for bothering you. At any rate, I won’t be up here long. It’s only until father feels better, you see.”

               Even as he said the words, Alex’s nails dug deeper into the mattress. Even as he said them, his heart still ached and something like grief filled his chest. Why he felt such sorrow, he could not say, for he could not have known in that moment that his father would never truly ever feel better again.

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

It’s The Avengers (03x11)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 3 Episode 11: Exotic Medicines

Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline   Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.

Warnings: high and...slutty moments?

Word Count: My heart feels so light today. And Tari is one of the reasons for this. In the sense that she is amazing and gives me hope about myself.

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

A creature with the head of an unhinged raccoon and the body of a dragon lizard scuttled on the dry patch of land, looking at its surrounding with those crazy eyes and panting with the sounds that usually came out of an out of breath pug whose nose was too small to take in the precious air for that chonky body. This guy, however, was more interested in chewing on the first piece of leather it bonked against, those huffing noises making any witness feel for this miserable looking animal. The leather boot shoved the raccoozard away only to have that stubborn bastard come back for the seemingly delicious leather that was now drowned in its spit. The boot kicked it casually- and lightly- once again to move away from the ground and instead rest on the barrel. The camera focused out of the boot to show Loki having no feelings look to the little 'zard. The other camera flying low over the creature was more interested in Lulu's raised hair looking at the abomination with caution before coming to smell the poor thing that laid upside down, thanks to Loki's amazing boot skills. Lulu raised its fluffy paw in the air, taking his sweet time to tilt his head and smack the animal in its face. And much to the little fluff's surprise, the 'zard growled and hissed at him, making the fluff ball take a step back. "Hey," Loki called out for Javier, who turned the galactic go-pro in his hand towards the God, "send one of your peekers inside to see how's it going." Javier moved the camera toward him to record himself giving Loki a look of confusion.

"The cameras are not 'peekers'," he signed before shrugging, "and peeking is not ethical." "Oh," Loki raised his brows while the camera quite tactfully panned in on the tension in those exposed biceps of his arms under the black shirt. He raised his hands to sign back. "So you go ahead be 'ethical' when those witches sacrifice her for her blood. Okay?" Javier's muted gasp had more emotion than Natasha on her bloody days- pun fully intended. "You were the one who suggested the witches!!!" The hand movements got more intense by the passing minute. "I suggested them for her bloody cramps," Loki signs back, still perched on the barrel, "I don't know what happens after?!" The camera was called to zoom upon Javier's face before he facepalmed himself harder than he should have. "Most cunning God MY ASS!!" "If the two of you are going to make a ruckus here then I would suggest you leave." Both boys stood in attention while the cameras focused on the woman in her wise years standing right outside the tent. Her authoritative features on that beautiful wrinkled green skin showed no sign of remorse or acceptance for the apologies. When she turned to go inside Javier turned to Loki to sign, "But we were not even talk-" "Because I can hear your thoughts, you useless meat suits," she shouted from the inside. Loki looked down at a fluffed up Lulu and shrugged. "Witches."

The Lounge "Okay, so the trick is for you to go-" Scott raised his leg and gracefully brought it back to bend over to let his beautiful booty naturally display the trademarked 'thicc'ness - "and then jerk it back like-" he continued by giving it a pop. Once. Twice. Thrice. The camera turned away to look at Peter and Vision stare in a mixture of shock as well as delight with a synced tilt of their heads. "How did you do that?" Pretending to flick away the hair from his face as he came back up- quite seductively- he sighed. "I've had practice." The audience waited and was met with no further commentary. "Oh, okay. So, we are not discussing the...uh...practice," Peter breathed before letting his brows furrow in deep curiosity, "but how the eff do you do the-" he bent over and tried to twerk. That twerk came out more like Peter trying to force his diaphragm to push up a seed stuck in his windpipe.  Scott blinked at the effort before helplessly looking at the camera.

Scott: *clicks his tongue* White people problems. We either shake that thang like Beyonce was our mama or we bend over as if begging someone to do the Heimlich on us. *camera zooms in* There is no in-between.

"You need a lot of practice," Scott pointed at the spider boy before moving over to Vision. "And show me what you learned." Vision looked at Scott's phone and WAP started right from the build-up to the verse. The camera never went below Scott and Peter's torsos but the unprecedented shock in their popping eyeballs left a lot to the imagination. When Vision finally came back in the frame, he smiled at the two. "I feel like I could have popped my behind more." Scott and Peter blinked and felt themselves jolt at his statement. "More?!" Peter gasped. "How?!!" Scott shouted at the same time. Vision, unphased, let the music start from the top. "Like this," he added innocently and went out of the frame, leaving both the boys to find a God in their prayers to answer their questions.

Planet of the Witches Javier took the shade of the lone bush under the sweltering sun by squatting under it, all the while watching Loki's leg impatiently tap on the barrel it was resting on. And when their eyes met, the former smiled and signed something. "I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about my ears falling off from listening to Stark's babbling of 'not taking care of her daughter'. I am not her bodyguard. He should know that by now." Javier scoffed. 'Are you sure you know that by now?' Loki narrowed his eyes at him.  "You have been getting cheeky by the day, boy." "And you cannot control your grumbling clouds for a fraction of the 'kula, can you?" The eldest of the witches, a humped grandma with a river of wrinkles over her face and hands and feet, came out to glare at Loki, who got off the barrel to stand in front of her in just a pinch of guilt before his eyes were distracted by your figure coming out of the tent. Before Loki's veiled relief could say anything, grandma took her crooked walking stick and slapped Loki's shin. The tiniest whine filled with confusion to the brim escaped the raven-haired boy. "OW!" the God growled at the old woman before raising his leg to hop around in pain while you tried your best to contain the laughter bubbling inside you. "Do not come to me for help if you cannot handle a few 'kulaeg, you impatient bog!" Loki's jaw unhinged while he hopped about and you gave the camera the more delightful look.

You: *gasp and beam* never in my life I thought I would see Loki stagger like that. That too by a five hundred-year-old alien lady!! *screeches* I love space! *shimmy your shoulders*

"I didn't even do anything this time?!!" Loki thundered, finally putting his foot on the ground. "Wait," you raised a finger in anticipation and confusion, "this time?" Grandma tapped her stick hard into the rocky ground. "Be thankful it's not a yank in your nethers for kidnapping my Logo last time." Your muted gasp grew wider, and the camera panned in when you stood in the middle of the two. "You kidnapped her Logo?" You whispered with elation. "Your Logo did not want to be kidnapped?" You tried hard to restrain the chortle in your voice before trying to come back to a straight face. The camera panned in on your face to catch you whisper, "I don't even know what a Logo is!" right into the lens. "I feel like there's a lot to unpack here. Grandmama, tell me everything this stupid ass has ever done!" Loki didn't seem to like the idea. "What is your problem, Se'tiri? You hit me even when I don't do anything wrong?! Every! Single! Time!" Se'tiri narrowed her eyes at the God, not letting her little body be intimidated by the six-foot tall creature. "You have one those faces, boy. Ones that are asking to be hit because they do not know what manners are." "Oh, dang," you whisper to the camera and secretly praise this alien grandma's spirit. "Fine, I'll never come here, ever again," Loki huffs, grabbing your hand to leave in a two-second surprise state, "come on, Y/N, let's go." "That's what you said last time you blue seaweed," Se'tiri shouted in her raspy voice, "make sure to remember this time! And take those damned bao-bao I made you and your friends, you giant slug!" Leaving your hand for a moment- that seemed to bring a microsecond of mellow sadness over your face- Loki smoothly turned a one-eighty to go inside the tent and bring with him a bento wrapped in blue fabric, grabbed your hand again and gave a stink eye to the woman. "I am taking these bao-bao with me, you rotten hag! And I will come whenever I please!" "You better come with some fucking bao-bao material or I'll not make more for you!" she yelled. Loki was already walking away with you by his side. "You will make me more because I am the only one who eats these stinky buns!!! Come on Lulu!" he yelled back, making the camera focus on Lulu standing upright, both excited and confused with something thin and long hanging from his mouth before he sucked it in and ran behind you two. The raccoon thing was nowhere to be seen.

The Lounge "You guys are the f***ing nuts!" Sam announced as the camera panned out to show Scott, Vision and Peter sitting on the sofa. Two of them had pouty faces while one was enchanted by the Falcon. A good moment of silence passed with Sam's firm expression before he finally spoke again. "You have to move your hips in a way to not hurt your lower back. And you have to split without hurting your nuts!" Both Scott and Peter winced at the memory and brought their ice packs closer to their crotch. "Now, watch...and learn." Sam gave one quick look to Vision and the AI automatically turned on the music for Sam to manoeuvre his body to the beats with the rigidity of water. And before anyone knew it, he was making a one-eighty with his leg to open it into a perfect split before popping that booty thrice for a perfect finish. The camera panned out to zoom in at the faces of equally bewildered and impressed Steve and Bucky standing at the entrance of the Lounge holding hands. "Should we...ask?" Steve wondered to his partner, his eyes still glued to the man of many talents. "Do we have to?" Bucky added.

Bucky: *in all his seriousness* We have to. I need to learn how to do that perfect split but I will cut my own veins before asking Sam for tutoring me.

Away From the Witches "All the weirdness aside because I know it comes from the insecurity in your past relationships of being not loved enough to trust another person, I have to say you and Grandmama Se'tiri really care about each other." The camera was stuck in one frame- on your head resting on your hand while your gaze was stuck on the God pretending to brood while eating the purple coloured buns the old witch had made for him. A quick glance from him at you from the corner of his eye and he was already turning his eyes towards you to question that softness stuck in your eyes while you looked at him. Not to mention your smile. "Stop looking at me like that," he muttered with his mouth half full. "Fuck you, I won't," you giggled lightly, getting a raised brow from Loki. "How the fuck can someone look so cute while eating? Why are you looking so good while eating?" Loki had to stop chewing and look at you for a few moments in keen observation. Or judgment. Or both. "What did they do to you in there?" It was your turn to sit straight in this weird open buggy floating between two alien rhinos as they languidly strolled over the deserted part of the planet. "They squeezed all that painful shit out of me," you inhaled. "Like I could feel my uterus squeeze and let the walls out from inside me, the blood, the gooey stuff, all of it. It hurt a bit at the beginning like every other time but once Grandamama and her sisters started chanting, it was all gone," you concluded with a smile. "Even though the goo was still coming out of my vagina." Lulu's camera caught the reasonable blankness on Javier and Loki's face before both of them put the buns down and tried their best to blink away the pictures you had so patiently put inside their heads. You, still perched with your head on your palm, smiled at the boys. "Should've left the bun for after the icky bloody part. Is it weird I can still smell the blood? Just like that bloody stench you get when you dump your menstrual cup down the drain during a shower and watch all that blood go down imagining you just murdered someone and are reminiscing the entire thing." Loki looked at the camera with newfound confused horror in his eyes.

Loki: Remind me to never piss her off during her bloody days. *inhales* Also remind me to make Clint and Steve piss her off on her bloody days *smirks and raises his brows suggestively at the camera*

"Oh! And she even gave me candy!" You nearly shout, going for the little backpack and unzipping it take out a blue plastic looking bag which looked like something straight out of your younger sister's newly opened business with much effort given to the packaging and the brand. An outline of a herb adorned the logo while a few imprints of languages unknown to you were written below it. "And I am not sharing it with anyone." Loki scoffed, looking at you while slowly putting the delicious-looking bao-bao in his mouth, making you wrinkle your nose before opening your own collection of fluffy marshmallow-like collection and putting one in your mouth. "Oh dang! It's cheesy!" You babbled through your full mouth, gasping with a sudden revelation. "Ooooh!! And spicy!" Loki chuckled and turned his whole body towards you. "Oh come on now, Y/N. You don't have to pretend to give your little trinkets flavours to tease..." His voice drowned when his sight apparently fell on the packet you were holding while gobbling down your second treat. "This one's minty," you added with a wiggle of your brows and a huge smile on your face. "...me," he barely whispered, his attention only on the packet with his eyes narrowing on the foreign words written over it. The bun resting in Loki's hand dropped into his lap for Lulu to make it disappear within less than a second. Loki's hand came for the packet but your reflexes were too good today to let him lay his claws on it. "Oh you aren't getting any," you gasped at his audacity. "I don't want to ea-" Loki snapped himself and moved his hand towards the packet- "let me see the packet." Silence. "Y/N." Your hand went inside the packet for another snack. "Y/N," he called out sweetly with a hint of caution. You popped the little ball of crunch in your mouth. He leapt halfway towards the packet, his hand reaching and almost grabbing your newfound treasure. "Stay. Away," you command with your eyes. "I just want to see the pack-" he leapt again and this time grabbed your back instead while the snacks were raised away from him. "Really?" "You're not getting any!" Loki was lying over your now. Both of you were grunting and squirming; Loki trying to lock his arms around your waist to push you down while you anchored your free hand on the edge of the floating buggy. "Give me the packet!" He roared. "No!" You growled back and hissed at him without turning around to look at his frustration lines. The God locked his legs around yours, using his one arm to restrain your waist and the other to tickle your armpit long enough to make you howl in a burst of laughter that ended with a blood-curdling sigh when he finally got the packet in his hand. "Aha!" He exclaimed, still not letting you go. "I hate you!" You wiggled inside his hold that didn't seem to work him much. "Why do you have to be so FUCKING strong!!" But Loki had all his attention on the package by now. His glow of victory faded as fast as it came when his eyes went over the print, the shades turning from a subtle shade of confusion to a much denser stroke of fear. "Wha-no...no!" Loki looked at your scowling face cursing him left and right. "How many have you eaten?" "Oh screw you!" "Y/N! How many have you eaten?!!!" All the rage in your pupils melted into full-blown innocent kitten eyes. "A few," you whispered. Loki- his lips parted in question with the nearest star hitting his pale face from the side to let his green eyes glow with the reflection coming from your white tank top- tilted his head to judge you with a raised brow. Your lips parted just like his but in heavy bewilderment of the sorts that one does not usually let out before turning to share a look with a camera.

You: *tilt head* was he always this...poetically beautiful?

You mumbled something under your breath with your eyes darting away from his face. "Y/N." "I said I had some at grandmama's place." A muted yet sophisticated gasp came out of Loki's mouth. "How many exactly?" "....Six or seve-" "We can still fix this-" "-teen?" Any hope bubbling in the God's eyes suddenly evaporated when he looked into a camera with a newfound fear.

Loki: This candy *raises the packet to show to the camera* is a sort of soother. It releases the tension in your muscles and helps in better blood circulation along with improving focus, increasing the stamina and...making everything quite...brighter? *sucks on his teeth* *looks at his feet while still holding the packet in frame* All of this happens when you consume two candies. *camera pans in on the artificial smile on Loki's face as he looks back at the lens* *whispers with a strain in his voice* she's had seventeen.

WAP Boys The flatscreen showed Loki gasping in sheer horror while the mute icon activated right over his disparate shade of horror as compared to your confused one. The same camera shifted from the huge screen towards the group gathered in the lounge, trying to figure out who did it. Scott, Peter and Sam were busy teaching Bucky and Steve while Vision made everyone some fizzy lemonade. Wanda searched for the WAP dance videos online while Natasha sat on the sofa- closest to the screen- making videos of the boys. For a second she revered her eyes from the screen to look at the camera sideways. A fleeting second, a straight face and the single silent entity in the chaos was all it took for the Black Widow to blink at the camera before going back to her phone. "There is no way I can do tha-" Steve was trying his best with his hands raised up to his chest in defeat. "Oh, come on, Cap," Scott begged, "you don't even have to do much. You just wiggle a little and your beautiful bouncy ass will do the rest of the work." Steve started to speak but stopped to give a hyperexcited Scott an expression filled with so many questions. "Word," Sam chimed in from behind Steve before gulping down his share of lemonade as he walked towards the sofa, getting a frown from Steve as a response. "Amen," Bucky announced whilst looking at the camera with a nascent smirk as he sipped his lemonade, at the same time trying to push his hair back. The 'really, Bucky?' look on Steve's face was a sweet bonus to already blushing owner of America's ass. "What the hell is happening?!" The unprecedented surprise in the familiar voice put everyone's metaphorical tails into one collective bushy goosebump. All the cameras shifted to a stunned yet stoic Tony Stark standing by the entrance of the lounge while everyone else tried to calm their heartbeats and look for an explanation.

Scott: I actually thought I was gonna get kicked out and so *shrugs*

"He did that!" Scott blurted out while pointing at the empty loveseat. Tony narrowed his eyes at him and the poor Antman found himself at a loss of words. "We were-" Steve paused for a second to give a quick look at everyone's faces before scratching an itch behind his ear- "learning a...a new dance?" "..." "It's the WAP!" Peter acknowledged with quite the enthusiasm till the wide cautious eyes of three people standing around him made him realise what he had just said.

Scott: *breathing into a paper bag* Oh crap! I am definitely dead today. Stark's gonna kill me for ruining his precious baby!!

"You all-" Tony at everyone in the room- "are learning the WAP while I get the news about a deadly virus taking over the world." "What?" There are muffled gasps and confused looks shared before everyone gets serious.

"It's a flu. The scientists are calling it Covid. Dr Cho, Bruce and Shuri are working on the cure," "Who's behind this?" Steve's persona did a complete one-eighty. "Hydra?" "The Neo-Nazis?" "Oh! Illuminati?" "Apparently, it has originated from 'bats'. The Wakandans have a lead on the 'bats'." "Okay, everyone," Steve announced, "let's suit up!" "Woah! Woah-ho-hooo!" The camera panned in on Tony's posture that clearly said 'nobody's going anywhere'. "Where do you think you're going?" Silence. Everyone looked at Steve for an answer. "To find the root of this virus." Tony took a step forward, his head already held high as usual. "Not before I win the WAP." Scott's jaw dropped to the floor, him and the camera looking at each other at the same instant. On the other side, Natasha- lying on the sofa- scrolled through her phone. "Okoye has already taken care of the 'root cause', hasn't she?" she nudged Tony. He didn't answer that. For a few seconds. "Doesn't matter. I can still wipe the floor with his ass. With all your asses." "Okay okay okay okay okay-" Sam nodded, enjoying the playful tension between the boys. "It's on. It is on!" The camera shifted to Natasha, who was still sprawled upon the sofa, smirking at her phone. "Perfect timing," she commented with a wink before opening her phone's camera to start recording.

In the alien Buggy "IIIII Loooove you BABAYYYYY. And if it's quite ALRIGHT!! I neeeed you BABAYYYY to warm these lonely NIGHTS!!!! OH PRETTY BA-" The singing continued in the background while Loki sat defeated on the floating vehicle, focusing on anything but that singing. His lips ran in a thin line, really telling the spectator the limit of his patience. The tension was boiling in his muscles and yet he did not move an inch, just waiting patiently. "Oh my God Loki?" You sat up in a daze behind him, your mouth agape with disappointed horror. "We have been together all this time but you got your hair conditioned! And not mine?!!" Loki's palm tried its best to rub some of his own disappointment off his face. "I thought we were best friends," you whimpered with betrayal in your already watering eyes. The camera focused on Loki shifting as he went for his bag to take out a bottle of water and a small green sachet. His eyes were on the camera when he asserted ever so sweetly, "of course, we are friends, Y/N. And I'll tell you where I got my hair conditioned-" he opened the sachet and mixed the herb-like contents in the water- "but first you need to drink some water." The camera panned out to show you running on the rough terrain away from the alien buggy- while Loki kept talking to himself- hopping in excitement at intervals.  "It will hydrate you and flush out those undesirable dru-" The d-word hung in the air when Loki found the space behind him empty. "Y/N?" He questioned in a tender tone, quite probably wondering you were hiding somewhere. The second time your name came out in urgency when he looked at Javier and Lulu sitting there in confusion. The third time he hopped down the moving vehicle- which, to be fair, moved at a turtle's pace- and looked underneath the levitating body. There was no fourth time. He just looked at Javier and Lulu, who turned to look in the direction you had dashed in. "Why didn't you stop her?!" Loki was restraining the anger so hard. "Oh, what do you mean neither of you can speak!!" By this time, Loki's heart was in his mouth, he was sweating and his breaths were shallow. Javier whistled at the rhino-like aliens pulling their buddy to stop. Getting down, he set his camera to Loki's side profile, conscious to maintain a safe distance from an untethered God. Licking his lips, he shut his mouth and took one deep breath with his eyes closed. The nearest star helped with its bright rays to let the audience know the clench of his jaw was an intense one. Opening his eyes, there was only one emotion that was visible on his entire being. "Fuck."

[babyboyblasty]

CHAPTER 3:

Bakugou made it to his room and closed the door behind him before throwing himself into bed without even taking off his uniform in exhaustion. He was totally worn out today. Being a girl really takes a lot out of ya. He had to physically restrain himself from launching forward at a couple of extras that whistled at him like he was a damn dog. It pissed him off.

The blonde got to relax all but ten minutes before there was a series of knocks on his door. He would've ignored it if the knocking wasn't persistently getting louder the longer he waited. With a groan, Bakugou got up and swung the door open. He was prepared to lash out on whoever it was when he suddenly found himself getting pushed aside as Mina walked in past him like she owned the place. The pink girl was followed by round face, ears, frog girl, invisi-bitch, and last but not least, ponytail. At least Momo had the decency to look apologetic as she sheepishly closed the door behind herself. "Sorry, Bakugou-kun. They asked where I was going and I told them I was coming to see you to help you out with your new uniform and.. well.." she trailed off, looking at the rest of girls who were currently looking around his room with curiosity and awe. After all, they had never been in his room before. All except for Mina.

They ignored his glare at the uninvited intrusion.

"Sit, please" Momo smiled and gestured towards his bed. He scoffed but did as told, watching as she unrolled a measuring tape then came forward. "Arms to the side" she hummed and he did, too tired to argue. She measured his hips, his waist, and his bust before telling him to stand to measure his torso, arm length, and a few other things.

"So Bakugou-chan, how do you like being a girl so far?" invisible girl asked and the others nodded in agreement, looking up with interest. They were all sitting on the floor in a circle around him and Momo. They looked like kindergartners waiting to be read a book.

"It sucks" he rolled his eyes and again they all nodded. "Sometimes, yeah" Uraraka sighed, resting her chin on her hand, "but otherwise it's fun!"

"Let's go to the mall tomorrow, Blasty! I want to dress you up in so many things" Mina squealed and Toru joined in with a squeal of her own, grabbing Mina's hands in excitement.

"Hah!? Do I look like a damn barbie to you?" he spat out. Momo was finished at that point and now had their back to them as she pulled up her shirt to use her quirk.

"You have the face for it, kero" Tsuyu put a finger to her cheek, tongue poking out slightly to the side.

"Ugh, don't even get me started. I've always been jealous of Bakugou's skin" Jirou grunted and Uraraka made a noise in agreement. "Me too! What's your secret, Bakugou?"

He scoffed. "I don't have a secret, losers. The old hag's quirk is glycerin. She passed on the good skin gene to me, I guess" he shrugged. All the girls continued gossiping and giggling before Momo was turning back around and wiping her forehead with her arm. "I hope this is okay, Bakugou-kun. I just made you the necessary'' she smiled and handed him the pile of clothes. He took them and looked over each one. It was basically the same as what that brown bag had that morning but this one was to his size. Momo also included three pairs of bras and three pairs of panties. He held up a navy blue bra to look at it closer before handing it back to Momo. "No."

"Bakugouuuuuuuu~ your back will hurt if you don't wear it" Mina whined. Really, she just wanted to see him in one.

"No."

Mina sighed before she smirked. "Just as well. Figured you were too much of a little boy that you feel your manhood threatened by a simple bra. Midoriya definitely wouldn't care" she shrugged, faking nonchalance. The others held their breath. SHE WAS POKING A THREE HEADED BEAST! WHAT WAS MINA DOING!

"WHAT'D YOU SAY, RACOON EYES!?" he yelled and she smirked. Got him.

"I'm more of a man than any of those other bastards. Even like this!" he growled. "Gimme that" Katsuki huffed and snatched the bra out of Momo's hands, chucking his blazer and uniform shirt off him and put it aside on his bed to fold later. He wasn't an animal.

Jirou looked up from her phone and blushed a dark red. "Ahh- BAKUGOU!!! YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!!!" the short haired girl flailed her arms around before she covered her face. Bakugou put on the bra and reached back to clip it into place. Momo was impressed at how easily he was able to do it.

"There. Happy?" he frowned, arms crossed. It only served to push his breasts up and Jirou felt like dying in second hand embarrassment. He did it like nothing and the rest didn't even seem fazed! The girls all cheered and Mina even whistled. Yup. He was definitely hot and Invisible Girl was suddenly glad no one was able to see how she was pointedly staring.

***

That next morning, the girls all helped Bakugou get ready. He doesn't know why but now that he was a girl too, they all seemed to have collectively agreed to ignore every threat and snarl he sent their way and clinged to him more instead. It was a unanimous decision to adopt him into their girl group.

"Oi! Watch it, round face" Bakugou snarled but Ochako remained unfazed as she continued brushing out his blonde hair. His hair as a girl was the exact same as before and she was amazed at how soft to the touch it was. She always assumed it'll be hard and crunchy because of the spikes.

Katsuki buttoned up the uniform shirt over the bra Momo made him and slipped the dark green skirt up his perfectly smooth and fair legs. They made a compromise regarding his underwear and Momo made him boyshorts. There were absolutely no bruises or scars on him whatsoever, and if he had any leg hair they were so light that they couldn't even see them. Ochako finished and let him put on his knee high socks and shoes (which Mina let him borrow since his regular shoes were too big). When Momo handed him the tie it wasn't a surprise when he absolutely refused to wear it. He slipped on the blazer and Hagakure spritzed some sweet smelling perfume on him. He would've killed her if she hadn't left running.

"You look great, Blasty!"

"Bakugou-chan does look rather stunning, kero."

"The clothes hug your body perfectly, Bakugou-kun!"

Bakugou let out a 'tch' sound but the slight pink to his cheeks gave him away as they all insisted on walking with him towards class. He let them tag along but that doesn't mean he talked to them. They didn't mind though as they all talked amongst themselves. Walking the halls of UA with his backpack thrown casually over one shoulder, eyes set dead ahead, Katsuki didn't notice the way some random students' mouths dropped as they looked at him. Who wouldn't look when the blonde boy-turned-girl looked absolutely gorgeous!?!? To the people outside of class 3A, perhaps they thought that Bakugou had an unknown twin sister that transferred to the hero course recently. If they knew it was the explosive boy himself then maybe they would've thought twice before trying to approach him. Let's just say that a general education student with a bubble blowing quirk almost got turned to charcoal.

...

When Bakugou entered class in clothes that actually fit him, the reactions he got tripled from last time his classmates saw him. Deku could have had a stroke with all the blood that rushed to his face. "K-Kacchan!?" he sputtered out, hands flying up to cover his mouth. He was just happy his nose wasn't bleeding. A few seats away, Kirishima's face could have rivaled his hair and he found himself having to keep remembering that this was his best bro he was looking at. Sero was stunned into silence and Kaminari could have short-circuited from sight alone. Todoroki looked the same as always and would have seemed completely unfazed if the slight blush on his cheeks and the bit of frost on his right shoulder didn't betray him. Shoji cleared his throat and looked away, a rosy tint just barely showing over the top edge of his mask. Iida looked red and constipated. Once again, Mineta found himself having an inner dilemma and gripped his head in frustration, cursing the world that they had to make Bakugou, of all people, look so good as a girl.

The blonde may have not noticed any of this as he went to go sit, but the girls sure did. They smirked amongst themselves and all went to their desks just as Aizawa came in to start homeroom morning announcements.

[word count:1523]

[hkshirayuki]

Friendly date

One Piece Modern

Sabo x Reader + AL

Genre:Fluff

Y/n and Sabo were both childhood friends along with Ace and Luffy.

That was 10 years ago, When Luffy invited y/n to play with him along with his Older brothers.

"hey! hey!" Luffy said as he jump on the fence. Trespassing y/n's backyard.

Y/n just tilt her head in the other side, As she call out her dog and Luffy were chase by the dog.

"Gyaaa!" Luffy shout while running in circle, seeing him make y/n sigh and order her dog.

"Pochi, sit!" She said and Luffy stop running around her backyard.

"who are you and what are you doing here in my backyard?" Y/n asked and Luffy just smile brightly at her.

"hey, let's be friends, I'm Luffy!"

"Okay, Luffy what are you doing here inside, Trespassing someone backyard" y/n asked.

"What's your name!? Let's play! It will be fun?!" Luffy said with enthusiasm.

"Oi! Listen to me!" Y/n said as she realized the kid isn't listening at all.

Luffy just laugh and hold her hand and pull her along.

"Oi! Listen when someone is talking! I'm not coming along, let me go!" Y/n said but her struggle of freeing herself is useless as Luffy just wrap his arms around her as he drag her along with him.

Ace and Sabo is currently waiting for there little brother at there tree house. There hidden spot, when they saw you with him.

"Ace! Sabo!" Luffy happily said as he still dragging y/n and y/n who just give up on struggling as she let herself drag by somewhere.

"Oi! Luffy who is this?" Ace asked as he point a finger at you, y/n just frown at how rude he is.

"Oh yeah! Ace, Sabo meet pochi, Pochi meet Ace and Sabo!" Luffy said.

"Oi, that's my dog's name!" Y/n said.

"Ehh!? Then what's your name!?" Luffy asked.

"it's y/n! Not pochi! It's y/n!" Y/n shouting said as Luffy laugh and smile at y/n.

"Ah my bad y/n, shishi" Luffy said. He apologise but he doesn't look like he meant it. As y/n just scowl at how Happy go lucky, Luffy is.

"I didn't asked who she is, I'm asking what is she doing here!?" Ace asked as he was glaring at you.

"Right Luffy, why you bring someone this is Only our hidden base, Only us" Sabo said as he clearly not welcoming you.

Y/n just snap at how unwelcome they are when she didn't even want to be here in the first place.

"Oh! Shut up! You two! I didn't tag along with my free will, I was drag here! By Luffy! I get it I'm not welcome at all, so don't you dare point a finger on me, you understand! " Y/n said as she harshly poke sabo and ace at the chest.

"why did you drag somebody here, Luffy" Sabo asked as they were both stunned by you snapping at them.

"She was alone,so I thought it would be better if she play with us than, being alone" Luffy said. Y/n appreciate the kindness. Ace just facepalm at Luffy's perspective on people. Sabo just sigh and laugh at Luffy.

Ace and Sabo just stare at each other and back at you.

"what?" Y/n said with a glare.

"Fine, you can tag along with us" Ace said as he entered the Tree house and Sabo and follow him, Luffy just smile at you.

"Did you hear that! Let's go!" He said and y/n just sigh to herself.

As she follow knowing how persistent Luffy is.

The moment y/n tag along with the ASL brothers, she just learn how insane and aggressive they are.

"You gotta be kidding me?" Y/n asked as they are currently in the middle of the woods to hunt, Wolves and whatever they could find.

"What?" Ace and Sabo both asked at the same time.

"Were in Modern times, why are we hunting animals!" Y/n said. And Luffy just laugh at you.

"Oi Luffy, just why did you bring a brat like her" Ace said.

"Brat?! Excuse you, I'm just asking why and being honest here, Freckled face" y/n said.

Ace and y/n just glare at each other.

"Heh, Brat, I'm sure your more a wuss than Luffy here" Ace mocking said.

"Really? Me? A wuss?" Y/n said with a annoying tone.

"Sorry, did I offend you? Wuss" Ace said as he give her a smug face. Sabo and Luffy didn't dare to butt in, As they both notice it's a bad news to get involved.

"I make you eat your words, Freckles" y/n said as she just grab Luffy's pipe.

"Let me borrow this for a moment" y/n said to Luffy "Oh sure!" Luffy replied as he let y/n take his metal pipe.

"heh, what you going to do with that?" Ace said with a smug look, while y/n glare at him.

The two just glare at each other, Only they stop glaring at each other when they all hear a sudden growl.

"This growl! Ace! Luffy! It's a Wolf" Sabo said as he held his metal pipe and become wary, Ace just did the same thing and Luffy just did a fighting stance.

When a sudden sound of rustle and a wolf leap directly at Luffy. As he attack the defenseless Luffy that only scream and run away as soon the wolf tried to bite him.

"Shoot! Ace! It's after Luffy!" Sabo shouted said as he follow the Wolf that is currently chasing the running Luffy.

"Luffy!" Ace shout as he chase after the wolf.

"Gyaaa! I be eaten! Help me! Ace!!! Sabo! Y/n!" Luffy said while running with all his might. Y/n just wait for Luffy run infront of her as she use the metal pipe and hit the wolf at the throat strongly, which send the big wolf fly away.

Luffy look astonished to see you kill a wolf. "Whoa! That's so cool! Y/n!" Luffy said as he chirping around you. Sabo just stare at you with his jaw dropped and clearly amaze. Ace also had the same expression.

"Okay, I admit, That was totally awesome!" Sabo said as he was impressed.

"Thanks, that was actually my first time killing a wolf" y/n bashfully said and Ace who is still gawking finally close his jaw and cleared his throat.

Y/n just give him a smug look.

"Tch... Fine, your not wuss, that was cool" Ace said as he wasn't meeting your eyes at all. Y/n just feel proud to herself.

Sabo just laugh as he recognized you as one of there member now.

"Wolf meat!!!" Luffy said as he announced and Ace and Sabo just carry the Wolf.

All the years they spend together, were full of adventure and thrill, Y/n will go home with bruise and wounds, Same goes for the brothers.

She enjoyed accompanying them, As they hunt wild animals, in deep forest.

10 years later

"Look Y/n, Luffy send me a photo of him hiking, I swear he grown too fast" Sabo said as he rant about Luffy's adventure.

Ace and Luffy become a Adventurer as they want to explore the whole world.

Sabo and you just join the Revolutionary corporation, which your boss is Luffy's biological father.

Monkey D. Dragon the owner of Revolutionary corporation, Rival of Marine Corps in business.

"Sabo, you know Luffy is sending photos to all of us" y/n said as she watch sabo keep on praising Luffy.

"Right I forgot, he also send you and Ace" Sabo said as he Chuckles to himself and later on apologise,

"Why are you apologizing for?" Y/n said as she sip Earl grey tea.

"For keep ranting about Luffy?" Sabo said and it was y/n's turn to laugh as she was clearly aware of Sabo brother complex towards Luffy.

"It's fine, I am very used to it" y/n reassuring said as Sabo just bashfully scratch his cheek.

"Right... My bad again" Sabo said as he sip his black tea. They both just happily chat about Luffy.

"Remember when, Were 15 you and Ace used to argue with each other alot" Sabo said as he laugh at the memory of you and Ace arguing over small stuffs.

Y/n just laugh as she know that she was really childish to fight with Ace over small stuffs.

"I do, That was really very immature of me and Ace, We just fight over on how we will we cook the chicken meat, Fried! Ace be like no its Roast! " y/n said and the two just laugh loudly at the cafeteria area.

Sabo just snort as he remembered.

"Yeah and Luffy just shout meat and eat it raw, Only for him to say Gross" Sabo said as he wipe the tear in his eyes as y/n is still laughing. They both remember Luffy's expression when he eat the raw meat.

"His expression were priceless, I hope we had our camera that time, we could have taken a picture of it" y/n said.

"Yeah" Sabo agree as he sip the remaining tea he had. Y/n's phone just ring as she excuse herself and Sabo just gesture to take it, Sabo were taking his time savoring the tea. When y/n return to him.

"Sabo, I got to go, some client just called me, Thanks for the treat, Till our next friendly date" y/n said as she took her bag and smile brightly at Sabo. Who is only stunned and wave at her.

"yeah, till next time!" He said as he sigh to himself and go back to his office.

He just slump at his chair and Ivankov just entered his office.

"Oh my, having some love problems, Sabo boy" Ivankov said as he was one of share holders of Revolutionary corporation.

"It's nothing, what brings you here, Iva-san?" Sabo asked.

"Oh I just wanted to visit My candy boy and Y/n-chan" Ivankov said as he sit down on the couch making himself comfortable.

"Your lying, your here for Dragon-san, but he declined whatever what you suggested, and now your staying at my place" Sabo said as Ivankov just give him a dramatic gasp.

"How harsh! Dragon is just being a meanie, I was just asking him to take some break and vacation"

Sabo just sigh as he listen to Ivankov's rant but his thoughts were occupied by you.

"Hey y/n-san!" Koala call out as she wave at you happily and you just wave back.

"Koala, how is work?" Y/n asked as koala complain about how selfish sabo can be,

"Ahahaha, I apologise on his behalf, if he is like that, but he praise you alot, Being a excellent secretary" y/n said as she fixing her stuffs and preparing to go home.

"But Still, I wish to be your secretary y/n-san" koala whine and y/n just pat her head. As she was assigned to be Sabo's secretary.

"Okay, okay" y/n said as she carry her bag.

"oh by the way! How's your date with Sabo-kun?" Koala said as she walk beside y/n.

"Date? It's just our friendly date" y/n said and koala just facepalm at you.

"Yes, your so called friendly dates! aren't you two dating? " Koala said.

Y/n just shake her head "Nope, were not dating"

"What! I thought you like him?"

"I do, but I am sure to him, I'm just a sister, You know how Oblivious he is when it comes to romance" y/n said.

As koala just groan as they both remember Sabo's nickname on highschool and college.

'Clueless Casanova, Clueless heartbreaker"

"Yeah, I remember how oblivious he is, I still pity all the girls that confess to him" Koala said.

"yep, but I actually thought, you two are a thing?" Y/n calmly said.

Koala just choke at her own saliva the moment she heard y/n's word.

"What!? No, no, no, I can't stand his rant and his brother complex, only you can stand his ranting about Luffy, I swear, His future girlfriend love rival is his unconditionally love towards his little brother" koala said and y/n just laugh as they both leave the elevator and decide to hang out a bit at a nearby Cafe.

"yeah" y/n agree as they talk more about Sabo.

"Can I asked the reason of why you staying friends with Sabo-kun, even you had feelings for him? I mean why you didn't attempt to change your status with him" koala asked.

"Hmm... I just don't like to lose them, I'm sure going to avoid sabo if he reject me and he probably feel uncomfortable around me, so I am satisfy to be his friend, Maybe this feelings will disappear, if I met my future husband" y/n joking said and koala just thought something.

"how about you go on blind dates?" Koala suggest as y/n tilt her head.

"Blind date?"

"Yes a blind date, where you date guys, romantically" koala said as she rant about it and tell y/n to try it.

Y/n just agree, maybe it's time for her to do some action.

After three days, Sabo just knock at her office.

"knock, knock y/n" Sabo said as he asked Dragon to have the same day off as you.

"Oh, sabo your done with your work?" Y/n said as she put her stuffs in her bag and ready to go.

"Yep, so ready for our Friendly date?" Sabo said, he doesn't remember when did they start to do this friendly date. He just remembered the time, you look mesmerizing to ignore as he hate to see you, Happily chatting with other guys, so he just asked you out, too shy to call it a Romantic date, he end up saying Friendly date to catch up with each other as you two didn't see each other, when you both entered a different University.

"yeah, I am" y/n said as she walk beside sabo and start to rant about something, Sabo just love to listen to your voice and to your laugh. He got so nervous around you, the only time he wasn't nervous is when he rant about Luffy and your both shared childhood memories together.

Sabo didn't notice he zone out, as y/n just wave a hand infront of his face.

Still no reaction, so y/n just tip toe and whisper yelled at his ear.

"Hello? Earth to Sabo?" Y/n said. Sabo flinch as he finally back to reality, and he just blush and cover where y/n just whisper at. Y/n just chuckle at how adorable he look like.

"I was calling you, but your not answering, so I had to do it, Sorry...I know your ears are sensitive, My bad," y/n apologetic said. Sabo thought to himself "Only to your voice, my ears is sensitive for!"

Sabo just fix his composure and clear his throat, trying to calm his flustered and warm face.

"it's fine, it's my fault for getting occupied by my thoughts" Sabo said. Finally they arrived at the Cafe, which they both always do there friendly dates.

Doing the old routine of Bragging about Luffy adorkableness and talking about one of there best memories.

When someone called y/n to her phone.

It was koala telling her that she had a blind date to attend, as she set her up.

"Okay, I be there then, I understand, yes bye" y/n said as sabo just give her a curious look.

"Sorry, Sabo, But I have somewhere to attend to" y/n said.

"huh? To where? We don't have work this time and tomorrow, it's our day off" Sabo said and confused why are you rushing. You both just arrived.

"I got a blind date to attend" y/n said.

"what!?" Sabo mentally said.

"Ohh, I see, have fun" Sabo asked and he just mentally choking himself, "want do you mean, have fun, you idiot!"

"Thanks, I will, Till our next friendly date again?" Y/n said and Sabo just force himself to smile and wave "yeah till our next F. R. I. E. N. D. L. Y DATE" as soon you were gone, he just groan to himself and bang his head at the table.

"seriously sabo! Just great! She's already under your nose and now you let someone snatch her, Seriously!? " Sabo thought to himself as he called Ace.

"Ace"

"Yo Sabo, very rare of you to call me" Ace said at the other line.

"I need help"

"ohh, You need back up?"

"No not, Beating up someone, I need an advice on how to asked a girl on a Romantic date" Sabo clearly said to his den den mushi phone.

"Hold on!" Ace said as Sabo hear shuffling sound and rushing.

"See you at home after two hours" Ace said to Sabo.

"what?!" Sabo confused asked but ace already hang up the phone call.

Only for him to receive a text.

"And buy a lot of snacks and food, Rootbeer too, See you!"

Sabo just sigh to himself after reading Ace message to him. Sabo just did what Ace asked him to do. After two hours he only hear a loud sound of a motor and Ace opening the door wide open.

"Okay, tell me, I hear you clearly to the phone that you need advice on how to asked a girl on a Romantic date?" Ace said and Sabo suddenly feel nervous as Ace eye his brother.

"yes?" Sabo nervously said.

"FINALLY just finally! Sabo is interested on dating! The 20 going on 21 years old virgin Sabo is finally!!! Grown up" Ace said and Sabo just throw a pillow at his face.

"Shut up!" Sabo said as he was embarrassed of the sudden outburst of Ace about him. Ace just laugh at Sabo's reaction.

"So... Whose the lucky girl?" Ace said as he sit beside Sabo who blush at the thought of you.

"it's actually—Oh no need to Tell me, Cause It's y/n" Sabo was about to tell his long time crush, no love for you when Ace interrupt him, When Ace blurted out your name, Sabo's eyes just pop out and clearly surprised.

"How! Just how?!" Sabo shouted asked as he grab Ace by the collar. Ace just chuckle at his reaction.

"Ace, Damn it! Spit it out! How did you know" Sabo asked still holding him by the collar as Ace just put his hands in a gesture that he surrender.

"Whoa, whoa calm down, let me go first" Ace said and Sabo just let go of his collar and the sound of Ace butt hit the floor with a loud thud were only heard. As he just laugh at how frantic sabo is.

"You know, Sabo you should have asked yourself about that, on how obvious you are fawning around y/n since then" Ace said and Sabo just blush and throw a slice cucumber to Ace's face, only for Ace to catch it with his mouth wide open and eat it.

"I don't know,what you mean" Sabo denied as Ace sit infront of him and does some funny face of admiration.

"What are you doing?!" Sabo annoyed asked. " What? Can't recognize those faces? Those were your expression when you see y/n" Ace said as Sabo just shout at him "I don't make that kind of faces!"

"yes, you did" Ace said as he open a can of rootbeer. Sabo just sigh and as his stomach growl, he just eat some of pizza as they continue to talk about you.

"so Sabo, when did you realize it?" Ace asked as he bite a slice of pizza "I was crushing on her for five years" Sabo replied and Ace just gulp the food he had in his mouth " Tsk! It's 10! You been giving her a goofy look and getting bashful, when she is around, Damn it Sabo, I know your a Clueless heartbreaker, But! Your not that dumb! But I guess I'm wrong, your really dumb" Ace said and a flying slice of pizza just slap Ace.

"Who you calling Clueless heartbreaker, I don't even remember dating anyone, Much to break someone's heart" sabo reason out.

"See, Clueless Casanova, Rebecca once confess to you and asked you out when you rejected her, Cluelessly" Ace said and Sabo just gasp, as he remembered, Rebecca did asked him to go out together and they go outside the school and after that he go home.

Sabo just groan at how clueless he is. But he doesn't want to admit it to Ace that he was fawning around you for 10 years, Ace will tease him non-stop.

Though he already keep on teasing him. "correct me, if I'm wrong, When you see y/n's cleavage your nosebleed, When you see her in a swimsuit for the first time, you were blushing like there's no tomorrow and y/n being a dense one thought you had a fever, You stutter when you talk to her! And lastly you disagree of the idea of y/n as our sister in exchanging sake, So we only did it and her as our Very very close friend" Ace pointed out.

"Fine, I get it! I was madly in love with her for 10 years! Happy now!?" Sabo frustrated said and Ace just nod with a smug smile in his face. Sabo just punch his shoulder as he rub it and said"Ow! What's that for?!"

"nothing, are you going to help me or what?" Sabo asked. As they finally into the topic about how to asked you out on a Romantic date! Not Friendly date.

"actually I remember you said you already asked her on a date"

"yes the friendly dates! It's a freaking Friendly date! Ace not a date, date, Ugh... I hate it, why did I even say it's a Friendly date when I'm getting jealous over the guys who is clearly Flirting at her" Sabo rant and Ace just stare and eat the snacks he bought, while listening to his rant.

"Actually you should just asked her out, Like I did before" Ace said like it was no big deal.

"You what? When? Who?" Sabo hastily asked.

"I asked y/n on a date before" Ace said as he dropped a bomb.

"You what?!" Sabo said as he mess with his hair and thoughts of you and Ace holding hands and doing stuffs that is lovey dovey and etc.

"Whoa! Enough with your wild imagination, y/n and I did date but nothing happened romantic between me and her, I was just curious about dating and asked her to accompany me, All we do is our usual routine, Cause seeing couples make us cringe so we stopped" Ace said as he swat away all worries Sabo had thought.

After sighing in relief, Sabo just start to panic again.

"Right! Y/n is currently on a date with someone they doesn't know! What if they kiss, what if they fell in love at first sight, what if after the date they decided to get Married" Sabo rant and Ace just facepalm at Sabo if!

"If your that worried go ahead and asked her out already, Geez" Ace said.

"Huh?!"

"what your just going to whine and complain and rant at me, while y/n having a good time dating a stranger?! Your not doing anything? " Ace said as Sabo realized what he meant and He start to run and Ace just throw his motorcycle key at Sabo.

"Go get her! So we could finally add her as our sister and your girl" Ace shout, Sabo just nod and called koala and asked where is the place.

Koala that is clueless about what's going on just answer him and he hang up as soon he got what he needed. Koala were fuming at Sabo.

He arrived at a fancy cafe and see you formally and laughing at what the guy said. Sabo didn't like it, he didn't like how you laugh at whatever the guy said, he want those laugh only to him and no one else. He was jealous that he didn't notice he already walk infront of you and the guy.

"Sabo?! What are you doing here?" Y/n surprised asked and Sabo just force himself not to spite at the guy.

As he grit his teeth under his breath and tried his best to smile politely at the guy.

"Oh, this is Cavendish, Cavendish meet Sabo, My fr—her boyfriend" Sabo interrupt said.

"yes my boyfriend" y/n repeated said. It take a good one minute for her to understand what sabo just said.

"My what!?" Y/n shouted asked and Sabo just sigh as he slowly losing his temper.

Just thinking of you and this Cabbage talking and laughing about whatever it is, makes him too jealous and lose his temper.

"Excuse me, she arrived here, as my blind date, Going on a date with a Superstar is a dream come true,So I totally understand if you envy me" Cabbage said and Sabo just grit his teeth more, " Okay koala set her with a Hypocrite?!"

Y/n just laugh at Cavendish, She was actually laughing at how narcissistic the guy is. Sabo finally have enough and just hold her arm and drag her out of the Cafe.

"Sabo!?" Y/n said as she question his actions and words.

"..." No response.

"Is there something wrong? Are you upset at me?"

"What no!?" Sabo finally response as he flinch at the word upset.

"then why your acting like this?" y/n asked.

Why he is acting like this, you say as you were clueless about his burning jealousy, Sabo just corner y/n to a wall and stare at her intently.

"Sabo?"

"Cause I'm jealous, Seeing you smile at some other guy, and upset at myself not at you, I was a wuss calling it friendly date when...what I Really want is, A Romantic date as a couple with you" Sabo said as he lean at your shoulder and breath at your shoulder with a very sexy voice for you.

Y/n just blush at his tone and his face on her shoulder. When he turn his face and accidentally breath directly at y/n's expose neck, she just shiver from his warm breath, Sabo could hear how loud his heart beat is. As his face is totally warm and flustered, the tips of his ears is also burning. So he just stand up straight and clear his throat. Y/n were totally smitten by his words and gesture.

"So what do you want me to do?" Y/n said while covering her blushing face with her hand,Sabo just found it adorable when he was also a blushing mess.

"Go on a real date with me! Not a friendly date but date, like a couple" Sabo said.

Y/n heart just flutter at it as she smile brightly "Gladly" sabo just held her hand.

Sabo just smile ear to ear as he finally said it.

"yes!" Sabo said as he pump his free fist in the air and just kiss the back of your hand. Y/n just smile at how adorable Sabo is.

[bytheangell]

Matching More Than Jackets

(Read on AO3) Square Filled: Seelie Drinking Games for @shadowhunterbingo Pairing: Jeliorn (Jace/Meliorn) Rating: Teen and Up  – Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Tags: feels, banter, alcohol, happy ending <3  Summary:   Jace and Meliorn start working together more and more often... and when Jace has something on his mind, perhaps a few bottles of wine will give him the courage to ask, and get him an honest answer in return.  -------------

Ever since the Downworld Councils took off in the Shadow World, the amount of overlap in Shadowhunter and Downworlder aid in things they used to keep separated - things like tracking demonic activity and taking down nests - increases dramatically. Jace and Meliorn in particular seem to be paired up more and more often since their shared bond over the Alliance Rune left the two of them more in sync with one another than they would be with anyone else. Even if that isn’t the case, it really isn’t any surprise Alec keeps teaming them up given the results they get every time they go on a mission together. Plus, not many of the other Downworlders seem to be able to put up with Jace. Their loss.

This past week in particular was a challenge, involving an attempted stake-out in a forest that seemed to be laden with booby-traps all involving vines which would move to snake around ankles if you stood still too long, or animals with poisonous venom particularly inclined to attack without being provoked. It didn’t take long after Jace went out alone the first time for him to turn back around and request a Seelie to accompany him instead, someone who could just as easily manipulate the nature around him to not attempt to kill him every two seconds.

He doesn’t specify which Seelie. He’s hoping for Meliorn, but understands if the Seelie doesn’t want anything to do with Jace or his missions at this point… not after after the last one they went on, which included a fuck-up so spectacular Jace doesn’t even want to think about it.

Except Meliorn is exactly who shows up, and Jace is equal parts surprised and immensely relieved.

“At this point you might as well get me a matching leather jacket, Herondale,” Meliorn teases, but Jace only rolls his eyes.

“Maybe if you get me to the middle of this forest I’ll have one custom made for you,” Jace counters.

There’s a group of warlocks planning to try and summon a Greater Demon. Try being the key word here, because Jace doesn’t plan on allowing them to succeed. Just like Jace hoped, Meliorn’s connection to nature overpowers the spells put in place by the warlocks every single time. Jace wants to help but all of the ways he has to ‘help’ the situation harm the plants or animals - he could cut aside his share of vines, or catch a few of the snakes that lunge at them with teeth bared, but Meliorn insists they do this in a way that leaves as much of the nature unharmed as possible. Jace always thought that was just some power play the Seelie Queen liked to be obnoxious about just to annoy them, but as it turns out, it’s a pretty serious thing for all of them. So Jace stands back for the first time in his entire Shadowhunting career and allows Meliorn to do almost all of the work until they reach the first of the warlocks.

From there on it’s all Jace, with his weapons and runes and magic-dampening handcuffs to catch what end up being three young warlocks entirely off-guard, taking them back to the Institute to hold overnight for processing. While Jace finishes up the paperwork to tie everything up with a neat little bow, Meliorn leaves and comes back with a bottle in hand.

“How is the… how did you put it? Bureaucratic bullshit?... coming along?”

“Just finished,” Jace announces, closing the folder in front of him. He knows what Meliorn is about to offer because this has become an unspoken thing for them, for Meliorn to show up with drinks after a mission and end up having to drag Jace down the hallways to his bed at the Institute before he passes out in a hallway, but not before incriminating himself at least half a dozen times in the process. Business as usual.

“Just in time for a celebratory drink, then. After that outing I believe we both earned one,” Meliorn says, holding up the bottle of Seelie wine in his hand.

Everyone in the Shadow World knows not to trust Seelie drinks. That caution goes double for alcohol, and triple for the wine. It affects everyone differently, and to varying strengths, though it almost always has the underlying effect of mild truth serum.

What everyone doesn’t know, and what Jace stumbled upon entirely on accident one night after mixing up two bottles at a party, is that Seelies are particularly susceptible to mundane wines. It’s a curious little piece of information he doesn’t immediately share or exploit, saving it for the perfect time.

And the perfect time, it seems, is now. For all the banter the two of them share, Meliorn is always so infuriatingly on guard and in control. Jace wants to see him unwind - really unwind - just once.

“Sure,” Jace agrees easily, with a slow smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “But I was thinking this time we even the playing field.”

Jace goes to the corner of the office and pulls out a bottle of deep red wine, watching the briefest flicker of surprise cross Meliorn’s face at the gesture.

“What?” Jace asks, eyebrow raised. “You think it’s fun to keep getting me drunk after our missions so I tell you all my secrets, but I can’t do the same?”

“If you think a little mundane wine is going to get me to spill my secrets to you, Jace Herondale, you’re not giving me enough credit,” Meliorn says, but Jace can tell by the way he’s carefully eyeing the bottle in Jace’s hand that he’s bluffing.

“Then prove it.”

Jace pours a glass and hands it to Meliorn, who sighs lightly before taking a sip.

“Oh,” Meliorn says, eyes wide with surprise. “That’s not half bad.”

“I sprung for the good stuff,” Jace says, not bothering to clarify that only means he grabbed the oldest one there. All of the alcohol in here is leftover from Alec’s old stash, and Alec mostly had it for guests and Magnus, so of course it was the good stuff. He pours himself a glass of the Seelie wine, and they both sit down to enjoy.

They fall into their usual routine then, except that after a few glasses Meliorn is much more talkative than usual. He’s also laughing more, and once or twice when their feet meet under the table or their hands brush, Meliorn allows the touch to linger. Jace tries not to read too much into it, then tries even harder not to think about how much he doesn’t mind.

Finally, Jace works up the courage to ask the question that’s been on the back of his mind since their last mission.

“Why did you save me?” Jace blurts out, the words only slightly slurred.

“Why wouldn’t I save you?” Meliorn counters.

“No,” Jace insists. “Don’t do that thing where you turn everything back into a question to mess with my head. The last time you got stuck with me, with that ravener demon - I was a fucking asshole and I didn’t listen to you and you should’ve just let it get me.”

“Jace-”

“You shouldn’t have gotten yourself hurt just to save me when it was my fault we were in that mess to begin with,” Jace rushes on. “You’re like, the king of self-preservation and rational decisions. So why did you jump in front of it like that to save me?”

Meliorn frowns. “Do you really think so little of yourself,” he asks, but it’s different from the evasion before. Softer. “That you don’t think you’re worth saving?”

“I don’t want to die if that’s what you’re asking,” Jace says.

“You could fool me sometimes,” Meliorn mutters, the words slow and slurred, but not as bad as they should be for the amount of wine he drank. He clears his throat. “What I mean to say is, that’s good. Because I don’t want you to die.”

Jace isn’t expecting that answer.

“Why?” Jace asks again.

“ ‘Why?’ ‘Why?’ - you’re worse than a mundane child, honestly,” Meliorn sighs. “Because I like you, against all of my better judgment. That’s why.”

Meliorn doesn’t seem at all embarrassed by the admission, but it makes Jace flush in his cheeks up to his ears, a redness he hopes he can play off from the alcohol.

“...why?!” Jace manages, only realizing what he said after he said it and clasping a hand over his mouth. “Sorry. I wasn’t saying it to be an asshole, I swear.”

Meliorn laughs. “For someone who seems pretty used to being the center of attention, I’m surprised you don’t simply expect everyone to like you.”

“Well, sure, people like me at parties and stuff. But they don’t like me enough to nearly die for me,” Jace clarifies.

“Now you’re just being dramatic, I didn’t nearly die. That was you, remember?” Meliorn hides his teasing smirk behind his glass as he drains it of the last of his wine, which also happens to be the last of his bottle.

They sit in silence after that, Jace busying himself with the last of his own bottle to buy himself time to think.

“For what it’s worth, I’d nearly die for you, too,” Jace finally admits.

“You really can’t bring yourself to say you like me, can you? And to think, we could’ve had matching jackets.”

Jace rolls his eyes, and for the first time in a long while feels like maybe he has something worth being a little vulnerable for.

“I like you, too,” he says, and goes to stand up - or at least, that’s the plan, if the wine didn’t hit him all at once and send him swaying to the side and back down into the table to catch himself. Meliorn is up and by his side in an instant, slinging Jace’s arm over his shoulder.

“Alright, time to get you to bed,” Meliorn says, and Jace’s brows furrow.

“How am I still the drunk one,” Jace whines.

“Because I switched the bottles halfway through while you weren’t paying attention,” Meliorn admits.

Jace wants to be mad, but he can’t quite bring himself to do more than half-heartedly glare at Meliorn, especially as the knowledge registers that Meliorn’s confession, and the touches, and how much he laughed and genuinely seemed to enjoy himself tonight, wasn’t just because of the alcohol.

“You know, it is late. You could stay the night, if you wanted,” Jace offers when they get back to his room.

Meliorn shakes his head. “Unfortunately I’m expected back at the Court-” Jace’s heart sinks until Meliorn continues, “-but next time I’ll plan for it.”

Jace grins like a wine-tipsy idiot from his bed. “Next time,” Jace agrees.

He likes the sound of that.

(The next time Meliorn shows up to the Institute it isn’t because there’s a mission: it’s because Jace has a matching leather jacket for him, custom-embroidered with the leaf and vine patterns that travel the length of Meliorn’s face and neck. And later that night when Meliorn does stay over, true to his word, Jace discovers that isn’t the only place the tattoos are.)

[hey-kids-want-some-avengers]

Going Once (Stucky)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes

Tags: High school AU, punk Bucky, Nerd Steve, First kiss, first date, drop out Bucky, artist Steve, pre-serum Steve, asthma, fluff, charity auction, diners, and milkshakes. 

warnings: None

Description: Bucky helps out his sister, Becca, with her school auction fundraiser and it doesn’t actually suck.

Bucky’s still not sure how he got himself roped into this mess. Maybe the fact that he had never learned to say no to Rebecca was to blame, but all she ever had to do was batter her sweet blue eyes at him and he was gone. Becca had been through enough in her life already, Bucky didn’t need to leave her feeling alone too. Still, he wishes he’d denied her this, as he’s walking up the steps to the large building on the end of 1st street. On a day to day basis, Bucky couldn’t tell you what the building was for, but it was rented out often for town events such as this.

The particular event that Bucky wasn’t just attending but being forced to participate in was some kind of fundraiser. Becca had said it was for her school if he remembers right. The event was set up to be like some kind of auction. Girls and boys from Becca's school would choose to either be up for auction or to bid. Several girls and boys will walk out onto a platform and people will have a chance to bid on them. Once there’s a winner, the money bid being given to the charity, the two have the option to go on a dinner “date” paid for by the school. The whole thing sounded bizarre but Bucky had been willing to help out until he realized exactly what helping entailed.

“Becca, come on,” Bucky whined desperately, dragging his feet as he followed behind her into the building. They were here early (per her request) and the place was already stuffed full of high school and middle school students. “No one is gonna care if I’m not here.”

She spun on her heels to flash him a glare. “Yes, they will. I put your name on the roster. Come on, James, you promised.”

“That was before I realized helping you meant I had to be one of the things being auctioned off,” Bucky reminded, following her close with his hands jammed in his pockets. He was wearing a dress shirt with his leather jacket over it and some jeans, nothing fancy, even though she tried to wrangle him into a suit. She looked much nicer than he did, her long hair tied into a bun and dressed in heels and a long navy blue dress.

“It’s for a good cause,” she said, smiling. “It’ll be fine, everyone here still knows you.”

“Was that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Come on, I’ll be up there too.”

Bucky sighed. “Yeah, okay. You owe me.”

She laughed as she waved at someone she knew, lining up behind the other people ready for the auction. “No, I don’t,” she said simply before pulling him into line with her.

There were about a dozen people ahead of them so he had time before he had to step out in front of a bunch of people he didn’t really know and then let them bid actual money on him. There was no way he was doing dinner, though. No girl could be cute enough to talk him into that when he could go home and lay in bed, cursing his sisters' name. They could have the whole thing to themselves.

Bucky waited somewhat anxiously in line for what seemed like ages before the auction even began, after that everything was so loud he just tuned it all out and waited for his sentence. He could hear the thump of music playing and guys and girls hollering and cheering over some man raffling off numbers faster than Bucky could understand. Rebecca seemed very much in her element though, bouncing in place, chatting happily with the girl in front of her.

Seeing her so happy almost made it all worth it until the man was loudly announcing the next group and Rebecca was tugging at his arm to follow. “Come on, that’s us!”

Bucky followed like some kind of pack animal onto the platform, which felt much higher up than it had seemed from the ground. There were stage lights on overhead that made it almost impossible for Bucky to see, especially out into the audience. They lined up and everyone clapped and cheered and Bucky wanted to sink into the floor. He hadn’t seen almost 90% of these kids since he dropped out last year and really, he didn’t miss it.

The man shouted out their numbers, 15-22, Bucky being 19 and Becca 20, and then the bidding began. It started at only two bucks, which seemed ridiculous but it didn’t actually take that long before the girl a few people down from him was being bet on with numbers well up in the twenties. She was auctioned off in the end to one of her friends, who was laughing hysterically as she forked over thirty-two bucks. The bidding went on down the line in similar fashion, some only getting up to ten dollars and some nearly at fifty. It seemed like a perfect setup for hurt feelings and bad self-confidence but he shut his mouth.

When the bidding reached Bucky, his face was hot and he was more than ready to get the hell off the stage. There were one or two small bids placed after several long and agonizing seconds, likely from people not knowing who the hell he was. But then, like a fucking blessing from above, a voice shouted out over the music and hollered, “fifty bucks!”

A lot of people started whooping and clapping, including his sister who jabbed him in the side with her elbow, grinning ear to ear at him. Unsurprisingly, no one topped the ridiculous bid and then Bucky was helped off the stage and lead to the bidder. Now he just had to excuse himself from the night and leave the person with a lot of food.

“Here’s the coupon, just give it to the restaurant after you eat and they’ll comp it, have fun,” the woman said, handing it to Bucky, who looked like she was probably a teacher that had been roped into the ordeal.

“Oh, right, thanks,” he mumbled, looking up to find a guy grinning at him when they stopped walking. It took him way to long to realize that the guy in front of him, wearing a nice blue dress shirt, hair all combed nicely, was who’d won the bid. “Is this some kind of joke?” Bucky asked dryly.

“What?” the teen asked in response, raising an eyebrow.

“Is this some kind of joke,” Bucky repeated. “Because I’m not interested in playing some ‘hah, gay guy’ kinda joke, alright?”

The guy laughed softly in response, cheeks getting pink as he ducked his head. “No, no, it isn’t uh, it isn’t a joke, actually.”

“Then what?”

“I’m Steve,” he offered instead, jutting a slender hand out. He was tall, about Bucky’s height, lean and actually rather handsome. “We had an art class together before you uh-”

“Dropped out,” Bucky finished, shaking Steve’s hand awkwardly. “Right, sorry last year is kind of a blur, honestly.”

“No, no! It’s fine!” Steve said, quickly shaking his head. “I didn’t expect you to remember me, we never really talked.”

“You remembered me,” Bucky pointed out with a shrug. Steve just turned redder in response.

“I just saw you and uh, you looked really miserable, honestly?”

Bucky snorted, jerking his head at the door. “Wanna talk outside, where it isn’t deafening?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, please,” Steve smiled widely, following Bucky out.

Once they were outside, leaning against the wall around the corner, Bucky lit of a cigarette and tried to relax. “Want one,” he asked, holding the pack out, to which Steve quickly shook his head.

“No, thanks. I don’t smoke. Asthma.”

Bucky chuckled and nodded. “Alright. So, did you really just blow fifty dollars just to get me off stage from looking uncomfortable?”

Steve scratched the back of his head, staring pointedly at his feet. “Well, I mean, no. not exactly, anyway.”

“Then, why?”

“Honestly?”

“Yeah, for real,” Bucky nodded, blowing smoke slowly out his nose. “No bull.”

Steve exhaled, biting at his lip before opening his mouth. “Honestly, I was kinda hoping you’d go to that dinner with me?” he admitted, eyeing Bucky nervously.

“What? as what?”

“As…” Steve hesitated. “Maybe as a date?”

Bucky nearly choked on an inhale of smoke, coughing as he looked at Steve, but there wasn’t any trace of a joke there. Steve looked sincere and like he was maybe ready to hide under a rock. “Wow, you’re fuckin’ serious.”

“I mean, yeah.”

“You don’t even know me,” Bucky said, feeling a little awkward. The guy seemed really sincere and sweet but it all still felt really strange and set up. He could maybe remember seeing him in the hall a couple times before when he was still in school, but he couldn’t remember a single time they’d spoken before now.

Steve shrugged. “I’ve had a crush on you since seventh grade,” Steve laughed awkwardly. He was beet red now and it was making Bucky feel kind of bad. “And James, I’d really like to get to know you.”

“Bucky,” he said, waving a hand off at him. “Only my sister calls me James, honestly.”

“Bucky,” Steve mimics, smiling a little wider. “I think I’d like to get to know you a little better.” he tugged at the cuff of his shirt nervously before adjusting the thick-framed glasses perched on his nose.

Bucky smiled a little as he put the butt of his cigarette out on the wall behind him. Steve was beyond awkward, someone Bucky probably would have openly avoided in high school, but he seemed sweet and it wasn’t like he was still in contact with anyone from his previous high school clique. Becca was probably already off with a friend or some boy and she’d text him when she was ready anyway. “Yeah, alright, why not?”

“For real?” Steve gaped and Bucky laughed out loud, nodding.

“Yeah, let’s go eat, I’m starved.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Steve agreed feverishly, grinning so wide Bucky thought it might hurt his face. “Me too- I’m hungry.”

“Alright, dork,” Bucky shook his head and headed towards his car. “I’ll drive us there.”

Steve climbed into the passenger seat without any grace, even fumbling with the seatbelt while Bucky started up the car, letting the engine whine in protest for a moment before backing out of the parking lot. “So, there’s like five restaurants doing this coupon thing,” Bucky said, turning on the radio. “Where do you wanna go?”

Steve was bouncing his knee, looking out the window as Bucky drove. “Oh, uh, Kathy’s?”

“The diner?”

“Yeah, if that works?”

Bucky nodded and headed towards the small restaurant towards the edge of town. Bucky had only been there a few times before but the food had always been good and the music and decor made it feel like the ’60s. When they pulled in, it looked mostly empty, which was fine by Bucky. The fewer people he had to see, the better.

They headed in, nabbing a table towards the back and the waitress took the coupon and their drink orders before leaving them to talk.

“You didn’t get a milkshake?” Steve asked, almost in disbelief.

“No?”

“Have you ever had one from here before?”

“No, why? It’s just a milkshake, I don’t think my Dr. Pepper is gonna kill me,” Bucky chuckled, checking his phone briefly for any texts or calls from Rebecca.

“No, but you’re missing out,” Steve said, smiling as he propped his chin on his hand. “The milkshakes here are the best.” almost on queue, the waitress returned with their drinks, sliding them across the table.

“Need a few more minutes?” she asked, smiling sweetly.

“Uh, please,” Bucky mumbled and she nodded, leaving to help another table.

“Here, try it,” Steve said, pushing his milkshake over to Bucky. “It’s just chocolate.”

Bucky hesitated before taking a sip through the straw. It was thick and honestly, really freaking good. It was creamy and rich, and Bucky nodded. “Alright, you win, it’s good.”

“It’s great,” Steve corrected, nabbing it back to take a drink of his own, humming happily.

“Right,” Bucky chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “So, we had an art class together?”

Steve nodded, messing with his silverware. “Yeah, last year, third period with Mr. Dandaferd.”

Bucky didn’t remember that much truthfully, except that he’d been a terrible student that entire year- or what little of it he was there for.

“You sat at the front,” Steve said.

“Right,” he recalled, running a hand through his hair as he laughed nervously. “He moved me up there after-”

“-You were on your phone, yeah,” Steve smiled.

“How do you remember that and I don’t?”

“Maybe because you were always high?”

“Okay, okay, take it easy,” Bucky snorted.

“Sorry,” Steve flushed, though he was still grinning. “Anyways, I sat at the back, so you probably didn’t really even notice me.”

“If it makes things any better, I didn’t really pay attention to anything last year.”

“I’m not upset,” Steve shrugged, smiling to himself as he poked his finger against the prongs of his fork. “I guess I just wish I’d had the nerve to say something to you before you left. Honestly, when I saw you at the thing tonight, I couldn’t believe it, it was like, here it is, this is a second chance, and I just sorta shouted it out.”

Bucky could feel how warm his face was, listening to Steve ramble. It was weird thinking that someone like Steve, or anyone at all really, had a crush on Bucky while he was at school still, let alone enough of one for Steve to bet fifty dollars on him. “Was it worth it?” Bucky asked before he could really stop himself.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I think so.”

Bucky smiled. “Cool, I’m glad.”

“You’re glad you came?”

“Yeah, I think I am, honestly. I haven’t gotten out a lot recently unless Becca’s dragging me somewhere.”

“Becca?” Steve asked, taking a sip of his milkshake.

“Rebecca, she’s my little sister,” Bucky explained, swirling his straw around his drink, watching the soda bubbles pop and fizz.

“Oh, she’s in advanced history,” Steve nodded. “Sophmore, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, she’s crazy smart,” Bucky grinned.

Steve smiled back and they just looked at each other for a minute. It didn’t feel weird or tense, Bucky actually felt strangely more at ease. He was out, more or less. His sister knew he was bi and most of the school did too, but it felt good to be around another guy who actually liked him. He’d slept with a couple of guys before, mostly when they were all drunk as hell anyway, but this was worlds different. It felt like a normal relationship, like how he felt walking around with his (now ex) girlfriend on his arm, he felt confident.

“Are we ready to order now, gentlemen?” the waitress asked as she approached the table, pulling her pen out of her apron. Steve and Bucky both pulled their attention away from each other and nodded, clearing their throats awkwardly.

Bucky had hardly even looked at the menu. “Uh, the number five, please? With bacon.”

“Sure thing, and for you?” she asked, looking at Steve, who was fiddling with his glasses again.

“Um, I’ll have pancakes, please? Extra strawberries?”

She nodded happily. “Alright, I’ll have that right out.”

Bucky glanced back at Steve once she’d left. “Breakfast for dinner, huh?”

Steve shrugged. “Pancakes are good.”

“Burgers might be better,” Bucky argued lightly.

“Ehh, not if you don’t eat meat.”

Bucky gawked, leaning over the table to look closely at Steve, who was giggling softly, also leaning in, like there was some big secret. “You’re a freakin’ vegan?”

“Vegetarian,” Steve corrected.

“And that’s better?”

“I took a lot of animal health classes,” Steve explained shyly. “I just can’t get myself to eat meat now, I guess?”

“This might be a deal breaker, here,” Bucky teased and a look of worry crossed over Steve’s face before he realized Bucky was grinning and he punched him lightly, just on his shoulder.

“Fuck off,” Steve blushed, leaning back so he was sitting properly in his seat again.

“Nah, it’s cute, I guess.”

“Cute?”

Bucky made a so-so motion with his hand. “Yeah. you’re compassionate and shit, right? I think it’s cute.”

“Oh,” Steve breathed, his ears turning a shade darker than even his face.

“You always this pink?” Bucky asked, poking a finger into Steve’s thin cheek.

“What? No? Screw off, seriously,” Steve shrieked, though he couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “You’re a jerk.”

“You’re just now figuring that out?”

“No, I guess not, you were a jerk in school too,” Steve deadpanned and Bucky laughed, finishing off the last of his soda.

Their food arrived only a moment later and they dug in almost immediately. Bucky hadn’t realized how hungry he was but he was sure glad to be stuffing his face now. Even Steve’s plate of pancakes stacked up and dripping with sugary sweet strawberries looked good.

“Can I ask you something?” Steve asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

“Shoot,” Bucky said, popping a french fry into his mouth as he checked his phone again. This time he actually did have a text from his sister but it just read, HEYY! Going to the movies with my friends and a guy! I’ll be home later, hope whoever you’re with that their cute! Bucky just shook his head and smiled.

“How come you dropped out?” Steve asked. “I mean, you were almost there, right? You’d be graduating this year, with me.”

Bucky sighed. It wasn’t exactly the direction he’d wanted the conversation to go, but it wasn’t a new question. He was asked that same question almost every day. “I dunno, I was going one way and school was like, completely another way. I don’t have something that I feel like I could ever go to school for and do for the rest of my life. Becca’s already applying for scholarships in engineering, ya know? I was never like that. I don’t have that same determination or drive, so I just felt like I was wasting my time there. I wasn’t ever gonna use that education anyways, and honestly, my grades were bad enough it wouldn’t have mattered.”

Steve looked a little sad, brow creased as he chewed another forkful of food. “You don’t have anything you want to do?”

“Nope.”

Steve sighed, visibly thinking for a moment. “Maybe you just haven’t found it yet. So yeah, you got high and fucked off when you should’ve been doing school work, but you don’t have to go to college for everything. There’s lots of stuff out there. I bet we could find something you like without even having to worry about school.”

Bucky just stared for a while. He’d only been talking to Steve for less than an hour and here he was, putting more dedication into his life than his parents had in the past several years. Bucky hadn’t found an easy talent that he loved and would make money, nothing ever interested him enough and it didn’t take very long before he was just burnt out. Sure, his dad was on his ass about grades a lot, but he didn’t care too much if the grades weren’t working towards anything.

“Like what?” Bucky asked, finishing off his fries. Steve lit up a little.

“Well, what kinda stuff do you like?”

“What do I like?” Bucky copied back, unsure.

“Yeah, sure. Like, what do you do all day when you aren’t at school?”

“Sleep.”

Steve laughed, louder and more open than he’d been all night. He was still crimson, but he seemed worlds more comfortable than when he’d first approached Bucky with the whole dinner idea. “Yeah, not what I meant.”

“I don’t know,” Bucky said honestly, trying to think. “Sometimes I get high? I watch way too much Netflix? I work out sometimes? That’s about it.”

“Okay, do you like working out?” he asked, bouncing in his seat a little.

Bucky scrunched his nose up. “Not enough to be a, like, personal trainer or anything.”

“Okay, do you like film?”

“I watch horror movies and Rick and Morty, Steve, I’m not a cinematic maniac.”

Steve hummed. “Do you like being around me?”

Bucky chuckled. “What?”

Steve shrugged, looking down at his plate, not that it hid his little smile or how red he was. “Do you like being around me?”

Bucky grinned. “Yeah, it’s pretty okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I have good news, then,” Steve said, glancing back at Bucky, glasses slipping down to perch on the edge of his nose. He had to resist the urge to reach across the table and push them back up himself.

“Yeah, and what’s that?”

“You don’t have to go to college to see me.”

Bucky flicked a bit of his burger bun at Steve with a laugh. “Get out of here.”

“It’s true!”

“Yeah, yeah. Very helpful, punk.”

Steve just looked pleased as he finished off the last couple abandoned strawberries off his plate. “I could help you find something you really like to do though, I can tutor you even.”

“Why would you do that?” Bucky shook his head.

“What? Because, you have potential and I think you’re worth it, duh.”

“Don’t get cocky, I just met you and now you want to help me get my life together?”

“Kinda, yeah. I really like you, and it’s kinda scary, but I really wanna try.”

“Try?”

“Try ‘us’?”

Bucky couldn’t help the little bubble of laughter from his throat. “You wanna like, date-date me?”

Steve frowned and placed his silverware neatly on his plate. “No, I don’t know. I’m sorry, I got too ahead of myself- you just met me.”

Bucky pushed aside both of their plates so he could lean closer. “It wouldn’t be the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

Steve looked at him closely, hands fidgeting nervously. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

“What, a date?”

“I mean, yeah?”

“You’ve never been on a date?”

Steve shook his head. “Nope.”

“How??”

Steve laughed and made a vague gesture to himself. “I’m trying for an art scholarship, Bucky, I’m not playing football or something.”

“Who gives a fuck about that stuff?”

“You did,” Steve offered meekly and Bucky frowned because he wasn’t wrong.

“I don’t anymore. That’s part of why I left, all the stereotypes and the pushing to just be something? I hated it. I mean, they were all so pushy, I didn’t smoke before I met Brock or anyone.”

“So… what are you saying?”

“I don’t know, honestly,” Bucky laughed and Steve mirrored his smile. “But you like me and I just met you and I already like you, so fuck it, let’s try it.”

Steve couldn’t seem to contain the excited little gasp that came from him as he grabbed Bucky’s hands excitedly. “Really? You’re serious?”

Bucky shook him off of his hands while laughing, nodding. Steve was redder than a tomato and he looked stupid happy. “Yeah, I’m serious.”

“Like date how?” Steve asked urgently, fingers twisting at his shirt collar, all nervous and excited energy bubbling over. “Date as in we try dinner again and see how it goes, or date like I can hold your hand and I can wear your stupid leather jacket kind of date?”

Bucky burst out laughing then, which successfully drew the attention of several people to their table, seeming to mortify Steve as he sunk down in his seat, flushing. “Which kind do you want?”

“Uhh, both, I guess? Like, uh, I wanna still go to lunch with you and get to know you but I wanna know you aren’t gonna be doing the same thing an hour later with someone else. Is that- is that fair?”

Bucky watched Steve twist himself into a puddle of anxiety before he smiled softly and just shrugged. “Yeah, I think that’s fair.”

“Is everyone still staring?” Steve asked nervously, refusing to look away from Bucky.

“Huh? No.”

“Can I kiss you?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow at the teen across from him, beet red and wide-eyed behind his glasses and slightly frazzled hair. “Here?”

“N-not if you don’t want to.”

“Go ahead.”

“Really? What if someone sees?”

“So? Fuck them.”

Steve laughed nervously, eyes a little brighter with determination. “Right, okay. Fuck them,” he breathed as he leaned over to meet Bucky across the table, letting their lips brush before he pressed his gently to Buckys’.

It was more of a brush of their lips, a quick peck, than a real kiss, but it was still sweet and nice, and that alone made Steve look like he might die on the spot, so Bucky let him pull away, back into his own seat. “So?”

“That- it was good- I liked it-” Steve stammered shyly as he pulled his inhaler from his pocket and took a couple puffs.

“You gonna be okay?” Bucky grinned and Steve nodded quickly before putting the inhaler away again.

“Sorry- I’ve been wanting to do that since I met you- and uh, yeah.”

“You’re a nerd.”

“Technically I’m your nerd now though, right?” Steve asked with a soft smile, ducking his head a little so he didn't have to look directly at Bucky.

“Yeah, technically.” he smiled. “Let’s go, huh? I wanna kiss you in my car for real.”

[kenzieam]

The Call of the Void - Chapter Two

Rating: M (language, violence, mentions of torture and abuse, eventual smut, angst)

Genre: Drama/Angst

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Word Count 3.7k +

Dialogue in italics in first part are Russian

**Potential Triggers, please read with caution**

Turning off the shower she reached for the towel, shuddering slightly at the feel of it against her skin. It wasn’t the sandpaper-rough she was used to, stiff and unwelcoming, meant to remind you with every pat and stroke that you were a prisoner, a hostage to the whims of power-hungry men who saw you as a commodity, an experiment, an animal. The clothes too, although plain, were soft and well-made; a pair of sweatpants, a sleeveless t-shirt and hoodie, meant to hug and embrace. Swallowing hard she quickly dressed, unable to stop from running her finger along the soft ribbon edge of the underwear Nat had provided, the matching trim on the simple bra. She ignored the socks, liking the feeling of her bare feet on the floor, the faint stirring of freedom it brought her. She gathered up her old clothes, took a deep breath before stepping out past the privacy glass.

The man was back, the one the looked so familiar, that stirred such a myriad of feelings in her; rage and uncertainty, hatred and..... safety? He smiled tentatively at her, as if he was nervous too and reached for a tray, stepping closer to the glass to show her.

“I uh... I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I brought a couple of different things. Some oatmeal, a few pieces of toast.... some fruit?” There was such a contrast between the man’s voice and his size, the muscles straining his red shirt and faded jeans. His jaw could cut glass, but his voice could soften even the hardest words.

Nika stood silent, uncertain, her clothes still piled in her arms. She chanced another nervous glance at him and he pointed with his chin. “You can uh... just put those in the corner, I’ll get them to the laundry-”

“I don’t want them.” Her words surprised her and she gulped. She didn’t want them? Why?

Because they remind you of the pain, the blackness, the cold.

The man nodded, seeming to understand and, after a pause, she hesitantly dropped them in the corner, springing back as if they were about to leap and bite at her. She jumped again when she heard the door unbolt, staring with horror as the man slowly stepped inside.

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice low. “I can leave if you want.” He set the tray down at a neutral distance then stepped back, waiting for an answer, but Nika had none to give, she didn’t know what the hell she wanted right now; part of her was frightened of him, of other people in general (they only brought you pain and suffering), but another part of her was terrified to be left alone again, she’d spent so much time alone.

Her hunger pangs brought her out of her tangled thoughts and she pulled the tray tentatively towards herself, sitting cross-legged on the floor and poking cautiously at the bowl, what was it again? oh yeah, oatmeal. She didn’t have an answer for the man, so she didn’t reply, glancing at him warily to see what he would do.

After a moment, he mirrored her, sitting cross-legged a careful distance away. Nika brought the spoon slowly to her lips and tasted it, pulling away with a grimace. The texture made her gag, reminded her of the way the gag they’d force into her mouth to muffle her screams as they’d ‘treated her’ would press on her tongue, choke off her air. She barely managed to set the bowl back down without it falling from her hands. The man made to move towards her, but her flinch convinced him to stay. Hating the way her hands were shaking she picked up the plate next, toast.

“Here,” the man started to move again, then remembered and sat back down, smiling nervously. He pointed instead. “There’s some jam, it’s already buttered.”

The red jam looked too much like gore, so she nibbled hesitantly at the plain slice instead, swallowed with only a little difficulty around the lump in her throat.

“We’re going to help you,” the man murmured. “I.... I understand what you’re going through and I know it looks overwhelming now-”

Something about his words, maybe not his words at all, but just her own fragile state of mind suddenly gave and Nika found herself retorting, not even knowing what she was about to say, her voice rising with each word. “No. Don’t you get it? I’m a mistake! I just a fucked-up waste of resources, just like they said! I deserve to die! I don’t deserve to be helped because I’m just a MISTAKE!” Without conscious intent, under control of some dark part of her mind that HYDRA had fostered and tended and ultimately fucked up Nika snaked her hand out suddenly, grabbing the butter knife Bucky had included with her toast.

“Hey, wait-” Bucky started, voice rising in shock as the situation suddenly and spectacularly fell to absolute shit.

As if she was watching all of this the side, as if this was all just a movie, Nika saw herself swiftly snap her hand upwards, plunging the blunt, dull blade into her throat. Blood spurted, a red jet.

“Stop!” Bucky all but shrieked, scrambling towards her, eyes huge and disbelieving. What she really trying to cut her own throat?!

Nika sawed to the side, crudely tearing the skin and soft tissue below. Her blood was a searing spray on her hand, making the knife hard to hold, and white-hot pain, pain she knew all too well and almost welcomed, clawed through her chest.

Bucky slammed into her, hands scrambling with hers to rip the knife away before she could cause more damage and Nika realized that she was screaming, her final word having morphed into howl as the knife broke her skin. His large hands, clumsy with shock and panic, fumbled with hers, slippery with her lifeblood.

“Jesus, baby-” his eyes were wild as he struggled with her, the crazed part of Nika’s mind that was currently running the show, coupled with the serum and Bucky’s own horror made her thrashing almost too much for the soldier to handle and he whined in animal panic, low in his throat when she broke free from his grip and managed to tear another few centimetres.

Jesus, the blood!

“What the fuck is going on?” A voice yelled and even in his panic and shock Bucky realized it was Steve, then hands were grabbing him and more people were screaming and someone was yanking him away from her.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************** He didn’t remember the trip, but somehow Bucky ended up back in his room, pacing manically, hands tangling in the sweaty strands as he forced them through his hair again and again. Steve had pulled him from the room, the only one physically capable of it and had been dragging him down the hallway when Nat’s voice shrieked for him.

“Steve! We need you!”

Clearly torn Steve growled, coming to a snap decision. Pushing Bucky roughly away, further down the hallway he pointed, his voice commanding, and if the situation hadn’t been so goddamn serious his next words may have provoked some form of a smart-ass ‘yes, dad’ response.

“Go to your room, Buck and stay there until I come back!”

Some bastard form of autopilot took over and Bucky had stumbled to his room, cringing and wincing at the panicked shouts and crashing sounds behind him.

What the fuck had happened? What had he done, said to provoke her like that?

The sharp rap at the door made him stumble uncharacteristically and although he wasn’t ready to hear the news, he nonetheless swallowed hard and called out, his voice a sandpaper rasp.

“Yeah?”

The door opened and Steve marched inside, clearly agitated. He slammed the door behind him, lasering in on Bucky’s face like a Patriot missile. For a long moment he just glared, chest heaving before all but spitting.

“What the hell did you say to her?”

“What? I -, all I said was-” with a groan Bucky broke off, forcing his hands through his hair again. “All I said was we were going to help her-”

His words were cut off by Steve’s cell phone suddenly coming to shrieking life and FRIDAY’s piercing announcement.

“Captain Rogers, you are needed in the medical labs immediately!”

“Shit!” Steve barked. Whirling, he all but ripped the door open and threw a dark look over his shoulder at Bucky, a look that said ‘stay the fuck put’ before disappearing again.

Bucky swayed on his feet, ready to break. He was seconds away from losing his grip and reverting into the old Bucky, the wreck that Steve had dragged bleeding and defeated from Siberia, the tired and broken man begging to be frozen again until he could be trusted, until Shuri had scrubbed HYDRA’s training from his mind. He covered his face with his hands then froze, pulling them away to stare in newfound horror.

He hadn’t noticed it until now.

His hands, wrists and forearms were coated in Nika’s blood. Sticky in some places, dry in others, it coated both his flesh and metal skin, stained his shirt and, now that he was aware of the faint pull, dried in streaks across his face. He hadn’t been bathed in blood like this for a long time, not since his handler had instructed him to ‘make it last, make him scream for death’ and he’d complied, the loyal soldier, the valuable asset, completing his latest mission with cold efficiency.

A roar of anguish clawed from his throat and he threw his head back, screaming until his voice broke and a sharp pain pierced through his vocal cords. Choking off he dropped to his knees, let his head fall forwards and into his shaking hands and wept.

Steve was much more subdued the second time. Bucky was still on the floor, having no energy or desire to lift himself up, not even really coming back to reality until the door opened and his friend, his brother, walked heavily inside, shutting the door behind him.

A hand nudged his shoulder. “Buck, get up.”

Slowly, the good soldier, Bucky complied, meeting Steve’s eyes and wishing immediately that he hadn’t, stumbling to sit heavily on the end of his bed. Steve sighed, a long, exhausted sound and leaned against the wall. Finally, he rubbed a hand roughly over his mouth and grunted. “You gave her a knife, Buck. What the hell were you thinking?”

Realization hit Bucky hard in the gut and he was temporarily winded. What had he been thinking? Short answer, he hadn’t been, he’d been so desperately eager to help her, to ease some part of her pain that the thought of danger hadn’t even crossed his consciousness, yet he’d given her the exact weapon she’d needed to tear into her tender throat. Shaking his head to banish the sudden gory memory he stuttered, “I.... she was hungry, I didn’t think-” his words sounded weak, even to him and he fell silent, staring at his blood-covered hands.

For a long moment, neither spoke, then Bucky forced himself to ask; his voice rough, damaged from his screams.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s alive. Restrained.”

“Restrained?” Faint coils of panic began to tug at him, insistent. “You can’t, she won’t-”

“She tried to kill herself Bucky. She sawed open her goddamn throat! If it wasn’t for the serum she’d be dead! We put her in the suicide cell, the empty one but she tried again. Again, Bucky.” His eyes met Bucky’s steadily, and it was the brunette who looked away. “They called me back down to help because she’d started going after her wrists with her goddamn teeth, it took all my strength to pull her arms away, to stop her from fucking.... gnawing on herself. Jesus God, the look in her eyes-” he broke off, breathing hard and if Bucky had had anything in his stomach, he would have thrown it all back up; as it was, he found himself dry heaving, weakly spitting sharp bile and wiping his mouth with a grimace.

“The amount of sedation we’d need to overcome her metabolism isn’t feasible, we had no choice.” Steve sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “She’s in a straitjacket until we figure out what the hell to do.”

“I want to see her-”

“No fucking way.”

“Steve, I-”

“NO!”

Bucky fell silent, staring down at his hands, still stained with blood, still accusing him.

“No.” Steve sighed, his voice softening considerably. “We need to figure this out first, talk to Shuri, see what Bruce can do, besides,” he managed a rueful grin. “I wouldn’t go anywhere near Nat right now if I were you, not if you at all value your balls.”

“I didn’t-”

“I know, you didn’t. Not purposefully at least, but you brought her a.... a goddamn knife and triggered her somehow and we can’t have her losing it again, not like that, and you can’t be around if you’re not going to be able to think straight around her.” He shuddered, looking away for a moment before focusing back on Bucky. “Go have a shower Buck, you’re covered in blood. I’m going to go clean myself up and then I’ll bring you some food and we can talk; hang-out, okay?”

Bucky nodded numbly, watching with dull eyes as Steve turned and left, pulling the door closed behind him.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************** Bucky took a deep, steadying breath before entering the briefing room. The rest of the team had already assembled, speaking in low voices that stuttered to silence when he arrived. Bucky was too tired to care. He’d hardly slept in the last four days, since Nika’s violent breakdown. She’d settled, seemed to be getting better, but Bucky was even now absolutely banned from going anywhere near her cell; it hardly mattered, he had little drive to leave his room right now anyway. Every night, every time he closed his eyes, screams would wake him, jolt him from his uneasy rest, echoing through his mind. It had taken him a few times to realize that it wasn’t his own screams waking him, but echoes of Nika’s.

Bruce was wringing his hands, barely waiting for Bucky to collapse into the nearest chair before he blurted.

“We’ve got big problems.”

Everyone but Nat and Steve frowned in confusion, glancing amongst each other.

“What is it?” Tony asked, his voice wary.

Bruce glanced up at Bucky before focusing back on his tablet. “We know that HYDRA instilled trigger words to activate the subject. Bucky needed to hear his trigger words read in a specific order for it to work, but we’ve discovered that isn’t the case for Nika.”

He paused as the team shifted in surprise, mumbling uneasily to each other.

“It’s a side effect of the accident, according to the files. Nika was originally supposed to be set off by a specific list and order, just like Bucky, but it’s not happening that way. Bucky was triggered in Russian, it doesn’t seem to matter for Nika, English or Russian words, they both work; and the order doesn’t matter either; she’s communicating mainly in English now. Read out even two or three of her trigger words, in any order and in either language.... and she turns. We tested this, against my wishes, but Nika was insistent and it wasn’t anything I want to repeat.”

“What are her words?” Tony asked.

Bruce exhaled. “Corporeal. Ravenous. Twilight. Pure. Evergreen. Forge. Deviate. Fracture. Sister. Sorrow.” He dropped the tablet to the table and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Those words are common enough that the chance she could hear any of them just being around other people is high. It wouldn’t be as bad if she was only triggered in Russian, or needed to hear all ten in order, but she doesn’t; she hears just two or three of those and.... ” He didn’t finish, rolling his shoulders instead as he shivered.

“So... she could just be walking down the street and overhear a few random conversations in a cafe or something, and that would be enough?” Sam asked.

Bruce closed his eyes as he nodded. “Yeah, and that’s a chance we cannot take. We need to find a way to remove the indoctrination.”

Bucky swallowed hard, his heart pounding. “Shuri?”

“We’ve been trying, I was finally able to speak with her just a few minutes ago.” Steve answered, his voice weary.

Bucky perked up, waiting to hear more. “And?”

“She’s willing to try, on one condition.” Steve hesitated, eyes locking on Bucky’s. “You have to come too.”

“To Wakanda? Why?”

“Her first question after I explained the situation was how you were dealing with it.... and I was honest.”

“I can’t bring Nika to Shuri alone-”

“Exactly. And you’re definitely not. I’m taking you.” He glanced over at Nat, who sat bent forwards, her head in her hands as Clint rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Nat might be coming too.... not sure yet. Either way, we’re shipping out soon, Shuri is expecting us.”

“How long will it take?” Sam asked, his manner uncharacteristically sombre.

All eyes swiveled to Bucky, as if he had all the answers and he stuttered before finding his voice. “Not ..... not long for Shuri to untangle everything, remove HYDRA’s shit, but who knows how long to get through the fallout? I’m still working on it.”

Tony sighed, shooting a sympathetic glance at Nat. “We can deal with nightmares and phobias, but we can’t handle homicidal rage. As long as Shuri can get that out of her head, we can bring her back and let her work through it amongst friends. But we’ll leave it up to Nika, once she’s thinking clearly, she can decide if she wants to stay in Wakanda or come back here. Based on what I’ve seen, once she gets straightened out, she’ll be a damn asset to the team based on her physical abilities alone, a super serum enhanced super assassin; it’s like Widow and Frosty had a baby.”

“Ummm..... ew.” Nat managed, lifting her head and giving a shaky smile. A few weak chuckles answered her and that seemed enough to break the tension. Steve thumped the table with the flat of his hand, clearing his throat.

“Alright, we’re flying out in thirty minutes. Bruce, you’re bringing Nika down to the hanger?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes. She’ll be heavily shackled, as per her own request. Do you want me to accompany her?”

Steve pondered a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think it’ll be necessary; as long as she’s not triggered, she’s actually a real sweetheart.” He paused, a brief flash of sadness washing over his face. It never failed to torment him just how much evil HYDRA was capable of, despite seeing the result every time he looked at his best friend.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************** Bucky shifted uncomfortably in the co-pilot’s seat. It wasn’t necessary for him to be up here, Steve was a more than capable pilot and the quinjet was incredibly advanced, but it saved him from sitting in the back with Nika. As Bruce had led her up the ramp Bucky had had to bite back a sharp inhale of surprise.

Nika was upright, walking under her own power but was a ghost in every other way. The straitjacket bound her arms tightly around her and her hair was a tangled curtain over her bowed face; a large set of headphones hung around her neck. She let Bruce lead her silently to the bench and waited without comment as he secured her restraints, only lifting her head to insist on one more binding chain before he stepped back. Her eyes flicked briefly to Bucky as he watched her, and a multitude of emotions rocketed through her violet gaze, but she dropped her head again without a word. Her throat still bore the jagged scar of her brutal self-attack and her entire body seemed to tremble ever so slightly.

Bucky wanted to move to her side, sit close and draw her into his arms; the need to comfort her a maddening itch, but he was loathe to upset her further.

“Will you be okay, Nika?” Steve asked softly, moving to stand beside Bucky.

Nika glanced at Bruce and nodded before answering. “Just don’t come near me, no matter what I do. These chains will hold but I can’t,” she broke off and swallowed hard. “I can’t guarantee I won’t test them.” She glanced at Bruce and he stepped forward, reaching for the headphones and placing them over her ears. Following the cord to a small iPod he pressed a button then looked back up at Nika. She nodded in response and Bruce stepped back, turning to address Bucky and Steve.

Bucky kept his eyes on Nika, watched as her eyes went faraway, pulling his attention from her reluctantly as Bruce began to speak.

“We’ve figured out her major fears. They’re rather obvious if you consider what she’s been through. Keep the cabin lights on, she’s afraid of the dark; keep the heat up, she can’t stand cold, and above everything else, make sure there’s some type of white noise all the time. Silence is her absolute undoing. The iPod is on continuous loop and she’ll be okay to listen to it the entire flight. This is all included on those notes I gave you Steve, for god’s sake don’t deviate.”

A shudder of horror swept through Bucky; Nika had been conscious under cryofreeze for four years, trapped in absolute quiet, absolute nothingness for that entire time, of course silence would be her undoing. He swallowed, “what about when we reach Wakanda? She’ll need to go into cryofreeze for Shuri to help her.”

Bruce nodded. “She’s aware and resigned to that, she knows it’s necessary to help.” A wave of sudden sorrow passed over his face and he turned his head, gazing at Nika for a long beat before turning back and Bucky saw the devotion on his face; Bruce had taken Nika under his wing, looked on her like a little sister, and her pain was now his pain. Steve’s clenched jaw said he was the same and, with a sharp nod of his head, he announced it was time to go.

Bruce knelt in front of Nika, mouthing ‘goodbye’ then stood and left and, not knowing what else to do, Bucky retreated to the cockpit.

[ben243s-transformation-stories]

Sam’s Dog Summer

“Sam, What do you want to do for the summer?” his mom asked. It was the last week of his sophomore year in high school, and sam wasn’t interested in any of the typical summer programs. “Mom, I want to spend the summer as a dog. Your dog.” he replied. “What?!?!” his mom could not believe her ears. “I’ve always loved dogs, and want to see what it would be like to be one. Besides, all of my friends will be gone and camp is so boring. “ he told her. Sam’s mom thought for a moment. Did he really want to do this? is he just testing me? “if you really want to do this you must remain naked the whole vacation, eat out of a dog bowl sleep on a dog bed use the bathroom outside like a dog obey my commands and no t.v. movies or video games.” she offered. She figured he would never agree with the inclusion of no tav. and video games, but he responded, “Fine, lets do it.” A couple of days later Sam's mom took him to the pet store to pick out his collar, leash, bowl, and toys. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She asked him. “Never more so” he replied. He looked carefully knowing the collar would be the only thing he would be wearing for the next few months. He hoped it would be a warm summer. Sam picked out a collar and leash combo with a patriotic motif. It was red white and blue and covered in flags. He picked out a shiny metal bowl, which his mom had engraved with his name. They picked out some squeaky toys, rawhide chews, and a big bag of dry dog food. Mom picked out a dog house for rainy days. Before they left sam had an ID tag made with his name on it for his collar. While sam was at school for his last day of 10th grade, his mother had a privacy fence installed around their backyard, and found a nice shady spot for the dog house. When Sam walked in from school he headed straight to his room. He found all of his clothes boxed up and a dog bed in the middle of the floor. All of his other furniture was gone. “Good you’re home.” his mom greeted him. “Strip!” she ordered. “But I have to go to the bathroom” he protested. “After you’re naked and outside Dog” she told him. Sam remembered the agreement and quickly stripped off his shirt, pants, shoes, and socks. He hesitated about his underwear, but shed that too after a moment. His mom looked him up and down, this was the first time she’d seen him totally naked for a long time. She snapped the collar around his neck and led him out the back door. “ Your toilet awaits.” she announced. While sam was exploring the backyard, his mom scooped his clothes up and locked them away. “Well this saves on a summer wardrobe” she thought. Sam walked around the yard for a while enjoying the breeze on his bare skin and penis. Soon the urge to pee hit him and he decided to pee where he was standing. it felt strange to be peeing in the yard and yet somehow liberating. he decided to checkout his dog house next. He found it was just roomy enough for him to lie down in. Next to the dog house was a bowl of water. he stuck his head in and tried to drink. it took a lot more effort than he thought it would. After lounging in the sun for a while his mom called him for dinner. “Come sam, Dinner, Good Boy!” sam got up and ran into the house as fast as he could. The instant he walked in the door he could smell the steak and french fries that his mother had cooked. He was starving. She led him to the kitchen and said “Here’s your diner”. and showed him to a bowl of dry dog food. The dog food nuggets were a huge let down after smelling the steak. The dog food tasted awful, but it was all he was fed so he ate it anyway. “Lets see how long he keeps this up” thought his mom as she watched him over her steak. Sam spent the rest of the evening lying on the floor of the living room as his mother watched CSI, as dogs aren’t allowed on the furniture. Secretly his mom thought this was a strange way for her son to want to spend his summer, but enjoyed seeing him completely helpless and dependent on her. She decided to put him out one last time before putting him to bed. This time sam had to do both so he ended up squatting on the lawn. When he came back in, she led him up to his dog bed and left him there for the evening. As she tucked herself into bed, she thought maybe this wont be so bad after all. Sam certainly seemed to be enjoying it. It took sam a while to fall asleep, partly from newness of the bed, but also due to the giddiness of the whole situation. He had never expected his mother to agree to it. Sam Slept in, and when he got up he remembered the best dreams he had ever had. He also had the biggest erection he had ever had. He waited for it to go down, but he had to go to the bathroom so he found his mom to let him out. She looked at his erection and smiled as she opened the door. She watched him from the dining room window, and saw that he had no embarrassment about being naked, or using the yard as a toilet. After finishing her breakfast Sam's mom took a tennis ball out with her and asked sam if he wanted to play fetch. He nodded his assent, so she threw the ball. Sam ran after it. when he reached it he reached down to pick it up and his mother said “Not like that, dogs pick them up with their mouths.” Sam instantly bent down and scooped up the ball in his mouth. He carried it back to his mom. They continued to play this way for an hour. She noticed that he started panting. That was a nice touch. She couldn’t help but stare at her sweat covered son as he chased the ball across the yard. After a hard morning of play, Mom brought him in for lunch and watched as he ate. “You know, if you’re going to be a dog, you should be walking on all fours.”. “OK mom, whatever you say.” he replied and dropped to his knees. They played most of the rest of the weekend and mom petted Sam's back enjoying him more as her pet than her son. When the week started Sam’s mom had to go back to work so sam was told he would be spending the day outside. It was nice and sunny so sam was thrilled. He gulped down his breakfast that morning and ran out the door to explore the back yard. Work was boring that day, and when she got home she found sam sunning himself in the yard. Sam had hardly noticed the passage of time, he had been chasing birds and the occasional squirrel and had thought that this was how he should be spending his his life, not sitting in a boring classroom. She walked out and patted him on the stomach, and led him inside. She fed sam a special treat of beef with his dog food which he lapped right up. As the weeks progressed Sam's mom noticed that he seemed to be taking to this dog thing better that she thought he would. If anything he almost seemed to be acting more like a dog than a boy with each passing day. Mom was a little concerned, but found herself liking the way he was acting and wishing she could keep him this way forever. Sam's mom did some research and found places where people enjoyed acting like animals and found there was a vet in her area who sometimes saw people like that. She decided to make and appointment for sam for the weekend. The vet agreed to see them, but only late at night when the office was closed for his “regular” clients. Sam's mom found a robe and made him put it on for the ride even though he resisted. “I’m a dog” sam thought. “Dogs don’t wear clothes.” the instant they were in the office sam shed the robe and licked the vet. He did a full examination, and declared that Sam was fit and asked his mom if she wanted to have him vaccinated. “I sure do. I would also like to have him microchipped in case he ever gets loose.” She replied. “Of course, just fill out this paperwork” said the vet and handed her a stack of forms. While Sam's mom was filling them out the vet filled several syringes and proceeded to inject sam with the fluids. He whined a little but took them well. “Good Dog!” the vet praised him. “He’ll be a little sore for a couple days but should be all right. Here are you rabies tag and a tag for the id chip.” “Thanks. now I can get a license for him.” Sam's mom told the vet. Sam sat on his haunches on the exam room floor and found he only vaguely understood what they were talking about. Something told him he should understand more, but he knew his mother only wanted what was best for him so he didn’t let it worry him. “Would you like to have him neutered?” the vet asked. Sam's mom thought for a few minuets, but then decided “Not yet, thanks.” “Ok, lets settle up the bill and get a copy of the records for you.” the vet said. Mom paid and tried to get sam to wear the robe to the car. He refused and since it was dark his mom just let him walk to the car in all his naked glory, hoping no one would see them. The drive home from the vet was peaceful, as it was late and not many cars were on the road. Sam’s mom (Owner?) reflected back on how the summer had played out so far. She had enjoyed talking and spending time with sam, but he had always spent most of his time watching tv or playing video games. Although they no longer spoke (everyone knows dogs don’t talk) Sam was spending more time with his mom and they seemed to be connecting in ways they never had before. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw sam sleeping on the back seat of the car. His legs were waving like he was running and he was moving his rear as if he had a wagging tail. Then next morning Sam's mom got a call from one of her friends that he was going out of town and wanted someone to watch his dog. Sam was sitting on the floor staring up at her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “Would you like a friend to play with?” She asked him. “woof woof woof” he replied. She told her friend she would love to watch his dog and he could drop it off before he left. When Ryan dropped off Fangs, Sam was still in the backyard. “I hope he doesn't give you any trouble this week. Just feed him and let him out and everything should be great.” He instructed. “have a great trip” Sam's mom told him. After he left she brought sam in and let them greet each other. They sniffed and licked at each other. Sam's mom couldn’t tell the difference between the dog and her sons behavior. The two spent most of the week chasing each other around the yard, rolling in the mud and even shared a rawhide chew before heading off to dinner. When Sam's mom saw them covered in mud, she had to hose them down before she would let them into the house. When Ryan picked up fangs the next morning, Sam's mom decided to confide in him as they had been flirting across the fence for months. “Sam told me he wanted to spend the summer as my dog. I could hardly believe my ears when he said it. I thought he was crazy, but he’s taken to it like a fish to water.” “That's odd, but why are you telling me this?” Ryan wondered. “We’ll I’m going to have to go to a conference for work, that I can’t get out of. Would you mind watching him for a while?” She asked. He readily agreed since she had watched fangs for him and they had gotten along so well. Sam's mom dropped him off early the next morning so she could catch her flight. Ryan took one look at Sam and smiled. “I’ve got big plans for you this week.” Ryan spent the next few hours watching Sam to see how far he had taken to his new roll as a dog. Sam's behavior was almost exactly what you would expect to see from an average dog. He tried to talk to him but anything more than basic commands were met with a puzzled look. “Good“ Ryan thought. “His mom will be pleased when she gets him back.” Sam's sleep was uneasy and he awoke feeling tired. when Ryan greeted him in the morning he sensed that something was different. “So you want to be a dog do you?!?” he asked. “your vet and I have been talking, and we have an appointment set up for you. I think you’ll like the results.” The vet was normally closed on Sundays but had come in early to set up for the special procedures that Ryan had requested. “You’re sure you have the ok to do this?” the vet asked. “yep heres the form” Ryan produced a form on which he had forged Sam's moms signature. “Very well, I’ll get started in a few minuets. let me set up a few last things.” Ryan had requested that the vet remove most of his fingers and thumbs, neuter him, and attempt to graft a tail unto him. This first round of surgeries would produce a dramatic result and make sam feel more like a dog he was becoming. “The surgeries went well, and you can take him home in a few hours. I suggest you set a place where he can sleep in a comfortable position for the next few days. If he takes well to this, we can do the next round in a few days once he's had time to heal.” the vet instructed Ryan. He also handed him some bottles of pills for the pain and to prevent an infection. When Ryan finally took sam home, he was still groggy from the anastesia and was heavily bandaged around his waist and hands. Ryan could see a long furry tail sticking out from under the bandages. “The perfect touch” He thought to himself. It would be several days before the bandages would come off and he could see how well the surgeries went, but so far Ryan was pleased. When sam came to, he knew something was different but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The vet had given him enough pain killer that he had a nice buzz. The vet had also decided to forgo the typical lampshade collar, as Sam's teeth weren’t sharp enough to damage any of the incision sites. Ryan walked into the room to refill the food and water dishes that sam and fangs had been sharing, and when he saw that sam was awake, he smiled. “Glad to see you’re finally up” he said. Sam Tried a wag and felt something flopping against the floor. Looking around he saw a tail swishing weakly behind him. Something in his mind said “But I don’t have a tail?”. When sam tried to rise he felt a jolt of pain in his hands- no now definitely paws. He looked down and saw they were very different than he remembered them. Sam realized he was very hungry and gingerly maneuvered himself the few steps to the food dish. He was happy to see the softer moist food instead of his normal dryer fare. He ate as much as he could than he drained the water dish. Ryan was pleased to see him eating, But was distressed because he had hoped to get one more surgery done to Sam's hind legs to make it easier for him him to walk and some facial surgery in an attempt to give him a snout. Sam's recovery had taken longer than expected and his mother was due back soon. Ryan wondered how she would react to the changes. He felt that she would have some trouble accepting them, but knew that he could sweet talk her into accepting them. He had been watching them since they moved into the neighborhood, and had gotten to know both in ways most people never do. He had only recently started flirting with Sam's mom in an effort to get himself into their lives. This twist had been exactly what he had been waiting for. He had known of Sam's request long before he had asked for dog sitting help. He had parked his car in the airport lot and caught a cab home. It was fairly expensive, but well worth it. Ryan had hastened the mental transformation with hypnotic suggestion, which sam had proved very susceptible to, but the majority of the change had been done by sam himself. This was truly the way he felt he should be though sam would never have been able to put it into words on his own. Sam grew stronger over the next couple of days and when the bandages were fully removed he seemed to be able to move without pain. His tail still seemed kind of weak but he was gaining control quickly. Ryan made sure sam was clean and neat in preparation for his mom to pick him up. When she saw him she nearly fainted. When she left she had left her son, and was now picking up some strange cross between the man and dog. Secretly she had hoped to keep him this way, but she was not prepared to take such drastic steps. “What have you done to him?!??” she demanded. Ryan replied “I have only helped him become what he was truly destined to be.” Sam's mom was furious that she had not been consulted, but was not upset with the results. “now I can keep him with me forever” she thought. She had already started selling off his clothes and stuff and had made a tidy sum. Acting as indignant as possible, she grabbed sam and dragged him home. She wasn’t thinking too clearly and didn’t care if anyone saw them. Ryan was smart enough not to try to stop her or follow. “Give her a day or two, and she’ll see that this was a change for the better.” he thought to himself. He watched carefully through the window of his house to be sure they would be all right. Sam's mom considered her possible courses of action over the next few days. While she was sitting in the chair, sam came over and put his head in her lap. He let out a small whine to get her attention, and she soon found herself scratching his head and petting him. There was no way Sam could return to school. It was due to start in a few days, so she would have to withdraw him. She hoped she would not have to explain too much, maybe just home schooling would be a good explanation. What was she going to do about Ryan? She was still mad, but she was deeply attracted to him. Whenever she tried to complain to him she fell under his spell and just started agreeing to whatever he wanted. Before she knew it, she had withdrawn sam for school (the classes were over crowded already and the staff seemed happy to have one less student to worry about. Sam's mom and Ryan had also scheduled sam in for his second round of surgeries since he was already half way through. Ryan had even convinced her to let him move in to “help take care of Sam after the surgeries.” Sam's recovery seemed to go much quicker this time with both of them nursing him back to health. He took to the leg modifications like a fish to water. He seemed to move around more easily and had less trouble with things getting in the way when he relieved himself. The vet had proven him self to be a prodigy with how smoothly everything went, and how few scars and how small they were. As she watched him running through the yard with fangs playing, she was happy that she had decided to go forward. Once the surgeries were complete sam could almost be mistaken for a normal dog. There was still a problem with giving him a coat of fur, but he had a nice snout, and with a few modifications his tongue hung out. The vet had warned that he would have to learn how to talk again, but sam hadn’t said anything but “Woof Woof” since the summer started. He now had control over his tail and could wag it as well as any other dog. He and fangs had become great friends, almost like they were from the same litter. Behaviorally Sam was now fully canine. There was no human left and sam seemed quite happy with his new life. As the weather stared to turn colder sam spent much more time inside with his two masters and friend. Life could not be better, Sam's mom thought and had convinced herself that Ryan's ideas and surgeries were for the best for sam. She was impressed with the results. and knew that this was how things should be. They finished getting rid of all of Sam's human stuff and used the money to pay off all of her bills. This gave her and Ryan more time to spend together. Ryan turned his attention to Sam's mom, and thought “I wonder how she would like to be a dog?”

[thorne93]

Unexpected Guest (Part 4)

Prompt: Imagine working a party and seeing a mysteriously handsome man who captures your entire attention. There’s one catch: you’re engaged to a different man.

Warnings: angst, fighting, negative relationships, flirting, language, smoking (cigs? Is that even a warning? idk)...

Word Count: 3969

Notes: Inspired by Gorgeous - Taylor Swift...Beta’d by my amazing @like-a-bag-of-potatoes. I’m so blessed to call you a friend, love. OFC/OC Jeremy

Forever Tags: @capsmuscles @cocosierra94 @essie1876 @magpiegirl80 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @harleyquinnandscarletwitch @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @myparadise1982sand @missinstantgratification @thejemersoninferno @rda1989 @marvelloushamilton @munlis @thefridgeismybestie @bubblyanarocks3 @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @hardcollectionworldtrash @igiveupicantthinkofausername @kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr @kaeling

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

Nearly two weeks had passed since dinner that night with Bill. You’d informed Ida about it, and relayed that both of you were okay with just being friends. She seemed to understand that everything was good between you two.

Jeremy seemed to do a tad better, you had told him about the idea to give him small lists each day. He said that might help, but even after only three things to complete, he still struggled to get those taken care of in a timely manner. They either took two days to get done or not at all. Your frustration with him was growing each day. However, he did apologize for the fight and bring home flowers once each week after work, surprising you.

But thankfully, you had Bill to turn to. You finally took him up on his offer to start communicating. The texting started out casually, a little slowly, but eventually, the conversation flowed constantly. He asked about your work day, you’d text him back when you could during your busy days, but you got more time at night. He’d tell you a little about his day as well, yet was rather vague on what he was doing, but then again you didn’t go into every granular detail about your day either. The two of you quickly had inside jokes and seemed to constantly be laughing or smiling about something stupid between the two of you.

Jeremy hadn’t noticed a change in you. That you were on your phone more than usual, that you weren’t talking to him as often, that you were laughing with a random person. He knew it was the friend you’d had dinner with but all he knew was what Ida knew: he was a guy, his name as Bill, and you met at the Nicholas house party.

It was nice to talk to someone who wanted to hear about your day, but you didn’t want to be that friend that only talked about negative and bad shit in their life, so you made sure to throw in some things about what you liked doing. Also mentioning that you really wanted to get a pet but with as busy as you were it wouldn’t be fair to an animal to keep it coped up in a house or yard all day with no one to play with. He said the same. He said he would love a dog and a cat, but he traveled too much for work to think it was right to get one just yet.

Today was an especially busy, shitty day. Your vegetable order didn’t arrive on time, you called your vendor and they forgot to get it to you, but the driver called out sick, so it looked like you wouldn’t be getting your veggies at all today. So you had to make an emergency run to a local grocery store. The wedding planner for a wedding this evening had bumped up their cake count to include twenty more people. A house party called to tell you that they changed their mind on the appetizers at the last minute. They wanted a meat free appetizer so you had to scrap the fifty appetizers everyone had prepped and had to haul ass to make the brie appetizers and get them to the house by 1:30. You were ragged, exhausted, exasperated and pissed off. A couple of times you sent quick, short text messages to Bill telling him how badly your day was royally fucked and if you didn’t respond, that’s why.

Needless to say, when you left the kitchen for the night, you were surprised to find Bill waiting for you just outside.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” you greeted with more enthusiasm than you thought you had in you.

“I know you had a shit day, thought I’d come by to make it better,” he offered as he walked up with a shrug.

“How do you plan on doing that?” you wondered as you started to your car in the parking lot on the side of the building, Bill doing well to keep up with you. He did have legs from hell so there was no rational reason for him not to be able to keep up.

“I’m kidnapping you,” he informed, a cheeky grin on his face.

“I don’t know,” you started. “I’m really tired. I just want to go home and take a bath or soak my feet or curl up and cry,” you stated, wanting to laugh, but not finding the energy.

“It’s a kidnapping, Y/N. Meaning you don’t have a fucking choice.” He offered you a cute, cunning bitch face that was hard to resist.

“Bill,” you half-whined, feeling so tired and your feet aching.

“Could you at least see what the surprise is before you blow me off?” he asked, teasing in his voice.

“I suppose going to see whatever the surprise is won’t hurt,” you obliged, with a small eyeroll.

He bumped your shoulder with his arm. “That’s the spirit. Come on.” He grabbed your hand and pulled you to his car, opening the door for you. “Your chariot to fun awaits,” he said before bowing a bit, gesturing inside.

“Thank you, kind sir,” you said in a silly accent before sliding into the car. He closed the door and rounded around to the front of the car. “I hope wherever you’re taking me doesn’t mind my caterer’s uniform,” you noted, looking down at the pristine white smock.

“Trust me, they won’t care if you're naked,” he promised as he started the car, rolled the window down, then lit a smoke. The action made you desire some of your own nicotine as well, hoping it would help calm your irritation and anxiety from the day.

You grabbed your purse, pulled out the cigarette and lighter. “Mind if I…?” you asked, holding up the two items in your hand.

He looked over at you as he pulled out onto the street, then his eyes went back to the road as he shook his head. “No, my car, only I smoke,” he said firmly.

When a small v formed between your brows, he stole another quick glance at you before laughing heartily. “Y/N, I’m joking. I don’t care. Feel free to light up.”

A breath of relief floated from you before you lit the sweet cigarette and took a puff, letting the nicotine work its wonders on your body, to help calm you. Between the quiet music on the radio, the small sizzling sound of your cigarettes, the lights of LA, the darkness of the sky, and the warm air of the night, you were nearly being lulled to sleep by the serenity of it all.

Bill drove for maybe twenty more minutes before you parked on what looked to be the end of a pier.

“We’re here,” he informed as he unbuckled.

“We’re at a pier?” you questioned. “Are we going to fish or...go out to the water or…?” you wondered, peering out at the landscape curiously.

“You’ll see. You really aren’t one for surprises, are you?” he asked as he hopped out and you followed suit. “You jump easy, you always wonder what I’m up to…” he commented as he led the way onto the pier.

“I’m a control freak,” you reminded. “I’m not one for things out of my control.”

“But maybe that’s good. Maybe it’s good to let go once in awhile. Let someone else take the reins,” he offered, nudging you.

Gently shaking your head, you responded, “I’m not sure I could do that.”

“Why?” he wondered softly. “What’s the worst that could happen if you’re not in control of everything?”

“Things fall apart,” you meekly answered. “I mean, at work, if I don’t give everyone a duty and ensure they stick to it, then orders don’t get fulfilled. If I don’t pay bills, clean, keep maintenance up on the cars, ensure nothing needs repairs at home, nothing would get done, I can’t count on Jeremy to do any of that stuff.” You chanced a glance to him to see if he understood, but he appeared to just be pursing his lips and clenching his jaw.

“What if it’s a nice surprise?” he inquired after a few moments of quietness.

“What’s a nice surprise?” you asked, unsure what he meant. To you, surprises were always bad things: veggies not delivered, meat not being ready, customers getting food poisoning, chefs calling out sick, water pipes bursting at home, washing machine breaking down. Those were the sort of surprises you were used to.

“Flowers? Chocolates? Rose petals? Small gifts? A greeting card? A back rub or foot rub?” he listed, peering over at you. But you kept your eyes down, not knowing what it was like to get those sorts of surprises. “Wow. You really don’t know about a good surprise do you?”

You shrugged and shook your head.

“Well hopefully this will be your first,” he said, jogging ahead of you, then spinning around to face you, raising his arms up over his head. “Behold! Your present for a shitty day!” he announced. You were so busy thinking and talking, you hadn’t noticed what was on the pier, and what Bill was gesturing to with his hands -- a carnival sign, complete with glowing lights and bright colors. You hadn’t been to one in years but you remembered loving them as a teen.

“Really?” you asked with almost childlike delight.

“Yeah. Do you like carnivals?” he asked as he walked back to you, a touch of worry coloring his features.

“I love them!” you informed excitedly.

“Awesome. Let’s go,” he said as he grabbed your hand and hauled you through the archway, the two of you running like kids to the ticket booth and getting the unlimited rides pass.

“What do you wanna ride first?” he asked, looking down at you.

“Um...How about...that?” you asked, pointing to a ride that was simple: it went really quickly, in a circle, on a track. It didn’t spin or go upside down or high, but it was a fast ride with hills and dips, like a mini roller coaster.

“Anything you want,” he promised with a grin that made your heart beat faster. You simply grinned at him and nodded, reasserting that you’d like to go on that ride.

The line was fairly short, surprisingly since the night seemed to be perfect. It was warm, with a light cool breeze fanning through your hair. There were enough people around to make it feel welcoming, but not so many that you got sensory overload. The two of you got seated in the cart, with a small gap between you, but as soon as the ride started, it threw you against him, causing both of you to erupt in a giggle fit for the entire ride as it forced you against him. When the ride was done, you drug him to another ride, and then another. Each time, you screamed on the thrilling ones, making him laugh at you and make fun of you, or the slower ones where you two chuckled through the entire thing. In between rides, or even as you boarded them, Bill would wrap his arm around you and take selfies and upload them to Instagram.

“Okay, I need a bit of time before I get back on a ride,” you said as you got off the fourth ride.

“Alright. What do you wanna do?” he asked, seeming laid back and awaiting your command.

Not sure, you scanned the area for attractions, looking for games or fun houses. You found a game that required little skill and easy to win. It was set up where you pulled the trigger on a gun and water sprayed into a target, causing a prize pole to grow. Whoever had the tallest pole at the end, won.

You quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the game, handing the carnival employee five dollars to pay for yours and Bill’s entry. You looked down the row and found that you were facing off against four other people. The bell rang, indicating the start of the game, and everyone’s guns began spraying. You focused hard, harder than you should, for a carnival game. Your eyes never left the target, your hands steady, until the final bell rung. The employee checked the poles and you had won.

“Yes!” you nearly shouted, pumping your fists in the air. “Woohoo!” You jumped up from your seat and Bill joined you. The employee told you to pick from a select group of prizes. You grabbed a rainbow colored teddy bear and you two set off on your way.

You chuckled quietly to yourself. “I beat your ass,” you snickered as you two walked along.

He gave you a sideways smile, peering down at you. “You’re not exactly good on sportsmanship.”

“Pfft, fuck sportsmanship. I won, bitch, deal with it,” you teased more.

He couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh at your comment.

“Fair enough. Congrats on your win,” he said with an award winning smile. “Where to next?” he wondered.

“Don’t you want to pick something? I’ve been dragging you around all night.”

“I’m doing this for you, to make you feel better. I’m just along for the ride, pun fully intended,” he stated, that smile lighting his face up again. His words sent a current of guilt through you, though, as you remembered Jeremy never did things like this for you. If he ever did anything like a foot rub or anything resembling something nice, you had to ask for it. The fact that Bill was doing it of his own accord, and the way that made you feel, the response quickly turned to guilt.

“Well, I haven’t really eaten,” you tried. “Maybe we should go grab something?”

“Only carnival food,” he insisted, a stern look on his face. Your nose crinkled at the thought. You were a top caterer, culinary fine arts was your forte, which meant you ate only the best. Not deep fried goop only good for clogging your arteries.

“What? You can’t be serious.”

He gave you a face that insisted he wasn’t fooling around. It was as serious and collected as it could be. “You’re at the carnival, it’s part of the experience. What’s the worst that will happen? Too many deep fried oreos? One too many delicious funnel cakes?”

Your mouth screwed to the side, weighing your options. “Okay, I give. What do you recommend?”

“Personally? Nachos and a funnel cake - simple and hard to fuck up.”

“Actually--” you began, just about to explain how easily you could fuck up both, his hand flashed to your mouth, covering it gently, applying no force, but the action still got the same point across.

“I swear to God, if you start to lecture me about the laws of food, I’ll unkidnap you,” he warned with a very small chuckle, his hand still covering your mouth. The sensation of the small, playful gesture awakened some sort of hormonal beast inside you, it literally made a shiver run down your back as your eyes met his, the subtle look of dominance in his eyes piercing through you. “Are you going to be good?” he asked, his eyebrow perched up.

Well, that question didn’t fucking help your nerves or hormones…

You nodded and after another second, he let his hand drop away from you, the sensation it brought with it falling away as well.

“How would you even go about unkidnapping someone?” you asked in a teasing, mocking tone before sticking your tongue out.

“Come on,” he said, rolling his eyes and throwing his arm over your shoulder and leading you to the food stand.

The two of you grabbed a serving of nachos each, one funnel cake to share, and two drinks. You found a table near the edge of the pier that offered a fabulous ocean breeze and offered seclusion from others.

“Tonight is so gorgeous,” you noted, closing your eyes and letting the ocean mist touch your face.

“Yeah, it is,” he agreed softly as he picked at his food. “Is this what it was like when Jeremy proposed?” he wondered.

Your mind wandered to the day Jeremy proposed, looking down at your ring. That day wasn’t glitzy and glammy, and sure, some girls don’t need a parade, some want something sentimental, some want a whole show, some just want it over a candlelit dinner at home. You would’ve been happy with any of the above...But what did Jeremy do?

“Uh, no,” you answered, your eyes still cast down. “Not quite that romantic. He turned to me one night as I was making dinner and said, ‘Wanna get hitched?’”

Bill dropped his food, his mouth fell open and he stared at you as if you just confessed to murder.

“You’re...you’re joking, right? Tell me that no man on this Earth actually fucking did that,” he nearly begged in disbelief.

You shrugged lightly. “Well...yeah. I mean, he said it so nonchalantly, I asked if he was serious. He said yes, so we talked more seriously about it, and by the end of the night, I said yes.”

So no. It wasn’t Disney worthy from what you remember as a little girl. It wasn’t romantic like you’d heard from some of your clients or staff members for their own proposals. It wasn’t sentimental like some of your cousins had gotten. But, a man saying he wanted to share his life with you didn’t need a lot of finesse, did it? It’s the action not the words.

“So you basically talked it over to see whether or not you wanted to get married?”

“Essentially. We’d been dating for two years, after one year of engagement, he moved in…”

“So you’ve been engaged for a little over a year?”

Your cheeks reddened as you went to answer. “No, a little over three years, to be exact.”

He nodded slowly. “I see. Nothing wrong with a long engagement. I’m sure you were busy with the catering so you all put it off…” he assumed. But he was wrong. “So when’s the big day then?”

“So far there is no big day,” you quietly informed, getting sadder by the second.

Bill looked at you, frowning, trying to see your face. He leaned down to try and see your face as your head hung.

“Hey, you okay?”

You shrugged.

“Are we friends?” he asked softly and sweetly.

You raised your head and gave him a puzzled look. “Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

“Well friends talk when shit’s bothering them. What’s up? Is it Jeremy?” he questioned, seeming genuinely concerned.

In your head, you began mulling over what was troubling you before you opened your mouth. You didn’t want to be a downer, but again, someone to confide in was new and needed.

“Okay, I don’t always want to be Negative Nancy when you’re around me,” you started. “I feel like I’m always throwing my shit off on you. Like bad days at work, fiance crap, and all that. I don’t want you to feel like I’m never fun to talk to or I’m the person you can guarantee is going to be sad or negative when you talk to me.”

He nodded slowly, making sure you were finished before speaking. “Y/N...we’re friends. This is what friends do. You have a lot on your plate. If you need to vent to me all day and night, you should be able to. Does that mean I want to see you unhappy? No, but if you are, I want you to know you can come to me. I’m not going to think all you do is bitch, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“It’s just…” you started, feeling like a whiner. “I’ve had friends like that, that the only time they talked to me was to vent, which I get, was fine. Like you said, that’s what friends are for, but these friends never had anything positive or good to say. I just don’t want to be that to you.”

He shook his head. “You’re not. Trust me. You tell me about your good days at work, what you’re looking forward to, new recipes you’re working on. When you’re excited about a new book you’ll never get to read...” The two of you shared a laugh at his comment. “No, Y/N, you aren’t a negative nuisance. If you wanna share something with me, go ahead,” he encouraged, a small smile pulling at one side of his lips.

“Well...I guess it’s Jeremy,” you finally confessed. “I just...Why ask me to marry him if he’s just going to shoot down every time I bring up a date for the wedding? I mean, if he changed his mind, fine, okay, but tell me, ya know? Or, if he’s still totally ready, then he needs to man up and say so. But this in between nonsense is getting old.”

“Have you told him that?”

“No, but he knows I’d like a date for our wedding. Within the last few months I tried to bring it up more often than before and he still just gives me the same bs line about not wanting to rush things.”

He thought a moment. “Maybe you should give him an ultimatum.”

“Like what? Pick a date or I’m leaving you?”

“Not that drastic,” he remarked, leaning forward a bit. “But you could tell him the engagement is off until he helps you decide on a date. This way, he knows you’re serious, but you two haven’t broken up, it’s just an engagement on hold.” He shrugged, nodding his head to one side before sipping his drink.

You thought about it a moment. “That’s not a bad idea actually.”

“I get one every now and again,” he said with a smile.

The two of you finished your food, shared a smoke break, went into the funhouse of mirrors, played two or three more games, where he won you a stuffed alligator toy at one of them, then rode a few more rides before he finally took you back to the car. Your exhaustion and irritation and sadness from the day had melted away. All the bad stuff about Jeremy was still in the back of your mind, but you could deal with that another day. He drove you back to the kitchen so you could pick up your car and go home, seeing as it was almost midnight.

“Thank you so much for tonight,” you said, turning to him, gripping your two new stuffed animals proudly.

“Of course. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t try to cheer you up?”

“A typical one that doesn’t go to these sort of lengths,” you noted matter of factly.

He pointed at you. “And that is why you needed it. You’re not used to what normal people do, so you needed this more than anyone.”

A soft laugh left your lips as your eyes fell to your lap, nodding a little bit. “I suppose. Well, I need to get going, it’s late.”

“Yeah. Thanks for coming with me. I had fun.”

“Me too,” you said, smiling at up at him. Looking at him was a grave mistake. Those eyes of his always held you in place, a feeling of lust and want always washing over you.

A few moments of silent, thick tension kept you both motionless until a car horn honked on the street, breaking the spell.

“Right...Uh..Goodnight,” you quickly said before leaning over to give him a hug before jumping out of the passenger seat, trying to take a mentally cold shower.

[winsister91]

The Best Present Awards

Summary: @spnaddict11283 asked: Well, if you wanted a suggestion... my birthday is next Friday. Maybe a fic where it's the readers birthday and Dean didn't know, but Sam or Cas told him? (Deanxreader btw. And maybe they're in a relationship?) If not that's fine, just a suggestion!!  btw, smut it pretty cool *wink wink* Characters: Dean x Reader, Sam, Cas Word Count: 3375 (Yeah, I got lost in this one for a bit) Warnings: Smut, fluff A/N: @spnaddict11283  I’m so SO sorry I’m a couple of days late with this!! This is my general failing as a human being. I hope you had an amazing birthday!! Now go enjoy it with Dean ;)  Unbetad so all mistakes (which there no doubt will be plenty of) are mine! Feedback always appreciated guys!

My Masterlist! ~ Dean and forever tags are open! ~

Your eyes slowly open as you hear the clunk of crockery being placed on your bedside table. You’re already alerted. It couldn’t be Dean. He never wakes up before you.

“Morning Sweetheart,” he cooed, his voice higher pitched than normal, “Don’t get up so fast! No rushing around for you today.” You narrow your eyes. He was chirpy. Too chirpy. You take a sip of your fresh coffee and sigh in content as the caffeine rushes to wake you. Then you turn back to the Winchester.

“What?” you smirk, “You’re saying you remembered this year?” Dean chokes on his words for a moment, “W-what? Is that what you really think of me?”

You lean back into your pillow with a chuckle. “Well I’m just going off your track record babe,” you wink, “Three years and you still haven’t remembered it.”

“Well I have this year!” his eyes are wide, his voice lacking the confidence he likely intended, “I-I got loads of stuff planned!”

“Hop to it then,” you fold your arms and blow him a kiss.

He quickly turned on his heels and practically ran through the door. You rolled your eyes, taking another sip. It honestly didn’t bother you when Dean forgot your birthday, it was lucky if he remembered anyones with all the stuff on their plates. You had to tease him though, it was just the right thing to do.

After finishing your morning pick me up you made yourself decent, swapping one of Dean’s old flannels for a black tee and skinny jeans. You grabbed your tattered old boots, your favorites. Boy, they had been through the wars though. The black leather was so scraped and battered it barely resembled leather anymore. The laces are torn and frayed. Rare a day went past that you didn’t wear them, but today marked one of those occasions. As you shoved your foot in, there was a loud rip sound and the leather finally gave way. “Are you fucking kidding me?” you whined, holding the boot on your foot with your toes poking out of the end. You take a moment, removing the boot and sitting helplessly, holding the limp scrap piece of animal hide in mourning. You begrudgingly settle for your Y/F/C converse. A trusty backup, but they could never be compared to the hard kick of a boot.

Finishing the last few lukewarm sips of your coffee, you venture out of your and Dean’s room. You drag your feet along the floor, they felt so light and almost naked without your trusty boots. They were expensive too...gonna be a while until you can replace them. Arriving in the main room, you spot Sam and Cas at the table waiting for you with big smiles.

“Y/N!” Sam cheers, coming to you with open arms. He wraps them around you like you’re being hugged by a huge cuddly yeti, “Happy birthday!” “Thanks,” you blush at the attention.

Cas follows suit, gripping you in a tight hug. When he eventually releases you, you spot two parcels wrapped on the table.

“Thank you guys,” you smile sweetly, trying to hide your schoolgirl giddiness at presents.

“This is from me,” Cas picks up the smaller parcel of the two packages and passes it to you, “I...uh...wasn’t sure what to get. This came highly recommended.” You rip off the plain paper to reveal a jar. The contents inside were black and a large sticker plastered on the front said, Yankee Candle, then a big picture of a night’s sky with a full moon, underneath that it read, Midsummer’s Night. “A Yankee candle!” you cheer, genuinely surprised.

“Scented candles can induce a state of relaxation,” Cas expanded, “I feel this could help you relax when you return from a hunt.”

“That’s really sweet,” you smile at the angel, “Thank you Castiel.”

The angel smiles, shuffling his feet. Sam now thrusts the second parcel towards you, a big square one.

“I hope you like it,” he smiles genuinely. “Let’s see!” you beam, tearing into your second gift.

Your ripping reveals a huge leather-bound book with silver gilded pages. The words The Complete Fiction of HP Lovecraft are beautifully designed on the cover. You take a moment to stare, somewhat dumbfounded.

“Wow…” you mumble, flicking through the silver pages.

“You seem to like your horror stories,” Sam shrugged, “So I thought I’d load you up with some classics.” “This is amazing Sammy,” you close the book and turn to him with a smile, “Thank you so much.”

“Your welcome,” he nods, clearly happy with the reception to his gift, “You want a coffee?” “Dean already made me one,” you reply, “But one more wouldn’t go amiss.” “On it,” he gets to his feet and heads for the kitchen. “Where is Dean anyway?” you shout after him, “I thought he was in here with you guys?”

“He...uh...nipped out,” came your answer from the kitchen. “He really did forget didn’t he?” you turn your gaze to Cas. Who gave you sympathetic nod in reply. You fold your arms, you felt very happy and loved looking at the gifts before you. But it didn’t do much to hide the sting you felt towards Dean. If Sam and Cas can remember, why couldn’t he? Hell, why didn’t they remind him? They must have said something this morning for him to grovel with coffee and then run out. Now you felt guilty. Gifts are just materialistic at the end of the day. He brought you coffee in bed, that was sweet of him. You just wanted some time with him. You and Dean. Just having him in your life was all that mattered really.

When Sam returned with a fresh mug of coffee, a crash came from the bunker’s metal door. Dean came in, scurrying down the stairs with what appeared to be some fast food bags.

“Breakfast!” he announced, dropping the bags on the table, “The fast and greasy kind.” “Great,” Sam grimaced at the bags.

“Fine by me!” you cheer, grabbing one of the bags and claiming one of the sausage and egg muffins.

“A little special something for you too Sweetheart,” shoving a small bundle towards you. Something clearly bought with haste, wrapped in a brown paper bag, “Your favorite.” You narrow your eyes and unravel the bag, delving inside to reveal a packet of Twizzlers.

“Um…” you raise an eyebrow, “It’s...Red Vines that are my favorites…” “Oh…” Dean’s shoulders slump in defeat, “I thought you hated Red Vines…”

“Nope, its Twizzlers I hate…” you smile at him sympathetically, his face looked broken and that broke your heart, “Look. Don’t worry about it. You’re here and I just wanna spend the day with you, that’s all that matters.”

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

“You’re taking me to the mall?” you questioned as he pulled the Impala into the carpark, “Dean, you know I hate shopping.”

“One of the things I adore you for,” Dean chuckles as he parks up and shuts the engine off, “‘cause I hate shopping too.” He leans to you and plants a quick peck on your forehead, you giggle and shove him away playfully.

“Then why are we here?” “You’re gonna pick something out. Anything you want. Then I’ll get it for you!”

“Dean, really, it doesn’t matter, can’t we just hang out together or something?” “It does matter! To me anyway. I’m not having my little brother win the best present award.”

“You’re an idiot Dean Winchester.” “Your adorable idiot. Now c’mon, most chicks would love their guy to give them free reign in the mall. Go!”

You sigh. Dragging yourself out of the car. You hated the mall. Too many people. Too much stuff. It was all very OTT to you. You aimlessly wandered, hands locked with Dean’s. He made you stop at clothing stores. Nothing interested you. You gave up on the luxury of fancy clothes when it dawned on you that they only get ruined when hunting. You had a small selection of nicer clothes for going out and such, but you mainly went to dive bars so was wary of being overdressed for that setting.  He tried you with jewelry stores, you scoffed. You rolled your eyes at the perfume boutique. Dean shook his head at you when you wanted to look in the bookstore, making some comment along the lines of “Sammy already checked that box”. Time passed, no success. Dean looked heartbroken that his plan wasn’t working. While doing a second lap of the mall something suddenly caught your eye. A small stand in the center of the walkway selling necklaces. Nothing fancy, just small metal pieces attached to a piece of black thread. “I like this…” you mumble, picking one out. It was simple, but that’s what drew you to it. A small metallic heart. “That?” Dean scoffed, “It’s like something a crappy teenage boyfriend would buy.” “It’s cute!” you protest, “I like it…”

“Then it’s yours I guess…” Dean shoved a hand into his pocket, grabbing some change and handing it to the vendor. You throw the necklace over your head and smile looking down at the little heart sitting on your chest.

“Thank you,” you stand on your tiptoes to reach up to him and have your lips find his. He reciprocates but gives a deep sigh when you break apart.

“C’mon, let’s get some food or something,” you take his hand and smile cheerfully.

°。°。°。°。°。°。��。°。°。°。°。

Your second fast food dish of the day. Burgers. You giggled when Dean’s eye lit up at the thought, especially when you suggested the possibility of pie for dessert. You were halfway through your burger, sat in the mall’s food court when Dean had finished his. “It’s like you’ve never been fed,” you chuckle as Dean sits back in the chair in undeniable food comfort. “Nah, you just eat horrifically slowly,” he joked, “Actually...um...do you mind if I just run off for a sec? I need to grab something while I’m here.”

“Oh…” you tilt your head in curiosity, “What is it?”

“Nothing major, just wanna stock up on some supplies we’re low on, I won’t be long.” “Okay, don’t leave me alone here forever or I might kill someone.” “Noted.”

He gives you a wink, before getting to his feet and taking off. You enjoy the view as he leaves, embracing the knowledge that you know what hides beneath them baggy jeans. You turn your attention back to your burger when he’s out of sight. Readying a huge bite when you feel your phone buzz in your pocket. Hey Y/N, hope you’re having a good day. Just letting you know me and Cas are heading out. So...if you wanna get anything out of your system, please do it now so I haven’t gotta listen to it later? Sam.

“Jerk,” you mutter, shaking your head with a laugh and not even dignifying the text with a response. Part of you wanted to hold out until later now just to make Sam suffer for that text. The temptation of an empty bunker though...

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。 

“About time!” you shout when Dean finally reappears. “Sorry, I dropped the stuff off at the car first,” he panted, seems like he’d rushed his way back over here, “So what d’ya wanna do now?” “Well... a little bird told me that the bunker currently lies unoccupied,” you whisper, eyes darkening.

“Oh yeah?” he grins, pulling you to your feet and into his embrace. His arms wrapped around your hips and hands grabbing your ass.

“Public place Dean,” you raise an eyebrow at him.

“Like I give a damn.”

“Why don’t we head on back, stick some Netflix on and just….chill?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

You giggle and shove him back before grabbing his hand and hastily jogging back to the Impala.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

You crash through your bedroom door, Dean holding you up on his hips. Your legs wrap around him tightly while your lips continue to crash and collide with each other. He drops you on the bed, making you squeal at the sudden drop in altitude. Looking up at him, you can see he’s already removing his shirt. You fold your arms behind your head. “Enjoying the show?” he teases. “Damn right I am,” you smirk. He unbuckles his belt, the jingling of the metal echoing and bouncing off the walls, “Do I not get a show?” “Maybe. It’s my birthday after all though,” you stick out your tongue, “Why don’t you take them off for me?” Dean didn’t need telling twice. He straddles you on the bed, his belt and jeans left hanging open invitingly. He pulls you up to a sitting position, grabbing the bottom of your t-shirt and bringing it up and over your head. The cold air of the bunker hitting your skin makes goosebumps rise up. His arms wrap around you as he moves to unclasp your bra, bringing much-appreciated warmth with them. You knew you wouldn’t be cold for long however. He lays you back down after freeing your breasts from the bras confinement. Kissing you again, his tongue grazing your lips in an ask for entrance. You welcome it, gasping as he simultaneously thumbs one of your hard nipples. Your hand rakes up the back of his dirty blonde hair, clutching at a clump of it. You sigh deeply as you feel your body starts to come alive. Every sense became heightened and you could already feel your head starting to become light. He parts his lips from yours, moving them to your other nipple, twirling his tongue around it before sucking hungrily. You feel your core tremble with pleasure, no doubt soaking your pants.

“Dean…” you gas with a smile, “What about the rest of my show?”

He looks up at you, his green eyes darkening lustfully. “You’ll be patient that’s what,” he jokes, sliding down to your jeans and unbuttoning them. You raise your hips, allowing him to pull them down and off of you. You squeal again with laughter when he hastily grabs your ankles and pulls you down the edge of the bed. He kneels down, throwing your legs over his shoulders. “Oh god…” you sigh, feeling his hot breath over your entrance. He runs a finger down your slit, sending small jolts of electricity through you. You buck slightly at the sensation, and you hear him hum happily at his teasing. He strokes your clit, going in little circles which makes your start and writhe and clench at the sheets. You feel his fingers start to open you up, and his warm tongue enters slowly. He starts with small simple strokes, then starts to build up the pace. Twisting and turning so he brushes every angle of your walls. You can’t suppress your moans, impossible with Dean’s tongue taking you on a pleasurable ride to bliss. He moves his tongue to your clit, flicking, twirling and sucking. He brings two fingers inside of you, curving them to reach your g-spot and rub against it perfectly and forcefully. “Fuck…” you groan, clenching your eyes shut and trying to suppress your gasping. “Come for me baby,” he mumbles, his voice low. The words alone drive you crazy as you feel your coil tightening. “I’m so close,” you gasp again, your legs involuntarily twitching on his shoulders as you can feel any sense of control starting to leave you. He quickens the pace, taking you over the edge. You cry out his name as you come, he laps you up, tongue back inside you which keeps you going for even longer. “Fuck…” you gasp as you start to come back down, but you were far from done yet, “Dean...I…” You don’t need to finish your sentence as Dean was already throwing his jeans to the floor. His cock standing hard and ready for you. With a low grunt, he climbs back on you, trailing kisses all up your body until you are face to face. Your tongues meet once more as you scratch your nails down his back making him growl in want. You reach a hand down and start massaging his tip, spreading the pre-cum around the head and line him up with you. He clenches his jaw while he slowly eases in. You arch your back so he can go deeper, moaning as he stretches you and you adjust to him. He kisses your neck while he starts to pull back and harshly thrust back in again. You cry out, throwing your head back on the pillow while he continues to do this, gradually building up momentum. “Ugh,” he grunts, sending new tingles down your spine as he starts to pant and get into rhythm. You start bucking your hips, every thrust in filling you as you tighten yourself around him. You reach up and start to kiss his neck, making him grunt again at the new sensation. A harsh breath escapes him, you find yourself crashing back down to the pillow as Dean grabs your wrists and pins you down with one hand, the other going back to clit. You clench at the bed frame unable to keep your breathing steady as Dean starts to fuck you hard, whilst thumbing away at your clit. “Oh god,” you whine, feeling your coil begin to tighten once again. “F-fuck,” Dean hisses through clenched teeth, before burying his head into your shoulder as his thrusts started to lose rhythm and become erratic.    You can feel his hot breath coating your skin as he heavily pants while he gets closer. You can feel your body start to shake as he hurls you over the edge for the second time. Vision going white, you can barely hear your moans through the pleasure. “UGH!” Dean moans, hard thrusting into you one more time and holding himself there while you feel his come coating all inside you.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。 

“Well…we didn’t even get around to putting Netflix on,” you giggle. Both of you still laid in bed recovering. Dean had an arm wrapped around your shoulders while you rested your head on his chest. “Who needs Netflix when you just want the chill?” he smirks, “I need to get up…” He starts to shuffle, and move, making you whine, “Really? Why?” “Just give me a minute,” he gives you a wink before throwing on some boxers and his long grey robe, “Don’t go anywhere.” “Trust I’m not moving anytime soon,” you laugh in reply as he leaves. You grab your laptop, logging onto Netflix and readying the next episode of Stranger Things for his return. This was all you wanted. Just you and Dean to have the day to yourselves and hang out. The cute little necklace around your neck was a bonus, but you needed nothing more. “Hey,” Dean smiles on re-entering, a large bag in his hand, “Here.” He drops the bag on the bed before you. You sit up, raising an eyebrow in suspicion as you look at the shoe shop brand printed on the side. “The hell is this?” you ask, glaring at the Winchester. “I may have lied earlier when I said I was just going for some supplies,” he explained, “But...I couldn’t help but notice your favorite boots were completely destroyed so….” “No way…” you mumble, wide-eyed removing a large box from inside the bag. “So I figured you needed some replacements…” he sits himself down next to you. Opening the box, the most beautiful pair of boots you’d ever seen sat before you. Polished black leather, sturdy metal buckles, the toes even seemed to be steel capped to add an extra bite to any kick. “Dean they’re perfect…” you whisper, almost welling up. “They’re just boots,” he shrugs. “Yeah but…” you wipe your eyes, trying to avoid getting too emotional, “Well...they’re better than a damn packet of Twizzlers!” “Better than a crappy book and a smelly candle I think,” he jokes.

You elbow him in the ribs playfully before pulling him down into a deep kiss. “Did I do good?” he asks with a wink, “Did I win the best present award?” You laugh ridiculously before looking him deep into those green eyes, “God damn, I love you, Dean Winchester.”

Tags!

Forever Posse: @sofreddie @chelsea072498 @ria132love @untitled39887 @chicagolove88 @akshi8278 @sis-tafics @younoeatcheeseyounobefat @mandilion76 @teamfreewill92 @supernaturalmagicfolk @emoryhemsworth @musicistobeheard-blog @pheonyxstorm @mrswhozeewhatsis @turnttover @itspronouncedsatanbitch @the--real-wombat

[zephyroh]

Trimberly Week - Day 1 // Coffee Shop - Read on AO3

‘I think I’m witnessing this girl having a mental breakdown.’

Trini leaned against the counter as she hit ‘send’, then resumed to covertly watch Kim at her table. She had mentioned the girl to Zack briefly after her previous shift. He obviously teased her for having a crush on her — ‘if you had seen her, you’d get it’, she had simply answered, not in the least embarrassed — but she felt the need to share the sight in front of her with him.

Panic! At The Coffee Shop

Trini’s head popped up as she heard the front door of the shop open loudly. She sighed as she put her costumer face on. She had twenty minutes left off her shift and all she wanted was some peace and quiet before going back home.

The coffee shop, located on the campus, was almost empty at this hour. Students usually favored the library rather the shop in the evenings. Except, apparently, for the girl who had just came in, and seemed to be in quite a rush.

She had her head down, phone in hand, and headed straight for the counter without even looking up.

“Hi, I need coffee!”, she announced with a voice that Trini would only describe as “panicked”.

“Yup, that’s usually why people come here.”, Trini simply replied with a bored voice. That made the girl finally look up from her phone, and Trini thanked her habit of always maintaining a perfect composure as well as  her trained poker face because damn she was gorgeous. She was slightly out of breath, short-ish black hair all over the place and soft eyes, despite the panicked look on her face.

She just looked straight at Trini, agape, blinking a few times but without saying a word for a while, before snapping out of it and blurting out, a bit flustered:

“Yeah, right- umm sorry. A large latte, with sugar and soy milk, please. Name’s Kim.”

The barista felt an amused smile growing on her lips at the mess of a girl in front of her. While she was typing the order, and starting to prepare it, she heard the girl’s phone ringing. She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle when she heard “Go! Go! Power Rangers!” blasting out of the device.  

“Jason!”, she practically shouted, picking up the call. “Where the fuck are you? This is an emergency! Like Defcon 5 emergency!”.

As she was stirring up the coffee while pouring the warm milk in it, Trini frowned at the analogy. She was pretty sure that girl had no idea what she was talking about. Her doubts were rapidly confirmed when the girl responded to what her interlocutor was saying – probably the exact same thing Trini was thinking.

“I don’t care about this Defcon shit, it doesn’t even make sense! Bring your ass over here!”. She hung up the phone dramatically, turning to Trini with a desperate sigh. The small girl had to hold back another laugh because she thought her behavior was adorable, but it was probably not the moment to mess with her.

The girl thanked her – and Trini’s stomach was a little too happy at the smile she gave her – before walking to a table, sitting down. And then she proceeded to smash her forehead against the table with a loud whine.

__________________

Kim’s leg was bouncing up and down relentlessly as she was staring at her phone. How long did it take to cross the campus on a fucking bike? She took a long sip of her drink and relished at the sweet taste. She shot a discrete look at the cute barista — she had almost drooled when she had looked up from her phone to order her coffee, and was dead embarrassed at the way she had stopped functioning for a second. She hoped the barista hadn’t noticed, but wasn’t too confident about that

However, losing her means in front of a cute girl was the least of her problems right now. She needed Jason like, yesterday. On cue, the doorbell rang, announcing someone entering the shop. For the third time in ten minutes, Kim’s abruptly turned around on her seat to see who it was. She already had three false hope, and was starting to lose it — well, more than she already had.

Her body flooded with relief at the sight of her best friend’s familiar combo of red jacket and blond hair. As he was approaching, she shot up from her seat and launched herself into his arms, making him almost trip. Taking a step back to balance the weight, Jason laughed into her hair.

“Well, someone’s happy to see me!”

They parted and he took the seat in front of her. Judging by the state of panic of his friend, he asked worriedly. “So, what’s going on Kim? You’re freaking me out a little. Well, more than usual.”

“Okay so, I’m in trouble.”, she answered with a trembling voice. “Like huge trouble. As in more that the time I stole my dad’s car to go to the beach party and crashed it into a street light while drunk. Or more than the time I made you climb up the neighbor’s wall and you broke your leg. Or more than the time we set the couch on fire.”

“The time you set the couch on fire. I vividly remember telling you playing with that many candles was a bad idea. Like all of your ideas actually”, he corrected with a stern tone. Kim merely rolled her eyes, sweeping the comment with a wave of hand. “If you’ve killed someone, I am not taking Billy’s van to help you bury the body, he’d freak if there was blood on it.”, he added in a mocking tone, hoping to calm her down. It didn’t work.

“My parents want to visit next week”, she deadpanned with a grave tone.

Jason raised one eyebrow, expectantly. “… And? It’s not that terrible.”

“Remember when I told you my parents weren’t happy about my choice in college?” Jason nodded, waiting for the follow up. “I actually didn’t tell them I registered here.”

Jason’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He just stared at her, flabbergasted, as she avoided his gaze.

“You— you didn’t tell them you dropped out of med school?”, he whispered strongly, as if Kim’s parents would hear them if he spoke too loudly.

“No, I did not! Why are we whispering?”, she answered in the same tone.

Jason slapped his right palm against his forehead, at loss for words. He knew Kimberly was reckless and often acted without thinking about consequences, but this one took the fucking cake. He rubbed his eyes roughly, and his heart melted at the sight when he re-opened it. Kim looked so desperate, and he knew about her difficult relationship with her parents, so he could understand why she wouldn’t want tell them.

He reached to grab her hands in his own, gently rubbing them with his thumbs to reassure her.

“You’re gonna be alright, okay?”

Kim shot him a small, thankful smile. She knew she could always count on him to help her through awful situations — situations she’d often put herself in.

__________________

Trini rubbed firmly the back of her neck and her shoulders as she looked at the clock. Forty minutes left. Her feet were hurting, and she was having murderous urges after the last customer had complained about his drink for five whole minutes because it wasn’t lukewarm enough. She hated people. All of them. She couldn’t wait to strip out of her uniform and go slouch on Zack’s bed to watch Netflix.

Her heart sank when she heard the doorbell ring and the door open, cursing internally whoever just came in… just to lighten up — always internally of course — when she saw the girl from the other day step in. She still had her leather jacket on, and this time was wearing what Trini made out to be a tank top that let her see the pink of her bra-stripes. She didn’t have to force a smile when the girl reached the counter.

She looked less panicked that the day before, but not very collected either. She was nervously tapping the wooden counter with maroon painted nails as she ordered with a strained voice.

“Hi! A large latte with sugar and soy milk please.”

“Are you sure?” Trini couldn’t stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

“Pardon?”, the girl asked with a confused look, tilting her head — and Trini couldn’t help but notice again how cute she looked.

“No offence, but you look like your heart is about to give out”, the barista explained.

“Yeah, exactly, that’s why I need my coffee.” Trini frowned at the unexpected answered, and the girl continued as to answer the unasked question. “Coffee helps me calm down.”

“Yeaaaah, I’m not sure that’s how it works, physiologically speaking.”

“Well, it works, psychologically speaking, and that’s good enough for me,” she fired back with a wink, and Trini happily gave up the argument.

“For… Kim, right?” Trini congratulated herself when she saw the girl’s pleased – and maybe even flustered – smile.

“Attentive, I like it… Trini.” Trini didn’t know if it was the playful tone, the way Kim leaned on the counter or the smirk on her lips, but she lost her composure for a second and her heart skipped a beat. Thankfully, the girl must have mistaken her little gay panic for confusion because she gestured Trini’s apron. “You have a name tag.”

A minute later, Kim sat at the same table as before, and Trini noticed she was bouncing her leg again. ‘That poor girl must have a stressful life’, she thought. She remembered wondering what she and the blond boy — probably her boyfriend from the way she jumped in his arms, Trini had noted with disappointment — were talking about the last time, because from afar it looked pretty animated.

Trini caught herself staring at Kim for the rest of her shift.

__________________

Kim yawned loudly, covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to smother the shiver running down her spine. She was striding through campus, heading toward what was starting to become her lair. Good wi-fi connection, unlimited amount of food and coffee, and a cute barista to look at, who would ask for more?

She usually went after her last class in the early evening, but this morning she was too tired to function without a little help. Her stress and the thought of seeing her parents soon had kept her up all night; she needed caffeine to get through the day, to stay awake more than to calm her down this time.

She barely tried to hide her smile as she noticed that Trini was behind the counter. Nor did she try to contain her flirty attitude when she ordered her usual drink and a muffin. She also intentionally brushed her fingers against Trini’s when the small girl handed her the receipt. She was almost proud of herself at her successful move when she tripped on her feet as she was turning away, dropping her muffin and almost spilling her drink all over the floor, letting out a loud “Fuck!”.

She sighed out of desperation — she was so done with herself — as she bended over to pick up her muffin, and her mortification only grew stronger when she heard Trini’s light laugh behind her.

She turned and shot her a fake mad look. “Shut up! Not even one word.”, she ordered but couldn’t hold back the embarrassed laugh in her throat.

Trini playfully mimicked zipping her lips before winking, and Kim almost tripped again before settling down at her usual table.

However, her mood considerably darkened when she felt her phone vibrate, the screen reading a text from her mother. “We’ll be here in a couple of days, not sure when yet. Eager to see you. Love, Mom.”

The very same feeling of dread that had kept her up all night crept back into her bones. She dropped her head in her arms with a whine. She was starting to make it a habit of it.

She was joined a few minutes later by Jason, and his ever so calm composure, the opposite of Kim at that moment. He offered her a sympathetic smile when he saw her frantic state.

“Be careful, or you’re gonna get white hair sooner than you should.”, he joked, sitting down to face her. She ignored the comment, reaching to take a sip of her drink. When she put down the cup, she had the most serious look on her face, which was rapidly contradicted by her following words:

“So I thought about my problem, and I’ve come up with the only possible outcome that’ll get me out of this mess.” She paused for dramatic effect, and Jason raised an unimpressed eyebrow, half-convinced by what was going to come next. He knew her too well. “I’m gonna fake my death and move to Canada.”, she finally revealed.

Jason threw his head back, letting out an exasperated groan. He rubbed his forehead, taking a deep breath, then looked back at Kim with a pleading look.

“Kim, when are you gonna learn to take responsibility for your actions. You can’t run away from all your problems.”

“Yes, I can, Mom!”, she mocked. “I can sell the apartment, take the car and never return.”

“You wouldn’t even know how to fake your death!”, he argued before realizing he should not be encouraging this discussion.

“Errrr, yes I would. I’ve watched ‘Gone Girl’ like three time, I’m pretty sure I have the basis covered,” she countered proudly. Jason just threw his arms in the air, at loss for words.

“It’s too early for this, I need coffee. Want a refill?”, he asked as she nodded vigorously.

He returned a few minutes later, with a smirk on his lips and a question in his eyes.

“Kim…,” he teased, “How come the barista knows your name and your coffee order? How many times have you even been here?”

All he got in response was a bashful smile.

__________________

‘I think I’m witnessing this girl having a mental breakdown.’

Trini leaned against the counter as she hit ‘send’, then resumed to covertly watch Kim at her table. She had mentioned the girl to Zack briefly after her previous shift. He obviously teased her for having a crush on her — ‘if you had seen her, you’d get it’, she had simply answered, not in the least embarrassed — but she felt the need to share the sight in front of her with him.

It was eight in the morning — her only morning shift that week since she’d always ask her manager to not put her down for openings — she had not been in a good mood. Trini was not a morning person, and her tolerance for customers decreased exponentially the earlier she had to get up. Except this day, because this morning the beautiful Kim had walked into the shop again, and Trini was not about to complain. Trini was pretty sure the girl had flirted with her, before tripping on her own feet, and Trini had decided she could definitely just watch this girl for an entire day and she’d never be bored.

As if on cue, she witnessed Kim burying her head in her crossed arms with a loud whine — and it was definitely not the first time Trini had heard her make that sound.

‘You should probably not be turned on by that, Crazy Girl :p’ She rolled her eyes at her best friend’s answer.

Trini looked up again to see Kim stretching — her tank top slightly rising to uncover a tanned skin, allowing Trini to catch a glimpse of toned abs —, her hands combing through her hair. Trini’s breath stopped for a second, and she had never been so glad to have a morning shift.

Her mood however deteriorated when the door opened to let the blond boy walk in. She turned and went into the back store to get some coffee beans to grind, and mostly avoid watching the two together. It wasn’t that she was jealous per say, she barely knew Kim. But she had to admit it was a little frustrating to have her flirt with Trini, just to run into her boyfriend’s arms the next minute.

When she got back, he was standing at the counter, waiting patiently with a polite smile. Trini cursed him in her head. She barely nodded her head to acknowledge him, not even bothering to greet him. He didn’t seem to mind or notice.

“I’ll take an espresso, for Jason, and my friend over there would like a refill of-”, he started but Trini mechanically interrupted him.

“Large latte with sugar and soy milk for Kim, got it.”

Jason merely raised his eyebrows in surprise. Then a wide amused grin grew on his lips and he looked delighted for reasons Trini did not understand.

They left a few moments after, all playful and teasing, knocking each other shoulder and Trini felt a pang of jealousy — she had to admit it — when the Jason guy ruffled Kim’s hair as she was giving him a beaming grin.

The rest of the day passed by painfully slowly. She had a long lunch break during which her manager Rita called her. She was sick and couldn’t work today, and they were still understaffed so Trini had to pick up her shift, meaning she was going to have to close the shop. A whole day of work at Krispy Kreme, how wonderful… At least she’d be payed extra. Near the end of the day, she was texting Zack, raging over Blond Perfect Jason and asking if he still had weed for the night when the door opened.

Trini’s secret prayers were answered when she caught sight of Kim’s leather jacket and purple bra-stripes. And when Kim shot her a soft smile, Trini forgot all about Jason. The barista noticed that the girl looked more tired than desperate this time, and Trini couldn’t decide which was better. She didn’t even wait for Kim to place her order to start preparing the drink, and the grateful look on Kim’s face as Trini handed it to her was totally worth it.

“On the house tonight”, she said with a wink. “You come here like twice a day, it’s the least we can do for our most faithful costumer. Besides, you look like you really need it.”

Kim chuckled lightly at the comment. “Is that your way of telling me I don’t look good?”

Trini rolled exaggeratedly her eyes, trying to contain the endeared smile on her lips. “Fishing for compliments now? Like you need anyone to tell you you look ho-good! Tell you you look good”, she stuttered, trying vainly to look detached like she hadn’t just called Kim “hot”.

But then again, the smirk on Kim’s lips was worth it.

Two hour later, Trini was finishing up tidying up behind the counter and preparing to close. When she looked up, she saw Kim was the last person there, crouched over papers and books, two empty cups of coffee lying there and a half eaten cookie.

Trini shamelessly ate her up with her eyes, taking in the way Kim’s hair was falling in front of her eyes, how the girl’s hand mechanically reached to tuck them behind her ears, how she frowned in a terribly cute manner at her books when she was focused. She couldn’t help but notice how red her lips were from biting, and how her hands were always busy playing with her pen.

She was however disturbed in her contemplation when Kim’s phone rang, breaking the bubble the girl was in. Kim picked up her phone, her eyes widening with horror when she saw the ID of the caller. She forcefully put her phone down, screen facing the table, letting it ring and vibrate against the wood.

Concerned as the now too familiar panicked look on the girl, Trini left the counter to approach the table. Kim acknowledged her with a small smile, and Trini noticed the girl was on the verge of hyperventilating.

“Hey, everything’s alright?”, she asked and mentally cursed herself at such a lame question. Everything was obviously not alright.

“I think I’m having a panic attack.”, Kim answered, almost calmly.

“You’d know if you were having one.”

“A small one then!”

“You can’t have ‘small’ panic attacks.”

“I think I have at least one once a day, actually,” she retorted and Trini couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of this girl.

She tentatively reached her hand across the table, brushing against Kim’s finger. Kim immediately turn her wrist to let Trini have access to her palm.

“Wanna talk about it?”, the barista asked with concern. Kim’s eyes were focused on their joined hands, the frown never leaving her face. The phone stopped ringing.

Analyzing the look on Kim’s face as she was studying the way their hands fit together, Trini was starting to think that maybe the girl’s constant state of panic was about that. Not about her specifically, but college was a time where people were starting to discover more about themselves. And the first day, things seemed pretty tense with the Jason guy… Maybe Kim was discovering herself, and she had trouble dealing with it. Trini had to shut down the little voice in her head saying she would love to discover Kim herself.

After a long moment of silence where Trini could almost see the turmoil in Kim’s head, the taller girl finally whispered:

“Have you ever felt so lost that you just want to bury yourself in your bed and never leave for the next decade?”

“About three times a week, yeah,” Trini laughed. Kim’s lips twitched up, but she kept frowning.

“I just– My parents are gonna be in town soon and I have something to tell them. And hell’s gonna break lose. And I’m just not ready for it. “

Trini felt a pang of pain in her chest. She definitely knew what Kim was talking about. She had felt the same thing during high school, never knowing how to talk to her parents about her girlfriends, or her life in general. Now she was away, they never talked much about it, but she felt much better now that she didn’t have to see them every day and carry the weight of it every day. Recently her dad had called her and asked at the end of the conversation if she had “someone” in her life, as opposed to her mother stubbornly asking about “boys”. So, maybe there was hope somewhere.

“Maybe they’ll be more understanding than you think,” she tentatively suggested.

Kim chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, right. I think they’ll just break out the body bag because they’re gonna straight up murder me.”

“They’re your parents, in their own way, they surely love you. I mean, if they’re coming to visit you at college, which – correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t wanna assume – they paid for, they care about you and your well-being. Maybe it’s not gonna be that bad.”

Kim ran her free hand through her hair – at Trini’s delight – and let out a noncommittal groan. “Yeah, Jason said the same thing…”

Trini frowned at the mention of the boy. But if he gave this advice to Kim, he wasn’t as bad as Trini had think – had hoped.

“They’ll learn to accept yourself as you are. You have to start to accept yourself as well,” Trini continued, and she realized she was still caressing Kim’s hand as she was speaking.

“I guess…” Kim said, unconvinced, a small confused smile as she was having trouble following Trini. “But no offence, considering the – situation”, Kim hesitated, trying to find the right word. “and knowing my parents, I really don’t see that discussion going well.”

“You have to make them understand you’re not gonna change.” Trini squeezed Kim’s hand in comfort. “Besides, it’s not like it was uncommon, and it’s becoming more and more accepted. They’ll get over it, eventually.”, she added with a hopeful tone – half talking to herself as well.

She had felt so alone during high school, thinking she was the only one in the world with those weird feelings, it had been a lifesaver to find LGBT organization and associations in college. Maybe they would help Kim as well.

Kim’s head popped up, meeting Trini’s eyes for the first time of the conversation. This time, she looked completely lost and confused.

“Wait– what?”

Trini noted the edge of panic back in her voice. Maybe she had come in too strong, she thought with guilt.

“Well, you know… the whole gay or bi thing.”, she finally let out.

Kim froze, eyes wide. For a second, Trini thought that she was going to get angry, that she’d panic even more and lash out. However, Kim’s reaction was totally unexpected and took her by surprise.

She threw her head back, laughing with an open throat. Her hand let go of Trini’s as she brought it to her mouth, while the other was gripping her ribs. It took about two whole minutes for Kim’s laughing fist to calm down in front of a very confused Trini.

Kim was wiping tears from her eyes as she started to apologize. “I’m so sorry, I just did not expect that. At all. I didn’t mean to be rude!”, she managed to let out between two giggles, kind of cancelling her apologies. She took a deep breath, effectively calming down. “You thought I was gonna come out to my parents?”, she asked with an amused smile.

Trini covered eyes with one hand, wincing with embarrassment. She felt like a total idiot. “Obviously, I’ve misjudged the situation.”, she stated, scratching her head.

Finally looking up, she felt her humiliation disappear because Kim was smiling gently at her, and was reaching her hand across the table to touch Trini’s hand again.

“Obviously,” Kim laughed softly. “Well not totally. Because I did come out to my parents a while ago. That hasn’t been much of a problem for me actually. I’ve always known I wanted to do like, half the football team as well as half the cheerleading squad.” Trini almost choked with laughter at the casual way Kim was putting it. Kim frowned as she realized the crassy way she formulated it “Hold on, that came out a bit wrong.”

“If that’s how you announced it to your parents, I bet!”

They both laughed, their hand never parting. After a moment of silence, Trini finally asked in a more serious tone:

“So, what do you have to tell your parents?”

“They think I’m in med school. I’ve actually dropped out last year because I hated it, but never told them,” Kim explained, the frown back of her face. “They’re big lawyers, always busy, always on business trip. So they just send me money to compensate. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great not to have to worry about that. But they want me to be this successful surgeon, keep up the family name, but I hated it, I was miserable. So one day, I just dropped out, and registered here.”

“Just like that, on a whim? Just– change college and your entire orientation?”, Trini asked bewilderedly.

“I’ve always been reckless and impulsive, you can ask my best friend Jason!”, Kim laughed in response. Trini interiorly cheered at the mention of “best friend” and suddenly she didn’t hate Jason anymore. “But three days ago, they called and said they wanted to visit, so I’m screwed and I’m probably living my last hours right now.”

Trini laughed at the girl’s dramatic antics. Her heart beating fast in her chest, she returned playfully “I might know a way or two to make them fun.” For an instant, she thought Kim was actually going to die of her heart attack right in front of her.

The girl gasped, then blushed furiously, biting her lips and running her hand in her hair, before finally meeting Trini’s eyes and answering with a sparkle in her eyes: “What are you suggesting?”

“Is your roommate there tonight?” Trini hated herself for breaking the mood, but they would need to be alone to do what she had planned for them, and a roommate would get in the way.

“I’m not living on campus actually, I have an apartment not far from here,” Kim answered breathlessly. She hurried in stuffing her books in her bags, trying and failing to not look flustered.

“Oh, so you really are loaded,” Trini laughed, impressed.

She stood up gesturing the door. “Well, lead the way.”

Kim merely grabbed her extended hand in response.

__________________

“Sorry, dude. Can’t make it tonight, I’ll explain later, promise,” she quickly texted Zack. They had planned their usual hang out night, but at this moment Trini was following Kim – who was still holding her hand – in her building, and she certainly did not have time to be more specific.

Trini had taken the time to get the booze and weed from her car before letting herself be guided by Kim. Five minutes later, there were standing in an elevator, and the tension was palpable. Kim was restless, shifting on her feet while Trini’s gaze couldn’t focus on one thing more than two seconds.

Kim lead her in a hallway, rushing her out of the elevator as soon as it stopped. She let go of Trini’s hand to get her keys from her bag and Trini’s mourned the loss of contact.

Half an hour later, they were sitting down in a dimmed light offered by a single lamp on the table, backs against the couch, a glass of wine in hand, shoulders and knees touching. Trini was focusing on rolling a joint and Kim was watching closely, admiring the work and Trini’s agile fingers – and she was drunk enough to wonder what else those fingers could do.

“You bought this yourself?”, she asked while pointing to the bottles of wine on the floor. Kim’s speech was a bit slurred, and she leaned in a bit more than necessary into Trini.

Without looking away from what she was doing, nor breaking her concentration, Trini answered distractedly: “What, have rich people never heard of fake IDs?”

“Oh no, we have”, Kim said, “I’m just surprised yours works.” That made Trini look away from the half rolled joint, meeting Kim’s eyes with a raised eyebrow. “Fake ID or not, you still kinda look twelve.” She teased and Trini rolled her eyes. As Kim was giggling, proud of her joke, Trini decided Kim was definitely a cute drunk. And she was wondering what high Kim was like.

Trini lighted up the stick as Kim was getting up to put on some music. A slow, sensual song started playing and Trini met with hungry eyes when she looked at Kim to pass her the joint. Her breath quickened as she watch Kim placing the joint between her lips, slowly inhaling and exhaling the smoke and Trini thought she never looked hotter than at this moment.

Soon, the alcohol and the weed were forgotten, kicked to the side as eager lips met and hands were exploring bodies. Kim dragged Trini on her lap, running her tongue on the whimpering girl’s neck. She slid her hands over Trini’s waist, gently rubbing her nails against the skin, raising slowly her shirt, asking for a silent permission. She took the tugging of her hairr and Trini crashing their lips together as a positive answer.

Trini’s shirt fell on the floor, next to an empty bottle of wine and a still smoking joint butt, quickly followed by Kim’s tank top.

Trini was grinding against Kim’s hips and the girl’s moans were all she could hear. Kim was too focused on Trini’s body to noticed anything else.

Therefore, neither of the girls heard jiggling keys in the lock, nor noticed the door opening, nor saw the two persons entering the living room.

The light went up, illuminating the scene.

“Sweety, surpri-AAAAh!”

Everyone froze in shock in horror as they were processing what was happening. Trini was straddling Kim’s laps, both girls shirtless, two bottles of wine on the floor and the room smelling unmistakably of weed.

Kim’s parents jaws were hanging low, mumbling incomprehensible words, before her mother started to gain composure.

But before she could say anything, Kim blurted out.

“I dropped out of med school!”

[fullbattleregalia]

(The Android 20 Universe continues with Part 4!  And, er, I’m tagging @chestnutisland and @deadlybeautydbz since you’re both interested in this story.  Yay!)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

For the first time since leaving Gero’s lab, gray clouds were beginning to pile up and hang low in the sky.  18 stared up at the clouds.  She had joined 20, perching on the backseats next to him when 17 had whined his way back into the driver’s seat two hours earlier.  The wind riffled through her hair.  The air was soft and cool against her face with the promise of rain.  No wonder 20 seemed to be enjoying sitting back here so much.

18 glanced over at 20.  The lines of tension leftover from last night’s fuel station incident had finally smoothed away completely from around his eyes.  His chin was tilted up slightly, and a small, contented smile was pulling up the corners of his mouth.  18 looked away again.  Her cheeks felt ever so slightly warmer than usual.  It was probably just windburn – nothing important.  It didn’t occur to her that, with Gero’s modifications, windburn was likely something she would never experience.  She shifted through her memories to try and see if she could remember ever actually experiencing rain.  On the radio someone was playing a truly spectacular rift on the electric guitar.

Just as 18 was coming to the conclusion that she had no memories of what rain felt like against skin but one of a storm so violent that she had been able to hear the rain rattling against Gero’s thick metal doors, the entire car jerked to the right.  Only their superhuman reflexes kept 18 and 20 from being flung out onto the highway as the car skidded across three lanes of traffic and down an exit ramp.

“What the hell, 17?!” 20 yelped, clinging so hard to the side of the car that he was in danger of leaving a dent.  Behind them on the highway, tires screeched, horns blared, and drivers swore.

“We are going to the aquarium,” 17 announced cheerfully.

“What?!” demanded 18 and 20 in unison.

“There was a billboard back there for an aquarium, and they have a petting tank.  I want to pat a stingray.  It said something about being able to pat jellyfish, too.”

“I thought jellyfish were poisonous,” 20 put in hesitantly.  It sounded more like a question than a statement.

“Yeah,” 17 grinned.  “It sounds like a challenge!”

“Huh.  Okay. Sure, why not,” 20 nodded.

18 considered the prospect of fish.  Bright, colorful fish.  Something old and forgotten and buried beneath programming and trauma stirred and brightened at the idea.

“Okay,” she agreed as well.

“Good,” 17’s grin widened, “because you two didn’t actually have a choice.”

20 laughed, and 18 rolled her eyes at her brother’s antics, but she wasn’t actually annoyed.  With every mile farther that they drove in the lime green convertible, the pressing need to find Son Goku seemed to wane further and further.  It was a good game, a good excuse, but 18 was starting to wonder if she just might be happy if they never quite made it to Mt. Paozu.

 The aquarium was a massive building with wide, dimly lit corridors. Most of the bright light came from the floor to ceiling glass tanks embedded in the walls where schools of exotic fish darted around reconstructed segments of coral reef and rainforest tree roots.  17 dragged them past all these without pause, following the signs to the petting tank area.

Even their first visit to the restaurant with the moo shu pork hadn’t prepared 18 for this many people.  The petting tank room was large, brightly lit, and packed.  Excited, babbling young voices practically drowned out 18’s own thoughts, and she was tempted to clamp her hands over her ears.

17 elbowed his way to the front of the crowd without care for subtlety or politeness, rolled up his sleeves, and stuck his hands in the water of the shallow, sandy-bottomed tank to touch the first thing he could reach – a horseshoe crab. His face brightened with almost childlike delight.  

20 peered at the side of the tank where tank a small ray about eight inches across was pressing its belly to the glass.

“It looks like it’s smiling.”  20 gently touched his fingers to the clear barrier.

“Be very gentle.”  A cheetah woman wearing an aquarium employee shirt was showing 17 how to touch one of the little rays.  “Just let your fingers skim over its back.  Any harder and you might hurt or stress the animal.”

18 rolled up her sleeves and plunged her hands into the cool saltwater as well.  She let her fingers trace over the back of a ray as it swam serenely past.  Rubbery sandpaper with sharp ridges of spine. Next to her, 20 had his red wrist bracers tucked under one arm and was laughing at the texture of the starfish under his hand.  18 looked from her brother’s delighted expression – possibly the most relaxed and happy she had even seen him – to 20’s massive grin as he helped a freckled little girl to pat the starfish as well.  Then 18 reached out to touch the hard, smooth shell of a horseshoe crab. This had definitely been a good idea.

The jellyfish were in a separate tank and turned out to be moon jellies and nonvenomous to humans – much to 17’s disappointment.  You didn’t so much pat them as hold your hand in the water and allow the jellyfish’s translucent white doom to bump softly into your fingers. 18 found the moon jellyfish peaceful and soothing despite the cacophony of children going on around them.

“We’re going to the jellyfish exhibit next,” announced 18 when they finally left the petting tank room.

17 blinked at her.

“But sharks.”  He pointed down a different hall.

“We have all day.  Sharks later – jellyfish now.”  18 caught 17 by the wrist and 20 by the hand and started towing them in the direction of the jellyfish exhibit.

“And then the coral reef fish,” 20 added.  His cheeks were tinted the slightest bit pink.  

“Coral reef fish and more prawn crackers,” 17 agreed.

“Haven’t you had enough of those?”

“You can never have enough prawn crackers.”

Hours swirled by in colorful splashes and sparkles of chaotic, breathtaking life.  There was a massive oval tank that you could walk down the center of like you were swimming with the fish themselves, and on the level below that sharks drifted by with graceful menace.  Jellyfish trailed tentacles like ribbon and lace streamers beneath ruffled skirts, and silver hatchet fish flashed along the bottom of a fake rainforest riverbed.

They had been at the aquarium for almost four hours when 18 caught sight of her reflection in the glass of a dark, underwater shipwreck display.  She hadn’t thought much about her appearance in a long time, because until now it hadn’t been hers.  The image in the glass was shadowy and a little fuzzy.  The low lighting caught her face oddly and made half her hair look shorter than it actually was.  In her earliest memories, 18’s hair was long, falling past her shoulder blades.  Then between one awakening from stasis and then next her hair had been clipped to above shoulder length to match 17’s.  18 considered her distorted reflection.  She looked… good with short hair.  Less like Gero’s doll in a box.  She wasn’t in a box anymore.  If she wanted to cut her hair so it didn’t match her brother’s, she could. It was a surprisingly liberating thought.

20’s reflection joined hers in the darkened glass.  The strange cast of shadows made his face look solemn.  It didn’t suit him.  She looked away from the glass and down at 20.  He gave her a smile.  She gave him a small smile in return.  

“I’m getting a haircut,” 18 told him just so that she could hear the words out loud.

20’s eyebrows furrowed together slightly,

“I don’t think that’s something you can do at the aquarium.”

18 snorted and then, after a moment’s hesitation, reached out and bumped 20 lightly in the shoulder with her fist like she had seen him do to 17.

“I meant after we leave the aquarium.”

“In that case,” said 17, leaning in and startling them both, “I want a hat.”

“A hat?” asked 20 skeptically.

“Yup.  A hat. It saw a sign that says souvenirs, and I want a souvenir, and that souvenir is going to be a hat.”

17 could not be talked out of buying a hat, though thankfully 18 did manage to convince him to buy the baseball cap with the stylized shark rather than the stupidly grinning purple fish.  Somewhere in the melee of the gift shop, 17 acquired another wallet since their current one was almost out of zenni.

 18 stared at her reflection in the mirror as the hairdresser removed the drape from around her shoulders.  A ‘pixie cut,’ the hairdresser had called it.  18 didn’t think much of the name, but she did like how it looked on her. She ran her hands through her hair, enjoying the sudden feel of air on her fingers so much sooner than expected. Her head felt lighter.

“Huh.”  17 was peering around the corner at her.  Apparently he’d acquired a new bag of prawn crackers while he’d been waiting.  “Now you and 20 match.”

“We do not,” 18 scowled, crossing her arms.

“Yeah,” agreed 20, leaning around 17, “hers is way longer and doesn’t stick up in the front.  You look really nice, 18.”

“Thank you, 20.  And for that comment, 17, I’m driving next.”

“Awww,” 17 pouted, but she ignored him.

18 glanced at her image in the mirror one more time before turning to go. The different hairstyle made her look a touch older, and for some reason, her eyes seemed a little brighter. There was a light to them that she didn’t remember seeing before.

She headed for the door.

 Around dawn the next morning 18 finally relented and let 17 have the steering wheel back.  They were getting steadily closer to Mt. Paozu.  Even on the meandering backroads 17 had taken them back onto, they should be there by tomorrow.  18 had stopped trying to direct 17 using their map.  She wasn’t reluctant to find Son Goku but- but-

Well, whatever the reason, she was content to just let 17 take them in more or less the right direction.

20 was flipping through radio stations, pausing on one for barely a few seconds before switching to the next.  17 finally caught 20’s wrist before he could press the button again.

“Yeah, no.  That is both annoying and distracting.”

“You’re hardly one to talk,” 20 shot back good-naturedly.  17 made a ‘this is true’ face.  “Besides,” 20 commented off-handedly, “I’m supposed to be distracting.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked 18, twisting to look at him from the passenger seat.

“Hm?  Oh, it was just something Gero said once,” 20 shrugged.

For some reason, that comment left a bad taste in 18’s mouth.