#I think it was the ears. Disney has pulled similar twists before after all.

[miss-bvnny]

I can distinctly remember a time in my early childhood when I was expecting this twist tbh.

[iamthemain-character]

Hi it's me again AND OH MY GOSH U WRITE FOR KAZI I AM SO HAPPY. Anyways if it's no trouble can u pls do a Kazi x reader (who's with Clint and Kate) with like a flirty enemies troupe? It's set in a fight scene and like the reader has similar capabilities as Ty Lee from ATLA. Anyways when they fight theyre soooo flirty with each other. Im so sorry if this is out of character for Kazi and/or if it doesn't match a scene from the show, Disney+ is unfortunately not available in my country so i only rely on tumblr for info 😭. Anyways, HAVE A GREAT DAY THANKS AGAIN.

okay so i usually go in order with requests, but i expedited this one cause I AM IN LOVE WITH KAZI and i wanted to write this asap! i am so sorry that you cannot watch, but i promise you that you’re getting him right from what you see on tumblr! anywho, i hope you enjoy :D

You’re Making Me Blush

kazi kazimierczak x reader

gender neutral pronouns

TW: basic fighting violence

requested by @squishyhooman (thank you again for requesting <3)

marvel masterlist

So the plan didn’t go quite as it should have; to be fair, how was you and Kate supposed to know that the glass wasn’t quite so strong? When both of you came crashing down through the ceiling, Clint Barton had looked ready to kill you, but it seemed like the tracksuit gang was going to do that already.

As all three sat on old, rusty, mechanic ponies, you desperately tried to find a way to entertain yourself and/or escape. As you looked around, however, something caught your eye; up on the second level, there was a man sitting, watching the three of you. He looked much younger than the rest of the guys there, and he wore a brown coat over his red tracksuit. His gaze traveled and met yours, but neither of you looked away. For a few moments, you remained with your eyes locked on each other.

Until he blinked. Stifling a laugh, you smiled and looked away as he ducked his head. When you looked back, the handsome stranger was looking at you again, so naturally you winked at him. He seemed unsure of how to take it, his mouth opening in surprise slightly before he closed it, got up, and walked away.

———————————————————————

Talking with the higher up woman also didn’t go to plan; though it was surprising to you that not only was the strange man who accompanied her hot, she herself was gorgeous. But you remained professional, keeping track of the conversation as it slowly deteriorated.

You were ready when Clint made his great escape; unlike Kate, you were well trained in how to get out of captivity and secretly you had worked the duck tape off. As the rest of gang ran after Clint, you took on the handsome stranger that was left behind.

He whipped out his gun, but you kicked it out of your hand. Now that you were free, you realized his skills were not on par with his own, so you decided to have a little fun while Kate figured out how to escape.

“Aw, and here I was thinking we had something special.”

The man lunged for you and grabbed you by the shoulder, but you quickly twisted his arm around, forcing him to spin away from you and release his grip. He struggled against your hold, but you quickly ducked down and whispered in his ear.

“You’re adorable you know, playing hard to get.”

The man managed to slip out and got up onto his feet again, warily looking at you. “Well you seem to be quick to catch me.” He threw back with a hint of a smile.

You caught his fist as it came towards you, pulling it down and giving him a light kiss on the knuckles. “Well handsome, maybe you should ask me to dinner, hmm?”

His other hand swung around, but you managed to duck; the man did, however, grab onto your leg, making you fall. You grabbed onto his shoulders, pulling him down with you. You both collided into each other, landing on the ground with an “oomph”. The man’s eyes flickered over your face, his slight smile reappearing.

“I’ll pick you up at 6 then.”

You didn’t have time to respond, Clint crashing out of the upstairs office with Maya close behind. An arrow shot by the former finally freed Kate, causing you and the man to get up and rush off. Just as you reached Kate, you looked back as the man went towards his boss. He did pause for one moment, throwing a glance back at you. He smiled, winked, then turned around to join the fray.

You and Kate rushed off to go help Clint, but your heart felt warm and fuzzy. Falling for the enemy was never a good idea, but maybe in another lifetime you two were meant to be.

[saphirered]

Hi! I really love the stuff you've been writing for Molly!! It's so engaging and really sweet and makes me smile really wide, so thank you for that! If you're still taking requests, could I request a romantic Molly x Reader who's a druid/bard multiclass? Who has the same vibes as a Disney princess? I hope you have a great day and I can't wait to see what you write next!!

Aw shucks thank you so much ☺️. I hope this is to your liking. Enjoy 😘

The parade to draw people into the carnival was coming to an end. You were almost back at the tent and had gathered a proper crowd to watch the night’s show. Along the way you did your acrobatics and used some druidcraft to create little flowers in the palm of your hand or letting colourful floral vines bloom throughout your hair and attire. The whole look made you appear like an ethereal creature from the Feywild, perhaps even at the Seelie Court itself. 

Children giggle as you wave at them, snowflakes fall only to melt before they reach the ground. Dancing around you had fun and eventually found your ‘Fire Faerie’ friend. Together you twist and turn in a carefully practiced routine. A cloud of petals floats around you until Orna sets them ablaze, the embers blowing up in the breeze with a soft casting of Gust from you. People laugh and cheer as you both curtsied and move on your way through the crowd. 

You find Molly juggling his iridescent shimmering scimitars. Announcing your presence you dance around him just barely out of reach from the sharp blades. He nearly drops one in surprise, not expecting you to step so close but recovers quickly and it seems either no one noticed or they expected it to be part of the act. He sends you a half smile and a wink as you twist and turn around him avoiding the blades by a hair’s width humming a sweet melody. Gasps came from the people around as you narrowly avoid the scimitar from cutting through you like butter. 

You stop and take a slower pace to fall back a little bit, run and with the momentum, leap onto Molly’s shoulders in a handstand as he continued to walk. You let a couple of the flowery vines weave into his horns as he laughs and you flip over landing ahead of him. Looking over your shoulder you blow him a kiss with a wink as he continues juggling. You continue your routine with the song, the melody turning into a beautiful song people follow behind you as if you were the piped piper. Each time you take your next step you leave behind a path of colourful wildflowers. 

Toya had been feeling a bit under the weather so, you were to take over her act for the night. All dressed in flowy chiffons of greens, blues, purple and golds held together by felted vines and silk flowers, glittery exaggerated makeup, hair braided and teased you’re ready to take on your role. Your devil at your side usual clothes exchanged for dark ashen robes and features contoured in such a way to give him an even more devilishly handsome look. 

“And our next story, comes from far away. The fires of hell know one loyal to Zariel herself! A trickster, traitor and danger to all. One should know better than make a deal with this devil…” You hear from behind the curtain Gustav begins your introduction.

“That’s my cue. Let’s give them a show worth remembering.” Molly kisses your knuckles before his lips meet yours and he’s off by the time you open your eyes. Taking a few deep breaths you wait for the ‘story’ to continue.

“They say a devil’s heart cannot be tamed. They must never have met the Summer Princess! Blessed from the Feywild, what is beautiful is most dangerous and they are no exception. The Summer Princess walks among the Seelie Courts but those who pay careful attention may just hear their song. Be warned, they are much more treacherous than the devil…” Peaking through the curtain just so no one can see you focus on the support beams of the tent and begin casting your spell. Blooming vines creep up the beams wrapping around, flowers drape down. Petals begin to fall down from the ceiling provided by the Knot Sisters from the shadows. You hear gasps as people look around. 

You see Molly walk around, sword dragging in the dirt as you hear him growl at the plants. Time to sing and sing you do. 

The people look around as you tend to the flowers near one post ‘oblivious’ of the presence ‘in your garden’. You interact with some of the people in the front row offering them smiles and making flowers sprout around where they sit, offer an airy touch of the cheek of the poor individuals entranced by your song, unable to keep their eyes off you as they cling onto every word. 

Your song speaks of the beauties of the Feywild. Making use of your training you belt. Birds fly into the tent, swirling around you, the devil watching, his face turning from anger to bewilderment as he sticks to the shadows. You reach your hand to the sky mimicking the melody of the songbirds. Stretching your arms to the side one by one they land. You let them sing replying in a song of your own as if you’re having a conversation with them. 

Molly steps out from the shadows and into the light around you. You hear whispers from the audience ‘watch out’, ‘he’s behind you’ and ‘the devil is coming for the princess’. You continue your song walking along the audience, birds still resting on your arms as you sing with them. Next you turn the edge of the blade of ‘the devil’ is pointed at you and you act surprised, your song stopping for just a moment. 

“What are you?” Molly growls showing his fangs as he does fully committing to his role. You can’t help but hide a smile. Such a lover of theatrics. 

“I’m the Summer Princess and you, handsome devil are in my garden.” You sing, the blade drops a little before it raises closer to you. 

“Do not think you can charm me, wild enchantress.” You hum to the birds and they give a reply. 

“I charm only those willing to listen to my song. Are you willing, handsome devil of mine, walking in my garden.” You harmonise with the birds. They leap into flight circling around you and Molly closer and closer until you’re standing toe to toe. 

“Your song is sweeter than temptation, more treacherous than this devil’s words.” You move your hand to stroke his cheek as you do flowers and vines similar to the ones in your hair begin growing in his much like a crown. You may have overdone it a bit but Molly would see later what piece of art you left for him to remind him of your act. 

“Then join me handsome devil, and let the wildflowers keep our secret.” You tilt your head as if you were going to kiss him speaking the last words. You step back, hand outstretched looking at him with bright eyes. Molly’s hand stretches out towards you as you set pack. 

“Come with me, my handsome devil.” You sing as he begins following you with slow paces. Gustav comes around once more. 

“And so the Summer Princess tames the heart of their handsome devil. Their charm never fails and they are as treacherous as they are beautiful still. Take care to stay out of their garden or you might just end up like their handsome devil…”

————————————————————————

After a successful evening show you sit at the camp attempting to remove the vines and flowers from your hair and clothes. They look beautiful but are an absolute hell to get rid of and leaving them in isn’t really an option. As far as you could tell you successfully got rid of all the vines and flowers without harming the delicate silk greens, purples blues and yellow golds of your show costume which left you with your hair. 

Not even half way through with the moon high in the sky you give up with an exasperated sigh and let yourself fall backwards onto the soft grass. Most of the others had gone to bed already or found the bottom of a bottle so you’d find no help there. The calmness and quiet of starry night brings comfort to your mind and you start to drift off a bit. Your ears still manage to catch the familiar footfalls approaching you and your pile of discarded flowers. What you didn’t expect was about a hand or two full of flowers hitting you in the face. 

Opening your eyes you saw Mollymauk standing above you with half grin. By the looks of him he had attempted to get the flowers from earlier out of his hair but struggled just as much as you had and given up halfway through. He hadn’t gone about it as carefully as you though so the purple knotted mess sticking out at odd angles made him look rather funny and you stifle a giggle as you get to your feet. He puts his hands on his hips.

“You think this is funny? I swear, if I didn’t know any better I’d really believe Gustav’s story, you little Archfey!” He speaks exasperated as you pulled away some ivy circled around one of his horns with a laugh dropping it with the pile you had created. 

“Of course I think it’s funny, my handsome devil.” You patted his cheek and took one of his hands with your free one pulling him with you to sit down on the grass. Kneeling in front of him you begin untangling the vines and removing the flowers using your fingers to brush through, carefully pick apart and untangle the mess he had created. Once you are done and just brushing through his hair making sure you didn’t miss anything and to get it back to its usual state he takes your hands and presses a delicate kiss to your palms. 

“Turn around?” The words come out more as a question but you do and sit between his legs as he starts carefully detangling the vines from your own hair muttering a sorry and kissing your shoulder every time he either has to or accidentally pulls on your hair to take them out. It took him a while but eventually all the vines and flowers are gone and you’re just sat, leaning back against him, listening to sounds of the early early morning and the faint light barely visible from the town you’re set up outside off in the fields. 

Molly’s arms wrap around your waist and his head leaning on your shoulder as he hums a tune all too familiar to you. You elbow his stomach looking at him with a fake scowl. He kisses your scowl away and begin humming along with him, a flock of birds dancing overhead as you do. Surrounded by warmth and comfort you both slowly let the exhaustion consume you as the first lights of dawn draw upon the horizon. 

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Home Sweet Home: Jody Says...

Summary- 3.6k Andy Barber x You. You and Andy almost have it all, married and with a jointed family consisting of Andy’s teenage son Jacob, as well as your two younger children John and Cassidy. Looking to add another member, your family is in need of a bigger house, a forever home. You find just the place, 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville Long Island.   Home Sweet Home

Written for @optimistic-dinosaur-nacho​ Spooky Scary Stories challenge. Divider by @firefly-graphics​

Warnings- A teenager mentions sex, uses drugs. Scene involving a finger getting stuck in a wound. 

A/N- I chose Amityville Horror for the challenge because its one of my favorite Spook Stories growing up. When reading you will find a lot of similarities to the 2005 Movie, some of the scenarios and dialogue are specifically from that film. Other parts of it are from the book itself. The family name was changed for my own personal reasons. Happy Haunting!  🎃

Chapter 3 / Masterlist 

Weeks past, holidays started and it was just after thanksgiving when things started to settle down from the move. Nothing major happened, you and Andy seemed to be on the right track. Andy was getting busier with his clients. The house on Ocean Avenue now felt like home. The only thing that wasn't changing was Andy always being cold and his cough that you could hear booming from the basement. He was constantly bundled up, shivering, hiding cold hands against your back. “Andy Barber, god damn, go put some gloves on or something. Also it's been well over a month, you need to go see someone about that cough.” 

He would groan against your shoulder and move to wrap his hands around his mug of coffee. “This house is always cold. But I will... Mother.” He teased with an arched brow, sipping from his mug. “It's nothing, I just can't get the tickle from my throat. But I will make an appointment today.”  

“It's just you.” You respond while going back to your computer, and moving to sit while you go back to your project. “None of us are cold at all. And I am a mother, and I'm worried about it now.” 

“I know you are, I admit I never had something like this happen to me.” Andy shook his head as he sipped from his coffee, glancing outside to see it snowing out. “And it is cold, It’s snowing.” 

You're quick to get up and cuddle up to him, looking outside. “It's beautiful, maybe we will have a white Christmas. Which… speaking of Christmas. Come look at this.” You tugged Andy around to your laptop and had a local shelter page pulled up. “Look at this dog Andy. The kids have been asking for one since before we even got married. He's older, all trained, and he needs a home. What do you think?” You looked up at him and bit your lips excitedly, Andy leaned over your shoulder, scrolling through the page to read the description they gave. 

“Baby, you know we're going to have to take care of it. Walks, feeding, vet visits.” He pointed out and you shrugged. 

“That's fine, I always had one growing up so I know what to prepare for. It will be a good chore for John, give him some responsibilities.” you pointed out and Andy straightened. 

“You really want him, then you have to agree to one thing.” Andy straightened from behind you and looked down at you, once more letting a chilly hand rest on the back of your neck, but this time in a loving manner, not a teasing play.

You twisted in your seat to arch a brow in question, looking at him. 

“You have to go to dinner with me tonight, let Jacob watch the little's.” He smiled and you got up, wrapping your arms around his waist and winked. 

“I think that can be arranged Andy.” Leaning up to kiss him, the rest of the afternoon was going to visit the dog named Buster in the shelter and filled out the paperwork to bring him home. Andy of course was won right over as soon as the dog sat before him and wagged the tip of his tail, tongue lolling out. “Okay… I gotta admit you're pretty cute Buster.” Andy chuckled while kneeling in front of the dog, petting him and ruffling his ears.  After leaving the shelter with the promise to be in contact soon, you and Andy went to pick up the kids, letting them know your evening plans. 

The evening was you trying to get dressed and into some makeup for the first time that felt like forever, Andy was in the closet picking through his suits. Cassidy kept coming in the bathroom to help you with your makeup, which you finally set her on the counter. While you were doing your lipstick, you gave her some chapstick. Then onto your eyes, she tugged on your sleeve. “My eyes to?” she asked, and you grasped her chin, tilting it up and sweeping the brush once on each eyelid. You then took a bit of blush and brushed it along her upper cheeks. Cassidy turned to look in the mirror, her eyes glancing up to the corner once in a while and giggling. “Mommy, Jody says I look pretty.” 

Your eyes lifted to where she was looking and you gave a smile to her while moving behind her to brush her hair and give it a braid for the night. “Baby, can you tell me about Jody? Does Jody live here?” 

“Yea, Jody has lived here a long time. Jody is happy we're living here now. Said that it was lonely here and wants us to stay forever.  Sometimes they look so sad Mommy whenever they think we might leave.” 

You nod as you split her braid in sections. Your fingers nimble as you work your lip a bit in thought. “Well we are staying for a long time because this is home baby. What does Jody look like? A pretty little girl like you, or maybe someone more like John or Jacob?” 

Cassidy pursed her lips like she was blowing herself a kiss. “No mommy, like forever forever. Never ever leave. We can just play all day. Jody said “You, Andy, Jacob and John can stay too.” 

That made you pause a bit, before continuing. “And what does Jody look like Baby? ” 

Cassidy shook her head and started. “Jody doesn’t want-” Andy stepped in, straightening his tie with his blue suit, looking at you in your little black dress and sleek high heels, Cassidy in her unicorn pajamas with the little bit of makeup on. 

“Well don’t my girls look so nice.” He complimented as you finished tying off Cassidy's braid. She turned quickly to face him, batting her eyelashes with a grin to show off her eyeshadow. “Ahh, very nice Princess.” He lifted Cassidy off the counter and whispered in her ear. “How about you go show Jacob how nice you look?” 

“Okay!” she said excitedly and sprinted away while you picked up a diamond stud off the counter and fitted it to your earlobe.

“She’s going to be over the moon you called her Princess.” you chuckled as you twisted the earring and took the other one to put on. 

“Well she looked like one.” He smiled and slid a hand down your back and you turned once you were finished, smoothing your hands over his suit with an appreciative sigh. “I always loved you in this one.” 

“I hope you love me without it too.” his hands slipped along your hips, looking you up and down. “You look beautiful Y/N. The diamonds fit nicely.” He complimented, and you couldn't help the shy smile on your face. 

“Someone very special gave them to me after we were married.” You leaned up to peck a kiss on his lips. “Later I will give you a proper one. I don't want to smudge my makeup yet.” 

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Plus we're gonna be late with our reservations, we gotta go.” he urged, and you collected your bag and draped a shawl over your shoulders. 

Escorting you down the stairs, Andy paused going over the rules with the kids right quick with Jacob. “Dad, I got it. It's a few hours and I have watched them before.” Ushering out the door, Jacob waved goodbye from the porch and waited to see the car pull out the drive and was sure it was not turning back. He pulled out his phone and sent a text message to a friend. Smirking as he pocketed it, he turned to see Cassidy and John staring up at him. 

“What do you want rugrats? Food?” He asked with his hands falling to his hips looking at the two of them. They both nodded and he laughed. “Alright let's go see what your mom left for us tonight.” When they went in and opened the fridge, there was a pan of mac and cheese, labeled for the cooking directions. Within a few minutes, Jacob had the kids settle in front of the tv to Disney Plus, their food was cooking, and he got a text ~I’m here.

~Come in through the back so the kids don't know you're here. Jacob sent back. “I'm gonna go get your mac and cheese, be back in a moment.” which they barely acknowledged him and he went to see someone standing at the door. Opening it, he ushered her in. She giggled, wrapping an arm around Jacob and pressed up against him with a playful kiss. 

“I can't believe you live here. Which room is yours upstairs?” she wiggled brows and Jacob covered her mouth, looking over his shoulder. 

“Sammy, you gotta be quiet. My dad will kill me if he knows I snuck a girl in here.” he dropped his hand and nipped her lips, whispering. “Third door on the left, as soon as I get these two in bed I will be in.” 

Samantha nodded and winked. “I know the room, I used to come here to play with the Deffor kids all the time.” Jacob shrugged and motioned for her to be quiet once more. He snuck her through, ushering her upstairs when Cassidy looked over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing at the wall beyond the banister.

“Jody says she shouldn't be here Jacob.” 

The teenage boy scoffed and ruffled Cassidy's hair. “There ain't nobody here but us.” Whistling as he went back into the kitchen, Cassidy watched the shadow glide up the stairs, and she shrugged, going back to the movie. 

Finally Jacob wrangled them into their beds, checking his phone to see the time. His dad and you should still be out about an hour, maybe two. You typically messaged him a couple times during the night, and always when they were headed home. It would be easy to sneak Samantha back out. Knocking on his door, he went in his room to find her sprawled on his bed, a joint pressed against her lips and taking a deep inhale, giggling while watching the smoke spiral above her head. “I didn't think you were ever gonna quit playing babysitter downstairs.” 

Jacob collapsed on the bed next to her, and took the offered joint. “Finally was able to get them to bed. Sorry about the wait.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, and she pushed her fingers through his longer locks, hissing against his lips. 

“Mmhh, I cant believe I’m going to have sex in the Amityville Horror House.” she giggled and Jacob pulled away, leaning on his elbow to take another drag of the joint before handing it over to her. 

“Amityville Horror House? Is that what it's actually called?” He questioned and Samantha nodded while sitting up and moving cross legged. 

“Come on, you don't know about what happened here?” Her jaw dropped and she laughed, Jacob shook his head. 

“No idea, come on… Tell me Sammy.” He nudged at her and she dropped some ashes in a nearby soda can. 

“Okay, let me tell you all about it.” she handed the joint back over and rubbed her hands gleefully. “So there was a family here called the Deffor's. Mom, dad, older son Ronnie and like a few other kids. Happy picture perfect family right?” Jacob nodded, and she snorted. “So one night Ronnie takes a rifle, bang bang bang. Shoots his parents in their bed. Goes to his brothers room and shoots them both too. His little sister, she runs to hide in the bathroom. He finds her and bangs, shoots her too. Someone finally called the cops, like a while later complaining about gunshots. Police get here, and find Ronnie down in the basement, crying about how they made him do it. Someone named Judy, Jody? I can't remember the name. Arrested him on the spot, threw him in prison for life.” 

“Holy shit… that's crazy.” Jacob’s eyes widened and Samantha nodded. “I mean this house is always weird as fuck, but damn.” 

“You should google it. Later.” Samantha smirked as she got up. “I'm going to freshen up, and will see you back here in a few minutes.” Winking, she slipped from the room and headed towards the bathroom. 

Jacob made himself comfy, lowered the light at his bed stand and pulled out a couple condoms from his nightstand, moving to lay down on the bed to wait. 

Samantha gave the bathroom a quick look around before she looked in the mirror, checking her makeup when the lights in the bathroom flickered. Lifting her eyes up to look at the bulbs, she backed up a bit worried. “What the-” 

“Hey Sammy, remember me?” a little voice spoke and she twisted around, to see a girl tilting her head with a playful smile. She recognized her, Ruby the sister Ronnie shot that night. Samantha shook her head with a whimper. 

“No… no, you're dead Ruby.” she told the little girl. 

“I know, Sammy, look what Ronnie did to me! Isn't it pretty!?” She moved her bangs aside and Samantha reared back in horror at the gaping hole in her forehead. Samantha backed up towards the sink, the small of her back hitting against it as the little girl kept coming. She looked towards the door about to bolt when hands curled into claws dug into her face from behind, holding her in place like she was in a vice while the girl reached for her hand, giggling. Samantha broke out screaming while the clawed fingers dug into her cheeks, and Ruby’s hand that was closed around her wrist were cold and clammy, wrenching her finger till she had the one she wanted. “Catch ‘em…” whatever was behind her whispered hoarsely in her ear, a slick feeling like a snakes tongue against Sam’s ear made her try to wrench out of its hold, and the girl started to push her finger into the wound on her forehead. “Kill ‘em, right Jody?” 

Samantha screamed again, putting all her strength into rearing back and she happened to slip, bashing her head off the sink and falling into a heap on the ground. 

Jacob heard the scream and rushed into the bathroom to find Samantha bleeding on the floor. “Oh shit!” He dropped to his knees to help her, and she scrambled to cling against him, sobbing in terror. 

“She was here, she was here.” she cried as Jacob touched the back of her head and came back sticky with blood. 

“Shit, Sammy I gotta call the ambulance.” He dug for his phone, shakily dialing 9-1-1 while holding her close. 

John and Cassidy who also heard the commotion ran to the bathroom, and Jacob told them to stay back. Cassidy just shook her head slowly. “Jody said she shouldn't be here.” When Samantha heard the name Jody, she started to panic again and Jacob screamed at them to go back to their rooms.

Andy pulled up the driveway to see flashing lights of an ambulance in their driveway, and you gasped. “Oh my god Andy, the kids.” You ripped out of the car and ran towards the house, Andy not far behind to see a teenage girl being wheeled out on a stretcher and they bypassed her into the house to see Jacob talking to an EMT, as well as John and Cassidy sitting on the stairs, hugging there stuffed animals and looking shocked. You let your hand rest on Jacobs back a moment to make sure he was okay, then past him to the two younger children. Andy watched as you checked them, and paused by Jacob. 

“What is going on here?” Andy demanded to know, and Jacob turned shakily to Andy. 

“I had a friend come over, something happened in our bathroom and she bashed her head against the sink, splitting her head open.” Andy could see how shaken up his son was and pulled Jacob into his arms in a hug, patting his back. 

“Okay, good. I'm glad you got emergency services.” 

The EMT nodded, looking at Jacob when father and son split apart. “Always call us right away. When we took her out, she said something like “She’s dead.” Do you know what that is about?” 

Jacob hesitated and shook his head, Andy shrugged. “Sorry Sir, my wife and I were to dinner, so I'm just hearing about all this.” 

The EMT nodded and excused himself. Within a few minutes the rest of the house cleared up, and Jacob watched the ambulance leave. He whipped around and folded his arms. “So what, were you never going to tell me what this place was?” 

Andy rubbed at his temple a moment, feeling the beginning of a headache. “Jake not tonight, we will talk in the morning.” 

“The Amityville Horror House, Fucking seriously?” Jacob ignored his father while you started to usher the protesting kids up the stairs. “Some guy went through and just shot his whole family!” 

“Jake, shut up!” Andy snapped while the two kids peeked around you, and John wailed. 

“Someone got shot here! Mommy I don't want to sleep here.” The boy looked up, panicked and you shushed him. 

“Come on, upstairs.” You tried to urge him up but now they were all worked up again, and Andy could feel his barely there control snapping, turning towards the three of you on the stairs. “Cut the shit and get upstairs, now!” 

You pause and the two children race up the stairs, making Andy grate his teeth at the way they thumped up. Now you're pissed and he could see it on your face. 

“Andy Barber, don't you ever talk to them like that again.” You hissed and then turned your back to go up. Andy snapped his attention back to his son. 

“And what the fuck were you doing with a girl here up in your room?” 

“Doesn't matter Dad, what matters is we are living here. This place is messed up. No wonder why our lives have been going to shit since we moved here! Sammy didn't just fucking hit her head, something scared her shitless. You, you fucking changed, Cass has that weird imaginary friend shes always talking to, plus you cant deny just the weird crap that happens in this house. Am I not the only one who sees all this going on?” 

“Jacob, will you listen to yourself? There is nothing wrong with this fucking house. Something bad here happened years ago and it's over. Bad shit happens sometimes.” Andy snapped and Jacob rolled his eyes at his father. 

“Whatever Dad, you should have still told me so I could have had the option to move in with mom.” 

“You want to move in with your Mom?” Andy paused a moment, his own arms mimicking his sons and crossing his chest. 

“Maybe, would have been nice to consider instead of living in this fucking place.” Jacob hissed in anger, moving past his father to start up the stairs. 

“Fine.” Andy threw up his hands in defeat. “Move in with her, I'm not stopping you, nor have I ever. But you listen to me Jake, no more bringing fucking girls up to your room. None of this sneaking them the fuck around. This is my house, and I expect you to follow these rules.” 

Jacob turned his back on Andy and continued up the stairs, slamming his door. Andy's head was pounding now, and all he wanted was a drink. In particular the bourbon he had in his desk down in the basement. Without waiting to see how you were dealing, he made his way down the stairs. Not even bothering to flip on the lights till he got to his desk and sat down, reaching to turn on the lamp on the desk. Finding his bottle and glass, he started to drink.

You came down later, and started turning off lights around the house, and when you went in the kitchen, you could see a little bit of light coming from the stairs. Making your way down, you knew you would find Andy brooding, which was accurate. Sure enough he sat slouched in his seat, twirling the tumbler slightly while staring at it.

“Hey, everyone is down. Do you wanna come up to bed Andy?” You stop in front of his desk, and it just looks eerie around him. The light on the desk seemed to be so weak compared to the dark shadows behind him, and they seemed to be yawning around him, ready to suck him from you forever. 

“No.” he simply said and set his glass down to pour in more. “I have work to do.” 

You huffed a bit, scowling. “What? Before we even got home, we were talking about what we were going to do tonight in bed.” 

He gave a roll of a shoulder then, glaring at you. “Not in the fucking mood anymore, m’kay Y/N.” 

“You were just fine till you came down here Andy.” You took a deep breath and started again. “Come on Baby, we can still salvage the night. Everyone is okay, and maybe next time we will get a babysitter.” you smiled and Andy scowled at you. 

“How many god damn times do I have to tell you not to treat me like one of your kids? Baby? That fucking sweet talk is annoying as hell.” 

Hearing him, your gut dropped and your anger flared. “Fuck you Andy.” You turned back to go up the stairs, and he chuckled while saying to you’re retreating back. 

“Not tonight sweetheart.” Andy said darkly with a sneer to his tone.

“Don’t bother coming to bed.” you snapped back at him while slamming the basement door shut, and leaving the kitchen. “Fucking asshole of a husband.” 

Downstairs Andy leaned back, shivering but at this point he was used to it. Shooting back the last of his bourbon, he threw the glass to the side and took the bottle. Behind him red eyes glowered and the audible hiss filled the room. Catch ‘em, Kill ‘em. He glanced at the picture on his desk and rage filled him seeing those faces, his family. He reached over and slammed it down hard, hard enough he heard the glass shatter. Going back to his liquor, a shadow separated, gliding across the floor and up the back of his chair till it settled on his shoulders, steadily feeding that anger and rage till Andy started to think of all the way’s to murder someone.

The shadow started to continue growing solid, whispering into Andy’s ear. 

Catch ‘em Kill ‘em  

[seasami]

Larry Fic Rec -- June/July

hii!! so I’ve got some fics that I read in June and July (until now). If you see a ✰ next to a title it means I really liked it and it’s one of my favs from the ones I listed. If there’s a 🔒 next to title it means you have to be logged in to read.

[Click on the title for link]

                                               _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Latitude by nikogda (44k)

Summary: Harry’s a hybrid on a boat about to be hit by a storm and Louis is the human who comes to his rescue. That storm is all the time they have to fall in love before going their separate ways. That is, until almost a year later… 

Ever Since I Tried Your Way by Anonymous ✰ (25k)

Summary: Harry had been kissed before, but never like this.He’d shared sweet, curious kisses behind bleachers and in soda shop booths, one or two more daring ones in cars parked on dark suburban streets, but the girls he’d kissed had never filled him with the desperation that erupted from Louis’ touch. He parted his lips and pulled him closer, as though he could breathe Louis straight into his lungs, as if he could swallow him. He wanted to consume Louis the way he consumed the body and blood of Christ. He wanted to place Louis on his tongue and feel him dissolve into a frothy mess of starch and saliva. He wanted to gulp him down until his teeth were stained purple and he was drunk on him. He wanted him in some violent holy way that made his hands shake where they were twisted in Louis’ shirt.

In 1949 Harry left his bride at the altar, running away from the only life he'd known. When a kindhearted farmer offers him a ride in his truck and a place to sleep the two find themselves inexplicably drawn together. Isolated on Louis' farm with nobody but a field of dairy cows to intrude, the men are finally able to explore the parts of themselves they've spent their lives hiding away.

No Candle No Light (No Friendzone To My Love) by Anonymous (11k)

Summary: Louis glanced at his friend, glaring daggers and Niall chuckled. He looked like his idea could end world hunger and Louis was horrified. [...]“Come on, Niall! Tell me!” Harry insisted, excited.“You can threaten him other than with violence. You said you want a little revenge, right? What if an ex-boyfriend came to reconquer you? You know, the jealous and aggressive kind.”Harry sighed loudly, closing his eyes. Louis frowned, just like Liam and Zayn. What was he talking about? And why was he still looking at Louis that way?“Niall, this could’ve been a nice idea if I had an ex-boyfriend, but-”“Let me explain!” Niall barged in. “ You don’t have an ex-boyfriend but you can pretend you have one! I’m sure Louis would love to help you with that.”Liam almost choked on his wine and Zayn bit so hard on his lip to contain his laughter that it might have bled. Niall looked satisfied as hell, of course he was the little shit, and Louis just had time to flip him the finger before Harry turned to him. He was fucking delighted.

Or the one where helping Harry getting rid of his boyfriend may be the only way to his heart

Sugar by lettersfromvenus (15k) ✰

Summary: 

“I hope our paths will ‘croissant’ again.” 

There’s a little smiley face drawn next to the words, and it’s ridiculous, Louis knows, but he can’t help the swell of butterflies that he feels as he reads over the words once more. An odd fellow indeed, he thinks.A moment later he shakes his head and collects himself, because he really does need to get home; he’s sure that Harry is probably watching him from behind the counter, all sweet, smug smiles and pink cheeks. And if he’s being honest, he’s not entirely sure he won’t toss his groceries into the trash and walk straight back into the bakery if he doesn’t leave now, so… he really does need to get going.

 Before he goes on his way, though, he plucks the note from the top of the container and carefully tucks it inside of his wallet to protect it from the rain.

That’s how it begins.

Only Been Here One Time by alienharry (10k)

Summary: 

“Good morning, Liam. Harry.” Louis nods at them both and then cocks his head. “Are you aware you have four nipples, Harry?”

Harry looks down at his chest, suddenly worried. He doesn’t know how many nipples humans have, but four must not be a usual amount. “Should I have six?”

“Not unless you’ve a litter of kittens to feed.”

Soft Hands, Fast Feet, Can’t Lose by dolce_piccante (112k) ✰

I KNOW ITS ICONIC BUT I READ IT A MONTH AGO SO I THOUGHT I’D INCLUDE IT HERE. 

Summary: American Uni AU. Harry Styles is a frat boy football star from the wealthy Styles Family athletic dynasty. A celebrity among football fans, he knows how to play, he knows how to party, and he knows how to fuck (all of which is well known among his legion of admirers). 

Louis Tomlinson is a student and an athlete, but his similarities to Harry end there. Intelligent, focused, independent, and completely uninterested in Harry’s charms, Louis is an anomaly in a world ruled by football. 

A bet about the pair, who might be more similar than they originally thought, brings them together. Shakespeare, ballet, Disney, football, library chats, running, accidental spooning, Daredevil and Domino’s Pizza all blend into one big friendship Frappucino, but who will win in the end?

It’s All Brand New by midnightwhistleberries (10k)

Summary: “Harry,” Louis intones emphatically, “literally everyone in the U.K. has known that I’m openly bisexual since 2011.” 

“’Cept you, I guess,” supplies Niall. 

In which Harry studies engineering, loves Madonna, and can't tell if Louis likes him or just keeps coming back to the record store because he's some sort of musical hoarder. Louis is famous, Harry has no idea, communication issues are rampant and fluffy pining ensues.

Fool For You by flowercrownfemme, lesbianferrissbueller (46k) ✰

Summary:  “It’s not a game.” Harry scoffed, trying to push past him once more but Louis held his ground. “And I’ve never once told you a lie.” “All you do is lie," Harry argued. "Jests and tricks and made up stories, that’s your trade. I’d never trust a word from your mouth.” “I tell stories,” Louis conceded, “but a good one must be based on truth. And my stories tend to get a bit more truthful when I’m around you, Princess.”

In which Harry is a brooding prince who's scarcely smiled since the death of his mother and Louis is the dashing jester hired to change that.

streetwise hercules by bottomlinsons (7k) 🔒

Summary: I said,” Louis’ voice is venomous, “who the fuck is this?”Right. This is Harry’s part.

(Uni AU, where Louis pretends to be Harry's boyfriend to scare away his one night stands.)

Close Enough To Touch by stinky28 (7k)

Summary: “You are killing it!” The stranger shouts in his ear, to which Louis raises a brow, setting up the next transition and song, bobbing a bit in place before glancing over to the stranger and Oh. Red. 

He’s staring right at a very large, oddly tied red bow tie. It takes up the whole stranger’s chest and..it’s bloody brilliant. He fucking loves it. He feels himself break into a giant grin, looking up at Mr. Red Bowtie’s face and Oh. Fuck. 

OR an au where louis is the dj for the met gala after party and harry can’t leave his side.

Hate Me To The Moon by harrystylesandstuff (83k)

Summary: The last thing Harry wanted was to spend his entire summer stuck with his dad's new fiancée and her kids. He wants no more when he learns she's a very religious dictator, raising a sixteen year old nun and a clean cut potential priest ass kisser.

Everything takes a slightly different turn, however, when Harry finds out his future step-brother is actually the rude stranger he caught sucking off a guy in a pub, far from the reserved Christian his mom thinks he is...

AU where Harry is a sexy nerd, Louis is a great actor, and they both pretend to hate each other's guts to convince themselves they're not feeling things future step-brothers shouldn't feel...

hush. by Wankerville (41k)

Summary: “I don't like you like that, Harry.”

“See,” Harry starts, Louis can hear the smile in his voice, “that's where I think you're lying.”

or an au where small towns suck, louis is losing it, and harry’s just too perfect.

The Unsuccessful Promise by trysomecats (11k)

Summary: At the end of the previous school year, Louis swore to everyone that he would return in the fall as an alpha. He made this promise especially to his arch-nemesis Harry Styles, who has already presented as an alpha himself. Unfortunately over summer break, the worst thing possible happens: Louis presents as an omega. Now school is back in session and he has to return and face the consequences of pre-determining his status. 

Featuring Liam and Zayn as Louis' doting and exasperated parents.

Autumn At My Window by TheCellarDoor (20k) 

Summary: A canon-compliant AU, in which Harry and Louis are both in the band and have been sharing flats and hotel rooms for nearly five years, but never made the leap past 'friends who are too close for comfort'. 

Featuring a lot of pining, Louis' addiction to Harry's scent, and a whole lot of sexual tension that might just snap loose when they decide to spend some time together all on their own.

OKAY! That’s it for now cause I don’t want this post to be too long (oof i’ve read a lot actually). I have Fic Rec June/July Part Two in drafts and im also gonna collect fics that I’ve read on my kindle (its usually above 50k and make a fic rec with them). Stay tuned and follow my blog so you don’t miss it idk <33. 

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS: I can make: Iconic Fics, My Fav Fics or try and do some themed fic rec. LET ME KNOW IF YOU’D WANT THAT! 

[halloweenismyfav]

《 Here's Mallory's relationship list! Up next is Thorn's. I included my other OCs here too, along with RSA! (You can clearly see which ones I've thought of more) This is a long one, so buckle up. 》

Mallory Robinett's Relationships

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts: Mallory has a strange fascination with Riddle. She was a Disney gal when on Earth, Alice in Wonderland being her favorite movie they made. She kinda hated the Queen of Hearts since she was all high and mighty, but when she saw Riddle...all she thought was "omg smol tsun tsun". After his overblot, she held him close and allowed him to hide his tears. Riddle finds her obsession fascination with him a bit odd, but he's seen weirder in his own dorm, so he just lets her do her thing and is her friend nonetheless.

Trey Clover: "Big brother Trey". That's pretty much it. One time, Mallory told Trey about chocolate-hazelnut wafers and how she loved them back on Earth, so he made them for her after. She was delighted and it's become tradition for them since. He's basically her big bro. It's pretty wholesome.

Cater Diamond: Mallory finds Cater a bit annoying, she won't lie. She just finds the whole "influencer" thing a bit odd. Other than that, she doesn't entirely mind Cater. They don't talk all too often however, so they don't know each other too well. Mallory hopes to have that change before they graduate or before she goes home.

Ace Trappola: If these two are seen together, you may wanna run. Mallory and Ace are pretty much inseparable after finally getting along during Heartslabyul's episode. Mallory will admit, she finds Ace attractive, and she's said it to him before on a couple occasions. She may feel more than just that, but she doesn't like love and stuff like that, so she tries to ignore her rapidly beating heart whenever she's with Ace...

Deuce Spade: Deuce is one of the few people who sees Mallory's sweet side. She always makes sure he stays in line and if he starts to go all delinquent-mode, she pulls a "pull it together major". Of course, that's only if he starts to go overboard. Mallory knows what it's like to feel like a disappointment to a parent, so she reassures Deuce that it'll get better if he's truly wanting to be better.

Thorn Valley: Oh, these two despise each other. The only thing they can agree on is that they dislike Leona and that's pretty much it. Some people at NRC like to say they're like an old married couple(mainly Cater) and they always have to clarify that they hate each other. They can tolerate each other during events like Fairy Gala and such, but even then, they'll still bicker.

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar: Another person Mallory hates! She finds Leona's laziness a menace, while he gets a kick out of annoying her. Their relationship is similar to how Vil and Leona act to put it bluntly. They do have similar humor though, so it's strange whenever someone else sees them laughing together.

Ruggie Bucchi: One time Ruggie stole her sandwich and she makes sure he'll never live it down. Knowing he had a rough time back in the Afterglow Savana however, she tones it down by a lot. She knows he's a gremlin, but she also knows that he's a human like anyone else and tries to treat him with some kind of kindness and respect. They don't talk all too often, but they've talked enough to be considered a bit more than acquaintances.

Jack Howl: He gives her piggyback rides more often than you would think, but it's always cause she asks if he can. He can't say no to her face, he doesn't know why, so he goes along with it. He finds her more as his sister than anything, Mallory finding the feeling mutual. She loves to hang out with him and Epel, but the one time that Jack offered her to come with him and Vil to jog, she backed up ten feet and said no.

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto: Mallory was infuriated when Azul took Ramshackle away from her and Grim for those couple days. She was doing that thing where she was telling Adeuce and Jack to "hold her (nonexistent) earrings" or to "hold her back". After finding out his backstory however, she softened, even if only by a bit. Her relationship with him got better after Scarabia's incident.

Jade Leech: Mallory doesn't like Jade, but she doesn't hate him either. He's probably the most tolerable person in Octavinelle to her. She was also close to slapping Jade once. She doesn't interact with him too often, so she can only go off of how he was during Octavinelle and Scarabia's episode.

Floyd Leech: Floyd is the vain of Mallory's existence. During the Octavinelle episode, she almost slapped him into oblivion. She honestly can't tell who she hates more, Thorn, Leona, or Floyd. He's constantly trying to "squeeze" her like he does with everyone else and she can't stand it. She doesn't like to talk to him and tries to avoid him when she can.

Marius Seymour: Mallory doesn't entirely mind Marius. She kinda finds his sadistic-ish personality a bit annoying, but she's learned that it's a reoccuring thing in Octavinelle. Marius' sadism isn't as bad as the other three. She lowkey ships him with Ashe and isn't shy about it. She finds him kinda fun to be around and likes to eat with him at lunch from time to time.

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim: The first time she talked to him, she knew that he was so precious and was wondering if he belonged at RSA. He's also one of the few people to see Mallory's sweet side. She can't bring herself to be sarcastic with him, so she acts almost entirely different with him. It basically goes as such...

----

Mallory: *being all sweet it Kalim*

Everyone else: Wow...

Mallory: What?

Everyone else: You're just so nice to him...

Mallory: Oh, I'm sorry, do you want me to yell?!

Everyone else: No-!

----

Jamil Viper: Mallory's...indifferent to Jamil. She almost slapped him after his overblot, yes, but she doesn't entirely hate him. She knows he was in Kalim's shadow for so long, so she doesn't have too much against him. She still isn't happy with how he treated and hypnotized Kalim, but she tries to let it go as much as her heart and brain will let her. She doesn't talk to him much after his overblot, but if she needs to talk to him, she won't throw a tantrum.

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit: At first, Mallory thought that she'd hate Pomefiore, especially Vil. But...she saw and heard how much effort it took for Vil to get to where he is now, so she has a lot of respect for him. For Ghost Marriage, he chose an outfit for her so that she fit the theme of the event and she actually liked his outfit choices. It was a dress, which she tends to hate, but she genuinely enjoyed wearing it. She may not talk to him a whole lot, but she respects him greatly. After his overblot, that respect and empathy went up even more.

Rook Hunt: Mallory, like many others at NRC, finds Rook weird and creepy. She already found the fact that he has photos on his walls creepy, but then he lists off her, ADeuce and Grim's height, class, and seat number. She tries to avoid him at all costs, similar to Floyd. She hates how he randomly pops up behind her and the others too.

Epel Felmier: Mallory loves Epel! She likes to hang out with him, Jack, and Deuce. She's trying to learn how to carve apples, though she's gained many cuts on her fingers because of it, the cuts always bandaged up by Epel. Since she's taller than him, she likes to use him as an arm-rest from time to time, much to Epel's demise. All in all, she adores him and wishes the best for him.

Ashe Aspen: Mallory finds Ashe fun, but they don't talk as often as she'd like. He's really tall, so she likes when he gives her piggyback rides too. She's witnessed his truly scary side, and she's sworn to never make him mad since. Similar to Ruggie, they may not talk much, but they've talked enough to be considered a bit more than acquaintances.

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud: Best of friends. Specifically BGFFs, "Best Gamer Friends Forever". Idia introduced Mallory to a bunch of games in Twisted Wonderland and she couldn't put them down. They talk whenever they can and everyone is shocked when Mallory says she's Idia's friend. She likes his hair a lot too.

Ortho Shroud: Mallory finds Ortho like the younger sibling she never had but always wanted. She always makes sure he's ok, telling him that he can come to her if he ever needs to talk. She also thought that he did amazing during the VCD Auditions.

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia: She knows for a fact that if she was still her same seven year old self, she'd want him to give her a piggyback ride so she could hold his horns. Mallory finds his innocent outlook on some things adorable, but more in a sense of "wow he's pure" rather than romantically. For the most part though, their relationship is the same as it's portrayed in the game.

Lilia Vanrouge: They have a relationship like Mallory does with Riddle, just flip it around. Lilia seems to be fascinated by her, seeing as she's a human from another world while he's a fae who's lived for hundreds of years. She may be taller than him, but he always floats above the ground so he's at least her height. She finds him fun to hang with, so she's fine with his strange fascination.

Sebek Zigvolt: She finds him too loud, but she appreciates his devotion to Malleus. Sometimes it concerns her, but other than that, she respects it. They don't talk often, but she kinda wants that to change soon. Other than that, he's the member she's the least close to.

Silver: They're cuddling buddies and don't even know it. Mallory spends a lot of time in Diasomnia, so naturally she is close with the dorm's members. She likes to crash in Silver's room at times, so that's how they became secret cuddle buddies.

Other

Dire Crowley: Mallory finds it kinda fun to toy with Crowley, but found it incredibly annoying when he left to go on vacation during Scarabia's episode. Although it's something she'd never admit, Mallory sees Crowley as that fun and strange father she never got to have.

Divius Crewel: She hates him with a lot of her being. She hates how he treats them all like dogs. However, when there are those few times he's nice to her and makes sure she doesn't make an explosion in Alchemy, she's thankful.

Mozus Trein: She finds his class pretty boring, but she loves playing with his cat. She does appreciate when Trein gives her extra help if she doesn't understand something revolving around Twisted Wonderland's history.

Ashton Vargas: Mallory is a bit indifferent to Vargas. While he can be nice to her, she finds him a bit odd. She does however appreciate how Vargas makes sure she takes care of her physical and mental health.

Libi Koko: Libi and Mallory are pretty much the best of friends. Since Libi is one of the few females in NRC with Mallory, it feels nice that she can talk to someone who understands some issues they may have that the guys don't. They have a lot of inside jokes and, again, Libi is one of the few poeple who have seen Mallory's sweet side.

Che'nya: Prank duo, right here. If they're together, it's like an Ace and Mallory situation, but worse. Since they go to different schools, they can't talk often, but they managed to exchange numbers who knows when just a bit after the Heartslabyul incident. Sometimes, Che'nya likes to give Mallory hugs, but he's always invisible and know one except Mallory can tell he's there. He likes to tease Mallory a bit, much to her slight demise, so she's started to do the same. It's an endless cycle now.

Neige LeBlanche: Mallory already adored Neige the first time she met him. Her first thought was "he's baby. I must protect". They may not talk often, due to being in different schools, but they exchanged numbers to ensure that they still had the ability to talk. Neige is in a situation similar to Kalim in terms of how sweet Mallory is.

[inactiive-shit]

6, Lamp if you don't mind

Here you are!

Title: Gift

Words: 1,844

Warnings: none

Patton was doing his best not to squeal or giggle or wriggle out of his seat. His three partners were all casting him fond—if confused—looks. He wasn’t great at masking his elation, but at least he hadn’t accidentally told on himself already.

“Patton, is there a particular reason you appear to be about to jump onto the table?” Logan asked, their voice sappy. They tried to pretend they were good at hiding their emotions, but Patton knew better. When Logan looked at him and their voice got a little slower, they were fighting back the urge to kiss him all over his face.

Gosh, Patton really wanted to get kisses all over his face right now.

“I’m just excited!” he chirped, trying to keep from flapping his hand into a glass and knocking it off the table.

“Aw, he’s just the softest little puffball we got,” Roman said to Virgil. Virgil snorted and shook his head, a cute little smirk curling his lips.

“Are we eating or what?” Virgil said, shifting in his chair. “Is there going to be a dinner part to this dinner?”

“Oh, can it, J.D-elightful. We’re getting there.” Roman stood up from the table and Patton chased him to the kitchen to bring out the food. He had planned this night, every little aspect of it, and had done almost all of the food preparations himself. Roman had helped, because he was very good at cooking and only he could get Logan’s meal perfect, but Patton had made sure that everything was exactly as it needed to be.

And it would not be great if Roman looked somewhere he didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to and saw the surprise that he did not and was not yet supposed to know about because if he did he would not be surprised, as he was supposed to be.

That sentence threw Patton for a loop, even as he thought it, and he almost missed Roman reaching for the cabinet. He jumped in front of Roman to block him, and then froze. What was he supposed to say now?

“Uh, Patty, I do need to get a bowl, you know. Everything good?” Patton nodded frantically and, in the only tactic he knew would not fail to redirect Roman’s attention, kissed him. Roman leaned into it immediately, drawing Patton as close as they could be.

“Oh,” he gasped, pulling back when neither of them could go longer without breathing and Virgil would surely be grumbling his way into the kitchen to get the food himself soon. “That is definitely a worthy cause.”

“I thought so,” Patton said, coy, and pressed another kiss into Roman’s cheek. Grinning broadly and whistling, Roman scooped up some of the food and made his way back to the table, previous objective entirely forgotten. Patton released a relieved breath and bent to grab a bowl, carefully moving the boxes he had stashed in their least used cabinet back a little farther.

Patton brought the rest of the food in, and set it on the table with a flourish. Roman looked smug while Logan and Virgil stared in shock. The two had worked to make all of their favorite meals, which was a sizable undertaking because none of them had the same taste in food. Roman liked Malai Kofta, but combined with other food so spicy that Patton could hardly stand to look at it, Logan liked a very specifically prepared type of Cantonese slow-cooked soup with rice that their mom had taught Roman how to make, Virgil liked chocolate chip pancakes, strawberries, and a generous helping of syrup, and Patton liked spaghetti and garlic bread.

“Did I forget an anniversary or something?” Virgil asked, floored. He looked up at Patton. “This must’ve taken hours to make.”

He shrugged. “I had some free time,” he said evasively, pointedly ignoring Virgil’s questioning look. “I am going to spoil you if it’s the last thing I do.”

“And I’m gonna help,” Roman added. He gallantly pulled Patton’s chair out for him, and they all began to eat. Logan looked particularly happy about the surprise, and Patton couldn’t help that he kept staring at them, admiring those small, contented huffs that they made as they ate. Roman was doing something similar, but much more smugly. Virgil grabbed Patton's hand.

“Thanks,” he said. “It’s really good.”

“Of course, Virge! Anything for you. I love you.”

Virgil flushed red, from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears. He hid his face behind his bangs, mumbling something Patton couldn’t hear.

He didn’t need to hear it to know that it was full of love.

“Are we flustering the emo?” Roman asked, leaning forward to catch Virgil’s eye. “He’s so cute! Look at his adorable snake bites and those earthy brown eyes! I could swoon!” Roman dramatically fell back into his chair, shutting his eyes, and then sneakily opening one to peek at Virgil, who had gone from a slowly receding pink to bright, firetruck red in the blink of an eye.

“Let him be,” Logan said from their seat beside Virgil. They smiled, soft and teasing. “It’s not his fault he is such a beautiful person, or that he is so intelligent.” Virgil dropped his fork with a clatter and covered his face with his hands.

“You guys are the worst,” he said, voice muffled. Patton giggled and reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“You loooove us,” Roman sang.

“Yeah, well. I’ve never claimed to have sense.”

“And how lucky for the rest of us,” Logan said.

“You don’t have any kind of excuse, Sherlock.” Virgil batted their hand away from where they were trying to brush his bangs back. “I still don’t know how we dragged you into this.” Virgil motioned wildly at the table, filled with four different kinds of food but, as far as Patton was concerned, only one kind of love.

“I think we’re all the smartest people ever,” Patton added, bouncing forward and almost knocking his cup over for the second time. “After all, we did keep each other.”

“Perhaps you have a point,” Logan said. They adjusted their glasses. “Perhaps we are all rather smart for finding each other and staying that way. Even if some of us like to sing Disney songs at three in the morning.”

“Hey! We were being sappy!” Roman exclaimed. “No fair!”

Patton laughed and leaned on a hand, watching them bicker and tease and blush. It was a sight he’d never tire of.

Once dinner was over and their faces were mostly not red, Patton cleared up the plates and gave them all the order to stay at the table for a few more minutes. The night wasn’t over yet. Roman oohed, intrigued, and obediently stayed put.

Patton deposited the plates in the sink and pulled the Oreo Truffles he’d made out of the fridge. Grabbing the can of whip cream, too, Patton carted the dessert back to the table, relinquishing them for consumption. Roman, Logan, and Virgil stared with rapt attention

This dessert was special to them all. It was the first one that Patton had made for them when they’d started dating, and the one that had, coincidentally, spurred them all to meet in the first place. (He had been catering an event they’d all been at, and the three of them had liked the truffles so much that they had sought out Patton’s bakery the next day. Patton has considered the truffles his luckiest dessert ever since.)

“Ta-da!” Patton said, motioning to the plate of dessert that he’d poured his heart into. Suddenly, Virgil lunged up from the table and kissed Patton wildly. His lips were warm and slightly sticky, sweet from the chocolate and syrup. Patton kissed back, relishing in the feeling.

“Pat,” Virgil gasped when he pulled away, shocked and smitten all at once. Patton grinned up at him, but before he could say anything, there were hands on his waist, twisting him around. This time the lips were slightly chapped and had a salty-sweet tang. It had to be Logan, and they were no less insistent in their kiss than Virgil had been.

“My Dear,” Logan murmured into his mouth, breathing hard. Patton trilled happily and kissed them again, feeling like he might fly right out of his skin.

Logan eventually released their hold on Patton, and he was swept right into Roman’s arms. Roman’s kiss was passionate, stealing all the air in Patton’s lungs, and tasted like spices. Patton kissed back, getting lost in the plethora of tastes on his tongue and feel of them on his lips.

“Darling, you are too good to us,” Roman said. Patton smiled, panting.

“You deserve all the best in the world,” he said quietly. Roman looked like he might try to kiss Patton again, but then one of the truffles was being shoved into his mouth. Patton choked on a laugh and turned to see the mischievous grin on Virgil’s face. He leaned down to ghost a kiss over Patton’s cheekbone and then offered him a truffle. Patton accepted it, taking a bite.

“When did you get the time to make all this?” Logan asked. They had a bit of chocolate on their face and Patton thumbed it off.

“It took a little planning,” he admitted, shrugging.

“Why make it, though?” Virgil asked. “It’s not, like, an anniversary is it? I think I’d remember if it was.”

“We’re getting there,” Patton said.

“You’re planning something,” Roman breathed at the same time that Virgil burst out with, “I fucking knew it!”

“Do we get to know what it is that you are planning?” Logan asked, ignoring their boyfriends’ out-bursts.

Patton hummed, a hand on his chin, pretending to think about it. “I guess so. But!” He shooshed Roman’s excited squawk. “It’s a surprise. Sooooooo,” Patton pushed them all back into their chairs, “you have to close your eyes until I say so.” Roman groaned. “I’ll be quick, you just wait right here!”

“You know how I feel about surprises,” Virgil grumbled. Patton grabbed his hand.

“You liked the dinner surprise, and the dessert. Promise, Vee, it’s something you’ll like.” Virgil sighed and stared at him. Patton waited patiently until all three of them gave in and shut their eyes, and then he scampered into the kitchen and pulled the boxes out of their hiding place in the cabinet. One midnight blue, one fire red, one royal purple.

Carefully, quietly, Patton set each box in front of the proper recipient, popped their lids, and then took his seat. With a deep breath to calm himself, he said, “you can look.”

Roman gasped as soon as he saw the ring inside the box. Logan made a choked, cut off noise. Virgil was just staring, but a tiny smile was starting to form.

If Patton had learned anything about himself over the years, it was that he was bad at speeches. So he kept it short and sweet. “Do you wanna get married?”

Their answers were enthusiastic to say the least.

[marvel-ousnesss]

The pirate and the witch (part two)

Word count:  2568 Pairing: Harry Hook x daughter of Narissa!reader

Summary: Y/N, an orphan vk who was taken to Auradon at a young age, returns to her old home by request of the crown prince. However, things tend to go south at the Isle of the Lost.

Warning: Mild cursing

A:/N: Okay people, here's the second part! I'm really enjoying writing this and already working on part three. Feel free to ask if you wanna be tagged and to point out any mistakes or typos that you see. Enjoy 😬

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE DISNEY DESCENDANTS CHARACTERS NOR THE SANDERSON SISTERS. All credit goes to the creators, writers, and producers. Same with the HP charms, credit goes to J.K Rowling.

Part one     Mobile masterlist    Part three    Part four

— So, how was it? — Asks Ben, who's currently sitting on the couch of his and Chad’s dorm, with the brightest grin plastered on his sweaty face. His tourney gear discarded on the floor next to him, I can tell he took it out in a rush right before he called me.

I chuckle at his excitement; kind of resembles a golden retriever puppy. Sitting cross-legged on the simple bed, I stare at the screen of a tablet with the royal crest of Maldonia on its green case. Just parted ways with Harry and, even if it’s hardly four pm, I’m utterly exhausted; but Ben won’t stop calling me until I tell him everything.

— Where to start, where to start,— I pretend to think, scratching my chin with my index finger and frowning my brows. — Being chased by bandits, being kidnapped by wicked witches, who, by the way, may have found a way to practice magic, or having a VIP ticket for Uma’s pirate ship?

— That does sound like quite an adventure, but let’s cover the basics first. How’s the place?

I sigh, setting jokes aside.  — Miserable, Ben, whatever you discussed with your father will seem like a children’s tale.

—Something needs to be done about it — he states, — but I’m gonna need your help in convincing my father.

—I’m sure it will be fine, he’s all about second chances, right?

I don’t even know if I completely believe what I’m telling Ben. I remember standing outside of the Royal Courtroom, fidgeting, uncertain of what those who I thought were meant to be good and forgiving would decide for me. The funny thing is that Auradon’s oh so great and just king was the most reluctant to let me be part of his kingdom, claiming that I had an intrinsically wicked nature.

However, I manage to spit my words between gritted teeth— See? You’ll do great.

— I really hope so.

— Look, for now, just sit tight and behold my wonderful narrative skills. We’ll plan our scheme later, — I wink.

— Okay, go on.

So, I tell him everything, no detail spared. Even if it is supposed to be a prison island, it is atrocious to have people living in such conditions. From the poorly constructed infrastructure to the lack of resources that has resulted in people fighting like animals over things such as a rotten apple or half a loaf of bread.

— I’m glad you saw it all first hand, and with all of this, I really believe that we can convince my father to do something about it.

— What I’m most worried about is the embargo that he placed, many goblins are out of jobs because of it, and the malnutrition and sickness here have drastically raised since.— I frown my brows.

— We’ll need statistics to show that, and maybe he’ll abolish the limitations on resources and re-establish the goblins’ jobs.

— Keep talking Mr. crown prince, I only yawn when I’m utterly fascinated.— I roll my eyes and smile when I hear the familiar voice of my second favorite prince.

— Manners, Charming, the grownups are talking,— I fake scold as Chad pops on the screen behind Ben.

— Wow Y/N! Really looking like the evil witch you are— he snarls.

I don’t give it any thought ‘cause a) it’s Chad who’s talking and b) I am dressed in a purple leather jacket and a navy blue top, not to mention my smokey eye makeup. So, I brush him off.

— I miss you too, Chaddy. But, I'd love you to shut up before I go and make you.

—I guess it is true, ‘once a villain, always a villain’.

— Guess it is true, Prince Chad charming, of Cinderellasburg, is even more delicate than his mother’s set of porcelain.

— Seriously, though, don’t let the Isle get to you too much.

— Are you, gods forbid, worried about me?

— Nah, just don’t want real VKs living among us, do we? — when he says this, he playfully punches Ben on his shoulder.

…

—And so, I ended up flirting with none other than Harry Hook in the flesh.

When I utter the word flirting, Chad’s nose scrunch makes both me and Ben burst into laughter.

—Yes, Chad, we flirted, and, dare I say, I enjoyed it. Anyway, after we escaped the cage, we walked together and he ended up inviting me to ‘keep the heid’ back at Uma’s ship,

— I think that may be good for getting to know them, — suggests the crown prince. — You know, figuring out which of them are in worst scenarios.

— Sorry to break it to you, Ben, but it wouldn’t be safe for Y/N to go hang with a bunch of pirates.

Even if our relationship is playful and full of bickering, Chad can get super protective sometimes. It is something that I appreciate, really, but when he smells possible danger, he tends to get worse than my mom.

— I did decline his offer but, seeing that not going would mean agreeing with dearest Chad, — I shrug — I’m gonna go. Right now.

Much to Chad’s dismay, we say a brief goodbye.

— Be careful,

— Don’t let them infect you!

I chuckle at them and hang up. Then, I put the tablet under the bed, grab my cloak, and head out the door.

…

Now closer to the docks, my ears are flooded with the stomping of dancing feet and the cheers of shanties, accompanied by what sounds like a piano and guitar duo. I arrive and cannot help but smile at the sight. Before my eyes, I find some of the most dangerous and vile people of the Isle dancing and singing around a fire that’s set on a barrel in the middle of the ship.

I approach the crowd and, when I catch the first mate’s eye, he stops playing and laughs.

— I knew you’d come. Couldn’t resist m’charms.

I smirk, — just came for a good time, Hook. Don’t you ruin it already.

— Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your new toy? — asks the sea witch, emerging from the crew of pirates, who are now quizzically looking at our interaction.

— I’m Y/N.

— Ooh, the witch, — she inquires. — Harry hasn’t shut up about your little encounter earlier today.

— Hasn’t he? — I quirk a brow at him but don’t even get him to blush.

— Gonzo, — intervenes Harry. — Take over would ya? I’ve business.

The music continues to play and the pirates continue to sing and dance. A blond guy, Gil, I believe, offers me a pint of beer, but I politely refuse. He doesn’t seem to mind, as he drowns the whole thing in one gulp and I quietly chuckle. I proceed to take off my cloak and leave it in the rack, embracing the cold wind. Then, I approach Harry.

— So, are you gonna teach me how to dance this thing, or did you invite me to stand in the corner of the deck all night?

— Are you trying to flirt with me, lassie? — he asks.

— Do I look like someone who’s interested in you? — He’s about to respond but I cut him off, — you know what? Don’t answer.

I grab his hands and pull him to the designated dance floor with me. I’m genuinely curious about this type of music, back home we don’t have anything similar. Next thing I know, he hooks his arm through mine and we’re jumping, spinning and cheering around the dance floor, avoiding a collision with the rest of the crew members.

After a few songs, I suggest we take a break and grab something to drink, so we make our way to the barrel located at the end of the deck.

— Ain’t gaunnie tell me that was yer first time dancing shanties, ‘cause I ain’t taking mince.

He speaks as he fills the first glass with beer and hands it to me, then he scratches the back of his neck with one hand and places the other on his belt buckle.

— Well, believe it or not, it was — I defend myself, fixing my simple hairdo.

— then let me tell ya, yer a natural.

— thanks, — I smile.

He looks at me with curiosity.

— err... I mean, of course I am.

After he fills his own glass, we sit on the front edge of the Lost Revenge’s plank and let our feet hang above the water.

— Why haven’t I seen you 'round, — he takes a gulp of his drink.

I try to do the same but encounter an unpleasant sensation, so I take a small sip and place my glass on the floor, next to me. — I already told you, lone wolf.

—Bullshit. I know the lone wolves, —he claims — easy prey for the crew. Besides, ain’t seen you at school either.

— I don’t go too Serpent prep.

—Oh… you attend the Witch school?

— Not exactly, — I release a breath, not wanting to get further into the topic — but, let’s just say I don’t like having attention on me. How bout you, Mr. first mate, aside from the badass handsome pirate act?

Truly, not to my surprise, he avoids my twist to the conversation. —Ooh, so ya think I’m badass and handsome too…

— Don’t let it get to your head, sailor, no one likes a cocky pirate. — My words come together with a playful side push.

— Aww lass, yer just lying to me in me face, — he whines, — you seem to drool over this cocky, badass, handsome pirate.

A bit frustrated, I exclaim, — Such a dickhead!!! How do they put up with you?

Then, our eyes land on the figure who had just stopped behind me.

— We just do this… — Uma tries to push her first mate off the ship, but he holds onto the railing.

— Funny, captain, — grumbles my date (if one could call it like that) — ya know the crew’s all at my feet.

Uma rolls her eyes, — Yeah, right. The only one ‘at your feet’ is little hellcat here.

At this, he scoots closer and smirks, attempting to place an arm around me, but I slip away. — Don’t get your hopes up, Pirate, haven’t hooked me yet.

Once again, the captain’s voice captivates our attention. — Hey Harry, why don’t you bring me and your new conquest some more beer?

I glance at my half-full glass, — I’m good.

— Nonsense, I insist.— Uma’s gritted teeth hint that she’s not asking out of politeness. In fact, she’s not asking at all.

— Aye aye captain.

As soon as we are left alone, Uma takes the spot that was previously occupied by her first mate, — Don’t know you, so don't trust you. Straight to the point, why would a random wannabe witch like you pop out from nowhere and come to my ship?

My answer is simple and blunt, — If you haven’t noticed, I’m here with Hook.

—That’s not what I’m asking so don’t play dumb with me —, she does her best to stay calm. — Just wondering… haven’t seen you around and, when I do, you have the biggest flirt of the Isle suddenly interested in you, there’s gotta be more to your tale; power, dominance, what d’you want?

My feet swing as I think of a quick response. — Nothing, really. As for Harry, guess I’m that irresistible.

Uma chuckles at my words, but her smile disappears faster than it came.

—Take this as a warning, don’t you dare try anything stupid. Have that in mind and you’re welcome whenever you want. — she mocks, with an overly excited grin. — Any toy of Harry is a friend of mine.

Before I can reply, the shanties stop playing and low, menacing growls are emitted by Bonny and Jonas. We turn around and notice that the two female members of the squad that rules the Isle are now on deck with us.

Mal glides into view, with leather boots hitting the wooden floor. — Awww shrimpy… you threw a party? It kind of hurts that you didn’t invite us.

Uma huffs before standing up and then faces Mal with a demeanor that gives me the creeps. Both Harry and Gil stand at her sides, with a hand on their swords; everyone else takes no time in mimicking their stance. As for me, I stand in the middle of the crowd and begin channeling my powers, just in case.

—You know snooty little witch, you’re sounding just like your mother; a cheaper and less intimidating copy, though.

She did kind of paraphrase Maleficent.

Raging, Mal growls and her eyes emit a bright green glow.

— See? My point exactly.

Now, with more tension in the scene, Harry steps in. — And what a cute little lap dog, — he laughs, approaching Evie. When he gets to her, he deadpans — sit.

The evil queen's daughter refuses to let herself be affected, so she limits her reaction to an eye roll. — Charming, Harry.

— Okay, as much as we’d love to stay and chat, we have an Isle to run. Not that you’d understand, anyway.

On cue, they both laugh and walk away.

— Now, boys.— Mal’s voice is heard through the length of The Lost Revenge, and Jay and Carlos, who must have managed to sneak inside while the crew focused on the girls, kick and spill casks full of water and rotten shrimps all over the ship.

However, their smirks turn into frowns when Carlos’ barrel rolls over and knocks the bonfire down, making the flames take grasp of the wooden floor.

Both intruders and some crew members jump to the water as the fire grows, but I approach it and firmly say ‘aquamenty’. The water shot from my hands extinguishes the fire.

Pirates gasp and Uma approaches me with an expression of simultaneous anger, relieve and, dare I say, gratefulness. — Not such a wannabe, after all.

Harry stands next to her, smirking at me, yet his expression changes when his eyes dart to the damaged deck.

—Still, — he sighs, — the damage is pretty bad. Can you do something about it, doll?

I hesitate — I mean, I could try. But I haven’t perfected that spell yet.

I place a hand over the burnt wood of the deck and whisper — reparo.  

Immediately, the floor of the deck restores itself and the broken barrel that previously contained the blaze stands back up. Satisfied, Uma goes to check on her crew.

Mental note: ask about the gang war.

Harry, however, gets a step closer to me and helps me up,— you’d be useful ‘round here, I could get Uma to let you in.

— As captivating as that sounds, I'm not really a team player.

I turn around but, before I can part, he captures my wrist, —yer breaking me heart, dollface.

— We already had this conversation, handsome, you don’t have one of those.

Tags: @aspitefullittlebeing​  @treestarrrrrrrr​

[hollymartinswrites]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: IT - Stephen King, IT (Movies - Muschietti) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh Characters: Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier, Ben Hanscom, Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough, Mike Hanlon, Original Child Character(s) Additional Tags: Fix-It, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), Domestic, Light Angst, Family Feels, Childhood Trauma, Adoption, Kid Fic, Adopted Children, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Marriage, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier Are Parents Summary:

Eddie and Richie embark on the most terrifying experience of all—parenthood.

Or, the author desperately needed a domestic, family fix-it for Richie and Eddie.

If they had bothered to take a bet about something as domestic as being the first to have kids, the Losers would definitely not have selected Richie or Eddie. Probably Bev and Ben with their disgustingly sweet heterosexual agenda. Mike was too busy living his own life for the first time to even think about kids and Bill—the man can’t finish a book, could he even finish impregnating a woman? Probably not.

But either way, Richie I-am-the-least-family-friendly-comic-you-can-imagine-and-take-several-different-anxiety-meds-otherwise-I’m-a-manic-flightless-bird Tozier and Eddie children-are-walking-biohazards-and-I-too-would-have-to-hide-all-my-meds-and-fuck-that Kaspbrak never seemed the type to go down the parenthood road. Also, they both hated Disney movies.

So, when the rest of the Losers got a text from Eddie informing them that they were being put down as references for his and Richie’s adoption caseworkers, it was a bit of a shock. Not that they were together, everyone already knew that.

If they hadn’t been so busy trying not to get killed by an outer space clown demon during those days back in Derry, they would’ve seen it right away. And then afterwards, with Eddie slowly healing up in the hospital and Richie never leaving his side (and having a full body, dry-heaving meltdown as Eddie was taken into surgery but the Losers are polite enough to not mention that) until Bev, Ben, Mike, and Bill all walked into the hospital room and saw Richie grasping Eddie’s hand and using his other to gently brush at Eddie’s hair. That made it kinda obvious. Though later Richie insisted that gazing lovingly into another man’s eyes and holding hands were just things bros did for one another. Get out of here with your toxic masculinity.

But still, the becoming parents thing seemed out of nowhere, though it wasn’t like the rest of the Losers spent all their time together so they weren’t privy to the conversations Richie and Eddie shared about parenthood—which went about as calmly and rationally as one could expect.

“You know what I just realized?” Richie asked as he stood in front of the microwave.

“Hmm?” Eddie replied, not looking up from his paperwork he had spread out on the dining room table. It was one of his work from home days and though Richie tried to stay out of his way, it was impossible to share a living space with the man and not have his presence fill the entire house.

“None of us ever had any kids,” Richie continued, taking out the leftover Chinese food before the microwave beeped. “Isn’t that weird?”

“What?”

“Us, the Losers,” he said, sitting across from Eddie at the table with his food. “We’re all in our forties and not one of us had a kid. Even by accident.”

“Don’t get soy sauce on my papers,” Eddie insisted, glaring at Richie’s plate of lo mein and chicken and broccoli. “Wait, what? What are you talking about?”

Richie rolled his eyes.

“You don’t think that’s just a little bit weird that no one in our group had a kid?” he asked. “I mean, you’d think one of the straight ones would’ve fucked up somewhere along the way.”

Eddie furrowed his brow before shaking his head.

“Who cares?” he asked. “And isn’t it a good thing none of us have kids? We’re not exactly the picture of stable, functional adulthood.”

Richie shrugged and lapsed into silence as he ate. Eddie stared at him.

“What made you think of that anyway?”

Richie shrugged again.

“Just a random thought,” he admitted. “You and Myra never slipped one past the goalie?”

Eddie raised an eyebrow as his stomach lurched at the mere thought.

“Are you seriously asking about me knocking up my ex-wife?”

“Well, I’m only curious,” Richie replied, lifting his hands. “Your mom and I talked about giving you a baby brother a ton but you know, once menopause hit, that dream was over.”

Eddie rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“You’re an idiot,” he muttered, and turned back to his work.

They were both silent for several minutes, though Eddie could feel Richie’s eyes on him as he loudly slurped up egg noodles. He pointedly ignored him. It would only be a matter of moments before Richie burst out with whatever inane comment he just had to make to fill the silence.

“You know what would be hilarious?” he asked suddenly.

Eddie sighed and sat back, gazing at Richie with what he hoped was a look of annoyance but suspected merely appeared fond.

“What?” he asked.

“If we were the first ones to have kids.”

Eddie stared at Richie in shock, his mouth going slack.

“What?” he repeated dumbly.

“I mean, out of our group, no one would expect us two to become a cute, domestic family. Everyone’s probably got their money on Ben and Bev raising an army of future supermodels but it would be much funnier if we beat them to it.”

Eddie blinked at Richie’s smile.

“You think it would be funny to have kids?”

“Well, not ‘ha ha’ funny but—”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Why the fuck would we have kids?”

A strange shadow passed over Richie’s face and Eddie’s heart twisted painfully. He had inadvertently fucked up. But before he could apologize or even find out just what he was apologizing for, Richie shrugged once again.

“Jesus, it was just a joke, man, calm your tits.”

He stood up with his now empty plate and retreated into the kitchen, Eddie staring after him and, once again, contemplating the enigma that was Richie Tozier’s thought process.

Eddie was reminded of that bizarre conversation a month later, when he stood to the side as he waited for Richie to finish with autographs and pictures after a show. Eddie yawned. Why comedy shows had to start and end so late, he had no idea. Perhaps people laughed more when they were delirious with exhaustion.

A young voice caught his attention and he turned to watch Richie kneel down and sign a ticket for a couple of kids. They couldn’t have been more than fourteen and Eddie wondered what parent allowed them to attend Richie’s decidedly R-rated show when he was suddenly struck by the smile on Richie’s face.

Unlike one of Richie’s shit-eating grins or even his sarcastic smirk, this smile was similar to the one only Eddie usually got to see. It was calm and gentle and totally carefree. Richie handed them back their tickets and nodded when they shyly asked for a picture.

“Sure,” he replied. “Eds, come here and take a picture for us.”

Eddie removed his hands from his pockets and stepped up, taking one of the kids’ phones. He stared down at the screen.

“Wait, how—” he began.

“Oh, it’s already open on Snap,” the kid replied. “Just press the circle at the bottom.”

“Yeah, press the circle, Eds,” Richie said, grinning. “Don’t you know how Snapchat works?”

“No, because I’m not twelve,” Eddie snapped. Then he looked at the kids. “No offense.”

They just laughed and Richie grinned as he put his arms around their shoulders and yelled, “Cheese, bitches!” Eddie took the photo.

That night, the two men stood at the bathroom sink as they brushed their teeth and elbowed one another out of the way. Eddie gazed at the other man’s reflection in the mirror and tried to imagine Richie in the suburbs, at a PTA meeting, reading a report card, coaching little league. He huffed a laugh and nearly choked on his toothbrush.

“The fuck’s wrong with you?” Richie asked, spitting out the last of his toothpaste.

“Nothing, nothing,” Eddie said quickly and rinsed out his mouth. “You had a good show tonight.”

“Fuck yeah, I did,” Richie replied, wiping his mouth on his arm. “Wanna fool around?”

Eddie rolled his eyes but didn’t step back when Richie took his face in his hands and began kissing him. They made it out of the bathroom and into their bedroom, only tripping twice in between kisses, when Eddie pulled away.

“Since when do you know how to use Snapchat?” he asked.

“Dude, it’s existed for nearly a decade,” Richie replied. “Bev and I snap each other all the time.”

“That sounds vaguely sexual.”

“Oh, trust me,” Richie said, grinning lasciviously, “there’s nothing vague about it.”

Eddie rolled his eyes again but smiled into the next kiss. They collapsed onto their bed, Richie’s hands crawling underneath Eddie’s oversized and faded Nirvana t-shirt, fingers gently running over the raised scar tissue on his chest. His lips found Eddie’s neck and he hummed as he kissed him, knowing that Eddie always complained in the morning when he found a hickey.

“You’re like a fucking teenager,” Eddie moaned, his fingers carding through Richie’s unruly hair.

“I even got the stamina of one,” Richie answered in between kisses.

“Bullshit.”

“Watch me.”

“You threw your back out two months ago when we fucked on the floor.”

“If we had stayed on the kitchen table, that probably wouldn’t have happened.”

“That’s disgusting,” Eddie said, wrinkling his nose. “We eat there.”

Richie laughed and reached down for Eddie’s boxers, his hand wrapping around his erection. Eddie groaned.

“Fuck, I’m not gonna last if you keep that up,” he bit out as Richie ran his thumb over the head.

“The whole point is to make you come,” Richie replied, his breath heavy against his ear.

“But—”

“I know you,” Richie huffed. “It’s late and we’re old and tired. Just jerk me off, too, and we’ll call it a night.”

“How romantic,” Eddie replied, “oh fuck.”

He reached down and grasped Richie in his hand, eliciting a delicious moan from the other man. Eddie smirked. He always felt smug when Richie made noise though for the next several minutes, they were silent aside from the occasional moan or “oh, fuck.” Eddie was secretly relieved when Richie was the first to tense against him. Stamina of a teenager my ass, he thought.

“Fuck,” Richie groaned against his ear as he came with Eddie following shortly thereafter. “Fuck, that was nice, Eduardo.”

“Shut up,” Eddie gasped. “We need a washcloth.”

Richie sat up and swiped off his own Jurassic Park t-shirt and wiped them off before chucking it in the general direction of the hamper.

“I hate you,” Eddie moaned, shaking his head slowly against the pillow. Richie grinned before collapsing beside him on the bed.

“You love me,” he sighed, the smile never leaving his face.

“Yeah,” Eddie admitted, “I really fucking do.”

Richie leaned over and shut off the bedside lamp before gently kissing Eddie.

“Good night, Eds,” he whispered.

“Good night, Richie.”

Weeks later, they were both sitting in their tiny, concrete backyard on one of the rare occasions where they were both both off from work. Richie was scribbling in one of his notebooks, fresh material ideas flowing through his brain, and Eddie was flipping through magazines and sipping iced tea. Aside from the distant sound of traffic and their neighbor’s phone conversation, it was quite peaceful...until Eddie snort-laughed.

“What?” Richie asked, not looking up from his notebook.

“Nothing, just…” Eddie turned the magazine around to show Richie. “Doesn’t this kid look just like you?”

Richie glanced up and frowned.

“Who’s that?”

“One of the kids from that show on Netflix.”

Richie peered at the photo and then shook his head.

“Looks nothing like me.”

“Richie, that’s you at age 12,” Eddie insisted. “I mean, like a clone. You sure you didn’t bang any women back in your twenties?”

“I can promise you, I’ve never even seen a naked woman in person,” Richie replied, “let alone slip my dick in one.”

“Donate semen for cash?”

“I should’ve. I was fucking broke for most of my twenties.”

“Well, this kid is the spitting image of you.”

Richie shrugged and went back to his notebook. Eddie resumed his reading.

“He’s in a show?” Richie asked suddenly. “A TV show?”

“Yeah, something to do with kids battling evil in some small town in the 80s.”

Richie looked up, eyes wide.

“Did Bill write it?” he asked.

Eddie laughed.

“No, I think it’s just a rip-off of The Goonies or E.T. Looks kind of interesting though. Apparently, 80s nostalgia is a thing now.”

Richie snorted dismissively.

“Nostalgia for the 80s,” he repeated. “Fuck that.”

“Oh come on, Riche,” Eddie replied, “aside from the killer alien clown, it wasn’t all bad. There was Atari and Hall and Oates.”

“And Ronald fuckin’ Reagan and AIDS and threats of nuclear war,” Richie said, counting on his fingers. “No, it wasn’t for me.”

Eddie shrugged.

“Well, maybe I’ll check out that show. See if that kid sounds like you, too.”

Richie shook his head again, a pinched look on his face.

“I don’t like kids on TV,” he muttered.

“Huh?” Eddie asked, furrowing his brow. “What do you mean?”

“The whole child actors thing,” Richie said, waving his hand vaguely. “It creeps me out. Whenever I see a kid in a movie or a show, I can’t help but wonder if they actually want to be there or it was a parent pushing them.”

“Sure, but some of those kids must want to act or whatever.”

“I’m telling you, Eds, kids just want to be kids. I’ve met a few stage parents in my time. Fucking monsters.”

“Richie—”

“Let me tell you, I’d never let my kid go into show business,” Richie continued firmly. “In fact, the moment I had a kid, I’d pack up and get the fuck outta Dodge. Los Angeles is the last place I’d want to raise a family.”

Eddie blinked at the other man, who looked oddly vexed over a conversation about hypotheticals. Richie caught Eddie’s glance and immediately looked down at his notebook, color rising to his face.

“Um, okay,” Eddie muttered. He put the magazines down on the patio table. “Richie, do you—”

“I gotta make a phone call,” Richie said, standing abruptly, hip bumping into the table and sending his empty glass crashing to the ground. “Shit.”

“I got it,” Eddie replied, lifting his hand to stop Richie. “Go make your phone call.”

Richie swallowed and nodded, retreating quickly to the back door. Just as he was about to disappear inside the house, Eddie called, “We’re not done talking yet!” Richie tensed ever so slightly before rushing into the house.

Richie avoided him for the rest of the afternoon, retreating to his laptop and oversized headphones. Eddie let him be and decided on doing one of the things he did best: research. As daylight faded into evening, both men were studiously at work and it wasn’t until Richie’s stomach grumbled that he dared venture down the hall and to the kitchen, where Eddie was sitting with his own laptop at the dining room table.

“Hey,” he said, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot, “so, like, are you hungry? Or did you eat dinner?”

“I didn’t eat,” Eddie replied, eyes not moving from his laptop screen. “I think there’s some leftover zoodles.”

“You sound ridiculous when you call them that,” Richie mumbled, opening the fridge and frowning. “What about eggs? Nothing better than breakfast for dinner.”

“Sure,” Eddie replied, typing feverishly.

Richie rolled his eyes and took out the eggs and turkey bacon. God, he hated that shit but at least it was better than zoodles.

Both men were silent as Richie cooked, though Eddie now snuck peeks at the other man. He still appeared on edge, as if waiting for the other shoe to fall. Poor dude, Eddie thought. After everything that had happened in Derry, Richie still had trouble opening up about his feelings. Well, if anyone knew that it took a long fucking time to confront one’s issues, it was Eddie. He could be patient.

Richie turned and carried two plates to the table, placing one in front of Eddie.

“Thanks, babe,” he said, shutting his laptop and pushing it to the side.

“You’re lucky you got me,” Richie said, sitting across from him. “You’d starve otherwise.”

“I’d survive.”

“No, you wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Eddie admitted as he dug into his breakfast-dinner. “Do you want kids?”

Richie was fond of bad jokes but even he wasn’t cliched enough to start choking and spit out his food in shock. Instead, he paled rapidly—so much so that Eddie got mildly concerned and was about to ask if he felt light-headed—and gently placed his fork down on the table. He looked at Eddie, his eyes bright, opened his mouth several times before finally saying, “I need a drink.”

“Oh, come on,” Eddie answered, rolling his eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”

“I’m always dramatic.”

“Let’s just talk about this,” Eddie continued, “like rational adults.”

“We’re not rational adults.”

“Then let’s pretend for a few moments.” Eddie sat back in his chair and placed his own fork on the table. “Richie, do you want kids?”

Richie quickly shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said.

“What? Of course, it matters.”

“Why?”

Eddie blinked.

“Because we’re a couple and couples discuss shit like this.”

Richie shook his head again.

“We already talked about it.”

Eddie blinked again.

“We did?” he asked. “When the fuck did we ever talk about having kids?”

“Like a month or two ago,” Richie replied, carelessly waving his hand.

Eddie searched his memory for anything even slightly resembling this conversation but came up blank. He shook his head at Richie, frowning, who sighed and rolled his eyes.

“When we talked about how none of us have kids! None of the Losers,” he insisted.

“Oh, yeah, but we didn’t talk about us having kids.”

“Yes, we did and you said ‘why the fuck would we have kids,’ remember?”

Eddie stared at Richie in shock. He took in Richie’s pinched expression, his arms crossed over his chest defensively. Eddie could hear him jiggling his knee up and down, a common nervous trait of Richie’s. He felt his heart crack.

“Richie, that wasn’t...I didn’t mean…”

“I get it, I do,” Richie said quickly. “I mean, none of us are actually stable, functional adults like you said, and I’m probably the least stable and functional out of all of us.”

“That’s not true.”

“It’s fine, Eds, I’m agreeing with you.”

“Beep beep, Richie.”

Richie clenched his mouth shut and glared.

“First of all, that wasn’t a let’s sit down and talk about our future conversation,” Eddie replied. “Or if it was, I didn’t realize it and I apologize. But—” he raised his hand to stop Richie from opening his mouth, “you have to admit, it did sound like a hypothetical idea, right?”

Richie shrugged.

“If that was your way of starting this sort of conversation, I’m sorry,” Eddie continued. “So let’s start again, totally fresh and trying, for once, to ignore our baggage.”

“That’s gonna be hard,” Richie snorted.

“That’s what she said but go on,” Eddie said, smirking.

“Fuck you, that joke’s old as shit.” Richie sighed again and ran a hand down his face. He looked tired, Eddie observed, and a little bit scared. He reached across the table and took Richie’s free hand and squeezed, eliciting a tentative smile from the other man. “Okay, I…I never really thought about having kids because I was never once in good enough place to even consider being a dad. But I always secretly kinda hoped that one day...it could happen. But even then I’d get depressed because the idea of doing it alone terrified me and I had already resigned myself to a fate of perpetual singledom and unattached quick fucks on the road.”

Eddie squeezed his hand again and rubbed his thumb along the top of Richie’s hand.

“Then everything happened with Derry and we got together and holy shit, life isn’t sucking so fucking hard now and I think we make a kick ass team,” Richie continued. Eddie smiled. “And we’ve been together now for a bit and I think, what with everything we’ve been through and thirty years of repressing pining, we’re both in this deep and I can’t help but think that, together, we could make some cool ass parents.”

He exhaled shakily and rested his head in his other hand, as if all that talking had exhausted him, though Eddie knew for a fact that Richie gained his strength from talking.

“Okay,” Eddie said, nodding firmly. “So, can I give my thoughts?”

Richie nodded solemnly.

“I never wanted kids,” he began and tried to not backtrack when Richie immediately winced, “but that’s because I spent my entire adult life in a fucked-up, co-dependent, shithole marriage. I barely had time to breathe, let alone think about kids and I knew that the last thing I would want to bring into that household was an innocent kid. I mean, it would be my childhood all over again between me and Myra.”

“You’re not like her,” Richie insisted.

“But I am like my mom.”

“No,” Richie said firmly, gripping Eddie’s hand, “you’re not like her in the least. You would never do to a kid when she did to you.”

Eddie swallowed and looked down.

“Either way, kids weren’t an option,” he said softly. “And yeah, I hadn’t really thought about kids with you because I didn’t want to rock the boat. I mean, this is the first happy relationship I’ve ever had and I just wanted to hold onto it.”

Richie nodded. “I get that,” he said.

“But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and researching and risk assessing,” Eddie took a deep breath and gazed up at Richie, “and yeah, there’s a lot of fucking risks with having kids but there’s no one in the world I’d rather raise a family with than you.”

Richie’s face, always expressive, did something Eddie hadn’t seen since he had agreed to move in—it lightened, and all the worries and tension disappeared, revealing a face that looked ten years younger.

“You’re not just saying that?” Richie asked gently, hope rising to his eyes.

“Have I ever fucking lied to you?” Eddie asked.

“You told me you fucked my mom.”

“That wasn’t a lie,” Eddie said, grinning.

Richie laughed and leaned across the table, capturing Eddie’s lips with his own.

“Ugh, you taste like turkey bacon,” Eddie mumbled between kisses.

“Your fault for buying that shit,” Richie murmured against his lips.

Eddie nodded and kissed him back before suddenly remembering something.

“Wait,” he said, “I have some info to show you.”

“What? What info?”

“Like I said, I did some research,” he continued and reached for his laptop. “I mean, it was only one afternoon but I got some good stuff on adoption versus fostering versus surrogacy, um, what social workers look for, income issues, timing, oh, healthcare, obviously and—”

“Just please tell me you didn’t make a PowerPoint,” Richie said, a dreamy smile on his face.

“No, but there are graphs.”

“Fuck me, Eds.”

“Alright, that first and then graphs.”

They discussed every option. They weighed every variable. They argued and made up and finally agreed on adoption. But first, a few things had to be settled. One, they got married. It just made sense. Much to the Losers’ disappointment, it just a quick stop to city hall, no fuss, no reception. They didn’t even wear suits. But they did invite the Losers to a weekend-long we-got-married celebration at their home which involved lots of eating and drinking and not a few tears and an embarrassing amount of hugs. Then they followed Richie’s idea and moved out of Los Angeles. Neither wanted to admit it but they had both missed the east coast, and, after dozens of pros and cons lists from Eddie, settled in New Jersey, so they could be near the ocean and close enough to New York for Richie to easily access comedy clubs.

After settling down, they began the adoption process in earnest and, as Eddie had warned Richie, it took a long time. There were forms and case workers, meetings and counseling, high hopes and false starts. More than once they had been disappointed and had returned to their new home disheartened. At one point, they had to consider the possibility of it simply not working out for them.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Eddie whispered one night. “Maybe...maybe I shouldn’t be a parent, after all.”

Richie turned and stared at him, his eyes wide and wet.

“What?” he asked, his voice thick. “What are you saying?”

Eddie shook his head and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“All the counseling in the world can’t change my upbringing,” he sighed. “What if we got a kid and I did turn into my mother?”

Richie sat up on his elbows, a determined look on his face.

“No,” he said firmly. “You are not your mother, Eddie. You’d never be like her.”

“But—”

“We’re gonna have a kid,” Richie continued, “and you’re going to do everything in your power to make sure they have a much better life than we ever did. Because that’s the type of person you are.”

“Rich…”

“And besides, even if you started to inch towards acting like your mom, I’d be there to bring you back.”

Eddie swallowed.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Eddie reached up and carded his fingers through Richie’s hair as the other man leaned down to kiss him.

“It’s going to happen for us,” he whispered. “I know it.”

Eddie nodded and, wrapping his arms around Richie, kissed his husband again.

It did eventually happen for them.

Lydia came into their lives with a burst of color, a breath of fresh air, and a smile that could light up the entire Eastern seaboard.

They adopted her at five-years-old but the ease with which she adapted to her forever family and the overwhelming love at first sight for both Richie and Eddie made it seem as if she had been theirs since birth. Sometimes, neither man could understand how they had survived without their bright, clever daughter in their lives.

When they had first started this process, they had been warned about trauma, about difficulty adjusting, about the need for patience and understanding when it came to adopting a child. They had been fully prepared to engage any child they adopted in counseling, to practice mindfulness techniques with them, to simply be there with open hearts and minds. After all, both men were quite familiar with the lingering effects of trauma and steadfastly refused to allow any child of theirs to suffer.

So, they did all this for Lydia, though by all accounts, she didn’t seem to need any of it. She was just a happy and healthy child and, though the first five years of her life had been filled with uncertainty and upheaval, seemed more well-adjusted than her parents. Still, both Richie and Eddie did whatever they could to empower their daughter. Whether it was Richie constantly playing Beyoncé’s “Run the World” and singing wildly off-key with Lydia to Eddie taking her to kid-friendly yoga classes, they were determined to do better than their own parents.

Eddie, in particular, was fervent in this desire and promised himself that he would never lie to her. Then, a little less than a year into their being a family, she asked him a question.

“What’s this?” she asked one morning while eating pancakes.

“What’s what?” Eddie replied, surreptitiously inching the syrup bottle away from his daughter.

Lydia sat up on her knees and pointed a sticky finger at the side of his face. Eddie’s heart dropped and a wave of cold panic welled up inside him. He felt short of breath and his mouth went dry.

Say something, he thought, say something to her. Don’t lie. She’s looking at you. Say something, you idiot.

“It’s a scar from a boo boo,” Richie said suddenly, his hand on Eddie’s shoulder. He sat at the table beside him and placed his own plate of pancakes in front of him.

Eddie exhaled shakily and turned slowly towards his husband. Richie tried to smile reassuringly but Eddie could see the fear and anxiety in his husband’s eyes.

“Oh,” Lydia replied before taking another big bite of pancake. “A boo boo from what?”

Eddie tightened his grip on his fork and tried to swallow as he gazed at his young, sweet, unsuspecting daughter. She looked up at him and smiled, syrup coating her chin and lips.

Don’t lie to her.

“An accident,” he gasped out. “A long time ago.”

Lydia nodded and turned back to her pancakes. Eddie exhaled shakily and looked down at his lap, acutely aware of Richie’s eyes trained on him. The two men finished eating silently as Lydia happily babbled about her day.

If either Richie or Lydia noticed that Eddie was being oddly quiet that day, they didn’t mention it. They went about their routine as they normally would—snacks, a trip to the library and then the grocery store, helping Lydia finish her homework packet, etc.

Richie and Lydia were able to replace Eddie’s silence with their own constant chatter. Eddie walked a couple paces behind the two in the grocery store, and watched them interact. Lydia was holding the shopping list and checking off items with a crayon as Richie pushed the cart. They were discussing the different types of graham crackers and which were tastier, a debate that was becoming increasingly animated. Eddie smiled and felt an odd tightening in his chest.

Richie had always been totally at ease with their daughter. The two had quickly become attached at the hip and sometimes, Eddie couldn’t help but feel he was intruding into their relationship. It was a painfully familiar feeling—he had been an outlier in his own marriage to Myra.

A tug on his arm broke him abruptly out of his memories. He blinked and gazed down at Lydia.

“Daddy,” she insisted, “I’m talking to you.”

“I’m sorry,” he said and ran a hand over his face. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“Can we get this?” She held up a box of sugary, colorful cereal.

“No, that’s yucky, and we have cereal at home.”

She pouted and Eddie prepared himself for an argument he was sure to lose when Richie placed his hand on her tiny shoulder.

“That stuff tastes like cardboard,” he said. “Trust me, I’ve eaten cardboard.”

Lydia laughed and allowed Richie to take the cereal out of her hands and back on the shelf. They went back to their shopping and Eddie couldn’t help but notice she held Richie’s hand for the rest of the trip.

Eddie couldn’t sleep. It was a little past one am and the house was silent aside from his rapidly beating heart.

He hadn’t a night like this in a long time. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. Perhaps if he moved slowly, he could slip out of bed without waking Richie, who, as usual, was sleeping with an arm and a leg thrown over him. Maybe if he managed to replace himself with a pillow, Richie might not notice the difference.

Just as he was considering how best to move the pillow behind him, Richie’s arm tightened around Eddie’s middle. Eddie stilled, holding his breath and waiting for Richie to groggily ask why he was still awake but he remained silent. Eddie exhaled a shaking breath and inched closer to the edge of the bed when Richie’s arm tightened again and this time, Eddie noticed that his once steady breathing was shallow.

Eddie gazed at his husband’s sleeping face. His brow was furrowed. Something was not right. Slowly, Eddie reached his hand over, thinking to run it gently through Richie’s wild hair, when Richie tensed again and, without warning, shot up from the bed, arms flailing, and screamed, “No!”

“Richie, hey, hey,” Eddie whispered urgently, his hands on either side of Richie’s face, trying to catch his wide eyes. “Look at me, it’s alright. You’re home. You’re safe.”

Richie stared blankly above Eddie, gasping shallowy and sweat beading on his forehead. He grasped Eddie’s wrist tightly and swallowed before meeting his gaze.

“Eddie,” he gasped.

“Breathe slowly,” Eddie pressed. “Do it with me. In and out.”

Richie mimicked Eddie’s breathing until his chest stopped heaving. He clenched his eyes shut and Eddie’s heart lurched to see a tear leak out from the corner of one.

“It’s alright, baby,” he whispered. “You’re safe now.”

Richie nodded and exhaled a shaking breath before opening his eyes. Eddie smiled reassuringly, though he could still see fear in Richie’s gaze.

“DADDY. PAPA.”

The sound of his daughter wailing their names jolted Richie. He sat up.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“It’s okay,” Eddie insisted. “I’ll get her. You rest.”

“No, no,” Richie said. “Let me.”

“I—” But Richie was already up and out of bed, hurrying out of their bedroom and down the hall. Eddie sighed and tiredly ran a hand over his face. Lydia always seemed to prefer Richie’s embrace, anyway. He looked up at the sound of footsteps and frowned. Eddie was standing in the doorway, Lydia in his arms and her face buried against his chest, sniffling. He offered a sheepish smile to Eddie.

“Looks like we both had bad dreams,” he said gently.

Eddie sighed and pulled back the covers. Richie grinned and carried Lydia to bed, tenderly placing her down and tucking her in before climbing in beside her.

“What happened, sweetheart?” Eddie asked, brushing her hair from her face. His heart lurched again at the sight of tears in her eyes.

“Bad dream,” she hiccuped.

“I had one, too,” Richie whispered.

“You did?” Lydia asked, turning towards him with wide eyes.

“Yeah,” Richie replied. “Grown-ups get bad dreams, too.”

“But they’re not real,” Eddie said quickly. He felt Richie turn his gaze towards him but he ignored it. “Bad dreams can’t hurt you.”

Lydia nodded, rubbing at her eyes. Eddie glanced up to see Richie frowning before he offered a tired smile to their daughter.

“And no matter how scary the bad dreams are,” he offered gently, “we’re here to protect you.”

Lydia smiled before yawning.

“Go to sleep,” Eddie whispered. “You’ll be alright now. I promise.”

She tapped at her cheek and Richie laughed before leaning down to kiss her gently, followed by Eddie.

“Sleep now, kiddo,” Richie said. “No more bad dreams for either of us tonight.”

“Uh-huh,” she murmured as she closed her eyes.

Eddie turned onto his back and tried to follow his daughter and sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the soft blue light of early morning was filling the room. He attempted to sit up but immediately groaned, his neck and back stiff. Glancing down, he saw why. Lydia was starfished in the bed, one tiny foot under his back and an arm around his neck.

“Hang on, Eds,” Richie whispered.

Eddie stayed still as he felt Richie effortlessly maneuver their daughter out from underneath him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her stretch and immediately turn and latched onto Richie, her head resting on his chest.

“She’s out cold,” he said. “You can get up if you want.”

Eddie slowly sat up, propped some pillows behind his back, and gazed down at their sleeping daughter. She always seemed smaller when she slept.

“Were you able to sleep at all last night?” Richie asked quietly.

Eddie shrugged.

“I guess so,” he muttered. “What about you? After your dream?”

Richie swallowed and began running a hand through their daughter’s curls. Eddie wondered if he was simply replacing his nervous tic of playing with his own hair but said nothing.

“I don’t know,” Richie admitted. “I think I kept falling asleep and then waking up abruptly, just to check that you and Lydia were still here. And real.”

“I have nights like those.”

“I thought they’d slow down by now,” Richie sighed. “I mean, we’re parents now. We have a shit ton more to worry about than our own childhood trauma.”

“I read that parenthood often brings those issues of childhood up to the surface again.” Eddie longed to reach out and lay a gentle hand on his daughter but he resisted.

“Well, fuck me, then,” Richie muttered and, with his free hand, rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

“What was your dream about?”

“You really gonna ask me that now?”

“Yeah, I mean,” Eddie said, fidgeting slightly under his husband’s weary gaze, “we used to always talk about our nightmares and fears.”

“Used to?” Richie frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Eddie inwardly winced and shook his head.

“Nothing, just…” he searched for the words helplessly.

“She was there with us,” Richie said softly. “In the sewers.”

Eddie raised his eyes to his husband. Richie’s own eyes had an odd, out-of-focus look to them and the hand playing with his daughter’s hair had stilled.

“Lydia?” Eddie whispered.

Richie nodded slowly.

“It had her,” he continued. “It had both of you. And the others just wanted to leave you two behind in the fucking sewer.”

“Richie…”

“And when I went into her room after I woke up, I was so certain I was going to walk into It there. That’s why I wouldn’t let you get her. I had to see for myself that she was safe.”

Eddie reached his arm over their sleeping daughter and rested his hand on the side of Richie’s face. He was shivering.

“It wasn’t real,” he whispered.

Richie met his gaze.

“You said that to her last night,” he said. “But we both know that’s not true.”

“It’s not real anymore,” Eddie insisted. “Rich, it’s over. We won.”

Richie shook his head.

“It may be dead but there’s always fear. It never goes away. And it could get her.”

Eddie blinked before running his thumb gently along Richie’s cheekbone. He smiled.

“And here I thought you were the calm, cool as a fucking cucumber parent,” he whispered.

Richie huffed a laugh and shook his head again.

“I’m fucking terrified,” he admitted.

“I hate to say it,” Eddie smiled, “but I think that’s normal for most parents.”

Richie nodded and leaned down, placing a kiss on the crown of their daughter’s head.

“Do you think we’re fucking this up, Eds?” Richie whispered.

Eddie sighed and shook his head gently.

“I think we’re both too fucked up already to do any worse,” he said. “Like how two negatives make a positive.”

“You were always better at math than me.”

“I’m serious, though,” Eddie insisted. He reached under Richie’s chin and tilted his head up to meet his gaze. Eddie felt his heart leap. “Together, I think we got this.”

Richie smiled and made to move towards him when he realized he was essentially trapped in the embrace of their daughter. Eddie grinned and leaned down to kiss him deeply.

“Hey,” a young, sleepy voice said, “that’s gross.”

“You’re gross, young grasshopper,” Richie replied before leaning down to blow a raspberry on the side of her face.

“Ew, stop it! Stop it,” Lydia begged in between giggles.

“I’ll rescue you,” Eddie said and gathered her into his arms. She laughed and hugged him tightly. “You’re safe now, sweetheart.”

“I know,” she said happily.

[bisectionalbisexual]

Born to Hate, Made to Love

(Human AU)

Word count: 2,163

Pairings: Royality

TW: Angst, self-deprecating thoughts, body issues, food mention. (Let me know if I should add any!) 

Summary: Patton is a plus sized man who likes to dress more on the feminine side. He’s always been fascinated with cute sweaters and pastel colors, so when his new boyfriend Roman wants to take him clothes shopping, you’d think he’d be excited, right? Sadly that isn’t the case a Patton tries to cope with his body issues while struggling to keep it together in front of his newly found love.

~~~

“Be ready at five, K? We’ll grab dinner from the Food Court then go shopping!” Roman’s voice sang happily from Patton’s cell phone.

While Roman was excited, Patton was nervously fiddling with the hem of his old worn out shirt.

“Um, yeah,” he tried to match his boyfriend's enthusiasm, “yeah I’ll be ready. See you then.”

Patton hung up and shoved his phone into the pocket of his sweatpants, sighing as he sat on his couch. He had no idea how this evening was going to turn out, but all he could feel was his stomach twisting into knots at the thought of trying on his eccentric choices of clothing in front of his boyfriend Roman.

They had been dating for almost three months now, but every time Patton was with him it felt like their very first date. He was in constant fear of how Roman would react if he wore something that showed off his true silhouette, so instead, he opted for wearing baggy hoodies and loose pants whenever he saw his boyfriend. He couldn't risk Roman becoming disgusted once he saw Patton's body, grimacing when they hugged or even refusing to be near him.

In every relationship Patton has been in, he’s always been afraid that every single one of them has only settled for his body, never loved him for how he was.

“He has a great personality!”

“He’s not that big…”

“He’ll break you with how fat he is.”

Oh god, it was all too much, why was just a simple shopping date making him so worked up? 

“Maybe I should just cancel,” he thought out loud reaching for his phone.

Just as he opened his messages a text popped up from Roman.

‘Don’t forget your favorite headband! We’ll find something to match ;) <3’

Patton couldn’t help but smile after reading the light-hearted message. After a moment of thought, he felt the confidence he needed to go through with this date. With a tiny squeal of excitement, he hopped up from his couch to get dressed.

His wardrobe wasn’t as extensive as most people, but a few years back he was lucky enough to find some nice outfits to save for special occasions. This time Patton decided on some plain khakis and a teal sweatshirt with sparkly pink lettering saying “I believe in Mermaids” with a seashell border around the message. He ruffled his caramel curls a bit before sticking in a pink headband that had cat ears covered in glitter.

Patton smiled to himself in the mirror and gave a twirl, and just as he was feeling good about himself he heard knocking at his door.

“Must be five!” He exclaimed to himself as he ran to answer it, and there he was.

Roman, sweet handsome Roman stood in the doorway shamelessly wearing blue skinny jeans and a white tank top that delicately hugged his chiseled figure from under his red letterman jacket.

How was it that Patton got a man almost the complete opposite of him?

“Ready to go, Pattie Cake?” Roman greeted with a charming smile, extending his hand for Patton.

Patton gladly held onto his hand as he was led out of the apartment building with the biggest smile plastered on his face.

~~~

The drive to the mall was mostly silent as they both listened to the music booming from Roman’s sound system. Patton sat back comfortably watching out the window, that was until he got a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Suddenly, his posture straightened, sitting up with his head tilted slightly to try and get rid of his double chin. He felt the back of his neck heat up as he began worrying about every tiny detail of himself. At least he was until Roman rested his hand on Patton’s thigh.

“You excited?” He asked, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove.

Patton smiled to him and adjusted his glasses, “of course! I’m with you, Silly.”

“Aw,” Roman blushed, “you’re too sweet.” For a moment Roman took his focus away from driving so he could lean over giving Patton a quick peck on the cheek before turning his attention back to the road.

Patton giggled softly touching his flushed face with his sleeve, every bit of fear melting away with Roman’s simple little acts of affection.

~~~

Before the two of them knew it, they were at the mall wandering around the food court.

“What do you want, babe?” Roman asked pulling Patton closer to intertwine their fingers.

“I um- I’m not sure,” Patton chuckled breathlessly, “you pick.”

“Nope, your day, your choice,” Roman stated simply with a small shrug making Patton roll his eyes.

He had no idea what to pick, there were some food places that were exclusive to the Food Court, but then again there were some of Patton’s favorite shops there too. He hated being put on the spot like this, why did Roman have to be such a gentleman?!

“Hmm, are you okay with Subway?”

“Whatever you want,” Roman winked and pulled Patton into the line of people.

They ordered their food and sat down together once it was ready, each of them taking time to eat a little before sparking up a conversation.

“So…” Patton began, “where would you like to shop?”

Roman pondered the question for a moment as he took a sip of his Sprite.

“Hmm, well, I was thinking about Hot Topic. Looking past all the edgy stuff, I think there are some cute things in there you would like.”

Patton nodded with a small smile and once they were finished with their food Roman dragged Patton along by his hand.

They entered the store to be met with an intimidating but friendly enough worker folding shirts at the check-out counter. His plum colored bangs falling in his face on occasion, but he paused seeing the two enter and brushed them away.

“Hi there, how may I-” He was going to continue his regular “customer service” monologue, that was until he recognized the pair, “Roman? Pat?”

“Woah, Virgil?” Roman gasped and rushed up to the worker, “you work here?”

Virgil shrugged lightly and continued to fold shirts, “just my summer job for now. What can I do for you guys?”

“Well, Roman decided to take me clothes shopping today,” Patton said while he turned his head to look around the store.

Virgil inspected Patton, ultimately making him tense under his gaze as he worried the look was judgemental. Instead, Virgil nodded and pointed to the display in the corner of the store.

“To avoid all the angst, cute stuff is in the back.”

This made Patton giggle, “thanks, Virge.”

“No prob, Bob.”

“... It’s Patton.”

They all chuckled and Roman gave a wave as he led Patton to the colorful display. There were clothes, jewelry, headbands, and other such artifacts ranging from colorful Disney Princesses to dark DC Comics characters. It was obvious that Patton looked to the more light-hearted of the items, flipping through bracelets and necklaces that would catch his interest. 

Roman, however, was going through shirts that he thought Patton might like, and after a couple of minutes, he slapped a stack of different clothes into Patton’s arms.

“Here, go try these on.”

Before Patton could interject he was shoved over towards the dressing room and nearly placed inside while Roman waited outside the door.

Patton went through the clothes finding all of them quite cute, so he picked out his favorites and started trying them on.

First was a Lilo & Stitch tie-dye muscle top, Patton thought it was adorable with the happy Stitch image on top of the blue and white tie-dye with the stripe of purple. But when he tried it on he didn’t quite like what he saw in the mirror. Surprisingly enough, the tank had fit fine, he just didn’t like looking at his arms. All he saw were two ugly, pale blobs pressed against his torso, his pudge making them almost look disfigured as he relaxed his shoulders. The image made him grimace and he quickly pulled off the shirt.

Luckily there weren't any more tank tops, but the graphic tees in the pile brought up a whole new set of problems.

There was one shirt that hugged his tummy a little too tight, another one felt like the sleeves were squeezing his arms making him fear that he would rip the hem. He tried on a plain pastel pink knit sweater, but that one was much too short, barely pulling down past his stomach. Next was a blue t-shirt with a sketch if the lovely princess Cinderella, it was long enough to cover his bottom, but it was lying in such a way that made his love-handles stand out much to his dismay.

The rest of the shirts were a similar story, and by the time Patton was finished, there was a tight ache in his chest and tears stinging his eyes.

“How’s it going in there? I wanna see you.”

Roman’s sweet voice chimed in from behind the door but Patton couldn’t take it, all he wanted to do was go home. He wanted to go home and just bawl his eyes out. Patton was such a kind soul, he tried to see the bright side of things but when it came to his body he just couldn’t, he hated feeling this way.

The dressing room door creaked open and Roman was met with a sad sight. Patton’s arms her crossed against his stomach hugging himself as he held his head down, notably wearing the same outfit he came in with.

“Hey, what’s up?” Roman asked concerned, “you didn't like any of them?”

Patton shook his head and spoke softly, “I just wanna go home…”

“Home? But we haven’t even bought anything!”

Roman was confused, hurt to see his boyfriend in such a state as Patton walked passed him. Virgil noticed this and came over.

“Is something wrong?”

Patton sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve, “nothing fit, okay?! Nothing ever fits…”

A small whimper left his lips and he just couldn’t take it anymore. Roman tried to go after him only for Virgil to hold him back.

“Hold on, hold on, just give him a minute.”

~~~

Patton ran to Roman’s car and jumped inside, tearing his cute headband off and pulling his sweatshirt off over his head leaving him in a plain blue t-shirt. He promptly shoved his face into the sweater and let the tears flow as he sat under the hot summer sun.

Very little time passed before Roman came to the driver's side and opened the door, his heart aching to see Patton in such a state.

“Pattie Cake?” He asked gently as he got in the car, “it’s okay, I’m sure we’ll find something that works.”

“You don’t understand,” Patton cried, “I’ve never had a good shopping experience, Ro, never! I’m so sorry I let you drag me to this awful place…”

“Hey, I thought you liked the mall.”

“Sure, when I’m just getting things and not receiving those judgemental looks. Clothes shopping is different. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, darling, just talk to me.”

Roman reached out and placed a hand on Patton’s shoulder prompting his rant.

“I don’t know why you like me… I’m gross and ugly. If you saw my body I’m sure you’d feel the very same. Hate is such a strong word… But I hate myself! No matter how hard I try to look at it, all I’m going to ever be is this disgusting blob! I’m never able to find anything I like, I can only see if it fits, and if it fits then I wear it,” Patton just kept getting more and more worked up, causing him to pause and take a deep breath, finally looking over to Roman. “I wanna express myself, so I wear makeup and pretty headbands, but my clothing?” He shook his head. “I loved those shirts you picked out but… I’m sorry I’m just too fat to wear them.

Fat. The word hissed from his lips, sounding like poison. This one word caused Patton so much pain but he shows no hesitation when referring to himself as such.

“Patton, darling, why are you so hard on yourself?” Roman rested his hand on his cheek wiping away his tears, “gross? Ugly? Never!” He wrapped his arms around Patton and hugged him tightly. 

Patton was tempted to hug back, but he just felt so numb after his fit of emotions.

Roman sighed and turned his head to kiss Patton’s cheek, “my dear you are handsome, gorgeous, beautiful, absolutely magnificent! Whatever you prefer!” He pulled away and lifted Patton’s chin ever so slightly, “I love you… I love you just as you are, and you should too.”

Patton pouted trying to avoid his gaze, “doesn’t change the fact that I don’t…”

“Then,” Roman began, “you can take the steps to change that, and I’ll support you every step of the way.”

He put on a comforting smile then perked up remembering the trip to Hot Topic prior, “until then, Virgil wasn’t gonna let me leave unless I bought something, so here.” Roman pulled out a gift card and handed it to Patton, “he told me that they provide more sizes on the online store, you can get whatever you like.”

It was then Patton wiped away his tears and smiled, looking down at the gift card then to his loving boyfriend, “Thank you, Roman, so so much.”

He leaned forward and gave Roman a quick kiss before sitting back in his seat, “it means a lot.”

“I say,” Roman started up the car and put his seatbelt on, “we go get Starbucks and head back to your place. Then- only if you’d like to- you can come to the gym with me and Logan tomorrow.”

Patton listened to Roman’s plan as he clicked on his seatbelt then reached to hold his hand once he began driving.

“I think I’d like that.”

~~~

A/N: UUUUGGGGHHH I actually teared up writing this, because Patton is me, plain and simple. These are actual things I've said to myself or have been said to me. This single lady doesn't necessarily have a Roman but I do have a support system and I'm glad to say that no matter what, Big is Beautiful. Until next time, Lovies ;)

[soaringlanddormitory]

☃ Takara/Noboru, ☕ Takashi/Shigeo (I'm all here for the war), ⎚ (Hanako/Kaoru) please ;w;

Yes!!! I love this!! Thank you so much for sending this in!!!

☃: One must begs the other to build a snowman with them - they don’t wanna.

All Noboru wanted to do during the Winter break was to be away from all the stress, and he was pretty successful in doing that… for a while. He was currently sipping coffee, very pleased with the silence. It was one of the rare occasions that he should treasure-

Ding dong.

He placed his mug down and looked at the door cor a couple of seconds. It must have been Ran or any one else from the Elite Ten. He just hoped it wasn’t Hiraku. He sighed softly before walking to the door and he hoped he wouldn’t regret the choice. He twisted the knob and opened the door, and the first thing he spotted was… a fellow First Seat.

“… Tsukasa.” He mumbled her last name and the girl lit up, a grin on her face. Since he was so up close- he really noticed her fang. Her eyes gleamed in happiness and before he knew it, she began holding his hand and dragging him outside. “What are you doing?!”

Takara decides not to answer, she only begins humming a tune that they were both familiar with. “Do you want to build a snowman?” Great… Just great. A song from Frozen. She was singing a Disney song to try and persuade him to join her. “Come on, let’s go and play!”

Noboru was surprised that she was the first seat when she seemed so chill. He had to deal with his work, and he was constantly stressed with all the work piling up. He sighed and rolled his eye. “We’re not going to play.” With his response, he pulled his hand away and went back to his house. He shut the door at her and he felt the female bump his door. “How dedicated are you?!”

“I never see you anymore-”

“We met last week!”

“Come out the door-”

“No!”

“It’s like you’ve gone away! We use to be best buddies, and now we’re not. I wish you would tell me why!”

Noboru was tired of this, and he knew that if he denied her more, she’d magically end up inside his place… he wouldn’t know how she did- but he knew that she would. He opened the door slightly, slightly twitching.

“Do you want to build a snowman?” Takara almost went out of tune because of laughing. He finally gave in. “It doesn’t have to be a snowman.”

“Let me finish my coffee first.” He told her this, his face looking tired. “Come in. You’re going to freeze outside.”

The girl only entered the room before dusting off the snow particles off her clothes. “Thank you, Noboru!”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this…”

☕: One muse spills hot coffee all over the other muse! Ouch!

Seeing people from a different universe was truly something new to everyone! It was nice knowing that people could actually gain friends with other people that they’ve never seen before! But in exchange… there are possibilities of enemies too. This was to be expected since the two bicker a lot with someone similar in their own universe.

Takashi was eating walnuts and drinking a milkshake for a snack. It was break and the cafeteria was pretty empty at the moment! It was one of those times which Takashi surprisingly preferred it to be quiet. He was currently waiting for any news from the Elite Ten for a meeting so he could prepare. 

Without any warning, he bumped into and a very hot liquid poured over him. He yelped and jumped off his seat, trying to shake off the coffee that just spilled on him. “What in underworld’s name is this-!” He shouted at the person who spilled the coffee at him. He would have eased down immediately if it were someone younger than him or a friend- but his anger only strengthened as he saw the person.

He spotted Shigeo, who has his eyes widen but he quickly regained his composure. He didn’t want to apologize to the male he hated most. Definitely not. He shouldn’t back down or else he’d be considered as the “loser” in this situation.

“I didn’t see you there, Kuga. You were much too small.” A snicker came from the Eizan who Suzume hated most. “Maybe if you were a bit taller, I could have avoided this… accident.” He began chuckling at his own joke and the blonde began shaking in anger. First, coffee spilled over him and now… he had to bring up something that would piss him off ten times more?!

For one of the first times in his life, he actually decided not to censor his words with what he came up with. Meat? Medusa? Hah. He had no control as of the moment. “You fucking bitch!” Takashi swore, finally fully snapping at him. “I didn’t do shit this time! And this was one of the days I decide to wear the damn sweater my brother sewed me!” He instantly picked up his milkshake before spilling it over the male’s shirt and pants.

Shigeo stared at his own clothes, his expression darkening. “Wow. What a mature kind of revenge, Kuga.” He got his handkerchief before wiping off some drink off of him. “I never expected to curse like that, but I give you props for looking strong. Maybe small creatures do hold in anger more.”

Takashi began hissing, just getting angrier each second. “Now I know what my dad meant by Eizans are bastards!” He didn’t exactly want to judge them at first, but now he has experience… he does not want to do anything with their bullshit.

⎚: Our muses are separated by a gate/wall that they’re unable to cross.

[I hope you don’t mind that I used the Yakuza AU, Lea!! also *wink wink* This is also lowkey a snippet in away of what happens when the plan gets really ruined!! ALSO I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND THAT I USED A DOOR INSTEAD OF WALL/GATE

Hanako and Rin belong to @polar-stars!!

Emile belongs to @polar-star-dorks!!]

.

Kaoru knew what he needed to do to save the person he loved. He had no other choice. She was a planner, and he had trusted her skills completely. But he knew that the amount of people after them could actually bring them down. Maybe it was his mistake for being such a “hero” in this worlds. Saving others but never himself. 

He pushed her away before shooting the metal door to close completely. He knew that the red lights marked something- and he surely didn’t want the enemies to shoot that first. He breathed out heavily as he reloaded his gun. “Sorry flower, but we’ve broke rule 1 from the start.” He didn’t know if the person behind the other door could hear him. All he heard was her knocking on the door several times.

“Aroon-! You dumbass!” She shouted from the other side, slamming the wall with her hands even if caused some pain to herself. She knew if she continued, it might even cause bruise on her hands. “Why would you do that?!” She began turning on her ear piece, trying to contact him. “Aroon!”

Kaoru couldn’t do anything but listen to her voice. He decided to turn on his so he could speak back. He only let out a chuckle, and it was obvious that everything was connected to the whole alliance. “You should all escape. You all have a total of 5 minutes to escape. Their back-up is coming soon.”

He heard the door get slammed again and he only looked back. He began biting his lips, worried about the female. “You idiot! We’re not leaving you behind! If we leave you inside yourself, you’re doomed! Do you have any idea what they can do to you?!”

“Lotus. Please.” He punched the metal door, and this made her wince a bit. “Just leave. I already know all the consequences…” He mumbled. “But I’m not fucking afraid of dying. Not if it’s for you guys…”

“How do you think we feel about this?! We could have left with you, there would be no problem with that! We could have went with Plan-”

“Hanako. Please.” Kaoru whispered, and even people could hear him- he had to say it. “Leave. Now. If I didn’t do this, they’d chase over us. They’d know our location. Isshiki Satoshi and Kinokuni Nene would have been doomed. It’s fine.” He reassured. “I’ll be okay.”

“You won’t!” It was obvious by her voice that she already began crying. “You won’t be okay…. You won’t!” No matter how many times she hit the door or even pleased- the barrier that separated her from her leader wouldn’t happen. “Kaoru… I… I…” She finally broke down. “You’re not immortal! I know you’re strong, I believe in you… But you won’t come out alive!”

This was the first time everyone heard he break down and it made everyone’s hearts fall into pieces. Emile was currently crying and Rin was trying to calm him down and Masae clenched her fists as tight as she can- it was so tight that her nails began digging  in her skin. Tetsuji felt himself drowning, but he had to act strong to make sure he’d be there for the rest of the group.

Kuga only closed his eyes shut- he was unable to say a word. Eizan couldn’t look back… if he did, he knew he’d be trying to save someone he originally thought he wouldn’t care about. Nene was gripping Eizan, not knowing what to do- but she wanted to think od a way to save him. Isshiki didn’t show his expression to anyone, but he was obviously in pain.

Dai was currently inside a car, his vision getting blurry with the tears piling up. “Cross… Take Lotus away from there.”

Kaoru spotted several people running to him, different guns with them and he was sure he’d be shot dead on the spot. He laughed sadly, saying his last words before turning off the ear piece so they wouldn’t be able to hear the shots.

“I love you guys. Remember that, alright?”

[ahouseoflies]

The Best Films of 2018, Part II

Part I is here. Let’s keep it moving. ENDEARING CURIOSITIES WITH BIG FLAWS

103. Zama (Lucretia Martel)- In this movie there's a motif of Zama, an officer of the 18th century Spanish Empire, starting a scene by talking to someone or staring at someone off camera. After a minute or two, the camera cuts to some servant and disorients us. There's a person there, always there, to serve him, and it doesn't really matter who it is. It's a brilliant way to get at the colonialism that the character depends on but is still trapped by. So I get a little bit of what the film is trying to do, but it's boring. I'm an ignorant person who doesn't know how to watch Lucretia Martel's films or have any context for South American history, but I know what boring is. 102. I Feel Pretty (Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein)- I like that Schumer tried something different instead of falling back on her persona, but there isn't enough new or interesting here for me to recommend--besides National Treasure Michelle Williams, of course. The film nearly displays "Do you see that she's turning her back on her real friends now?" on the screen. 101. A Simple Favor (Paul Feig)- At times cheeky and sexy and juicy, but it still wears out its welcome by twists ninety-one and ninety-two. 100. Double Lover (Francois Ozon)- Diverting until it gets silly, then so silly that it gets diverting again. There are about five too many twists, and I'm still unclear on how seriously the film takes any of those twists. More importantly, I don't think there's much of a takeaway from any of it. Ozon seems to have found a real muse in Marine Vacth though. 99. Borg Vs. McEnroe (Janus Metz Pedersen)- As a Shia Pet, I felt obligated to see his portrayal of Johnny Mac. I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know from this mediocre biopic though. Watch the documentary McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice instead. 98. Ralph Breaks the Internet (Rich Moore and Phil Johnston)- There's some clever visualization of the the Internet, such as the way that a link shuttles an avatar off in a transparent car or the way that shady newsboy types whisper about pop-up ads. And I liked a lot of the Disney tie-in stuff that critics are wincing at. As far as textbook screenwriting goes, it's great at that idea of making you think that the protagonists will accomplish their goal very easily, only to have them be re-directed to square one. The voice acting is top-notch. Why do these movies get so plotty though? I felt as if the internal logic started getting inconsistent about halfway through--at the same time that the first one got bogged down with candy stuff instead of 8-bit video game stuff. And if there are so many lovable characters from the first entry, why do we get such tiny servings of them here? The movie's too long already, but what I wouldn't give for an occasional cut back to Fix-It Felix raising some kids.

97. We the Animals (Jeremiah Zagar)- The Tree of Life is one of my favorite movies, and on its face, We the Animals is a really similar impressionistic memory. So why do I like it half as much? Are lighting and music that important? Is Jessica Chastain? Is latent racism? All I know is that this felt like a story I had seen before pitched at the same intensity for a running time I was happy to see expire. 96. Kodachrome (Mark Raso)- The three leads are all pretty good. (Ed Harris does this bashful, pulling-on-his-eyelid thing that killed me.) But with mathematical precision, the film matched each element I liked with another thing that infuriated me. Specifically, the whole plot hinges on one scene, and that scene is preposterous and alien to human behavior. 95. Deadpool 2 (David Leitch)- The pacing of these movies is bizarre to me; they're half-over before they really get started. No one else is bothered by the fact that Cable has no motivation or backstory for the first hour? Some of the connections to X-Men felt more forced this time around, but I thought this entry was much funnier than the first, even mixing in some more subtle visual gags. (The exotic locales montage ending in Biloxi really got me.) I have to give credit to the X-Force parachute sequence, which is audacious and unexpected. And clear out for Zazie Beetz, who is a huge star in the making. 94. At Eternity’s Gate (Julian Schnabel)- Something about Van Gogh was essentially unknowable, which is a great reason to make a movie about him and a terrible reason to make a movie about him. I'm not sure that Julian Schnabel got to the bottom of the man any better than anyone else has, though maybe that's an unfair expectation. To his credit, Schnabel yada-yadas the ear business and Van Gogh's death in favor of his more poetic understanding of the artistic life. The movie doesn't coalesce for me, but there's a banger of a scene between Dafoe and Mads Mikkelsen about the responsibility an artist has toward God. That short nested inside makes the whole thing worth seeing. The conversation I had afterwards with one of the two other people in the theater, an art historian, was a solid three stars. 93. Bohemian Rhapsody (Bryan Singer)- Some biographical movies do a good job of compressing time, and their supporting characters don't feel sacrificed or glossed over. For many other mediocre ones though, including this one, I submit the Three Scene Rule. Three scenes is kind of the minimum for a character to register an arc and for an actor to present any kind of dynamic performance, so in a lot of these true story movies, that's all that a supporting character gets. If you're looking for it, it's glaring. (Watch Hidden Figures again with the husband and boyfriend characters in mind. I'll wait.) This movie has a few characters that matter: Freddie Mercury, obvs; the other Queen members; Paul Prenter, the unfairly composited villain; and Mary Austin, the platonic love of Mercury's life. The movie spends way too much time on her, as if to tease the audience with the idea that Freddie might be straight. As for everyone else? Three scenes. Ray Foster, the record executive played by Mike Myers (!): A. "Look, guys, I like formulas. This opera stuff you're talking about? That sounds crazy." B. "The opera stuff is crazy. I ain't making that the single. You can walk out of here for all I care." C. [hangs head in shame after being proven wrong] Jim Hutton, Freddie's partner for the seven years this movie doesn't care about: A. "Look, pal, I may be a waiter, but you can't just grab me like that. On second thought, let's talk. You should learn how to love yourself." B. "Oh, hey. Glad you tracked me down, slugger. You love yourself now? Sure, let's go meet your parents." C. "Guess I'm your boyfriend now. Looking forward to the show." Freddie's Parents: A. "You go out every night! What are you doing out there? Why can't you be a good boy? What's up with your new name?" B. "Why can't you be a good boy? What's up with your new name?" C. "You're a good boy, I guess, even if you're gay. Guess that's your name for real." I like the idea of reproducing the Live Aid performance in full, and the movie comes alive during its musical sequences. But I wish that the same attention given to, like, the number of Pepsi cups on the piano was also given to the nuts and bolts of the storytelling.

92. The Predator (Shane Black)-  I get why other people don't like this. The final fourth feels obligatory, and it seems cut to the verge of incoherence. But if you don't get a little tingle out of a game cast saying Shane Black things like, "Predators don't just sit around making hats out of rib cages," then we are very different moviegoers.

91. Sorry to Bother You (Boots Riley)- I admire Boots Riley's ambition, the way he's taking many of the ideas that drove his music and channeling them into film. But there are too many ideas and, strangely, too much plot to cohere. I liked some of the jokes, especially the Robocop-py TV clips laced throughout. I think my main problem, however, is Lakeith Stanfield as Cassius. He's a fascinating actor, but his energy is completely wrong for an everyman lead like this. I don't think he was the right choice to carry it. 90. Thoroughbreds (Cory Finley)- The repartee at the beginning is sharp, and there are some engaging elements of style. God knows I've never complained about rich, sad, nubile brunettes with strange eyes. But there are pieces missing in that forest-for-the-trees way that happens sometimes with debuts. Like, how do these privileged girls not have access to a gun when our national nightmare is based on all young people having access to guns? Or what is the exact motivation behind the crime at the center? Lots of great characters have been spurred by a violent curiosity, but a zinger here and there doesn't make these girls Raskolnikov. 89. White Boy Rick (Yann DeMange)- Even if this isn't it, I think Yann Demange has a great film in him. There's some urgency to White Boy Rick's politics, and it looks interesting. If nothing else, it succeeds in making the surroundings seem as gloomy as the characters all acknowledge them to be. But this isn't a great film in either of its halves. It's motivated by plot until a crucial event that I don't want to reveal, then it veers much more into character. I would normally sign off on that, but this movie grinds to a halt in the change and never recovers. McConaughey pulls his weight, but Richie Merritt is pretty bad in the lead. 88. The Strangers: Prey at Night (Johannes Roberts)- Despite some striking images and a welcome lack of explanation for the menace, Prey at Night doesn't reach the heights of its predecessor, mostly because the characters are too paint-by-numbers. 87. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Peyton Reed)- Probably the first Marvel movie that would benefit from more action. Some of the material is genuinely funny thanks to Michael Pena and Randall Park, but I got a little drowsy during the middle hour of talk about phase-shifting and the quantum realm. Get back to making things big or making things little, Dr. Molecule! 86. Creed II (Steven Caple Jr.)- The pieces are there, but it's a problem when Jim Lampley, who has one hundred times as many lines as the fifth lead, explains to the audience what they literally saw an hour earlier. If nothing else, this movie proves, through his absence, how good of a director Ryan Coogler is. I would be lying if I said I didn't get the chills at some key moments. Stallone’s performance and Jordan's muscles are good. But there was a dark, honest way for this movie to end, and it went directly against that ending into something more Hollywood. 85. Let the Sunshine In (Claire Denis)- Like Taxi Driver if Travis Bickle just wanted the guy to get him a glass of water afterwards. The film does have that kind of myopic focus--the sexy, ever-candid Binoche is in every scene--but it's far more elliptical, progressing only through character, never through plot. Let the Sunshine In is unique in a way that is different from Denis's other unique works: No one talks like an actual person, and she acts as if you should know all of the characters instead of properly introducing them. It's not supposed to be funny ha-ha, so excuse me if that's what I wanted.

84. Revenge (Coralie Fargeat)-  like the style of this film, the color palette, the synth score, how far it's willing to go with the gore. But if it's called Revenge, and it's clear who the hero is (hint: not the rapist), then the whole thing feels like a fait accompli. We know exactly who's going to be the last woman standing, and we even know the order of the people she's going to kill.

PRETTY GOOD MOVIES 83. The Rider (Chloe Zhao)- This movie is trying to be a poem, but the parts I like the most are prose. It's a promising piece of filmmaking with heartbreaking moments, but I found it most effective when the storytelling spelled things out. It's an all-hands-on-deck independent film, so the amateurism of the piece shines through in the performances from non-professional actors. The relationship between Brady and his autistic sister is interesting because she speaks with that sarcastic cadence that can be learned from only children's programming. It's unlike what we usually see because, you know, she's a non-professional actor and real autistic person. So what do I know? 82. Unfriended: Dark Web (Stephen Susco)- Pretty tight from a storytelling standpoint and definitely grisly enough to get under the skin. But these laptop flicks move with such alacrity that it's hard to believe them whenever they ask you to buy something like love, since they paint it with the broadest strokes imaginable. Not that I would want a two-hour version of this anyway. 81. Juliet, Naked (Jesse Peretz)- Charming enough, arriving at a more realistic place than I expected, Juliet, Naked does nothing to make me revoke my charter membership in the Rose Byrne fan club. What an odd shape this film has though. The inciting incident happens at the hour mark, and it races obligatorily to an ending at an hour, thirty-seven. 80. Ocean’s Eight (Gary Ross)- It sets its marks and hits them adequately, with most of the charm that made the other Ocean movies fun. But there's something lifeless about Ocean's 8, both in the direction and the score. Take, for example, Richard Armitage's bland, sort of lost performance as an old flame/mark. It's such a nothing part that I began to think that it was a thesis: The men are just chess pieces, and they shouldn't take attention away from the women this time. But then James Corden emerges in the last half-hour and shines. So maybe Armitage was just bad and directed poorly? This movie exists for the Movie Star interplay though, and it delivers on that level. Cate Blanchett was good for so long that she's popular, and Sandra Bullock was popular for so long that she's good. Rihanna has to dress like a janitor at one point as a disguise, and she proves how absurd it would be for her to ever blend in. Anne Hathaway is the funniest of the bunch, balancing on a highwire of how big she's supposed to seem. Helena Bonham Carter gets the "and" hammer for all my credit fetishists. 79. Mary Poppins Returns (Rob Marshall)- I saw this on Christmas night with my family. The original Mary Poppins was the first movie my mom ever saw in theaters, and it's probably my wife's favorite. To the extent that insulting it is kind of insulting an important part of who she is. So I couldn't be the guy coming out of the theater like, "The Bankses definitely deserved to lose their house." Between you and me though, it's just fine. Entire sequences could be cut without damaging anything--do we ever come back to the bowl that Meryl Steep is supposed to be mending?--and most of the conflict feels manufactured. These legasequels always end up feeling like boxes being checked. We all know that the guys with the cannon had to come back, right? But some of the numbers are so joyful or stirring that even this grinch snuck a few smiles at his daughter as she pointed to the screen and said, "That's so silly." It's a good movie to see on Christmas night with your whole family. 78. RBG (Betsy West, Julie Cohen)- This movie is designed to make the viewer who would seek it out go, "What an American hero." It does that, I suppose, and there isn't a whole lot wrong with it. Yes, she is a very impressive person. But the film has too much untapped potential and too few teeth to recommend beyond that rubric of achieving its goals. For example, what about half of the population that would sneer at the notion that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an American hero? Besides the inclusion of some radio clips over the credits, the filmmakers aren't concerned. "Look, she was friends with a conservative!"

77. Searching (Aneesh Shaganty)- Since I've seen thousands of movies that don't take place inside of a computer, there's still some novelty to the handful that do. On one hand, there are four or five twists too many, and the film isn't consistent with its own rules. On the other hand, it gets intriguingly dark for PG-13, and it never stops moving. 76. Uncle Drew (Charles Stone III)- The attitude toward women is retrograde, and to call the plot cookie-cutter would be an understatement. But this works, mostly because of the sunny, natural performances. Kyrie Irving, whose handles are even more of a marvel on a forty-foot screen, has to act through pounds of makeup, but he pulls it off. With only commercials to his name, he has to carry scenes of, like, standing at someone's grave and apologizing, and he has the presence and confidence to do it. I also should mention that Nick Kroll has a nothing-to-lose, galaxy brain performance for which probably zero of the lines were written ahead of time. "Shout-out to Oberto, shout-out to Aleve, the number one pain reliever in the game right now." I have to extend some of the credit here to Charles Stone III, who has made a calling card out of coaxing performances from newcomers. 75. Christopher Robin (Marc Forster)- Cute. 74. Unsane (Steven Soderbergh)- What seems to be a B-movie hitting its marks gets elevated by one fantastic scene that makes it seem timely and vital. I can't help but think Steven Soderbergh is punching below his weigh class though. I'm glad that an experiment like shooting a movie with an iPhone gets him up in the morning, and I know he doesn't want to make another Traffic or Out of Sight. But maybe, here's an idea, audiences might? 73. 22 July (Paul Greengrass)- The first thirty minutes are harrowing, in part because of their disciplined cross-cutting and Anders Danielsen Lie's chilling stoicism. The mistake that Greengrass makes is thinking that, later on, the three strands of story are equal in importance. He cuts away from the court case at its apex to see a kid trying to walk again or a prime minister demanding that his administration get tougher. Some moments are powerful, and Greengrass's composition and editing have mercifully softened, but this becomes a grind at a certain point. 72. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Ron Howard)- I hate to state the obvious, but this feels like multiple movies stitched together because that's exactly what it is. On one hand, we have the foggy opening, featuring an airtight inciting incident and setting up Emilia Clarke as that rarest of things in a Star Wars movie: a character with unclear motivations. But as the film goes on, it reveals why Han doesn't work as a protagonist. (Ehrenreich is bad, but the storytelling sinks the movie more than his performance does.) Everyone else in the movie drips with charisma and comments on the action while Han is left to connect the dots. In other words, the other characters get to be Han Solo, and Han Solo doesn't. By the time we get to the marauders, past the two hour mark of a movie that shouldn't have been more than two hours, the narrative crumbles under its own weight. These movies are way too competent to fail--I can list five or six moments that transcend the flaws--but each of these origin stories has a way of erasing the myth of Star Wars with a pen. 71. Bird Box (Susanne Bier)- This is a genre film that you've seen before in one way or another, so your expectations (and filmgoing experience even?) will dictate what you think of it. There's a metaphorical reading available, but that doesn't make the picture more artful automatically. Trevante Rhodes is a Movie Star. Here's what I can tell you: We need to appreciate John Gavin Malkovich while we can. Delivering the apotheosis of the selfish dickhead survivor character, he a) asks why the group can't stay in the grocery store forever, b) points shotguns at people when they try to let in strangers, c) drinks as he's telling people matter-of-factly that this is the end of the world, and d) (sort of) explains why he is the way he is. And-he-does-it-all-with-the-deliberate-cadence-that-you-are-doing-in-your-HEAD-right-NOW. I'm not saying the guy should win Best Supporting Actor or anything, but I admire his career more than any that would get a Best Supporting Actor.

[all-i-need-is-food-and-fanfics]

What do you want?(3)

length: 2900 words

trigger/warnings:  mention of death, graphic violence, blood(nothing too graphic or explicit yet), curses(because it’s Bakugo)

summary: Buddy Cop AU

a/n:  Deeply based on @soyunpochoclin idea, and headcanons for this honestly awesome AU

Honestly, you could skip this part, it’s not that plot-relevant besides the first part of it, but I had this idea and had to write it. So I hope it’s enjoyable anyway, it was fun to wirte so I hope it’s fun to read! <3

<–2nd part - 4rd part–>

***

Bakugo didn’t look up, he didn’t have he almost could feel Kirishima’s beaming happiness from his desk. Neither took Kirishima to sit on his desk.

“Morning Blasty!” Throwing a small pile of files over Bakugo’s own papers.

Maybe it was the fact another partner in the office had heard Kirishima call him that stupid name or that his butt was on top of Katsuki’s hand but anger boiled with ferocity in his eyes. He pulled his hand with forces and stare back up to Kirishima, who jumped at the action.

Once he looked up, “Sorry man, I didn’t notice.” Kirishima was smiling apologetic, almost ear to ear, eyes slightly squinted his scar standing out.

The anger reached boiling point, where it was no longer about to explode instead it evaporated only leaving smoke left to cough.

Maybe it was too early to deal with this shit.

“Just sit in a fucking chair, Shitty hair.” Bakugo finally said in between his teeth, pulling back the chair next to him that Ejirou willing ignore at first.

Kirishima bounced on the chair when he first sat down(practically jumped), “Oh come on dude! I used your nickname!” He was dangerously close to Bakugo’s face, he could basically hear Kirishima’s voice making eco inside his scalp.

Katsuki thought about blowing Kirishima’s face out of his personal face, he settled for pushing it away instead, “And I fucking told you not to.” Finally, he looked down at the files, “What the fuck are these?” He opened them, Kirishima helpfully pointed out the recognizable face.

She looked younger, definitely less crazy, a little crazy behind monotone tone that usually comes in school pictures. But similar to know it was her, “Himiko Toga” Katsuki clicked his tongue, laid back on his chair.

Ejirou opened the rest, not as familiar faces but it was hard the guys that almost killed him.

“Most of their of their information it’s here, except this guy’s name…” He pointed a blurry picture, although it was undeniable the blue matchstick, “…for his scars it’s easy to see he’s up to these days but not who he used to be…” Kirishima slowly explained.

“And the hell it’s all this information for?”

“Well, honestly…it’s not for much…” Ejirou lets the files fall into the desk again, and sits back too, avoiding the face Bakugo it’s probably making. “Most of this information it’s old, well..all but one.”

“Blue torch.” Kirishima laughed because it just amazed Bakugo’s creativity for coming up with nicknames.

“Yeah,” He nodded, Bakugo turn to him, “Again he is easy to spot. We have information from a place he seems to frequent a lot in the past weeks.”

“Then what the hell are we waiting?” Bakugo clicked his tongue, annoyed.

Ejirou’s face fell in indecision, “Well…it doesn’t really open during the day, neither it’s a cop-friendly place per say…”

Katsuki growled in response, and dig himself in his seat. He knew what that meant.

Someone had to infiltrate whatever nightclub and scrape for information.

Now, Katsuki was very good at his job. He was competent, determinate, observant and a perfectionist, which made him a very good cop and detective. But people were never his strong suit, he avoided infiltration jobs like a plague; though it seemed there wasn’t a way around this one. When he turned to Kirishima he founded a solution he wasn’t happy about either, he had to leave it in someone else’s hands. Which in his head was almost as bad.

Once everything was arranged, Ejirou was pleased with their plan. They would be connected through a microphone, Bakugo would wait in the car just in case of any unexpected situation and he would go in with a fake story and to ask around for information.

He could see Bakugo’s frustration though, “It’s fine dude, I won’t let you down.”

Katsuki looked at Kirishima’s face, he dug for insecurity or a lie, he didn’t find any. He rolled his eyes, “Don’t get so full of yourself hair for brains.”

I know, he thought but something in his stomached twisted.

“There’s a littl too much irony in that sentence Blasty.” He laughed over Bakugo’s complain, instead he took his phone out. Ejirou jumped at the sight of the hour, “I’m late!” He stood up and picked his things up fast.

“Oi…” Katsuki tried to call, but it didn’t seem to go through that thick skull, he just kept running around, “Spiky!” He grabbed Kirishima’s arm as he went to pick up the batch on the table, “What the fuck do you think you are going?”

Ejirou slowed down for a second, “Oh yeah…I forgot to tell you…I’m sorry” He gave Bakugo an apologetic smile, “I asked for the free afternoon, my little brother has an activity today at school and he needs someone to go so…I’m going!” He laughed nervously, already reaching for his neck, “But don’t worry! I’ll be back tonight, I’m not bailing.”

“Tsk.” Bakugo rolled his eyes, finally letting Ejirou go. He stood up and took the keys of the car of his pocket, Ejirou just stared blankly. Once Bakugo reached the door, he turned around, “You coming or are you prefer being late?” Kirishima smiled at him, beaming again. Katsuki had to turn around, but he felt Kirishima running behind him.

They shouldn’t use the car for personal activities, but Ejirou didn’t say anything(he doubted anyone would).

***

Katsuki knew Kirishima lived somewhat far away from the station. Mostly because it wasn’t where he worked in the first place. Katsuki didn’t pay much attention to his co-workers, but with someone as obnoxious as Kirishima he doubted he wouldn’t have noticed him at the very least. Kirishima was temporarily transferred because the case seemed to evolve both territories, also because he had been late 2 out of 3 three days they’ve been working together.

He was right, in car, it was maybe a 40 minutes drive, it was around an hour on train. When they finally reached the apartment building, it was like any other, grey and inline with others. Katsuki half expected Kirishima to leave in one of those neighborhoods that exceeded in color and noise, unlike the rest of Tokyo. That only left its own color scheme at nighttime, where it was showered with life. Not even inside his apartment, it was like that though.

It was small, filled with warm browns and deep reds all round, slightly disorganized; someone had given up on cleaning leaving toys scattered around. A couple of pieces of simple art on the walls, but mostly old familiar photos decorated the living room. But the presence of an infant was the strongest, with the toys on the floor and unfinished art projects. If the Disney song that filled the apartment wasn’t enough of a clue.

Though Katsuki only realized all of this after he had taken his attention of said infant in front of the T.V. singing with all the power of lungs, kicking, punching and twirling a broom in exaggerated movements. He had no shirt on, and his hair was bright red too, shorter but it was definitely standing in the same over-gelled style.

Bakugo was about to roll his eyes, just when he heard Kirishima singing on his right, catching up to the song.

“…Swift as the coursing river…” he started at first softly, still, the kid turned around and smiled big.

“Be a man!” He yelled as he started running towards Kirishima.

“With all the force of a great typhoon!” Kirshima received him with open arms, before picking him up and twirling him on the air.

“Be a man!” The kid was laughing, holding on to Kirishima strongly.

“With all the strength of a raging fire! Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!” They ended together in a long messy note until the music fade away in dialog.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. Once he settled them back on Kirishima, the kid was on his shoulder. They finished laughing, and stare back at Katsuki.

“Blasty, this is Haruto, my little brother” Immediately the kid’s face lit up. Beaming. Katsuki’s face twisted, they look too much alike for his taste. “Haru, this is my partner Blasty.”

The kid first opened his mouth but stops and instead, whispered it on Kirishima’s ear. Whatever it was, it makes Kirishima smile wider(it beats Katsuki, how that’s possible) and it couldn’t been good, that much he knew.

“Yeah! That one!” He nodded and his brother’s face just opens in happiness, he glares quickly at Bakugo’s eyes and goes back to whispering something to Kirishima. He simply nods this time before turning to Bakugo, “He asks if you could show him your quirk.”

Katsuki hesitates for a moment, not for the request but for the weird interaction and the overall softness in Kirishima’s voice, “Whatever,” He ended up saying. Taking his hand of his pocket, lifting his hand to let small explosions flyover.

This time the kid not only stared at Bakugo, almost starstruck but also exclaim out loud. Before he pushed his weight forward, Ejirou quickly understood and walked up to Bakugo. Who looked tense and almost ashamed, which honestly made this whole experience better for Ejirou. He leaned until Haru could touch Bakugo’s hand. He stared at it at first, for a moment then lined the creases of his hand, Ejirou smiled at the amused face of his brother and the slight pink color in Bakugo’s cheek.

Katsuki had to look away, it was uncomfortable. But sadly, and he had to learn quickly, he couldn’t blow kids off; much less Kirishima’s. He seemed like the guy to kill for his family by the stupid look on his face.

“My brother didn’t lie…your quirk it’s so manly!” He finally talked, to Bakugo, holding his hand with a little more strength than before with both of his little hands. When he turned to face the kid…yeah they looked too much alike. Just less scared, less damaged Katsuki supposes but certainly too similar.

“Yeah, I know brat.” He pulled his hand back, and turn away again, “Weren’t you supposed to be somewhere or we are just wasting time?”

Both Kirishimas straighten their backs in realization. Haru almost slides down with little of Ejirou’s help and runs off to a hall in the back of the room.

“He really wanted to meet you, when I told him I had a new partner.” Ejirou smiled tendered, then laughed looking down as if remembering, “At first he was mad, he is used to Mina…but then he got all excited when I told him your quirk and the persecution…” He looked back to the room in time to find his brother with a shirt on, running towards them. To side hug Ejirou. “Ready little man?”

“So what do you got little brat?” Katsuki knew it was the wrong thing to ask, a shadow fell into both of the boys face.

“I…I…don’t have any…” Haru barely muttered, his gaze lock in his fidgeting hands.

Katsuki’s face twisted at the sudden memories and bits of the pass the filled his head.

To his credit though, Kirishima recovered quickly, smiling again, picking back his brother up, “Who needs a quirk, when you have a brave and manly heart!” He smiled again brightly.

“Yeah!” His brother matched.

“We know it’s not common anymore but…it happens every once in a while, from what the doctor told us.”

“Tsk.” Bakugo complained, and Ejirou stared at his face. He seemed conflicted in a way, looked away to the wall, “I know someone like you,” he muttered in between his teeth, “I am sure if a nerd like Deku can stand in the same place as me, I am sure so can you.” Katsuki made sure his tone was annoyed because he was, but Kirishimas seemed to be immune to it.

Since it just went over their heads, now decorated back again with wide sharp smile, “He is a cop? Like you? Can I meet him?” Bakugo clenched his teeth.

At that moment, he looked back at his mind; his younger self, yelling about how he had fallen to talk well about Deku. He sighed as he walked to the door, the kid walking around him beaming happiness and hope. Mirror memories of shattering hope and desperate cries, but that was a long time ago. He had learned that there wasn’t any pleasure in being the best by putting down others. So instead he patted the kids head and answered his questions.

Once Ejirou left Haru on the back, he sat next to Bakugo at the front. He turned to catch Bakugo staring, just before Bakugo could turn away, he s mouthed a thank you. Which Bakugo barely took, only grumbling in response.

***

“Okay then,” Ejirou caught up to his brother, walking towards the entrance. He was surprised to find a disappointed face, “What’s up -or down- little man?”

“It’s Bakugo not coming?” He kneeled down and patted lightly his head, around the spikes.

“I’m afraid not little man,” He smiled apologetically.

Not looking forward to stay in a room with rowdy kids. He had explained when Ejirou leaned into his window.

Haru pouted and crossed his arms. Before glancing back at Ejirou’s eyes and running to the car. Ejirou tried ti call him but he didn’t stop until he was standing on his toes, next to Bakugo’s window. Bakugo looked down, tired at the kid. At first he rolled his eyes, but then he frowned down. Then he looked angry and opened the door, the taking Haru from the waist and lifting him from the side with no care at all.

He was fuming by the time he walked in front of Ejirou. “I’ll fucking show you who’s the best.” It was the only clue Ejirou got to whatever conversation they had, enough to get him out of the car, that and the pleased face of his brother.

Ejirou didn’t complain, simply followed inside. Haru gave Bakugo directions until they reached his classroom.

It was small and filled with handmade decorations, probably by some underpaid teacher. At the moment, filled with more people that usually handled; with parents sitting on little chairs or standing around an excited child, some even playing with their quirks.

At the moment, it struck him, “Kirishima, what are we doing here?”

It was a family activity, parents shared about their jobs, “But my mother couldn’t leave job, so that’s why…” He looked both ashame and proud and Katsuki wondered what the hell was he doing there?

It only took a couple of presentations sitting on a stupid red chair for Bakugo rethinking the question and regret every decision he had taken today. It only deepened when it was the Kirishimas turn. He had already left the idea of showing off, it was worth it, truly. But the kid took both of their hands and drag them to the front.

“This is my brother and his partner, Blasty…” He was going to fucking kill Kirishima, once he was out of public eyes, “…They protect us like heroes used to, fighting and punching the bad guys.” Haru punched and kicked the air with little to no technic.

“And words!” Kirishima interrupted, holding his brother by the shoulder.

“But mostly fighting and punching.” Bakugo shrugged his shoulders.

“Kirishima turned his head, in surprise, “Bakugo!”

“Oh come on Spiky, don’t tell me those muscles are for hugging.” Kirishima opened his mouth to respond, but Bakugo was smirking and Haru was laughing.

He won.

***

“Thank you again, for today,” Kirishima  was fixing his hair again, in an improvised mirror over the dashed of the car with the front camera of his phone.

Bakugo growled, and turn away. He couldn’t handle how ridiculous Kirishima looked. He was wearing a flowered shirt with no sleeves and the holes so big that its left too little for anyone’s imagination about how he might look without a shirt and a pair of black ripped jeans. Mind you, things that he already fucking owned. Obviously his hair as tall as the damn building.

“Don’t mention it. Seriously.” As always though Kirishima didn’t listen or seemed to understand Katsuki’s tone.

“When he learned was busy with work…he wasn’t very happy…he doesn’t really understand how it works…” He picked at his phone and blocked it, “How much we depend of that job…I try to help but dad…he, well, he…” The words stuck with on his throat. Katsuki watched amused, he had never seen Kirishima struggle with words before, “…he left nothing but his mistakes behind.” Debts.

“You are obligated to be fucking better than him then.” Ejirou turned quickly, Bakugo was still looking away.

“Yeah…you are right,” He shook his head. “But what I wanted to say, it’s thank you…Haru was so charmed by you…” He laughed genuinely.

“Yeah yeah…are you going to do your job or what?” He couldn’t stop laughing at Bakugo’s grumpy childish face, with a slight thirst for blood.

Kirishima let the laugh die slowly, before nodding, “I won’t let you down!” He barely opened the door when he felt a tug in his arm.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” And Katsuki hoped this time he would listen, as the twirl in his stomach grew bigger watching Kirishima walk away until he disappeared in blacks and neon lights.

[parkersanders]

Not Just You (Submission)

This story sways more platonic princiety due to my wanting to write based off of a text post I saw a while back. With Roman. And Virgil. I really hope you don’t mind me submitting this!! But edit/tag it as you will, andimsorry. I just. Don’t??? know where else to post this. Or the tags to use.

I would put a read more in this. It’s a little over 2k words.

Despite the common belief, Roman Sanders, the Prince and Hero to Thomas, did indeed have doubts. Doubts and anxieties which crept up in little ways through his actions and his words. Not that many of the sides seemed to notice –the Prince wasn’t called upon very often, after all—often leaving Roman seeming out of place in their colourful group.

 Or, so Roman noticed. The opening of his mouth to be met with a side-glance, from the others, a glare, lips pulling downward in a frown getting Roman’s teeth to click shut and lips to press firm together. The scattered looks left and right, waiting to say just the right thing until he couldn’t hold it in and blustered through anyway.

This often led to discrepancies, Patton’s tense smiles or awkward shifting, Logan’s narrowed eyes or bewildered stares, even Thomas’ lifting of hands, attempting to mediate between all of their extremes to ease up into his one personality.

However, this was leaving out one crucial part of Thomas’ personality.

One the befuddled Prince had only recently realized how similar the two of them were in reality.

Anxiety.

Anxiety, otherwise now known as Virgil, (a name he had never anticipated. It was such a cultured sounding name, a tad dorkier than he had anticipated for Hot TopicTM) who discredited Roman so often, who pointed out the flaws in every little thing he did. Anxiety, the nagging voice who would hang by his shoulder and sneer at Roman’s attempted contributions to Thomas’ day …

Anxiety, the one who could push Thomas to work a great deal faster than he could.

Anxiety, the one who got Thomas to go into the shower and wash himself as a form of procrastination, ending up helping Thomas take care of himself.

Anxiety, the one who encouraged sleeping, helped with the emotional stress through the day, understood when enough was enough and kicked in to get Thomas out of a conversation quicker, who –

Anxiety … the one who was more accepted as an asset to Thomas’ creativity, morality, and … self-care than Roman himself was.

Could one blame him for being excited once Virgil had seemed to disappear? One of the first instances Thomas had even spoken to Roman in the longest times had been trying to help him get rid of his anxiety. It was a foe to face, a fear to quell, a person to save! And, while unbeknownst to Thomas at the time, an adversary (one threatening his place) to overcome.

Roman would never call it jealousy! No, jealousy was too foul a word for such vicious feelings, too abhorrent. No, it was a mild dislike, distrust, and unsettling irritation that rested in the pit of his stomach whenever he was around Anxiety.

That was all. Nothing else. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Nothing.

His own looks to the other halves of Thomas’ personalities, silently begging for their encouragement. Their agreement with him … and yet, when it came to Anxiety, Roman was slowly torn further and further down.

Not until their escapades into Anxiety’s mind space did Roman realize his importance. The frustrating helplessness. A knot twisting in his chest, the quickening breath, flem in his throat he simply could not swallow past. Roman tried, as hard as he could to ignore it. Using colorful words, quick dismissing what he obviously felt. A feeling he did not wish to admit, but one he knew a bit more well than the others.

Once Anxiety helped Thomas, again, Prince felt proud.

But, with pride came the fall. The silent wondering. The shut downs that not only Logic, but Patton and Thomas had also gone through with. Silencing Roman and getting him to back off.

So, with shuffling feet, and in a time Roman was certain there would be no spotlight on them, did he go back into the dank cave.

“I’m not giving you my dank posters.”

Virgil’s voice rang clear as he was sitting on the elongated leather couch, headphones resting around his neck, My Chemical Romance blaring just loud enough to hear through the poor, abused speaker system. An iPad rested in his lap, a book, the dark, night-font used for the environment around him (as well as aesthetic purposes) pulled up that he was reading.

Prince took a moment’s pause. He needed … to not be antagonistic here. “That is not why I’m here.” A glance upwards, dark eyeliner framing a deathly pale skin complexion seemed disbelieving, “Really! Though I do find it lovely decorum and would be more than charmed to take it from you at some point, I am currently on a more … amiable mission.”

Looking back down to his iPad, Virgil flicked a finger across the screen. Dark brown eyes scanning text haphazardly. “Oh really? Well I wouldn’t stay in here then if you want to stay amiable.”

“Then perhaps you would like to accompany me to my lodgings instead!”

“…what?”

Prince took a deep breath.

“My mind space. Since coming here heightens my … er … feelings, then I figure coming to my mind space might make you more wanting to hear out my ideas!” Roman’s voice was chipper. He could feel the anxiety seeping in his skin already, however. A tight knot building in his chest and in his throat.

Why did he have phrase it like that?

It was all wrong, wasn’t it?

Virgil was staring at Roman with a puzzled, quizzical look. Uncertain if he really ought to believe what he heard. Flicking up on the iPad, turning the volume down as his headphones quieted. “You,” Anxiety spoke slowly, enunciating clearly so the Prince could hear this absurd idea, “Want me to go into your mind space. As-in, the most private place you have that you have only let logic into to help collaborate on videos.”

Saying it like that made Roman’s heart stop. Stupid, it was stupid, so stupid. He should have known better than to assume, of course he should have just ignored this. Not tried to sympathize or pushed past these thoughts of –

“Yes.”

Pulling his headphones out of the iPad, Anxiety gave a small groan, but stood anyway. “Fine, okay, whatever. I don’t have anything better to do today.”

It took almost everything Roman had to not let out a sigh of blissful relief. Acceptance …

Funny … It felt like forever since he had full heartedly earned it

No. No. Do not go down that rabbit hole. He knew where it was going, and they were still in Anxieties room. If he kept thinking this way, he might end up sinking Thomas into a pit of self-loathing depression by accident himself. “Ah! Yes … er-hm.” He didn’t need to be more ‘helpful’, did he?

Holding out a hand to Virgil, the goth took it. Cold and clammy –like that of a dead hag—Prince’s mind wandered a tad aimlessly, before they reached it.

The place looked like Thomas’ bedroom, but there were several pieces of Disney memorabilia and a much warmer décor. Rich reds, warm golds, and soft browns lit the room. Anxiety didn’t seem much impressed. “I thought you’d make it that forest outside of the house.” Was the idle comment, dull and nearly monotone.

Roman could not help the huff that followed such a statement. “And I expected your room to the be the attic filled with cobwebs, spiders, and nothing but a cot and some water, befitting someone of your … well. You.”

“Thanks so much. Really making me not regret coming here.”

“Ugh. It’s just. Creativity requires a clean space, a warm environment, and –occasionally yes—some adventure. The bed is comfortable, relaxing, and the easiest to concentrate …”  The prince had turned to rambling at that point. Virgil deciding to crawl onto the bed and make himself comfortable.

Freeing sheets from their tucked in stature, he wrapped himself up tightly into a cocoon before going back to listening to the romantics continued speech. “… And further more you also need a clean work space to feel healthy! Combined with the fact that the outdoors are only a step away I really do not feel as if I am too far off from what my room ought to be!”

“Sure, Princey, sure. Now, why am I here again?”

Swallowing thickly, Roman swayed on his feet for a moment, before walking over. “I have been thinking on what you said about a week back.”

“Oh god no.”

“About … retiring your position.”

“Listen, I’m already back and one of you guys so you don’t have to—“

“I just wanted to say I understand.”

The silence that followed Roman’s words was deafening. Sitting down besides Virgil, Roman didn’t dare look up to meet his eyes. Hands settled uncomfortably at his arms, a finger trailing the insides of his arm uncertainly before settling more on his wrist. Rubbing at his pulse.

After a while of silence, Anxiety finally spoke up.

“You’re joking right?”

It took a lot for Roman to not snap at Virgil. Why would he joke about this? Honey eyes stare down at his hands quietly.

“You’ve got to be joking.” Virgil insisted, “Princey. The shining light of creativity and egotism that Thomas has understands me. Understands not belonging in that little three-man-show of yours that keeps away from all the other sides generally.”

Each biting statement made the creative’s shoulders want to tense, his hackles raise in defense, but he couldn’t get himself to snap. Instead he let out a breathy sigh.

It was likely the lingering effects of Anxieties room.

“No.” Prince answered, “I am not joking.”

A barked, bitter laugh fell from Virgil’s lips. A grin from ear to ear as he leaned back. “Oooh, this is rich! His ego gets bunt one degree and he’s telling me he understands.”

“Anxiety…“

“He thinks he gets it. Being demonized and told he’s wrong every chance he gets. That he’s the bad guy. Argued to the point of supposed non-existence, attempting to help and ignored,”

“… Anxiety …”

“And then, when it’s only convienent for the rest of the group, do they come crawling back, wishing for good ol’ Anxiet—“

“Virgil!” Virgil’s teeth automatically click shut in silence.

Roman’s fingers are gripping the cloth of his pants so tightly they’re turning white. He’s shaking now and it hurts. Dammit it has to be from going into Anxieties mind space. He should have known that was a stupid idea! He’s back where he belongs, but it feels alien to him now. Everything doesn’t seem right, nothing was correct, everything was feeling farther and farther away.

And he was just so … stupid.

“Since we first met. I did not like you. It is unsurprising, you are, in essence, a being made to cause fears and insecurities, you also help contribute towards his procrastination which puts a stickler to anything I want to do. No creative energies, draining emotions, negativity, snide commentary that results in hurting other people’s feelings—“

“—I feel so loved, now—“

“—but it’s not just that. You did things better than me. Thomas always had you. Always. I’m fleeting, even when I attempt to be there, he often dismisses me for Patton or Logan or … well, you. You drive him towards goals, and ideals from, well, sure fear of the unknown and failure, but it motivates him! And I …”

He had to wonder.

If Thomas’ creativity vanished … would it really make that much of a difference?

The other sides could most certainly step in, and then, of course, was Anxiety pushing Thomas to keep performing and working, and Logan and Morality along with him.

From what Roman could understand and see. His disappearance … wouldn’t make a difference.

“… I do not seem to make half the dent you all do. Thomas has spoken to me a handful of times, but the majority have been about you. Working beyond you. I could not think of a single entirely unique idea, and then, on top of that, when I speak my opinions, the others just discredit me.” As if they knew exactly what he should or should not believe. Roman didn’t even know what he should or should not believe.

“…Princey, I …”

“I still don’t like you! Because I do not get you, or Logan, or Patton, or any of the others! There is a reason we three made this little ‘circle’ in the first place, after all. Then you come in and push your way forward and it just. I am not … useful anymore.”

Another silence, more tense than the last settled around them both. Virgil staring at Roman. What could he say? Part of him feared speaking at all. Roman had just admitted a lot of things on the table right there, and Virgil wasn’t … too good with this whole, admitting thing.

He much preferred getting seen as ‘the villain’ of the story and being picked on by Roman to this.

Even while Virgil would admit the soft encouragement now and again would be nice. This was a whole new ball game with its own set of rules. One Virgil wasn’t used to playing quite yet.

So he’d default after an uncomfortably long silence.

“Guess you could say, the Prince has got Anxiety, huh?”

A bristling followed.

Roman was trying to be earnest. To be taken seriously.

“Out.”

Virgil blanks from his little pile under the blanket. “Wait, what?”

“Get out of my room.” Roman is now standing and pointing at the floor. He looks deadly serious.

“I was just trying to make a joke …”

“And I am not. Be gone from me, now.”

Virgil doesn’t take much time more to sink down, disappearing from Roman’s room and land on a soft, cloth couch and groan loudly. Back in Thomas’ world, away from his comfy staircase, Anxiety rubs a hand over his forehead and through his bangs with a grimace. Uncertain where he went wrong, and not understanding why Roman had reacted so badly.

“It was just a joke …” Virgil grumbled.

“What was a joke, kiddo?” Patton piped brightly, a surprising tray of cookies being pulled from the oven. “Oh, did I miss something big? You’ve got to tell me, there’s nothing I want to miss from this big ol’ kooky family!”